Bill Fletcher, Jr.

Obama is definitely a great and compelling speaker, certainly by mainstream political standards. But that is not what I was pondering in listening to the Inaugural Address on January 21st. Rather, what struck me was that this was both a proclamation of the existence of a bloc of forces in this country that made it…

A friend recently told me how a relative of theirs was most concerned about developments in Egypt, given the dominance of the right-wing Islamist Muslim Brotherhood. I have heard similar such concerns raised, as conservative Islamists have come to play major roles in post-uprising governments, e.g., Tunisia, Egypt. In some cases, there is an implication…

I was out of the country when word reached me of the passing of the legendary Marvin Miller, the retired Executive Director of the Major League Baseball Players Association. While I was not completely surprised to hear the news – Miller was 95 at the time of his death – his fierce determination often led…

The obvious intent to eliminate African American and Latino voters energized us to turn out in record numbers Leading up to November 6th, I found myself focused on the matter of voter suppression and electoral shenanigans committed by the Republicans. This concern was not for nothing. Prior to and on Election Day there were myriad…

Ask yourself if you care whether or not you receive the mail that the Constitution promises.I have lived through several hurricanes and major storms. When you do not know whether your roof will hold together or whether you will get flooded out (and our basement was flooded in the 2011 hurricane), the anxiety is indescribable.…

Let me start by being clear that i am in favor of term limits. I am not in favor of people running forever. That said, the victory of President Chavez is a tremendous one, and not just for him as an individual. There are those who are committed to turning the clock backwards and they…

In the northwest corner of Africa, an on-going conflict against an occupation could be entering a new stage. The Western Sahara, known as the Spanish Sahara prior to the withdrawal of Spain, has been the site of a bitter struggle for national liberation. Currently led by the organization POLISARIO, a movement for the independence of…

As the Venezuelan Presidential elections near (October 7th), the obsession of the US mainstream media with bringing down the administration of President Hugo Chavez resurfaces. The standard story line is generally the same: Venezuela is allegedly led by a dictator who is carrying out repression against his opponents. What is so striking about these allegations…