John Funiciello

To believe that racism has been eradicated from most of America, one also would have to believe that Dick Cheney found weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. Unfortunately, there are plenty who believe that discrimination, prejudice, and racism have been eradicated from the nation, especially since the American people elected a black man as their…

When workers at a Latham, N.Y., Holiday Inn Express wanted to organize a union, they mistakenly thought the law would protect their right to do so. They were mistaken. When workers in a Dominican garment shop wanted to organize a union and protect their new, higher pay and standard of living, they found that their…

The recent announcement that the U.S. Postal Service is going to ask for an increase of two cents for a first class stamp and is considering closing of post offices and delivery on Saturdays should alarm citizens who are advocates of free speech and open communications in America. It isn’t just the two-cent increase, from…

What is the Cost of War? Solidarity America By John Funiciello BlackCommentator.com Columnist What is the cost of war? There are many ways of calculating the cost of war for a nation and, for the U.S., it usually starts with the number of American dead and wounded. Seldom are the lives of those who are…

The times are changing – in China. There have been worker actions and strikes in the recent past in the Peoples Republic of China, but the current strike against a Honda Lock factory in Zhongshan is likely a portent of things to come for transnational corporations, for the ruling Chinese old guard, and for people…

With unemployment numbers holding at just under 10 percent nationwide, the bad news has been compounded by a United Nations report that predicts global food prices are likely to rise by 40 percent in the next decade. There are pockets of hunger all over America, and there are places where many are “food insecure,” which…

When a child commits suicide because of something that happens in school – bullying or harassment – it’s past time to do something about it. And we’ve had not just one or two, but many across the country that we know about. Before the New York State Senate this week was a bill called the…

Some want to weaken support for public education in America, and an important piece in their struggle is charter schools. Clearly, though, public schools are such a monumental national institution, they are not going to go away quietly or easily. Many politicians (mostly Republicans and mostly conservative) over many years have worked to chip away…

At the end of last month, a story out of China revealed an alarming number of suicides in a factory that makes electronic goods bought by Apple in the U.S. and other companies around the world. Competition in such factories is fierce, since the international corporations are constantly attempting to drive down prices, so that,…