Daily Archives: 19 July 2024

US Republican Party puts full backing behind ultra-conservative program at National Convention

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Original article by Natalia Marques republished from peoples dispatch under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 (CC BY-SA) license.

J.D. Vance was chosen as Trump’s Vice President, one of the most right-wing options for the ticket (Photo: Gage Skidmore)

At its National Convention, the leading conservative party in the US promotes its presidential ticket and ultra-conservative platform

The Republican National Convention, started on July 15, will continue until July 18 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The RNC officially confirmed former President Donald Trump as their nominee for the 2024 presidential elections, to take place in November.

Many in the US, of all political tendencies, were increasingly giving up on the prospect of a second Biden presidency even before Trump’s attempted assassination largely due to Biden’s disastrous debate performance and several political gaffes surrounding the NATO Summit. The Democratic National Convention will be held in Chicago from August 19 to 22, where the Democrats will officially select their nominee for the presidency. Until the first presidential debate between Biden and Trump, Biden’s incumbent status and victory in the primary elections made him essentially a shoe-in for the nomination. Since then, Biden’s nomination has been widely called into question.

Trump’s second presidency seems increasingly inevitable, with polls from recent days predicting a clear Trump victory. Much of the RNC has been dedicated to deifying Trump, who was notably ridiculed by the Republican Party establishment when he first ran for president in 2016. Trump’s own pick of Vice President, Ohio Senator and bestselling author J.D. Vance, once lamented privately to a friend that he was not sure if Trump was simply a “cynical asshole” or “America’s Hitler.” 

Vance and the “America First” comeback

Vance refused to vote for Trump in 2016. But like most of the Republican Party, even the most established and powerful figures within the party have fallen in line behind Trump. Even Marco Rubio, who ran a vicious primary campaign against Trump in 2016, hoped, in vain, to become Trump’s VP. 

However, Vance has since become one of the most conservative politicians in Congress, fully embracing what has become known as the “America First” political ideology. This conservative tendency is a break from the “neo-conservative” ideology that brought some of the most brutal foreign interventions in US history, such as the invasion of Iraq. In contrast, “America First” is characterized by isolationism, including a fierce opposition towards military aid to Ukraine. However, while “America First” politicians reference policies that could ostensibly benefit workers, such as lowering inflation and cutting on foreign military aid, these politicians have no issue promoting New Cold War policies against China, or chipping away at the little social spending that exists in the US.

“Our God still delivers, and he still sets free. Because the devil came to Pennsylvania holding a rifle, but the American lion got back up on his feet,” said Senator Tim Scott, also a former Trump VP hopeful, on the first day of the convention, referring to the assassination attempt against the former president.

With its total capitulation to the ideology of Trump’s campaign and his base, the Republican Party seems to be attempting to mask a widely unpopular policy platform behind a pro-worker facade.

Teamsters General President Sean O’Brien addressed the convention on Monday, becoming the first Teamsters leader to speak at the Republican National Convention. O’Brien did not outright endorse him, and has reportedly also asked to speak at the DNC. According to a Teamsters spokesperson, the DNC has yet to accept that request.

The Republican Party is notoriously hostile to organized labor, responsible for some of the harshest anti-union legislation in the world, leaving workers in conservative states uniquely susceptible to exploitation. Workers in so-called “right to work” states, where unions are prohibited from ensuring every worker who enjoys union benefits pay union dues, weaken the power of trade unions in those states. Republican-controlled states often have less regulations on corporate greed across the board, with some of the lowest minimum wages in the country. 

RNC platform proudly embraces xenophobia and militarism

Despite the RNC’s appeals to workers, the RNC is promoting one of the most politically backwards platforms as it puts its full support behind some of the most ultra-conservative politicians in the country. The Republicans put their attack on migrants front and center in their policy platform, pledging to “carry out the largest deportation operation in American history,” as well as completing Trump’s border wall (which Biden continued to build). 

Indeed, the platform, while emphasizing isolationism, also does not shy away from furthering US militarism. “Keeping the American People safe requires a strong America. The Biden administration’s weak Foreign Policy has made us less safe and a laughingstock all over the World,” the platform states. “The Republican Plan is to return Peace through Strength, rebuilding our Military and Alliances, countering China, defeating terrorism, building an Iron Dome Missile Defense Shield, promoting American Values, securing our Homeland and Borders, and reviving our Defense Industrial Base.”

Vance’s selection as VP, as one of the most conservative options that Trump could have possibly gone with, also signals the further entrenchment of the Republican Party with its ultra right-wing. “Vance’s nomination to be Trump’s running mate signals that the Republicans are doubling down on their false appeal as fighters for working people. In reality Vance is a Silicon Valley capitalist committed to militarism and boosting the profits of big business. His appointment, rather than a figure who would be considered more moderate like Doug Burgum, suggests that hardline repressive policies like a mass deportation campaign are likely under a potential second Trump administration,” Walter Smolarek, editor of Liberation News, told Peoples Dispatch. “Vance is also an anti-China fanatic, and would likely push for more and more escalation in the new Cold War.”

The 2024 US Presidential elections are now set to be a battle between the ultra-right represented by Trump, and the right-wing of the Democratic Party represented by Joe Biden. To find a true alternative to the right, people in the US may have to look outside of the two major parties.

Original article by Natalia Marques republished from peoples dispatch under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 (CC BY-SA) license.

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Milei’s unfinished promises: Argentina has the highest inflation in the world

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Original article by Pablo Meriguet republished from peoples dispatch under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 (CC BY-SA) license.

Photo: World Economic Forum

Javier Milei’s right-wing government promised to stop inflation in Argentina, and has thus far failed

The neoliberal economic measures of Javier Milei’s government are not improving the economic situation they promised to eradicate. During the election campaign, Milei made several promises that thus far he has been unable to keep. For example, he stated that the price of gas would not increase under his government, but from April to May rates rose by 450%. He also promised that public transportation fares would not increase, but the price of the subway went from 125 to 757 pesos.

The government has not been able to stimulate the growth of the Argentine economy either. According to the IMF itself, which bases a good part of its analysis and recommendations on neoliberal economic theory, the GDP of the Argentine economy will fall by 3.5% in 2024. In this sense, the recession the country is enduring does not seem to have a clear way out. Initially, the IMF thought that the economic contraction would be 2.8% of the GDP, but given the incontestable evidence, it had to adjust its forecast.

However, the IMF maintains that there will be a rebound effect, and that, therefore, in 2025 Argentina will grow by 5%. In addition, the agency praised the economic measures of the Milei government to curb the inflationary process, fiscal adjustment, and liberalization of the economy. Petya Koeva Brooks, deputy director of the Research Department, said that “looking ahead, even in the coming quarters, we expect growth to rebound because we see the effects of fiscal adjustment, the return of confidence and rising wages.”

However, several Argentine economists have stated that such expectations are not based on the reality of the national economy, as the problems caused by high inflation have worsened, as well as the evident decrease in employment in the country. According to data for the first half of 2024, Argentina has the highest cumulative inflation worldwide, 79.8%, and a peak year-on-year inflation of 271.5%.

Another unfulfilled promise of Milei was the increase of employment in the country thanks, according to the libertarian government, to the radical liberalization of the economy. However, despite the set of neoliberal economic measures, there has been a 7.7% increase in unemployment during the first quarter of 2024.

Milei’s administration celebrates the fact that the inflationary process decreased a little compared to previous years, claiming that this is thanks to certain public policies of his administration. This is even though Milei’s brutal fiscal adjustment, the contraction of the State, and the loss of thousands of jobs, which Milei stated would have a very positive impact on inflation, have not had the expected results. For example, food prices in Argentina have risen 260% (40 times more than Mexico), one of many figures which confirms that the neoliberal “shock” measures of Milei are not likely to benefit workers in the long run.

Original article by Pablo Meriguet republished from peoples dispatch under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 (CC BY-SA) license.

Continue ReadingMilei’s unfinished promises: Argentina has the highest inflation in the world

CCC: Labour must ‘make up lost ground’ to hit UK climate goals

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North Sea oil rigs in Cromarty Firth, Scotland. Credit: joiseyshowaa (CC BY-SA 2.0)
North Sea oil rigs in Cromarty Firth, Scotland. Credit: joiseyshowaa (CC BY-SA 2.0)

Original article by Josh Gabbatiss and Molly Lempriere from Carbon Brief. 

The UK’s new Labour government must urgently reinstate the net-zero plans shelved by its predecessor in order to “limit the damage” caused by Conservative policy rollbacks, according to official advisers at the Climate Change Committee (CCC).

In its latest annual progress report, the CCC issues some frank words about the “confusing and inconsistent” behaviour of the previous government.

The Conservatives only brought in “credible” policies to cover one-third of the emissions cuts required to hit the UK’s 2030 climate target, the committee finds.

Despite being “insufficient”, the CCC notes that this is a slight improvement on last year. Since then, a requirement for carmakers to sell electric models and a deal to help decarbonise heavy industry both boosted the credibility of the UK’s climate strategy, it says.

Nevertheless, the committee criticises former prime minister Rishi Sunak’s decision to roll back key net-zero policies, notably delaying bans on the sale of new gas boilers and non-electric cars. It says that, contrary to his claims, there was “no evidence” the delays would save people money.

The committee points to a general need to scale up emissions cuts across the economy. It says almost none of the UK government efforts to scale up low-carbon technologies or invest in nature-based solutions are on track.

With this in mind, the progress report lays out a selection of “priority” actions that the new Labour government should take to “make up lost ground” so the UK can achieve its climate goals.

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In the new report, the committee says a priority for the Labour government should be pausing any new airport expansions until there is a UK-wide “capacity management framework” in place. 

This would assess aviation emissions and ensure there is no overall expansion “unless the carbon intensity of aviation is outperforming the government’s emissions reduction pathway”.

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Long and detailed original article at Carbon Brief. 

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US oil company ran 1977 article predicting climate crisis could cause starvation

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https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/article/2024/jul/18/us-oil-marathon-petroleum-climate-change

A Guardian collage of images from industry 1970s industry periodical Marathon World published by a corporate predecessor of Marathon Petroleum Composite: The Guardian/Getty Images/Marathon Oil Company

Marathon Petroleum predecessor warned of potential for ‘social and economic calamities’ in decades-old publication

The corporate predecessor to America’s largest refiner of oil, Marathon Petroleum, explained in a company periodical nearly 50 years ago that global temperature rise potentially linked to “industrial expansion” could one day cause “widespread starvation and other social and economic calamities”.

This decades-old description of climate breakdown is from a 1977 issue of the magazine Marathon World and is attributed in the article by an unnamed author to several experts including a scientist working for a top US agency.

“Although climatologists disagree on the underlying reasons, many see a future climate of greater variability, bringing with it areas of extreme drought,” said the magazine, previously published by Marathon Oil Company, which later split into Marathon Petroleum as well as the exploration and production company Marathon Oil.

Marathon Petroleum is among several oil and gas companies – including Exxon, Shell and BP – currently being sued by the city of Honolulu for allegedly engaging in a coordinated communications effort “to conceal and deny their own knowledge” of catastrophic climate impacts caused by burning their products.

That lawsuit alleges that Marathon knew of the dangers of global temperature rise long before the general public due to its membership in the American Petroleum Institute, which began studying the link between fossil fuels and global heating decades ago.

This newly surfaced article shows the company was undertaking efforts on its own to stay up to date on the latest climate science and the threats a more volatile climate could pose to humankind.

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The current Honolulu lawsuit alleges that Marathon contributed to climate obstruction by belonging to industry associations that spent decades trying to convince the public that science linking coal, oil and gas to climate change was shaky and unreliable.

“Pestilence, starvation, drought. To know one’s product may bring that about, and bury the evidence, is unspeakable,” Timmons Roberts, a professor of environment and sociology at Brown University, who’s an expert in climate disinformation, wrote in an email to the Guardian after viewing the 1977 article.

Marathon and other companies named in the litigation are currently petitioning the US supreme court to throw out the case.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/article/2024/jul/18/us-oil-marathon-petroleum-climate-change

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New Zealand will fail to meet 2050 net zero targets, data shows, after climate policies scrapped

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https://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/jul/18/new-zealand-will-fail-to-meet-2050-net-zero-targets-data-shows-after-climate-policies-scrapped

New figures show New Zealand is on track to miss its 2050 net zero target, with scientists saying the government is too reliant on underdeveloped technologies. Photograph: Geoff Marshall/Alamy

Scientists say government’s approach to emissions cutting is ‘high risk’ and reliant on ‘immature technologies’

New Zealand’s ambitious plan to reach net zero emissions by 2050 is at risk of being derailed, as the government backslides on climate policies, new figures show.

In 2019, the Labour government passed landmark climate legislation, committing the nation to reducing its carbon emissions to net zero by 2050 and meeting its commitments under the Paris climate accords. It requires future governments to detail how New Zealand will meet its greenhouse gas targets on the way to a carbon-neutral future.

The coalition government – made up of the centre-right National party and two minor partners, the libertarian Act party and populist New Zealand First party – released its first draft emissions reduction plan on Wednesday.

Figures published alongside it show the country is on track to reach its first and second emissions budgets, covering the years 2022-2030, but will overshoot its third budget and will fail to meet its long-term 2050 goal.

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https://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/jul/18/new-zealand-will-fail-to-meet-2050-net-zero-targets-data-shows-after-climate-policies-scrapped

Rightwing NZ government accused of ‘war on nature’ as it takes axe to climate policies

Continue ReadingNew Zealand will fail to meet 2050 net zero targets, data shows, after climate policies scrapped