Democratic Rights in the US
The Democrats’ McCarthyite witch hunt
By Andre Damon, 3 November 2017
This week’s congressional hearings on “extremist content” mark a new stage in the campaign by congressional Democrats, working with the intelligence agencies and leading media outlets, to legitimize censorship and criminalize dissent.
Anti-Russia hearings in the US:
Lawmakers demand tech companies censor journalists and conduct mass surveillance
By Andre Damon, 2 November 2017
Wednesday's testimony made clear the social media giants are being required to act as a proxy of the US government, to muzzle its critics and political opponents.
US Congressional hearing:
Former FBI agent says tech companies must “silence” sources of “rebellion”
By Andre Damon, 1 November 2017
Advocating stepped-up censorship of the Internet, Clint Watts, a former US Army officer and FBI agent, declared, “Civil wars don’t start with gunshots, they start with words.”
May a word be spoken on behalf of Kevin Spacey?
By David Walsh, 1 November 2017
The American actor is one of the most gifted and significant performers of his generation. Now his career, at least for the moment, lies in ruins.
US congressional hearings on “extremist content” prepare assault on free speech
By Andre Damon, 31 October 2017
This week, US tech companies will report to Congress on their moves to limit “extremist content” on the Internet as part of the anti-Russian witch hunt, which is increasingly targeting the First Amendment.
California: Car plows through immigration protesters outside US congressman’s office
By Dan Conway, 31 October 2017
Video shows Daniel Wenzek inching his car into protesters who had temporarily blocked a street crossing, and then accelerating while a protester lay on the hood of his car.
US Appeals Court denies second hearing for US citizen falsely imprisoned by ICE officials
By Nick Barrickman, 30 October 2017
The October 19 court decision is the latest in a series of appeals and reversals by US courts on Watson’s case.
Twitter bans RT and Sputnik from advertising
By Trévon Austin, 28 October 2017
The move sets a chilling precedent, giving Twitter the ability to decide which news outlets are allowed to promote their content, limiting free speech and freedom of the press online.
US immigration officials arrest 10-year-old girl with cerebral palsy after surgery
By Eric London, 27 October 2017
The US immigration agencies, which employ tens of thousands of police and bureaucrats, are being transformed into institutional bases of fascism.
New York Times and Wall Street Journal demand censorship of YouTube
By Andre Damon, 26 October 2017
In two articles appearing Tuesday on the front pages of the New York Times and Wall Street Journal, the newspapers laid out justifications for censoring the online streaming service YouTube.
Review of Tennessee’s bail bond system exposes inequalities in US justice system
By Warren Duzak, 25 October 2017
At a recent public meeting, the Metro Nashville Public Defender reviewed the arcane practice of bail bonding and its impact on working class and poor defendants.
Mississippi school district removes To Kill a Mockingbird from curriculum
By Sandy English, 24 October 2017
The public school district in Biloxi, Mississippi, has removed Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird from the eighth grade curriculum because of complaints by parents about the language in the book.
“This anti-Russian campaign is horrible”: An interview with antiwar activist Cindy Sheehan
By David Walsh, 23 October 2017
Cindy Sheehan, the mother of a US soldier killed in Iraq in 2004, has had many bitter experiences with the Democratic Party.
Over 5,000 sign WSWS petition against Google blacklisting
By Trévon Austin, 23 October 2017
The broad and passionate response from workers, students and youth in the United States and internationally is indicative of widespread opposition to censorship and attacks on democratic rights.
Google escalates blacklisting of left-wing web sites and journalists
By Andre Damon, 20 October 2017
In a sweeping expansion of its moves to censor the Internet, Google has blacklisted leading left-wing websites and journalists from its news aggregation platform.
As Trump presses owners to fire protesting athletes
NFL commissioner says football players should stand for national anthem
By Alan Gilman, 19 October 2017
In an angry tweet Wednesday, Trump complained that the NFL owners had decided not to force players to stand for the national anthem.
Florida Governor declares state of emergency ahead of speech by white supremacist
By Matthew Taylor, 18 October 2017
The Sheriff's department has stated that more than 500 police officers will be on hand for the speech by Richard Spencer at the University of Florida.
The conspiracy to censor the Internet
By Andre Damon and Joseph Kishore, 18 October 2017
US intelligence agencies, media outlets and Democratic Party operatives are turning the witch-hunt against Russia into the justification for a far-reaching attack on free speech.
Trump appeals to fundamentalists and fascists
By Patrick Martin, 17 October 2017
The heart of Trump’s speech was to boast that his administration was turning back the clock on social progress made since the 1950s.
New club procedures at UC Berkeley give police effective veto power over campus events
By Gabriel Black and Joseph Santolan, 17 October 2017
The new policy requiring clubs to submit their plans to the police and to pay for police presence at their meetings is an attack on free speech on campus.
How the Internet keeps us safe from people like Thomas Friedman
By Andre Damon, 14 October 2017
Friedman, the notorious war propagandist, is demanding that technology companies censor news outlets that would hold him to account for his lies.
NFL commissioner announces plans against anthem protests
By Trévon Austin, 12 October 2017
NFL Commisioner Roger Goodell and a number of team owners are taking measures to punish football players who kneel during the anthem.
Notes on police violence
Killing of fleeing man by Salt Lake City police officers ruled “justified”
By Josh Varlin, 10 October 2017
No charges have been brought against the officers who killed Patrick Harmon despite contradictions between the police version of events and bodycam footage.
Trump and Pence orchestrate national anthem provocation at NFL game
By Alan Gilman, 10 October 2017
Pence and his wife left the Indianapolis stadium after about 20 members of the San Francisco 49ers “took a knee” during the national anthem.
Trump White House declares war on immigrants
By Patrick Martin, 10 October 2017
The Trump immigration document exposes the role of the Democratic Party in providing political cover for the White House.
Inequality and the American oligarchy
Identity politics and the growth of inequality within racial minorities
By Eric London, 7 October 2017
New data from the Federal Reserve reveal the extraordinary growth of social inequality within minority populations, which forms the basis of the identity politics of the upper-middle class.
For one in four US women: Nearest abortion facility over 30 miles away
By Zaida Green, 6 October 2017
In many counties, women must travel dozens or hundreds of miles to reach an abortion facility and are often forced to travel to another state.
Inequality and the American oligarchy
The social and economic roots of the attack on democratic rights
By Eric London, 6 October 2017
New figures on social inequality reveal the material basis for the campaign in ruling circles to block access to the WSWS and other left-wing sites.
The elites “have no credibility left:” An interview with journalist Chris Hedges
By David North, 6 October 2017
Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Chris Hedges talks with the WSWS about the anti-Russia campaign, the attack on democratic rights, and the role of the capitalist media.
UC Berkeley mobilizes police for “Free Speech Week”
By David Brown, 3 October 2017
The university administration, headed by former Department of Homeland Security head Janet Napolitano, used the right-wing provocation as a pretext for mobilizing police on campus.
International Youth and Students for Social Equality wins club status at New York University
By the International Youth and Students for Social Equality, 3 October 2017
The IYSSE won the support of hundreds of students, and was granted club status after a year of rejections.
Race, class and the protests against police violence in St. Louis, Missouri
By Genevieve Leigh, 3 October 2017
As part of its efforts to inject racialist politics into the protests against the police officer who killed Anthony Lamar Smith, groups around the Democratic Party held a “white allies only” rally.
The New York Times reports World Socialist Web Site charge of Google censorship and blacklisting
By Andre Damon, 2 October 2017
The Times’ article is the first detailed report in the US mainstream media of Google’s manipulation of searches to bar access to left-wing sites.
US Justice Department demands Facebook turn over information on anti-administration activists
By Trévon Austin, 30 September 2017
Private account information on thousands of Facebook users could be handed over to the government as a result of the warrants.
ICE arrests nearly 500 immigrants in raids on “sanctuary cities” across US
By Evan Blake, 30 September 2017
The crackdown is intended to cultivate authoritarian sentiments within Trump’s far-right base, as well as embolden fascistic elements within ICE itself.
The new McCarthyism and the suppression of political dissent
By Andre Damon, 29 September 2017
The increasingly hysterical anti-Russia campaign, spearheaded by the Democratic Party, is laying the political and legal basis for the criminalization of dissent in the United States.
Behind Trump’s attack on the NFL football players
By Patrick Martin, 26 September 2017
Trump’s attacks on NFL players for “disrespecting” the national anthem are a calculated effort to whip up racism and militarism.
Trump implements new indefinite travel ban
By Niles Niemuth, 26 September 2017
The implementation of new travel restrictions can only be understood as a prelude to a further escalation of US imperialist operations.
“Dad, mom, the police are here”
ICE rounds up farmworkers applying for work in Michigan
By Eric London and Niles Niemuth, 26 September 2017
The WSWS spoke to immigrants and witnesses of an ICE raid at a migrant labor camp in Western Michigan.
In defiance of Trump threats, US athletes protest police repression
By Patrick Martin, 25 September 2017
In a campaign speech in Alabama and multiple Twitter messages, the US president demanded total conformity from athletes with his policies of police repression and militarism.
Interview with attorney for family of Anthony Lamar Smith:
Authorities withheld DNA evidence in St. Louis police killing
By Ed Hightower, 25 September 2017
“The whole package of justice in this case, not just the criminal case but in the civil remedies… was compromised.”
Immigrants arrested by plain-clothes ICE agents outside Brooklyn courthouse
By Mark Witkowski, 25 September 2017
The blatantly anti-democratic act of arresting immigrants who are attending court hearings for minor violations acts as a mechanism for justifying the crackdown on immigrants.
Oklahoma City police shoot and kill deaf man
By Matthew Taylor, 22 September 2017
Neighbors who witnessed the killing warned the two cops confronting Magdiel Sanchez that he was deaf and could not understand their orders just before they opened fire.
Obama adviser Samantha Power calls for crackdown on social media
Internet censorship and government war plans
By Andre Damon, 21 September 2017
Samantha Power, US ambassador to the United Nations under Barack Obama, has penned a column in the New York Times advocating the use of “professional gatekeepers” to police public discourse on the Internet.
St. Louis Police declare “We’re in control” as crackdown on protests enters fifth day
By Genevieve Leigh, 20 September 2017
St. Louis police officers chanted “Whose streets? Our streets!” as they arrested largely peaceful demonstrators protesting police violence.
Protests continue in St. Louis as police kill eight more in US
By Trévon Austin and Patrick Martin, 19 September 2017
Hundreds of demonstrators gathered outside the Justice Center in downtown St. Louis Monday night in a show of support for those who remained jailed after police arrested 123 people on Sunday night.
Facebook turns over information on Russia-linked accounts to Special Counsel Mueller
By Patrick Martin, 19 September 2017
The investigation into alleged Russian interference in the US election and Trump campaign collusion is being used to justify a crackdown on the Internet.
Google intensifies censorship of left-wing websites
By Andre Damon, 19 September 2017
New statistics expose the growing impact of Google’s attack on free speech.
Police crackdown on hundreds protesting acquittal of killer cop in St. Louis
By Genevieve Leigh, 16 September 2017
Riot police in St. Louis, Missouri arrested 13 people in protests that erupted after the acquittal of the police officer, Jason Stockley, who fatally shot Anthony Lamar Smith in December 2011.
CIA vetoes Chelsea Manning’s Harvard fellowship
By Eric London, 16 September 2017
After a quarter century of war, there is hardly a decision made in any of the official institutions of bourgeois power where the military and intelligence agencies do not have the final say.
Trump administration threatens further clampdown on refugees
By Bill Van Auken, 14 September 2017
In the wake of a Supreme Court ruling upholding Trump’s anti-Muslim “travel ban,” his administration is considering plans to drastically slash refugee admissions to the US.
Notes on Police Violence
Department of Justice clears officers in death of Freddie Gray
By Trévon Austin, 14 September 2017
The six police officers involved in the death of Freddie Gray will not face federal civil rights prosecution, the DOJ announced on Tuesday.
New York Times stokes anti-Russia campaign to promote Facebook, Twitter censorship
By Bill Van Auken, 12 September 2017
Invoking an alleged Russian menace to American democracy, the New York Times is spearheading a campaign for a crackdown on political expression on social media.
Sixteen years after 9/11: lies, hypocrisy and militarism
By Bill Van Auken, 12 September 2017
The media has largely blacked out new revelations of the direct role of Saudi Arabia, one of Washington’s closest Mideast allies, in preparing the attacks.
United Airlines dodges government discipline for brutalizing passenger
By Marcus Day, 9 September 2017
The US Department of Transportation declined to sanction United Airlines for having Dr. David Dao violently dragged from a flight in April.
Detroit Police stonewall investigation into Taser death of 15-year-old
By Robert Verdine, 9 September 2017
The death of 15-year-old Damon Grimes, shot by a police Taser while riding his ATV, has sparked anger in Detroit.
“If the Internet shuts down, we wouldn’t know anything. The union isn’t going to tell us”
Autoworkers in Detroit support campaign against Google Internet censorship
By a WSWS reporting team, 9 September 2017
SEP campaign teams in the Detroit area collected scores of signatures last weekend for the petition opposing Google’s Internet censorship.
Forbes writer says Google censored report on manipulation of search traffic
By Andre Damon, 8 September 2017
Journalist Kashmir Hill faced a backlash from the tech giant after she reported that Google threatened to demote search results for sites that did not link to its ill-fated social media network.
San Diego protests against Trump’s repeal of DACA program
By our reporters, 7 September 2017
Protesters and DACA enrollees spoke to the WSWS about their reaction to Trump’s announcement.
The National Football League’s blacklisting of quarterback Colin Kaepernick
By Alan Gilman, 7 September 2017
Last season, while playing for the San Francisco 49ers, Kaepernick began kneeling during the national anthem in protest against police killings of African Americans in the US.
Trump rescinds DACA, putting 800,000 youth at risk of deportation
By Genevieve Leigh, 6 September 2017
The Trump administration is phasing out a government program that gave immigrants brought to the US as children limited protection from deportation.
Immigrant community braces for Trump’s decision on DACA
By Genevieve Leigh, 5 September 2017
Trump is expected to announce the end of the federal program that offers limited citizenship rights to immigrants brought to the US as children, putting 800,000 youth at risk of deportation.
Trump orders resumption of military supplies to local police
By Patrick Martin, 29 August 2017
The program to supply military gear to local police allows the Pentagon to transfer equipment ranging from body armor to tanks, at no cost to the local or state government.
Why is the media promoting Antifa?
By Gabriel Black, 28 August 2017
As part of its efforts to disorient popular opposition, the media has promoted the anti-Russia campaign, racialist politics and… anarchists involved in punch-ups with Nazi demonstrators.
DreamHost ordered to hand over data on anti-Trump website: The criminalization of political dissent
By Joseph Kishore, 26 August 2017
The court decision that DreamHost must turn over information on the individuals associated with disruptj20.org is a chilling assault on free speech.
More than two thousand sign petition to stop Google censorship
By Zac Corrigan, 22 August 2017
The number of signatures jumped over the weekend, after WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange tweeted a link to the WSWS’s exposure of Google’s actions.
Trump’s firing of Bannon: The military asserts control
By Barry Grey, 19 August 2017
While Democratic politicians hailed the removal of Bannon, his departure in no way signifies a shift away from the Trump administration’s program of war, social reaction and political repression.
Trump administration demands Internet records on 1.3 million political opponents
By Don Barrett and Niles Niemuth, 17 August 2017
The Justice Department has filed a warrant demanding emails, visitor logs, contact information and photographs relating to the website that coordinated protests at the January 20 presidential inauguration.
Trump’s defense of Nazi violence: The mask comes off
By Joseph Kishore, 17 August 2017
Trump’s remarks on Tuesday defending Nazi and white supremacist violence have exposed the ugly reality of American capitalism.
America’s pro-Nazi president defends Charlottesville rampage
By Barry Grey, 16 August 2017
Trump’s press conference tirade on Tuesday was part of a calculated attempt to develop a fascistic mass movement in the United States.
The political and social roots of fascist violence in the US
By Joseph Kishore, 15 August 2017
The fascist violence in Charlottesville is not an aberration. It is, rather, the manifestation of a profound crisis of American capitalist society.
Protests continue against Trump and Nazi rampage in Charlottesville
By our reporters, 15 August 2017
Demonstrations involving thousands of people continued Monday in cities across the US to protest the deadly fascist riot in Charlottesville, Virginia and President Trump’s promotion of far-right forces.
Another reactionary attack on artist Dana Schutz, this time in Boston—and a healthy response
By David Walsh, 10 August 2017
Schutz’s painting of Emmett Till, the 14-year-old black youth murdered in Mississippi in 1955, came under attack in March when it was shown as part of the Whitney Museum’s Biennial in New York City.
Evidence of Google blacklisting of left and progressive sites continues to mount
By Andre Damon, 8 August 2017
Leading left-wing news outlets confirmed that their traffic plunged after Google announced measures to allow human evaluators to censor political websites.
Trump announces plan to cut legal immigration in half
By our reporter, 3 August 2017
Defending the move at a press conference, Trump’s fascistic aide Stephen Miller denounced CNN for having a “cosmopolitan bias” in a thinly-veiled anti-Semitic attack.
Video documents torture of teen in Tennessee jail
By Keisha Gibbs, 3 August 2017
Released in late July, surveillance video shows 18-year-old Jordan Norris being restrained and repeatedly tased while in a Cheatham County, Tennessee jail.
San Diego State University professor attacked over Facebook post criticizing Senator John McCain
By Jill Lux, 3 August 2017
Threats have been made against Professor Jonathan Graubart, who denounced the effusions of sympathy for the the long-time war-monger who was diagnosed with brain cancer.
Democratic campaign chairman declares willingness to fund anti-abortion candidates
By Nick Barrickman, 2 August 2017
The Democrats’ adaptation to the Republican right and anti-abortion sentiment comes amid factional infighting after Hillary Clinton’s loss in the 2016 presidential election.
Google’s new search protocol is restricting access to 13 leading socialist, progressive and anti-war web sites
By Andre Damon and David North, 2 August 2017
The World Socialist Web Site and other widely-followed left-wing internet publications have experienced a massive drop in Google search traffic.
White House upheaval continues as General Kelly takes the reins
By Patrick Martin, 1 August 2017
The retired Marine general’s first action as White House chief of staff was to fire Anthony Scaramucci, hired by Trump less than two weeks ago as communications director.
White House shakeup: A further step toward authoritarian rule
By Patrick Martin, 31 July 2017
The installation of retired Marine General John Kelly as White House chief of staff is part of a broader turn by President Trump to the military and police apparatus.
South Haven, Mississippi police accused of executing auto mechanic in address mix-up
By Matthew MacEgan, 31 July 2017
On Friday, an attorney representing the family of Ismael Lopez contacted the Justice Department to demand an investigation, arguing that the man’s death was an execution and that the officers involved should face criminal charges.
Google’s chief search engineer legitimizes new censorship algorithm
By Andre Damon, 31 July 2017
Using the fraudulent pretext of blocking access to “fake news,” Google has implemented a vastly expanded program of Internet censorship.
Texas executes man who received grossly ineffective counsel
By Kate Randall, 29 July 2017
The US Supreme Court rejected a last-minute appeal on TaiChin Preyor’s behalf, allowing the lethal injection to proceed.
Embattled Trump plays homophobia card to strengthen his fascistic base
By Eric London, 29 July 2017
Trump and Bannon are seeking to whip up homophobic hysteria, uniting religious bigotry with police worship and American nationalism to encourage the growth of a fascistic movement.
Trump Justice Department: Corporations can fire employees based on sexual orientation
By Eric London, 28 July 2017
The Trump administration has launched a renewed offensive against the rights of LGBT people, and sections of the Democratic Party are adapting to the reactionary maneuvers.
Amazon to seize the land of freed slaves’ descendants to lay power lines
By Nick Barrickman and Alex González, 28 July 2017
American capitalism has come full-circle: the government is stealing land from the descendents of slaves and giving it to one of the world’s most powerful corporations.
FBI arrests US Army Sergeant in ISIS sting operation
By Isaac Finn, 28 July 2017
On July 8, the FBI arrested Sergeant First Class Ikaika Erik Kang in a sting operation involving agents posing as ISIS recruiters.
Google rigs searches to block access to World Socialist Web Site
By the WSWS Editorial Board, 28 July 2017
Statistical analysis proves that Google is excluding WSWS content from search requests.
New Google algorithm restricts access to left-wing, progressive web sites
By Andre Damon and Niles Niemuth, 27 July 2017
In the three months since Internet monopoly Google announced plans to keep users from accessing “fake news,” the traffic rankings of a broad range of left-wing, progressive, anti-war and democratic rights organizations have fallen significantly.
Trump announces ban on transgender people in the US military
By Josh Varlin, 27 July 2017
President Donald Trump announced the discriminatory and anti-democratic policy via Twitter Wednesday morning.
US Supreme Court clears way for lethal injection
Ohio carries out first execution in more than three years
By Kate Randall, 27 July 2017
There are three more death row prisoners set to die this year in Ohio and an additional 23 executions scheduled from 2018 through 2019.
Government moves survivors of San Antonio truck trailer disaster to for-profit jail
By Genevieve Leigh, 26 July 2017
Details continue to emerge on the personal stories of the migrants stuck in the back of a hot tractor trailer in San Antonio, which resulted in 10 deaths.
Immigrant fighting deportation sues Chicago police for falsely labeling him a “gang member”
By Kevin Martinez, 26 July 2017
Luis Vicente Pedrote-Salinas was ordered to leave the US this month but has alleged the CPD falsely listed him in a gang database, costing him the chance at staying.
Tenth immigrant dies in Texas trailer atrocity
By Genevieve Leigh, 25 July 2017
The corporate media is saying nothing about the government officials, business interests and politicians who bear the overriding responsibility for these deaths.
Notes on police violence
Minneapolis police chief resigns over police murder of Justine Damond
By Anthony Bertolt, 24 July 2017
Janeé Harteau, the first female, openly gay, Native American police chief in Minneapolis, had overseen the implementation of a number of reforms that it was claimed would moderate police violence in the city.
Tennessee judge offers reduced sentences to inmates who agree to sterilization
By Isaac Finn, 22 July 2017
The order is a return to the ultra-reactionary eugenics policies of an earlier era, as a supposed solution to the immense poverty and ongoing opioid crisis in the US.
Attorney General Jeff Sessions issues directive to revitalize civil forfeiture laws
By Genevieve Leigh, 22 July 2017
Sessions’s directive boosts a policy which has been responsible for the seizure of over $5 billion in cash and property from people suspected of a crime, even without a criminal charge, since the program was born in 1984.
Notes on police violence
Baltimore police officer caught on body-cam planting drugs
By Matthew MacEgan, 21 July 2017
The release of body-cam footage of police planting drugs prompted the release of a man who has been held in jail since January.
Notes on police violence
Woman killed by Minneapolis police had called to report a rape
By Matthew MacEgan and Niles Niemuth, 20 July 2017
Minneapolis police officers claim they thought they were being “ambushed” when they shot the 40-year-old yoga teacher through the door of their cruiser Saturday night.
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