The World

SACSIS seeks to examine global issues, particularly as they relate to South Africa.

Obama Breaks New Ground When It Comes to War With Iran

Picture: Fotopedia Tom Engelhardt - When I was young, the Philadelphia Bulletin ran cartoon ads that usually featured a man in trouble -- dangling by his fingers, say, from an outdoor clock.  There would always be people all around him, but far too engrossed in the daily paper to notice.  The tagline was: “In Philadelphia, nearly everybody reads the Bulletin.” Those ads came to mind recently when President Obama commented forcefully on war, American-style, in ways that were remarkably radical. ...

Growing Support for Israeli Apartheid Week in South Africa

Picture: writingrights.nu.org.za Anna Majavu - The first ever Palestinian-South African music collaboration between musicians and activists from both countries will be screened by video link between Gaza City and Soweto next Monday [12th March] as part of this week’s 8th international Israeli Apartheid Week. Israeli Apartheid Week (IAW) is an annual international series of events (including rallies, lectures, cultural performances, film screenings and multimedia displays) held by ordinary people in well over 100 cities,...

How Financial Crisis, Economic Inequality, Social Media, and More Brought Revolutions in 2011

Picture: www.alternet.org Sarah Jaffe - Journalist Paul Mason covered the uprisings of 2011 as they occurred. His new book "Why It's Kicking Off Everywhere," explains why they all happened at once. We're at an inflection point in history, a shift not just in our politics but our consciousness, says Paul Mason, BBC Newsnight economics editor, author and journalist. From Madrid to Madison, Tahrir Square to Syntagma Square, London student occupations to Occupy Wall Street, Mason has covered the uprisings of 2011, and...

'Losing' the World: American Decline in Perspective

Picture: www.anticapitalistes.net Noam Chomsky - Part One Significant anniversaries are solemnly commemorated -- Japan’s attack on the U.S. naval base at Pearl Harbor, for example.  Others are ignored, and we can often learn valuable lessons from them about what is likely to lie ahead.  Right now, in fact. At the moment, we are failing to commemorate the 50th anniversary of President John F. Kennedy’s decision to launch the most destructive and murderous act of aggression of the post-World War II period: the...

Roseanne Barr's Candidacy for President of America Via the Green Party

Picture: en.wikipedia.org Pat LaMarche - Comedic innovator, proud grandma and self-proclaimed domestic goddess Roseanne Barr has announced her candidacy for President of the United States as well as for Prime Minister of Israel. Although some have argued that the former is so dictated to by the latter that holding both offices is unnecessarily redundant. In less than 48 hours since Barr submitted her paperwork to the Green Party, a quick web search has yielded more than seven hundred links featuring news stories or commentary....

The Haditha Massacre: No Justice for Iraqis

Picture: www.kasamaproject.org Marjorie Cohn - Last week, Staff Sgt. Frank Wuterich was sentenced to a reduction in rank but no jail time for leading his squad in a rampage known as the Haditha Massacre. Wuterich, who was charged with nine counts of manslaughter, pled guilty to dereliction of duty. Six other Marines have had their charges dismissed and another was acquitted for his part in the massacre. What was the Haditha Massacre? On November 19, 2005, US Marines from Kilo Company, Third Battalion, First Marine Division killed 24...