The South African Civil Society Information Service
A nonprofit news agency promoting social justice. Seeking answers to the question:
How do we make democracy work for the poor?
A nonprofit news agency promoting social justice. Seeking answers to the question:
How do we make democracy work for the poor?
Subrata Ghoshroy -
On Wednesday night, in a vote of 86 to 13, the U.S. Senate passed a historic nuclear deal with that will allow the United States to trade with India in nuclear equipment and technology, and to supply India with nuclear fuel for its power reactors. The deal is considered hugely consequential by its supporters and opponents alike -- and a significant victory for the Bush administration.
Last month, Subrata Ghoshroy, a researcher in the Science, Technology and Global Security Working Group at...
Comic Stephen Colbert interviews Naomi Klein about her book 'The Shock Doctrine: The rise of disaster capitalism'. Colbert burlesquely tackles the key points in Klein's book with fun and flair without detracting from the serious issues raised by the activist author. If you're having trouble viewing this clip on the SACSIS website, you can also watch it HERE on the Colbert Nation website. We apologize for the inconvenience. You may also be interested in watching Colbert ridicule...
Glenn Ashton -
So we have had a change in the guard in South Africa, engineered on shaky precepts but carried out smoothly and seamlessly, at least from a political perspective. However, the real issues have been obscured by the haste of the transition and the relentless blather of the chattering classes. Perhaps the time is ripe to draft some perspective on what really happened.
It was common knowledge Thabo Mbeki was toast. As John Carlin pointed out a week after his departure, Mbeki should never...
Russell Ally -
It's very difficult for anyone to make complete sense of what is presently happening in the ANC or to offer any definitive answers to what will happen in the future. All those who claim anything to the contrary, including the dominant group within the ANC, are either being foolhardy or disingenuous.
Everything is in flux, shifting before our eyes on an almost continuous basis, giving tangible meaning to that old adage, 'the only constant thing in life is change'. So while we may not...
Joshua Holland -
Editors Note: Despite being rejected by Congress earlier this week, the controversial bailout bill has since been approved by the American Senate and made its way back to the House of Representatives where it was endorsed the second time round. For updated commentary on this issue, you may wish to read: Bailout Passes Senate: 9 Reasons That's Bad News and The Really Hard-to-Swallow Truth About the Bailout and The Bailout: How Capitalism Killed Democracy.
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On Monday, the Bush...
Saliem Fakir -
The dismissal of Thabo Mbeki and the walkout by eleven ministers and some deputies indicates that a severe split exists within the African National Congress (ANC), despite claims to the contrary.
The fissure began in 2005 when Zuma was fired by Mbeki and persisted well beyond the Polokwane Congress in December 2007. Frantic efforts have been made to keep the fight within the ANC and restore unity --seemingly without avail.
Crises are usually fertile ground for fear, panic and opportunity --...
