Palestinian Christians mark second Christmas of genocide

BBC, 12/24/24–The little town of Bethlehem in the occupied West Bank has good reason to consider itself the capital of Christmas but this year it does not feel like it…Public celebrations of Christmas have been cancelled for a second year because of the war in Gaza. Palestinian Christians are only attending religious ceremonies and family gatherings… “It’s hard to believe that another Christmas has come upon us and the genocide has not stopped”...”Decision makers are content to let this continue. To them, Palestinians are dispensable.”

Sweden prepares for expanded war in Europe

AP News, 12/28/24–Burial associations in Sweden are looking to acquire enough land for something they hope they’ll never have to do: bury thousands of people in the event of war. The search follows recommendations from the Church of Sweden’s national secretariat, which reflect crisis preparedness guidelines from the…Swedish Armed Forces…The preparedness guidelines have been put in a new light by Sweden’s decision to join NATO and tensions with Russia in the Baltic Sea region…“Unfortunately it is the case that we are reminded to a greater degree that war could happen and that we simply need to be prepared for that,” Olsson said. 

Senator Mitch McConnell argues U.S. should fight on all fronts

Foreign Affairs, January/February 2025–When he begins his second term as president, Donald Trump will inherit a world far more hostile to U.S. interests than the one he left behind four years ago. China has intensified its efforts…Russia is fighting…a…war in Ukraine. Iran remains undeterred in its campaign to…dominate the Middle East…the competition with China and Russia is a global challenge, Trump will…hear from some that he should prioritize a single theater…Most of these voices will argue for focusing on Asia at the expense of interests in Europe or the Middle East…If the United States continues to retreat, its enemies will be only too happy to fill the void.

Amazon workers strike as Jeff Bozo steals billions from their labor

CNN, 12/26/24–Thousands of Amazon workers have ended their days-long strike against the company, according to the Teamsters union. But tensions persist, with the union saying its efforts aren’t over…Thousands of Amazon delivery drivers across a handful of states went on strike late last week in the thick of the holiday package season, with the strike ending on Christmas Eve…The union claims to represent 7,000 Amazon workers nationwide…Amazon is the nation’s second-largest private employer, with a headcount of 740,000 workers across 1,000 warehouses and distribution centers.

Exploitation in DRC mines desperately needed by U.S. tech companies

Al Jazeera, 12/20/24–The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has filed criminal complaints against tech giant Apple’s subsidiaries in France and Belgium over the use of “conflict minerals” in their supply chains…“Conflict minerals is a term given by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) to tantalum, tin, tungsten and gold sourced from so-called conflict-affected and high-risk areas,”…At least 200 armed groups there have been vying for control of the mines from which these minerals are sourced…“they [rebels] occupy mines and also the trading routes. They basically force the workers in the mines to work for free…and they illegally smuggle the minerals through places like Rwanda. The minerals then get exported legally and may end up in the supply chains of big electronic and tech companies.”

Trump’s Greenland statements rooted in U.S. imperialism

The Hill, 12/28/24–President-elect Trump’s vision of American ownership of Greenland is not merely a whimsical notion; it is grounded in the historical and legal framework established by the 1951 Defense of Greenland Agreement. This agreement empowers the U.S. to significantly influence and potentially control this strategically vital territory…allows for the establishment of “defense areas” in Greenland, where the United States can construct and operate military facilities…Greenland’s strategic importance has only increased [since 1951]. A warming Arctic is opening new shipping routes and exposing vast mineral resources, attracting the attention of global powers like China and Russia.