The Real News Network, "Best of the Week, 12 - 7 March"

March 12
Two Visions of Venezuela Contend in April 14th Elections
Miguel Tinker Salas: The Presidential elections in Venezuela will decide if the socialist transformation will continue or a pro-US elite will return to power
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Venezuelan Democracy: A Tension Between Centralized Power and Local Democracy
Manuel Larrabure: The Bolivarian Revolution succeeded in developing models of community power and reduced inequality but so far has failed to diversify the economy or extend workers democracy in the oil and mining sector
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Wikileaks Releases Kissinger Cables and Two Decisions in Manning Trial
Michael Ratner: Kissinger files show important role Wikileaks continues to play revealing real history of US foreign policy; Judge makes one decision favorable to Manning, one not
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Obama Social Security Reform Ignores Data on Actual Living Standards of Seniors
Teressa Ghilarducci: The "chained" CPI ignores research that shows senior's costs are going up as they get older and women are most affected
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March 11
Obama Budget Plans on Replacing USDA Poultry Inspectors with Industry Self Regulation
Tony Corbo: Plan will put our food supply at risk in a move that will increase profits of poultry producers and save only 90 million dollars over three years
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Thatcher Forged an Alliance Between Neo-liberalism and Neo-conservatism
Thatcher used her popularity from the Falklands war to push right-wing economic reform, leading to increased inequality
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Obama's "Cat Food" Social Security Reform
Michael Hudson: Obama's "bargain" on social security reform will push more retirees into poverty in exchange for a minor increase in high end income tax - a class that receives most revenue from capital gains
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Obama Sends Lew to Europe Preaching Growth While Practicing Austerity at Home
Bill Black: Treasury Secretary Lew tells Europe to ease up on austerity while Obama makes major cuts at home
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March 10
Obama Fully Embraces Austerity with Cuts to Social Security and Medicare
Bob Pollin: Costs of Social Security and Medicare have nothing to do with rise in fiscal deficit
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The Grand Betrayal has Arrived
Bill Black: President Obama's bargain with Republicans opens the door to Wall St.'s dream - the privatization of Social Security
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"Out of Order" Activists Fight Coke's Bid to Shut Down Recycle Plan
Australian beverage companies win court case shutting down program that has dramatically increased recycling of plastic bottles
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March 9
Thatcher Gave More Power to Finance
Michael Hudson: Thatcher deregulated banking and made London the center of speculation and financialization
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Under Thatcher, the Poor Became Poorer
John Weeks: Thatcher and Reagan set out to crush the union movement and assert the power of capital
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Oliver Stone and the Curve of the Ball
Oliver Stone Pt.2: There are moments in history, from Wallace to Kennedy, where it could have gone another way
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March 8
Oliver Stone's Journey from Cold Warrior to America's Untold History
Oliver Stone Pt.1: I volunteered to fight in Vietnam and voted for Reagan; I started seeing through the lies and realized I had to start by understanding why we dropped the atomic bomb
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Crime Major Issue in Venezuelan Election
Miguel Tinker Salas: While inequality is now lowest in Latin America, Venezuela is still a country where the poor lives along side the conspicuous consumption of the wealthy
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March 7
Recession Good for Profits
Gerald Epstein: Low wages and interest rates create rocketing profits and stock markets
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No Doomsday but Ontario Takes Out the Knives
Jim Stanford: Ontario slashes with austerity regime even though predicted massive deficit has not developed
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Palestinians Claim Israel has Repeatedly Violated Gaza Ceasefire
Palestinians say Israel has violated Gaza Cease-fire agreement more than 50 times
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