OPINION

A Slaughterhouse for Workers

It’s Not Romanians Spreading The Virus, It’s Capitalism

Viewpoint by Vladimir Bogoeski *

BERLIN (IDN) – While the world heaps praise on Germany’s successful response to the Covid-19 pandemic, recent events have thrown a dark shadow on the shiny image. Although its political leadership, unlike that of France and the US, did not frame the pandemic discourse around a war analogy, the ‘collateral damage’ yielded by the German variety of capitalism during the pandemic is hard to overlook.

: Europe Editor; THE WORLD; EU & Europe; 19 July 2020

Human Nature Is a Central Theme of Philosophy

Viewpoint by John Scales Avery*

COPENHAGEN (IDN) – What is human nature? Are we humans good or evil? To what extent is the character of a person produced by heredity, and to what extent by environment? Is competition more central to our existence than cooperation, or is it the other way around? How can a happy, peaceful and stable society be created? Are humans essentially the same as other animals, or are we fundamentally different? Should humans dominate and control nature, or should we be the custodians of nature?

: Opinion Editor; OPINION; 17 July 2020

Photo: Trump with children. Source: rawstory.com

Trump’s 'Plan' Is to Make the Virus and Its Casualties Disappear

Viewpoint by Sonali Kolhatkar

This article was produced by Economy for All, a project of the Independent Media Institute. Sonali Kolhatkar is the founder, host and executive producer of “Rising Up With Sonali,” a television and radio show that airs on Free Speech TV and Pacifica stations.

America’s rightward march culminating in Trump's presidency has brought us to this moment where we are dying from a virus that other nations have managed to control.

: Opinion Editor; OPINION; 17 July 2020

Photo: Interfaith efforts between Chilkur Balaji Temple in Hyderabad and the Helping Hand Foundation help achieve shared community health goals. Credit: WNV/Helping Hand Foundation

Long Before COVID-19, Muslim Communities in India Built Solidarity Through Mutual Aid

Viewpoint by Z. Fareen Parvez*

This article was originally published on Waging Nonviolence and is made available under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

AMHERST, Massachusetts (IDN) – For generations, Muslims in India have drawn on mutual aid networks for solidarity and support amid government neglect and social discrimination. Now, as India faces a humanitarian disaster during the devastating COVID-19 pandemic, these networks are more important than ever.

: Opinion Editor; OPINION; 16 July 2020

Photo: Pastoralist with herd, Horn of Africa. Credit: Katherine Bundra Roux, IFRC

Africa’s Livestock Sector is Key to its Covid-19 Response & Recovery

Viewpoint by Rhoda Peace Tumusiime

The writer is a member of the Malabo Montpellier Panel and former AU Commissioner for Rural Economy and Agriculture at the African Union Commission (AUC).

ENTEBBE, Uganda (IDN) – Livestock have long been the insurance policy of Africa’s poorest, with even a single goat or a chicken providing a buffer against economic hardship and hunger.

But as Covid-19 forces many to fall back on these safety nets, the need for more long-term support of the continent’s livestock sector is laid bare.

: Africa & ME Editor; OPINION; 15 July 2020

Kenya Having Another Go at Passing a Reproductive Rights Bill

Viewpoint by Anthony Ajayi and Meggie Mwoka*

Kenya’s Senate is considering a reproductive healthcare bill, which seeks to address reproductive health gaps. This is the second time the bill has come before the senate. It has, once again, drawn fire from religious groups, some politicians and civil society lobbies opposed to its proposals. Anthony Ajayi and Meggie Mwoka unpack the bill and the lessons from previous failed attempts.

: Opinion Editor; OPINION; 15 July 2020

Photo: Moscow, Kremlin. Bird's Eye View from the southwest. Source: TASS. CC BY 4.0

Not Western Meddling But A Russian Leader with the Power of a Moral Voice Will Replace Putin

Viewpoint by Jonathan Power*

LUND, Sweden (IDN) – Change is absolutely necessary in Russia, but how to bring it about? One doesn’t have to be a prejudiced Western ideologue to point this out. As the weekend’s demonstrations in the far eastern city of Khabarovsk underline, there are a good number of people, mainly young, who feel the political system, as is presently organized, doesn’t give them the chance to express their feelings.

: Jonathan Power; OPINION; 14 July 2020

Trump and Senator Cotton Embrace Enhanced Testing & Face Kilotons of Surprises

Viewpoint by Robert Kelley

VIENNA (IDN) – There are growing rumours that the United States is considering carrying out a nuclear test in the near future. Legislation introduced in the United States Senate suggests that this may not be an idle threat. The language in the recent amendment reads: “carry out projects related to reducing the time required to execute a nuclear test if necessary,” This threat indicates a complete lack of understanding of the political and technical difficulties such a move would introduce.

: UN Bureau; OPINION; 14 July 2020

Photo: Tichka Pass in the High Atlas mountains, Morocco. Credit: Britannica Researchers

Reflections on Omar Himmi of Toubkal in the High Atlas Mountains of Morocco

Viewpoint by Yossef Ben-Meir *

MARRAKECH (IDN) – Recently, I had a moment of self-reflection brought about by the passing of someone who made a difference in the trajectory of my life. Years ago, I lived in the home of Omar Himmi Ait Omrar in the village of Amsouzerte in the High Atlas Mountains of Morocco. Sharing stories about those two years (1993-1995) living in Omar's home and what followed, those stories of life, may be meaningful to others.

: Opinion Editor; OPINION; 12 July 2020

Photo: U.S. Soldiers with Forward Support Company, 65th Engineer Battalion conduct a presence patrol March 26, 2014, in Kandahar province, Afghanistan. Credit: Defense.com

Why Doesn't the U.S. End the Afghan War, Instead of Focussing on Russian Bounties to the Taliban?

Viewpoint by Sonali Kolhatkar

LOS ANGELES (IDN) – The New York Times in late June published an explosive revelation about the longest official U.S. war in modern history. According to high-level sources, Russia had been paying cash bounties to Taliban forces to kill U.S. soldiers.