Atlanta Progressive News

The Georgia Peace and Justice Coalition will lead a rally today to protest sending more U.S. troops to Afghanistan. Protesters will gather at the corner of Moreland Avenue and Freedom Parkway from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Organizers are encouraging attendees to “bring signs, banners, drums, etc.” Organizers are also encouraging protests at other busy intersections around town.

All indications are that the Obama administration is going to send thousands of additional troops to Afghanistan, creating even more death and destruction in the region. The Georgia Peace and Justice Coalition is calling for stepped-up vocal and visible opposition to the growing military occupation of Afghanistan. You are urged to call and write your elected officials but also to […]

Is H.R. 3962, the Affordable Health Care for America Act passed recently by the House of Representatives, better than nothing?  It’s clearly a far cry from the type of affordable, quality, universal health care found in every other rich country.  Here’s a sampling of opinion from some who have followed the twists and turns of this continuing struggle. Rose Ann […]

U.S. official resigns over Afghan war: Foreign Service officer and former Marine captain says he no longer knows why his nation is fighting By Karen DeYoung Washington Post — Tuesday, October 27, 2009 Text of Hoh’s 4-page letter of resignation, a devastating critique of the war You can tell your Congressional representative “NO ESCALATION IN AFGHANISTAN”

I was startled to hear this week that the German government was thrown on the defensive by public and parliamentary outrage about the killing of Afghan civilians in a bombing of oil tankers ordered by a German NATO commander.  No outrage here, even tho the actual bombing was done by Americans.  Killing civilians, as long as it is described as […]

What’s a co-pay?  Canadians Talk About Their Healthcare System   Of course, Canada’s healthcare system has its problems (which have been greatly exaggerated by opponents of healthcare reform in this country).  There are waiting lists for non-emergency and elective procedures, for instance.  But keep these things in mind:  (1) Canada is on a higher rung on the spiral.  Its problems […]

The right-wingers who disrupted town-hall meetings were wrong about the death panels.  The pending legislation would not create them.  In fact, they already exist, already dominate our healthcare nonsystem, and are laughing all the way to the bank as they deny coverage to sick people and life-saving treatments to their own critically-ill policyholders.  What’s more, the so-called healthcare “reform” bills […]

Do you believe health care is a basic human right, not a commodity to be bought and sold by profiteering, parasitic health insurance companies?  Then join HealthcareNOW-GA at what is being billed as “the biggest rally of the year [in Georgia] for health insurance reform” this Thursday, Sept. 3 at the Capitol (Washington Street side).   Although this rally was called […]

“The key difference [between health insurance companies in the US and in other rich countries] is that foreign health insurance plans exist only to pay people’s medical bills, not to make a profit.  The United States is the only developed country that lets insurance companies profit from basic health coverage.”  — T. R. Reid, “5 Myths About Healthcare Around the […]

What Americans Can Learn About Healthcare from Other Countries:  Article by T. R. Reid “Socialized Medicine? Not Quite – 5 Myths About Health Care Around the World”  Looking Overseas for the healing of America Terry Gross interviews T. R. Reid on “Fresh Air”

If you’d like a better understanding of what’s happening in Iran, this seminar organized by local Iranian students looks promising.  In addition to a video message from Noam Chomsky, live speakers include Juan Cole, one of (if not THE) leading American experts on the Middle East, a frequent guest on Democracy Now! and occasionally (as this week) on NPR.  Notice […]

Why Obama’s Public Option is Defective, and Why We Need Single-Payer   Are liberal netroots groups helping Obama fail?   Dennis Kucinich:  Stay the course for universal, single-payer Medicare for All

Defending Canada’s Health Care: Truths and Lies.   A Canadian doctor diagnoses US healthcare.

First-world health care:  A Canadian responds to right-wing bashing of Canada’s single-payer, Medicare for All system.  (I heard a Canadian speaker say recently that Canadians travel in the US with some anxiety.  They know that if they have a medical emergency while traveling in the US, they might wind up with a bill of tens or hundreds of thousands of […]