- The Guardian
- Issue #2155
USA: The largest teachers’ unions in the US, the National Education Association (NEA) and the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), have, alongside the American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), raised opposition to the US Supreme Court’s ruling which gave the go ahead to the Trump administration’s dismantling of the remaining half of the Department of Education. AFSCME’s president has labelled the decision, which effectively gives the executive the power to dismantle any agency created by a statute of Congress, “a direct violation of the Constitution.” The AFT has warned that students and educators will suffer without the work done by the Department of Education, including supporting students with disabilities or from poor communities, assisting with access to higher education, and protecting students’ civil rights. The NEA has committed to fighting for all students to have access to properly resourced public education.
Lesotho: Trump has threatened to impose a 50% tariff on all of Lesotho’s exports to the United States, despite claiming he has never heard of the country before. Lesotho, which is surrounded by South Africa, depends on trade with larger nations, such as the sale of water used for South African crop irrigation. Lesotho has also played a role in the US textile industry through the provision of cheap labour for manufacturing, helping to produce Levi’s jeans and Trump’s golf shirts. This arrangement is largely influenced by the US African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), which Trump is likely to dismantle as it comes up for renewal in September. The proposed tariffs have yet to be implemented, but the threat of the tariffs has already caused factories to shut and thousands of workers to lose their jobs. Lesotho has declared a two-year state of disaster as the government seeks to drastically improve job creation.
NATO: Secretary-General Mark Rutte has threatened Brazil, India, and China with secondary sanctions if they do not pressure Russia in peace negotiations regarding the Ukraine conflict. These threats followed Trump’s declaration that additional 100% tariffs will be placed on countries with trade relationships with Russia if a peace agreement is not reached. Rutte also reaffirmed that military aid to Ukraine will continue. Some commentators have pointed out that solidarity and cooperation between BRICS countries has been motivated by a common desire to defend against this exact kind of economic intimidation.
Spain: A supposed leader of the far-right group Deport Them Now Europe, has been arrested in Barcelona and accused of inciting racial violence against Maghrebi immigrants in Torre Pacheco. The arrest followed the assault of a man in his sixties, with a handful of Moroccan youths alleged to be his attackers. Extremist groups have used the opportunity to organise mob violence against all migrants. Deport Them Now Europe, which has previously collaborated with far-right parties and movements from across Europe including Vox, Chega, Lega, and Alternative für Deutschland, used its social media accounts to call for a “hunt.” The primary targets have been the marginalised community of young people born locally whose parents are North African immigrants. Over 100 police officers were needed to quell the riots, during which weapons were seized, 14 people were arrested, and more than 120 identified, most of whom were found to be from other regions. Deport Them Now Europe has also promoted the creation of armed mobs under the guise of “neighbourhood patrol” to threaten North African residents. Spain’s Civil Guard and local police have formed a regular security presence, with some locals fearing a further escalation of far-right violence.
