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Focus Malaysia
2 days ago
- Business
- Focus Malaysia
Workers are in greater jeopardy now due to speedy technological changes
WORKERS of the world, unite! You have nothing to lose but your chains! This was the revolutionary message of Karl Marx, the founder of Communism. Workers today face enormous challenges in a fast changing world, which is far from the dream of a workers' utopia. The speed at which technology continues to grow is a major threat to workers' survival. With AI and robotics and other technological advancements the future of workers in a vast array of employment is in jeopardy. Many industries have downsized and the number of workers have been reduced drastically. Workers have to find other ways to survive such as re-skilling or re-education to fit into new jobs. One cannot anticipate how much of a disruption the US President Donald Trump's tariffs are going to cause with a paradigm shift as most of the high tariffs are in categories which employ large numbers of workers. Unemployment could be unleashed in numerous industries and countries. Trump's tariffs are going to destabilise various economies which hitherto have only slightly recovered from the Covid-19 pandemic, during which most countries experienced a lockdown for a few months. Many countries were destabilised and their economies were greatly affected. In the last few years many nations started recovering and ensuring economic stability when the Russia-Ukraine war suddenly broke out and disrupted economies due to high energy prices and Western economic sanctions. Additionally, the conflicts and tension in the Middle East could escalate and many economies will be affected. All these spell risks and threats to workers' wellbeing and employment security. There is also the new danger of climate change and heat waves causing catastrophic consequences for workers in agriculture-related industries. These industries are reeling from the damage to crops and infrastructure destabilising the producers with crop failures, price increases and shortages. A large number of the work force in many developing countries are engaged in agriculture and related occupations. Natural disaster are causing a huge dent in national coffers and resources, which could otherwise be used for workers' social and retirement benefits. The cost of living has gone up everywhere and low-income workers are finding it difficult to make ends meet, and are dependent on government hand-outs. Apart from these, the heydays of trade unions are over and in most countries they have been in serious decline in the last few decades since the end of the Soviet Union and Eastern European communist countries. Politically, pro-workers parties of the past have been effaced by new parties that champion a wide range of interests from immigration to environmental issues. Now China and Vietnam are the main model for workers in the Global South and even in the West. In many countries trade unionism is in decline due to the changes brought about by the evolving nature of capitalism and government legislation against exploitation as well as the imposition of the minimum wage scheme and other welfare benefits for workers. Despite all these a huge number of workers still live in poverty and the gap between the rich and poor has widened much. Both countries and industries are caught off guard by the speedy changes and trends of the present times. The plight and challenges facing workers continue to grow in an unstable and unpredictable global environment and the dream of a workers' paradise as envisaged by Karl Marx, Friedrich Engels, Vladimir Lenin and Mao Tse-tung has yet to be realised. – May 1, 2025 V. Thomas is a Focus Malaysia viewer. The views expressed are solely of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Focus Malaysia. Main image: SPH
![[Kim Seong-kon] We keep waiting for 'another world'](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwimg.heraldcorp.com%2Fnews%2Fcms%2F2025%2F05%2F27%2Fnews-p.v1.20250527.6334a0b6f6524f8bbfcedaf3e44086fe_T1.jpg&w=3840&q=100)
![[Kim Seong-kon] We keep waiting for 'another world'](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fall-logos-bucket.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fkoreaherald.com.png&w=48&q=75){kind=small}
Korea Herald
3 days ago
- Politics
- Korea Herald
[Kim Seong-kon] We keep waiting for 'another world'
Everybody fantasizes about another world. We do so especially when we are disillusioned with our present reality. It is no wonder that amusement parks have places like Fantasyland, Dreamland or Tomorrowland. In his stunning 1962 novel, 'Another Country,' African American writer James Baldwin dreamed about another world where the taboos of contemporary society were absent, such as those prohibiting or condemning interracial marriage, homosexuality or bisexuality. He envisioned a country where racial, sexual and political biases do not exist. The problem is that there is no guarantee that the alternate world we fantasize about will turn out to be better than the present one. Although we now live in a world where the prejudices of Baldwin's time have themselves become taboo, our society is still far from paradise. Communism is a good example. When rich capitalists exploited destitute workers ruthlessly, Karl Marx dreamed about a paradise of equal distribution of wealth. Unfortunately, his dream, when made actual, turned out to be a nightmare of equal distribution of poverty instead. Still, however, we cannot help seeking another world where we can be happier and wealthier. When and if we are disappointed in 'another country,' we might begin to explore yet another 'another world.' Although our quest for a better world will continue, it cannot be forever satisfied. The same goes for the presidential election. We cast a vote for our future leader, expecting 'another world.' We hope that our new president will change the world for the better, so we can live happily and comfortably in economic stability and rock-solid national security. To our disappointment, however, all the previous presidents in our country have made us unhappy and miserable in one way or another, despite their merits. When we complain about the pain-inflicting president we have wrongly chosen, those who did not vote for him deride us, muttering, 'You deserve it.' In the past, some of our presidents wrecked our internationally coveted economy with their imprudent populism and misguided real estate policies. Others jeopardized our already precarious national security by steering the country in the wrong direction. Some of them used our country for the experimentation of their outdated socialist ideology and others were so myopic and parochial that they could not wrap their heads around radical and rapid worldwide changes. Some of them were so clumsy in diplomacy that they irrevocably ruined good relations with other countries, still others embarrassed us by their obsequious attitude toward the arrogant leaders of big, bullying countries. When we are disappointed in our current leader, we vote for another candidate at the next presidential election. Yet, the outcome is always the same. No matter whom we elect, he cannot meet our expectations. That means we will not be able to live in paradise for good. Of course, our political leader could make us live in a completely different 'another country.' For example, he may turn our country into a totalitarian socialist country that defies liberal democracy. Or he can turn our country into an authoritarian country where he, as a tyrant, dictates everything as he wishes and oppresses his people with secret police. Either would be a nightmare to us, far from a utopia or paradise. That is why we must think twice before casting a vote. A wrong choice will mar not only our beloved country, but also our precious lives. If we really want to live in an ideal society, we must choose a leader who exhibits decency, integrity and nobility. He should be honest, credible and reliable as well. That means he should know the weight of his words because we cannot trust anyone who keeps telling lies or changes promises whimsically. He should be law-abiding, too. Moreover, we need a leader who knows the world quite well and will steer us on the right path in the whirlwind of international crises. Some people do not want to vote because they are disillusioned with hopelessly low-level political skirmishes. Others do not vote because they are not interested in politics. Instead of lining up at the election site, therefore, they choose to go on a hike or fishing. At a crucial time like these days, however, we cannot give up the opportunity to choose the right leader who knows where to turn at the crossroads and how to avoid the crossfire between our neighboring countries. Some people may think that they have nothing to do with politics or ideological brawls. But they are wrong. In the American TV series, 'Into the Badlands,' a woman named Odessa says, 'I thought we could just sit back and let everyone else fight for a better world. But the fight came for me anyway.' We want a better world. We strongly hope that our future leader is a respectable, competent one who can build the utopian 'another world' we so desperately need.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Shari Redstone's Standoff With Trump Is Playing Live on Broadway Stage in ‘Good Night, and Good Luck'
It's powerfully strange that a play starring George Clooney about the perils that government bullying once posed to journalistic inquiry at CBS News is being staged every night just down the street from CBS News in one direction, and a few blocks from corporate parent Paramount Global in the other. The play coincides with our current reality: CBS News is currently being bullied by our government. The play is at the Winter Garden on 51st Street. Paramount headquarters is on 44th Street; CBS News is on 57th Street. And Trump Tower is on 56th. That's a mighty small fishbowl for the future of democracy and a free press. The question is, will real life turn out differently from the play? 'Good Night, and Good Luck,' about legendary journalist Edward R. Murrow challenging the Red-baiting terror of Senator Joseph McCarthy in the 1950s, parallels the dilemma facing Paramount's controlling shareholder Shari Redstone. She is under pressure from the journalists at CBS News because she is seeking to settle a specious, $20 billion lawsuit from President Trump over CBS News's '60 Minutes'' editing of an interview with Kamala Harris last year. The lawsuit is a bully tactic to get Redstone to cave to Trump as she waits for FCC approval of her pending deal to sell Paramount to Skydance Media for $8 billion. McCarthy used bully tactics too, like smearing Murrow's reputation by claiming falsely that he had Communist ties, and by pressuring CBS President Bill Paley to get Murrow to back down. Like Redstone, Paley wavered. Reprising the project he directed as a film in 2005, Clooney is telling a fable for our times and issuing a warning. Murrow was one of a few household names in America at that time who had the credibility to take on McCarthy as the power-hungry Senator demanded that friends and family members rat each other out in public hearings on Communism and our military. He ruined the careers and reputations of those who came in his cross-hairs. McCarthy was not president, but he was arguably as powerful in his day as the power-hungry Trump is in ours. And there is another tie: political operative Roy Cohn, who trained and counseled Trump in the art of lying and manipulation — a relationship detailed in the recent movie 'The Apprentice' — was McCarthy's chief counsel during those 1954 hearings, and assisted investigations of suspected communists. Bill Paley, the just-as-legendary head of CBS who built the company into a media powerhouse from 1928 to 1946 and beyond, moved 'See It Now' to a time slot far out of prime time, where fewer were likely to see it. He didn't fire Murrow. And unlike the recent resignations at '60 Minutes' and CBS News, Murrow didn't give in. The play is a reminder that the boundaries of our democracy have been tested before. (My colleague Brian Lowry has written about yet another challenge CBS faced over airing an expose of the tobacco industry on '60 Minutes' while a merger with Westinghouse hung in the balance.) Freedoms were strained mightily – lives were ruined, in the play one staffer takes his own life – but overall our democracy held. CBS News lived to fight another day. And McCarthy had his downfall. But not without principled warriors like Murrow and his producer Fred Friendly who were prepared to pay the price when the risks were high – drawing McCarthy's counterpunch, losing nervous advertisers, alienating viewers. They joked about leaving the country. Last month Redstone reportedly asked her CEO George Cheeks if '60 Minutes' could avoid reporting on the Trump administration until her Skydance merger was done. Despite the resignations at the news division, it does not appear that '60 Minutes' has done so. She might do well to remember Murrow's words, spoken solemnly by Clooney to an audience this weekend and night after night during this Broadway run: 'We must not confuse dissent with disloyalty. We must remember always that accusation is not proof and that conviction depends upon evidence and due process of law. We will not walk in fear, one of another. We will not be driven by fear into an age of unreason, if we dig deep in our history and our doctrine, and remember that we are not descended from fearful men—not from men who feared to write, to speak, to associate and to defend causes that were, for the moment, unpopular.' Murrow's reports contributed to a turning point, the infamous moment when the senator was publicly called out during a hearing – 'McCarthy, have you no sense of decency?' – which led to an investigation and vote of censure by his colleagues. No such exit ramp seems open to us at this time. It is hard to imagine censure or public shame being effective today. Trump simply has no shame, and leads a cowed and paralyzed Republican Party and Congress. At the Winter Garden the audience cheered and cheered at the drop of the curtain. To them, the stakes were clear and the path once guaranteed in our Constitution necessary. But there is no Murrow-hero coming to save us. The current deadline for the Paramount-Skydance deal is July 6, though an extension is possible. I wonder if Shari Redstone has seen 'Good Night, and Good Luck.' Editor's Note: The play 'Good Night, and Good Luck' will be televised on June 7. The post Shari Redstone's Standoff With Trump Is Playing Live on Broadway Stage in 'Good Night, and Good Luck' appeared first on TheWrap.
eNCA
20-05-2025
- Politics
- eNCA
Trumpist faces pro-EU mayor in tight Romania presidential rerun
Romanians were voting on Sunday in a tense presidential election re-run, a tight race between a fan of US President Donald Trump and a pro-EU mayor that could reshape the direction of the key NATO member bordering war-torn Ukraine. If nationalist George Simion wins the rerun -- held after last year's vote was annulled over allegations of election interference -- he would become the country's first far-right president. That would thrust Romania into a growing group of European Union countries with nationalist leaders critical of Brussels and keen to cut military aid to Ukraine. Far-right leader Simion and his rival, Bucharest's Mayor Nicusor Dan, have both campaigned on a platform of change amid anger with politicians deemed corrupt who have ruled one of the EU's poorest countries since the end of Communism 35 years ago. "I voted thinking about a better life," Catalin Birca, 57, a pensioner in Bucharest, told AFP, adding that he wanted his country to remain pro-European. "What are we doing otherwise? Going back to where we started from?" he added. - 'Turning point' - Polls were to close at 9:00 pm, with exit polls to be published shortly afterwards and results expected to come in overnight. Pledging to put "Romania first", Simion has vowed to "restore the dignity of the Romanian people. He has criticised what he calls the EU's "absurd policies" and wants to cut military aid to Ukraine. The 38-year-old comfortably topped the first round of voting on May 4, gaining close to 41 percent of the vote. But analysts predict a very close race on Sunday for the ballot. Whoever is elected president will have significant sway in foreign policy, including holding veto power at EU summits. Polls suggest Dan, a 55-year-old mathematician, has managed to narrow the lead held by Simion, who was once a football hooligan. Dan, an independent who has promised a country that is "honest", voted in his native city Fagaras in Transylvania, central Romania. "This is a turning point, a crucial election," Dan said, adding that he voted "for a European direction... not for Romania's isolation". AFP | Mihai Barbu He is hoping for a higher turnout than the first round's 53 percent. At 2:00 pm, turnout in the country of 19 million stood at close to 43 percent. Simion said he "voted against the inequalities and injustices done to the Romanian people, against abuses and poverty". "I voted for our future to be decided by Romanian people and for Romanian people," added the candidate, who has repeatedly alleged a risk of "massive fraud". - 'Georgescu for president' - Simion voted in Mogosoaia, just outside Bucharest, together with far-right Calin Georgescu. Georgescu was the front-runner in last year's cancelled presidential election and has been barred from the rerun. As the duo arrived, dozens of people, some holding flowers, shouted: "Calin Georgescu for president." Last year's vote cancellation and the subsequent barring of Georgescu drew tens of thousands onto the streets to protest in sometimes violent rallies. AFP | Mihai Barbu Top US officials have also criticised the decision to scrap last year's ballot. Romania's constitutional court cancelled the election following allegations of Russian meddling -- which Moscow denies -- and a massive social media promotion of Georgescu. Simion, who on Saturday took his TikTok and Facebook accounts offline to "respect the day of silence", opened them again on Sunday The election campaign took place in a tense atmosphere. Last week's surprise resignation of Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu and the collapse of his pro-European government coalition -- after their candidate failed to make the runoff vote -- have further raised the stakes. AFP | Daniel MIHAILESCU The new president will have the power to appoint a new prime minister and Simion's nationalist AUR party could enter government after negotiations on the formation of a new parliamentary majority. The election turmoil has also increased economic uncertainty in the EU's most indebted country, which has grappled with high inflation. "The stakes of these elections are huge because there is widespread chaos in Romania right now after the annulment," voter Runa Petringenaru told AFP. "It's unheard of here and probably nowhere else in Europe (has this happened) and we can't wait for it to be over," the 55-year-old workshop organiser added.
Observer
18-05-2025
- Politics
- Observer
Romanians vote in tight presidential election rerun
BUCHAREST: Romanians were voting on Sunday in a tense presidential election re-run, a tight race between a fan of US President Donald Trump and a pro-EU mayor that could reshape the direction of the key Nato member bordering war-torn Ukraine. If nationalist George Simion wins the rerun — held after last year's vote was annulled over allegations of election interference — he would become the country's first far-right president. That would thrust Romania into a growing group of European Union countries with nationalist leaders critical of Brussels and keen to cut military aid to Ukraine. Far-right leader Simion and his rival, Bucharest's Mayor Nicusor Dan, have both campaigned on a platform of change amid anger with politicians deemed corrupt who have ruled one of the EU's poorest countries since the end of Communism 35 years ago. Pledging to put "Romania first", Simion has vowed to "restore the dignity of the Romanian people. He has criticised what he calls the EU's "absurd policies" and wants to cut military aid to Ukraine. — AFP
