Straight To the Point - By Adito Feria

Since 2009, the federal minimum wage has been $7.25 per hour. This translates to just over $15k a year, substantially lower than the official poverty line for a household of three, which is $19,790. Considering that we have 46 million people in poverty today, 20 million of which are in deep poverty (at or below half of poverty line), and another 40 million that if not for food stamps, EITC (Earned Income Tax Credit), and other forms of temporary assistance programs would be in poverty, it’s pretty astonishing that the Senate Republicans blocked a bill to raise the minimum wage to $10.10 from getting a vote. More shocking though, is the lack of indignation and outrage that one would expect from such a fallacious act. Poll data consistently show a majority of 73%-78% of Americans support a minimum wage increase. Further, more than half of Republicans support the measure. Even Presidential Candidate and former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney recently came out in support of a mi...

Reaching its three-year anniversary this past weekend, the Syrian civil war’s humanitarian crisis has joined the ranks of the Iraq War and the War in Afghanistan. Syria, holding the crown for most refugees and IDPs (internally displaced persons)—647,000 in 2012 (highest since 1999) and 4.25 million (highest in 20+ years) respectively--now risks the real possibility of a “child-survival crisis.” Not considering the 1.2 million children that are now Syrian refugees abroad in need of necessary care, there are 4.3 million Syrian children in the homeland that desperately seek humanitarian assistance. Treatable diseases such as meningitis, measles, and even polio now endanger tens of thousands of Syria’s most innocent victims. In the remaining hospitals (60% damaged or destroyed) and health centers (38% damaged or destroyed) there are huge shortages of both staff and medicine. For example, in a northern provincial capital city, Aleppo, there are 36 doctors for 2.5 million in...

In the past month, in addition to Venezuela, there have been protests in Ukraine, Palestine, and right here in our nations capital – Washington D.C.. This much is a fact. Depending on where you get your information though, you may be very far from understanding, or even knowing about, these events. During a public meeting in Mexico, President Obama took to the microphone to share his thoughts on Venezuela: “In Venezuela, rather than trying to distract from its own failings by making up false accusations against diplomats from the United States, the government ought to focus on addressing the legitimate grievances of the Venezuelan people.” Due to poor media coverage, the global audience and President Obama have overlooked President Maduro’s economic reforms and social plans to combat the insecurity that has plagued his country’s people. His economic reforms include: putting price caps on profits to deflate inflation, the initiation of Cadivi 2 (a refined version of a p...

The driving forces behind the Venezuelan peoples growing anxiety, insecurity, and desperation stem from economic and social policies that previously defended national independence and self-determination, now these policies confronted by a powerful consortium of interests. What’s wrong? And why? Home and food product scarcity has generated widespread insecurity. Not being able to get everyday needs, when you want them, at an affordable price is understandably a problem. This, after all, is directly related to the instability of the currency exchange rate that drives the prices of products up and down. Some supermarkets and vendors price goods at black market exchange rates rather than government rates. Constantly fluctuating exchange rates obviously leave everyone worried. Anxious consumers now fear hyperinflation as a possibility because of rising black market exchange rates. Those who profit from high inflation and product scarcity are in fact the wealthy sec...

From an economic standpoint, the U.S.-Venezuela relationship is one of dual participation, mutual support, and has been long-lasting – pretty much like any healthy marriage. The United States is the biggest consumer of Venezuelan oil. At the same time, 26% of all imports to Venezuela are from the U.S. (next is China at 15%). One would question, why then is the relationship so tainted politically?  This paradox stems from the desire of the U.S. for Venezuela to enact regime change. As with most other Latin American countries, the United States has intervened in political affairs with no respect for law, sovereignty, or integrity. Dating back to the 2002 coup attempt, the U.S. has supported, and at times sponsored, many vicious political moves by the opposition. The Guardian published a revealing article a few weeks after the failed coup, detailing the intricacy of the U.S. role. Specifically, U.S. NGO’s provided “hundreds of thousands of dollars,” U.S. embassy...

Why is Henrique Capriles Radonski, the opposition presidential candidate who almost took away the presidency from the Bolivarian Socialists, not leading the mass demonstrations as one would think? Who are these anti-democratic right wing elites paving the way for “justice?” First off, Mr. Capriles has direct experience in calling for protests against the Maduro led government. After he lost the presidential election last April, he called on his supporters to lead mass demonstrations in protest of what he described as an election “full of irregularities” and demanded a recount. The protests led to violent clashes between pro and anti government supporters leaving 10 dead, all Chavistas. Reflecting on what had transpired, he later admitted that this was the wrong way to express dissatisfaction with a particular outcome. Secondly, Capriles is currently the governor of Miranda, the state that houses the capital city of Caracas, and a position that holds significant power. Leop...

In my four-part analysis, I intend to discover the underpinnings of the Venezuelan protests by constructing an argument based on broad historical context, revealing those calling the shots, understanding the economic and social struggles, and recognizing what the media has failed to report. As of February 12 th , growing bodies of Venezuelans have participated in anti-government demonstrations throughout the country. Arising from what usually is a celebration of independence and unity, frustrated opposition groups saw an opportunity to gather and protest their government on the 200 th anniversary of the battle of La Victoria. The initial marching, singing, and pot banging fed into an already tense and anxious populace facing product scarcity, high inflation and insecurity, rapidly degraded into violence.   The protest has claimed at least 16 lives, and several dozen more injured. Making its way to Caracas and other large cities, the opposition led street demo...

Straight to the Point is a new blog that gives my generation critical insight and analysis about pressing issues. We rely on corporate run media to inform us about these issues, yet twenty-five minutes of our own basic research discovers websites, books, reports from governments, organizations, or universities that provide meaningful background and context. And that changes everything about what we understand as a society. Our easy access to information gives us new responsibilities. It is now our job as well as the media to impose transparency and accountability. It’s us, not corporate media that stand to lose when important issues are obfuscated or passively accepted. My approach in Straight to the Point is to identify, research, and analyze in an adversarial journalistic context. Challenging what were told is the basis for deeper understanding. I will be selecting trending topics with common characteristics in which inconsistent and unfounded premises are used...