Coming soon, hopefully, once I get some sleep (I've had almost none in the last two days):

• An in depth response to the anti-GSOC column in today's WSN
• Something else I've since forgotten

For now I give you first humor and then outrage.

Humor:

"I want to get to the fetish, obviously." - Marxist Historian, Capitalism and History seminar today.

Outrage:

On Wednesday, January 24, Immigration and Customs Enforcement Officers(ICE) arrested 21 Smithfield workers from the Tar Heel plant. The arrests come on the heels of the company announcement that it will fire up to 600 people next month primarily those who walked out in protest last November over the firings of fellow employees allegedly for receiving social security no match letters. This is yet another attempt on the part of Smithfield to terrorize the workers who have been struggling for a collective voice on the job for over a decade. As we speak, families are torn apart; children coming home from school do not know where their parents are and workers are afraid to show up to work. Today, the day after the arrests, Smithfield's production was cut in half as workers did not report to work, fearing they would be next.

The arrests may very well be in violation of ICE's own guidelines which prohibit ICE from facilitating the use of immigration laws of enforcement to intervene in a labor dispute.

The UFCW is supporting the establishment of a humanitarian fund to assist workers and their families who are unfairly terminated.

For more information on the arrests and the November walkout, please check out: