We’ve lived so long under the spell of hierarchy—from god-kings to feudal lords to party bosses—that only recently have we awakened to see not only that “regular” citizens have the capacity for self-governance, but that without their engagement our huge global crises cannot be addressed. The changes needed for human society simply to survive, let alone thrive, are so profound that the only way we will move toward them is if we ourselves, regular citizens, feel meaningful ownership of solutions through direct engagement. Our problems are too big, interrelated, and pervasive to yield to directives from on high.
—Frances Moore Lappé, excerpt from Time for Progressives to Grow Up

Sunday, February 27, 2011

Three news items that you will not see in mainstream US media

1.  US Vetoes UN Draft Resolution Condemning Israeli Settlements from The National (UAE).

Well, actually I did see a few, but extremely brief, reports in the media that only mentioned the fact of the US veto--and that was all.

This continued policy of the Zionist, racist Israeli ruling class to build "facts on the ground" is obviously designed to make impossible any establishment of a contiguous Palestinian state that is imperative if a lasting peace settlement is to happen. The effect of this policy and the destruction of the Palestinian economy (as seen in the 3rd item below), is to keep Palestinians impoverished on Israeli bantustans. But, of course, this policy, and US and NATO aggressions in the Middle East, also fosters increasing anti-US hostility and the targeting of US and NATO countries with more terrorist attacks.

However, the Empire's rulers couldn't care less about Palestinians and their human rights and national aspirations. Fortress Israel is a critically important outpost in the Middle East to insure the Empire's access to cheap energy, markets, access to other resources of the Middle East, and their continued dominance over many areas of the world. Thus, Israel, plays a key role to insure the survival of capitalism and all the riches and power that capitalists derive from their system.





A Palestinian labourer works on a construction site at a Jewish settlement near Jerusalem. The Israeli left has largely ignored the US veto of a UN resolution condemning such settlement-building. (Reuters)








2. Israel Rebuffs United Nations Inquiries on Desecration of Ancient Jerusalem Cemetery
In the process of infrastructure and construction works to build a “Museum of Tolerance” atop a part of the ancient Muslim cemetery, the Simon Wiesenthal Center (SWC) in Los Angeles and Israeli authorities have overseen the disinterment of thousands of human remains, graves, and other archaeological artifacts.
3. New Palestinian Factory Turned to Rubble by Israeli Attack from Media Freedom Intl.
The coordinated Israeli attack injured eight people, along with damaging a primary school serving 600 children, a medical storage facility, and homes in the surrounding area.  The schools ceilings and windows were damaged forcing the school to be temporarily suspended. The medical storage facility caused a total of $400,000 in damage....