The inhumane and abusive system that is immigration detention in this country is good business for one particular special interest group — the private prison industry.Also, an informative read is this article from the same source entitled, "Stop For-Profit Prisons".
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
The Big Business of Inhumane Detention of Immigrants
Click here to access article from American Civil Liberties Union.
UK military steps up plans for Iran attack amid fresh nuclear fears
Click here to access article by Nick Hopkins from The Guardian.
Now that the Libyan project has finished, there seems to be a continuing drumbeat from establishment sources for a war on Iran. How convenient during this period of austerity, global protests, and financial debt crisis. Nothing like a war to distract people and bring in the profits! This strategy was widely used in the 20th century, and resulted in more concentration of wealth and power into the hands of the one percent, and the dilution of anti-capitalist activism.
Yes, folks--the Iranians are coming! And, they look scary!
Now that the Libyan project has finished, there seems to be a continuing drumbeat from establishment sources for a war on Iran. How convenient during this period of austerity, global protests, and financial debt crisis. Nothing like a war to distract people and bring in the profits! This strategy was widely used in the 20th century, and resulted in more concentration of wealth and power into the hands of the one percent, and the dilution of anti-capitalist activism.
Yes, folks--the Iranians are coming! And, they look scary!
New Libyan "PM" is Big-Oil Goon
Click here to access article by Tony Cartalucci from Land Destroyer Report.
Surprise, surprise! The latest puppet appointed by the Empire to rule Libya has a very solid US academic background and history of employment with the multinational oil corporations.
And so begins the farce that is Western "democracy." One corporate-fascist puppet, Mustafa Abdul-Jalil, steps down, another, Abdurrahim el-Keib, takes his place. In reality, it is NATO-states and their corporate sponsors that now determine Libya's fate.
Organ Gangs Force Poor to Sell Kidneys for Desperate Israelis
Click here to access article by Michael Smith, Daryna Krasnolutska and David Glovin from Bloomberg Markets Magazine.
Investigators on five continents say they have uncovered intertwining criminal rings run by Israelis and eastern Europeans that move people across borders -- sometimes against their will -- to sell a kidney.This organ market is another result of a capitalist system that creates huge gaps between rich and poor, that converts everything into a commodity to be bought, sold, rented, or otherwise exploited to enrich the lives of the already rich. For an excellent dramatization of this practice, I recommend you see the film entitled, "Dirty Pretty Things".
“The criminal here is the middleman who profits from the sick and the poor,” says Bahat, who investigated an organ- trafficking ring in Jerusalem. “It touches my heart that people will sell part of their body because they need money to live.”
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
Occupy Demands: Let's Radicalize Our Analysis of Empire, Economics, Ecology
Click here to access article by Robert Jensen from Jadaliyya.
This writer summarizes in this one piece so many themes that I have emphasized in my selection of articles, and my comments on those articles, over the past two years of this blog. His call to "radicalize our analysis..." is, I believe, a fundamental requirement of the Occupy Movement if it is to succeed; indeed, if we as a human race are going to succeed. Hopefully, the educative element in these numerous gatherings across the globe will fulfill this requirement. We concerned people must all support this effort more than anything we have ever supported before.
This writer summarizes in this one piece so many themes that I have emphasized in my selection of articles, and my comments on those articles, over the past two years of this blog. His call to "radicalize our analysis..." is, I believe, a fundamental requirement of the Occupy Movement if it is to succeed; indeed, if we as a human race are going to succeed. Hopefully, the educative element in these numerous gatherings across the globe will fulfill this requirement. We concerned people must all support this effort more than anything we have ever supported before.
This is a time for action, but there also is a need for analysis. Rallying around a common concern about economic injustice is a beginning; understanding the structures and institutions of illegitimate authority is the next step. We need to recognize that the crises we face are not the result simply of greedy corporate executives or corrupt politicians, but rather of failed systems.
The Pentagon-Arab Spring love story
Click here to access article by Pepe Escobar from NYTimes eXaminer.
Read also Glenn Greenwald's article entitled, "Middle East propaganda 101", where he provides another very good counter-propaganda analysis. Clearly the Empire's media pieces are becoming ever more ludicrous and the butt of many jokes.
Meanwhile, the Empire seems to be threatened from within with all the debt crises, economic destruction, and activist occupations. It makes me wonder when it will be that the US public reaches a critical mass of rejection of Empire propaganda. When that happens, we will see the disintegration of capitalist rule greatly accelerate.
Anyone who hoped the Arab Spring might eventually take over the Persian Gulf and those lands once known as Arabia Felix has enough reason to drown in sadness.The author uses his exceptional analytical tools to dismantle NY Times propaganda and to construct a very different scenario--Middle East oil kingdoms as a NATO annex dedicated to serving the Empire and crushing dissent.
The Arab counter-revolution is stronger than ever – led by the House of Saud and its monarchy minions at the Gulf Counter-revolution Club (GCC), officially known as Gulf Cooperation Council. And their most precious ally is the Pentagon.
Read also Glenn Greenwald's article entitled, "Middle East propaganda 101", where he provides another very good counter-propaganda analysis. Clearly the Empire's media pieces are becoming ever more ludicrous and the butt of many jokes.
Meanwhile, the Empire seems to be threatened from within with all the debt crises, economic destruction, and activist occupations. It makes me wonder when it will be that the US public reaches a critical mass of rejection of Empire propaganda. When that happens, we will see the disintegration of capitalist rule greatly accelerate.
Occupy sends a message about NYC schools
Click here to access article by Emily Giles from Socialist Worker.
NEW YORK City school officials came face to face with the Occupy protest movement October 25 when 200 teachers, students, parents and community members descended on the first Panel for Education Policy (PEP) meeting of the school year. Within five minutes of the start of the meeting, the panel--largely consisting of billionaire Mayor Michael Bloomberg's appointees--canceled most of its scheduled agenda.This report on an activist project in New York illustrates a very constructive means of building people power. It is doing this by involving parents, teachers, and students in confronting puppet-administrators of the ruling class who want to turn the educational system into training schools for corporations and starving schools where students are less likely to achieve corporate training standards.
The final blackmail of Baron Papandreou
Click here to access article by Costas Douzinas from Greek Left Review.
12:25 PM (Pacific Time) Update: the latest word is that the referendum has been cancelled! Clearly, the European ruling class vetoed it.
The unexpected announcement by Greek PM Papandreou yesterday that he is to call a referendum and ask people to vote about the October 24 agreement is the opening salvo in the endgame of the Greek tragedy. Is this extraordinary gambit a genuine request for a popular mandate or a desperate bluff of a gambler down on his chips?From what I've seen this morning both from business sources (for example, this) and activists at various internet sites, everyone is quite stunned by the announcement of this Greek referendum. The referendum looks very much like a desperate gamble that may very well become a pivotal event. Because if the Greek government fails to gain support for the Oct. 24th agreement, it could precipitate a dramatic unfolding of world changing events in the near term.
12:25 PM (Pacific Time) Update: the latest word is that the referendum has been cancelled! Clearly, the European ruling class vetoed it.
Monday, October 31, 2011
False Solutions to Governance and Economic Crises
by Ron Horn.
In the midst of widespread political corruption, never-ending wars, and financial collapse, we will be presented with solutions that really do very little to solve these crises. Some are presented by well meaning people and some are likely to be presented by capitalist political operatives to ward off any real changes to their governing system. This morning I notice two postings on the internet offering such solutions which I firmly believe will do nothing to essentially change the system. They only seek to fix the existing system which I believe is inherently flawed.
The first one is illustrated by the Story of Stuff cartoonist in their latest video, "The Story of Citizens United vs. FEC", which claims that we can fix things by passing a Constitutional amendment that reverses the legal status of corporations as citizens.
The narrator in this video presents a very narrow view of the problem as being simply the passage of a recent Supreme Court decision allowing corporations to directly contribute to political candidates. This is total nonsense. Actually, one could argue that this Court decision was good in that it made transparent what has been opaque since the 1886 decision to recognize corporations as people, and before that, what was completely hidden by the role of big financiers and corporations that were key players in a new ruling capitalist class.
The narrator misses the huge picture of a class of people that has inserted itself in all areas of society to further their interests: the Executive Branch with the secrecy of the CIA and strengthening of the office which can now engage in war operations without the consent of Congress, all sorts of police state operations set up under the Patriot Acts, the control of all major media, the insertion of key members of the ruling class in educational institutions, in NGOs, their control of the Federal Reserve, etc. The list is endless. This only illustrates what a ruling class is: a class of people who rule over society for their class interests. To do this, they must rule all important subsystems of societies.
The second posting from Positive Money (UK) advocates a fix to bank lending. At least they see their proposal as only fixing the debt crisis; but it seems to assume that there is no governance crisis, that the current systemic crisis occurring all over the world is due only to profligate loaning of money by the major banks who engage in fractional reserve lending.
Such narrow proposals can detract activists and encourage them to go down blind alleys. They are based on very limited views of societies which, in their view, are essentially "democratic". Thus, all that is needed are more limitations and regulations on corporate power.
In the midst of widespread political corruption, never-ending wars, and financial collapse, we will be presented with solutions that really do very little to solve these crises. Some are presented by well meaning people and some are likely to be presented by capitalist political operatives to ward off any real changes to their governing system. This morning I notice two postings on the internet offering such solutions which I firmly believe will do nothing to essentially change the system. They only seek to fix the existing system which I believe is inherently flawed.
The first one is illustrated by the Story of Stuff cartoonist in their latest video, "The Story of Citizens United vs. FEC", which claims that we can fix things by passing a Constitutional amendment that reverses the legal status of corporations as citizens.
The narrator in this video presents a very narrow view of the problem as being simply the passage of a recent Supreme Court decision allowing corporations to directly contribute to political candidates. This is total nonsense. Actually, one could argue that this Court decision was good in that it made transparent what has been opaque since the 1886 decision to recognize corporations as people, and before that, what was completely hidden by the role of big financiers and corporations that were key players in a new ruling capitalist class.
The narrator misses the huge picture of a class of people that has inserted itself in all areas of society to further their interests: the Executive Branch with the secrecy of the CIA and strengthening of the office which can now engage in war operations without the consent of Congress, all sorts of police state operations set up under the Patriot Acts, the control of all major media, the insertion of key members of the ruling class in educational institutions, in NGOs, their control of the Federal Reserve, etc. The list is endless. This only illustrates what a ruling class is: a class of people who rule over society for their class interests. To do this, they must rule all important subsystems of societies.
The second posting from Positive Money (UK) advocates a fix to bank lending. At least they see their proposal as only fixing the debt crisis; but it seems to assume that there is no governance crisis, that the current systemic crisis occurring all over the world is due only to profligate loaning of money by the major banks who engage in fractional reserve lending.
Such narrow proposals can detract activists and encourage them to go down blind alleys. They are based on very limited views of societies which, in their view, are essentially "democratic". Thus, all that is needed are more limitations and regulations on corporate power.
Euro crisis unresolved: the cycle of stupidity continues
Click here to access article by by Jérôme E. Roos from Reflections on a Revolution (RoarMag).
I think that this piece provides a very good explanation of why the recent European agreement regarding the Greek debt crisis is not really a solution that has any staying power. It looks to me like members of the world capitalist class are fighting among each other as to who is willing to take a hit in their financial pockets; and being the grasping sociopaths that they are, this agreement will only stir up more intra-class fighting.
Instead, we may very well see the global banking house of cards collapse from all the fraud that it is built upon. Witness today's bankruptcy of the investment firm of MF Global led by an alumnus of Goldman-Sachs and financial wizard, Jon Corzine.
I think that this piece provides a very good explanation of why the recent European agreement regarding the Greek debt crisis is not really a solution that has any staying power. It looks to me like members of the world capitalist class are fighting among each other as to who is willing to take a hit in their financial pockets; and being the grasping sociopaths that they are, this agreement will only stir up more intra-class fighting.
Sunday, October 30, 2011
The Sanders Report on the GAO Audit on Major Conflicts of Interest at the Federal Reserve
Click here to access article from the office of U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.)
This report is not that lengthy (only slightly over four pages) and a must-read for anyone wanting more specific information on the banking bailout corruption that has people in the US occupying many bank related sites across the country.
Audits of the Federal Reserve (the Fed) were authorized and undertaken following the passage of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act in July 2010. Both audits were performed by the US General Accounting Office. The first audit was released in July 2011 that focused on where the Fed's "loans" went. The second audit report was just released on October 20 and focused on the governance of the Fed. This article is a summary of this recent report from Senator Sanders' office.
It is difficult to get a handle on all the corruption we are seeing--this is a deliberate policy by the ruling class so that we don't understand and don't get too upset. Many people still think that all the money that was given away by the Fed was paid back. They are thinking of the TARP program which involved far less money than the amount banks all over the world have received (16 trillion dollars!).
I don't claim to fully understand the TARP program, but this article from Henry Liu provides a good explanation. Originally $700 billion was authorized to purchase all the worthless mortgages on the books of the banks at their book price (original evaluation), but far less was used. The stated purpose of the program was as stated by Liu:
This report is not that lengthy (only slightly over four pages) and a must-read for anyone wanting more specific information on the banking bailout corruption that has people in the US occupying many bank related sites across the country.
Audits of the Federal Reserve (the Fed) were authorized and undertaken following the passage of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act in July 2010. Both audits were performed by the US General Accounting Office. The first audit was released in July 2011 that focused on where the Fed's "loans" went. The second audit report was just released on October 20 and focused on the governance of the Fed. This article is a summary of this recent report from Senator Sanders' office.
It is difficult to get a handle on all the corruption we are seeing--this is a deliberate policy by the ruling class so that we don't understand and don't get too upset. Many people still think that all the money that was given away by the Fed was paid back. They are thinking of the TARP program which involved far less money than the amount banks all over the world have received (16 trillion dollars!).
I don't claim to fully understand the TARP program, but this article from Henry Liu provides a good explanation. Originally $700 billion was authorized to purchase all the worthless mortgages on the books of the banks at their book price (original evaluation), but far less was used. The stated purpose of the program was as stated by Liu:
The prime goal of TARP is to encourage banks to resume lending at levels seen before the crisis, both to each other and to consumers and businesses.Clearly that never happened. The source of much of the money paid back under TARP was from the super-low interest rates on money that the big banks could borrow from the Fed which creates money out of thin air. The big banks, in turn, use these loans to buy government securities that pay much higher rates of interest. They simply pocket the difference. See this, this, and this.
Saturday, October 29, 2011
Someone Got Rich and Someone Got Sick
Click here to access article by Chip Ward from TomDispatch. (As usual at this website, you will need to scroll down to the article.)
This writer does what I often try to do: link the degradation of people with the degradation of the environment by the same system of capitalism which turns everything into a commodity to be bought, sold, rented, exploited to satisfy the addiction of the 1% to wealth and power.
This writer does what I often try to do: link the degradation of people with the degradation of the environment by the same system of capitalism which turns everything into a commodity to be bought, sold, rented, exploited to satisfy the addiction of the 1% to wealth and power.
The fact is: we won’t free ourselves from a dysfunctional and unfair economic order until we begin to see ourselves as communities, not commodities. That is one clear message from Zuccotti Park.
Occupy Oakland Protesters Remain in Legal Limbo After Release From Jail
Click here to access article by Elise Ackerman from Truthout.
The author provides the details on how the enforcers of the ruling class are continuing their intimidating tactics against activists during their stay in jail.
The author provides the details on how the enforcers of the ruling class are continuing their intimidating tactics against activists during their stay in jail.
Friday, October 28, 2011
Oakland crackdown backfires: the genie is out of the bottle
Click here to access article by Jérôme E. Roos from Reflections on a Revolution.
Previously the system was able to support an adequate number of people who found it so easy to just accept things and go along by seeking the rewards and avoiding the punishments of the system. Those that succeeded in the system were very much like "house niggers" who felt and acted superior to those who couldn't or refused to go along with the system. Just as old fashioned slavery has (mostly) disappeared, a system based on wage and debt slavery is now being called into question.
Presently it appears that humans have reached a critical mass in terms of numbers and political awareness to the point where the system itself is starting to lose all credibility and legitimacy. There are now large numbers of people who realize that they are in a fight for their very survival, not only as individuals and families, but as a human species.
Can we create a new sustainable human life supporting system, or will we perish along with so many other species that are disappearing daily due to the destruction of habitat caused by human activity under the present system? Stay tuned. Better yet, stay active.
What we are witnessing is a change in the collective consciousness. The shedding of fear and the demise of the invisible dictator inside our heads. This is the awakening from a long and lonesome slumber. Something has changed in our perception of the world. When we see the images of people mobilizing in solidarity around the globe, we realize we are no longer alone. We are part of something infinitely greater than the mere sum of its parts. Each and every single one of us is a magnificent being worthy of dignity and respect. But it is only when we come together that the true essence of our humanity is revealed for what it always already was. At last, we are reclaiming our true nature. We are a social animal. And love and solidarity are the glue that binds us together.The masters of the present governing system of capitalism will do everything they can to crush, co-opt, or tame the movement that has been born in the Squares and Wall Street occupations, but they cannot succeed against the life affirming nature of the human soul. Everyday it is becoming clearer for more people that the governing class and their system are destructive of both human life and a planet that can support human and other life forms.
Previously the system was able to support an adequate number of people who found it so easy to just accept things and go along by seeking the rewards and avoiding the punishments of the system. Those that succeeded in the system were very much like "house niggers" who felt and acted superior to those who couldn't or refused to go along with the system. Just as old fashioned slavery has (mostly) disappeared, a system based on wage and debt slavery is now being called into question.
Presently it appears that humans have reached a critical mass in terms of numbers and political awareness to the point where the system itself is starting to lose all credibility and legitimacy. There are now large numbers of people who realize that they are in a fight for their very survival, not only as individuals and families, but as a human species.
Can we create a new sustainable human life supporting system, or will we perish along with so many other species that are disappearing daily due to the destruction of habitat caused by human activity under the present system? Stay tuned. Better yet, stay active.
Occupy protests: a movement taking root
Click here to access article by Katharine Ainger from The Guardian.
I'm always impressed when an article from a liberal source can reveal some truths. This one does by showing how the Occupy movements have, and can, take the next steps in organizing actions that will sustain them. Of course, I'm sure the author doesn't see such actions as growing a revolution, but only as a means to...
I'm always impressed when an article from a liberal source can reveal some truths. This one does by showing how the Occupy movements have, and can, take the next steps in organizing actions that will sustain them. Of course, I'm sure the author doesn't see such actions as growing a revolution, but only as a means to...
...rein in the power of finance...and win so much support that governments are more scared of the people's sheer numbers than of the markets.Because, after all, "there is no alternative" (to capitalism). [sarcasm]
Americans: Awash In Spin
Click here to access article by Paul Craig Roberts from OpEd News.
This article is a much needed antidote to all the positive mad ravings of mainstream media regarding yesterday's announcement of a new Greek bailout agreement and the subsequent erections of the New York stock exchange indexes.
This article is a much needed antidote to all the positive mad ravings of mainstream media regarding yesterday's announcement of a new Greek bailout agreement and the subsequent erections of the New York stock exchange indexes.
Recovery can only happen in the delusional world created for us by the concentrated media. No longer permitted to utter one word of truth, the presstitutes proclaim non-existent recoveries and weapons of mass destruction and demonize Washington's chosen opponents.Note: "presstitutes" is a word the author has coined to combine the words prostitute and press (media), similar to "bankster".
The global wealth pyramid
Click here to access brief article by David Ruccio from Real-World Economics Review Blog.
Here is a picture that is worth a thousand words:
There simply must be an alternative to this kind of human society! Also, read this article by the same author to see how this has been happening here in the US since 1979. If we don't change things, it will only get worse.
Here is a picture that is worth a thousand words:
There simply must be an alternative to this kind of human society! Also, read this article by the same author to see how this has been happening here in the US since 1979. If we don't change things, it will only get worse.
NYTimes eXaminer
Click here to access online newspaper.
Contrary to my other posts, this is not an article, this is a whole new newspaper. Given that it is a direct challenge to the NY Times and by people with very "respectable" credentials, this new source of information can provide another important launching pad for the flight of revolutionary consciousness and action! I think it is worth supporting, at least, initially to see if it can really reflect the interests and views of the 99%. To do this, they must incorporate into their operations people from the OWS movement. Check it out.
Contrary to my other posts, this is not an article, this is a whole new newspaper. Given that it is a direct challenge to the NY Times and by people with very "respectable" credentials, this new source of information can provide another important launching pad for the flight of revolutionary consciousness and action! I think it is worth supporting, at least, initially to see if it can really reflect the interests and views of the 99%. To do this, they must incorporate into their operations people from the OWS movement. Check it out.
About NYTX
The NYTimes eXaminer (NYTX) was launched October 2011. The idea was proposed to a number of leading media critics, intellectuals, and alternative media activists, organizers, and producers earlier in the year. Many of these people expressed their support for the project and have since joined NYTX’s “Advisory Council.” The project’s mission statement and list of Advisory Council members can be found below. NYTX staff information can be found at the bottom of the page.
Thursday, October 27, 2011
The Spanish Summer: Notes Towards a Comparative Revolutionology
Click here to access article by J.E. Hamilton from Guernica.
I am beginning to see articles appearing that are attempting to summarize the meaning of the Occupation movement across the globe and to look for future direction. While focusing on the experience of Spanish activists, the discussion here is relevant for all global activists to think about. I suggest you specifically read the content under section 3 of this article which asks and attempts to answer some key questions:
I am beginning to see articles appearing that are attempting to summarize the meaning of the Occupation movement across the globe and to look for future direction. While focusing on the experience of Spanish activists, the discussion here is relevant for all global activists to think about. I suggest you specifically read the content under section 3 of this article which asks and attempts to answer some key questions:
What exactly is it that will last? Direct, horizontal, and leaderless democracy? For those involved with 15-M—the number continues to grow, according to Lara and Juan Miguel—the feeling is that this year’s experiments in confrontation and horizontal democracy will not soon be forgotten. This is a lesson politicians and bureaucrats may soon shudder to learn: it’s not easy to placate a demographic whose greatest public pleasure thus far has been shutting you out of the conversation.
US cops tried to erase online evidence of brutality
Click here to access article from Russia Today. Also, included in the article is this 5:14m video interview with Jim Killock, executive director of the Open Rights Group.
As the ruling classes across the globe become increasingly concerned about the spread of people power and protests, they are beginning to use rather desperate measures that include obstructing protests by onerous permit requirements, censorship, terrorizing activists, and stopping online payments to activists by banksters: PayPal, Visa, MasterCard, etc. We, the people, must meet these challenges.
Just this morning I heard on my local TV station (Seattle) that several thousand dollars of PayPal donations had disappeared temporarily from a Portland (Oregon) OWS account.
As the ruling classes across the globe become increasingly concerned about the spread of people power and protests, they are beginning to use rather desperate measures that include obstructing protests by onerous permit requirements, censorship, terrorizing activists, and stopping online payments to activists by banksters: PayPal, Visa, MasterCard, etc. We, the people, must meet these challenges.
Just this morning I heard on my local TV station (Seattle) that several thousand dollars of PayPal donations had disappeared temporarily from a Portland (Oregon) OWS account.
The 9/11 Best Evidence Panel: The 9/11 Consensus Points
Click here to access article from Consensus 9/11.
I encourage you to read about the background of the panel members, and then the methodology in addition to the findings linked to here in a report on which the panel reached 90% consensus.
I encourage you to read about the background of the panel members, and then the methodology in addition to the findings linked to here in a report on which the panel reached 90% consensus.
Debt crisis splits Europe
Click here to access article by Peter Schwarz from World Socialist Web Site.
The ruling capitalist classes are ecstatic over this morning's news: European leaders reached a deal with Greek debtholders on Thursday morning after nearly 11 hours of talks. The agreement includes a large bailout of Greece by the European Union and the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The latter institution means that more US tax dollars will be tapped.
Meanwhile the stock markets are engaging in an orgy of stock buying. And ruling class media is likewise hailing this news. For more balanced and accurate coverage, read this article and also one by financial expert, Yves Smith, in her blog article entitled, "Eurozone Leaders Agree a Few Rescue Details, Like 50% Haircut on Greek Bonds; Plan to Develop a Plan Gooses Markets".
The ruling capitalist classes are ecstatic over this morning's news: European leaders reached a deal with Greek debtholders on Thursday morning after nearly 11 hours of talks. The agreement includes a large bailout of Greece by the European Union and the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The latter institution means that more US tax dollars will be tapped.
Meanwhile the stock markets are engaging in an orgy of stock buying. And ruling class media is likewise hailing this news. For more balanced and accurate coverage, read this article and also one by financial expert, Yves Smith, in her blog article entitled, "Eurozone Leaders Agree a Few Rescue Details, Like 50% Haircut on Greek Bonds; Plan to Develop a Plan Gooses Markets".
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
David Graeber: On Playing By The Rules – The Strange Success Of #OccupyWallStreet
Click here to access article by David Graeber from Naked Capitalism.
This fairly length piece provides a very good description of how opposition to our Wall Street run government reached critical mass this Fall and materialized as the Occupy Wall Street movement.
This fairly length piece provides a very good description of how opposition to our Wall Street run government reached critical mass this Fall and materialized as the Occupy Wall Street movement.
Clearly, if progressive change was not possible through electoral means in 2008, it simply isn’t going to [be] possible at all. And that is exactly what very large numbers of Americans appear to have concluded.
The State of Everything
Click here to access article by Peter Radford from Real-World Economics Review Blog. I have had difficulty in finding a biography for this writer, but being on the board of editors for this widely read professional website, he clearly is an economist of some reputation.
I post this piece because it provides more evidence to support my (and others) thesis that the middle class is dramatically becoming disillusioned with the system of capitalism, and that this poses a major threat to the maintenance of the system.
Contrary to popular usage in the US, sociologists define the middle class as workers who are given special privileges and higher pay to manage and support the system. You see, capitalists know diddly-squat about managing any kind of economy. They live off their money and the system of capitalism that makes this possible. They have a faith-based belief that everything must be a commodity to be bought, owned, and rented or sold. Money is the lubricant that makes the machine of capitalism function. And, capitalists control the money supply through their central banks. They only know how to use people to serve their sole interest of accumulating more wealth and power. Hence, they hire (rent) people--managers, scientists and highly trained technician, academicians, and other professionals to run the system--and, they reward them well. These are the true middle class; and as you can see by the example of this writer, they are becoming seriously demoralized.
I post this piece because it provides more evidence to support my (and others) thesis that the middle class is dramatically becoming disillusioned with the system of capitalism, and that this poses a major threat to the maintenance of the system.
Contrary to popular usage in the US, sociologists define the middle class as workers who are given special privileges and higher pay to manage and support the system. You see, capitalists know diddly-squat about managing any kind of economy. They live off their money and the system of capitalism that makes this possible. They have a faith-based belief that everything must be a commodity to be bought, owned, and rented or sold. Money is the lubricant that makes the machine of capitalism function. And, capitalists control the money supply through their central banks. They only know how to use people to serve their sole interest of accumulating more wealth and power. Hence, they hire (rent) people--managers, scientists and highly trained technician, academicians, and other professionals to run the system--and, they reward them well. These are the true middle class; and as you can see by the example of this writer, they are becoming seriously demoralized.
I have been mightily diverted by technological and personal matters recently and so am struggling to catch up. As I do so one theme has stood out: exhaustion. We are exhausted. Morally, intellectually, politically, and every other way. We seem to have fought our way into a state of enforced lassitude within which we can no longer even imagine progress. We are suffering from a form of trench warfare. Our leaders are exposed as inept. Brilliantly educated, earnest, well informed, and well intentioned. They are inept. So much for all those advanced degrees and professional qualifications. In our hour of need they amount to not much more than paper. Those achievements are nice to hang on walls to remind us of the hours spent poring over books in the library, or yawning through interminable, and marginal, classes on subjects no one but the professors were interested in, but they don’t appear to guarantee solutions to actual economic problems.
The state of everything is a mess.
What Do We Mean By “Works”? Anarchist Economics and the Occupy X Movement
Click here to access article by Deric Shannon from The New Significance. (A must read.)
...one of the near-constant criticisms of these sorts of ideas [anarchist] goes something like this:Many people have been so indoctrinated in the faith-based religion of capitalism with its mantra, "there is no alternative", that they can't think straight anymore.
“That kind of system would never work [the implication being that the current system, although faulty, does work] because of human nature. We’re just wired to be greedy. It’s evolution, survival of the fittest, and all that.”
The arms firm behind the suppression of #OccupyOakland and Palestine’s popular struggle
Click here to access article by Max Blumenthal from New Significance.
Hence, I would agree with our oppressors: there is indeed forces of terrorism at work in the world today. But, who are the terrorists? With whom should we be at war?
It very much appears to me that we are entering a pivotal stage in this war, and the outcome may be decisive as to whether we the 99% will live as free human beings or debt slaves. We must also keep in mind that the same system which attacks us also attacks the planet which supports all human life. Thus, so much is at stake, and we simply must win.
With the rise of the Occupy Wall Street, a new generation of mostly middle class Americans is learning for the first time about the militarization of their local police forces. And they are learning the hard way, through confrontations with phalanxes of riot cops armed with the latest in “non-lethal” crowd control weaponry. Yesterday’s protests in Oakland, California were the site of perhaps the harshest police violence leveled against the Occupy movement so far.As the global ruling class attempts to deal with the OWS protesters, they are clearly experimenting with the methods of inflecting as much harm on protesters as possible stopping just short lethal weapons. The intent, of course, is to terrorize participants in these occupations and others who might be thinking about joining them. You can be sure that they are carefully studying these terrorist methods to measure their effectiveness in places such as Oakland, California, Athens, Greece and Melbourne, Australia in order to improve their chances of winning the class war that is being waged throughout much of the world.
Hence, I would agree with our oppressors: there is indeed forces of terrorism at work in the world today. But, who are the terrorists? With whom should we be at war?
It very much appears to me that we are entering a pivotal stage in this war, and the outcome may be decisive as to whether we the 99% will live as free human beings or debt slaves. We must also keep in mind that the same system which attacks us also attacks the planet which supports all human life. Thus, so much is at stake, and we simply must win.
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
They Don’t Get It (Revised)
Click here to access article from Internationalist Perspective.
They don’t get it that the absence of leaders in this movement is not a weakness but a strength, testifying to our collective determination, to our refusal to remain followers. They don’t get it that the absence of a narrow set of demands that can be recuperated by this or that institution, results from our understanding that the problem lies much deeper. That there are no quick fixes for a system that produces growing inequality, mass unemployment and misery, wars and ecological disasters.There are so many gems in this article that I have tagged it as a "best post".
Will Congress Kill Youtube and Twitter to Please the 1%?
Click here to access article by David Swanson from War Is a Crime.
Using a typical Orwellian bill entitled, "Protect IP Act", Congress is poised to pass a bill that...
Using a typical Orwellian bill entitled, "Protect IP Act", Congress is poised to pass a bill that...
...creates new legal liabilities for sites like Twitter, YouTube, and others that rely on user-generated content -- exposing the sites' proprietors to prosecution for certain acts taken by their users.This, of course, would cause these internet services to act as policeman over content that might incur the wrath of the ruling class. As it becomes clear that an unintended consequence of the creation of internet-access gadgets and services is to enable activists to organize and collaborate better, we can expect more such attacks in the future.
The Patriot Act, 10 Years Later
Click here to access article from the American Civil Liberties Union.
Not only was the 9/11 incident used to launch never-ending wars of aggression, they have also installed in the US all the necessary infrastructure of a police state just in case Americans start getting in the way of the imperial project.
Not only was the 9/11 incident used to launch never-ending wars of aggression, they have also installed in the US all the necessary infrastructure of a police state just in case Americans start getting in the way of the imperial project.
Pushed through Congress without debate, the massive surveillance bill was hastily passed just 45 days after 9/11, and was the first of many changes to surveillance laws over the past decade that made it easier for the government to spy on innocent Americans.
The War on Libya is a War on Africa [11:55m video]
From Global Research TV we listen to an independent UK journalist who speaks (in English with French subtitles) truth to the lies of mainstream media regarding NATO's invasion of Libya. She concludes her talk with some brief remarks about the implications the invasion of Libya has for other independent countries in the area. I found this to be a much needed antidote to the orgy of triumph that characterizes US mainstream media coverage.
See also this excellent piece from Global Research entitled, "Murder of Gadhafi is next step to wider U.S. wars in Africa by Sara Flounders.
Back in the UK, after several months spent in Libya covering NATO war crimes and uncovering mainstream media lies, freelance journalist Lizzie Phelan continues to fight for truth and justice on behalf of the Libyan people. Her testimony below is a gripping example of her commitment.
Lizzie Phelan spent her last days in Libya - where she was reporting for PressTV - trapped in the Rixos Hotel, together with Thierry Meyssan, Mahdi Nazemroaya and two other members of the Voltaire Network team.
She said a Western-backed genocide is taking place in Libya and there are no independent journalists left on the ground to cover the story.
See also this excellent piece from Global Research entitled, "Murder of Gadhafi is next step to wider U.S. wars in Africa by Sara Flounders.
Deepening OWS ties to labor
Click here to access article by Mariano Silva from Socialist Worker.
In particular, the connections between organized labor and the OWS continue to deepen--with ongoing protests against the Sotheby's auction house where Teamsters have been locked out of their jobs, a big rally in support of Verizon workers who are fighting for a fair contract, and a planned action against the Department of Education in support of teachers.
Monday, October 24, 2011
Not Just a Protest, But a Little Utopia
Click here to access article by Ben Case from Inter Press Service (IPS).
In my opinion a better title for this excellent article would be "Not Just a Protest, OWS is creating a New Society". Because that is the essence and the power of what is occurring at the various OWSs throughout the world. They are in the process of creating new mechanisms for a genuine democracy. They are creating a new communication structure which can undermine the ruling class media which functions to indoctrinate people in their values and perspectives and to filter out any ideas that challenge their rule. These accomplishments are highly dangerous to the existing order because it can be addictive to people in a very positive way:
In my opinion a better title for this excellent article would be "Not Just a Protest, OWS is creating a New Society". Because that is the essence and the power of what is occurring at the various OWSs throughout the world. They are in the process of creating new mechanisms for a genuine democracy. They are creating a new communication structure which can undermine the ruling class media which functions to indoctrinate people in their values and perspectives and to filter out any ideas that challenge their rule. These accomplishments are highly dangerous to the existing order because it can be addictive to people in a very positive way:
More than a month old, OWS feels like a town of its own, one governed intentionally by institutions and actions based on empathetic, egalitarian principles. As a protest, the occupation tactic is successful because of its constant presence and as a base for organising actions.
But at least as important to participants is the opportunity the occupied space provides to organise a microcosm of the society they want to live in. As the movement continues to grow, it is clear that this new society resonates with many people disaffected with the failures of society at large. [my emphasis]
"We're dismantling capitalism and building something better right here,"....
Throw Them Out With the Trash
Click here to access article by Barbara Ehrenreich from TomDispatch. (You will need to scroll down to the article.)
...to be homeless in America is to live like a fugitive. The destitute are our own native-born “illegals,” facing prohibitions on the most basic activities of survival. They are not supposed to soil public space with their urine, their feces, or their exhausted bodies. Nor are they supposed to spoil the landscape with their unusual wardrobe choices or body odors. They are, in fact, supposed to die, and preferably to do so without leaving a corpse for the dwindling public sector to transport, process, and burn.
Stimulus Money Used to Employ Foreign Guest Workers Instead of Americans
Click here to access article by Robert Oak from The Economic Populist.
The practice of using the cheapest labor through either outsourcing or importing such labor illustrates the logic of capitalism. Given that the system is designed to maximize profits for the few ("owners") which is wealth extracted from the labor of rented workers, then it is entirely rational that capitalists will rent workers who are desperate enough to work at the cheapest rate. In contrast to workers who face all kinds of restrictions should they want to move across national boundaries in search of work, the ruling class can easily move workers across the world to reduce their labor costs to a bare minimum.
This report refers to four "employers" screwing the American public in an additional way by using American taxpayer funded subsidies to do this. (You will have to look long and hard to find out the names of these employers.) But then, capitalists see the law as merely impediments to their prosperity. That is why they so vigorously oppose all laws and regulations which stand in their way. When they exist, they nearly always find ways of working around them.
The practice of using the cheapest labor through either outsourcing or importing such labor illustrates the logic of capitalism. Given that the system is designed to maximize profits for the few ("owners") which is wealth extracted from the labor of rented workers, then it is entirely rational that capitalists will rent workers who are desperate enough to work at the cheapest rate. In contrast to workers who face all kinds of restrictions should they want to move across national boundaries in search of work, the ruling class can easily move workers across the world to reduce their labor costs to a bare minimum.
This report refers to four "employers" screwing the American public in an additional way by using American taxpayer funded subsidies to do this. (You will have to look long and hard to find out the names of these employers.) But then, capitalists see the law as merely impediments to their prosperity. That is why they so vigorously oppose all laws and regulations which stand in their way. When they exist, they nearly always find ways of working around them.
Durban May Be Last Chance to Stabilise Climate Under Two Degrees
Click here to access article by Stephen Leahy from Inter Press Service (IPS).
The window to limit global warming to less than two degrees C is closing so fast it can be measured in months, a new scientific analysis revealed Sunday.
Sunday, October 23, 2011
Unite the struggles
Click here to access article issued by the Anarchist Federation (UK) posted at InfoShop News.
The article provides some very good ideas about a general strategy for the "wave of occupations and upsurge in class struggle as austerity bites...." It also lists the many ways that the ruling class has attempted, and will attempt, to contain and destroy the struggles. Its focus is on the UK, but the ideas and insights apply nearly everywhere in the world. Just as capitalism has gone global, so has the need for social justice gone global.
The article provides some very good ideas about a general strategy for the "wave of occupations and upsurge in class struggle as austerity bites...." It also lists the many ways that the ruling class has attempted, and will attempt, to contain and destroy the struggles. Its focus is on the UK, but the ideas and insights apply nearly everywhere in the world. Just as capitalism has gone global, so has the need for social justice gone global.
Occupy Oakland March Shuts Down Chase Bank Branch [4:38m video]
(The source is from IndyBay at Oakland, California.) The scenes depicted here are very familiar to me because I lived near this section of Oakland in the early 1980s.
This is a good illustration of the Occupation movement targeting sites that are directly benefiting from their theft of homes, jobs, and wealth from the people. This creates a concrete and meaningful way for people to connect the issues with banking institutions.
After marching from Oscar Grant Plaza and around Lake Merritt on October 22nd, Occupy Oakland occupiers and supporters stopped in front of the Chase Bank branch on Lakeshore Avenue. Demonstrators began to stream into the bank, filling the branch and chanting, "Chase got bailed out, we got sold out." Bank withdrawal and deposit slips were thrown into the air and within a few minutes demonstrators exited the bank and returned to the thousand-plus marchers in the street. Several protesters remained behind to pick up bank slips from the floor and were locked inside when police moved in to secure the bank. With loud chants of "Let them go, let them go" from the street, those inside were allowed to leave and the march continued on to shut down a Wells Fargo Bank branch by surrounding it before returning to Oscar Grant Plaza.
This is a good illustration of the Occupation movement targeting sites that are directly benefiting from their theft of homes, jobs, and wealth from the people. This creates a concrete and meaningful way for people to connect the issues with banking institutions.
Adbusters Senior Editor talks about Occupy Wall Street [9:50m video]
From YouTube.
I think that Micah White of Ad Busters captures the essential democratic spirit of the Occupy movement.
I think that Micah White of Ad Busters captures the essential democratic spirit of the Occupy movement.
Where Did Global Warming Go?
Click here to access article by Elisabeth Rosenthal from the NY Times.
It is not as the author argues: a Democratic versus Republican issue.
Also, it is not the US versus the-rest-of-the-world issue. Certainly some other countries have done more than the US to curb carbon emissions, but most are failing to meet commitments and/or using carbon trading to cheat. Read the following:
IN 2008, both the Democratic and Republican candidates for president, Barack Obama and John McCain, warned about man-made global warming and supported legislation to curb emissions. After he was elected, President Obama promised “a new chapter in America’s leadership on climate change,” and arrived cavalry-like at the 2009 United Nations Climate Conference in Copenhagen to broker a global pact.Some people think it's worse than that:
But two years later, now that nearly every other nation accepts climate change as a pressing problem, America has turned agnostic on the issue.
“In Washington, ‘climate change’ has become a lightning rod, it’s a four-letter word,” said Andrew J. Hoffman, director of the University of Michigan’s Erb Institute for Sustainable Development.It is clear to me that because capitalism cannot deal with global warming, it simply won't. Are we going to let them destroy our habitat? I know of no other creature that does that deliberately.
It is not as the author argues: a Democratic versus Republican issue.
“We are seeing doubts in the U.S. largely because the issue has become a partisan one, with Democrats” — 75 percent of whom say they believe there is strong evidence of climate change — “seeing one thing and Republicans another.”The responses in the Pew pool were from people who vote in elections as Democrats or Republicans. There is no other choice. The leadership of these parties are controlled by the same class of people who have the same interests. The fact that Democratic party leaders sometimes mouth empty phrases reflecting environmental concerns never translates into action.
Also, it is not the US versus the-rest-of-the-world issue. Certainly some other countries have done more than the US to curb carbon emissions, but most are failing to meet commitments and/or using carbon trading to cheat. Read the following:
Kyoto's Carbon Offsetting Moves from Tragedy to Farce
A Grim Outlook for Emissions As Climate Talks Limp Forward
Trouble in the algae lab for Craig Venter and Exxon
Click here to access article by Steve LeVine from Foreign Policy.
Just to keep you up to date on the energy front, I thought you should know about this latest development. All is not so bright and promising with Exxon-Mobil's widely touted research on bio-fuel created from algae as shown in this commercial:
Wouldn't it be wonderful if Venter could invent a new algae cell? Just imagine all the money that could be made by capitalists from that intellectual property right! (sarcasm) They would have a monopoly on this fuel and they could, and would, charge the limit for it.
Just to keep you up to date on the energy front, I thought you should know about this latest development. All is not so bright and promising with Exxon-Mobil's widely touted research on bio-fuel created from algae as shown in this commercial:
Wouldn't it be wonderful if Venter could invent a new algae cell? Just imagine all the money that could be made by capitalists from that intellectual property right! (sarcasm) They would have a monopoly on this fuel and they could, and would, charge the limit for it.
Saturday, October 22, 2011
What Quantitative Easing Really Means
Click here to access article by Ismael Hossein-zadeh from OpEd News.
Exotic terms like "quantitative easing" are bandied about endlessly in the media without any clarification of what such terms means. This is done deliberately to keep you ignorant about the crimes being committed by the financial aristocracy.
In an otherwise excellent explanation of the term and how the banks benefit from it, he fails to explain that the banks use these Fed created funds, for which they pay only .25% interest, to buy 5 year Treasury bonds that obligate the government (that's us taxpayers) to pay them 2.5% interest!
Exotic terms like "quantitative easing" are bandied about endlessly in the media without any clarification of what such terms means. This is done deliberately to keep you ignorant about the crimes being committed by the financial aristocracy.
In an otherwise excellent explanation of the term and how the banks benefit from it, he fails to explain that the banks use these Fed created funds, for which they pay only .25% interest, to buy 5 year Treasury bonds that obligate the government (that's us taxpayers) to pay them 2.5% interest!
The Iraq War Ain’t Over, No Matter What Obama Says
Click here to access article by Spencer Ackerman from Wired.
While US mainstream media is reporting the "complete withdrawal of US Forces from Iraq", once again, we are being lied to. This article explains:
troops, excuse me, "advisers" into the heart of Africa.
While US mainstream media is reporting the "complete withdrawal of US Forces from Iraq", once again, we are being lied to. This article explains:
But the fact is America’s military efforts in Iraq aren’t coming to an end. They are instead entering a new phase. On January 1, 2012, the State Department will command a hired army of about 5,500 security contractors, all to protect the largest U.S. diplomatic presence anywhere overseas.And, as Glenn Greenwald reports:
...the Obama administration has been working for months to persuade, pressure and cajole Iraq to allow U.S. troops to remain in that country beyond the deadline. The reason they’re being withdrawn isn’t because Obama insisted on this, but because he tried — but failed — to get out of this obligation.But, you need not worry that Obama is becoming some sort of peacenik--he's sending
Without credit card donations, WikiLeaks facing funding crisis
Click here to access article by Mark Seibel from McClatchy Newspapers.
Censorship, like everything else in the West, has been privatized. [from WikiLeaks website]This article requires action instead of commentary.
Friday, October 21, 2011
Gaddafi's Murder and International Law [12:52m video]
Here is Paul Jay's interview with Firoze Manji of Pambazuka News in London that focuses on African social justice issues. He and Paul Jay explore various themes in an attempt to shed light on what the Empire's motivations are for NATO's destabilization of Libya. They end with a hopeful note about the Occupy Wall Street actions going on all over the world.
Has the CIA infiltrated U.S. colleges?
Click here to access article by Amy Nichol Smith from The Monitor (Texas).
The article is about a recently published book entitled, The CIA on Campus: Essays on Academic Freedom and the National Security State, edited by Professor Philip Zwerling of the University of Texas-Pan American in Edinburg, Texas. The book provides evidence to show that the CIA is back once again infiltrating, training agents, influencing courses on university campuses:
The article is about a recently published book entitled, The CIA on Campus: Essays on Academic Freedom and the National Security State, edited by Professor Philip Zwerling of the University of Texas-Pan American in Edinburg, Texas. The book provides evidence to show that the CIA is back once again infiltrating, training agents, influencing courses on university campuses:
I started hearing these stories that not only was there CIA recruitment of students on campus, but in fact, the CIA had a program where they subsidized courses and a degree program that students were able to major in courses that were called … Global Studies, but involved really trying to identify and groom future employees for the CIA.Sibel Edmonds in her blog has provided an audio interview with the professor behind a pay-wall.
‘High-class terrorists running US, UK and France’ [4:10m video]
Click here to access the video and script of this interview from RT (Russia Today) with international financial consultant and Argentine author Adrian Salbuchi.
Salbuchi's incisive view of events in Libya offers a much needed antidote to the nauseating coverage we are getting from US mainstream media that is engaging in an orgy of triumph following Qaddafi's death.
Salbuchi's incisive view of events in Libya offers a much needed antidote to the nauseating coverage we are getting from US mainstream media that is engaging in an orgy of triumph following Qaddafi's death.
The 4 Pyramids of the Extreme Capitalist Ponzi Scheme [9:48m video]
While researching the background of Adrian Salbuchi for the posting above, I found this video from 2009 in which he provides a concise and helpful explanation of how financial capitalism has caused so much havoc in the world.
I am beginning to see a number of capitalist oriented critics across the globe like this one who see the tremendous damage that has been done by financial players ensconced in all the major banking institutions of the world. Such people in the US include people across the political spectrum from libertarian Ron Paul to liberals such as Elizabeth Warren, the popular blogger Yves Smith, the people at the American Monetary Institute, the Roosevelt Institute, and to some extent Paul Krugman.
I identify this group as industrial capitalists, and what they all share in common is the belief that capitalism can be reformed and regulated to serve a healthy economy, and that financial capitalists have corrupted the system. They completely ignore all the exploitation of working people that has occurred over the 300 odd years comprising the history of industrial capitalism.
As I and many others see it, financial capitalism is only the final stage of the logical development of a system that converts everything into a commodity to be controlled by and for the benefit of a few--the (less than) one percent. Financial players in various banking systems have done precisely that with their control over the creation of money.
I am beginning to see a number of capitalist oriented critics across the globe like this one who see the tremendous damage that has been done by financial players ensconced in all the major banking institutions of the world. Such people in the US include people across the political spectrum from libertarian Ron Paul to liberals such as Elizabeth Warren, the popular blogger Yves Smith, the people at the American Monetary Institute, the Roosevelt Institute, and to some extent Paul Krugman.
I identify this group as industrial capitalists, and what they all share in common is the belief that capitalism can be reformed and regulated to serve a healthy economy, and that financial capitalists have corrupted the system. They completely ignore all the exploitation of working people that has occurred over the 300 odd years comprising the history of industrial capitalism.
As I and many others see it, financial capitalism is only the final stage of the logical development of a system that converts everything into a commodity to be controlled by and for the benefit of a few--the (less than) one percent. Financial players in various banking systems have done precisely that with their control over the creation of money.
Thursday, October 20, 2011
What ‘diversity of tactics’ really means for Occupy Wall Street
Click here to access article by Nathan Schneider from Waging Nonviolence.
While recognizing that consensus was not reached about the use of "nonviolence", the author praised the OWS activists for their lack of violence in recent actions which earned them wide sympathy among the general public and decent press coverage. Clearly the author's and this website's bias is unconditionally prohibiting any use of violence either in the form of property destruction or against people, especially authorities.
Consensus among OWS participants was reached concerning "diversity of tactics"; however the author argues, based on what actually happened recently, that this should mean the use of non-violent tactics. Also, he doesn't deal with the messy issue of police attacks on activists and how participants should deal with this.
A good response to such a position is provided by Peter Gelderloos in his book, How Nonviolence Protects the State, in which he writes:
While recognizing that consensus was not reached about the use of "nonviolence", the author praised the OWS activists for their lack of violence in recent actions which earned them wide sympathy among the general public and decent press coverage. Clearly the author's and this website's bias is unconditionally prohibiting any use of violence either in the form of property destruction or against people, especially authorities.
Consensus among OWS participants was reached concerning "diversity of tactics"; however the author argues, based on what actually happened recently, that this should mean the use of non-violent tactics. Also, he doesn't deal with the messy issue of police attacks on activists and how participants should deal with this.
If it is true, as I’ve come to think, that a diversity of tactics has been meaningfully practiced by the occupation movement even while remaining nonviolent, then a definition of the phrase like George Lakey’s is in need of revision. Rather than being merely a license to use violence, respecting a diversity of tactics is in its own right a robust approach to conducting resistance—and one that is arguably all the more powerful when it remains nonviolent.He then shows how the movement in New York City has been rewarded by good press coverage and public support. For people at this website, and the advocates of "non-violence" in general, obtaining positive mainstream press coverage always seems to be a prime consideration when discussing tactics. Others regard "non-violence" as almost a religion, and often cite Gandhi and M L King as saints in this religion. (See this article entitled, "Crunch time for Occupy Wall Street".)
A good response to such a position is provided by Peter Gelderloos in his book, How Nonviolence Protects the State, in which he writes:
The liberation movement in India failed. The British were not forced to quit India, Rather, they chose to transfer territory from direct colonial rule to neocolonial rule. ...The British authored the new constitution and turned power over to handpicked successors. They fanned the flames of religious and ethnic separatism so that India would be divided against itself...[by separating the mostly Muslim population in the north (Pakistan) from mostly Hindus in the rest of India].After citing the important roles of the Black Panthers and Malcolm X in the Civil Rights Movement, he concludes his argument:
...from India to Birmingham, nonviolence failed to sufficiently empower its practitioners, whereas the use of a diversity of tactics got results. Put simply, if a movement is not a threat, it cannot change a system based on centralized coercion and violence, and if that movement does not realize and exercise the power that makes it a threat , it cannot destroy such a system. ...The elite cannot be persuaded by appeals to their conscience. Individuals [among the elite] who do change their minds and find a better morality will be fired, impeached, replaced, recalled, assassinated.I think that OWS activists were correct in affirming only the diversity of tactics while affirming the right of subgroups to initiate independent actions. I think that this issue of tactics will take care of itself because the fundamental values of the movement promote respect for all people and the environment. People grounded in these values will respect the feelings of others, will refuse to use gratuitous violence against people or destroy property belonging to people. The movement will decide when and if their actions should be informed by the quality of coverage provided by ruling class media, and when such considerations are irrelevant.
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Seize the Moment! The 99% Declaration, Plan of Action, and Resolution
Naomi Klein exhorts the 99% to seize the moment . . .
And, be sure to check out this major document coming out of the OWS movement:
The99PercentDeclaration
And, be sure to check out this major document coming out of the OWS movement:
The99PercentDeclaration
Bank of America's Socialize the Risk and Reap the Reward Business Model
Click here to access article by Robert Oak from The Economic Populist.
By moving toxic assets, i.e. derivatives, into a FDIC insured subsidiary, gives BoA's Merrill derivative holdings indirect access to the Federal Reserve discount window and also if the bank fails where the derivatives are now located, the FDIC is required to pay depositors through their insurance guarantee. It appears from Bloomberg's report that $53 trillion of BoA's derivatives are being tied into depositors*, which implies the Federal Reserve and the U.S. taxpayer have the potential to be on the hook.This latest bankster crime against the US public is being reported on numerous websites.
'Entire US anti-Iran plot, fabrication' [4:18m video & transcript]
Click here to access interview with Ralph Schoenman from PressTV.
This life-long leftist activist places the recent anti-Iranian fabricated plot regarding the attempted assassination of the Saudi ambassador in the context of Bahrain and its significance for Empire control of the Middle East.
This life-long leftist activist places the recent anti-Iranian fabricated plot regarding the attempted assassination of the Saudi ambassador in the context of Bahrain and its significance for Empire control of the Middle East.
What Every Environmentalist Needs to Know about Capitalism
Click here to access article featuring an interview with Fred Magdoff, coauthor of What Every Environmentalist Needs to Know about Capitalism.
Magdoff explains the extent to which "there is no alternative" thinking has infected even the most independent thinkers preventing real solutions to our growing problems with extreme weather and environmental degradation.
Magdoff explains the extent to which "there is no alternative" thinking has infected even the most independent thinkers preventing real solutions to our growing problems with extreme weather and environmental degradation.
As people talked about the variety of problems facing the earth and humanity I had the feeling that they were constantly “beating around the bush.” So when it was my time to talk, I discarded my notes dealing with ecology and agriculture, and said that I thought a central issue was being ignored. I explained that I was going to speak about “the bush” that I thought everyone was beating around — that is, the capitalist system and how in its very essence it is destructive of the environment. This approach was a real stumbling block for most people there. They were very interesting and innovative people — many would be considered “out of the box” thinkers. But, I realized that they, and those in the environmental movement in general, were unable to think outside of capitalism.It is quite amazing when one really thinks about it: how successful the thought control and propaganda agents of capitalism have been in managing the minds of even the most independent thinkers.
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Occupy Wall Street's Consensus Process [8:26m video]
Click here to access video and brief summary from Shareable.
They are beginning the hard work of creating the mechanics of inclusive democracy, developing the process that can create inclusive participation in order to create a sense of empowerment of all people--something which is terribly missing from the present political system, a system that only includes the ruling class consisting of private "owners" of socially produced wealth, a system that excludes everyone else.
The mechanics consist of all sorts of creative devices such as hand signals, placing people on a "stack" to speak to the assembly, repeating what is said so that everyone can hear, setting up working groups, etc. They are creating a whole new mindset--from "me" to "we". Listen to what they are saying:
This mini-doc shows in some detail how the general assembly - the heart of the occupy movement - operates. They make decisions by consensus and anyone can join the assembly. Through this process, the occupy movement models its own radically inclusive political economy and thus demonstrates that it's more than a protest movement.Indeed! I think that what these brave young men and women are attempting to create is nothing less than a complete social and cultural revolution.
They are beginning the hard work of creating the mechanics of inclusive democracy, developing the process that can create inclusive participation in order to create a sense of empowerment of all people--something which is terribly missing from the present political system, a system that only includes the ruling class consisting of private "owners" of socially produced wealth, a system that excludes everyone else.
The mechanics consist of all sorts of creative devices such as hand signals, placing people on a "stack" to speak to the assembly, repeating what is said so that everyone can hear, setting up working groups, etc. They are creating a whole new mindset--from "me" to "we". Listen to what they are saying:
We're all in this together. The only way you keep people involved in a movement like this is you have a process where everyone's voice can be heard.
In our movement it is really important to have our means reflect the ends we want to create.
People come to a consensus meeting in the attitude that I want to make a decision that everyone is comfortable with.
Because I know what it is like to have my viewpoints honored when they are unpopular, I rejoice in the opportunity to honor someone else's very different viewpoints. but because I was part of the process, because I see how it was made, I saw how good the intentions were, I honor the decision even if I don't agree with it.
It's an entirely different way of thinking that is inclusive, and it is working. It's messy and time consuming, but it is the only way to change the system...I think.
Europe's Politicians Side with the Protesters
Click here to access article from Spiegel Online.
The article is important because it describes how the "protests" are spreading all over Europe. What it doesn't mention is that this phenomenon is spreading all over the world. However, what this media source and the European politicians, like their American counterparts, don't comprehend is that this is no mere protest. (They still believe that there is no alternative to capitalism.) It is a rapidly developing a revolutionary consciousness among its young participants who are becoming aware that the present system is devouring whole populations and the planet that sustains them.
The article is important because it describes how the "protests" are spreading all over Europe. What it doesn't mention is that this phenomenon is spreading all over the world. However, what this media source and the European politicians, like their American counterparts, don't comprehend is that this is no mere protest. (They still believe that there is no alternative to capitalism.) It is a rapidly developing a revolutionary consciousness among its young participants who are becoming aware that the present system is devouring whole populations and the planet that sustains them.
New Film Exposes Connection Between the Kochs and a Small Community Dying of Cancer
Click here to access article by Tara Lohan from AlterNet.
What the author and the liberals at AlterNet don't seem to understand is that this is only another crime against humanity among a long list of crimes perpetrated by a ruling class whose system produces such sociopathic behavior. Hence, the solutions are NOT stronger regulatory agencies, lawsuits, or public pressure put on corporations to behave better:
What the author and the liberals at AlterNet don't seem to understand is that this is only another crime against humanity among a long list of crimes perpetrated by a ruling class whose system produces such sociopathic behavior. Hence, the solutions are NOT stronger regulatory agencies, lawsuits, or public pressure put on corporations to behave better:
...there can be a variety of potential solutions, whether it be the EPA, whether it be a lawsuit, whether it be that Georgia Pacific decides it must do the right thing.Fortunately, the people at the Occupying Wall Street sites all over the world know that systemic solutions are what is required.
MSNBC Dylan Ratigan show [9:27m video]
In this show's episode we see the host leading a discussion with David DeGraw of Amped Status and William Black, a professor of economics at the University of Missouri and a former prosecutor of miscreants during the Savings and Loan scandal of the 1980s.
I post this to illustrate how the liberal wing of ruling class media is attempting to confine the significance of the Occupy Wall Street movement within "acceptable" limits of discussion. They do this by supplying ample doses of outrageous sentiment combined with framing the issues as simply criminal behavior that needs to be prosecuted. They refuse to see such behavior as an integral part of a system which rewards a few people with so much wealth and power. Thus, they don't want you to see that the solution is systemic. Instead, they want to divert attention away from such an insight onto simple criminal behavior that needs to be prosecuted.
I post this to illustrate how the liberal wing of ruling class media is attempting to confine the significance of the Occupy Wall Street movement within "acceptable" limits of discussion. They do this by supplying ample doses of outrageous sentiment combined with framing the issues as simply criminal behavior that needs to be prosecuted. They refuse to see such behavior as an integral part of a system which rewards a few people with so much wealth and power. Thus, they don't want you to see that the solution is systemic. Instead, they want to divert attention away from such an insight onto simple criminal behavior that needs to be prosecuted.
Monday, October 17, 2011
Now That We're All Awake
By E B Bortz from his blog, October 16, 2011.
occupy your neighborhood
it's time to
not breathe easier
but deeper
we can open every window
prop them all up
human arms become
the counterweight
sharing the weight
by all means
dream/build a new world
neighborhood by neighborhood
sweat & stress
a protective ring
around the most vulnerable
tune out the noise
.....& phony leaders
after the banks go bust
there's still a planet to save
A Movement Too Big to Fail
Click here to access article by Chris Hedges from Truthdig.
Hedges is one of America's most articulate and eloquent political critics. Here he does a marvelous job of castigating American liberals who have so effectively served the needs of the ruling class of capitalists and their Empire.
Hedges is one of America's most articulate and eloquent political critics. Here he does a marvelous job of castigating American liberals who have so effectively served the needs of the ruling class of capitalists and their Empire.
The liberal class functions in a traditional, capitalist democracy as a safety valve. It lets off enough steam to keep the system intact. It makes piecemeal and incremental reform possible. This is what happened during the Great Depression and the New Deal. Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s greatest achievement was that he saved capitalism. Liberals in a functioning capitalist democracy are at the same time tasked with discrediting radicals....They are now politically dead--but, may they NOT rest in peace.
Dante’s inferno: massive riots in Rome — pictures and videos
Click here to access article by Jérôme E. Roos from RoarMag.
200,000 peaceful protesters march on Rome, but an army of riot police and a small militia of anti-capitalist urban guerrillas wreak havoc across the city.
167 Million People Support Occupy Wall Street
Click here to access article by Kevin Young from Indypendent.
This article focuses on recent US mainstream poll results of public opinion regarding the OWS movement. As carefully designed as they are to influence the results in favor of ruling class interests, they still suggest that OWS events all over the US are having a major impact in shaping public opinion. No doubt, the ruling class political operative are watching these results carefully and thus, are currently causing them to limit the use of their police enforcers from stirring up more of a public backlash.
The author's insights about the function of such movements to educate the public is particularly useful. The ruling classes all over the world are in a real bind because if they react to harshly they stir up more public reaction; but if they allow the Occupying movement to go on too long, they risk not only a public that becomes more in sympathy with the movement's messages, but also a weakening of resolve in their police state enforcers to execute the orders of their bosses.
This article focuses on recent US mainstream poll results of public opinion regarding the OWS movement. As carefully designed as they are to influence the results in favor of ruling class interests, they still suggest that OWS events all over the US are having a major impact in shaping public opinion. No doubt, the ruling class political operative are watching these results carefully and thus, are currently causing them to limit the use of their police enforcers from stirring up more of a public backlash.
The author's insights about the function of such movements to educate the public is particularly useful. The ruling classes all over the world are in a real bind because if they react to harshly they stir up more public reaction; but if they allow the Occupying movement to go on too long, they risk not only a public that becomes more in sympathy with the movement's messages, but also a weakening of resolve in their police state enforcers to execute the orders of their bosses.
15 October 2011 – Occupy the world
Click here to access article from Eagainst.com.
The article clearly illustrates with pictures that this is a global phenomenon that has the world's governing classes shaking in their boots. Could October 15, 2011 (10/15) go down in history as being far more important than September 11, 2001 (9/11)? Stay tuned. Better yet, be a part of history by your participation in creating it.
The article clearly illustrates with pictures that this is a global phenomenon that has the world's governing classes shaking in their boots. Could October 15, 2011 (10/15) go down in history as being far more important than September 11, 2001 (9/11)? Stay tuned. Better yet, be a part of history by your participation in creating it.
Next Steps for the Occupy Movement
Click here to access article by Shamus Cooke from ZCommunications.
The author explains why common messages or demands are now needed by the Movement. He first quotes Chris Hedges:
The author explains why common messages or demands are now needed by the Movement. He first quotes Chris Hedges:
"The state and corporate forces are determined to crush this... They are terrified this will spread. They have their long phalanxes of police on motorcycles, their rows of white paddy wagons, their foot soldiers hunting for you on the streets with pepper spray and orange plastic nets..."Then Cooke writes:
...To combat this dynamic, the Occupy Movement people needs to unite around common messages that they can effectively broadcast to those 99% not yet on the streets; or to maintain the sympathy of those who've already attended large marches and demonstrations.And, he offers some suggestions.
The only reason that surviving occupied spots have been spared is because of the broader sympathy of the 99% combined with the direct participation of large sections of working people at marches and demonstrations. The corporate elite fear a strong, united movement like vampires fear sunlight.
Sunday, October 16, 2011
Wall Street occupation ignites mass movement
Click here to access article by Pham Binh from Green Left.
The author takes a much needed critical look at the WSO, its current state of development and its difficulties to help the movement move ahead with advances and solutions. General assemblies have been very useful in bringing together and encouraging participation by all. But, as he points out, they can be unwieldy and can, thus, prove too draining of energy needed to otherwise promote effective development of the movement. This is all a part of the growing pains of organizing.
I think that organizing efforts must now focus on breaking the large assembles down into small groups of people who will provide the nucleus of the movement upon which all else is constructed. Using the human body as metaphor, I can see parallel forms consisting of cells of 8-12 people, the cells forming molecules, and the latter supporting organs that are assigned to areas of responsibility. Later, a central nervous system can be constructed to coordinate all efforts.
All levels of organization, in contrast to the reigning hierarchical arrangements of oppressive organizations of the ruling class, must function at the direction of the levels below them. Such a structure provides participation, efficiency, and effectiveness that will inspire further participation and commitment to the movement. I really don't see any alternative, except more of the same political activity that has gotten us into the hellhole we are now in.
This effort to construct such a bottom-up organizational structure will require the discarding of thought habits that have infected our minds about how social organizations are constructed. More people are becoming aware that hierarchy is dysfunctional for all except those at the top of the power pyramid--a ruling class. Still, although less than 2% of human existence, we have been conditioned by the experience of the last 10,000 years to think of organizing according to this model. (Read this about someone who is dealing with his own conditioning.) These thought patterns must be deconstructed in order to create a new system that will serve everyone in society. Such a system would be truly a revolutionary one that can overturn the current social-political arrangements.
Continuing with my body metaphor, the current Squares Occupations must begin the process of constructing such a system. They can be regarded as the ova where the activists are the fertilizing sperm that can create the system embryos which can be incubated in the Squares Occupations until fully formed.
OWS has succeeded beyond anyone’s expectations thus far, and we need to be clear and honest about what can be done better if we hope to build on this success and reign in the most greedy, powerful and ruthless 1% the world has ever known.The movement should celebrate how far we have come in such short time, but we cannot rest with these accomplishments.
The author takes a much needed critical look at the WSO, its current state of development and its difficulties to help the movement move ahead with advances and solutions. General assemblies have been very useful in bringing together and encouraging participation by all. But, as he points out, they can be unwieldy and can, thus, prove too draining of energy needed to otherwise promote effective development of the movement. This is all a part of the growing pains of organizing.
I think that organizing efforts must now focus on breaking the large assembles down into small groups of people who will provide the nucleus of the movement upon which all else is constructed. Using the human body as metaphor, I can see parallel forms consisting of cells of 8-12 people, the cells forming molecules, and the latter supporting organs that are assigned to areas of responsibility. Later, a central nervous system can be constructed to coordinate all efforts.
All levels of organization, in contrast to the reigning hierarchical arrangements of oppressive organizations of the ruling class, must function at the direction of the levels below them. Such a structure provides participation, efficiency, and effectiveness that will inspire further participation and commitment to the movement. I really don't see any alternative, except more of the same political activity that has gotten us into the hellhole we are now in.
This effort to construct such a bottom-up organizational structure will require the discarding of thought habits that have infected our minds about how social organizations are constructed. More people are becoming aware that hierarchy is dysfunctional for all except those at the top of the power pyramid--a ruling class. Still, although less than 2% of human existence, we have been conditioned by the experience of the last 10,000 years to think of organizing according to this model. (Read this about someone who is dealing with his own conditioning.) These thought patterns must be deconstructed in order to create a new system that will serve everyone in society. Such a system would be truly a revolutionary one that can overturn the current social-political arrangements.
Continuing with my body metaphor, the current Squares Occupations must begin the process of constructing such a system. They can be regarded as the ova where the activists are the fertilizing sperm that can create the system embryos which can be incubated in the Squares Occupations until fully formed.
“Let All Indignados in all the squares join together”: Wall Street and the growing movement
Click here to access article by Joseph Ritchie from his blog, A Scanner Despairingly.
This independent leftist author from the UK offers some interesting reflections on the Squares movement in an effort to understand what is happening.
This independent leftist author from the UK offers some interesting reflections on the Squares movement in an effort to understand what is happening.
This basic idea that the hierarchical control of society via wealth can be overcome is central to these movements.
Occupy protest critics exploit anti-Semitism
Click here to access article by MJ Rosenberg from Al Jazeera.
It appears that the American ultra-right is desperately using the "antisemitism" ploy to try to discredit the Wall Street Occupations.
It appears that the American ultra-right is desperately using the "antisemitism" ploy to try to discredit the Wall Street Occupations.
Panicked conservatives are labeling the Occupy protests as 'anti-Semitic' in an attempt to break up the movement.
Argentina to Wall Street
Click here to access article from New Compass.
The article suggests that the experiences of the people of Argentina after their economic collapse in 2001 and others in coping with economic crises in recent times can provide useful lessons to today's Occupy Wall Street protest. Then it describes what is happening at the Wall Street Occupation.
The article suggests that the experiences of the people of Argentina after their economic collapse in 2001 and others in coping with economic crises in recent times can provide useful lessons to today's Occupy Wall Street protest. Then it describes what is happening at the Wall Street Occupation.
These are just a handful of movements and grassroots initiatives that provide helpful models (in both their victories and failures) for decentralizing political and economic power, and putting decision making into the hands of the people.
Obama Is Tip Of Wall Street Iceberg
Click here to access article by Allen L Roland from Veterans Today.
It is becoming increasingly clear that wide sections of the US public is becoming thoroughly disenchanted with the Democratic party: these include students, young people, homeless, the unemployed, and wide sections of the working and middle classes. This article posted on a veteran's website suggests that veterans are likewise. It looks to me like the upcoming electoral circuses featuring featuring the elephants and the donkey will be just that to many Americans--a circus that is for entertainment only. Well, it's about time!
President Obama is in deep re-election trouble, for not only do the majority of Americans not trust the global elite and Wall Street but that mistrust also extends to Obama ~ whose re-election campaign pockets are lined with ongoing donations from his corporate base. In essence, American taxpayers are being ripped off by Wall Street and Obama is being paid off to look the other way.
From Me Culture to We Culture: There IS An Alternative
Click here to access article by Kristine Mattis from Common Dreams.
Now, the first contradiction of capitalism has at last emerged, just as predicted. (So has the second, more ominous contraction which involves the ecosystem rather than the economic system, but that vital subject will have to be left to another conversation.) In an era marked by the election of yet another phony Presidential savior, the somnambulant masses have been forced to awaken. Not only have the conditions for the already marginalized grown excruciatingly horrific, but the members of socioeconomic classes who formerly expected to have a solid, productive outlook have been offered instead a harsh present and a bleak future. And even those who once assumed their lives secure have found their assumptions trashed along with their savings. It took these dismal conditions for people to finally proclaim that enough was enough, and for some of them to rise up and speak out on their own behalves.A new, rather subversive consciousness appears to be infecting many Americans.
...the movement will be worthwhile and long-lasting if it can embrace a future society in which “we” always comes before “me.” There is a better alternative. It is here now, unless we retreat back to our superficial comforts, unless we surrender to our own egos, unless we cease to envision a healthier tomorrow for us all.
Food chain slaves
Click here to access article and 25:01 video from Al Jazeera.
It is a nation built on the abolition of slavery, but there are at least 40,000 slaves in the US today.Capitalism is a system whereby sociopaths are rewarded for exploiting the wealth produced by others. Slavery is the most egregious form. That this practice exists in the US today is a dirty little secret that their propaganda agents--the mainstream media--carefully omit in their news coverage. Be sure to view the video to learn more about it.
Saturday, October 15, 2011
Generaton Rev and the Struggle for Democracy: Interview with Aly El-Raggal
At the Jadaliyya website, Linda Herrera interviews Aly El-Raggal, an activist in the ongoing Egyptian revolution of ideas and action.
This Egyptian activist discusses the new ideas that are being developed by Egyptians to move their revolution forward.
This Egyptian activist discusses the new ideas that are being developed by Egyptians to move their revolution forward.
Generation Rev, the revolutionary generation that has overtaken the world stage, whether in Tahrir Square or on Wall Street, has arrived at a critical juncture. This group of twenty-somethings has been experimenting for five to six years with novel ways of doing politics. They are known for horizontal organizing, persistent civil disobedience, and networking and mobilizing across lines of difference—ideological and otherwise—all of which have been greatly facilitated by new media and mobile communication tools. In Egypt, this generation contributed in no small measure to the success of the first stage of the revolution, namely the toppling of the President/Dictator Hosni Mubarak. But in this post-Mubarak period, young politicized Egyptians are being put to the test about how to achieve their democratic aspirations. As Gen Rev, and indeed all groups of society, encounter obstacles and setbacks, they are grappling with questions about how to move forward.
In San Francisco [California], the struggle for housing continues.
Click here to access article from IndyBay.
This brief article reports on a movement in San Francisco that is temporarily occupying vacant housing and hotel units. The author advises that the movement needs to develop the current occupying strategy further:
This brief article reports on a movement in San Francisco that is temporarily occupying vacant housing and hotel units. The author advises that the movement needs to develop the current occupying strategy further:
If the nation-wide “Occupation” movements intend to become a social force with the strength to reshape the course of history, they would do well to consider occupying not merely sidewalks and parks, but to begin actually taking the spaces that allow people to live and operate with dignity. With over 50,000 homes in foreclosure in California and hundreds of thousands going through the process across the country, it is only rational for any social struggle to support and encourage people to stay in their homes in defiance of eviction notices and to begin using vacant buildings for our own purposes. With increasing rents and rising tuitions, a property that was abandoned when the banks could no longer profit from it would be put to better use as a social center or free school.
15-O Manifesto: Humanity United for Global Democracy
Click here to access article by Ana Sofia Suarez and Shimri Zameret from RoarMag.
Inspired by protests from Tunis to New York, activists and people’s assemblies have collaborated on a vision for a new global governance.
Foreign riot police may now be operating in Greece
Click here to access article by David Malone from his blog, Golem XIV.
Did you know that the EU has its own riot police that can operate in any European country but is answerable directly to none of them? No I didn’t either.
They are called the European Gendarmerie Force (Eurogendfor) . They are based in Italy but funded and staffed by six signatory nations who are France, Italy, Holland, Spain, Portugal and Romania. However, according to the Treaty which established Eurogendfor they can operate in any EU country and are available to others who invite them to do so. The country which invites them in is refered to as the ‘Host’.
Thailand Floods 2011: Water Swamps Two-Thirds Of Country
Click here to access article from Associated Press via Huffington Post.
For weeks, water has coursed down key rivers from northern Thailand in a slow-motion catastrophe, overwhelming a national system of dams and dikes. Several days ago, floods transformed Ayutthaya into one of the country's worst disaster zones, navigable in some districts only by boat.This latest catastrophe caused by extreme weather is affecting wide areas in southeast Asia. It has received very little coverage in US mainstream media. Could it be that the mad pursuit of profits under capitalism is hazardous not only to economies, but also to the planet's stability? Is it becoming all too obvious? The thought control agents of the one percent, also known as mainstream media, can't allow you to even consider such thoughts.
Images of calamity in Ayutthaya and elsewhere have fed fears that skyscraper-filled Bangkok could be engulfed by the weekend. Panicked residents of the capital cleared supermarket shelves to hoard bottled water and dried noodles, while luxury hotels packed sandbags around their perimeters.
Friday, October 14, 2011
My Advice to the Occupy Wall Street Protesters
Click here to access article by Matt Taibbi from RollingStone.
His advice relates to the demands of Wall Street Occupiers which he anticipates will be developed in due time. Unfortunately, his demands are only for reforms to a system which is essentially a criminal enterprise, a system that is designed to satisfy the addiction of a tiny group of people to profit and power. His suggested list of demands are like asking organized crime syndicates to act nicer and play fair.
Taibbi is another example of mainstream media's toleration of liberal dissent--and, Rolling Stone is clearly and safely within mainstream media. Rolling Stone magazine is a limited liability corporation apparently 100% owned by Jann Wenner, the founder. Journalists for the magazine and website carefully avoid any attack on the capitalist system itself or engage in any radical political polemics.
If you accept the need to change the governing system of capitalism, then a list of demands must relate to goals which only a thoroughly democratic and equitable system could provide. Some examples that I can think of: 100% employment for all able bodied people, guaranteed income for those unable to work, 4 hour work days/20 hour work weeks, free universal health care, free education as far as people can go based on competence, nationalization of the Federal Reserve, return homes to those who have been evicted due to foreclosure, dismantlement of all foreign military bases.
His advice relates to the demands of Wall Street Occupiers which he anticipates will be developed in due time. Unfortunately, his demands are only for reforms to a system which is essentially a criminal enterprise, a system that is designed to satisfy the addiction of a tiny group of people to profit and power. His suggested list of demands are like asking organized crime syndicates to act nicer and play fair.
Taibbi is another example of mainstream media's toleration of liberal dissent--and, Rolling Stone is clearly and safely within mainstream media. Rolling Stone magazine is a limited liability corporation apparently 100% owned by Jann Wenner, the founder. Journalists for the magazine and website carefully avoid any attack on the capitalist system itself or engage in any radical political polemics.
If you accept the need to change the governing system of capitalism, then a list of demands must relate to goals which only a thoroughly democratic and equitable system could provide. Some examples that I can think of: 100% employment for all able bodied people, guaranteed income for those unable to work, 4 hour work days/20 hour work weeks, free universal health care, free education as far as people can go based on competence, nationalization of the Federal Reserve, return homes to those who have been evicted due to foreclosure, dismantlement of all foreign military bases.
The foreign policy of Park Avenue
Click here to access article by Jim O’Reilly from his blog, Comments on Global Economy.
This, and other commentaries by this blogger, are quite significant given his background. O'Reilly is another example of a solid member of the (real) middle class who, while pursuing a career in banking and finance, became disillusioned with the ongoing attacks on working people by the governing class. He knows this class from the inside while serving under them, and with this knowledge he writes:
This, and other commentaries by this blogger, are quite significant given his background. O'Reilly is another example of a solid member of the (real) middle class who, while pursuing a career in banking and finance, became disillusioned with the ongoing attacks on working people by the governing class. He knows this class from the inside while serving under them, and with this knowledge he writes:
This glittering Valhalla doesn’t give two shits for Greater Reading [poverty stricken areas of the Northeast US] but it does immensely care about foreign policy. While often thought of as “US policy” or “US national interests” nothing could be further from the truth. Only the interests of Park Avenue are in play. And what are those interests? They’re really only two: 1) expand global markets in order to maximize corporate profits and 2) continuously grow and revel in the ever higher glory and grandeur of great power, Rome being the obvious model. The Three P’s: profit, power, prestige. We can see how this foreign policy has played out historically since the end of World War II, from Korea to Vietnam to Latin America and throughout the Middle East. Millions have died but no group in history has ever risen to greater power.
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