shoe08

Media Creates Fake Jasmine Revolution In China

2011-03-05T12:19:00.000-08:00

Media Creates Fake Jasmine Revolution In China

http://blog.hiddenharmonies.org/2011/03/chinese-citizens-react-to-fake-western-media-coverage-of-jasmine-revolution-in-china/
Despite the non-news, the Western media continue to milk this “story” by molding it into Chinese government crack-downs of dissent and confrontations with Western journalists. Even the supposedly cream of the crop, NPR, continued the assault; their latest piece from the Associated Press, “China Rolls Back Press Freedoms Amid Protest Calls.”

When there is no protest, the “crackdowns” become news. When the “crackdown” news become dry, they will vacillate on something else, and you can bet money it will be about “freedom” or “democracy” through some other spin. They all employ this strategy. As I have said before, there need not be any sort of conspiracy. Once a certain spin is in the public, they all take hint and echo one another.

Chinese react to fake western media coverage of Jasmine revolution FAIL in China

Folks, look at the media!! don't they look like sharks at a media frenzy?

However, Al Jezeera, gets the story about how US media reported the Davis shooting news in concert with the US government, while it was being reported in wild exageration in pakistan. US feared this would put US security at risk. Al jazeera failed to report that dozens of US "special americans" then left pakistan. (their cover blown?) Al Jazeera does question if the Guardian would have published the "real" news if a British agent had been involved.

Al Jazeera rightly points out that a country may request news media to hold back when national security of lives may be at risk.

Then unbelievably, Al Jazeera shows a video taken in Hong Kong, and makes it look like it was taken in China. In fact, anti-CNN netizens caught world wide media mis reporting the "Jasmine Rallies" in China, using fake photos, and thereby "selling" misleading stories that fit the ideology their "audience" expects.

In fact, there were two Sundays involved, and after the fake stories were published after the first Sunday, China implemented new rules, and reminded journalists that in China they protect "The People's Right To Know," not western media's wild west version of the "Free press" where anything goes as long as it sells.

I have watched the AP video, that shows no reporter was "roughed up," another video that shows the reporter telling a lie that he was 'hit" while trying to report, and video showing the police politely explaining the requirement that the permited area had been expended.

So why does Al Jazeera have a double standard when reporting news in China?
http://www.zonaeuropa.com/20110226_1.htm

In fact, one of the protesters in Hong Kong, and Wu'er Kai Shi in Taiwan were the ones who lied to journalists about witnessing a massacre that never occured, and who were actually at a restaraunt eating dinner at the time. Just the same, the journalists, hungry like sharks for a sensational story that would sell in the west, reported the massacre that never occured, and later, when the truth was revealed, balked and squirmed ther way out of any mea culpa whatsoever, leavving mant to believe the lies they printed. Now the same liers are back at it, and the same sharks eagerly eat it up without vetting the facts? PLEASE! STOP THE SPREAD OF PROPAGANDA!

take care, and remember, vet the news, ALL THE NEWS. Do not swallow any news whole, be sure to chew it over in your most sceptical mind, and vet all facts!

take care, Kathy

US Military Covers Up The Naked Truth

2011-03-05T10:04:00.000-08:00

The US Military Covers Up The Naked Truth

Many videos have beem made, and many news reports have been broadcast, documenting the naked truth of our many wars. Hillary Clinton testified before Congress in defense of her so called "human rights" budget, claiming that Congress shouldn't cut her propaganda budget, due to Al Jazeera, Russian TV and Chinese multi language international news winning the "information war." She claimed that USAID and propaganda should be considered as part of the US defense strategy and that the DOD agreed. Many on Huffington Post missed the point completely, and thought she was supporting "real news" and Free Speech. If so, why is Bradley Manning in solitary confinement bare naked, totally inaccessable to journalists who cannot interview him?

No Bravery by James Blunt who served in Kosovo

There are children standing here,
Arms outstretched into the sky,
Tears drying on their face.
He has been here.
Brothers lie in shallow graves.
Fathers lost without a trace.
A nation blind to their disgrace,
Since he's been here.

And I see no bravery,
No bravery in your eyes anymore.
Only sadness.
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President Obama expressed OUTRAGE over the killing of US Airmen in Frankfort, Germany, who were on their way to Afghanistan, but he has remained silent on the killing of 9 little boys gathering firewood, who were 7, 8 9 an 12 years old, and who were shot down by a US helicopter in Afghanistan. Nor have I heard him comment on the holding of Bradley Manning, who reportedly leaked the video "Collateral Murder" to WikiLeaks in solitary confinement for almost a year, and is now reported to being required to be naked in his cell at night, and stand naked at attention outside his cell in the morning, while guards search his room. Ironically, he is under 24/7 video survailence.

In spite of the apology released by the DOD claiming that the killing of unarmed civilians, children is rare, a Youtube search demonstrates it happens all too often. But, as Hillary notes, and while people around the world may know this, Americans still wonder "Why do they hate us?"
If Bradley Manning were not held incommunicato, perhaps Al Jazeera, Russian TV or CRI could interview him? As it is, US Congressmen cannot get permission to visit him!

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http://www.ocregister.com/opinion/million-290779-german-world.html
According to Bismarck's best known maxim on Europe's most troublesome region, the Balkans are not worth the bones of a single Pomeranian grenadier. Americans could be forgiven for harboring similar sentiments after the murder of two U.S. airmen in Germany by a Kosovar Muslim.

Remember Kosovo? Me neither. But it was big at the time, launched by Bill Clinton in the wake of his Monica difficulties: Make war, not love, as the boomers advise. So Clinton did – and without any pesky UN resolutions, or even the pretense of seeking them. Instead, he and Tony Blair and even Jacques Chirac just cried "Bombs away!" and got on with it. And the Left didn't mind at all – because, for a modern Western nation, war is only legitimate if you have no conceivable national interest in whatever war you're waging. Unlike Iraq and all its supposed "blood for oil," in Kosovo no one remembers why we went in, what the hell the point of it was, or which side were the good guys. (Answer: Neither.) The principal rationale advanced by Clinton and Blair was that there was no rationale. This was what they called "liberal interventionism," which boils down to: The fact that we have no reason to get into it justifies our getting into it.

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http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2014403823_germanattacker05.html
According to investigators familiar with the case, Uka appeared to have acted alone and said he was motivated to carry out the attack after seeing a video the day before that he claimed showed U.S. soldiers raping a girl in Afghanistan.
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http://www.stripes.com/news/uninjured-airmen-to-return-to-lakenheath-mission-postponed-1.136678#

RAF LAKENHEATH, England — The 12 uninjured survivors of Wednesday’s shooting at Frankfurt international airport that left two U.S. airmen dead and two severely wounded are recuperating at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, their wing commander said Friday.

A lone gunman opened fire Wednesday afternoon on a U.S. Air Force bus carrying 15 airmen from England’s RAF Lakenheath who were en route to Afghanistan.

Senior Airman Nicholas J. Alden, a security forces member of Lakenheath’s 48th Fighter Wing, was killed, as was as Airman 1st Class Zachary Cuddeback, the bus driver from Ramstein’s 86th Vehicle Readiness Squadron.

Staff Sgt. Kristoffer Schneider was wounded in the shooting, as was another as-yet-unidentified airman.

During a news conference at Lakenheath, wing commander Col. John T. Quintas said he hopes to have his uninjured airmen back at Lakenheath in the next few days.

They are receiving aid and counseling at Ramstein’s deployment transition center, where airmen returning from the war zone often get help, he said.

“They have the resources to deal with this type of grieving and this type of trauma,” Quintas said.

When the 12 return, they will be monitored and given any aid they need, he said, adding that their Afghanistan deployment has been postponed.
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Folks, this is called BLOWBACK
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http://michaelmoore.com/words/mike-friends-blog/under-obama-better-to-commit-war-crime#

In fact, the record indicates Manning would be far better off today – possibly on the lecture circuit rather than in solitary confinement – if he'd killed those men in Baghdad himself.(instead of exposing the war crimes)

Hyperbole? Consider what happened to the U.S. soldiers who, over a period of hours – not minutes – went house to house in the Iraqi town of Haditha and executed 24 men, women and children in retaliation for a roadside bombing.

“I watched them shoot my grandfather, first in the chest and then in the head,” said one of the two surviving eyewitnesses to the massacre, nine-year-old Eman Waleed. “Then they killed my granny." Almost five years later, not one of the men involved in the incident is behind bars. And despite an Army investigation revealing that statements made by the chain of command “suggest that Iraqi civilian lives are not as important as U.S. lives,” with the murder of brown-skinned innocents considered “just the cost of doing business,” none of their superiors are behind bars either.

Now consider the treatment of Bradley Manning. On March 1, the military charged Manning with 22 additional offenses – on top of the original charges of improperly leaking classified information, disobeying an order and general misconduct. One of the new charges, “aiding the enemy,” is punishable by death. That means Manning faces the prospect of being executed or spending his life in prison for exposing the ugly truth about the U.S. empire.

stay tuned, will update soon

U P D A T E ! ! ! ! !
(That didn't take long!)

From she who was there:
http://philippathomas.wordpress.com/2011/03/10/the-state-department-spokesman-and-the-prisoner-in-the-brig/
A few minutes later, I had a chance to ask a question. “Are you on the record?” I would not be writing this if he’d said no. There was an uncomfortable pause. “Sure.” So there we are.

http://www.state.gov/secretary/rm/2011/03/158240.htm
STATEMENT BY PHILIP J. CROWLEY
The unauthorized disclosure of classified information is a serious crime under U.S. law. My recent comments regarding the conditions of the pre-trial detention of Private First Class Bradley Manning were intended to highlight the broader, even strategic impact of discreet actions undertaken by national security agencies every day and their impact on our global standing and leadership. The exercise of power in today’s challenging times and relentless media environment must be prudent and consistent with our laws and values.

Given the impact of my remarks, for which I take full responsibility, I have submitted my resignation as Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs and Spokesman for the Department of State.

I am enormously grateful to President Obama and Secretary Clinton for the high honor of once again serving the American people. I leave with great admiration and affection for my State colleagues, who promote our national interest both on the front lines and in the quiet corners of the world. It was a privilege to help communicate their many and vital contributions to our national security. And I leave with deep respect for the journalists who report on foreign policy and global developments every day, in many cases under dangerous conditions and subject to serious threats. Their efforts help make governments more responsible, accountable and transparent.
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Folks, PJ Crowley standing tall, does not back away from his and our American values!

From CNN we have
http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2011/03/13/state-departments-p-j-crowley-stepping-down/#bradleymanning

UPI
http://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2011/03/13/Under-the-US-Supreme-Court-Bradley-Manning-WikiLeaks-martyr/UPI-44541300001400/
Those who support Manning as a victim do so in no uncertain terms with a variety of arguments.

Under the headline "Why Bradley Manning is a patriot," writer and New York attorney Chase Madar strongly defends Manning's alleged behavior. Madar's piece first appeared on TomDispatch, but was reposted on the CBS News Web site in early February.

Madar wrote the conditions under which Manning is being held "have been sufficiently brutal for the United Nations' Special Rapporteur on Torture to announce an investigation." The classified records "allegedly downloaded by Manning revealed clear instances of war crimes committed by U.S. troops in Iraq and Afghanistan," widespread torture committed by Iraqis with full U.S. knowledge "and the massive Iraqi civilian death toll caused by the American invasion," Madar said.

"Pfc. Manning has been treated not as a whistle-blower, but as a criminal and a spy," he added.

Citing the Nuremberg trials, Madar said a "long line of (U.S.) Supreme Court cases, from Mitchell vs. Harmony in 1851 all the way back to Little vs. Barreme in 1804, established that soldiers have a duty not to follow illegal orders. In short, it is a matter of record and established precedent that these Nuremberg Principles have meant something in our courts. (Manning's) will not be the first court-martial to apply these principles, fought for and won with American blood, nor will it be the last."

from Counter Punch:
http://www.counterpunch.org/alberts03112011.html
Private Bradley Manning has provided a great service to his country by exposing the fallacy of the normalcy of America’s imperialistic wars. He has given the light of day to the truth, upon which justice and restitution and normalcy for all depend. He has sought to protect, not endanger, America’s national security by informing the people that the greatest threat to their security is the treasonous behavior of war-instigating and –accommodating members of their own government. The real threat his behavior poses is to the normalcy of endless US wars and support of repressive regimes.

Private Manning’s patriotism is powerfully expressed by attorney and member of the National Lawyers Guild Chase Madar, who writes,

The records allegedly downloaded by Manning reveal clear instances of war crimes committed by U.S. troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, widespread torture committed by Iraqi authorities with the full knowledge of the U.S.military, previously unknown estimates of the number of Iraqi civilians killed at U.S. military checkpoints, and the massive Iraqi civilian death toll caused by the American invasions. (“Why Bradley Manning Is a Patriot, Not a Criminal,” TomDispatch.com, Feb. 10, 2011)

Who are “the enemy” Private Manning is charged with “aiding?” The international anti-war women’s group CODEPINK responds to that key question this way:

Who exactly is “the enemy” anyway? The cables that Bradley Manning is accused of leaking have helped spark democratic uprisings across the Arab world. They have brought us the truth about the brutality and atrocities of our continued wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and they have given us a critical look at the underpinnings of our own government. They have created transparency beyond any we had before, and allow us as citizens to make more educated decisions. Of all the beneficiaries of the leaked cables, Democracy itself is the greatest. . . .With the leaked video”Collateral Murder,” Bradley put us in the back of a helicopter gunship in Iraq to show us how our wars are really fought. In his own words, he did it because “I want people to see the truth regardless of who they are . . . because without information, you cannot make informed decisions as a public.” Now he is being charged with telling the truth, and it may cost him his life. (“Who’s the enemy?,” Mar. 4, 2011)

And a post on Hiffington post:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/john-w-whitehead/private-bradley-manning-a_b_831983.html#comments
The American government, of course, insists that such treatment does not rise to the level of torture. In fact, Col. T. V. Johnson, a Quantico spokesman, characterized charges that Manning has been mistreated as "poppycock." After all, Manning is not being starved, beaten or waterboarded. He's merely been denied human interaction and the most basic attributes of civilized imprisonment. Yet as surgeon Atul Gawande points out in a 2009 article for the New Yorker, solitary confinement rises to the level of torture: "A U.S. military study of almost a hundred and fifty naval aviators returned from imprisonment in Vietnam, many of whom were treated even worse than [John] McCain, reported that they found social isolation to be as torturous and agonizing as any physical abuse they suffered."

And, required reading from Glen...
http://www.salon.com/news/opinion/glenn_greenwald/2011/03/10/amnesty/index.html
UPDATE IV: Crowley now confirms the accuracy of these reports, but tells Foreign Policy's Josh Rogin: "What I said was my personal opinion. It does not reflect an official USG policy position. I defer to the Department of Defense regarding the treatment of Bradley Manning." This seems to be one of those exceedingly rare moments when a high-level administration official unintentionally spoke with candor and conviction about the repellent acts of the government of which he is a part.

Even the Washington Post gets into the act:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/state-department-spokesman-quits-after-criticizing-wikileaks-suspects-treatment/2011/03/13/ABi4P9T_story.html

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Folks, this is a breaking story, and I promise to update it right here!

Banned From Commenting On Huffington Post

2011-02-26T10:48:00.000-08:00

Banned from Commenting On Huffington Post

I have again been censored on Huffington Post, this time it's not just that the Huff Post moderation refused to post my comments, but I have been banned from commenting at all!

http://shadowrag.blogspot.com/2010/09/huffington-post-censors-comments-on-dr.html

Mind you, I have violated no rules. In fact, by banning me, the Huffington Post has violated its own rules. It would seem that the Huffington Post is allowing itself to be a platform for Government, NED(CIA) black propaganda, disinforming the American people about what our Government is really doing, and which organizations are really no more than fronts for the CIA.

Is anyone concerned about the intense censorship that has been growing on Huff Post, one of the most popular sites for commenting on the "news?"

Apparently, the US Government is actively censoring comments, especially those that contain true facts and links to support valid concerns.

Several posts with NED (CIA) propaganda, will refuse to post critical comments, and even ban those who attempt to post "corrections," ie, the thue facts. I say true facts, as there are those who will claim that "the truth" is a matter of opinion.

Info has now surfaced to show that the Tunisia Revolution had help from Gene Sharpe's "manual for a revolution," and this was translated and passed on to Egypt. Folks in Egypt claimed they were influenced by the Serbian revolution, that was also thanks to Gene Sharpe. This is the same manual that was used in the bloody violent riots in Lhasa in March 2008, one had an introduction by the Da Lie Lama!

Since this info is now widely available in the media, one wonders why any would censor it? Or is it the fact that these "peaceful revolutions" are quite bloody? And in the case of Lhasa and Urumchi, violent?

While I do believe that all people who want to be free should be free, I do not believe that inciting ethnic, religious or racial tension is the way to establish a democracy. If it is not true, that our government is continuing to destablize China, covertly supporting "the Free Tibet Movement," and inciting the Uighur violence, including supporting training camps in Af-Pak that train Uighur terrorists,(sepratists), then it should be possible to state it is not true. there would be evidence that these programs were ended, not just diverted to another program with a different name.

I see no reason why the NED(CIA) or other arms of our Government would ban those who post the truth, unless of course, this is an active covert opperation, complete with domestic propaganda and black ops. (which Sen Kennedy's staff confirmed to me, when the responded to my inquiry, several years ago.

If Obama has since ended this covert ops against China, why doesn't he issue a statement saying so? Instead, he has made it very clear to China, that they are next on the agenda.

And who is going to feed the 1.5 billion then?

US Ambassador Huntsman Caught by Netizens Dropping in on the Jasmin Revolution meetup!

2011-02-24T13:30:00.000-08:00

The United States Ambassador to China, Republican Nomination for the 2012 presidential election, Jon Huntsman,Jr was caught in Beijing while instigating and kept close watching on the process of so-called ' Jasmin revolution in China'.

He's face turned gray when caught by Chinese people lol!

Here's the translation

0:30
现场的人: 请问美国大使，你跑这儿来干什么？
Chinese: Hi, Ambassador, what are u doing here?

0:33
洪博培：就是来看看。
Huntsman: Just join in the fun. :D

0:35
现场的人：你是不是希望中国乱？
Chinese: So you want China in chaos, don't u?

0:37
洪博培：（啊？）不会。（转过头去）
Huntsman: (ah?) nah. (turned his face off)

0:43
现场的人：这是美国大使。（介绍给群众）
Chinese: (To everyone) This man is U.S ambassador to China.

现场群众乙：这美国大使啊？
Chinese B: American Ambassador?

现场群众丙：这是美国大使！
Chinese C: American Ambassador!

现场群众丁：这是美国驻华大使啊！
Chinese D: He is American Ambassador to China!

0:45
洪博培：你们都不知道？(对着大家）
Huntsman: You guys don't know me,really?（To the rest of Chinese people)

0:49
现场群众甲：你是装作不知道吧。
Chinese A: You're pretending that you don't know this, right?

现场群众乙：揣着明白装糊涂是吧?
Chinese B: You're feigning ignorance, aren't you?!

洪博培：............(灰溜溜地走了）
Huntsman: ...(leave with his body guards)
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imagine this my friend, the 1989 issue was based on the ignorance of youngsters , they put themselves in the risks(bloody leaders escaped) by believeing the instigation from VOA and today ,since VOA(Mandarin Channel) is gonna be turnoff,at the same time, U.S Secretary of State,Hilary Clinton claimed U.S agency will concentrade much more on cyber world, so this shit happens again. A man can't step into the same river,so that's why we try to lead people away from danger.
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Yes, we chinese know ourselves better than anyone else. Yes, the CCP is not perfect but we are not going to copy a western style. Absolute democracy will send China to hell! Maybe a future hybrid system.
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Chinese do not want Westerners to incite protest in China, and to make China into a big mess like Iraq, Egypt, or Tunisia.

America is anti-China!
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The only country that needs Jasmine Revolution is the US. It needs it so badly, because the govn't does not act in the interest of its citizens who are poor. It wants to pass budget deficit cuts that will ruin the lives of the poor further more. The whole world feels sorry for the US citizens because they haven't had a president for decades. All that they have gotten in the White House are puppets.
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You secretary of the state is in charge of the the internet propaganda war; your ambassador went to the front line to inspect the operations. If the Chinese government does not respond in a commensurate way, it's disrepectful to the U.S., it's faux pas.
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Thanks for exposing the truth....They want to destabilize China, divide it and rule. They are not Americans but globalists....They are using America as a tool to further their agenda.

They don't care about Americans nor about Chinese or any other country....Its all fake revolutions to further their evil agenda...if you love your family, atleast do an hour of research before coming out of your home for a revolution....do not believe what main stream media says...its all propaganda

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I am a British Engineer with my own factory in China. I employ lots of Chinese. I live here with my family and speak Chinese.

I can tell you categorically that all suggestions that there will be any kind of revolution in China are completely ridiculous. The Chinese are extremely happy with the central Beijing Government. Sure they have complaints about rising house prices; food inflation; corrupt local officials etc.

Non-Chinese need to mind their own business and focus on home.
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CNN and some media even put a photo with some Chinese holding Chinese signs. They reported that these are protesters with signs of slogans. These media reporters are the biggest liars. In fact, the photo is from another Chinese job fair with Chinese characters of jobs. Most Americans don't know Chinese language, that's why they can be easily misled and brainwashed
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I am 100% sure that this Jasmine Revolution BULL SHIT was started on the internet by them western n Taiwanese spies!! I am Chinese and I take this attempt by the west as a direct threat to my country n my ppl! They forgot how the CHinese ppl came out in support of the 2008 Beijing Olympics!! They want to test and see if the Chinese ppl is still united! From their point of view is worth every attempt! A collapse of China would do much good for them!

LONG LIVE CHINA!
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有可能“茉莉花”革命就是他策划的。洋人嘴里虽说明祖，心里却不怀好意。若心里不是怀有恶意，干吗急忙走开？Maybe the US diplomat was the one who came up with the "Jasmine" revolution to throw China into chaos. He looked "guilty" at being discovered and hastened a retreat.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-12522856
China's official in charge of the state security apparatus has warned of the need to find new ways to defuse unrest.

Zhou Yongkang urged senior officials to improve "social management" and "detect conflicts and problems early on", the state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

He was speaking at a weekend seminar which took place as an internet campaign tried to provoke a "jasmine revolution" in China.

On Sunday, police dispersed a meeting of people who had answered the call.

In Shanghai, three men were detained. Leading human rights activists and lawyers were taken into police custody in the hours before the protests were due to begin.

But the call for mass participation in the demonstrations went largely unheeded.
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My dear friend in China told me that the buzz on the streets in china is "Mao was right about Deng." That was a year ago, during Spring Festival.

http://www.smh.com.au/business/china-wont-take-the-cairo-route-20110214-1atq4.html
For 30 years the Communist Party has forged ideological unity around Deng Xiaoping's "two hands" formula of a market-based economy and uncompromising political control. When the contradictions inherent in this approach flared in 1989, Deng's solution was to defer any resolution and make the tensions worse. He massacred the students, rebuilt the party's security apparatus and then opened the market economy further.

The nepotism and corruption enjoyed by Deng's children may have been exceptional in 1989 but these days they are the norm for those born into the communist aristocracy. Whether you are in private equity, a sprawling state-owned enterprise or a village enterprise, the end game is the same: connect the right party official (or relative) with the market and turn public money into private gold.

Left and right agree that the Deng consensus is crumbling under the weight of inequality and corruption. But they cannot agree on whether to dismantle the ''open market'' or ''political control'' side of his legacy.

President Hu Jintao has squandered eight years in mortal combat with his predecessor. Powerful princelings have dealt themselves out of the debate by their kleptocratic hypocrisy. The country has reached gridlock. The party is entering a period of realignment and it is not clear what the new direction will be.

It is no coincidence that the only two obviously popular members of the Politburo are those who have come closest to challenging the Deng consensus. Much may depend on how the Mao-singing Chongqing party boss, Bo Xilai, and the democracy-talking Premier, Wen Jiabao, reach an accommodation.
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Bahrain's Behavior: Another Massacre in Obama's Face!

2011-02-18T08:39:00.002-08:00

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Bahrain's Behavior: Another Massacre in Obama's Face

Doctor at hospital pleads for international assistance for casulties of friday's Massacre in Bahrain. Millitary preventing ambulances from assisting victims.

"It's unbelievable, it's like we are in a war!" These people are innocent unarmed demonstraters.

"It's unbelievable, It's unbelievable! we urgently call for foreign help!"
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MANAMA, Bahrain — Government forces opened fire on hundreds of mourners marching toward Pearl Square Friday, sending people running away in panic amid the boom of concussion grenades. But even as the people fled, at least one helicopter sprayed fire on them and a witness reported seeing mourners crumpling to the ground.

It was not immediately clear what type of ammunition the forces were firing, but some witnesses reported live fire from automatic weapons and the crowd was screaming “live fire, live fire.” At a nearby hospital, witnesses reported seeing people with very serious injuries and gaping wounds, at least some of them caused by rubber bullets that appeared to have been fired at close range.

Even as ambulances rushed to rescue people, forces fired on medics loading the wounded into their vehicles.
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The king is distrustful enough of his Shiite subjects that many of his soldiers and police are foreigners hired by the government.

On Friday, in the village of Sitra, south of Manama, a crowd of thousands accompanied the coffins of Ali Mansour Ahmed Khudair, 53, and Mahmoud Makki Abutaki, 22, both killed by shotgun fire on Thursday.

The coffins were carried on the roofs of two cars as a man with a loudspeaker led the crowd in its chants from the bed of a pickup truck, alternating between calls to the faithful — “There is no God but God” — with political messages such as “We need constitutional reform for freedom.”
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In the morning, there were three bodies already stretched out on metal tables in the morgue at Salmaniya Medical Complex: Mr. Khudair, dead, with 91 pellets pulled from his chest and side; Isa Abd Hassan, 55, dead, his head split in half; Mr. Abutaki, dead, with 200 pellets of birdshot pulled from his chest and arms.

Doctors said that at least two others had died and that several patients were in critical condition with serious wounds. Muhammad al-Maskati, of the Bahrain Youth Society for Human Rights, said he had received at least 20 calls from frantic parents searching for young children.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/19/world/middleeast/19bahrain.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1
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Massacre In Bahrain, Silence From Obama

2011-02-17T20:17:00.000-08:00

@NickKristof King Hamad of #Bahrain will never regain credibility after attacking peaceful protesters as they slept. Blood is forever on his hands.
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A trauma surgeon from Salmaniya hospital was in an intensive care ward after being attacked at the roundabout camp, then handcuffed and repeatedly kicked in the head.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/feb/17/arab-capitals-braced-violence-bahrain

US media may be less connected to this particular Arab uprising. But this brazen attack, in the presence of traditional media members, could raise the profile. Here’s ABC’s Miguel Marquez:

In an audio clip of the attack, which was posted on the ABC News Web site, Mr. Marquez can be heard pleading with his attackers — “No! No! No! Hey, I’m a journalist here!” — and then retreating from the square, where he said the police were aggressively trying to clear the crowds.

“I’m hit,” he says anxiously. “I just got beat rather badly by a gang of thugs. I’m now in a marketplace near our hotel where people are cowering in buildings.’
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And NPR’s Peter Kenyon:

Steve, I’m at the Salmaniya hospital, where many of the wounded and dead were brought initially. I have to say, uh, I have just seen one of the more gruesome sites in 10 years of covering the Middle East. I was in the mortuary. I saw a man lying on a gurney. The top of his head was literally blown off.

The injuries have been widespread — clubbing and some shot and rubber-bullet injuries. Paramedics who were trying to get to the scene told me they were pulled from their ambulances and dragged to the ground and beaten.
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This gets mixed up with the entire Sunni-Shiite power balance in the Middle East, the proxy war between Saudi Arabia and Iran. And it leads to silence when a king tries to massacre peaceful protesters while they sleep.

Or, if you want to be polite, you can call it a diplomatic puzzle.
http://news.firedoglake.com/2011/02/17/bahraini-massacre-met-with-little-more-than-concern-from-us/
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The Bahrain Center for Human Rights was reporting throughout the night that:

@BahrainRights “children missing after police fired tear gas/rubber bullets upon sleeping women/children #Bahrain sq.”

@BahrainRights RT @maryamalkhawaja: Paramedics: “we removed injured while they were being beaten by riot police who said they had orders to do so” #bahrain

@BahrainRights 3 hours from the attack ambulances still arriving at Salmanya hospital with injured victims #Bahrain

@BahrainRights “@angryarabiya: An 8 year old girl was trampled during attack, in ICU now. #bahrain #feb14 #lulu”

@BahrainRights Dr.Mansoor Aljamri reports attacks on doctors and nurses at Emergency room #Bahrain #feb14 #lulu

Andy Carvin of NPR has been translating some of the Arabic tweets from Bahrain:

@acarvin Uh oh RT @gfry: _TRANSLATED_ # Bahrain # lulu Saudi forces stationed near King Fahd Causeway on the Saudi side in case of any emergency

@acarvin _TRANSLATED_ RT @ Dr_Murtadha: over 60 tanks moving around the country # Bahrain # feb14 # lulu
»
@acarvin TRANSLATED_ URGENT: Bahrain calls for all hospital doctors and nurses to immediately go to the emergency departments

http://firedoglake.com/2011/02/17/bahrains-brutal-crackdown-continues-overnight-libya-day-of-rage-today/
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Bahrain's Progressive Democratic Forum Appeals for Solidarityby Hussein Ureybi

Bahrain's Progressive Democratic Forum issues the following statement as the Bahrain's rulers deploy riot police and mercenaries to attack peaceful protesters camped in Pearl Square.

Dear comrades,

Security forces raided at dawn today on Pearl Square, which was the centre of protests in the Bahraini capital Manama, and used all means of force, including exploding bullets, to disperse the protestors and to seize the square.

This led to the deaths of at least 5 people and injuries to hundreds of others. They also surrounded the Sulamanieyh hospital where the wounded and the martyrs were supposed to be taken. The Bahraini people's protests were peaceful in every sense of the word.

We are calling for reform, social justice and negotiation with the executive power. The video footage shows a peaceful crowd chanting as they receive a barrage of rubber bullets and tear gas.

Everything was normal until 1 am, but then the treacherous security forces attacked the protesters, including women and children, beat foreign media correspondents and confiscated their cameras.

The security forces are still surrounding the entrances to a number of villages and searching homes.

What we've seen are dozens of tanks deployed in different areas of Bahrain and news reports on the use of Saudi military.

We invite you to call for a demonstration of solidarity in front of Bahrain's embassies or any of the headquarters of the Organization of the United Nations and send messages of protest to the embassies of Bahrain and international agencies in your countries, on Friday 18 February at 3 in the afternoon.

That the Bahraini people need in these times the courage to struggle this tyrannical regime.

Hussein Ureybi

Coordinator General for External Relations
Progressive Democratic Forum

What a COINCIDENCE! After 30 years in office, and after 17 days of protest, Mubarak abdicates on the 32nd Anniversary of Iran's Islamic Revolution!

2011-02-11T11:34:00.000-08:00

After 30 years of rule, and 17 days of a peaceful people's protest, Egypt's president Mubarak abdicates to Miitary's Supreme Council on the 32nd Anniversary of Iran's Islamic Revolution.

Coincidence??

Folks, you can't make this stuff up!

Do Muslims want democracy? Or do Muslims prefer to be ruled by a foreign supported Military Dictatorship?

At issue in both Egypt this year, and Iran in 2009, was the validity of the elections. In Egypt, the parlimentary elections, and in Iran the presidential elections. however, another issue is whether of not Muslims are wiling to embrace democracy or not. Another issue is biased press coverage, and of course, how journalists can protect themselves from psyc ops, and planted propaganda. Few media organizations have the time nor money to do investigative journalism.

Back in 2007, Negroponte claims that democracy is a threat to America's security. So, the idea that Muslims are not ready for democracy sells well in US security circles.

In Febuary, 2011, The suddenly appointed VP Sulieman of Egypt claims that egyptians are not "ready" for democracy!

But, as you can see. what really matters is hearts and minds, and a free and independent press, so people can know the true history of their predicament!

Now that the Supreme Council of the Miitary has taken power, will they keep faith with the people of Egypt, or be corrupted by foreign powers?

.

How Mubarak Pushed Egyptians To Protest For Food For Their Children

2011-02-09T14:01:00.000-08:00

How Mubarak Pushed Egyptians To Protest For Food For Their Children

After watching the peaceful protests that broke out two weeks ago, on Jan 25, 2011, in Egypt, one can realize that these protesters are unarmed, intent on peaceful protest and sincere. The young man, and the group of young people that "organized" a small protest were surprised how their small "fire" became a raging wild fire across Egypt's classes and religions. These protests are neither poitical nor religious in essence, but based on the need of people to have adequate food, water and housing, not to mention jobs. The corruption mentioned over and over again, as well as the use of the police to brutally surpress the people, including intimidation at election time is something that all the Egyptions so far interviewed seem determined to put an end to.

However, while Mubarak's pubic response has been to "give" peaceful protesters more promises of "change," he has sent plainclothes to harrass, intimidate, beat. detain, and even kill those who would challenge the status quo of his government.

Violence against the peaceful protesters was/is coordinated, and in many cases, checked ID's revealed the "pro-Mubarak protesters" to be paid thugs, and police or or military security forces, in the guise of pro Mubarak supporters, who threw rocks, some from the buildings above, down onto protesters, while others, some weilding canes, others with bullwhips, rode down protesters. All the while president Obama calling for a peaceful resolution.

Protests erupted in Suez and Alexandria as well as Cairo. Mubarak's paid thugs slaughtered unarmed protesters in their "busness as usual" security operation.

An attempt to silence journalists backfired, as many international news outlets had sent their top personalities to cover what the western press dubbed "unrest in Egypt." The fact is, the people's uprising cannot be stopped, as they have no jobs, homes or bread to return to. The young folks in Egypt today have had enough, and demand social justice. Nothing more, nothing less.

The corruption of the Mubarak regime is well known and well understood, which is why the people do not trust that Mubarak can effect the changes he promises.

As I post this, the confirmed death toll approches 300 hungry, patriotic, Egyptian people.

.

.

Mirror, Mirror, On The wall, Which Bank Is The Most Evil Of All?

2011-01-10T10:03:00.000-08:00

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The Witch Hunt Continues...

http://abcnews.go.com/Business/wireStory?id=12580594
A Swiss banker, Rudolf Elmer, who blew the Whistle on Swiss private bank Julius Bär "whose actions caused a U.S. judge to briefly shut down WikiLeaks three years ago goes on trial next week for distributing confidential documents."

Journalists trying to investigate the story threatened in the Caymen Islands?

http://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/politics/Society_needs_whistle-blowers.html?cid=28946382
He then moved to Mauritius and began sending global tax authorities what he said were the secrets of his former employer.

Elmer said he initially tried to fight offshore abuses himself but didn’t get anywhere. When the tax authorities failed to act on the information he provided, he decided to go public with it and contacted Wikileaks

Wikipedia eventually published documents exposing allegedly illegal activities by Julius Bär clients in the Cayman Islands (see box).

Julius Bär did not want to comment.

swissinfo.ch: Wikileaks whistle-blowers are usually anonymous. Why was it different with you?

R.E.: I wasn’t looking for anonymity. I signed the first whistle-blower letter to emphasise the credibility but also to show my civil disobedience. It is my conviction that my name is important. People then got in touch with me and I received additional information from other bank clients and further data.

Also, I can now show how Swiss and international legal and fiscal authorities dealt with the data, which in practice was as follows: the Swiss authorities didn’t take up the data, although it concerned abuse within Switzerland; foreign authorities on the other hand launched successful criminal and retroactive taxation procedures and received several million dollars in evaded taxes. The matter is still not yet over.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/theguardian/2011/jan/08/jersey-tax-haven-nicholas-shaxson
In 2004 Elmer noticed two men following him to work. Later, he saw them outside his daughter's kindergarten, then from his kitchen window. His wife was followed in her car. The men offered his daughter chocolates in the street and late at night drove a car at high speed into the cul-de-sac where he lived. The stalking continued, on and off, for more than two years. The police said there was nothing they could do. In 2005, they searched his house using a prosecutor's warrant, and he was imprisoned for 30 days, accused of violating Swiss bank secrecy, which is, as he put it, "an official violation, like murder".

Julian Assange announced that in early 2011 WikiLeaks will release information about corruption in the banking industry.
http://abcnews.go.com/Business/wireStory?id=12270607
We have one related to a bank coming up, that's a megaleak. It's not as big a scale as the Iraq material, but it's either tens or hundreds of thousands of documents depending on how you define it," Assange said in the interview posted on the Forbes website.

He declined to identify the bank, describing it only as a major U.S. bank that is still in existence.

Asked what he wanted to be the result of the disclosure, he replied: "I'm not sure. It will give a true and representative insight into how banks behave at the executive level in a way that will stimulate investigations and reforms, I presume."

He compared this release to emails that were unveiled as a result of the collapse of disgraced energy company Enron Corp.

U P D A T E U P D A T E U P D A T E

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2011/jan/16/swiss-whistleblower-rudolf-elmer-banks?cat=media&type=article
The offshore bank account details of 2,000 "high net worth individuals" and corporations – detailing massive potential tax evasion – will be handed over to the WikiLeaks organisation in London tomorrow by the most important and boldest whistleblower in Swiss banking history, Rudolf Elmer, two days before he goes on trial in his native Switzerland

The First Amendment

2011-01-09T13:50:00.000-08:00

The First Amendment is the foundation of Shoe08.

On the second day of the 112th Congress (January 6, 2011), Congresswoman Giffords read aloud on the House floor the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."

Let's look at it this way:

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion

Congress shall make no law prohibing the free exercize thereof

Congress shall make no law abridging the freedom of speech

Congress shall make no law abridging the freedom of the press

Congress shall make no law abridging the right of the people peaceably to assemble

Congress shall make no law abridging the right of the people to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

I do believe that is clear and unequivical.

For the purpose of this blog, we are focused on those prohibitions on congress not to abridge the rights of the people re free speech, free press freedom to peaceably assemble and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

Please reflect, if you will, the nature and subject of some of the most recent posts, here at Shoe08. The US Government is trying to use the Espionage Act to abridge Free Spech, Free Press and the Right To Peaceably Assemble. Journalists are being intimidated, taken as hostages, fired, and even killed, because some other folks do not like what the journalists say, report, or because the US Government is keeping secrets from We The People, while telling us a pack of lies.

Two days after making posting this video to her Youtube and Facebook site, Congresswoman Giffords was shot in the head, while peaceably assembaling with members of We The People, when she was shot in the head, and others were shot and killed or wounded. Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords represents Arizona's Eighth Congressional District. She serves on the House Committees on Armed Services, Science and Technology and Foreign Affairs, and is Chair of the Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics.

It is ironic that a supporter of the 1st and 2nd Amendment should be a victim of someone who does not respect the 1st Amendment.

I am deeply saddened by the tragedy in Arizona.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-12148446
Best wishes for Gabriella Giffords recovery.

Condolances to family and friends of Judge Roll, and the others who were slaughtered without any warning. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-12146639

May all those who were wounded have a good recovery.

May the killer, reflect on his crimes, and his hatred of the rights of others to live a life of liberty and persue happiness. But, the fact is, he may have lacked insight due to mental illness.
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/01/09/national/main7228420.shtml

Folks, some people just hate our Constitution, and to all of those who have been making fun of reading the Constitution into the Congressional Record, I ask you, why? What way is better? What is there to fear in supporting our Constitution? What is there to fear from hearing others out, from reading what others write, or from coming together to discuss and debate peaceably? Why should keeping secrets trump Sunshine?

PS: Here is Rep. Gifford's Youtube Channel.
http://www.youtube.com/user/giffords2
You can get to her killer's channel by scrolling down to the bottom left corner to subscriptions, there are two, click on classitup10.

let's look at it this way...

Rep Giffords recovery was made possible by immediate action, and quality health care by top doctors.

Jared became increasingly erratic, and violent due to the failure of immediate action, and recieving no apropiate health care.

Compare and contrast.

From Salon...
http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2011/01/10/loughner_bio_background/
Perhaps the most honest portrait of Loughner comes from someone who actually knows the kid. Bryce Tierney may have been the last person Loughner reached out to before the attack, according to a report in Mother Jones. After receiving a late-night voice mail from Loughner, Tierney saw the shooting on the news and immediately suspected that the shooter was his friend.

Tierney remembers how Loughner held a grudge against Rep. Giffords dating back to a question he had asked and she had answered -- unsatisfactorily, to Loughner -- in 2007. Though Loughner had always been a bit strange, Tierney goes on to explain how he became almost incoherent over the course of the next few years.

DOJ Subpoenas Twitter Records in Fishing Expedition

2011-01-08T02:51:00.000-08:00

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The Witch Hunt Begins!

What might the US DOJ be fishing for?
Now read this...http://emptywheel.firedoglake.com/2011/01/08/what-the-government-might-be-after-with-its-twitter-subpoena/In my opinion, this is a fishing expidition, and will do more damage to the US reputation among "normal" people than the creation of the Collateral damage video. After all, what are we fighting for?

Glenn Greenwald writes on salon, that the original order, issued Dec 14th, from Federal Magistrate Judge Theresa Buchanan was sealed, but was unsealed january 5th, at Twitter's request, to give the targets 10 days to appeal.

A copy of the Order served on Twitter is here.
http://www.salon.com/news/opinion/glenn_greenwald/2011/01/07/twitter
The Order was signed by a federal Magistrate Judge in the Eastern District of Virginia, Theresa Buchanan, and served on Twitter by the DOJ division for that district. It states that there is "reasonable ground to believe that the records or other information sought are relevant and material to an ongoing criminal investigation," the language required by the relevant statute. It was issued on December 14 and ordered sealed -- i.e., kept secret from the targets of the Order. It gave Twitter three days to respond and barred the company from notifying anyone, including the users, of the existence of the Order. On January 5, the same judge directed that the Order be unsealed at Twitter's request in order to inform the users and give them 10 days to object; had Twitter not so requested, it would have been compelled to turn over this information without the knowledge of its users. A copy of the unsealing order is here.

Collateral Murder

Greenwald believes that the order stems from an investigation into the video Collateral Murder, which was worked on in Iceland.

The Guardian reports that an Iceland PM plans to fight the order.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2011/jan/08/us-twitter-hand-icelandic-wikileaks-messages
Birgitta Jonsdottir, an MP for the Movement in Iceland, said last night on Twitter that the "USA government wants to know about all my tweets and more since november 1st 2009. Do they realize I am a member of parliament in Iceland?"

She said she was starting a legal fight to stop the US getting hold of her messages, after being told by Twitter that a subpoena had been issued. She wrote: "department of justice are requesting twitter to provide the info – I got 10 days to stop it via legal process before twitter hands it over."
...................
Jonsdottir said she was demanding a meeting with the US ambassador to Iceland. "The justice department has gone completely over the top." She added that the US authorities had requested personal information from Twitter as well as her private messages and that she was now assessing her legal position.

"It's not just about my information. It's a warning for anyone who had anything to do with WikiLeaks. It is completely unacceptable for the US justice department to flex its muscles like this. I am lucky, I'm a representative in parliament. But what of other people? It's my duty to do whatever I can to stop this abuse."
.....................

In a sweeping effort to connect Bradley manning, who is being held in solitary confinement in a military brig, with WikiLeaks, and prove that Jullian Assange interacted with Manning before the leaks, the DOJ is apparently conducting a fishing expidition....

http://news.cnet.com/8301-31921_3-20027893-281.html
The order (PDF) also covers "subscriber account information" for Bradley Manning, the U.S. Army private charged with leaking classified information; Wikileaks volunteer Jacob Appelbaum; Dutch hacker and XS4ALL Internet provider co-founder Rop Gonggrijp; and Wikileaks editor Julian Assange.

Appelbaum, who gave a keynote speech at a hacker conference last summer on behalf of the document-leaking organization and is currently in Iceland, said he plans to fight the request in a U.S. court. Appelbaum, a U.S. citizen who's a developer for the Tor Project, has been briefly detained at the border and people in his address book have been hassled at airports.

The U.S. government began an criminal investigation of Wikileaks and Assange last July after the Web site began releasing what would become a deluge of confidential military and State Department files. In November, Attorney General Eric Holder said that the probe is "ongoing," and a few weeks later an attorney for Assange said he had been told that a grand jury had been empaneled in Alexandria
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Gregg Mitchell, blogging on The Nation, with live updates all weekend...
http://www.thenation.com/blog/157572/wikileaks-news-views-blog-special-weekend-edition
The Wikileaks News & Views Blog, Special Weekend Edition!

BELOW The full story of the shocking new DOJ move against WikiLeaks supporters, seeking records from Twitter, as it developed, most recent news at top.

12:35 WikiLeaks official Twitter feed: "Note that we can assume Google & Facebook also have secret US government subpeonas. They make no comment. Did they fold?"
..............................................

Here is a link to the US Investigation into this "incident." No wonder reuters continued with it's FOIR after obtaining this report!
http://collateralmurder.files.wordpress.com/2010/04/6-2nd-brigade-combat-team-15-6-investigation.pdf

http://www.nwprogressive.org/weblog/2011/01/feds-subpoena-twitter-demand-details.html
It's pretty ironic that our government is trying to secretly crack down on the people who are exposing many of its shameful secrets.

The Obama administration has far better things to do than pick on the hardiest defenders of open government and freedom of information.

This campaign of harassment and intimidation that the Justice Department is evidently undertaking against volunteers and supporters of WikiLeaks is embarrassing and abhorrent. We call for it to end. Immediately.

As progressives, we believe in a government that is open, straightforward, and accountable to the people it serves. This is a democracy.

We, the people of America, have a right to know what is being done in our name, and to whom. There is no moral justification for the corrupt culture of data-mining, surveillance, and secret-keeping that the political establishment of this country has created, sanctioned, and perpetuated over the years.

When Barack Obama ran for President, he ran on a platform of change. He promised to end abuses of power, and govern more responsibly.

But unfortunately, instead of changing D.C., he has let D.C. change him, in his zeal to avoid confrontation and acrimony.

What Obama doesn't seem to understand or appreciate is that you can't upend the establishment by singing Kumbaya. You have to be confrontational.

WikiLeaks has been effective because it has dared to share, and even publish, what others wouldn't or couldn't. If its volunteers shied away from confrontation, it wouldn't be on anybody's radar. We would be unaware of the covert and illegitimate activities of our government that they have exposed.

By choosing to persecute whistleblowers, the Obama administration is betraying our finest traditional values, and wasting an opportunity to shake up the status quo. What they're trying to do to WikiLeaks is beyond troubling. It's appalling.

And it needs to stop.

State of War Against Whistleblowers Accelerates Under the Obama Administration

2011-01-06T19:58:00.000-08:00

Jeffrey Sterling, who once tried to sue the CIA for race based discrimination, has been arrested today, for "leaking" State Secrets to NYT's journalist, James Risen, who published a story about the unlawful Bush wiretaps, and who's book, State of War proved to be a huge embarrassment to the CIA.

The indictment alleges that Sterling took a number of steps to facilitate the disclosure of the classified information, including:

*stealing classified documents and other information from the CIA and unlawfully retaining those documents without the authority of the CIA;

*communicating by telephone, via e-mail and in person with the author in order to arrange for the disclosure of or to disclose classified information to the author;

*meeting with the author in person to orally disclose classified information to the author and to provide documents containing classified information to the author for review or use;

*characterizing the classified information in a false and misleading manner as a means of inducing the author to write and publish a story premised on that false and misleading information;

*deceiving and attempting to deceive the CIA into believing that he was a former employee adhering to his secrecy and non-disclosure agreements; and

*deliberately choosing to disclose the classified information to a member of the media, knowing that such an individual would not reveal his identity, thereby concealing and perpetrating the scheme.

http://www.lawfareblog.com/2011/01/former-cia-officer-indicted-for-disclosing-national-defense-info-to-reporter/

The court has determined he is a danger to the community, and he is being held over the weekend. His attorney is in VA.

The indictment alleged that Sterling, retaliating for the CIA's refusal to settle on favorable terms his discrimination claims, disclosed information about the program.

It said he discussed the information with the reporter in early 2003 and later in connection with a book published in January 2006.

The Justice Department did not identify the reporter.

But the dates and other details in the indictment make clear it involved New York Times reporter James Risen, whose 2006 book "State of War" revealed details of the CIA's intelligence activities involving Iran.

The source familiar with the case confirmed that the reporter in the indictment was Risen.
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSN0614419520110106

Sterling's case against the CIA for race based discrimination was dismissed based on the Governments claim that trying the case would pose a risk that State Secrets would be revealed. The Government's case against Sterling today claimes he leaked the classified info in retaliation against the CIA.

http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Justice/2011/0106/Former-covert-CIA-agent-charged-with-leaking-secrets-to-newspaper
A federal judge granted the government’s request and immediately dismissed Sterling’s civil rights case under the state secrets doctrine. The Fourth US Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed.

“We recognize that our decision places … a burden on Sterling that he alone must bear,” the Fourth Circuit said in an August 2005 decision. But the court concluded: “There is no way for Sterling to prove employment discrimination without exposing at least some classified details of the covert employment that gives context to his claim.”

Sterling’s prosecution will likely involve disclosure of some of the same highly sensitive information that prompted the government’s earlier invocation of the state secrets privilege.

http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20137092,00.html
Sterling, 34, is convinced his career at the Central Intelligence Agency was derailed by racial discrimination—and last summer he became the first black case officer to sue on those grounds. Two months later he was fired. "I wasn't good enough for them," he says, "based not on my abilities but on my color." The CIA vehemently denies Sterling's allegations. Says spokesman Bill Harlow: "We have zero tolerance for discrimination here." On April 17 the agency moved to have the suit dismissed, arguing it was a threat to national security. "This is a very important case," says former CIA agent Robert Baer, author of a book about the agency. "The last thing the agency wants is to be labeled racist."

Sterling joined the CIA in 1993 and two years later became a case officer in the Iran Task Force. (He was the only black among its more than 20 professionals.) To prepare, he spent a year studying Farsi, the language of Iran. Sent to Bonn in 1997 to recruit Iranians as agents, he grew frustrated when he wasn't given new prospects to recruit. Perplexed, he returned to Langley and confronted his supervisors. "I asked why I wasn't receiving any assignments. They said, "Well, you kind of stick out as a big black guy,'" Sterling recalls. "They said, 'You bring unwanted attention to where you're assigned.' Everyone in management agreed I was too conspicuous. And I said, 'Well, when did you realize that I was black?'"

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSN0614419520110106
In other cases, Stephen Kim, a foreign policy analyst who worked at the U.S. State Department, was charged in August with leaking a top-secret intelligence report to a news reporter last year.

Also last year, a former high-ranking official at the National Security Agency was charged with illegally possessing classified information that he allegedly gave to a reporter at the Baltimore Sun newspaper.

Obama has backtracked on his campaign rhetoric, and now demonstrates he will not tolerate Wistkeblowers on his watch!

http://www.opednews.com/articles/1/Obama-No-Whistleblowing-o-by-Ann-Wright-110106-110.html
When a candidate for President in 2008, Senator Barack Obama said, "Government whistleblowers are part of a healthy democracy and must be protected from reprisal." Obama was referring to the Bush Administration's use of phone companies to illegally spy on Americans. He said, "We only know these crimes took place because insiders blew the whistle at great personal risk...

However, as President, Obama says -- No whistleblowing on my watch! As he has on so many issues as President, Obama is taking a 180-degree turn from his comments as a candidate -- comments on which the American people relied and for which they elected him.

Now, the Obama administration's warning to Bradley Manning and to other whistleblowers is -- blow the whistle on government criminal actions and we will put you in solitary confinement before you are charged, much less go to trial. You will be treated as an "enemy combatant" in America's ongoing wars on about everything, including the truth.

Here is the New York Times take on this....
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/07/us/07indict.html?partner=rss&emc=rss
In making their case against Mr. Sterling, prosecutors provided details in the indictment of phone calls between the residences of Mr. Sterling and the reporter and quoted from e-mails sent between their accounts.

Justice Department rules say prosecutors may seek subpoenas of journalists only if the information they are seeking is essential and cannot be obtained another way, and the attorney general must personally sign off after balancing the public’s interest in the news against the public’s interest in effective law enforcement.

A Justice Department spokesman declined to comment about why Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. approved seeking a subpoena of Mr. Risen in light of the fact that prosecutors could obtain an indictment of Mr. Sterling without it.

Jeffrey Sterling represents the fith persecution of Whistleblowers by Obama.
http://www.fas.org/blog/secrecy/2011/01/sterling_indict.html
The record number of leak prosecutions in the Obama Administration now include Mr. Sterling, former FBI linguist Shamai Leibowitz, former NSA official Thomas A. Drake, Army private Bradley Manning, and former State Department contractor Stephen Kim.

Jullian Assange and WikiLeaks and We The People's Right To Know

2010-12-20T19:59:00.000-08:00

Here is a good look into who and how wikiLeaks has been able to bring us a peek into the Shadow Government's workings. This report is interesting, considering it started long before the release of the US Embassy cables, called Cablegate.

One comment I wish to make is that Wikileaks is only revealing these cables. The acuracy of hearsay, or dis information within the cables are the responsibility of those who wrote the cables.

The second comment is that the US does have someone in Charge of the State Department, who should have made sure the cables were properly classified, and redacyed. They failed to do that. President Obama appointed Hillary Clinton as Secretary of State, and she had the responsibility over policies at State department. NOT Jullian Assange, NOT WikiLeaks, and NOT Bradley Manning.

Doesn't the government have a right to have secrets/ My answer is yes, we all have a right to have secrets. private individuals, like you and me can keep secrets, but not plans to rob a bank. The Bank has a right to keep secrets, but not plans to implement a Ponzi scheme to defraud investors. The Federal Government has a right to keep secrets, but not is taxpayers money was raised to acomplish one thins, but was spent on a completely different activity. The Government does not have a right to break laws "In Our Name" and lie to us about it.

Does WikiLeaks, or any publisher, like the NYT and the Guardian have a right to publish this info? Yes, in the US the 1st amendment clearly states that Congress shall make no laws abridging free speech, free press and the right to assemble. I do believe that is clear enough. The question is, can the Shadow Government, or the President, by fiat or Order, make such laws to abridge Free speech and a free press?

Stau tuned, more to come...

Why Was Rick Sanchez Fired?

2010-10-07T09:24:00.000-07:00

Rick Sanchez Fired by CNN! Why??

Last week CNN fired Sanchez, after firing his mentor, and 24 hours after making controvercial comments about Jon Stewart and raising the issue of who dominates MSM in America, and specifically at CNN. This week shows that the Rick Sanchez story has legs. Nothing, not even Stewart's ridicule of Sanchez has made this story go away, not even the apology, extorted from Sanchez, by Stewart. Why? Were the stories Sanchez did re the Israel/Palestine conflict, where he gave voice to the Palistinean narritive, the real reason why Sanchez has been a target of Jon Stewart and those who would limit what news Americans get to see?

The real problem here is the MSM has refused to report fairly, and without bias, the truth about what is happening in the Mid East. Here is an earlier post on this topic.
http://shoe08.blogspot.com/2009/01/palestinians-taken-hostage.html

Why does the MSM slant the news on this issue? Was Sanchez fired because he is right?
http://www.simpletoremember.com/articles/a/jews-in-the-media-hollywood/

Do American's care that their news is slanted, buased and inaccurate?

If we did care, what could we do about it?

?V?V?V?

Don't buy the lie. For example, when Obama called Ahmadinejad's UN speech hateful and offensive, did you believe Obama?

http://gadebate.un.org/Portals/1/statements/634208557381562500IR_en.pdf

Or did you read a good translation of the spech, and make your own decision?

Demand the American MSM serve We the people, and not the interests on the Military Industrail Complex. What about the people's right to know? isn't that essential in a democracy?

Please folks, don't swallow what the MSM feeds you whole. It is high time we chew the media dis information over well, vet it ourselves, and digest it, before we become completely brainwashed and end up in WWIII, which will devestate most of the world, but make a tiny few ubber rich. We are a democracy, let's act like one.
.

Peace Without Hamas?

2010-09-01T11:46:00.000-07:00

Aparently, the Obama administration is supporting "peace" talks between the Palestinian Athority and Israel. It is not clear that Hamas will be directly involved.

This raises the question of how peace can be negociated if hamas is not directly involved. It also raises the issue of the palestinian Athority being a puppet of the US, as revealed by this blockbuster story:
http://www.vanityfair.com/politics/features/2008/04/gaza200804

http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/hamas-direct-israeli-palestinian-talks-illegitimate-coerced-by-u-s-1.310013

http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/mideast/IB85066.pdf

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/apr/17/palestinian-authority-israeli-puppet

It would seem, that those who do want peace, would include all the players in the talks. The problem is not peace between the Palestinian Athority and Israel, the problem is peace between Hamas and Israel's Zionist leaders.

http://tpmcafe.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/08/29/brilliant_op-ed_in_times_on_why_mideast_talks_with/?ref=c3

And here is an interview with Khaled Meshaal, head of Hamas' political bureau:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/sharmine-narwani/hamas-chief-interview_b_700324.html#comments

The door for a two state solution will not be open forever.

.

Manipulating Photography to Tell False Story

2010-07-29T12:14:00.000-07:00

BP kills more than wildlife with their doctored photos of the Gulf oil spill, they kill the story...
http://www.americablog.com/2010/07/bp-fakes-another-oil-spill-photo-this.html

It would seem that the recent BP oil spill is a good opportunity to study how PR can use photography, or lack thereof, to lie, or mislead folks as to what actually happened.

White House blames BP for fake photos?
http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2010/07/white-house-on-bps-photoshopped-photos-on-the-stupidity-side-of-the-transparency-scale.html

In the competition to get the truth out, the MSM continues to fail to get the photos for the story. here is another story most of have not seen a photo of. And I always thought a photo was worth a thousand words?
http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/295235

Israeli's Celebrate Massacre of Turks bringing Humanitarian Aid to Gaza

2010-06-09T10:41:00.000-07:00

Video at Ben Gurion University and other universities.
It is important to mention that in principle all political activity on this campus is forbidden, and that leftist activists demonstrating outside of the campus during the war on Gaza last year were arrested. This demonstration was held with collaboration of the University authorities and contrary to these same authorities
regulations.

Once again, western MSM blackouts the real story. Here is a taste of the truth.

And while some western media dutifully reported Israeli government words of
being sorry for the deaths and their verbal attack on the ships' passengers
(calling them terrorists or terrorist sympathizers), no media reported on
Israeli fascists celebrating the massacre in front of the Turkish embassy in
Tel Aviv

http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=6a3_1275348204

Hellen Thomas Gets Real About Israel's Siege of Gaza

2010-06-07T13:19:00.000-07:00

Raw video from AP shows helen Thomas in an act of courage.

We need more reporters like Helen, and the Shoe Thrower.

News reporters should report the news, and not allow themselves to be the vectors of propaganda from one side.

By the way, is Israel a real country? I mean, do they even have a constitution?

And from democracy Now we have...

"JAMES ABOUREZK: Now, that’s an offhanded remark. I mean, the guy caught her unawares. She probably hadn’t thought that much more about it. But I understand what she really meant: they’re taking the place of Palestinians who cannot return to Palestine, their home. That’s basically what she was trying to say. And I don’t think she ought to be hammered because of that. Look, she lost her job. She lost her position in the Press Club. She lost her position in the White House press corps. That’s punishment over-the-top for what she was really intending to say there."
http://www.democracynow.org/2010/6/8/veteran_white_house_reporter_helen_thomas

"James Abourezk, former Democratic senator and congressman from South Dakota. The first Arab American in the Senate, he’s also the founder of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee."

Farewell Helen Thomas:
http://warincontext.org/2010/06/08/farewell-helen-thomas/comment-page-1/#comment-12523

If MSM Goes Belly-up, What Will Be The Next Vector Of Propaganda?

2010-03-03T13:56:00.000-08:00

Is Internet Freedom A Human Right?

Cedric Moon and Dana Loesch discuss the impending demise of the MSM.

Surprise, surprise, the web is the second source of information for Americans. They discuss how many Americans are concerned about opinion being presented as news, and of course, propaganda being diseminated daily. Many see the "Internet," read the world wide web, as "Freedom guarenteed," and may not be aware that when on line, one is not annonomous as one believes, that using Google sets one up for "rigged" search results, which usually bring one to MSM news, and that spying on private individuals is the name of the game.

Today, we learn that the Obama administration is considering taking China to the WTO for unfair trade practices by sensoring Google. Is the US confounding Human Rights with the right to supervise, and impose standards on internet "providers" of content, like Google? Do countries have meaningful sovernty, and do they have the right to limit propaganda and spying that is pushed on them thru the new "free" web companies. What is internet freedom, and is it a value, a human right or a trade barrier issue?

H Clinton has been the most outspoken on the issue: "Properly, she did not hide the fact that communication over the Internet can be used for good (human rights activists) and evil (terrorists)." But one must remember that one countries human rights activist may be another countries terrorist. This "freedo," can be turned against the US in no time at all. Beware of what you wish for, you may get it.
http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9165140/Internet_freedom_and_security
http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9165140/Internet_freedom_and_security

The attempted "Twitter Revolution" in Iran should be a cautionary tale. Rather than jump on the "internet freedom" bandwagon, based on perceptions generated by a known to be biased MSM, one should consider what "internet freedom" is really about.

What is really behind the Google-China-US internet freedom issue?

http://news.discovery.com/tech/internet-freedom-and-human-rights-20.html

But is Internet freedom itself a human right -- an entitlement that no just nation could infringe upon?

First, let's define Internet freedom, which really incorporates two ideas: access and privacy.
...........................

China may have the most extensive Internet surveillance and enforcement apparatus in the world, but they're not alone in censoring content or targeting users for political reasons or otherwise.

Furthermore, although authoritarian governments, including China, are typically accused of being the major players in the censorship game (and they often are), the fact is: democracies do it, too.

The French government, for example, was recently engaged in a campaign to combat copyright infringement by targeting users on peer-to-peer networks.

It could be argued that China and France have the same justification for restricting Internet access: Both countries were simply enforcing the law. For both nations, the restrictions they choose to impose are simply a matter of priorities. China probably cares as much about enforcing copyrights as France does about limiting political discourse online. As in, not at all.

For a more direct comparison of the kind of censorship seen in China, let's take a look at India or South Korea (both democracies and U.S. allies).

India, the second most populated country in the world behind China, and the largest democracy, has taken an active role in censoring content from radical religious groups. India's Constitution dictates that free speech restrictions can be imposed for the purpose of maintaining "public order, decency or morality," so the government's right to censor other kinds of content can and has been applied to other situations. The nation even plans to step up its Internet surveillance and enforcement efforts.

South Korea, which has the highest percentage of connected citizens of any nation, has actively taken measures to curtail Internet privacy, imposing laws in 2008 targeting online anonymity.

If government restrictions on content are such an issue, why hasn't Google similarly pulled out of India, South Korea or other such countries? (For a list of other countries that have some kind of restrictions on content, click here.)

Iran Announces capture of Abdul Malik Rigi, head of Jundullah Terrorist Group Reportedly Funded By CIA USA

2010-02-25T16:59:00.000-08:00

Iran has announced the capture and arrest of Abdul Malik Rigi, the leader of Jundullah, a group known for terror attacks on Iran. Reportedly, Rigi had a forged passport given to him by the US , and claimed that the US offered him a military base on Iran's border from which to opperate. UK has denounced the bombing of the Mosque, last year, during the Iran elections, as a terrorist act, while the US has remained curiously silent.

Recently we have heard that there are talks going on in Afghanistan that would bring the Taliban back into the Afghanistan government. meanwhile, the war heats up with action in helmand province, including house to house searches, and the clearing of mine fields. This would be required to farm, and to lay the TAPI gas pipeline, the one the US prefers, even though it goes thru territory controlled by the Taliban and not the Karzai government.

This flirting with the Taliban is not new, as they were guests of the White House before 911, and even visited Mount Rushmore.

"There has been no Western outcry against Saudi Arabia’s mediation between the Taliban and the Afghan government. On the contrary, the Mecca talks were accompanied by senior British and U.S. officials indicating that such discussions were an evitable part of ending the war in Afghanistan. Only one country has denounced the meeting as an unacceptable capitulation to terrorism and extremism: Iran. This position reflects the untold story of Iran’s tussle with Saudi Arabia for regional influence."
http://www.diplomaticourier.org/kmitan/articleback.php?newsid=228
http://www.diplomaticourier.org/kmitan/articleback.php?newsid=228

Iran claims that the Jundullah is a terrorist group, supported by UK, USA, Israel and Saudi Arabia. It operates from within Pakistan. I am still waiting for Senator Kerry's office to return my phone call about this opperation, and it's purported funding with American tax dollars. Recently, two US senators, Conyers and brownback, filed a bill, S 3008, that would send tax dollars to support "opposition groups" against Iran. Rigi, in a confession published on PressTV, claims that his US handler claimed that at this time the US cannot conduct military ops against Iran, so they need his group to do so.

The captured ringleader of the Jundallah terrorist group, Abdolmalek Rigi, has confessed that the US administration had assured him of unlimited military aid and funding for waging an insurgency against the Islamic Republic of Iran.

The following is the detailed transcript of Rigi's confession, stated in Farsi, as broadcasted on Press TV.

"After Obama was elected, the Americans contacted us and they met me in Pakistan.They met us after clashes with my group around March 17 in (the southeastern city of) Zahedan, and he (the US operative) said that Americans had requested a meeting."

"I said we didn't have any time for a meeting and if we do help them they should promise to give us aid. They said they would cooperate with us and will give me military equipment, arms and machine guns. They also promised to give us a base along the border with Afghanistan next to Iran."

"They asked to meet me and we said where should we meet you and he said in Dubai. We sent someone to Dubai and we told a person to ask a place for myself in Afghanistan from the area near the operations and they complied that they would sort out the problem for us and they will find Mr. Rigi a base and guarantee his own security in Afghanistan or in any of the countries adjacent to Iran so that he can carry on his operations.

"They told me that in Kyrgyzstan they have a base called Manas near Bishkek, and that a high-ranking person was coming to meet me and that if such high-ranking people come to the United Arab Emirates, they may be observed by intelligence people but in a place like Bishkek this high-ranking American person could come and we could reach an agreement on making personal contacts. But after the last major operation we took part in, they said that they wanted to meet with us.

"The Americans said Iran was going its own way and they said our problem at the present is Iran… not al-Qaeda and not the Taliban, but the main problem is Iran. We don't have a military plan against Iran. Attacking Iran is very difficult for us (the US). The CIA is very particular about you and is prepared to do anything for you because our government has reached the conclusion that there was nothing Americans could do about Iran and only I could take care of the operations for them.

"One of the CIA officers said that it was too difficult for us to attack Iran militarily, but we plan to give aid and support to all anti-Iran groups that have the capability to wage war and create difficulty for the Iranian (Islamic) system. They reached the conclusion that your organization has the power to create difficulties for the Islamic Republic and they are prepared to give you training and/or any assistance that you would require, in terms of telecommunications security and procedures as well as other support, the Americans said they would be willing to provide it at an extensive level."

http://www.presstv.com/detail.aspx?id=119481§ionid=351020101

This is another one of those stories you wont see on MSM in America. It is just another in a string of US interventions in the affairs of other countries since WWII.
http://www.thirdworldtraveler.com/Blum/US_Interventions_WBlumZ.html
http://www.thirdworldtraveler.com/Blum/US_Interventions_WBlumZ.html

And from Wayne Madson we have this...

The CIA's support for Iranian Baluchis operating against Tehran has also had the effect of restoring the Baluchi Liberation Army, with CIA munitions destined for the Jundallah guerrillas falling into the hands of Baluchi secessionists in Pakistan, particularly among the Bugti, Marri and Mengal tribes that now threaten to disrupt trans-Pakistani pipelines to the Pakistani port of Gwadar, which is being developed by Chinese engineers and construction companies. The CIA, apparently unable or unwilling to distinguish between the Iranian and Baluchis and their agendas, permitted explosives and detonators destined for use in Iran to be used against regular Pakistani army units and Chinese assets assisting in the Gwadar port project.

Pakistan also suspects American energy politics at play. By stirring up Baluchis on both sides of the Pakistani-Iranian border, the CIA stands to disrupt planned natural gas pipelines from Qatar to Pakistan that will transit through Iran and the Iran-Gujarat oil pipeline.
http://arthurzbygniew.blogspot.com/2010/02/intel-updates-iran-baluchistan-echelon.html

UPDATE:: It is reported that Jundullah is claiming the US aided Iran in the arrest og Rigi.

Like I said, I have a call in to Senator Kerry's office, the current Chair of the US Senate's Foreign Relations Committee, and am awaiting a call back.

Change we can believe in, or more of the same?

Freedom and Human Rights via War and Humiliation?

2010-02-08T08:32:00.000-08:00

Last year many of us voted for change we can believe in. Now we hear that we may give Afghanistan back to the Taliban. Woman's rights groups advocate for more war in the name of woman's rights, meanwhile, woman and children are the biggest victims of America's war on terror. What exactly are America's goals in Afghanistan, and are they different from our goals in Colombia, Myanmar, Iraq, Iran, etc, etc, etc...

This you tube video is the first in a series of five. Let's look at the devestation left in the wake of the US bombing of "terrorists" in Afghanistan, and almost 10 years later, the abject failure of the US taxpayers billions of dollars, that flow "thru" Afghanistan, to reach the people we have dispossessed.

Faked Photographs Nothing New

2009-08-23T11:22:00.000-07:00

We learn from the piece in the New York Times that faked photos are nothing new to journalism.

"“The very nature of photography was to record events,” said Hany Farid, a professor of computer science at Dartmouth University and a detective of photographic fakery. "

what an opportunity for manipulation. It didn’t take long for schemers to discover that with a little skill and imagination, photographic realism could be used to create manufactured realities.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/23/weekinreview/23marsh.html

But faking or manipulating photo images is not the only way editors and reporters alike distort reality to "sell" their "version" of the "news." In this story posted on the Cambridge Chronicle website, Wickedlocal/cambridge, it is noted that the headline, or title, if you will, of an op-ed piece by the CEO of Whole Foods was replaced by the Wall Street Journal's own staff.

"the title of the piece was changed by Wall Street Journal staff from Health Care Reform to Whole Foods Alternative to ObamaCare, giving the impression that Mackey is actively opposing the Presidents plan. "

Certainly, for many reporters, letter to the editor writers, and now in an op-ed piece on an important issue, changing the 'title' of the piece is one way the editors of MSM can skew or distort both the purpose and the meaning that people get from reading the piece.

In some cases, like this one, the title results in inciting emotional bias to the point that those who 'support' Obama's plan, cannot give a fair reading to what Mackey wrote.

I found Mackey made several extreemly excellent points and suggestions, while other points fell well short of the mark. I am thrilled that he put himself 'out there,' in the current enviornment that has been poisoned by the two Ps in a pod, Palin with her death panel remarks, and Pelosi calling Americans who express different views, 'Unamerican!' We not only need a discussion of health care reform, we can all learn from such discussion, and learn about how others are actually doing in America.

The substtuted headline for the op-ed piece being is emotionally disruptive it generates outrage rather than considered discussion. It might sell papers, but it won't further civil discourse.

http://www.wickedlocal.com/cambridge/news/business/x772313978/Protestors-converge-on-Cambridge-Whole-Foods-attacking-CEOs-health-care-reform-plan

For what purpose does manipulation like this occur?

In my opinion, this kind of distortion constitutes a denial of free speech, or should I say, a denial of the people's right to know. The reader is robed of his "mind" by being supplied a false "truth" and therefore is unable to form his own opinions. This is the true danger of propaganda like this. people fail to understand where and how they develop their "own" opinions.

We've Lost Cronkite!

2009-07-17T19:44:00.000-07:00

Walter Cronkite, one of the greatest investigative journalist of all time, died today. His presence and voice are oftn inseperable from the great events of the 50s through the 70s. After the US fled Vietnam, there were those who blamed the media, and especially Cronkite for causing the American people to stop supporting the war. This is often the excuse that has been used by the Pentagon to refuse to permit journalists to report in the theatre of war, today. However, the result is harmful to the US. because, as a democracy we need to know what is going on.

Freedom of the press has limitations, with PR campaings, propaganda, and biased reports replacing true acurate and unbiased reporting, Americans have never before been so ignorant about what is happening in the world.

We have lost a great reporter, and he will be missed. perhaps now we can reconsider the People's Right to Know, especially in light of new revelations that the CIA was operating a secret program. I wonder how Cronkite would report this, and the rank buildup for regime change in Iran.

Take care, Walter, and thanks for your honest opinions.

Uighurs Are Caucasian?

2009-07-15T20:54:00.000-07:00

Many Americans are surprised to find out that Uighurs in China are caucasian, not Asian. Most are Muslim, and China is the only country in the world that has preserved and protected their culture, traditions and language. A ethnic Turkish group, China provides for education in reading and writing Arabic script. In Turkey and other countries where Turkish groups live, they either speak and write a Russian or Latin language.

Uighurs migrated to China some 1000 years after Han Chinese. Claims by some human rights groups that Xinjiang is East Turkistan, the homeland belonging to Uighurs, and that Chinese are the invaders are unfounded. before arriving in Xinjiang, in the 8oos, Uighurs lived in Mongolia and Uzbeckistan.

There are Christian Churches, Buddhist Temples and Muslim Mosques in Xinjiang.

China has 56 "nationalities. Han make up 40% of the population of Xinjiang, with "minorities making up the other 6o% there are other ethnic groups that are Muslim, including Hui, Asian Muslims. There are many different native languages spoken in Xinjiang, not only Turkish. The common language is "Mandarin." this enables the widely diverse population to communicate with one another.

China has strong laws that give equal rights to women. No religious or traditional practice may deny women their equal rights in China.

China also has a right to work law.

There are 37 million Muslims in China, that is more than the total population of Iraq. Most Muslims are not Uighurs.

There are some seperatist groups that try to stir up support for their political cause, but not all Uighurs agree with the seperatists, and other minorities do not want to live under Uighur rule, they want to live in China. China has worked diligently to listen to the many voices, their hopes and dreams, and has brought improvements in education, medicine and economics to all nationalties in Urumchi. china, and the people living in Xinjiang are dedicated to continue to improve the lives of all nationalities.

US Held Iranians Hostage

2009-07-15T19:03:00.000-07:00

"Three members of Iran's elite Quds Force who were seized in Iraq by the United States were held for more than two years even though they had not been involved in anti-U.S. activities and were functioning as diplomats at the time, a former and a currently serving senior U.S. official said Tuesday."

The Washington Times ran an exclusive news report today, stating US officials claim that the Iranians just released were held hostage by US. Iran claims they were diplomant, while the US claims they were terrorists. The US also states they have no evidence of any wrongdoing by the Iranians, who worked issuing visas at Iran's consulate in Northern Iraq.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/jul/15/iranians-held-by-us-were-envoys/?feat=article_top10_read

"Both Iran and Iraq protested the arrests and prolonged detentions, which attracted worldwide attention. The Quds or Jerusalem Force is an elite unit in Iran's military and intelligence establishment. Many of its officials and veterans serve in top Iranian government positions.

U.S. officials have repeatedly suggested since the arrests that the three Iranians had been directly involved in support of anti-U.S. violence in Iraq but provided no specific evidence. The three were never charged with any wrongdoing.

Lt. Col. Mark Ballesteros, a spokesman for U.S.-led Multinational Forces in Iraq, which was responsible for the arrests and detentions of the three, declined to comment Tuesday on the reason the men were held for so long. "

There is much speculation as to why the diplomats were released.

"We had feared such a deal was in the works. On April 22, we noted in these pages that "the Iranian government is maneuvering to trade Ms. Saberi's freedom for that of five Revolutionary Guards captured by U.S. forces while training insurgents in Iraq."

The same day that Iran's chief judge, Ayatollah Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi, ordered a "quick and fair" appeal for Ms. Saberi, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad met with Swiss President Hans-Rudolf Merz and called for the immediate release of the "Irbil Five." This was a clear diplomatic signal of a potential deal."

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/jul/14/trading-for-iranian-hostages/?feat=home_editorials

"There is a whiff of "arms for hostages" in the air. It would be a mistake to reprise that failed attempt by the Reagan administration to curry favor with Iran in the mid-1980s by sending weapons in hopes Tehran would release U.S. hostages held by Iranian proxies in Lebanon.

The opening did not improve U.S.-Iranian relations, and President Reagan later admitted it was a mistake. In 1987, E.J. Dionne, writing in the New York Times, quoted then-Sen. Joseph R. Biden Jr. as saying that Mr. Reagan had been "blinded by the illusion" that there was "an easy solution" to the hostage crisis and had been misled "by people who had no competence in the area of foreign policy." Ironically, Iran expert Michael Ledeen reports that the deal for the release of the Irbil Five was coordinated through Vice President Biden's office."

The US State department denies any "deals" and claims the hostages diplomate, or detainees, held for 2 1/2 years without any charges were released in accord with the US - Iraqi accord signed on Jan 1st of this year. Why it took 7 months for their release, and why they are being released at this time remains unclear, as the Obama administration is not being transparent on this affair.
http://www.cnsnews.com/public/content/article.aspx?RsrcID=50908

"The State Department said the handover was not linked to the Obama administration’s effort to engage the regime in Tehran, but that it was an obligation contained in a U.S.-Iraq security agreement that came into effect on January 1."

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/politics/2009459465_iran13.html

"Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari said earlier that the transfer could help improve dialogue between the U.S. and Iran after a long adversarial relationship.

Iran and Iraq have enjoyed better relations after the U.S.-led invasion in 2003 toppled the government of Saddam Hussein, who launched an eight-year war against Iran in the early 1980s.

Many current Iraqi leaders were in exile in Iran and still have close ties with the Islamic Republic.

The release of the five has been portrayed in Iran as a victory at a time when the government of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is under domestic and international criticism after the disputed June 12 presidential election and the ensuing government crackdown on protests"

Israel Imprisons Nobel Laureate Maguire and Former Congresswoman McKinney

2009-07-02T12:39:00.000-07:00

The humanitarian aid ship with medical supplies was stoped in international waters and Israeli Navy bordered, and at gunpoint took humanitarian 21 activists in handcuffs to Israel against their will. Although 2 Israeli activists have been released, the others, who are not Israelis, are being held until they sign a "confession," which they are refusing to sign under duress.

Prior to leaving Cyprus, the ship was inspected by Cypriot authorities in response to Israeli demands to determine whether it carried any weapons, according to the U.N. investigator. "None were found and Israeli authorities were so informed."

http://www.reuters.com/article/featuredCrisis/idUSL2879277

The US Embassy states that they will not be returned to the US until they either sign a confession, or after 3 days the Israeli athoritise decide to return them.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/meast/07/02/mckinney.israel.gaza/

Not all imprisoned are American, Israeli, or European citizens, and their is fear for those who are Muslims, and who are being held elsewhere.

"In a statement, Irish Foreign Minister Micheál Martin called for the immediate release of Maguire and another Irish citizen also being detained.

Two of the passengers, an American film maker and a Danish activist, were released on Wednesday and sent home. Freegaza.org, the web site of the Free Gaza Movement, reported their release, which the Israel government has not confirmed."

http://www.ajc.com/news/content/metro/stories/2009/07/02/mckinney_israel.html

So, do I understand that the American filmaker was released because he signed the confession, or because he is Jewish, and an Israeli? Or do not understand what is being said?

"Cyprus-Gaza, July 2, (Pal Telegraph) - Lubna Masarwa and Huwaida Arraf, both organisers of the Free Gaza Movement, have now been released from Ashdod Detention Facility.

Military authorities had held them from 9.00 p.m. on 30th June until 1.00 p.m. on 1st July, 2009, having arrested and detained them while in Gazan territorial waters (approx. 20 nautical miles from Gaza Port) at 3.00 p.m. on 30th Jun

Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney and Nobel Peace Prize Winner Mairead Maguire have given telephone interviews from their prison cells, where they await deportation. To arrange such interviews, contact Free Gaza Movement (either Greta Berlin or Caoimhe Butterly, at +357 99 081 767), who will also supply current news or information as to the whereabouts of those Free Gaza 21 who are awaiting deportation, or the current status of legal negotiations as to those deportations."

http://www.paltelegraph.com/palestine/gaza-strip/1248-freegaza-two-organisers-releasaed-rest-still-captured

How will the Mulsims be treated?

Whan will the Obama administration condemn this action by Israel, and demand their release? Obama's silence is reverberating all around the world. He has neither called the coup in HGonduras a coup, nor has he called for the release of those imprisoned by Israel. He has, however, demanded the release of the girls imprisoned in No Korea and Iran.

Does Obama believe the same behavior is wrong when some countries do it, but ok when Israel does it? Is this not a double standard, not the rule of law?

Is this the change we voted for? Or is this more of the same?

Is this the Obama blockade of Gaza?

BUSH THIRD TERM

* * * * * * U P D A T E * * * * *

Two days after the boarding of the Humanitarian Aid ship bound for Gaza, and the siezing of the 21 Free Gaza activiata at gunpoint, and the cargo meant for Gazans, who have lived under siege by Israel for more than two years now, the New Your Times finally reports the stroy, this evening, Thursday, July 2, 2009, at 8pm. One must shake one's haed and ask, why has the MSM ignored this story? Other than FOX news, this story has not been reported, and the Obama administration continues it's silence, as reported by the NYTs, by their complete lack of info on what Obama has to say about this. Do folks believe that the purpose of the free press has been compromised, and the MSM has failed in it's duty to the People's Right To Know? How can a democracy function when the media selectively reports the news, especially when the MSM is enthralled to the Israeli Narrative? Is the Jewish donominated press capable of unbiased and acurate news coverage of topice about Israels treatment of the Palestinians?

"JERUSALEM — Nineteen foreign activists of the pro-Palestinian Free Gaza Movement were being held in Israel awaiting deportation on Thursday, two days after the Israeli Navy seized control of their boat off Gaza.

A former United States Representative, Cynthia McKinney, and an Irish peace activist and Nobel laureate, Mairead Corrigan Maguire, were among those being held. Two additional Israeli activists were released without being charged on Wednesday, according to the group
....................

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/03/world/middleeast/03gaza.html?ref=global-home

The Israeli military said the aid would be transferred to Gaza subject to security authorization.

Ramzi Kysia, an activist with the Free Gaza Movement, said the 19 people being detained were likely to be deported by Friday, once deportation procedures were complete. But he said some might refuse deportation unless all of those being detained were released together and all the equipment of journalists with the group was returned.

Speaking by telephone from Cyprus, Mr. Kysia said that five of the detainees were Bahraini citizens and that they were being held apart from the others in a cramped facility.

In a report issued earlier this week, the International Committee of the Red Cross criticized the Israeli-imposed embargo, saying that Gaza’s 1.5 million residents were “trapped in despair.”

The Israeli government has said it is reviewing the embargo policy, but it has not yet made any decisions.

The Israeli military said the aid would be transferred to Gaza subject to security authorization.

Ramzi Kysia, an activist with the Free Gaza Movement, said the 19 people being detained were likely to be deported by Friday, once deportation procedures were complete. But he said some might refuse deportation unless all of those being detained were released together and all the equipment of journalists with the group was returned."

It is my opinion that the New York Times needs to examine to whom they owe their loyality, the American public, or to the Israel Zionists. (Not all Jews are Zionists)

BTW: The NYTs story only appeared after I made two several phone calls to WBZ 1040 Radio News to complain of the news balckout on this issue.

As Investigation Into The Assassination Of Benazir Bhutto Begins, The US War Of Mass Destruction Continues

2009-07-01T21:02:00.000-07:00

Here is a video that provides some background to the mystery of who assassinated Benazir Bhutto at an election rally in Pakistan two years ago.

Here is the report of the assassination and evidence washed away.

Now the UN commission has begun a an investigation

Obama's First Successful Coup d'etat ? Democracy in Honduras a Threat or Challenge to America?

2009-06-29T23:25:00.000-07:00

Folks, why has Obama not condemned this action as a coup? Here is an interesting description of what went down in Honduras, clearly showing the US is behind this.

"President Obama has made a statement regarding his "concern" for the situation in Honduras and a call to all political leaders and parties to "respect democratic norms." However, this statement is NOT a clear condemnation of the coup d'etat that has taken place during the early morning hours on Sunday. Nor did Obama indicate, as other countries have done, that Washington would not recognize any other government in Honduras other than the elected government of Manual Zelaya.

Opposition forces in Honduras, led by a U.S.-funded NGO Grupo Paz y Democracia, have stated via CNN that a coup has not occurred, but rather a "transition" to democracy. Martha Diaz, the coordinator of the NGO, which receives USAID funding, has just declared minutes ago on CNN that "civil society" does not support President Zelaya nor his "illegal quest" to hold a nonbinding referendum on a potential future constitutional reform. She justified his kidnapping, beating and removal from power as a "democratic transition."

Again, this is eerily reminiscent of the coup d'etat in Venezuela in April 2002, when so-called "civil society," along with dissident military forces, kidnapped President Chávez and installed a "transition government." The groups involved also received funding from the U.S. government, primarily via the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) and later from USAID as well."
http://socialistworker.org/2009/06/29/coup-in-honduras

This video speaks for itself, but leaves out Negroponte, a terror torture mad Bush holdover, as well as a host of Iran Contra Honduras operators.

Is this the change we voted for, or is it more of the same?

Does the US fear WMD in Iran, or is it the Planned Gas Piplines?

2009-06-28T19:16:00.000-07:00

I have not seen any mention of the issue of Iran's planned gas pipelines. The video above describes a gas pipeling from Iran to Pakistan and India, and China has invested heavily in the development of the port infrastructure so gas could also be shiped. There are pipelines planned, and Ahmadinejad, far from being a "hardliner," is an engineer who has shown the ability to get projects that have been stalled for years, finished. One pipeline, from Azerbijian south thru Iran, and another from Turkmenistan to China, may indeed have freeked out Cheneys Haliburton. Are they in Iran? What is their relationship to Rafisjani, the uber rich Iranian millionair? Would a regeim change be enough, or woud there be a coup, with the Shaw's son in power? Isn't that what the US planned for Afghanistan?

Who was behind the attacks on the Chinese who are constructing the gasline port in Pakistan? Could iy be Jundullah, or al Quada trained Chinese Uighurs?

Everybody Needs To Worry About Dennis Ross's Roadmap To War With Iran

2009-06-26T18:51:00.000-07:00

Is Obama the Change We Can Believe In? Or is he Bush third term? Or is it Clinton third term? At anyrate, is this the change we voted for?

Dennis Ross Prepares For War On Iran

Jim Lobe suspects Dennis Ross is trying to maneuver Obama into attacking Iran:

"According to a variety of sources, Ross was the main drafter of Obama’s pander (except on the settlers) to AIPAC’s annual convention here in May and has since raised his hopes for a top post in an Obama administration, possibly even secretary of state. Frankly, I doubt that the latter prospect is realistic, but — and here’s the main point — I have it from several sources close to the campaign that he is more eager to gain control over the Iran portfolio (possibly special envoy) than to work on the problem that he knows best from his long experience, the Israel-Palestinian conflict. If he succeeds in his quest and if this report is any reflection of his views, then the U.S. could very well find itself at war with Iran within a remarkably short period of time."

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Everybody needs to worry about Dennis Ross having the president’s ear, day to day in the Obama White House, promoting an attack on Iran.
.............

It should be repeated again and again: the National Intelligence Estimate concerning the question of Iran’s nuclear program, representing the consensus of the 16 different U.S. intelligence agencies in 2007 concluded in “high confidence” that Iran does not even have an active nuclear weapons program. (The report appeared after nearly a year’s delay due to apparent obstruction by Dick Cheney’s office, the neocon headquarters).
.............

Dennis Ross is an NIE-denier. With no real expertise on Iran or Persian linguistic competence, and no understanding of nuclear science---but lots of experience in U.S.-Israeli relations and settler advocacy garnering him the nickname “Israel’s lawyer”---Ross was principal author of an op-ed piece in the Wall Street Journal eight months after the NIE appeared.

Sensationalistically entitled “Everybody Needs to Worry about Iran,” it alluded blithely, offering no evidence, to the Iranian regime’s drive to become “a nuclear state” and announced a drive to “mobilize the power of a united American public in opposition.” Co-signators included Richard Holbrooke, currently Obama’s special envoy to “Af-Pak;” former CIA director and Project for a New American Century operative James R. Woolsey and Mark D. Wallace, a former UN ambassador who heads up with Woolsey and others something called “United Against a Nuclear Iran.” (All were major proponents of the Iraq War.)

This group, in other words, wants to mobilize and unite U.S. public opinion against the consensus of the intelligence community about the nature of empirical reality, substituting for it the need to worry about Iran.
..............

Ross’s change of jobs was announced in the midst of the street demonstrations following the contested election results in Iran last week. He will now literally move into the White House and provide day to day counsel to Obama on how to “deal” with a leadership he wants to topple.
..............

http://www.counterpunch.org/leupp06232009.html

Gary Leupp is Professor of History at Tufts University, and Adjunct Professor of Religion. He is the author of Servants, Shophands and Laborers in in the Cities of Tokugawa Japan; Male Colors: The Construction of Homosexuality in Tokugawa Japan; and Interracial Intimacy in Japan: Western Men and Japanese Women, 1543-1900. He is also a contributor to CounterPunch's merciless chronicle of the wars on Iraq, Afghanistan and Yugoslavia, Imperial Crusades.

He can be reached at: gleupp@granite.tufts.edu

"Who is Dennis Ross, what does he advocate, how was he positioned to become the adviser on Iran in the Obama Administration and what will he do to Iran if he gets the chance? Let me briefly review the case.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Who Is Dennis Ross?

"Dennis Ross is best known as the dishonest broker who led the so-called negotiations between the Israelis and the Palestinians during the Clinton Administration. He was “Israel’s lawyer,” to use Aaron David Miller’s apt description of the role that Ross’s “negotiating team” played in the Clinton era, particularly in 1999-2000. [2]"
http://www.counterpunch.org/sasan02272009.html

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Israel's Lawyer

"Unfortunately, too often we lose sight of the need to be advocates for both Arabs and Israelis. The most recent example of this was the Clinton administration's effort in 1999-2000 to broker final deals between Israel, Syria and the Palestinians."
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/05/22/AR2005052200883.html

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

How we got into Iraq after 9/11
"After the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Ross supported the advocacy work of PNAC, a neoconservative-led letterhead group that advocated overthrowing Saddam Hussein in response to the attacks, even if he was not tied to the them. 31 Ross signed two PNAC open letters on the situation in post-war Iraq, both published in March 2003. The first of these, “Statement on Post-War Iraq,” was issued on March 19, 2003, the day before the United States began its invasion. The letter argued that Iraq should be seen as the first step in a larger reshaping of the region’s political landscape, contending that the invasion and rebuilding of Iraq could “contribute decisively to the democratization of the wider Middle East.” Other signatories included Max Boot, Eliot Cohen, Thomas Donnelly, Joshua Muravchik, and several other core neoconservatives. 32 "

Road Map To War With Iran

"Calling the report a “roadmap to war,” Jim Lobe of the Inter Press Service wrote, “In other words, if Tehran is not eventually prepared to permanently abandon its enrichment of uranium on its own soil—a position that is certain to be rejected by Iran ab initio—war becomes inevitable, and all intermediate steps, even including direct talks if the new president chooses to pursue them, will amount to going through the motions (presumably to gather international support for when push comes to shove).… What is a top Obama advisor [Dennis Ross] doing signing on to it?” 46"

http://www.rightweb.irc-online.org/profile/Ross_Dennis
.

Bloddy Hands Behind Iran Election Riots?

2009-06-26T11:26:00.000-07:00

Top Obama Adviser Signs on to Roadmap to War with Iran

If you haven’t seen it already, check out the op-ed by former Sens. Daniel Coats and Charles Robb in the Washington Post today, entitled “Stopping a Nuclear Tehran.” It is the summary of a report issued last month by an organization called The Bipartisan Policy Center (at whose website you can find the full report), and it amounts to a roadmap to war with Iran to which a senior Middle East adviser in the Obama campaign — namely, Dennis Ross — has apparently signed on.

[UPDATE: Make sure you also read in this connection today’s New York Times article by David Sanger, particularly the part about the purported e-mail from Obama that was routed through an unidentified “aide,” who I presume to be Ross. The coincidence of the appearance of this article with the Coats-Robb op-ed suggests an effort to box Obama into a pre-election position. The Iran part of the story by Sanger, who considers himself a foreign-policy player, as well as a reporter, tracks the report’s narrative quite nicely.]

http://www.ips.org/blog/jimlobe/?p=198#more-198

Lest We Forget....

2009-06-26T10:58:00.000-07:00

The 9/11 commission found that those who planned the attack on the World Trade center, did so because of Israel's treatment of the Palestinians, and the US's support of that agression.

I believe there will be no peace in the Mid East until just solution is reached. That would, and must include a meaningful resolution to the right of return, as well as removal of Israeli's from all settlements in Palestinean areas. Any two state solution must be just that, two sepearte, but EQUAL, states. Not one state, and one reservation.

In the case of a failure to achieve an equitable two state solution, a one state solution will be the final result, with an end to unequal treatment, an end to Jewish supremacy supported in the law, an end to aphartide, and ultimately, an end to Zionist Israel.

The fundamental problem causing instability in the Mid East is Nakba. It is not essentially different from the removal of the Jews in Germany. The silence of the Arab states is not unlike the silence of the European states.

Now, there will be those who will say that I am not allowed to say that because it is anti semitic. These are the same people who critize Iran, but not Saudi Arabis, of not allowing freedom of speech. The fact is Israel, and her supporters like the US, are opposed to Iran using it's free speach, and walked out of the UN meeting because of Ahmadinejad's comments. charging Israel with racism and human rights abuses.

Where is the outrage?

Israel has shot, killed, and imprisoned hundreds, if not thousands of palestinian children, little children, but folks are up in arms over a contested election in Iran. Chasing red herrings. What a convenient distraction from the real and fundamental problem.

Ahmadinejad Opposed Iranian Students Plan To Take US Embassy Hostages

2009-06-25T10:00:00.000-07:00

Ahmadinejad's Disagreement with the US Embassy Hostage Crisis in Tehran

In this video BBC interviews Ibrahim Asgharzadeh, Students Leader about the hostage crisis. He explains that Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, present president of Iran opposed the movement. Ahmadinejad was against this because he feared that Soviet Union and Marxist will become more powerful as an outcome.

در این ویدیو تلویزیون بی‏بی‏سی با ابراهیم اصغرزاده، طراح و سرگروه حرکت تسخیر سفارت امریکا در تهران مصاحبه می‏کند. او توضیح می‏دهد که محمود احمدی‏نژاد مخالف این حرکت بوده چرا که این را عامل قوت گرفتن شوروی و گروه‏های مارکسیست در ایران می‏دانسته.

The Iran hostage crisis was a diplomatic crisis between Iran and the United States where 52 U.S. diplomats were held hostage for 444 days from November 4, 1979 to January 20, 1981, after a group of Islamist students took over the American embassy in support of the Iranian revolution.

تصرف سفارت آمریکا، که به نام‏های بحران گروگانگیری در ایران یا تسخیر لانه‏ی جاسوسی هم یاد می‏شود، به دوران ۴۴۴ روزه‌ای از تخاصم میان دولت آمریکا و ایران گفته می‌شود که با حمله‏ی تعدادی از دانشجویان پیرو خط امام و تصرف سفارت آمریکا در تهران و به گروگان گرفتن ۶۶ دیپلمات آمریکایی در ۱۳ آبان ۱۳۵۸ (برابر با ۴ نوامبر ۱۹۷۹) آغاز گردید، دو هفته یعد تمام 13 زن و سیاه‏پوست و چندی بعد یکی از افرادی که مریضی جدی‏ای داشت آزاد شدند، و در ۳۰ دی ۱۳۵۹ (برابر با ۲۰ ژانویه ۱۹۸۱) با پذیرش قرارداد الجزایر از سوی دولت‌های ایران و آمریکا با آزادی بقیه 52 گروگان‌ پایان یافت.

Ambassador of Rain: The Populist President of Iran: Ahmadinejad

2009-06-25T09:46:00.000-07:00

The provincial visits and the concept of social and economic justice through the perfection of the Islamic State. Ending sectarian divisions, and working togethre in the service of One God. Hard work, cooperation, and sharing the power as well as the wealth. Why would Iranians vote for Ahmadinejad?

Right after Ahmadinejad took office in 2005, he started his regular provincial trips as he had promised earlier in his presidential campaign.

The aim of these trips was visiting the masses to diagnose and get to know their shortages and deprivations directly. People who have been deprived from their most basic needs thanks to the negligence of former administrations.

He started his trips from the poorest provinces and blew a new air of hope in the hearts of the forgotten people.

These trips have been considered an administrative revolution towards discovering the shortages of the poor and decision-making for rectifying them.

indeed....

Peace love and respect with all cultures and beliefs - that is the reason we are an Islamic Republic. to share our culture without invading any country, to show respect for others while being disrespected, to stand up for the oppressed and to make this world into a beautiful place for all that is good to co-exist

Rural Areas in Iran: In His Own Words Ahmadinejad

2009-06-24T21:33:00.000-07:00

Here is a video, that looks like a campaign video, that shows Ahmadinejad's visits to the rural and ethnic areas of Iran. I am posting this for those who have expressed frustration at not knowing more about these rural areas.

Does the US Oppose Democracy in Islamic States?

2009-06-24T15:32:00.000-07:00

After Hamas won the elections in Palestine, the Bush administration armed fatah, for the purpose of creating "civil war" or sectarian "divisions," among the Palestinians. Why would the US do that?

Read The Gaza Bombshell in Vanity Fair:
http://www.vanityfair.com/politics/features/2008/04/gaza200804
(There are links to the documents on the left side of my blog.)

In a previous post, I reported that it had been reported in 2007, that Bush authorized $400 million for a black ops campaign against Iran. In the runup to the Iran election, American supported terror group, Jundull bombed a Mosque, band, and campaign headquartes, with the purpose of inciting ethnic and sectarian divisions in Iran, hoping to influence the outcome of the elections.

Although this is widely reported in Iran, the MSM, which is enthralled by the Israeli Narritive, fails to report news truthfully to the American people, substituting, instead, the propaganda from the black ops campaign. The result is Americans are grosly dis-informed, and have been robed of their right mind, as well as being robbed of their democratic rights.

What can we do about this?

Has Iran-Contra Returned, and does the US Fund al Qaeda?

2009-06-24T15:17:00.000-07:00

The fallout from the Iran elections cannot be understood in a vacumn. The US has a long and ugly history of agression against Iran, while supporting Saudi Arabia. Why?

Also, recently, and reported in other posts on this blog, the US has been funding black ops, including propaganda, media, psy ops, etc, for the explicit purpose of inciting ethnic and sectarian divisions and violence.

Did Obama's speech make a difference? So, is there an Obama effect? Or did covert ops influence the Palestinian, Lebanon and Iran elections?
http://watchingthewatchers.org/article/17081/obama-effect-lebanon

Receently, the Obama administartion has stated their "soft power" approach. Is soft power, Velvet revolutions, black ops and psyc ops, behind the recent violence in the Mid East and Central Asia and So Asia? Are American people being brainwashed by the MSM enthralled with "The Israeli Narrative?" Is propaganda destroying the "free press?" Open minds want to know...

Mousavi the Butcher of Beirut?

2009-06-24T13:03:00.000-07:00

Folks, you can't make this stuff up!

Wikipedia FAIL!

Mousavi, Celebrated in Iranian Protests, Was the Butcher of Beirut

http://axisoflogic.com/artman/publish/Article_56116.shtml

He may yet turn out to be the avatar of Iranian democracy, but three decades ago Mir-Hossein Mousavi was waging a terrorist war on the United States that included bloody attacks on the U.S. embassy and Marine Corps barracks in Beirut.

...................................................................................................................................

Lyons, sometimes called "the father" of the Navy SEALs' Red Cell counter-terror unit, also fingered Mousavi for the 1988 truck bombing of the U.S. Navy's Fleet Center in Naples, Italy, that killed five persons, including the first Navy woman to die in a terrorist attack.

Bob Baer agrees that Mousawi, who has been celebrated in the West for sparking street demonstrations against the Teheran regime since he lost the elections, was directing the overall 1980s terror campaign.But Baer, a former CIA Middle East field officer whose exploits were dramatized in the George Clooney movie "Syriana," places Mousavi even closer to the Beirut bombings."He dealt directly with Imad Mughniyah," who ran the Beirut terrorist campaign and was "the man largely held responsible for both attacks,"

Baer wrote in TIME over the weekend."When Mousavi was Prime Minister, he oversaw an office that ran operatives abroad, from Lebanon to Kuwait to Iraq," Baer continued.

Soros, the CIA, Mossad and the new media destabilization of Iran
James CorbettThe Corbett Report

http://www.prisonplanet.com/soros-the-cia-mossad-and-the-new-media-destabilization-of-iran.html

While there is no doubt that the regime of Ahmadenijad is reprehensible and the feelings of many of the young protestors in Iran are genuine, you will forgive me for quesyioning the motives behind the monolithic media support for the overthrow of Iran’s government and the installation of Mir-Houssein “Butcher of Beirut” Mousavi.

And from kellysmith on reddit we have

http://www.reddit.com/r/worldnews/comments/8siuk/moussavi_was_responsible_for_this_attrocity_in/

"Mousavi government oversaw the mass execution of political opponents in 1988, and say he has been largely silent on human rights violations since. ... They also point to his support for Khomeini's fatwa against Salman Rushdie, the British author of The Satanic Verses." Source: http://www.foreignpolicy.com/story/cms.php?story_id=4921

Not to mention Iran-Contra and Ollie North!

http://www.uruknet.info/?p=54948

Mir-Hossein Mousavi's Iran/Contra Connection?

This second bit is from Chapter 1 of Walsh Iran/Contra Report: (http://www.fas.org/irp/offdocs/walsh/chap_01.htm)
"On or about November 25, 1985, Ledeen received a frantic phone call from Ghorbanifar, asking him to relay a message from [Mir-Hossein Mousavi] the prime minister of Iran to President Reagan regarding the shipment of the wrong type of HAWKs. Ledeen said the message essentially was "we've been holding up our part of the bargain, and here you people are now cheating us and tricking us and deceiving us and you had better correct this situation right away.''[...]"In early May, North and CIA annuitant George Cave met in London with Ghorbanifar and Nir, where the groundwork finally was laid for a meeting between McFarlane and high-level Iranian officials, as well as financial arrangements for the arms deal. Among the officials Ghorbanifar said would meet with an American delegation were the president and prime minister [Mousavi] of Iran and the speaker of the Iranian parliament," (emphasis added).

What is the real reason Iran is targeted by the US?

2009-06-24T12:41:00.000-07:00

Is it possible that the usual excuse, of Weapons of Mass Destruction, is not the real reason that the US is Targeting Iran? After all, the US and UK have been interferring with Iran for more than half a century, now. perhaps the real reason is that Iran has created itself into a "Model Islamic State." Is it the fear that Muslims can create a just and democratic society, based, at least in part, on Sharia Law, that is seen as a threat.

US Intervention in Iran

http://www.palestinechronicle.com/view_article_details.php?id=15234

Is The US Covertly Supporting The Terrorist Group Jundullah?

2009-06-22T15:06:00.000-07:00

Folks, you can't make this stuff up!

Just when you thought the US had stopped interferring with Iran, and took heart at Obama's resolve to "talk" first, by extending an open hand, we find out that the covert policies of the Bush administration, see video above, has continued into the Omama presidency? A Mosque, and bank in So East Iran, were bombed just 2 weeks before the Iran elections, purportedly to incite sectarian and ethnic divisions, to affect the outcome of the election. This was one week after the poll, done by a group backed by McCain and Frist, showed that Ahmadinijad would win the Iran election by a vote of 2-1.

Today, Iran continues to be rocked by charges of voter fraud and rigged election. Now I wonder if those who opposed Obama's announced policy of extending an open hand, rather than a clenched fist, and agreeing to talk first, before blowing a country off the map, I wonder if folks who oppose Obama's policy, had anything to do with the "demonstrations" in Iran?

Is This the Culmination of Two Years of Destabilization
Are the Iranian Protests Another US Orchestrated "Color Revolution?"
By PAUL CRAIG ROBERTS

http://www.counterpunch.org/roberts06192009.html

Or is Obama continuing Bush's covert ops against Iran?

Who Put the ‘green’ in the Green Revolution?
http://www.lewrockwell.com/blog/lewrw/archives/027782.html
“Some of that money appears to have made it into the hands of pro-Mousavi groups, who have ties to non-governmental organizations outside Iran that the National Endowment for Democracy funds.”

Yes, you say, but what does a blow-hard propagandist like Timmerman know about such things? Well, he should know! His very spooky Foundation for Democracy in Iran has its own snout deep in the trough of NED’s “open covert actions” against the Iranian government.

How does the “Foundation for Democracy in Iran” seek to “promote democracy” in Iran with our tax dollars? Foundation co-founder Joshua Muravchik gives us a hint in his subtly-titled LA Times piece, “Bomb Iran.”

Is Iran right? Have outside forces interferred in the Iran elections and incited the demonstrations in the aftermath of charges that the election was rigged?

State Department Backs 'Reformists' in Wild Iranian Election
By: Kenneth R. Timmerman
http://www.newsmax.com/timmerman/Iran_election_Reformists/2009/06/11/224025.html

Why has the western MSM swarmed this story? Is there fair and unbiased news coverage?

http://electronicintifada.net/v2/article10616.shtml
The Western media and Iran
Matthew Cassel, The Electronic Intifada, 23 June 2009
"For years, Palestinians have organized weekly nonviolent demonstrations against Israel's wall in the West Bank. Each week protestors face the heavily-armed Israeli military and are beaten and shot at with rubber-coated steel bullets and tear-gas canisters, sometimes fatally. Yet, during his recent speech in Cairo to the Muslim world, Obama made no reference to these protests and instead called on Palestinians to "abandon violence" and adopt nonviolent means. Days after the speech a Palestinian was killed and a teenager wounded during the weekly protest, yet there has been no call by the US administration for Israel to "stop all violent and unjust actions" against the Palestinian people. And the media has followed and remained silent, even though covering the demonstrations would be as easy as a 30-minute drive from most Jerusalem-based news bureaus on any given Friday.

Why has the western MSM "forgotten" the recenttly and ongoing discussion of US covert ops in Iran in it's reporting of the Iran election? double standard?

Do we have a "free press" or is the press being used to propagandise American people?

Leader addresses nation in Friday prayers: Transcript
http://www.presstv.com/detail.aspx?id=98610

Obama and the Palestine Question?

2009-02-04T12:50:00.000-08:00

Unsettling Settlers

2009-01-29T10:01:00.000-08:00

"We killed Jesus, and we're proud of it!

Forgiveness: An exampe from the Pope

2009-01-25T10:24:00.000-08:00

This Sunday we will look at the Christian value of Forgiveness.

As I promised one week ago, I will try and post on each Sunday what values Christians take from their faith, and also, I should have said, what values Christians teach their children. Events of this past week lead us to consider the Christion value and teaching of Forgiveness. I would like to share with you the Parable of the Unmerciful Servant Matthew 18:

21 Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? 22 Jesus said to him, I say not to you, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.

23 Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened to a certain king, which would take account of his servants. 24 And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought to him, which owed him ten thousand talents. 25 But for as much as he had not to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made. 26 The servant therefore fell down, and worshipped him, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay you all. 27 Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt. 28 But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellow servants, which owed him an hundred pence: and he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me that you owe. 29 And his fellow servant fell down at his feet, and sought him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay you all. 30 And he would not: but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt. 31 So when his fellow servants saw what was done, they were very sorry, and came and told to their lord all that was done. 32 Then his lord, after that he had called him, said to him, O you wicked servant, I forgave you all that debt, because you desired me: 33 Should not you also have had compassion on your fellow servant, even as I had pity on you? 34 And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due to him. 35 So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also to you, if you from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.

The endless slaughter in the Holy Land has all of us heartbroken. From the leaders in Israel we hear their justification of excessive violence that caused the death of 400 Palestinian children as they crouched for safety in their homes inside the Gaza Ghetto. Having lived under the Israeli siege for almost 2 years, and a blockade of two months, these children were often without food, water and medical care. Even as the UN and other international human rights groups called on Israel to recognize the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, Israel arrogantly, and with extreem cruewlty, denied there was any humanitarian crisis.

Now, today, Israel is schreeching in anger and attacking the Pope, because he wants to rehabilitate 4 conservative Bishops, one of whom is a Holocost denier acording to Israel. No Mercy!! No forgiveness. No rehabilitation. No reconsiliation. Only ostrazitaion will satisfy the hate filled Jewish vendeta, bound and determined to teach the whole world the lesson they teach their children: We will never forget. We are the victims. Our tragedy trumps everyone else. Listen to us, or else. We will accuse you of anti-Semitism, and destroy your career. We have no choice, we must be ever vigilant, lest the holocast happens again. So goes the Israeli, or Jewish wail. Anger, hate and fear perpetrated into pertuity. No end in sight. No hope. No forgiveness. An endless Nuremburg trial.

Yes, it is true, I checked the news, and sure enough the Pope is going to talk with the 4 excommunicated Biships, and Jewish entities are attacking the Pope, even as gaza children continue to die of their wounds under the savage, barbaric and inhumane bombardment of the Gaza Ghetto, where Israel refused to allow innocent Palestinians and children to leave the Ghetto during the bombardment.

'Fifty years ago today, Pope John XXIII called a council," by Jason Petrosa, published on National catholic reporter on Line today, describes the thought behind the decision to excommunicate the 4 Bishops, and now the dicision to invite them back. http://ncronline3.org/drupal/?q=node/3175

"Weary and even heart-broken, let us consider forgiveness. Our ultimate model of forgiveness is Jesus Christ, and for a concrete, recent Christian example we have the Amish of Nickel Mines, Pa. In the fall of 2006, Charles Carl Roberts IV, a truck driver, entered the Amish community’s one-room schoolhouse and held 10 girls hostage for several hours. He then shot and killed five of the girls and seriously wounded the other five.

How the Amish community responded with forgiveness in so many ways is told in the book Amish Grace, How Forgiveness Transcended Tragedy, by Donald B. Kraybill, Steven M. Nolt and David L. Weaver-Zercher (Jossey-Bass). “Amish people are likely to say that they are simply trying to be obedient to Jesus Christ who commanded his followers to do many peculiar things, such as love, bless and forgive their enemies,” they write. These Amish people’s ongoing forgiveness, pardon and reconciliation are a model for us as we try to liberate the Catholic church from its current predicament.

Forgiveness is the way to make us whole again. It is the medium through which we tap into the transcendent power of the Holy Spirit. Forgiveness is the balm to ease our pain and restore our optimism. Forgiveness helps us avoid sinking into the ugly cancer of contempt. It frees us from the temptation to get even, to one-up or put down our adversaries. Forgiveness enables us to purify our intentions so that every step of our ecclesial crusade is marked with magnanimity."

In "Benedict and the SSPX: the backlash begins ," Damian Thompson shows us how quickly people responded, many of whom may not be able to understand the meaning of the lifting of the excommunication.

This anger is nothing more, in my opinion, than hatred, and it is being aimed at the Pope, who, on January 1st, World Peace Day, spoke up for Christians who were suffering persecution for bearing witness. His views went unnoticed due to the horror Israel was visiting on the Gaza Ghetto. http://www.zenit.org/article-24722?l=english

"The Pope also gave attention to another type of anti-Christian persecution, one he pointed to in the Western world. He expressed his hope that "prejudice or hostility against Christians will not be cultivated simply because, on certain questions, their voice causes disquiet."And he offered words of encouragement for "the disciples of Christ, in the face of such adversity," urging them not lose heart."

I myself have experienced this kind of persecution, for expressing my views on the current catastrophy in Palestine. Nakba continues, but the Holocost is over.

"Israel Condemns Vatican’s ‘Concentration Camp’ Remarks," the NYTs headline screams! How dare they compare the Ghetto of Gaza with a consentration camp, claims the "offended" Israeli's. Ooops, are we all anti-Semitic? I am having a hard time thinking of what to compare Israel's brutal, inhuman, barbaric "neutralization" of Palestinians as Israels punishment for their daring to elect Hamas. Livni bragged that "Israel has gone wild," and that they needed to be taught a lesson. Oh, my, whatever happened to the "self defense" excuse? http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/09/world/middleeast/09vatican.html?ref=world

So, it would seem from Israel's point of view, that Pope Benedict XVI is not going to parrot the Israeli narrative. I wonder why Israel ever thought anyone should, much less the Pope? We all have a right to exist, and we all have a right to define ourselves. The Israeli narrative is impossible for me to embrace, much less defend. In fact, it is indefensible. However, although not all Christians are Catholic, I am glad the Pope has taken a stand for our rights to express Christian values without being unfairly accused of anti-Semitism.

Did the 'war on terror' end?

2009-01-24T23:42:00.000-08:00

In the past few days, since the world's 4th largest army withdrew from the Gaza Ghetto, the silence from the bombardment has been filled with whispering, op ed pieces, and a flurry of realization that the war on terror has no meaning.

Paul Woodward's piece "Did the 'war on terror' end, Jan 25, on The National, AbuDhabi, caught my eye. It is a brief review of several news reports and op ed pieces about Israel's attack on Gaza and Obama's change in foreign policy. Woodward notes that India was able to keep Kashmir out of the fray of diplomacy.
http://www.thenational.ae/article/20090125/GLOBALBRIEFING/204543302/1009template=globalbriefing

Another piece, "This Is Not A Test," by Thomas friedman, Jan 25, NYT, points out that the window of opportunity to a two state solution is rapidly closing. He writes, "So if you believe in the necessity of a Palestinian state or you love Israel, you’d better start paying attention.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/25/opinion/25friedman.html
This is not a test. We’re at a hinge of history."

"Hamas and Palestine's right to exist," by Tony Iltis, Jan 23, Green Left on Line, makes a case that unless the main grievences of the Palestinians are discussed and resolved, a just peace cannot be reached. "However, while Palestinian acceptance of the “right” of Israel to exist as an exclusively Jewish state was a precondition for talks, discussion of the geographic definition of the Palestinian state was deferred and Israel has refused to negotiate on crucial issues, such as the right of Palestinian refugees driven from territory claimed by Israel to return to their homelands."
http://www.greenleft.org.au/2009/780/40198

And then there is this piece, in the Houstan Chronicle that claims that US prosecutors have linked Ingred Mattson, who took part in Obama's inaugural prayer service on Wednesday to Hamas!
http://religionblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2009/01/working-draft.html

After giving all these stories some thought, and it is hard to read them all in one day, I have come to the conclusion that Paul Woodward's headlin has more meaning in it than he realizes. Yes, Israel may not have destroyed Hamas, who has already risen from the ashes, stronger than ever, but Israel's slaughter of Gaza's children has destroyed the war on terror. It is clear that refusing to talk with one's enemy cannot get you what yopu want.

The war on terror is over. Now we need to find a way to listen to each others grievences. To those who still believe one can bring peace by bombing the brains out of children, I can only say you have failed to win their hearts and minds. It is for that reason that the war on terror cannot be won, and now Israel has ended it for us all. Let the building up begin.

Obama at State Dept: Our Actions In Defense Of Liberty Will Be As Just As Our Cause.

2009-01-22T12:47:00.000-08:00

With Vice President Biden and H. Clinton in tow, President Barack Obama worked the room and chatted with State Dept for more than 20 minutes today, his second day in office.

Sec of State Clinton announced that she and the president were announcing the appointment of Richard Holbrooke to coordinate US stragegic goals in the region of Afghastan and Pakistan., and george Mitchell as Special envoy for Middle East Paece. Former Ambassador Holbrooke stated clearly that he recognized the individual histories of each nation, and would work to bring an integrated strategy to solve the challenges the two nations face as they share a border in the troubled region.

Former Senator george Mitchell pledged his full effort to the search for peace and stability in the Middle East. He explained that there is no such thing as a conflict that cannot be ended, because conflicts are created by human beings. He aslo described the region as volitile, complex and dangerous. "I understand those of you who may be discouraged," he said, and described 800 years of struggle to achieve peace in Ireland.

H Clinton introduced the meeting by stating that diplomacy is the top priority of this administration, and that was demonstrated by President Obama coming to the State Dept on his second day in office. Vice president Biden stated that H Clinton was the right person at the right moment to head the State Dept, "She is uniquely qualified to put diplomacy back in the forefront of US policy."

President Obama smiled, but was serious and listed the first three actions he had taken since becoming President. "This morning I signed 3 orders:" 1. The US will not torture, 2. We will close Gitmo, and 3. We will hold a comprehensive review of our policies with the rule of law in mind. Obama said we must renew American leadership through principaled, focused and sustained diplomacy, "We cannot afford to drift and delay."

Paul Woodward raises the question..."Did Mitchell’s anticipated imminent return to the region as President Obama’s Middle East envoy provide an added incentive for Israel to launch its assault of Gaza? After January 20 the strain on US-Israeli relations would have been severe."
http://warincontext.org/2009/01/22/editorial-does-israel-fear-its-friends-more-than-its-enemies/

Here is a link to Mitchell's "The American Perspective."
http://warincontext.org/2009/01/22/george-mitchell-the-american-perspective/

Dershowitz, Wall St Journal, recieve white powder mail from Knoxville, Tenn.

2009-01-21T14:50:00.000-08:00

Cambridge, MA

Cambridge Police report that at 11:30am this morning they responded to Harvard Law in response to a call that an envelope, addressed to Alan Dershowitz, was opened and found to contain a white powder. The return address was Knoxville, Tenn. AP reports that several similar letters, addressed to executives at the Wall Street Journal, in NYC were also sent from various addresses in Knoxville.

Dershowitz, who once referred to the '67 borders in Israel/Palestine as "Auschwitz borders," recently wrote an opinion piece published in the Wall Street Journal, defending Israel's agression in Gaza. He was one of the attornies on OJ's "Dream Team." To better understand the issue of the two state solution, the Israel/Palistine conflict, the contrast between the Holocost and Nakba, and the term "Auschwitz Borders," I offer this quote from Bradley Burston:
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/940221.html
{There was a time when the mention of 1967 lines was met with nothing more than one version or other of Abba Eban's 1969 comment to the German newspaper Der Spiegel: "We have openly said that the map will never again be the same as on June 4, 1967. For us, this is a matter of security and of principles. The June map is for us equivalent to insecurity and danger. I do not exaggerate when I say that it has for us something of a memory of Auschwitz." }

The Boston Herald is reporting that suspecious letters were also sent to Rockland Town Hall. Aparently the FBI is looking into any possible connections.

Obama's Inauguration Speech Heard Around the World!

2009-01-21T14:48:00.000-08:00

Please tune back in...

BEYOND VIETNAM: A TIME TO BREAK SILENCE

2009-01-19T10:40:00.000-08:00

We are called to speak for the weak, for the voiceless,
for victims of our nation and for those it calls enemy,
for no document from human hands can make these
humans any less our brothers .

Even when pressed by the demands of inner truth, men do not easily assume the task of opposing their government's policy, especially in time of war. Nor does the human spirit move without great difficulty against all the apathy of conformist thought within one's own bosom and in the surrounding world. Moreover when the issues at hand seem as perplexed as they often do in the case of this dreadful conflict we are always on the verge of being mesmerized by uncertainty; but we must move on.

Some of us who have already begun to break the silence of the night have found that the calling to speak is often a vocation of agony, but we must speak. We must speak with all the humility that is appropriate to our limited vision, but we must speak.

Over the past two years, as I have moved to break the betrayal of my own silences and to speak from the burnings of my own heart, as I have called for radical departures from the destruction of Vietnam, ...

Nor is it an attempt to overlook the ambiguity of the total situation and the need for a collective solution to the tragedy of Vietnam. Neither is it an attempt to make North Vietnam or the National Liberation Front paragons of virtue, nor to overlook the role they can play in a successful resolution of the problem. While they both may have justifiable reason to be suspicious of the good faith of the United States, life and history give eloquent testimony to the fact that conflicts are never resolved without trustful give and take on both sides.

Tonight, however, I wish not to speak with Hanoi and the NLF, but rather to my fellow Americans, who, with me, bear the greatest responsibility in ending a conflict that has exacted a heavy price on both continents.

Their questions hit home, and I knew that I could never again raise my voice against the violence of the oppressed in the ghettos without having first spoken clearly to the greatest purveyor of violence in the world today — my own government.

[Dr. King gave this speech at Riverside Church,
New York City, 4 April 1967,
exactly one year before he was killed. Some excerps,
please share Martin Luther King's dreams by
reading this speech today. The whole speech can
be found at the link below.]
http://www.shalomctr.org/node/71

And Who Is My Neighbor?

2009-01-18T10:53:00.000-08:00

Today is Sunday, a day of rest. I will try and share my reflections, from now on, on the code I live by, and how that shapes my response to world affairs.

Here is a reply I recieved to one of my comments on a list serve in the midst of debate on Gaza, and my reply follows. My reply explains three reasons I believe, each and every one of us should take what is going on in Gaza personally.

First, the reply I recieved....

"Sorry, forgot that she is immoveable on a conflict that is so far
from her own backyard that one wonders why this is her battle."

Here is my response:

1. Once again, as long as the US uses my tax dollars to finance this genocide,
It will be my legitimate political concern. As for the genocide, why would
those who did not live in Nazi Germany be concerned with Hitler's removal of the Jews?

2. Of course, we all care, as we are all members of the family of man. Perhaps Israel promotes itself as "apart," but no one else does. That's the humanitarian reason to be involved.

3. And religion does play a part. Aside from the true fact that Israel's treatment of the palestinians does not distinguisb between Arabs that are Christian or Muslim, since I was raised Christian, as were many others around the world, I have the following reason to make this my "battle." :

"Mat: 41} Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:

{42} For I was an hungered, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink:

{43} I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.

{44} Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungered, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?

{45} Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.

{46} And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal."

(please see also Mat:25:34 and Mat:25:40)

AND then there is the Parable of the Good Samaritan:
Luke:10:25-37 which has this preceeding context:

"On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. "Teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?". "What is written in the Law?" he replied. "How do you read it?" asked Jesus. The man answered: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'" "You have answered correctly," Jesus replied. "Do this and you will live." But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?"

Now, these are the basis for MY values.
(I know the New testament is NOT the Torah.)

take care, we are all neighbors.

On The Beach: Belly Up

2009-01-13T20:05:00.000-08:00

Growing up, I spent summers at the lake. After a storm, fish of all kinds could be found belly up, on the beach. Today, we see MSM on the beach...here are a few...The Tribune, NYT, CBS, and now the Seattle Post Intelligencer is up for sale. Who's buying?

On the other hand, Aljazeerza English is a hit on YouTube, where it lurks because the US refuses to allow it broadcast here in the USA. Now, Haaretz.com reports that Hamas has created a channel on YouTube?

http://www.palutube.com/

The perfect storm.

Palestinian Reporter in Gaza Reports House Hit

2009-01-12T20:51:00.000-08:00

Sad news from Gaza today, a very brave Palestinian journalist reports his house was hit today. There was slight damage, but Israeli's are moving into Gaza City, population 400,000 with tanks. Another report on NPR states of 900 killed, fully 1/3rd are children.

I am unable to upload the photos today, check back tomorrow.

Joe The Plumber Takes Off His PJs!

2009-01-11T20:25:00.000-08:00

"Journalists should be abolished

from reporting from war zones."

Pajamas Media (OSM), reportedly named because citizen journalists sit at home and blog, has sent Samuel Wurzelbacher, aka, Joe the Plumber to the front as their war correspondent. He said that the MSM shouldn't be alowed to report on the war, because half the time they didn't know what was behind it.

Joe also expressed quite a few opinions of his own, so I am not sure if he will be repeating the Israeli narative, or if he will question the propaganda that is handed to him. Now don't get me wrong, I am not opposed to citizen journalists, but the issue is being able to tell the American people what the heck is going on over there in a fair and non biased way. We will have to see how he does, and he may set a few celebrity reporters on their heels.

Palestinians Taken Hostage!!

2009-01-10T18:10:00.000-08:00

Jan 8, 2009. Chestnut Hill, MA. In a rally to show people how to lobby for Israel, Nadav Tamir, Israeli consulate general to New England claimed Israel was fighting to liberate Palestinians from a terrorist group who had taken the people of Gaza hostage. http://tinyurl.com/6tcsqb Although the Boston Globe did mention the other Jews who protested at the Consulate in downtown Boston, the Globe, which is owned by the New York Times chose to run with the Israeli narrative.

The Metro showed this photo of the protest at the Israeli consulate in Boston on Jan, 8 2009. They, and several sources reported that 4 demonstrators were arrested for refusing to leave. Judith Glaubman, of Cambridge, a Jew, was the spoksperson, and stated their solidarity for the Palestinians who had elected Hamas in fair elections. http://www.metrobostonnews.com/us/article/2009/01/09/04/2549-72/index.xml

I offer these two photos and two stories to show the bias that is inherrent in the media as it tries to cover the Palestine/Israel conflict. One might wonder, how a paper of the status of the Boston Globe can allow itself to be a mirror for the israeli lobby. But then thay are not aware of the bias in the MSM as a whole. here is a blog post by Phillip Weiss, a Jew, describing how Jews dominate the MSM, and how he believes that MSM may not be able to fairly cover a story like the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians.

At issue here is a Free Press vs The People's Right to Know. In my opinion the American Public is poorly served by having over 90% of the MSM dominated by Jews, who, even if they do not support Zionist israel, are sympathetic, and do not want to write a story that would betray Israel.
http://mondoweiss.net/2008/02/do-jews-dominat.html

I am also concerned that if a non Jew were to assert that jews dominate the media, and might be biased when reporting on this conflict thay might be accused of anti Semitism. But, many Jews also recieve pressure from the Zionists in the form of having their careers ruined unless they tow the line, and repeat the israeli narrative.

The losers are first the people, and democracy, because how can we exercice our rights when we are being misinformed, and then Israel is also a loser, as they do not get good feedback, then there are the babies and children being sacrificed on the alter of Zionist zeal and paranoia, that somehow the whole world is against them because they are Jews. For some reason they cannot tell the difference between their policies and there faith.

Well, I believe that we in the good ol' USA must not allow our MSM to be dominated by one ideology, especially when those who would try to report fairly are threatened. How can we make sure that we have more diversity in the media?

Change is on the way!

2009-01-09T16:36:00.000-08:00

This is what a moment of truth looks like. Remember when you first saw this? That is what a moment of truth feels like. It kinda takes your breath away for a moment. Who is this man? What does he do? Where is this? Why did he throw his shoe at Bush? How could he do such a thing?

Journalists were rounded up at the last minute and frisked repetedly before an unannounced press conference held so President Bush could get in some good policity photos for his legasy in Iraq. The plan was to abuse the press, by getting some free publicity, and have them be the mouthpiece for Bush's propaganda.

One journalist, Muntadar al-Zaidi, a reporter with Cairo-based network Al Baghdadia Television made a durable and lasting statement by throwing his shoe at Bush. "Here is your goodby kiss, you dog. " The second shoe he dedicated to the widows and orphans.

In this singular act, Muntardar embarassed the MSM for failing their most sacred duty, to make sure the people know what their government is doing.

I am of the firm opinion he should recieve the top journalistc awards for this courageous act.