An Occupy Wall Street protester is detained during a march through lower Manhattan, in New York, November 17, 2011. (Photo: Robert Stolarik / The New York Times) The “Suicidal State” and the War on Youth Tuesday, 10 April 2012 11:14By Henry A Giroux, Truthout | Op-Ed In spite of being discredited by the economic recession of 2008, market [...]
True Democracy Still Far Off By Gibson Nyikadzino April 03, 2012 “Information Clearing House” — It is fact that in many – if not all ‑ countries of the world, the dominant political discourse consists of ideas put forth by the ruling class. This discourse led Karl Marx to argue that [...]
Nine Years Out of Government and Pinning Hopes on Those Who Challenge it!! By davidswanson - Posted on 19 March 2012 By Ann Wright Nine years ago, on March 19, 2003, I resigned from the U.S. Department of State in opposition to President Bush’s war on Iraq. A lot of water has gone under [...]
OWS by Creative Commons Is the solution more democracy and how do elections fit into that picture since this session’s title is “Is Voting a Solution?” “How do we get there from here?” would be another way of putting this question. A basic disagreement exists within the Left between those who argue that elections are [...]
Measured against today’s standards, leaders like Charles de Gaulle were authoritarian, says Karaganov [GALLO/GETTY] Moscow, Russia - The world is currently being shaken by tectonic changes almost too numerous to count: the ongoing economic crisis is accelerating the degradation of international governance and supranational institutions, and both are occurring alongside a massive shift of economic and [...]
Polls show Socialist Party candidate Francois Hollande far ahead of Nicolas Sarkozy [GALLO/GETTY] It would be at least interesting to see Emperor Sarkozy and Fourth Reich Disciplinarian together with Lagarde depart for other pastures. All three see the European solution as one of strangling the working person, raiding their general fund and then the final [...]
It is very important to realise that the capitalist system runs on inequality and the oppression and dispossession of the vast mass of the people. Through this process the assets and wealth created by the people are simply diverted to the pockets and the bank accounts of the elites. To secure this result the propaganda [...]
Kenneth Roth, executive director Follow on twitter @kenroth © 2010 Sarah Shatz World Report 2012 By Kenneth RothThe sad truth is that the dominant Western policy toward the Arab people traditionally has been one of containment. Today many applaud as the people of the region take to the streets to claim their [...]
. Utopia: Social Forum Declares ‘Together We Are the 99%‘ Thematic Social Forum 2012: Capitalist Crisis: Social and Environmental Justice – Common Dreams staff link to article http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2012/01/25-0 Another world is possible This well-known message is coming out of Porto Alegre, Brazil this week as the “Thematic Social Forum” takes place, in stark contrast to the [...]
Three Books to Stimulate Thought By Paul Craig Roberts http://palestinechronicle.com/view_article_details.php?id=17405 January 11 was the tenth anniversary of amerika’s Guantanamo torture prison. National Public Radio commemorated the anniversary by airing critics and defenders of Washington’s violation of US statutory law, the Geneva Conventions, and the US Constitution. Listening to the former [...]
The World War on Democracy By John Pilger January 20, 2012 “Information Clearing House” — Lisette Talate died the other day. I remember a wiry, fiercely intelligent woman who masked her grief with a determination that was a presence. She was the embodiment of people’s resistance to the war on [...]
Police and cleanup crews remove items from the anti-war protest camp in Parliament Square [Daniel Deme/EPA] Police in the UK have cleared a decade-old protest camp in central London that was first established to oppose the war in Afghanistan in 2001. Two people were arrested during Monday’s raid at the protest site, located in Parliament Square [...]
There is a lot to be seen in any cult of personality. As a central point there is the overwhelming feeling, carefully inculcated in people that salvation always comes from above. What the people are led to believe in is that as far as [...]
Occupy the Heart of Nonviolence by Ira Chernus On Martin Luther King Day I had a dream. I dreamt that the man himself returned and crisscrossed the nation, visiting Occupied spaces and Occupy meet-ups everywhere in a single day. At each stop he began the conversation with the same question: [...]
. Report: Massive Movement Needed to Fix ‘Perverse Concentration of Wealth’ Honoring Martin Luther King Jr. while perpetuating the racial divide – Common Dreams staff Martin Luther King’s dream of racial equality is far from reality Census Bureau figures show the U.S. on track to be a majority minority nation by 2042. But if the [...]
The Hollow Democracy Thursday, January 5th, 2012 Maybe they’re trying to remind us that democracy isn’t merely a matter of casting that little vote once every Leap Year — but, far, far more significantly, it’s about getting that right to vote in the first place, keeping that right, and having it [...]
Michael Klare, Energy Wars 2012 Posted by Michael Klare at 9:37am, January 10, 2012. Last week, the president made a rare appearance at the Pentagon to unveil a new strategic plan for U.S. military policy (and so spending) over the next decade. Let’s leave the specifics to a future TomDispatch post and focus instead on a historical footnote: [...]
Each occupation is an attempt to be outside the ‘Spectacle‘, even as the Spectacle ‘encircles them, flatters them and tries to assimilate what they are doing and render it safe’ [GALLO/GETTY] In the years after the World War II, the US and Western Europe saw unprecedented rates of sustained economic growth. Food and accommodation were [...]
The growing militarisation of police Is access to military-grade weapons changing the mentality of crowd control? There seems little doubt that the Darth Vader approach to modern policing is aimed at the general population and controlling those unruly enough to suggest that freedom and equity together with participation in the political process goes [...]
The “I’m not thinking award” goes to the media and politicians who have the nerve to even suggest that the Durban talks were of some value. But for the actions mounted against the tin pot toadies of capitalism, growth and profit there would not even have been the occasion af a [...]
Dr. Robert Schultes of Cedar Rapids, Iowa (Credit: Douglas Burns) TOPICS:OCCUPY WALL STREET, OCCUPY IOWA, DRONES CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa — The Cherry Building in Cedar Rapids’ revitalized New Bohemia neighborhood is a hive of artisans, small businesspeople, entrepreneurs — and soon, space for the assembly of surveillance drones. It’s the arrival of the latter in [...]
Churches of all denominations have been praying for peace ahead of the expected election results [AFP] Opposition parties in Democratic Republic of Congo have rejected partial results released by the electoral commission giving incumbent President Joseph Kabila an early lead in the vote count from the November 28 presidential election. In a joint statement signed by major [...]
An article by a political analyst that starts with an unusual question. But if you read the rest it does not seem to be so unusual. Democracy is a hated creature as far as the elite is concerned. At their most charitable the elites see it as only a once every so many years marking [...]
By James Petras We live in a time of dynamic, regressive, regime changes. A period in which major political transformations and the dramatic roll back of a half century of socio-economic legislation are accelerated by a prolonged and deepening economic crises and a world-wide financier led offensive. This essay explores major ongoing regime changes that [...]
Abdelillah Benkirane, secretary-general of PJD said his party is ‘open to everyone’ wanting to form alliances [Reuters] The Party of Justice and Development (PJD), a moderate Islamic party has taken a resounding victory in Morocco‘s parliamentary elections, Taib Cherkaoui, the country’s interior minister, has announced. Cherkaoui told a press conference on Saturday that PJD had won 80 [...]
On Western Democracy by PAUL CRAIG ROBERTS Every day that passes adds to the fraudulent image of what is called Western democracy. Consider that the entire Western world is outraged that the Greek prime minister announced that he is going to permit the Greek people to decide their own fate instead of having it decided [...]
Egypt protesters say the recent tear gas used is different and ‘stronger’ from that fired at them in January [Reuters] From Egypt, to Athens, to Oakland, police have employed “non-lethal weapons” to break down recent protests and disperse protesters. As crowds have swelled to express discontent, variations of tear gas, rubber bullets, water cannons, and [...]
Joe Wolf (CC-BY-ND) How Students Landed on the Front Lines of Class War EMAIL PRINT SHARE SHARE Posted on Nov 22, 2011 By Juan Cole The deliberate pepper-spraying by campus police of nonviolent protesters at UC Davis on Friday has provoked national outrage. But the horrific incident must not cloud the real question: What led comfortable, bright, middle-class [...]
The Last Whistleblowers By David Swanson http://warisacrime.org/content/last-whistleblowers Whistleblowing in our federal government may soon be a thing of the past, not because whistleblowers face more vicious retribution than ever before — although that is true; and not because important acts of whistleblowing now result in fewer reforms and less accountability than they used [...]
Egyptian riot police charge at protesters during clashes in Tahrir Square in Cairo. Photograph: Ahmed Ali/AP Egyptian elections in doubt after violent clashes in central Cairo Several candidates suspend campaigns after army attack on protesters leaves five dead and almost a thousand injured reddit this Jack Shenker in Cairo guardian.co.uk, Sunday 20 November 2011 19.39 GMT [...]
US university probes protest pepper spraying Footage of incident on California campus described as “chilling” by university chancellor who rejects calls to quit. This is another Al Jazeera story that comes with video footage you can get there at http://www.aljazeera.com/news/americas/2011/11/201111205325523767.html The Article continues The head of a California university where protesters supporting the [...]
Battle rages for control of Tahrir Square Police and demonstrators fight pitched battles in central Cairo after security forces descend on protest hub. This article from Al Jazeera also has video footage. You can see that video at http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2011/11/2011112082333907688.html The article continues: Egyptian security forces are battling with thousands of protesters in downtown [...]
Helen John, 73, with a banner protesting against unmanned drones being based at RAF Waddington. Photograph: Christopher Thomond for the Guardian Protest and survive: the Greenham veteran who refuses to go away Thirty years ago, Helen John was the first full-time member of the Greenham Common peace camp. Now 73, she’s still hard at [...]
‘Democracy Now!’: Inside the Zuccotti Park Raid EMAIL PRINT SHARE SHARE Posted on Nov 15, 2011 democracynow.org Around 1 a.m. on Tuesday, New York City police forces rolled up to Occupy Wall Street’s Zuccotti Park encampment and started pushing protesters out and removing their belongings via dump trucks. “Democracy Now!” sent a camera crew to the [...]
Lopez Obrador disputed the result of 2006 elections, which he lost by less than one percentage point [Reuters] Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, the leftist former mayor of Mexico City, will again run for the Mexican presidency in 2012 after his narrow loss in the 2006 election sparked massive protests. The 58-year-old beat the current mayor of the capital in a [...]
A court in New York City has ordered police to stand down and allow Occupy Wall Street protesters to return to the demonstration site that they were forcefully evicted from by hundreds of police in riot gear earlier on Tuesday. Just hours after Zuccotti Park, which Occupy activists have been [...]
Occupy Wall Street: Zuccotti Park eviction – live updates • New York police clear Zuccotti Park in 1am swoop on plaza • More than 200 arrested mayor Bloomberg defends action • Protesters awarded court order allowing them back • Standoff developing between police and Occupy protesters • Read our earlier live blog [...]
Why Defense Debates Are Unbalanced THE SKEPTICS |More Benjamin H. Friedman | November 8, 2011 A reporter asked me the other day why my side of the military budget debate—for slashing spending—has been quiet lately. Given that I have been spending too much time making such arguments, I was slightly annoyed. The conversation was a [...]
While European leaders are struggling to deal with the crises in Italy and Greece, another debt crisis is looming. The US congress has until November 23 to agree on how to reduce its public debt, or face mandatory budget cuts. Many are concerned that failure to reach a deal might lead to a downgrade of the US [...]
Danny Moloshok / Reuters How the War on Terror Has Militarized the Police NOV 7 2011, 3:11 PM ET 172 Over the past 10 years, law enforcement officials have begun to look and act more and more like soldiers. Here’s why we should be alarmed. At around 9:00 a.m. on May 5, 2011, [...]
An ever-growing economy requires ever-growing supplies of natural resources – unfortunately, the planet we live on has a finite amount of resources [GALLO/GETTY] What if rising sea levels are yet another measure of inequality? What if the degradation of our planet’s life-support systems – its atmosphere, oceans and biosphere – goes hand in hand with [...]
Companies including VISA and MasterCard have imposed “an historic act of censorship” on WikiLeaks [GALLO/GETTY] The banks, payment and credit card companies support extremist organisations by authorising transfers and donations to them. You can use VISA and MasterCard to donate to the Ku Klux Klan and the English Defence League. You can donate to Aryan [...]
BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — Bolivian President Evo Morales said Tuesday that U.S. drug agents are n ot welcome back in his country despite the newly announced normalization of diplomatic relations with Washington. Morales told reporters during a regional summit in the Colombian capital that it is a question of “dignity and sovereignty.” As a coca [...]
Any fossil fuel infrastructure built in the next five years will cause irreversible climate change, according to the IEA. Photograph: Rex Features World headed for irreversible climate change in five years, IEA warns If fossil fuel infrastructure is not rapidly changed, the world will ‘lose for ever’ the chance to avoid dangerous climate change [...]
UK detainee Babar Ahmad has been in prison for seven years without trial [GALLO/GETTY] As Libya cried “liberation!” and captured its dictator, as Tunisia held its exemplary democratic elections, and as Syria and Yemen fight on relentlessly, we are living in captivating times. After seeing millions of people creating their own freedom, I have regained my [...]
The Battle for Brooklyn by BRUCE E. LEVINE Do we really accept that Big Money—through intimidation, bribery, or some other coercion—can shove us out of our homes and obliterate our communities? Eminent domain is the government’s right to seize private property, usually with compensation, for the public good. We live in a nation, however, [...]
AP / Thomas Watkins Residents hang out at the basketball court at Algin Sutton Recreation Center in South Los Angeles. The center is included in the city’s Summer Night Lights program aimed at reducing gang violence. By Bill Boyarsky While Occupy Wall Street and similar movements around the country take aim at financial institutions and their [...]
Image by david_shankbone via Flickr #Occupy and the #Climate Movement How are the #occupy movement and climate change connected? Fossil fuels enable the current economic system to continue because it is global and requires a lot of fossil fuels for production and transportation. Multi-national corporations won’t do well if we stop burning fossil fuels. Failure [...]
Princeton University professor and renowned civil rights activist Cornel West was arrested Friday afternoon during a demonstration in Harlem against alleged racial profiling by the New York City Police Department. West joined a protest against the NYPD’s stop-and-frisk policy, which critics say disproportionately targets people of color. New York City police carried out 600,000 such [...]
Guatemala apologises to Arbenz family for 1954 coup Jacobo Arbenz had been in office for three years when he was ousted Continue reading the main story Related Stories Worst place to be a paramedic Guatemala urged to protect women Guatemala gets new UN crime chief Guatemala’s government has apologised to the family of former President [...]
