Hedges: How Our Demented Capitalist System Made America Insane When civilizations start to die they go insane. Let the ice sheets in the Arctic melt. Let the temperatures rise. Let the air, soil and water be poisoned. Let the forests die. May 14, 2012 | Unfortunately for the author of this piece Marxism is still an [...]
Katter If you have been bored enough to follow Australian politics it appears that as usual the mediocre lead the more mediocre. First there is the unelected supremo Prime Minister Gillard. After losing her first and probably last go at being elected as a PM as the leader of a successful party she has [...]
JP Morgan chief executive Jamie Dimon called the mistakes ‘egregious’. Photograph: Justin Lane/EPA It would be funny if it were not tragic. Here is a loss of $2 billion being described on the BBC as a tiny part of $300 billion in assets. Just think for a moment just what could be done with $3 [...]
Since Austerity raised its head this page has constantly warned about what is suggested is an attack on working people, to further the cause of the elites and their lackeys. As far as ‘belt tightening’ in concerned, just whose belt is being tightened?. Remember that what we are supposed to [...]
François Hollande, France’s newly elected president. Photograph: Thomas Coex/AFP This is what passes for bad news these days. A proper election process looks to have rejected austerity. That’s bad apparently. In two elections candidates at least claiming to want to give people a voice may be elected or govern as part of a coalition. That [...]
These are but a few reports on the chameleon attitudes and thoughts of the unelected PM of Australia, Julia Gillard. At least what she seems to be taking as a jaunt in the Afghan photos has caught up with even this princess of poor ideas and even worse decisions. After shedding a sufficient [...]
Here in Australia we also have privatized prisons. In this fashion we too cage citizens for a profit. As part of this growing trend we are also seeing the privatization of non custodial penalties. Just part of the growth principle where anything that turns a dollar is god [...]
The environment and climate patterns have long been topics of conversation and discussion. From the cordial greeting to more serious research there has been a long tradition of viewing the environment as something fixed or unchangeable all part of what is often called mother nature. Since we all live iin the same [...]
Cameron’s talks with Aung San Suu Kyi took place in the house where she was held under arrest for 15 years. Photograph: KeystoneUSA-ZUMA/Rex Features So who is next? Seems Hillary could not get to see her quick enough. Now the evil UK forces of UK fascism follow. Is she able to see through the veil [...]
In the book “Manufacturing Consent” Chomsky and Herman deal with the nature of consent and the manner it was and is used to create the position where, basically the ‘good govern the bad’. The phrase itself, “manufacturing consent” was the product of the thinking of Bernays and Lipman. Bernays referred [...]
This article deals with a ‘doctrine’ that has and still does affect the indigenous people of Australia. While some view the Australian attitude to the indigenous as “paternal” that word carries with it some concept of actually caring for and being concerned about the peoples being made the subject of some or any [...]
By David Model (about the author) opednews.com This page has been pointing out the terror tactics involved in Drone warfare for quite some time. Obama is possibly the worst Presient the US has produced. The electoral system there is corrupt and simply a plaything for the elite and their money backed up by ruthless media propaganda. [...]
Taking a Mother’s Child Away By David Swanson http://warisacrime.org/content/taking-mothers-child-away One of the good things about speaking at big conferences is that people come up to you afterwards believing you have the power to change the world. One of the bad things about speaking at big conferences is that people come up to [...]
I recently had an exchange of emails with a US academic. Although the exchange related to other matters he did say in reference to another noted thinker, words to the effect, “not another article on the US empire.” I suppose one may tire of a continued reference to what some consider are the [...]
Not unsurprisingly everyone seems to know what Iran’s real capacity to build weapons is except the media that pushes the line that these evil people have nothing better to do than destroy the world as we know it. George Ikners ikners.com Israel [...]
dapd A German soldier watches a helicopter land in Afghanistan in Oct. 2011. It has to be a tragic and sad moment when a corrupt leader starts talking some sense about the effect of imposing democracy on an invaded country. There seems little doubt that Karzai and his family are very closely associated with the [...]
ASSOCIATED PRESS This page has been saying for some time that the use of drones will be a complete scourge and murderous monstrosity perpetuated by military murderers and elite arms manufacturers. Nothing has happened to put the slightest dent in this view. Drones enable a push button war to be conducted with minimal losses to [...]
Australian Govt Votes to Make Aboriginal Land Nuclear Dumping Ground The Australian government has passed legislation today that allows nuclear waste to be stored at a remote Aboriginal community in the Northern Territory, a decision Aboriginal groups and environmentalists have vowed to fight. The Australian government has passed legislation today that allows [...]
This is What Liberation Looks Like: U.S. Massacre in Afghanistan By War Criminals Watch - Posted on 12 March 2012 11 March 2012 - Reporting on its website tonight, The New York Times stated: “Stalking from home to home, a United States Army sergeant methodically killed at least 16 civilians, 9 of them children, in [...]
Some of the bodies of the victims were badly burned, but it remains unclear whether the fire in this Kandahar home was set deliberately or caused by the shooting itself [AFP] In Australia after a few words of condolence and the very insincere sounding efforts of Gillard the unelected PM it is full speed ahead to complete [...]
On the anniversary of Fukushima there has been quite a deal written about Fukushima and nuclear energy in particular. There is little doubt that there is a very vocal group in Japan and around the world who see the ‘nuclear industry‘ against a background of danger and uncontrollability. Quite recently there is a growing move [...]
Obama Plans More Middle East Wars By Stephen Lendman - Posted on 10 March 2012 by Stephen Lendman Stephen Lendman continues to write sensible and straight forward articles. Here as he sees it Obama plans more wars. Of course that is true you might think when you realise the real warmongers that run the [...]
Sandra Fluke’s testimony to Congress on contraception brought a vitriolic response from radio shock jock Ross Limbaugh. Photograph: Alex Wong/Getty Images The US is more than capable of starting a war on anything and everything. It is all part of the constant warrior mentality and the adoration of conquest that is rammed down the [...]
For decades there has developed an art or science in the investigation of different forms of torture. That of course follows a history of centuries o the use of the infliction of pain as a means to an end. As long as those who seek power at any cost [...]
Remember that China fills a curious role in Australian politics. As a country with a long history of racism particularly directed at the Chinese, Australia is trying to play on both sides of the net. On the one hand we are trying to say they as [...]
Slutwalk protests spread around the world last year in response to comments from a Canadian police chief. Photograph: Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images Europe Perhaps as a somewhat humorous moment a woman was asked on a radio show if she knew what today was. She was told it was an international day related to gender. We [...]
Most attention has focussed on China’s first aircraft carrier, the former Soviet ship the Varyag. Photograph: AFP/Getty Images What is China doing that is different to what the US and others have been doing for a few centuries? The answer is nothing. Once you encircles a country and place all manner of war items around [...]
How often do you see the word “intervention’ these days. It must be almost daily and always seems to refer to something being done by one country to ‘help’ another. In practice it is far more motivated by by advantage than any sense of charity or assistance. First you [...]
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 [...]
Sewage system in Gaza (MaanImages/Hatem Omar, File) There is a wonderful photo at Anna Baltzer‘s site that shows a lane in Palestine. There are a few Palestinians walking through the lane and immediately above their heads are nets. Those nets are there to stop those in the laneway becoming the victims of refuse thrown by [...]
European commission criticised for ‘racist’ ad Video showing white European woman facing down Chinese, Indian and Brazilian fighters is withdrawn after outcry If you thought Europe had problems with finances this Disneyland version of their own sense of self importance does not help. George Ikners ikners.com European commission advert shows white [...]
It seems that the present situation regarding Iran and the US and Israel is a question of two differing views about an armed Iran. Iran has been armed for some time. Israel is armed to the eyeballs with nuclear capacity hat they refuse to acknowledge. But there seems little doubt that thIsrael can deliver a nuclear [...]
How the Media got the Parchin Access Story Wrong by Gareth Porter Posted on March 4, 2012 by dandelionsalad Remember the only country to ever drop nuclear devices on a civilian population is the US. They got away with it then, the memory of these ‘great acts’ lingers on for the warmongers. The [...]
Rush Limbaugh ‘sincerely’ sorry for Fluke remarks but AOL joins ad exodus For many thousands of years the war on women by their male counterparts has continued ruthlessly and without pause. Discrimination and prejudice has been a way of life from cradle to grave for women as they have been put down by the male [...]
Perhaps the luckiest people on the planet are those in the US and those who follow their lead in creating imperial hegemony. The level of war crimes committed by people like Clinton, Obama, Blair. Howard and more recently Gillard here in Australia would see any person not so close to the elites struggling to defend [...]
This site has consistently said that a privatisation of the police force was a matter of certainty, particularly once gaols were becoming privatised. It is actually quite a simple process. After all police are just private citizens given extra powers. It seems the UK is well advanced on that path to privatisation. This was perhaps a matter that [...]
Humanity’s Growing Impact on the World’s Freshwater It takes water to make everything, and the explosion of demand for all manner of products is draining rivers, shrinking lakes and depleting aquifers. February 23, 2012 | I remember only too well the reaction given me by a Sudanese here in Australia when he first saw people [...]
The easiest ever political prediction of all time has occurred in Australia. For years a premier politician dreamed of greater glory and in his everyday fantasy world life he probably imagined himself as a future leader of the entire universe. Meanwhile several years later a national leader needed a person with something approaching [...]
Deconstructing Lieberman’s Iran Resolution By Muhammad Sahimi The US can not say what the Iranians can that they have not been in a war for 100 years. In fact they started on their own indigenous the Indians and eventually slaughtered in excess of 10 million of their men women and children. Then [...]
Students and riot police clash during education protest in Barcelona. Photograph: David Ramos/Getty Images Now remember girls and boys just because we stuffed up does not mean you can think about it and run amok. Remember while we were stuffing up we built easily enough gaols for all you radical, heathen commie lot. By the [...]
Roger Waters is reported as telling Chilean TV that the Falkland Islands ‘should be Argentinian‘. Photograph: Anthony Devlin/PA One major problem with the Falklands is just where do you send snotty nosed royals to get maximum coverage for their presumed fighting capabilities. George Ikners ikners.com The Falkland Islands should belong to Argentina, the former Pink Floydbass player Roger Waters [...]
Just in case you think that the only people expressing concern about climate change are from the loony left, or worse still are evil terrorists seeking revenge on the capitalist system this is an interesting article. Apart from the possibility of extinction and the imminent loss of life on the planet there are those [...]
In a way the following article deals with a lot of matters that concern not just the US. The central theme is expressed as an “image problem”. Unfortunately the US and other lappdog toadies like Australia share the same problem. The real question is whether it can be so simply classified as [...]
In the book “Walking With The Comrades by the exceptional Indian activist and writer Arundhati Roy you are given an outstanding analysis of Indian life, politics and culture as only she can write. There is so much to recommend this book that any description is too much like those previews that virtually tell [...]
George Orwell (Eric Blair) was a towering figure when there was a drastic shortage of people that could be relied on, but that is probably a universal position. However, a close reading of most of what he said was full of very accurate predictions, from purely political matters to saying that people would [...]
If you are feeling bored try looking at the Australian political non event happening now between the present unelected PM and a former PM. It seems that the unelected one has called the former PM to task and a ballot to decide who captains a sinking boat will happen next Monday. It seems that the rats [...]
AFP photo It can not be stressed enough that the Greek bailout is really about getting present investors some return on their money. It is not a loan to tide over the Greek economy while they look to carry on helping their own people. The ultimate price to be paid is for Greeks to become [...]
It is hardly surprising to see a US position where secret armies are to be used to continue the policy of global containment (substitute imperialism if you prefer). To those people who voted for a real killer menace in Obama it must be a daily tragedy to see the use of force is [...]
If you really are interested in a feather fight between two non entities keep tuned to Australian events. In the continuing saga a former PM has resorted to confrontation with the unelected present PM. Gillard or Joolya as she should be known is once again called on to get her loyal [...]
A study of countries that implemented ‘austerity plans’ showed they often weaken the economy [GALLO/GETTY] In an unequal economic situation totally geared to placing the maximum profits and assets of society into the hands of the elite austerity is a quick fix to maintain that very system and to place the burden for recovery on [...]
