It's not a war crime if you're wearing a NATO uniform

Contributor: "YYC"

Statement by ICC Prosecutor on decision by Pre-Trial Chamber I to issue three warrants of arrest for Muammar Gaddafi, Saif Al-Islam Gaddafi and Abdulla Al-Senussi

As stated in the video below, Gadhafi is attacking armed rebels, not civilians. A Canadian PM, especially the current one, would do the same if there were an armed resistance here (remember black October? - see full length documentary film).

NATO is killing Libyan civilians with bombs, but the killers wear olive drab, so that's okay. As for "breaking NATO ranks", the analyst in the video says it's a war by three countries, not a true NATO endeavour, and that the judicial body at the Hague is a political court - a tool of NATO rather an instrument of international justice.

France exposed for breaking NATO ranks arming Libya rebels

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eWgBiyQV5Zg

This is similar to Momin Khawaja's predicament. If it's true he built detonators to be used for the fight against the invaders of Afghanistan, against soldiers, not civilians - something we would consider the duty of every able-bodied person if Canada were invaded - his real crime was that he wasn't wearing a NATO uniform when he did it.

Greece, Egypt: Testosterone Summer

Contributor "YYC"

Greek protesters face tear gas barrage

Note that for the most part these are young males. What did the government expect when they put so many young men out of work? That energy has to go somewhere.

A slightly redeeming feature of the Greek government is that 138 members voted against the austerity measures. They must be really stupid, eh? Especially since Papandreou believes - or has been scripted to believe - it's the only way to save the country.

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Meanwhile, security forces have reportedly injured 600 as young people continue to protest in Egypt - and an "Egyptian Christian telecom mogul" is doing his best to stir the pot, showing that, unlike Islamists, Christians have a "sense of humour", albeit a malicious one.

I do think, however, that Islamists would be better off not reacting to deliberate "Christian" attempts to get them all worked up. They should just retaliate by making fun of the Pope - like I do.

Well, actually, boycotting the "Christian" guy's company isn't such a terrible idea. The Pope is CEO of a mega corporation too, and I'm boycotting everything it stands for.

You might notice, though, that I never make fun of God, nor of Jesus, nor of Mohammed. Just the people who set themselves up as their reps on earth, and use their names to keep people in thrall, which unfortunately is happening on both sides of the "war on terror".

Greek protests heat up: livestream/video

Contributor: "YYC"

Live Stream:

Here

Here

CNN video

MSNBC video

Twitter Feed

Watch out Baird; Libyan women are angry!

Contributor: "YYC"

Baird meets with Libyan rebels in secret trip to Benghazi

Not much of a secret since it's in the news, but maybe they mean a bunch of secret stuff will happen when he gets there - like maybe visiting Gadhafi to cadge a free supply of viagra (← a video that blows the viagra rumour out of the water - the doctor who promulgated the rumour is actually a rebel supporter). Baird is that gullible, and probably that cheap.

Nice touch here:

Ottawa has called for women to play a role in any future democratic government in Libya.

Well, I guess we don't have to wonder anymore if the rumours are true that Libyan women are gearing up to fight the rebels. It's the done thing to try to "win hearts and minds" when force fails.

Here's mainstream confirmation that women are indeed preparing to fight for Gadhafi.

Related:
AFP: Britain hailed the International Criminal Court's decision to issue an arrest warrant for Moamer Kadhafi on Monday, saying members of the Libyan regime should now abandon him.
Libyan women opposed to intervention
Libyan women's boots on the ground?

Obama's "peacemaking" can't match Kissinger's

Contributor: "Bugman"

Let's put this on the top of our wish list. One can always hope.

Obama Forfeits Peace Prize
'Outgunning Bush Contradicts Peacemaking'

Stuck between shame and chagrin, the Nobel Peace Prize Committee has for the first time in human history reversed a past prize selection. With high drama this week, the Committee notified President Obama his misguided 2009 Prize has been formally rescinded, requesting the $1.4 million payoff be returned.

"It's not about the money," conceded a press release, "we have a sacred obligation to protect the honor of humanitarian-arms maker Alfred Nobel. Plus, there's the reputation of renowned peacemakers like Henry Kissinger we need to treasure

Woman's eyes "gouged out"? Don't believe it.

Contributor: "YYC"

Look at the prominence Google has given the most sensational headline in this case of spousal abuse, which means that it is the most popular version of the story:

Rally for UBC student whose eyes were gouged out

CANOE - Byron Chu - ‎3 hours ago‎

VANCOUVER - More than 300 people turned out for a rally in front of the Vancouver Art Gallery on Sunday to support a University of British Columbia student who lost her vision after her husband gouged out her eyes in an attack ...

Hundreds rally for UBC Student CFJC TV Kamloops

UBC community rallies for blinded student CTV.ca

CBC.ca - News1130 - CKNW News Talk 980 - The Province

The less prominent headlines used the terms "abused", "attacked", "blinded" and the CBC stated simply that one eye was "completely damaged" - whatever that means - and the other was "not responding to light".

Common sense alone should indicate that if the woman's eyes were "gouged out", she wouldn't need peepholes in her shades - for both eyes!

I don't like the smell of this. Now we'll be hearing about how Bangladeshi men gouge out their wives' eyes to keep them at home - just one more reason to hate those Muslim types who are causing so much trouble in the world.

I'm sorry for what happened to this woman, and it's nice that UBC organized a supportive rally - if it was UBC and not some propaganda agency - but how many individual fund-raising rallies have you seen for the countless women who are emotionally and physically battered every day in North America by "Christian" men?

St. Lewis/Rancourt lawsuit: things that come to mind

Contributor: "YYC"

U of O law professor Joanne St. Lewis sues Rancourt for $1 million, will give half to a law student scholarship fund

Without wishing to take sides, a number of things came to mind as I perused this issue, and what's a blog for if not to say what comes to mind when reading on the Internet? Hence, the following:

The above headline is not entirely accurate. According to the Statement of Claim (Item 60), Professor St. Lewis informs the court that she will donate half of the "punitive" damages if any are awarded. The full damages sought are broken down as follows (emphasis mine):

(a) general damages for defamation in the amount of $500,000;
(b) aggravated damages for defamation in the amount of $250,000;
(c) punitive damages for defamation in the amount of $250,000;

This is only one of many attempts in the Claim to influence the court regarding the impeccable character and credentials of the Plaintiff as a staunch champion of human rights. But then, Rancourt did have the temerity to ask publicly, in the tradition of Malcolm X (video), whether or not Prof. St. Lewis might be a "house negro" at the University of Ottawa.

The Ottawa Citizen provides some additional background, and it's ironic to note in the final line that St. Lewis' lawyers "often act for the Citizen" protecting its freedom of speech. Ironic because in acting for St. Lewis they are stridently attempting to obliterate Rancourt's right to free expression.

Whether or not, as Rancourt has implied, Prof. St. Lewis habitually caters to the university administration to the occult detriment of the causes on which she has built her impressive reputation, the fact glaringly remains that it would be extremely rare for any university teacher to come out against the administration in even the smallest way prior to, and especially while in the midst of the tenure process, as was St. Lewis when she submitted her negative review of the official student complaint of administrative racism, specifically against Asian students.

It is also not unheard of that predominantly "white" universities hire token "persons of colour" in a show of "diversity". No doubt such tokens are expected to feel grateful, even special, and may well govern themselves accordingly.

There's a blog called "Stuff White People Do" that discusses "token diversity" in institutions and advertising ("Thank God for Photoshop"):

The white people in such places often know they're supposed to be members of a less homogeneous workforce, or campus population, or cast of characters, so they sometimes find ways to create the appearance of diversity. This is much easier than finding ways to achieve actual diversity, which many white people don't really want anyway.

There's even a common retort: "That's mighty white of you" (meaning "to behave or act in a manner stereotypically attributed to Caucasians") which speaks volumes about the true nature of "white" generosity and inclusiveness. Sadly, I recalled that phrase while reading how Prof. St. Lewis plans to donate to a "black" cause what amounts to a token gift -$125,000.00 out of a total claim of one million.

The final thing that came to mind is this: the naivete shown in the following parts of the Statement of Claim (emphasis mine):

1(f) an Order requiring the Defendant to assist the Plaintiff in obtaining the removal or take down of the defamatory statements complained of in this Statement of Claim from: Internet search engine caches (such as Google); any electronic database where the defamatory statements are accessible; and other Internet websites operated by third parties ...

36. ... she discovered that its ranking changed from the fourth search result to the second search result on page one of her Google search results. indicating that measures were taken to give greater prominence to the Defendant's February 11, 2011 blog.

All I can say is good luck with that, eh. It's true that the offending article is prominent in a Google search, but if Prof. St. Lewis and her counsel do actually know of "measures" that can be "taken" in this regard (other than simply producing content that catches the public interest), they could - much more quickly than through the courts - raise tons more money by selling that unique knowledge to the Internet community, whose experience has generally been that, because of such things as the "Way Back Machine" and mysterious search engine algorithms (supposedly based on traffic statistics and the number of external links to a given site), eradication of content and being able to significantly influence one's rankings are virtual impossibilities.

And how many website owners who have linked to the Rancourt article will St. Lewis have to intimidate or sue?

It's quite possible that it was the many dissenting comments made by readers of Rancourt's site that improved the ranking. People should think about this when they organize to gang up on a blogger.

Oh dear, other things have suddenly come to mind. Did St. Lewis' tenure come with strings attached? Was St. Lewis encouraged to stop ignoring Rancourt's communications? Is the university suing Rancourt by proxy? Are they paying St. Lewis' legal fees? Will any of the amount claimed, if awarded, be donated to the university?

Related: No proof of systemic racism at U of O: university report

Libyan women opposed to intervention

Contributor: "YYC"

I suppose this woman could have been paid to rabble rouse on behalf of Gadhafi, but she makes a good case against some of the things that have been said, for instance that Gadhafi's forces are raping women.

Again, the request goes out to readers to let us know if she is saying anything different when she speaks in Arabic.

"Message to hitlary clinton catherine achton and obama's wife from Libyan women.(English) 22/06/2011]"

YouTube Link

"Even the Libyan women are begging now. Stop the bombing for Oil, mineral rich Gold and water Aquifers in Libya. Oh and don't forget they have their own independent central bank with a gold backed Dinnar currency and no debt to IMF and World bank in Libya."

See also:
"The Real Reason for US/ NATO Attacking Libya EXPOSED" VIDEO here

G20 inflltrators: Can you say "Duh"?

Contributor: "YYC"

G20/G8 summit opponents infiltrated by police

The reports by the Joint Intelligence Group formed by the RCMP-led ISU (Integrated Security Unit) show that various police services contributed at least 12 undercover officers to take part in covert surveillance of potential "criminal extremists" in a bid to "detect … and disrupt" any threats.

And, like field mice in your house - if you see one, there are a hundred hiding.

"The problem is that, looking at these documents, police expected criminal extremism everywhere."

Another indication there were a lot more than 12 fake protesters.

The reports omit details on specific individuals or groups, nor do they offer conclusions about what, if any, crimes or plots of violence were detected.

Gee, maybe they were too busy trying to stir up trouble to notice?

The investigative team created and shared files on a long list of individuals, colour coding them according to perceived risk level as red (suspect), orange (person of interest) and yellow (associate).

Even though our Charter of Rights guarantees freedom of association!

[Groves] questions whether all the undercover work served any purpose, given the agitators who still managed to smash windows, loot stores and set police cars on fire with virtually no police intervention.

It's pretty clear that it did serve a purpose. The fact that there was no police intervention when the things they claim to have been worried about actually occurred suggests very strongly that the purpose was to instigate trouble, to discredit the whole protest, and to provide an excuse to rough up and arrest, which they hoped would cut down on the numbers attending future protests.

I guess when fascism creeps in it feels normal to the authoritarian types who tend to join the military, law enforcement and security agencies.

Image borrowed from here.

Pre-emptive nuclear destruction?

Contributors: "Bugman" and "YYC"

Bugman: Nuclear experts killed in Russia plane crash helped design Iran facility

The five Russian scientists were among 44 killed earlier this week; no official investigation of foul play has been opened, though Iranian nuclear experts have in the past been involved in similar accidents.

YYC made a reference to these nuclear scientists before (See Ed Note here).

Lo and behold they seem to be tied in with the Iranian Bushehr plant. Too much of a coincidence here, I would say.

Not long ago two Iranian nuclear scientists were car bombed, right in the Iranian capital.

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YYC: Not surprisingly, the Iranian government accused the US and Israel of perpetrating the car bombings. It's certainly their modus operandi - look at all of the extra-judicial executions that have been carried out by both countries, even of presidents and famous leaders.

Most of today's so-called democracies are governed by necrophiliacs; they eat death and destruction for breakfast, just like Hitler did.

Were these pre-emptive car bombings? Perhaps an effort to prevent first-hand expert testimony that Iran is NOT "racing toward a nuclear bomb"?

Here's an interesting article: New Iranian Nuke 'Fairytale' Uncovered. The informant story may not be entirely factual (why, if they "know" the informant's name, don't they just say it out loud?), but this much seems sadly true:

Soon, these lies will end up in the media, pushing a sick agenda, much as Wikileaks had done last year, in a last ditch attempt to draw America into a disastrous war with Iran before drawdowns in Afghanistan and disengagement from Iraq and the conflict in Libya make the likelihood of more American involvement in the region impossible.

Hard to know if the following is true, but it was repeated as fact by Wikipedia:

From Bloomberg:

Bushehr also sits at the junction of three tectonic plates, raising concerns that an earthquake could damage the plant and crack its containment dome, or disrupt the electrical supply needed to keep it safe, said Dr. Jassem al-Awadi, a geologist at the University of Kuwait. Bushehr was hit with a 4.6 magnitude temblor in 2002.

There's a saying that if you want to fire somebody you must first convince yourself they can't do anything right.

Angel of Death image borrowed from here.

Covert or not so covert intervention

... a long standing policy

Contributor: "BeeSting"

Syria on the boil, US warship in Black Sea

" ... Russia would like to know ... what 'aggravation' the US command meant by moving the basic strike unit of the regional missile defense grouping being formed by NATO in the region, from the Mediterranean to the East?"

It seems that the US are trying to retaliate against Russia for their lack of enthusiasm for supporting a UNSC resolution that would sanction or allow the bombing of Syria.

As intervention in Syria is discussed and considered in some quarters as desirable, Adam Curtis reminds/tells us of how a mish-mash group of US citizens manipulated Syrian politics in 1947-49, setting the stage for Assad to establish his dictatorship.

Propaganda then, as now, was used to buy "friendship." The National Security Archives has interesting declassified documents regarding elements of the propaganda used by the US government in the Middle East during the early Cold War years.

Excerpts:

... a National Security Council (NSC) report in 1952 said that aid programs should be designed to achieve "psychological" objectives. (Doc. 59)

... the State Department's Office of Near Eastern Affairs argued in 1953 against economic assistance for Egypt under Gamal Abdel Nasser, then promoted African and Asian nonalignment to show Middle Eastern governments that "moderation, reasonableness and some degree of cooperation by the recipients with respect to United States basic objectives will lead to substantial economic assistance; while on the other hand Arab (or Israeli) extremism and lack of cooperation will result in far less or no aid." (Doc. 117)

This message was considered especially important for the military sector: the NSC wanted to enhance "the understanding of the Army leadership [in the Middle East], and secondarily, the enlisted personnel towards the purpose of U.S. military aid as a factor in strengthening their national independence." (Doc. 127)

Unfortunately, observers friendly to the American government in the region noted that economic assistance was being characterized as an effort by "Western imperialists to buy friendship." (Doc. 24)

The arbitrary division of the Middle East in 1916 by British diplomat Mark Sykes and French diplomat Francois Georges-Picot has sown seeds for some of the conflicts that plague the Middle East today.

What we do to others will come back to bite "ordinary" citizens, not those sitting behind desks who decide to use people as cannon fodder. Until Western powers stop considering the Middle East as their private playground where they can bully as they wish, there will be no peace, no justice, no security in the Middle East.

What happened to "do unto others ..."? *

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* The Universality of the Golden Rule in the World Religions

Greece, Spain and the "planned European economy"

Contributor: "Lucilla"

Greece austerity: PM Papandreou tries to persuade MPs

MPs are being asked to approve 28bn euros (£25bn) of cuts, tax rises, fiscal reforms and privatisation plans.

Eurozone ministers say the legislation must be passed to receive a 12bn-euro loan Greece needs to pay its debts.

Greek Opposition Leader Vows To Oppose Austerity Measures

"They're asking me to support the same kind of medicine for someone who is dying from that medicine. I won't do it..."

Greece approves austerity measures

There has been concerns that if Greece would default, Spain, Italy and Belgium could follow. This could then threaten the whole world.

"If there were a failure to resolve that situation, it would pose threats to the European financial systems, the global financial system and to European political unity," US Federal Reserve chief Ben Bernanke said on Wednesday, referring to the Greek debt crisis.

These austerity measures will destroy the Greek economy - no one will have any money to spend on goods and services, inflation will keep tourists away, and the tax base is going to shrivel down to nothing.

They are going create a "clean slate" and, when the people are absolutely desperate and willing to accept anything, I figure the government will impose the structure of the new "planned European economy" and Greece will from then on only exist as a folkloric region.

I don't see Greece as a separate issue; the same thing happened in Ireland, it's happening in Portugal, it'll likely happen to Italy and probably to Spain - all the weak nations. Maybe Greece seems important because the debt is so large and the people are really fighting back, which may be a reflection of some sort of national personality.

The most difficult part about the EU government's plan to reshape Europe is getting the public to accept it, especially in areas where there is strong cultural identity. Bringing these countries to their knees economically is an efficient way to destroy sovereignty as most people will put aside cultural differences and national identity when they have absolutely nothing more to lose and everything to gain.

The EU will not be happy until Spain too becomes a Tabla Rasa. Or perhaps they will use the carrot rather than the stick and lure people into the "new economy" through promises of work and growth.

The layout of the "Re-shaping of Europe" is underway now and for the first time I am hearing faint talk of boosting tourism in Spanish regions previously considered to be merely places from which to collect taxes, and not in which to invest.

But Spain has always been an entity unto itself, resistant to adopting western ideals and values. It does things in its own way and is proud of it. The only way to get Spaniards on board with the program will be to completely destroy the economy, and even then most of them will try to resist. I hear people talking about how the crisis will likely last at least until 2016, and that they are prepared to wait it out.

In general, the Mediterrenean regions are very family-centred and Roman Catholic which means that there are government-issued cards that give large families discounts on water, electricity and other services and are also recognised by various businesses. There are a lot of holidays (because there are a lot of saints to be remembered) which is absolutely wonderful for family life. There are "permanent positions" (like Canada's "silly-servants") that (used to) have nice pensions, regular salary increases with cost of living, great medical and dental care.

The salaries are not high (unless you're a politician) but they were guaranteed, although getting a permanent position required a lot of effort with tests, educational requirements, and so on, which until recently was considered worth it. Now, for the first time ever, functionario salaries have been cut - some by as much as 15%- and people 45 and over have seen severe reductions in any possible pensions.

Many people are insulted by this because they struggled to achieve their positions, have fulfilled their part of the deal and have seen the agreement they made with the government changed - unilaterally- and they feel cheated.

Oddly, restaurant waiters are well-paid. Unlike in Canada where wait staff run all day for less than minimum wage and whatever tips they can get, here they are salaried, valued workers. But I think they are a target of the changes they want to make here - to reduce wages and benefits.

I don't know if the carrot will work better in Spain, but I do know that most people will bury themselves like ticks and wait out the bad times - maybe because of their experience of surviving under Franco.

Parents and grandparents share their homes and expenses with their children and grandchildren. People do without, plant gardens, raise chickens, and whatever they have they share. Friends often drop by with celery, watermelon, potatoes, cakes, bread whatever they have made or taken from fields after the farmer has harvested (with the blessings of the farmer) or grown in their own backyard. We too are in the habit now. We share the over-abundance of fruit from our lemon and orange trees, and wherever we go if we see something useful and no one seems to want it, we take it and share it with friends.

I think this must truly be the Spanish way.

Related: 2011's Cruel Summer

Religion stinks

Contributor: "YYC"

The legal boundaries of Dutch insults

A judge in Amsterdam is set to announce the verdict in the hate speech trial of far-right politician Geert Wilders ... [who] is on trial for labelling Islam as a "fascist religion" and for calling for the banning of the Quran.

As much as I detest being put in a position where I must support the position of an obvious tool of the war effort and our daily "two minutes of hate" (video), I hope that the predicted acquittal for this guy comes true.

Freedom of speech is probably the most important freedom we have, and if we lose it we are doomed. We are in danger of losing it in Canada as so many critical of Israeli right-wing politics are labeled "antisemite".

While I still have the opportunity, just let me say that I think the Jewish religion stinks. But so does the Muslim religion - which is almost identical to Judaism in many of its traditions. In fact, so do all religions.

The various "faiths" are little more than the result of brainwashing since ancient times by power freaks who wish to control populations through fear of a vengeful higher power. Moses, if he existed at all, was very creative in getting the Children of Israel to settle down and follow his lead. He did it by scaring the bejeebers out of them in the name of God.

In fact, he was the first media disinfo artist - he showed the people some stones with writing on them as proof God meant business. How can you argue when it's all down in black and white, eh?

Sadly, now we have brainwashed parents willingly taking on the job of brainwashing their own kids, depriving them of a personal, private spiritual journey, punishing them if they dare refuse to go to church, or mosque, or synagogue; banishing them (or worse) if they dare to marry outside the "faith".

Religion is all about fear; fear of authority, fear of punishment, fear of "hell-fire" (hence little more than fire insurance), extended to an unprovable "afterlife" if we fail to knuckle under and be a good Christian, Muslim, Jew, whatever.

And by being taught that one's religion is the only true and right religion, children are set up to discriminate and be discriminated against in environments where a given religion is in the minority.

It's the equivalent of racism, but it's considered socially acceptable, as evidenced by this statement:

"The biggest post-World War II evil was racism and our laws are designed to root out discrimination. What Wilders says is more about culture or religion rather than race."

So there it is, in black and white: it's okay to single out one religion and paint it as more evil than others. In this way, we can discriminate against whole groups of people while priding ourselves on not being racist, and thereby continue the glorious tradition of the crusades, with some god or other on "our side".

Still, I think this nitwit Wilders should be allowed to spout off. For one thing, people need to know where their trouble is coming from, and why we are going to the poorhouse for the sake of war. For another, it's the job of saner people to speak out against this type of bias, and expose the lies.

Book burning ought to be recognized as the greatest of sins. I spend a lot of my time countering media lies, but I would never want to ban any kind of written or spoken word. How else can we know what we truly think and believe if we allow only certain opinions to be expressed?

I'm not an atheist, nor do I adhere to any recognized religion, but I have the books of many religions on my bookshelf. Learning what each is about enables me to find my own personal way, as I think all supposedly free people should be allowed to. But, to lighten things up a little, let me say that I do very much enjoy the song "Atheists don't have no songs" (video).

Armageddon in our own back yard

Contributor: "Bugman"

It seems that most Nuclear power plants are built either on or near an earthquake fault or a river.

If these pictures are an indication of their safety precautions, we are in deep trouble. Armageddon is in our own back yard.

US orders news blackout over crippled Nebraska Nuclear Plant: report

A shocking report prepared by Russia’s Federal Atomic Energy Agency (FAAE) on information provided to them by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) states that the Obama regime has ordered a “total and complete” news blackout relating to any information regarding the near catastrophic meltdown of the Fort Calhoun Nuclear Power Plant located in Nebraska.

Related: (March 2011) Simpsons Episodes Featuring Nuclear Disaster Jokes Pulled

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Ed Note: This followup to reports of a recent Russian plane crash seems oddly coincidental:

Kudankulam reactor designers among those killed in Russia aircrash

Three top officials of Russia’s main nuclear reactor design company, Gidropress, were killed in the aircrash along with two other senior nuclear engineers ...

Russia’s Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Ivanov said that pilot error was the likely cause of the Tu-134 crash, which reminded him of the catastrophe of Polish President Lech Kaczynski’s plane, Tu-154, near the Russian city of Smolensk in April 2010, in which 96 people died.

You can't unsee a conspiracy

Contributor:"Bugman"

The plan to destabilize Syria

An incident was contrived involving students who engaged in provocations. It succeeded beyond all expectations given the brutality and stupidity of the local governor and police chief.

CIA instigating mutiny in the Pakistani army

Pakistani military is paying the price for the big access it provided to the US to interact with its officer corps within the framework of their so-called "strategic partnership". The Americans are now literally holding the Pakistani army by its jugular veins.

It is becoming a broken record, over and over again.

Start an internal revolution and when the local fighting gets real nasty, oh my gosh, we have to go in and protect the civilian population of that country.

Go to the UN and get a half assed resolution going, which is so elastic that a no-fly zone readily becomes an all-fly war effort.

Get the Navy and Airforce to make sure that little is left of the infra structure of the country, using DU ammunition.

Organize a refugee problem so that more than half of the country lives in tents and clogs up the neighbours' food supply.

Force the farmers to use GMO seeds to ensure long term crop failures.

Than have the gall to ask for compensation for all the cost of ruining the country.

This is your primary foreign aid package of the US of A and NATO. Time for us to get out of there and mind our own business.

Conspiracy Theory

... as truth becomes uncomfortable for government and its Ministry of Propaganda, truth is redefined as conspiracy theory, by which is meant an absurd and laughable explanation that we should ignore.

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Related:

Syrians Rally, This Time in Support of Leader
Tens of thousands of people took to public squares in Damascus and other major Syrian cities on Tuesday to pledge allegiance to President Bashar al-Assad ...

NATO drone goes down in Libya
... the alliance did not give any details on whether it was shot down or experienced mechanical problems.

Image borrowed from here.

What do Wal-Mart, Microsoft and GE have in common?

Sexism, perhaps?

Contributor: "YYC"

Walmart sex discrimination class action rejected

Retail giant victorious in gender bias case as US supreme court rules against 1.6m workers' collective claims ...

If the class action had been accepted it could have set a precedent for gender discrimination at many corporations, with companies such as Microsoft and General Electric writing to the court expressing their concern.

Yes, the whole idea was to set a precedent, which obviously needs to be set. Gee, are Microsoft and GE only advanced in technology and not in human equality? And more importantly, did they influence the court? Is that kind of outside interference in the US justice system allowed? It would seem so. Or maybe the corporations are no longer considered "outside"?

It doesn't take much in the way of common sense to deduce that if a million and a half women can show evidence of discrimination against them, it must have been backed up by company policy and not just the independent, random acts of a few individual managers.

Canada: Murkin-style government, thanks to Jack?

Contributor: "YYC"

NDP keep door open to Grits

Delegates at the NDP’s 50th anniversary convention rejected a resolution that called on the party to rule out any merger or non-compete arrangement with the Liberals.

They also agreed to defer a vote on a proposal to delete references to socialist principles from the preamble to the NDP constitution.

Ah, so that's why Dion showed up at the NDP convention! I almost ignored that news item, but of course, if the NDP are instrumental in helping to create an American-style two-party system in Canada that is on board with the New World Order of mega-corporation-ruled global capitalism, they will merge with what is left of the Liberals, and they might even manage to take in a Green and a few Blocs if what they offer is tantalizing enough.

Ignatieff, having done his job to decimate the Liberal party, is off feathering his new little nest, and his long-time pal Bob Rae is on schedule to quietly mop up under the guise of rebuilding the party.

Dion was instrumental is seeing that Rae gets to work as "interim" leader for a full two years!

It does appear that you can't trust a politician of any stripe; it seems they will do almost anything to keep or gain seats, which becomes an end in itself. Anybody who thinks they can work on behalf of the people within the system is naive in the extreme.

Libyan women's boots on the ground?

Contributor: "Lucilla"

Libyan women taking up arms in preparation for NATO ground invasion


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mVbWpMgPAqM

I don't know if this some kind of propaganda (do I ever regret not having studied Arabic) but if I thought NATO troops were going to flood my country and threaten my family and community I would quickly learn to use a semi-automatic too.

I'm not sure, but I think we may be seeing Libyan refugees in Spain. There was an Arabic family at the beach the other day - husband, wife and 7 children - who spoke no Spanish, nor English. They were not like the Moroccans, coming here with nothing; they were relaxed and they might have even been passing through Spain on to some other location in Europe.

Of course, not being able to communicate with them means this is conjecture, but they were not the usual Arab family in this region.

I wouldn't be surprised. Anyone who can will leave Libya now rather than face the invasion - especially those who have children to protect.

The worst of all of this is that people seem to think only in terms of what is going on in Libya, but if NATO forces take Libya it will become a foothold for waging war throughout the Arab world. That is why Libya and what happens there is so important.

Related:
NATO Preparing Ground War in Libya
Libyan officials accuse NATO of striking another non-military target, killing 15

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Ed Note: Readers who understand Arabic are encouraged to use the comments feature to enlighten us as to what these women are saying.

End Israeli Occupation and Racism!

Contributor: "PAJU"

This year’s Al Awda Conference on the Palestinian Right of Return declared that:

We are partners in the struggle for a free and democratic Middle East, free of all forms of hegemony and colonialism, especially Zionism.

We oppose the dictatorial regimes and their oppressive policies.

We oppose the idea of a "new Middle East" shaped by Israeli political and economic control and subject to international corporations in the service of foreign powers.

We call for the renewal of the Middle East through its peoples in revolt who are capable of changing the current reality and building their future.

The Palestinian People must end their internal divisions and reinstate national unity in order to end Israeli aggression. We therefore applaud and support the recent national dialogue held in Cairo, Egypt which reached an agreement to rebuild Palestinian national unity.

The united struggle of the Palestinian people is crucial to ending Israeli occupation, colonialism, settlements and the policies of apartheid. The work of political and social Palestinian movements and of Israeli activists is also essential to winning this struggle.

We support popular resistance against occupation and colonization as a legitimate form of struggle. We also applaud the presence of international solidarity activists and of progressive and democratic Israelis who support this struggle.

We call on all political forces to direct their energy and activities to serve the goals of popular mobilization and we call for continued support and aid for those who have been arrested or wounded in the popular mobilization.

We urge that special attention be given to areas affected by Israel’s illegal separation Wall and settlements. Projects must be implemented to protect these areas and Palestinian land rights.

This text is adapted from the declaration issued at the end of the Al-Awda conference (full text).

Strange silence on the cyclone front ...

Contributor: "Bugman"

Take a look at these two hurricane websites:

►The National Hurricane Center in Miami, the Atlantic ocean map

►The Canadian Hurricane Centre, same map

Both say "No Tropical Cyclones"

During a normal year at this time, close to the summer solstice, we have a steady stream of low pressure areas, coming from the African coast across the ocean towards the Caribbean. This year, as you can see, no activity at all.

I have been checking this map for the last few years on a daily basis, and have never seen this happen before.

I have no idea what is going on, but it is kind of scary. Looks like the whole system is screwed up there, but there is nothing in the press, nor any other reports on this lack of event in that area.

I think this should be looked at by somebody who knows more about weather systems

What's really going on in Libya?

Contributor: "Bugman"

The War on Libya: Canada's Parliament Endorses Military Escalation

I am disappointed, disgusted, but not very much surprised. What is really going on here? We have a majority government! So there is no need for the Opposition, as a group, with one exception, to vote with the government. The motion would pass anyway, so why this show of force against the wishes of most Canadians?

In the US, it is accepted that members of Congress and the Senate cannot maintain or even get their positions without the approval of the Zionist block. They have the annual love fest with AIPAC where everybody professes their devotion to the Zionist ideal, Israel. Their voting pattern seems to be always in favour of the wishes of that little country located in the eastern Mediterranean. Extra funding and rumours of blackmail are part of the routine procedures to maintain this leverage.

Would it be possible that our own Parliamentarians are in a similar situation? They seem to vote the way the US tells them.

We know the Harperoids are paddling this boat in unison and the Liberals are tagging along quite resolutely. Now it looks like the Bloc and the NDP also are following orders from elsewhere. This last vote was not subtle at all, more like a blast from a water canon.

Next week a flotilla of various boats are going to try to break the Gaza blockade and deliver some much needed supplies to Palestinians. Layton assures us that the NDP has no policy on this event and the MPs are free to comment. I wonder what he told the MPs.

Why Regime Change in Libya?
The Perils of Insubordination

... why do these imperialist powers also want to overthrow Hugo Cavez of Venezuela, Fidel Castro (and/or his successors) of Cuba, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran, Rafael Correa Delgado of Ecuador, Kim Jong-il of North Korea, Bashar Al-assad of Syria and Evo Morales of Bolivia? Or, why did they overthrow Mohammad Mossadeq of Iran, Jacobo Arbenz of Guatemala, Kusno Sukarno of Indonesia, Salvador Allende of Chile, Sandinistas in Nicaragua, Jean-Bertrand Aristide in Haiti and Manuel Zelaya in Honduras?

What does Gaddafi have in common with these nationalist/populist leaders?

Hassan Diab Released on Bail

Contributor: "diabsupport"

On June 6, 2011, the judge in Hassan Diab’s extradition case announced his decision to commit Hassan for extradition to France. Hassan was immediately taken to a detention centre in Ottawa. After spending more than a week in jail, Hassan was released on bail on June 14, 2011.

Hassan’s very strict bail conditions include GPS monitoring (for which Hassan has to pay $2,000 per month -– otherwise he will be returned to jail), a curfew, and over a dozen sureties.

Sincere thanks to Hassan’s supporters for signing a petition asking that Hassan be free on bail while he is appealing his extradition order.

Watch Online: On Sunday June 19, 2011, at 10:00 AM EST, Prism TV “Rights and Security” will discuss the case of Hassan Diab.

Hassan Diab's case highlights the injustice of Canada’s Extradition Law and should be of concern to everyone. We urge you to write to the Minister of Justice asking him to stop Hassan’s extradition.

In your letter to the Minister, you can point out the appalling unreliability of the French handwriting analysis report. Without this handwriting report, the judge said he could not have committed Hassan for extradition. It is extremely distressing that Canadians can lose their liberty on the basis of such wholly unreliable evidence that would not be accepted in a Canadian trial.

We would appreciate it if you would email a copy of your letter to diabsupport@gmail.com

Please consider extending your support through a donation to Hassan’s legal defense fund. The two-plus year legal battle and the monthly GPS monitoring fee have exhausted Hassan’s financial resources. He urgently needs donations to succeed in his struggle for justice—a struggle we all have a stake in!

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Hassan Diab Support Committee
Web: http://www.justiceforhassandiab.org
Email: diabsupport - at - gmail - dot - com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=159101029758
Twitter: http://twitter.com/friendsofhdiab

2011's Cruel Summer

Strange voices are saying (ah, what did they say?)
Things I can't understand
It's too close for comfort, this heat has got
Right out of hand Cruel Summer lyrics

Contributor: "Lucilla"

VIDEO: Greece Chaos: 20,000 protest in Athens, cops fight masked rioters

They recently protested in Barcelona in sympathy with Greece and the riot squad was sent in. Now, ¡Democracia Real Ya! is gearing up for a massive Spain-wide protest against the "Pacto del Euro" on June 19 with a march on Madrid. The Euro pact will see even more cuts in social services, salaries, pensions, in order that Spain meets its fiscal responsibilities to its creditors.

From Social Network Unionism: On 27th June, all European governments, including that of Spain, will sign in Brussels a major socioeconomic daylight robbery of an international scope: the so-called Euro Pact, by which the politicians of the European Union agree to legislate the orders of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), European Central Bank (ECB) and the World Bank (WB).

The Euro Pact hasn't yet been debated in government - I think this is planned for the week of the 20th and the protestors hope that their efforts will help to encourage the government to reject it.

Where did I read that this would be a summer of protests? It is so sad. There was one Greek politician who quit, saying that to vote in favour of more severe austerity measures one would have to be as cruel as a tiger -and that he definitely was not. Another is quoted as saying that he is considering rejecting it so that he could walk safely in the streets.

If just one of the governments of either Greece, Ireland, Portugal or Spain found the balls to stand up to the Euro state and say "shove it" and re-issued its own currency to regain fiscal sovereignty, then I am certain there would be a domino effect throughout Europe.

We are starting to see real pressure in Spain. I see people actually dumpster-diving, crazy things like the other day when a van pulled up to the containers and its occupants literally threw the contents out onto the street where three young Arab kids were waiting. A huge pile of cheap crap - houseware, toys etc. - and those kids were amazing. They went through absolutely everything, organizing things into what each child wanted, what their momma and poppa could find useful, and put all the rest into the garbage containers. They were really excited and I'm sure their mother must have been extremely proud of them for their resourcefulness.

After that, the containers were gone through 5 more times by other people - people who collect aluminum, people looking for spare parts - all of them Arab - the same people day after day doing the garbage container route, looking for anything useful or sellable.

What happens to them when the locals run out of money and can't throw out anything useful anymore?

Why are these Arabs in Spain, and so poor? In general, there was a large influx of immigrants from Morocco during the recent boom period. They worked for cheap wages in agriculture. What was incredible was that, up until Spain entered the Euro, Spaniards had worked their own fields, but when Spain suddenly became "rich" with the switch to the Euro and lots of available credit, Spaniards were no longer willing to work the fields and so thousands of immigrants came from Morocco (and a few from other African nations) to take the work.

The government even "encouraged" a kind of selective relocation of Moroccan immigrants into agricultural regions. The police would gather them up and ship them by plane to San Javier, Murcia, and literally dump them there with no means of support. It was understood that they should make their way to whatever shelter and work they could find in the area.

Because Spain was considered rich, Murcia had a huge influx of immigrants and there was even a moment when gangs formed and set up residence on the edge of tourist communities and made their living robbing foreigners. It got a little crazy for awhile.

Now with the crisis, the gangs have disappeared or migrated to the cities and all that's left are the families who, even in the face of a severe work shortage and police oppression, insist on staying because it's still a relatively better life for their children.

Regarding the Greek government's debate over further austerity measures, it seems that Papandreou is shuffling his cabinet in order to make sure it passes.

Here is just one of the stories covered in the Corbett report this week: VIDEO: Scheduled power outages this summer.

I don't know if this includes Canada or not but it seems that Europe is going to get online with it too. Is this a planned event to be blamed on solar activity but which actually supports even greater austerity measures and control over people's lives?

Related: Defying Military Crackdown, Protesters Surge Across Syria
“You can’t do charity with the millions you stole from us,” read a banner Friday during a protest of hundreds in Zabadani, a town on the outskirts of Damascus.

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Ed Note: Big welcome to new contributor "Lucilla" who is located in Europe.

Also: time to review Naomi Klein's "Shock Doctrine". For those who don't have time to read the book, a full-length video adaptation has been produced that covers the salient details on mind control and how countries are brought into line with the aims of global capitalism and global governance, by sinking them into debt with the only "solution" offered by the lending agency, the IMF, being cruel austerity measures and police/military brutality.

New Old "Al Qaeda" Goldstein

Contributor: "YYC"

Big Brother has found a new focus for the two minutes of hate, and we know this because it comes from the Associated Disinfo Press. See video below.

Well, of course everybody's been wondering whatever happened to Bin Laden's real sidekick, Al Zawahiri, so some story or other had to be produced, and what more credible place than, naturally, on a (CIA?) website "known" to be associated with "Al Qaeda".

Maybe it's a joke, because the AP has spelt Al-Zawahiri's name in an unusual way, leaving out an eye - er, an "i". Maybe it's symbolic - so many of today's terror masterminds have only one eye.

But don't question it; just beleeve. The Washington Post beleeves without question.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EE5A6i3cbgE

Where's IBM's Tearful Apology?

Contributor: "YYC"

IBM Turns 100: A Look Back

[VP Bernie] Meyerson said that leadership helped IBM through some dark times. "It requires you to look death in the eye and say I'm not going to fold," he said.

According to some investigative media, IBM looked quite a few deaths in the eye without batting a lash. Note that the celebratory photo slideshow jumps from 1924 to 1956. In 1924 Hitler was busy putting the finishing touches on Mein Kampf.

Since IBM hasn't owned up to anything, it's apparently prudent to avoid mentioning those years. Better to just brazen it out.

But nowadays, tearful apologies are the done thing, eh? TV evangelists invented them and found they work miracles. Even governments have jumped on the official apologies bandwagon to get themselves off various hooks.

Following are a couple of recent Canadian ones that are not as minor as they might seem, given such stupidly amoral trends and pathetic role models for youth among corporations, educators and law enforcers. They might as well all be TV evangelists or politicians.

Dean accused of plagiarism will keep job

Tearful cop apologizes for threatening to Taser suspects' testicles

New Name for NDP - "Neo Democrats"

Contributor: "YYC"

NDP leaving ‘socialism' behind — in constitution, policy manual

New Democrats are preparing to cast off the shackles of the socialist label by eliminating the word from the federal party constitution at a policy convention this weekend.

If Jack wants to play with the big boys, he has to mind his P's - profiteering and privatization. Big surprise? Not really. As stated here many times, the NDP will do whatever it must to achieve power within the fast-emerging global paradigm. It is now one half of Canada's two-party system; it will happily play Democrat to Harper's republicanism, creating the illusion of choice, preparing Canadians for American-style government.

"Nobody uses the word ‘democratic socialist’ in contemporary times ..." the official said ...

Nobody in the centrist-to-right ever did, and that's what made the NDP different. But they've been different in words only since Layton caught a glimpse of the open barn door.

[James Laxer:] “Like other social democratic parties in the West, the NDP has adopted much of the outlook of the neo-liberalism that is the dominant ideological strain in the market-centred era of globalization” ...

Neo-liberalism is not much different from conservativism - action on behalf of business (from whence cometh the big donations) and lots of talk about helping people. That's why both Harper and Layton can prate about helping working families. The theory is that if you put profits (they call it "growth") first, jobs will be created and workers will benefit.

It's a new (hence "neo") version of the old "trickle down theory", a term that was derided out of common use because the trickle is imperceptible, the jobs it supposedly creates are low paying, often part time and devoid of benefits, and it works to widen the gap between stinking rich and dirt poor - no matter what terminology is used.

Bad Sports in Vancouver

Contributor: "YYC"

Angry Vancouver residents call for public to ID rioters

Here's the website that's been set up to do just that, and it also provides links to other sources of info on the rioters.

It seems there are two types of protesters - those who worry about social and international issues and those who want to get blotto and see their team win.

In the first instance you are photographed by the police (then mauled, abused and arrested) just for sitting in the middle of the road singing "O Canada", and in the second the public has to collect the photos themselves.

Booze and sports go together, thanks to TV. The ads also give the impression that the booze attracts sexy females, but it's mostly a gross kind of male bonding that turns females off, which may in turn be the underlying frustration that produces the vandalism.

One of the interviewees in the CTV video said the police stood around and did nothing, and that the vandals did nothing to cover themselves or hide their identities. Which proves they weren't police provocateurs.

US propaganda machine ...

hard at work in Libya - and Canada.

Contributor: "Bugman"

Did I hear our Canadian Warlord McKay tell us that the Libyans need protection from their own government actions?

From the ChronHerald:

At a NATO meeting last week in Brussels, Defence Minister Peter MacKay reiterated Canada’s support for the Libyan mission. He said that the protection of civilians was still the principal goal of the operation. But then he added an important qualifier: "Gadhafi must leave for those objectives to be achieved."

It is about time they take some truth serum or a good laxative before going public.

Only one vote against the Libyan extension. That is not much of an "Opposition" in our Parliament. Wonder who owns the lot?

War propaganda: mass rapes in Libya

Though frequently founded, mass rape accusations can also be used as a propaganda tool.

As it happens, a lie of this nature has been painstakingly fabricated by NATO against Colonel Gaddafi. Let’s look at the timeline ...

-----

Ed Note: The strongest smell of manure arises from the headlines saying the soldiers were "viagra fuelled", since combat itself has proven historically to be quite sufficient as an aphrodisiac, as indicated by American soldiers raping Iraqi women.

The US propaganda machine is also quite evident in the quoting of "unnamed sources" to beef up its dubious tale about how they managed to locate OBL in Pakistan, augmented by the fairy tale that an unnamed Taliban leader disagreed with US intelligence by suggesting that OBL "was not isolated and did receive visitors at the Pakistan compound" - a backhanded device intended only to confirm the official story that OBL was alive and well and living in Pakistan.

So ... CO2 is a good thing?

We're headed (again) toward a "mini ice age"?

Contributor: "YYC"

Global warming enthusiasts are increasingly having to come up with wild explanations as to why the predicted warming is not being experienced:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s9voS5MJSuM

Now, with the help of "science" we can admit that the sun itself may actually have an effect on "climate change" - just by taking a snooze. In fact, now we can even worry a bit that there may be a "mini ice age" in our future.

Why, it's deja vu all over again! Some people remember David Suzuki from way back when he was warning that there may be a coming ice age. Then, when that theory became less fashionable, he saw that he could earn a better living doing home invasions (video).

Now we see that maybe he ought to have stuck to his old guns. It's not a pretty sight, him looking so goofy in his twilight years, sitting woodenly on the collective knee of the global warming profiteers, their collective hand up his butt.

Oh dear, I hope Suzuki doesn't somehow come across what I've written about him. He's reportedly got quite a temper, and it's worth remembering that he is keen to throw unbelievers in jail.

But for all the wrong reasons.

So, maybe we should forget about Suzuki and tell the polluters to just keep that CO2 coming, eh? (As if they weren't going to anyway.) The sun may disrupt global warming, and CO2 may be our only hope to keep warm and grow food.

Or maybe we should all just realize that this whole controversy is designed to distract us from the kind of stuff that's really going on in the world (video). Is there "a socially dominant element who want to stay socially dominant"?

McKinney follows through on bombing of Tripoli

Contributor: "YYC"

Further to Bugman's May 25/ll blog entry entitled: "To the Shores of Tripoli ..."

'NATO bombs civilians!' - Cynthia McKinney from Tripoli with truth
"If there was a metallic taste from the dust in our mouths, it was likely depleted uranium."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48J_DIZBNyE

Republican rival for Sarah Palin ...

an example of "predictive programming"?

Contributor: "YYC"

Who won the Republican debate?
... Michele Bachmann upstaged them all

It would appear that the American TV series, Commander in Chief, has done its work. Michele Bachmann is being touted as a rival for Sarah Palin in the upcoming race for the Republican presidential candidacy.

There's a lot of talk on the Internet about "predictive programming", a covert method of mind control whereby movies and television fiction prepare the public to accept upcoming events.

It seems I've just discovered an example of it:

On the right in the images below is actor Geena Davis in her role as Mackenzie Allen, the first woman president of the United States. On the left is Michele Bachmann (wiki bio).

The hair, the cheekbones, the strong chinline, the shape of the plucked eyebrows, the pearl drop earrings, the dark suit jacket with the white, open-neck blouse ... need I say more?

Palin didn't participate in the debate, her popularity among Republicans is reportedly waning, even erstwhile friends don't want her to run in 2012, it could be that the recent release of her emails is not going to help her image as much as hoped, and now Bachmann has thrown her hat into the ring, so Palin may just keep her day job. But in 2008 she did potentially fulfill one prophecy from the TV series: Pres. Allen was VP to a Pres. who died in office of a stroke, and Palin was vice presidential candidate to John McCain, who was rumoured to be suffering from multiple ailments including old age and it was feared that, if elected, he would die in office.

The most subtle suggestion in the TV series was that Mackenzie Allen, although VP to a Republican, had actually sat in Congress as an Independent before being appointed Chancellor of a University, which made her a neutral entity when the Republican candidate chose her as his running mate. So a Geena Davis clone could have arisen from any background, and sure enough, Bachmann was once a Democrat who later converted to Republicanism. Good planning for a prediction, leaving options open.

Other similarities:

►Bachmann is an evangelical Lutheran and the fictional (as if they aren't all fictional) Mackenzie Allen was big on the God Bless stuff and saying grace at the dinner table.

►If elected, Bachmann would have even more kids running around the White House, and making out with their friends on a couch in the Oval Office, as did Allen's son. After Willy Clinton, however, that's hardly shocking at all.

Oh, it's all such a fairy tale world, I feel positively giddy just writing about it. But, as I said a couple of days ago, the growing potential for known gays and women to achieve high office ...

... in no way indicates that the Puppet Masters agree with equality for women, gays, and people of colour; on the contrary, the message is that it doesn't matter who is set up as the leader, s/he will do their bidding and that's that. All it takes is the illusion of freedom and equality to keep the voters, and sadly even human rights activists, feeling gratified.

International Right to Resist Occupation

Tortured Palestinian Activist Speaks out in Israeli Court as his Trial Begins

Contributor: "PAJU"

Bassem Tamimi is a veteran Palestinian activist who organized unarmed protests in his village of Nabi Saleh in the occupied West Bank. The protests were focused on ending Israeli occupation and theft of the village’s land.

Married with four children, Bassem has been arrested by the Israeli army 11 times and has spent roughly three years in Israeli jails, though he has never been convicted of any offence. In fact, he has spent roughly three years in ‘administrative detention’ with no charges ever being brought against him.

Furthermore, he and his attorney have been denied access to "secret evidence" against him. During his week-long interrogation in 1993, Bassen was tortured so severely by the Israeli Shin Bet (security service) that he had to be evacuated to a hospital, where he lay unconscious for seven days.

Bassem’s resistence has also had a major impact on his family. His children have been wounded and his wife arrested. His house is slated for demolition.

When finally brought to trial, Bassem addressed the Israeli judge as follows　:

Your Honour,

I was born at the same time as the Occupation and have been living under its inherent inhumanity, inequality, racism and lack of freedom ever since. Yet, despite all this, my belief in human values and the need for peace in this land have never been shaken. Suffering and oppression did not fill my heart with hatred for anyone, nor did they kindle feelings of revenge. To the contrary, they reinforced my belief in peace and national standing as an adequate response to the inhumanity of Occupation.

International law guarantees the right of occupied people to resist Occupation. In practicing my right, I have called for and organized peaceful popular demonstrations against the Occupation, settler attacks and the theft of more than half of the land of my village, Nabi Saleh, where the graves of my ancestors have lain since time immemorial. I organized these peaceful demonstrations in order to defend our land and our people.

I do not know if my actions violate your Occupation laws. I reject them and cannot recognize their validity.

This text is adapted from an article posted online on June 6, 2011 by the human rights group Jewish Voice for Peace.

"The Party" calls for Cyber "Intervention"

How Gadhafi, Al Qaeda, alleged cyber hacking, and communal capitalism are creating Big Brother ... or vice versa

Contributor: "YYC"

IMF cyber attack boosts calls for global action

Cyber security experts say the only way to effectively combat the menace is for the public and private sectors to join forces and combine greater regulation with international action ...

"It requires co-operation on a global scale" ...

What they mean is that it requires a global police force.

As I said yesterday, the report of the IMF hacking is designed to convince us the Internet needs to be severely policed, and security in general needs to be beefed up for self-appointed world leaders / loan sharks, and that China is up to no good ...

Look at the words being used:

"This is potentially a great opportunity to launch a "communal" investigation into an attack on a "communal" institution"

Look at how the mainstream media have echoed that theme.

It's long been commonly held that Communism can't work unless carried out on a global scale. That's why it was built up into such a bogeyman. It had to come from the West, and it had to look like Capitalism. The difference is a fine one: in the first case, the government owns industry; in the second case industry owns the government.

Now that "free enterprize" consists of mega multinational corporations that control local and international governance, and local agriculture is being systematically destroyed in favour of mega international factory farms that control production, it's now time to establish communal policing, that must, above all, control the Internet(s).

Because of the ongoing threat of Al Qaeda (no matter how many kingpins are bowled over, more will appear - at least until another "Goldstein" is created), what country doesn't now have intrusive airport security, for instance? Because of cyber attacks in high places, what country doesn't feel justified in allowing control over your personal computer and ISP?

NATO is coming into disrepute in favour of a UN megaforce provided by "security" corporations that hire mercenaries from all over the world; why not include a mega cyber force? Again, the blurred line between governments owning industry, and vice versa.

So far the "naming and shaming" has conveniently been reserved for countries the US holds up as ... well, they don't use the term "outsiders" but they might as well. You've seen this before - in highschool. There's the "in" crowd and all the others.

As a supposedly cautionary "expert" warns:

"Such attacks are very difficult to pinpoint and so responding is both difficult and dangerous as wrong reactions can cause international tensions"

Eggzackly. Just what is wanted. An excuse to increase international tensions, which in turn provides the rationale for global policing, and a reason to "intervene" and "restructure".

The constant fear factor has worked to keep general populations in line, dependent on saviors. As a friend of mine said in reaction to the recent footage of Bilderbergers being "confronted" by "activists":

"In the good old days, before the masses were bred into polite, non-violent sheep, the entire town would have descended upon the hotel with pitchforks and scythes. These people are now OPENLY conspiring against the masses because they know that no one will do anything about it."

With all of the security surrounding the Bildergers, the fact that selected attendees were led by their own organizers into a pack of "protesters", who would do nothing more than "Boo" and shoot video, can only have been a deliberate act in order to get across what my friend says is the true situation:

...a bunch of snippy 12 year olds are in charge and when the public asks for transparency they sing "We know something you don't know!"

Nyah, nyah. They are the highschool "in" crowd, and you aren't, and a few countries aren't - yet, at least openly. And pretty soon you will love them because they work on behalf of Big Brother to keep you safe, or because you know what will happen to you if you don't.

And even though the term "the Party" is not yet being used, what do you call a two-party system that operates the same no matter which is in power?

"And if all others accepted the lie which the Party imposed - if all records told the same tale - then the lie passed into history and became truth." Orwell, 1984, Book 1, Chapter 3.

Related: Government 'may have hacked IMF'
The most high profile state-sponsored attack to date remains the Stuxnet worm, which targeted Iran's nuclear facilities. Experts believe the complex malicious code originated from either the Israeli or US governments.

Related on YYC: Yo! Bilderberg