29 November, 2008
Who
Benefits From Mumbai Terror Attacks?
By Binu Mathew
Mumbai terrorist stand off is almost over. More than 200 civilians and about 20 police and army officials lost their lives. Taj Mahal palace, a symbol of India's business and commercial well being bears a ghostly look. The terror stricken populace slowly limp back to life. Will Mumbai be the same again? Will India be the same again?
Mossad-CIA
Connection To
Mumbai Terror Attacks?
By Yoginder Sikand
Some have raised the question if the Mossad or even the CIA might not be directly or otherwise instigating some disillusioned Muslim youth in India, Pakistan or elsewhere to take to terror by playing on Muslim grievances, operating through existing Islamist groups or spawning new ones for this purpose
Empathy,
Grief In Pakistan At Mumbai Mayhem
By Beena Sarwar
The terrorist attacks unleashed in the Indian port city and financial hub of Mumbai continue to reverberate through Pakistan at a personal level and on the media. The crisis, that began Wednesday night and lasted through Friday, dominates conversation, newspaper headlines, television coverage and Internet chatter on indigenous websites and e-mail lists run by Pakistanis at home and abroad
Lessons
Of Mumbai Terror Attack
By Dr.V.N.Sharma
That, Maratha warriors like Bal Thakrey and his Shiv Sainiks and Raj Thakrey and his MNS Sainiks were seen nowhere in action of saving their very own Marathi Manush Mumbai. A shameful act on part of these Maratha warriors. Mumbaikars and the Marathis must have now more faith in the United India with brotherhood between the people of different linguistic, cultural and religious background and not in so called sainiks and their leaders
All
In The Name Of Religion
By Aditi Munot
Most often in our world, bloodshed is carried out in the name of religion. From the gory Partition in 1947, to Israel – Palestine problems, to Nazi atrocities against Jews, to 1993 bomb blasts, to Ayodhya, to Catholic – Protestant tussles, to Forward Class – Backward Class discrimination, to Godra bloodbath, to London, Banglore, Malegaon, Jaipur bombings and now to the past few days in Bombay…… all this and much more has been done in the name of Religion
Interview
With Hemant Karkare
By Rana Ayyub
ATS chief Hemant Karkare told Rana Ayyub, shortly before his death in the Mumbai terror attacks, that more army officers will not be arrested
Israel’s
Settlement On Capital Hill
By Robert Weitzel
Until Israel’s hilltop settlement in USA's capital is dismantled, allowing for the possibility of a just and lasting peace in Palestine-Israel, its influence on both branches of our government and its insidious affect on US Middle East policy will continue to make willing—or unwitting—kibbutzniks of all Americans. We will be held as complicit, and as culpable, as the citizens of the country whose leaders sat in the dock at Nuremberg
The
Lonely Punter: V.P.Singh
By Farzana Versey
He chose the wrong time to die. His timing was often bad. V.P.Singh, former Prime Minister of India, gave up the fight against several ailments that should have killed him 15 years ago on November 28. He was 77
Tribute
To V.P.Singh-A Man Of Great Conviction
And Immpeccable Integrity
By Vidya Bhushan Rawat
Every decision of V.P. Singh has become milestone in the history of India. The ghost of Singh will always haunt those upper castes in India who continue to believe themselves superior and meritorious
28 November, 2008
Terrorist
Atrocity In Mumbai
By Keith Jones
Whoever were the authors of this week’s terrorist attack in Mumbai, it was a vile act that will only serve reaction in India and internationally. Unquestionably the BJP will seize on the Mumbai atrocity and its horrific toll in human life to try to suppress public discussion of, and derail the investigation, into the Hindu terrorist network
Bombs
And Bullets Cannot Destroy India -
As Long As Its Gates Remain Open
By Shashi Tharoor
This atrocity was not homegrown. But if it leads to demonisation of the nation's Muslims, the terrorists will have won
Once
Was Mumbai
By Kumar Ketkar
That the terrorist attack took place just when the media was full of stories of “saffron terrorism” may be a coincidence, but the killing of Hemant Karkare, the chief of the Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS), gives the event an anti-climactic turn
India's
Leaders Need To Look Closer To Home
By Tariq Ali
Indian intelligence outfits are well aware of all this and they should not encourage the fantasies of their political leaders. Its best to come out and accept that there are severe problems inside the country. A billion Indians: 80 percent Hindus and 14 percent Muslims. A very large minority that cannot be ethnically cleansed without provoking a wider conflict
Zero
Tolerance Time
By Zafar Sobhan
It is unclear what, if any, links exist between terrorists in India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh (to say nothing of links between Maoist extremists across South Asia), but what is incontrovertible is that all three countries of the Indian sub-continent have active terrorist networks, and given the porosity of our borders and the ideological affinities of many of the groups, it would be unlikely if cross-border networks and support structures did not exist
Hemant
Karkare! Tribute To A Hero
By Mustafa Khan
If any Indian distinguished himself by writing history by his sweat and while doing so made history by writing it in his blood, it is this modest looking man. This assistant commissioner in charge of Anti Terrorist Squad of Maharashtra will be remembered for good. Those who were breathing down his neck will breathe a sigh of relief but all others will have grief
Sri
Lanka: Human Rights Situation
Deteriorating In The East
By Human Rights Watch
Many abuses in the Eastern Province appear to have been carried out by armed elements of the Tamil Makkal Vidulthalai Pulikal (TMVP). The TMVP was originally the political wing of the armed faction earlier known as the Karuna group. It enjoys the strong backing of the government of President Mahinda Rajapakse
Gaza:
Salvation In A News Broadcast
By Ramzy Baroud
The people of that tiny stretch of land find ways to cope with their ample tragedies, as they did the moment the first caravan of refugees, parched and desperate, made their way into Gaza following the 1948 Nakba. They weep for their loss, bury their dead, ask God for mercy, and, once again, return home to huddle around their radios, seeking a glimpse of hope in news broadcasts
Victory
For Venezuela’s Socialists
In Crucial Elections
By James Petras
The pro-Chavez United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) won 72% of the governorships in the November 23, 2008 elections and 58% of the popular vote, dumbfounding the predictions of most of the pro-capitalist pollsters and the vast majority of the mass media who favored the opposition
The
Media Response To Venezuelan Elections
By Stephen Lendman
The Wall Street Journal, New York Times and other publications falsely reported that a majority of the population is under opposition control. Official statistics show otherwise but were ignored
26 November, 2008
Humanitarian
Disaster In Gaza
By Stephen Lendman
Gaza is under siege for the past 22 days. Israel lifted the siege briefly on November 24, but closed the boder crossings again after two Qassam rockets were fired on Sunday, one on Monday, and another on Tuesday. A humanitarian disaster is looming in Gaza
Gaza
People "Stripped Of Their Dignity"
By Rami Almeghari
The situation is very desperate at the humanitarian level, I mean people have been stripped of their dignity here, it is a struggle to survive for every body. 750,000 of the people here in Gaza are children of the one and half million population - says John Ging, UNRWA Chief of Operations in the Gaza Strip
The
Truth Behind The Citigroup
Bank "Nationalization"
By F. William Engdahl
On Friday November 21, the world came within a hair’s breadth of the most colossal financial collapse in history according to bankers on the inside of events with whom we have contact. The trigger was the bank which only two years ago was America’s largest, Citigroup. The size of the US Government de facto nationalization of the $2 trillion banking institution is an indication of shocks yet to come in other major US and perhaps European banks thought to be ‘too big to fail.’
Stacks
Of Dead Presidents
Or Flesh And Blood Companions?
By Robert Turnbull & Jason Miller
Jason Miller interviewed by Robert Turnbull
The
Ongoing NAKBA And Vanunu
By Eileen Fleming
On November 19, 2008, during the final day of Sabeel's [Arabic for The Way] 7th International Conference: THE NAKBA: MEMORY, REALITY AND BEYOND, Noble Peace Prize Laureate Mairead Maguire inspired nearly 300 internationals to rise up and honor Mordechai Vanunu
So
Who Is Barack Obama?
By Hamid Golpira
Obama promised change. But he selected arch-Zionist Rahm Emanuel to be his White House chief of staff.New World Order mandarin Zbigniew Brzezinski is one of Obama's foreign policy advisors.So who is Barack Obama?
Can
Obama Take On The Pentagon?
By Frida Berrigan
Even saddled with a two-front, budget-busting war and a collapsing economy, President Barack Obama may be able to accomplish a lot. With a friendly Congress and a relieved world, he could make short work of some of the most egregious overreaches of the Bush White House -- from Guantanamo to those Presidential signing statements. For all the rolling up of sleeves and "everything is going to change" exuberance, however, taking on the Pentagon, with its mega-budget and its mega-power, may be the hardest task he faces
Restoring
Food Security And A Dying Way Of Life :
Getting To Know Your Local Farmer
By Carolyn Baker
The U.S. financial system is in collapse, and energy costs are likely to come back again next spring and summer with a vengeance that we can't imagine. This will make the price of food, already off the scale, skyrocket even further. We must all get to know our local farmers, or better yet, become them. Here is an interview with Stuart and Margaret Osha of Turkey Hill Farms in Central Vermont
Another
Blow To Enforcement Of
Tobacco Control Policies In India
By Bobby Ramakant
Right after the strong and effective guidelines to stop tobacco industry interference in health policies were adopted by the government representatives of 160 countries including India, the pictorial warnings on all tobacco products that were supposed to become mandatory from 30 November 2008 in India, were, again delayed – reportedly due to hectic lobbying by the industry allies and other entities like the beedi growers’ association
Hindus
In Power Have Little Personal Engagement
With Muslims: Kavita Srivastava
By Yoginder Sikand
Based in Jaipur, Kavita Srivastava is the President of the Rajasthan chapter of the Peoples' Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL). She and her comrades have been consistently working in Rajasthan for the cause of human rights, particularly for the state's Muslims, Christians, Adivasis and Dalits, and have taken up the issue of targeting of Muslims by agencies of the state and the media in a major way. She discusses this and more in this interview with Yoginder Sikand
Tolerating
Terrorism
By Ram Puniyani
We are hearing strange arguments; Hindus can’t be terrorists
as it is not in their genes. This statement also subtly hinted that
terrorism is in the genes of ‘some’ other community. But
lets be clear terrorism is not a genetic problem, it is due to social,
political and economic reasons
25 November, 2008
The
Causes Of The Auto Crisis
By Kevin Zeese
Corporate-government created the three major causes of the auto industry crisis: health care, the credit crunch and low efficiency cars
U.S.
Would Control Profits From Iraqi
Oil Exports Under Agreement
By Jeremy R. Hammond
The terms of the Status of Forces Agreement effectively allow the U.S. to continue to control billions of dollars of proceeds from the sale of exported Iraqi oil held in the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. It also contains numerous loopholes that could allow the continuing long-term presence of U.S. military forces and would effectively maintain U.S. jurisdiction over crimes committed by American soldiers
Lurching
Toward Gomorrah: More Signs Of
An Unstoppable Economic Meltdown
By Stephen Lendman
Crisis denialists are still around but are slowly and grudgingly giving way to the reality that global capitalism is in serious crisis as recession lurches toward depression in a continuing downward spiral. Nearly every new data release confirm it
Obama
And The Great Depression
By Mickey Z.
The carefully calculated speeches—which have always been filled with empty, hollow phrases—will no longer soothe a battered and desperate populace and the Obamabots will suddenly recognize that the Pope of Hope has never been anything more than a human marketing strategy, a product. This year’s iPhone
Dear
Security: Secure This!
By Eileen Fleming
First person account of the harrowing experience that Eileen Fleming, a citizen journalist from Florida, had at Ben Gurion Airport
America,
Islam And Prejudice
By Timothy V. Gatto
American must not believe the fear and hate mongers. Americans must realize that there should be a separation of church and state, not only in domestic matters but in our foreign policy. We cannot exterminate the entire Islamic culture in order to serve the right wing reactionary government in Israel and their minions that run AIPAC. Our politicians should put America first, not Christianity, not the bible, not Israel
The
Rights Of Women As Casualties Of War
By Ramzy Baroud
Qurban-Bibi and Nahil Abu-Rada are two women, one Afghan and the other Palestinian, who made news with similar tragedies. But their losses also helped further delineate the plight of millions of women in war zones and poor countries
The
Parable Of The G-20:
Blind To The Elephant
By Devinder Sharma
The leaders of the G-20 Group of countries are like the blind men who failed to see the elephant - which in this case is the crisis-stricken international financial system. We have been too busy partying, and the hangover is too strong for us to see the silver lining, says Devinder Sharma
An
Open Letter To L K Advani
By George Menezes
You have always had a strong commitment to fighting terrorism from Pakistan. I appreciate that. I urge that you extend that commitment to the terrorism that is home grown and used against brothers and sisters who are Indian first and Christians, Muslims and Dalits later
19 November, 2008
Crisis?
What Crisis?
By Dave Fryett
The economic mess that has been unfolding the last few months is not, as the right fear and the left hope, an organic collapse of the global capitalist system But rather it is, as so many so-called financial crises before it, a scam perpetrated by what Lincoln used to call the "money power." The goals are to capture other lucrative businesses, reduce government and its ability to constrain its hegemony over capital, and to reduce union membership by creating such dire economic circumstances as to make unions powerless to save their members from hardship
Senate
Hearing On US Auto Bailout
Signals New Attacks On Workers
By Jerry White
Tuesday's Senate Banking Committee hearing on a $25 billion government bailout of the US auto industry underscored the reactionary framework of the official debate on the crisis of the Big Three auto companies. At the center of the dispute between those senators who support an emergency loan and those who oppose it is how best to impose the burden of the crisis on the backs of auto workers and the working class as a whole
The
Guts Of America Falls On Hard Times
By Jim Taylor
As GM goes, I fear, so goes America
As
Population Grows We Fail
To Protect Our Children
By John James
Two trends are crashing against one another. Both are well-known. They are that world population is getting larger while food and water is getting less
Whither
The Sanity Of Parents?
By Shobha Shukla
No child asks to be born. It is a conscious decision of both the parents to become instruments of bringing God’s greatest gift to this world. But, very often, the motive behind this serious decision is either just to keep their family tree blooming, and/or else to create crutches for themselves in their time of need/old age. Is this the right attitude with which to embark upon the crucial phase of parenthood?
Schools
And Hospitals Should Come First
In Any Stimulus Package
By Mike Davis
If, after saving kindergartens and county hospitals, we someday hope to ride the fast train, then we need to rebuild the antiwar movement on broader foundations. The president-elect's original proposal for funding domestic social investment through downsizing the empire offers a brilliant starting point for basing economic growth on an economic bill of rights (as advocated by Franklin Roosevelt in 1944) instead of imperial over-reach and Pharaonic levels of military waste
US
Plans To Muscle In On Russia's Turf
By Peter Chamberlin
The two former superpowers are headed for a collision over this issue of central Asian pipelines, as they maneuver themselves into an advantageous position for a title fight over future energy sources. Even if one side manages to come out on top after a potential conflict, it would not be able to supply the first cubic meter of gas or oil for at least three years. We are going into a fight based on sheer speculation. The anticipation of future profits is fueling war fever right now
Extrajudicial
Assassinations
As Official Israeli Policy
By Stephen Lendman
Throughout its history, Israel willfully and systematically committed premeditated extrajudicial killings of Palestinians and other Arabs as official state policy - carried out with explicit high-level political, judicial and military authorization and allegedly in "self-defense" against individuals threatening Israeli security. Government officials even admit that certain persons are targeted, and Dan Haluts, former Israeli Army Chief of Staff, once told the Washington Post (in August 2006) that "Targeted killing is the most important method in the fight against 'terrorism.' " In other words, premeditated murder is acceptable as long as it's properly classified
Hindu
Terrorism
By Badri Raina
I think it proper, therefore, to stick with the more direct and honest description "Hindu" terrorism, since, much against their grain, even India's premier TV channels are now bringing us news of "Hindu" terrorism, so compelling the materials gathered by the investigating agencies thus far. This despite the fact that in my view the term "Hindu" trerrorism is as erroneous as the term "Muslim" terrorism
The
Tiger Roars At White Indians
By Jasbeer Musthafa M
A quarter century after Salman Rushdie drew the world's attention to the story of the midnight children, and 11 years after Arundhati Roy's God of Small Things spurred interest in Indian writing in English, both in this country and elsewhere, Adiga's tale of the son of a rickshaw-puller who dreams of escaping poverty and goes to seek his fortune in the big cities draws the world's attention to a very different side of India
East
Bound and Down: A Homeless March
On Washington Part 3
By David Kendall
Why is a "Homeless March on Washington" needed to force the implementation of a Basic Income Guarantee? The question is not whether Basic Income Guarantee is either possible or desirable. The question is why any kind of force should become necessary to implement such a simple and reasonable idea. The second installment of this series closed with such questions, and this final installment will outline some possible answers to the riddle
18 November, 2008
Humanitarian
Disaster And
News Blackout In Gaza
By Cherrie Heywood
Israel has imposed a virtual news blackout on the Gaza Strip. For the last ten days no foreign journalists have been able to enter the besieged territory to report on the escalating humanitarian crisis caused by Israel's complete closure of Gaza's borders for the last two weeks
The
Real Goal Of Israel’s Blockade
By Jonathan Cook
The latest tightening of Israel’s chokehold on Gaza – ending all supplies into the Strip for more than a week – has produced immediate and shocking consequences for Gaza’s 1.5 million inhabitants.The refusal to allow in fuel has forced the shutting down of Gaza’s only power station, creating a blackout that pushed Palestinians bearing candles on to the streets in protest last week. A water and sanitation crisis are expected to follow
Obama
And The Prospects For
Israeli-Palestinian Peace
By Ali Abunimah
United States President-elect Barack Obama's election victory has revived hopes that stalled Palestinian-Israeli peace negotiations could finally lead to a two-state solution. Few new presidents have been greeted with such optimism and associated high expectations
Completing
The Task Of Evicting
Israel From Lebanon
By Franklin Lamb
Under pressure from the lame duck Bush Administration to withdraw from territory that the Lebanese Resistance (moukawamah Lubnaniyah) did not liberate during its May 2000 rout of the Israel army and its surrogate SLA militia, Israel to date remains unwilling to budge. One reason is that it claims the Bush Administration reneged on secret pledges to bomb Iran
Real
Hope: Facing Difficult Truths
About An Uncertain Future
By Robert Jensen
With much talk of change and hope in the air, now is the time to articulate an authentic sense of hope, one that is realistic. If there is to be a decent future for humanity -- indeed, any future at all -- we must face painful realities with intellectual honesty and moral strength. We can celebrate the victories we achieve along the way but it’s just as crucial that we stay focused on what remains to be understood and accomplished
Pacifica
Radio: What Went Wrong?
By Greg Guma
Faced with layoffs, a crash crunch, lawsuits, and a long-term decline in listenership, the National Board of Pacifica Radio, the original listener-supported network, has decided to seek a $1 million dollar loan, reportedly using station assets as collateral
News
Flash: Obama Hypnotizes Zinn
By Mickey Z.
Well, Howard Zinn has written an article (“Obama’s Historic Victory,” Nov. 12, 2008) but is anyone calling him delusional and ridiculing him for even suggesting such insane expectations? The tens of thousands of readers who look to Zinn as a trusted voice of wisdom and reason are being dangerously misled by an article that omits the reality that every indication points to Barack Obama doing the exact opposite of what Zinn writes
James
Zogby And The Politics Of Perception
By Remi Kanazi
James Zogby's latest article, "Rahm Emanuel and Arab Perceptions" is disturbing. In the piece, Zogby tries to calm the fears of Arab Americans about Barack Obama's first appointment, Rahm Emanuel, to White House Chief of Staff. Zogby expressed shock and dismay that his constituency, once euphoric over the election of Obama, was now sending him angry and cynical letters. Zogby described the emails and calls to his office as "troubled and troubling—because much of the reaction was based on misinformation and because of what the entire episode reveals about the larger political dynamic."
Ending
Poverty: Moving Beyond
More Aid And Fair Trade
By Davinder Kaur
As the United Nations seeks increased financial assistance from donor countries to help meet the flagging Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the inadequacy of international aid and fairer trade agreements has never been so clear
Who
Changes The Name Of Persian Gulf?
By Kourosh Ziabari
Why is the Persian Gulf region so important that Arab states and Israel agreed to lobby for dominance over and distort its name? How much is the distortion project linked to the political purposes and who is really charging and backing this project from outside?
Obama
Owes Diamond Real Change Not Perfection
By Robert Weitzel
Over two million more young people voted in this election than in 2004; 18-year-old Diamond, a first-time voter from Harlem, was one of them. She supported Obama because she thinks he is “going to cure everything [and] make everything perfect.” While her enthusiasm is reassuring, her blind faith in Obama is unsettling. If she and millions like her do not make their voices heard above the whispers of Wall Street and K Street on the issues of war, the Middle East, and the economy, their “perfect president” will be just another politician for the well-heeled and connected, and these young voters will turn up their ipods and flip open their cell phones and lose interest in the 2012 election
17 November, 2008
The
Crisis Has Hardly Begun
By Paul Craig Roberts
Any bailout has its downsides. But if America loses its auto industry, it will lose the suppliers as well and will cease to have a manufacturing sector. For years no-think economists have been writing off America’s manufacturing jobs, while deluding themselves and the public with propaganda about a New Economy based on finance. A country that doesn’t make anything doesn’t need a financial sector as there is nothing to finance
Worse
Than The Great Depression?
By Stephen Lendman
Policy makers won't change. "Free-market" fundamentalism won't be tamed, and nothing in sight promises deliverance to a caring, progressive new world. Before whatever comes out of this in the end, plenty of pain will precede it, then past sins will repeat, and we'll go through the whole cycle again - if we make it through this one
G-20
Meets, Dines In DC, Does Nothing
To Save The World Economy
By Kevin Zeese
People Need to Organize to Break the Bailout and Demand the Economy We Want
Yes,
I Am My Brother's Keeper
By Siv O'Neall
Do we need further proof that greed is not the solution for a sound economy? Do we need further proof that capitalism is foundering? Do we need further proof that ignoring the poor is not the way to make the world go round? That selfish accumulation of wealth is not the key to peace of mind and a life worth living?
Abdicating
The "A" Word, Frantically
Fighting For The Familiar
By Carolyn Baker
But if mere physical survival is all it's about, then we are left with nothing but doom and gloom. If, however, things like cooperation, compassion, building authentic community, and living from a new paradigm, even if only for a brief period of time, occur, then civilization will have been transcended and dealt a significant death blow
Breaking
With Afghan Policy
By Tariq Ali
Obama would be foolish to imagine that Petraeus can work a miracle cure in Afghanistan. The cancer has spread too far and is affecting U.S. troops as well. If the American media chose to interview active-duty soldiers in Afghanistan (on promise of anonymity), they might get a more accurate picture of what is happening inside the U.S. Army there
The
Real Goal Of Israel’s Blockade
By Jonathan Cook
The latest tightening of Israel’s chokehold on Gaza – ending all supplies into the Strip for more than a week – has produced immediate and shocking consequences for Gaza’s 1.5 million inhabitants.The refusal to allow in fuel has forced the shutting down of Gaza’s only power station, creating a blackout that pushed Palestinians bearing candles on to the streets in protest last week. A water and sanitation crisis are expected to follow
DR
Congo's Historic Urgency
By Brian McAfee
The conditions in the democratic republic of Congo are dire for millions of its people despite the fact that the Congo has more mineral wealth than any other part of the African continent. Over a quarter of a million people are displaced because of the civil war currently raging in the eastern part of the country
Sangh
Parivar's Double Talk:
Beware Perverse Patriotism
By B G Verghese
What is surprising, however, is the response of the spokesmen of the Parivar. They disown any association with sadhvi Pragya and other civil suspects held for the Malegaon bombing. Yet they take the line that Hindus cannot be terrorists and that the armed forces are a part of Indian society which has been horrified by the pusillanimous and apologetic approach of the UPA government to terror attacks and cannot therefore be blamed for patriotic reactions.This apologia comes close to showing sympathy for and indirectly condoning what is undoubtedly a grave dereliction of duty and rank indiscipline
15 November, 2008
US
Retail Sales Plunge As Layoffs Mount
By Kate Randall
Retail sales in the US fell 2.8 percent in October, the fourth straight monthly decline, the Commerce Department reported Friday. The decline was much worse than the 2.1 percent drop forecast by economists in a Bloomberg News survey
Weeks
After Bank Bailout,
No Help For Homeowners
By Adrianne Appel
Nearly five weeks after Congress gave the nod to a 700-billion-dollar bailout fund, and as the economy sinks deep into a recession, no definite plan is in sight for struggling U.S. homeowners
Paulson
The Bungler
By Mike Whitney
Henry Paulson's time at Treasury has been one pratfall after another. Even so, on Tuesday he managed to outdo himself. Paulson held a "surprise" press conference where he announced that the $700 billion Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) wouldn't be used to buy troubled assets after all. Instead, the money will used to bail out insurance giant AIG, provide extra capital for the banks to hoard, and now (this is the new part) give money to "nonbank financial institutions, like insurers and specialty-finance companies" so they can lend to credit-worthy consumers. Isn't that why we gave money to the banks?
My
"Outrage List" Keeps Getting
Longer And Longer
By Mike Larson
Someday, we'll see the depths of the recession's eyes. Someday, we'll get to the point where enough companies have failed, enough homes have fallen into foreclosure, enough lenders have gone under, and enough debt has been crunched to get a real bottom in the markets and the economy. Then we'll be ready for our country to grow in a healthy, sustainable fashion for the long term. But we're not there yet. And judging from what I'm seeing, my outrage list appears doomed to grow
Unsettling
Signs: Buzzwords,
Politics And US Elections
By Ramzy Baroud
The fact that Obama is half African-American or that Biden supposedly grew up in harsh circumstances – or that Palin is a woman and McCain’s airplane was shot down – should be of no essence at all insofar as their policies, decisions and leaderships are concerned. That would be determined by time and experience, although the early signs are hardly promising
A
Wanted Man in Burma
By Jeremy R. Hammond
Writer Antonio Graceffo has become the target of a disinformation campaign by the ruling junta in Burma for opposing the oppressive regime
Saffron
Terror
By Praful Bidwai
Sadhvi Pragya Thakur’s arrest and the questioning of Hindutva extremists for the Malegaon blasts point to the need for action against majoritarian extremism
Fighting
Fascism
By Yoginder Sikand
Last month, the New Delhi-based human rights’ group Anhad, along with some 90 other organizations, held a two-day national convention on the theme, ‘Countering Fascism: Defending the Idea of India’. It was attended by scores of social activists from various parts of the country. Predictably, it received hardly any mention in the so-called ‘mainstream’ Indian media
14 November, 2008
For
The Earth To Live, Capitalism Must Die
By Juan Santos
This is the Day of Reckoning. This is the Time of Purification. This is the end of the “world”, the end of the city-state, the end of city life, of “Civilization.” The early Christians called it the “apocalypse,” the unveiling. Now, at last, the truth of what we have been presents itself unclothed. There is nowhere to hide. It is upon us. Like a cancer, capitalism, industrialism- truly the most advanced stage of civilization – “advanced” the way that a cancer is called “advanced” - has ravaged the body of the Earth. Life on Earth is disappearing. Nothing that can be done- or that will be done – under the system of global death called capitalism will save Life on Earth
Economic
Crisis Is Beyond The Reach Of
Traditional Solutions
By Paul Craig Roberts
By most accounts the US economy is in serious trouble. Robert Reich, an adviser to President-elect Obama, calls it a "mini-depression," and that designation might be optimistic. The Russian economist, Mikhail Khazin says that the "U.S. will soon face a second ‘Great Depression.’" It is possible that even Khazin is optimistic
How
Iraq War Sucked Billions Out Of
Rhode Island Economy
By Sherwood Ross
Rhode Island taxpayers will be parted from $622 million this year to finance the war, according to the National Priorities Project of Northampton, Mass., which tracks the impact of federal spending on states and localities. The total bill just to Rhode Island since Bush invaded Iraq is $2.1 billion
A
Song For Obama
By Mickey Z.
The Obamatrons are not pushing their hero to end any of the following either: the bogus war on a tactic, corporate welfare, homelessness, sweatshops, factory farming, strip mining, deforestation, or giving away control of public airwaves, public land, and public pensions. Ninety percent of the ocean’s large fish are gone but somehow these are “jubilant” times for those deluded denizens of the Left ready to “stop bitching.”
A
New Political Party Is Needed
By Joel S. Hirschhorn
Set aside any Obama euphoria you feel. The other important news is that third-party presidential candidates had a miserable showing this year, totaling just over one percent of the grand total with 1.5 million votes nationwide, compared to some 123 million votes for Barack Obama and John McCain
Could
Obama Transcend The Iron Cage
Of The White House?
By Behrooz Ghamari-Tabrizi
My hope is that an Obama Administration would augment the spark of November 4th into a flame that will guide us on a path towards sustainable change. We dared to hope. Obama must now have the courage to deliver. There are many taboos in American political culture that he must break. Many call people who talk about social democracy, peace, justice, equality, and respect for the dignity of others “crazies.” But this is a crazy time, a black man rules over the White House
Open
Letter To Barack Obama, President Elect
By James A. Lucas
Many of us want to join with you in working to solve the challenges that you, our nation and the world face. One of them is the decision you will make about Iran
Targeting
Hugo Chavez
By Stephen Lendman
Since taking office in February 1999, America's dominant media have relentlessly attacked Chavez because of the good example he represents and threat it might spread in spite of scant chance it will in today's climate. Yet some of his fiercest critics maintain pressure and show up often on the Wall Street Journal's op-ed page. Most recently on November 10 by its America's columnist, Mary O'Grady
Cheat
Teachers
By Havovi Wadia
Even as 'Teach India' becomes 'Teach for India' and says that education is the 'biggest leveller', and that education for all children should be a reality in a country as large and as 'developing' as ours, there appear to me some contradictions in the professed aim of the campaign and the methods it employs
13 November, 2008
The
Five Stages Of Collapse
By Dmitry Orlov
Five stages of collapse as delineated by the Russian social scientist Dmitry Orlov who closely observed the collapse of Soviet Union. He says, "I watched the Soviet Union collapse, and, since I am also familiar with the details of the situation in the United States, I can make comparisons between these two failed superpowers."
Paulson
Announces Shift In Wall Street
Bailout Scheme
By Bill Van Auken
In an abrupt about-face reflecting the desperate character of the crisis of the US and world financial system, US Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson announced Wednesday that he has abandoned the plan that he pushed through Congress barely one month ago to buy up so-called "toxic assets" on bank balance sheets. Instead, he said the bailout will focus entirely on direct injections of public money into a broader array of financial institutions
Costs
Of Empire: 'Time-bombs',
Guns, Risk And Anarchy - part I
By Eddy Laing
Several factors have influenced this accumulation of debt, including the lending rates set by the Federal Reserve Bank and by the speculation in financial derivatives itself. But at bottom, it reflects the international parasitism of the US economy in relation to the rest of the world, and specifically the massive amounts of money-capital created through the super-exploitation of human labor in Asia, Africa and Latin America. For the past several decades, US society has been held together with great amounts of debt, both short-term and long-term
Driving
Mister Barack
By Mickey Z.
As you know, the Empire has selected a new emperor. The Mafia has chosen a new don. The corporation has hired a new CEO. Are you brimming with hope yet? Read on…
Don't
Let Barack Obama Break Your Heart
By Tom Engelhardt
On the day that Americans turned out in near record numbers to vote, a record was set halfway around the world. In Afghanistan, a U.S. Air Force strike wiped out about 40 people in a wedding party. This represented at least the sixth wedding party eradicated by American air power in Afghanistan and Iraq since December 2001
An
Open Letter To Mr Barack Obama,
US President-Elect
By Friends Of Lebanon
Mr Obama, it has been a mere week since you were elected, and already you have destroyed any semblance of hope held for peace in the Middle East. Over sixty years of US subservience to the Zionist dream has not brought peace to anyone, not even to the Israelis. It certainly is time for a change. You can continue to seek profit from the illusion of power, or you can seek pride from the reality of respect. It is indeed time, as you say, to promote the cause of peace
"Change
We Need, Change We Did!"
By Kourosh Ziabari
Citizens, media, analysts, peace activists and international observers are currently waiting for a constructive engagement between the two states of Iran and US, particularly after some three rounds of negotiations between the two sides in the level of ambassadors in Iraq which was an indicator of great potentials for both countries to participate and cooperate
McCain
Owes America An Apology
By Bill Quigley
John McCain spent months fanning the fear-filled fires of folks scared of terrorists, socialists, and anti-Americanism in his campaign for President. On election night he made a fine concession speech and walked away – but the fires are still burning. John McCain apparently thought it was OK to turn fears on high for as long as possible to help his quest for the presidency. But he cannot now just expect the flames to turn off. He owes America an apology for running a terribly fear-mongering, knowingly false and divisive campaign
Israel
Tightens Chokehold On
Village Of Entrepreneurs
By Jonathan Cook
Nilin, midway between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, is home to nearly 5,000 Palestinians. Known as the “village of entrepreneurs”, it has more than its share of millionaires. But that looks set to change as the separation wall is closing down on Nilin’s land. Encircled by half a dozen Jewish settlements like Hashmonaim -- all illegal under international law -- the village is slowly being sealed off in a fashion that may soon make its isolation almost as complete as Gaza’s
Indian
Christians- A community In Turmoil
By Steven. L. D’ Souza
An article on present turmoil of the Indian Christian community. The article has 3 parts- brief introductory details of the Indian Christian community-the updated status quo of community in turmoil as well as the legal issues based on existing supreme court decision on the sensational Orissa raped nun issue
Changing
Hearts And Minds In Marathwada
By Sanjay Suman
How self help groups (SHGs) changed the life of Dalit women in Marathwada region of Maharashtra
12 November, 2008
Conned
Again
By Paul Craig Roberts
If the change President-elect Obama has promised includes a halt to America’s wars of aggression and an end to the rip-off of taxpayers by powerful financial interests, what explains Obama’s choice of foreign and economic policy advisors? Indeed, Obama’s selection of Rahm Israel Emanuel as White House chief of staff is a signal that change ended with Obama’s election. The only thing different about the new administration will be the faces
Obama's
Indian
By Vijay Prashad
Sonal Shah was an active member of the VHPA, the U. S. branch of the most virulently fascistic outfit within India. The VHP’s head, Ashok Singhal, believes that his organization should “inculcate a fear psychosis among [India’s] Muslim community.” This was Shah’s boss. Till 2001, Shah was the National Coordinator of the VHPA
Obama
Advisor's Disturbing Affiliations In India
By Vinod K. Jose
The economist of Indian origin on President-Elect Barack Obama's transition team, Ms. Sonal Shah, has one dubious credential on her resume--her relationship with the Hindu extremist group, Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP). This militant group was held responsible for the genocidal pogroms against Muslims in the western Indian state of Gujarat in 2002 that killed 2,000 people and rendered 100,000 homeless. Ms. Shah was the "National Coordinator" for the VHP in North America . So the lingering question is: why hasn't the Obama team vetted enough on Ms. Sonal Shah's Hindu extremist connections?
Suspected
Fascists In Obama Administration
By Mike Ghouse
Sonal Shah, one of Obama's advisors is claimed to have fascist connections. The piece has appeared in Hindustan Times, one of the respectable Newspapers of India. We have to look at her individual record and not that of her family members. Individuals do wrong (or right) and not their families or faiths. I hope Sonal is clean, but it needs to be affirmed, one bad apple can ruin his administration
We
Have A Dream
By Soraya Sepahpour-Ulrich
Sir, in the spirit of these great presidents, I ask you to call for peace, commerce, and honest friendship with all nations, entangling alliances with none. Sir, let the White House that you occupy be free of foreign influence and hostilities. President-elect Obama: Freedom comes from the conscience. I pray that you live free
Where
Is Our Nation Heading?
By Timothy V. Gatto
we can’t just sit in our living rooms watching the corporate dominated media tell us what to believe. We must start talking with our neighbors and start questioning authority, the sooner the better. When this country spends over 50% of the total military spending of the entire world, one must ask the question why. Who are we afraid of exactly? It time that this nation sat down and had a long conversation with itself
Global
Economic Tremors
By Stephen Lendman
Can the worst of all possible outcomes be avoided? It's beyond this writer's ability to imagine. It's for the Fed, Treasury, GSEs (government sponsored enterprises like Fannie, Freddie, Sallie, Ginnie, etc.) and banks, if they're able and willing, to try. To create money, get it flowing, inflate or die, but it already may be too late. Things that can't go on forever, won't, and as writer Ellen Brown observes: "The parasite has run out of its food source." The engine is now out of fuel
Is
There Such A Thing As Society?
By Aseem Shrivastava
These are strange times indeed, when the high priests of the day, the economists, are eager to quote prophetic poets like WB Yeats (The Second Coming), fearing an apocalypse, which has already happened a few times in the recent history of “modern” civilization. But they fear, perhaps rightly, that what may arrive may be something unimaginably worse than all catastrophes seen hitherto
Free
Trade And Distorted Development:
A Critique Of WTO Perspectives
By Sharat G. Lin
Global policymakers need to understand not only the economics of aggregate growth, but the socio-economic impact of globalized flows on the distribution of income and on the welfare of human beings
Deception
In Darfur
By Steven Fake & Kevin Funk
Excerpt from Steven Fake and Kevin Funk's book , "Scramble for Africa"
What Would
Swayze Do?
By Mickey Z.
To those striving for enduring social change: It's time to not be nice
Obama
And Mayawati: A Comparison In Contrast
By S.R.Darapuri
From a brief comparison between Obama and Mayawati it becomes evident that it is not very appropriate because there is a world of difference between their personalities and deeds. Rather it can be said to be a comparison in contrast. Obama is to be judged in the near future but Mayawati has already been judged
11 November, 2008
Economic
Crisis Deepens In The US
By Tom Eley
Monday brought a number of fresh indications—including mass layoffs, bankruptcies and negative labor market data—that the US is entering a deep economic crisis
Inviting
Americans To Iran
By Kourosh Ziabari
An Iranian journalists invitation to visit his country and see for themselves whether his country is actually part of Bush's axis of evil
East
Bound And Down: A Homeless March
On Washington Part 2
By David Kendall
The economic and ecological crises continue to escalate, and they're not going to magically disappear this time. So while a "Homeless March on Washington" might seem like a dirty job, somebody will eventually need to do it. Moreover, the effort will be far more successful with regional and community support than without it
The
Corn Who Would Be King
By Andrew Bosworth
The corn ethanol craze is pushing up the price of corn and other commodities, as is speculation surrounding this new enterprise. China and India have little to do with increased food prices
The
End of American Exceptionalism
By Jim Miles
Book Review: The Limits of Power – The End of American Exceptionalism By Andrew J. Bacevich
Letter
To Obama: What One US Citizen Wants
By Joseph A. Lopisi
I am an attorney who is a realistic skeptic about any real change occurring in this country since the political system is completely corrupted and beyond repair. With that said, I am looking for the following from President Obama
SWFs
Mark Structural Shift
In World Financial Order
By Kavaljit Singh
On October 11, the International Working Group of Sovereign Wealth Funds (IWG) released the Generally Accepted Principles and Practices (GAPP) that would guide the governance and accountability framework of sovereign wealth funds
Economic
Revival Vital To Peace
By Nimer Ahmad
Nimer Ahmad argues that economic revival is vital to bring Federally Administrated Tribal Areas (FATA) of Pakistan back to normalcy
Industrial
Capitalism Is A Given
And The Natural World Is Secondary
By Melissa Gragg & Jason Miller
Melissa Gragg and Jason Miller interview Derrick Jensen
Dangerous
Liaisons
By Pavan Nair
The arrest of a serving army officer in connection with a terrorist attack targeting the muslim community is a matter of deep concern. Every officer takes an oath to defend the country and its constitution. The officer's code states that the country must come first, always and every time. Therefore, hindu officers hatching a conspiracy to blow up muslims plays into the hands of those forces which want to see the country divided down the middle on religious and communal lines
Public
Health System In Madhya Pradesh;
Planned To Collapse!!
By Sachin Kumar Jain
Despite unreliable data, government statistics show that out of 14.7 lakh maternal deaths and deaths due to reproductive health complications in the world every year, 97,000 are from Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh, also known as the four BIMARU states, and the three newly carved ones of Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Uttaranchal. This figure has been corroborated by the World Health Organization (WHO). Half of the maternal deaths in south Asia are contributed by India's states of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Orissa
10 November, 2008
The
Financial Abyss
By Peter Goodchild
There is something hypocritical in the fact that governments are shedding tears over these troubles. After all, both governments and businesses should have seen what was coming --- and probably did so. Instead of preventing the problem, they have created a new feudalism: the very rich and the very poor. And all of the above is only the blip before the bang
America's
Energy Crunch Comes Home
By Michael T. Klare
Of all the challenges facing President Barack Obama next January, none is likely to prove as daunting, or important to the future of this nation, as that of energy. It will prove a monumental challenge because the United States faces an energy crisis of unprecedented magnitude that is getting worse by the day
Obama’s
Victory
By Ghali Hassan
The immediate goals for President Obama should include his promise to withdraw U.S. troops from Iraq and dismantle the Republican religio-fascist ideology. In addition, President Obama should end the murderous occupation of Afghanistan and commit his Administration to end Israeli occupation of Palestinian land, including the suffocating Israeli military siege of Gaza. It is long overdue that an honest U.S. administration takes a decisive and courageous approach to Israel’s illegal and oppressive policies. There will be no peace without justice
Obama
Mania
By Stephen Lendman
Beware of excessive optimism that each time has been wrong. A severe meltdown possibility may have passed but it's not out of the question if poor future policy choices are made. That's for the new Obama team to avoid plus having to deal with whatever else the Bush administration does in its final weeks. It's botched things so badly up to now so there's no telling how much more piling on they'll do into January. Whatever happens until then, they'll be no joy in 2009, and no simple task for the ablest of appointees or assurance that their best efforts will work
Obama’s
Change Orgy
By Dr. Elias Akleh
After Obama’s presidential victory a euphoric feeling swept the streets of most of the States. Thousands of people gathered in the Grant Park in Chicago, thousands others went into the streets of their cities celebrating this occasion. They called it a historic election, a nonviolent revolution, a dream comes true, a breakthrough and a victory over racism. Obama was called a hero, a savior, and some even called him a messiah. Obama’s call for change has become an orgy that tantalizes peoples’ feelings and hopes
Bush’s
Last Bullet: Why The US Attacked Syria
By Ramzy Baroud
It was a warning to Syria, but considering Bush’s dwindling weeks in office, it might as well be a late warning that would yield nothing but further animosity towards the US, not just in Syria but throughout the world
The
Anti-Incumbency Movement Is Dead
By Joel S. Hirschhorn
Voting out congressional incumbents failed this year, showing the anti-incumbency movement to be a clear letdown. For some years many groups and their websites have been advocating voting out congressional incumbents as an effective means to reform government and make it work better
Counter
Terror
By Rana Ayyub
Bajrang Dal. VHP. Abhinav Bharat. The names of ultra right-wing outfits are increasingly cropping up as investigators wake up to a new form of terror. Rana Ayyub tracks the dangerous trend
Journalistic
Fascism
By Yoginder Sikand
Ajit Sahi is an investigative reporter with the New Delhi-based Tehelka magazine. He recently published several startling reports clearly indicating that scores of innocent Muslims, including some former members or associates of the banned Students' Islamic Movement of India (SIMI), across the country have been falsely implicated by the police, intelligence agencies and the media as being behind various terror attacks. In this interview with Yoginder Sikand, he talks about how influential sections of the Indian media are playing a major role in demonizing Muslims today
Salutation
To A Brave Soul Who
Valiantly Fought Her Honor
By Vidya Bhushan Rawat
Story of Sister Meena, an Adivasi nun who was raped by the Hindutva's thugs in kandhamal district of Orissa On August 24th
07 November, 2008
Obama's
Change Leaves By
The Back Door
By Tom Eley
Three days after Barack Obama's election victory, the initial moves by the president-elect to prepare his administration already show that his policies will be determined not by popular expectations, but by the domestic and foreign policy interests of the American financial and corporate elite
A
Look Under The Hood Of The (Potential)
Obama Administration
By Joshua Frank
Tuesday’s celebration hangovers have finally started to wear off, and the pieces are beginning to fall into place. Change will be coming to Washington in January, but it is difficult to decipher what form it will take. Early clues, however, suggest that Barack Obama’s administration will prove unlikely to alter the fundamental political machinery that has led us into war and economic turmoil. Below is a brief summary of Obama’s potential choices for a few key roles in his administration
Cashing
The Obama Check: Will It Come Back
Marked “Insufficient Funds”?
By Bruce Dixon
Will the First Black President be of any use cashing the check for real racial justice, not just for black faces in high places? The clock is already ticking, and every day is an opportunity to lead lost
The
Election: It Had To Be This Way
By Timothy V. Gatto
Barack Obama will be the catalyst for a new movement, away from false hope and false promises, not because he will deliver to the people of this country anything worthwhile, but because he won’t. This will be the final nail in the coffin of our corporatist society
What's
Behind Washington's Recent Behavior?
By Max Kantar
Over the past two months, the United States has quietly extended its illegal wars in Iraq and Afghanistan to Syria and Pakistan. The attacks, according to the official U.S. legal definition, constitute "international terrorism" and unlawful "acts of war."
Dear
God, Please Give Me A Bailout
So I Can Believe!
By Gary Corseri
Oh, God, send me a check for a quadrillion, make it out to the poor, forgotten and desperate--those still longing to believe, though they cannot now believe
The
Wages Of Sin
By Stephen Lendman
Given current conditions near certain to worsen and a new US administration
in power, it's anyone's guess how a crisis this grave will be resolved
or how things will look when it ends. One thing, however, is sure.
The age of George Bush is over, and not a moment too soon. But unduing
his damage may be too great a task for any head of state - even for
all of them combined. The wages of sin are now due
Break
Political Silence On Malnutrition
By Sachin Kumar Jain
Nine children died in duration of a week in three villages of Satna district of Madhya Pradesh. The issue came to light when someone got wind of it. The health department issued report that the deaths were owing to malnutrition. However, the Women and Child Development Department (WCD) immediately denied the report, saying that the children had succumbed to various diseases. No responsible officer deemed it fit to visit the spot and the WCD Department managed to alter the report mentioning that the children were above six years of age and thus outside the purview of its care, Very simple but so apathetic
06 November, 2008
A
Paradigm Shift In America’s
Intellectual Community
By Pablo Ouziel
The new era of voting for the lesser of the two evils has penetrated the core of America’s critical intellectual community, and some of the biggest voices for change have endorsed Obama. In effect, what has taken place is the union between those opposed to imperial ideology and those endorsing it. Although this serious event has gone largely unnoticed, American intellectuals will need to reflect on its consequences seriously if they are to contribute to the building of a stable future for humanity as a whole, and in particular to mending the tarnished corrupt fabric of American society
Obama
Picks Pro-Israel Hardliner For Top Post
By Ali Abunimah
During the United States election campaign, racists and pro-Israel hardliners tried to make an issue out of President-elect Barack Obama's middle name, Hussein. Such people might take comfort in another middle name, that of Obama's pick for White House Chief of Staff: Rahm Israel Emanuel
As
Obama's Administration Takes Shape:
Where Are Progressives For Obama?
By Jerry D. Rose
If Progressives for Obama are asleep at the wheel in this very first of Obama's proposed appointments, that can we look for in future actions of people from the left?
Will
President Obama Feel The Pressure?
By Mickey Z.
The only pressure that will be consistently exerted by those on the Left will be the pressure of their soft butts on their couch cushions as they sit back to smugly watch Jon Stewart, Keith Olbermann, Stephen Colbert, and Bill Maher
Is
The Nightmare Over Yet?
By Timothy V. Gatto
One message we must bring to the new administration is that the American People won’t forget about the crimes and policies that Bush and the neo-cons put forth that changed the direction and the conscience of this nation. The facts are that if we the people do not hold the Bush Administration accountable for the things they did during their term, we are also responsible
The
World's Candidate Wins
By Hamid Golpira & Gul Jammas Hussain
The world has heaved a collective sigh of relief because their candidate has won the U.S. presidential election. Poll after poll in many countries showed that if they could have voted, Barack Obama would have received even more of a landslide than he received in the United States. And why was Obama the world's candidate? Quite simply, because they feel they can talk to him
We
Have Hope, But Real Change In America
Represents An Immense Task
By John Chuckman
America has been living in recent decades as though its dream slogan were as meaningful as it was in 1955, but much of the prosperity in the last couple of decades was purchased by borrowing to consume beyond the nation’s ability to pay
The
United States Of India?
By Cynthia Stephen
When will this day dawn in India, when we will stop engaging in fratricidal attacks on our own fellow citizens, when we will all learn to respect each other's origins, faith, and language and human rights of each other, being from the same large and diverse joint family, and and remember we are all like children playing on the lap of the same mother ? When will the United States of India become a reality?
Playgrounds
For Palestine:
One Marathon At A Time
By Ramzy Baroud
I am also certain that there are many who care just enough to build one more playground for the children in the refugee camps. My hope is that your involvement will exceed that of making a one-time financial contribution to sponsor our run, but will rather get involved yourself as a runner, or in any other way to support such important organizations as Playgrounds for Palestine: they provide hope in a time when only misery and despair seem to eclipse the lives of so many children in Gaza, in Lebanon and in those caught behind Israeli walls in the West Bank
Travesty
Of Tolerance On Display
By Jonathan Cook
The Israeli Supreme Court’s approval last week of the building of a Jewish Museum of Tolerance over an ancient Muslim cemetery in Jerusalem is the latest in a series of legal and physical assaults on Islamic holy places since Israel’s founding in 1948
Targeting
Aristide In Exile
By Stephen Lendman
Now four years later a resurrected charge. As unfounded as the others. On the Wall Street Journal's op-ed page by Americas writer, Mary O'Grady. Known for attacking democrats. Supporting repression. Right wing extremism. American imperialism and corporate power. She's excels in journalistic venom mirror opposite of the truth
Nanded
Case: Of Lost Leads
And Shoddy Investigation
By Meena Menon
Investigations into the terror activities which seem disparate right now have to be coherent
05 November, 2008
Mr
President,We Too Have A Dream
By Abdul Basit
An open letter to President-Elect Barack Obama
How
Israel Helps Eavesdrop On US Citizens
By Ali Abunimah
In his new book, The Shadow Factory: The Ultra-Secret NSA from 9/11 to the Eavesdropping on America author James Bamford casts light on this effort, including a detailed account of how spying on American citizens has been outsourced to several companies closely linked to Israel's intelligence services
The
United States Of ... Canada
By Hicham Safieddine
Canada today squarely belongs to the neo-conservative US camp. And this is the message that politicians, diplomats, and activists opposed to US foreign policy in the region need to convey to their Canadian counterparts in an effort to reverse this shift. Anything less is worthy of blame and possibly prosecution
Waiting
For The Other Shoe To Drop
By Eddy Laing
Amidst the cacophony of the present crisis and confusion, the revolutionary Marxists need to step up and clarify the essential nature of the current economic crisis, as well as the further economic and political crises that are on the way. The ruling classes are struggling to retain their political as well as their economic hegemony, both of which are being threatened in every field. We should not let this opportunity pass
The
Challenge Of The New Statism
By Dan Lieberman
The liberal democracies have experienced financial shocks and reacted, but not as free market advocates expected. Adam Smith’s name is not being loudly heard in the world’s central banks
Anatomy
Of Sangh Parivar
By Ram Puniyani
While superficially at loggerheads the ideological wavelength of RSS indoctrination is similar to the one used in Pakistani Madrassas for training Al Qaeda. Here the religion is different paradigms are same. To deal with such ideologies leading to acts of terror, what is also needed is to combat their ideological foundations
04 November, 2008
American
Election:
An Illusion Of Democracy
By Dr. Elias Akleh
Once again, as it has been happening every four years, the American people are suckered into surrendering their necks to a different yoke of slavery through the process of so-called “democratic election” of their president. Little they know that this president, and his administration, is but a tool used by the power elite – international financiers, military industrialists, energy companies and corporatocracy – to control resources, transfer wealth upwards, keep the populace in check, enslave them, suppress their dissent, and conscribe them into wars of greed against their human neighbors
Future
Of Basic Research In US: Obama vs McCain
By Sukant Khurana
Based on policy document and rhetoric Obama seems to be many times better for scientific research than John McCain. And scientific research holds the keys to US and whole world’s future. If Obama wins the white house and sticks to most of his promises, one can hope for a complete reversal of the damage done by Bush. I will hope that every American understands the need for science and education and will go out to vote for a better future of USA and the rest of the world
Michael
Moore And The Great Barack Hope
By John Murphy
When Amy Goodman asked how Michael Moore could say that he was opposed to war and yet support a candidate who has announced his intentions to commit the same crimes against humanity as are being committed by the Bush cabal and which were committed by the Clinton regime, the rotund Republican-lite moviemaker said, "well, I don't know if I'm giving him the benefit of the doubt. I'm hoping that he breaks his campaign promise, like all politicians do. I'm counting on him to be a good politician and do that". Michael Moore is hoping that O-BOMB-A is just a liar instead of a mass murderer
"Personal
Survival Skills:
Life At The Twlight Of Empire"
By Michelle Fealk, Adriana Guillen, Colin Peacock,
Sarah Rios, and two anonymous contributors
This report is intended to serve as a guide along the path we have, thankfully, already trodden and worn down, along with several thousand scientists, conspiracy-theory crackpots, and average frustrated chumps as we have come up against a world in turmoil. Specifically, we face an ambiguous future in a world that grows increasingly dependent on oil even as global supplies fall
The
Economics Of Global Democracy
By Adam W. Parsons
The economic freedom promised through the liberalisation of market forces has, in reality, resulted in a freedom for the very few and a contradiction of the promise that increased wealth will be shared - demanding a reframing of the concepts of 'democracy' and 'human rights', says Adam W. Parsons
Under
The Mountain Of Debt
By Eddy Laing
The current credit crisis is not primarily due to failing single family home mortgages, although mortgage debt is part of it. It is the coming due of capital debts that resemble Russian nested dolls, each one opening up to reveal yet more debt. These are the now-famous 'toxic assets', the 'collateralized debt obligations' and 'jumbo covered bonds' which promised to pay the holder based on the interest that would be collected on yet other debt instruments
Focus
On The Family’s Toxic
Corn Pone Letter From 2012
By Robert Weitzel
Dobson’s letter from the “future” was emailed on October 22 to millions of his weekly TV and radio audience in the United States. His purpose was to scare the bejesus out of corn pone connoisseurs who devour the stuff faster than even Jesus can multiply it
Communalism
And The Myth
By Ambrose Pinto
In interpreting communal violence in any part of the country it is wrong to state that the two communities that are in conflict represent the sentiments of the two communities. Communalists do not represent their communities at all. So, it is wrong to state that India had or has Hindu-Muslim or Hindu-Christian clashes
Exit
Of The Disaster Master
By Mir Adnan Aziz
As President Bush rides into the sunset, what will be left in the wake of his 'legacy' is the 'shattered visage' of a predominant part of the globe. Karl Marx once remarked that historical events occur twice, first as tragedy and the second time as farce. In crystalline hindsight, both his terms will be seen more as a tragedy than a farce
03 November, 2008
US
Carries Out More Airstrikes In Pakistan
By James Cogan
In open contempt of the repeated protests by the Pakistani government, the US military carried out another two air strikes on October 31 against houses inside Pakistan's Federally Administered Tribal Agencies (FATA), killing at least 27 people
The
Psychology Of Denial
In The Age Of Consumerism
By John James
A four-year analysis of the world's ecosystems sponsored by the Worldwatch Institute found that over-consumption has pushed 15 out of 24 ecosystems essential to human life "beyond their sustainable limits". Our insatiable desire for more is moving the planet toward a state of collapse that may be "abrupt and potentially irreversible". Since we all know that, can we not go beyond the fear to follow David Attenborough, who said in a recent interview, "How could I look my grandchildren in the eye and say I knew and did nothing?"
A
Third Palestinian Intifada In The Making
By Ramzy Baroud
Palestinian uprisings are often a collective response to hard questions. The chances are the next Intifada - as surely there will always be one as long as the occupation continues - will find again a popular rejection of the ills which have afflicted the Palestinian cause, It would once again reassert the relevance, if not the leading role of the Palestinian people as the real owners of their fate, and guards of their own struggle
More
From The Front Lines Of The Financial Crisis
By Stephen Lendman
America's salad days are over, Peter Schiff writes in his 2007 book "Crash Proof: How to Profit from the Coming Economic Collapse." We've gone from a nation of savers, investors and producers to one of borrowers, consumers and gamblers. Official government statistics lie. They conceal hidden truths. America's house of cards is crumbling. It won't be pretty when it collapses. His advice is get out of the dollar. Get your money out of the country while you can, and gold is one of his recommendations
And
Now Hindu Terrorists?
By Asghar Ali Engineer
The civil society should also become vigilant against all terrorists of whatever religion or group. As communal riots were major danger in twentieth century, terrorist attacks are for 21st century
Nano
In Gujarat-
Make Believe Stature Of Modi
By Ram Puniyani
While the management Gurus and money bags are comfortable with the likes of Hitler/Modi, for the large sections of deprived population such rules are a nightmare. What more can be said about such a person who comes to power through polarizing the society and then rules in a manner where false claims about amity abound. The aura created around him is a sign of ominous dark times for the nation, the times threatening to engulf the values of our plural culture and values of our freedom movement, which emphasized on democracy and equal rights for all
Pakistan
Earthquake Response
By Brian McAfee
With now over 300 reported deaths, 500 injured and thousands rendered homeless as a result of the October 29 earthquake that struck Baluchistan in southwest Pakistan a new need for humanitarian assistance presents itself
Studs
Terkel: The Passing Of An Icon
By Stephen Lendman
Despite his advanced age, the news came as a shock. An era had passed. On October 31, author, activist, actor, broadcaster, and mensch for all seasons Louis "Studs" Terkel died peacefully at his Chicago North Side home at age 96. Already weakened by other ailments, his health declined further from a fall in his home two weeks earlier
Ayyankali:
Legacy Of Organic Protest
By Muhammed Nafih
Book review- Ayyankali:A Dalit Leader of Organic Protest by Nisar.M.and Meena Kandasamy
Humanrights
Defenders
As Petty Swindlers: It's All Maya!
By Subhash Gatade
It has been more than one and half year that 'Dalit ke Beti' Maya rode to power in the state promising end to 'goondaism' of the earlier regime. Little could people have the premonition that under the new dispensation the police itself would become another 'synonym for terror'
