30 September, 2008
House
And Global Investors Vote"No"
On Paulson Bailout
By Mike Whitney
The US House rejected Treasury Secretary Paulson's $700 billion Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 . Paulson said he has the votes, but Paulson was wrong. The House bucked the Paulson's claim that buying up the illiquid mortgage-backed assets from the nation's banks would be enough to save the financial system from an impending meltdown
Bailout
Round II: A New Shade Of Lipstick
By David Swanson
The House of Representatives voted down Paulson's Plunder on Monday, 225 to 208. We demanded a No vote and for the first time in recent memory we were listened to. Thank you! Three cheers for the American people!
A
Shattering Moment In America's Fall From Power
By John Gray
The global financial crisis will see the US falter in the same way the Soviet Union did when the Berlin Wall came down. The era of American dominance is over
The
Creation Of The Second Great Depression
By Ron Paul
The issue boils down to this: do we care about freedom? Do we care about responsibility and accountability? Do we care that our government and media have been bought and paid for? Do we care that average Americans are about to be looted in order to subsidize the fattest of cats on Wall Street and in government? Do we care?
The
Current Crisis: A Socialist Perspective
By Leo Panitch & Sam Gindin
The type of facile analysis that focuses on 'it's all over' – whether in terms of the end of neoliberalism, the decline of the American empire, or even the next great crisis of capitalism – is not much use here insofar as it is offered without any clear socialist strategic implications. It ain't over till it's made over
Israel’s
Breeding Ground For Jewish Terrorism
By Jonathan Cook
The words “Jewish” and “terrorist” are not easily uttered together by Israelis. But just occasionally, such as last week when one of the country’s leading intellectuals was injured by a pipe bomb placed at the front door of his home, they find themselves with little choice
As
Rome Burns, Hopes For A Wedding In White
By John Chuckman
It is reliably reported (The Times, London) that the McCain camp is expecting a miracle, its expectations rather resembling those of a millenarianist group camping on a hillside awaiting The Second Coming
If
We Will Only Listen
By Mike Palecek
Review of "No Innocent Bystanders," by Mickey Z
Nanavati
Report On Godhra Tragedy:
Erasing The Obvious Truths
By Ram Puniyani
Recently Justice Nanavati-Mehta (N-M) submitted their report to Govt. (Sept 2008). What it has done must be very close to the desire of the ruling establishment which reaped a rich harvest due to the Godhra train burning and the anti Muslim pogrom in the aftermath of the same
Who
After Geelani
By Syed Ali Safvi
A question has been haunting and disturbing me for long now: who after Geelani? What will happen to Kashmir after him? Is there anyone who can step into his shoes?
29 September, 2008
No
Bail Out For Wall Street Billionaires
By James Petras
The Treasury and Congress have inadvertently revealed that federal financing is readily available to rebuild the US economy, guarantee decent living wages and provide health care for everyone if we choose elective officials who are committed to the needs of the US workers and not the Wall Street billionaires
Grand
Theft America
By Stephen Lendman
The crime of the century. The greatest one ever. Author Danny Schechter calls it "Plunder." The title of his important new book on the subprime and overall financial crisis. Economist Michael Hudson and others refer to a kleptocracy. A Ponzi scheme writ large. Maybe an out-of-control Andromeda Strain. An economic one. Deadly. Unrecallable. Science fiction now real life. Potentially catastrophic. World governments trying to contain it. Trying everything but not sure what can work. Maybe only able to paper it over for short-term relief. Buy time but in the end vindicate the maxim that things that can't go on forever, won't
We
Have The Money- If Only We Didn't Waste It
On The Defense Budget
By Chalmers Johnson
On Wednesday, September 24th, right in the middle of the fight over billions of taxpayer dollars slated to bail out Wall Street, the House of Representatives passed a $612 billion defense authorization bill for 2009 without a murmur of public protest or any meaningful press comment at all. The New York Times gave the matter only three short paragraphs buried in a story about another appropriations measure
Bailing
Out Wall Street: The Ease Of The Disease
Is More Seductive Than The Cure
By Reverend Eric Ivler Rubin
According to economists and politicians in Washington DC, many of whom all responsible for the current collapse of the US economy, there is a unified mantra: “Bail out the financial institutions, or America as we know it is doomed.” But maybe America “as we know it” is not something the American people may want to keep!
Welcome
To America's Nightmare
By Timothy V. Gatto
This corporate bailout isn’t for you and me; it’s for the corporations and the politicians that do their dirty work. So welcome to our collective nightmare
Fundamentals
Of The Economy Are Solid...
Remember?
By Rand Clifford
September, 2008, a month that will live in infamy. A month where official purring about our economy’s solid fundamentals have erupted into official bayings about economic collapse. Financial markets are suddenly so choked with "toxic debt" that only a hasty trillion-dollar taxpayer Heimlich Maneuver "might" get credit flowing again
Hunter
Better Than Nanavati
By R.B. Sreekumar
The Nanavati Commission report deserves the description as a whitewashing document of the aggressors than the conclusion of an enquiry. This is an immature, partisan and inconclusive report which has a political motive. It can only be seen only as a predetermined script. The report hides the heinous acts of Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi and co, who were the perpetrators of the violence
Some
Bombs Get Defused
By Smita Gupta
Just who is a terrorist? Definitions change when it comes to the Hindutva extreme
Delhi
'Encounter' Raises Tough Questions
By Praful Bidwai
It’s a matter of shame that India’s anti-terrorist police cells haven’t managed to rise above the suspicion that they prefer brutal and even barbaric methods over due process of law. Unless their anti- terrorist strategies and operations undergo radical reform, the minorities whom they selectively target will never feel secure or part of the national community as full citizens
Palestinian
Economy: From Bad To Wretched
By Ramzy Baroud
The numbers are grim, whether in the West Bank or the Gaza Strip. The Palestinian economy is in one of its most wretched states, and the disaster is mostly, if not entirely manmade, thus reversible
The
Illusion Of Sovereignty
By Soraya Sepahpour-Ulrich
Perhaps sovereignty is relative; how else can one explain the subjugation of the most powerful industrial nations to the will of another while under the delusion of independence, national interest, democracy, and even capitalism? A single country, Israel and its powerful lobby AIPAC have altered the course of history in America and by extension, the rest of the world
"Peak
Oil Preparation: Educating
Family, Loved Ones, And Friends"
By Clifford J. Wirth
Families that have a common understanding of Peak Oil problems can provide mutual support and group problem-solving, and they are more likely enjoy life and survive the Peak Oil catastrophe. Young people who understand Peak Oil are more likely to study what makes sense for the future. Informed people who are unemployed can work collectively for their future and use their resources for contingency planning, instead of looking to panaceas and technological fixes
After
The Oil Crash: Evolution Of The Hill Folk
By Peter Goodchild
The decline in the world's oil suply is only one aspect of the fact that the civilized world is in a decline that will last for eternity. Politicians have no wish to address all the unpopular issues, and the voters are told nothing by the mainstream news media. Salvation therefore can only be on the level of the individual or the small group. What exactly is one to do? The most obvious proposal might be to walk away from that civilized world, to head for the hills, build a log cabin, plant corn, raise chickens, weave blankets, whatever
Tom
Friedman: Climate Change,
BAU, And Toxic Securities
By Bill Henderson
Thomas Friedman is a powerful voice pushing previously mis-educated publics past the 'new denial', but unfortunately Friedman remains part of the problem because his hot, flat and crowded view of our world remains profoundly American-centric and the leadership change he advocates remains deck chair shuffling instead of a much needed renunciation of the Church of Business ever increasing control of all of our lives and the Church of Business dominance of government especially which is killing us
27 September, 2008
Bailout
For Who?
By Adrianne Appel
U.S. lawmakers and the George W. Bush administration are continuing their closed-door meetings through the weekend to try and fashion a softer 700-billion-dollar deal for Wall Street that will appeal to citizens angry at the prospect of the mega-corporate bailout
A
Better Bailout
By Joseph E. Stiglitz
The administration is once again holding a gun at our head, saying, "My way or the highway." We have been bamboozled before by this tactic. We should not let it happen to us again.There are alternatives
$700
Billion Bailout: Let’s Do
Some Simple Arithmetic
By Michael Dickel
The Bush-Cheney-Haliburton administration proposes to hand over to Wall Street over twenty-five hundred dollars for each person over the age of 14 in the U.S. That’s over $10,000 for a family of four where the children are teen-agers. Do you know many families of four, with two teens, who can cough up $10,000 to help bail out Wall Street?
The
Happening
By Bill Noxid
Unless Obama is willing to accept the fact that this entire fiasco is the result of a deliberate campaign that has been blatantly evident for over five years, then he will not make a just decision on this corporate bailout - which is actually a creation of false wealth scheme on a scale never conceived of before. It’s not news to anyone with access to any information and the desire to know that the sub-prime mortgage scam targeted minorities approximately 73%, to 17% whites
Justice
For Our Sister Marcella Sali Grace!
An Appeal
Our hearts are full of sadness and rage because our sister Sali was brutally raped and murdered 20 minutes from San Jose del Pacifico and up to this moment the Oaxacan Attorney General's Office, as is its custom, is not doing anything regarding the fact that there exist witnesses who have information to identify those responsible
Foreign
Policy Debate All About War
By David Swanson
There was only one foreign policy asked about in Friday night's foreign policy debate: war and potential wars
A
Vote For Obama Is A Vote For McCain
By Jerry D. Rose
I think all progressives should proceed to find an alternative to McCain/Palin ticket which isn't that of the ill-fated Obama/Biden one. With eyes wide open to the vulnerabilities of our own alternative choices, we must seek out those candidates who are a "viable" alternative to the much-feared McCain presidency. And yes, we need to go into the heart of Obamania land and tell our Kool-aid affected friends that "a vote for Obama is a vote for McCain."
Time
To Try Something New
By David Truskoff
I would like to see a total boycott of this election. I know that will not happen, but a major effort must be made to involve the college students and get them out to protest the worst Presidential election in our history. Perhaps this is the turning point and the time to try something new and perhaps they can make it known that the party is over and the candidates must now respond to the wishes of the people
Calming
The Fearful Mind
By David Swanson
Thich Nhat Hanh, a Vietnamese Buddhist monk who in 1964 was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize by Martin Luther King, Jr., has published a new book of advice to Americans and to U.S. Congress members called "Calming the Fearful Mind: A Zen Response to Terrorism."
Attack
On Christians Is Attack On
Indian Secularism And Democracy
By Madhu Chandra
The ongoing and uncontrolled attack on Christians in Orissa, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh and now spreading to other parts of India is the clear signpost of Saffron fascist forces involved in religious ethnic cleansing. Most of the churches, Christian homes and Christian villages in Kandhamal and 14 other district of Orissa are vandalized. A single Hindu temple is not attacked in whole of the state. What signpost does it give to the eyes of every Indian civil society?
An
Unholy Crusade
By Sanjana
The real conversion happening in Karnataka is that of the RSS-BJP, who are using aggression to consolidate their hold in a once secular state
26 September, 2008
Delhi
Encounter: Rights Groups
Demand Judicial Enquiry
By PUCL & PUDR
It is imperative that an independent, time bound comprehensive probe has to be carried out by a sitting Judge of the Supreme Court of India into this incident and the claims of the police, to answer these questions. In any case, the NHRC guidelines on encounter killings require such an investigation
Muslim
Organisations Demand Judicial Enquiry
Into The Delhi Encounter Killings
By Cordination Committee Of Indian Muslims
The Government of India should take note of the pertinent questions raised by several citizens’ inquiry teams about the questionable nature of the 19 September 2008 “encounter” at Batla House, Jamia Nagar. A high level judicial time-bound enquiry should be conducted into the whole incident to find out the truth and its findings must be made public
More
Questions About Delhi Encounter Killings
A Fact Finding Report
We could not find a single person in the entire locality who could agree with the story of the 'encounter' of the police. There is a complete unanimity in the opinion of the people about the one-sided nature of the firing and the time for which it continued
Media
Manipulation By Police To Create
A Distinct Communalised Imagery
By Sadanand Menon
Monday, September 22 was an extraordinary day in the annals the Indian media. I would like to call it a day of shame. For, on that day, our media collectively displayed its herd-like mentality and its entirely uncritical attitude to the use – and misuse – of the photographs it publishes
The
Great Bailout: Is The Cure
Worse Than The Disease?
By Dan Lieberman
Secretary Paulson’s plan to prevent collapse of the financial system prompts immediate and unanswered questions: Will the Paulson plan fulfill its intentions or will it worsen what it wants to correct? The health of the financial system is a major problem, but is it the problem, and does it disguise the true problem?
Financial
Meltdown And The Madness
Of Imperialism
By Raymond Lotta
The events of the last ten days on Wall Street represent a new and more destabilizing phase of the turmoil gripping financial institutions and markets in the U.S. A financial crisis has been unfolding for more than a year. It is now the most serious financial crisis of U.S. capitalism since the Great Depression of the 1930s. And it is by no means contained or under control
Framing
The $700 Billion Question
By Pablo Ouziel
As the bailout of Wall Street is debated in the U.S. Congress, and world political leaders and global financial analysts, are all excited about what will ultimately save us from a economic Pearl Harbor, will prevent a financial Tsunami, or the repeat of the Great Depression, I am surprised that no CEO has yet been arrested. I am amazed and perplexed; obviously the question has not been framed properly
The
Credit Crisis May Reflect Concern With
Likely Growing Trade union Power
By Anthony Ravlich
The credit crisis facing the world may be explained in part in the decisions made in recent years at the United Nations to place more emphasis on the economic and social interests of the trade unions and the working classes
Iraq:
The Biggest Hospitals Become Sick
By Arkan Hamed & Dahr Jamail
Not even the elevators work now at Baghdad Medical City, built once as the centre for some of the best medical care
Archaeology
Becomes A Curse For
Jerusalem's Palestinians
By Jonathan Cook
The Palestinian residents are used to living in the shadow of history and religion, given dramatic physical form as the great silver dome of the al Aqsa mosque and the looming presence of the Mount of Olives. But of late, history has become a curse for most of Silwan’s residents
John
McCain – A Brief Criticism
By James Rothenberg
Inasmuch as candidate McCain enjoys virtual immunity regarding his national security credentials owing to his Vietnam experience, it might be interesting to lift that immunity and try another perspective. This is important because, from all we can tell, his views on the use of military force have little changed since then
“Art
And China’s Revolution” At The Asia
Society Museum:An Unofficial Guide To The Exhibit
By Li Onesto
Go see this show. Don’t miss the opportunity to experience this art. Think about, discuss and debate with others, the important questions raised by this exhibit—and the whole period of human history that produced this art
Definitions:
The Intelligentsia
By Gaither Stewart
The "Intelligentsia" and it's revolutionary mission
Everyone
Talks About Dal, But
What About Dal Dwellers?
By Syed Ali Safvi
I fail to understand why Dal dwellers are treated as second-class citizens. Preserving Dal lake should be prime concern, but that does not mean Dal dwellers be damned. They should be rehabilitated at some appropriate place
25 September, 2008
The
Mainstream Media Questions
Delhi Encounter Killings
By L. George
Finally it has happened: the main stream media in India has for the first time come out with something other than the 'official version' of the encounter killings that have taken place in the country
A
Golden Future Awaits Mankind
By Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's speech to the United Nations General Assembly
Six
Years In Guantanamo
By Robert Fisk
Sami al-Haj, an Al Jazeera cameraman, was beaten, abused and humiliated in the name of the war on terror. He tells Robert Fisk about his struggle to rebuild a shattered life
Oh,
Henry! The 700 Billion
By Niranjan Ramakrishnan
The 700 billion dollars will not solve the problem, just as the stimulus package did not
The
Bailout Can Be Stopped: Concerted
Citizen Action Is Having A Critical Impact
By Kevin Zeese
Citizens from across the political spectrum are telling Congess – No to the Bailout. When we wrote our membership thousands responded. I’m urging people to respond again to keep the pressure building. We are having an impact but it is going to take an avalanche of citizen input to re-think the bailout
Interventions
The Salvation Of Capitalism
By Robert S. Becker
But bailouts are never about increasing opportunity but protecting what property and stock owners have now. As usual, this Congress will protect both real and "paper" assets and the more you have, the more you benefit. Capitalism answers to human nature, but that doesn't make it fair or progressive. That's why we really need a modern New Deal or the Bush slide into mediocrity gets worse
New
Coup D'Etat Rumblings In Venezuela
By Stephen Lendman
With a few months left in office, the Bush administration may be unleashing its last hurrah in Latin America. A "hail Mary" effort to reclaim the region. Remove its weak democracies in countries like Bolivia and strong ones in Venezuela. And do it in the face of overwhelming domestic problems at home and lost wars abroad. Will it work? Not if Bolivians and Venezuelans have anything to say about it, and they're saying plenty. Stay tuned
Hasn't
McCain Done Enough For The Economy?
By Mary Shaw
My biggest concern is McCain's track record on our economy. I think he's done enough
Our
Media Can't Face The Truth
By Timothy V. Gatto
The media has changed from being a stalwart defender of the public’s right to know the truth, into a timid, vacillating entity that for all intents and purposes, censors itself
Ecuador's
Constitution Gives Rights To Nature
By Cyril Mychalejko
Jaguars, spectacled bears, brown-headed spider monkeys, and plate-billed mountain toucans may all just breathe a little easier next week if Ecuadorians approve a new constitution in a referendum on Sunday that would grant these threatened animals' habitats with inalienable rights
Kashmir
Conflict And The Emerging
Political Scene In South Asia
By Shah Faisal
In times to come there is going to be a lot of churning and shaking and Kashmir issue will increasingly get connected to movements on the global platform. Although no one can risk his money on betting for an early conflict resolution, the way nations are experimenting with newer power equations day in and day out, it can easily be fathomed out that the days of conflict are numbered
24 September, 2008
The
Methane Time Bomb
By Steve Connor
The first evidence that millions of tons of a greenhouse gas 20 times more potent than carbon dioxide is being released into the atmosphere from beneath the Arctic seabed has been discovered by scientists
What
If The Bailout Plan Doesn't Work?
By Eamon Javers
Lawmakers raised doubts Monday about what would be the largest government bailout in American history, but a bigger, more terrifying question lurked right under the surface: What if it doesn't work?
Global
Priorities: Feeding Markets,
Starving The Hungry
By Devinder Sharma
The one trillion dollar bailout package that President Bush is promising could have wiped out the last traces of poverty, hunger, malnutrition and squalor from the face of the Earth - if only our global leadership prioritised the poor with the same level of urgency as the financial crisis, writes Devinder Sharma
We
Can Stop Paulson's Plunder
By David Swanson
The bailout can punish those responsible rather than rewarding them. It can also be done without creating new dictatorial powers for the executive branch of our government. Congress must reject Paulson's Plunder and enact a plan with these progressive principles from the Backbone Campaign
Angels
Dancing On A Pinhead
By Case Wagenvoord
Part of the bailout package calls for increasing our national debt from $10.6 trillion to $11.3 trillion. This would increase our need for foreign capital to keep our Ponzi scheme afloat and would bring us even closer to the junk bond status that would cut off this flow of foreign capital
There
Is A Limit To Religious
Freedom: VS Acharya
By Sanjana
Karnataka Home Minister Dr VS Acharya makes a poor defence of the violence against Christians arguing that the violence was anti-conversion
Knocking
On Goa's Doors
By Vidyadhar Gadgil
The rising communal temperature in the country should come as no surprise. With the 2008 general elections approaching, calculations within the BJP suggest that it would not be able to get more than 140 seats, while it would need at least about 180 to be sure of forming a coalition government at the centre. Given this scenario, those within the BJP who have been pushing for a hard-line communal mobilisation agenda (the 'Modi line') have prevailed
A
Forgotten Story In Gaza:
The Slaughter Of Innocents
By Sameh A. Habeeb
Israel had announced officially that a holocaust would be on the way in Gaza and so far, at least 140 innocent people have been slaughtered. Most of them are children and civilians that have paid the price for militants firing Qasam rockets into Israel!
The
Palestinians Of Sabra-Shatila:
26 Years After The Massacre: Part II
By Franklin Lamb
Twenty-six years following the Sabra-Shatila Massacre and the founding of Hezbollah: Will the Party of God deliver the Palestinians from exile?
Obama
– America’s “Second Chance”
or Is It Its Last?
By Maher Osseiran
An Obama presidency, as I see it now, will not be a presidency of peace; it will be a presidency of wars sold as “just wars” of necessity in the Greater Middle East. After all, there is very little difference between Brzezinski’s vision and that of the neocons, the only difference is in the execution
Pakistan
As "New" Front In Terror War
By Brian McAfee
The truck bomb that exploded in front of Islamabad's Marriott hotel killing at least 53 people heralded in the latest salvo in the the U.S.'s and Mujahedin's love/hate relationship
Book
Review: "The Secret War With Iran"
By Jim Miles
If one knew little about the Middle East and its many strands of religious, political, military, and strategic interests, this seemingly well written work would have the reader believing that Israel is the altruistic good guy – although making tactical mistakes in its counter terrorist endeavours – and the Iranians are the cause of all the atrocities in the Middle East
Palin's
'Troopergate' Battle Rages
By Jason Leopold
As Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin works to derail a legislative inquiry into her firing of the public safety commissioner, state officials are vowing to finish a report on the controversy by Oct. 10 and to weigh contempt proceedings against Palin’s husband early next year
22 September, 2008
Marriott
Bombing: `Pakistan's 9/11'?
By Beena Sarwar
The truck laden with 1000 kg of explosives that suicide attackers rammed into the high-security Marriott Hotel in Pakistan's capital Islamabad on September 20, 2008 demolished a major power symbol, prompting many to call it "Pakistan's 9/11". Although the number of casualties, around 60, was far below the over 150 killed in the attack on late former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto's welcome procession of October 18 last year, this attack had greater symbolic significance
Marriott
Hotel Bombing: Another Sign Of
Pakistan’s Deepening Crisis
By Peter Symonds
The massive bomb blast that devastated the luxury Marriott Hotel in Islamabad on Saturday evening is one more sign of the deepening political crisis in Pakistan produced by the Bush administration’s spreading “war on terrorism”
Some
Questions About The Delhi Encounter
By Shabnam Hashmi, Satya Sivaraman,
Manisha Sethi, Tanweer Fazal,
Arshad Alam & Pallavi Deka
A team comprising activists, academicians and journalists visited the site of the police operation against alleged terrorists staying in an apartment in Jamia Nagar in the afternoon of 20.09.2008 . Two alleged terrorists Atif and Sajid, along with Mohan Chand Sharma, an inspector of the Delhi Police's Special Cell died in the operation while a third alleged terrorist was arrested. On the basis of our interactions with the local residents, eye witnesses and the reports which have appeared in the media, we would like to pose the following questions
Judicial
Enquiry Demanded On Delhi Encounter
By Coordination Committee Of Indian Muslims
The Coordination Committee of Indian Muslims representing all major Indian Muslim organizations demand judicial enquiry on the encounter in Jamia Nagar, New Delhi
Raging
Waters And A Blind Media
By S Gautham
S. Guatham questions the reporting by the mainstream media of two events that shook India, the Delhi encounter and and the north Indian flood
And
They Struck Again
By Asghar Ali Engineer
I think some powerful sources and organizations are behind all these terrorist activities and it requires great ingeniousness, political will and unbiased approach to solve this mystery. Otherwise people of India will continue to suffer for long time to come and the enemies of India and the terrorists will have the last laugh. The police investigation must change its direction, if they want to succeed in curbing terror
Supplies
To Tamil Rebel Areas
Firmly In Gov't Hands
By Amantha Perera
With the United Nations and other international humanitarian agencies vacating the Tamil rebel stronghold of Kilinochchi, now under army siege, the onus of maintaining essential supplies to tens of thousands of civilians in the area called the Vanni has fallen on the government
Israel
And Palestine Can Still Achieve Peace
By Mahmoud Abbas
I pledge my full cooperation in the days and months ahead. I am thankful for the efforts of the Bush administration to assist in brokering peace. I again extend my hand to the Israeli people, and I urge them and their leaders to make a choice that ensures a secure and prosperous future for both our peoples
A
Refugee's Open Letter To Mahmoud Abbas
By Abdelfattah Abusrour
My name is Abdelfattah Abdelkarim Hasan Ibrahim Mohamad Ahmed Mostafa Ibrahim Srour Abusrour. I am still a refugee in my own country with two rusty keys to his house
Remembering
Edward Said Five Years On
By Stephen Lendman
Said ended one opinion piece as follows: "Jonathan Swift, thou shouldst be living at this hour." But even he might have blanched in disbelief considering the current state and potential horror of its consequences. Said understood. He's sorely missed when we need him most
US
Backed Arroyo Regime Terrorizes
Media And Artists In The Philippines
By E. San Juan Jr.
Patronized by the war-mongering Bush administration, the corrupt militarist Arroyo regime in the Philippines continues its systematic repression of journalists, writers and media personnel to preserve its brutal oppression of millions of workers, peasants, women, and professionals
Our
Republic Raped And Still No Revolution!
By Joel S. Hirschhorn
Now is the time for Americans to wake up, stand up and vote down Republicans and Democrats. How wonderful it would be if the candidate that claims the presidency only receives, say, 20 percent of all eligible voters. This is the first necessary step for we the people to take back OUR country
The
Bailout Win-Win For Speculators,
Risk Takers And Finance Thieves
By Kevin Zeese
The bailout is corporate-government on display -- the corporate representatives (the Fed is the banking and finance system) go in the back room to meet with the congressional leadership of both parties -- all of whom are funded and put in office by the corporations -- they come out all smiles and the stock market goes up -- big finance is happy. The capital-economy is being saved on the back of taxpayers
20 September, 2008
Will
This Gigantic Bailout Work?
By Sean O’Grady
This is what we might call the $1trillion question. That's $1,000,000,000,000, by the way. It is a little like surgery. The US government has amputated the gangrenous leg of the banking system to save the patient. But it is now preparing to graft the infected limb on to the body politic of America. The US taxpayers will be lucky if they do not feel distinctly unwell as a result of this little experiment
It's
The Derivatives, Stupid! Why Fannie,
Freddie, AIG Had To Be Bailed Out
By Ellen Brown
Why the extraordinary bailout measures for Fannie, Freddie and AIG? The answer may have less to do with saving the insurance business, the housing market, or the Chinese investors clamoring for a bailout than with the greatest Ponzi scheme in history, one that is holding up the entire private global banking system. What had to be saved at all costs was not housing or the dollar but the financial derivatives industry; and the precipice from which it had to be saved was an "event of default" that could have collapsed a quadrillion dollar derivatives bubble, a collapse that could take the entire global banking system down with it
Iraq
War Vets Transforming Trauma
By Dahr Jamail
By using the written word and art, veterans of the U.S. occupation of Iraq are transforming their trauma into a message of both healing and resistance to the failed U.S. adventure
The
‘Actively Seized’ Security Council
By Cameron Hunt
With the Beijing Olympics now over, it seems that the international spotlight is slowly again returning to Darfur, Sudan, where things had been relatively quiet until recently
Is
It Time For Indian Maoists To Be
A Force In Indian National Politics?
By Trevor Selvam
A revolutionary political movement that is serious about keeping the initiative, and not getting marginalized, needs to set its strategic sights on being in a position to call for negotiations, somewhere down the line. Going from one spectacular military effort or jailbreak to another and interspersed with intermediate losses can become a never ending cycle, unless some face to face reckoning with the larger polity is targeted
The
Sentiment In The Streets Of Srinagar
By Maryam Sakeenah
India has covered up the reality in Kashmir with lies prepared by the State and fed into the public by its powerful media. Kashmiris today have broken through the fragile façade of state-authored fiction to show the world it is Kashmir against an aggressive, arrogant occupying power. The State is embarrassed by the outrage in the streets of Srinagar
Death
Becomes Her: Let’s Make Her Our President
By Jason Miller
Savage animal slaughterer that she is, it’s apt that Sarah Palin has now brutally plunged a razor-sharp knife into the very heart of the seemingly invincible doubts concerning her capacity to be Vice-President of the United States. Wielding her chutzpah with the awe-inspiring deftness with which she employs her gun or rifle when hunting defenseless wolves or moose, she appeared on 20/20 and left our skepticism writhing on the ground in agony, immersed in its own blood and gasping its last
Regarding
Senator Biden And "Tasks From God"
By Eileen Fleming
Recently Senator Biden spoke with Shalom TV and stated that, "There is this inextricable tie between culture, religion, ethnicity that most people do not understand…You don't have to be a Jew to be a Zionist, I am a Zionist."
Racism,
Propaganda, And The Palestinian
Right To Return
By Max Kantar
The only just solution for the question of Israel/Palestine will be a resolution that recognizes human rights, international law, and one that transcends racist ideology, providing equality for both Jews and Arabs. For all those concerned with justice and universal moral principles, this is non-negotiable
19 September, 2008
Do
The Poor Count?
By Adam W. Parsons
An economic catastrophe occurred on August 26th 2008 that was quickly forgotten across the media: an extra 430 million people were classified overnight as absolutely poor. The cause was no tsunami or natural disaster, but simply the revisions of World Bank statisticians who adjusted the international poverty line from $1.08 to $1.25 a day
Wall
Street And Washington:
How The Rules Of The Game Have Changed
By Steve Fraser
The times call for a new departure. The next administration, which will surely enter office under the greatest economic pressure in memory, must confront reality. The financial system is out of control and has led the economy into a wildly turbulent sea of heavily leveraged speculation
After
The Fall
By Robert Weissman
The current crisis is the culmination of a quarter century's deregulation. Even as the Fed and Treasury scramble to contain the damage, there must be a simultaneous effort to reconstruct a regulatory system to prevent future disasters
Freddie,
Fannie, Daddy, Nanny
By Niranjan Ramakrishnan
To paraphrase Paul Krugman in today's NYT, a lot of Republicans are suddenly discovering that, contrary to the Reagan Doctrine, government is not the problem but the solution
The
Rich Screw Up, And The Taxpayer Loses!
By Timothy V. Gatto
Don’t let me find out that the CEO of AIG is making millions off of my tax dollar. Now that they are government workers, let them be paid civil servant wages. That goes for ALL these bankers and investment bankers and CFO’s and CEO’s. If they take the taxpayer’s money, they should be paid like the servants they now are. Do you think that will happen? Hardly
The
Dog Days Of September
By Gary Corseri
Historians may look back on September, 2008 as America’s economic 9/11. Major financial institutions are collapsing—to use a bitter analogy--like the twin towers: first, Bear Stearns (already 6 months ago!); and now, Lehman Brothers, Merrill Lynch and the insurance giant A.I.G. Just as 7 years ago, we cry out, What hit us? Who did this? Why?
India's
Terror Laws: Fighting Terror
The Terrorist Way
By Badri Raina
And those questions are not being asked just by India's Muslims; they are also being asked by India's Christians, Dalits, women, forest-dwelling tribals, disenfranchised oustees, landless farm labour, ethnic minorities. They are in the eyes of the hundreds of thousands of children who suffer malnutrition, abuse, denial of education, and whose lives expire prematurely from labour and disease. They are being asked, in short, by some 77% Indians who spend less than fifty cents a day
Singur
– A Case Study
By Saibal Bishnu
Singur will remain a case study for the left in India, on how to go about deciding and implementing policies under a restricted condition, also the dialectical relation between the party and its government would have to be sorted out in cases of these contradictions
Palestinian
Unity: Goal Or Mantra?
By Ramzy Baroud
Palestinian unity is a must and is a prerequisite to any meaningful, large scale Palestinian strategy aimed at ending the Israeli occupation. But the term must be appreciated, qualified and its practical meaning understood fully before it too turns into another cheap Arab mantra, inscribed on many street corners, but no longer meaning anything
Venezuela’s
Support For Palestine:
A Model For Third World Diplomacy
By Nikhil Shah
At a time, when the international community has turned a blind eye to Israel’s crimes towards the Palestinians, Venezuela has been one of the few nations who has the courage to openly condemn Israel for its crimes and express support for the Palestinian people
Vermont
Candidate Pledges To Prosecute Bush
By Greg Guma
Charlotte Dennett, who entered the race for Vermont Attorney General this week, readily admits that it will be an uphill battle. At her first press conference, sitting next to renowned prosecutor and author Vincent Bugliosi, she pledged to prosecute George W. Bush for murder if elected and appoint Bugliosi as a special prosecutor to take on the job
18 September, 2008
Panic
Sell-Off On Wall Street
By Barry Grey
In the midst of the market frenzy, increasingly reminiscent of the 1929 crash that ushered in the Great Depression, more icons of American capitalism were set to topple, with investment bank Morgan Stanley and savings and loan giant Washington Mutual desperately seeking to avoid collapse by finding other banks willing to buy them
The
Banks Get Their Presidential Pardon
By Jeff Berg
There is at least one straight forward way to describe the financial events of the last week: The banks are receiving their Presidential pardon early. In the words of economist Dr. Michael Hudson “The government has come down on the side of the sharks.” Effectively what we are seeing is a battle between creditors and debtors and the creditors have won
Just
How Many Legs Does This Stool Have?
By Dave Eriqat
The U.S. used to be a safe harbor of stability. But the “legs” that supported that stability have been systematically cut off. Where will it all lead?
Reviewing
Danny Schechter's "Plunder"
By Stephen Lendman
Reviewing Danny Schechter's "Plunder: Investigating Our Economic Calamity and the Subprime Scandal"
A
Campaign Issue: Reform The Tax System
By Ron Forthofer
The candidate who offers the better proposals for confronting this financial crisis will have improved his electoral chances. Clearly local, state and the federal governments will need more revenue. However, how can a candidate suggest raising taxes when a large percentage of the population is hurting? Conventional wisdom says that proposing tax increases is political suicide, but revenue can be increased if candidates think outside the box
Lies
And Taxes
By Tim Buchholz
I am for the nationalization of our energy, as well as for our medical care. The argument has always been that the quality would decrease if we allowed our Government to be in control, but are private industries doing so well? Why did the banks fail and need to be bailed out by the government, no, not the government, bailed out by the people, if they were doing such a good job? Our government did not use this same technique to save all those poor souls who’ve lost their houses, the same people who are now saving the banks
The
Blue Crystal Ball
By Dean Hepburn
We all need clean air to breath, nutritious food to eat, a safe home and love. Tragically, all these appear harder to attain as we supposedly progress. The air is no longer clean, food is less nutritious, a safe home can only be found behind security screens and trends show increasing divorce rates and loneliness. The dream of a bright future hid the fact that in dreams begin responsibilities. So what does the future really hold for humanity?
Civilisation
And The Carbon Credit Card
By John James
Our major hope in salvaging our civilisation from the otherwise inevitable is something like Plan B, and this includes a Carbon Tax on all polluters. Contact the senator, email her office, write her letters. Do what you can to sustain her struggle to tax all carbon polluters equally!
Why
Go For Conversion?
By Dr. B.R. Ambedkar
In 1935 at Nasik district, Maharashtra, Dr.Babasaheb Ambedkar had declared his firm resolve to change his religion. He had declared that he was born as a Hindu but will not die as Hindu. About a year later, a massive Mahar conference was held on May 30 and 31, 1936, in Mumbai, to access the impact of that declaration on Mahar masses. In his address to the conference, Dr.Ambedkar expressed his views on conversion in an elaborate, well- prepared and written speech in Marathi. Here is an English translation of that speech by Mr.Vasant Moon, OSD to the committee of Govt. of Maharashtra for publication of Writings & speeches of Dr.B.R.Ambedkar
Kandhamal:
Under Whose Control ?
By Dhirendra Panda
The question arises - what does 'situation is under control' mean, under whose control is it? The information as gathered from the field, it is under the control of the VHP, Bajrang Dal and their hooligans backed by BJP leaders. The situation is unthinkably scaring and suspicious. Everybody is awfully waiting under uncertainty – as if, it may bring another big trouble next day. Even NGOs and reporters are under constant fear of being threatened
Phoney
Jihadis, Real Culprits
By Subhash Gatade
While the followers of Vedanti or Nritya Gopal Das tried to utilise and further buttress the threat posed by the likes of Al Qaeda or SIMI their other brethren in the Hindutva brigade have no qualms in engaging in real terrorist acts by taking up a fake identity resembling a member of a minority community
One
Month After Kosi Deluge
By Gopal Krishna
Drainage Crisis of North Bihar and Nepal Remains Unattended
Children
Die In Madhya Pradesh
By Kris Kumar
More than 125 children have died due to malnutrition in districts of Madhya Pradesh. Particularly the affected ones are Satna, Khandwa, Shivpuri, and Sheopur districts of Madhya Pradesh in India. This is unprecendented and worst is that state denies all these deaths
17 September, 2008
The
American War Moves To Pakistan
By Tariq Ali
The decision to make public a presidential order of last July authorizing American strikes inside Pakistan without seeking the approval of the Pakistani government ends a long debate within, and on the periphery of, the Bush administration. Senator Barack Obama, aware of this ongoing debate during his own long battle with Hillary Clinton, tried to outflank her by supporting a policy of U.S. strikes into Pakistan. Senator John McCain and Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin have now echoed this view and so it has become, by consensus, official U.S. policy
Is
A US Attack On Pakistan Imminent?
By Usman Khalid
Pakistan is nervous; it cannot believe that the USA can turn on its ally so fast and easy. The escalation of the ‘terror war’ to include Pakistan was announced by President Bush himself. He proclaimed a new war theatre in Pakistan alongside Iraq and Afghanistan
Pakistan,
War On Terror And Consequences
Under Feudal Governance
By G. Asgar Mitha
The result of an offensive by either Pakistan’s military or US/ NATO would be to push the insurgents from FATA into other areas of Pakistan thus sacrificing its national security but ensuring security for US in Afghanistan. The Taliban and Al-Qaeda will have no difficulty in finding shelter and support in Pakistan’s rural and urban areas. The net effect may be anarchy or at the worse a civil war requiring the army to use firepower against their own people
Forced
Conversion In Gujarat
By Shabnam Hashmi
Nandapeda is the only village with majority Muslim population in the Dangs district of Gujarat, considered the poorest district in the whole of India. The government has been pressurizing the Muslims to convert to the Hindu religion or face eviction from their land
Who
Really Does Conversion?
By Madhu Chandra
I and my forefathers were forcibly converted to Hinduism
Meltdown
On Wall Street:
Grave Warning For India
By Partha Banerjee
I pray to God that Americans now find the courage to stand up against the lies, distortions and censorship. I pray to God that Indians now find the courage to stand up against a mindless mimicking of a failed and exploitative economic and political system
Jaffa’s
‘Renewal’ Aims At
Expulsion Of Palestinians
By Jonathan Cook
A recent report by the Human Rights Association in Nazareth concluded the government was seeking to use a “quiet” form of ethnic cleansing, using administrative and legal pressure, to make Jaffa entirely Jewish
Life
And Death
By Peter Chamberlin
The life or death struggle I am referring to is not with some shadowy terrorist group, or with an axis of foreign governments, but with our own government. We are in an existential struggle with the Bush Administration and everyone in government who supports the violence they carry-out upon the world
To
My Readers I Apologize
By David Truskoff
No, I will NOT vote for Obama. I will not pretend that the system still works. It does not. I hate it! I hate the idea that I no longer have a country to be proud of. I hate the idea of not being able to enthusiastically exercise my rights as a citizen. I keep thinking that maybe I shall stay home and prepare my bumper sticker that will read, "Don't blame me. I voted for my dog Lolah."
America
Needs A "Shadow Government"
By Timothy V. Gatto
Drastic times call for drastic measures. This country is rapidly coming apart at the seams and our government continues as if this is what is expected of them. It’s time to tell them what is expected of them by banding together, left, right, liberal, conservative the old paradigms’ no longer matter. So for now it is not between left and right, only between right and wrong, and it’s about time
Definitions:
The Proletariat
By Gaither Stewart
The first article in Gaither Stewart's definitions series. Definitions: The Intelligentsia, Definitions: The bourgeosie are to follow
16 September, 2008
Delhi
Blasts: Invetigate All Possible Angles
By Shabnam Hashmi & Ram Puniyani
The acts of terror have been occurring and Home Ministry is watching helplessly. While the current investigation is totally focused around SIMI, many an alleged culprits have been put behind the bars, despite which now some unknown entity Indian Mujahideen seems to have been projected as being responsible for the current ones. At the same time another stark truth is being deliberately sidelined and undermined. And that relates to the blasts done by Bajrang Dal and Hindu Jagran Samiti. We fail to understand as to why the investigation authorities are turning a blind eye to some of the well established facts
Troubling
Aspects Of The Bomb Blasts
By Firdaus Ahmed
If bombing is to be used as strategy, then there is unlikely to be any pulling of punches. Power over a billion citizens is a prize worth risking much for
Thoughts
On Terror
By Yoginder Sikand
Just as some fringe radical Islamist outfit or Muslims incensed at the slaughter of Muslims by Hindutva mobs, often in connivance with the police and the state administration, might well be behind some of the bomb attacks, so could Hindutva activists. In fact, such blasts and the mounting communal divide that they engineer appear to eminently serve the political agenda of Hindu fascist forces, whose entire politics is based on provoking anti-Muslim hatred and violence
You
Know It's Bad When Yahoo.com Features
A Story About Fiscal Armageddon
By Paul Joseph Watson
You know things are bad when Yahoo.com, the most trafficked website in the world and usually a purveyor of mindless celebrity gossip, cooking tips and dating advice, features a top story about how Americans could lose their bank deposits following the collapse of Lehman Brothers
Election
Theft For 2008 Already Underway
By Kevin B. Zeese
Will Americans Be Able to Trust the Vote Count in 2008? And, What Can We Do to Protect the Integrity of Elections?
Subverting
Democracy Through Electoral Fraud
By Stephen Lendman
In America and elsewhere, electoral fraud isn't new nor should anyone be surprised it occurs. But as technology improves, so are better ways found to pre-arrange outcomes. It's easier than ever today so more time, effort, money and other resources are earmarked for it
The
Palestinians Of Sabra-Shatila:
26 Years After The Massacre: Part I
By Franklin Lamb
Sabra and Shatila- 26 years after the massacre
Israel's
Dark Arts Of Ensnaring Collaborators
By Jonathan Cook
Israel’s enduring use of Palestinian collaborators to entrench the occupation and destroy Palestinian resistance was once the great unmentionable of the Middle East conflict
The
Syria-Israel Peace Gambit
By Ramzy Baroud
Few would argue that the indirect Israel-Syria talks through Turkish mediation, which were first announced 21 May, were a sign of political maturity and readiness for peace. In fact, while the discussions seemed concerned with the occupied Syrian Golan Heights and Israel's desire for security at its northern borders, the true objective behind the sudden engagement of Syria is largely concerned with Iran, Hizbullah and Hamas
11 September, 2008
9/11 And The
Great American Decline
By Glen Ford
In its convulsive "response" to 9/11 - the worldwide "War on Terror" - the United States seized the opportunity to put in motion planetary aggressions that already existed in the blueprints of the neo-con's Project for a New American Century (PNAC). In effect, Washington was claiming revenge as the motive for crimes that it had long been planning to commit
Arrogance,
Ignorance, And Cowardice:
Lessons From 9/11
By Robert Jensen
Given the disastrous decisions made by U.S. officials in the seven long years since September 11, 2001, it would be easy simply to catalog those many mistakes and condemn the bipartisan depravity of the Republican and Democratic politicians who -- starting almost immediately after the towers fell -- manipulated people’s anger and fear to build support for illegal and immoral wars of aggression in Afghanistan and Iraq
September
11, 2008
By Mickey Z.
After 9/11, normal also came to mean a perpetual war on terror. You know what? Maybe a war on terror is precisely what we need
Temporary
Respites From Permanent Decline
By Paul Craig Roberts
To keep the recycling going, the US Treasury took the mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac under its wing in order to reassure foreign investors. According to a September 8 Reuters report from Beijing, “China owned $376 billion of debt issued by US government agencies, principally Fannie and Freddie, as of mid-2007.”
US 'In Need of Rebellion'
By Al Jazeera
This is an empire which is on the one hand the most powerful empire that ever existed; on the other hand an empire that is crumbling - an empire that has no future ... because the rest of the world is alienated and simply because this empire is top-heavy with military commitments, with bases around the world, with the exhaustion of its own resources at home
Record
Corporate Bailout Reveals
The Bankruptcy Of American Capitalism
By Barry Grey
The US government takeover of the mortgage finance giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac has dealt a shattering blow to the ideology of market capitalism, which has been used for decades to justify a relentless assault on the working class and a vast transfer of wealth to the American ruling elite
Who
Lost Iraq?
By Michael Schwartz
Is the Maliki Government Jumping Off the American Ship of State?
The
Red White And Blue Roots Of Terrorism
By Peter Chamberlin
As far as I know, nobody has focused upon the real roots of the war on terror, which are also the solution to it—American-sponsored terrorism. Paid military extremist types, trained by us to carry-out attack missions upon civilians are terrorists, our terrorists. They attack civilians, often women and children, as an indirect method of warfare, to topple governments who oppose American expansion. Has anybody questioned what military challenge the world would face today, if the US suddenly stopped all of these covert programs that perpetrate most of the world's "terrorism"?
It
Is All About Obama
By Ghali Hassan
Since his first day of campaigning in the primaries for the Democratic nomination, Senator Barack Obama has been the preferred boxing bag by the so-called “progressive” and “liberal” media. While rational criticism is necessary and legitimate, the well-orchestrated attack on Obama (as a person) is designed to deflect attention away from an imperialist system controlled by a small powerful ruling class
Independent
Voters! You Have
The Power! (and they know it)
By Timothy V. Gatto
Everyone that calls themselves an “Independent” should be pleased to know that this is now the largest sector of the voting public. We are larger than the Democrats, larger than the Republicans
Twenty
Questions
By Bill Quigley
Social Justice Quiz 2008
Victims
Of India's 'War On Terror'
By Yoginder Sikand
In a development of far-reaching and frightening implications for the stature of the Indian judiciary, Bar Associations in several parts of the country are effectively banning advocates from defending Muslim youth branded as 'terrorists', many of them who may well be wrongly accused. A chilling indicator of how deeply-rooted anti-Muslim prejudice has now become
Commonwealth
Games And A Beggar Free Delhi
By Loveleen Kaur
The government along with the civil society has to take comprehensive steps to provide the beggars basic amenities and alternative life support systems so that they can also be discouraged from begging and thereby have their share in the development of the country. There can be sensitising programmes for the police department, schools and Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs). A joint venture of the Delhi Government and the people of the city would bring about real changes in the society and an inclusive and authentic face-lift for the city
09 September, 2008
Israel
Moves To Judaise East Jerusalem
By Mel Frykberg
The Israeli government is attempting to Judaise Palestinian East Jerusalem, and maintain a Jewish majority against the demographic threat of a higher Palestinian birth rate
A
New Palestinian Strategy
Or The Same Failed One?
By Ali Abunimah
Is the Palestinian national movement about to abandon the two-state solution and demand instead a single democratic or bi-national state throughout Palestine-Israel?
"Ideological
Barriers To Peace"
By Max Kantar
The Egyptian-brokered cease-fire agreement between Israel and Hamas and the subsequent events that have taken place since the June 19th truce has once again exposed not only a number of truisms about the nature of Israeli-Palestinian relations, but also has brought to light the not so new ideological barriers from which we understand the conflict
Remembering
9/11
By Dr Marwan Asmar
As the world remembers the anniversary of 11 September, Osama Al Zain’s feature documentary Palestine Post 9/11 becomes ever more relevant in providing an analysis of the international system where war became an instrument of politics and priorities and alliances reordered to fight terrorist threats that may have been blown out of all proportions
The
Cry Of The Baby Girl:
Who Will Come To My Rescue?
By Loveleen Kaur
A female in the womb is as vulnerable as the women outside. She is punished for a crime that she is not responsible for…of coming into being…of not being a male
Bailing
Out Financial Retards
By Case Wagenvoord
So the United States has nationalized Fannie and Freddie and taxpayers will pickup the bill for their toxic paper. So much for deregulation
10
Reasons Why We Need A New (Cold?) War
By Gary Corseri
Russian novels are too long and depressing; no American bothers to finish them. A New Cold War, on the other hand, will accelerate Armageddon. We already know that ends in the triumph of Good over Evil. So, in the immortal words of G.W.B., “Bring it on!”
"Party
Like It's 1991"
By Peter Chamberlin
Cheney's special brand of insanity seeks to return the world to 1991, where he left it, while serving under the first bloodthirsty Bush as Sec. Defense. He commissioned the new Defense Planning Guidance package from Wolfowitz when George Bush I refused to move on Saddam Hussein and to take military advantage of the broken Soviet empire. This is the moment he has been planning for since then, taking over the entire Middle Eastern region
The
Republican Masquerade Is Over,
So Is The Dems Time To Remove The Masks
By Kevin Zeese
The masquerade balls are over. Each of those costume parties cost $100 million dollars paid for primarily by corporate interests, with tens of millions of tax payer dollars to augment the corporate booty. It is evident that the corporate media – which first gushed over the Democratic Convention and then gushed over the Republican Convention – fell for the masquerade. Let’s hope they return to reality and start reporting on what is really occurring so we can have an electorate voting for reality and not fantasy
An
Encounter With The Terror Police
By Sandeep Pandey
An eyewitness account of what happened when the police came to search the house of a terror suspect in Lucknow, and the high handed action that followed
From
“Dominion” To Domination:The Duplicity
And Complicity Of Matthew Scully
By Dr. Steve Best
Dr. Steve Best's powerful indictment/deconstruction of Matthew Scully (the Bush speech-writer who wrote Palin's propagandistic masterpiece she delivered at the GOP convention)
08 September, 2008
Asif
Ali Zardari: The Godfather
As President
By Tariq Ali
He may be a pliant partner for the west, but with his record of corruption, Zardari is the worst possible choice for Pakistan
Pakistan's
Westward Drift
By Pervez Hoodbhoy
For three decades, deep tectonic forces have been silently tearing Pakistan away from the Subcontinent and driving it towards the Arabian Peninsula. This continental drift is not geophysical but cultural, driven by a belief that Pakistan must exchange its Southasian identity for an Arab-Muslim one. Grain by grain, the desert sands of Saudi Arabia are replacing the alluvium that had nurtured Muslim culture in the Indian Subcontinent for over a thousand years
Nuclear
Waiver - Blow To Non-Proliferation
By Praful Bidwai
The special waiver granted to India by the Nuclear Suppliers' Group (NSG) from its nuclear trade rules is being seen as a massive setback to the cause of global nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament
So
How Many Poor Vietnamese Did
McCain's Bombs Kill In 23 Runs?
By Jay Janson
Given all the praise heaped upon McCain, the bomber of Hanoi, this is a natural question - especially for the millions of us who remember the inexpressible shamefulness of this genocidal war on the agrarian Asian population of a brutal French colony that suffered Japanese occupation and fought both the Japanese and Vichy French as a U.S. ally
Vying
To Be Toughest
By Stephen Lendman
Ignoring public sentiment, both party nominees stress "national security" and face off on who's toughest on "terrorism." For 2009, expect more of the same. A continued right wing agenda. Bigger budgets for militarism. Police state repression for enforcement. Little attention to public needs. No end to wars and occupation. Possible new ones against Iran, Pakistan, elsewhere in Eurasia, and a resurgent confrontation with Russia
Displaced
Poor Still Arriving In
New Orleans As Saints Go Marching In
By Bill Quigley
Tears dripped down her face as she searched for her missing suitcase in the busy New Orleans bus station. “It had my ID, my children’s birth certificates, my money and my credit cards,” she softly cried. It was Sunday morning, one week after she was bused out of New Orleans to a military base in Arkansas. She was supposed to be at work. Her three children needed her. But she needed that suitcase
Kashmir
Is In No Mood To Be Taken For A Ride
By Syed Ali Safvi
The writing is on the wall. Kashmiris want the right to self-determination, which India has denied them for six decades. The ball is in New Delhi’s court. Being a democratic country, it cannot turn a deaf ear to the incessant demands of Kashmiris, else everlasting peace will never be achieved in Kashmir
When
Good People Believe Bad Information
By Timothy V. Gatto
I have met people, good people, from all walks of life and from just about every educational level, from every economic class. I’ve talked to janitors, doctors, lawyers and business owners. The one thing that the majority of them have in common is their basic ignorance of what is really happening in the country and the world
Murdering
Mother Earth
By Jason Miller
Yes, We’re Matricidal: Murdering Mother Earth one forest, one species and one atom at a time
Nature
Of Threat To Indian Democracy
By Ram Puniyani
Book review: Fascism and Communalism: Considerations By Sandeep Pendse
06 September, 2008
China
Still On-Side With Russia
By Yu Bin
Sino-Russian relations have been under intense scrutiny lately because of the Georgian-Russian conflict over the breakaway Georgian region of South Ossetia. For many in the West, China's cautious "neutrality" is a departure from, if not a betrayal of, its strategic partnership with Russia. Such a view, among others, misreads the state of the Sino-Russian relationship without an adequate understanding of its depth, breadth and complexity
US
Jobless Rate Soars As Foreclosures
Break New Record
By Bill Van Auken
In a stark indication that the crises gripping the US housing market and the financial sector are spreading throughout the economy, unemployment figures for August rose far more sharply than expected, hitting a five-year high
Visit
To Orissa
By Shabnam Hashmi
This account is based only on the testimonies for those who managed to escape and reach Bhubaneshwar. The situation is very serious in Orissa and only a full fact finding team can come out with full details after it is allowed to enter those areas
Hindutva's
Violent History
By Angana Chatterji
The Sangh’s history in postcolonial Orissa is long and violent. Virulent Hindutva campaigns against minority groups reverberated in Rourkela in 1964, Cuttack in 1968 and 1992, Bhadrak in 1986 and 1991, Soro in 1991. The Kandhamal riots were not unforeseen
Bombs
Defused In Newsrooms
By K.K. Shahina
The blast which occurred on 24th August hardly found even a single column space in the leading news papers like The Hindu and Times of India, next day. K.K. Shahina says the media uses different scales to measure terrorism
People
Just Don’t Get “Freedom”
By Dave Eriqat
If we rely solely on the principles of non-violence and freedom (for oneself and others) as our guideposts whenever making personal or societal decisions, we can steadily improve our society and our species. If enough people freely choose to live this way we can find our way to an enlightened, Utopian future even without the cooperation of – or rather, in spite of – government. Nationalized health care does not pass this simple test
The
More Things Change The More
They Stay The Same
By David Truskoff
I am too old to hit the streets again and there are many Americans like me who now find themselves between the devil and the deep blue sea. We have no chance with the devil to avoid the street violence, war and bloodshed. So I have decided to dive into the sea and try staying afloat perhaps long enough for a real leader to emerge and save the soul of America. I will need someone to help me while I hold my nose and vote because my entire being will be in rebellion, but I have decided to vote for Obama. The devil may well destroy the planet
Why
We're Planning To Prosecute Cheney And Bush
By David Swanson
Next weekend in Andover, Mass., a group of attorneys, academics, and activists will gather to plan the prosecution of Dick Cheney, George Bush, and the lawyers and advisors who, together with them, are responsible for war crimes. The conference is open to the public and expected to be well attended
Censorship
On Citizen Radio
By Timothy V. Gatto
Today the long arm of the government propaganda “spin machine” or its related civilian associates, has finally reached out and “touched” me directly
Wilfred
Sellars And Marxism
By Thomas Riggins
Remarks on Tim Crane's "Fraught with Ought"
Proscribing
Islamist Politics In Bangladesh:
Lessons From And For Pakistan
By Taj Hashmi
Contrary to what Indian nationalist Gopal Krishna Gokhale is said to have observed, “What Bengal thinks today, India thinks tomorrow”, in view of the ongoing and least expected “Pakistanization” of Bangladesh, one may rephrase the statement as, “What Pakistan thinks today, Bangladesh thinks tomorrow”.
05 September, 2008
Warming
Oceans 'Are The Engine
Driving Stronger Hurricanes'
By Steve Connor
The destructive intensity of the winds caused by tropical storms and hurricanes has increased significantly in the past 30 years, in line with the theory that cyclones are becoming stronger because of global warming
Gustav
Impact On Louisiana And Haiti
By Bill Quigley
Hurricane Gustav killed 18 people in Louisiana and displaced 1.9 million. Over 800,000 homes are without electricity, nearly half the state, and some will not see power for up to a month. In Haiti, Gustav killed 77 with another 8 missing and damaged nearly 15,000 homes. Tropical storm Hanna, which closely followed Gustav, killed at least another 60 people. Tens of thousands of people have sought safety on rooftops and temporary shelters. Rotting cows drift in the flood waters
US
Attack Inside Pakistan
Threatens Dangerous New War
By Peter Symonds
A ground assault by US Special Forces troops on a Pakistani village on Wednesday threatens to expand the escalating Afghanistan war into its neighbour
Going
On An Imperial Bender
By Tom Engelhardt
How the U.S. garrisons the planet and doesn't even notice
Global
Realignment: How Bush
Inspired A New World Order
By Ramzy Baroud
The series of unfortunate and costly decisions made during the two terms of the Bush administration, combined with economic decline at home, might devastate the US's world standing much sooner than most analysts predict. What was difficult to foresee was that the weakening of US global dominance, spurred by erratic and unwise foreign policy under Bush, would re-ignite the Cold War, to a degree, over a largely distant and seemingly ethnically-based conflict -- that of Georgia and Russia. Who could have predicted a possible association between Baghdad, Kabul and Tbilisi?
Why
We Were Falsely Arrested
By Amy Goodman
The attack on and arrest of me and the "Democracy Now!" producers was not an isolated event. A video group called I-Witness Video was raided two days earlier. Another video documentary group, the Glass Bead Collective, was detained, with its computers and video cameras confiscated. On Wednesday, I-Witness Video was again raided, forced out of its office location. When I asked St. Paul Police Chief John Harrington how reporters are to operate in this atmosphere, he suggested, "By embedding reporters in our mobile field force."
Then
They Came For Christians…
By Ram Puniyani
Orissa is witnessing unprecedented violence against the tiny Christian minority. On August 23, 2008, Swami Laxmananand along with his four followers was killed, probably by a group of Maoists. Immediately, anti-Christian violence began on big scale. The way it began it seemed as if preparations for it were well afoot. It was systematic and widespread. It sounded as if preparation was already there, just the pretext was being waited for
The
APPO Two Years On: Where Now
For Oaxaca's Social Movement?
By Scott Campbell
Two years later what is left now in Oaxaca? Has the APPO been reduced to a memorial mechanism to commemorate its fallen? Is it accurate, as URO keeps insisting with epileptic vigor, that, "nothing is happening" here? Or are we seeing a movement in chrysalis, reconsolidating only to reemerge just as vibrant, but even smarter, than before?
The
Empire Strikes Back:Sarah Palin's Speech
By John Chuckman
Sarah is there to speak to the born-again crowd, people who do not actually trust John McCain as being sympathetic to their views, and with good reason. Born-agains are roughly a fifth of the American population, and the Republicans never can win without their support. So we’ve gone from having the nuttier class of fundamentalists burrowing into every corner of America’s government under George Bush, affecting even the language used in literature at the Grand Canyon, to having one of their own placed “a heartbeat away” from the presidency, and this by a man whose heartbeat just might not last his term
The
Election Is A Turning Point
By Peter Chamberlin
The choice we face in November is very clear. It is a choice to continue to support the US terror war, or to turn away from this path of unlimited destruction. This lie-based war is all about terrorism – whether America actually fights terrorism or promotes its use. To find the answer to this conundrum all we have to do is turn our gaze to Pakistan
Palin's
Reformer Image Tainted By
History Of Ethical Lapses
By Jason Leopold
A closer look at Palin's short political career reveals that she committed some of the same ethical lapses that she has attacked, especially during her unsuccessful bid for lieutenant governor in 2002. She also has shown herself to be a thin-skinned politician quick to see herself as the target of conspiracies
04 September, 2008
Lawmaker's
Disclosure May Torpedo
India-US Nuke Deal
By Praful Bidwai
Chances of the United States-India nuclear deal being completed have greatly receded with the release by a key U.S. lawmaker of a so-far-secret Bush administration document which says Washington will not sell sensitive nuclear technologies to India and will terminate nuclear commerce with it if India conducts a test
The
Indian Left And The Indo-US Nuclear Deal
By Vijay Prashad
It remains to be seen how effective this emergent front will be, and whether the BSP’s ability to leapfrog its allies will mean the Left will be the springboard, or whether both will gain in the creation of a new political dynamic in the country
Millions
Affected By Flooding In India And Nepal
By W.A. Sunil
Severe flooding in India and Nepal over the past fortnight has affected millions of people and left hundreds of thousands homeless, with little in the way of assistance from government authorities
Kosi
Flooding: It Has Happened,
It Is Happening And It Will Happen Again
By Gopal Krishna
Both governments and media have created myths about floods being synonymous with predictable but preventable natural disaster ignoring how misplaced governmental intervention through junk embankment science that enjoys political patronage is the real culprit. So far Kosi has breached its embankment 8 times in a span of just 50 years
Poison
In Your Stomach: Genetically Modified
Brinjal (Egg Plants or Aubergines)
By Devinder Sharma
The first genetically modified food crop – Bt Brinjal – will soon be served up across India, carrying a toxin that is a thousand times more potent than what is used to kill insects
For
Prachanda, A Tale Of Two Cities
By Dhruba Adhikary
Nepali Prime Minister Prachanda broke tradition and made his first state visit to Beijing, instead of Delhi. It was controversial until a devastating flood hit Nepal and exposed unfavorable pacts, such as the Koshi Agreement with India. Now the ex-Maoist is pushing to renegotiate the deals and is gaining support for his rebalancing act with Nepal's two neighbors
"Surviving
Peak Oil: Obstacles To Relocation"
By Cliff Wirth
The notion that urban and suburban dwellers will relocate to small villages in agricultural regions is unrealistic. In the ensuing Peak Oil generated global economic depression, the value of urban residential properties will plummet. Increasing unemployment will slow new house sales and accelerate mortgage and property tax foreclosures. With more and more urban homes up for sale, their prices will decline sharply
Is
History So Boring We Keep On
Repeating The Same Mistakes?
By John James
I will tell you the story of Easter Island. It is a woeful tale, caused by human actions, and a possible scenario for us. The island is now a wind-swept barren wasteland capable of supporting only a couple of thousand people. Yet only a few centuries ago it had ten or twelve times that number. Ninety percent died. Now, why was that?
Overcoming
Human Nature:
The Revolution Of The Meek
By Peter Chamberlin
As this evil government moves against the world with the fullness of its military power, we can see clearly that the revolution has come to us. Do we allow the destruction of freedom, God's greatest gift to mankind, or do we follow the example of our own sacred predecessors and stand together as free men, standing between our government and the world? The revolution is all that stands between the evil plans of these men and their fulfillment. What will you do when the rest of us take our stand?
Israelis
Hinder Academic Pursuits
By Osama Dawoud
My people long for their freedom, and our young people champ at the bit when limited to a spit of land 25 miles long and six miles wide. Education and travel provide our students with tremendous opportunities to learn and return to contribute to the well-being of the Palestinian people. A remarkable program is now faltering on account of Israeli policies
Katrina
Redux
By Stephen Lendman
New Orleans and Iraq are incubators. Not the kind of country for young people to inherit. High time that enough of us realize it's our job to prevent it
Unintelligence
In Federal Intelligence Agencies
By Joel S. Hirschhorn
The Bush administration has found yet another way to waste taxpayer money while providing huge sums to private contractors. According to a survey of activities in 2007 by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, about a third of the federal professional intelligence workforce now consists of contractors, mostly in the Washington, DC area
McCain
VP Pick Has History of Clashes
By Jason Leopold
The political career of Sarah Palin, Sen. John McCain’s vice presidential pick, has been marked by conflicts, score-settling and her own claim that she faces “enemies – powerful enemies.”
03 September, 2008
Putin
Vows 'An Answer' To NATO Ships
Near Georgia
By Vladimir Isachenkov
Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said Tuesday that Russia will respond calmly to an increase in NATO ships in the Black Sea in the aftermath of the short war with Georgia, but promised that "there will be an answer."
Putin's
Ruthless Gambit
By Michael T. Klare
The Bush Administration falters in a geopolitical chess match
Major
Ice-Shelf Loss In Artic
By BBC
The ice shelves in Canada's High Arctic have lost a colossal area this year, scientists report. The floating tongues of ice attached to Ellesmere Island, which have lasted for thousands of years, have seen almost a quarter of their cover break away. One of them, the 50 sq km (20 sq miles) Markham shelf, has completely broken off to become floating sea-ice
Amarnath:
An Immoral And Illegal Accord
By A.G.Noorani
The accord between the J&K Government and the Shri Amarnathji Yatra Sangharsh Samity (SAYSS) on 31 August 2008 is far worse than the order by the J&K Government only three months earlier on 26 May 2008. It grants the SASS concessions beyond what the order did. It is one-sided and marks an abject surrender to violence, blockade and to communal forces
Living
In The Car After Gustave
By Bill Quigley
New Orleans, September 2, 2008: The good news is that nearly two million people evacuated and were spared the direct hit of Gustave. Our sisters and brothers in Haiti and the Dominican Republic, who were not able to leave the point of the storm, lost over 100 lives. The people of the U.S. were fortunate to be able to leave. The bad news is that most people have not been allowed to return
The
Afghan War's Heavy Toll On Children
By Brian McAfee
Again today reports coming out of Afghanistan indicate more dead children. Three were killed and seven injured when western troops fired artillery shells at a civilian house in western Afghanistan. This occurs in the wake of the August 22 bombing that resulted in the deaths of 90 people, 60 children, 15 women and 15 men
The
Biggest Lie About Iraq
By Saul Rosenthal
Senator John McCain’s early mantra was that he will bring victory in Iraq. Future tense, note. Comes now his new and improved mantra that we HAVE BEEN victorious in Iraq, thanks to “the surge” and General Petraeus. Excuse me while I shout to my keyboard: That’s a lie! A damn lie! A damn BIG lie! BIG like the Bush lie that got us into an ungodly quagmire in Iraq based on mendacities
Israel
Turns Gaza Into Prison For
UConn Fulbright Scholar
By Zohair M. Abu Shaban
There are hundreds of Palestinian students in Gaza hoping for a miracle in the next few days so that we can pursue scholarships that may offer a once-in-a-lifetime escape from ignorance and poverty. We are determined not to be rendered a dependent people lacking advanced education. And yet the silence of the world suggests that Israel will succeed in keeping us within the limiting confines of Gaza
Israel
Must Rein In Settler Movement,
Protect Palestinian Children
By Joel Gulledge
Our leaders must insist that Israel not apply one system of law in the West Bank for Israeli settlers and another for Palestinians. Colonizing another people ought to be regarded as ancient history
The
Last Great Game
By G. Asgar Mitha
The stakes for which the game is now being played are global supremacy, energy, geo-political security, religion and financial control. There are too many players on a congested grand chessboard and eight nuclear fingers. This could very well be the last great game with no winners and all losers
Killing
Kashmiris By Comparison
By Mohamad Junaid
How many people joined the Quit India marches at the height of India's independence struggle? A lakh? Two? India says Kashmiris are confused; that they don't know what they want. India describes the need for Kashmir's freedom as an aspiration, a Kashmiri desire. Kashmiris, however, are talking to them as straight as possible. When a million Kashmiri voices rose together in August 2008, they told India something quite uncomplicated: leave
Terrifying
Testimonies
By Yoginder Sikand
Muslim victims of police and state terror testified to at a public hearing on brutalities against Muslims in the name of countering 'terrorism' recently organised in Hyderabad by a group of noted human rights' activists. Going by their depositions and the verdict of the jury of eminent social activists, journalists and retired judges, it appears that powerful elements within the state apparatus are deeply implicated, along with Hindu terrorist groups, in a witch-hunt of India's Muslim citizens
Singur:
Let's Talk About The Farmers
By Atul Jadia
TATAs have stopped the work at the factory and announced the possible pull-out due to violence and uncertainty. Media and industry is talking about the NANO car, its "great features and price points", "the setback to the industry", "the respect of the country in the world as an investment destination", "the investment environment", "faith of the investors in West-Bengal" etc. No one is talking about the future of the farmers whose land has been forcibly taken-over by the WB Government and handed over to the TATAs
02 September, 2008
Amy
Goodman And Colleagues Arrested
And Released
By Democracy Now!
Democracy Now! host Amy Goodman and producers Sharif Abdel Kouddous and Nicole Salazar have all been released from police custody in St. Paul following their illegal arrest by Minneapolis Police on Monday afternoon
Two
And A Half Billion People Live On
Less Than $2 A Day
By David Walsh
The World Bank reported Tuesday that in 2005 an estimated 1.4 billion people in the so-called ‘developing world,’ one-fourth of its population, lived on less than $1.25 a day, the new official poverty line. This figure is 400 million more than the Bank’s 2004 estimate of 985 million. Another 1.2 billion people live on between $1.25 and $2 a day
Even
In Flood, India's `Untouchables' Last Rescued
By Gavin Rabinowitz
In the two weeks since a monsoon-swollen river burst its banks, ancient prejudices have run just as deep as the floodwaters. India's "untouchables" are the last to be rescued — if at all — from a deluge that has killed dozens and made 1.2 million homeless
Palestinian
Village Faces Army Reign Of Terror
By Jonathan Cook
The window through which Salam Amira, 16, filmed the moment when an Israeli soldier shot from close range a handcuffed and blindfolded Palestinian detainee has a large hole at its centre with cracks running in every direction. “Since my video was shown, the soldiers shoot at our house all the time,” she said. The shattered and cracked windows at the front of the building confirm her story. “When we leave the windows open, they fire tear gas inside too.”
A
Challenge For Candidate Palin
By Rosemarie Jackowski
The average US voter is so uninformed that he does not even vote in his own interest. How else can it be explained that 18,000 of our fellow citizens will continue to die every year because of the lack of access to health care. That is like having a 9/11 every 60 days, but worse. We are doing it to ourselves - and it is so unnecessary
Looking
At America's Police State
By Timothy V. Gatto
The American people are simply fed-up with both the Republicans and the Democrats. We are tired of the wars and the lies. We are tired of the fear tactics and the police state we are evolving into. The thought of a third-party candidate winning this election is not so far-fetched as it once was. It’s about time
Obama’s
Zionist Wannabe Veep
By Robert Weitzel
For all of Obama’s campaign promises of “change,” his choice of Joseph Biden as his running mate sends a clear signal to Israel’s lobby in Washington and its right-wing government in Jerusalem that for the next four years there will be no change in the United States’ unconditional support or its annual $6 billion in direct and indirect aid. Predictably, neither will there be a change in the hopelessness and the impotent rage of the Arabs suffering under a U.S.-supported Zionist ideology in Palestine
'Development
As A Tool Of International
Institutions For Marginalisation'
By Vasudha Dhingra
Book review: Global Institutions, Marginalisation and Development By Craig Murphy
Amy
Goodman Arrested
By Democracy Now
Goodman was arrested while attempting to free two Democracy Now! producers who were being unlawfuly detained. They are Sharif Abdel Kouddous and Nicole Salazar. Kouddous and Salazar were arrested while they carried out their journalistic duties in covering street demonstrations at the Republican National Convention. Goodman’s crime appears to have been defending her colleagues and the freedom of the press
What
Mayawati Has Done To The Dalits Of U.P.?
By S.R.Darapuri
Without a vision and definite Dalit liberation agenda the attaining of political power is not going to solve the problems of the Dalits as well as that of the State. Structural changes and improvement in the delivery system only can remove the poverty syndrome prevailing amongst the Dalits. Grass-root level movements are the key to keep the political leaders under control and make them answerable to the people
A
Dangerous Convergence
By Pratyush Chandra
We can find a deep resonance between Dipankar Gupta's analysis and India's chief security advisor MK Narayanan's recent McCarthyist indictment of intellectuals (2). Both experts (in their respective fields) attempt to reduce movements to agencies, however the former does it as an expression of his academic cynicism, while MK Narayanan to find scapegoats to curb grassroots militancy. But both converge at a dangerous moment
01 September, 2008
Pain
In Bihar, Agony In Orissa
By Vidya Bhushan Rawat
While in Orissa, the religious goons played the tandava, in Bihar, it is river Kosi which has destroyed the livelihood of millions of people. If reports are to be believed an estimated 5 million people have been displaced in this Tsunami which has uprooted people from their places and rendered them homeless
Fifty
Thousand Christians Still Hiding
In The Forests Of Orissa
By Citizen's Delegation
A Citizens Delegation met President Pratibha Patil on Monday morning calling upon her to enforce Article 355 of the Constitution of India on Orissa so that the Chief Minister Naveen Pattnaik administration takes adequate measures to protect Christians in the state from Hindutva violence
New
Orleans – One Day To Gustave
By Bill Quigley
How many of us would shove some things in a pillowcase, turn out the lights, leave our home and catch a bus filled with strangers going to places unknown? In New Orleans and all along the Gulf Coast, tens of thousands are doing exactly that
One
India: Two Peoples,
Holy Cows And Scapegoats
By Subhash Gatade
It is difficult to say what will happen next ! Neither it is possible to predict when would the process of 'terrorisation' and 'stigmatisation' of particular communities would end nor it is possible to predict when would the division of peoples in Holy Cows and Scapegoats would end
Imagine:
Lennon's Response To McCartney's
'Friendship First' Concert In Israel
By Eileen Fleming
Four decades ago, Israel banned The Beatles fearing their revolutionary message of love and peace would corrupt their youth.On September 25, 2008, Sir Paul McCartney will perform his 'Friendship First' concert in Tel Aviv for $4.3 million and is being promoted as one of "music's most revered stars" and a holder of "the key principals of friendship – loyalty and respect." As I wondered what Lennon might have said to his old mate in regards to making money from an apartheid state
Stoking
Tensions, Risking Confrontation:
A High Stakes US Gamble with Russia
By Stephen Lendman
One nation above others is an obstacle to American imperial dreams - Russia. It's powerful and can't be intimidated like most others. It's also dominant where Washington wants control - the Eurasian vastness with its huge oil, gas and other resources. For years, American sought dominance over it. Saw an opening when the Soviet Union dissolved. And one way or other seeks to get it. Russia has other plans, so therein lies the root of the current conflict using Georgia as a US proxy to instigate it
The
Dutch Connection
By Soraya Sepahpour-Ulrich
The recent De Telegraaf article[i] ‘revealing’ the Dutch intelligence cooperation with the CIA is a propaganda piece aimed at undermining the credibility of United Nations, its specialized agency, the IAEA, and its chief Mohammad ElBaradei. It also seeks to demoralize the Iranians and undermine their resolve in confronting outside enemies
The
Slow Death Of Democracy And
The Rise Of The Corporate Hydra
By Siv O'Neall
What has happened to the common sense of Americans? Has it completely gone down the drain with the propaganda of U.S. superiority? Don't they see the millions and millions of people who have died and are still dying across the world, due to U.S. empire illusions and the firmly established greed and power of the Big Corporations? Don't they see that the lone superpower as a taken-for-granted is a fiction?
Technological
Fundamentalism
In Media And Culture
By Robert Jensen
While media watchdogs and bloggers probe contemporary news media for signs of bias -- from every angle, on virtually every issue -- perhaps the most important of journalists’ biases is ignored: their routine acceptance of society’s technological fundamentalism. This devotion to the industrial world’s core delusion shows up not just in stories about science and technology but in the assumptions about science and technology that underlie virtually all reporting in the corporate commercial news media in the United States
New
Phase Of Kashmiri Struggle
By Dr Shabir Choudhry
People of Jammu and Kashmir have suffered for many decades; and their struggle for right of self – determination and national identity has seen many twists and turns. The new and probably the last phase of this long struggle has begun
Peru:
Indigenous Rebellion In The Amazon
By Kiraz Janicke
Peruvian President Alan Garcia suffered a major political setback on August 22 after Congress voted 66-29 in favour of repealing controversial presidential decrees that would have facilitated the privatisation of communal indigenous lands