Humanitarian Texts

Published on Craig Murray, by Craig Murray (Former Ambassador, Human Rights Activist), December 8, 2010.

There are many thousands of people imprisoned in Uzbekistan alone who should not be imprisoned and who suffer much worse conditions than even the genuine horrors of Wandsworth being visited on Julian Assange. But the Assange case has implications for ever deteriorating Western freedoms which should not be overlooked.  Continue Reading…

Published on Voltairenet.org, by Thierry Meyssan, November 29, 2010.

While western media have announced that indictments against Hezbollah will be issued shortly by the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, Russian magazine Odnako challenges the entire UN investigation. Thierry Meyssan posits that the weapon used to assassinate former Prime Minister Rafik Hairiri was supplied by Germany. Former German prosecutor and first commissioner in charge of the UN probe, Detlev Mehlis, seemingly doctored evidence to cover up his country’s involvement. These revelations embarrass the Tribunal and reverse the tide in Lebanon … // Continue Reading…

(Am 5. August 2008 geschrieben, am 24.3.2009 auf meinem Blog Heidi Barathieu-Brun veröffentlicht und am 6. Dezember 2010 hier nochamls überarbeitet, zur besseren Verdeutlichung).

Realitäten

Wäre die bekannte Realität ein Garten und ausserhalb dieses Gartens das Unbekannte, würden die meisten Menschen dazwischen einen hohen, starken Gartenhag setzen.

Es gibt zwei Sorten von Menschen:

A) jene, welche ständig den Gartenhag in Richtung Unbekanntes verschieben wollen. Kurz, sie wollen Neues lernen, sich sogenannt weiterentwickeln, sie sind gegenüber Neuem und Veränderungen viel offener, furchtloser. Oft sind sie regelrecht gierig nach Neuem.

B) Viele Menschen widersetzen sich Neuem, wollen den Gartenhang genau da stehe lasse, wo er ist und keine Veränderung zulassen.

Natürlich bestehen diese Gruppen nicht ungemischt in uns, viele Menschen besitzen beide Eigenschaften, in unterschiedlicher Mischung.  Continue Reading…

Published on Global Research.ca, by Prof. Peter Dale Scott, November 24, 2010.

… The Proclamation of Permanent Emergencies:

Finally, still in the 90-day “shadow government” period after 9/11, President Bush proclaimed two important emergencies that are still in force today.

• 1) On September 14, 2001, Bush issued Proclamation 7463 (“Declaration of National Emergency by Reason of Certain Terrorist Attacks”) together with Executive Order 13223 (“Ordering the Ready Reserve of the Armed Forces To Active Duty”). As we shall see, the terms of this proclamation were significantly expanded when it was renewed in 2007.
• 2) “On September 23, 2001, by Executive Order 13224, the President declared a national emergency with respect to persons who commit, threaten to commit, or support terrorism, pursuant to the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701-1706).”[32] This gave the president the power to confiscate without trial or warning the property of individuals providing funds to entities, such as charitable foundations, which were judged to be supporting terrorism. The Executive Order initially blocked property of twenty-seven designated terrorists. But the list has become enormous. When I last looked at it, on November 18, 2010, the list included 87 pages just for the letter A.  Continue Reading…

Published on News Insight, by N.V.Subramanian, Dec. 7, 2010.

… London, 3 December 2010: On first reading, the Wikileaks about Pakistan may produce consternation and dismay in India. But deeper reflection would suggest that the way to contain a failing, nuclear terroristic Pakistan (and its dark ally, China) is for India to do more of what it is doing, which is to rise peacefully.

The Wikileaks do not make essentially new revelations about Pakistan, except in one or two instances. But they confirm some of the worst suspicions. For example, all the P-5 states bar China are increasingly concerned that Pakistani nukes or fissile materials could fall into terrorist hands through jihadi actions, including capture of national power, or via sustained leaks by army, intelligence and civilian “insiders” over a period of time.  Continue Reading…

Join Peace Vet-Led Protest at White House on December 16, 2010. Join us, for more information e-mail us. – Published on Dissident Voice, by Kevin Zeese, December 9th, 2010.

The White House is in the midst of a strategic review of Afghanistan. This review is coming at a time when the reality is hard to ignore: Afghanistan cannot be won, the cost is escalating at a time when the U.S. economy is in collapse and the war is undermining U.S. national security and the rule of law.  It is time to end the war-based foreign policy of the United States.  Continue Reading…

Power, Propaganda, and the Global Political Awakening

Published on Global Research.ca, by Andrew Gavin Marshall, December 6, 2010.

… World Order and Global Awakening:

In attempting to understand Wikileaks and its potential effects (that is, if the alternative media and citizens activists use this opportunity), we must place Wikileaks within a wider geopolitical context. Our human world exists as a complex system of social interactions. As powerful and dominating as elites are and have always been, we must understand that they are not omnipotent; they are human and flawed, as are their methods and ideas. There are other forces at work in the human social world, and these various interactions created and changed the world into what it is, and will determine where it is going. In effect, nothing is preordained; nothing is exact. Plans are made, certainly, by elites, in designing ideas and reshaping and controlling society.  Continue Reading…

Published on Global Research.ca, by Rady Ananda, Dec. 3, 2010.

While over 200 organizations lobbied on the Food Safety Modernization Act (S.510), no one seemed to notice an unconstitutional section in the bill until after it passed on Tuesday. That day, Roll Call advised that the bill contained a provision, Sec. 107, allowing the Senate to raise revenues. This violates Article I, Section 7, of the U.S. Constitution, granting that power exclusively to the House.   S.510 opponents now celebrate the House’s use of the “blue slip process” to return the bill to the Senate … //

… Monsanto and the Tester Amendment:  Continue Reading…

Watch Wikileaks – Join Paul Jay and guests on The Real News Network for a live interactive webcast – on December 7, 8, and 9 – from 8pm – 12pm EST (13.000 – 18.00 hour MEZ).

Schedule of live event and Form to send your questions.
Recent records:

• The 200k Challenge Recorded Webcast Pt.1, 19.39 min, December 7, 2010. The 200k Challenge Live Webcast opens with questions from callers;
• Who Benefits From Austerity, 11.02 min, December 7, 2010. What Does Wall St Want Out of Austerity and What Benefits Does it Gain From a Small Government?
• Deficit Hawks Continue Post-WWII Attack on Labor, 9.04 min, November 28, 2010. James Crotty: Big business using crisis to continue rolling back wages and safety net.

Published on Current Concerns No 19, by Niels Peter Ammitzboell and Barbara Hug, november 2010.

For many Europeans, the Russian Far East remains an area that lies beyond any field of vision as they lack the most fundamental geographical knowledge about it. A journey to the Russian Far East represents an experience, which will certainly be remembered more intensely than any trip to the Maldives or to Thailand. Those who cherish traditional reservations against Russia – which are probably remnants of the Cold War – might have to change their minds when visiting this part of the world.

We had decided to visit the Magadan area and the Kamchatka Peninsula – primarily because we were interested in nature, bird- and wildlife, in the ecological conditions and the life of the people there in general. An unreserved visit to this world region opened up our eyes for an ecological rarity. Continue Reading…

News about wikileaks:

• on The Guardian: WikiLeaks to keep releasing cables despite Assange arrest;
• on canada.com: WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange arrested in Britain;
• on Belfast Telegraph: WikiLeaks reveals Irish sites vital to America’s security;
• on the Christian Science Monitor: WikiLeaks list of ‘ritical sites: Is it a menu for terrorists?
• on Mail online: Mac on … Russian spies and WikiLeaks;
• AFP: NATO’s E.Europe plans amid Russia fears;
• The Telegraph: China’s Politburo a cabal of business empires.

Published on Online Journal, by Martha Rosenberg, Dec. 3, 2010.

It was one step forward and two steps back for safe US prescription drugs in 2010.

There was public outcry against Avandia, the heart attack-associated diabetes drug (and the conflicts of interest that kept it on the market) but some say Actos and Byetta, which will take up some of the slack, are no safer.

Meridia, an amphetamine-like diet pill, and Darvon, the pain pill, were withdrawn. But Nuvugil, an extreme and dangerous stimulant was pushed as a “wakefulness” drug for “excessive sleepiness” (including to college kids with their well known narcolepsy and shift study sleep disorder).  Continue Reading…

Tester Amendment to food ‘safety’ bill puts lipstick on a pig – Published on Global Research.ca, by Rady Ananda, November 23, 2010.

… The FDA also approves (by not regulating) nano-sized particles into food. A “nano” particle is one-billionth of a meter in size. That tiny size allows it to cross the blood-brain barrier thus posing a significant health risk. Without testing for health consequences and thus proving its loyalty to food safety, the FDA turns a blind eye and allows these adulterants in the food supply.  Continue Reading…

Linked with More about WikiLeak (December 2010), with Australian government and media block discussion over Wikileaks revelations, with WikiLeaks: The German Armed Forces and the policy of targeted killings in Afghanistan, with More about WIKILEAKS (August 2, 2010), with WikiLeaks Posts Mysterious Insurance File, with Afghanistan: Don’t go back, with Afghan War Diary, 2004-2010, with US soldier in WikiLeaks massacre video: I relive this every day, with WikiLeaks Iraq Shooting Video Analysis, with Who Would Benefit Politically from a Terrorist Incident on American Soil? with Website Wikileaks publishes 9/11 messages, with The Limits Of Individual Morality, and with (the old) WikiLeaks.

Published on Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, by rfe/rl’s Central Newsroom, Dec. 5, 2010. Continue Reading…

The embattled whistle-blowing website WikiLeaks is back online with a new address, just hours after its previous domain name was shut down. The website emerged today with a new Swiss web address, wikileaks.ch, although the site itself appears to be hosted in Sweden and France. WikiLeaks’ U.S. domain-name provider EveryDNS had withdrawn service to the site late on December 2, saying hacker attacks threatened access to the other 500,000 websites in its network … (full text).

WikiLeaks Changes Web Address After Shutdown, published on Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, compiled from agency reports, Dec. 5, 2010.
Could become as important a journalistic tool as the Freedom of Information Act. (Time Magazine). Published on Wikileaks.ch:  Continue Reading…

Published on Online Journal, by Dennis Rahkonen, Nov 24, 2010.

… Implausible? Boy, I sure hope so. But the alternative possibilities are equally as unsettling.

• One option is that he was just a con artist from the start, likely being in full cahoots with the power structure at that time, operating manipulatively to dupe the American electorate into voting for what would ultimately prove to be nothing more than bull squeezings and pixie dust.
• Compared to that, the Tea Party’s diversionary scam is small potatoes.
• The second possibility is that Obama, despite his ability to play a mean game of basketball, is so weak at his core that he’s like the skinny guy at the beach who gets sand kicked in his face by a bully and does nothing but cower.   Continue Reading…

Published on Voltairenet.org, by Walden Bello, Nov. 15, 2010.

The recent death of Néstor Kirchner has been perceived as a great loss, not only to Argentina but to the region and the world. In May 2003, Kirchner took the reins of a country crushed by its most severe economic crisis and riddled by massive debt. His audacious and successful face-off with the International Monetary Fund showed the world that a country could defy the IMF and live to tell about it.

The unexpected death on 27 October 2010 of Nestor Kirchner deprived not only Argentina of a remarkable, albeit controversial leader. It also took away an exemplary figure in the Global South when it came to dealing with international financial institutions.   Continue Reading…

Published on Online Journal (FIRST ON HIS WEBSITE), by Phil Rockstroh, Nov. 12, 2010.

Once again, partisan Democrats are reeling in shock and humiliation, boggled by a familiar scenario – the sheer velocity of their reversal of fortune and the Republican right’s perennial ascendency. Democrats implore, why is it voters occupying less than privileged positions in the economic order evince such ardor embracing the principles of a political creed dedicated to their exploitation for the benefit of a ruthless few?

There is truth in the one-liner that Democrats bandy: Anyone from the working or middle class who votes Republican is suffering from Battered Wife Syndrome. Although one is tempted to retort, anyone who votes for either one of the corporate/National Security State parties is closer to a half-senile spinster who still believes her prince will come.

“The truth is that the State is a conspiracy designed not only to exploit, but above all to corrupt its citizens.” – Leo Tolstoy … // Continue Reading…

Published on Global Research.ca, by Tom Eley, Nov. 19, 2010.

In a blow to the Obama administration’s effort to manipulate the civilian justice system to achieve guilty verdicts for alleged terrorists, a New York City jury on Wednesday unexpectedly acquitted a Guantánamo detainee, Ahmed Khaifan Ghailani, on 284 of 285 charges. The case was related to the 1998 terrorist attacks on US Embassy in Dar es Salam, Tanzania, which killed at least 11 people and injured another 85.

Ghailani, 36, was convicted of only one charge, conspiring to destroy government buildings. The 12-member jury was unconvinced by government charges related to allegations of murder. Ghailani nonetheless faces a sentence of 20 years to life in prison. Continue Reading…

As spammers find their e-mails blocked, they are trying other tactics. Expect no respite

Published on The Economist, Nov. 18, 2010.

WHEN Mark Zuckerberg, the boss of Facebook, presented its new messaging service on November 15th, he praised one feature in particular: the “social inbox”, which would catch spam or other unwanted messages. “Because we know who your friends are, we can put in really good filters to make sure you only see things you care about,” he said, with unwarranted confidence.

Spammers are moving onto social-networking sites such as Facebook because they find e-mail increasingly unrewarding. Data from Cisco, which makes networking gear, show the volume of e-mail spam began declining slowly in late 2009 (see chart) and by almost half in the past three months, after the authorities disabled spam networks in Russia and the Netherlands.  Continue Reading…