The United States of Corporate America: From Democracy to Plutocracy
Rodrigue Tremblay
"The price of apathy towards public affairs is to be ruled by evil men."
Plato, ancient Greek philosopher
...“The 20th century has been characterized by three developments of great political importance: The growth of democracy, the growth of corporate power, and the growth of corporate propaganda as a means of protecting corporate power against democracy.”
Alex Carey, Australian social scientist
“The most effective way to restrict democracy is to transfer decision-making from the public arena to unaccountable institutions: kings and princes, priestly castes, military juntas, party dictatorships, or modern corporations.” - Noam Chomsky, M.I.T. emeritus Professor of Linguistics
PermalinkTHE HORROR OF HAITI: WHAT THE PRESS COVERAGE TELLS US
John Chuckman
It is relentless, the pictures of terror-stricken people, broken limbs, and bloated dead, and many of us cannot stand to see or hear more.
One has to ask: what are we to do with such information?
Create pressure on governments to keep the assistance flowing? Perhaps, but there is no shortage of assistance being sent to Haiti. There is however a huge problem in Haiti’s limited ability to absorb the assistance.
INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT COMPLAINT FILED AGAINST BUSH, CHENEY, RUMSFELD, TENET, RICE AND GONZALES; INTERNATIONAL ARREST WARRANTS REQUESTED
Francis A. Boyle
Champaign, U.S.A./The Hague, Netherlands (19 Jan 2010). -- Professor Francis A. Boyle of the University of Illinois College of Law in Champaign, U.S.A. has filed a Complaint with the Prosecutor for the International Criminal Court (I.C.C.) in The Hague against U.S. citizens George W. Bush, Richard Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld, George Tenet, Condoleezza Rice, and Alberto Gonzales (the “Accused”) for their criminal policy and practice of “extraordinary rendition” perpetrated upon about 100 human beings. This term is really their euphemism for the enforced disappearance of persons and their consequent torture. This criminal policy and practice by the Accused constitute Crimes against Humanity in violation of the Rome Statute establishing the I.C.C.
Truth and Consequences: 'A Conspiracy of Rich Men'
by Len Hart, The Existentialist Cowboy
Every criminal thinks he will get away with it. Every criminal hides the truth. Every criminal has a cover story. 911 is Bush's 'cover story'. The FBI has stated that there is no hard evidence to connect Bin Laden with 911. The 'official' conspiracy theory of 911 is an absurd and ridiculous fabrication believed only by idiots, a bullshit cover story designed to shock, awe and confuse.
It did this with its sheer audacity and vainglorious hubris. We should not be surprised, nor shocked, nor awed! Every criminal lies about his crime. We should have expected no less, nor more from Bush, a common liar and criminal.
The Lessons of Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS)
by Stephen Lendman
Established in 1989, the MA'AN Development Center is "an independent Palestinian development and training institution....work(ing) towards sustainable human development in Palestine" through its various programs. On October 31, it released a publication on the Palestinian BDS campaign titled, "Boycott, Divestment, & Sanctions: Lessons learned in effective solidarity."
It's another of the many BDS initiatives multiplying to support Palestine. In July 2005, a coalition of 171 Palestinian Civil Society organizations created the global movement for "Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions against Israel Until it Complies with International Law and Universal Principles of Human Rights" for Occupied Palestine, Israeli Arabs, and Palestinian diaspora refugees.
Why Martha Lost
by Daniel Patrick Welch
While US Democrats are shocked at the surprising vulnerablity of Ted Kennedy's Senate seat--the Liberal Lion of the Senate--US observer Daniel Patrick Welch, who lives in and writes from Kennedy's home state, is underwhelmed. Democrats have foolishly ceded the populist impulse to the right, and are now reaping what they have sown.
Yanukovich - Man for all seasons
Eric Walberg
Ukraine's new president -- unless there is another Orange Revolution -- has fashioned a comeback worthy of Nixon, marvels.
Ukraine's presidential elections Sunday were remarkable in more ways than one. The winner of the first round and favourite to lead Ukraine at a crucial moment in its history is the one politician observers long ago dismissed as a has-been. Viktor Yanukovich is mocked by his opponents as an illiterate bumpkin, a puppet of Ukrainian business magnates, a former criminal and communist, a conspirer against the brave democrats of the legendary Orange Revolution of 2004. Have I left anything out? Does he kick dogs or beat his mother?
As the results came in, pro-Western commentators rushed to claim that Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko (25 per cent) would surge past Viktor Yanukovich (36 per cent) in the runoff 7 February, Tymoshenko announcing she would immediately seek the support of the also-rans to "move forward with uniting the democratic forces." However, the two candidates who came third and fourth, former Central Bank chief Sergei Tigipko (13 per cent) and former parliament speaker Arseniy Yatsenyuk (seven per cent), said they would not support any candidate in the second round. President Viktor Yushchenko polled five per cent and Ukrainians are holding their breath till they see the last of him.
NEW PROGRESSIVE Vision Forward
By Carolyn Bennett
War or occupation can never be "progressive." Progress is evolutionary forward movement taking from the best of ideas informing action, improving upon what is, what was, what ideals dream. Progressivism to me rises out of a sense of Society, a rational humanist equality, a cooperative, nonviolent consciousness transcending tribe and narrow individualism, a sense of domestic and global community.
Call for a new model of "liberalist" progressivism
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