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Renewing the Patriot Act
Michael Collins
Renewing the Patriot Act: The Patriot Act will be renewed this week. What is the Patriot Act? The government claimed that it was a vital law necessary to protect us against future terrorist acts.
Who would oppose that? Shortly after 9/11 the act became law. There was public shock at the devastation caused by the attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon. Surely, the government would make good use of the legislation. Failing to do so would violate the public trust since the act eliminated major constitutional protections of privacy, the right to a fair trial, and other civil liberties.
Before the act, you had an unqualified right to a "fair and speedy trial:"
Egypt at Dawn's Early Light
by Stephen Lendman
What's unfolding looks different than what protesters demand. World headlines partly reflect it, mostly outside America, especially on US television reporting an illusion of change, when, in fact, coup d'etat rule is in charge, headed by authoritarian generals used to giving, not taking orders.
On February 13, Al Jazeera's said, "Egypt army tries to clear Tahrir," adding:
Scuffles broke out "as soldiers tried to remove activists from the epicenter of Egypt's uprising...." Hundreds courageously remained, saying they won't leave until "more of their demands are met."
Rights groups weigh in on Mubarak resignation
Mary Shaw
On February 11, Egyptian dictator Hosni Mubarak stepped down, leaving the Egyptian military in charge until a new government can be established. Mubarak's resignation came after more than two weeks of protests in which the people of Egypt called for an end to Mubarak's repressive regime.
This is an impressive victory for the grassroots, but the hard work of building a new government now begins. And hopefully the new government will be worthy of the popular effort it took to get this far. Such is a recurring theme in statements by some of the world's leading human rights organizations.
Salil Shetty, Amnesty International’s Secretary General, praised the resolve of the Egyptian people in demanding dignity, human rights, and social justice. But, he pointed out, "the departure of one man is not the end."
Tourism Boycott for Egyptian Reforms
Joel S. Hirschhorn
How wonderful that the Egyptian dictator Mubarak has finally stepped down. But there are considerable uncertainties about when and how a fully functioning democracy that benefits ordinary Egyptians, especially the poorest, will be formed. Restoring the Egyptian economy and ensuring that it benefits not just the existing upper class that supported Mubarak is a key challenge. Economic reforms, however, are hardly mentioned by all those talking so much about the wonderful transformation in Egypt.
A global tourism boycott of Egypt is appropriate until it is absolutely clear that the revolution has actually and fully succeeded and economic reforms achieved. The enormous amounts of money stolen by Mubarak and others must be sought.
Now is the time to send a clear message that there will be no renewal of tourism in Egypt until there is crystal clear evidence that a true and honest electoral democracy with a more equitable economy have been created. Then a huge wave of renewed tourism will be the reward. This must be seen as an incentive to the new military dictatorship to honor the revolution. Everyone must remember that the military supported Mubarak, as one of them, and now owns about 10 to 15 percent of the Egyptian economy.
Will democracy in Egypt benefit the Palestinians?
By Alan Hart
For decades, and despite much rhetoric to the contrary, American-led Western policy has been to prefer Arab dictatorship (authoritarianism in various forms) to Arab democracy. This preference was determined by two main assessments.
One was that corrupt and repressive Arab regimes were the best possible guarantee that oil would continue to flow at prices acceptable to the West, and, that there would be almost no limits to the amount of weapons that could be sold to the most wealthy Arab states. (The design, production, testing and selling of weapons is one of the biggest creators of jobs and wealth in America, Britain and some other Western nations. Were it not for Saudi Arabia’s purchases, Britain’s arms manufacturing industry might have gone bust by now).
Canadian Sovereignty, Our Sovereignty, Is Not A Left/Right Issue!
By: Mike Stafford- NAURESISTANCE.ORG
My Canadian friends.. I beg of you.. please DO NOT let them turn the common security perimeter, new border vision deal into that!
Both The Liberals & Conservatives Have Been Working On The Consolidation Of North America Back To Back. Former Liberal Prime Minister Paul Martin, SIGNED Canada into the Security and Prosperity Partnership With A Conservative American President, George Bush Jr. After Winning The Last Federal Election Here In Canada, The Harper Conservatives Without Skipping A Beat, Picked Up The SPP Torch And Ran Full Steam Ahead With It! Harper Has Now Helped Implement This Consolidation Process With Both An American Republican President, And As We See Now With Obama, A Liberal President. The North American Union, The Consolidation Of North America Is Clearly An Agenda Shared By Both Legacy Parties On Both Sides Of The Border.
Hold the Celebration: Egypt's Struggle Just Began
by Stephen Lendman
Hopefully beneath celebratory euphoria, Egyptians know ousting Mubarak was simple, especially since Washington long wanted him out. Covertly with Egypt's military, it facilitated long-planned regime purging for with new faces under old policies. In other words, have everything change but stay the same, a common imperial bait and switch con.
As a result, the real liberating struggle continues against long odds for success because Washington, Egypt's military, Israel, Western powers, and big money will do everything to prevent it. The usual scheme was hatched - a facade of change that may or may not work, and will be months, maybe years, to know.
For now, however, Al Jazeera headlined, "Post-Mubarak era dawns on Egypt....just four weeks after Tunisians toppled their....ruler." Or did they? Their struggle also continues against comparable long odds. People throughout the region face them against powerful dark forces, representing imperial/monied interests, not theirs.
Cairo and Jerusalem
Gilad Atzmon
"It was the moral force of non-violence” stated President Obama in his first comment on the revolution in Egypt. Yet it is far from being clear who was the Egyptian Mandela, Gandhi, or Martin Luther King? I guess that in Cairo it was the people themselves who peacefully transformed their own reality.
Jerusalem, Zionists, and some elements within the Left have demonised Arabs, Muslims and Islam for decades. Yet the people of Egypt just proved how restrained and peace-seeking Islam is for real.
Unlike some of our blood soaked Western revolutions, in Cairo millions of Muslims waited for 18 days for their tyrant to internalise the message. Day after day, they stood in the streets demonstrating patience and determination; five times a day they joined mass prayers for goodness to prevail. They reminded us all that Islam is derived from the word Salaam. Islam is all about peace. It is inherently non violent.
Mubarak's Failed Bait and Switch
by Stephen Lendman
On February 10, indications were he'd step down. He didn't, but now it's official, vice president Suleiman saying he resigned, handing power to Egypt's military. A New York Times alert said "a historic popular uprising transformed politics in Egypt and around the Arab world."
Times rhetoric way overstated reality as resolution remains very much in doubt, though odds strongly favor continuity, not populist change. More on that below.
For the moment, however, huge Tahrir Square crowds erupted in celebratory euphoria, perhaps forgetting their liberating struggle just began. It didn't end with Mubarak's resignation. That was a baby step, removing an aging dinosaur Washington and Egypt's military wanted out. Now he's gone. Focus must follow through on what's next, requiring sustained popular protests. Otherwise, everything gained will be lost.
A Snake in the Grassroots of the Tea Party
By Silver Shield
I have warned those in the Freedom Movement about Patriot Pied Pipers trying to infiltrate, subvert and destroy the National Tea Party. On a national level, I warned about Glenn Beck, Sarah Palin, and even Wikileaks. Well now I see they have even burrowed into the local grassroots of the Tea Party. I had a very interesting email exchange with the head of a pretty popular Tea Party site yesterday.
A couple of things hit me during this exchange. The first thing is that this guy was thoroughly indoctrinated exactly like I was 15 years ago. (We will call him “Mr.TeaParty,” since he has a really cool disclaimer for privacy on all of his emails and I am sure he would not want me to out him or his efforts which you will see why below.) He had all of the Reagan worship, the spouting conservative talking points without any real thinking or debate and he ignored all of the facts that did not support his paradigm.
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