Pages: << 1 ... 853 854 855 856 857 858 859 860 861 862 863 ... 1276 >>
Ben Bella: Revolutionary Internationalist
greanvillepost.com
A. Ben Bella: 92, but still vibrant.
Editors Note: With the US and its NATO accomplices once again bent on “repackaging” the Arab Maghreb and the Gulf region via overt and covert bloody interventions in Iraq, Libya, Bahrain, Egypt, Tunisia, Syria, and other nations, apparently a new age of colonialism has arrived.
Of course, chiefly for the benefit of the perennially bamboozled American public, the pretense that we’re doing this to secure peace, freedom, and democracy in the region will likely continue indefinitely. And the “War on Terror” will be trotted out as required to provide additional cover. After all, that’s what it was created for. In this context of egregious foreign policy lies supported by unprecedented levels of cynicism, it’s instructive to recall what these struggles really imply in the grander scheme of history, and few nations provide a better lesson than Algeria, whose war of liberation against the French (along with Indochina’s) was one of the most dramatic and brutal in the second half of the 20th Century. Above all, we need to remember the staggering costs represented by colonialism, whether of the “new” or old variety: in Iraq so far more than a million dead and counting, and a nation turned into a heap of rubble; in Algeria, too, well over a million and-a-half dead, plus countless other casualties of war, not to mention a heritage of violence, distrust, political fragility, and psychic wounds to last many generations. In Afghanistan and elsewhere a similar script holds, but that’s another story.
Federal Over Nightmare Express
By Katherine Smith, PhD
The aggressive FedEx online legislative campaign to prevent the passage of the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2009 is just about everywhere these days.
[Some claim] UPS is resorting to a cynical strategy: If UPS can’t restore parity by making itself more competitive, why not cripple FedEx — with help, of course, from the Teamsters, who want FedEx employees to join their union. After all, everyone knows FedEx Drivers Aren’t Pilots.
FedEx says it’s not fair to bail out UPS just because they are having trouble competing in the overnight delivery market.
Maybe that’s true, but get this, Fred Smith’s www.BrownBailout.com campaign has to be the ultimate hypocrisy.
Why is there a Federal in Federal Express?
Fred, in an interview with Atlanta Bureau Chief Dean Foust, explains:
“For our network, I used as a model the economic activity of the Federal Reserve banking system, because it was in those days a perfect model of the economic activity in the U.S. And that's where the [Federal Express] name came from. It just stuck in my mind. I wanted something that sounded substantial and nationwide, and American Express had already been taken [laughs].”
Well, I guess that’s possible [laughs out loud].
Federal Express, now the FedEx Corporation, has been one of the great entrepreneurial success stories of the past quarter-century — the story of how Smith built FedEx into a $27 billion delivery juggernaut has become a part of Corporate Americana.
The art of leadership and the fight for justice, What role outrage?
Cynthia McKinney
After Georgia was forced by the United States Supreme Court to abandon its scheme to deny Black people the right to an undiluted vote and representation, Leroy Johnson became the first Black person elected to the Georgia State Senate since Reconstruction. The year was 1962. During his tenure, Johnson used his considerable influence inside the body to become the Senate's Chair of the Judiciary Committee. From this position, he was able to bottle-up legislation that was bad for the State of Georgia, especially its Black residents. Outside and inside the State Senate, Leroy Johnson practiced the art of leadership and engaged in the fight for justice. He produced solid results for a people who were hungry for justice. Who among our elected officials today exercises the art of leadership in an engaged struggle for justice? Sadly, the numbers are way too small. It is more expedient to exchange silence for merely "being there," in the end exercising no leadership at all and becoming a spectator to power in abandonment of those who need the effective use of power the most. The art of the struggle has veritably been abandoned for merely occupying a seat at the table when the purpose of the struggle for the seat at the table was to empower the struggle for justice. The only reason we send people to occupy that seat is to leverage the power of the community where power is exercised, on behalf of those who need it the most.
Santa Cruz adopts food freedom resolution supporting private herd shares
By Rady Ananda
Food Freedom
On Sept. 13, California’s Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors unanimously passed a “Resolution Recognizing the Rights of Individuals to Grow and Consume Their Own Food and to Enter into Private Contracts with Other Individuals to Board Animals for Food.” [pdf]
Though only symbolic, the Resolution memorializes public assertion of the right to grow and eat food of their own choosing, and to collectively share in private herds, free from government interference.
This was done in response to armed raids on private food clubs and herd shares, as well as “cease and desist” letters sent by the state’s Dept. of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) to small farmers and herd share owners.
Why We Left The United States:
by Bob Alexander, founder of Superbeans.com
Because on December 12, 2000, the United States Supreme Court nullified the results of a national election and installed George W. Bush as president. And then I saw millions of my fellow Americans deliriously happy the Rule of Law was broken by the Supreme Court of the Land so “their guy” could … “win.”
That’s when I knew partisanship had ultimately won out over reality. More Americans believe in angels than election fraud. If millions of Americans could turn a blind eye to a stolen election, simply because their side stole it, and then have that coup legitimized by not only the Supreme Court … but by all of MainStreamMedia … then I knew the country I lived in was not the land of my birth.
I can’t emphasize this enough. Millions of Americans were ecstatic that George W. Bush won regardless of how he won. Unquestioning blind partisanship was more important than the law to these people. But more ominous was MainStreamMedia ratifying the coup. At that moment Corporate Media proved they were committed to the destruction of our democratic republic.
HOW MANY POOR PEOPLE DO YOU KNOW?
by Mary Pitt
This is a question that should be asked of any person who is running for a national office. We don't mean how many poor people one sees on the streets as one drives by in an automobile, not just those who show up at the soup kitchen with whom a photo opportunity is in progress. We mean the people who live constantly at or slightly above the poverty line, constantly worrying as they juggle their meager budget to try to prioritize and keep their heads above the fiscal disaster that lurks everywhere, who work even when they're ailing because they cannot feed the family without that paycheck and "doctors cost money."
Pediatricians are becoming alarmed because more women are foregoing prenatal medical care and even having their babies without medical assistance of any kind due to lack of money to pay. Without free breakfasts and lunches at school many children would be going all day with an empty stomach when Daddy's or Mommy's money runs out before the next payday.
America is a Dictatorship and I Can't Stop It
Tim Gatto
Things in this country have been there for a long, long, time. Every year the federal government constantly assails our rights under the Constitution. This didn't start with Bush, in fact, it started with Clinton. Now that Obama is in the White House we still see our rights eroding by the day. This president was elected on a platform of change. I'll don't see any change, in fact things are going from bad to worse. It's not just the Republicans that seem to be out after middle class it also Democrats or at least a majority of them. Obama has done nothing but placate an out of control Republican Party. I guess George Carlin was right on the mark when he said "Now they are coming for your social security'.
It isn't just Social Security and Medicare that are the prime targets of our political system. It's also things like the Bill of Rights and ideas such as habeas corpus. Now the president has the power to deem anyone whether foreign or domestic as a threat to the country and can authorize his or her assassination. This isn't a president this is a dictator. In fact, the whole country is fed up with both Congress, the executive branch, and the judiciary. That is our entire federal government as laid out by our Constitution.
I haven't been writing much lately because I feel that I've said everything that I could possibly say. Every time I write an article I write about same old things, the loss of our freedom, the government which is nothing but subservient to corporations and the rich political donors and the wars and interventions around the world that we can't seem to stop ourselves from delving into.
Obama-Style Deficit Reduction
by Stephen Lendman
On September 8, Obama's "American Jobs Act" address to Congress was a thinly veiled campaign speech. More on it below.
On September 19 came Act Two to enlist support for "Living Within Our Means and Investing in Our Future" by cutting $4 trillion over 10 years (for starters with more to come) from Medicare, Medicaid, public pensions, veterans' benefits, unemployment insurance, the US Postal Service, and other social benefits.
It's part of a bipartisan plan to destroy America's middle class, good-paying jobs and benefits, the dream of homeownership for millions, and a nation once fit to live in but no longer.
Palestinian Statehood: If not Now, When?
by Stephen Lendman
After 63 years, including 44 under occupation, 85% of Palestinians want statehood now, not later or perhaps never.
Israel and Washington object, wanting permanent occupation and subjugation.
A previous article said a "silent agreement" among Western powers may postpone Security Council and General Assembly votes for later dates to be announced.
Full Court Press to Deny Palestinians Statehood
by Stephen Lendman
Palestinians deserved and were ready for statehood 63 years ago. Washington, Israel, other detractors, and naysayers say not now.
Libya's illegitimate Transitional National Council (TNC) puppet regime got theirs in less than 63 minutes.
Palestinians overwhelmingly want what imperial America and Israel intend to deny them. In fact, they're applying hardball pressure for it right now.
<< 1 ... 853 854 855 856 857 858 859 860 861 862 863 ... 1276 >>
