"Sometimes people don't want to hear the truth because they don't want their illusions destroyed." - Friedrich Nietzsche
"There are two different types of people in the world, those who want to know, and those who want to believe." - Friedrich Nietzsche
"The
snake which cannot cast its skin has to die. As well the minds which
are prevented from changing their opinions; they cease to be mind." - Friedrich Nietzsche
Published on Feb 27, 2013
Julianna Forlano speaks with economist Richard Wolff about the myth of wealthy people being "Job Creators".
Should Unions Tear a Page From Clicktivism Playbook?
February 27, 2013 |
MoveOn, which now claims seven million supporters, has spun-off a number of similar platforms including Avaaz (a global version of MoveOn), SumOfUs (like Avaaz, but completely focussed on corporate misbehavior), 38 Degrees (a UK version of MoveOn), and GetUp (the Australian version).
In addition, there are commercial organizations like Change.org, which charge fees to campaigners who wish to keep the email addresses of their supporters.
These organizations have become the subject of a vigorous debate in campaigning circles around the notion of “clicktivism”.
Some seasoned campaigners have argued that people taking a few seconds to click on a link in an email message hardly constitutes “activism” and is no substitute for more traditional forms of engagement.
Malcolm Gladwell, the acclaimed author of “The Tipping Point”, took on the clicktivists in a long article for “The New Yorker” in October 2010.
Online campaigning, he wrote, is “a form of organizing which favors the weak-tie connections that give us access to information over the strong-tie connections that help us persevere in the face of danger. It shifts our energies from organizations that promote strategic and disciplined activity and toward those which promote resilience and adaptability. It makes it easier for activists to express themselves, and harder for that expression to have any impact. The instruments of social media are well suited to making the existing social order more efficient. They are not a natural enemy of the status quo.”
Gladwell’s words – especially regarding “organizations that promote strategic and disciplined activity” – should resonate inside trade unions.
Unions are in it for the long haul and aspire to big changes – unlike the short-term, superficial approach of some of the clicktivists. (more)
How is America Threatened by Iran?
By Pat Buchanan
Iran
has no missile that can reach us, no air force or navy that would
survive the first days of war, no nuclear weapons, no bomb-grade
uranium from which to build one.
How Israel Legitimises Torturing Palestinians to Death
By Charlotte Silver
Israel's policy of torture has left many dead and completely lacks accountability.
The Invention of Israel
Must Watch - Video
We talk to the author of The Invention of the Land of Israel, Shlomo Sand, about his latest book.
The Power to Assassinate a Compliant and Submissive People
By Jacob G. Hornberger
The
president doesn't want to alarm Americans by informing them that he
now wields the power to assassinate anyone he wants, including
Americans here in the United States.
The US Government Has Constructed a Ubiquitous Surveillance State
By Glenn Greenwald
The
Obama DOJ just succeeded in convincing the five right-wing members of
the Court to allow it to conduct its Surveillance State beyond the rule
of law.
Lords of Disorder:
Billions For Wall Street, Sacrifice For Everyone Else
By Richard Eskow
We're
collecting nothing from the big banks in return for our generosity.
Instead we're demanding sacrifice from the elderly, the disabled, the
poor, the young, the middle class - pretty much everybody, in fact, who
isn't "too big to fail."
Austerity USA Begins March 1st
By Shamus Cooke
If
Labor and community groups united in a demand of 'No Cuts, Tax the
Rich' and organized massive mobilizations, there would be a very
different public debate happening right now.
Many in Washington Don't Have Half A Brain
By Robert Reich
Can
we just put aside ideology for one minute and agree that businesses
hire more workers if they have more customers, and fire workers if they
have fewer customers?
Capitalism as Disease
The Tragedy of Being Human: A Mean Spirit
By John Kozy
America's
Christians not only dislike non-Christians, they dislike each other
too. In general, we are a mean spirited and spiteful people.
The Norwegian Prison Where Inmates Are Treated Like People
By Erwin James
On
Bastoy prison island in Norway, the prisoners, some of whom are
murderers and rapists, live in conditions that critics brand 'cushy'
and 'luxurious'. Yet it has by far the lowest reoffending rate in
Europe.
Torture Inc. Americas Brutal Prisons
By Deborah Davies
Savaged
by dogs, Electrocuted With Cattle Prods, Burned By Toxic Chemicals,
Does such barbaric abuse inside U.S. jails explain the horrors that
were committed in Iraq?
America Never Really Ended Slavery
By Jazz Hayden
The
13th Amendment states, "involuntary servitude and slavery is abolished
except for those duly convicted of a crime." The "exception clause"
leaves slavery still in effect for those convicted of crimes. Today
America, with 5% of the world's population, has 25% of the world's
prisoners.
Hard News
Twenty Afghan Police Officers Killed in Two Attacks:
Suspected
Taliban infiltrators killed 20 Afghan policemen in two attacks on
Wednesday, including a mass poisoning, in southeastern Afghanistan.
Afghans demand inquiry into US special forces: Video report:
The
US special forces, and Afghans working with them, have been accused of
torture, theft and even murder in the province directly west of Kabul.
Syrian troops kill dozens of gunmen on outskirts of Damascus:
A
number of gunmen were killed during intense clashes with Syrian troops
in the town of Daraya, located 8 kilometers (5 miles) southwest of
Damascus, on Tuesday, the state-run SANA news agency reported.
Syrian troops secure vicinity of Aleppo's airport:
The
troops have advanced into the surrounding of the airport at a depth of
seven kilometers, a pace sufficient for ensuring the resumption of air
trafficking soon, al-Watan said, quoting Syrian Airline officials as
saying flights to the airport are expected to resume by mid March.
Syrian rebels claim to kill Hezbollah deputy chief:
Hezbollah's
deputy chief was killed Tuesday when Syrian rebels bombed a convoy
consisting of high-ranking Syrian government officers near the Lebanon
border, news portal Now Lebanon quoted the Free Syria Army as saying on
Wednesday.
Syria: Rebels 'shoot down military helicopter in north':
The
rebels shot down the helicopter near the Minnigh airbase, which rebels
have been trying to seize for months, the London-based Syrian Human
Rights Observatory said.
Syria rebels bolstered by new arms:
Rebel
commanders and fighters told Reuters that a shipment which reached
Syria via Turkey last month comprised shoulder-held and other mobile
equipment including anti-aircraft and armor-piercing weapons, mortars
and rocket launchers.
US considers aid and training of Syrian rebels:
Body armour, armoured vehicles and military training may be provided to rebels, according to US newspaper.
Turkey's support to Syrian rebels is a declaration of war against Iraq, minister says:
"Presenting
money and weapons to al Qaeda (in Syria) by Qatar and Turkey is a
declaration of armed action against Iraq," Amiri told Reuters in an
interview this week. "These weapons will reach Iraqi chests for sure."
Iran nuclear talks end without breakthrough:
Saeed
Jalili, Iran's chief nuclear negotiator said on Wednesday all sides
agreed to meet in the same city on April 5-6 after first gathering
their nuclear experts for consultations in Istanbul in March.
No offer made to Iran on oil, financial sanctions: U.S. official:
Six
world powers did not offer to suspend oil or financial sanctions
during talks with Iran on its nuclear program in the Kazakh city of
Almaty, a senior U.S. administration official said on Wednesday.
U.S. moves to expand economic sanctions on Iran as nuclear talks end:
U.S.
lawmakers will introduce a bill on Wednesday that expands economic
penalties against Iran and is designed to force countries like China to
buy less Iranian crude oil, according to a copy of the legislation
obtained by Reuters on Tuesday.
Former Hostages Urge Diplomacy With Iran:
Two
of the diplomats held during the 444-day Iranian Hostage Crisis are
speaking out in favor of stronger diplomatic overtures between the
United States and Iran.
EU report recommends economic sanctions on Israeli settlements:
The
European Union (EU) consuls in Jerusalem and Ramallah issued a report
calling for imposing economic sanctions against Israeli settlements in
the occupied West Bank and east Jerusalem
EU report slams Israeli settlements:
The
report referred to Israel's settlement construction in east Jerusalem
as "systematic, deliberate and provocative" and stated that Jewish
settlement construction was "the biggest single threat to the two state
solution."
Israel 'secretly deports' 1,000 Sudanese who may face persecution at home:
The
UN Refugee agency said it was not informed of the move, and that the
deportees were forced to return to Sudan where visiting or living in
Israel is a crime.
Hagel takes charge as defense secretary after bitter Senate fight over his nomination:
Hagel
promised to work closely with Congress, but he faces lingering
reservations about his ability to handle the responsibilities. Shortly
after the vote, Sen. Lindsey Graham said he still has serious questions
about Hagel and his qualifications.
Sen. James Inhofe (R-OK): Links Hagel To Holocaust Denial:
Video -
AIPAC takes on the latest threat to Israel - sequestration:
There
is a palpable fear that the aid spigot to Israel is about to turn off,
or at least slow down, given the budget face off taking place in
Washington
Biden to headline AIPAC conference:
At the
conference, AIPAC officials plan to unveil a new "strategic concept"
related to the US-Israel relationship, one official told The Times of
Israel Tuesday: "Introducing legislation in the Senate and House that
will designate Israel as a major strategic partner of the United
States."
Egypt court orders Gaza lifeline destroyed:
Ruling will remove routes between Egypt and the Gaza Strip for smuggled weapons, but also a lifeline for Palestinians.
Seven killed in Mali suicide car bomb attack:
Seven
people were killed in a suicide car bomb attack by suspected Islamist
militants in the remote northern Malian town of Kidal on Tuesday, Feb
26, the MNLA Tuareg rebel group said, in the second such attack there
in less than a week, Reuters reported.
Ex-Kadhafi PM 'critical after torture' in Libya:
Mahmudi
"is in critical condition as a result of the torture he has suffered,"
said Mabrouk Kourchid, adding that "he could die".
Libya's Women Activists Outraged by Court Ruling on Wives:
This
ruling on multiple wives has horrified liberals, who fear the clock is
being turned back on advances made under former leader Moammar Gadhafi.
US prosecutors go all-out against Manning, claim bin Laden benefitted from WikiLeaks:
US
prosecutors are set to call a Navy SEAL - possibly one who participated
in the killing of Osama bin Laden - to testify against alleged
whistleblower Bradley Manning to prove he 'aided the enemy,' a crime
punishable by death in the US.
1000 + days without trial and
Bradley Manning judge rules length of soldier's detention 'reasonable':
Charges in WikiLeaks case will not be dismissed as judge rules soldier's right to a speedy trial has not been violated
FISA Supreme Court Decision Makes a Mockery Of Civil Liberties:
Specifically
at issue was the FISA Amendments Act of 2008, which was reenacted by
Congress in December. The act established the existence of secret
courts capable of issuing warrants authorizing law enforcement
officials to monitor communications between individuals inside the U.S.
corresponding with individuals overseas.
How much data can police swipe from suspects' phones without a warrant?:
Call
logs, text messages, geo-locations and even data relating to
proprietary technologies, such as Apple's iMessage service: All of
these can be downloaded by U.S. law enforcement when a suspect's phone
is plugged in and the data harvested for intelligence purposes.
ISPs Now Monitoring for Copyright Infringement:
The
so-called "Copyright Alert System" is backed by the President Barack
Obama administration and was pushed heavily by record labels and
Hollywood studios.
Proposed ordinance sparks controversy:
"We
are not trying to infringe upon anyone constitutional rights
whatsoever. It's just to protect the workers working out there in a
disaster," Dollar said.
Indiana House Approves Welfare Drug Test Bill:
The
Republican-controlled Indiana House voted overwhelmingly Monday to
approve a "reasonable suspicion" drug testing bill for welfare
recipients.
The School Security America Doesn't Need:
Outrage
over the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre may or may not spur any
meaningful gun control laws, but you can bet your Crayolas that it
will lead to more seven-year-olds getting handcuffed and hauled away to
local police precincts.
Defend Martin Luther King's Dream Act:
Protect the Voting Rights Act and Expand It Across America
94 percent of Americans don't know the deficit is falling.: There is no deficit problem.
The
deficit is down 50 percent as a share of gross domestic product just
since President Bush's fiscal year 2009 deficit and is falling at the
fastest rate since the end of World War II. Yet the Washington debate
is about how and where to cut us back into recession. Why?
Wall Street cash bonuses seen higher in 2012: :
The
securities industry's bonus pool was expected to total $20 billion,
Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli said, up 8 percent from 2011
UK: Students turn to sex trade to pay off debts :
Payday
loan companies have been banned from a London university amid fears
that students are resorting to desperate measures to pay off debts.
Food giants take over the industry:
Small producers face poverty as ever more commodities are controlled by a coterie of multinationals.
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