The pressure of an all-powerful totalitarian state creates an emotional tension in its citizens that determines their acts. When people are divided into "loyalists" and "criminals" a premium is placed on every type of conformist, coward, and hireling; whereas among the "criminals" one finds a singularly high percentage of people who are direct, sincere, and true to themselves-Czesław Miłosz
Showing posts with label beginning of the new americ. Show all posts
Showing posts with label beginning of the new americ. Show all posts
"The price of apathy towards public affairs is to be ruled by evil men." Plato
"Apathy is the glove into which evil slips its hand." Bodie Thoene
"Most
Americans aren't the sort of citizens the Founding Fathers expected;
they are contented serfs. Far from being active critics of government,
they assume that its might makes it right." Joseph Sobran Columnist
"By
far the most dangerous foe we have to fight is apathy - indifference
from whatever cause, not from a lack of knowledge, but from
carelessness, from absorption in other pursuits, from a contempt bred
of self satisfaction" William Osler (Canadian Physician, 1849-1919)
Abby Interviews former CNN Investigative Journalist, Amber Lyon, about
CNN's corrupt media empire, calling into question a media establishment
where censorship can be bought.
Is
it really well advised for the United Nations to use a U.S. government
funded entity to calculate some inevitably disputed numbers of
casualties when the U.S. is supporting one side of the conflict?
Arab Slave Traders Supporting Democracy in Syria?:
By Finian Cunningham
Recent legal moves by
the governments of Ethiopia, Indonesia and the Philippines to protect
their nationals working in the Persian Gulf Arab states point to this
harrowing fact: the Arab slave trade in foreign workers is alive and
well.
The Imagined, 'Sinister' Iranian Threat in Latin America
By Ramzy Baroud
Apparently, barbarians
coming from distant lands are at work. They are gathering at the
US-Mexico border, cutting fences and ready to wreak havoc on an
otherwise serene American landscape.
Time Warner Cable Drops Current TV Upon Sale To Al Jazeera
By Michael Calderone
Time
Warner Cable pulled the plug on Current TV just hours after news of
the cable channel's sale to Al Jazeera became official. "This channel
is no longer available on Time Warner Cable," read an on-screen message
where Current TV used to be found.
This became the
template for which the American Empire expanded: the Philippines, Cuba
and all throughout Latin America. And today, places like Iraq and
Afghanistan.
What we really need to
do is change the underlying policies that shape our economy. We can't
do that through the sum of our individual behavior in the marketplace.
We can only do it by exercising our collective power as citizens."
Suicide car bomber kills 27 Shi'ite pilgrims in Iraq:
A
suicide bomber driving a car killed at least 27 Shi'ite Muslims at a
bus station in the Iraqi town of Mussayab on Thursday, police and
medics said, as they were gathering to return home from a religious
rite.
Two
U.S. drone strikes on northwest Pakistan killed a senior Taliban
commander. One resident, Ajaz Khan, said 5,000 to 10,000 people
attended the funeral of Nazir and six other people in Angoor Adda.
'6,000 to 20,000 US occupation force troops in Afghan after 2014':
Gen
John Allen, the senior US commander in Afghanistan, has submitted his
much awaited recommendations on the nature and strength of US presence
in the country after 2014, the Pentagon said on Wednesday.
Afghan
warlord Gulbuddin Hekmatyar vowed in an interview published Wednesday
to kill as many Western soldiers as possible before NATO combat forces
withdraw from the country in 2014.
At
least three "suspected al Qaeda" militants including a local commander
were killed on Thursday in Yemen by a strike from an unmanned
aircraft, residents and a local official said.
Obama regime wins fight to keep drone killings of Americans secret:
A
federal judge issued a 75-page ruling on Wednesday that declares that
the US Justice Department does not have a legal obligation to explain
the rationale behind killing Americans with targeted drone strikes.
So-called Free Syrian Army is a group of terrorists: IHCR:
The
International Human Rights Commission (IHRC) says the so-called Free
Syrian Army is just a group of terrorists, stressing that Turkey, Qatar
and Saudi Arabia are granting money and weapons to the terrorists in
Syria.
Fears for American journalist kidnapped by unidentified gunmen in Syria as father pleads for his safe return home:
The
Foley family from Rochester, New Hampshire, had hoped keeping silent
could aid his release - following the abduction in the northern
province of Idlib.
Hezbollah chief warns against division, partition schemes:
"We
hereby underscore our rejection of any plan for partitioning or
dividing any Arab or Islamic country in the entire middle east region."
He said and added - From Yemen to Iraq to Syria, the region is
threatened more than ever by partition, even in Egypt and Libya and
Saudi Arabia."
Hizbullah
Secretary-General Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah commented on the situation
in Syria saying that "three influential countries are financing the
rebels in Syria and arming them - Turkey, Qatar and Saudi Arabia."
He
said the Pope calls for promotion of dialogue and peace, adding that
the international community never agrees to shipment of arms and
financial support to the Syrian opposition groups.
Iran
on Wednesday said it had shot down two US-made RQ-11 reconnaissance
drones in the past 15 months, adding to a ScanEagle drone and RQ-170
Sentinel stealth aircraft it already claims to have captured.
State bars Westerners living in West Bank from entering Israel, East Jerusalem:
Israel
recently renewed restrictions on the freedom of movement of foreign
nationals who live and work in the West Bank that prohibit them from
entering East Jerusalem or Israel.
Gunmen
have killed four people and burned down a police station in northeast
Adamawa state, the police said on Thursday, the latest such attack in a
region where Islamist sect Boko Haram has its stronghold.
The
State Department issued a new travel warning for Libya on Wednesday,
citing "ongoing instability and violence" and strongly advising against
all travel to the eastern city of Benghazi, where the U.S. Consulate
was attacked by terrorists Sept. 11.
Nicolas Sarkozy DID take $50 million of Muammar Gaddafi's cash, French judge is told:
Documentary
proof exists that France's former President Nicolas Sarkozy took more
than €50m from the late Libyan dictator, Muammar Gaddafi, a French
judge has been told.
Mexico troops kill 12 in gun fight in Zacatecas state:
Troops
in Mexico pursued and shot dead 12 people after coming under attack in
Zacatecas state, officials have said.The clash happened when soldiers
tried to stop suspect vehicles and the occupants opened fire, leading
to a chase for 50km (31 miles).
Hugo
Chavez is "living his last days" after his latest cancer operation in
Cuba was an "absolute failure", according to a high-profile Venezuelan
doctor.
French agent deported for plot to assassinate President Hugo Chavez:
Venezuelan
authorities said Saturday that they had deported a man they described
as a French intelligence agent who was jailed for alleged involvement
in a plot to assassinate President Hugo Chavez.
A
federal judge in Manhattan refused on Wednesday to require the Justice
Department to disclose a memorandum providing the legal justification
for the targeted killing of a United States citizen, Anwar al-Awlaki,
who died in a drone strike in Yemen in 2011.
US: Defense Bill Signing Backtracks on Guantanamo:
US
President Barack Obama's refusal to veto a defense spending bill
restricting detainee transfers from Guantanamo undercuts his pledge to
close the prison, Human Rights Watch said today.
Obama signs NDAA 2013 without objecting to indefinite detention of Americans:
President
Barack Obama signed the National Defense Authorization Act of 2013 on
Wednesday, giving his stamp of approval to a Pentagon spending bill
that will keep Guantanamo Bay open and make indefinite detention for US
citizens as likely as ever.
Last
month, the FBI ran a record 2.8 million background checks on those
wishing to purchase firearms in the US, with most of those checks
occurring after the Dec. 14 massacre in Newtown, Conn.
House
Republicans insisted the bill is too supportive of immigrants, the
LGBT community, and Native Americans -- and they'd rather let the law
expire than approve a slightly expanded proposal
'Fiscal cliff' deal has billions in business tax breaks:
The
measure includes $63 billion in special tax breaks for rum makers,
Hollywood studios and more. Supporters note bipartisan support from the
Senate Finance Committee.
-
It’s not just that shopping keeps you in debt, penniless and anchored
to the grid via a job. Material possessions also severely limit your
mobility, increase your worries (since with each new item purchased you
now have more to lose), and have a generally dampening effect on your
potentially revolutionary spirit.
As Henry David Thoreau so eloquently put it, “Material possessions are a positive hindrance to the elevation of mankind”.
"Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow." - Albert Einstein
"It
is difficult to live in the present, ridiculous to live in the future,
and impossible to live in the past. Nothing is as far away as one
minute ago." - Jim Bishop,
"Good resolutions are simply checks that men draw on a bank where they have no account." - Oscar Wilde
\
The correlation between psychiatric drugs and random acts of violence
and homicide is well documented as the Food and Drug Administration
requires black box warnings on the inserts of psychotropic drugs with
regard to their relationship to violent behavior.
Also, America has seen hundreds of cases where high-profile acts of mass
murder which were committed by individuals under the influence of
psychiatric drugs.
Our nation is united in mourning over the tragic and needless loss of
life at Sandy Hook Elementary. Our nation is also divided on how to
minimize similar tragedies in the future. Many have said that America
should have armed guards in its schools in order to prevent the
catastrophic and further loss of life. Many liberals disagree by stating
that having guns in schools, in any form, is a very bad idea.
The Undeniable Link Between Psychotropic Drugs and School Shootings
Our nation has been riddled with mass shootings in our schools dating
over two decades. The correlation between psychotropic drugs and violent
enacting behavior are unmistakable.
Here is a partial list of psychotropically drugged individuals who have perpetrated gun violence in our public schools:
Patrick Purdy, 25, in 1989 opened fire on a school yard filled with
children in Stockton,Calif. Five kids were killed and 30 wounded. He had
been treated with Thorazine and Amitriptyline.
Steve Lieth of Chelsea, Mich., in 1993 walked into a school meeting
and shot and killed the school superintendent, wounding two others,
while on Prozac.
In Springfield, Oregon, on May 21, 1998, 15-year-old Kip Kinkel
murdered his parents and then proceeded to school where he killed two
and wounded 25. Kinkel had been taking the antidepressant Prozac. Kinkel
had been attending anger management classes and was also under the care
of a psychologist. READ MORE
Syria Swings Between Hell and Dialogue
By Ismail Salami
Lakhdar
Brahimi has predicted 100,000 people could be killed "in the next year
as Syria moves toward Somalization and rule by warlords."
Syria Rebels 'Beheaded Man and Fed Him to the Dogs'
By Nick Fagge
There
have been a growing number of accounts of atrocities carried out by
rogue elements of the Syrian Free Army, which opposes dictator Bashar
al-Assad and is recognised by Britain and the West as the legitimate
leadership.
Were
Syria, and others, to take the illegal and immoral US-led sanctions
case to the World Court and other available venues, they would shift
their diplomatic position from a defensive status to taking the
offense.
A "hit list" of the most "anti-Semites" in the world.
By Ludwig Watza
Criticism
of Israeli government policy is more than necessary because the
Netanyahu government violates democratic and other Western values by
colonizing another people for the past 45 years.
Secret Human Testing Revealed in Declassified U.S. Army Documents
By Nicholas West
It is always a
challenge attempting to describe how sick and power mad are some of the
elite who have taken up positions within the
military-industrial-scientific complex.
A wave of bombings and
shootings across Iraq killed 23 people on Monday as the country
grappled with anti-government rallies and simmering political crises
ahead of major Shiite commemoration rituals.
Two people were
wounded when security forces opened fire to disperse protesters who
attacked Iraq's deputy premier on Sunday, forcing him to flee a rally
he was addressing, an AFP reporter said.
Iraqi PM orders release of female prisoners to appease protesters:
Iraqi
Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki ordered on Sunday the release of female
prisoners, who were arrested for terrorism charges without judicial
warrants or because of terror crimes committed by their relatives, to
appease to protesters who want to see the scrapping of anti-terrorism
measures in the country
Sheikh Khaled
Al-Dahab, a prominent social leader in Rada'a, said the three people
were killed by a drone meant for Al-Qaeda members. He said the men
killed are civilians and have no links to Al-Qaeda.
UN envoy Brahimi announces tentative Syria peace plan:
UN and Arab League
envoy to Syria Lakhdar Brahimi said Sunday he had created a ceasefire
plan for the war-torn country that could be backed by the international
community, as he warned that the conflict is getting worse "by the
day".
While David Cameron
is rallying support among EU leaders to send arms to the rebels
opposing the Assad regime in Syria, he also faces a battle to persuade
the British public to back the plan. According to a survey for The
Independent, people do not believe Britain should provide military
supplies to the rebels
The reports gave no
information on the ship's intent, but said that it is expected to
arrive in the Tartus area, where Russia has a naval base, in early
January.
Iranian President
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has spoken out against the use of pressure to
impose Islamic values on people, especially university candidates,
media reported.
9 Taliban militants found dead in Pakistan: officials:
Pakistani intelligence
officials say they have found bodies of nine militants dumped in the
North Waziristan tribal region. Three intelligence officials say the
nine people were shot several times in the head and chest.
2 Killed As Coptic Christian Church Attacked In Libya:
Libya's small
Christian community was in shock on Monday after an attack on a Coptic
church near the city of Misrata killed two Egyptians and fanned fears
of rising extremism.
Egyptian security
officials say masked gunmen drove into Cairo's Tahrir Square and opened
fired on an anti-government sit-in, seriously wounding two activists.
Central African Republic crisis: Bozize offer rejected:
Rebels
in Central African Republic have dismissed the president's offer to
form a national unity government. "We don't believe in [Francois]
Bozize's promises," rebel spokesman Eric Massi told the BBC.
Venezuela's vice
president, had arrived in Havana on Saturday in a sudden and unexpected
trip to visit Chavez. He said on Sunday that he would remain in Havana
"for the coming hours" but did not specify how long.
Hillary Clinton hospitalized after doctors discover blood clot:
Secretary of State
Hillary Clinton was hospitalized Sunday after doctors discovered a
blood clot during a follow-up exam related to a concussion she suffered
this month, her spokesman said.
The
fiscal cliff is a hoax, according to Paul Craig Roberts, American
economist and former assistant secretary of the Treasury during the
Reagan Administration.
Judge gives 'shock' probation release of $13 million mortgage fraud chief: -
State
District Judge George Gallagher has ordered the shock-probation
release of a woman who has served less than two months of a 10-year
sentence for a key role in a $13 million mortgage fraud scheme,
prosecutors said Saturday.
"States are not moral agents, people are, and can impose moral standards on powerful institutions". Noam Chomsky
" He who recognizes no humanity in others, loses it in himself."-- author unknown
"If everyone believed in Peace the way they say they do, we'd have Peace." - Gil Scott-Heron
I'm
writing because your country needs YOU, right now. President Obama has
made a proposal to cut Social Security benefits! Even worse: it's an
incredibly devastating cut called Chained CPI, which means it doesn't
just get cut this year - but EVERY year going forward.
We're counting on you. Thank you for all you do to make this movement real.
Sincerely,
As parents bury their children in Connecticut this week and we ask each other how it came to this, the country's most vocal pro-gun lobby, the National Rifle Association (NRA), is on the run. If we act now, we can make sure they never block sensible gun regulations again.
For years, the NRA has blocked any effort in Congress to impose reasonable gun safety rules.
But the tide is turning against them. Yesterday, a major corporate
funder of the gun industry announced it was pulling its money in the
wake of the Sandy Hook tragedy. If we can convince other corporate
supporters of the gun industry and the NRA to do the same, we can create
a domino effect that permanently weakens the NRA's ability to stymie
sensible gun rules.
Let's start by asking one of the
biggest hotel chains in the country -- Wyndham Hotels, owners of Best
Western, Ramada and Days Inn -- to get out of bed with the NRA and stop
being their corporate "affiliate" unless and until the NRA is
willing to support sensible gun safety measures. Wyndham cares about
its image and doesn't want to be associated with gun lunacy in the wake
of this week's tragedy, so if we expose their gun-lobby ties, they'll
respond. It only take a few seconds:
The NRA used to take a reasonable approach to gun safety. Decades ago,
they supported gun control rules and even pushed for laws curtailing the
use of concealed carry firearms. But in recent years, their position
has become wildly extreme, opposing any and every sensible gun safety
measure and even pushing for a law last week in Michigan to permit people to bring concealed firearms into schools!
Often, they do this not at the behest of responsible gun owners, but to
further the interests of the gun industry companies that fund them. And
they mask being seen as extreme by setting up corporate "affiliate"
programs with mainstream Wyndham brands like Howard Johnsons, Ramada and
Days Inn, the benefits from which they use to entice more members to
join.
Gun availability and gun laws are not the only things to blame in the
wake of events like Sandy Hook -- addressing mental illness and the
culture of violence are also necessary. But there's no reason why the
NRA should be able to block even the most sensible gun safety measures
from being part of a broad-based solution. The NRA has a right to
organize and a right to advocate for its views, but we as a nation also
have a right to respond when those views are so wildly divergent from
the mainstream. And we have a right to ask companies we frequent why
they're supporting those extreme views and whether they're still willing
to if the NRA won't change its tune.
This is a make or break moment in the fight between parents, families
and those of us seeking saner gun rules and the one lobbying group that
has blocked such rules for way too long. Let's keep the movement
away from the NRA going by asking Wyndham to sever its ties. Click here
to post at the Facebook pages of Wyndham hotels, and share this link
with everybody you know:
The elephant is moving. After this massacre of innocents even prominent
conservatives are asking for better gun laws now to protect our kids.
This is going to be a tough fight, but the lives of our children, family
and friends depends on it. The NRA is well funded and widely feared,
but our community has taken on Goliaths before -- and won. Together, we
can turn the tide, for the families of Newtown, for the families of
Aurora, for the families of Columbine, for all of us.
With hope and determination,
Joseph, Ian, Emily, Sam, Allison, Rewan and the whole Avaaz team
PS. Amplify the call by sending a tweet to Wyndham Hotels group asking them to stop supporting the NRA -- click here.
Standing up to a President we fought so hard to elect, right after an election, isn't easy.
Which is why we urgently need your advice.
As part of the ongoing fiscal negotiations in Washington, President Obama has offered a massive concession to Republicans:
A deal that would slash Social Security benefits by $112 billion over the next decade. And we have to make a decision right
now about what to do.
According to the AARP, "A typical 80-year-old woman will lose the equivalent of 3 months worth of food annually"
under this plan.1
This is a bad deal for current retirees. And it'll hit future retirees even harder, because the proposal cuts Social
Security more and more with each passing year. After 10 years, benefits would be cut by about $500 a year for the average
retiree. After 20 years, benefits would be cut by about $1,000 a year. And beyond that, it just gets worse.2
But here's the good news: There's still time to block this deal. The U.S. Senate is full of Social Security champions.3
And Social Security is central to the Democratic Party's legacy.
Still, just like standing up to the President isn't easy for MoveOn members, it isn't easy for Democratic senators. But if
Social Security champions who are rejecting this plan in the Senate know we've got their backs, we have a chance to push
President Obama to do the right thing.
So we have a decision to make right now: Should MoveOn keep standing with champions of Social Security and make a big
final push to oppose any cuts?
We have a powerful TV ad that we can run in the states of vulnerable Senators who are up for re-election.
We'll make sure that champions of Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid know we have their backs, by publicly thanking
them and running ads in support of their leadership.
We'll continue to remind Democrats that MoveOn-backed primary challenges for those who vote to slash our social safety net
are a real possibility.
We'll organize on-the-ground events at district offices, while Senators are home this week.
And we'll continue jamming phone lines in Congress and the White House, flooding offices with petitions, and doing whatever
else we can to show significant opposition to any deal that cuts Social Security, Medicare, or Medicaid.
Last time there was talk of a "grand bargain," progressives united
behind a simple message: No cuts to Social Security, Medicare, or
Medicaid. And, after a long fight, we won.
This is not necessarily an easy choice, though. If there's agreement on a
"grand bargain," President Obama will
use the power of his office to try and sell it to the American people.
Going up against that is hard. It will require significant
resources. And of course, we just got done making a major financial
investment to win his election.
So it's up to you. Thanks so much for your input.
–Justin, Vicki, Garlin, Ilya, and the rest of the team
With 2012 almost over, I wanted to take a second to stop and reflect on this crazy, beautiful community of hope that we've all created together. The numbers are mind-boggling --
17.2 million of us are getting this email today, and that number is skyrocketing -- almost doubling in the last several months!
We've come together from all 194 nations, 1.7 million of us in Brazil, 1.6M in France, 773,000 in India. Here's the map
We've taken more than 100 million actions, online and offline, and told over 250 million friends about important campaigns
Our voices have brought awareness to critical issues, with coverage in at least 15,000 news reports this year alone
400,000 of us have donated, giving almost $7 million through Avaaz to other humanitarian and democracy organisations
20,000 of us have already started, and started winning, campaigns using our new community petition tool
The Pakistani President signs our petition that helped 3 million children go to school
Our massive Palestine action right outside the EU commission as foreign ministers met
But behind the numbers is so much
more -- thousands of stories of people coming together with a hope that
is powerful enough to overcome cynicism and achieve change. Not just in
small ways, but in some really, really big ways.
Remember Malala, the incredibly brave young girl who was shot in the
head by the Taliban for campaigning for girls education? In a week, the
Avaaz team worked with partners in Pakistan to identify an ambitious
plan to get all kids into school, and after 886,000 of us signed the
petition for this plan, the UN education envoy Gordon Brown presented it
directly to President Zardari who himself signed the petition! Malala
was "thrilled" to be greeted in hospital with the news that Zardari had
approved funds to get 3 million more children into school! Brown called our mobilisation "crucial".
This was just before 1.8 million of us played a major role in winning a
Palestinian state. After Israel and the US started bullying countries to
vote against it at the UN, we unleashed opinion polls in 4 countries,
thousands of phone calls, lobbied leaders and erected giant 4 storey
flags outside official meetings. In the final vote only 9 countries out
of 193 voted against! The EU Palestinian Ambassador said "Avaaz played a critical role in persuading governments to support the Palestinian people's bid...their solidarity and support will be remembered and cherished across Palestine".
And earlier this year, a whopping 2.8 million of us joined a powerhouse campaign to stop the ACTA treaty
-- a critical win against global corporations trying to censor the
Internet. The treaty died in Europe, and the Parliament's president said
he was "very impressed by Avaaz's massive petition which was taken seriously by the European Parliament". Other leading members of Parliament publicly cited our voices as critical to getting them to scrutinize and oppose ACTA.
That's 3 of literally hundreds of stories to tell about this year alone! (Check out our updates page
for more.) I can't wait to see what our community is capable of in
2013, from protecting rainforests and wildlife to standing with the
Syrian people and the Arab Spring to dismantling Rupert Murdoch's
corrupt media empire, and so much more.
This is an amazing thing we've built together, an engine of hope and
change in the world. And every one of us has contributed to make it
happen. Next time you're out at dinner with friends or at a party, try
asking if anyone else is part of Avaaz. Chances are someone will be, and
maybe you'll have a conversation that builds your hope. Because we can achieve a lot on our own, but if we come together and stick together, anything is possible.
With enormous appreciation for every lovely and committed person in this unique community,
Ricken and the whole Avaaz team
Egypt's New Pharaoh
By Chris Hedges
Morsi and the Brotherhood have been exposed as the heirs of the old dictatorship in new garb.
"And Nobody Dies In Your Prisons?" Russian Fury At U.S. Magnitsky Act
By Kommersant
"Listen, it's been eight years and
Guantanamo is still not closed; people are held without a trial or an
investigation, like in the Middle Ages; prisoners walk around in chains
and shackles! People who open secret prisons, legalize torture without
investigations! And now these people are now accusing us of somehow
not being good enough! " Russian President Vladimir Putin
"America has a long history of killing little children."
By Margaret Kimberley
Americans love to think of themselves
as innocents. As a result, when they are victimized they are not just
in a state of mourning, but one of total disbelief when finding
themselves on the receiving end of barbarity.
"Momma Loves You, Little Man" Eulogy For A Dead 6-Year-Old
By Veronique Pozner
The mother and uncle of 6-year-old
Noah Pozner delivered messages at his funeral reflecting on the life of
the little boy killed in Friday's school shooting, and lessons to draw
from his loss.
'Did We Just Kill A Kid?' Six Words That Ended A US Drone Pilot's Career
By Robert Johnson
"I saw men, women and children die
during that time," he says. "I never thought I would kill that many
people. In fact, I thought I couldn't kill anyone at all."
Moulding Young Minds: American Schools Preaching the Virtues of a War On Iran
By Patrick Henningsen
This is the generation of children
who may be asked - or drafted in to fight a coming war with Iran and
others - so is this part of the indoctrination of future soldiers?
Maybe.
Whatcha gonna do when they come for you? NDAA 2013 - Indefinite Detention Without Trial Is Back
By RT
Lawmakers in Washington have stripped
an amendment from next year's National Defense Authorization Act that
could have kept the government from indefinitely detaining US citizens
without charge or trial.
Some 107 people killed in Syria: Clashes
between the Free Syrian army and government troops resulted in death of
at least 107 people, Al Jazeera TV channel reported on Wednesday.
Syria: rebels fight Palestinian pro-Assad group (+video): Clashes
between Syrian rebels and an armed Palestinian group loyal to the
Syrian government raged inside a Damascus refugee camp Tuesday, as the
Syrian military deployed tanks outside, activists said.
Yarmouk residents flee Syria fighting: Over
95 percent of Palestinians in Yarmouk have fled the refugee camp near
Damascus under heavy shelling, the Palestinian ambassador to Syria said
Tuesday, as fighting continued between anti- and pro-government
groups.
Syrian Militants Free to Target Russians - Opposition Leader: A
prominent leader of the Syrian opposition abroad has called Russian
and Iranian citizens "a legitimate target for opposition militants in
Syria."
Syrian hijackers demand ransom for release of Russians: The
abductors of two Russians and an Italian in Syria have demanded a
ransom for their release, news reports said on Tuesday. Earlier today,
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that Moscow is dealing with
the problem and that all necessary steps are being taken in Syria and
other countries that may influence the situation.
Abbas Urges UN to Help Syria Refugees Enter Palestinian Territories: Palestinian
Authority Chief Mahmoud Abbas urged the international community to
help Palestinian refugees fleeing camps across Syria enter the West
Bank and Gaza.Mahmoud Abbas"
UN chief warns Israel illegal settlements are 'dangerous path': United
Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on Wednesday toughened his
language as he once more urged Israel to halt plans to build new
settler homes on occupied Palestinian territory.
UN security council's EU members to condemn Israeli illegal settlements expansion: Unusual statement expected from the UK, France, Germany and Portugal follows blunt criticism by US of construction plans
US will not support UN resolution condemning illegal Israeli settlements: official: State
Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland told reporters on Tuesday that
Washington would not support a proposal for a Security Council
resolution being discussed in preliminary talks in response to the plan
for new Israeli settlements.
Commander: Iran to Endanger Enemies' Vital Interests if Threatened: Iran
has warned it would hit the US, Israel and their worldwide interests
and close the strategic Strait of Hormuz if it became the target of a
military attack over its nuclear program.
Kurdish troops fire on Iraqi army helicopter in dispute: Troops
from Iraq's autonomous Kurdistan opened fire on an Iraqi army
helicopter on Tuesday, underscoring tensions between Baghdad's Arab-led
central government and the Kurdish region, officials said.
"You Are Safe With Us": How Ordinary Iraqis Rescued U.S. Civilians in the Midst of War: In
2003, Iraqi townspeople, having just lost their hospital in U.S. air
strikes, saved the lives of three wounded U.S. peacemakers. Seven years
later, the Americans returned-to thank them.
Six Taliban killed in Afghan blast: Six
Taliban militants were killed in Afghanistan's Helmand province
Wednesday when an explosive device they were planting on a road went off
accidentally, Xinhua reported.
Insider attack leaves 4 Afghan police dead in Kandahar: At
least 3 more officers were wounded following the attack which took
place after they were poisoned in their security check post in Spin
Boldak district.
Afghan army beset by desertions: General
Olivier de Bavinchove, number three commander in the US-led
International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), says around 50,000
soldiers, or around 26 percent, of the 190,000-strong Afghan army
desert the force each year.
US Army to seek death penalty for soldier charged with Kandahar massacre: Staff
Sgt. Robert Bales faces charges of premeditated murder and other
offences in the attack on two villages in southern Afghanistan on March
11.
Pentagon to reimburse Pakistan $688 million: The
Pentagon has notified Congress this month that it would reimburse
Pakistan nearly $700 million for the cost of stationing 140,000 troops
on the border with Afghanistan, The New York Times reported on
Tuesday.
Two more polio workers killed in Pakistan: Gunmen
have shot dead a woman working on UN-backed polio vaccination efforts
and her driver in northwestern Pakistan, officials say, raising to
eight the number of people killed in 48 hours who were part of the
immunisation drive.
How The CIA "May Have" Undermined Polio Treatment In Pakistan:
Part
of the Taliban's opposition is due to the controversial way that the
CIA sought intelligence on bin Laden's presence in the Pakistani city
of Abbotabad.
Benghazi inquiry slams State Department: The
investigation into the attacks on the diplomatic mission and CIA annex
that killed ambassador Christopher Stevens and three others also
faulted State Department officials in Washington for ignoring requests
from officials at the U.S. embassy in Tripoli for more guards and
safety upgrades to the diplomatic mission.
Chief of State Department security service resigns after Benghazi attack report: source: An
administration official says the chief of the State Department's
security service, one of his deputies and an official from the agency's
Middle East bureau have resigned after a damning report that found
systematic management failures responsible for a lack of security at
the U.S. diplomatic mission in Benghazi, Libya.
Ireland to legalise abortions where woman's life is at risk: Reforms expected to allow for abortions where there is a medical risk to the woman's life or a danger of suicide
Mexico's new government offers blistering critique U.S.-backed drug war: "The
rate of increase in homicides places us among the highest in the
world," he said. "In recent years, because of the violence linked to
organized crime, thousands of people have died and thousands of people
have disappeared." Interior Secretary Miguel Angel Osorio Chong said.
Mexico says some 80 drug cartels at work in country, up from 8 reported by previous government: Mexico's
new attorney general said Tuesday that as many as 80 small and
medium-size drug cartels are operating in the country, a number far
higher than the last formal government assessment.
Senate Wants To Sneak Warrantless Spying Bill Extension Into Law Without Debate; Let's Call Them and Tell Them No: The
Senate is about to vote on an extension of the controversial FISA
Amendments Act-the unconstitutional law that allows the NSA to
warrantless spy on Americans speaking to people abroad. Yet you
wouldn't know it by watching CSPAN because the Senate isn't debating
it.
Four shot dead in Colorado murder-suicide, police say: A
man shot and killed three people in a home in Colorado on Tuesday
before turning the handgun on himself and committing suicide,
authorities said.
Orange County Commissioners Approve Paying for Armed Deputies at Elementary Schools: Commissioners
voted unanimously Tuesday to pay for the deputies to be at the 60
elementary schools in unincorporated Orange County. The county is home
to Orlando.
Car Backfire Believed To Have Caused School Lockdown: Police
said they initially received a report of a gun or gunfire near the
school. A student had allegedly reported seeing a teenager fire a gun
in the air. School administrators quickly confirmed that no shots were
fired in the school and no one was injured.
The Antipsychotic Prescribed To Adam Lanza Has A Troubled History All Its Own: The
reaction invoked by the drug in some people is reminiscent of the
Jeffrey R. MacDonald case, where a Green Beret slaughtered his entire
family and then fabricated a story about a marauding troop of "hopped
up hippies".
Police find no evidence Connecticut gunman was on medication: Investigators
searching the Connecticut home gunman Adam Lanza shared with his
mother, Nancy Lanza, seized cellphones, computers and computer games,
but found nothing at the residence to indicate he was taking
medication, Hearst Connecticut Newspapers reported.
by Julian Rose
Contributor
This is a little dialogue that I hope may raise a smile. It’s about
you, me and lots of others besides. I hope it tickles the soul.
I.V= Inner Voice AN= Answer
I.V It’s time to give up your present job
AN No, not yet
I.V It’s time to give up your present job
AN I told you – not yet
I.V It’s time to give up your present job
AN Hell! Yes, its true
I.V It’s time to follow your heart
AN Oh really
I.V Yes, truly
AN My heart tells me to take it easy, enjoy what I have, make the best of things.
I.V That’s not your heart
AN Oh? Well what is it?
I.V Your mind
AN OK, my mind..
I.V Your mind tells you you like the convenience of your present pattern of life
AN Funny, I thought it was my heart telling me that..
I.V Try thinking with your heart
AN Listen, I don’t have time for your clever talk
I.V What do you have time for?
AN Actually I don’t have time for anything other than what I am doing at the moment
I.V What are you doing at the moment?
AN Arguing with you..
I.V Is that a productive activity?
AN I guess not..
I.V (after an extended pause) You agreed that its time to give up your present job
AN Did I?
I.V You did
AN So I did
I.V So do it
AN Heh! Just a minute! What’s the big rush – what am I going to do instead?
I.V Listen to your heart.
AN Listening to my heart won’t pay the bills!
I.V Then ask your heart what will.
AN Ha, ha! There you go again with your clever words..
I.V Ask your heart where it wants to take you
AN OK, OK, lets indulge in a little fantasy like that, shall we?
I.V The fantasy is what you are experiencing in your present office job.
AN Damn!
I.V The fantasy is imagining that you are happy to go on this way.
AN Very clever! Now look – I have to concentrate to complete this urgent order.
I.V It is another order altogether that you need to concentrate upon.
AN And what is that pray?
I.V An order that your heart wishes to pass to you.
AN Oh, how very good of it..
I.V You know it’s true.
AN All right, yes, I know it’s true – and I will change my job – but not now!
I.V Now is always the best time to do what must be done
AN Yes, but right now I need a cup of coffee.
I.V A cup of coffee will not help you. Craving is the root of suffering
AN That may be – but I want a coffee anyway
I.V Who is the ‘I’ who wants a coffee?
AN Hmmm..well I guess it’s the I that I believe I am..
I.V Who is the ‘you’ you believe you are?
AN That’s too philosophical – I have urgent work and I’m constantly interrupted!
I.V Who is the ‘you’ who you believe is constantly being interrupted?
AN It’s the me I see when I look in the mirror
I.V That is not the you you are.
AN Who is it then?
I.V The one you see in the mirror is the ‘you’ you think you are.
AN What’s the difference?
IV The difference is that I am the you you really are.
AN Lovely! I must remember that one – great line!
IV It’s not a great line, but it is lovely.
AN Your joking! I’m a wreck! I hate this stupid job – and I’m desperate for a coffee.
IV What a good thing then that it’s not the real you who is suffering such torment.
AN No doubt – but just who is it who is suffering this torment?
I.V It is the masque that hides the real you..
AN Go on then..
I.V It is this masque that prevents you seeing the real you in the mirror.
AN Heh! Aren’t you suffering too then?
I.V Yes.
AN Well there you are!
I.N I’m suffering because my job is communication and the line is constantly busy.
AN No, no I hear you all right..
I.N ‘Hearing’ is not enough – real communication goes two ways
AN Then we should talk to each other more often..
I.V Exactly.
AN What should we talk about?
I.V How you must give up your job and let me tell you what to do next.
AN That is heavily dependent on trust.
I.V You don’t trust me? The real you?
AN Well, it’s been a struggle for a long time now, you know…
I.V Now is the time to engage this trust.
AN Now is always the right time..
I.V Good! I think you are getting it.
AN You know – I don’t really need a coffee after all – but I still want one.
I.V Yes, there is a difference between need and want.
AN That may be – but unfortunately I still want a coffee and that is the dilemma.
I.V That is not the dilemma.
AN So what is the dilemma then?
I.V The coffee stimulant distracts you from the frustration you feel in your job.
AN Please don’t remind me how I loathe this vile job!
I.V Then who is going to remind you?
AN From now on I’m going to remind myself without your infuriating interventions.
I.V But ‘I am’ your I am.
AN Oh you are, are you! So, do you want a coffee too?
I.V That is not my wish.
AN So what is your wish?
I.V To help you be who you are.
AN And coffee doesn’t help in that I suppose..
I.V Generally not.
AN Oh, you mean there might be some exceptions?
I.V If you were to take a very small amount and before drinking it repeat these
words with true intent “This is to remind me that I must give up my job and
find a way of following my heart no matter what obstacles stand in my way.”
AN All right: (drinking a small amount of coffee) “I must give up my job and
find a way of following my heart no matter what obstacles stand in my way.”
At this point the dialogue is interrupted by the irate voice of the
department manager “What the hell do you think your doing? How often
have I told you to complete this order on time – and now you have missed
the deadline! You’re fired!”
After a considerable pause:
AN I’ve lost my job..
I.V Congratulations. Your act of intent has led to your wish being granted.
A significant first step in freeing yourself from the illusionary pleasures
of slavery.
AN Ugh! I feel better already!
++++ ZenGardner.com
...............keep fighting the good fight, with your minds as weapons!!..........
.....................................kosmicdebris........................................
-
It’s not just that shopping keeps you in debt, penniless and anchored
to the grid via a job. Material possessions also severely limit your
mobility, increase your worries (since with each new item purchased you
now have more to lose), and have a generally dampening effect on your
potentially revolutionary spirit.
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The Pakistani President signs our petition that helped 3 million children go to school
Our massive Palestine action right outside the EU commission as foreign ministers met