Saturday, March 17, 2012
Obstacle of Ownership
A while back, Tom Goldtooth of the Indigenous Environmental Network spoke about environmental ethics and market values. In confronting market practices like unsustainable mineral extraction, Goldtooth says we need to listen to indigenous views on progress, as well as be willing to surmount the obstacle of ownership.
As part of revitalizing the environmental movement, Goldtooth observes that resistance to globalization entails removing cultural barriers erected to prevent the participation of indigenous peoples in international fora addressing such things as trade and climate change. Indeed, once we remove these barriers, he says, "Another world is possible".
As part of revitalizing the environmental movement, Goldtooth observes that resistance to globalization entails removing cultural barriers erected to prevent the participation of indigenous peoples in international fora addressing such things as trade and climate change. Indeed, once we remove these barriers, he says, "Another world is possible".
Thursday, March 15, 2012
Meltdown
If you were alive in 1979, you likely remember two events: the Iranian hostage crisis, and Three Mile Island. If you lived in the United States, you might also recall the release of the movie China Syndrome -- which predicted a nuclear power plant meltdown -- eleven days before the real thing.
In the current issue of Guernica magazine, Tana Wojczuk recounts the little-known story of the GE Three, General Electric nuclear engineers who blew the whistle on nuclear power plant vulnerability to simple human error. As noted, the repetition of the 1979 disaster last year in Fukushima not only proves the GE Three were right, but that it takes courageous people to say and do the right thing to stop the nuclear madness now being promoted by the Obama White House.
Politicians come and go, and they are always the first to sell their souls, as well as the last to admit they were wrong. Lucky for us, they no longer have a lock on public opinion or information.
In the current issue of Guernica magazine, Tana Wojczuk recounts the little-known story of the GE Three, General Electric nuclear engineers who blew the whistle on nuclear power plant vulnerability to simple human error. As noted, the repetition of the 1979 disaster last year in Fukushima not only proves the GE Three were right, but that it takes courageous people to say and do the right thing to stop the nuclear madness now being promoted by the Obama White House.
Politicians come and go, and they are always the first to sell their souls, as well as the last to admit they were wrong. Lucky for us, they no longer have a lock on public opinion or information.
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
Patterns of Propaganda
Perhaps the greatest impediment to human rights and world peace is the failure of Americans to recognize patterns. As the United States prepares the minds of US citizens to support yet another military misadventure -- this time in Central Africa -- the pattern of propping up a U.S.-backed dictator with caches of cash and tons of guns under the pretext of bashing a bogeyman, seems all too familiar.
While this pattern has been repeated around the world many times over the last century (see Killing Hope by William Blum), the recent U.S. military misadventures in Afghanistan and Iraq should suffice to remind us that U.S.-backed dictators -- even those purportedly gone bad -- are never promoters of human rights or world peace. Nor, as evidenced by the farce of scapegoating used to justify U.S. and NATO invasions, are extra-judicial assassinations a viable substitute for law enforcement and diplomacy.
As Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton seek to mobilize public opinion behind an invasion of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, using the U.S.-backed Ugandan dictator as its proxy, the bogeyman -- this time in the person of the Lord's Resistance Army leader Joseph Kony -- may have a tough time competing with his predecessor, Osama bin Laden, in gaining the cover of Time magazine, but with Hillary's silly blog and Barack's nonsensical webpage, government propaganda as social media just might make up the difference.
In the Real News today, Paul Jay interviews DRC human rights activist Kambale Musavuli about the impending U.S. invasion, its thugs on the ground, and the reality behind the U.S. cover story. (So much for hope and change).
Oh, and did I mention the Congo has a lot of oil? Probably just a coincidence.
While this pattern has been repeated around the world many times over the last century (see Killing Hope by William Blum), the recent U.S. military misadventures in Afghanistan and Iraq should suffice to remind us that U.S.-backed dictators -- even those purportedly gone bad -- are never promoters of human rights or world peace. Nor, as evidenced by the farce of scapegoating used to justify U.S. and NATO invasions, are extra-judicial assassinations a viable substitute for law enforcement and diplomacy.
As Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton seek to mobilize public opinion behind an invasion of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, using the U.S.-backed Ugandan dictator as its proxy, the bogeyman -- this time in the person of the Lord's Resistance Army leader Joseph Kony -- may have a tough time competing with his predecessor, Osama bin Laden, in gaining the cover of Time magazine, but with Hillary's silly blog and Barack's nonsensical webpage, government propaganda as social media just might make up the difference.
In the Real News today, Paul Jay interviews DRC human rights activist Kambale Musavuli about the impending U.S. invasion, its thugs on the ground, and the reality behind the U.S. cover story. (So much for hope and change).
Oh, and did I mention the Congo has a lot of oil? Probably just a coincidence.
Thursday, March 08, 2012
Sanity and Humanity
As someone who came of age during the anti-war, anti-nuclear movements of the 1960s and 70s, the continuity of promoting peace by such honored elders as Buffy Sainte-Marie — who was once blacklisted for her peace songs — is a poignant reminder that the struggle for environmental sanity and harmonious humanity are one and the same. Sainte-Marie, a Canadian Cree singer-songwriter from Saskatchewan, and special guest on Sesame Street for five years in the 1970s, went on to establish a foundation for American Indian scholarships as well as K-12 Native American curriculum development and teacher training. Through the Cradleboard Teaching Project, she was able to further cross-cultural connectivity in 11 states and four foreign countries.
Along with Sainte-Marie's friend and fellow singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell (also from Saskatchewan), Buffy served to inspire many of my generation to question consumerism and confront militarism in a way that set us on a different path that continues to this day. That path also led to a greater respect for indigenous peoples, cultures, and ways of life.
In a sense, the values we acquired in part through inspirational songs in our youth, helped us to weather the storms of corruption and bigotry that currently plague our country and the world. While inspiration alone is insufficient to endure the challenges we face, it is a good beginning. In fact, it is foundational to the commitment we develop over time.
Along with Sainte-Marie's friend and fellow singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell (also from Saskatchewan), Buffy served to inspire many of my generation to question consumerism and confront militarism in a way that set us on a different path that continues to this day. That path also led to a greater respect for indigenous peoples, cultures, and ways of life.
In a sense, the values we acquired in part through inspirational songs in our youth, helped us to weather the storms of corruption and bigotry that currently plague our country and the world. While inspiration alone is insufficient to endure the challenges we face, it is a good beginning. In fact, it is foundational to the commitment we develop over time.
Tuesday, March 06, 2012
Divesting in Nuclear Weapons
The International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons reports that banks, pension funds, insurance companies and asset managers -- especially in the United States and Europe -- finance the corporations that manufacture nuclear arms. Divesting in nuclear weapons thus involves consumer choice in where they bank and with whom they invest. Mass divestment through simple choices can thus impede the industry of death.
Friday, February 24, 2012
Hopey Changey War
The gullibility of the hopey-changeys is understandable given the massive marketing campaign to characterize a Reaganite war-monger as a man of the people, but their continued support for US imperialism under the guise of humanitarian intervention suggests that they are either unable or unwilling to learn from their mistakes. In looking at the concept of humanitarian war-mongering as exercised by the United States, Jean Bricmont illuminates the illogic of unilateral belligerence as a substitute for international law. If the sole arbiter of national and international disputes is Wall Street and the Pentagon, then there is no need for the UN or foreign sovereigns other than to serve as proxies and false fronts for US corporations.
How this could remotely resemble anything close to a democratic system is baffling, but then, the hopey-changeys are not exactly deep thinkers.
How this could remotely resemble anything close to a democratic system is baffling, but then, the hopey-changeys are not exactly deep thinkers.
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
FED by NED
In the old days of the CIA and National Security Agency (NSA), official US Government organizations were more candid about overthrowing governments that did not succumb to domination by US corporate or military misadventures. Then Wikileaks happened upon US State Department cables and our view of international diplomacy changed forever.
Today, CIA-sponsored rainbow revolutions -- financed by National Endowment for Democracy (NED) and United States Agency for International Development (USAID) -- use puppet NGOs to destabilize non-compliant foreign regimes. Thanks to whistle-blowers and Wikileaks, we now know how US embassy diplomatic pouches are used to smuggle currency to these Trojan horses.
In an ironic twist of fate, we also get a glimpse of how the US State Department strategically undermines the world indigenous peoples' movement and human rights in general. To put it mildly, it isn't a pretty picture.
Today, CIA-sponsored rainbow revolutions -- financed by National Endowment for Democracy (NED) and United States Agency for International Development (USAID) -- use puppet NGOs to destabilize non-compliant foreign regimes. Thanks to whistle-blowers and Wikileaks, we now know how US embassy diplomatic pouches are used to smuggle currency to these Trojan horses.
In an ironic twist of fate, we also get a glimpse of how the US State Department strategically undermines the world indigenous peoples' movement and human rights in general. To put it mildly, it isn't a pretty picture.
