Saturday, September 29, 2007

Political Violence in Jamaica

This clip is from my documentary about Jamaican politics, poverty, violence, and the growth of political reggae music through influential stars such as Bob Marley. Directed by Justin Nethercut.




12 July 2001

AI Index AMR 38/017/2001 - News Service Nr. 120

Jamaica: the culture of violence must stop

In the wake of the recent outbursts of violence in Jamaica. Amnesty International today called on all Jamaicans to oppose the continuing tragedy of inter-community violence and human rights abuses by the security forces.

"For Jamaica to turn over a new leaf and move towards a more peaceful society, everyone -- from the most influential politician downwards -- must make a contribution to stopping the violence," the organization added.

Over the past few days, an estimated 21 people have been killed by members of the security forces, four members of which were also killed. Amnesty International has received numerous reports of police and army personnel firing indiscriminately or targetting unarmed civilians in the areas affected by the violence.

"These killings must be adequately investigated and political leaders and their followers must fully cooperate with all such investigations," Amnesty International said.

"Leaders of the Jamaican Labour Party (JLP) and the People's National Party (PNP) must make clear to their supporters and every other citizen that violence against their political opponents or the security forces is not acceptable."

"The culture of blame currently prevailing in Jamaica will not bring an end to the violence and human rights abuses we witness today, which are taking place in a highly politicised atmosphere. We believe that dialogue between the political parties is necessary to see calm restored and human rights protected," Amnesty International said.

The organization fully supports the efforts of the Private Sector Organization of Jamaica and others to bring the two main political parties together for talks on stopping the violence.

Amnesty International acknowledges the difficulties and dangers faced by those responsible for the policing of areas controlled by armed individuals. However, the organization believes that -- even under these lethal conditions -- the police and army must operate under the codes of conduct governing law enforcement agencies, which stipulate that officers must deploy only the minimum amount of force necessary to protect themselves and those around them. Moreover, the deployment of army troops for the maintenance of public order must occur in a manner consistent with human rights protection.

"Human rights abuses committed by the security forces can only cause the situation to deteriorate and will undermine confidence in their ability to maintain peace and order and to protect the population," Amnesty International said.

Amnesty International fears that the widespread violence recently witnessed in Kingston could become a regular occurrence in the lead up to elections that are to take place before the end of 2002.

"If such widespread violence, death and destruction are brought into the forthcoming elections, no matter which party wins, all of Jamaica will lose."

Background
Jamaica has a history of political violence, dating back to the 1970s and the formation of armed gangs with political affiliations. This year, violence with political undertones has been reported since the drive-by shooting in April 2001 of William "Willie Haggart" Moore, of Arnett Gardens (a PNP area), triggered violence in that and surrounding areas, leaving an estimated 41 people dead in the past two months.

On Saturday 7 July 2001 members of the Crime Management Unit raided Tivoli Gardens in West Kingston, a JLP garrison community, in an operation described as a raid for illegal arms stocks. In May 1997, Tivoli Gardens was the scene of similar disturbances. On that occasion, army and police officers were alleged to have discharged thousands of ammunition rounds indiscriminately over two days, following the shooting of a resident of the area by security forces. The disturbances occurred eight months before a general election, at a time of political tension.

The Crime Management Unit was established by the Prime Minister in September 2000. Amnesty International has received credible reports that the unit has been responsible for a number of alleged extra-judicial executions and acts of torture since its formation.

On 9 July 2001 the Prime Minister P.J. Patterson vested the army with police powers. Section 9 of the Defence Act states that the Jamaica Defence Force may be deployed in Jamaica "for the purpose of maintaining and securing public safety and public order". During the existence of the Suppression of Crimes Act -- emergency legislation which granted police and soldiers broad powers of arrest and detention -- there were numerous reports of arbitrary arrests and detentions, torture and ill-treatment. These were acknowledged by the current Minister of National Security and Justice at the time when the act was repealed.


Wednesday, September 26, 2007

Iranian University Chancellors Ask Bollinger 10 Questions

TEHRAN (Fars News Agency)- Seven chancellors and presidents of Iranian universities and research centers, in a letter addressed to their counterpart in the US Colombia University, denounced Lee Bollinger's insulting words against the Iranian nation and president and invited him to provide responses for 10 questions of the Iranian academicians and intellectuals.

The following is the full text of the letter.

Mr. Lee Bollinger
Columbia University President

We, the professors and heads of universities and research institutions in Tehran , hereby announce our displeasure and protest at your impolite remarks prior to Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's recent speech at Columbia University.

We would like to inform you that President Ahmadinejad was elected directly by the Iranian people through an enthusiastic two-round poll in which almost all of the country's political parties and groups participated. To assess the quality and nature of these elections you may refer to US news reports on the poll dated June 2005.

Your insult, in a scholarly atmosphere, to the president of a country with a population of 72 million and a recorded history of 7,000 years of civilization and culture is deeply shameful.

Your comments, filled with hate and disgust, may well have been influenced by extreme pressure from the media, but it is regrettable that media policy-makers can determine the stance a university president adopts in his speech.

Your remarks about our country included unsubstantiated accusations that were the product of guesswork as well as media propaganda. Some of your claims result from misunderstandings that can be clarified through dialogue and further research.

During his speech, Mr. Ahmadinejad answered a number of your questions and those of students. We are prepared to answer any remaining questions in a scientific, open and direct debate.

You asked the president approximately ten questions. Allow us to ask you ten of our own questions in the hope that your response will help clear the atmosphere of misunderstanding and distrust between our two countries and reveal the truth.

1- Why did the US media put you under so much pressure to prevent Mr. Ahmadinejad from delivering his speech at Columbia University? And why have American TV networks been broadcasting hours of news reports insulting our president while refusing to allow him the opportunity to respond? Is this not against the principle of freedom of speech?

2- Why, in 1953, did the US administration overthrow the Iran's national government under Dr Mohammad Mosaddegh and go on to support the Shah's dictatorship?

3- Why did the US support the blood-thirsty dictator Saddam Hussein during the 1980-88 Iraqi-imposed war on Iran, considering his reckless use of chemical weapons against Iranian soldiers defending their land and even against his own people?

4- Why is the US putting pressure on the government elected by the majority of Palestinians in Gaza instead of officially recognizing it? And why does it oppose Iran 's proposal to resolve the 60-year-old Palestinian issue through a general referendum?

5- Why has the US military failed to find Al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden even with all its advanced equipment? How do you justify the old friendship between the Bush and Bin Laden families and their cooperation on oil deals? How can you justify the Bush administration's efforts to disrupt investigations concerning the September 11 attacks?

6- Why does the US administration support the Mujahedin Khalq Organization (MKO) despite the fact that the group has officially and openly accepted the responsibility for numerous deadly bombings and massacres in Iran and Iraq? Why does the US refuse to allow Iran 's current government to act against the MKO's main base in Iraq?

7- Was the US invasion of Iraq based on international consensus and did international institutions support it? What was the real purpose behind the invasion which has claimed hundreds of thousands of Iraqi lives? Where are the weapons of mass destruction that the US claimed were being stockpiled in Iraq?

8- Why do America's closest allies in the Middle East come from extremely undemocratic governments with absolutist monarchical regimes?

9- Why did the US oppose the plan for a Middle East free of unconventional weapons in the recent session of the International Atomic Energy Agency Board of Governors despite the fact the move won the support of all members other than Israel?

10- Why is the US displeased with Iran's agreement with the IAEA and why does it openly oppose any progress in talks between Iran and the agency to resolve the nuclear issue under international law?

Finally, we would like to express our readiness to invite you and other scientific delegations to our country. A trip to Iran would allow you and your colleagues to speak directly with Iranians from all walks of life including intellectuals and university scholars. You could then assess the realities of Iranian society without media censorship before making judgments about the Iranian nation and government.

You can be assured that Iranians are very polite and hospitable toward their guests.

Source

Thanks
factnose

Tuesday, September 25, 2007

Israel declares Gaza "enemy entity"

Israel declares Gaza "enemy entity"
Report, Al-Haq, Sep 24, 2007

Palestinian protesters call for the re-opening of the Rafah Crossing, August 2007. (Hatem Omar/MaanImages)

As a Palestinian organization dedicated to the promotion and protection of human rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT), Al-Haq is deeply concerned by the Israeli security cabinet's unanimous decision on Wednesday, 19 September to declare the Gaza Strip an "enemy entity," ostensibly paving the way for the imposition of collective penalties on the 1.5 million Palestinian civilians living in the Gaza Strip. These include intensifying the already severe border closures, limiting the provision of essential supplies, and dramatically reducing the supply of electricity, all of which will exacerbate the existing dire humanitarian crisis.

Labeling the Gaza Strip an "enemy entity" attempts to distract from Israel's occupation of the territory and the international legal obligations incumbent upon it as the occupying power. Under international law the test for occupation is "effective control," which exists if the occupying power "has a sufficient force present, or the capacity to send troops within a reasonable time to make the authority of the occupying power felt." Israel has repeatedly demonstrated its capacity to meet this requirement to disastrous effect. Furthermore, Israel retains full control of the Gaza Strip's land borders, population registry, airspace and territorial sea. These facts establish that the Gaza Strip remains an occupied territory, along with the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. Accordingly, Israel, as the occupying power, is required by law to ensure the safety and well-being of the civilian population of the Gaza Strip. The Israeli security cabinet's use of the term "enemy entity," having no basis in international law, in no way alters Israel's legal obligations in respect of the Palestinian civilian population of the Gaza Strip. Rather, it represents a wilful misinterpretation of relevant international law aimed at relinquishing Israel's legal obligations.

The decision by the security cabinet to punish Gaza's entire civilian population for rocket attacks carried out by Palestinian armed groups amounts to collective punishment as prohibited by Article 33 of the Fourth Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War of 12 August 1949, which holds,
[n]o protected person may be punished for an offense he or she has not personally committed. Collective penalties and likewise all measures of intimidation or of terrorism are prohibited.
Furthermore, customary international humanitarian law, binding on Israel, prohibits rendering useless objects indispensable to the survival of the civilian population. Already suffering from a crippling siege following the January 2006 elections, and subsequent humanitarian crisis, the situation of the civilian population of the Gaza Strip will be severely exacerbated by limitations on the supply of fuel and electricity. These limitations will impact all aspects of Palestinian life in the Gaza Strip, including the functioning of water pumps and essential sanitation services. Israel's willful disregard for the harm caused by the security cabinet decision is apparent from statements such as that of Israeli Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee Chairman Tzahi Hanegbi, who remarked, "there is no need to pamper the civilians of the Gaza Strip with fuel and electricity."

International law establishes the clear obligation that Israel, to the fullest extent possible, as the occupying power, has the "duty of ensuring the food and medical supplies of the population; it should, in particular, bring the necessary foodstuffs, medical stores and other articles if the resources of the occupied territory are inadequate." Far from ensuring the food and medical supplies, Israel has imposed the near total closure of Gaza Strip's borders since January 2006. These closures, which the security cabinet now threatens to compound, have exacted a massive humanitarian toll on the Palestinian civilian population.

In addition to the ongoing sanctions, the aim of the decision of the Israeli security cabinet is clearly to diminish popular support for Hamas in the Gaza Strip by imposing intolerable living conditions on a population already subjected to a belligerent occupation. As such, these measures amount to an attempt to coerce 1.5 million Palestinians to bend to the political will of Israel and certain members of the international community. Article 31 of the Fourth Geneva Convention prohibiting coercion against protected persons clearly states that this prohibition applies to both physical and moral forms of coercion, covering both direct and indirect pressure, and that "[c]oercion is forbidden for any purpose or motive whatsoever,."

The security cabinet decision represents a clear and deliberate effort to obscure Israel's responsibilities as an occupying power as well as its sustained violations of the fundamental rights of the Palestinian civilian population of the Gaza Strip. Furthermore, the decision constitutes a cynical manipulation of both the letter and the spirit of international humanitarian law. The obligation upon Israel to provide for the essential needs of the occupied population is not a matter of beneficence, nor may depravation be used by an occupying power as a policy tool. Israel must seek to uphold it obligations under international law, not limit and avoid their application.

Al-Haq therefore urges:

  • Israel to immediately cease all forms of collective punishment of the civilian population of the Gaza Strip, already suffering from the devastating impact of sanctions imposed in the aftermath of the January 2006 legislative elections.

  • The international community and High Contracting Parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention to take immediate and decisive action within the framework of the United Nations Charter and international humanitarian law to compel Israel to cease its violations of the fundamental rights of the civilian population of the Gaza Strip.

  • EU institutions and member states to make effective use of the European Union Guidelines on promoting compliance with international humanitarian law (2005/C 327/04) to ensure Israel compliance with international humanitarian law under paragraph 16 (b), (c) and (d) of these guidelines including public statements condemning Israeli violations of international humanitarian law and considering the imposition of restrictive measures and sanctions.
Source

Monday, September 24, 2007

Iran's Ahmadinejad on Holocaust

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is asked by MSNBC anchor Brian Williams to clarify his statements about the Holocaust. (September 2006)



Mr. Ahmadinejad is going to be speaking today at the Columbia University despite cries and uproar from those on the right side of the aisle. I'm very interested in what he's going to say... and how people will react to his opinions.

Saturday, September 22, 2007

Iranian President to Speak at Columbia U

September 20, 2007 The Chronicle of Higher Education

“Iranian President to Speak at Columbia U.”

Iran’s controversial president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, in New York next week to address the United Nations, will not be allowed to visit Ground Zero — the site of the World Trade Center, leveled by Middle Eastern terrorists — but he will give a speech at another location in Manhattan that has been on the front lines of the debate over conflict in the Middle East: Columbia University.

Columbia’s president, Lee C. Bollinger, announced last night that President Ahmadinejad would speak and answer audience questions on Monday afternoon as part of the university’s World Leaders Forum. Mr. Bollinger said he would introduce the president by issuing “sharp challenges” to his denial of the Holocaust, stated goal of wiping Israel off the map, support for terrorism, defiance of sanctions stemming from Iran’s nuclear ambitions, and suppression of human rights and civil liberties.

The invitation to speak, postponed from a year ago, is part of Columbia’s mission to understand the world “as it is and as it might be,” Mr. Bollinger said, even if that means having to listen courteously to ideas that are “offensive and even odious.” He called for Mr. Ahmadinejad to be received with “the powers of dialogue and reason.”

That seems unlikely at Columbia, which has been a battleground over the conflicts in the Middle East, featuring a continuing tenure fight, attacks on books, outside pressure to fire scholars, fights over Middle East studies, and allegations of classroom bias, among others. As the protesters gear up for Monday’s fireworks, stay tuned. —Andrew Mytelka



hat tip to --> Dr. Peter Kirstein


The war on Gaza's children


The war on Gaza's children

Saree Makdisi, The Los Angeles Times

gaza-destruction-boy.jpg

September 22, 2007

An entire generation of Palestinians in Gaza is growing up stunted: physically and nutritionally stunted because they are not getting enough to eat; emotionally stunted because of the pressures of living in a virtual prison and facing the constant threat of destruction and displacement; intellectually and academically stunted because they cannot concentrate - or, even if they can, because they are trying to study and learn in circumstances that no child should have to endure.

Even before Israel this week declared Gaza "hostile territory" - apparently in preparation for cutting off the last remaining supplies of fuel and electricity to 1.5 million men, women and children - the situation was dire.

As a result of Israel's blockade on most imports and exports and other policies designed to punish the populace, about 70% of Gaza's workforce is now unemployed or without pay, according to the United Nations, and about 80% of its residents live in grinding poverty. About 1.2 million of them are now dependent for their day-to-day survival on food handouts from U.N. or international agencies, without which, as the World Food Program's Kirstie Campbell put it, "they are liable to starve."

An increasing number of Palestinian families in Gaza are unable to offer their children more than one meager meal a day, often little more than rice and boiled lentils. Fresh fruit and vegetables are beyond the reach of many families. Meat and chicken are impossibly expensive. Gaza faces the rich waters of the Mediterranean, but fish is unavailable in its markets because the Israeli navy has curtailed the movements of Gaza's fishermen.

Los Angeles parents who have spent the last few weeks running from one back-to-school sale to another could do worse than to spare a few minutes to think about their counterparts in the Gaza Strip. As a result of the siege, Gaza is not only short of raw textiles and other key good but also paper, ink and vital school supplies. One-third of Gaza's children started the school year missing necessary textbooks. John Ging, the Gaza director of the U.N. Relief and Works Agency, whose schools take care of 200,000 children in Gaza, has warned that children come to school "hungry and unable to concentrate."

Israel says that its policies in Gaza are designed to put pressure on the Palestinian population to in turn put pressure on those who fire crude home-made rockets from Gaza into the Israeli town of Sderot. Those rocket attacks are wrong. But it is also wrong to punish an entire population for the actions of a few - actions that the schoolchildren of Gaza and their beleaguered parents are in any case powerless to stop.

It is a violation of international law to collectively punish more than a million people for something they did not do. According to the Geneva Convention, to which it is a signatory, Israel actually has the obligation to ensure the well-being of the people on whom it has chosen to impose a military occupation for more than four decades.

Instead, it has shrugged off the law. It has ignored the repeated demands of the U.N. Security Council. It has dismissed the International Court of Justice in the Hague. What John Dugard, the U.N.'s special rapporteur on human rights in the occupied territories, refers to as the "carefully managed" strangulation of Gaza - in full view of an uncaring world - is explicitly part of its strategy. "The idea," said Dov Weisglass, an Israeli government advisor, "is to put the Palestinians on a diet, but not make them die of hunger."

Saree Makdisi is a professor of English literature at UCLA and the author of "Palestine Inside Out: An Everyday Occupation," forthcoming from Norton.


:: Article nr. 36536 sent on 22-sep-2007 16:46 ECT
www.uruknet.info?p=36536

Link: imeu.net/news/article006533.shtml


Friday, September 14, 2007

Petraeus: The Paris Hilton of Generals

By Tom Engelhardt, Tomdispatch.com
Posted on September 12, 2007, Printed on September 14, 2007
http://www.alternet.org/story/62302/



The former Cockney flower-girl turned elegant-English-speaker Eliza Doolittle caught something of our moment in these lyrics from My Fair Lady: "Oh, words, words, words, I'm so sick of words .... Is that all you blighters can do?"

Of course, all she had to do was be Pygmalion to a self-involved language teacher. We've had to bear with the bloviating of almost every member of Congress, the full-blast PR apparatus of the White House, and two endless days of congressional testimony from General David Petraeus and Ambassador Ryan Crocker, not to speak of the flood of newspaper, radio, and TV stories about all of the above and the bevy of experts who are hustled out to do the horse-race assessments of how the general and ambassador performed, whether they "bought" time for the President, and the like.

And -- count on it -- that's just the beginning. The same cast of characters will be talking, squabbling, spinning, and analyzing stats of every sort for weeks to come -- with a sequel promised next spring.

Everyone knows that's the case, just as everyone has known since mid-summer that we would get to this point and, when we did, that things similar to those said (and written) in the last two days would indeed be said (and written), and that nothing the blighters would say or write would matter a whit, or change the course of events, or the tide of history, even though whole forests might be pulped in the process and it would be springtime for hyperbole and breathless overstatement in the world of news.

There has been a drumbeat of growing excitement in the press, preparing us for "pivotal reports," a "pivotal hearing," "highly anticipated appearances," and "long-awaited testimony," or, as both the Washington Post on its front page and ABC World News in a lead report put it, "the most anticipated congressional testimony by a general since the Vietnam War."

Petraeus himself has been treated in the media as a celebrity, somewhere between a conquering Caesar and the Paris Hilton of generals.


Read More

Friday, September 07, 2007

Wednesday, September 05, 2007

Stupid in America

20-20 investigation by John Stossel entitled "Stupid in America" highlighting some of the flaws with the education system in the United States. The story started out when identical tests were given to high school students in New Jersey and in Belgium. The Belgian kids cleaned the American kids' clocks. The Belgian kids called the American students "stupid", which gave the piece its name.

Source




here are some comments that i thought were really interesting-->

klavlav


Of course. If you educate the public, they won't be your "willing" pawns, they won't enlist in the military, they won't "elect" the pre-selected politicians they have to "choose" from, they won't be happy with snack foods when they should be demanding health care.

American education doesn't exist to educate; despite the best intentions of well-meaning educators, it exists to indoctrinate and socialise Americans into the Machine. Like George carlin says, it's supposed to make you just smart enough to push the buttons and run the machines but not smart enough to make any real difference.

Don't school your kids, *unschool* them.

hellchild915


America is stupid, I have met many international student and they have told me what they do and how much they went to school and it was incredible how much harder the stuff they do is, many of the advanced classes I took in high school were standard for them and they were harder. I really dont think the U.S public school system will ever be fixed and even the private school system is not that great. This is one of the cases when I really think we should copy what oversees schools are doing


grae



I sincerely doubt it will be able to genuinely affect intrasigent unionism. Unions exist for a damned good reason - to protect workers from corporate explotation. But, they also offer an extremely dangerous safety net of laziness and irresponsibility when taken to the other extreme. Absolutely, workers need to be protected from unreasonable, and unfair treatment by their employers - but - workers should not be offered so much protection that they are too lazy, or safe to bother trying.

Competition is good - and workers rights are good. There should definitely be a balance. However, if teachers are more concerened about their contracts, than they are about the best methodology to educate their students, then that's fucked up shit. Hell, that explains half of the retarded fucking comments we see every god damned day from some knuckle-dragging dimwits here on spikedhumour.


velocity73R



When Ron Paul was asked, who he might have for a running mate? John Stossil, was the first person he mentioned. This guy is straight up, and tells it like it is. Unfortunately, just like Ron Paul, the majority of Americans don't like to hear anything they do is bad. Reason being, they will always consider themselves #1, and this will be their undoing, and that time is fast approaching. You must also realize nothing is by accident, if the Gov't wanted more informed, intelligent kids, it would have them. This school infrastructure is by design, and its product[American public] is exactly what it wants. The dumbing down of a nation, has the reward of endless war, and easily manipulated minds, through propaganda[FOX being one, but trust me MSNBC,ABC,and CBS, can be just as bad.] Just like Alex Jones said, 20% of Americans may not be able to locate their country on a map. But the people that live in Iran, and Iraq, know exactly where, "The captive controlled mercinary slaves of the New World march from."

Tuesday, September 04, 2007

Crank Dat

How To Crank That Soulja Boy www.myspace.com/souljaboytellem



I honestly don't think this vid is that 'incredible' but it got a hell of a lot of views( Views: 10,582,195 Comments: 14554 Favorited: 45262 times) which is impressive enough






Views: 6,063,873 Comments: 5209 Favorited: 13701 times

the real reason im posting this is cuz i saw this comment -->

LukeCage60651 (1 hour ago)
(Reply)
why do people get on youtube and call people nigga's, crackers, and any other racism bullcrap knowing that if they saw said individuals in public they would not say these things. The internet is not a place to act tuff and hide behind your internet identity, so just be easy. If you don't like the song or dance you can state that without calling people faggots, gay, niggers, retarded, crackers, or whatever.


its pretty true, although people will just think and not say it, or say behind a person's back. man, i wish people would grow out of predujice...

Monday, September 03, 2007

Tony Snow Exits Stage Left


This is a day of exits. Senator John Warner has retired, and now White House press secretary has resigned. Snow has been battling colon and abdominal cancer, but he pegged his decision to the insufficient $168,000 salary his White House job brings in. (Photo by Paul Morse.)

What I've learnt

The Young Turks discuss George W. Bush's view of Iraq. Hosted by Cenk Uygur, Ben Mankiewicz, and Jill Pike. Watch live from 6-9AM ET on http://www.theyoungturks.com. Listen from 6-9AM ET on Air America Radio.




from my brief study of history is that president bush may sound dumb and clumbsy in his speeches and in his gpa at yale, but for the most part he is more intelligent then he let's the general public believe. its a power play to pretend to be naive so that when you make mistakes others won't hold you as accountable if they perceived you to be more intelligent. all the wars in the middle east thats going on now have been planned at least 40 years ago. wars make profits for the international bankers that the countries involved in the wars have to take loans from. because thats the 'cost' of freedom.

Bankers Made War Profitable

This War on Terror is Bogus


Franken Owns Coulter


CT Forum asks Ann Coulter and Al Franken who they'd want to be if they could go back in time. Coulter gets pwned.




Sunday, September 02, 2007

The Power of Nightmares



The Power of Nightmares: Baby It's Cold Outside
Should we be worried about the threat from organised terrorism or is it simply a phantom menace being used to stop society from falling apart?

In the past our politicians offered us dreams of a better world. Now they promise to protect us from nightmares.

The most frightening of these is the threat of an international terror network. But just as the dreams were not true, neither are these nightmares.

In a new series, the Power of Nightmares explores how the idea that we are threatened by a hidden and organised terrorist network is an illusion.

It is a myth that has spread unquestioned through politics, the security services and the international media.


THE POWER OF NIGHTMARES
Three part series
Tuesday, 18 January, 2005
2320 GMT on BBC Two



At the heart of the story are two groups: the American neo-conservatives and the radical Islamists.

Both were idealists who were born out of the failure of the liberal dream to build a better world.

These two groups have changed the world but not in the way either intended.


Those with the darkest fears became the most powerful
Together they created today's nightmare vision of an organised terror network.

A fantasy that politicians then found restored their power and authority in a disillusioned age. Those with the darkest fears became the most powerful.

The rise of the politics of fear begins in 1949 with two men whose radical ideas would inspire the attack of 9/11 and influence the neo-conservative movement that dominates Washington.

Both these men believed that modern liberal freedoms were eroding the bonds that held society together.

The two movements they inspired set out, in their different ways, to rescue their societies from this decay. But in an age of growing disillusion with politics, the neo-conservatives turned to fear in order to pursue their vision.

They would create a hidden network of evil run by the Soviet Union that only they could see.

The Islamists were faced by the refusal of the masses to follow their dream and began to turn to terror to force the people to "see the truth"'.

The Power of Nightmares will be broadcast over three nights from Tuesday 18 to Thursday, 20 January, 2005 at 2320 GMT on BBC Two. The final part has been updated in the wake of the Law Lords ruling in December that detaining foreign terrorist suspects without trial was illegal.

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/programmes/3755686.stm

Published: 2005/01/14 12:07:24 GMT

© BBC MMVII




The Power of Nightmares Part 1: Baby it's Cold Outside - by Adam Curtis


Part 2


Part 3

America Destroyed by Design

Alex Jones talks about the dumbing down of the general public.

Research Topix

From Michael Tsarion's Origins and Oracles series



stuff thats worth looking into

Saturday, September 01, 2007

Police Use Tazer On Women who is 8 months pregnant

Deputy Under Investigation For Using Taser On Pregnant Woman


An Alachua County deputy is under investigation for using his taser on a pregnant woman.The trouble started with a fight between several teenagers in Gainesville. Leslie Donaldson said she was trying to pull her son away from the fight when the deputy tased her.The deputy said he thought the woman was going to hit him and he couldn't tell she was eight months pregnant.

The Trilateral Commission: Usurping Sovereignty

Copyright © 2007 The August Review http://www.augustreview.com The Trilateral Commission: Usurping Sovereignty By Patrick Wood

[Editor’s note: For ease of reading, all members of the Trilateral Commission appear in bold type]

“President Reagan ultimately came to understand Trilateral’s value and invited the entire membership to a reception at the White House in April 1984”
— David Rockefeller, Memoirs, 20021




According to each issue of the official Trilateral Commission quarterly magazine Trialogue:

Trilateral Commission LogoThe Trilateral Commission was formed in 1973 by private citizens of Western Europe, Japan and North America to foster closer cooperation among these three regions on common problems. It seeks to improve public understanding of such problems, to support proposals for handling them jointly, and to nurture habits and practices of working together among these regions.”2

Further, Trialogue and other official writings made clear their stated goal of creating a “New International Economic Order.” President George H.W. Bush later talked openly about creating a “New World Order”, which has since become a synonymous phrase.

Read more...