zaterdag 5 maart 2011

The End


Juno Sara Alexandra, mijn kleindochter.


Mag ik u voorstellen aan:


Immanuel Maurice Wallerstein (New York, 28 september 1930) een vooraanstaande Joods-Amerikaanse socioloog en andersglobalist. Hoewel aanvankelijk vooral bekend als expert op het gebied van Afrika, is zijn bekendste bijdrage aan de wetenschap de ontwikkeling van de wereld-systeemtheorie vanaf 1974. Van 1994 tot 1998 was Wallerstein voorzitter van de Internationale vereniging van sociologen. Hoewel sinds 1999 op emeritaat heeft hij nog verschillende eredoctoraten ontvangen, en een aanstelling als onderzoeker aan de universiteit van Yale.
http://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Immanuel_Wallerstein

Oke, geen geringe knaap dus, een intellectueel van wereldniveau, een niveau dat in Nederland niet bestaat. Wat heeft Wallerstein te melden? In de woorden van een al even intelligent mens, de Amerikaanse cultuurhistoricus Morris Berman:

'what is clear about our current situation, says Wallerstein, is that the current process of globalization is the final phase of our present historical system, and that we are entering a dark age of historical transition. Following the "wave" analysis of the Soviet economist N.D. Kondratieff, Wallerstein predicts that the early twenty-first century will see an upturn, a renewed expansion of the world economy, with increasing opportunities for investment and capital accumulation. The gap between rich and poor will grow even larger, creating an even greater polarization between the core and the periphery. As the ideology of endless capital accumulation ("progress") grows, so will the delegitimation of that ideology. Nations of intermediate strenght in the noncore areas -- Iraq for example -- will be able to challenge powerful ones in the core areas succesfully; and within the West itself, the lack of decent jobs for nonwhites will pose an increasing threat as the size of the nonwhite population grows. The rich will become more and more worried about personal safety, as in the Third World countries right now, and the modern world system will enter a period of continuing crisis and instability. There will finally be a very large periphery within the core. The privileged class will try to co-opt these challengers by incorporating the rhetoric of the discontented -- ecology, multiculturalism, women's rights -- which will give the illusion that serious changes are under way, when, in fact, the essential relations of wealth and power remain the same. But ultimately, a dark era, a system break, is unavoidable, because the system cannot survive as presently constituted; the strains will have become too great, and finally even co-optation won't work. The outcome of all of this is inherently unpredicatable, The successor system may be better but it may not; it could well be much worse.' Berman in The Twilight of American Culture. 2000


Tot exact dezelfde slotsom was ik zelf enige jaren geleden gekomen. Ik heb deze site nu meer dan vijf jaar bijgehouden en ik stop ermee aangezien ik me los wil maken van de waan van de dag om me te kunnen concentreren op datgene wat ik in mijn leven heb geleerd en heb ervaren om dat door te kunnen geven aan een volgende generatie, aan mijn kleindochter Juno. Ik zal af en toe nog wel eens wat schrijven op deze site, maar dat zal niet regelmatig zijn. Ik groet u, dank u voor de aandacht en wens u het allerbeste.

Things are not carved in stone.
at 49 opmerkingen:

The Neoliberal Religion 35


Big money goes around the world
Big money underground
Big money got a mighty voice
Big money make no sound
Big money pull a million strings
Big money hold the prize
Big money weave a mighty web
Big money draw the flies

Sometimes pushing people around
Sometimes pulling out the rug
Sometimes pushing all the buttons
Sometimes pulling out the plug
It's the power and the glory
It's a war in paradise
It's a Cinderella story
On a tumble of the dice

Big money goes around the world
Big money take a cruise
Big money leave a mighty wake
Big money leave a bruise
Big money make a million dreams
Big money spin big deals
Big money make a mighty head
Big money spin big wheels

Sometimes building ivory towers
Sometimes knocking castles down
Sometimes building you a stairway
Lock you underground
It's that old-time religion
It's the kingdom they would rule
It's the fool on television
Getting paid to play the fool

Big money goes around the world
Big money give and take
Big money done a power of good
Big money make mistakes
Big money got a heavy hand
Big money take control
Big money got a mean streak
Big money got no soul...
at 1 opmerking:

Free Bradley Manning


Soldier in Leaks Case Was Jailed Naked, Lawyer Says


By CHARLIE SAVAGE

Published: March 3, 2011

WASHINGTON — A lawyer for Pfc. Bradley Manning, the Army intelligence analyst accused of leaking secret government files toWikiLeaks, has complained that his client was stripped and left naked in his cell for seven hours on Wednesday.

Related

The conditions of Private Manning’s confinement at the Marine brig in Quantico, Va., have drawn criticism in recent months from supporters and his lawyer, David E. Coombs.
The soldier’s clothing was returned to him Thursday morning, after he was required to stand naked outside his cell during an inspection, Mr. Coombs said in aposting on his Web site.
“This type of degrading treatment is inexcusable and without justification,” Mr. Coombs wrote. “It is an embarrassment to our military justice system and should not be tolerated. Pfc. Manning has been told that the same thing will happen to him again tonight. No other detainee at the brig is forced to endure this type of isolation and humiliation.”
First Lt. Brian Villiard, a Marine spokesman, said a brig duty supervisor had ordered Private Manning’s clothing taken from him. He said that the step was “not punitive” and that it was in accordance with brig rules, but he said that he was not allowed to say more.
“It would be inappropriate for me to explain it,” Lieutenant Villiard said. “I can confirm that it did happen, but I can’t explain it to you without violating the detainee’s privacy.”
Private Manning is being held as a maximum security detainee under a special set of restrictions intended to prevent self-injury, even though supporters say there is no evidence that he is suicidal.
During an appearance on MSNBC earlier on Thursday, Geoffrey Morrell, the Pentagon press secretary, attributed the general conditions of Private Manning’s confinement to “the seriousness of the charges he’s facing, the potential length of sentence, the national security implications” and to protect him from potential harm.
Also, earlier on Thursday, one of Private Manning’s friends, David House, said in a conference call with reporters that he had visited the soldier the previous weekend and that his mental condition was severely deteriorating as a result of being confined to his cell 23 hours a day, with one hour to exercise in an empty room, and largely isolated from human contact.
But Mr. House said that Private Manning did not seem suicidal and contended that he was being pressured to cooperate.
Investigators have been seeking evidence that could implicate Julian Assange, the WikiLeaks founder, as a conspirator in the leaking of the military and diplomatic documents and videos.
Mr. House spoke on the conference call with Daniel Ellsberg, who compared the leaking of documents to WikiLeaks to his own leaking of the Pentagon Papers during the Vietnam War. On Wednesday, the Army announced 22 additional charges against Private Manning, including “aiding the enemy.”
The charge sheet did not explain who “the enemy” was, leading some to speculate that it was a reference to WikiLeaks. On Thursday, however, the military said that it instead referred to any hostile forces that could benefit from learning about classified military tactics and procedures.
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The Empire 794


Michael Moore: People Still Have the Power

by admin was published on March 1st, 2011
"This is a movement that is not going to stop," says filmmaker Michael Moore of the uprising in Madison, Wisconsin (and across the country--all 50 states held solidarity rallies this weekend). "I knew sooner or later people would say they've had enough."
Michael joins Laura in studio for part one of a two-part conversation about the war on working people in America. He notes that it started in 1981 with Reagan's attack on the air traffic controllers, and it's mostly targeted the poor, as with Clinton's welfare reform. But the attacks on middle class families have finally reached a point where people aren't going to take it anymore.
Watch out for part two tomorrow!
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  1. The Dems can’t move cause of campaign finance. Campaign finance rulings have to be challenged in court because of the unequal protection of property rights in which they result. They were put there in the 1970s to combat the Union’s ability to raise money for Dems which Republican business owners did not have. They saw all the progressive legislation of the 1960s-70s as impinging on their property rights, and they were able to make that case in Court. They got “money as speech” on the same basis. That logic is completely overturned now since Unions are 7% of the population now, and the Top 2% have all the political power. It is even more concentrated than that, with just a few like Kochs driving this reactionary 30 yrs. Many many wealthy people benefit, but they really want balance and sustainability here. They need to get behind the rights kinds of court cases to reverse the precedence that allows this unequal protection of property rights that benefits only really 1% at the expense of everybody else’s property.
    What is going to happen to these poor people? What happened in Germany? They want to drive people further and further to the reactionary right-wing, and gun violence on the streets here will help them dismantle the society here.
    By planckbrandt on March 1st, 2011 at 4:53 pm
  2. Let’s get our facts straight.
    The two nurses at the 4:12 mark were both from out of state and not from Wisconsin. So I will agree with Michael that the media is not accurately portraying what is going on in Madison since all of the pictures and video suggest that only Wisconsinites are protesting. In fact, many of the protesters are from out of state, which is fine…providing it is states as such…which it isn’t.
    Next, at the 5:57 mark, Michael blames Ronald Reagan for beginning the war on unions by firing the air traffic controllers. If Michael would bother to check his facts, the PATCO members were striking illegally. Reagan gave them every opportunity to end their strike and return to work. Those that didn’t were fired. If Michael wants to declare this a war on unions, fine by me. The fact remains that Reagan was enforcing the law.
    By matman13 on March 2nd, 2011 at 10:49 pm
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at Geen opmerkingen:

The Empire 793


http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/libertycentral/2011/mar/04/bradley-m
anning-us-wikileaks-hypocrisy


Bradley Manning and the stench of US hypocrisy

The US condemns human rights abuses abroad yet appears to be allowing
the psychological torture of Bradley Manning


          o Ryan Gallagher
          o guardian.co.uk, Friday 4 March 2011 17.48 GMT

Earlier this week, the soldier accused of leaking thousands of
confidential documents to WikiLeaks, Bradley Manning, was handed an
additional 22 charges as part of his ongoing court martial process.
The 23-year-old, who has been in solitary confinement for more than
seven months, stands accused of computer fraud, theft of public
records and willfully communicating classified information to a
person not entitled to receive it. He now also finds himself faced
with a rare charge known as "aiding the enemy" - a capital offence
for which he could face the death penalty.

The revelation will no doubt have come as a blow to Manning, although
given his ongoing treatment it is likely he already feared the worst.
Made to endure strict conditions under a prevention of injury order
against the advice of military psychiatrists, he is treated like no
other prisoner at the 250-capacity Quantico Brig detention facility
in Virginia. Despite that he is yet to be convicted of any crime, for
the past 218 consecutive days he has been made to live in a cell 6ft
wide and 12ft long, without contact with any other detainees. He is
not allowed to exercise or have personal effects in his cell, and for
the one hour each day he is allowed free from his windowless cell he
is taken to an empty room where he is allowed to walk, but not run.

One of the few people to have visited Manning, David House, spoke
yesterday of how he had witnessed his friend go from a "bright-eyed
intelligent young man" to someone who at times has appeared
"catatonic" with "very high difficulty carrying on day to day
conversation". House drew similarities with the case of Bobby
Dellelo, an American prisoner who developed psychosis after a lengthy
period in solitary confinement conditions similar to Manning's. "For
me this has been like watching a really good friend succumb to an
illness or something," he said. "I think that Bradley Manning is
being punished this way because the US government wants him to crack
ahead of his trial."

While there has been widespread and well publicised condemnation of
issues surrounding Manning's detainment, his conditions have failed
to improve. In fact, things may have got worse, not better, for the
Oklahoma-born soldier who is incidentally entitled to UK citizenship
through his Welsh mother. Just two days ago, for instance, only 24
hours after having been told he now faces a capital charge, Manning
was made to strip naked in his cell for no apparent reason. According
to David Coombs, Manning's lawyer, the soldier was then left without
clothes for seven hours. When the wake-up call sounded for the
detainees at 5am, in an act of forced humiliation, Manning was made
to stand naked at the front of his cell.

The incident, described as "inexcusable and without justification" by
Coombs, is symbolic of the entire twisted saga: a gross injustice on
a nauseating scale. We must bear in mind, of course, that Manning
allegedly leaked military files because he, according to unverified
internet chat logs, saw wrongdoing and had no other course of action
because his superiors told him they "didn't want to hear any of it".
He did not want to be complicit in war crimes, and felt that by
leaking the files he could prompt "worldwide discussion, debates, and
reforms".

In recent days and weeks the US government has condemned human rights
abuses and repression in almost every country across the Middle East
- yet at a prison within its own borders it sanctions the
persecution, alleged psychological torture and debasement of a young
soldier who appears to have made a principled choice in the name of
progress.

"Government whistleblowers are part of a healthy democracy and must
be protected from reprisal," said Barack Obama in 2008. But the
stench of his hypocrisy is no longer bearable. It is time, now more
than ever, that Bradley Manning received the justice he so clearly
deserves.
at Geen opmerkingen:

Arab Regimes 186


Saoedi-Arabi verbiedt demonstraties

ECONOMIESaoedi-Arabi heeft alle vormen van demonstraties in het land verboden. Dat heeft de minister van Binnenlandse Zaken vandaag bekend gemaakt op de staatstelevisie. Het verbod komt nadat de shi'itische minderheid kleine demonstraties hebben gehouden in de rijke oliestaat, meldt Reuters....
LEES VERDER
at 1 opmerking:

The Zionist Regime 29

2011/03/05

UPDATED URGENT APPEAL - Children of the Gravel



Between 26 March 2010 and 17 February 2011, DCI-Palestine has documented 27 cases of children shot whilst collecting building material or working near the border fence between the Gaza Strip and Israel. Please appeal to stop the targeting of unarmed children working near the border in Gaza.
UPDATED URGENT APPEAL - Children of the Gravel
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The Zionist Lobby 6

Britain cherry-picks which war criminals to prosecute and where to impose no-fly zones
5 March 2011

Stuart Littlewood highlights the incredible, blatant hypocrisy of the British government, foremost Prime Minister David Cameron and Foreign Secretary William Hague, who are applying one standard to the criminal Libyan regime of Mu’ammar Gaddafi while going out of their way to protect and justify the crimes of another criminal regime, that of Israel.
”Prime Minister David Cameron told MPs that he had asked the head of Britain's armed forces to work with allies to see if a military no-fly zone was possible.

“So if the answer is ‘yes’, there’s no reason not to impose a no-fly zone over Gaza, is there? Oops, I forgot. The maniacs doing the murdering there are Whitehall’s ‘friends’, right? And Hague and Cameron have publicly pledged undying support for them, right? So, their balls are in a vice, right?” (Stuart Littlewood)
After maintaining a deafening silence about Israel’s atrocities against civilians, Britain suddenly wants a “day of reckoning” for war criminals – as long as they are Libyan.

While protestors’ attempts to oust Gaddafi and his scum continued, the UK’s Permanent Representative to the UN in Geneva, Peter Gooderham, called on the UN Human Rights Council Special Session on Libya to take whatever steps were necessary “to ensure that those responsible for the awful human rights violations that are currently occurring in Libya are held to account”.

He said the Libyan government was trying to stop the world seeing what was happening, adding:
“... we didn’t hear Hague and his colleagues call for a reckoning with the psychopaths of the Israeli regime when they committed mega-atrocities against Gaza’s civilians just two years ago... On the contrary, they’re busy tinkering with our laws of universal jurisdiction to enable Zionist thugs to come and go without fear of arrest.”
We are appalled by the levels of violence... The use of military force against civilians and the attacks on funeral processions have caused deep anger throughout the country and across the world... We join the High Commissioner in calling for an international inquiry into the violence... The United Kingdom will do everything we can to make sure those responsible in the Libyan regime are held accountable for their actions…
Foreign secretary William Hague announced he had signed a directive revoking Gaddafi’s diplomatic immunity in the United Kingdom and also the diplomatic immunity of his sons, his family and his household. He spoke of Britain’s readiness to provide humanitarian help. “Our Department for International Development now has teams on both borders, on the Tunisian and Egyptian borders of Libya, looking at how we can deliver such assistance if necessary.”

He bragged about how the UK “drove” through a Security Council resolution referring what was happening in Libya to the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court. “That sends a clear message to all involved, in the regime and any other groups that if they commit crimes and atrocities there will be a day of reckoning for them.”

Bravo. What a splendidly high-principled chap that Mr Hague suddenly seems to be. And how swiftly he managed to get the International Criminal Court’s attention when he wanted to.

But we didn’t hear Hague and his colleagues call for a reckoning with the  psychopaths of the Israeli regimewhen they committed mega-atrocities against Gaza’s civilians just two years ago. We haven’t heard them driving anything constructive through the UN to halt those endless crimes. On the contrary, they’re busy tinkering with our laws of  universal jurisdiction to enable Zionist thugs to come and go without fear of arrest.
“Gaddafi may not be welcome in London but the Foreign Office will happily roll out the red carpet for Tzipi Livni, Avigdor Lieberman, Ehud Barak and Binyamin Netanyahu, while Hague conducts the brass band.”
Gaddafi may not be welcome in London but the Foreign Office will happily roll out the red carpet for Tzipi Livni, Avigdor Lieberman, Ehud Barak and Binyamin Netanyahu, while Hague conducts the brass band.
And nobody saw the Department for International Development waiting on Gaza’s borders with humanitarian help.

Where was HMS Cumberland when British nationals on the Mavi Maramra and the Dignity and other vessels were being assaulted and terrorized in international waters by Israeli pirates, abducted and thrown in their stinking jails?

Our warships HMS Cumberland and HMS York magically appear in the Mediterranean when Hague or Prime Minister David Cameron snaps his fingers. The ships have been protecting victims of the lunatic Gaddafi, and HMS York unloaded tons of medical supplies and other humanitarian aid for the Benghazi Medical Centre, donated by the Swedish government.

Funny how these two vessels couldn’t be deployed to bring life-saving aid to innocent Palestinians after Israel’s indiscriminate Operation Cast Lead blitzkrieg. Those same Palestinians civilians are still being bombed and strafed with impunity on a daily basis, so when the Libyan crisis dies down shouldn’t HMS York be loaded up with more supplies and sail for Gaza, where the humanitarian crisis continues unabated?

On the Libya situation Hague has been sounding off with loud threats of retribution. “Crimes will not go unpunished and will not be forgotten; there will be a day of reckoning and the reach of international justice is long,” he says.
“Funny how these two vessels [HMS Cumberland and HMS York] couldn’t be deployed to bring life-saving aid to innocent Palestinians after Israel’s indiscriminate Operation Cast Lead blitzkrieg. Those same Palestinians civilians are still being bombed and strafed with impunity on a daily basis...”
He also talks of imposing a no-fly zone over Libya to protect its people. One option would involve RAF patrols from Cyprus. Hague told Sky News: "One thing we have to plan for and work out how we would do it with allies and partners if it became necessary and if it had the necessary international support."

The BBC reported that, according to Hague, a no-fly zone over Libya would not necessarily need a green light from the UN. "There have been occasions in the past when such a no-fly zone has had clear, legal, international justification even without a Security Council resolution. It depends on the situation on the ground."

Prime Minister David Cameron told MPs that he had asked the head of Britain's armed forces to work with allies to see if a military no-fly zone was possible.

So if the answer is “yes”, there’s no reason not to impose a no-fly zone over Gaza, is there? Oops, I forgot. The maniacs doing the murdering there are Whitehall’s “friends”, right? And Hague and Cameron have publicly pledged undying support for them, right? So, their balls are in a vice, right?

Even 1,400 dead, the vast majority civilians including 350 children, is not slaughter enough to wrench them free – the thousands maimed and the tens of thousands homeless not enough cruelty.

As for freedom and democracy in the Middle East, spare us the sermon. The British government has pissed on Palestinian democracy since 2006 and ganged up with other bullies to spitefully punish the people for making the “wrong” choice. Britain chose (as if it was any of our business to do the choosing) to prop up the treacherous and utterly discredited election losers and stand idly by while the decades of imprisonment and suffering continue.
“The British government has pissed on Palestinian democracy since 2006 and ganged up with other bullies to spitefully punish the people for making the “wrong” choice.”
The Israeli newspaper the Jerusalem Post reports this week how David Cameron told Jewish dinner guests: “With me you have a prime minister whose belief in Israel is indestructible... I will always be a strong defender of the Jewish people. I will always be an advocate for the State of Israel.”
He also said Israel has a right to search vessels entering Gaza. Oh? So Israeli piracy on the high seas or in Palestinian waters is OK? The blockade is OK? Does this mean vessels sailing for Israeli ports can be stopped and searched for weapons that might be used against Israel’s neighbours?

Cameron also said: “Some people try to judge Israel’s government by a higher code of conduct than they would apply to their own government.”

And he said that when the Israeli authorities had revoked the Jerusalem residency permit of the Anglican Bishop of Jerusalem, a state of affairs that has dragged on for six months “without tangible results” despite efforts by the Archbishop of Canterbury, the British foreign secretary (Hague) and the British ambassador. The bishop will now have to resort to legal remedies to go about his duties.

What sort of buffoon is Cameron?

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Everything about 1sr@el and 1sr@elis makes my skin crawl!

  https://x.com/umyaznemo/status/1870426589210829260 Rania @umyaznemo Everything about 1sr@el and 1sr@elis makes my skin crawl! 12:10 p.m. ·...