Dit soort journalisten kent Nederland niet meer. Zij volgen nu braaf de opdrachten van de macht.
Amerikaanse journalist en auteur Barbara Ehrenreich (81) overleden
De Amerikaanse journalist en schrijver Barbara Ehrenreich is op afgelopen donderdag op 81-jarige leeftijd overleden. Haar zoon Ben Ehrenreich heeft dat op Twitter bekendgemaakt. De in de VS gerenommeerde journalist vergaarde bekendheid met haar boek Nickel and Dimed, waarin ze als undercover journalist armoede in de Verenigde Staten onder de loep nam.
Ehrenreich schreef meer dan twintig boeken over sociale ongelijkheid, waarin ze thema's behandelde als feminisme, armoede en gezondheid.
Keerzijde van de Amerikaanse droom
Met Nickel and Dimed uit 2001 brak Ehrenreich internationaal door. Voor het boek ging ze aan de slag als serveerster, kamermeisje en kassière in de Amerikaanse keten Walmart. Het boek werd vaak aangehaald in het debat over het minimumloon in de VS.
In het boek beschrijft Ehrenreich hoe ze een maand lang rond probeert te komen van een minimumloon en laat ze zien dat het voor sommige Amerikanen een noodzaak is om twee of drie banen naast elkaar te hebben. "Bij elke baan, in elke plaats waar ik woonde, nam het werk al mijn energie en een groot deel van mijn intellect in beslag", constateerde ze.
De keerzijde van 'de Amerikaanse droom' vormde ook een rode draad in Ehrenreichs latere werk.
Erasmusprijs
In 2018 kreeg Ehrenreich de Erasmusprijs uitgereikt in Amsterdam. De jury achter de prestigieuze prijs roemde haar onderzoeksjournalistiek, waarin Ehrenreich "een stem geeft aan groepen die anders niet gehoord worden". Jaren eerder werd bij de auteur borstkanker geconstateerd, ook over haar ziekte schreef ze essays.
Volgens Amerikaanse media overleed Ehrenreich in een hospice aan een hartinfarct. Ze stierf enkele dagen na haar 81ste verjaardag en was, in de woorden van haar zoon, "er klaar voor om te gaan".
🇬🇧 60% of British factories may close due to rising electricity prices. It is reported by Bloomberg with reference to the industrial organization MakeUK.
And so, skyrocketing energy bills threaten to ruin 6 out of 10 British manufacturers, according to a poll revealing the extent of the crisis the next prime minister will face.
MakeUK, a lobbying group for British factories, said almost half of manufacturers experienced a jump in electricity bills of more than 100% last year.
“The current crisis puts businesses in front of a tough choice. Curtail production or close the shop altogether if help does not arrive soon, ”the report says.
“Russian and Ukrainian negotiators appeared to have tentatively agreed on the outlines of a negotiated interim settlement,” wrote Fiona Hill and Angela Stent. “Russia would withdraw to its position on February 23, when it controlled part of the Donbas region and all of Crimea, and in exchange, Ukraine would promise not to seek NATO membership and instead receive security guarantees from a number of countries.”
The news highlights the impact of former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s efforts to stop negotiations, as journalist Branko Marcetic noted on Twitter. The decision to scuttle the deal coincided with Johnson’s April visit to Kyiv, during which he reportedly urged Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to break off talks with Russia for two key reasons: Putin cannot be negotiated with, and the West isn’t ready for the war to end.
Over the last months Britain has trained several thousands of Ukrainian troops and their officers. Together with Ukrainian special forces Britain's MI-6 secret service planned a special operation for Ukraine to regain control over the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant on the south side of the Kakhovka Dnieper reservoir. This was designed to coincide with a visit of IAEA inspectors, long held up by Ukraine, to visit the ZNPP.
The Kherson offensive started on August 30 on five axes. It was destined to fail. Three of these attempts to gain ground held by Russian troops failed. One axis was stopped after taking a few small villages of no strategic value. The only 'successful' attack was across the Inhulet river near Andriivka in the direction of the dam and river crossing that closes off the Kakhovka Dnieper reservoir.
The plan was crazy to begin with. The whole area is flat open steppe. The troops would have had to created a 50 kilometer (30 miles) long corridor through open hostile land. The towns on the way are mostly one or two street agricultural mini-villages with one story homes that offer little protection. The Ukrainian forces have no air defense or air attack capability to cover advancing troops. Its artillery capabilities are a tenth of what the Russian military can provide in the area. It was obvious from the beginning that this was a suicide mission.
Reportedly the Ukrainian military command was against this mission. But the Ukrainian political leadership, the Zelenski regime, ordered it to proceed. It was under political pressure from its foreign supporters to show at least some success.
The attack was launched on August 30. The Ukrainian military created three river crossings over the Inhulet near Andriivka. This already smelled bad. Why didn't the Russian airforce or artillery immediately destroy those crossings?
It was obvious that this was a trap.
In a CNN piece, co-written by the notorious 'intelligence' stenographer Natasha Bertrand, the U.S. military distanced itself from the upcoming catastrophe:
In the buildup to the current Ukrainian counteroffensive, the US urged Kyiv to keep the operation limited in both its objectives and its geography to avoid getting overextended and bogged down on multiple fronts, multiple US and western officials and Ukrainian sources tell CNN.
Those discussions involved engaging in "war-gaming" with Kyiv, the sources said -- analytical exercises that were intended to help the Ukrainian forces understand what force levels they would need to muster to be successful in different scenarios.
The Ukrainians were initially considering a broader counteroffensive, but narrowed their mission to the south, in the Kherson region, in recent weeks, US and Ukrainian officials said. ... Officials say they believe there is now increased parity between the Ukrainian and Russian militaries. But western officials have been hesitant to label the nascent Ukrainian operation -- which appeared to begin on Monday in the southern province of Kherson -- a true "counteroffensive."
How successful Ukraine is likely to be in regaining lost territory remains an open question, sources familiar with the latest intelligence tell CNN.
For three days the Ukrainian military sent battalion after battalion into the salient. These were good professional troops trained by Britain. They were equipped with modernized Polish T-72 tanks and up-armored Dutch Infantry Fighting Vehicles (YPR-765 IFV). But while these force were able to create a deeper salient it would soon become their grave.
The Ukrainian Kherson offensive continues despite extremely heavy losses. The Rybar map shows one of the axes where the Ukrainian army still tries to press forward after having been rooted from Bruskyns'ke.
The area is flat open steppe with no coverage for troops to hide. The Russian side is by far superior in artillery and has air supremacy. Whoever ordered the Ukrainians to press this suicidal campaign under these circumstance is guilty of murder and should go to prison for the rest of his life.
On September 1, the very day the IAEA delegation was to arrive, the Ukrainian side made a daring attack to seize the ZNPP. But the Russian side had been warned. The two waves of Ukrainian special forces, also trained by Britain, were killed while crossing the reservoir or were running into ambushes as soon as they had landed. They ended up dead. The IAEA inspection proceeded as planned.
UN Secretary General's spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said on Thursday: "We are glad that the Russian Federation did all to keep our inspectors safe"! I expect mainstream press to not report this. Link to Interfax report
On the third day of the offensive the bridges across the Inhulet river where still intact. The Russian tactic was obvious. A scheme that it had used previously on the Karkiv front:
The truth of the Kherson "offensive" is written on the maps for all to see: AFU attacks; Ru hits 'em hard, then pulls back; AFU advances; Ru hits 'em again, but pulls back more; AFU adds forces to salient; Ru flanks them in force & cuts off their rear; trap closed; turkey shoot.
Late yesterday the Russian air force made its first real showing in this 'counteroffensive' affair. It attacked Ukrainian forces at the front of the salient in the tiny village of Bezimene with some 24 'dumb' 500 kilogram bombs. This ended the existence of the village and of all Ukrainian forces in it.
The Russian airforce then proceeded to destroy all river crossings over the Inhulet.
They have one choice. Give up, wave white flags or die.
Here is the current Rybar overview of the larger Kherson region. All Ukrainian attempts in this 'counteroffensive' have failed to make any significant progress.
The number of Ukrainian casualties are huge. Reports from Odessa, Nikolaev and Kryvy Rih speak of thousands of wounded. Many more have died. Hundreds of Ukrainian tanks and infantry fighting vehicles were destroyed or captured by Russian troops.
The 128th mountain assault brigade from the Ukrainian Transcarpatia region was involved in the general attack and got destroyed. (Why use 'mountain assault' specialists in the open steppe?) The governor of the region reportedly ordered a day of mourning.
The Russian side has now launched some attacks of its own to gain areas and towns the Ukrainians had held for some time. The Ukrainians are scrambling to mobilize local reserves in Nikolaev to counter these moves.
In 'western' media, complicit with the Zelenski regime, neither the bloody defeat of the 'counteroffensive' in Kherson nor the attempted raid on the ZNPP ever happened.
The only mention of it I found in the New York Timesis this:
In a statement, the [Russian defense] ministry claimed that Russian forces had intercepted two groups of Ukrainian commandos, up to 60 troops combined, who crossed the Dnipro River in boats to sabotage or seize the plant.
In total the 'counterattack' on Kherson was a complete failure that predictably ended up destroying Ukraine's main military reserves and a major part of the stock of heavy vehicles it had received from the 'west'.
The ZNPP, which was the main 'public relation' target of the whole affair, is still in Russian hands and now secured by the presence of a permanent IAEA delegation.
"The IAEA is there to stay for as long as it is needed. We are not leaving.” [IAEA director] Grossi said. “For those who may have intentions on the plant, knowing that international inspectors are there, witnessing and informing immediately what is happening, has an important stabilising effect.”
Heads in Kiev should and will likely roll over this. But that is not enough. Those in London who came up with this lunatic idea should be removed from their positions.
Meanwhile U.S. President Joe Biden has asked for $13.7 billion in additional money for Ukraine.
He wants to fight Russia down to the very last Ukrainian. A fight Russia does not want but is assured to win.
Can Biden be held to account for this?
Posted by b on September 3, 2022 at 10:37 UTC | Permalink
The first issue of my printable zine was so well-received that I'm putting out a second one, this time spiced up with 58 pages of articles, comics, puzzles and all sorts of fun things, and even some stuff that hasn't been published online yet.
This looks like it's going to be a regular monthly thing for as long as people stay interested, which I think is great because I'm always trying to get my work into different forms of media to get past the usual online echo chamber walls. The printable zine format is perfect for sharing stuff with less-online people you know, distributing as literature, or just as a good consciousness-expanding sit-down read for yourself online.
You can get Sedition #2 of Treazine by clicking here, which will get you a pay-what-you-feel PDF that you can circulate and/or print in whole or in part in whatever way you like. As usual there are no limits on how my work may be used, reproduced or distributed. Enjoy!
16-year-old Palestinian killed by Israeli settler fire, witnesses claim
Eyewitnesses say Amjad Abu Alia was shot by fire that came from the direction of Israeli settlers, who were documented shooting and throwing rocks at Palestinians in the area.
On Saturday, July 30th, the town of al-Mughayyir, bid farewell to one of their children, Amjad Nashaat Abu Alia, who was shot and killed one day prior, on Friday July 29th.
Abu Alia, only sixteen years old, was killed as he tried to escape Israeli settlers and soldiers who were firing live ammunition and throwing stones at unarmed Palestinian protestors in the village, which lies in the Ramallah district of the occupied West Bank.
Abu Alia was participating in a demonstration along with residents of the town and visiting activists, as an attempt to curb the escalating settler attacks on their village in recent weeks.
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As the unarmed protestors raised Palestinian flags and chanted against the settler-colonial expansion, they were met by the Israeli settlers from the neighboring Adei-Ad illegal outpost. The Israeli army also fired tear gas and rubber bullets at the demonstrators.
AN ARMED ISRAELI SETTLER (RIGHT) AND ISRAELI ARMY SOLDIER CONFRONT PALESTINIAN PROTESTERS IN THE OCCUPIED WEST BANK VILLAGE OF AL-MUGHAYYIR ON FRIDAY, JULY 29, 2022. (PHOTO: HADI SABARNA)
According to eyewitnesses, a number of armed Israeli settlers also assaulted the demonstrators as well as journalists and threw rocks at them as soldiers stood by.
The settler violence, in tandem with that of the army, sparked further confrontations by local Palestinian youth from the village who throwing stones back. Video footage taken by journalists at the scene showed Israeli soldiers firing live ammunition at the demonstrators while settlers threw rocks at the Palestinians.
A VIDEO CAPTURING THE MOMENT AMJAD ABU ALIA WAS SHOT SHOWS ARMED ISRAELI SETTLERS SHOOTING TOWARDS THE PALESTINIANS, AND THROWING ROCKS AT THEM, WHILE ISRAELI SOLDIERS ALSO FIRE ON THE GROUPS OF PALESTINIAN PROTESTERS. AL-MUGHAYYIR, OCCUPIED WEST BANK. JULY 29TH, 2022 (VIDEO: HADI SABARNA)
Eyewitnesses and journalists told Mondoweiss that a number of armed settlers also fired live ammunition at the Palestinians. It remains unconfirmed if the bullet that killed Abu Alia came from Israeli soldiers or the settlers.
Abu Alia was evacuated to a hospital after he was shot in the chest with live ammunition, and was pronounced dead shortly thereafter. At least two other Palestinians were injured with live ammunition, including one who was shot in the thigh and was reportedly in critical condition. Three others were shot with rubber-coated steel bullets.
Ramallah Governor Dr. Laila Ghannam told journalists that “we haven’t yet investigated the matter deeply, but we witnessed that the gunshot that hit the youth came from the side of the settlers, not from the army.”
According to Haaretz, the Israeli army said it was “aware of the claim” that a Palestinian was killed, but did not elaborate. This is a trend that continues to persist with the Israeli army.
Settlers armed with pistols & M16s: ‘It was horrifying’
Hadi Sabarna, a Palestinian photojournalist who was at the scene the moment Abu Alia was shot, told Mondoweiss that it was both Israeli soldiers and settlers who fired in Abu Alia’s direction.
“It was horrifying, there was a young settler and she was in casual dress with her phone in one hand and a pistol in the other,” he said.
AN ISRAELI SETTLER WOMAN CARRIES A PISTOL OUTSIDE AL-MUGHAYYIR, IN THE OCCUPIED WEST BANK. JULY 29, 2022. (PHOTO: HADI SABARNA)
“There were also the settlers that had their M-16’s with them. It was as though the army was training them to shoot and attack, and interfered only to serve the settlers,” continued Sabarna.
Maher Naasan, a Palestinian activist who was at the demonstration, and was also injured with a rubber bullet to his chest, told Mondoweiss that, “the kid [Abu Alia] was targeted by the settlers. He didn’t pose any threat to their lives.”
Naasan added that the settlers escalated the situation from the beginning, when they showed up to the protest armed with guns and began attacking the Palestinian protesters.
Sabarna explained that it wasn’t simply the army, but that one of the settlers also fired at Abu Elia the moment the army fired.
Remembering the scene near the main street in al-Mughayyir, Sabarna explained “Amjad and youth were running away from settlers who were throwing stones.”
“The soldiers went after the shabab (youth) and shot at them, with settlers still attacking from behind the soldiers.”
As soldiers and settlers continued targeting the youth, who were at this point attempting to flee the armed violence Sabarna says, “the shabab threw stones back as protection.” The settlers and the army continued to fire at the Palestinians, eventually striking three of them, including Abu Alia.
“Amjad was thirsty, when the shots were fired I saw he had a water bottle in his hand,” Sabarna recalled to Mondoweiss. “He opened the bottle but he didn’t have the chance to drink from it, he ran with the bottle in his hand.”
Emboldened settler assaults
Al-Mughayyir, a small town just 27 km northeast of Ramallah, has a population of 3,102 residents. For years the community faced unrelenting threats of intensifying settler assaults and forcible annexation with the Israeli military as the vanguard.
Just a few weeks ago on July 10, settlers attacked a Palestinian man in al-Mughayyir, who needed to be hospitalized for his injuries. In January 2019, a mob of armed settlers attacked the town and killed Hamdi Naasan, 38, and pursued and injured more than 30 of the town’s residents. Despite attempts by Palestinian youth to throw stones at settlers as a deterrence, nine Palestinians were critically injured with live ammunition and hospitalized at the time.
“This is something that keeps happening. Our peaceful protests come in light of the violence we see from settlers that have closed down entrances to the village, assaulted shepherds in the area, and attacked us,” Naasan said.
In 2011 and 2014, Israeli settlers from Adei-Ad burned the mosque in al-Mughayyir in two separate incidents, desecrating a place of worship. The Adei-Ad outpost, which was established by a handful of Israeli settlers in 1998, is illegal under international law and Israeli law.
Despite being ordered to evacuate the outposts in the early 2000s, the settlers maintain a presence there and frequently engage in attacks on Palestinians in the surrounding areas, including al-Mughayyir. There is a plan to make Adei-Ad part of the nearby Amihai settlement, thereby legalizing the outpost.
“We live between an army that closes off our access to our lands and kicks out the Palestinian under the pretext of ‘closed military zone,’ yet somehow lets Israeli civilians and citizens to go as they please,” Naasan said.
“This is all part of settlers trying to drive us out.”
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