Drive-by Times: February 2009

Feb 28, 2009

King county deputy caught on video punching and kicking 15 year old girl

Deputy Paul Schene is the latest cop to star on YouTube. Schene was caught on video brutally beating a minor.

The attack took place in a cell at suburban SeaTac City Hall in Seattle. The victim of the attack, a 15-year old girl, apparently annoyed Schene by kicking off her shoe in his direction.

The video shows the deputy in action. He backs the girl against a wall, grabs her hair and slams her to the floor. A second deputy appears and gets in on the action.

This is a criminal assault... a view supported by King County Prosecutor Daniel Satterberg who said "We believe this is beyond just a case of police misconduct, it's criminal misconduct. This is clearly excessive force."

Schene has previously been investigated for shooting two people, killing one of them. The incidents occurred in 2002 and 2006. Both times his actions were found to be justified, according to Ian Goodhew, prosecutor's deputy chief of staff.

After the incident in Seatac Hall medics were called when the girl complained of breathing problems.

She has been booked for investigation of auto theft, but pleads not guilty to taking a motor vehicle without permission. She has also been booked on third-degree assault. Seems her offense amounted to kicking off the shoe, and if there was more to it Schene was still in no way justified in using excessive force.

Assaulting a fifteen year old kid who has been restrained is about as low as it gets. Prosecutors say Schene had no explanation for why he struck the girl after he had her in the holding position.

European workers at GM's subsidiaries stage mass protest

Employees of GM subsidiaries in Europe took part in protests this week.

With General Motors struggling to survive in the economic downturn, employees of the company's European subsidiary Opel turned out in force in an effort to save their jobs.

Workers gathered in Rüsselsheim near Frankfurt. where some 15,000 demonstrated at Opel's flagship factory. They were supported by 60,000 workers at Opel factories across Europe.

In addition to the Opel protests, workers were also set to walk out at Saab in Sweden, Vauxhall in the UK and at other factories in Austria, France, Spain and Hungary.

Some of the German protesters carried signs that echoed the words of Barack Obama, but with a twist - "Yes We Can, Without GM."

Part of the problem as the protesters see it is that GM built up overcapacity around the world without regard for losses.

Head of the union IG Metall, Berthold Huber, said that GM has "... built models with the aerodynamics of a barn door and the weight of a small tank." He added that, given high fuel costs and growing unemployment, such cars are "as necessary as freezers at the North Pole."

Berlin is waiting for Opel and GM to present a plan to streamline the company before deciding how to proceed.

Related Der Spiegel article here.

Feb 27, 2009

Hillary Clinton blasted by Jewish leaders on Gaza position

US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, has voiced criticism of Israel's treatment of Palestinians and has demanded that Israel speed up humanitarian aid to Gaza. This has angered Jewish leaders who interpret her stance as not being pro-Israel enough.

It's not as though Hillary Clinton is proposing anything radical and yet you have people like Mortimer Zuckerman, publisher of the New York Daily News saying "I am very surprised, frankly, at this statement from the United States government and from the secretary of state."

Assemblyman Dov Hikind, D-Brooklyn is also complaining, he said: "I liked her a lot more as a senator from New York. Now, I wonder as I used to wonder who the real Hillary Clinton is."

Well, she's hopefully signaling that when it comes to the Middle East US foreign policy isn't owned and operated by the Israel lobby.

It looks as though sanity is returning to the state department. The world is looking to the US to adopt a more even-handed approach, not to make the US position subordinate to an Israel-first agenda.

Israel apparently believes that it has the right to dish out collective punishment to Gaza because one Israeli soldier is being held by some Hamas elements. The right answer is no you don't have that right.

The Clintons and president Obama are planning to give the Palestinians $900 million toward the rebuilding of Gaza, in the wake of the destruction caused by the Israeli bombardment.

Link here for related story.

Sarkozy's ex-wife to head up campaign against domestic violence

French President Nicolas Sarkozy's ex-wife, Cécilia Attias, is heading to the USA to work full time on a campaign that aims to curb domestic violence against women.

Cécilia married multi-millionaire businessman Richard Attias shortly after divorcing Sarkozy. She will be residing in New York where she will spearhead the Cécilia Attias Foundation for Women. She told Gala magazine she is making to move to the US in order to "give everything" to the foundation.

The cause chosen by Cécilia has fueled speculation about what actually went on behind closed doors when she was married to Sarkozy.

Sarkozy's temper has become a talking point. Carla Bruni recently said in an interview "A lot of people are scared of him, not just because of his position, but because of his temper. I don't think he ever had the time for la dolce vita. I showed him how."

It got bad at times between Sarkozy and his ex - bad enough that at one point Sarko had to make an exit from the home he shared with Cécilia in Neuilly-sur-Seine and spend cooling-off time with a friend.

The police received notice of 'brutal exchanges'. No official action was taken but it was sufficiently serious that then interior minister, Francois Baroin, warned Sarkozy about the complaint.

Tensions in the marriage were made public. Cécilia refused to vote for Sarkozy in the presidential elections and then drove home the point with a no-show at his victory celebrations.

Following this when she did appear in public she appeared tearful at times and distressed. She was briefly admitted to hospital and put on anti-depressants.

The vicious row that led to Sarkozy absenting himself from the home, is mentioned in the book Love, Rupture and Betrayal by the French author Hubert Coudurier.

In his book Coudurier gives an insight into Sarkozy's expectations of the women in his life.

For a period Sarkozy had a relationship with Anne Fulda, a political reporter for Le Figaro. She claims he was accustomed to 'being served' and would request that she get his things ready in the morning. When Fulda refused to comply, Sarko would complain 'But Cécilia used to do it'.

Coudurier's take on it: "The man of power often behaves like a child when he is told 'no'."

Threat alert

Feb 26, 2009

Swedish police investigate 'Anti-American' attacks in Sodertalje

Swedish police said Thursday that arsonists had set four supermarkets on fire in the city of Sodertalje in what may be an anti-American attack. Three of the stores have been destroyed and a fourth damaged.

The supermarkets targeted on Thursday were branches of Willys, Ica and Tempo. The chains are all Swedish, but sell American goods.

Flyers have been showing up in Sodertalje urging people to target stores selling American goods. The flyers are signed by a network named Global Intifada. Last year the network claimed responsibility for two fires in Sodertalje.

Global Intifada is a loosely knit network - a self-described "network of independent groups and individuals". It uses the anarchist 'direct action' methods.

The term Global Intifada is thought to be linked to union activities and to the Palestinian activist, Andreas Malm - a former chairman of the syndicalist youth.

The Syndicalist Youth League has been using the term "global intifada" since 2002. Prior to that it was used on a booklet published in 1993 by the anarchist organization Labor Front.

In 2003 and 2004 a series of incidents in Sweden were related to protests against the wars in Iraq and Chechnya. The Polish Consulate in Sundbyberg was targeted, also Bofors in Stockholm and Gothenburg, the arms company Aimpoint in Malmö and the Danish Embassy in Stockholm.

GI members are alleged to have been involved in a firebomb attack on automobiles belonging to the Danish and Russian Embassies in 2005. Denmark was targeted because of its support for the Iraq war and Russia, as a protest against the war in Chechnya.

Members of GI were also involved in a firebomb incident at the Defense Material Administration (FMV) in Stockholm, August 28 2006. The reason given for the attack was that FMV was engaged in trade with Israel.

Police say they have no suspects in the Sodertalje fires but are investigating whether an anti-American group was responsible. Swedish Security police are also involved in the investigation.

Sodertalje is an industrial town of around 60,000 people. It received worldwide attention in recent years after accepting nearly 6,000 Iraqi refugees.

Feb 25, 2009

Bobby Jindal blows it

An article in The Daily Beast takes an intriguing look at Bobby Jindal's past - including info about his activities as an amateur exorcist bent on casting out Satan.

Whatever special powers Jindal might possess didn't come through for him on Tuesday night. His follow-up speech after Obama's major speech on the economy was judged as less than inspirational.

Louisiana Governor Jindal is something of a golden boy in Republican circles. It's hard to know what it is about Jindal that excites Republicans. Compared to the gravitas Obama brings to his delivery and his skill with the word, Jindal comes across on the tube like boy scout lite.

The comparison with Obama was put in sharp relief when Jindal appeared on camera following the president's address to Congress. Conservatives who were hoping for an oratorical blast that would take some of the sheen off Obama's speech were disappointed - instead they were treated to an amateurish effort by Jindal.

American Spectator's Philip Klein wrote: "The substance of his speech read fine, but his delivery was absolutely awful. His delivery was flat and his jokes and anecdotes were awkward, his grin childish."

On Fox news, Juan Williams also had a stinging remark: “It came off as amateurish and even the tempo in which he spoke was sing-songy,"

Williams added: "He was telling stories that seemed very simplistic and almost childish.”

Michelle Malkin was one of the few on the right with nice things to say about Jindal's sub-standard performance - predictable given that Malkin is mainly about spin.

Jeff Crouere, a former executive director of the Louisiana GOP is quoted in The Daily Beast article. According to Crouere, Jindal is right up there in the party ranks alongside Palin and Romney. Crouere even described him as 'the rock star of the Republican Party'.

Stories from Jindal's early years make interesting reading. His given name was Piyush. He decided to adopt "Bobby" after watching a particularly enthralling episode of the The Brady Bunch.

When he converted to Christianity, his Hindu parents were less than enthusiastic. In describing their reaction he says - “My parents have never truly accepted my conversion and still see my faith as a negative that overshadows my accomplishments...”

When he attended Brown University Jindal became something of a Christian zealot, even to the point of grappling with the powers of 'evil' in what can only be described as a hands-on fashion.

In an article titled “Beating a Demon: Physical Dimensions of Spiritual Warfare” that appeared in a Catholic magazine, Jindal reflects on his struggle to free a classmate named Susan from the grip of Satan.

We are informed that 'sulfuric scents' hung over Susan wherever she went. When Susan collapsed on the floor during a prayer meeting, the exorcist-within leaped into action as Jindal cried out “Satan, I command you to leave this woman!”

Daily Beast:

While under the supposed control of satanic demons, Susan lashed out at Jindal and his friends. “Whenever I concentrated long enough to begin prayer, I felt some type of physical force distracting me,” Jindal reflected. “It was as if something was pushing down on my chest, making it very hard for me to breathe… I began to think that the demon would only attack me if I tried to pray or fight back; thus, I resigned myself to leaving it alone in an attempt to find peace for myself.”

Daily Beast story here.

Rick Santorum thinks the Qur'an is written in Islamic

Senator Rick Santorum who has a wire about himself at the best of times, has been putting himself forward as a self-appointed expert on Islam. He recently delivered "a lecture on Islam" no less at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

In the course of the lecture he said that the Qur'an is written in Islamic. This is a bit like saying the Bible is written in Christian or that the Talmud is written in Jewish. Islam is of course the religion. The Qur'an is written in Arabic.

The Senator has attracted quite a few political enemies over the years. Senator Bob Kerrey of Nebraska, after sharing the floor with Santorum for the first three weeks of his term in the Senate, remarked "Santorum - That's Latin for asshole."

YouTube link here.

Higher authority

Feb 24, 2009

The Jews of Iran

The view most people have of Iran in the west has been heavily conditioned by media coverage that tends to play up the 'mad mullah' stereotype and the alleged horror-awaiting-us if Iran gets the bomb.

Contrary to common perception, Iran has a long track record of peaceful co-existence with its neighbors. The war against Iraq was brought about by Saddam's provocations, backed by America.

In an article titled "What Iran's Jews Say" writer Roger Cohen sheds light on a country that is in many ways complex and paradoxical. Judging Iran simply by the rhetoric of its leaders is too easy... too convenient. Reducing Iran to a caricature suits the purposes of people eager to paint the country as a threat.

Along with others I've had concerns about human rights violations in Iran. The treatment of homosexuals and religious minorities such as the Baha'i community for example. But such policies lie in the realm of officialdom. Iran has another face. Cohen captures a side of the country and its culture that people in the west too rarely see.

There is a large Jewish population in Iran, estimated to be around 25,000. There are more than a dozen synagogues in Tehran alone.

At the beginning of the article the writer mentions a synagogue in Esfahan with a banner over the entrance that reads : "Congratulations on the 30th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution from the Jewish community of Esfahan."

Okay, so maybe the Jews living amongst a multitude of Muslims are just doing what it takes to survive. Not exactly. There seems to be a genuine respect, even warmth between Iranian Jews and their Muslim customers and neighbors. Much in the way of the civilized graces.

Cohen paid a visit to an antique dealer named Soleiman Sedighpoor, 61 years of age. When he asked Sedighpoor if he was bothered by the occasional chants of "Death to Israel" - the dealer's response was surprising to say the least: "Let them say 'Death to Israel. I've been in this store 43 years and never had a problem. I've visited my relatives in Israel, but when I see something like the attack on Gaza, I demonstrate, too, as an Iranian."

Three paragraphs in Cohen's article should be read by anyone hasty to leap to judgment on the subject of Iran, because importantly this opinion comes from a Jew who is speaking from personal experience:

Still a mystery hovers over Iran's Jews. It's important to decide what's more significant: the annihilationist anti-Israel ranting, the Holocaust denial and other Iranian provocations - or the fact of a Jewish community living, working and worshiping in relative tranquility.

Perhaps I have a bias toward facts over words, but I say the reality of Iranian civility toward Jews tells us more about Iran - its sophistication and culture - than all the inflammatory rhetoric.

That may be because I'm a Jew and have seldom been treated with such consistent warmth as in Iran. Or perhaps I was impressed that all the fury over Gaza, trumpeted on posters and Iranian television, never spilled over into insults or violence toward Jews. Or perhaps it's because I'm convinced the "Mad Mullah" caricature of Iran and likening of any compromise with it to Munich 1938 - a position popular in American Jewish circles - is misleading and dangerous.

When Cohen asked a man named Morris Motamed, if as a Jew he felt used... a quisling... Motamed replied "I don't. In fact I feel deep tolerance here toward Jews." Motamed also referred to the "double standards" that allow Israel, Pakistan and India to have a nuclear bomb, but not Iran.

On this point Cohen elaborates:

Double standards don't work any more; the Middle East has become too sophisticated. One way to look at Iran's scurrilous anti-Israel tirades is as a provocation to focus people on Israel's bomb, its 41-year occupation of the West Bank, its Hamas denial, its repetitive use of overwhelming force. Iranian language can be vile, but any Middle East peace - and engagement with Tehran - will have to take account of these points.

This is an important article written from a perspective we rarely get in the media.

For Roger Cohen's article in full - link here

Photos beneath feature scenes from a synagogue in Tehran.

Seven Jewish Children: play accused of being anti-semitic

The play Seven Jewish Children was performed recently at the Royal Court theater in London. It is a short play, just eight minutes long and it has been castigated by some critics as anti-semitic.

The play by Caryl Churchill, covers short scenes marking time periods in the history of Israel, from the Holocaust through to the present day. It can be seen as a theatrical response to the violence in Gaza.

It is written from the standpoint of Israeli families. Parents and grandparents debate how much children should be told... how much they should know of what is going on.

Churchill has succeeded in condensing essential truths about the conflict. Self-preservation becomes a dominant theme, to the point of justifying acts of barbarity... "Tell her we're the iron fist now, tell her it's the fog of war, tell her we won't stop killing them till we're safe".

Churchill's play reflects a hard reality. Security in Israel is being used as justification for acts of militarized violence that have resulted in large numbers of civilian casualties. Yet in Israel reports of the deaths of Palestinian civilians are greeted with callous indifference by many, even with celebration in some quarters. Hearts have been hardened to such a degree that Israeli news readers who showed empathy toward the victims were singled out for criticism. In one case the Channel One anchor Yonit Levy was made the target of an online poll to blast her for showing empathy for Palestinians. The poll drew 30,000 respondents before it was shut down.

Yet you have Israel apologists in the UK such as Melanie Phillips and Howard Jacobson suggesting that Seven Jewish Children is anti-semitic. It makes you wonder what alternative political reality these people inhabit. Israel can apparently engage with impunity in acts of militarized violence that scandalized the world, while an eight minute play that reflects moral outrage is "a problem."

The claim by some Jews that criticism of Israel amounts to anti-semitism, is an attempt to intimidate people into silence. It injects a level of heightened sensitivity into media reporting on Israel, and doubtless has had many a reporter thinking carefully about his/her choice of words.

Anti-semitism is too often used as a form of political intimidation. Worse it is malicious in intent because it is attacking freedom of speech by attempting to create a direct and indivisible link between criticism of Israel and racism. Yet another exception we are supposed to grant Israel - a state that in the eyes of some can do no wrong - even as voters in that country raise the racist Avigdor Lieberman to a position of national prominence.

After the world witnessed crimes being committed in Gaza, that few other nations could get away with and still retain the level of legitimacy Israel enjoys among the western powers - these critics have the gall to suggest that criticism of Israel makes you well... anti-semitic or close to it.

Feb 22, 2009

Italy: citizen patrols raise fears of vigilantism

In Italy Berlusconi's cabinet has given the go-ahead for mayors to enrole citizen patrols to combat crime. Local officials will be tasked with organizing the patrols.

There have been a number of sexual assaults recently in Italy allegedly carried out by immigrants. The incidents have been used by anti-immigrant factions out to whip up xenophobia amid calls for a crackdown.

Violent incidents directed against immigrants have increased in Italy. Roma camps have also been targeted by gangs of thugs. Lega Nord (the Northern League) has helped to fuel much of the anti-immigrant feeling despite its laughable claims to be non-racist and non-violent. A while back League head, Umberto Bossi, referred to African immigrants as "bingo-bongos" and suggested opening fire on the boats of illegal immigrants.

Northern League poster

Another League xenophobe in a class of his own is the former mayor of Treviso Giancarlo Gentilini... read some of the unbelievable comments this guy has made over the years - here.

Gentilini the crusader waving sword

The backlash against immigrants even extended recently to cuisine. Foreign foods have become as suspect as foreigners. The food offensive began in Lucca, where the council banned any new ethnic food outlets from opening - details here.

Given the climate that currently exists in Italy, anyone who believes that citizen patrols will just be benign back-ups to the local constabulary is being extremely naive. Even police unions in Italy have warned that the decree will encourage vigilante behavior.

Feb 21, 2009

Mexico: drug war spinning out of control

More than 5,400 people were killed in drug war related violence in Mexico last year.

Prohibition-related violence has been exacerbated by Mexican President Calderón's decision to send in the troops. There have been incidents in which enforcement units have been fighting each other, with one or other group in the pay of the traffickers.

In the past Calderón has made efforts to crack down by conducting purges of police forces. In 2007 he purged 284 federal police commanders, including federal commanders of all 31 states and the federal district. In 2008 'Operation Cleanup' resulted in officials being arrested and charged with selling information or protection to the cartels.

These measures are bandaids that don't get to the root of a problem that tracks back to Washington. It is a policy failure - a view supported by César Gaviria of Colombia who said: "The available evidence indicates that the war on drugs is a failed war."

Former US drug czar, Gen. Barry McCaffery, is talking in dire terms about Mexico devolving into a narco state. The US joint Chiefs of Staff take a similarly bleak view. In their report - The Joint Operating Environment 2008 - they warn that Mexico is one of two countries liable to become failed states. The other country mentioned is Pakistan.

Tomás Ayuso, Mexico analyst for the Council on Hemispheric Affairs, has been sounding the alarm:

If this isn't addressed now, Mexico could really descend into chaos. The drug cartels have virtually unlimited funding, their coffers are overflowing. The shadow economy in which they operate is booming, their operatives are armed to the teeth, and the next step is to set up a shadow government. It's very easy for them to influence people. They say: 'Accept our bribes or we'll kill you and your family.''

The Washington-led war on drugs is not the answer. With the pressures of the US economy to deal with, it's unlikely Mexico will be viewed as an immediate priority any time soon.

Meanwhile the death toll continues to rise.

One of the cities most seriously impacted by the plague of killings is Ciudad Juarez. It is a city on the US-Mexican border. Recently the police chief stepped down after the gangs acted on a threat to kill one of his officers every two days until he quit.

Link here for more detail on the drug wars at Alternet.

Tags: Mexico, drug wars, drug cartel wars, Mexican cartel wars, Mexico narco state, Calderone, Ciudad Juarez, Mérida Initiative, Mexican violence, Mexico border wars, Mexico gang violence

Lior Shlein : Israeli Channel 10 host mocks Jesus and Mary

Christianity has been taking a few hits in Israel. Recently I posted on a story via Haaretz of religious Jews in Jerusalem who have been accused of spitting at Christians. In a recent case, flying spittle was aimed at a cross carried in a procession by Armenian Christians. In the subsequent brawl the 17th century cross was broken.

This week a show on Channel 10, one of Israel's three main TV stations, drew attention around the world by ridiculing and 'blaspheming' Jesus and Mary.

The show was hosted by well-known Israeli comedian named Lior Shlein. Mary is described as an unwed mother who got knocked up at 15 by a classmate. Jesus was too fat to have walked on water, in fact "he was so fat he was ashamed to leave the house, let alone go to the Sea of Galilee with a bathing suit."

Some of this is a reaction to the Pope's decision to reinstate Bishop Richard Williamson who claimed during an interview broadcast on Swedish TV that no Jews were gassed during the Holocaust and that only 200,000 or 300,000 were killed.

Shlein said that his sarcasm was "a lesson" to those Christians who deny the Holocaust. A misdirected reaction at best. Williamson is hardly representative of Christian views - in fact he would be viewed as a crank by most.

The Vatican's representative in Israel has lodged a complaint about the show. However the Israeli government's hands are tied on the matter to some extent because Channel 10 is a private station.

A few dozen Christian residents of Galilee held a protest against the late night talk show, and claimed Shlein had insulted their religion.

Christianity - religion in general - is a legitimate target for satire. But this episode isn't just about religion, it has broader political implications. Christian Americans are Israel's greatest backers. I wonder how Shlein's sarcasm is going over with them?

Imagine a goy comedian with an attitude about Israel, mocking the Jewish religion and its God along the same lines on a major American network. He/she would be branded anti-Semitic and worse.

All those starry eyed American Christians with an unquestioning devotion to Israel are more than a little naive. Truth is, there are quite a few Israeli Jews who think Christianity is a joke. It just takes an episode like the Williamson affair for some of the underlying attitudes to surface.

Feb 20, 2009

Lieberman backs Netanyahu for PM

Benjamin Netanyahu, leader of center-right Likud party, is on track to become Israel's next Prime Minister.

On Thursday Netanyahu's position was strengthened when the head of Yisrael Beiteinu, Avigdor 'the sphinx from Minsk' Lieberman offered his support.

Lieberman's support didn't come easily. According to Haaretz, in an earlier phone conversation Lieberman refused to come across with his support. It was only after Netanyahu threatened him in a message sent by a mutual friend that Lieberman agreed to come onside. The message warned Lieberman that if he didn't come through, he would find himself outside the government.

Netanyahu has been making noises about forming a broad coalition, but Livni doesn't appear willing to play along. She is threatening to go into opposition.

There was talk of a secular coalition of Likud, Kadima and Yisrael Beiteinu, 70 MK's in all with no Orthodox or ultra-Orthodox. A more secular arrangement would suit Lieberman, he's not a fan of the Orthodox.

He has been carrying a grudge against Shas' spiritual leader Rabbi Ovadia Yosef because the latter branded him "Satan" during the election campaign. Word is the sphinx is looking for a chance to get revenge.

On Sunday Netanyahu is meeting with Livni for coalition talks.

One of the best analysis I've read of Lieberman and what he stands for, comes from the Israeli activist and writer Uri Avnery in an article titled Dirty Socks:

Liberman has created a party that is simply and thoroughly racist. Its election campaign is centered on the demand to annul the Israeli citizenship of “non-loyal” people. Meaning: the Arabs, who constitute 20% of Israel’s citizens.

In every other country, Liberman’s program would be called fascist, without quotation marks. Nowhere in the Western world is there a large party that would dare to advance such a demand. The neo-fascists in Switzerland and Holland want to expel foreigners, not to annul the citizenship of the native-born.

The core of the party is made up of immigrants from the former Soviet Union, many of whom have brought from their homeland an utter contempt for democracy, a desire for a strong leader (a Stalin or a Putin), a racist attitude towards brown-skinned citizens and a taste for brutal, Chechnya-style wars. They have now been joined by young, native-born Israelis, who have been radicalized by the recent war.

When Joerg Haider was taken into the Austrian cabinet, Israel recalled its ambassador from Vienna in protest. But compared to Liberman, Haider was a raving liberal, and so is Jean-Marie le Pen.

Avnery says that "Fascism has become a serious player in the Israeli public domain. The three main parties have now legitimized it. This phenomenon must be stopped before it is too late."

The next couple of years in the region with Netanyahu at the helm are liable to be eventful.

New incarnation of the Israeli right

Feb 19, 2009

Hate preacher Fred Phelps banned from entering UK

Westboro church hate preacher Fred Phelps and his daughter Shirley Phelps-Roper have been banned from entering the UK. The Phelps planned to picket a production of The Laramie Project, due to be staged at a school arts center in Basingstoke, Hampshire.

The Laramie Project is a play about a young American man who was murdered because he was gay.

A UK border spokesperson said:

The Government has made it clear it opposes extremism in all its forms.

We will continue to stop those who want to spread extremism, hatred and violent messages in our communities from coming to our country.

Last week the controversial Dutch politician Geert Wilders was also refused entry to the UK. Wilders produced a video titled Fitna that he released on YouTube. It is little more than an inventive propaganda exercise designed to smear Islam.

However Jamaican reggae performers who perform tunes with lyrics that advocate the murder of gays have been allowed into the UK. So there seems to be a double standard.

A ban on advocates of murder is more understandable than banning people whose message is hateful. Objectionable though hate mongers are, I'm not convinced that in every case a ban is the way to go. Often the words and actions of these individuals do the most damage to their own cause - whereas banning them risks making them martyrs - or simply more newsworthy than they deserve.

Christopher Hitchens takes a beating in Beirut

There is a touch of the masochist in Christopher Hitchens' make-up. Not so long ago he volunteered to be waterboarded and looks, even on good days, like someone who has been beaten up by a few bottles the night before - but most people wouldn't add "stupid" to his list of character traits.

Seems though while in Beirut at the invitation of the Harri-Saudi group, Hitchens came across a poster for the Syrian Social Nationalist Party (SSNP) and decided to deface it - allegedly with the words "fuck the SSNP".

The Abu Muqawama blog has an update on the incident:

Update: This story has now been confirmed. Look, it's widely known that since the May 2008 events the SSNP guys have behaved like thugs in Hamra (where the ass-kicking took place). But seriously, would you roll into East L.A. and start writing over gang signs? I mean, is that smart? C'mon, Brother Hitchens, we're rootin' for you, but have a little walkin' around sense. He was probably at De Prague. Where the wait staff is, like, 90% SSNP. Abu Muqawama's Top Three West Beirut Watering Holes: 1. Barometre (cheap arak, great fattoush); 2. Captain's Cabin; 3. Danny's. (In response to a reader, the great Chez Andre closed sometime a little over a year ago. That hole-in-the-wall was great.)

Sounds as though Hitchens was in the wrong area and was being watched when he began scrawling. This is a bit like going pubbing in a loyalist area of Belfast back in the day and defacing a UDA poster with local hard men standing outside a pub watching. Hitchens may not have been heard from again - so all things considering he got off fairly lightly.

But poster defacement wasn't the only provocation offered by Hitchens. He also got into a brawl with backers of the pro-Syrian SNPN. Word is Hitchens insulted their swastika flag and received gashed knuckles and bruises in the subsequent brawl.

The Angry Arab news service says he has been left with a bit of a limp. Nothing I'm sure that a few scotches won't take care of.

Feb 18, 2009

Peter Mandelson slams Starbucks boss for attack on UK economy

On the business TV channel CNBC, Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz said that "the UK is in a spiral" and consumer confidence is 'very, very poor'.

Times are tough all around, but few Brits want to receive a diagnosis from coffee-king Schultz, least of all UK business secretary Peter Mandelson.

The comments from Schultz infuriated Mandelson who hit back with a few choice words:

"Who the fuck is he? How the hell are they (Starbucks) doing?"

Mandelson was in New York recently. His remarks were made in front of journalists outside the official residence of the British consul-general. Mandelson said Schultz was spreading unnecessary misery and speaking out of turn.

The comments are typical of Schultz. He has waded into politics in the past, in particular with comments on the conflict in the Middle East. Some activists have dubbed Starbucks coffee "Zionist coffee" with calls for a boycott against the company. Schultz' politicking could well be one of the reasons his company profits are down.

Starbucks revealed a 69% plunge in profits over three months to December. This month the company announced it is closing 300 coffee shops.

Mandelson noted the drop in Starbucks profits in comments he made on CNBC, shortly after Schultz appeared on the show:

The UK is not spiralling, although I've noticed Starbucks is in a great deal of trouble – but that might be because of their over-expansion given the state of the market.

So please don't project Starbucks on to the UK economy as a whole.

There are larger problems with the system itself. It was after all the poorly regulated 'cowboy' market in the US that helped to precipitate the nosedive. Happy days definitely won't be returning any time soon - mocha java or not.

Guardian article on the story here.

Feb 17, 2009

Elizabeth Wong : offers to resign after nude photos released

Elizabeth (Eli) Wong, a prominent and well respected Malaysian opposition legislator, has offered to resign after photos of her asleep in the nude circulated on the internet without Wong's knowledge or consent. The photos were taken with a cellphone - some reports implicate an unnamed ex-boyfriend.

Ms Wong described the photo-sabotage as an attempt to discredit her party.

Parti Keadilan Rakyat, the People's Justice Party has told Ms Wong to take an extended leave. It announced that the party would decide at a later date whether to accept her resignation from the central Selangor state assembly.

The leader of the PJP, Anwar Ibrahim, has himself been the target of sex smears. He was accused of sodomy of two occasions.

There are suspicions the government is complicit in this. Lurid accusations are nothing new in Malaysian politics - details here.

A lot of Elizabeth Wong's supporters don't want to see her resign, but the party is likely calculating what the political fall-out might be. Perhaps they are letting some time pass to see how the incident plays out. She appears to be willing to defer to her party in the matter and will proceed accordingly.

The best comment on the affair via Malaysian news sources came from Ivy Joseph, Women's Aid Organization president. She said:

"If whoever behind this thinks that they have succeeded in humiliating Elizabeth Wong, they're wrong! They have humiliated themselves through this vile, despicable and irrelevant act."

Related cartoon here.

Link here to Eli Wong's blog where she states her position in a recent post. There are hundreds of comments, many of them well worth reading.

Running for office in Malaysia

Feb 16, 2009

Senior US military officers investigated : billions of Iraq reconstruction dollars missing

In what is being described as the makings of the greatest fraud story US history, senior US military officers are being investigated in the misuse of $125 billion - funds directed toward the reconstruction of Iraq.

A report by the US Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction (SIGIR) suggests that the amount of money missing could be in excess of $50 billion.

An article in the UK Independent quotes a US businessman active in Iraq since 2003 as saying: "I believe the real looting of Iraq after the invasion was by US officials and contractors, and not by people from the slums of Baghdad."

Independent:

In one case, auditors working for SIGIR discovered that $57.8m was sent in "pallet upon pallet of hundred-dollar bills" to the US comptroller for south-central Iraq, Robert J Stein Jr, who had himself photographed standing with the mound of money. He is among the few US officials who were in Iraq to be convicted of fraud and money-laundering.

Despite the vast sums funneled into reconstruction since 2003 , there have been no cranes visible on the Baghdad skyline - except those working on the new US embassy.

Iraqi leaders have believed for some time that the misappropriation of reconstruction money involved corrupt US officials, while admitting the problem with corruption in their government. Ali Allawi went so far as to say that Iraq was "becoming like Nigeria in the past when all the oil revenues were stolen". But they also believe that US officials must have been in on the racket themselves - possibly by using Iraqi appointees as front-men in shady deals.

Independent:

In 2004-05, the entire Iraq military procurement budget of $1.3bn was siphoned off from the Iraqi Defence Ministry in return for 28-year-old Soviet helicopters too obsolete to fly and armoured cars easily penetrated by rifle bullets. Iraqi officials were blamed for the theft, but US military officials were largely in control of the Defence Ministry at the time and must have been either highly negligent or participants in the fraud.

A US businessman named Dale C. Stoffel who was murdered after leaving the US base at Taiji north of Baghdad in 2004 made accusations of corruption. His evidence is now being re-examined. Stoffel claimed that a network of bribery existed that involved companies and US officials awarding contracts. He said that bribes in the tens of thousands of dollars were regularly delivered in pizza boxes and sent to US contracting officers.

For Independent article in full link here.

Related NY Times article here.

Dresden : neo Nazis mark 64th anniversary of allied bombing : photos

Saturday was the 64th anniversary of the allied bombing of Dresden. For years neo-Nazis have used the anniversary as an occasion to stage a "march of mourning".

Dresden has become a symbol for neo-Nazis, a rallying point. They refer to the air assault on the city as a "Bomb Holocaust" and claim hundreds of thousands were killed - well in excess of the official 25,000 figure.

This year neo-Nazis showed up in force - estimates put the number as high as 8,000.

A Guardian article captures the mood:

Large numbers of riot police were drafted into Dresden as several hundred anti-fascists hurled abuse at the far-right marchers and shouted: "Nazis out!"

The neo-Nazis marched to the music of Wagner and Bach, blaring from loudspeakers. As they crossed the Elbe towards the old city, they encountered several hundred anti-fascists. The organisers merely turned up the volume and played the Ride of the Valkyries.

A counter-protest that included leaders from the Greens, Social Democrats and Left Party attracted 10,000. People from across Germany answered the call from church organizations, political parties and trade unions to come out and demonstrate against the neo-Nazis.

Beneath are photos from Saturdays events in Dresden:

Neo-Nazis gathering in Dresden

Police attempt to keep the neo-Nazis and
counter-demonstrators apart.

Attempts to block the neo-Nazi march

Opposing groups face off in the inner city close to the
Zwinger Palace and Semper opera house

Counter demonstrators out in force

Reps from the Greens, Left Party and
Social Democrats took part

Nazis : Nein danke! (no thank you!)

Anti-Nazi protesters clash with police

Feb 15, 2009

Israeli general Avi Mizrahi : comments anger Turkey

Israeli ambassador Gabby Levi was summoned to Turkey's foreign ministry in Ankara Saturday to explain comments made by Maj. General Avi Mizrahi.

During a speech at the Gelilot military base Mizrahi accused Turkey of oppressing Kurds and Armenians.

This was perceived as a shot aimed at Turkish PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Erdogan walked out of the Davos Economic Forum following a spat with Israeli President Peres, during which Erdogan made pointed criticisms of Israeli actions in Gaza.

After the Davos incident, Mizrahi's comments were a bit like throwing gas on simmering embers. He said Erdogan should "look at himself" before criticizing others - a reference to the Armenian genocide - long a touchy subject for Turks. He also said that Turkey should be removed from the UN.

Turkey's military said the remarks "cannot be accepted under any condition" and "can harm national interests between the two countries."

The IDF has issued a statement saying Mizrahi's views do not represent their position.

On returning home after his dramatic departure from Davos, Erdogan was hailed as a "Conquering hero." His stance in Davos has drawn praise from all quarters of the Islamic world. Demonstrators in Yemen and Syria took to the streets holding up his pictures The mayor of Tehran even named Erdogan an honorary citizen of the city.

Mizrahi's comments will likely add to the already strained relations between Israel and Turkey.

Tags: Avi Mizrahi, Israeli general, Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Davos Economic Forum, Gelilot military base, Israeli general's comments, Mizrahi's criticism of Turkey, Peres, Israel, Gaza

Hampshire College divests from Israel : Dershowitz threatens

On Feb 7 the board of trustees of Hampshire College in Massachusetts approved a proposal that would divest school assets from an investment fund that includes companies that violate the college's standards of social responsibility. Violations cited include unfair labor practices, environmental abuse, military weapons manufacturing and unsafe workplaces.

The proposal resulted from a review of the college's investments by Students for Justice in Palestine. A spokesperson for the campus group said more than 800 students, professors, and alumni signed a petition calling for the divestment, which was presented to trustees.

University officials say that the decision to divest from the fund was made "without reference to any country or political movement".

However the SJP group released a statement that heralded the move as "the first of any college or university in the U.S. to divest from companies on the grounds of their involvement in the Israeli occupation of Palestine." They also named six companies on the list complicit in the occupation. They are Caterpillar, United Technologies, General Electric, ITT Corp., Motorola and Terex.

Hampshire was the first college to divest from the South African apartheid system in the 1970's. As with S. Africa back in the day, a broad movement has been taking shape on college campuses protesting Israeli policies toward Palestinians and calling for divestment.

Students at Hampshire who led the campaign drew negative attention from none other than Zionist apologist Alan Dershowitz. You would think Dershowitz would have more to do with his time than harass students, but apparently not. You can link here for the account of Dershowitz' odd phone outreach.

Tags: Hampshire College, Massachusetts, Students for Justice in Palestine, Caterpillar, Alan Dershowitz, Israel divestment, Divests from Israel, Occupied territories, SJP, Israeli occupation

Arkansas House OK's bill that would allow guns in churches

The Arkansas House has approved a bill that would allow concealed guns in churches. The bill would remove churches and other houses of worship from the list of places where concealed handguns are banned.

Representative Beverly Pyle who sponsored the bill, said she introduced the measure after a number of church shootings across the country.

In defending the bill, Pyle said that citizens should be given the right to defend themselves if a situation occurs in a church. She said that at least 20 states have introduced similar laws that allow churches to choose whether or not to allow concealed guns.

Nathan Petty, a pastor at Grove Baptist Church in Fordyce presented legislators with a petition from 40 preachers who support the bill.

Pastors are divided on the issue. John Phillips, a pastor opposed to the bill, thinks that guns in churches could exacerbate potentially volatile situations.

This is a uniquely American debate because in other parts of the world the idea of parishioners singing "Rock of Ages" with concealed Glocks, Colts, Magnums and Smith & Wessons would be beyond bizarre.

In parts of the US violence and the expectation-of-violence has become woven into the fabric of life. It comes as no surprise that some worshipers might feel more comfortable showing up for service with their trusty firearm.

Jesus of the New Testament is on record teaching non-violence. Gun-toting American Christians sends a message that comes close to making a mockery of the faith they profess.

But apparently pro-bill pastors can live with the inherent contradiction.

Currently in Arkansas, holders of concealed weapons permits can take their guns anywhere they want except bars and houses of worship. The bill in the state Senate would let churches decide for themselves whether weapons should be allowed.

Just a little add-on

Feb 14, 2009

New York Jews protest outside the World Zionist Organization in support of Gaza

There are those who believe that if you are anti-Zionist and critical of the state of Israel, you are to some degree anti-Semitic. The problem with this line of thinking is that many Jews have profound issues with Zionism and the state of Israel, yet proudly call themselves Jewish.

Jewishness and Zionism are not synonymous or even necessarily compatible.

Throughout the Gaza campaign I was inspired by the conviction and courage of Jews who stood up and said "not in our name."

Yesterday in New York, over 1,000 Jews demonstrated outside the World Zionist Organization and Jewish Agency against Israel’s policies in Gaza.

Feb 12, 2009

Update: doubts raised about knife attack on Brazilian woman Paula Oliveira

The claims of a Brazilian woman named Paula Oliveira who said she was attacked by racist skinheads near Zurich, have been unraveling over the last 24 hours - including Ms Oliveira's claim that she was pregnant and had a miscarriage following the attack.

Pictures of her slashed abdomen showed up in media outlets around the world and caused outrage in Brazil where Foreign Minister Celso Amorim described the assault as "grave and "shocking."

Swiss authorities claim she wasn't pregnant at the time of the attack. Medical experts also believe that she may have cut herself. According to Walter Baer, head of Zurich University's forensic medicine department: "any experienced forensic doctor would not hesitate to assume that this was a case of self-infliction".

The news has taken the Brazilian government by surprise, with a member of Lula's press office saying only that the case appeared to have taken on "new dimensions."

However the Oliveira incident pans out, it shouldn't distract from concerns about racism and xenophobia in Switzerland, where anti-immigrant feeling is prevalent. Over the past decade there have been numerous anti-foreigner incidents, including arson attempts on asylum facilities.

Skinhead and neo-Nazi elements have have been around in Switzerland for some time. Going back to the 1990's gangs such as Schweizer (Swiss) Hammer Skins and the neo-Nazi group Neo-Faschistischen were among the better known.

The political campaigns of the anti-immigrant Schweizerische Volkspartei, or Swiss People's Party have been overtly racist. They campaigned for tighter immigration laws using the image of black hands reaching into a pot filled with Swiss passports.

Another SVP campaign poster looks like sheep out of a children's book. A closer look makes the message clear - whites standing on the Swiss flag, ejecting the immigrants - represented by a black sheep.

In 2007 the UN's, Doudou Diène, warned that a "racist and xenophobic dynamic" was becoming part of the democratic system in Switzerland.

Tags: Brazilian, Skinheads, Europe, Nazis, Skinheads, Skinheads Brazilian, Swiss People's Party, Switzerland, Switzerland Skinheads, Switzerland Xenophobia, Swiss Skinheads, SVP, Miscarriage, Paula Oliveira

Jews in Jerusalem accused of spitting on Christians

Wearing the clerical garb of the Christian religion in parts of Jerusalem can draw not just nasty looks, but also phlegm. If recent reports are to be believed Jews have been spitting at Christians and a lot of it goes unreported.

In an article that appeared in the Israeli paper Haaretz, we learn about a prelate who decided not to report a 'spitting assault' to the authorities, although he did disclose details of the incident to an acquaintance.

The cleric in question is a senior Greek Orthodox clergyman. He attended a meeting in Jerusalem's Givat Shaul quarter. When he returned from the meeting he got back into his car. A man wearing a skullcap knocked on the car window then spat in the face of the clergyman.

Apparently many such incidents have occurred, but as the story in Haaretz suggests, the majority go unreported.

On Sunday when an Armenian Archbishop was carrying the cross near the Holy Sepulchar, a yeshiva student spat at the cross. In the ensuing brawl the 17th century cross was broken.

Haaretz:

According to Daniel Rossing, former adviser to the Religious Affairs Ministry on Christian affairs and director of a Jerusalem center for Christian-Jewish dialogue, there has been an increase in the number of such incidents recently, "as part of a general atmosphere of lack of tolerance in the country."

Rossing says there are certain common characteristics from the point of view of time and location to the incidents. He points to the fact that there are more incidents in areas where Jews and Christians mingle, such as the Jewish and Armenian quarters of the Old City and the Jaffa Gate.

The Haaretz story suggests that yeshiva students are behind many of the spitting incidents - apparently with the approval or at least connivance of at least some of their yeshiva rabbis.

Haaretz:

Former adviser to the mayor on Christian affairs, Shmuel Evyatar, describes the situation as "a huge disgrace." He says most of the instigators are yeshiva students studying in the Old City who view the Christian religion with disdain.

"I'm sure the phenomenon would end as soon as rabbis and well-known educators denounce it. In practice, rabbis of yeshivas ignore or even encourage it," he says.

Evyatar says he himself was spat at while walking with a Serbian bishop in the Jewish quarter, near his home. "A group of yeshiva students spat at us and their teacher just stood by and watched."

The spitting incidents speak to an often disguised religious truth. A percentage of religious Jews do in fact hold Christianity in disdain, it's just that some in Jerusalem appear to be getting more demonstrative about it.

It's hard to know if this is just a minority pursuit or if it is more widely approved of. Some repercussions have followed the Sunday incident in Jerusalem. The police acted in the case of the yeshiva student who spat on the cross. He will go to trial and has been banned from the Old City for 75 days. Whether or not such punishments will put an end to the flying spittle is another question.

Tags: spitting Jews, Jews spitting at Christians, Jerusalem, yeshiva students, clergymen, Givat Shaul, Christians spat upon, Haaretz

House of Marley : Hilco and Bob Marley family ink deal

The late great Bob Marley, has become a merchandizing magnet. Most of the Marley related product for sale i.e. T-shirts, mugs, posters, baseball caps... are bootleg goods.

Sales of bootlegged Marley items are reckoned to generate as much as $600 million a year worldwide. This doesn't exactly thrill Bob Marley's family. They recently signed a deal with a Chicago-based private equity firm, Hilco Consumer Capital. It's a joint venture called House of Marley.

Hilco is hoping to build a Marley operation that could bring in $1 billion annually. Sounds like heavy duty capitalism. Would Bob be cool with it? Who knows.

The partners will look at expanding existing Marley brands such as Catch a Fire, Bob Marley, Three Little Birds and of course the record label, Tuff Gong, that helped to make Bob and the Wailers reggae icons.

Get set for... Bob Marley video games. Manufacturers with a Marley-type concept can get in on the action provided they get approval. Hilco is open to licensing new product.

The partners are even talking Marley cafes - a chain of One Love coffee shops no less.

Obviously the family have their interests to look after, but there is something a bit bizarre about all this when you consider what Bob Marley stood for in his music. The most amusing line I saw that addresses the strange and unsettling irony of Bob-as-capitalist-icon comes from the site creativity:

Among the cornucopia of other products the company hoped to market using Marley was snowboards. Yes, snowboards. Because when I think of the message behind songs like "Get Up, Stand Up," I think of gliding down corporately-owned mountains of snow with crowds of rich, white people.

Check out some of the cool and not-so-cool Marley themed products out there:

Marley doggywear

Marley alarm clock

Marley watch

Marley lamp

Marley romper room gear

Marley boxing gloves

Marley cufflinks

Feb 11, 2009

Babi Badalov is in Paris

Back in July of 2008 I posted about the trials of an artist and poet from Azerbaijan named Babakhan Badalov (Babi).

Babi became the target of harassment because he is openly gay. He sought asylum in the UK, but was eventually deported - the story of his saga here and here.

I was pleased to receive word from a friend that Babi is now in France. When he was deported to Azerbaijan he went into hiding before fleeing to St Petersburg, Russia. From there he succeeded in getting back safely into the EU.

He is now residing in Paris and according to No Borders activists, is doing well under the circumstances.

Bonne chance Babi!

You can see a recent video of Babi here.

World map and poll ranking the importance of religion

In 2006, 2007, and 2008, Gallup asked representative samples in 143 countries and territories whether religion was an important part of their daily lives. The accompanying map shows religiosity by country, ranging from the least religious to the most religious on a relative basis.

Given the concerns about the influence of religion in American life and politics, you might have expected the US to be up there among the most religious countries. In fact this isn't the case - because the importance of religion in a society is related to a large degree to that society's level of affluence. The poll taken by Gallup indicates that residents in richer countries tend to rank religion as less important and the US reflects this trend.

According to the poll the proportion of residents in the US who say religion is important is around the 65% mark. By contrast 8 of the 11 countries in which almost all residents (at least 98%) say religion is important in their daily lives are poorer nations in sub-Saharan Africa and Asia.

The poll has a state-to-state breakdown ranking the importance of religion in lives of Americans. Mississipi places high importance on religion at 85%, whereas Vermont at 42% suggests residents view religion as less important.

Countries with highest standard of living such as Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Hong Kong and Japan rank as the least religious.

An accompanying article on the Gallup site titled What Albamians and Iranians Have in Common is worth the read - link here.

Catholic Church bringing back Plenary Indulgences

With his traditionalist bent and sympathies for pre-Second Vatican Council mumbo jumbo, it comes as no surprise that Pope Benedict is giving the nod to the return of indulgences in the Catholic Church.

Roman Catholic doctrine is full of implausible theological concepts. Only a very naive person could possibly go along with half of it. Indulgences only add to the impression of a Church out-of-touch and intent on reviving the more Monty Pythonesque aspects of Catholic religiosity.

Indulgences allegedly grant a sort of amnesty from punishment in the afterlife. Of course, they also place power back in the hands of priests - which is what Benedict is all about. The re-emergence of indulgences, saint veneration and other stratagems from the RC box-of-tricks is in part a move to help shore up the fading influence of the Church.

Indulgences were dropped decades ago by Catholics with good sense who realized, much as Luther did in his day, that such beliefs risked making the Church into a sort of spiritual bazaar where 'sins' could be absolved with clerical rigmarole, helped by perhaps a donation to a charity or two.

The danger with reviving the bones-and-relics mentality, indulgences - oh and re-instating a schismatic who is a Holocaust denier - is that you lose massive amounts of credibility - as this Pope is doing.

Link here to a very good NY Times article on the recent revival of indulgences.

Plenary indulgences make a comeback in the RC church

Feb 10, 2009

Blogger detained and interrogated about blog posts critical of Israel

Israel's attack on Gaza turned up the temperature online with heated criticisms of Israeli tactics appearing in blog posts and on social networking sites. With the ramping up of tensions, there were also allegations that pro-Israel groups were making coordinated efforts to sabotage online criticism of Israel by targeting websites and downmodding social networking posts in an attempt to bury negative commentary on the subject of Israel.

Attempts to control speech online certainly doesn't help to enhance Israel's image or the democratic credentials it likes the world to believe it possesses. Tactics of this sort might work in the short term to stem some of the criticism - but in the end it's a losing game. It's also a good way to drive away potential support or even sympathy.

A recent story about a TPM blogger who was held and interrogated in Israel because some of his blog posts contained criticism of Israel, is very illuminating. The blogger, who goes by the name jdledell, is considering "aliyah" - immigrating to Israel with his family. He is clearly a reasonable and fair minded individual, and yet he was targeted on arrival at Ben Gurion airport and subjected to an interrogation.

Here is how jdledell described the experience:

As some of you know my wife and I have been seriously considering aliyah. We spent several weeks in November in Israel exploring some of the details involved in such a move. We were somewhat optimistic at that point and on January 22 we made an official Aliyah visit. Landing at Ben Gurion we were quickly moved to an interrogation room.

Two gentlemen (I assume they were Shin Bet but they never said) questioned us for 90 minutes about my blog postings on Israel, some of which I recognized from TPM. They had a significant volume of printouts and asked detailed questions about my criticisms of Israel.. Finally in exasperation I told them - "For G-d's sake, I am no Norm Finkelstein". Bad move - they immediately started questioning me on my relationship with Finkelstein and seemed unmoved by my denials of ever meeting the man. Finally, they said we could enter Israel but we "better watch our step". I was not terribly bothered by the interrogation but my wife was extremely upset by it.

For the full post on jdledell's blog link here,

Feb 9, 2009

AP sued by Obama poster artist Shepard Fairey

LA based artist Shepard Fairey filed a lawsuit Monday against the US news agency, Associated Press. Fairey and his Obey Giant Art Inc. claim in the suit that his use of an AP photograph to create a poster design was not a violation of copyright law, as claimed by AP.

The design in question is the iconic image of Barack Obama that appeared on posters during the 2008 presidential campaign. Fairey's design was based on a photo taken by photographer Mannie Garcia.

The artist's lawyers claim their client created an "image that creates powerful new meaning and conveys a radically different message that has no analogue in the original photograph."

The copyright complaint by AP is pushing it. Fairey's design departs in radical ways from the original. It's almost like claiming that merely looking at and keeping in memory general outlines of a photographic composition for use in a design is copyright infringement. There have to be degrees when it comes to evaluating what constitutes genuine infringement.

If Fairey's Obama image had been executed in a hyper realistic style, with close-to exact renderings of skin tone, light and shade etc, then you could see why a photographer might get upset. But Fairey's design is such a departure from the original both in terms of artistic rendering and meaning that as his lawyers rightly contend, it has "no analogue in the original photograph."

Raw Story has more detail on the report - here.

Famous paintings based on photographs

Shepard Fairey is in good company. The paintings beneath were inspired by a photograph - while being wholly original compositions in their own right.

From top-down in order - works by Paul Gauguin, Vincent Van Gogh, Edgar Degas, Toulouse Lautrec and Paul Cezanne.

Israeli election : Avigdor Lieberman and the ghost of Meir Kahane

It's finally happened. Eighteen years after the assassination of far-right rabbi Meir Kahane, racism and hardline nationalism are becoming mainstream in Israeli politics - and by the way not just on the right side of the spectrum - the disease is also making inroads in so-called 'moderate' circles, as became evident during the Gaza offensive. Israeli newsreaders whose facial expressions beytrayed signs of empathy for suffering Palestinians were castigated as unpatriotic. Yonit Levy of Channel 2 became the target of hate mail and a critical online poll with thousands logging their objections.

The electoral process that once rejected Kahane's vision, will likely strengthen a brand of populist nationalism that would find much to its liking in the late-rabbi's hardline views.

With the tilt to the right, Likud should do well in the upcoming election. Netanyahu has pledged that far-right Avigdor Lieberman will be an "important minister" in his government. Not surprising given the surge of support for Lieberman's brand of populist politics.

Lieberman is chairman of the Yisrael Beiteinu (Israel is our Home) party. His far-right credentials go back quite a ways. Even though a secularist, he was a member of the Kach party when Kahane was making headlines.

Gideon Levy writing in Haaretz says this of Lieberman and his party:

But the nightmare is here and now. Kahane is alive and kicking - is he ever - in the person of his thuggish successor. This is not just a matter of disqualifying Yisrael Beiteinu; it is not even a matter of this party's growing strength to terrifying proportions, becoming the fulcrum that will decide who becomes prime minister. This is a matter of legitimization. All society bears responsibility for it.

Meir Kahane doing his thing in Jerusalem

Avigdor Lieberman is a big hit with the Russian contingent in Israel. He was born in Kishinev in the former Soviet Union and worked for a period as a bouncer in a nightclub in Moldavia prior to immigrating to Israel in 1978 at the age of 20. His popularity in Israel doesn't appear to have been adversely affected by the allegations of corruption leveled at his inner circle.

Lieberman is a populist politician with the instincts of a thug. A demagogue whose supporters warm up rallies with chants such as "death to the Arabs." The track record of this guy should send chills up the spine of anyone who holds any genuine hope for regional peace.

Not so long ago Lieberman called for the execution of any Israeli Arab MP's who talk with Hamas. He also likened the Israeli attack on Gaza to the American offensive against Japan in WW2 - a none-too-subtle analogy given the dropping of atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

The emergence of Lieberman into mainstream political life has horrified those Israelis who know only too well what he stands for.

This is how Mr Levy puts it in the recent Haaretz article:

Lieberman and his soldiers are borne on the tides of hatred for Arabs, hatred of democracy and the rule of law, and the stink of nationalism, racism and bloodthirstiness. These have turned, horrifically, into the hottest electoral assets on the market. Like all others of his political ilk, he cynically fans these base urges, particularly among the weaker classes, the rejected, the poor and the immigrants. But not just there. Many young people, among them brainwashed soldiers, will give him their vote, and no one ostracizes them. He chose an easy, relatively weak target, Israel's Arabs, and sets his supporters on them. But his doctrine has seeped in much deeper than that.

A cursory look at Lieberman's record gives good reason for concern.

In 2003, Ariel Sharon made a commitment to the US with respect to amnesty for approximately 350 Palestinian prisoners. Lieberman offered a mafia-like solution of his own. He said: "It would be better to drown these prisoners in the Dead Sea if possible, since that's the lowest point in the world."

Lieberman didn't let it go at that - he continued to elaborate. According to Galei Tzahai (Israel army radio), he stated his willingness as minister of transportation, to supply the buses to take the prisoners to be drowned.

This is by no means the only example of Lieberman's extremist mindset. In 2002, he proposed answering Palestinian attacks this way: "if it were up to me I would notify the Palestinian Authority that tomorrow at ten in the morning we would bomb all their places of business in Ramallah, for example."

Lieberman is the type of politician who would be sidelined in European politics and kept on a short leash. But as Gideon Levy points out, he is now welcomed in every Israeli living room and television studio ...

Lieberman is the voice of the mob, and the mob craves hatred, vengeance and bloodshed. A useless war in which hundreds of children were killed was received here sympathetically, if not happily. The parties from the right and center have tried to disqualify the Arab parties; these lists are also excluded ahead of time in every political calculation. And Arab students cannot rent an apartment.

When the intifada of Israel's Arabs breaks out here one day, we will know whom to blame - those who criminally incited against them and, no less, those who turned this incitement into something acceptable and legitimate. This cancerous growth has spread to all parts of society; it remains only to issue a desperate last call: Keep away from this abomination. Anything but Yisrael Beiteinu, lest it really become Israel, our home.

If it's a close result Tuesday or even if Livni pulls off a slim win, Lieberman will potentially be in a position to be a King or Queen-maker. Since he is a secularist he may consider working with Livni. If she agrees to hook up with Lieberman, it's almost worse than if he made an arrangement with Likud, because he will import his poison with him.

For Gideon Levy's article in full link to Haaretz - here.

Feb 7, 2009

Obama 'Hope' artist Shepard Fairey arrested

Shepard Fairey who designed the "Hope" poster of president Obama, has been arrested in Boston on warrants that accuse him of tagging property with graffiti.

Fairey was in Boston for his first solo exhibition at the Institute of Contemporary Art.

Apparently the cops determined that property had been tagged in two locations with graffiti based on the Andre the Giant street campaign from earlier in Fairey's career.

Fairey will be arraigned on a misdemeanor charge Monday. A spokesperson for the Suffolk DA said Fairey would also be arraigned on a separate graffiti case in the Roxbury section of Boston.

This is the latest hassle facing the artist who is involved in a copyright dispute with AP over the Mannie Garcia photo - part of the inspiration for the Obama "Hope" poster. Fairey argues that his use of the photo is based on "fair use," which allows some exceptions to copyright law, among other factors - how much of the original is used, what the new work is used for and how the original is affected by the new work.

Aren't there any serious crimes going on in Boston that the cops could be chasing up?

Feb 6, 2009

Kristin Davis : Wall Street sex and NY madam's little black book

A corporate brothel with "brands" is one way to describe the establishment also known to some as "the best little whorehouse on Wall Street." The operation's 'HQ' was located in apartment 3A at 136 William Street, just a few blocks from the New York Stock Exchange.

Kristin Davis operated her business sort of like a prostitution conglomerate. The five different "brands" she offered came with their own "price point" and websites.

At the top end was an escort agency named Carlyle Trust. The women Davis used in CT were top fashion models who charged upwards of $2000 an hour.

Davis was no slacker - in addition to the Wall Street operation, she ran three other "in-call' locations in mid-town Manhattan.

Where the story of the NY madam gets interesting, is when it comes to her client list. It featured Wall Street lawyers, investment bankers, CEO's and media executives.

In many cases they paid for $2000 an hour prostitutes with corporate credit cards. Doubtless this was a pain for Davis when it came to the accounting end of things because she was writing up monthly bills for everything from computer consulting to construction expenses just so the clients could slip the expenses past their accountants. One CEO even asked Davis to send him invoices for "roof repair on a warehouse" to disguise the payment of prostitutes with corporate funds.

Davis' operation suffered a setback in the crackdown that followed the Eliot Spitzer scandal. Spitzer - described in some news reports as client #9 of a rival escort service - had been a one-time client of Davis.

Davis claims in a new tell-all book that between 2004 and 2006 Spitzer was "good for a call at least once a week." She claims Spitzer was later banned because of aggressive behavior, that included trying to coerce girls into having unprotected sex with him. The ex-Gov was so pushy Davis described him as being "a real weasel about it."

When Davis was busted and pleaded guilty to running a prostitution business that used more than 100 women, you would think that prosecutors in the DA's Manhattan office would have been keenly interested in the names on Davis' john list. But apparently not. In an interview to be broadcast Friday on the ABC News program 20/20, Davis says that the DA's office "showed no interest."

When asked about the Davis case, a spokesperson said DA Robert Morgenthau had "no comment."

ABC received a print-out of the client list from Davis - the same list she offered the district attorney. ABC was able to confirm some names - check their list of suspects here.

This case stinks. You have corporate cowboys being afforded cover on everything from their financial wheeling and dealing to backdoor john activity. A number as we know had no problem dishing out massive bonuses and salaries on the back of taxpayer money that was part of the bail-out deal.

If even half of Davis' allegations stand up under scrutiny, crimes were being committed. Disguising payments for prostitutes by claiming it was money for "roof repair" or whatever is fraud.

No wonder Americans are disgusted with Wall Street operators, especially as it becomes evident that the bad apples were being protected by people in authority... who need to be fired.

Wall Street sex expenses

Feb 5, 2009

Insurance company only hires workers born under specific astrological signs

A Salzburg insurance company posted an ad in major papers in Austria seeking employees for sales and management positions but there was a catch... they had to be born under specific star signs.

No, not a joke. The company has zeroed in on Capricorn, Taurus, Aquarius, Aries and Leo as the astro signs best guaranteed to produce the most productive workers.

Before you scream "superstition!" - the company argues that its preferences are based on statistical research - although exactly what type of statistical research isn't exactly clear.

So will Librans, Geminis, Scorpios and other less desirable sign owners require affirmative action in the future if the trend catches on? After all this is a form of discrimination.

The company also has an answer for that. It contends that in terms of current guidelines hiring-by-astro-sign is not in fact illegal, since there is no discrimination related to gender, age, race or other inequalities - each astrological sign includes all of these factors.

Hmm... if you wanted to be cynical about it you could that say that it sounds like a crafty way of exercising closet preferences. The company could always claim that a problematic yet uniquely qualified candidate was a Pisces, thus avoiding the accusation of bias.

No word if the company also vets potential customers' astrological charts to determine the relative degree of risk.

The Queen makes 'golliwog' apology : no apology from Thatcher

Carol Thatcher, daughter of former British PM Margaret 'the milk snatcher' Thatcher, has apparently been dropped by the BBC after declining to make a public apology for her 'golliwog' remark - story here.

In the wake of the BBC row Buckingham Palace has issued an extraordinary apology after golliwogs were found on sale at the Queen's shop in Sandringham. Senior aides said the toys would be immediately removed from sale.

A palace spokesperson said : 'The Queen wouldn't tolerate any kind of racism. She has worked tirelessly to improve race relations in this country for many, many years.'

Maybe the Queen should also offer counseling to her own family starting with the gaffe-prone Prince Philip. He has helped to showcase royal bigotry over the years with remarks that, much like Thatcher's comment, are passed off as misspeaking, jokes or simply 'moments of confusion.' Prince Harry could use some input also.

For evidence of royal tendencies in this direction link here, here and here.

Judging from the howls of outrage from people who think the Thatcher episode was blown out of proportion, you have to conclude that a lot of Brits simply don't get it.

Some of the English online commentators who think Thatcher was treated unfairly wouldn't be caught dead dropping 'golliwog' as a descriptive term for a person of color during a conversation with their professional associates - but nonetheless refuse to candidly acknowledge that the word is problematic.

But then what's new. I'm originally from Ireland and when I was in my teens I lived for a few years in London. I had a rugby associate also from Ireland, who at the time was in his early twenties. He worked in an office where a couple of senior colleagues thought it was amusing to call him "Paddy" or "bogtrotter" or "Mick" depending on the day. The abusive banter came to an abrupt end when he 'sorted out' one of the name callers during a visit to the gents. The manager noticed an employee's black eye and put an end to the name calling.

The propensity of a certain class of English person to think of themselves as one-up over others is almost written into the gene pool. Of all symbols the golliwog is perhaps the most egregious, because it has been so closely linked not just to racist attitudes, but also to the pastime of upper class children who played with little Sambo and Marybelle while Daddy was off lording it over the walking and talking "wogs" around the globe.

Margaret Thatcher exuded that distinctive English prejudice. When she stuck up her snout and gazed arrogantly in the direction of the Falklands, the hauteur was unmistakable. No doubt Carol Thatcher grew up in an environment with an anglocentric view of the world and vocabulary to go with it. All the more reason to believe that dropping "golliwog" in the presence of associates at the Beeb, was hardly an accident.

Carol Thatcher used a nasty little racist jibe that she thought would fly under the radar. The BBC is absolutely right to call her on it. Since she turned down the chance to apologize - I hope they stick to their guns.

Feb 4, 2009

Shepard Fairey Obama image : AP cries 'copyright infringement'

The Barack Obama poster up top that was everywhere during the US election campaign was created by an LA based artist named Shepard Fairey. The poster became hugely popular - so much so copies signed by Fairey have sold for thousands of dollars on eBay.

Fairey has acknowledged that the image was based on an AP photograph taken in 2006 by Mannie Garcia at the National Press Club.

AP is claiming it owns the copyright, and wants credit and compensation.

Shepard Fairey's attorney Anthony Falzone, exec. director at the Fair Use Project at Stanford University, believes Fairey is protected by fair use. This is a legal concept that allows exceptions to copyright law, based on, among other factors, how much of the original is used, what the new work is used for and how the original is affected by the new work.

The image is a lot more than election advertising with a shelf life. It's an icon in its own right. It will be featured this month at a Fairey exhibit at the Institute of Contemporary Art in Boston. A mixed-media stenciled collage version has been added to the permanent collection of the National Portrait Gallery in Washington.

The image also shows up on a book by Robert Kuttner titled "Obama's Challenge."

Fairey designed the image after being encouraged by the Obama team to come up with some artwork.

More detail on the story - here.

Desperate times on Wall Street

Obama sets a few limits - story here.

Shameful treatment of Roma and Sinti peoples in Italy

In recent years in Italy there has been an alarming rise in racially motivated attacks and reprisals. This comes at a time when anti-immigrant feeling is high and creeping xenophobia just about everywhere you look, even in matters relating to your cuisine options.

The Roma and Sinti peoples have been caught in this reactionary backlash. All too often they have been made scapegoats in a blame-game that is being given traction by the anti-immigrant rhetoric of right-wing politicians - particularly those associated with the Northern League.

There has been a refusal on the part of Italian officialdom to address the root causes of Roma alienation and marginalization. Rob Kushen, managing director of the Budapest-based Roma Rights Centre had this to say about the Italian approach:

That is something that we don't see anywhere else in Europe, it is quite unprecedented... There's been a long-standing refusal of Italy to deal with the socio-economic underpinnings of Roma exclusion, and of Roma really becoming a permanent underclass in Italian society.

A Guardian article addresses some of the wrong headed policies adopted by the Berlusconi government:

Last week, Silvio Berlusconi's new rightwing Italian administration announced plans to carry out a national registration of all the country's estimated 150,000 Gypsies - Roma and Sinti people - whether Italian-born or migrants. Interior minister and leading light of the xenophobic Northern League, Roberto Maroni, insisted that taking fingerprints of all Roma, including children, was needed to "prevent begging" and, if necessary, remove the children from their parents.

There is a common misconception that the Roma are 'illegals' - in fact most of them are legal. The history of these people in Italy can be traced back to the middle ages.

The reactionary thinking now taking greater hold in Italy resulted not so long ago in the nation's highest appeal court ruling that it is acceptable to discriminate against the Roma and Sinti peoples on the grounds that "all gypsies are thieves."

It is this type of 'official bigotry' - often displayed by the courts, the police and other government bodies - that has encouraged a percentage of Italians to look the other way or even justify attacks by bands of thugs on Roma camps. A Roma settlement in Naples was set on fire in one such attack.

Burning of a Roma camp

Roma camp following a firebomb attack.

The Castel Romano camp in Rome - long rows
of dreary prefabricated plastic cabins.

Jobs are next-to-impossible to find.

Mother with kids

Children at a protest

Roma children who drowned on a popular beach lie dead
while families on the beach continue to picnic.
STORY HERE

It doesn't seem so long ago that Benito Mussolini's fascists played their part in a Holocaust which resulted in the deaths of more than a million Gypsies. The fingerprinting of the Roma and Sinti in Italy today, the official sanction being given to discriminatory policies and the tolerance for anti-Gypsy violence evokes memories of the fascist era.

Reactionary attitudes have been bolstered by a number of factors., some of which have been addressed by a leading Italian progressive, Luciana Castellina:

The scale of recent immigration from the Balkans and Africa, an insecure and stagnant job market and the collapse of what was previously a powerful progressive and anti-fascist culture have all combined to create a particularly fearful and individualistic atmosphere.

Italy's first black member of parliament, Jean-Leonard Touadi, doesn't hold out much hope that matters will improve any time soon:

My impression is that this culture of rejection, exclusion, is beginning to embed itself in Italian society.

Google execs face privacy trial in Milan, Italy

Four Google executives have been sent to trial in Milan accused of crimes relating to the posting of a video on the Italian language site.

Prosecutors are alleging that the executives violated Italian privacy laws by allowing the posting of a cellphone video in 2006 that showed four youths harassing a student with learning disabilities. The four went to a court for minors and were sentenced to community service.

One of the prosecution lawyers, Alfredo Robeldo, said: "What is at issue is whether or not privacy laws that apply to newspapers or to the radio also apply on the Web, or whether it is a sort of free port where anything goes."

The example offered by Robeldo is misleading. Google is a search engine, not a newspaper. It delivers the means for users to communicate, much as the postal service delivers the mail. This move is a strike at freedom of expression and smacks of censorship - a trend that appears to be gaining traction in Italy.

EU legislation makes clear that internet service providers aren't responsible for monitoring third-party content and are only required to act if they receive a complaint about it. However Milan prosecutors are going after Google as an internet content provider. Under the Italian penal code internet content providers are responsible for content posted - similar to the law that governs newspapers and television.

This is an unreasonable requirement. On a user-generated site Google officials can't obviously handle postings directly, given the scale of the operation. However when legal issues arise the company regularly shows itself to be compliant - as was the case with the video in question. A lawyer for Google pointed out that once they received the request, the video was removed within 24 hours.

Google issued a statement that says in part: "As we have repeatedly made clear, our hearts go out to the victim and his family. We are pleased that as a result of our cooperation the bullies in the video have been identified and punished."

It's hard not to suspect political motivations behind the scenes in this and other cases in Italy. Not so long ago when speaking to Italian postal workers premier Berlusconi announced that he intended to use his G8 leverage to push for an international agreement to "regulate the internet" - story here.

The Milan case is likely to continue for months.

Marco Pancini, public policy counsel for Google Italia says the company has been in "full compliance with Italian law and international proceedings" and he is confident the process will go in Google's favor.

Feb 3, 2009

BBC slideshow : photos of the Iranian revolution 1979

The BBC has an online slideshow that features rarely seen photos from the Iranian revolution of 1979 (with audio).

The revolution ended the reign of Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlevi and saw the return of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini after 14 years in France.

To view the slideshow link here.

Carol Thatcher calls tennis player 'a golliwog' : BBC demands apology

Carol Thatcher, daughter of former British PM Margaret Thatcher, may face a BBC ban for referring to a tennis player as "a golliwog."

Thatcher is a 'roving reporter' on the Beeb's The One show.

On Thursday when she was in the green room with the show's presenter, Adrian Chiles, Thatcher likened an unnamed male tennis player competing in the Australian Open to a golliwog.

Chiles and others in the green room were offended by Thatcher's use of a word that is widely regarded as a racial slur, and told her so.

Friends of Thatcher claim the comment was "just a joke" made while enjoying several drinks in the green room. Even though the comment was made off-air, given Thatcher's profile it would have been unwise to have assumed that associates who found the term offensive would simply drop the matter.

A derivative term "wog" has long been used in Britain as a racial insult, and Thatcher must have known that.

The online dictionary offers the following definition...

Wog : Used as a disparaging term for a person of color, especially a person from northern Africa or western or southern Asia.

Wikepedia has some background on the use of "wog" in the UK :

The saying "The wogs begin at Calais" was originated by George Wigg, Labour MP for Dudley, in 1949 ... Wigg's coinage, sometimes paraphrased as "Wogs start at the Channel" or "Wogs start at Dover", is used to characterise a stodgy Europhobic viewpoint, and more generally the view that Britain (more so England) is inherently separate from (and superior to) the Continent. In this case, "wog" is used to compare any foreign, non-English person to those more traditionally labeled "wogs".

For Thatcher to try and pass off the golliwog remark as a joke seems disingenuous. If she did indeed use the term in a state of blithe ignorance, you have to wonder if she has a few screws loose. Even punters in a pub who have had one or two too many, would hesitate before trotting out "golliwog" or "wog" in mixed company - joke or not. Both words are loaded with negative connotations.

BBC sources say that Thatcher will be "in a difficult area" unless she is prepared to make a formal apology.

Carol Thatcher became a journalist after attending University College London. She ran into a bit of difficulty because a number of newspapers refused to publish work with her byline.

When she was growing up, her low profile in the famous Thatcher family (she thought of herself as a lesser light next to her brother), perhaps caused her to overcompensate.

She gained a certain notoriety in 2005 when she appeared on the ITV show I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!. She was required to spend a week in the Australian rain forest. During her stay, she urinated in the middle of the camp at night, despite a rule forbidding this since it attracted mice and possibly snakes.

After a 'Bushtucker trial' she was forced to eat jungle bugs and kangaroo testicles.

Thatcher emerged from her ordeal as 'Queen of the Jungle' and hasn't looked back since.

Feb 2, 2009

NYPD cops pocket gambling cash in bar raid: video

The NYPD has launched an internal investigation into a police raid on a Staten Island bar.

On a YouTube video that has been getting a lot of hits, cops wearing jackets with the NYPD logo enter Beer Goggles bar on Staten Island. They can be seen smashing up gambling machines. One cop takes cash from what appears to be a Joker Poker game, then distributes it to other members of the raiding party. Officers can be seen stuffing cash in their pockets.

Beer Goggles bar on Staten Island

The cops claim they were going about the raid 'according to procedure.' They reported 'confiscating' around $700 in cash. Three bar workers were arrested.

If what goes on in the video is regular procedure, it's unlikely to inspire confidence in members of the public viewing it. When the surveillance tape made it onto YouTube, it carried the title "NYPD corruption at its best."

A clue that this was more about 'serving and collecting' than 'serving and protecting,' is the fact that the raid was led by Sgt William Lewis. He was investigated by Internal Affairs for five months before being hit with corruption charges.

The Beer Goggles video was first screened at a separate departmental trial for Lewis.

Check the video out here.

Homeland Security classified gay rights groups as 'terrorists'

A check of the Maryland State Police database when the great protector Dubya was at the helm, would have turned up such scary terror organizations as Equality Maryland. Believe it or not, this peaceful protest group was among a number of such groups classified as 'terrorists.'

Homeland Security kept dossiers on groups and activists who were simply exercising their right to freedom of expression.

This is just one more example of both the hypocrisy and abuse-of-power that went on under Bush. While he was trumpeting the virtues of democracy for others around the globe, his policies were undermining democracy in his own backyard.

Equality Maryland was designated a "security threat." The cops kept files detailing the group's plans to challenge Mayland's ban on same-sex marriage. The files - which are slated to be purged - were revealed at a recent press conference. The conference was attended by Democratic lawmakers who intend to introduce legislation to prevent police surveillance of non-violent groups.

Gov. Martin O'Malley (D) said that the police would require "reasonable articulated suspicion of actual criminal activity" before conducting surveillance.

The documents are available online in PDF form. If you would like to review the contents, link to Lisa Rein's article here in the Washington Post - she has included a set of links to the documents.

Feb 1, 2009

Israeli envoy Yuval Rotem says attack on Gaza a 'Preintroduction' to Iran attack

When Israeli Ambassador to Australia, Yuval Rotem, attended a meeting with members of Sydney's Jewish community he asked the cameraman to turn off his camera.

He explained the request by saying : “The best thing to do is to have a very open dialogue if there are no reporters or journalists here... I am far more reserved in the way I am saying my things (on camera).”

As it turned out Sarah Cummings, a reporter for Australia's Seven News Service was in attendance at the meeting after having been "accidentally" invited.

Rotem said that he expected Iran would soon pose 'a major nuclear threat,' and that over the next 14 months it would have stockpiled enough uranium to be at the point of no return.

He went on to add that Israel's "efforts" in Gaza were designed to send a signal that it is prepared to "engage in a decisive way" and that the Gaza operation was a "preintroduction" for an attack on Iran.

After the Gaza outrage, I'm sure many ask themselves why the west considers it just and right that Israel should be in possession of a nuclear arsenal, while other nations in the region are labeled "a threat" for simply expressing an expectation of equal treatment.

With Netanyahu in the wings and hardliner Avigdor Lieberman lurking nearby, you have to wonder what price the world may yet pay for America's zeal in backing the Zionist state at any price in order to combat regional 'threats.'

Since when has Israel not been a threat to regional security?

Israel has shown itself many times over to be a threat, not just to the security of the region, but increasingly to world security. The 'war' in Gaza has done nothing to improve Israel's long term prospects, quite the contrary.

Israeli envoy says Gaza an opener for Iran attack

Russian protests : thousands rally across Russia

Times are tough in Russia. The price of basic foods and utilities has gone up. Unemployment is also rising.

In the space of a couple of months the Russian economy has gone downhill dramatically, enough to have people take their concerns to the streets.

The largest demo was in Vladivostock where there were calls for Putin's resignation.

The Communist Party was front and center at the Vladivostock demo. The main concern of protesters was the increase in tariffs on cars imported to the city. The region has enjoyed a thriving car import business and blame is being directed at the government for instigating the crisis.

There was some violence. In Moscow onlookers said they saw Gary Kasparov supporters being attacked by masked men.

Members of the National Bolshevik Party were detained by police, including leader Eduard Limonov.

The Communist Party had about 1,000 protesters in Moscow. Party leader, Gennady Zyuganov, said the crisis exposed Vladimir Putin's bankrupt policies.

A worsening economy sparks protests across Russia.

In Vladivostock there were calls for Putin's resignation.

Communist supporters and members of the Action
Society of Russia's Citizens march during a protest against
higher import duties on used cars in central Vladivostok.