Wikileaks and Whistle-blowers on Vimeo
recommended.
Wikileaks and Whistle-blowers on Vimeo
recommended.
| — | David Watson - The Pathology of Civilization, Against the Megamachine (via commondense) (via poortaste) |
Saudis: We don’t Burn witches. We chop their fucking heads off
Oh those silly wahhabis. Once again, this is not representative of true islam.
Tarpley: US gov uses Google proxy to attack China
“Google is an arm of the US Gov’t. Google is cohabiting with the National Security Council…This is essentially a US Gov’t attack on China.”
Chip in if you can. If you ever been without clean water for even a day, you’ll know how important it is. Things are still pretty bad in Haiti.
We need a more authoritative world. We’ve become a sort of cheeky, egalitarian world where everyone can have their say. It’s all very well, but there are certain circumstances – a war is a typical example – where you can’t do that. You’ve got to have a few people with authority who you trust who are running it. And they should be very accountable too, of course.
But it can’t happen in a modern democracy. This is one of the problems. What’s the alternative to democracy? There isn’t one. But even the best democracies agree that when a major war approaches, democracy must be put on hold for the time being. I have a feeling that climate change may be an issue as severe as a war. It may be necessary to put democracy on hold for a while.
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James Lovelock thinks world should be more authoritative, less democratic I’ve been a fan of the Gaia hypothesis, was weary of Lovelock’s insistence to make most of our power nuclear (renewable resources is now very doable on a global scale), but this statement is really turning me off from the guy. While he’s right that people running the show should be more accountable for their actions and I think they should pay a price. But that price must not be giving these policy makers, politicians and the state more power…even if we ‘trust them’. Just think about the power of persuasion in politics today, whole populations are moved by empty rhetoric rather than real change. I do not see any mass movement towards critical engagement with issues that forgoes the binary thinking of red or blue states (they are both bullshit). My hope is that information exchange can facilitate a non-political desire to live harmoniously with the planet using the great leaps in technology we have made in the last few years. Certainly the tech available is not the only answer, but part of it. Finally, is there there is no historical precedent that says authoritarianism is good for people and the planet at the same time. This is not to say democracy hasn’t got serious problems too. Big problems…and I certainly DO NOT like those Hutaree assholes’ answer. Sorry for the rant. Carry on. |
Afghanistan: Sustaining West European Support for the NATO-led Mission—Why Counting on Apathy Might Not Be Enough (C//NF)
The fall of the Dutch Government over its troop commitment to Afghanistan demonstrates the fragility of European support for the NATO-led ISAF mission. Some NATO states, notably France and Germany, have counted on public apathy about Afghanistan to increase their contributions to the mission, but indifference might turn into active hostility if spring and summer fighting results in an upsurge in military or Afghan civilian casualties and if a Dutch- style debate spills over into other states contributing troops.
The proposed PR strategies focus on pressure points that have been identified within these countries. For France it is the sympathy of the public for Afghan refugees and women. For Germany it is the fear of the consequences of defeat (drugs, more refugees, terrorism) as well as for Germany’s standing in the NATO. The memo is an recipe for the targeted manipulation of public opinion in two NATO ally countries, written by the CIA. It is classified as Confidential / No Foreign Nationals.
(AKA: How to Sell the War.)
I’m looking at numbers here, not advancing any political agenda.
Related: Social Security Payout to Exceed Revenue this Year