2015년 2월 2일 월요일

OEN Daily: Chris Hedges: Malcolm X Was Right About America | How Just is Army Justice? | How the Democrats Let America Down in t

Bold and Daring: The Way Progressive News Should Be

When teenager and Australian merchant seaman Harry Bridges disembarked in San Francisco for a visit in 1919 he didn't know that he'd stay for a lifetime, grace the cover of Time magazine and change the course of American history!  Bridges would be instrumental in forming one of America's most radical and democratic unions, the International Longshore and Warehouse Union, of which he was president for 40 turbulent years. In OEN's second interview with actor-screenwriter Ian Ruskin, we discuss the insights and surprises in his one-man play about Bridges, who is mysteriously absent from American History books.  
 Meryl Ann Butler




 Daily Headlines

"It is impossible for capitalism to survive, primarily because the system of capitalism needs some blood to suck," Malcolm said. "Capitalism used to be like an eagle, but now it's more like a vulture. It used to be strong enough to go and suck anybody's blood whether they were strong or not. But now it has become more cowardly, like the vulture, and it can only suck the blood of the helpless."

By Joan Brunwasser
How Just is Army Justice?
Four months before Lt. Lorance's patrol, an army sergeant had slaughtered sixteen Afghan civilians, mostly women and children, in a village in the same province. I believe the army decided then that the next time civilians were killed by a US soldier, that soldier was going to have to be sacrificed and sent to prison. And having done this to Lt. Lorance, I don't believe the army will ever risk being exposed for this.

By Andrew Schmookler
How the Democrats Let America Down in the Shameful 2014 Elections
In the 2014 elections, the American people handed still more power to a political party that, in the previous Congress, had betrayed the nation right out in the open, trampling on the norms and traditions of our Democracy. That should have been the main issue in the campaign. But the Democratic Party failed to press that issue, never bothered to call out that disgraceful behavior to help the American electorate see that truth.

By Richard Clark
The Origins, and Decimation of, America's Great Middle Class. And What to Do About It
The large, thriving middle class, which America used to have, didn't just arise out of the blue--it was created using an economic tool that was essentially socialistic. After WWII, our gov't taxed the rich heavily, & massively redistributed that money through the GI Bill, so that an unprecedented half of our population suddenly started benefiting from free college, free job training, cheap mortgages & affordable medical care.

By Tom Engelhardt
William Astore: Groundhog Day in the War on Terror
Back in July 2010, I wrote an article for TomDispatch on the seven reasons why America can't stop making war. More than four years later, with the war on terror still ongoing, with the mission eternally unaccomplished, here's a fresh take on the top seven reasons why never-ending war is the new normal in America.

It's a story that has been told many times during the past several years, but this version seems particularly well done; perhaps the distance helps.

In the 21st century, jobs offshoring have turned the entirety of the United States into a company town. By moving manufacturing offshore, corporations both destroyed the unions and dramatically lowered labor costs by taking advantage of the surfeit of labor in countries where living standards are low. By dispossessing Americans of their jobs and careers, corporations increased their profits.

During he Spanish Civil War Americans orgnized the LIcoln Brigade to fight alongside the foes of Franco. The time has come for another such initiative in favor of eastern Ukraine.

Debaltseve- The battle at the gates of Hell.

By Bob Griffiths
The New Lunatic Fringe
To better understand the hate-fueled protests directed at President Obama we need to examine an earlier period of history when hyper-partisan extremists were out of control and threatened to destabilize our democracy.

Punxsutawney Phil, the world's most beloved and furry seasonal prognosticator, saw his shadow on Monday morning, portending six more weeks of winter. The groundhog's predication came around 7:25 a.m. in Punxsutawney, Pa., with overcast skies and scattered snow and rain showers moving through the region from the latest winter storm -- conditions that are likely to continue if the plucky marmot gets his way.

REYKJAVIK - Icelanders will soon be able to publicly worship at a shrine to Thor, Odin and Frigg with construction starting this month on the island's first major temple to the Norse gods since the Viking age. Worship of the gods in Scandinavia gave way to Christianity around 1,000 years ago but a modern version of Norse paganism has been gaining popularity in Iceland. "I don't believe anyone believes in a one-eyed man who is riding about on a horse with eight feet," said Hilmar Orn Hilmarsson, high priest of 'Asatruarfelagid', an association that promotes faith in the Norse gods. Membership in Asatruarfelagid has tripled in Iceland in the last decade to 2,400 members last year, out of a total population of 330,000. The temple will be circular and will be dug 13 feet down into a hill overlooking the Icelandic capital Reykjavik, with a dome on top to let in the sunlight.

By Robert Fuller
A New Default Self
The purpose of this essay is to describe the current default self and suggest a new one that can withstand the post-modern critique and incorporate the findings of brain science.

Scrapping complicated, costly, time-consuming eligibility tests would save billions. Substituting a program assuring all children their needed health care with no other eligibility condition than being a kid (that is, below a specified age) would accomplish their coverage. Let's call it Medikids.

When teenager and Australian merchant seaman Harry Bridges disembarked in San Francisco for a visit in 1919 he didn't know that he'd stay for a lifetime, grace the cover of Time magazine and change the course of American history! It took a British-born actor-screenwriter to shine a spotlight on an Aussie-born labor leader who changed the face of American unions.

"Russian aggression" is the BBC's meme of the day. I lost count of how many times the phrase popped up in the first 15 minutes of Radio 4's World at One programme, devoted entirely to the 'Russian problem -- but the theme was drummed in relentlessly. Commentators wheeled into the studio were unanimous in their views. NATO must stand up to the threat. Presient Vladimir Putin is a dangerous monster who refuses to abide by the rules of the international order. NATO countries must increase their defence spending to counter the Russian menace.

By Elayne Clift
Can We Do Better on Childcare in America?
Why isn't the abysmal state of childcare in America on the radar screen? We have lessons to learn from abroad.

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday hailed his country's relations with India and Russia as Beijing looks to increase its heft on the global diplomatic stage. Beijing and Moscow, allies and then adversaries during the Cold War, have found common ground internationally and often take similar stands at the UN Security Council where they have permanent veto powers. They have also forged increasingly closer economic ties. Xi told Swaraj that China-India ties "have entered a new stage of growth" since he visited in September. "The positive side of China-India relations has been growing, the momentum of our cooperation has been strengthening," he added. "Over the past year, we have together been advancing the development of the overall strategic relationship between China and Russia," Xi said. "Our joint efforts have yielded rich results... our cooperation grows ever deeper," he added.

It only took one foreign policy question on ABC's This Week for Gov. Scott Walker's potential 2016 presidential campaign to fall completely apart.
Berlin - A judge in Essen ruled on Friday that an anti-Israel activist incited hatred against Jews because of his calls to kill Zionists. "'Zionist' in the language of anti-Semites is a code for Jew," Judge Gauri Sastry said in a groundbreaking legal decision.

Netanyahu's Ambassador Ron Dermer figured Super Bowl Sunday was a great day to kick sand in the President's face by tweeting "Breaking Protocol, Choosing Sides: Go Patriots. In case it wasn't clear before, it is now clear that anyone who attends Netanyahu's speech to Congress is spitting in the face of their own country, bowing down to a foreign power while deliberately undermining the office of the President.

It goes without saying that Mr. Obama's fiscal proposals, like everything he does, will be attacked by Republicans. He's also, however, sure to face criticism from self-proclaimed centrists accusing him of irresponsibly abandoning the fight against long-term budget deficits. So it's important to understand who's really irresponsible here. In today's economic and political environment, long-termism is a cop-out, a dodge, a way to avoid sticking your neck out. And it's refreshing to see signs that Mr. Obama is willing to break with the long-termers and focus on the here and now.

China plans to develop every Silk road country and pledges using $4 trillion in reserves to drive overseas expansion of industry, nuclear and rail.

Though he was reluctant to be specific in his critique of the former Secretary of State's record and admitted he "may be surprised" by Clinton's ability to tap into the populist angst in the country, when asked by the Post about what he's heard from Clinton regarding economic inequality and related issues, Sanders responded with, "Not much."

The Greek election of the left-wing Syriza party sent shock waves across Europe with establishment parties fearing more populist resistance to years of austerity and to putting bankers first. The question now is whether European voters will follow Syriza's lead, says Andres Cala.

There is a window of hope, thanks to a U.N. human rights body, for a solution to the diplomatic asylum of Wikileaks founder Julian Assange, holed up in the embassy of Ecuador in London for the past two and a half years. Authorities in Sweden, which is seeking the Australian journalist's extradition to face allegations of sexual assault, admitted there is a possibility that measures could be taken to jumpstart the stalled legal proceedings against Assange.

Every one of the Koch Republicans, and their oily Democratic cohorts, who voted to approve a State Department construction permit for TransCanada to build the KeystoneXL pipeline across America's international border with Canada are guilty of violating the Constitution's long-standing "Separation of Powers." This is not the first time a Republican Congress violated the Separation of Powers, but it is the first time they have attempted to subjugate the State Department and Executive Branch to the will of the Koch brothers' Legislative Branch; something not remotely Constitutional. During George W. Bush's presidency a Republican Congress voted to subjugate the Judicial Branch's authority; specifically to serve two Americans. Unlike President Obama who understands the Constitution, Bush signed legislation giving Republicans purview over another branch of government's authority.
It is not only our arguments, but more importantly, how we frame our arguments, that shape our perception of the issues. Each party has a narrative based on its ideological stance on a particular issue -- for example, women's reproductive health vs. "religious freedom," or "anthropogenic global warming" vs. "climate change."

Turk Stream has graphically demonstrated how Turkey is well on its way to become the ultimate crossroads between Eurasia and NATOstan -- on its own terms. And the City of Cities is bound to remain -- what else -- the jewel in the neo-Ottoman crown.

 Latest Articles

Better to prevent rather than treat lung cancer
Every 30 seconds, someone, somewhere in the world, dies of lung cancer. According to the World Cancer Report 2014, more people die from lung cancer than from any other type of cancer. In 2012 lung cancer was the most commonly diagnosed cancer, with 1.8 million cases worldwide, accounting for 13% of all cancer cases. It also resulted in 1.6 million deaths (19.4% of total cancer deaths).

 Best News Links from the Web

Little the Texas Legislature does anymore is particularly instructive, so when it happens, Texans should pause and acknowledge it. Last week new state Rep. Molly White, a Republican from adjoining Bell County, served up proof of how ignorant some people really are about the Bill of Rights and the concept of freedom of religion. Either that or she proved just how low some politicians will go to score political points.

With Russian-backed separatists pressing their attacks in Ukraine, NATO's military commander, Gen. Philip M. Breedlove, now supports providing defensive weapons and equipment to Kiev's beleaguered forces, and an array of administration and military officials appear to be edging toward that position, American officials said Sunday. President Obama has made no decisions on providing such lethal assistance. But after a series of striking reversals that Ukraine's forces have suffered in recent weeks, the Obama administration is taking a fresh look at the question of military assistance.




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