World Analysis Newswire Archive

Imagine yourself within the mind of Barack Obama, the first African American president of the United States of America. You are a man who knows how 'the system' works. This knowledge has been accrued at hard struggle, and by a remarkable and unique ability to adapt to any environment because you spent a lifetime as an exotic specimen in every environment, from Kansas to Kenya -- both African and American, Muslim and Christian, black and white. But you always displayed your native nobility -- tribal nobility on your father's side; nobility of spirit on your mother's -- and you were, with rare exceptions, accepted on your own terms. You were born under the sign of Leo, the lion, the natural leader; and your intelligence was honed with great discipline, under the influence of strong women.

Over the December period, Israel started shelling Gaza in a major offensive against the civilian population who individually paid the price with massive fatalities, dismembered limbs and phosphorous burns penetrating skin to bone.
Sharp blades of all sizes and shapes, lethal slivers raining down slicing and piecing, amputating; arms from bodies, heads from necks...
Gazans were prevented from leaving the strip, trapped inside as the knives and fire rained down.
In Nablus people clung to their TV screens, eyes spread- eagled wide, unable to work as the seemingly endless deformities of destruction paraded night after night.

The first Democratic president in the modern era to be elected on an anti-war ticket is also, to the relief of neocons and the liberal belligerati, a hawk. Committed to escalation in Afghanistan, his foreign policy selections also indicate bellicosity towards Sudan and Iran. During his first week in office he sanctioned two missile attacks in Pakistan, killing 22 people, including women and children. And his stance on Gaza is remarkably close to that of the outgoing administration. The question now is how Obama will convince his supporters to back that stance. Bush could rely on a core constituency whose commitment to peace and human rights is, at the very least, questionable. Obama has no such luxury. In making his case, he will need the support of those "liberal hawks" who gave Bush such vocal support.

I wrote the following article and I would like to have it get a little more exposure than just a letter to the editor in the local newspaper. The problem with the global warming theory is that it can cloud one's vision from a real threat, global cooling. And in so doing can cause great harm to this country.

Condi Rice: “What we’re seeing here, in a sense, is the growing birth pangs of a new Middle East.”

Jon Stewart: “Birth pangs? Yes, I believe today’s contraction took out a city block.”

I've said all along that whatever good changes might occur in regard to non-foreign policy issues, such as what's already taken place concerning the environment and abortion, the Obama administration will not produce any significantly worthwhile change in US foreign policy; little done in this area will reduce the level of misery that the American Empire regularly brings down upon humanity. And to the extent that Barack Obama is willing to clearly reveal what he believes about anything controversial, he appears to believe in the empire.

When we talk about discrimination, we tend to blend in racism, heightism, sexism, ageism, ableism, lookism and as many other ‘isms’ as one can think of. These terms describe how people differentiate unfavourably between a self-defined “normal” and a self-defined “abnormal”. Reading over a blog I’d never seen before, I was moved to ask, are all these forms of discrimination the same or are they different? What features do they share in common?

Neoconservatism thinking, according to E.D. Kain (via Sullivan), goes like this: The Islamic world is nothing like the Western world. We have few, if any, of the same values and virtually no historical commonality save our shared, centuries-old conflict with one another. The Islamic world, by and large, has none of the laws or customs necessary to develop an organic democratic society the way Western nations have. Therefore, the only way to achieve peace with the Islamic world is for them to adopt our notions of plurality, democracy, and humanism. They won’t do this on their own because of their lack of shared values, and so it follows that we must intervene on their behalf to impose these values, and fashion democracies for them in our image.

'I have some good news and some bad news,' the sergeant in the joke tells his men. 'The good news is that you are going to change your dirty socks. The bad news is that you are going to exchange them among yourselves.'

Part II: Findings of Fact, Conclusions of Law: What Remedy?

Part I: What Law Applies?

In the university town of Mérida, Venezuela, student political organizations have had a significant presence at marches both for and against a proposed constitutional amendment that will eliminate the two-term limit on elected offices if it is approved in a national vote this February 15th. The predominant discourse has been quite polarized between opponents and supporters of President Hugo Chávez, who plans to run for a third term in office and carry on the construction of “21st Century Socialism” if the amendment passes. However, nuanced voices have emerged from the campaign hype. Seeking to highlight the deeper analysis provided by these non-conformist voices, Venezuelanalysis.com interviewed student leader and social activist Carmen Pulido about the state of radical student activism and the amendment. Pulido regularly organizes student-labor solidarity activities and other political events along with a loose network of anti-capitalist university students. These students have been staunch supporters of many of the initiatives undertaken by Chávez’s ten year administration. Nonetheless, the students persistently retain their autonomy in order to push the “Bolivarian Revolution” led by Chávez toward what they see as a more just and revolutionary path.

She was the conscience of a generation and remains the conscience of every generation. Joan Baez lent courage to millions outraged by what is still euphemistically called 'US involvement' in Viet Nam, indeed, she carried aloft the banner of equality, peace and the achievement of both through activism.

We have spent the last month meticulously reading, watching, listening to and analysing what the UK media had to say about Israel’s operation in Gaza (within the limits of our scope of monitoring). Our objective has been to see whether the coverage was balanced, impartial and factually accurate. Had any lessons been learnt since Lebanon 2006 when, in the eyes of many, the media got it so wrong?

The sheer size and complexity of the proposed stimulus package makes quality journalism about it difficult. Striving for some scientific perspective on the problem, journalists have asked many economists what they think about the package. Having earlier questioned the legal system's reliance on some economic experts, I'd like to offer some skeptical thoughts about their role in the stimulus debate.

Have you ever wondered why as children we’re taught the importance and value of sharing? I have and it seems somewhat misplaced; it’s not as if as adults we have any need for such a value.

The much-lauded childhood principle of sharing runs contrary to those principles we practise as grown-ups. As adults we are scared about what the next man has, we envy his lot. We are scared about what sharing might do to our children’s futures. Those very children who think sharing is so important. So while as children we equate goodness with generosity, as adults we try very hard to undo this philosophy. Bizarrely this seems to work.

On 23rd January I went to a climate question time at Leeds Civic Hall organised by Oxfam as part of their role in the Stop Climate Chaos coalition. The panel was pretty high level;

Hilary Benn, Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Robert Goodwill, Shadow Roads Minister for Transport
Richard Brett, Liberal Democrat and Co-Leader of Leeds City Council
Martin Kirk, Oxfam’s Head of Campaigns

It’s usual in these things for there to be a load of party point scoring – including generous helpings of logical and factual errors – but the balance is somewhat redressed by points from the audience.

The spectacle of tanks back from the battlefield with the blue and white Star of David flapping from their turrets, the faces of the young soldiers, their body language—all leave no doubt concerning Israel's victory. If we compare this pullback from Gaza with the one from Lebanon over two years past, there is no need for extensive commentary: Israel has retrieved the pride and reputation of its army, which had been badly damaged by that other war in the north. The world has been reminded that the Middle East contains but a single military power worthy of the name. Deterrent capability, the magical force that is supposed to protect Israel from its enemies, has returned in full strength. Israel's Prime Minister, Ehud Olmert, who promised to correct his earlier failures in accordance with the findings of the Winograd Inquiry, has indeed come through.

The pre-election attention is reminiscent of Brzezinski’s tutoring of Jimmy Carter prior to Carter’s landslide election in 1976. For anyone who doubts the Commission’s continuing influence on Obama, consider that he has already appointed no less than eleven members of the Commission to top-level and key positions in his Administration.

TIME Mag does an article called, “New World Order.” It Calls for Global Central Bank to be Constructed to “Save” the Global Economy, Backed by G-20. Didn’t We All Call This Out When We Were Telling You They Were Crashing The Economy On Purpose to Bring About the NWO?
February 7th, 2009 by Jonathan