Selves and Others

The black hole of debt

Nick Dearden — 2008-04-25T21:54:39Z

Haiti is facing a crisis because it cannot feed itself. In the meantime, it is sending millions of dollars abroad in loan repayments

In recent weeks, Haiti has been gripped by violent protest yet again. And yet again the inhabitants of this impoverished country are suffering the most brutal consequences of the fallout of the global economic crisis. This time it is the rise in global food prices, which has sparked riots in Port au Prince, Haiti's capital, where UN peacekeepers used rubber bullets and tear gas against protesters attempting to storm the presidential palace. Days later the prime minister was fired. (...)

- Nick Dearden / Comment is free

Hunger Plagues Haiti and the World

Stephen Lendman — 2008-04-25T20:54:00Z

Consumers in rich countries feel it in supermarkets but in the world's poorest ones people are starving. The reason - soaring food prices, and it's triggered riots around the world in places like Mexico, Indonesia, Yemen, the Philippines, Cambodia, Morocco, Senegal, Uzbekistan, Guinea, Mauritania, Egypt, Cameroon, Bangladesh, Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, Peru, Bolivia and Haiti that was once nearly food self-sufficient but now relies on imports for most of its supply and (like other food-importing countries) is at the mercy of agribusiness.

Wheat shortages in Peru are acute enough to have the military make bread with potato flour (a native crop). In Pakistan, thousands of troops guard trucks carrying wheat and flour. In Thailand, rice farmers take shifts staying awake nights guarding their fields from thieves. The crop's price has about doubled in recent months, it's the staple for half or more of the world's population, but rising prices and fearing scarcity have prompted some of the world's largest producers to export less - Thailand (the world's largest exporter), Vietnam, India, Egypt, Cambodia with others likely to follow as world output lags demand. Producers of other grains are doing the same like Argentina, Kazakhstan and China. The less they export, the higher prices go. (...)

- Stephen Lendman

Breaking the Silence - Israeli Soldiers Speak

Stephen Lendman — 2008-04-25T20:50:00Z

They're called "Refuseniks" but not for refusing to serve. They've done it proudly and courageously, and here's how "Courage to Refuse" members state their position:

"We, reserve officers and soldiers of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF)....have always served in the front lines....were first to carry out any mission, light or heavy, (and we did it) to protect the State of Israel and strengthen it.

We....served....long weeks every year, in spite of dear cost to our personal lives, have been on reserve duty all over the Occupied Territories, and were issued commands and directives that had nothing to do with the security of our country (but were only given to perpetuate) our control over the Palestinian people. We('ve)....seen the bloody toll this Occupation exacts from both sides. (...)

- Stephen Lendman

The Enlightentment of Hillary

Martin LeFevre — 2008-04-25T19:55:00Z

The most interesting thing said so far during the torturous Democratic campaign came, improbably, from that sage, Hillary Clinton. Intoning in Pennsylvania on Obama's remarks in San Francisco about people “clinging to guns and religion,” she said, “I don't think it helps to divide our country into one America that is enlightened and one that is not.”

She's been consulting with the philosopher in California with whom I had a discussion around this same subject before her husband become president, I thought. We were talking about the possibility of a psychological revolution in our lifetimes, and this fellow, a Marxist, said, “that would divide people into those who are enlightened, and those who aren't.” (...)

- Martin LeFevre

The Action of Unknowing

Martin LeFevre — 2008-04-25T19:50:00Z

It's amazingly quiet for a Saturday afternoon in the municipal park, even at the upper end, furthest from the city center. A nice place overlooking the stream is unoccupied, and I sit down with my back to the sun, surrounded by the new foliage of spring.

A pair of mallards, who obviously make their home at this spot, nonchalantly drift downstream as I walk up, but stop in an eddy only 20 meters away. A quarter hour later, obviously feeling the human is safe, they paddle back upstream to clean, preen, sit, and sleep directly across from me. (...)

- Martin LeFevre

Chuang Tzu and Marxism

Thomas Riggins — 2008-04-25T18:56:00Z

Fourth in a series on Chinese philosophy

As China continues to develop into a superpower a knowlege of its form of Marxism becomes imperative for Western progressives. The progressive movement cannot allow itself to be misdirected in an anti-Chinese direction by reactionary forces in the West. In order to understand Chinese Marxism fully it is important to be familiar with traditional Chinese philosophy, many elements of which reappear in Marxist guise in today's China. I have therefore constructed a series of dialogues based on the actual words of the most important Chinese thinkers. Each dialogue will present the core beliefs of the philosopher discussed plus relevant Marxist commentary where warranted. Readers are welcome to add their own comments and observations.

- Thomas Riggins

Negotiable or not, the American Way of Life must be extinguished….

Jason Miller — 2008-04-25T18:56:00Z

(As inspired by a conversation with Derrick Jensen)

“There's got to be just more to it than this;
Or tell me why do we exist?”

–Iron Maiden

Is the Western consumerist culture that we inflict upon the rest of the world truly the pinnacle of our evolution? If it is, I resign my membership in the human race. Though I don't fear that I'll be compelled to tender my resignation any time soon because our so-called “non-negotiable American Way of Life” is a piece of shit, for myriad reasons. (...)

- Jason Miller

Weary of War? Don't Collaborate.

Kathy Kelly — 2008-04-17T21:25:40Z

An April 14th AP article by Anne Flaherty reported that U.S. Senators and Representatives are finding common ground in asking that Iraqis begin picking up the tab for the cost of war. The lawmakers are troubled that Iraqis might experience windfall surpluses of revenue generated by rising oil prices, while U.S. people bear the burden of paying for war in Iraq. "In hearings last week," Flaherty writes, "Joseph Lieberman, I-Conn., asked Defense Secretary Robert Gates whether Baghdad should start paying some U.S. combat costs, and Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., raised the possibility that an anticipated Iraqi budget surplus this year could be used to help Afghanistan, whose $700 million in annual revenue represents a small fraction of Iraq's $46.8 billion budget." (...) - Kathy Kelly / Voices for Creative Nonviolence

The Origin and Operation of Evil

Martin LeFevre — 2008-04-17T21:12:00Z

One of the greatest impediments to the inward and intellectual growth of Homo sapiens is the illusion that we humans are evolving positively. It simply isn't so that we are progressing as a species, except scientifically and technologically.

However the need to believe it, and our Western conditioning (indeed, probably the nature of thought itself) keeps convincing people, against all evidence, that ‘the light is overcoming the darkness.' (...)

- Martin LeFevre

Peter Hallward's "Damming the Flood" (Part II)

Stephen Lendman — 2008-04-17T21:03:14Z

This is Part II of Peter Hallward's masterful account of recent Haitian history and what may lie ahead for its beleaguered people. Please refer to Part I that's posted on this site.

2001 - 2004: The Winner Loses?

In spite of its strength and resilience, FL had its faults and suffered the consequences. Its relative informality made it vulnerable to "opportunistic" infiltration by members of the "conventional political class" as well as former Macoutes, soldiers and criminal gang leaders. Some FL politicians also used their positions for personal gain and implicated the government in damaging scandals.

Further, the very strength of its support meant the opposition had to undermine the organization from within. Ways included money and weapons to neighborhood gangs to change sides and turning the state's own security forces (the USGPN Presidential Guard) against the President. Aristide's last Prime Minister, Yvon Neptune, believed by year end 2003, few national security force members could be trusted because they'd been corrupted by "members of civil society." In addition, some Aristide supporters became disillusioned by his fruitless negotiating strategy and for not being more decisive in the crucial pre-coup weeks. (...)

- Stephen Lendman