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News Digest - Gaza, U.S. Economy, Famine and War
by Diane V. McLoughlin
July 8, 2011
Twitter update from Israel's Ben Gurion Airport: RT @ibnezra: I saw a grown man
punch on of the woman protesters in the head in front of 4 cops. Nothing happen to him.
#airflotilla
`````
Today's New York Times: Corn ethanol subsidies may be in jeopardy. dvm: Corn for
fuel drives up the cost of corn for food, increasing food insecurity - particularly in the
Third World.
`````
Also today's New York Times: Mayor Bloomberg to reside at gay aide's wedding.
dvm - Nice.
`````
'Half of world's refugees are fleeing America's wars'; The Economist - dvm - Half!
Almost five million and counting...
`````
Famine -
June 28, 2011, from msnbc.com:
U.N.: Famine breaks out as drought hits 10 million in Horn of Africa - dvm - In some
areas, this is the worst drought seen in sixty years(!) Families are walking for a month in
blistering sands to reach refugee camps. Children in bad condition.
`````
U.S. Politics -
July 7, 2011, L.A. Times: [anti-war Libertarian] Ron Paul beats Gov. Rick Perry and all
others in Texas GOP poll - dvm - I wish people would quit mixing up Ron Paul Sr. with
son, Rand Paul.
`````
Couple of clips -
Above, a spoof of the sad [criminal?] fact that major credit card and online payment
companies have withheld over $15 Million in donations to WikiLeaks. 500,000-plus
views to-date.
Below, RT interview; May 31, 2011.
General Hamid Gul: US will start WW3 if war expands to Pakistan.
40,000-plus views to-date.
Lionel riffs on Obama's executive superpowers:
Economy -
July 5, 2011: From the website ThinkProgress.org, Marie Diamond reports that according
to the Center for Tax Justice, contrary to GOP claims, the U.S. is the second-least taxed
country in the world, behind only Iceland.
And, further, according to the CTJ,
“...the U.S. is already one of the least taxed countries for corporations in the developed
world.”
`````
Environment -
'Save our iceburg'
by Akiyoshi Sugimoto, from Chiba
July 5, 2011 - U.N.: New industrial revolution needed to avert planetary catastrophe :
'Humanity is close to breaching the sustainability of Earth, and needs a technological
revolution greater – and faster – than the industrial revolution to avoid “a major planetary
catastrophe,” according to a new United Nations report.
'Major investments will be needed worldwide in the developing and scaling up of clean
energy technologies, sustainable farming and forestry techniques, climate-proofing of
infrastructure, and in technologies reducing non-biological degradable waste production,
according to The World Economic and Social Survey 2011: The Great Green
Technological Transformation, published today by the UN Department of Economic and
Social Affairs (DESA).'
`````
July 7, 2011, Mother Nature Network -
'It looks like we're going to need a bigger cart - wind turbines come to Home Depot -
Select Home Depot stores across 6 states are now selling the Skystream 3.7, a personal
wind turbine that's quiet, compact and capable of producing up to 400 kWh of clean
energy a month' - Matt Hickman reporting. - dvm - I wish renewables reporting could get
to the point where they can tell us in easy-to-understand terms how to set a system up,
how much it will cost, how much a geographical area can expect to harvest in energy, and
how much money we can generate. Stuff like that.
``````
Israel and Palestinian human rights -
'The blockade on Gaza began long before Hamas came to power'; Mya Guarnieri; +972
Magazine; June 29, 2011:
'But the blockade did not begin in 2007, following the Hamas takeover of the Strip. Nor
did it start in 2006, with Israel’s economic sanctions against Gaza. The hermetic closure
of Gaza is the culmination of a process that began twenty years ago.'
``````
Israeli war crimes and crimes against humanity -
'Israeli document - Gaza blockade isn't about security'; Sheera Frenkel; McClatchy
Newspapers; June 9, 2010:
'...the [Israeli] government has long said that the aim of the blockade is to stem the flow
of weapons to militants in Gaza...However, in response to a lawsuit by Gisha, an Israeli
human rights group, the Israeli government explained the blockade as an exercise of the
right of economic warfare...According to figures published by Gisha in coordination with
the United Nations, Israel allows in 25 percent of the goods it had permitted into Gaza
before the Hamas takeover. In the years prior to the closure, Israel allowed an average of
10,400 trucks to enter Gaza with goods each month. Israel now allows approximately
2,500 trucks a month.'
``````
Well-written - 'Siege of Gaza has become a moral blockade of Israel'; Haaretz;
`````
'On Flotillas and the Law - an Analysis'; Professor Lawrence Davidson; Counter Punch;
July 8, 2011:
'What we have here is the collective punishment of 1.5 million Palestinians. As such it is
not legal, it is illegal -- a violation of the Geneva Conventions.'
``````
'Israel passes law requiring Palestinians to pay for their own home demolitions'; Saed
Bannoura; International Middle East Media Center (IMEMC); June 29, 2011
Full article:
'The law will now be passed to the full Knesset for a final reading, where it is expected to
pass due to the current makeup of the Knesset.
'Since 1967, Israeli forces have demolished 24,813 Palestinian homes. 90% of these
homes were destroyed for 'administrative' reasons – because they either lacked a permit
or were in an area designated for expansion by the Israeli military. No permits have been
issued by Israeli authorities for Palestinian construction in the Occupied Territories since
1967. The remaining 10% of the demolitions have been 'punitive' demolitions of the
homes of Palestinians accused of attacking Israel, or of their families' homes.
'In the first five months of 2011, Israeli forces demolished more Palestinian homes than
in the entire year of 2010, rendering homeless 706 Palestinians, including 341 minors.
This is according to the most recent numbers released by the Israeli Civil Administration.
'If the law passes the full Knesset, any Palestinian whose home is destroyed by the Israeli
military will have to pay thousands of dollars to cover the cost of the demolition. Already,
many Palestinian homeowners, mainly in Jerusalem, have been forced to pay for the
forced demolition of their homes.
'Israeli forces use US-made armored D9 bulldozers, manufactured by the Caterpillar
Corporation, to carry out the demolition of Palestinian homes. This has led US and
international activists to call for a boycott of the Caterpillar corporation, saying that the
use of the bulldozers to demolish Palestinian homes is a violation of international law and
the Fourth Geneva Convention. '
`````
'Welcome to Palestine' tour organizers: We are NOT an 'air flotilla'; Saed Bannoura;
IMEMC; July 8, 2011. - dvm - More of Israel's illegal behavior - Israel blocks visitors to
Palestine:
'Welcome to Palestine' is a non-partisan organizing effort by over 30 non-governmental
organizations to bring people from around the world, including France, Great Britain,
Belgium, Sweden, Germany, the USA, and Japan, to Palestine to see the reality of life
under occupation in the West Bank, as well as events in Israel.'
`````
'In the top four - Israel hits 7.2 billion in arms exports'; UPI - dvm - Tell me again why
the U.S. donates 3 BILLION U.S. in military hardware to Israel???
`````
Libya -
Must-read! Article: 'The lies behind the West's war on Libya'; Jean-Paul Pougala;
London Evening Post; April 17, 2011a:
'Africans should think about the real reasons why western countries are waging war on
Libya. It began in 1992, when 45 African nations established RASCOM (Regional
African Satellite Communication Organization) so that Africa would have its own satellite
and slash communication costs. This was a time when phone calls to and from Africa
were the most expensive in the world because of the annual US$500 million fee pocketed
by Europe for the use of its satellites like Intelsat for phone conversations, including those
within the same country.'
`````
'The U.S. must end it's illegal war in Libya now'; Dennis Kucinich; The Guardian; July 6.
2011.
````````````````````````
by Diane V. McLoughlin
July 8, 2011
Twitter update from Israel's Ben Gurion Airport: RT @ibnezra: I saw a grown man
punch on of the woman protesters in the head in front of 4 cops. Nothing happen to him.
#airflotilla
`````
Today's New York Times: Corn ethanol subsidies may be in jeopardy. dvm: Corn for
fuel drives up the cost of corn for food, increasing food insecurity - particularly in the
Third World.
`````
Also today's New York Times: Mayor Bloomberg to reside at gay aide's wedding.
dvm - Nice.
`````
'Half of world's refugees are fleeing America's wars'; The Economist - dvm - Half!
Almost five million and counting...
`````
Famine -
June 28, 2011, from msnbc.com:
U.N.: Famine breaks out as drought hits 10 million in Horn of Africa - dvm - In some
areas, this is the worst drought seen in sixty years(!) Families are walking for a month in
blistering sands to reach refugee camps. Children in bad condition.
`````
U.S. Politics -
July 7, 2011, L.A. Times: [anti-war Libertarian] Ron Paul beats Gov. Rick Perry and all
others in Texas GOP poll - dvm - I wish people would quit mixing up Ron Paul Sr. with
son, Rand Paul.
`````
Couple of clips -
Above, a spoof of the sad [criminal?] fact that major credit card and online payment
companies have withheld over $15 Million in donations to WikiLeaks. 500,000-plus
views to-date.
Below, RT interview; May 31, 2011.
General Hamid Gul: US will start WW3 if war expands to Pakistan.
40,000-plus views to-date.
Lionel riffs on Obama's executive superpowers:
Economy -
July 5, 2011: From the website ThinkProgress.org, Marie Diamond reports that according
to the Center for Tax Justice, contrary to GOP claims, the U.S. is the second-least taxed
country in the world, behind only Iceland.
And, further, according to the CTJ,
“...the U.S. is already one of the least taxed countries for corporations in the developed
world.”
`````
Environment -
'Save our iceburg'
by Akiyoshi Sugimoto, from Chiba
July 5, 2011 - U.N.: New industrial revolution needed to avert planetary catastrophe :
'Humanity is close to breaching the sustainability of Earth, and needs a technological
revolution greater – and faster – than the industrial revolution to avoid “a major planetary
catastrophe,” according to a new United Nations report.
'Major investments will be needed worldwide in the developing and scaling up of clean
energy technologies, sustainable farming and forestry techniques, climate-proofing of
infrastructure, and in technologies reducing non-biological degradable waste production,
according to The World Economic and Social Survey 2011: The Great Green
Technological Transformation, published today by the UN Department of Economic and
Social Affairs (DESA).'
`````
July 7, 2011, Mother Nature Network -
'It looks like we're going to need a bigger cart - wind turbines come to Home Depot -
Select Home Depot stores across 6 states are now selling the Skystream 3.7, a personal
wind turbine that's quiet, compact and capable of producing up to 400 kWh of clean
energy a month' - Matt Hickman reporting. - dvm - I wish renewables reporting could get
to the point where they can tell us in easy-to-understand terms how to set a system up,
how much it will cost, how much a geographical area can expect to harvest in energy, and
how much money we can generate. Stuff like that.
``````
Israel and Palestinian human rights -
'The blockade on Gaza began long before Hamas came to power'; Mya Guarnieri; +972
Magazine; June 29, 2011:
'But the blockade did not begin in 2007, following the Hamas takeover of the Strip. Nor
did it start in 2006, with Israel’s economic sanctions against Gaza. The hermetic closure
of Gaza is the culmination of a process that began twenty years ago.'
``````
Israeli war crimes and crimes against humanity -
'Israeli document - Gaza blockade isn't about security'; Sheera Frenkel; McClatchy
Newspapers; June 9, 2010:
'...the [Israeli] government has long said that the aim of the blockade is to stem the flow
of weapons to militants in Gaza...However, in response to a lawsuit by Gisha, an Israeli
human rights group, the Israeli government explained the blockade as an exercise of the
right of economic warfare...According to figures published by Gisha in coordination with
the United Nations, Israel allows in 25 percent of the goods it had permitted into Gaza
before the Hamas takeover. In the years prior to the closure, Israel allowed an average of
10,400 trucks to enter Gaza with goods each month. Israel now allows approximately
2,500 trucks a month.'
``````
Well-written - 'Siege of Gaza has become a moral blockade of Israel'; Haaretz;
`````
'On Flotillas and the Law - an Analysis'; Professor Lawrence Davidson; Counter Punch;
July 8, 2011:
'What we have here is the collective punishment of 1.5 million Palestinians. As such it is
not legal, it is illegal -- a violation of the Geneva Conventions.'
``````
'Israel passes law requiring Palestinians to pay for their own home demolitions'; Saed
Bannoura; International Middle East Media Center (IMEMC); June 29, 2011
Full article:
'The law will now be passed to the full Knesset for a final reading, where it is expected to
pass due to the current makeup of the Knesset.
'Since 1967, Israeli forces have demolished 24,813 Palestinian homes. 90% of these
homes were destroyed for 'administrative' reasons – because they either lacked a permit
or were in an area designated for expansion by the Israeli military. No permits have been
issued by Israeli authorities for Palestinian construction in the Occupied Territories since
1967. The remaining 10% of the demolitions have been 'punitive' demolitions of the
homes of Palestinians accused of attacking Israel, or of their families' homes.
'In the first five months of 2011, Israeli forces demolished more Palestinian homes than
in the entire year of 2010, rendering homeless 706 Palestinians, including 341 minors.
This is according to the most recent numbers released by the Israeli Civil Administration.
'If the law passes the full Knesset, any Palestinian whose home is destroyed by the Israeli
military will have to pay thousands of dollars to cover the cost of the demolition. Already,
many Palestinian homeowners, mainly in Jerusalem, have been forced to pay for the
forced demolition of their homes.
'Israeli forces use US-made armored D9 bulldozers, manufactured by the Caterpillar
Corporation, to carry out the demolition of Palestinian homes. This has led US and
international activists to call for a boycott of the Caterpillar corporation, saying that the
use of the bulldozers to demolish Palestinian homes is a violation of international law and
the Fourth Geneva Convention. '
`````
'Welcome to Palestine' tour organizers: We are NOT an 'air flotilla'; Saed Bannoura;
IMEMC; July 8, 2011. - dvm - More of Israel's illegal behavior - Israel blocks visitors to
Palestine:
'Welcome to Palestine' is a non-partisan organizing effort by over 30 non-governmental
organizations to bring people from around the world, including France, Great Britain,
Belgium, Sweden, Germany, the USA, and Japan, to Palestine to see the reality of life
under occupation in the West Bank, as well as events in Israel.'
`````
'In the top four - Israel hits 7.2 billion in arms exports'; UPI - dvm - Tell me again why
the U.S. donates 3 BILLION U.S. in military hardware to Israel???
`````
Libya -
Must-read! Article: 'The lies behind the West's war on Libya'; Jean-Paul Pougala;
London Evening Post; April 17, 2011a:
'Africans should think about the real reasons why western countries are waging war on
Libya. It began in 1992, when 45 African nations established RASCOM (Regional
African Satellite Communication Organization) so that Africa would have its own satellite
and slash communication costs. This was a time when phone calls to and from Africa
were the most expensive in the world because of the annual US$500 million fee pocketed
by Europe for the use of its satellites like Intelsat for phone conversations, including those
within the same country.'
`````
'The U.S. must end it's illegal war in Libya now'; Dennis Kucinich; The Guardian; July 6.
2011.
````````````````````````
