R-E-S-P-E-C-T

Born Again! George Galloway Stuns Labor, Shakes Up Britain
by TARIQ ALI

How did we get here? Following the collapse of communism in 1991, Edmund Burke’s notion that “in all societies, consisting of different classes, certain classes must necessarily be uppermost” and that “the apostles of equality only change and pervert the natural order of things”, became the common-sense wisdom of the age. Money corrupted politics, big money corrupted absolutely. Throughout the heartlands of capital we witnessed the emergence of effective coalitions: as ever, the Republicans and Democrats in the United States; New Labour and Tories in the vassal state of Britain; Socialists and Conservatives in France; the German coalitions of one variety or another with the Green’s differentiating themselves largely as ultra-Atlanticists, the Scandinavian centre-right and centre-left with few differences, competing in cravenness before the Empire.

In virtually each case the two/three-party system morphed into an effective national government. A new market extremism came into play. The entry of capital in the most hallowed domains of social provision was regarded as a necessary “reform”. Private finance initiatives that punished the public sector became the norm and countries (such as France and Germany) that were seen as not proceeding fast enough in the direction of the neo-liberal paradise were regularly denounced in the Economist and the Financial Times.

To question this turn, to defend the public sector, to argue in favour of state ownership of utilities, to challenge the fire sale of public housing, was to be regarded as a dinosaur.

Its time to demand some Respect everywhere. Freedom, Liberty and Equality are not the concepts of a dinosaur. They are essential human demands of people who want to live in a free and fair society. Those who want power and money based on your labor and subservience will always try to tell you that you cannot have Freedom, Liberty and Equality. But, we've also known for a couple of hundred years now that we the people can have exactly that simply by standing together and demanding it.

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Say What?

Israel Shields Public from Risks of War with Iran byGareth Porter

The government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been telling Israelis that Israel can attack Iran with minimal civilian Israeli casualties as a result of retaliation, and that reassuring message appears to have headed off any widespread Israeli fear of war with Iran and other adversaries.

Does anyone see the contradiction here? On one hand, we are told that Israel must attack Iran because Iran poses an "existential" threat to Israel's very existence. Then we are told that Iran is too weak to retaliate against Israel should Israel attack Iran.

Do you maybe get the sense you are being lied to? That perhaps some blood-thirsty leaders who want a war are just saying whatever they want to say. That when hyping the war they are talking about what a horrible threat Iran is to the very existence of Israel. But that when trying to reassure and convince their own people that this war must be fought that they then turn around and reassure them that Iran is to weak to threaten them.

Of course, the fact that the same power structure and media system completely lied to you about the war with Iraq when it was being pushed and promoted is another sign that perhaps you are being lied to now. Remember back when Iraq was this horrible threat pursuing horrible weapons of mass destruction and that we had to attack today, that tommorrow would be too late, or else we'd see mushroom clouds over American cities?

Today we are told the same about Iran.

Remember back when we were told the Iraq war would be a cakewalk? Remember when we were told that the Iraqis would stand by the road and wave little American flags as we marched into their country.

Today we are told the same about Iran. Today we are told it will be a surgically clean war with Iran, with just some wonderful air strikes hitting targets. And we are told how this will cause the Iranian people to rise up and overthrow their government then they'll love us for bombing their country.

Don't get fooled again. These people are obviously liars. They start with the lie that Iran is pursuing nuclear weapons. They push this lie even though the IAEA, US intelligence and most of the rest of the world's intelligence agencies all agree that Iran does not have a nuclear weapons program.

You are being lied to.

You should not vote for any politician that lies to you.
You should not watch, listen or read to any media that lies to you.

Simple things like that can change the world and stop yet another war.

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War Crimes In Progress

SOS From Emergency in Afghanistan

For several days the NATO war lords in Afghanistan have been heavily bombing the village of Mirbandao in the Helmand province of the south of Afghanistan. The Italian medical aid and anti war group called Emergency has a hospital for war casualties located in the Helmand province along with three locations for first aid and first response care. The hospital is in Lashkar-gah.

Neither the hospital nor the first location closest to the bombardment in Grishk have received any injured casualties. The Emergency staff have been informed by the local population that the area is completely surrounded and military checkpoints are stopping injured people and civilians from getting away from the combat zone.

All of this constitutes a violation of International Human Rights beyond representing an offense to our civil conscience. Emergency is asking with utmost urgency that a humanitarian corridor is opened and a guarantee of the evacuation of civilians and transfer of injured.

The above is translated directly from the SOS sent out by Emergency staff from Afghanistan to Italy and to the world.

You know the American Wall Street media would not report to you on such a crime. Certainly not while its happening. Their reporters are embedded with the US military, and only report what they are allowed to see and report. The other source of information for the Wall Street media (CNN, FAUX, MSNBC, network news, monopoly newspapers etc) is official military press conferences.

So, if there were horrible war crimes being committed in Afghanistan, especially if they were out away from the capital of Kabul, how would you know about it? Most likely from the desperate cries of an aid group that's trying to help the victims. I don't know a thing about an Italian group called Emergency, and the above translation of their call for help and attention is frustratingly short on details.

However, what they ask for it basic human rights. What they ask for is something that would happen regularly back when war was less barbaric and had some basic rules. In years gone by, only the most horrible of barbarians would refuse to let civilians flee a castle or city they were besieging. Especially injured civilians seeking medical aid. Santa Anna at the Alamo allowed what the American and NATO generals apparently will not allow.

But, here's the main question you should ask about your life and what you really know. If war crimes such as these were being committed in your name right now in Afhganistan, how else would you hear about it?

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US among world's worst state murderers

Amnesty: US ranks 5th on global execution scale

America's 43 executions in 2011 ranked it fifth in the world in capital punishment, the rights group said in its annual review of worldwide death penalty trends.

Who's in the top four ahead of the United States of American in shedding the blood of their own citizens?

"If you look at the company we're in globally, it's not the company we want to be in: China, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq," Suzanne Nossel, executive director of Amnesty International USA

That's an interesting list actually. Not exactly the company you want to keep. Especially not if you want to proclaim to the rest of the world that you are the shining example of liberty and freedom to the world. But its an interesting list.

• Iraq is a US puppet state. We wrote their constitution and hand-picked their leaders of our liking. Might as well just put the deaths in Iraq on the tab of the United States.
  
• Saudi Arabia is our close friend and ally. In the last two decades we've sent troops and had our children killed to defend this regime. And we are apparently about to find a war for them against Iran.
  
• Iran. Current target of the American Two Minute Hate. Maybe the reason we are about to fight a war against them is because we are jealous that they kill more of their own people than we do?
  
• China is apparently the next great war that America wants to fight.
  

So, an interesting list. Two friends and two enemies. Its too bad we can't be more like someplace like Sweeden and be friends with the nice peaceful countries that don't murder their own people.

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