red onion

Saturday, February 05, 2005

Our climate.

Global warming...is metaphorical, as well as physical.

The g7 meeting was just held, and the subject of poverty came up. Yea, THAT SUBJECT.

Yes, there are people without enough to eat, without a place to sleep. But...I would say the world suffers from a paucity of imagination as opposed to a poverty of resources. Yes, even with dwindling resources and the desecration of the environment, we could still turn this thing around. If we focus our imagination on the creation of solutions, and their practical application, and our abilities on the best available protection and use of resources. And there can be no use of resources without it's cooresponding protection, if we are to renew our resources.

Wanted: U.S. Environmental Movement
Wanted: Movement to develop and implement clean energy
Needed: U.S. citizens to join the Make Poverty History British groups.

THE GLOBALIZATION OF AMERICAN CONSCIENCE is much more important, and will possibly conteract the dangers of the globalization of the economy.

What is the saying??? We need to think globally and act locally.

I say that again.

WE NEED TO THINK GLOBALLY AND ACT LOCALLY.

Recomendation for myself in the next few weeks: Attend the next meeting of a particular group regarding the preservation of low-income housing.
Contact some people I have in mind about getting involved with me in election reform in my home state.
Keep informed on global isses and lend my voice whenever possible.
Plant a spring garden.
Get the word out on the development of clean forms of energy. Part of the problem here is not that the technologies don't exist. The problem is that the desire to implement these technologies, on a mass scale, has not yet permeated the consciousness of the American, or even, the world citizen.

It could though, quickly. The issue has to do with what we allow to dominate our thoughts and efforts. The republicans are still winning on this one, despite recent successes, such as the muting of the "social security is in crisis" mantra.

They are winning because they have set the tone, temper and subject matter of the debate we are currently engaged in.

How often do you read about, in the mass media and popular blogs, the development and implementation of alternative forms of energy?

The most dangerous people to the neocons, are the ones who dare us to change, and to hope. What if we all became aware of the need for changes, and took steps, and offered each other hope? Participation, would drown out danger.

# posted by scorpiorising : 5:02 AM |

Tuesday, February 01, 2005

blood and money

I couldn't resist sharing this gem from an Atrios thread:

We are seeing over five soldiers a day dying, many wounded. This is going on and on and on. Even as the headlines celebrate "democracy" in action, the dead bodies pile up and the money flows like blood out of our budget and into the sand.

This makes no headlines and America, just like in Nam, will sleep on. The main topic: what shall we buy and can we be happy? continues to be touted by the various whores.

# posted by scorpiorising : 6:45 AM |

Monday, January 31, 2005

Juan Cole and Kucinich on the Iraqi Elections

Juan Cole on the elections. He has an excellent report; it is not to be missed:

The idea, mentioned by Condoleeza Rice on Sunday, that any significant number of Fallujans voted, is absurd and insulting. Most of the 250,000 Fallujans are still in exile, and the city is still occasionally the scene of fighting. There are reports of some voting in refugee camps outside the city. It is almost certainly motivated by a desire to have a legitimate, elected government that could effectively demand a US withdrawal.

Although some observers seem to be optimistic about the Sunni Arab vote, from what I could find out Sunday night, the signs were not actually good.

As for the neighbors, this Turkish author clearly fears both the religiosity of the Shiite party and the possible subnationalism of the Kurds.

In contrast, Iran clearly expects to benefit from the likely Shiite victory in the elections.

posted by Juan @ 1/31/2005 06:18:21 AM

Also, Dennis Kucinich's predictions five days before the elections:

It is clear, in just five days before the Iraqi elections are to be held, that it will be impossible to conclude anything about the extent to which corruption, voter intimidation or outright fraud will mar the results. The exercise will regrettably be a farce. The results will have no recognized legitimacy whatsoever, and surely do not merit association with the United States' notions of democracy.

"The elections will not yield certifiable results due to the pitifully small number of election observers, and the total absence of international election observers from the process. Indeed, according to the Washington Post, this is the first transitional election in the past two decades that will not have international election observers touring polling stations. As you know, international monitors have independently observed and evaluated elections throughout the world and have helped to point out when they are fraudulent and when they are legitimate."

In previous transitional elections across the world, the international community has sent teams of observers to polling sites. International observers have observed recent transitional elections in Nigeria in 1999, Haiti in 1990, East Timor in 2001-2002, and most recently in the second runoff election in the Ukraine.

# posted by scorpiorising : 3:53 PM |

A Corporate World

The Bush administration gives lip service to global warming, and wants to keep it from public, international discussion. during the World Conference on Disaster Reduction. That symposium is occuring simultaneously with the World Social Forum in Brazil, and if only the twain should meet.

Our's is not the only country, btw, whose practices on an international basis are harming world citizens.

Given that many of the globalized economic practices of international forces are designed to maximize profits and minimize strain to the corporation, it seems the World Conference on Disaster Reduction ought to focus on these economic, globalization disasters that are wrecking havoc on the citizens of this planet.

It has been my experiences that these people don't fall. They will always have their cavier and yachts, while the little guy around them takes the brunt of their policies. From Commondreams:

As 50,000 people marched through Porto Alegre, in southern Brazil, to mark the opening of the annual World Social Forum on developing country issues, the report from ActionAid was set to highlight how power in the world food industry has become concentrated in a few hands.

The report will say that 30 companies now account for a third of the world's processed food; five companies control 75% of the international grain trade; and six companies manage 75% of the global pesticide market.

It It finds that two companies dominate sales of half the world's bananas, three trade 85% of the world's tea, and one, Wal-mart, now controls 40% of Mexico's retail food sector. It also found that Monsanto controls 91% of the global GM seed market.

Household names including Nestlé, Monsanto, Unilever, Tesco, Wal-mart, Bayer and Cargill are all said to have expanded hugely in size, power and influence in the past decade directly because of the trade liberalization policies being advanced by the US, Britain and other G8 countries whose leaders are meeting this week in Davos.

"A wave of mergers and business alliances has concentrated market power in very few hands," the report says.

It accuses the companies of shutting local companies out of the market, driving down prices, setting international and domestic trade rules to suit themselves, imposing tough standards that poor farmers cannot meet, and charging consumers more.

I'm just beginning to wade into this globalization issue. It seems to me that the empowerment of the small farmer ought to be a goal for activists. The following link is to a pdf. Support your local farmer's market, and grow your own when possible.

Here's what a proponent of globalization has to say about activists:

In large part, the corporation owes the strong environmental and social standards that it attaches to all its investments to extensive discussion with - and criticism from - activists. As we elevate our standards from "do no harm" to an even stronger level of responsibility, we welcome continuing dialogue with local and international activists.

Elevate our standars from "do no harm" to an even stronger level of responsibility(???) I ask you, Peter Woicke, Managing Director, World Bank and Executive Vice President, International Finance Corporation, who penciled the above words, what could be a greater responsibility than "do no harm"? And if that is your mantra then you have failed it miserably.

The truth is, it is the activists who are your your conscience, and we do it as we struggle to keep up with the rapid pace at which you are legally devouring up the world's resources in terms of ownership, often at times with little regard for the people of the communities your policies and practices will affect.

Could we say, Mr. Woicke, that debt is the tool of international globalists to ensnare an economy, rather than to nurture an ecoomy? From Susan George:

Debt is an efficient tool. It ensures access to other peoples' raw materials and infrastructure on the cheapest possible terms. Dozens of countries must compete for shrinking export markets and can export only a limited range of products because of Northern protectionism and their lack of cash to invest in diversification. Market saturation ensues, reducing exporters' income to a bare minimum while the North enjoys huge savings. The IMF cannot seem to understand that investing in ... [a] healthy, well-fed, literate population ... is the most intelligent economic choice a country can make.

-- Susan George, A Fate Worse Than Debt, (New York: Grove Weidenfeld, 1990), pp. 143, 187, 23

To be continued.

# posted by scorpiorising : 12:40 PM |

"If you see death, you settle for a fever"

From Riverbend(emphasis are mine):

I’m sure people outside of the country are shaking their heads at the words ‘collective punishment’. “No, Riverbend,” they are saying, “That’s impossible.” But anything is possible these days. People in many areas are being told that if they don’t vote- Sunnis and Shia alike- the food and supply rations we are supposed to get monthly will be cut off. We’ve been getting these rations since the beginning of the nineties and for many families, it’s their main source of sustenance. What sort of democracy is it when you FORCE people to go vote for someone or another they don’t want?

Allawi’s people were passing out pamphlets a few days ago. I went out to the garden to check the low faucet, hoping to find a trickle of water and instead, I found some paper crushed under the garden gate. Upon studying it, it turned out to be some sort of “Elect Allawi” pamphlet promising security and prosperity, amongst other things, for occupied Iraq. I'd say it was a completely useless pamphlet but that isn't completely true. It fit nicely on the bottom of the cage of E.'s newly acquired pet parakeet.

They say the borders are closed with Jordan and possibly Syria. I also heard yesterday that people aren't being let into Baghdad. They have American check-points on the main roads leading into the city and they say that the cars are being turned back to wherever they came from. It's a bad situation and things are looking very bleak at this point.

It's amazing how as things get worse, you begin to require less and less. We have a saying for that in Iraq, "Ili yishoof il mawt, yirdha bil iskhooneh." Which means, "If you see death, you settle for a fever." We've given up on democracy, security and even electricity. Just bring back the water.

# posted by scorpiorising : 11:05 AM |

Iraqi vote schmote.

I am amazed to see the comments on DailyKos; jesus I didn't think people were still that naive, particularly those that bother to keep themselves informed.

The Iraqi vote is theater for the conquests of George Bush 2.

The Iraqis will now be the poster children for the flag of George Bush democracy that he intends to fly over the tyrannies of the world. He might want to start with his own.

Four years have passed and two questionable elections that cast serious doubt on America's commitment to democracy within her own borders. Four years later and no end in sight to our deficit, no end in sight to the neocon ambitions in the middle east, and no end in sight to the ways in which they will try to trick and deceive a gullible public into believing outrageous falsehoods, such as the need to replace social security with private investment accounts. As though the stock market were more reliable than a social security check coming in the mail.

They want us all to become really, badly addicted gamblers, gambling away our future, our quality of life, our values.

Wether its betting on the establishment of democracy in Iraq, or the ups and downs of a stock market fueled with our social security money, its still gambling, its a dangerous game and one that we must refuse to play.

I wish that the Iraqis, the different factions, had been able to ban together to boycott the elections. It would have been the most peaceful form of protest to democracy forced down their throats at the end of a gun barrel. Ghandi would have loved it.

Several have written on Dailkos of the different factions involved, and what the election might portend, and it ain't all sugar coated. Go and read the comments. I don't know a great deal about the factions, but I understand something of motivations and their effect on events and consequences.

It matters our motivations in bringing about this war. I'm not talking about the public's motivations. Privately, our dear leaders, hoped for control of a country sitting on the largest oil field in the world, and democracy was an afterthought. You doubt me? Why no postwar plan then?

Public motivations for this war obviously created a great deal of delusion: we would be safer as a country if we attack Iraq, as though violence of that nature can guaruntee safety. I've always believed that an abiding principle of Dr. King's and Ghandi, is peaceful actions that ultimately encourage peace. Even if they disturb initially.

If we really cared about the Iraqi people, we would have never gone in in the first place, and we would have not backed the UN's sanctions on that pitiful country, harming their citizens. Shame on us. Shame, shame.

Peaceful protest all over the world, bocotts, alternatives created, this is what will defeat the tyranny of George Bush.

God be with the Iraqi people, and I hope they vote to kick us out.

# posted by scorpiorising : 8:31 AM |