#OWS #wearethe99% #occupyeverywhere Update:
...When was the last time the government stepped into help you "avoid losses you might otherwise suffer?" But that's the reality we live in. When Joe Homeowner bought too much house, essentially betting that home prices would go up, and losing his bet when they dropped, he was an irresponsible putz who shouldn’t whine about being put on the street.
But when banks bet billions on a firm like AIG that was heavily invested in mortgages, they were making the same bet that Joe Homeowner made, leaving themselves hugely exposed to a sudden drop in home prices. But instead of being asked to "suck it in and cope" when that bet failed, the banks instead went straight to Washington for a bailout -- and got it...Above quote from: OWS's Beef: Wall Street Isn't Winning – It's Cheating by Matt Taibbi Rolling Stone October 25, 2011
the other major news event has been the US &NATOs overthrow of Qaddafi who more recently was considered an ally to the West and the USA -when Qaddafi was of use to the West his crimes were ignored but now the hypocritical disingenuous leaders in the West viewed Qaddafi/Gaddafi as an impediment to the US and the West' plan to take control of Africa and take away China's role in Africa which has been more benign than how African nations will be treated by the Western Imperialists.
...For instance, only some years ago, "former British Prime Minister Tony Blair had no qualms doing business with Gaddafi and Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi got cozy with him at a United Nations Summit in Rome..."
In the case of the U.S., the thoughtful comment by Matthew Rothschild on October 21 is worth mentioning: "The hypocrisy of the U.S. position could hardly be greater."
In 2003, the Bush Administration rehabilitated Qaddafi, who became an ally of the United States in the 'war on terror.' In fact, the CIA used Qaddafi's intelligence service to torture detainees that the U.S. sent over to Libya. The CIA 'rendered' eight or nine detainees to Qaddafi's intelligence service...
The CIA may even have had agents present during some of the questioning. In 2008, Condoleezza Rice visited Qaddafi in Libya. The next year, Obama shook his hand, and John McCain offered him arms. When it was convenient for Washington to support Qaddafi, it did so. When it was convenient to attack him, it did so.
...But the Obama administration didn't attack Bahrain when it cracked down on people fighting for democracy against that kingdom. No, Washington even let Saudi Arabia, another kingdom, invade Bahrain to help put down the nonviolent uprising."
Many who do not know the history of modern Libya are not aware of the historical contributions of Muammar Gaddafi to his people and the region, even when he has his own failures. Consider, for instance, the following five important contributions by Gaddafi to his country and the region:
(a) He envisioned "the United States of Africa" and thus contributed to the formation of the African Union. In fact, "the African Union is basically the creation of Muammar Gaddafi, who saw it as a vessel for a stronger Africa," as reported by RT on October 20
(b) He succeeded in holding Libya together, which, according to Shirin Sagedhi, was previously fragmented by different "tribes and ethnicities."
(c) He transformed Libya to have "one of the highest GDPs per capita in Africa and...to provide an extensive level of social security, particularly in the fields of housing and education," in a way that many sub-Saharan countries in Africa could only dream of, in the article on Libya by Wikipedia.
(d) He managed to avoid being dominated by the Soviet Union or the U.S. during the Cold War by masterfully playing the Soviet Union against the U.S. without being a puppet of the former. After the collapse of the Soviet Union at the end of the Cold War, he continued to fight against Western domination in the region and thus developed bad blood with Western powers.
(e) He overthrew the Kingdom of Libya in a bloodless military coup against King Idris in 1969 and thus brought Libya into the modern era (from monarchic feudalism).
All these achievements are no small feats for a ruler of a small country with only a few million people and thus have allowed Gaddafi to rule for 42 years.
This does not mean that Gaddafi has no failures. Surely, there are good examples to consider, like his personal vanity, his abuse of power, his ruthlessness, and the like. But who has no failures, for a man with his historical status in the modern era?Above quote from: Used and Abused The Murder of Gaddafi, and the War Crimes of Western Powers By Peter Baofu, Ph.D. October 25, 2011 "Information Clearing House"October 25, 2011
Welcome to the police state USA:
"Police in riot gear, armed with billy clubs and some with shotguns, overturned tents, and the campers' wooden stalls quickly, leaving what looked like a hurricane-struck refugee camp in their wake. They ripped up dozens of cardboard signs, overturned a couch and when it was over there were scraps of carpet, personal belongings and trash all over the plaza."
INSANE! Cops fire Tear Gas at Protesters at Occupy Wall Street protest in Oakland
JPB209
Early Morning Police Raid Ousts Occupy Oakland by Kristin J. Bender at Oakland Tribune, October 25, 2011
OAKLAND -- Before dawn Tuesday, at least 200 police, many in riot gear, tore down the Occupy Oakland encampment in front of City Hall and arrested dozens of people. A smaller camp near Lake Merritt was also dismantled.
Police in riot gear, armed with billy clubs and some with shotguns, overturned tents, and the campers' wooden stalls quickly, leaving what looked like a hurricane-struck refugee camp in their wake. They ripped up dozens of cardboard signs, overturned a couch and when it was over there were scraps of carpet, personal belongings and trash all over the plaza.
And here's a few of the demands of the #OWS in a more recent attempt at presenting the core beliefs of the movement to the public and the US government .
Mic Check: Can You Hear Us, America?
by Randall Amster at CommonDreams, October 26, 2011
We find these views to be mutually relevant…
that all people, by virtue of their basic humanity, deserve the opportunity to live, work, and associate according to the dictates of their own consciences and capacities;
that the exercise of such freedoms is only tenable in conjunction with the ability of all people to do so, in the recognition that no one is free unless everyone is free;
...that individuals and communities do not exist in isolation, but are interlinked through a global network of communications and cultural exchange that enables the realization of a shared future and a common interest in effectively preserving the continued existence of humankind;
...that the fruits of the earth belong to humankind collectively, and especially to the future generations from whom we merely borrow their blessings...
that no one ought to be bound into the indentured servitude of indebtedness, which coerces people to become complicit with an alienating economy and structures of their own oppression;
that education must be free, open to all, and not merely confined to classrooms and institutions...
and:
...that the shared spaces of society, including the material bases of existence, cannot be owned or controlled by private interests but must remain the collective responsibility of humankind entire
...that there can be no peace without justice, no future without the past, no individuality without community, no opportunity without education, no liberty without equality, and no politics without participation
...that the person standing next to you is part of you, an extension of you, a reflection of you, an ally, a colleague, a relative, and a friend;
Occupy Wall Street - October 15 - Day Of Outrage
Mainstream Media either just doesn't understand the Occupy Wall Street Movements core beliefs or are disingenuously in fact engaged in spouting their own pro-Wall Street talking points and propaganda. It is not just Fox News that refuses to take the #OWS protest seriously but all of Mainstream Media in the US and even here in Canada. The core belief is that the rich on Wall Street got bail out money from the US government while millions of Americans over the past three years lost their jobs got kicked out of their homes when the banks decided to foreclose. While those suffering the most in the US have to beg and plead to get help from the government hundreds of billions of dollars are poured into the military machinery of perpetual war to provide outrageous profits for the corporations feeding the War Machine.
Like the Bush/Cheney Regime the Obama Regime lies to the public for instance claiming that the withdrawal from Iraq is voluntary when in fact it is the Iraqi government and the Iraqi people who have stood up to the American occupying forces and ordered them to leave even though Obama wanted to prolong the "Occupation".
Meanwhile peaceful protesters are beaten and arrested the crooks on Wall Street are too rich, too big too well connected to even be charged for their crimes . The rule of law it appears applies to all American citizens but not to the rich and powerful.
Matt Taibbi argues that those protesting are not anti-capitalism per se or merely envious and jealous of the rich but are angry over the corruption on Wall Street which is encouraged by the bail outs from the US government . He also argues that the protesters are not necessarily pro-democrat since the Democrats led by president Obama have also added to these injustices as much if not more than the previous Republican administration.
OWS's Beef: Wall Street Isn't Winning – It's Cheating by Matt Taibbi Rolling Stone October 25, 2011
...Moreover, the worse the economy got, the more being a millionaire or a billionaire somehow became a qualification for high office, as people flocked to voting booths to support politicians with names like Bloomberg and Rockefeller and Corzine, names that to voters symbolized success and expertise at a time when few people seemed to have answers. At last count, there were 245 millionaires in congress, including 66 in the Senate.
And we hate the rich? Come on. Success is the national religion, and almost everyone is a believer. Americans love winners. But that's just the problem. These guys on Wall Street are not winning – they're cheating. And as much as we love the self-made success story, we hate the cheater that much more.
...That's why it's so obnoxious when people say the protesters are just sore losers who are jealous of these smart guys in suits who beat them at the game of life. This isn't disappointment at having lost. It's anger because those other guys didn't really win. And people now want the score overturned.
All weekend I was thinking about this “jealousy” question, and I just kept coming back to all the different ways the game is rigged. People aren't jealous and they don’t want privileges. They just want a level playing field, and they want Wall Street to give up its cheat codes, things like:
FREE MONEY. Ordinary people have to borrow their money at market rates. Lloyd Blankfein and Jamie Dimon get billions of dollars for free, from the Federal Reserve. They borrow at zero and lend the same money back to the government at two or three percent, a valuable public service otherwise known as "standing in the middle and taking a gigantic cut when the government decides to lend money to itself."
Or the banks borrow billions at zero and lend mortgages to us at four percent, or credit cards at twenty or twenty-five percent. This is essentially an official government license to be rich, handed out at the expense of prudent ordinary citizens, who now no longer receive much interest on their CDs or other saved income. It is virtually impossible to not make money in banking when you have unlimited access to free money, especially when the government keeps buying its own cash back from you at market rates.
and:
...When was the last time the government stepped into help you "avoid losses you might otherwise suffer?" But that's the reality we live in. When Joe Homeowner bought too much house, essentially betting that home prices would go up, and losing his bet when they dropped, he was an irresponsible putz who shouldn’t whine about being put on the street.
But when banks bet billions on a firm like AIG that was heavily invested in mortgages, they were making the same bet that Joe Homeowner made, leaving themselves hugely exposed to a sudden drop in home prices. But instead of being asked to "suck it in and cope" when that bet failed, the banks instead went straight to Washington for a bailout -- and got it...
and from Democracy Now! Amy Goodman interviews Asmaa Mahfouz one of the main organizers of the Egyptian pro-democracy movement at Tahrir . Mahfouz has come all the way from Egypt to speak to the protesters at Occupy Wall Street .
From Tahrir to Wall Street: Egyptian Revolutionary Asmaa Mahfouz Speaks at Occupy Wall Street
Occupy Wall Street received a surprise visit Monday from several leading Egyptian activists, including 26-year-old Asmaa Mahfouz. She is one of the founders of the April 6 Youth Movement, which is the group credited with helping to organize the January 25 protests that eventually toppled the regime of former president Hosni Mubarak. Prior to the protest in January, Mahfouz recorded a YouTube video urging people to fill Tahrir Square. Democracy Now!'s Amy Goodman spoke to her at Occupy Wall Street. "Many of U.S. residents were in solidarity with us," Mahfouz said. "I am here to be in solidarity and support the Wall Street Occupy protesters, to say to them, ’the power to the people,' and to keep it on and on, and they will succeed in the end."
The major headline in the Mainstream Media is not the #OWS protest but rather the capture and murder of Gaddafi. Saddam when captured was also treated in a shameless manner but he was kept alive long enough to take part in an American staged "Show Trial" and Kangaroo court followed by a lynching. The rule of Law in both cases failed as it has for tens of thousands of anonymous detainees captured and brutalized and tortured by US and British personnel in Iraq and Afghanistan .
Another even more graphic video has become available showing the Libyan rebels capturing , torturing and sodomizing Gaddafi with a knife before summarily executing him. The rebels treatment of Gaddafi is in fact a war crime. But these rebels are beyond the reach of international law since they are protected by United States and NATO. And yet the US and NATO claim to be the embodiment of superior Western values and civilization.
There has been allegations that the NATO backed rebels have committed a number of War Crimes throughout the siege of Libya. NATO itself has also been accused of committing war crimes for example deliberately bombing civilian non-military targets. As it has been throughout the so called War on Terror the Western forces themselves have committed War Crimes with impunity in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The video is rather graphic so for now see it at the link below.
Gaddafi Sodomized By NATO Supported Rebels Video shows abuse frame by frame (GRAPHIC)An analysis appears to confirm that a rebel fighter sodomized Gaddafi with a knife.By Tracey Shelton Global Post via Information Clearing House, October 25, 2011
— An analysis of video obtained by GlobalPost from a rebel fighter who recorded the moment when Col. Muammar Gaddafi was first captured confirms that another rebel fighter, whose identity is unknown, sodomized the former leader as he was being dragged from the drainpipe where he had taken cover.
A frame by frame analysis of this exclusive GlobalPost video clearly shows the rebel trying to insert some kind of stick or knife into Gaddafi's rear end.
The treatment of Gaddafi after being taken prisoner amounts to a war crime but since 9/11 the US and Westerners have abandoned International Law or the rule of law in favor of "Might is Right" and "The Will to Power" ala Frederick Nietzsche.
Used and Abused The Murder of Gaddafi, and the War Crimes of Western Powers By Peter Baofu, Ph.D. October 25, 2011 "Information Clearing House"October 25, 2011
-- - -The jubilant reaction of Western powers and the foes of Muammar Gaddafi to his barbaric murder on October 20, 2011 raises some serious questions about war crimes committed by the Western-backed National Transitional Council (NTC) fighters and NATO forces.
There are two serious violations of international law here, namely, (1) in relation to the Third Geneva Convention in 1929 and (2) in relation to the UN Security Council Resolution #1973 in 2011. Let me explain first (1) the Geneva Convention and then (2) the UN Resolution hereafter.
(1) The first violation of international law concerns the Third Geneva Convention in 1929, which offers rights to prisoners of war (POWs), such that POWs have certain rights to be protected. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov rightly said on October 21, 2011 that, "in compliance with international law, the moment that a party to an armed conflict is captured, special procedures should be applied to him or her, including assistance, as well as a ban on killing such a person."
But this right was violated, when Gaddafi was captured alive (as POW) and was then repetitively verbally and physically abused before being shot dead shortly after. As "testified by the grainy mobile phone footage seen by the world of the former leader, bloodied and dazed, being dragged along by NTC fighters" in a gruesome way, "Gaddafi can be heard in one video saying 'God forbids this' several times, as slaps from the crowd [of NTC fighters] rain down on his head," as reported by Rania El Gamal for Reuters on October 23.
Then, he was executed by a young NTC fighter named Sanad al-Sadek al-Ureibi, who claimed that he shot Gaddafi after capture, because he did not want him alive; and other fighters celebrated with him after the summary execution. Worse, his dead body was then publicly displayed in a commercial freezer at a shopping center for more celebration.
This act of Western-backed NTC fighters is not only criminal but also barbaric. The foes of Gaddafi may argue that he deserves this fate, but two wrongs do not make a right (which is a well-known logical fallacy), and the answer to criminality is not more criminality. This blatant violation of the Geneva Convention then led Christof Heyns, the UN Special Rapporteur on extra-judicial executions, to charge on October 21 that "the manner of the deposed Libyan leader's killing could be a war crime," in a report by RT on October 22.
This criminal act by Western-supported NTC fighters is not just restricted to the case of Gaddafi's death but also be extended to the murder of his son (and others in the group). For instance, Gaddafi's son, Mutassim Gaddafi, was captured alive, together with his father, and, in a video released by NTC fighters, he was shown to be "alive in custody, and even casually smoking a cigarette" in a room (surrounded by armed NTC fighters), but in a few moments later, "other images show him dead with gunshot wounds to his neck and abdomen" in the same room, in a report by RT on October 21.
------------------------
Libya: Apparent Execution of 53 Gaddafi Supporters Bodies Found at Sirte Hotel Used by Anti-Gaddafi Fighters By Human Rights Watch via Information clearing House, October 24, 2011
Fifty-three people, apparent Gaddafi supporters, seem to have been executed at a hotel in Sirte last week, Human Rights Watch said today. The hotel is in an area of the city that was under the control of anti-Gaddafi fighters from Misrata before the killings took place.
Human Rights Watch called on Libya’s National Transitional Council (NTC) to conduct an immediate and transparent investigation into the apparent mass execution and to bring those responsible to justice.
“We found 53 decomposing bodies, apparently Gaddafi supporters, at an abandoned hotel in Sirte, and some had their hands bound behind their backs when they were shot,” said Peter Bouckaert, emergencies director at Human Rights Watch, who investigated the killings. “This requires the immediate attention of the Libyan authorities to investigate what happened and hold accountable those responsible.”
Human Rights Watch saw the badly decomposed remains of the 53 people on October 23, 2011, at the Hotel Mahari in District 2 of Sirte. The bodies were clustered together, apparently where they had been killed, on the grass in the sea-view garden of the hotel.
and so it goes,
GORD.
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