Erdoğan’dan Zehir Zemberek Sözler!

(29 Nisan 2012)

 

Iraq for Sale: The War Profiteers

Robert Greenwald’s classic 2006 documentary is a damning indictment of the Bush invasion and occupation of Iraq: ‘The story of what happens to everyday Americans when corporations go to war. Acclaimed director Robert Greenwald (Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price, Outfoxed) takes you inside the lives of soldiers, truck drivers, widows and children who have been changed forever as a result of profiteering in the reconstruction of Iraq. Iraq for Sale uncovers the connections between private corporations making a killing in Iraq (Blackwater, Halliburton/KBR, CACI and Titan) and the decision makers who allow them to do so’.[1]

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[1] http://iraqforsale.org/.

The Scopes Monkey Trial, 1925

Formally known as The State of Tennessee v. John Thomas Scopes and informally known as the Scopes Monkey Trial—was a landmark American legal case in 1925 in which high school science teacher, John Scopes, was accused of violatingTennessee’s Butler Act which made it unlawful to teach evolution in any state-funded school.

This “legal precedent” has achieved a remarkable status today, due to the continued “debate” between Creationists and Evolutionists . . .

 

Emma Goldman: An Exceedingly Dangerous Woman

On a cold December morning in 1919, just aftermidnight, Emma Goldman, her comrade Alexander Berkman, and more than 200 other foreign-born radicals were roused from theirEllis Islanddormitory beds to begin their journey out of theUnited Statesfor good.

Convicted of obstructing the draft during World War I, Goldman’s expatriation came 34 years after she had first set foot inAmerica, a young, brilliant, Russian immigrant. For more than three decades, she taunted mainstreamAmericawith her outspoken attacks on government, big business and war.

Goldman’s passionate espousal of radical causes made her the target of persecution. Her sympathy for Leon Czolgosz, the assassin of President McKinley, brought down upon her the hatred of the authorities and the public at large. Feared as a sponsor of anarchy and revolution, she was vilified in the press as “Red Emma,” “Queen of the Anarchists,” and “the most dangerous woman in America.”[1]

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[1] “More about the film Emma Goldman” PBS. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/goldman/filmmore/index.html.

Atheist or Agnostic??? Reasonable or Faithful???

I just stumbled across this video on Facebook. It is the astrophysicist Neil De Grasse Tyson explaining his position on the vexing issue of religion: ‘Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson claims the title “scientist” above all other “ists.” And yet, he says he is “constantly claimed by atheists.” So where does he stand? “Neil deGrasse, widely claimed by atheists, is actually an agnostic”’.

Richard Dawkins, “Darwin’s Rottweiler”, famously adheres to the same position, namely that there are certain things which cannot be known – “known unknowns”, as it were – and that he therefore is happy to state that he is an agnostic, adding however, “I think the probability of a supernatural creator existing is very very low”.[1]  It seems to me that admitting that one cannot be sure about the existence of a supernatural deity is but a natural and even logical thing to do . . . The recent phenomenon of New Atheism has produced many outspoken and aggressive atheist who are always talking about their belief in reason, somehow forgetting that the human being is not a reasonable creature. Man is an irrational animal that in the course of its evolution has achieved self-consciousness and a remarkable mastery over the natural world. Following the writings of the famous biologist Desmond Morris, one could describe man as a primate that has acquired carnivorous habits as a result of its changed habitat. From a forest-dwelling ape, happily feeding on freely available vegetables and fruits, man’s ancestor entered the wide open landscape and into competition with carnivorous wolves and big cats to ultimately become the most successful predator dwelling on earth. As a living thing, man’s ultimate fixation is procreation and the acquisition of digestible foodstuffs. Far from being a paragon of rationality, man is constantly subject to his or her sexual urges. Man’s ability to be cognizant of his (or her) own existence does turn him (or her) into a most peculiar animal, but at the end of the day, man is but an animal, man is but a naked ape wearing clothes as a means of controlling his (or her) constantly present sexual urges . . . Man is not controlled by reason, but by his procreational compulsion to ensure the survival of the species and the continuation of certain genetic material . . . and, to paraphrase Freud, civilization is but the outcome of a constant struggle to control the human sex drive . . . or as phrased by Adam Christian, “Freud notes that civilization’s antagonism toward sexuality arises from the necessity work of building communal bonds based on friendship. If the activity of the libido were allowed to run rampant, it would likely destroy the monogamous love-relationship of the couple that society has endorsed as the most stable”.[2]

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[1] John Bingham, “Richard Dawkins: I can’t be sure God does not exist” The Telegraph (24 February 2012). http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/religion/9102740/Richard-Dawkins-I-cant-be-sure-God-does-not-exist.html.

[2] Adam Christian, “Chapter 5”, ‘Civilization and Its Discontents Summary and Analysis’. GrAdeSaver. http://www.gradesaver.com/civilization-and-its-discontents/study-guide/section3/.

2012 White House Correspondents’ Dinner

Jimmy Kimmel at the 2012 White House Correspondents’ Dinner.

 

Sarkozy and Gadhafi: €50 Million

During the bloody war in Libya, Gadhafi’s heir-apparent Saif al-Islam first alleged that Libyahad financed the French President Sarkozy’s election campaign . . . and now, these then-unproven claims have finally come out in the open and are being employed by the Socialist contender Hollande in a bit to further discredit the incumbent. Last month, EuroNews reported that ‘French President Nicolas Sarkozy has angrily denied accusations, during a live television interview, that he received money from deposed Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi to fund his first election campaign. The claims, reported in news website Mediapart, allege that the Libyan regime donated 50 million euros. “If he had funded it then I haven’t been very grateful,” responded Sarkozy who was reminded by the interviewer that Gaddafi’s son Saif al Islam had made the allegations. “I’m not sure that he makes a good witness.  Gaddafi, who is known for talking nonsense, has even said that there were cheques. Well ask his son to present them,” added Sarkozy. In March 2011 during an interview with euronews, Gaddafi’s son claimed that Sarkozy’s 2007 campaign had been funded by his father. “Sarkozy must repayLibya the money he took for his election campaign. We financed it. We have all the details and we are ready to publish them.  The first thing we ask of this clown Sarkozy is that he repay this money to the Libyan people. We helped him become president so that he would help the Libyan people but he has disappointed us.  And very soon we will publish all the details,” said Gaddafi. Saif al-Islam was captured in November 2011 trying to leaveLibya following the fall of the regime and his father’s death. There is confusion over whether he will face trial inLibya or at the International Criminal Court inthe Hague on charges of crimes against humanity’.

(13 March 2012)

And now, the allegations that Sarko received €50 million from the now assassinated Libyan leader are once more turning up in the French media. The ‘investigative website Mediapart released a report by French terrorism expert Jean-Charles Brissard. Its claims that Sarkozy secretly received Gaddafi’s millions for his previous election campaign are based on court testimony to an arms trafficking probe. The report alleges that French arms dealer Ziad Takieddine arranged the Gaddafi donation channeled via Panamaand a Swiss bank account in the name of a sister of one of Sarkozy’s key political allies, the head of his UMP party. The deal was said to be reached during one of Sarkozy’s frequent trips to Libyaas French interior minister, where he met Gaddafi in person. A memo obtained by Mediapart claims that a meeting on October 6, 2005 resulted in “campaign financing” of “NS [Nicolas Sarkozy]” being “totally paid”’, as reported by the ever-critical RT.[1]

Now, even the English-language Arabic broadcaster Al Jazeera highlights Sarko’s dealings with the dead Libyan dictator: ‘In the last days of campaigning for a second term as president of France, documents have surfaced which suggest Libya’s Gaddafi regime donated millions of dollars to Sarkozy’s 2007 election campaign. It’s not the first time that claim’s been made, and the French President’s camp has rejected it as “ridiculous.” Sarkozy’s Socialist challenger Francois Hollande is demanding an explanation. Al Jazeera‘s Charlie Angela reports from Paris’.

(28 April 2012)

 

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[1] “Sarkozy fury over ‘Gaddafi millions for 2007 campaign’” RT (March 2012). http://rt.com/news/sarkozy-gaddafi-finance-campaign-443/.

Zuerst fällt Syrien und dann kommt der Iran – Interview mit Christoph Hörstel

Interview mit Christoph R. Hörstel

2011 erlebte die Welt mit dem Arabischen Frühling die Rebellion des Volkes.Oderdoch nicht? Nahost-Experte Christoph R. Hörstel ist sich sicher, dass in allen Ländern, in welchen das Volk gegen das vorherrschende Regime auf die Straße geht, die USA ihre Finger mit im Spiel hatten. Deutlich wird dies zum Beispiel an den NATO-Luftwaffen-Übungen zum bevorstehenden Krieg in Libyen, welche bereits 14 Tage vor den ersten Aufständen in Libyen stattfanden.

Auch im aktuellen Konflikt mit Syrien, ist es alles andere als ein Zufall, dass ausgerechnet jetzt die Aufständigen gegen Damaskus ziehen. Nachweislich handelt es sich bei einigen der Rebellionsführer, welche unbedarfte Syrier reihenweise als Kanonenfutter gegen Assads Militär anstürmen lassen, um von der CIA installierte “Aufständige”, welche einige Monate zuvor bereits die Libyer anführten.

Und wo sich Russland und China bei der UN Resolution gegen Gaddaffi noch ihrer Stimme enthielten, erteilten sie ienem erneuten Vorgehen der NATO ein klares Nein und legten ihr Veto gegen den geplanten Angriff auf Syrien ein. Schätzungsweise 60.000 bis 80.000 Libyer sind durch die NATO Bomben ums Leben gekommen. Mehr als der gestürzte Diktator sich hätte zu Schulden kommen lassen können.

Nachdem Syrien bald gefallen sein soll, steht der nächste Gegner schon vor der Tür. DerIran. Dass ein militärischer Konflikt mitdiesemLandaber eine ganz andere Dimension darstellt als gegen Afghanistan, Irak oder Liyben, wissen hierzulande die Wenigsten. Ein Krieg gegenIrankönnte ganz schnell zum 3. Weltkrieg eskalieren und wir sehen im Jahre 2012 eben dieser Gefahr erschreckend nah ins Auge.

(13. Februar 2012) 

The Syria Situation: Regime Change or Popular Rebellion???

Mimi Al-Laham, better known as SyrianGirlpartisan on YouTube,[1] here appears on Press TV to explain her views on the ongoing situation in Syria.

(24 April 2012)

Many months ago I wrote and posted several pieces on Libya and the way in which the “Assisted Rebellion” had apparently been organized and funded by outside sources,[2] how the Arab Awakening is becoming a proxy battleground for the New Cold War between the West (the U.S., NATO, and the EU) and the up-and-coming new superpowers: “Is the Arab Awakening turning into the beginning of a New Cold War between the U.S. and Russia? The conservative American writer Conor Friedersdorf reminds people of the high stakes: ‘If you’ve lost count, that’s Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq, Libya and Yemen where the Obama Administration will be warring’. Will these conflicts turn into proxy-wars fought between America and Russia, possibly aided by China?”.[3]

Currently, the violence in Syria appears to have been primarily initiated by the Assad regime (or has it??), but the so-called Free Syrian Army does not seem completely innocent either. The well-known whistleblower Sibel Edmonds has already indicated that her sources point out that the armed Syrian opposition has been trained and supplied since April 2011.Edmonds’ claim is that theU.S., in cooperation with its allyTurkey, has been supporting the armed Syrian opposition from the Army Base İncirlik in south-easternTurkey. Others have even claimed that the Syrian opposition fabricates claims of government violence to garner Western support that might lead to yet another “humanitarian intervention”, like the one that brought an end to Qaddafi’s rule in Libya.

(26 April 2012)

 

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[1] Her YouTube channel can be visited here: http://www.youtube.com/user/SyrianGirlpartisan.

[2] “Libya: Assisted Rebellion or Humanitarian Intervention???” A Pseudo-Ottoman Blog (07 April 2011). https://sitanbul.wordpress.com/2011/04/07/libya-assisted-rebellion-or-humanitarian-intervention/; “Libya: Assisted Rebellion or a Just War?” A Pseudo-Ottoman Blog (31 March 2011). https://sitanbul.wordpress.com/2011/03/31/libya-assisted-rebellion-or-a-just-war/.

[3] C. Erimtan, “The Arab Awakening and the never-ending Cold War” Hürriyet Daily News (22 June 2011). http://tiny.cc/p7q3b.

Alan Moore on BBC HARDtalk

Alan Oswald Moore (born 18 November 1953) is an English writer primarily known for his work in comic books, a medium where he has produced a number of critically acclaimed and popular series, including Watchmen, V for Vendetta, and From Hell. Frequently described as the best graphic novel writer in history, he has also been described as “one of the most important British writers of the last fifty years”. He has occasionally used such pseudonyms as Curt Vile, Jill de Ray, and Translucia Baboon.

(10 April 2012)