While diplomatic and trade relations between South Korea and Israel have a somewhat checkered past, the two countries have grown much closer during the current administration of Lee Myun-Bak, which is currently negotiating a free-trade agreement with Israel. And as Israel’s relationships with neighboring countries—especially Turkey—deteriorate, South Korea seems eager to step in and pick up the lost business opportunities, especially in arms sales. According to this article in the Jerusalem Post, South Korea is already conducting arms trades with Israel and Seoul is now planning “to make Israel one of its main arms suppliers alongside the United States.” In…
Support Wikileaks
Understanding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict
What follows are responses to some of the questions that arise in discussions of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Some of these questions reflect biases that impede the understanding of the conflict. 1. What is the official position of Hamas regarding a resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict? As you can read in this Wall Street Journal article, the official position of Hamas as of 2009 is to accept a Palestinian state along the 1967 borders (roughly 20 % of historic Palestine), which is also the international consensus on how to resolve this conflict. 2. Hamas’ founding charter called for the destruction of…
How to help the people of Gaza
According to this report, 38 aid agencies are now warning of a humanitarian crisis if the military assault on Gaza is not stopped immediately. And yet according to this Democracy Now interview with the Gazan human rights lawyer Raji Sourani, Israel has just dramatically escalated its bombing campaign on the trapped population in Gaza. Whether or not this escalates into a full-fledged ground invasion remains to be seen (here are Finkelstein’s thoughts on the relevant factors behind’s Israel’s decision-making at the moment). International pressure must obviously be brought to bear on Israel to force it to end this murderous campaign,…
How to stop Israel
With the latest cycle of violence in Gaza thoughts naturally turn once again to the important question of how to bring an end to Israeli aggression, the Israeli stranglehold on Gaza, and the illegal occupation of the Palestinian territories. There is obviously no realistic military solution to this problem, and a diplomatic settlement is virtually impossible given the position of the U.S. government, which would veto any attempt of the UN security council to constrain or even criticize Israel. One alternative approach is for people of conscience from around the world to put pressure on the Israeli government by boycotting…
Spinning the latest assault on Gaza
As reported in the Guardian’s Middle East blog (a source for updates on the latest Israeli-Palestinian conflict), the basic facts of the conflict as of Nov. 14, the first day of the conflict, were as follows: • Israel killed Hamas military leader Ahmed al-Jaabari in an airstrike on his car in Gaza. Israel followed the assassination with sustained air and naval strikes across Gaza, concentrating in the north. Hamas vowed to avenge the act. • Israeli officials said the offensive, called “Pillar of Defense,” was meant to stop the launch of hundreds of rockets on civilian populations in southern Israel in recent months.…
How the Dutch got their cycling paths
The story of the amazing bicycle paths in the Netherlands serves as an excellent role-model for anyone challenging the dominant form of urban transportation as it does away with common objections against promoting cycling, namely, that it is impractical or unpopular. The short video below outlines exactly how the Dutch got their cycling paths. There is no reason to believe this couldn’t be accomplished elsewhere. The official description of the video reads as follows: Road building traditions go back a long way and they are influenced by many factors. But the way Dutch streets and roads are built today is largely the…
The week the world stood still (by Noam Chomsky)
In his article “The week the world stood still,” published originally on TomDispatch, Noam Chomsky reminds us how close the world came to thermonuclear apocalypse in 1962 and also provides some insight into what really happened behind closed doors during the standoff between the US and the Soviet Union. It is of great importance to get the facts right about this dark moment in human history right, especially since the majority of people on earth were not alive in 1962 and can only learn about it through historical scholarship. Noam Chomsky therefore does us a great service in this article; his…
The Science of Morality (CBC radio interviews)
One of the jewels in the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation is the radio series Ideas, which does a good job of providing Canadians with in-depth journalism on issues of scientific or cultural significance. Here are links to a two-part series on the new science of morality (Part 1; Part 2). The series provides a nice introduction to the field and investigates what light science is shedding on our moral beliefs and behavior. The series features interviews with Frans de Waal, Paul Bloom, Jon Haidt, Joshua Greene, and Sam Harris.
How viable is Economics? (lecture by Steve Keen)
In the lecture below, Steve Keen, Associate Professor of Economics & Finance at the University of Western Sydney and author of Debunking Economics, questions the viability of modern neoclassical macroeconomics and its premises. His critique not only calls into question what is taught in virtually every economics department around the world, but also casts doubt on the typical policy recommendations made by neoclassical economists.
Canada shames itself once again in support of Israel
First a few background points on the legality of the Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian territories (from Wikipedia): 1. The international community considers the settlements in occupied territory to be illegal. Israeli neighborhoods in East Jerusalem and communities in the Golan Heights, areas which have been annexed by Israel, are also considered settlements by the international community, which does not recognise Israel’s annexations of these territories. 2. The United Nations has repeatedly upheld the view that Israel’s construction of settlements constitutes violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention. International humanitarian law prohibits [an] occupying power [from transferring] citizens from its own territory to the occupied territory (Fourth Geneva Convention, article 49). 3. The International Court…
Affluent people and trickle-down economics
When the latest republican president, George W.Bush encouraged people to go shopping and introduced massive tax cuts on corporations and the wealthiest he acted as perfect role model for conservative economic politics. Mitt Romney is now running for president by promoting the same ideas and further tax cuts. These conservative policies are often justified by recourse to “trickle-down economics,” the idea that tax breaks or other economic benefits provided by the government to businesses and the wealthy will result in further investment by the rich, leading to more jobs and hence benefiting the poorer members of society. But does money really trickle down? The…
Evidence of the existence of God?
Eben Alexander recently wrote this article in Newsweek magazine describing the amazing experiences he had while in a coma, experiences which he claims prove that consciousness survives the brain, that there is life after death, that heaven is real, and that there is a divine and all-loving God. He writes, for instance, the following: In the fall of 2008, however, after seven days in a coma during which the human part of my brain, the neocortex, was inactivated, I experienced something so profound that it gave me a scientific reason to believe in consciousness after death… There is no scientific…
Earthship Biotechture 101
Here are a few helpful links for those who are interested in learning more about earthships and perhaps building one of their own. In the first place, there are existing earthships that can be rented as hotel rooms on a weekly or nightly basis. There is this earthship in France which one can rent or buy and these rentals in New Mexico. For those who want to learn, there are internships opportunities as well as an Biotecture Academy offering training and degrees. Here’s a website keep track of progress on an earthship being constructed in Manitoba of all places. And the following…
Sustainability and freedom
Although it does snow in New Mexico, most people who watch the Garbage Warrior or witness the biotecture communities sprouting up in places like Taos probably think that earthships are fine for hot dry climates but wouldn’t really work in places like Canada. This short video clip nicely debunks that idea. The Potter’s earthship is in Bancroft Ontario which gets extremely cold in the winter, going as low as -35 Celsius. But as the Potters attest, they are perfectly comfortable in their home. And after building it, for very little money, they discovered that it not only sheltered them and…
Garbage Warrior (documentary)
Michael Reynolds is a true maverick; he sees humanity marching toward the edge of a cliff and he’s not willing to go along with the crowd. Instead he uses his skills as a trained architect to show people that there is another, better way of living, one which is sustainable, ecologically beneficial, and 100 percent self-supporting. He builds homes–even entire communities–that are completely off the energy grid, collect water from rainfall, recycle waste, and are made from mostly garbage and recycled materials. It’s called “Earthship Biotecture” and it may very well be the most profound and practical solution to the pressing environmental challenges…
Grapple in the Apple
This famous debate on the invasion of Iraq between Christopher Hitchens and George Galloway took place in New York in 2005, at the height of the war. It was an intense and highly entertaining clash of personalities, if not views. Well worth watching.
The off-the-grid, do-it-yourself smart-home (creative responses)
From the category “Creative responses to environmental challenges“: The off-the-grid, do-it-yourself smart-home. Challenging numerous conventions about housing, C++ pioneer Loren Amelang designed his off-grid house just the way he wanted. It is filled with innovative solutions to the energy problems associated with traditional houses and nicely balances comfort with sustainability and efficiency. His smart home also challenges the illusion that modern technology and sustainability are mutually exclusive.
American Radical: the trials of Norman Finkelstein (documentary)
The official description of this 2009 documentary reads as follows: A devoted son of Holocaust survivors and ardent critic of Israeli foreign policy, the polarizing American political scientist and author Norman Finkelstein has been called a lunatic and self-hating Jew by some, and an inspirational revolutionary by others. Uncompromising even in the face of his denial of tenure at DePaul University, Finkelstein is revealed as a complex, politically isolated figure who puts the pursuit of justice above the security of his academic career. Exploring the difficult and deeply-felt issues at the heart of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, American Radical is the…
On most metrics, the US is a dog
The provocative title of this post is not an opinion but a quote from a recent book by Howard Steven Friedman, a statistician and health economist for the United Nations and an adjunct professor at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs. The book, entitled “The Measure of a Nation,” compares the US’ standings on a variety of metrics concerning health, safety, education, democracy and income equality to those of 13 carefully chosen competitor OECD nations: Australia, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Japan, Portugal, the Netherlands, South Korea, Spain and the UK, all of whom have populations of at least ten…
Upward mobility in the U.S. is a myth
Robert S. Strauss used to say that every politician wants you to believe he was born in a log cabin he built himself. Republicans in particular never tire of emphasizing the unparalleled opportunities that exist in US, where hard work and determination can propel anyone out of humble beginnings into the White House, or at least a mansion on a hill. But is this really the case? A recent international study examined the relationship between wealth, heritage and inequality across generations. Here’s the abstract: We study the role of parental wealth for children’s educational and occupational outcomes across three types of…
Democracy Now
Democracy Now News Feed
- Hundreds Arrested: Students Across U.S. Protest for Palestine as Campus Crackdown Intensifies April 25, 2024
- Amnesty International: Global Breakdown of Int'l Law Amid Flagrant War Crimes in Gaza & Beyond April 25, 2024
- Bodies Recovered at Mass Graves in Nasser Hospital Bear Signs of Torture, Mutilation & Execution April 25, 2024
- Headlines for April 25, 2024 April 25, 2024
- Cuban Deputy Foreign Minister: Deliberate U.S. Policy of "Destroying Cuban Economy" Drives Migration April 24, 2024
- Climate Activists Blockade Citigroup HQ in NYC to Demand Banking Giant Stop Funding Fossil Fuels April 24, 2024
- Months Ago State Dept. Panel Exposed Israeli Units' Rights Abuses, But U.S. Arms Keep Flowing April 24, 2024