by Pat LaMarche
Are we really having discussions about whether or not to participate in the 2008 Olympics? Are people actually sitting in coffee shops discussing whether the civil rights violations in China warrant a U.S. boycott of the opening ceremonies or even the games themselves?
Man, this country really cracks me up.
Extraordinary men and women, the absolute cream of our athletic crop, who have — for likely as long as they’ve walked — trained for the moment when they could (…)
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US Won’t Get a Gold Medal for Human Rights
18 April 2008 par (Open-Publishing)
1 comment -
US anti-China re Tibet - US & Australia world’s WORST human rights abusers
13 April 2008 par (Open-Publishing)
US Asia Sheriff, Australian PM Rudd has unwittingly exposed Australia as the World’s WORST human rights abuser in attacking alleged Chinese human rights abuses in Tibet.
Australia’s new neo-Bush-ite PM and craven Bush America vassal, Kevin Rudd, has been touring the world for 17 days and non-specifically lecturing it on alleged China human rights abuses in Tibet (as well as cravenly supporting horrendous US militarism).
I have no doubt that such abuses are occurring - indeed highly (…) -
The Feudal Serf System in Tibet Before 1959
23 March 2008 par (Open-Publishing)
5 commentsA Society Based on a Regime that Combined the Political and Religious Powers, and Divided People into Three Strata and Nine Grades Tibet before 1959 had a society of feudal serfdom. Along with the general characteristics of feudal serfdom, there were many remnants of slavery. This social system was more cruel and reactionary than serfdom in Europe in the Middle Ages. The serf-owners’ economic interests were protected by a political system that combined political and religious powers, ruling (…)
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The Truth About Tibet : Not As Peaceful As They Want You To Think
21 March 2008 par (Open-Publishing)
2 commentsThere is no excuse for the PRC’s violent response to the recent Tibetan protests, but the Western viewpoint of the peace-loving non-violent Tibetan monk is little more than a Shangri-la Myth carefully orchestrated by Tibetan exiles to insure Western support and favour.
The truth of the matter is that Tibet was historically a feudal society completely dominated by noblemen and monasteries who enlisted Western support in the 1950’s when Communism threatened their power and wealth.
Global (…) -
Rights eroded in Iraq in 2007 with civilians targeted
6 February 2008 par (Open-Publishing)
HRW: Rights eroded in Iraq in 2007 with civilians targeted
AFP :: 2008-02-01 ::
Human rights in Iraq deteriorated for much of 2007 while sectarian violence targeting civilians swelled the number of displaced to around 4.4 million, half of them abroad, Human Rights Watch said on Thursday.
"Attacks on civilians by various insurgent and militia groups continued," HRW said in a bleak assessment of Iraq in its annual report.
This included the single deadliest attack since the war began in (…) -
Adieu, France
5 February 2008 par (Open-Publishing)
Lisbon Treaty gets Versailles vote
French MPs have voted to amend their constitution to permit the adoption of the revised European Constitution.
EU Observer quotes Prime Minister Francois Fillon as hailing the decision as "a vote that distinguishes the actors of history from the spectators."
Held in a special session in Versailles, the vote by France’s Chamber of Deputies was passed 560 to 181. Opposition Socialists abstained, arguing that while they supported the Lisbon Treaty, they (…) -
In defense of academic freedom - a video interview
10 January 2008 par (Open-Publishing)
The debate on freedom of speech once again sparks debate in and on education. Once more the word freedom is tossed wantonly around as controversial figures take to the podium at Oxford or wherever to voice their perspectives. It is the controversial individuals that attract the most attention and discussion; those whose opinions or reasonings will invariably incite the most opposition or have potential to cause the most harm to more people.
We talk much less about the speeches of those in (…) -
Anti-Democracy in Oklahoma Universities
21 December 2007 par (Open-Publishing)
Oklahoma Universities have had a long standing in Anti-Democracy. This has been perpetuated by the Oklahoma Regents for Higher Education.
Yesterday that was made even clearer by one of the State Universities instructing employees
they could not say Merry Christmas to Co-workers or in emails to name a few areas. If they begin with Christmas where will they end up if not stopped now.
Contact Oklahoma law makers and tell them what you think.
http://www.okhouse.gov/Members/MemberListing.aspx -
Oklahoma University tells Staff not to say Merry Christmas
21 December 2007 par (Open-Publishing)
1 commentSWOSU a small state run Oklahoma University has instructed staff they cannot use
the term Christmas. As a further example of un-Constitutional freedom of speech
sensorship, this issue should be a warning to anyone wishing any greeting that
may offend someone regardless of religion. The concern is that the order came from
higher up in the State Government. You can Google for the news story "SWOSU" for many links. One link is below.
http://www.standardnewswire.com/news/709942050.html -
Rich Media, Poor Democracy (+ video)
14 December 2007 par (Open-Publishing)
3 commentsA key indicator of the health of a democracy is the state of its journalism, the United States is in deep trouble. In Rich Media, Poor Democracy, Robert McChesney lays the blame for this state of affairs squarely at the doors of the corporate boardrooms of big media, which far from delivering on their promises of more choice and more diversity, have organized a system characterized by a lack of competition, homogenization of opinion and formulaic programming.
Through numerous examples, (…)