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When, Where the Pope Inspires No Hope
Nicola Nasser
Pope Benedict XVI is scheduled to be the third pontiff to visit the Holy Land from 8 – 15 May, following in the footsteps of Paul VI in 1964 and John Paul II in 2000, on a mission officially described as a “pilgrimage” and one of “peace and reconciliation.”
However, the Pope will be stepping into “a diplomatic minefield,” where the Catholic highest spiritual authority will be unmercifully scrutinized by the protagonists of the one hundred year old Arab – Israeli conflict for the Holy Father’s every step, word and handshake, which would force him into the defensive in an impossible balancing act that will rule out any hope his presence is supposed to inspire, especially among the down-trodden Arabs of Palestine, whether those who are “Israelis” living as second class citizens since 1948 or those Palestinians living under the Israeli military occupation since 1967.
Scientists speak out: coal-fired power stations are responsible for global warming
David Karoly of the School of Earth Sciences, Melbourne University
"Today, the owners of every coal-fired power station in Australia will receive a letter from myself and six other leading climate scientists. We have made it clear that their emissions are directly responsible, in part, for the impacts of climate change being felt in Australia and abroad. (letter attached). Our intention is to ensure the coal industry is fully accountable for their pollution and the damage it causes. Debate will continue on the fringes but, within the scientific community, there is wide and deep consensus that climate change is an unprecedented and urgent threat to the planet as we know it. We are at a key point in history and failure to act decisively now will have severe ramifications for generations to come. Coal-fired power stations are incompatible with action that reflects the urgency of climate change. As such, we have asked the recipients of the letters to have the far-sighted courage to work with our government and us to urgently replace coal-fired power plants with zero-carbon energy sources and energy efficiency programmes. As scientists, we have refrained in general from proposing policy, but when the direction we continue to take in this country is so clearly at odds with the scientific evidence, we have no choice but to speak out.
The consequences are too severe to do otherwise."
What MLK might say regarding the 61st Anniversaries of Israel and Nakba
eileen fleming
In his regards to Israel on it 61st year of existence, President Obama reiterated, "The United States was the first country to recognize Israel in 1948, minutes after its declaration of independence [and] looks forward to working with Israel to advance our common interests, including the realization of a comprehensive peace in the Middle East."
The 1948 Declaration of the Establishment of Israel affirms that, "The State of Israel will be based on freedom, justice and peace as envisaged by the prophets of Israel: it will ensure complete equality of social and political rights to all its inhabitants irrespective of religion it will guarantee freedom of religion [and] conscience and will be faithful to the Charter of the United Nations."
All Torture Evidence Will Lead to Dick Cheney
Allen L Roland
In pursuit of the Waterboard gang, any investigation will eventually lead to the grand Inquisitor himself, Dick Cheney ~ who saw himself as the all powerful shadow president. Cheney's fingerprints will eventually be found on all executive branch abuses of power including torture and the 9/11 conspiracy or cover-up:
Make no mistake about it, to Dick Cheney and his neocon co-conspirators, the cold war never ended and continues to this day. For eight long years, it was a Cheney / Bush administration where Bush was the oblivious stooge / cheerleader while Cheney not only positioned and moved all the pieces on the grand global chess board but was also the grand Inquisitor utilizing torture, rendition and assassination when necessary to accomplish his neocon agenda.
H1N1 Swine Flu: Barack Obama and the First Deadly Mistake
Lifegen.de
The H1N1 swine flu hits the US, and for the first time President Barack Obama seems to make a deadly mistake: A disease spread simulation has emphasized that flu interventions must be imposed quickly, if they are to be effective. Researchers writing in the open access journal BMC Public Health have shown that staying at home, closing schools and isolating infected people within the home should reduce infection, but only if they are used in combination, activated without delay and maintained for a relatively long period. The President should have acted by enforcing social separation - but economic items seem to be more important.
What all the President's men should have known: Professor George Milne and his colleagues from the University of Western Australia (UWA) simulated the effect of social distancing on the spread of a flu virus within a small town. Their research used a detailed, individual-based model of a real community with a population of approximately 30,000 (Albany, Australia) using simulation software engineered by UWA’s Dr Joel Kelso. Milne said, “Our results suggest a critical role of combined social distancing measures in the potential control of a future pandemic. Non-pharmaceutical social distancing interventions are capable of preventing less-infectious influenza epidemics and of significantly reducing the rate of development and overall burden of the worst epidemics”.
Climate myths?
Andrew Glikson
Responses by Andrew Glikson to Andrew Bolt’s article “10 climate myths” (Herald Sun 29-4-09) (http://www.crikey.com
.au/Politics/20090429-Climate-myths-
Glickson-v-Bolt.html)
Andrew Bolt presented 10 climate change "myths". (http://blogs.news.com.au/ heraldsun/andrewbolt/index.php/ heraldsun/comments/column_the_10_ warming_myths/?source=cmailer).
Here is my response to each. Essentially, the "skeptics" are searching for short annual or biannual changes, rather than looking at decade-scale trends. Failing to understand that science is a self-correcting discipline, they hope that, if and when they find minor errors or uncertainties (such as always exist) the entire scientific edifice behind the idea of climate change will collapse. By the fact that the so-called "climate change skeptics" are attempting to refute every single direct observation and measurement in nature, as well as the basic physics and chemistry of the atmosphere, indeed climate science as a discipline, they reveal a resistance to the scientific method as such.
Clinton’s Unpromising Start
Ramzy Baroud
Incongruous. One can hardly think of a more suited term to describe the new US administration's approach to peacemaking in the Middle East. Though there is little evidence that previous US administrations had genuinely attempted to play a balanced role in forging a just peace between Israel and the Palestinians, many hoped -- and a few still hope -- that Barack Obama's administration would bring about new standards.
However, if recent comments made by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton suffice as a general indication of the administration's Middle East policy, then little change is on the horizon.
FDR'S New Deal v. Obamanomics in Their First 100 Days
Stephen Lendman
"Roosevelt confronted "the money changers," even though mostly through
rhetoric. Obama, like Bush, embraces them openly..."
With good reason, progressive economists reflect positively on Roosevelt's New Deal even though:
-- it failed to end the Great Depression;
-- had many flaws;
-- did too little for blacks, women, immigrants, small farmers, agricultural workers, and the poor;
Palestinians in Europe to commemorate the 61 anniversary of Nakba “Catastrophe”
From Sameh Habeeb
Palestine Return Center PRC
After 61 years of the Palestinian Nakba. Palestinians still adhere to their rights and legacy which was intended to be destroyed in the past decades but never it never happened. Palestinian communities, institutions and associations all over European countries are preparing for the 7th Europe Conference in Milan, Italy by the 2nd of May 2009. A broad spectrum of leaders, Palestinian public figures and delegations will attend the conference.
This year conference is entitled; "Right of return is nonnegotiable and will not be relinquished". The message of the conference is to show the determination and adherence of all rights especially the right of return and independency. Thousands of Palestinian refugees and residents living in Europe are expected to attend.
Road of Absolution
Jan Hipple
A people disavow the problems facing our nation with fingers pointed in every direction, but themselves. Words spoken of hate for things not understood and a nation crumbles for the bitterness growing in the souls of unbelievers. Greed and power feed the egos of the bureaucrats on Capitol Hill. Twisted mouths spew lies wrapped with false sincerity, while our nation watches yesterday’s freedom disappear. Glorified for their words of hope the masses smile for a bright future coming.
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