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Surveillance, Secrecy and Control in the Age of Big Brother
by Rodrigue Tremblay
“We have now sunk to a depth at which restatement of the obvious is the first duty of intelligent men.” - George Orwell (1903-1950) - (Eric Arthur Blair), English novelist, essayist, and social critic, (author of the book “1984”)
"I do not want to live in a world where everything I do and say is recorded. That is not something I am willing to support or live under." - Edward Snowden (1983- ), American patriot who revealed the Police State tactics of the U.S. government, (June 10, 2013)
“In my estimation, there has not been in American history a more important leak than Edward Snowden’s release of NSA material—and that definitely includes the Pentagon Papers 40 years ago. Snowden’s whistleblowing gives us the possibility to roll back a key part of what has amounted to an ‘executive coup’ against the U.S. Constitution.” - Daniel Ellsberg (1931- ) American economist and military analyst. (In 1971, during the Richard Nixon administration, he released a top-secret Pentagon study of U.S. government decision-making in relation to the Vietnam War)
Egypt in Search of Political Change
Mahboob A. Khawaja, PhD.
The land of Pharaohs, magic and fantasy appears to be intermingled with in-house fireballs generated conflicts of hopes and expectations. The Generals are becoming restless with Tahrir Square’s shouting matches, crumbling economic affairs, emotional outbursts of the emotionally charged people and their aspirations, domestic strife and people wanting overnight results of their long political struggle.
This paints an unimaginative and short-sighted picture that politically responsible government under President Morsi could deliver unthinkable goods and amenities of life out of the besieged Egyptian socio-economic context. Society at best becomes productive when there is peace, freedom of thoughts and movement and collaborative endeavors for change and development. Egypt faces complex and critical situations.
Hemingway and Salinger Died For Your Sins: An Independence Day Exchange
By Gary Corseri and Adam Engel
Engel (in media res): …nobody gives a damn what authors do or do not do, outside "our crowd" of hopelessly romantic lefties!
Corseri: Don't agree w/ that! I don't think we're "hopelessly romantic lefties" and more and more Americanos are disenchanted w/ life here, dream of abroad-dom. Authors settling and writing about life abroad and seeing US from aerie of expatriation--could be important to spur others. It's a venutre I am considering myself w/in the next couple of yrs.
E: Speaking of disenchantment with the odd and sundry farcical, though ultimately tragic, masks of Empire… I just read this biography of Salinger that blew my mind. J.D. Salinger: a Life, by Kenneth Slawenski.
Turmoil Rocks Egypt: Morsi's Out
by Stephen Lendman
Events are fast moving. Russia Today's live Cairo video shows huge Tahir Square crowds. They're nonviolent. They're expectant. The mood's electric.
Egyptian troops control key sites nationwide. Large contingents are deployed around Cairo.
Unconfirmed reports suggest Morsi's under house arrest. Egypt's Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) gave him 48 hours to yield. Do so or step down, it said. The deadline came and passed. Reuters reported that SACF said it's "ready to die to defend Egypt's people against terrorists and fools." It did so in response to Morsi. It headlined "The Final Hours."
Hands Off Snowden Campaign
by Stephen Lendman
Snowden acted heroically. He did so at great risk. He exposed lawless US spying. He represents a noble tradition. Others did before him. Allies do it now. Legions more are needed. Hopefully they'll be emboldened to help.
Doing so exposes fascist state governance. People need to know. America's by far the worst. Activists want Snowden helped. More on that below.
He released a statement, saying:
"One week ago I left Hong Kong after it became clear that my freedom and safety were under threat for revealing the truth."
Obama's New Climate Plan
by Stephen Lendman
It's typical Obama. It's largely old wine in new bottles. It's more duplicitous than real. Rhetoric belies policy. He does it every time. His credibility's sorely lacking. He's a serial liar. It remains to be seen what follows.
A White House web site posting headlined "CLIMATE CHANGE and President Obama's Action Plan."
On June 25, he said:
"So the question is not whether we need to act. (It's) whether we will have the courage to act before it's too late."
"As a President, as a father, and as an American, I’m here to say we need to act."
Amnesty International says US must not persecute Snowden
Mary Shaw
On July 2, Amnesty International issued the following comments addressing the case of NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden from a human rights perspective:
The US authorities' relentless campaign to hunt down and block whistleblower Edward Snowden's attempts to seek asylum is deplorable and amounts to a gross violation of his human rights Amnesty International said today.
"The US attempts to pressure governments to block Snowden's attempts to seek asylum are deplorable," said Michael Bochenek, Director of Law and Policy at Amnesty International. "It is his unassailable right, enshrined in international law, to claim asylum and this should not be impeded."
The organization also believes that the National Security Agency (NSA) whistleblower could be at risk of ill-treatment if extradited to the USA.
"No country can return a person to another country where there is a serious risk of ill-treatment," said Bochenek.
"We know that others who have been prosecuted for similar acts have been held in conditions that not only Amnesty International but UN officials considered cruel inhuman and degrading treatment in violation of international law."
Senior US officials have already condemned Snowden without a trial, labelling him both guilty and a traitor, raising serious questions as to whether he'd receive a fair trial. Likewise the US authorities move to charge Snowden under the Espionage Act could leave him with no provision to launch a public interest whistle-blowing defence under US law.
"It appears he is being charged by the US government primarily for revealing its - and other governments' - unlawful actions that violate human rights," said Bochenek.
"No one should be charged under any law for disclosing information of human rights violations. Such disclosures are protected under the rights to information and freedom of expression."
Besides filing charges against Snowden, the US authorities have revoked his passport - which interferes with his rights to freedom of movement and to seek asylum elsewhere.
"Snowden is a whistleblower. He has disclosed issues of enormous public interest in the US and around the world. And yet instead of addressing or even owning up to these actions, the US government is more intent on going after Edward Snowden."
"Any forced transfer to the USA would put him at risk of human rights violations and must be challenged," said Michael Bochenek.
But, of course, it seems that the U.S. government pays attention to human rights groups like Amnesty only when it suits a predetermined agenda.
Mary Shaw is a Philadelphia-based writer and activist. She is a former Philadelphia Area Coordinator for the Nobel-Prize-winning human rights group Amnesty International, and her views on politics, human rights, and social justice issues have appeared in numerous online forums and in newspapers and magazines worldwide. Note that the ideas expressed here are the author's own, and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Amnesty International or any other organization with which she may be associated. E-mail: mary@maryshawonline.com
July 4th reprieve for Bradley Manning after prosecution rests
By Rady Ananda
COTO Report
As the nation readies itself for its annual celebration of freedom, the modern U.S. government seeking to severely punish hero whistleblower, Bradley Manning, rested its case prosecuting him for 21 charges, including 'aiding the enemy' which carries a life sentence. The court martial is being held at Fort Meade in Maryland and is expected to end in August.
Image: In this June 5, 2013 photo Army Pfc. Bradley Manning is escorted out of a courthouse in Fort Meade, Md., after the third day of his court martial. In June 2010, Army Pfc. Bradley Manning was arrested for giving WikiLeaks more than 700,000 classified battlefield reports, diplomatic cables and video clips while working as an intelligence analyst in Baghdad. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)
Kerry's Shuttle Diplomacy Excludes Peace in Our Time
by Stephen Lendman
America and Israel deplore peace. Claims otherwise are pretense. On June 27, Kerry arrived in Jerusalem. It was his fifth regional trip since February. He'll return. He met straightaway with Netanyahu.
They talk peace. They plan war. They abhor diplomatic conflict resolution. They don't negotiate. They demand. They want Israeli/Palestinian peace talks resumed with no preconditions.
They want unconditional Palestinian surrender. Don't bet Abbas won't agree. He's a longtime collaborator. He's Washington and Israel's man in Ramallah.
Quelle Surprise: NSA Spies on Europe
by Stephen Lendman
NSA spies globally. Enormous amounts of meta-data are collected. It's been ongoing for decades. Post-9/11, it intensified. It's out-of-control today. It's lawless. It's menacing. It persists.
Spying domestically isn't for national security. Nor is monitoring allies. It's about control. It's for economic advantage. It's to be one up on foreign competitors. It's for information used advantageously in trade, political, and military relations.
On June 30, London's Guardian headlined "New NSA leaks show how US is bugging its European allies. Exclusive: Edward Snowden papers reveal 38 targets including EU, France, Italy. Berlin accuses Washington of cold war tactics."
One document includes 38 embassies and missions. It calls them "targets." Extraordinary spying methods are used. Bugs are planted in electronic communications gear.
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