Israel's One Last Week

The "brink of war" continues in Israel as they extend their reign, inflicting more casualties on the people of Lebanon and Palestine. With a Palestinian to Israeli death toll of 47:1, "peace making groups" rush in to try and politically stop the violence.

However, the shock hit when Israel was given the approval ("green light") by America and the United Kingdom to have one more week to inflict damage on Hezbollah and the Lebanese people. Apparently, no one saw this as questionable.

Citing the conspiracy theory that Iran and Syria were backing Hezbollah, Fuhrer Bush stated: "It's in our interest for Syria to stay out of Lebanon and for this government in Lebanon to succeed and survive. The root cause of the problem is Hezbollah and that problem needs to be addressed." Following this, Bush and Tony Blair gave Israel a one week mark to wreak havoc and kill whomever before they began peace negotiations.

As for the Israel's "week," it sucessfully took out the evil Hezbollah government by bombing a UAE aid truck. Apparently, the clearly marked vehicle posed a threat to the Israeli dominance.

A word from the UnCapitalist Journal...

I was doing some scanning and I found this article by the UnCapitalist Journal. I really think it's worth reading. Do me a favor and check it out.

Nike's Labour Crisis

From Axis Of Justice's website:

In 2003, the workers at the BJ&B factory in the Dominican Republic won a long struggle. Although the company manufactured hats for multi-billion dollar companies like Nike, the BJ&B workers faced sub-standard wages and poor working conditions. After a long struggle, the workers and foreign labor activists managed to win a collective bargaining agreement with the company, which raised their wages up to, and above the legal minimum wage.

So what happens next? Nike starts canceling their orders with BJ&B. The factory starts losing money. BJ&B starts laying off workers. In 2003, BJ&B had 1600 employees. Now it has 250.

Labor activists around the nation plan to hold Nike accountable. They talk about their disdain for sweatshops, but when a company starts treating their workers well, Nike cuts and runs? That is not acceptable.

Read more...

One small step for me...

My article/blog "Israel: An Earned Nation or Imperialist Giant?" is appearing as a guest editorial in the Lebanon Reporter. I'm not sure on the exact date yet, but within the next week. If you get the chance to check it out, do so. If not, just read the one I have here and give me some feedback on what you think.

UPDATE: It appeared in the July 22nd printing of the Lebanon Reporter under the moniker of "On the Brink."

What's so funny 'bout peace, love, and being a little militant...?

Why is everyone on the left so peaceful? Speaking with comrades, I notice how all of them are anti-imperialist war (like myself) but are also anti-any war because they think that peace can solve the problem, no matter how big. What's your reasoning? Sure, peaceful movements like strikes, boycotts and protests are a key tool and can be quite effective if done right, but even after all that, I doubt the bourgeoious is going to go "Oh man, you guys are right. Hell, here's the keys, you guys can drive now!" What's the old socialist saying; "No War but the Class War?"

Don't think though, that by writing this, I'm saying that peace is a dead method. Hell no. Martin Luther King Jr. and Gandhi made peace into a nice little weapon against their enemies and we (the working class) should as well. However, peace only goes so far. Like I just said, strikes and sort are great tools, but when the capitalists are only slightly budging, but still not taking you seriously, then there's nothing wrong with fighting for your rights.

Think about it, all these events that we frame as being large moments in syndicalist, mutualist or socialist history, save a few, were all brought in through a Revolution. A violent Revolution. The Spanish Civil War wasn't just a ping-pong match. A lot of people died.

Really though, one must only look at his surroundings to see that we live in a culture dominated by people who give property more rights than the working class people as a whole. As many times that we are told that violence is never the answer, we must first examine the question being posed. We live in a militaristic society that's not going to hand over control of the capital without a fight. So why not give it to them.

If there's a peaceful way to bring about a better world, I'll be the first in line, but until then, we should all be working in solidarity, educating and giving, but still brandishing our weapons.

War = Good, Medical Research = Bad

I have the sure-fire feeling that George Bush would feel differently about stem cell research if he or one of his associates were plauged with some life-threatening disease that could be helped or prevented with the research.

Or maybe not. President Bush is one of those guys that would get the help for the friend, but still hold his view. John Kerry might have been a flip-flopper, but Bush's opinions stay the same, no matter how the facts weigh in.

Israel: An Earned Nation or an Imperialist Giant?

The headlines on CNN held an interesting question: is the Mideast on the brink of war? With Israeli jets bombing Beirut, ground troops entering southern Lebanon and attacking Hezbollah bases, one must wonder if this is Israel’s way of defending it’s right to exist or simply trying to become an imperialist giant. With most Israeli supporters citing the threat of “terrorist” organizations like the democratically elected Hamas government as well as the kidnapping of Israeli corporal Gilad Shalit as reasons for the strike against Lebanon and Palestine, others, who tend to be more emotionally Zionist or supporters of religiously held land, note Israel’s “right to exist.”

The Jews of Israel are held in a high regard because of the large number of unfortunate events they’ve overcome in the history of their people and also the religious view of them being the “Chosen Ones.” This being said, the Holocaust or any other event does not give them free reign to dominate Israeli or neighboring lands. Though it may be their Holy Land, or as some say the origin of their religion and people, they left that land and moved on. By saying that people can leave a land, experience high loss, then forcefully return, imposing their will by arms, is like saying that a person, after having his house burn down and part of his family killed, can move back into his childhood home with the rest of his family, repressing the current home owners if they don’t like the occupation. A “right to exist” is certainly a right that all people have, but a right to exist at the expense of others isn’t.

The “justified” bombing of Lebanon and Palestinian settlements raises many questions. First, why did the democratically elected Hamas government kidnap Corporal Shalit unless it wanted to cause an armed dispute with the Israelis? In an interview with Independent News Group Democracy Now! celebrated activist, writer, professor and scholar Noam Chomsky tells us of the barely reported June 24th kidnappings of civilians, a doctor and his brother, out of the Gaza Strip by Israeli military. This maybe be the reason for the abduction of Corporal Shalit by militant Palestinians. There are other possibilities, notably the deaths of 22 Palestinians at the hands of the Israeli army during the week of June 20th or the abduction of 64 members of the Palestinian Parliament on June 29 (Maan News Agency). As for the surge of Lebanese attack on Israel, this is most likely a way to shift some of the force off of Palestine and force Israel into a double fronted war. However, when Israeli General Dan Halutz declares that “Nothing is safe [in Lebanon], as simple as that,” it is questionable whether the Israel government and the International Community really does want peace between the nations. It must also be noted that many of the known casualties inflicted by Israel are not connected with the resistance. This “collateral damage” as it’s called, also has children in the majority of deaths.

Though there are notable deaths on both sides of the conflict, it would seem that the majority of it could be resolved with the recognition of Palestinian independence and a co-operative end to blind support of Israeli actions, as done so by America and it’s allies. Also, freedom for not only the Israeli soldiers that were abducted, but for all the Lebanese and Palestinian prisoners in Israel (the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics shows 9,400 Palestinian prisoners held in 30 prisons throughout Israel, some of whom have been held for as many as 30 years) as well. Maybe then, the Mideast will be off “the brink of war.”

Tests Are Fun?

Your Political Profile:

Overall: 10% Conservative, 90% Liberal

Social Issues: 0% Conservative, 100% Liberal

Personal Responsibility: 25% Conservative, 75% Liberal

Fiscal Issues: 0% Conservative, 100% Liberal

Ethics: 0% Conservative, 100% Liberal

Defense and Crime: 25% Conservative, 75% Liberal

How'>http://www.blogthings.com/howliberalorconservativeareyouquiz/">How Liberal Or Conservative Are You?

Class?

"If those in charge of our society - politicians,
corporate executives, and owners of press and television - can dominate our
ideas, they will be secure in their power. They will not need soldiers
patrolling the streets. We will control ourselves."
- Howard Zinn, historian

Elitist Pricks will be Shot during the Revolution

You all are obviously aware of my sheer hatred for Bill O'Reilly. You all know that I hate conservative blowhards who pose under the guise of "fair and balanced." You all know I hate rich propaganda tools who try and speak for the working class. You all know I hate Fox News.

However, Bill came out with a new article. In this one, like past ones complaining about rap songs and "culture wars," Bill bitches about the new "Superman Returns" movie. In a part of the film, Perry White says "Does he [Superman] still stand for truth, justice and all that stuff?" Of course, to people in the theatre, they wrote it off as just the way people talk or a way for the character to quickly buzz through a stressfull press meeting (where the quote was uttered). However, Bill decided to try his lack luster journalism skills again, in the form of the usual complaint.

"You don't need x-ray vision to know that things have changed drastically in America in the past five years. When Superman left to go visit the planet of his birthplace, the USA was not engaged in a terror war; the country was merrily drifting along, hoping that rap music would follow Monica Lewinsky into obscurity." -Bill O'Reilly

Wasn't rap the most popular music five years ago? It still is. I forgot though, music written about street fare is evil in the eyes of Mr. Working Class Prick.

"According to a Pew Global Attitudes survey, almost 30% of Americans believe that America's presence in Iraq poses a greater danger to world peace than Iran's quest for a nuclear weapon. In Turkey, 65% of the people feel that way. This kind of muddled thinking reflects the sentiment of the anti-American press worldwide and here in the USA. It is also the product of the rise of a well-funded and well-organized secular-progressive movement in America." -Bill O'Reilly

If you're against the war, you must hate America. It's not like dissent is the highest form of patriotism.

However, Bill's article gets even more pathetic. The farther I read, the more I support capital punishment for a select few.

"And the secular-progressive scribes are becoming increasingly emboldened. Writing in The New York Times, David Nasaw, a professor at the ultra-left City University of New York, made this comment about the charitable gifts of Bill Gates and Warren Buffett: "While we can only applaud the decision by Mr. Buffett and Mr. Gates to give away so much of their fortunes ... is society served by permitting (italics mine) so much capital to be accumulated by so few?"Fifty years ago, Professor Nasaw would have received an invitation to appear before the House Committee on Un-American Activities. Today, he is a lion in the secular-progressive movement which seeks to have a large centralized government decide who can earn what."

Let's get this straight: Bill O'Reilly loves to "analyze." When someone believes that they should have the right to marry someone they love, despite the gender, O'Reilly overdoses on responses like: "In Iraq, these couples would not be allowed to marry."

..?! Ok, what's your point? He accuses the far left and post leftists of wanting to create a government controlled society (which is complete bullshit by the way) but when it comes to an issue of freedom like gay rights or women's reproductive rights, Bill loves to compare about how much we should be like Iraq. He hates their Islamic extremism (as do I) however, he would love to have our nation run like theirs.

He also loves Big Brother. Using his amazing analyzing skills, he talks about how anyone who opposes nationalism, capitalist exploitation and inequality should be put before a council to be reviewed. Funny that Bill would blast on Stalinist USSR and authoritarian leftism but he supports a form of fascism like this.

It gets worse...

"That's not the American way Superman used to uphold. This is a brave new world that threatens even superheroes. The old ways of respect for the basic nobility of America, the capitalistic free enterprise system, and the Judeo-Christian philosophy of personal responsibility are all under siege by stealth forces more powerful than a locomotive. They can even exorcise a classic pro-American line from a movie about a traditional comic book hero." -Bill O'Reilly

This is what almost made me snap. Bill O'Reilly has the audacity to say that we should have respect for the nobility of America. No Bill, how about we have respect for the working man, and not the rich nobility. You can sit on your ass in your air conditioned studio, adovcating your respect for inheritance mongers and capitalists, but everyone else will be working hard to survive and give you your comforts and freedom to say this bullshit. Also, don't you dare say anything about free enterprise or free anything while you advocate stopping leftists from having said freedom.

It's fascinating that O'Reilly would say anything about "Judeo-Christian philophies" while also being opposed to immigration. Hey Bill, I know it's inconvenient, but go read the Bible's views on free movement.

When the Revolution comes, he'll be the first to go.

Ken Lay: Dead