Super 'Dela

theyoungradical:

stay-human:

In a move that left the country speechless, the Greek government announced the closing of the state television and radio network ERT (the Greek equivalent of the BBC) yesterday. With an “emergency law” that hadn’t previously been discussed or announced, and in a fashion that suits dictatorial regimes more than it does democratic states, the closure was announced for midnight last night.

ERT is to pass under the direct control of the Finance Ministry and its 2,500 employees are to be fired in an effort to “reform” the state broadcaster. The government has labelled the station a “money-wasting and overstaffed mess”, and promises to reopen it in September with reduced staff and a different philosophy in its management. But who trusts the current government, given its poor track-record when it comes to press freedom, and its notoriously nepotistic practices?

Riot police were dispatched to take down the transmitters and switch off all possible links to the outside world from the ERT building in the Athens suburbs, after staff announced they would occupy it and continue broadcasting. Thousands of people gathered outside in support, but no clashes took place with the police that had soon surrounded the building. One by one, transmitters were shut down in a dramatic countdown broadcast through the station’s web TV, the last gateway of communication (still running at the moment). “This is a direct blow to democracy,” the presenters announced. “We’re not going anywhere.”

“direct control of the Finance Ministry”

of course

makes sense

dancepunksnotdead:

Genocide is not too strong a term for what is now happening in South Dakota. The huge, shocking violation of legal and human rights being carried out by the state is tantamount to genocide against the Native American nations, the Lakota, Dakota and Nakota Sioux, residing within its borders. It is the abduction and kidnapping by state officials, under the cover of law, of American Indian children.

This is a gross violation of the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) of 1978.  Further, these abominable kidnappings are being upheld by the courts of that state.

The best approach to this crime against humanity is by the following initial checklist:

1. Over 700 American Indian children are removed by South Dakota state officials from their homes every year.

2. These hundreds are sent to white foster homes or group homes.

3. Many are adopted by white families.

4. Indian children account for 13.8 percent of the state’s child population, yet they represent 56.3 percent of the foster care population.

5. Of the hundreds of Native children in foster care in 2011, 87 percent were placed in non-Indian homes while Native foster homes went empty.

6. Because of its targeting Native children, South Dakota is currently removing children from their families at a higher rate than the vast majority of other states in the U.S.

7. Once removed, the state’s courts routinely keep Indian children from even seeing their families for at least 60 days.

8. The state’s Department of Social Services (DSS) workers warn Native children that if they become emotional during a visit with their parents, the visits will be discontinued (this is incredible!).                   

This is genocide as defined by the United Nations General Assembly’s Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. This Convention (Article 2) defines genocide as follows :

“… any of the following acts commit with intent  to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group, as such:

(a) Killing members of the group;

(b) Causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group;

(c) Deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its destruction in whole or in part;

(d) Imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group;

(e) Forcibly transferring children of the group to another group.”

South Dakota is committing blatant and flagrant genocide against the Sioux people in violation of subsection (e) of Article 2 by transferring Indian children to white homes, and also of subsection (b) amid allegations of sexual abuse and drugging of Native children in DSS foster care. Those responsible need to be brought to justice in an international court of law in addition to the lawsuit already filed in U.S courts (see below). This is a most serious case of ethnic cleansing…

Aside from the genocidal racism involved, there is a financial motive on the part of the state. South Dakota receives $79,000 from the federal government per year per child for every Native youngster it removes, but provides only $9,000 to a white foster home. The remaining $70,000 is deposited in state coffers.

- Read more at: http://www.peoplesworld.org/south-dakota-commits-shocking-genocide-against-native-americans/#sthash.avKGxiXJ.dpuf

stfuprolifers:

•A woman in Utah gave birth to twins. When one was stillborn, she was arrested and charged with criminal homicide based on the claim that her decision to delay cesarean surgery was the cause of the stillbirth.

•After a hearing that lasted less than a day, a court issued an order requiring a critically-ill pregnant woman in Washington, D.C. to undergo cesarean surgery over her objections. Neither she nor her baby survived.

•A judge in Ohio kept a woman imprisoned to prevent her from having an abortion.

•A woman in Oregon who did not comply with a doctor’s recommendation to have additional testing for gestational diabetes was subjected to involuntary civil commitment. During her detention, the additional testing was never performed.

•A Louisiana woman was charged with murder and spent approximately a year in jail before her counsel was able to show that what was deemed a murder of a fetus or newborn was actually a miscarriage that resulted from medication given to her by a health care provider.

•In Texas, a pregnant woman who sometimes smoked marijuana to ease nausea and boost her appetite gave birth to healthy twins. She was arrested for delivery of a controlled substance to a minor.

•A doctor in Wisconsin had concerns about a woman’s plans to have her birth attended by a midwife. As a result, a civil court order of protective custody for the woman’s fetus was obtained. The order authorized the sheriff’s department to take the woman into custody, transport her to a hospital, and subject her to involuntary testing and medical treatment.

politicsd00d:

comatoseinsomnia:

It’s back.

Did I already reblog this? Not sure, but posting this anyways. 

Few things seem to get Israeli officials planning as quickly as a US imprimatur to launch an attack. Having been given the green light not just for Wednesday’s attacks but for other, future attacks Israel is now said to be planning a dramatic escalation.

The new Israeli plan, under consideration by its leadership, calls not only for additional strikes inside Syria but a full-scale ground invasion across the Purple Line, seizing a 10 mile “buffer zone” on the other side of the line in which to install large numbers of Israeli troops and tanks.

Israel’s previous strikes targeted a military research facility as well as a military convoy parked at a base. The convoy reportedly had anti-aircraft missiles on board, which Israel feared would make its regular attacks on Lebanon much less convenient should they fall into Hezbollah’s hands.

The new strikes would center around a putative Iranian listening post, which Iran is apparently using to keep an eye on Israel, which has regularly threatened to attack them.

The “buffer zone” plan is likely to be far more controversial and potentially explosive, since Israel already has a de facto 10 mile buffer zone it seized in 1967, the Golan Heights. In the past half a century Israel has filled this zone with 20,000 settlers, and the new zone would inevitably look like another land grab.

An Israeli invasion might provoke action from Turkey as well, which condemned Israel’s last strikes and has talked about setting up its own “buffer zone” in the far north, hoping to house Syrian refugees inside of that region instead of inside Turkey itself.

US comments on Israel’s attack amounted to unequivocal endorsement of the strikes and any future strikes, but didn’t specify just how far they’re comfortable with Israel going. Since this plan is under consideration at all, it seems safe to say that the Obama Administration is comfortable with leaving the scope of the war up to Israel, which given its current government’s bellicosity will inevitably mean as broad a scope as possible.

anarcho-queer:

Exclusive: Justice Department Memo Concludes That Obama Administration Can Kill American Citizens With Drones

A confidential Justice Department memo concludes that the U.S. government can order the killing of American citizens if they are believed to be “senior…

america-wakiewakie:

If a Corporation (BP) Pleads Guilty to Manslaughter, Who Goes to Prison? | AllGov | Noel Brinkerhoff

Pleading guilty to killing someone usually means going to prison…unless the perpetrator is a corporation.

This week, BP agreed to 11 counts of manslaughter for…

canadian-communist:

‘Too Big to Fail’ banks including JP Morgan Chase, U.S. Bancorp and Bank of America have seized on an opportunity to profit off the nation’s jobless by siphoning millions of dollars in fees from state unemployment programs, according to a new report by the National Consumer Law Center.

Privatizing the task of distributing unemployment benefits, the banks have created a “fee-heavy” check card system. Instead of having payments deposited directly to bank accounts or recieving checks sent in the mail from their state governments, individuals across the nation are increasingly forced to use costly bank issued payment cards that are loaded with a “plethora” of costly fees for the recipient.

The large banks pitched the operation to states as a scheme that would “save millions in overhead costs” but have instead externalized such costs to America’s jobless.

The Associated Press reports:

People are using the fee-heavy cards instead of getting their payments deposited directly to their bank accounts. That’s because states issue bank cards automatically, require complicated paperwork or phone calls to set up direct deposit and fail to explain the card fees, according to a report issued Tuesday by the National Consumer Law Center, a nonprofit group that seeks to protect low-income Americans from unfair financial-services products. […]

Banks make more money when more people use the cards. In the past, some of their deals with states prevented states from offering direct deposit, or required states to promote the card program as a first option.

To cover the cost of issuing cards and running the programs, banks charge a plethora of fees, including charges for balance inquiries, phone calls to customer support, leaving an account inactive for a period of months, or making a purchase using a personal identification number.

Read more on this story here.

canadian-communist:

As First Nation Chief Theresa Spence enters the 18th day of her hunger strike, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper still refuses to meet with her, turning his back on the swelling ‘Idle No More’ movement at his door.

On Friday, Canadian federal health minister Leona Aglukkaq encouraged Spence to abandon her fast and, instead, agree to meet Aboriginal Affairs Minister John Duncan, The Canadian Press reports.

“If it was another country calling on him for a meeting, he’d be there in no time. Why are we treated so differently?” Spence stated in an interview with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.

On Friday night, in honor of the full moon, organizers are calling on Indigenous People to reclaim their sacred sites, by “conducting ceremonies, singing, dancing, educating or doing whatever makes sense for your community and according to the traditions of your nation.” Friday evening there will also be a rally in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

Thursday night’s flash mob outside of the Vancouver convention center drew a crowd of over 200 people. Also Thursday, supporters braved negative 7 degree temperatures to partake in a rally on the Northern Cheyenne Reservation in Lame Deer, Montana.

Toronto freelance journalist Tim Groves put together a map illustrating the full reach of the movement. With markers spreading as far as Palestine and Hawaii, readers can view the overwhelming extent of “each rally, flash mob, blockade and show of support.”

A recent poll found that the majority of Canadians said they supported grassroots protests, similar to ‘Idle No More’ and the Occupy movement.

“People are looking at other methods of political participation beyond conventional parties,” said pollster Keith Neuman.

Meanwhile, Harper continues his refusal to discuss Canada’s relationship with its indigenous peoples.

Spence, who began her hunger strike on Dec. 11th, is resolved to starve herself unless Harper meets to discuss treaty rights, particularly Bill C-45, which includes changes to the Indian Act about how reserve lands are managed and removes thousands of lakes and streams from the list of federally protected bodies of water.

In an indication that Harper would continue to ignore her request, Aglukkaq—an Inuk herself—made the statement that aboriginal policy falls within the Aboriginal Affairs Minister’s jurisdiction and therefore, that he should be meeting with the Northern Ontario Chief.

… it is not Iran that is flying drones in American airspace; it is not Iran that is engaged in cyberwar and industrial sabotage against the United States; it is not Iran that is murdering American scientists on the street in front of their families; and it is not Iran that is collectively punishing the civilian population of foreign countries in an effort to force their governments to relinquish their inalienable national rights and attempt to instigate regime change.

[Robert] Beckhusen’s attempt to establish Iran as the most dangerous place on Earth (a formulation lifted wholesale from Netanyahu talking points) reflects a perpetual and practically pathological predisposition in the mainstream narrative - both liberal and conservative - to view the Islamic Republic of Iran as a sinister domain of unadulterated violence and malevolence; or, as the common refrain goes: “Iran poses the greatest threat to the stability and security of the Middle East and the entire world.” Never mind that a majority of knowledgeable foreign policy and security experts consider such a statement to be not only a gross exaggeration, but a total absurdity.

Naturally, Beckhusen doesn’t elaborate on his opening statement, but assumes his readers agree and moves on from there. In making the assumption that Iran is the “most dangerous country,” Beckhusen then seeks to identify “the most dangerous man in that most dangerous country,” and (taking his cue from the neoconservative American Enterprise Institute) hits upon General Soleimani, whom he describes as “ruthless and mysterious,” just like all caricatures of nefarious Orientals.

Why is he so dangerous? Beckhusen explains,

…if Barack Obama or Bibi Netanyahu were to strike Iran’s nuclear program, it’ll be Suleimani and the Quds Force in charge of taking Iran’s counterattacks beyond its borders, as Iran launches waves of commando and terrorist strikes against the U.S. and its allies across the region and the world.

Yes, you read that correctly: if the elected leaders of the United States and Israel - one a Nobel Peace Prize drone murderer, the other a cartoon bomb enthusiast/racist sociopath - defy the wishes of their own citizens by launching an illegal military adventure against Iran, the “most dangerous man” in the world is the guy who would be tasked with retaliating, not the ones who actually launched the attack and started a new war. [++]

jo-discontent:

In the response to hurricane Sandy, Occupy Wall Street supporters have shown that voluntary, decentralized mutual aid is far more effective than government programs and agencies like FEMA.

At one point, pictures were taken of occupy sandy volunteers feeding FEMA workers who couldn’t even find supplies for themselves.

Now, super villain and globalist Mayor Bloomberg in New York is thanking them for their service to the community by ordering a raid and eviction on a shelter that they have helped set up and have been using as a base of operations.

(I know, I meant to reblog this earlier. It’s a bit late, but still relevant.)