Society's Child

US: Indiana official draws fire for 'Use live ammunition' comment on Wisconsin protesters

MSNBC / Associated Press
Wed, 23 Feb 2011 14:43 UTC

© John Hart / Wisconsin State Journal via AP
Opponents of Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker's budget bill sleep in the rotunda of the Wisconsin State Capitol on Tuesday.

An Indiana state official has found himself in the middle of his own labor controversy for tweeting that riot police in neighboring Wisconsin should "use live ammunition" to clear out pro-union demonstrators.

The Indiana Attorney General's Office said Wednesday it is reviewing statements Jeffrey Cox, a deputy attorney general, purportedly made in tweets and blog posts, including one in which he said he advocated "deadly force" against "thugs" who threatened state elected officials in Wisconsin.

The tweets in question were made in an exchange with Adam Weinstein, a copy editor at Mother Jones who has been writing about the worker protests at the Wisconsin Capitol. Wisconsin workers and their supporters have been demonstrating for well over a week against Republican Gov. Scott Walker's plan to strip public sector workers of nearly all their bargaining rights. Walker says the legislation is needed to help solve Wisconsin's looming budget deficit.

Lebanon sentences 'Israeli spy' to death

Agence France-Presse
Fri, 18 Feb 2011 12:30 UTC

© Agence France-Presse
Amin Ibrahim al-Baba sent information to Israel through his internet cafe, according to the charge sheet

A Lebanese military court sentenced a man to death on charges of spying for Israel's Mossad and providing the agency with information on the militant group Hezbollah, a judicial official said Friday.

"A military court has sentenced Amin Ibrahim al-Baba to death ... for contacting Israeli intelligence and providing information that aided Israeli attacks on Lebanon," the official told AFP.

The charge sheet said Baba, 44, had opened an Internet cafe in southern Lebanon through which he sent information to Israel, including information that facilitated the 2006 assassination of brothers Mahmud and Nidal Mazjoub of the Sunni Islamic Jihad movement.

Analysis of the Global Insurrection Against Neo-Liberal Economic Domination and the Coming American Rebellion - We Are Egypt

David DeGraw
GoldSilver.com
Mon, 21 Feb 2011 09:07 UTC

If you think what's happening in Egypt won't happen within the United States, you've been watching too much TV. The statistics speak for themselves.

In previous Revolution Roundups, before we were knocked offline, we featured mass protests by the people of Ireland, Italy, Britain, Austria, Greece, France and Portugal, as the Global Insurrection contagion spread throughout Europe. And now, as we have seen over the past month, North African and Middle Eastern nations have joined the movement as the people of Egypt, Tunisia, Jordan, Morocco, Gabon, Mauritania, Yemen, Bahrain, Libya, Palestine, Iraq, Sudan and Algeria have taken to the streets en masse.

The connection between this latest round of uprisings and the prior protests throughout Europe is one the mainstream media is not making. We are witnessing a decentralized global rebellion against Neo-Liberal economic imperialism. While each national uprising has its own internal characteristics, each one, at its core, is about the rising costs of living and lack of financial opportunity and security. Throughout the world the situation is the same: increasing levels of unemployment and poverty, as price inflation on food and basic necessities is soaring.

Whether national populations realize it or not, these uprisings are against systemic global economic policies that are strategically designed to exploit the working class, reduce living standards, increase personal debt and create severe inequalities of wealth. These global uprising, which have only just begun, are the first wave of the inevitable reaction to the implementation of a centralized worldwide Neo-Feudal economic order.

Roughly 1/5 of Bahrain's Population Out in Protests

Jason Ditz
AntiWar.com
Wed, 23 Feb 2011 10:12 UTC

Island Nation's Protests Overwhelm Regime's Security Forces

The island nation of Bahrain's Pearl Square Roundabout has been the site of major protests for more than a week, but today they were an absolute mass of people, with over 100,000 protesters, fully 1/5 of the island's population, massed to protest against the regime.

The protesters had initially demanded major reforms and equal rights for the nation's Shi'ite majority, which has complained it is kept out of important jobs by the Sunni ruling class. After violent crackdowns, the protesters demanded the ouster of the king entirely and a regime change.

The king has sought to calm the protesters, initially offering a $3,000 per family "gift" and now, with the protests swelling to record highs, promising to release a number of Shi'ite political prisoners accused of "plotting against the state."

Despite its small size, Bahrain is particularly important to the US, both because it is the home of the American Fifth Fleet and because the island borders the oil producing portion of Saudi Arabia, itself contain a large, downtrodden Shi'ite population. There is concern, particularly amongst the Saudis, that if Bahrain's monarchy is replaced with a democracy that it will provoke massive protests demanding freedom in that nation as well.

Obama asked to take lead in demanding end to Libya violence

The Economic Times
Wed, 23 Feb 2011 10:16 UTC

Washington - Deeply concerned over the Gaddafi regime declaring a "war against the people of Libya", a US-based organisation for Muslims has appealed to President Barack Obama to take the lead in demanding an end to unlawful use of force against peaceful protesters in that country.

"The Gaddafi regime has declared war against the people of Libya, stating that it would fight the Libyan protesters to the very last bullet. To hesitate will surely lead to disaster," the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) President Imam Mohamed Magid said.

"This can be described as nothing other than a pending horrific genocide and the international community must take action on behalf of the people of Libya to prevent more senseless murders from taking place," he said.

Saudi king tries to buy time as he promises gifts to population on his return from royal treatment abroad

BBC
Wed, 23 Feb 2011 09:40 UTC

Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah has announced increased benefits for his citizens, as he returned after months abroad getting medical treatment.

There will be extra funds for housing, studying abroad and social security, according to state television.

King Abdullah has been away from the country for three months, during which time mass protests have changed the political landscape of the Middle East.

There have been few demonstrations in Saudi Arabia.

Hundreds of men in white robes performed a traditional sword dance at Riyadh airport as the king's plane touched down.

He disembarked and queues of people waited to personally greet him.

The streets of the city had already been decorated with welcome banners and national flags.

Greece general strike: Clashes erupt

BBC
Wed, 23 Feb 2011 09:26 UTC

Police in Athens have fired tear gas to disperse demonstrators hurling petrol bombs and stones as a 24-hour general strike grips Greece.

The violence erupted during a rally by more than 30,000 angry workers near the Greek parliament. They object to the government's far-reaching budget cuts.

The strike paralysed public transport. More than 100 flights were cancelled.

Many schools are closed and hospitals have reduced services. Small businesses have joined in, closing many shops.

It is Greece's first major labour protest this year, as the government sticks to austerity cuts demanded under the terms of the country's international bail-out.

The Socialist government of Prime Minister George Papandreou is cutting spending and raising taxes to reduce its debt mountain.

In May last year Greece secured a 110bn-euro (£93bn; $150bn) bail-out from the European Union and International Monetary Fund.

Thousands protest against high food prices in Delhi

BBC
Wed, 23 Feb 2011 09:24 UTC

Thousands of people have gathered in the Indian capital, Delhi, to take part in a rally to protest against rising food prices and unemployment.

A steady stream of protesters, carrying red flags, has been marching through the streets of central Delhi since early morning.

The rally has led to massive traffic jams in the city.

Trade unions who have called the rally say nearly 40,000 people will attend a meeting at the Ramlila grounds.

Thousands will then march to parliament, they say.

Security is tight across the city with thousands of policemen deployed at the rally ground and along the route of the march.

Oil prices push higher on Libya supply concerns

BBC
Wed, 23 Feb 2011 09:16 UTC

Oil prices have risen further on worries that supplies could be disrupted if unrest continues in Libya and spreads across the Middle East.

US light, sweet crude was up $0.49 at $95.91 a barrel, and had hit $96.25 earlier on Wednesday. It has now risen almost $10 since the start of the week.

Brent crude was $0.77 up at $107.57 a barrel, having hit $107.66 earlier.

Total has become the third major European oil company to suspend production in Libya.

Spanish oil firm Repsol and Italy's ENI suspended operations in the North African country earlier this week.

36 people slain in Somalia conflict

Press TV
Wed, 23 Feb 2011 09:14 UTC

Heavy clashes between Somali government troops, backed by African Union (AU) forces, and al-Shabab fighters have resulted in the deaths of 36 people in Mogadishu.

Sixteen Somali soldiers lost their lives on Tuesday after fierce fighting broke out between al-Shabab fighters and the transitional government troops in Mogadishu's southern districts of Bermuda and Hawlwadig, a Press TV correspondent reported.

Eight al-Shabab members were also killed when Somali forces shelled the districts close to Bakara Market -- the biggest and busiest market in southern Mogadishu.

Also on Tuesday, 12 civilians were killed and 14 others wounded in the exchange of mortar fire between the two sides.

The Somali government and AU forces have been trying to drive the al-Shabab fighters out of Mogadishu.

Hey Brandon… who was running the country when the asylums were shuttered? Yeah. Noticed you left that little tidbit out of your article.

JohnnyQuest

I think we are already in the asylum 🙃

slbeaudry

Their system is collapsing, BlackRock is bankrupt. The corporate welfare of Big Agriculture is coming to it's end. This will play out in the...

Kimster

How would Bribem remember what he did in 1993 anyway? I hope she has a wonderful new life.

ReRan

This is an accurate quote: " much more suffering is coming in the days ahead". What makes people wake up? What makes them focus attention? Is it...

Dwoods44

Society's Child

US: Indiana official draws fire for 'Use live ammunition' comment on Wisconsin protesters

Lebanon sentences 'Israeli spy' to death

Analysis of the Global Insurrection Against Neo-Liberal Economic Domination and the Coming American Rebellion - We Are Egypt

Roughly 1/5 of Bahrain's Population Out in Protests

Obama asked to take lead in demanding end to Libya violence

Saudi king tries to buy time as he promises gifts to population on his return from royal treatment abroad

Greece general strike: Clashes erupt

Thousands protest against high food prices in Delhi

Oil prices push higher on Libya supply concerns

36 people slain in Somalia conflict

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