“Our philosophy and our choice in publishing in the beginning was, to some degree, to spread the philosophy of James Madison to the rest of the world. Which is that for people who intend to govern themselves, they must have the power that knowledge will bring, because knowledge will always rule ignorance…Philosophically this organization takes its heart from the American Revolution.”
This is an important addition to the public record regarding the activities of Israel, a nation often referred to as an “ally” of America, though no bilateral mutual defense treaty exists between the two nations (thus negating the term in any diplomatic or legal sense). The reasons for the absence of any such treaty is grounds for more in-depth discussion, which would likely prove enlightening to many Americans.
An interview with Avichai Sharon and Noam Chayut, both veterans of the Israeli Defense Forces and members of Breaking the Silence. Sharon and Chayut served during the second intifada, which has claimed the lives of over three thousand Palestinians and nine-hundred-fifty Israelis. After thorough introspection, these young men have chosen to speak out about their experiences as self-described “brutal occupiers of a disputed land.”
Testimonies like these are useful in expanding awareness of what is happening in the territories occupied by the Israeli annexationists, and how what is most often relayed by the corporate press and the IDF does not correspond to the reality on the ground. It helps to explain how facts are concealed from the publics of both nations, which is done in order to continue the justification of occupation policies.
Plus, for additional perspective on this issue, Watch This Video on how IDF soldiers know what they are doing is wrong, but the Israeli government forces them to do it.
How Soviet of them. There is biasing information in reporting, and then there is simply fabricating information entirely. This videoThis video of a Fox News report (just one of an ongoing litany of examples too numerous to detail here) is evidence of why what Fox does (and is) should disqualify it from consideration as a legitimate participant in a society that aspires to operating upon democratic principles.
Nothing can inherently be ‘objective’ and ‘neutral,’ since all information is relayed through what is an innately limited and relational perspective. But it can be fair, and it can be intellectually honest. This by any definition of those concepts does not qualify as either.
Having a difference of opinion over what events mean is one thing. Inventing events in order to influence that opinion is of a different order entirely. Under no reasonable definition can this be considered a legitimate “news” report. This is straightforward propaganda, from every definition of the concept.
And yes, biasing the presentation of information in order to promote a specific perspective or an ideological agenda is something to be aware of, and concerned about as well. But duplicitously crafting or creating that information out of whole cloth? Inexcusable, for which there is no reasonably ethical or moral defense for.
This video explains in a few short minutes how corporations are legally required to put the interest of shareholders and the maximizing of profits above all other concerns. They have no requirement to do anything else. In fact, they have a legal responsibility to do nothing but.
Everybody wins, right? Wrong. A short film, The Story of Cap & Trade, released by the Story of Stuff and Free Range Video explains why the real of story of cap and trade is that it’s easy to scam, riddled with loopholes, and a dangerous distraction from the real change needed to protect people and the planet. This has been out for awhile, but seemed appropriate in relation to the climate talks which took place in Cancun recently, and the issues raised (again) within them.
This is spot on. These guys definitely get what is going on, and know how to effectively use street presentation to respond to it. Entertaining and engaging, and courageous in its reclamation of all public space as a true free speech zone.
But don’t worry. You’re government is in charge. Go back to shopping.
J. Ward Regan, professor of history and philosophy at NYU, delivers one of the best presentations ever on Thomas Paine, his importance to the founding of America, and his essential relevance to the politics of today. Regan also deconstructs the co-option of Paine’s legacy by modern political forces that represent ideologies that Paine abhorred.
What do AT&T and Communist China have in common? Tim Wu tells you in 5 minutes how state and corporate censorship work the same with the internet. Excellent short primer for those who like to use the internet and want to keep using it the way you have been.
This is primarily a discussion about the nature of American infrastructure, and the internet is the infrastructure of our time.
Wu points out here how in the 19th century, control over railroad networks were where power was concentrated (a system which became a discriminatory network, by the way, with elite, monopolistic control over it). In ages of abusive monopolies and trusts, behind every one of those monopolies of power lies a network, one that has been co-opted and turned into a discriminatory network, which is then used to further the power of the monopoly
When infrastructure is designed to serve the public, the country is richer, freer, better. Today, the question regarding access to and control over the internet should not be an issue one thinks about as a marginal or side concern, but is an issue critical to the future of the country, economically and politically. And the key to making the effective breakthrough in the discussion over the infrastructure of speech control is by placing the issue squarely within the arena of rights.
Chris Hedges manages to pretty much sum up what is going wrong with this country in under 30 minutes. This should be utilized for discussions in political science classrooms everywhere.
