John Dolva

given the drift if this topic I don't think this is out of place. I N T E R N A T I O N A L Havana. February 16, 2012 Luis Posada Carriles: new plots against Cuba Percy Francisco Alvarado Godoy ACCORDING to reliable sources, terrorist Luis Posada Carriles is plotting new acts of violence against Cuba, and is doing so in a context of total compartmentalization and secrecy, with the support of a number of counterrevolutionary and criminal members of Miami's anti-Cuban mafia. Posada's rekindled activities have increased as he has renewed contacts with terrorists such as Santiago Alvarez Fernandez Magriñá, Enrique Encinoza, Gaspar Jiménez Escobedo, Pedro Crispín Remón Rodríguez, Reynold Rodríguez, Luis Zúñiga Rey, Dionisio Suárez Esquivel, Roberto Martín Pérez, Félix Alonso, Rodolfo Rodríguez San Román, Orlando Martínez Paz, Félix Rodríguez Mendigutía, Saúl Ramón Sánchez Rizo, Angel Francisco D´fana Serrano, Ernesto Díaz Rodríguez, Osiel González Rodríguez, Francisco José Hernández Calvo, Roberto Martín Pérez, Horacio Salvador García Cordero, and Aldo Rosado Tuero, joined by yet another terrorist involved in the frustrated attempt on Fidel Castro's life in Panama: César Matamoros. Many of these individuals are members of terrorist organizations such as Alpha 66, the Cuban Liberty Council and the Cuban-American National Foundation. A number of actions and events confirm the re-initiation of these contacts: • A formal meeting of Luis Posada Carriles and several of these people on August 30, 2011, during celebrations for the 50th anniversary of Alpha 66. • A formal meeting between Luis Posada Carriles and members of the terrorist mafia on receiving the keys to the city of Hialeah, June 14, 2011. • A formal meeting of Luis Posada Carriles with Pedro Crispín Remón, Gaspar Jiménez Escobedo, César Matamoros, and ex-Panamanian President Mireya Moscoso, during a Radio Mambí program, January 17, 2012. • A tribute to Luis Posada Carriles January 28, 2012, during a function at Miami's Manuel Artime Theater. In all of the above events, Posada Carriles conversed freely with his fellow terrorists, without showing any discretion, given the presence of reporters, thus revealing his sense of total impunity. However, at a more discreet level, Luis Posada Carriles has maintained systematic contact with members of Miami's terrorist groups. One such secret meeting to plot acts of violence against Cuba took place recently in the residence of Santiago Alvarez Fernández-Magriñá. Beside Luis Posada Carriles and the host, also present were Guillermo Novo Sampoll, Luis Zúñiga Rey, Reynol Rodríguez and Roberto Martín Pérez. The meeting reached the following agreements: • To support Saúl Ramón Sánchez Rizo and the Democracy Movement in acts of provocation planned during Pope Benedict XVI's upcoming visit to Cuba. The aim is to provide vessels for a flotilla and to use all possible means to encourage the Cuban population to go to coastal city seafronts and express solidarity with these acts. • To apply to U.S. authorities for a permit to use an aircraft to drop counterrevolutionary leaflets over Cuban territory, once again in support of José Basulto from the Brothers to the Rescue organization. This would create the conditions for a repeat of an incident similar to the one on February 24, 1996, thus worsening relations between the Obama administration and the Cuban government. • To immediately dispatch agents to Cuba to give sabotage instructions to internal counterrevolutionary groups in the context of the Pope's visit and the 21st International Book Fair of Havana. In relation to the latter event, Miami terrorists anticipate mobilizing mercenaries proclaiming themselves independent journalists, in order to create disturbances in Book Fair venues, on the pretext of their restricted freedom of expression and the impossibility of having their books published. Regarding the visit of Pope Benedict XVI, Posada's group has weighed up the possibility of using the Damas de Blanco (Women in White) to create acts of provocation. Likewise, there are promises of new and larger means of support and financial aid to Berta Soler and her acolytes, through the agents dispatched. In other meetings of Posada Carriles and Santiago Alvarez with various mafia members resident in Florida, it was decided to create a group to operate – it is already doing so – on the Facebook social network, internal and foreign counterrevolutionary blogs and Twitter, to increase provocations against Cuba. This group centrally comprises Aldo Rosado Tuero, Dionisio de la Torre Jr, Nancy Calzadilla, Eduardo Rodríguez, Olga Sánchez, Mercedes Perdigón, Lucy Ramón and other professional slanderers. In the same context, they have contacted their principal mercenaries in Cuba, Yoani Sánchez Cordero, Sara Martha Fonseca Quevedo, Marta Beatriz Roque Cabello and, more recently, José Daniel Ferrer, in order to intensify the ideological campaign against Cuba, using as ideological tools the alleged repression of "dissidents" and media shows presenting hunger strikes, beatings and ill-treatment in prisons, etc. Another method employed by Posada Carriles' associates is the harassment of Cuban journalists and officials using SMS messages containing threats to them and their family members. This demonstrates their mafiosi nature and further confirms the presence of Posada in the shadows, given that this is a method he has resorted to most frequently during his criminal life. Finally, Posada Carriles' new terrorist group is studying a number of options for re-instigating extremist actions – which Cuba successfully neutralized in 1997 – by targeting the Scarabeo-9 oil rig, the Matanzas Antonio Guiteras Thermoelectric Plant and other economic targets. It is the responsibility of the FBI and U.S. authorities to intervene in this matter. Recently, we sent a personal letter to these agencies exposing terrorist plots being hatched in the United States in open violation of the Neutrality Act of June 25, 1948, Articles 960 - 962. No answer has been received to date. As addition elements, we can also confirm that, in the last few days, Posada Carriles has been seeking new financial sources to perpetrate these terrorist acts against Cuba, as well as to use some of this income to repay legal debts incurred during his trial in El Paso, Texas. Moreover, this terrorist's personal concerns cannot be overlooked, which makes him all the more dangerous. He needs to win merit from the U.S. ultra-right and Miami mafia groups, given the possibility of being extradited to Panama, after the Second Circuit Court ruled his pardon by President Mireya Moscoso unconstitutional. Also pending is the threat that the freezing by a New Jersey Grand Jury of a court case in relation to Posada Carriles’ involvement in the death of Italian Fabio di Celmo and other acts of terrorism could be overturned. This should be borne in mind because, at the same time, he could also be planning an escape in the event of this contingency. This is the latest news on this terrorist, who is not exempt from the Cuban people’s vigilance, although he believes himself protected and enjoying impunity. In this way, I am advising him that the promise to his associates of doing something for Cuba soon, has been frustrated in advance. Ah, I almost forgot… I should warn Congress members willing to be involved in Posada's plans – as is the case in the attempt to release the terrorist Eduardo Arocena – that they are about to enter into an extremely dangerous game. Remember what George W. Bush said, "Any government supporting, protecting or harboring terrorists is … equally guilty of terrorist crimes!" despite the difference between what the United States says and actually does on this issue. (Taken from Cubadebate) PRINT THIS ARTICLE

Yeah, I'm used to that Len.I really cannot understand why. Could you break it down and ask me to explain whatever bits you don't get one at a time, please? Would - if. I don't see any ifs. So what? Which particular technologies and economic developments are you talking about?

Steel seems to have invented the quotes, I can't find them elsewhere on the Net. The former is a variant of another journalist's statement. Last December Chris Toensing wrote, "The [iAEA] report contains evidence that Iran looked at military applications of nuclear research up to 2003, but no proof of similar efforts since then, and certainly no indication that Iran has nuclear weapons capacity or could have it soon." http://www.merip.org...peds/oped121211 I'm on the fence over this most experts say Iran stopped working on atomic weapons but others disagree. I wonder why a country with so much petroleum and natural gas and so many pressing social needs would be investing so much in nuclear power at the same time most countries in the world are phasing it out. People on either side making up facts doesn't help. agreed.... perhaps having a megalomaniac in cahoots with the current imam has something to do with the current impasse... I believe Iran has the 3rd largest oil reserve, for whatever that is worth... I'm impressed by the comments. (apart from some repititions of created perceptions). The bits that really open doors to serious matters are 'what are nuclear power stations for?', 'what are potent deterrents in a world in serious crisis particularly when that is about sovereign control of important resources when the world is madly scrambling for more new sources. I think the latest one concernsa BP in Somalia and Somalias proven reserves and therein perceiving strategies as nations basically line up for midnight. (that reminds me , I must start a topic on Cynisism) Anyway, I reckon diplomacy and the reverse of the shock and awe strategy referred to by John Pilger (the war you don't see (see post above.)), a movie well worth viewing in its entirety.

Special Articles The Story of the Cuban Five in a French Novel Antonio Guerrero Says Goodbye to Sara Gonzalez The Cases of Alan Gross and the Cuban Five Wayne S. Smith : More Intrigue Regarding the Cuban Five The Cuban Five: Heroes who deserve to be Free Jueves, 23 de Febrero de 2012 09:06 Save the Dates: 5 Days for the Cuban 5 in Washington D.C. In this crucial year for the 5 Cuban Patriots we need to multiply the actions for their freedom, especially in the capital of the United States. The International Committee for the Freedom of the Cuban 5 is making a call to solidarity organizations and friends in the U.S. and around the world to support "5 consecutive days for the Cuban 5". These actions will take place from April 17-21 in Washington D.C., and will include: • Large event with the participation of US and international personalities; • Lobby and delivery of information to members of Congress and the U.S. Senate; • Showing of documentaries in universities and other public spaces; • Media outreach; • Meeting with religious groups of different denominations; and • Informational tables and cultural activities. In addition to the activities mentioned above organizers are planning to place thousands of "Obama Give me Five" posters at key points in the city and publish ads in several media outlets. GET INVOLVED BY JOINING THIS EFFORT TO BRING AWARENESS ABOUT THE CASE OF THE CUBAN 5 IN WASHINGTON D.C. Some ways to participate in the actions of 5 days for the Cuban 5: • Endorse/support the actions by sending the name of your organization to info@thecuban5.org; • Consider coming to Washington D.C. to participate in the actions; • Make a donation. The success of this project depends on the support of all of you. Very soon we will send detailed information about each activity. STAYED TUNE!! International Committee for the Freedom of the Cuban 5 For more information visit www.thecuban5.org

M ark Steel: Iraq was so much fun, let's do it to Iran Sunday, February 26, 2012 By Mark Steel Governments and commentators keen on promoting a war against Iran should be stridently opposed, not so much because of the threat to world peace, but because their reasons display a shocking lack of imagination. The most common one is that Iran has "Weapons of Mass Destruction". How pathetic to pick the same excuse twice in a row. They should make it more interesting, by revealing evidence that Ahmadinejad has built a Terminator, or plans to fill the Strait of Hormuz with a giant Alka-Seltzer so the Persian Gulf fizzes over Kuwait. What's become of Western leaders that they can't think up new stories to justify a military attack? Are they going to re-use all the old ones, so if this doesn't work William Hague will say "Iran is threatening the sovereignty of Prussia". That would be more persuasive than the US government's effort, reported in the Wall Street Journal as "US officials say they believe Iran recently gave freedom to five top al-Qa'ida operatives". It's as if the last outing was such a laugh, they want to do everything exactly the same. The British are probably already on the lookout for a weapons expert with suicidal tendencies. One part they've copied accurately from the last war is the practice of interpreting every report as proof of the existence of these weapons. For example, the International Atomic Energy Agency has concluded: "There is certainly no indication that Iran has nuclear weapons capacity or could have it soon." So the New York Times reported this as "a recent assessment by the IAEA confirms Iran's nuclear program has a military objective". A local book club could produce minutes of a meeting that said "Everyone enjoyed discussing Great Expectations, then retired to the Royal Oak for much deserved refreshments!" And next day half the cabinet would be on the radio saying: "This book club report confirms the Iranian navy is plotting to explode Jerusalem." One trick they use is to insist that, even if Iran isn't building nuclear weapons, it's a threat anyway because it "aspires" to have them. But if we went to war with everyone who aspired to have deadly weapons, most teenage boys would have to be invaded, David Haye and Dereck Chisora would be overthrown and replaced by the UN, and the whole world would be on fire. At least Hillary Clinton offered a variation, telling us "Iran is moving towards a military dictatorship". The only slight flaw in her argument was she said this in Qatar, so she was lucky her hosts didn't add, "Yes, what's taking them so long? Instead of fussing about moving towards one, why don't they just become one like us? Sorry, Hillary, carry on." So, to cut out these embarrassments, they might be better off invading Saudi Arabia. Instead of the rigmarole of trying to prove a dictator has weapons of mass destruction, they can say: "We know they've got 84 warplanes worth $30 billion, because we sold the things to them six weeks ago." [First appeared in The Independent.] From GLW issue 912

from down under... 'Something is badly amiss when Qld bushies embrace Green Left Weekly' Saturday, February 25, 2012 By Peter Boyle Farmers joined with environmentalists to oppose the extension of a coalmine near Jondaryn, Queensland, on February 20. Photo: Max Reithmuller "Something is badly amiss when Queensland bushies embrace Green Left Weekly, and the opposite ends of the political fringe, the Greens and Bob Katter's Australian Party, find a common cause," began a February 22 editorial in Rupert Murdoch's The Australian, the only national daily newspaper in this country. The Australian was furious at the growing urban and rural alliance that has come together against coal and coal seam gas (CSG) mining — an industry that is spreading like a cancer in many parts of the country, especially in Queensland and NSW. This is a broad alliance that GLW strongly supports. As Liam Flenady, a Socialist Alliance candidate in the coming Queensland election, says in this issue: "The Queensland coal industry is already massive and is expanding rapidly. CSG companies are planning to drill 18,000 wells across the state. "What this all means is that our food and water security is severely endangered. Farmers are mobilising against the incursions of the giant corporations onto their land and environmentalists are alarmed that precious natural habitat is being destroyed at a furious pace." In last week's issue, we published an article by Jess Moore, a leading activist in Stop CSG Illawarra. The article refuted the claims made by the CSG mining companies in its multimillion-dollar advertising campaign called "We want CSG". Moore is also a member of the Socialist Alliance. On February 23, Moore appeared on Channel 10 news. She spoke out against the approval of a CSG drilling site in Sydney's main water catchment. "This approval advances a project that risks the drinking water of 4.3 million people in NSW," she said. The Australian seemed horrified to report on February 21 that at a protest against a coalmine at Jondaryan on Queensland's Darling Downs the previous day, "An old bushie who'd brought his own chair leaned back in it and perused a copy of Green Left Weekly, a publication he was unfamiliar with." If it horrifies The Australian, it must be a good thing. There are quite a few "bushies" who subscribe to GLW and have become strong supporters of this fiercely independent media project. But there is always room for more. If you know a "bushie" (or indeed a "townie") who might appreciate getting a Green Left perspective every week, why not buy them a gift subscription today? More and more people from all backgrounds are beginning to stand up against the corporate-profits-at-any-cost madness that Murdoch's media empire promotes through lies, manipulation and character assassination. By supporting independent media projects like GLW you can make sure an alternative voice continues to be heard (and continues to alarm the Murdoch editors). ...

Premiered (Perth) with a live intro by Jo in the Somerville Auditorium at UWA tonight. He went a bit more into how he got Martin Scorcese to direct the next movie by insisting on him while thinking it may not happen. But it did. An unusual man in a world of literature. It seems he's very clear on what he wants and a very realistic view of his own abilities. Hopefully someone filmed the intro and will post it at some time.

I think it is important for some to have any possible future Kennedy presidency neutralised early on. These foci on relatively trivial matters are worth considering. There are other Kennedys 'waiting in the wing'. To have these 'scandals' creates a perception. I think it is right for Douglas to bring this matter up for consideration. Of course I respect the request to shift the topic. There is a why for these smears. I wish sinilar would be used to expose the criminality of presidents like Reagan and Bush for example. A double stanfdard, which I see Douglas as choosing to highlight.

http://educationforum.ipbhost.com/index.php?showtopic=18807&view=findpost&p=247343

just on the film record thing. Re the ''Oxford, USA'' film distributed by the Mississippi Sovereignty Commission as propaganda. Even though it is full of lies it serves as a mind shaper study with numerous oral histories and selective footage. It was withdrawn from distributions when its fundamental flaws became untenable. About '65 from mem. However it may be that copies went missing (there are MSC records that supports this notion. I doubt getting hold of a copy would require a FOIA. There must be a copy somewhere. Maybe Simms, or whatever they became, in Dallas. edit rephrase

Editorial: The Australian wages Fox News-style war on Greens Saturday, February 18, 2012 NSW Greens MPs John Kaye, David Shoebridge and Jamie Parker lampoon The Australian, February 12. Photo: Rachel Evans Rupert Murdoch’s media empire does not have a TV network like Fox News in Australia — at least not yet. But he does have the sole national newspaper, The Australian, which is busy running a Fox News-style smear campaign against the Australian Greens. Anxious at the Greens’ growing electoral success, the paper said in a 2010 editorial that it planned to have the Greens “destroyed”. The Australian’s plan is transparent: attack the Greens and give space to its critics. But its method is odious: if the facts don’t fit the story, ignore the facts. Two recent examples show this in practice. Former Liberal party staffer Christian Kerr has written several articles in the Australian that say ASIO files show federal Greens MP Lee Rhiannon met with a high-ranking KGB spy in 1970 before she boarded a Russian cruise ship bound for England. Rhiannon has denied the claims, saying on February 6: “On 19 January 1970 when I left Australia on the MS Shota Rustaveli and for the following six weeks of the voyage and indeed for my whole life to the best of my knowledge, I have never met a Russian spy.” But Kerr wrote on February 13 that Rhiannon “has yet again refused to offer a categorical denial to a report in The Australian that a secret meeting was set up between her and the man identified as the KGB station chief in Australia”. Of course, Rhiannon did offer a complete denial. More than that, she said she had never knowingly met a Russian spy in her entire life. The Australian published a letter from her that denied Kerr’s claim completely. Do Kerr and Australian editor Chris Mitchell even read their own newspaper? In the other example, The Australian attacked Greens NSW MLC David Shoebridge for giving greetings to the Socialist Alliance national conference in January. Imre Salusinszki and James Massola wrote in the February 2 Australian that “eyebrows were raised within the party” due to Shoebridge’s decision. But the authors could not say who exactly in the Greens was supposed to be upset. Shoebridge said on February 13: “Having not seen any such eyebrows myself, you’d have to think that certain people are spinning so hard they’re in real and present danger of flying right off the political chess board.” He said that he, along with NSW Greens MPs John Kaye and Jamie Parker, “also had a bit of fun at The Australian’s expense [at the Sydney Mardi Gras Fair Day], posing for a photograph or two at the Socialist Alliance’s stall, photos which we then tweeted, hiding in full sight our joke about The Australian’s previous attack piece”. But Salusinszki wrote in the February 14 Australian that the joke had angered “fellow NSW Greens who said yesterday they planned the matter at a state council meeting”. Again, Salusinszki’s mysterious insider critics, who, most conveniently, always agree with the claims he makes in his articles, are not named. But Murdoch’s media empire doesn't let facts or a lack of sources get in the way of a good story that favours elite interests. And its near-monopolistic media control gives it the political leverage to attack the Greens and, in turn, progressives and leftists broadly. If progressives are to rise to the huge challenges that face us — from climate change and racism, to hunger, poverty and discrimination — standing together against Murdoch's attacks and building the widest unity between Greens and leftists is essential.

I think the following can be useful, it comes to a rather amusing 'conclusion' ... http://www.frieze.co...ock_of_the_old/ The Shock of the Old The side-effects of looking at too much art You know the feeling. Having negotiated the hazards of modern travel, you fetch up in Florence, light-headed with heat and the Tuscan skyline. You've identified your itinerary of must-see museums, and - guidebook in hand - you join one of the long lines of art lovers outside the Uffizi, the Bargello or the Accademia. Once you've passed through the turnstiles, you're torn between anticipation and a rebellious inclination towards the blasé, brought on by such a wealth of world-class artworks. Then suddenly you are in front of it - the real thing, a Raphael, a Fra Angelico, a Piero della Francesca. Your heartbeat increases, your eyes dilate and the gallery begins to recede ... Looking at great art, according to the Italian psychiatrist Graziella Magherini, can be bad for your mental health. Every year a handful of visitors to Florence develop a peculiar pathology, caused by an encounter with the city's cultural treasures. Magherini has dubbed this condition the Stendhal Syndrome, and discusses its symptoms - breathlessness, panic attacks, fainting to the floor - in her book La Sindrome di Stendhal (1989). As she makes plain, most people's approach to art stops them succumbing to the syndrome. After a few minutes with a Florentine masterpiece, the typical tourist -well practised at putting the wonders of the world in their place - flees towards the comfort zones of pizza, wine and writing postcards home. Others, as Magherini notes, have a mental immunity, 'always remaining rational' despite the city's aesthetic delights. There are those, however, who 'when faced with this city, can succumb to a complex crisis' well beyond the scope of average art appreciation. Magherini identifies these individuals as 'not intellectual, but sensitive and easily susceptible to emotions', tourists who are already stressed out by the turbulence of travel. For these rare souls (Magherini recorded only 107 cases over a period of eight years) there is every chance of an aesthetic response to rival that described by the French writer Marie-Henri Beyle, better known as Stendhal, in Naples and Florence - A Journey from Milan to Reggio (1817): 'On leaving the Santa Croce church, I felt a pulsating in my heart. Life was draining out of me, while I walked fearing a fall.' The Stendhal sufferer's symptoms may even extend to temporary psychosis, resulting in a spell of bed rest in one of the couple of places reserved for the purpose at Professor Magherini's clinic. Italians themselves are immune to this condition - perhaps they're over-familiar with Florence and are fatigued by its beauty - while a preference for hit-and-run, highly regimented tourism makes the Japanese equally impervious. The professor, who has been studying the Stendhal Syndrome since the early 1980s, is keen to stress - perhaps mindful of Italy's tourist industry - that it is not caused by the city itself. The fault is not in Florence, but in ourselves. That we carry certain predispositions with us is news from nowhere, but the extent to which we alchemize them with the works of art that we encounter is difficult to determine. Italian director Dario Argento entitled one of his films The Stendhal Syndrome (1996), very loosely hanging a gorgeous gore-fest on an opening gallery scene in which his heroine, Anna (a beautiful cop), hunts a serial rapist. Tracking her quarry through the Uffizi, Anna is brought down by the power that the surrounding masterworks - cut between shots of her chase - have on her. Stendhalized, she sinks to the ground and is promptly hospitalized. The process of Anna's recovery, impeded by several attacks by the rapist, sees her transformed into a bloodthirsty femme fatale. It's no accident that some of the paintings at the root of her downfall chart the clichés of female iconography: Botticelli's Primavera (1482) and Birth of Venus (1486), and Caravaggio's Medusa (1599) - from virgin through temptress to murderess. Despite Professor Magherini's modern methodology, the Stendhal Syndrome taps into centuries-old anxieties about the deleterious effects of culture on the emotionally sensitive. In Argento's movie Anna is rarely seen out of a virginal but blood-spattered dress. We know that dress, and it never bodes well - women in white have been literary fall-girls for centuries. Back in the 18th century the sentimental English moralist Lord Shaftesbury, writing in Characteristics of Men, Manners, Opinions, Times (1711), noted that 'the very reading of accounts of melancholy has been apt to generate that passion in the over-diligent and attentive reader', considering it 'real humanity and kindness to hide strong truths from tender eyes'. Especially female ones, for whom, it was feared, art might addle the brain. Furthermore it might introduce Pandora to the powers of her box. Shaftesbury probably wouldn't have approved of the Italian housewife in Woody Allen's Everything You Always Wanted to Know about Sex but Were Afraid to Ask (1972), who, though 'like the dead' in bed, finds that she can recover her sexual responses in the public space of an art gallery. Following Magherini's identification of the Stendhal Syndrome, her colleagues in Italy's scientific community have been tracking more amorous reactions to art. Not so long ago the sexologist Serenella Salomoni concluded that, for some pent-up aesthetes, beautiful paintings provoke strong sexual feelings. So to another city, another syndrome. The Roman Institute of Psychology recently published a paper noting a tendency, christened the Rubens Syndrome, for erotically charged activity to break out after, or even during, viewings of Old Masters, particularly those depicting a figurative romp - abstracts, apparently, don't do it for us half so well. Some 20% of the 2000 visitors studied had begun 'an erotic adventure' in a museum. An anonymous gallery guard at the Capitolini claimed 'I've seen affectionate gestures, and often much more in these rooms. It doesn't surprise me, just think of the incredible eroticism of The Dying Gaul.' Noting differing levels of activity at different sites, the institute helpfully compiles a league table of galleries where we are most likely feel to frisky. (The hottest spot? The Palazzo Doria, Genoa.) Rubens' Syndrome, like Stendhal's, raises interesting questions about artists' intentions and their audience's response. Perhaps we could use these pathologies to determine cultural value: surely the work that provokes the most Stendhalian (or Rubensian) reactions is truly the most significant? Who knows, in the future a syndrome could even decide the Turner Prize. Melinda Guy

Does it matter when the article (and by whom. It may be of interest the DMH editor statements about Carolines Pony at a luncheon earlier in the year and the 'eternal' search for 'the man on horse back', once being Hitler, and in the US america firster Lindbergh, and with Walker a new candidate) written, typeset, printed and on the street?

FEATURED THIS WEEK Greek people take to streets to defy austerity, repression Hundreds of thousands protested around the Athens parliament on February 12. Tens of thousands protested in Thessaloniki, the country's second biggest city, and sizeable protests took place in other Greek cities. The rallies were organised in opposition to the new austerity package signed by the Greek government and the “troika” of the International Monetary Fund, European Central Bank and European Union (EU).

A great topic, imo, John. Part of me is inclined to raise some questions like the old one about ''what is art''. Which I think is a very important questions with many answers. But to play alomg somewhat, I have some favourites. I don't know the artist(s). I doubt anyone does. ~16 000 years old They are very intriguing though. http://www.nowpublic...-lascaux-france Photo Properties NP! ID: 1247646 Title: cave paintings of Lascaux, France File Size: 1024 × 684 – 614.75 KB Created: Fri, 07/04/2008 - 8:34pm Modified: Fri, 07/04/2008 - 8:34pm File Type: image (jpeg) Licence: None (All rights reserved) . One thing I like about this is that it is not framed. Framed art becomes a coomodity at some point. It is a refuge for capital. Seems to be a bit of a boom going on at the moment. One of ''the scream'' supposedly is expected to fetch $80 million this week. Does it deserve it. In a way it is a cartoon of the image 'death'. Anyway, what really is art? I wonder. edit typos

http://www.johnpilger.com/ John Pilger's latest film 'The War You Don't See' available to watch online John Pilger's latest film 'The War You Don't See' is now available to watch online (worldwide excluding Australia) for $4.99 'The War You Don't See' premiered at the Barbican in London on Tuesday 7 December 2010 and on British television on Tuesday 14 December 2010. It is also available to buy on DVD in the UK and in Australia On 7 June 2011, the Lannan Foundation in the United States banned the film and cancelled a visit by John Pilger without explanation. Read John Pilger's response to Patrick Lannan's subsequent statement about the cancellation. On 17 November 2011, John Pilger presented 'The War You Don't See' at its Indian premiere in Delhi. Read an interview with John Pilger in The Indian Express. Reviews: The Guardian | Total Film | Time Out | Little White Lies | The Quietus | Cine Vue | ABC News Watch the trailer | John Pilger - Why are wars not being reported honestly? | Watch Democracy Now! interview with John Pilger about the film | Read New Internationalist interview with John Pilger about the film | Listen to a BBC Radio 4 interview with John Pilger about the film | ABC Breakfast interview | ABC Late Night Live interview | ABC Book Show interview More about the film. ----------------------- http://www.moviesfou...ou_dont_see.php The War You Don't See (2010) "A powerful and timely investigation into the media's role in war, tracing the history of 'embedded' and independent reporting from the carnage of World War One to the destruction of Hiroshima, and from the invasion of Vietnam to the current war in Afghanistan and disaster in Iraq. As weapons and propaganda become even more sophisticated, the nature of war is developing into an 'electronic battlefield' in which journalists play a key role, and civilians are the victims. But who is the real enemy? John Pilger says in the film: "We journalists… have to be brave enough to defy those who seek our collusion in selling their latest bloody adventure in someone else's country… That means always challenging the official story, however patriotic that story may appear, however seductive and insidious it is. For propaganda relies on us in the media to aim its deceptions not at a far away country but at you at home… In this age of endless imperial war, the lives of countless men, women and children depend on the truth or their blood is on us… Those whose job it is to keep the record straight ought to be the voice of people, not power."" official site: johnpilger.com/dvds/the-war-you-dont-see-uk- buy at: Amazon.com or Stream HD Movies Online

"... Mr. Kennedy was to have spoken out against the radical right wing at the trade mart. He had planned to accuse the radical right wing of substituting hysteria for national policy. Dallas is the home of Maj. Gen. Edwin A. Walker, who is acknowledged here as the leader of the radical right wing in Texas, and one of the rightest leaders of the South." - is an interesting bit. Walker was relieved precicely for expressing his ideas that could be taken as foreign policy being counter to an executive order. So, if that's so, here we have Kennedy clearly, or at least seen as such by Walker, attacking Walker, again. Walker must have by now really been hating Kennedy, and he knew others knew he did to wit his ensuring the pilots taking him to Shreveport signed his ticket when the news came. Gotta have an iron clad alibi.

Perhaps, John, the shooter missed because he was meant to miss. Didn't the Dallas police suspect that Walker engineered the incident for symapthy? If that was indeed the case the he probably wasn't even in the room when the shot was fired. I think it's quite clear from the evidence that Oswald was neither the Walker sniper nor JFK's assassin. Yes, Martin, that's along the line I'm thinking, (tho I'm less certain of what role Oswald did or did not have).

I think Oswald missed Walker on purpose. See my post #26, above. --Tommy Ok, thanks Thomas. It makes sense, imo, that it was indeed a deliberate miss. How Oswald was involved in any shootings, I don't know. However the couple of sentences that Oswald wrote re the Minutemen concerned a direction Oswald (as admirer of them) thought the Minutemen should take. iow. to create a situation in the US so that a civil war would lead to the Minutemen taking control, or rather the aims of the Minutemen. In this context I can see a shot at Walker and a killing of Kennedy could polarise US militancy. However I think that this was a naive thought on Oswalds part but by approaching the Minutemen with this idea he became known to them and people far more astute took him in and he was led to believe he was participating in a plot that did not include him taking the fall, which made him perfect for the role. Hence ''I'm a Patsy'' really means ''I was cheated''. Quite a lot of stuff fall into place by taking his writngs on the Minutemen into account. The subsequent cover up was not only opportunistic by the ultra-reactionaries for forcing events while various persons sought to contain the civil war that ensued. IOW it was the importance of controlling forces that could tear the US apart combined with group interests including the conspirators all really had a common interest. just an idea...

I think if one manages to build a room of smoke and mirrors that is so effective that all the obvious focus on Walker is deflected so that serious researchers doubt his involvement, that's not bad ( if that's what's happened. ). Could someone explain how someone could miss Walker in the conditions under which a bullet was fired in his direction and miss him but do some pretty amazing shooting when it came to Kennedy? (This is why I keep harping on Oswalds' writings on the minutemen. Within there, imo, is a piece that makes a lot make sense.) edit typos

Sweet.

I take this as a recognition of the actual seriousness of this issue. There are fractures appearing. The truth might actually come out in the process. I do think that Robertson has the right cred and can take it the distance. I wouldn't be surprised if a certain jockeying for position by various players will follow.

Wow. If Robertson takes it things could really change in ways that some may not imagine.

Greece: A brutal experiment on people's lives Sunday, February 12, 2012 By Afrodity Giannakis, Thessaloniki [photo] Anti-austerity protesters, Athens, February 9. Greek unions launched a two-day general strike on February 10 against new extreme austerity measures the “troika” of the International Monetary Fund, European Central Bank and European Union is seeking to impose on the southern European nation. The deal will give Greece a new “bail-out” worth 130 billion euros (A$161 billion) in return for fresh spending cuts. Amid ongoing street protests and building occupations, the Greek cabinet approved the deal on February 10. Six cabinet members resigned in protest. Greek parliament was scheduled to vote on the deal on the evening of February 12. Below, Afrodity Giannakis writes from Thessaloniki on the impact of the austerity on Greek society. * * * I work as a permanent English teacher in a Greek village, where I drive every day from my home in Thessaloniki. A few days ago, I was looking for a magazine in my neighbourhood at about 9am before going to work. I found that all the shops in the block had put up the shutters, except for one closer to my home, which did not have the magazine, anyway. Shops closing down is a common occurrence in neoliberal capitalist Greece, but the situation has rapidly deteriorated since May 2010. That was the time of the first memorandum, imposed on Greece by the “troika” (the European Union, the European Central Bank and the International Monetary Fund — IMF) and the Greek Panhellenic Socialist Movement (Pasok) government. Shop owners are forced to close because of the steep plunge in consumption, combined with higher government fees and other expenses. I drove along the national road to go to work, about 45 kilometres from Thessaloniki. Until recently I worked 80km away from home. Last year I worked 700km away and it is highly uncertain where I will be placed next school year. Far-away placements have been commonplace for Greek teachers for a long time. What is new is the rising casualisation, intensification of work and overall job insecurity. Now, it is going to be almost impossible for teachers to make ends meet if they have to move away from home. Having a job at all is also highly uncertain. The reason is that the troika, in close collaboration with the unelected Greek government imposed by the troika, has decided on more public sector sackings. Crippling cuts The plans are part of the second memorandum agreement between the troika and the Greek government. This memorandum includes cuts of 14.3 billion euros between 2012 and 2015, starting with 3.3 billion euros this year. With 11 million Greek people, these sums come up to a high amount per head. This is all the more shocking if we consider that a huge proportion of Greek people live in extreme poverty. The number of Greek people living at or below the poverty line is more than 3 million and rising. The new agreement includes 150,000 public sector sackings to be be carried out by 2015. As a start, 15,000 public servants will lose their jobs this year. Immediate sackings of 22,500 temporary and casual teachers has also been raised. The troika has persistently pushed immediate cuts to military personnel numbers. This may be cause for concern in the light of recent official statements that anything is possible in Greece. From the first memorandum on, measures first raised years ago have finally been implemented. The attacks on the Greek people seem to be part of a well thought-out plan. For example, the capitalists and their political representatives have long demanded an end to public service job permanency. They have also aimed to do away with collective agreements. Furthermore, ex-Pasok prime minister George Papandreou had arranged to hand Greece over to the IMF before his party won the 2009 elections. The measures against the Greek people are unprecedented. People are in a constant state of stress, not knowing what is coming next. My friends, colleagues, comrades — most people I come across — don't seem to smile in the way they used to. They seem thoughtful, less happy, lost, even depressed. The immediate effects of the public sector sackings will be higher unemployment (the official figure is now 20.9%) and deepened recession. In my job, after the sackings of temporary and casual teachers, face-to-face teaching hours will rise for those remaining. Needless to say, there will not be an accompanying salary rise. These austerity measures are taking place against a background of deteriorating conditions for students and teachers. There is a shocking shortage in school books, about 2000 schools closed down in the last school year, class sizes have risen and funding for education has dropped to 2.75% of the gross national product. Schools do not have enough funding for photocopying paper or central heating. In this year’s freezing winter, students and teachers have had lessons with their coats on. Schools have been forced to shut down due to inadequate heating. The recession will be worsened by the 22% cut in the minimum wage (32% for workers under 25). The minimum wage will fall to 600 euros (A$741) gross a month (473 euros clear, less for young people) from the 739 euros gross specified in the National General Collective Agreement. The estimated loss is three months wages per year. This comes on top of the huge wage cuts since 2010. The unemployment benefit, pensions and bonuses will be also be affected. The dole will go down to 369 euros a month from 461 euros. The minimum wage cut will trickle down to all wage brackets. Pensions are also going to be slashed. Pensions in public enterprises such as the Greek electricity company, as well as salaries and job permanency, are set to be worst affected. The explanation given is to make these enterprises more “competitive” before privatisation. Closing down Driving to work costs me almost 300 euros a month, while my salary has gone down to 800 euros a month clear, from over 1200 before the first memorandum. Public service salaries have been cut by about 40% since the first memorandum. The most recent cuts, of up to 50%, were made last October. Another big salary cut is planned for later this year. I am still managing to hold on to my car; using public transport for work would be very inconvenient. Many people have given up their cars due to financial hardship. Soaring petrol prices, as well as rises in car registration and car insurance fees, have compounded the problem. About 160,000 number plates were handed in to the taxation department at the end of the 2010 financial year. Last year, the number exceeded 250,000. Not surprisingly, petrol consumption dropped by 22% last year, causing more than 1500 petrol stations to close in the past two years. Thousands of jobs were lost as a result. Driving to work, I took a detour to avoid paying the predatory road tolls. On top of the high car registration rates and high petrol consumption tax, Greek people have to pay costly road tolls to private companies. I kept looking for the magazine as I drove slowly through three villages. The sense of devastation wasn’t as pronounced as in bigger towns or cities, but a lot of shops seemed to have closed down recently, with shop and merchandise signs still on them. I finally found a kiosk still in operation, in the last and biggest village. I finally bought my magazine. On the same day, during my break, I was unable to find a National Bank of Greece branch in the village where I work. I spotted a branch office in the central square. It seemed to be under renovation, but it turned out the branch had closed down. I had similar experiences looking for a doner kebab place, a particular petrol station, a particular bank where I used to pay my natural gas bills and a big cosmetics store I used. All shut down, empty and dusty, with some of the signs still on and the windows serving as billboards. A huge number of homeless people can be seen living in open-air spaces. There are 25,000 homeless people in Athens alone, driven out of unused public spaces by the Pasok-affiliated mayor. Many homeless people are dying during this year's extremely harsh winter. Public welfare services, as well as schools and hospitals, are all but demolished. People are driven to sordid poverty and despair, as working rights are abolished and public enterprises and resources are sold off. At the same time, rising taxes, along with relentless price rises, are unbearable. Tens of thousands of households and small businesses have had their electricity cut off due to unpaid bills. Many children faint in schools after they go hungry for days because their parents can't afford to buy food. There has been a huge rise in the number of children sent to orphanages. In many areas, the church or neighbourhood groups give out mess to paupers. People scavenging rubbish bins for food is now a common sight in Greece. The Greek ministry of health reports psychological problems and suicide rates have risen dramatically. New deal In an attempt to deceive the people, Greek ministers have claimed they negotiated hard with the troika before signing the agreement. They put on a big show of trying to stop further bonus cuts, which were supposedly finally stopped. Government officials are also talking about economic growth. On February 4, after a lengthy talk with the troika, the Greek finance minister, Evangelos Venizelos, called on all Greek people to stay united and do their bit “to save the country”. By implementing more and more austerity measures, the government deepens the recession and devastates the lives of the overwhelming majority of the people. Last November, the head of the European Commission Task Force for Greece, Horst Reichenbach, said that Greece was not ready for investment, as it hasn't hit rock bottom yet. You don't need a major in politics or economics to see what’s in store for the Greek people. The people are angry at the pro-memorandum political forces. Pasok is polling 7-9.5% (coming fifth), the other major party, the conservative New Democracy has about 19% and far right Popular Orthodox Alert (LAOS) has dropped to 4%. The Communist Party of Greece (KKE) and Coalition of the Radical Left (Syriza) are polling about 9% each. The left must take advantage of this historical opportunity, join forces and help the Greek people reclaim their lives. They have to show the way forward, instead of passively waiting for elections. We must thwart the capitalists’ plans. This nightmare has to stop and the capitalists will not stop unless we stop them. From GLW issue 910