Rupert Murdoch “enemy of the planet” 11-27-2020

 

27, November 2020             Rupert Murdoch “enemy of the planet”

Rupert Murdoch’s media empire is an existential threat to democracy and the survival of the planet.

Former Australian prime minister, Kevin Rudd laid out the case for forming a Royal Commission to break up the media giant.  Rudd complains of Murdoch’s enormous influence on issues like global warming and his relentless effort to push his right-leaning agenda in Australia. Many would argue that played a pivotal role in ushering in BREXIT and the rise of Donald Trump. Fox News served as the propaganda megaphone for Trump allowing him to trash his enemies and promote his bizarre conspiracy theories. Rudd blamed Fox News  for its efforts to delegitimize Barack Obama with grotesque racist “birther  theories.”                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           Michelle Obama said she would never forgive Trump for the anxiety he caused her family.

Another former Australian prime minister, Malcolm Turnbull, complained bitterly about Murdoch's influence as a "climate denier, “dismissing Australia’s massive wildfires on “arsonists”.

Rudd saved his most biting criticism on Tamp, FOX news and to a lesser extent on the Wall Street Journal. Their collective efforts have created havoc in the world experiencing higher sea levels, higher temperatures, hurricanes and wide-spread flooding.

Murdoch has large holding in his home country, Australia, the UK and the US. During the past four years he has left an indelible mark on the Republican Party aided by the messianic Trump and FOX News. Republicans dare not cross Trump lest he ends their cherished carriers with a single nasty tweet.

Carbon pricing to boost renewables and other measures which are now standard fare in most countries in the world have been an abject failure in Australia.

Our fragile world has received a mortal blow from choosing to be AWOL from the Paris Climate Accord. Once again profits from fossil fuel industries take precedent over the welfare of the planet.

Murdoch’s impact on Australia was so devastating that one of his son’s, James, bowed out of his father’s empire saying he “can’t stomach it any longer.” His son-in law promised even more radical measures to preserve the Murdoch Empire. Let us hope the “royal Commission” will trim his empire down to size.

 

Pompeo’s visit to Israel 11-24-2020

 

24, November 2020               Pompeo’s visit to Israel

Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, was in a generous Christmas mood when he visited Israel. Gone are the good old days when America was a functioning democracy. Presidents and their team make important decisions and Congress invariably bows in total acquiesce. Ignoring the 128 resolutions of the UN Security Council, declaring the Occupied territories illegal, Pompeo is and his MIA boss are blurring the line between the state of Israel and the Palestinian territories it controls.

 In a further effort to shied  Israel from its apartheid policies, Pompeo has now  declared that the US would withhold funds from NGO’s who support  Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS), a world-wide non-violent movement whose aim is to economically pressure Israel into providing equal rights and a right of return to Palestinians.

The BDS movement was modelled on the successful anti-apartheid movement in South Africa.

As a final gift to Israel, Pompeo asserted that the US will no longer regard the Occupied settlements as “illegal” and the Syrian Golan Heights as an integral part of Israel.  He also declared BDS anti-Semitic. The original sin was committed by a Zionist Lord Astor of “Great” Britain who gifted Palestine to the Jews as a land “without a people”  ignoring the fact Palestinians had lived in the land for hundreds of years.

The tragic history of Palestine is superbly documented by Rashid Khalidi, the Edward Said professor of modern Arab studies at Columbia University, in his book “The Hundred Years’ War on Palestine.

Such exciting times all documented in the Bible which was written many years AFTER the death of Christ. Jesus would be appalled at how his non-violent, compassionate teachings have been so badly manipulated by Jews and evangelicals. Maybe, Jesus will cancel his Second Coming after all.

 

Trump Rants On 11-13-2020

 

Public Comment

                           Trump Rants On

 November 13, 2020 

President Trump mocked environmental activist, Greta Thunberg, the Swedish environmental activist and told her to “chill out” when she denounced governments for their lack of action on the threats of climate change. Greta offered President Trump the same advice when he was roundly defeated in the Presidential election. 

Late night comedian, Bill Maher deserves credit for warning his viewers many months ago that DJT would not concede defeat but would rant and rave claiming election fraud. 

Trump’s niece Mary Trump and elder sister, Maryanne warned the general public that their uncle/brother was untrustworthy, and a pathological liar. Many Republicans have quietly congratulated Biden on his victory behind closed doors but are reluctant to go public lest they alienate the mercurial “godfather” and his ardent mask-less supporters. It is time Republicans stop coddling their fallen leader and allow the country to move forward. Perhaps Mary Trump could offer her uncle a free therapy session to help repair his wounded ego. The post-election activities of Biden and Trump reveal a stark difference in character. While the president elect has been busy forming a task to tackle the myriad of challenges which will soon confront him, the president neglect is out golfing. 

Finally, it is puzzling why the Republicans are happy to accept the Senate and the House results, but not the presidential race? Are they not on the same ballot?

Qasem Soleimani 11-8-2020

 11-8-2020                                   Qasem Soleimani

Following in the footsteps of the dynamic duo, Cheney and Bush the self-proclaimed “liberators of Iraq”, Trump ordered a drone strike which reportedly killed Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Major General Qasem Soleimani, an act that observers warned could mark a significant step toward a hot war in the region. "The Trump administration just plunged the region into a likely massive sectarian and bloody crisis—and along with it, this country," tweeted Al Jazeera journalist Sana Saeed.The Trump administration just plunged the region into a likely massive sectarian and bloody crisis - and along with it, this country. https://t.co/wtv0SABazv — Sana Saeed (@SanaSaeed) January 3, 2020 "Most Americans won't understand the gravity of this," said prominent journalist Khalek. The National's deputy foreign editor Jack Moore described the importance of the strike as tantamount to Iran killing Gina Haspel. "It's like Iran killing the head of the CIA or the Mossad on foreign soil," said Moore. "This isn't just about Iraq." Young Americans and thousands of Iraqis and Iranians may well perish, victims of Trump’s appalling ignorance of the complexities of the Middle East and his racist determination to undermine Obama’s singular achievement crafting the JCPA Agreement. Republicans are willing participants in the carnage that will likely follow.

UN exposes more Israeli crimes 11-8-2020

 

                                   UN exposes more Israeli crimes

 November 08, 2020 

While America is preoccupied in desperate attempts to save its democracy, the Israeli military used the opportunity to strike terror on one of the poorest of the poor Bedouin hamlets in the Jordan Valley. Excavators escorted by military vehicles were filmed smashing tents, shacks, and animal shelters.  

“These are some of the most vulnerable communities in the West Bank,” said Yvonne Helle, the UN humanitarian coordinator for the occupied Palestinian territory. A staggering three-quarters of the community lost their homes making it the largest forced displacement activity in more than four years. A total of 76 structures were destroyed. Encouraged by Washington’s unconditional support, Israel has accelerated its ethnic-cleansing in the West Bank. 

Nearly 700 structures have been demolished across the West Bank and East Jerusalem in 2020 so far, leaving 869 Palestinians homeless. UN spokesperson observed “demolitions are a key means of creating an environment designed to coerce Palestinians to leave their homes,” and accused Israel of “grave breaches of international law”. 

An on-site report by prominent Israeli human rights group, B’Tselem, provided a detailed inventory of the demolitions including livestock and tractors that were confiscated. “As part of its efforts to take over more and more Palestinian land, Israel routinely demolishes Palestinian homes and property,” said B’Tselem spokesperson Amit Gilutz. 

Much like apartheid South Africa, the Israeli military continues its brutal occupation with abandon with the comforting knowledge that pro-Israeli Democrats and Republicans are unlikely to interfere. The Bedouin and sheepherding communities have no legal course to halt such barbaric behavior. The Israeli military and government establish the rules which makes Israel’s claim to be a democracy a complete sham.

DON’T WASTE TAX FUNDS ON NEW LIBRARY 11-4-2020

 

11-4-2020                                DON’T WASTE TAX FUNDS ON NEW LIBRARY

I was extremely disappointed with the comments from the Los Altos City Council candidates, running for three open seats, all supporting the construction of a new library. This would be an appalling waste of our tax dollars. The current library serves the community adequately.

I have invited friends from all over the world to visit our current library and they have been enthralled by the beautiful country setting and its many facilities. It was built with great care, supporting adults, children and teens in a stunning picturesque setting. The clamor for new building exposes an inherent flaw in our economic model, where rich communities continue to outpace poorer, underserved communities.

Let Los Altos begin a new chapter in demonstrating compassion for poorer communities. Let us set aside a percentage of our revenue to uplift poorer cities. This could go a long way to level the current lopsided economic divide.

Autocracy on the Rise in India 11-4-2020

 

                                           Autocracy on the Rise in India

November 04, 2020

Using the Trump playbook, “how to be demolish constraints of a democracy,” Prime Minister Modi and his supporters aided by the ultra-right wing Rashtriya_Swayamsevak_Sangh) paramilitary party (RSS), has struck terror in the hearts of Indians yearning for a return to its secular roots. Younger Indians may not be aware of the tragic reign of Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi who manufactured a false “emergency” to neutralize her political enemies, culminating in the attack on the Golden Temple. Tens of thousands of Sikhs were killed in the aftermath of her assassination. Lord Indarjit Singh of London spoke passionately and wrote eloquently (for the BBC and Sikh Messenger) critical of Gandhi’s polices and accused the British of collusion with the Indian Government who were more anxious maintaining trade relations, than raising their voices in support of basic human rights. Repeated demands to the British government by Lord Singh to publicly acknowledge its dark role in the attack on the Golden Temple in 1984 has been ignored. President Trump, following the “British trade model” has sold $billions of US weapons to the most despotic regimes in the world (Saudi Arabia, UAE, , ) unconcerned by the appalling civilian casualties caused by massive bombing in neighboring Yemen.  

Fast forward to the present day, we are now witnessing troubling signs of India’s rapid descent into an autocracy. The government has seized on the pandemic to acquire new “emergency” powers. 

Prime Minister Modi often responds with explosive anger when courageous journalists criticize his harsh polices. Amnesty International, the world-wide human rights organization announced its unprecedented decision to shut down its Indian operations. In my many decades working for AI, I have never encountered such a fierce backlash from a country claiming to be a democracy. The government has even gone as far as charging peaceful demonstrators with sedition with no supporting evidence. Sedition is an overused catch phrase that is used by autocrats to silence dissent. Even the Trump administration flirted with charging pro-democracy activists with sedition but dropped the strategy following howls of protests. 

Amartya Sen, winner of the Nobel Peace, warned that massive silent demonstrations are the only remedy to cripple autocratic tendencies. The people of Belarus are a shining example of democracy in action taking to the streets demanding the removal of President Aleksandra Lukashenko following a massive fraudulent election. 

Under the BJP government India has made disturbing efforts to mold India into a Hindustan even going so far as rewriting history to glorify a Hindu raj while ignoring the insidious cruel caste system where “untouchables” and other low caste Hindus are condemned to a life of appalling discrimination. Not a single Indian leader has demanded an end to the “winners and losers” lottery system of life. Cases of rape and murder of Dalits (low-caste) by Hindus have been shockingly on the rise but frequently ignored or covered up the government. 

The government use of “sedition” charges harks back to similar actions taken by British colonial masters who arrested and imprisoned India’s champions of pro-independence, nonviolent leaders like Mahatma Gandhi and Pandit Nehru udder “preventive detention” statutes.  

Under the Hindutva government now in office, preventive detention has acquired a far more sinister role , allowing easy arrests and imprisonment of opposition politicians, without trial. 

Under the provisions of this freshly minted law a state can unilaterally declare someone to be a terrorist, which allows the state to incarcerate them without trial. A number of human rights activists have been tossed into India’s dark dungeons under the new law. 

Critics of the government are often given the dreaded label “anti-national”, a draconian label which is meant to stifle and intimidate free expression.  

Remember Nobel Peace Prize winner, Nelson Mandela was described as a “terrorist” by apartheid South Africa. Israel has adopted similar measures to imprison Palestinian peace activists. 

The Indian authorities have been particularly harsh on the rights of Muslims, even going as far as denying them of their citizenship rights. 

The celebrated Hindu poet Rabindranath rejected religious fanaticism and “casteism” and described himself as confluence of three cultural streams, combining Hinduism Islam, and British culture. 

For more go to, http://callforsocialjustice.blogspot.com/