October 2006
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Crisis Management By William Bowles
Perhaps the most difficult thing to do when dealing with current events is to establish the link between economics and politics. Thus the corporate press never, ever present an event, the invasion of Iraq for example as having any connection with economics, indeed any attempt to do so is ridiculed (eg it’s not all about… Continue reading
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Leaving the scene of the crime? By William Bowles
The Independent’s front page head for Wednesday 25 October proclaimed loudly “We’re out of here” purportedly the words of General George Casey, the US’s head military honcho in Iraq. Of course the devil lives in the small print as any reading ‘between the lines’ reveals. And in any case, Casey’s comments are designed precisely to… Continue reading
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Book Review: Israel and the US – Two nations under one flag? By William Bowles
There is perhaps no better example of the corrosive and divisive nature of racism as a weapon of imperialism than the debate (such as it is) about the power of the (misnamed) ‘Jewish Lobby’ and its relationship to or influence over US imperial strategy. I say misnamed because in reality it should be called the… Continue reading
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Media Lens: Eating the Planet – Swallowing The Context Of “Earth’s Ecological Debt Crisis”
24 October 2006 — Media Lens The Bland Leading The Bland October 9 saw one of the Independent’s explosive front-page stories on the global environment: “Earth’s ecological debt crisis.” According to a new study, humanity is “putting an intolerable strain on nature”. Martin Hickman, the Independent’s consumer affairs correspondent, explained: Continue reading
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A beginner’s guide to creating a ‘crisis’ By William Bowles
Poor old North Korea, the latest bogeyman, its leader variously described as a tyrant, psychopath etc, etc. is once more the focus of Western ire. Now in all likelyhood the reason is because things ain’t going too well in Iraq or Afghanistan and the Iranians have told the West to shove it, so isn’t it… Continue reading
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Media Lens: The Fictitious Firewall – The Mythical Divide Between Journalism And Advertising
10 October 2006 — Media Lens In its latest annual report on media performance, US-based watchdog Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting (FAIR) noted that: “Most people are aware that news media rely on corporate advertising dollars – though the fact is rarely discussed, and when it is, editors and producers will generally insist that there’s Continue reading
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Been there – done that, so it’s time to do it all over again By William Bowles
If Queen Victoria was on the throne today I’m sure she would find the current situation comfortingly familiar and no doubt would be issuing proclamations about ‘our brave boys over there’ and the usual crop of medals would be flying out of her very royal hands along with all the usual platitudes about defending ‘civilisation’… Continue reading
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Lies by Omission By William Bowles
6 October 2006 “An increasing number of people see a dark cloud hanging over Europe. They fear that the birthplace of the Enlightenment and the cradle of free speech is being silenced by the growing assertiveness of an intolerant strain of Islam.” — The Independent Editorial, Wednesday, 4 October 2006. The London Independent’s editorial headed Continue reading
The New Dark Age 