4 September 2008
I love it! I just came across an article, “Did We Just Invade Pakistan?” but you’ll search in vain for any headline in the mainstream media that even comes close to calling it a US invasion of Pakistan.
Day: September 4, 2008
MEDIA LENS ALERT: WHEN NEWS IS NOISE – GEORGIA, SOUTH OSSETIA AND THE POLITICAL PIPELINE
MEDIA ALERT: WHEN NEWS IS NOISE – GEORGIA, SOUTH OSSETIA AND THE POLITICAL PIPELINE
MEDIA LENS: Correcting for the distorted vision of the corporate media
September 4, 2008
The Strain Behind The Smile
A Los Angeles Times editorial observed last month that China had persuaded world leaders to attend the Olympic Games “despite their misgivings about Beijing’s horrific human rights record both domestically and abroad”. The horror, the editors noted, could not be entirely suppressed:
Needless to say, no mainstream British or American journalist referred to the host nation’s “horrific human rights record” at the time of the US Games in Atlanta in 1996, or of the Los Angeles Games in 1984. And of course no media outlet has discussed “misgivings” about the awarding of the 2012 Games to Britain. But why on earth would they? Historian Mark Curtis explains:
“End of an Odyssey” By: Jeff Halper
September 1, 2008
Now, a few days after my release from jail in the wake of my trip to Gaza, I’m posting a few notes to sum things up.
First, the mission of the Free Gaza Movement to break the Israeli siege proved a success beyond all expectations. Our reaching Gaza and leaving has created a free and regular channel between Gaza and the outside world. It has done so because it has forced the Israeli government to make a clear policy declaration: that it is not occupying Gaza and therefore will not prevent the free movement of Palestinians in and out (at least by sea). (Israel’s security concerns can easily be accommodated by instituting a technical system of checks similar to those of other ports.) Any attempt on the part of Israel to backtrack on this – by preventing ships in the future from entering or leaving Gaza with goods and passengers, including Palestinians – may be immediately interpreted as an assertion of control, and therefore of Occupation, opening Israel to accountability for war crimes before international law, something Israel tries to avoid at all costs. Gone is the obfuscation that has allowed Israel to maintain its control of the Occupied Territories without assuming any responsibility: from now on, Israel is either an Occupying Power accountable for its actions and policies, or Palestinians have every right to enjoy their human right of travelling freely in and out of their country. Israel can no longer have it both ways. Not only did our two little boats force the Israel military and government to give way, then, they also changed fundamentally the status of Israel’s control of Gaza.
Crisis in the Caucasus – Russian Perspectives
I didn’t want to post each article, rather, I’ve supplied links instead to what I regard as informative analysis and for a change, from a Russian perspective on the upheavals since Georgia’s insane attack on South Ossetia.
2008-09-05
Pyotr ISKENDEROV
The Serbian Front in the War Over the Caucasus
“At the moment, we are witnessing the onset of the third phase of the war over the Caucasus. In the nearest time, we should expect the West to make attempts to outplay Moscow in the energy business by complicating its involvement in key international oil and gas transit projects…”
2008-09-05
Georgia: the First Step Towards Chaos Control (II)
“In all likelihood, preparations for the second phase of the US operation aimed at destabilizing the post-Soviet space are underway. Its start is tentatively scheduled for September-October, 2008 and will probably be marked by a new Georgian invasion of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, this time with the direct US support… At the same time, a provocation such as a murder of Russian sailors or a blow-up of a Russian warship will be organized in Sevastopol, the result being a civil war in Ukraine and a direct military conflict between the country and Russia…”
Impact of Five-Day War on Global Energy
The brief armed conflict in South Ossetia will have long-lasting and serious repercussions globally. The infrastructures of the energy sector have been particularly affected by the crisis. It is hard to say at the moment whether fundamental changes in the energy landscape of the Caspian and Middle East regions should be expected, but the immediate character of the reaction of exporters and transit countries shows that the military factor is bound to play a bigger role in assessing both individual energy projects and the potentials of entire regions in the global energy politics.
Georgia: the First Step Towards Chaos Control (I)
Over the past several weeks, the Russian-language expert community has published a number of worthy analytic papers addressing on a decent theoretical level practically the entire range of aspects of the conflict between Georgia and South Ossetia as well as of the overall geopolitical and economic picture of the world transformed by the August, 2008 five-day war.
The West’s Monopoly on Injustice: the Conclusions of the EU Snap Summit By Elena PONOMAREVA
The date of the snap EU Summit which focused no so much on the conflict between Georgia and South Ossetia as on condemning Russia’s recognition of South Ossetia and Abkhazia – September 1 – was truly symbolic. World War II began in 1939 also on September 1.
Future of State System By Aurobinda MAHAPATRA (India)
The developments in this year would likely generate a huge turning process in international political order. With the rise in aspirations of regions to get independent, their recognitions amidst contestations the state system vogue almost for three and half centuries has received a jolt, especially with the recognition of South Ossetia and Abkhazia by Russia and earlier that of Kosovo.
Raiders in Action By Irina LEBEDEVA (USA)
The Soviet disunion, the fall of the communist regimes, and the dissolution of the Eastern bloc made the actual purpose of the existence of NATO obscenely obvious. NATO is an organization acting as the global raider.
Abkhazia: the Independence Paid For by Sufferings By Aleksander B. KRYLOV
“Russia has officially recognized the independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. The extremely difficult 15-year-long period in the lives of the two Republics, during which they had to exist as unrecognized states, is over. Now their international status has changed fundamentally. Another no less obvious circumstance is that after Russia’s recognition of the two new countries the problems of Abkhazia and South Ossetia are no longer regional – for years to come, they are going to play an important role in the politics of global powers…”
The Long-Awaited Decision By Irina LEBEDEVA (USA)
“No serious comments were made by the major US media on August 25 when the Russian Parliament asked the Russian President to recognize the independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. As for the Russian Parliament’s address to the Parliaments of UN countries and to international parliamentary organizations, in which Russia’s position concerning the Caucasus was detailed — it was ignored by the global media completely…”
Georgia’s Economy: myths and reality By Valerian Advadze (Georgia)
Once Georgia’s economy successfully integrated into the common Soviet system of production, it exported 26% of its products to other republics of the Soviet Union. At the same time, 28% of all goods consumed in Georgia were imported from outside. It means that Georgia was less autonomous than other republics.
Blame Capitalism, Not Medvedev By Boris Kagarlitsky
04 September 2008
Whenever a writer promises to “reveal the truth behind recent events,” he usually digs up the latest conspiracy theory or divulges “inside information” that explains how key decisions were made. Unfortunately, I am not a big fan of conspiracy theories, nor am I privy to any secret negotiations between the Kremlin and the White House. Nevertheless, I am convinced that we should interpret the fundamental reasons behind the present U.S.-Russia confrontation much differently than the way the media have portrayed it.
Yes, Russia clashed with Georgia. Yes, there are problems in South Ossetia and Abkhazia. And yes, there have been many points of contention between Moscow and Washington. But why has it all erupted into such a heightened confrontation right now? Most important, why have bilateral relations deteriorated so much, even when both sides are seeking compromises to limit the scale of the conflict?
In order to understand what is happening, we must take a step back from the situation in the Caucasus and even from current U.S.-Russian relations. We are now witnessing the crisis in the global economic system.
The New Dark Age 