Everybody Knows with Dr. Bob and Dan-o

A long list of prominent individuals has signed, a number of organizations will be promoting next week, and you can be one of the first to sign right now, a petition titled "Call For Independent Inquiry of the Airplane Crash in Ukraine and its Catastrophic Aftermath."

The petition is directed to "All the heads of states of NATO countries, and of Russia and the Ukraine, to Ban-ki Moon and the heads of states of countries on the UN Security Council." And it will be delivered to each of them.

The petition reads:

"Set up an impartial international fact finding inquiry and a public report on the events in Ukraine to reveal the truth of what occurred.

"Why is this important?

"It's important because there is so much misinformation and disinformation in the media that we are careening towards a new cold war with Russia over this."

That's not hyperbole. It's the language of U.S. and Russian politicians and media.

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/794/369/516/african-solidarity-for-palestine/#sign

We, the undersigned African scholars and scholars of Africa, hold that silence about the latest humanitarian catastrophe caused by Israel’s new military assault on the Gaza Strip—the third and most devastating in six years—constitutes complicity. Member state of NATO which mounted an air war on Libya ostensibly to protect civilians in Benghazi have been by and large quiet about the fate of civilians in Gaza. World governments and mainstream media do not hold Israel accountable for its violations of international law. We, however, as a community of scholars have a moral responsibility to do so.

A petition to the President and the Attorney General has just been posted by several organizations, including one I work for, asking that the Department of Justice stop threatening New York Times reporter James Risen with prison if he refuses to reveal a confidential source.

This story, among other stunning features, I think, threatens to expose an unknown known of the highest magnitude -- by which I mean, not something lying outside Donald Rumsfeld's imagination, but something that everyone paying attention has known all about for years but which would explode the brains of most consumers of corporate media if they ever heard about it.

Here's a great summary of the matter at the Progressive.  The focus there and in the petition is on the threat to freedom of the press.  But read this offhand bit of the explanation carefully:

Central Ohio Workers Celebrate May Day to Tell Columbus:

#OhioNeedsARaise, Announce Formation of

Central Ohio Worker Center

What: #OhioNeedsARaise – May Day Celebration

When: Thursday May 1,2014

4:30pm -  Rally and March through downtown Columbus, Ohio

Where: Corner of State and High Streets - SW side of the Capitol Building

Who: Workers will be speaking on their struggle to survive and support themselves and their families on low wages.   

Gov. Chris Christie has unilaterally passed a regulation that blocks automakers from directly selling to consumers in New Jersey, requiring them to go through third-party car dealers instead.

As a direct result, Tesla—the electric car company that reduces our dependence on fossil fuels—must now close its two dealerships in the state.

New Jersey is the third state to kick out Tesla that way, the other two being Arizona and Texas. It is an intentional move on the part of Republican politicians to kill the electric car.

Sign the petition denouncing Gov. Christie for killing the electric car in New Jersey.

Petition Text

Our Message to New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie
Shame on you for following right-wing politicians in Texas and Arizona by kicking Tesla out of New Jersey. This regulation change serves no purpose but to help car dealer companies and the fossil fuel industry—who fear the popularity of electric cars like Tesla.