THE G-20 IN PITTSBURGH
by Tom Over 9-23-09
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On Tuesday, Sept 22, activists from Philadelphia, New York City, Pittsburgh and other cities held a mock funeral procession to demand better policies for addressing the AIDS pandemic, a day ahead of the arrival of delegates for the G-20.
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The approximately 50 participants in the New Orleans-style funeral march drew a mix of interest, irritation, and amusement from onlookers in the business district of downtown Pittsburgh.
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At the head of the funeral march where pallbearers carried a cardboard coffin, a man shouted into a microphone while someone else carried a portable amplifier, “when people with AIDS are under attack, what do we do ?” and marchers shouted in unison, “fight back!”
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Amidst the early afternoon bustle of an weekday, the demonstrators repeated this call-and-answer and similar chants as the funeral march made its way around the perimeter of the David L. Lawrence Convention Center, the site of the G-20 Summit later this week.
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Erica Goldberg works with ACT UP Philadelphia. She said global health is not on the agenda of the G-20 Summit.
“One of the things that some of the G-20 nations have promised us is funding for the global fund to fight, TB, malaria, and HIV/AIDS. This is all really important, especially if we want to meet the United Nations’ Millennium goal of eradicating these diseases by 2015. As of right now, this won’t be met. We have to hold our leaders accountable. They are the ones making decisions for the poorer countries,” Goldberg said.
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She commented on the timing of the demonstration. “We wanted this to be the first thing they (the G-20 delegates) see. They’re coming here tomorrow. We’re holding them accountable. This needs to be on the agenda.”
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She said AIDS activists chose Sept 22, two days before the official start of the G-20 Summit, and one day before the arrival of the delegates, so as to not have to compete with other protests. Also, she said the AIDS activists figured there would be less of a chance of conflict with police if they staged their protest earlier in the week.
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“We hope that this will hit the papers tomorrow, that it’s the first thing they see when they walk in, that they have this on their conscience and know we’re not going away,” Goldberg said. She urges people to contact legislators about supporting the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria.
“President Obama, as much as I love him, went back on his promise to fulfill the funding,” Goldberg said.
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She commented on how drug companies factor into all of this. “ Medication does not need to be this expensive. They can definitely lower their prices. We have big drug interests lobbying to prevent AIDS medication from getting” to developing nations.
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Goldberg said debt cancellation for developing nations is a factor that comes into play.
“When you don’t cancel debts of nations and they have to pay back loans to the IMF and the World Bank, they won’t have the funds necessary for getting AIDS medication, or they might get the medication but can’t pay the health professional because of their debt.
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She said vested interested motivated by huge profits stand in the way of doing a better job of addressing tuberculosis, malaria, and HIV/AIDS. “We have the power, the ability, and the medication.”
World News
Mordechai Vanunu was arrested this morning in his room at St.
George's Cathedral in East Jerusalem, by a huge police force
(about 30 armed officers). The pretext for his arrest: Vanunu
violated the Draconian restrictions that were imposed on him
when he was released from prison in April, by giving interviews
to foreign media.
The attempt to silence Mordechai Vanunu on this of all days, is an attempt to bury Israel's secret nuclear arsenal together with Yasser Arafat. While the world media and attention are focused on the burial of the Palestinian leader, the Israeli government is attempting to disappear the nuclear whistleblower, whose only crime is revealing the terrible truth that Israel is trying to hide: weapons of mass destruction that are concealed from Israeli citizens and from the world.
Mordechai Vanunu is expected to be brought to court on Friday morning, November 12. His supporters will demonstrate outside the courthouse. Details will be sent out later today.
For more information:
Rayna Moss: 0507-368236
legalese@netvision.net.il
www.vanunu.com
The attempt to silence Mordechai Vanunu on this of all days, is an attempt to bury Israel's secret nuclear arsenal together with Yasser Arafat. While the world media and attention are focused on the burial of the Palestinian leader, the Israeli government is attempting to disappear the nuclear whistleblower, whose only crime is revealing the terrible truth that Israel is trying to hide: weapons of mass destruction that are concealed from Israeli citizens and from the world.
Mordechai Vanunu is expected to be brought to court on Friday morning, November 12. His supporters will demonstrate outside the courthouse. Details will be sent out later today.
For more information:
Rayna Moss: 0507-368236
legalese@netvision.net.il
www.vanunu.com
There has been a lot of verbal sabre rattling from Iran saying they want to preemptively attack Israel because Israel poses a threat to Iran's budding nuclear facilities. And guess what "model" they are citing as an excuse to attack Israel? GW Bush's preemptive strike against Iraq model, that's what. After all, GW Bush and the GOP have established "preemptive strikes" as a way of dealing with terrorists, even if the country they attack has no terrorists.
Iran has a valid reason, according the Bush Preemptive Strike Doctrine, or "BPSD", for wanting to attack Israel. Israel has stated that they want to attack Iran's atomic capability. Since Iran would consider that to be an act of terrorism by Israel, then Iran has every right to preemptively strike Israel to defend themselves, according to the BPSD. Since Iran would be following in the same insane footsteps of GW Bush, and the GOP, how can republicans denounce Iran? They can't, and continue to justify their preemptive strike against Iraq, a country that posed a zero threat to the United States and a country that had nothing to do with the 9/11/01 terrorist attacks.
Iran has a valid reason, according the Bush Preemptive Strike Doctrine, or "BPSD", for wanting to attack Israel. Israel has stated that they want to attack Iran's atomic capability. Since Iran would consider that to be an act of terrorism by Israel, then Iran has every right to preemptively strike Israel to defend themselves, according to the BPSD. Since Iran would be following in the same insane footsteps of GW Bush, and the GOP, how can republicans denounce Iran? They can't, and continue to justify their preemptive strike against Iraq, a country that posed a zero threat to the United States and a country that had nothing to do with the 9/11/01 terrorist attacks.
Recently, Dov Weisglass, the Prime Minister Sharon's
bureau chief said, "The significance of our
disengagement plan is the freezing of the peace
process. It supplies the formaldehyde necessary so
there is no political process with the Palestinians…
effectively this whole package called a Palestinian
state has been removed indefinitely from our agenda.”
Mr. Weisglass, as Sharon's chief bureaucrat, who meets regularly with National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice and other international dignitaries simply confirms what Sharon has been saying publicly within Israel for several months now. The peace is dead, and Israel will continue to act unilaterally in the face of international pressure and with the full support of the U.S.
Mr. Weisglass, as Sharon's chief bureaucrat, who meets regularly with National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice and other international dignitaries simply confirms what Sharon has been saying publicly within Israel for several months now. The peace is dead, and Israel will continue to act unilaterally in the face of international pressure and with the full support of the U.S.
The Israeli Tourism Authority, thinking of creative
ways to lure visitors back to the Holy Land, has taken
to organizing the high profile visits of Hollywood
stars and pop divas to mixed reaction.
Earlier this year, Richard Gere arrived for a film festival, attended a seminar, had posters of his face plastered all over Israel and generally left with rave reviews especially from the female human rights activists. They didn't question the intentions of his visit or give him too much flak for not taking any public positions on human rights. They work on human rights every day of the year, but he was RICHARD GERE!
A few months later Chris Noth, Mr. Big, was on the pages of Haaretz being whisked away by helicopter to see the sights of Israel all paid for by the good folks at the Israeli Tourism Authority. In fact, they were even armed with pro forma statements about how much the visit would boost Israeli tourism.
Earlier this year, Richard Gere arrived for a film festival, attended a seminar, had posters of his face plastered all over Israel and generally left with rave reviews especially from the female human rights activists. They didn't question the intentions of his visit or give him too much flak for not taking any public positions on human rights. They work on human rights every day of the year, but he was RICHARD GERE!
A few months later Chris Noth, Mr. Big, was on the pages of Haaretz being whisked away by helicopter to see the sights of Israel all paid for by the good folks at the Israeli Tourism Authority. In fact, they were even armed with pro forma statements about how much the visit would boost Israeli tourism.
The United States has a long history of protecting and preserving ancient
ruins and promoting antiquities of archaeological value. Dating back to
the Antiquities Act of 1906, concerns about preserving cultural,
historical, and social areas led President Theodore Roosevelt to proclaim
"historic landmarks, historic and prehistoric structures, and other
objects of historic or scientific interest" as national monuments. Today,
the United States is a leader in preserving National Monuments, National
Parks, and State or Municipal historically protected areas. But this
policy is now in trouble.
The United Nations General Assembly voted overwhelmingly last week to
accept the ruling of the International Court of Justice on Israel's
apartheid wall and demand Israel dismantle it.
The vote was 150-6, the dissenters being the United States, Israel, Australia, and three U.S.-dependent island states.
The wall literally makes concrete the colonization of roughly 30-40 percent more of the 22 percent of Palestine that remains. Palestinians will end up with about 12-15 percent of their land, but even this will be in disjointed ghettos that will have no sovereignty.
Israel is in defiance of over 35 U.N. Security Council resolutions and countless General Assembly resolutions. Israel was also shielded from many others by U.S. vetoes or threats of veto. But this will be different.
The vote was 150-6, the dissenters being the United States, Israel, Australia, and three U.S.-dependent island states.
The wall literally makes concrete the colonization of roughly 30-40 percent more of the 22 percent of Palestine that remains. Palestinians will end up with about 12-15 percent of their land, but even this will be in disjointed ghettos that will have no sovereignty.
Israel is in defiance of over 35 U.N. Security Council resolutions and countless General Assembly resolutions. Israel was also shielded from many others by U.S. vetoes or threats of veto. But this will be different.
If we, the citizens of this nation, prevent the Bush Administration and
its apologists from placing their blood-stained hands upon our ears, turn
away from the voices of caution rising in chorus from the Establishment
and simply listen to the sounds of chaos emanating from Iraq, we will hear
the infamous, unmistakable echo of Vietnam attempting to tell us the
terrible truth: this war, too, is sound and fury signifying nothing.
Nothing but pointless and tragic death and destruction. Nothing but the systematic dehumanization of our soldiers and of the people of Iraq. Nothing but the absolute futility of a nation attempting to impose its imperial power upon a people who refuse to accept it.
Nothing but pointless and tragic death and destruction. Nothing but the systematic dehumanization of our soldiers and of the people of Iraq. Nothing but the absolute futility of a nation attempting to impose its imperial power upon a people who refuse to accept it.
Whether the US attack at Mogr el-Deeb slaughtered foreign fighters in their hideout or innocent Iraqis at a wedding is a diversion from the core moral issue…the attack itself.
The Bush-revised rules of engagement that led to the May 19 massacre and so many more are at the heart of the madness.
Whatever happened to, “Come out with your hands up!” ?
Even the Comics Code (which regulates comic book content) requires the good guys in war and action titles to give the bad guys their fair chance to surrender. Attack without provocation or regard for innocents is always the hallmark of the bad guys. And yet even the U.S. army’s version of Mogr el-Deeb events doesn’t say the victims were given a white flag option.
From a military standpoint, overwhelming force superiority not only affords but encourages the option of seeking peaceful enemy surrender. It is fundamentally the most desirable outcome. No bodies to count, no munitions wasted. And useful intel is far more likely gleaned from a living subject than a dead one. Plus, they just may be innocent.
The Bush-revised rules of engagement that led to the May 19 massacre and so many more are at the heart of the madness.
Whatever happened to, “Come out with your hands up!” ?
Even the Comics Code (which regulates comic book content) requires the good guys in war and action titles to give the bad guys their fair chance to surrender. Attack without provocation or regard for innocents is always the hallmark of the bad guys. And yet even the U.S. army’s version of Mogr el-Deeb events doesn’t say the victims were given a white flag option.
From a military standpoint, overwhelming force superiority not only affords but encourages the option of seeking peaceful enemy surrender. It is fundamentally the most desirable outcome. No bodies to count, no munitions wasted. And useful intel is far more likely gleaned from a living subject than a dead one. Plus, they just may be innocent.
The Green Party of the United States recognizes that our greatest
contribution to peace in the Middle East will come through our impact
on U.S. policy in the region. Our commitments to ecological
wisdom, social justice, grass-roots democracy, and non-violence compel
us to oppose U.S. government support for "friendly" regimes, both in
Israel and in the Arab world, whenever those regimes violate human
rights, international law, and existing treaties. Those same values
compel us to support popular movements for peace and demilitarization,
especially those which reach across the lines of conflict to engage
both Palestinians and Israelis of good will.
During his recent public relations tour of the Middle East, Secretary of
State Colin Powell claims he told Arab leaders they should be 'doubly
outraged at what happened to Mr. Berg' in comparison to the Arab reaction to
the prisoner abuse scandal. During this same interview, Powell complained
that Arab leaders have failed to adequately condemn the beheading.
Interestingly enough, Powell made those statements while being interviewed in Jordan, one of the many Arab states that publicly condemned the murder of Nicholas Berg. The official statement published on the Jordanian Embassy's web site called the act 'barbaric' and informed readers that 'Jordan has issued a death sentence against Al Zarqawi for his terrorist activities.'
Saudi Arabia also issued a strong condemnation calling the act 'criminal and inhumane.' The statement by Ambassador Prince Bandar bin Sultan, published on their embassy's web site, went further to explain that the recent prisoner abuse scandal is no justification for the murder, which is 'condemned by all religions and contrary to the morals of all nations and peoples.'
Interestingly enough, Powell made those statements while being interviewed in Jordan, one of the many Arab states that publicly condemned the murder of Nicholas Berg. The official statement published on the Jordanian Embassy's web site called the act 'barbaric' and informed readers that 'Jordan has issued a death sentence against Al Zarqawi for his terrorist activities.'
Saudi Arabia also issued a strong condemnation calling the act 'criminal and inhumane.' The statement by Ambassador Prince Bandar bin Sultan, published on their embassy's web site, went further to explain that the recent prisoner abuse scandal is no justification for the murder, which is 'condemned by all religions and contrary to the morals of all nations and peoples.'