News not broadcasted
One of the more annoying things about our times is that interesting and important are not the same thing, in news.
Which brings me to the list of most important stories of the past year or so gone unreported. I choose to believe this is not because of some conspiracy, they have just fallen through the cracks. The page doesn't really have any nutshell-versions (maybe they think everything is important?), so I thought to write them and give some comments if I can - those would be in italics.
The stories are really American centric, and I can't help but feel that there are more important stories untold in the old world. I don't even understand why some of them are important. Writing this took several hours and afterwards it occurs to me that I could have just concentrated on the ones important to *me*.
#1 No Habeas Corpus for “Any Person”
Anyone judged to be an enemy of the state - even US Citizen - may be hold infinitely without questioning or chance to prove innocence, thanks to new law by Bush. Apparently the media at large has been reporting this as "even though this is possible, it will never be applied on USA citizens".
I know I should probably be more interested and/or outraged, but I can't help but think what makes US citizens "better" or less dangerous than one having a passport from Finland, Britai or Egypt. Dangerous people - or one viewed as such - is dangerous no matter where he hails. That being said, I think this law should never have been passed in the first place. It invites abuse.
#2 Bush Moves Toward Martial Law
Bush has the right to station military anywhere in USA without say from local authorities or governor.
Again, I should be interested but all I can see is material for the eventual "I told you so!" when the coup d'etat happens. And I'm not really sure it will.
# 3 AFRICOM: US Military Control of Africa’s Resources
"...Oil companies and the Pentagon are attempting to link these resistance groups to international terror networks in order to legitimize the use of the US military to “stabilize” these areas and secure the energy flow. No evidence has been found however to link the Niger Delta resistance groups to international terror networks or jihadists...."
I don't really see the bad thing here. Sure, it's not exactly moral, but nobody wins if the regions stay unstable and lots of people lose their lifes. In the past countries trying to do good there have given up quite easily. Long term agenda might be just what the doctor ordered. USA trying to push their own forces in the area long term might stabilize and democratize.
It seems that far too often the African liberation movements are just new dictators and one-party systems waiting to happen. But maybe this is just me and "white man's burden" talking.
# 4 Frenzy of Increasingly Destructive Trade Agreements
USA and EU are making trade agreements with developing countries which leave the partner in very bad position financially, leading all the way to slave labour.
Can't really say anything to this. I suppose that as a citizen of EU I'm part of the problem here, but... well... It would be nice if things were a bit more fair. These things are written and signed in cabinets and situations that don't really have that much to do with democracy..
#5 Human Traffic Builds US Embassy in Iraq
The US Embassy in Iraq was built with slave labour.
No comment. This would be like shooting fish in the barrel.
#6 Operation FALCON Raids
I don't really understand anything about this. I think it has something to do with USA becoming a police state.
#7 Behind Blackwater Inc.
This was largely old news. Blackwater is led by a right wing Christian-supremacist, it's the largest mercenary organisation in the world and makes big campaign contributions to Republics. It's also expanding its operations inside USA itself, and has lots of support from people in places of power.
I'm not sure if all this was in the article, but I find the topic interesting and have done some of my own reading.
#8 KIA: The US Neoliberal Invasion of India
In a pact between USA and India, India has given its whole farm sector insecure for American take-overs.
#9 Privatization of America’s Infrastructure
The states sell roads to private companies, who then make profit with tolls and lobby the states not to build any new roads that might be in competition.
# 10 Vulture Funds Threaten Poor Nations’ Debt Relief
Apparently loans taken by poor nations that would otherwise be forgiven are bought by vulture funds, which then go on rob the little money the states have left.
In other words, taking even the ash from the fireplace, after everything else has gone. Thus far, this is the story that shocked me the most.
# 11 The Scam of “Reconstruction” in Afghanistan
Most of the money sent to Afghanistan never gets to it's destination. Of all the aid from USA, maybe 14 cents of every dollar end up where it's supposed to, other circling back to corrupt politicians or corporations in America.
These help-projects never seem to work. They always crash and burn, for one reason or another. Doesn't mean we shouldn't keep on pushing.
# 12 Another Massacre in Haiti by UN Troops
"Eyewitness testimony confirms indiscriminate killings by UN forces in Haiti’s Cité Soleil community on December 22, 2006, reportedly as collective punishment against the community for a massive demonstration of Lavalas supporters in which about ten thousand people rallied for the return of President Aristide in clear condemnation of the foreign military occupation of their country. According to residents, UN forces attacked their neighborhood in the early morning, killing more than thirty people, including women and children. Footage taken by Haiti Information Project (HIP) videographers shows unarmed civilians dying as they tell of extensive gunfire from UN peacekeeping forces (MINUSTAH)..."
That was the gist of it. Doesn't really have anything as far as punishments go. It's just hanging there. Unbelievable.
Journalism and Civil Society in Haiti: The Acceptable and The Unacceptable
Lots of corruption, scandals etc. In Haiti, this time from the rulers, and nobody in USA or EU is giving a damn.
This story could have used a nutshell. Apparently they are just quoting news-pieces that aren't repeated otherwise.
# 13 Immigrant Roundups to Gain Cheap Labor for US Corporate Giants
NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement) flooded Mexico full of subsided American food products, leaving the Mexican farmers who can't compete seeking badly paying and dangerous jobs in other industries (at USA), rolling the clock back hundred years in the factories. The visas on which they arrive make sure they stay second-class citizens.
I'm pretty sure similar things happen with EU and Africa (with the difference that Africans aren't in fact employed somewhere else). I don't really understand why it's so important to grow sugar in Finland (apparently the farmers in Finland are earning in general €5 (NOT a good wage) per hour thanks to subsidies, of which €3 is government money). Same thing goes, of course, for France. Who cares where the wheat comes, as long as it's baked near? It's important to keep us somewhat non-dependant of foreign nations, but some of the subsidies are just vanity, and a money hole, besides.
# 14 Impunity for US War Criminals
Thanks to last-minute change in the language of one particular law in USA, torturers and their bosses are now safe from law if the deed was done after November 1997. So long as they stay at USA, they don't have to concern themselves with war crime-charges.
Meanwhile, some human rights groups brought these charges against Rumsfield while he visited Paris recently. The France law makes it mandatory to research the charges, but chances are that nothing will happen because it would sour the relationships to USA.
# 15 Toxic Exposure Can Be Transmitted to Future Generations on a “Second Genetic Code”
This is just what it sounds like. You are not just endangering your own health, but possibly the health of your descendants to Nth generation. This is not just about living next door to nuclear power plant, but also about all those untested chemicals we have ingested or lived with (or our parents, grandparents lived with).
#16 No Hard Evidence Connecting Bin Laden to 9/11
The guy is still wanted by FBI et al, but not because of WTC. Apparently they never found anything to connect him there, expect, obviously, the tapes he made.
# 17 Drinking Water Contaminated by Military and Corporations
While there are laws against this sort of things, apparently they aren't enforced and the waters are in awful condition. 40% of American water is unsafe for fishing or swimming.
# 18 Mexico’s Stolen Election
In short; American government and companies broke repeatedly Mexican laws about presidentian elections to get the "right man" to the big seat. When the research on the elections was finished, most Mexican TV-stations refused to broadcast the findings.
Apparently this has all to do with the fact that in Mexico the president is in control of energy resources, such as oil fields.
# 19 People’s Movement Challenges Neoliberal Agenda
Apparently countries in Central and South America are walking out of World Bank and IMF who try to rule the way the countries do business (and are very powerful tools of influence). The World Bank is traditionally led by an American, and IMF by an European, even though in theory the whole world has a say in the subject.
I'm a bit unsure about this topic. Every time I read "agenda", my tinfoil-sense starts tingling. That being said, World Bank has done some really poor moves lately, and I can't fault the nations wanting more independence in these areas. I do wonder can they do better on their own, under populist politicians than under trained economists?
# 20 Terror Act Against Animal Activists
In gist; they apply terror-laws on areas where they were not planned to be used, because they are more convenient to the law-enforcers. Another example of USA turning into a police state.
In addition to animal right activists, similar strategy has been used against street gangs in NYC, at least.
# 21 US Seeks WTO Immunity for Illegal Farm Payments
Basically, against problems rised by #13. The WTO agreement is going really badly, mostly because all negation-sides are blaming each other of illegal subsidies. Because each nation/federation/conferedation (or whatever EU is) handles these things differently, they can try to forbid them from the other sides while keeping them themselves. Of course this doesn't really fly with the others, causing the negotiations crash and burn time after time.
Which arguably is a good thing.
# 22 North Invades Mexico
After all the anti-immigration speeches in USA, it is Americans who plan to retire to Mexico to spend their pensions. In warmer climate, where dollar streches farther. The article is mostly about double-standards.
# 23 Feinstein’s Conflict of Interest in Iraq
Some American congress-woman voted for billion-dollar contracts to company owned by her husband.
# 24 Media Misquotes Threat From Iran’s President
Apparently the president of Iran didn't say “Israel must be wiped off the map", but "regime occupying Jerusalem must come down”, apparently meaning the Israeli government policies, not the nation as a whole. The whole thing was a translation error, which hasn't stopped the wrong translation being circulated in the media and hostilities from the side of USA government.
The piece also talks about the Iran president's open letter from May 2006, where he asked for open talks from clean table, without past history. The letter was disregarded because Bush was still doing pretty well in Irak and thought he might be able to attack Iran sometime soon.
# 25 Who Will Profit from Native Energy?
Many Indian reserves in America are situated so that they can be harvested for wind, natural gas, oil energy. Lots of talk about what aspects should be developed and companies finding convenient loops in laws to exploit. I didn't really understand this story.
