Articles by M

We found 36782 results.


OXI or NAI?
Johan Galtung - TRANSCEND Media Service, 6 Jul 2015

OXI, No, made it, as expected, with 61%. A great day for Democracy, for Greece, for Europe, for the world.

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The “Disaster Age” and Empathy
Tedla D. Tekle – TRANSCEND Media Service, 6 Jul 2015

Appreciating all the encouraging efforts and initiatives to mitigate global crises, I argue that a fundamental and foundational concept in all humanitarian activities is often swept under the carpet. It is the building block, the structure and the goal of any and every humanitarian action. It is called empathy.

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Greek Crisis Awaits Other NATO Partners
Finian Cunningham – Strategic Culture Foundation, 6 Jul 2015

The US military-industrial complex and its German, French and British counterparts stand to rake in billions of dollars over the coming years from the junior NATO members who are suitably scared witless from the “Russian spectre”. But if the history of militarism in Greece is anything to go by, a Greek-style debt crisis is in store for the Baltic states, Poland and the Scandinavians. US-led NATO protection? More like US-led NATO protection racket.

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Goldman Sachs Doesn’t Have Clean Hands in Greece Crisis
Pam Martens and Russ Martens – Wall Street On Parade, 6 Jul 2015

According to investigative reports that appeared in Der Spiegel, The New York Times, BBC, and Bloomberg News from 2010 through 2012, Blankfein, now Goldman Sachs CEO, played a role in structuring complex derivative deals with Greece which allowed it to hide the true extent of its debt and almost doubled the debt of Greece under the dubious derivative deals.

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E. Coli with Your Bottled Water? Recall Affects 14 Brands
Melissa Breyer, Tree Hugger – TRANSCEND Media Service, 6 Jul 2015

Bad news for bottled-water drinkers, good news for the planet. And the moral of the story is? Drink tap.

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Colombia: Teaching Peace
Ernesto Amézquita en Cronica del Quindio – Culture of Peace News Network, 6 Jul 2015

28 Jun 2015 – According to law 1732, adopted in 2014, the national government has to issue a decree “by which the teaching of Peace is regulated in all educational institutions of the country”. Article number 2: “to meet the constitutional mandate enshrined in the articles 22 and 41 of the Constitution, the teaching of Peace is compulsory.”

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‘Grexit Would Trigger Liquidity Crisis Worse Than 2008’
Max Keiser – Russia Today, 6 Jul 2015

29 Jun 2015 – Should Greece leave the Eurozone and fail to pay its debts, it could trigger the downfall of Deutsche Bank and a crisis worse than that of 2008 – and it is more likely to happen than not.

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The Trans-Pacific Partnership, Slavery, the AME Massacre and the Emancipation Proclamation
Gary G. Kohls, MD – TRANSCEND Media Service, 6 Jul 2015

If The TPP Had Been the Law of the Land for the Past 150 Years, Slavery Would Still Be Legal

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Joseph Stiglitz: How I Would Vote in the Greek Referendum
Joseph Stiglitz, Nobel Economics Laureate – The Guardian, 6 Jul 2015

A no vote would at least open the possibility that Greece, with its strong democratic tradition, might grasp its destiny in its own hands. Greeks might gain the opportunity to shape a future that, though perhaps not as prosperous as the past, is far more hopeful than the unconscionable torture of the present. I know how I would vote.

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This Dome in the Pacific Houses Tons of Radioactive Waste – And It’s Leaking
Coleen Jose, Kim Wall and Jan Hendrik Hinzel – The Guardian, 6 Jul 2015

3 Jul 2015 – The Runit Dome in the Marshall Islands is a hulking legacy of years of US nuclear testing. Now locals and scientists are warning that rising sea levels caused by climate change could cause 111,000 cubic yards of debris to spill into the ocean.

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A New Mode of Warfare: The Greek Debt Crisis and Crashing Markets
Michael Hudson - CounterPunch, 6 Jul 2015

I’m in Germany now and have heard from Germans that the Greeks are lazy and don’t pay taxes. There is little recognition that what they call “the Greeks” are really the oligarchs. They have gained control of the old coalition Pasok/New Democracy parties, avoided paying taxes, avoided being prosecuted (New Democracy refused to act on the “Lagarde List” of tax evaders with nearly € 50 billion in Swiss bank accounts), orchestrated insider dealings to privatize infrastructure at corrupt prices, and used their banks as vehicles for capital flight and insider lending.

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In the Western World Capitalism Has Devolved into Looting
Paul Craig Roberts – TRANSCEND Media Service, 6 Jul 2015

“…when you see that men get richer by graft and by pull than by work, and your laws don’t protect you against them, but protect them against you–when you see corruption being rewarded and honesty becoming a self-sacrifice–you may know that your society is doomed.”

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The Entire History of the World — Really, All of It — Distilled Into a Single Gorgeous Chart
Rebecca Onion, Slate – TRANSCEND Media Service, 6 Jul 2015

The actual picture of the march of civilization, from the mud huts of the ancients thru the monarchistic glamour of the middle ages to the living panorama of life in our present day world.

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Trade in Services Agreement-TiSA: More Secret Documents Leaked
Julian Assange, WikeaLeaks – TRANSCEND Media Service, 6 Jul 2015

Today, 1 July 2015, WikiLeaks releases a modern journalistic holy grail: the secret Core Text for the largest ‘trade deal’ in history, the TiSA (Trade In Services Agreement), whose 52 nations together comprise two-thirds of global GDP.

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Three Depressing Lessons from the Greek Debt Negotiations
Branko Milanovic – Al Jazeera, 6 Jul 2015

Even if Athens remains in the eurozone, the damage to EU credibility has been done. The troika’s more inflexible demands had the objective of demonstrating the inability of any left-wing government to exist.

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The Moral Imperative of the BRICS Paradigm
Rahul Manchanda, The BRICS Post – TRANSCEND Media Service, 6 Jul 2015

29 Jun 20156 – Nineteenth century historian Lord John Dalberg-Acton said, “Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely”. This has never been truer than with the case of the IMF and the World Bank, and the power they hold over world governments and their people.

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(Italiano) Stiglitz: l’attacco dell’Europa alla democrazia greca
Joseph Stiglitz, Premio Nobel Economia – TRANSCEND Media Service, 6 Jul 2015

Il premio Nobel Joseph Stiglitz si pronuncia in maniera molto esplicita sulla crisi in corso tra la Grecia e le “istituzioni” UE: oltre alla assurda insistenza degli eurocrati su obiettivi che la maggior parte degli economisti del mondo ha condannato come inutili e punitivi, qui si rivela con chiarezza la vera faccia del progetto Uem, antitesi della democrazia, nato per favorire la concentrazione della ricchezza e schiavizzare il lavoro.

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No, ‘Je Suis Charleston’?: The De-Politicization of Black Oppression
Ajamu Baraka – Black Agenda Report, 6 Jul 2015

Where was the worldwide revulsion at the racist terror attack in Charleston? Obama sang ‘Amazing Grace’ and lulled into a stupefying silence black voices that should have demanded answers. The old trope of gun control – along with a new twist, removing the Confederate flag – became the new focus.

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In Church
Dietrich Fischer – TRANSCEND Media Service, 6 Jul 2015

During the sermon, a little boy kept moving in his seat and making noises.

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“People and Planet First”: Watch Naomi’s Press Statement at the Vatican
Naomi Klein, This Changes Everything – TRANSCEND Media Service, 6 Jul 2015

We are the solutions . Don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good. Then, stop making the difficult the enemy of the possible. And join us in making the possible real.

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The Tunisia Massacre and the Irish-ISIS Connection
Maidhc Ó Cathail – TRANSCEND Media Service, 6 Jul 2015

June 30, 2015 – “The murder of three Irish citizens at a tourist resort in north Africa has brought Islamic terrorism much closer to home,” [reporter] Cormac O’Keeffe observes in the Irish Examiner.

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Dare to Change
Dietrich Fischer – TRANSCEND Media Service, 6 Jul 2015

A bird barely survived in a nest on a lonely tree on a vast deserted plain.

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(Italiano) La nemesi della razza
Johan Galtung – TRANSCEND Media Service, 6 Jul 2015

Ci è stato ammannito un dibattito ombra fra “delitto d’odio” e “terrorismo razziale, interno”, l’uno che la buttava sullo psicologico, l’altro sul politico. Va bene “assassinio”, legalmente. Ma è affiorato un altro dibattito ombra, su una bandiera a piena asta in cima al massimo edificio pubblico del South Carolina. Ci si può chiedere perché qualcuno non l’abbia tolta con discrezione; nessuno l’ha fatto, finché i candidati presidenziali non hanno temuto che potesse nuocere alla loro campagna.

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The Ku Klux Klan Has Reserved South Carolina Statehouse Grounds on July 18 for a Confederate Flag Rally
Adam B. Lerner, Daily Kos – TRANSCEND Media Service, 6 Jul 2015

James Spears, the Great Titan of the chapter, said the group would be rallying to protest “the Confederate flag being took down for all the wrong reasons.” “It’s part of white people’s culture,” he added.

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Trans-Pacific Partnership: Leaked Trade Deal Draft Shows Big Pharma’s Sway
Owen Davis – International Business Times, 6 Jul 2015

1 Jul 2015 – The Obama administration has lauded the 12-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) as the most progressive trade deal in history. But a recently leaked chapter of the draft deal, obtained by Politico, reportedly shows a U.S. negotiating team devoted to protecting pharmaceutical industry profits at the expense of cheaper generic drugs in the 12 countries affected.

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Henry David Thoreau: Civil Disobedience
René Wadlow – TRANSCEND Media Service, 6 Jul 2015

Thoreau whose birth anniversary we mark on 12 July was not a systematic writer but rather one whose thoughts came in flashes of light in response to specific events. While his book ‘Walden’ is the best known, it is his short essays that have had the most lasting impact, in particular “Civil Disobedience” and “A plea for Captain John Brown”.

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“Deter, Deny and Defeat”: Pentagon [Mis]Labels Russia, China, Iran and North Korea as “Threats to Global Peace”
Stephen Lendman – Global Research, 6 Jul 2015

The Pentagon’s new National Military Strategy (its first update since 2011) signaled possible major wars with US adversaries. Washington named the four nations – plus non-state groups like ISIS (without mentioning they’re US creations).

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Confusion in Exchanging “Something” for “Nothing”
Anthony Judge – TRANSCEND Media Service, 6 Jul 2015

Cognitive Implication in the Asymmetrical Processes of Begging and Its Surrogates

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If ISIS Doesn’t Liberate Palestine… Who Will?
Franklin Lamb – TRANSCEND Media Service, 6 Jul 2015

This is one of the questions ricocheting between Palestinians in Syria and Lebanon, posed also by ISIS (Da’ish) operatives. However, based on conversations with recently-arrived Palestinian refugees from Syria, as well as old friends in Lebanon’s camps, this observer is confident that today only a small percentage of Palestinians are responding to the siren-call of ISIS. But tomorrow?

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(Deutsch) Ein missglücktes anarchistisches Farbenspiel
Sebastian Kalicha , Graswurzelrevolution – TRANSCEND Media Service, 6 Jul 2015

Schwarz-Weiß – die Farben des gewaltfreien Anarchismus?

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WikiLeaks Publishes NSA Documents Detailing Economic Espionage by ‘Five Eyes’ Alliance against France
Kevin Gosztola – TRANSCEND Media Service, 6 Jul 2015

29 Jun 2015 – WikiLeaks published documents from the NSA showing details of economic espionage against France by the “Five Eyes’ alliance, which consists of the United States, Great Britain, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

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This Week in History
Satoshi Ashikaga – TRANSCEND Media Service, 6 Jul 2015

July 6–12 – QUOTE OF THE WEEK: “A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles.” – Christopher Reeve

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IMF Admits: We Failed to Realize the Damage Austerity Would Do to Greece
LEAP/GEAB – TRANSCEND Media Service, 6 Jul 2015

The International Monetary Fund admitted it had failed to realize the damage austerity would do to Greece as the Washington-based organization catalogued mistakes made during the bailout of the stricken eurozone country.

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Gaza-Bound Flotilla Vessel Seized by Israeli Navy
Al Jazeera – TRANSCEND Media Service, 29 Jun 2015

29 Jun 2015 – Activists say the Marianne was intercepted by Israel’s military around 100 nautical miles from Gaza’s shore.

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New Social Media Platform Dubbed “The People’s Site” by Anonymous
True Activist – TRANSCEND Media Service, 29 Jun 2015

Facebook may have finally met its match. By directly targeting the social media behemoth’s lack of messaging encryption, infamously opaque algorithms, and government and advertiser accessibility, Minds.com has earned the attention of privacy advocates, activists, and frustrated Facebook users—and has even garnered active support from Anonymous.

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The Nemesis of Race
Johan Galtung, 29 Jun 2015 - TRANSCEND Media Service, 29 Jun 2015

We have been treated to a shadow debate of “hate crime” vs “domestic, racial terrorism”, one psychologizing, one politicizing. “Murder” will do, legally. But another shadow debate came up, about a flag on full mast on top of the key public building in South Carolina. One may wonder why somebody did not discretely remove it; nobody did, till presidential candidates feared it could hurt their campaigns.

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Gifts for Mom
Dietrich Fischer – TRANSCEND Media Service, 29 Jun 2015

Four brothers left home for college, and they became successful doctors and lawyers and prospered.

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What’s Next for the World’s Largest Federation of Worker-Owned Co-Ops?
Mary Hansen – Yes! Magazine, 29 Jun 2015

Mondragon Corporation is a federation of 103 worker-owned cooperatives based in the Basque region of Spain. It made about €11.6 billion ($13.1 billion) in income in 2013. The corporation employs more than 74,000 people around the world. About 60,000 are worker-owners, or “associates,” who own assets in the company and can be elected to the General Assembly, the body that oversees the corporation.

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(Português) O Contra-senso Comum
Prof. Boaventura de Sousa Santos – TRANSCEND Media Service, 29 Jun 2015

Em 1926, o poeta irlandês W.B. Yeats lamentava: “Falta convicção aos melhores enquanto os piores estão cheios de apaixonada intensidade”. Vejamos 10 convicções que se vão tornando senso comum e que, por serem ilusórias e absurdas, constituem o novo contra-senso comum.

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Comforting a Baby Is Violent
Robert J. Burrowes, Ph. D. – TRANSCEND Media Service, 29 Jun 2015

In essence, the expression of feelings is a vital means of communication, for babies, children and adults. Interfering with the expression of feelings, by comforting for example, simply destroys a means of communication and virtually guarantees a dysfunctional behavioural outcome.

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(Português) Preservar a Perspectiva Singular do Papa: A Ecologia Integral
Leonardo Boff – TRANSCEND Media Service, 29 Jun 2015

22 junho 2015 – O Papa Francisco operou uma grande virada no discurso ecológico ao passar da ecologia ambiental para a ecologia integral. Esta inclui a ecologia político-social, a mental, a cultural, a educacional, a ética e a espiritual.

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(Français) Pourquoi les USA ont-ils ignoré les prédictions sur la Syrie ?
Rick Sterling, Investig’Action – TRANSCEND Media Service, 29 Jun 2015

Il y a presque 3 ans, la Defense Intelligence Agency a caractérisé de façon précise la nature du conflit en Syrie et a prédit l’émergence de l’Etat Islamique. Cette révélation bouleversante a été le résultat de la loi sur la liberté de l’information combinée à un effort du groupe « Judicial Watch » en lien avec la commission spéciale sur Benghazi pour plus de transparence sur les agissements des services secrets américains en Syrie.

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Lower the US Flag on the 4th of July!
Gary Corseri – TRANSCEND Media Service, 29 Jun 2015

For over half a century, I’ve written articles against racism and war. I was shocked and I grieved to see what happened at the Charleston Emanuel Church. Quickly, the call went out: Take down the Confederate flag! But, let’s be very clear: the Confederate flag is NOT a central issue here.

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New Door Handle Kills Germs on Contact!
John Vibes, True Activist – TRANSCEND Media Service, 29 Jun 2015

26 Jun 2015 – Two teenage science students from Hong Kong recently won second place at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair for their new invention, a door handle that kills germs on contact.

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Foreign Investment in Israel Drops by 50%
Jack Moore – Newsweek, 29 Jun 2015

25 Jun 2015 – Foreign direct investment (FDI) in Israel dropped by almost 50% last year in comparison to the year before as the country continues to feel the effects of last summer’s Gaza conflict, a new UN report has revealed.

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Opposing Construction of a Thirty Meter Telescope atop Sacred Mauna Kea Mountain in Hawai’i
Masahide T. Kato, Ph.D. – TRANSCEND Media Service, 29 Jun 2015

We are asking the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, the largest investor in the TMT, to divest from the project to save the mountain that is central to the existence of Native Hawaiians, Polynesians, and the oceanic ecosystems. Reasons:

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Spies Hacked Computers Thanks to Sweeping Secret Warrants, Aggressively Stretching U.K. Law
Andrew Fishman and Glenn Greenwald – The Intercept, 29 Jun 2015

GCHQ needed to reverse engineer software to hack into computer networks — so it decided to secretly reinterpret British law. Then it abused its newfound powers, ignoring internal guidelines.

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What We Learned about Mercury from the Messenger Spacecraft
Bryan Dyne, WSWS – TRANSCEND Media Service, 29 Jun 2015

On April 30, the Messenger spacecraft performed a planned impact onto the surface of Mercury, ending the four-year mission to the Solar System’s innermost planet. In the end, only 10 minutes of data was lost out of the 1,500 days worth of information collected by Messenger.

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Honduran Democracy Still in Crisis 6 Years after Coup Sponsored by USA
TeleSur – TRANSCEND Media Service, 29 Jun 2015

According to a recent report, 15 assaults per month are perpetrated against journalists, human rights defenders, and political opposition. Meanwhile, gender-based violence is out of control with the femicide rate surpassing epidemic levels.

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The Truth about the Drug Companies: How They Manipulate Us Physicians without Our Awareness
Gary G. Kohls, MD – TRANSCEND Media Service, 29 Jun 2015

“The pharmaceutical companies are an amoral bunch. They’re not a benevolent association. So they are highly unlikely to donate large amounts of money without strings attached. Once one is dancing with the devil, you don’t always get to call the steps of the dance.”

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World’s Largest Offshore Wind Turbine Unveiled in Fukushima
Cole Mellino, EcoWatch – TRANSCEND Media Service, 29 Jun 2015

22 Jun 2015 – Japan officially unveiled today its 7 megawatt (MW) wind turbine, the world’s largest offshore turbine to date. It is slated to be operational by September.

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Rightwing Radicalization, Militarization, and the Boomerang Effect
Prof. James Petras – TRANSCEND Media Service, 29 Jun 2015

Throughout Europe, the Middle East and Asia, rightwing governments have increasingly adopted extremist socio-economic policies, slashing social expenditures, labor and welfare legislation, while increasing corporate subsidies and reducing taxes for the elite. The euphoria, arrogance and smirks, which accompanied the rise of rightwing radicalism, are dissipating into foul sulfurous odors only waiting for a fresh wind to blow them away.

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Iceland Just Jailed 7 Bank Executives for Market Manipulation
True Activist – TRANSCEND Media Service, 29 Jun 2015

27 Jun 2015 – In one of the biggest cases of its kind, seven executives from the Kaupþing bank have been handed prison sentences for market manipulation today.

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Google Chrome Listening in to Your Room Shows the Importance of Privacy Defense in Depth
Rick Falkvinge, Privacy Online News – TRANSCEND Media Service, 29 Jun 2015

Nobody is to be trusted with a technical capability to listen to every room in the world, with listening profiles customizable at the identified-individual level, on the mere basis of “trust us”.

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The Narrative of Statelessness in Myanmar
Sonu Trivedi – Asia Times, 29 Jun 2015

The historic conflict between the Muslims and Rakhines in the Rakhine State of Myanmar has complicated the religious landscape and aggravated tensions, where the Rohingya Muslim faces ethnic and religious discrimination.

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Why Greece Is on the Brink of Putting Life before Debt
Steve Rushton, Occupy – TRANSCEND Media Service, 29 Jun 2015

22 Jun 2015 – “Greece has been and still is the victim of an attack premeditated and organized by the IMF, the European Central Bank, and the European Commission, reads the Preliminary Report of the Truth Committee on Public Debt published last week in Greece. “This violent, illegal, and immoral mission aimed exclusively at shifting private debt onto the public sector.”

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Spain Agrees to Increased US Military Presence
Alejandro López, WSWS – TRANSCEND Media Service, 29 Jun 2015

26 Jun 2015 – Spain has signed a new bilateral defence agreement to allow the US military permanent use of the Morón air base in Seville, with increased numbers of troops and aircraft.

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Majority Rule
Dietrich Fischer – TRANSCEND Media Service, 29 Jun 2015

A Frenchman arrives on a South Sea island.

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International Yoga Day: Some Reflections
Debidatta Aurobinda Mahapatra, Ph.D. – TRANSCEND Media Service, 29 Jun 2015

Last year, the UN declared 21 June as International Yoga Day. The Yoga lovers all over the world rejoiced at the UN declaration. Let me briefly analyze what I understand by the term Yoga.

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Democracy on the Retreat in Over 96 of the 193 U.N. Member States, Says New Study
Thalif Deen, IPS – TRANSCEND Media Service, 29 Jun 2015

“Legitimate civil society activities are worryingly under threat in a huge number of countries in the global North and South, democratic and authoritarian, on all continents.”

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‘The Perpetrator Has Been Arrested, but the Killer Is Still at Large’
Amy Goodman – Truthdig, 29 Jun 2015

Dylann Storm Roof is accused of methodically killing the congregants, reloading his Glock pistol at least twice. He let one victim live, according to a person who spoke with the survivor, so she could tell the world what happened. This brutal mass killing was blatantly racist, an overt act of terrorism.

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Embodying Strategic Self-reference in a World Futures Conference
Anthony Judge – TRANSCEND Media Service, 29 Jun 2015

Transcending the Wicked Problem Engendered by Projecting Negativity Elsewhere – Creative review of the 17th International Futures Conference on Tackling Wicked Problems: where futures research, education and action meet.

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War Crimes? Us???
Uri Avnery – TRANSCEND Media Service, 29 Jun 2015

The convenient way out is to proclaim that all UN officials are by nature anti-Semites and Israel-haters, so that answering their questions is counterproductive. We are moral. We are right. By nature. We can’t help it. Those who accuse us must be anti-Semites. Simple logic. To hell with them all!

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Nikolai Starikov: Why Putin Does Not Recognize Donetsk and Lugansk Republics
Russia Insider – TRANSCEND Media Service, 29 Jun 2015

Rising politician, leader of the Great Patriotic Party of Russia and writer Nikolai Starikov’s explanation and insights about Russia annexing or recognizing Donetsk People’s Republic and Luhansk People’s Republic. It would not be in Russia’s best national and geopolitical interest; they must stay within Ukraine.

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Post-Capitalist Solutions: How Worker-Owned Tech Co-ops Are Boosting the Solidarity Economy
Matt Stannard, Occupy – TRANSCEND Media Service, 29 Jun 2015

23 Jun 2015 – Many now agree that corporate capitalism needs to go away. But we differ about the methods of replacing it. Worker ownership is about alienation versus empowerment. For human beings to be able to be their full selves, they need to have a say in their own affairs.

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UN Human Rights Council—Report of Independent Commission: Israel’s Ravagement of Gaza
Norman Pollack - CounterPunch, 29 Jun 2015

Norman Pollack examines Israel’s array of war crimes.

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2015 Global Peace Index
Vision of Humanity - TRANSCEND Media Service, 29 Jun 2015

Jun 16, 2015 – The 2015 Global Peace Index reveals a divided world, with the most peaceful countries enjoying increasing levels of peace and prosperity, while the least peaceful countries spiral into violence and conflict. Explore the state of world peace on the interactive Global Peace Index Map.

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The Amazing Story of What Happened When One Tiny Country Decriminalized ALL Drugs
Sophie McAdam, True Activist – TRANSCEND Media Service, 29 Jun 2015

Decriminalization has worked in Portugal, and should inspire governments around the world to do the same.

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Orwell’s Triumph: How Novels Tell the Truth of Surveillance
Sam Frank – The Intercept, 29 Jun 2015

We are characters in narratives constructed by algorithms. Joshua Cohen’s new novel, Book of Numbers, explores the ambiguity of surveillance.

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Popular Security Software Came Under Relentless NSA and GCHQ Attacks
Andrew Fishman and Morgan Marquis-Boire – The Intercept, 29 Jun 2015

To thwart and extract hacks from anti-virus software companies, the spy agencies reverse engineered software, intercepted email and spied on web traffic. Kaspersky Lab was a major target.

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Global Peace Science (GPS): Subject’s Area Matrix
Leo Semashko and Subhash Chandra – TRANSCEND Media Service, 29 Jun 2015

Simply put, S-matrix expresses the architecture of global peace in its key structural blocks.

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Freedom Flotilla III Leaves Greece for Gaza
PressTV – TRANSCEND Media Service, 29 Jun 2015

27 Jun 2015 – Freedom Flotilla III has set sail from Greece for the Gaza Strip in a bid to break Israel’s long-time blockade of the Palestinian territory. It consists of three vessels carrying around 70 people from 20 countries who were invited by the people of Gaza though contacting international aid organizations for help.

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(Français) Les Trois Victoires du Gouvernement Grec
Jacques Sapir, RussEurope – TRANSCEND Media Service, 29 Jun 2015

Il est désormais clair que le gouvernement grec, abusivement appelé « gouvernement de la gauche radicale » ou « gouvernement de SYRIZA », mais en réalité gouvernement d’union (et le fait que cette union ait été faite avec le parti souverainiste ANEL est significatif), a remporté des succès spectaculaire.

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6 Devastating Heat Waves Hitting the Planet
Lorraine Chow, EcoWatch – TRANSCEND Media Service, 29 Jun 2015

23 Jun 2015 – Need proof that we’re having the hottest year on record? Scorching heat is searing parts of the world, sparking wildfires and claiming lives due to heat stroke and dehydration.

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(Português) Negócios com Primatas
Dr. Pedro A. Ynterian - ANDA Agência de Notícias de Direitos Animais, 29 Jun 2015

Por que esta Faculdade que durante anos torturou chimpanzés inoculando-os com toda uma série de doenças e produtos químicos quer ser benemérita com todos aqueles inocentes torturados anos a fio? No Capitalismo tudo se resume ao custo/ benefício.

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The Stories of Compassionate Rebels Building a Culture of Peace
Burt Berlowe – TRANSCEND Media Service, 29 Jun 2015

A New Form of Journalism Is Emerging

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2015 Global Peace Index
Institute for Economics & Peace, Vision of Humanity – TRANSCEND Media Service, 29 Jun 2015

The 2015 Global Peace Index shows that the world is becoming increasingly divided with some countries enjoying unprecedented levels of peace and prosperity while others spiral further into violence and conflict.

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NYT’s Orwellian View of Ukraine
Robert Parry – Consortium News, 29 Jun 2015

In the up-is-down Orwellian world that is now The New York Times’ editorial page, there was no coup in Ukraine in 2014, no U.S.-driven “regime change,” no provocation on Russia’s border, just Moscow’s aggression — a sign of how propaganda has taken over mainstream U.S. media.

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World Bank Group: Project Critics Threatened, Harassed, Jailed
Human Rights Watch – TRANSCEND Media Service, 29 Jun 2015

The 144-page report, “At Your Own Risk: Reprisals against Critics of World Bank Group Projects,” details how governments and powerful companies have threatened, intimidated and misused criminal laws against community members who stand to be displaced or harmed by projects financed by the WB and its private sector lending arm, the International Finance Corporation.

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Security Council Action on Gaza War Crimes a Non-Starter
Thalif Deen, IPS – TRANSCEND Media Service, 29 Jun 2015

The chances of Security Council action are remote because of the traditional U.S. commitment to stand by Israel – right or wrong, mostly wrong. “When Israeli officials are put in the dock, U.S. officials ought to be right in there with them. Their conduct is inexcusable.”

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(Italiano) Papa Francesco: teologia spirituale, liberatoria
Johan Galtung – TRANSCEND Media Service, 29 Jun 2015

Che dono per l’umanità, questo papa! Scegliere il mutamento climatico globale come tema fra i principali del suo papato è nello spirito dei tempi. Ciò che è rivoluzionario, ed egli usa sovente la parola, è il punto focale sui poveri. Grazie, papa Francesco, per il tuo punto focale: la violenza strutturale.

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Breaking Greece
Paul Krugman, Nobel Economics Laureate – The New York Times, 29 Jun 2015

25 Jun 2015 – I’ve been staying fairly quiet on Greece, not wanting to shout Grexit in a crowded theater. But given reports from the negotiations in Brussels, something must be said — namely, what do the creditors, and in particular the IMF, think they’re doing? At this point it’s time to stop talking about “Graccident”; if Grexit happens it will be because the creditors, or at least the IMF, wanted it to happen.

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Corporate Interests Dominate Lobbying with EU Policy-Makers
Sean Buchanan, IPS – TRANSCEND Media Service, 29 Jun 2015

“There is a strong link between the amount of money you spend and the number of meetings you get [with European Commission officials]. Those organisations with the biggest lobby budgets get a lot of access, particularly on the financial, digital and energy portfolios” – Daniel Freund, Transparency International EU

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This Week in History
Satoshi Ashikaga – TRANSCEND Media Service, 29 Jun 2015

June 29–July 5 – QUOTE OF THE WEEK: “If one dream should fall and break into a thousand pieces, never be afraid to pick one of those pieces up and begin again.” – Flavia Weedn

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Donors Pledge Over 4.4 Billion Dollars to Nepal – But With a Caveat
Thalif Deen, IPS – TRANSCEND Media Service, 29 Jun 2015

“It is critical that the international community and Nepal learn from the mistakes of past emergencies, where up to half of pledges are never delivered on.”

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Militarism’s Hostages
John Scales Avery – TRANSCEND Media Service, 29 Jun 2015

The military-industrial complex sells itself by claiming to defend civilians. It justifies vast and crippling budgets by this claim; but it is a fraud. For the military-industrial complex, the only goal is money and power. Civilians like ourselves are just hostages. We are expendable.

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Controversial GCHQ Unit Engaged in Domestic Law Enforcement, Online Propaganda, Psychology Research
Glenn Greenwald and Andrew Fishman – The Intercept, 22 Jun 2015

22 Jun 2015 – Joint Threat Research Intelligence Group’s use of behavioral science research is emphasized as critical to its operations. That includes detailed discussions of how to foster “obedience” and “conformity.”

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“Sentence First, Verdict Afterwards”: The Alice in Wonderland World of Fast-tracked Secret Trade Agreements
Ellen Brown, Web of Debt – TRANSCEND Media Service, 22 Jun 2015

21 Jun 2015 – The terms of the TPP and the TiSA are so secret that drafts of the negotiations are to remain classified for four years or five years, respectively, after the deals have been passed into law. How can laws be enforced against people and governments who are not allowed to know what was negotiated?

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A Bigot, a Coward, And a Nobel Laureate
Kayes Ahmed – TRANSCEND Media Service, 22 Jun 2015

This award has elevated her to a position of great moral and political authority in Burma, but she has not used them for human rights, better political environment, or the advancement of the quality of life for her people. Ms. Suu Kyi is extraordinarily close-mouthed when it comes to the suffering of the Rohingya population of Burma.

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The University for Peace, Chronicle of a Death Foretold
Oliver Rizzi Carlson, IPS – TRANSCEND Media Service, 22 Jun 2015

Like an engineering school building crumbling under the weight of its own tectonic deficiencies, the University for Peace in Costa Rica is dying of its own, festering conflicts.

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Pope Francis: Spiritual, Liberating Theology
Johan Galtung, 22 Jun 2015 - TRANSCEND Media Service, 22 Jun 2015

What a gift to humanity, this Pope! To choose global climate change as a major theme of his papacy is in the spirit of the times. What is revolutionary, and he uses that word often, is the focus on the poor. Thank you, Pope Francis, for your focus–structural violence.

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Freedom Flotilla Set to Sail to Gaza amid Safety Concerns
TeleSur – TRANSCEND Media Service, 22 Jun 2015

Activists say that they aim to end the blockade on Gaza, but they fear an Israeli violent response to their attempt.

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CIA Torture Appears to Have Broken Spy Agency Rule on Human Experimentation
Spencer Ackerman – The Guardian, 22 Jun 2015

A previously classified CIA document, made public by the Guardian on Monday [15 Jun], empower the agency’s director to “approve, modify, or disapprove all proposals pertaining to human subject research”. The director has never in the agency’s history been a medical doctor.

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Ending Child Marriage in Bangladesh and Beyond
Mabel van Oranje – Al Jazeera, 22 Jun 2015

Changing a social norm like child marriage might seem daunting but the experience in Bangladesh shows it can be done.

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Millionaires Projected to Own 46 Percent of Global Private Wealth by 2019
Gabriel Black, WSWS – TRANSCEND Media Service, 22 Jun 2015

Households with more than a million (US) dollars in private wealth are projected to own 46 percent of global private wealth in 2019 according to a new report by the Boston Consulting Group. This large percentage, however, leaves out businesses, residences and luxury goods, which comprise a substantial portion of the rich’s net worth.

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Greed
Dietrich Fischer – TRANSCEND Media Service, 22 Jun 2015

An antique dealer used to visit farms in his area to try to find valuable old furniture, and buy it cheap.

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The Undisclosed Second Paradox in Michael Walzer’s ‘The Paradox of Liberation’
Richard Falk – TRANSCEND Media Service, 22 Jun 2015

My contention is that Walzer’s paradox dissolves as soon as the claim to categorize Zionism as a mode of ‘national liberation’ is deconstructed while the second paradox, which dwells on the moral and political interplay of what transpires when the liberation of the self is organically linked to the dispossession of the other, remains to be explained.

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An Imaginary Wall
Udaya R. Tennakoon – TRANSCEND Media Service, 22 Jun 2015

You stray dog!!
You stray dog!!
From the other side
Of the wall
Dripped a noise

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UK Government, Murdoch Press Smear of Edward Snowden Unravels
Chris Marsden, WSWS – TRANSCEND Media Service, 22 Jun 2015

16 Jun 2015 – A press attack on Edward Snowden has backfired on the UK government. This weekend’s Sunday Times ran an article under the headline, “British spies betrayed to Russians and Chinese,” The Times article was replete with unfounded assertions, distortions and outright lies.

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BDS Could Cost Israel $4.7 Billion a Year
James North, Mondoweiss – TRANSCEND Media Service, 22 Jun 2015

The Financial Times has published a big, and somewhat balanced, article on the rapid rise of BDS (Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions) that includes two stunning financial numbers showing how powerful the nonviolent movement for justice in Palestine/Israel is becoming.

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