Does the Olympic torch now stand for China?

Expected to be a moment of great pride for Chinese people around the world, the widespread discrediting of the 2008 Olympic games in Beijing has transformed the Olympic torch into a symbol of national pride and resistance for many. Check out an interesting article from New America Media highlighting the other side of the politics surrounding the summer Olympics in China. 

Link 

The Anti-War Committee, a local group, applied for a permit to march more than a year ago, but was turned down because city officials said that city ordinances bar applications for demonstrations more than six months in advance.

On March 1, police granted protesters a "conditional alternative permit," but it provided no march route. The city attorney's office said a parade route would be approved no later than May 31, the lawsuit says.

 Check out the People's Tribunal Against the Death Penalty organized as part of the Alternative Spring Break Against the Death Penalty in Austin, TX last week:

Over 5,000 Palestinians demonstrated yesterday on the main north-south road in Gaza to protest Israel's chronic shortage of food, medical supplies, fuel and electricity to Gaza. The event was organized by Hamas.

The crowd hoisted banners in English and Arabic, saying "End the siege of Gaza now", and "Your siege will not break our will," according to The Guardian.

The event was a commendable demonstration by Hamas – who usually make headlines because of violent attacks. But the human chain, despite its amazing show of Palestinian solidarity against Israel’s life-threatening blockade, did little to ease tensions along the border.

Toward the end of the demonstration, Isreali troops opened fire on two youth who set a tire on fire, injuring them both. 

Other violence was reported after the demonstration when some Palestinians tried to charge the border.

The demonstration ended with heavy rain along the strip: an ominous symbol of the humanitarian situation in Gaza. 

Seeing activists march around the main green or quad or what have you, touting posters and chanting mostly at each other, I used to think, what's the point? There's an informational purpose, to be sure, but, still, it always seemed like a better idea to me to break through the bubble and get off campus. But I was wrong. It seems concerted cross-campus efforts to protest our erstwhile AG may be putting the financial squeeze on Gonzo. The Washington Post reports:

Buried by legal bills and hard up for cash, former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales hit the college speaking circuit last month hoping to rake in big bucks. Instead, he's been raked over the coals, heckled or flat out turned down by students whose institutions he charges exorbitant fees to tap his amnesiac mind. ...

Even before the CIA tapes scandal, Gonzales had become the subject of angry editorials and protests on campuses near and far. At the University of Florida last month, he was viciously heckled to the point that two students wearing black hoods and orange jumpsuits blaring the words "civil liberties"- impersonating prisoners at Abu Ghraib - walked on stage and stood next to the former attorney general as he spoke. (Until they were arrested.)

It was a tough way to make $40,000. And it stands to get tougher. Gonzales is scheduled to speak on Feb. 19 at Washington University in St. Louis, where more demonstrations are expected, according to the student body president.

The talent agency Gonzales signed up with to get him speaking gigs at colleges and universities doesn't seem to be having a ton of luck. The agency, Greater Talent Network, based in New York, sent out a blast email to schools pitching Gonzales as a top-notch get - without mentioning, of course, that he's raising money for his legal defense fund. ...

Pomona College in southern California is one school that has decided Gonzales isn't worth the $35,000 cost or the headache. Politics Professor Heather Williams lit the firestorm with an Op-ed in the school paper titled "Alberto Gonzales Is a Disgrace, Not a Speaker."

"Why invite a man who repeatedly broke the law, shredded the ethical codes of the institutions he served, and then lied about it?" Williams asked. In a telephone chat, the professor told us, "It occurred to me that in 15 years Gonzales might well be up on war crimes charges."

Nothing like some hippie perseverence to warm the hearts of lefty activists: one year ago yesterday, Berkeley residents took to the trees to protest the university's plans to build a new sports facility on a site currently occupied by a grove of trees.

The tree-dwellers have vowed to stay in the trees until the university considers alternate sites for the new facility. The university has spent the past year in court trying to remove the protestors, and earlier this year erected a fence around the grove to discourage participants. According to the San Francisco Chronicle, UC Berkeley has spent an estimated $367,000 because of the protest.

Campus residents have mixed feelings about the tree-sit. John Searle, a UC Berkeley philosophy professor, called the protest a "parody" of 1960s student activism. "I think this is a ridiculous farce,” he said. “A small number of trees are involved."

Others are inspired by the campaign's staying power. "The university is trying to deny students and others the right to free political speech,” said Michael Rossman, a leader of the Free Speech Movement. "What the tree-sitters are doing is a form of political speech, a dramatic form, but it is a form of political speech and it ought to be protected."

I'm not convinced the protestors have a legal case, but their protest method has been incredibly effective at stalling university plans. 

Four members of the Seminal staff decided to test out dressing professional for the Sept 15th anti-war march.  Wearing suits they hit the street and found that reactions from both protesters and anti-protesters treated them better then they have thought would happen.

 From their blog entry on the matter:

 "We feel confident that a coordinate group of ten people, all dressed in professional attire, would present a striking visual image, and that a hundred or more would literally cause jaws to drop - and perhaps attract serious media attention as well."

You can read the whole story and see their pictures here: theSeminal.com

It saddened me when I read that many of the Families of slain soldiers In Iraq and Afghanistan believe it dishonors the dead to symbolize the unnecessary American deaths that occur almost daily in the Middle-East. As of September 13, 2007, there have been:

4,075 coalition deaths — 3,776 Americans, two Australians, 169 Britons, 13 Bulgarians, one Czech, seven Danes, two Dutch, two Estonians, one Fijian, one Hungarian, 33 Italians, one Kazakh, one Korean, three Latvian, 21 Poles, two Romanians, five Salvadoran, four Slovaks, 11 Spaniards, two Thai and 18 Ukrainians — in the war in Iraq as of September 13, 2007, according to a CNN count. (Graphical breakdown of casualties). The list below is the names of the soldiers, Marines, airmen, sailors and Coast Guardsmen whose deaths have been reported by their country’s governments. The list also includes seven employees of the U.S. Defense Department. At least 27,848 U.S. troops have been wounded in action, according to the Pentagon. LINK

I wasn’t able to attend the protest myself due to family health issues, however, my heart was with those who were able to travel to the Capitol and voice their dissatisfaction with a war that never should have been started - and If I was able, I would have been there too. I cannot speak for all, or any of the other Liberals, Progressives, Iraq War Veterans and even a few Republicans who have become disillusioned with this war and spoke-out this Saturday - but I feel it necessary to respond in defense to those that did have the courage to march on the capitol and love our country enough to risk the wrath of the government. People who protest against the Bush administration often wind-up on terrorist watch-lists and are categorized as “risks to national security” merely because they are attempting to educate and alert the rest of America to the tragedy and real facts the MSM refuses to report upon in regard the Afghanistan and Iraqi War(s).

160 arrested as thousands march against Iraq war in Washington

* Thousands of protesters marched from White House to Capitol
* Dozens arrested after jumping barricade at foot of Capitol steps
* Counterprotesters lined sidewalks, leading to heated shouting matches
* Nearly 1,000 counterprotesters gathered near Washington Monument

WASHINGTON (AP) — Several thousand protesters marched Saturday from the White House to the Capitol to demand an end to the Iraq war, and at least 160 people were arrested when they jumped a barricade at the foot of the Capitol steps.

Many of the protesters were arrested without a struggle after they jumped over the waist-high barricade. But some grew angry as police attempted to push them back using large shields. At least two people were showered with chemical spray. Protesters responded by throwing signs and chanting: “Shame on you.”

The arrests came after protesters initially decided to lie down on the Capitol lawn with signs on top of their bodies to represent soldiers killed in Iraq. When police took no action, some of the protesters climbed the barricade. MORE

When you glance at the headline, it appears that a few thousand people attended the protest, however as your read on, that number is estimated at close to 100,000, if not more. As you can see from the photo, there were many, many thousands who had the courage to march on the Capitol - although for all practical purposes, the MSM seems to be reporting as little as possible on this story. As the protests grow larger, and more Americans awaken to the fact that their President has mislead them, the real fury of the people will begin to manifest itself, and the cries for impeachment will grow louder by the day - and they won’t quit now; this was only the beginning!

Merrillee Carlson, national chair of Families United for our Troops and Their Mission, told Fox, “When somebody goes and abuses our son’s courage and heroism by using it in this manner, it just strikes right to the heart and causes such pain that is unbelievable.”

“I think the name ‘die-in’ is offensive,” suggested one of the Fox hosts, “but I want to ask you this. Most Americans, if you ask them, cannot name one soldier or marine who’s been killed in combat. … This arguably, at least, heightens the awareness that there are people, in fact, dying in this war. … Do you see any merit in that?”

“They’re not doing it in a way to honor them,” insisted Carlson. “They’re doing it in a way to abuse them. to dishonor them, because they’re using it anti-war. … The protesters are going against everything that these young men and women believed in and that’s what’s disgraceful about it.” MORE

I believe there was no intent to dishonor their sacrifice; The protester’s took great pains to make it clear they supported the troops, and speaking for myself - the soldiers who have lost their lives in the Iraq War are heroes, every one of them, and answered the call from our President (sic) to invade a country that posed no verifiable security risk to the United States; they reacted patriotically and joined the military to help fight who they believed were presenting a danger to the United States, and also believed that Iraq was at least partially responsible for September the 11th, 2001; We take issue that they were lied to and essentially tricked into invading a county that had nothing to do with 911 - nor did they possess WMD’s. Recent polls indicate that approximately 30% of American adults still believe that Iraq had something to do with 911, yet sixth grader’s in Georgia are being taught in school that Iraq had nothing to do with the carnage that pierced all of our hearts that fateful day, and I believe it’s time that those 30% who still actively support this war be made aware of the real facts so we can unite as a country and place the anger and blame where it belongs - squarely on the shoulders of President Bush and Darth Cheney!

I believe that we all share in your grief, but we also recognize that almost every day more families join the ranks of the grieving, and I think most believe it’s their patriotic duty to stand-up for what they believe in, and attempt to avoid thousands of other families from losing their loved one’s too - and allow a war-for-profit to continue at the expense of America’s sons and daughters. There were no WMD’s in Iraq, and while your sons and daughters were sent on a mission to prevent Iraq from harming the United States, we now know - without a doubt - the American people, Congress, and world leaders alike that the Bush administration lied and misrepresented the truth about Iraq, and your loved one’s were sent on a mission that was based on lies and fraud!

To most Americans except those who have suffered personal loss themselves, the war in Iraq is what we see on the news; yet when the fallen are returned home after making the ultimate sacrifice, the flag-draped caskets are brought in without any MSM news coverage, many times under cover of darkness, all because the Bush administration is attempting to minimize the shock to the American conscience as we see America’s fallen coming home - and are thus made aware that yes, real people are dying in Iraq, and it’s our duty to demand that we begin bringing our troops home so there will be less grief in America, and once again, we can begin the real fight against Al Qaeda and international terrorism.

Many of our most seasoned and patriotic General’s have had their careers cut-short for voicing their opposition to this war, and the terrible way it has been mishandled in Iraq; Some chose to end their careers and retire in protest and in an attempt to protect more of Americas sons and daughters from dying in a country most believe we should have never invaded… It was their responsibility to protect your families, and rather than lead them into a battle we have no business fighting and they spoke-out against this President in the only way they could. They resigned in protest, hoping the rest of our country would wake-up and understand why they refused to stay in the military and have their voices stifled, that they refuse to allow Americans under their command to be placed in harms way in an immoral and illegal war. Other military officers have had their careers cut-short and ruined because they stood-up for the troops and voiced their opposition against the Iraq War, and as compensation for them performing their service honorably, and voicing their concerns and beliefs as military law dictates, they had their careers ruined and were demoted or moved from their positions of command.

Unfortunately, now we are left with yes-men like Gen. David Petraeus who failed in the past, but was elevated in command because he supported and became a part of a failed Presidency and a war that cannot be won militarily; President Bush has stated the country is safer because of the Iraq invasion, however his words are disputed by his own party, and most of the great political minds of our century. Al Qaeda wasn’t active in Iraq prior to our invasion, but now it has become a virtual training ground for those who wish to attack America - yet President Bush states “America is safer.”

The problem is, we aren’t safer, and even the CIA Director has recently stated we are in the cross-hair(s) of another major terrorist attack against the U.S. Homeland! LINK A few days later, Michael Chertoff, Director of Homeland Security, also stated we’re preparing for a nuclear attack on the US Homeland, and that was just five days ago on September the 10th! LINK This Presidency has lost most of its core support, and every week we hear of more high-profile Republican defections. Our economy is in a horrible mess, and now Alan Greenspan has released a book highly critical of the Bush administration; LINK There doesn’t seem to be an end to the Republicans who have finally conceded that this President’s fiscal and foreign policies have brought the United States to the brink of an economic collapse, our military is dangerously stretched to the limit, and America is hated and feared by many nations who once were our allies.

This protest was never intended to disrespect those who died in the service of their country, and I apologize to any family that was offended; there have been thousands of Americas sons and daughters who made the ultimate sacrifice in the Iraq War, and we grieve for their families loss, but also strive to awaken and educate a nation so that other lives can be saved, American, Iraqi, and the countless innocents who are merely “collateral damage” to the Warmongers in the White House and the Neo-cons that still unabashedly support a President that has shown nothing but contempt for our Congress, the Rule of Law, and the Geneva Convention. Even as I write these words, Secretary Rice is attempting to solve the Iranian Crisis through diplomatic channels, but President Bush appears to be leaning towards Darth Cheney’s cabal of chicken-hawks that favor Israel attacking Iran’s nuclear facilities, which very well could be the precursor to World War III. LINK We used to be “a nation of laws”, but under the current administration, we resemble a “Nation of Outlaws”, feared and reviled as Imperialists and aggressors when not so long ago we were heralded as the world’s leading example of democracy and freedom!

Finally, please understand that it has almost been impossible to get the MSM to report on Anti-war demonstrations that occurred in the recent past, and even though CNN actually reported this protest on the front page of their website this morning, this afternoon it’s already off the front page, although O.J. Simpson being charged with Armed Robbery now seems to be more important than the thousands of people protesting this war and Presidency, 160 of whom were arrested and face charges for breaching a police line.

I wasn’t there except in mind and spirit, but it’s my belief that no disrespect was meant to those whom have perished in the service of their country. Instead, we believe they were dishonored by those who lied and connived the Congress and our allies into believing that Iraq possessed WMD’s and was a threat to our country and the stability of the Middle-east, yet now that we’re there, the military has admitted that Sadamn Hussein was the buffer and mortal enemy of Iran, and ultimately, the invasion of Iraq was a mistake. Whether you agree or disagree with their methods, those that protested against the War in the Nation’s Capitol this weekend were attempting to kick-start the process of bringing our troops home as quickly as possible to save America’s sons and daughters from further death and disability - and if some thought they were dishonoring their loved ones, I am sure that was never their intention. Just because you disagree with a sitting President doesn’t mean you don’t love your country or honor those that have fallen in battle - and remember, many of those who were protesting had lost members of their own families, and also had served in Iraq themselves.

William Cormier

“Tonight these styles that you will hear will do for you what they did for me, I mean, hopefully.  Give you a sense of self, no longer so lonely.” 

Kevin Coval, the first of four performers at Campus Progress’s annual Spoken Word event, started the night off with this pledge/prospect for the audience.  I think everyone in attendance that night would agree this promise was thoroughly fulfilled by each artist. 

When word started to circulate last fall that the Israeli parliament (Knesset) was interested in passing legislation to raise university tuition, Israeli university students didn't take it lying down. The proposed increases would have raised tuition from about 9,000 NIS (around $2,250) per year to about 15,000 NIS (around $3,750) per year--an increase that would make it impossible for most young Israelis to pursue higher education or face the choice to plunge themselves into overwhelming debt.

Where have we heard this before?

Before you dismiss the tuition as too low to matter anyway, take this into account: most Israeli university students begin university studies after their army service, and while many return to live at home with their parents, they are older than American university students and typically pay for all or most of their tuition themselves.

So what did the students do about this attack on access to higher education?

They organized. It began as coordinated hour-long and one-day strikes and rallies across the country, with efforts intensifying as talk of the tuition increase grew in immediacy. And for over a month now, all students at all Israeli universities have been on full-time strike.

 Despite threats of academic repercussions  from university administration and the arrests of several student protesters, the students have remained vigilant. Yesterday, the students rejected a compromise deal negotiated between the student union leadership and the office of the Prime Minister because it not only didn't represent promises made verbally in the negotiations, but because the students didn't feel it did enough to improve and protect access to higher education.

Haaretz reports:

 "We went to the negotiations with our known demands: restoring budgets, the right to veto the recommendations of the Shochat Committee [calling for higher tuition fees] and restoring the Winograd framework for lowering tuition fees," said Itai Barda, the head of the student union.

According to the students, their negotiations with officials such as Oved Yehezkel, representing the prime minister, resulted in an agreement to restore about NIS 1 billion cut from higher education budgets since 2000, and this would not be linked to the reforms proposed by the Shochat Committee.

The Israel Students Union, which represents some of the colleges, has also decided to reject the latest offer. A similar proposal was made to the students of the teaching colleges.

The National Students Union has not yet announced a decision on the prime minister's offer. It has said, however, that the strike would continue as would the "struggle for rescuing higher education ... until its goals are achieved."

The Prime Minister's Bureau did not comment on the situation.

This is incredible to an American student audience. Could you imagine a nationwide strike of all university students until there was legislation passed that would increase the budget for professors and programs and cut tuition? And keep in mind-this is over a tuition increase to just $3,750 per YEAR--a miniscule sum compared to the average cost of college in the US, even taking into account the difference in average family income. Israeli students believe that access to higher education should be a basic right provided by the government, just like basic healthcare (there is universal healthcare in Israel) and national security.

What's even more impressive is that this isn't just a pocket-protecting move on behalf of the students. Another deal was offered early on to raise tuition only for students entering in the next academic year--and it was immediately dismissed and rejected by the students. Their aim truly is comprehensive support and access to higher education for all.

Unsurprisingly, this has gotten very very little coverage in the English-language media: even Israeli publications exclude this story from their English-language editions. I, for one, am extremely proud of my Israeli student friends. All of us concerned with student involvement in the fight for access to higher education should express our solidarity with their strike--and do so loudly.

Perhaps the wounds are still a bit too deep for me to bring this up - rest assured, I am not saying this as a political exploitation, using a tragedy to highlight a point; I am simply saying this to draw a comparison.

What happened at Virginia Tech is a heartbreaking tragedy, I will never, ever deny that. The time to grieve is now, and the nation will continue to grieve.

Consider this, however: at the time of this being written, 3311 Americans have died in Iraq, in addition to hundreds of thousands of Iraqis. Unlike the war in Vietnam, Americans seem to be removed from this war. They seem to be going on with normalcy as Americans are losing their lives every day.

The truth is that the loss of lives at Virginia Tech isn't any more or less tragic than the lost of lives in Iraq. Those who have died in Iraq also had hopes and dreams, parents and loved ones, lovers and friends. It breaks my heart that we mourn the deaths of 32 Americans, but we turn a blind-eye to the thousands of other Americans, simply because we're so far removed from them.

It is my hope that, through the tragedy, we can realize that the loss of any human life to a needless cause should be a travesty, and should be mourned. Only then, I hope, can public perception of the war in Iraq be more negative. If an angry mob of right-doers could take Don Imus off the air, I hope such a mob can also end the war in Iraq.

The only thing, though, is that it seems almost classless for us to be speaking about this now -- at a time when there is still so much hurt going on and so much grieving still to be done.

But either we make the wounds deeper and make the American people see, or they'll become stoic again after the wounds have healed. Thoughts?

On Friday, 3 of the 5 police officers involved in the shooting of 3 unarmed men in Queens, resulting in the death of Sean Bell, were formally indicted on charges ranging from manslaughter to reckless endangerment.  Although community members here are relieved that indictments were at least served, many are expressing dismay at the reduced charges on which the officers were indicted.  Officers open-fired 50 shots on Bell and his two friends in the cold Jamaica air that night in December.

Today, a coalition of community organizations known as People’s Justice organized a rally and march protesting the ongoing crisis of police brutality that is affecting people of color and immigrants in the New York City.  Assembling a significant crowd, we gathered in Union Square and then proceeded to march down Broadway—and actually took over the street.  As we passed the bustling shopping districts of mid- and downtown Manhattan, pedestrians stopped, stared, took pictures on their cell phones, some even raising their fists in solidarity.

The indictments are a first step.  Let’s hope this is not a repeat of Amadou Diallo or the countless other incidents of police brutality that resulted in injustice.

Okay, maybe hate is a strong word. But I've seen enough of women making themselves look ridiculous by wearing hot pink aprons, bonnets, and other acoutrements of traditional femininity, and then attracting all sorts of negative attention by heckling at public functions (such as the DNC Winter Meeting). Now they've really taken a step too far: they're camping out, Crawford ranch style, in front of Nancy Pelosi's San Francisco home! For real! Give the lady a chance to work pragmatically to end the war! When was the last time any of these Code Pinkers tried to negotiate with the Bush administration and Congressional conservatives? As a very smart senior colleague of mine once said, "If you chain yourself naked to a tree to protest the war, the story will be, "Crazy person is naked, chained to a tree,' not 'End the war.'"

Werd.

As I write, President Bush is making his "We Care" tour through Latin America, trying to save the bitter beer face of free trade capitalism in the region. It is no surprise that he's failing miserably so far. Thousands of students, activists, workers and others have flooded the streets of Brazil and others are staging similar protest in countries throughout South America during his visit. No, not the shallow "passive resistance" protest of the ilk we're used to here in America coordinated a head of time with the police and city authorities, but real acts of defiance and dissent where people have the audacity to actually put their necks on the line for what they believe in. 

When ever you have President Bush evoking the name of Simon Bolivar in his speeches, you know something is gone horribly wrong. Bush, his military and corporate puppeteers may try to down play the influence of socialism in the region, but the urgency in the President's rhetoric says differently. By using the script of an egalitarian populist, President Bush is attempting to deflate the rise of socialist leaders in Latin America including Hugo Chavez, President of Venezuela. The paternalism behind the whole idea of his visit is nauseating. Does he really believe these people can be hoodwinked and bamboozled into believing his vision for Latin America? Good luck Mr. President, you are going to need it.  

Over the past year or so, Rhode Island college campuses have led the way in the rebirth of Students for a Democratic Society, the 1960s-era national student protest organization that focused on issues such as racism at home and the Vietnam War. The original SDS imploded due to internal leadership disputes, including allegations that the organization itself had a sexist and racist hierarchy, as well as splits with radical groups such as the Black Panthers and the Weather Underground.

I wonder how many of the 16 SDS affiliated student protestors at Brown University yesterday know the history of the organization. The protestors opposed the inclusion of weapons manufacturer Raytheon at a university career fair. I don't know whose beliefs are more reactionary in this case: SDS's that Raytheon should be banned from campus, or mine that if students don't want to work for a weapons manufacturer, they should just bypass the Raytheon table at the fair? In any case, this kind of protest just seems hopelessly outdated to me. I'd rather see students focus on getting more progressive employers that pay a living wage, as well as more arts and media firms, to attend career fairs. That's a major problem at Brown. 

From the University of Arizona Wildcat:

"Hundreds of weathered combat boots lined the east side of the UA Mall this weekend, attracting passers-by and sparking renewed debate about the war in Iraq.

The traveling exhibit, "Eyes Wide Open: The Human Cost of War," was organized by the American Friends Service Committee, the Presbyterian Campus Ministry and other organizations to show the reality of the lives that have been claimed by the war in Iraq, said Caroline Isaacs, program director for the Arizona chapter of the American Friends Service Committee.

The exhibit included 458 boots, 381 of which represented National Guard deaths in Iraq and 77 for Arizona soldiers.

...

The display also had shoes representing Iraqi civilian casualties, with tags for children as young as 8 months old.

The display was not meant to be political, Isaacs said. "

The article goes on to describe how the display in fact did spark political discussion. Anti-war activists were present at the exhibit, collecting petition signatures asking Congress to end the war by cutting funding. Supporters of the war were also present, apparently, although apparently not in any organized counter-protest. The display is part of a larger national project, including a full-sized version in Chicago.