10 replies to this topic

[Zimbochick]

An interesting perspective on the recent uprisings in Wisconsin and the Middle East. Here are some snippets:

Instead, Egyptians, Tunisians and other peoples of the region fighting for revolutionary political and economic change have, without warning, leapfrogged over the US and China and grabbed history's reins. Suddenly, it is the young activists of Tahrir who are the example for the world, while the great powers seem mired in old thinking and outdated systems. From the perspective of "independence" squares across the region, the US looks ideologically stagnant and even backwards, filled with irrational people and political and economic elites incapable of conceiving of changes that are so obvious to the rest of the world.

The problem clearly starts from the top and continues to the grass roots. Barack Obama campaigned for the presidency on the slogan "Yes we can!" But whether caving in to Binyamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, on settlements, or standing by as Republicans wage a jihad on the working people of Wisconsin, the president has refused to stand up for principles that were once the bedrock of American democracy and foreign policy.

The American people are equally to blame, as increasingly, those without healthcare, job security or pensions seem intent on dragging down the lucky few unionised workers who still have them rather than engage in the hard work of demanding the same rights for themselves.

History's Shifting Sands

[cousin it]

You might find this an interesting perspective on events in Egypt:

http://www.theoildrum.com/node/7425

[PERM BANNED]

An interesting perspective on the recent uprisings in Wisconsin and the Middle East. Here are some snippets:

Instead, Egyptians, Tunisians and other peoples of the region fighting for revolutionary political and economic change have, without warning, leapfrogged over the US and China and grabbed history's reins. Suddenly, it is the young activists of Tahrir who are the example for the world, while the great powers seem mired in old thinking and outdated systems. From the perspective of "independence" squares across the region, the US looks ideologically stagnant and even backwards, filled with irrational people and political and economic elites incapable of conceiving of changes that are so obvious to the rest of the world.

The problem clearly starts from the top and continues to the grass roots. Barack Obama campaigned for the presidency on the slogan "Yes we can!" But whether caving in to Binyamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, on settlements, or standing by as Republicans wage a jihad on the working people of Wisconsin, the president has refused to stand up for principles that were once the bedrock of American democracy and foreign policy.

The American people are equally to blame, as increasingly, those without healthcare, job security or pensions seem intent on dragging down the lucky few unionised workers who still have them rather than engage in the hard work of demanding the same rights for themselves.

History's Shifting Sands

Don't compare what is happening in the middle east with what is happening in America. The people in the middle east are actually putting their lives in danger and fighting for something meaningful. If you can't distinguish between the two, well....

[Zimbochick]

Don't compare what is happening in the middle east with what is happening in America. The people in the middle east are actually putting their lives in danger and fighting for something meaningful. If you can't distinguish between the two, well....

Perhaps you could read the entire article, then we can discuss it more.

[Zimbochick]

You might find this an interesting perspective on events in Egypt:

http://www.theoildrum.com/node/7425

Thanks for the link. One often forgets looking in from the outside that there are so many factors that have lit the powder keg, this consolidates the info really well.

[freedom78]

An interesting perspective on the recent uprisings in Wisconsin and the Middle East. Here are some snippets:

Instead, Egyptians, Tunisians and other peoples of the region fighting for revolutionary political and economic change have, without warning, leapfrogged over the US and China and grabbed history's reins. Suddenly, it is the young activists of Tahrir who are the example for the world, while the great powers seem mired in old thinking and outdated systems. From the perspective of "independence" squares across the region, the US looks ideologically stagnant and even backwards, filled with irrational people and political and economic elites incapable of conceiving of changes that are so obvious to the rest of the world.

The problem clearly starts from the top and continues to the grass roots. Barack Obama campaigned for the presidency on the slogan "Yes we can!" But whether caving in to Binyamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, on settlements, or standing by as Republicans wage a jihad on the working people of Wisconsin, the president has refused to stand up for principles that were once the bedrock of American democracy and foreign policy.

The American people are equally to blame, as increasingly, those without healthcare, job security or pensions seem intent on dragging down the lucky few unionised workers who still have them rather than engage in the hard work of demanding the same rights for themselves.

History's Shifting Sands

Interesting article though I do find the Obama angle weak. Wisconsin is a state issue so, beyond words of support, Obama has no power to do anything. And our support of Israel hasn't changed much over decades...don't know why we'd expect it to now, though I suspect it was just a way to relate the story to a Middle Eastern audience.

[cousin it]

^^There is a lot of good shit at that site about the impending doom that is Peak Oil. Unfortunately it(the peak) has been politicized, but geologists have known about it for over 50 years. Some hypothesize that once the crisis hits, starvation for most of the population is inevitable, but there is hope that the recent advances in horizontal drilling, and its potential to access vast stores of hydrocarbons in shales, will provide the energy resources needed to stave off disaster.

[freedom78]

^^There is a lot of good shit at that site about the impending doom that is Peak Oil. Unfortunately it(the peak) has been politicized, but geologists have known about it for over 50 years. Some hypothesize that once the crisis hits, starvation for most of the population is inevitable, but there is hope with the recent advances in horizontal drilling, and its potential to access vast stores of hydrocarbons in shales.

As long as someone is getting rich in the process (and when is that not the case?), I"m sure any efforts to remedy this problem will be fought tooth and nail.

[Zimbochick]

Interesting article though I do find the Obama angle weak. Wisconsin is a state issue so, beyond words of support, Obama has no power to do anything. And our support of Israel hasn't changed much over decades...don't know why we'd expect it to now, though I suspect it was just a way to relate the story to a Middle Eastern audience.

Well I do think that many around the world were unrealistically expecting Obama to be a miracle worker, particularily in the Middle-East and Africa, and to a certain extent I think they still think he will step up and take over, and hence their disillusionment. I think there has been a shift in our support of Israel, at least it's not considered to be absolute, and unconditional. That's a first. Yup, LeVine is a very provocative writer, but he raises interesting questions.

[Felina]

This thread just begs for Lennon~~~(thinking of WI)
[url]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wos-dDxpJlQ[/url]

[Zimbochick]

This thread just begs for Lennon~~~(thinking of WI)

Exactly right!