Articles by M

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Regarding American Decadence: A Revealing President in a New Geopolitical Context
Juan Eugenio Corradi | Opinion Sur – TRANSCEND Media Service, 4 Nov 2019

30 Oct 2019 – American protectionism under President Donald Trump’s administration is just an exaggerated expression of a process of global power loss and its replacement by a new constellation of blocks organized around specific interests and the power of the strongest within each.

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The Writing of “Silent Spring”: Rachel Carson and the Culture-Shifting Courage to Speak Inconvenient Truth to Power
Maria Popova | Brain Pickings – TRANSCEND Media Service, 4 Nov 2019

A woman scientist without a Ph.D. or an academic affiliation became the most powerful voice of resistance against ruinous public policy mitigated by the self-interest of government and industry. “It is, in the deepest sense, a privilege as well as a duty to have the opportunity to speak out — to many thousands of people — on something so important.”

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Critique of Nonviolent Politics from Mahatma Gandhi to the Anti-Nuclear Movement
Howard Ryan – TRANSCEND Media Service, 4 Nov 2019

Critique of Nonviolent Politics may be the only comprehensive critique of nonviolent theory that has been written. Since 1977, I had been active in the movement against nuclear power and weapons which, in California, focused its protests at the Diablo Canyon Nuclear Plant and at the Lawrence Livermore Labs where nuclear weapons are designed. Nonviolence was the prevailing political theory in the movement, especially in the “direct action” wing which organized mass blockades and occupations at nuclear facilities. Nonviolence informed our tactics and strategies, our group processes, and our general ethos and outlook.

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Israeli Occupation of Palestine: Disinformation, Denials, Distortions, Distractions, and Destruction of Human Rights
Mazin Qumsiyeh – TRANSCEND Media Service, 4 Nov 2019

29 Oct 2019 – I was today again denied entry to my city Jerusalem by the Israeli occupation authorities. If they think that helps intimidate me, this piece and actions to follow will show otherwise. Response? More decent people need to get together, organize, and resist. Join us. Stay Human and act positively for human rights and justice.

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Really?
Anonymous – TRANSCEND Media Service, 4 Nov 2019

Ring any bells? Hint: US foreign policies–farewell to latest evil empire

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[Nobel Peace Laureate] Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons Falsified Syria Report: Whistleblower
Paul Larudee – TRANSCEND Media Service, 4 Nov 2019

24 Oct 2019 – The information and documents provided by the whistleblower showed that the OPCW had suppressed and distorted its data, analysis and conclusions in order to make it appear that the Syrian government had used banned chemical weapons, when the testing had shown just the opposite. The panel had been requested by the whistleblower himself, who had been outraged by the dishonesty, and who said that other scientists at the organization had been equally upset, but were not yet willing to speak out.

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Britain Obstructs Spanish Investigation into CIA Spying on Julian Assange
Oscar Grenfell | WSWS – TRANSCEND Media Service, 4 Nov 2019

El País reported on Wednesday [23 Oct] that a request by Spanish judge José de la Mata to interview Assange via videolink had been rejected by the UK. He is investigating a complaint by Assange’s lawyers alleging that UC Global, the private company hired to provide security to Ecuador’s London embassy, illegally surveilled him on behalf of US authorities while he was protected with political asylum inside the building.

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Why Do So Many People Hate the U.S.?
James Albertini | Malu 'Aina Center for Non-violent Education & Action – TRANSCEND Media Service, 4 Nov 2019

1 Nov 2019 – The US illegal invasion of Iraq based on phony claims of weapons of mass destruction by Bush & co. led to the creation of ISIS. It has been endless regime-change wars, torture, rendition, and covert Special Ops in numerous countries. Hundreds of thousands of civilians have been killed; millions wounded and displaced. No wonder so many people around the world hate the U.S. and see America as the greatest threat to peace on earth.

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(Français) Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi: Fabriqué et Tué par la CIA
Marc Vandepitte | Investig’Action – TRANSCEND Media Service, 4 Nov 2019

31 Oct 2019 – Maintenant qu’Abou Bakr al-Baghdadi, le dirigeant de l’EI, a été éliminé, beaucoup manifestent leur joie et leur soulagement aux États-Unis et en Occident. Ce qu’ils ne disent pas, c’est que ce groupe terroriste barbare est un produit de leur propre politique étrangère dans la région.

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UN Expert’s Call to Stop Israeli Settlement of Palestinian Territories Falls on Deaf Ears
Jonathan Cook – TRANSCEND Media Service, 4 Nov 2019

27 Oct 2019 – The judge who laid down the legal architecture needed to establish Israel’s settlements has just died. But his legacy has inspired a fresh generation of jurists to create new mechanisms for dispossessing the Palestinians.

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The Lasting Impact of the Islamic State
René Wadlow – TRANSCEND Media Service, 4 Nov 2019

Out of chaos come strange leaders. Most often they are re-absorbed into the chaos. Sometimes they rise above the chaos and impose a momentary order. The death of a person, even if in a leadership position, does not kill an ideology. ISIS’ long-range impact can only be met by strong compassion for all and a positive, inclusive intellectual framework.

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Banana Party–Serving Divinity
Dr Ravi P Bhatia – TRANSCEND Media Service, 4 Nov 2019

Why do people buy and serve bananas to monkeys? In the Hindu faith, Hanuman, the legendary follower of Lord Ram, looks like a monkey and can even jump over mountains and hills in the service of Ram Bhagwan. It is no surprise that many people who serve bananas to the hordes of monkeys feel that they are serving the brave Hanuman. In many places these animals have become a menace. But how to tackle the problem since faith is involved?

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(Português) 70 Anos da Declaração Universal de Direitos Humanos 1948-2018
Francisco Gomes de Matos – TRANSCEND Media Service, 4 Nov 2019

Lista incompleta… adicione ítens.

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CIA Death Squads Responsible for Spike in Afghan Civilian Casualties
Bill Van Auken | WSWS – TRANSCEND Media Service, 4 Nov 2019

2 Nov 2019 – Civilian casualties have reached a record high in the 18-year-old US war in Afghanistan as the Trump administration has broken off talks with the Islamist insurgents of the Taliban and ordered a sharp escalation in US airstrikes and night raids by CIA-backed death squads. In Afghanistan, as in Syria, Trump’s promise to end Washington’s “forever wars” has amounted to empty demagogy.

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The Metamorphosis of the Deep State
Edward Curtin – TRANSCEND Media Service, 4 Nov 2019

2 Nov 2019 – To think that the deep state is government employees just doing their patriotic duty is plain idiocy and plainer propaganda, just as denying its existence was. It is a trick, not the treat it is made to seem.

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(Português) A Vantagem da Imperfeição
Leonardo Boff – TRANSCEND Media Service, 4 Nov 2019

30 out 2019 – Em tempos em risco de nossa liberdade, é importante pensarmos em sua importância. Nascemos completos mas imperfeitos. Não possuímos nenhum órgão especializado, como a maioria dos animais. Para sobreviver, temos que trabalhar e intervir na natureza. Os mitos esclarecem esta asituação.

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Leon Trotsky (7 Nov 1879 – 21 Aug 1940)
Robert V. Daniels | Encyclopædia Britannica - TRANSCEND Media Service, 4 Nov 2019

In the struggle for power following Vladimir Ilich Lenin’s death, Joseph Stalin emerged as victor, while Trotsky was removed from all positions of power and later exiled (1929). He remained the leader of an anti-Stalinist opposition abroad until his assassination by a Stalinist agent.

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The Future of Human Rights: Regressive Trends and Restorative Prospects
Richard Falk | Global Justice in the 21st Century – TRANSCEND Media Service, 4 Nov 2019

31 Oct 2019 – The main objective of this essay is to sketch the profound challenges to human rights that arise from a series of interrelated and overlapping developments, and to give some sense that to restore and enhance human rights is a difficult undertaking that now seems almost impossible given the ultra-nationalist outlook of the governments of most leading states. Yet the future is uncertain, and will be influenced by what peoples variously situated choose to do or refrain from doing.

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Did This Happen in the Home of Magna Carta?
John Pilger – TRANSCEND Media Service, 4 Nov 2019

28 Oct 2019 – The worst moment was one of a number of ‘worst’ moments. I have sat in many courtrooms and seen judges abuse their positions. This judge, Vanessa Baraitser – actually she isn’t a judge at all; she’s a magistrate – shocked all of us who were there. Her face was a progression of sneers and imperious indifference; she addressed Julian with an arrogance that reminded me of a magistrate presiding over apartheid South Africa’s Race Classification Board.

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(Português) Paul McCartney protagoniza nova campanha contra testes em animais
David Arioch | Vegazeta – TRANSCEND Media Service, 4 Nov 2019

Em campanha lançada hoje [23 Out] pela PETA, Paul McCartney é o protagonista do vídeo “Looking For Changes”, inspirado na música lançada pelo ex-Beatle em 1993.

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(Português) Foie Gras é Proibido em Nova York por Motivos de Bem-Estar Animal
Eliane Arakaki - ANDA Agência de Notícias de Direitos Animais, 4 Nov 2019

31 out 2019 – O patê de fígado de ganso é obtido por meio de sofrimento e crueldade absurdos com as aves, que são alimentadas à força até que seus fígados atinjam um tamanho bem superior ao normal. Restaurantes e mercearias podem receber uma multa de até 2 mil dólares se infringirem as novas regras vigentes na cidade.

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Caliph Closure: ‘He Died Like a Dog’
Pepe Escobar – Asia Times, 4 Nov 2019

28 Oct 2019 – The “died as a dog” movie can also be interpreted as the liquidation of a formerly useful asset that was a valued component of the gift that keeps on giving, the never-ending Global War on Terror. Other scarecrows, and other movies, await. Trump’s victory-lap movie version buries the embarrassing story of deploying tanks to ‘protect’ Syrian oilfields.

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In Court: The Annihilation of Julian Assange
Amb. Craig Murray – TRANSCEND Media Service, 4 Nov 2019

22 Oct 2019 – I was deeply shaken while witnessing yesterday’s events in Westminster Magistrates Court. The campaign of demonisation and dehumanisation against Julian, based on government and media lie after government and media lie, has led to a situation where he can be slowly killed in public sight, and arraigned on a charge of publishing the truth about government wrongdoing, while receiving no assistance from “liberal” society. Unless Julian is released shortly he will be destroyed. If the state can do this, then who is next?

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A Worldwide Revolution Is Underway
Amy Goodman and Denis Moynihan – Democracy NOW!, 4 Nov 2019

31 Oct 2019 – Puerto Rico. Hong Kong. Ecuador. Haiti. Lebanon. Iraq. And now, Chile. People are rising up around the world against austerity and corruption, defying police forces. Many share a fierce critique of capitalism. People are flooding the streets, globally, linking the movements against inequality with the fight for a just, sustainable world powered by renewable energy.

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Indicators of Political Will, Remedial and Coping Capacity?
Anthony Judge – Laetus in Praesens – TRANSCEND Media Service, 28 Oct 2019

28 Oct 2019 – Many issues are now variously highlighted as potential crises — with some framed as extremely urgent. It is curious to note how the emphasis is placed on the need for action but little is said about the capacity to follow through on that need.

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The Olive Tree–Not Just an Ordinary Tree
Mazin Qumsiyeh | DesertPeace – TRANSCEND Media Service, 28 Oct 2019

21 Oct 2019 – It is hard to describe to non-Palestinians what the olive tree means to us. My thoughts wonder to the Palestinians who lost their olive groves to the colonial settlement activity (over 1 million trees have been uprooted). The olive harvest is after all a ritual that borders on an act of worship (and maybe it is). Palestinians over the past 5000 years have cultivated olive trees and derived great benefit from these wonderful hardy trees.

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Kashmir: Self-Determination Is the Solution
Chandra Muzaffar – TRANSCEND Media Service, 28 Oct 2019

26 Oct 2019 – It appears that the abrogation of Article 370 will only perpetuate the violence and the bloodshed associated with one of the longest political conflicts in modern times.

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(Deutsch) Wie die Deutschen den Regenwald mit aufessen
Anette Dowideit | WELT – TRANSCEND Media Service, 28 Oct 2019

20.10.2019 – Deutsche Firmen kauften in den vergangenen fünf Jahren gut 40.000 Tonnen Rindfleisch bei Fleischkonzernen, die an der Abholzung des brasilianischen Regenwaldes beteiligt sind. Pro Jahr wurden dafür rund 2,5 Quadratkilometer geschützte Naturgebiete in Weideland umgewandelt.

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Assange “Struggles to Say His Own Name” as He Appears in Court
Jack Peat | The London Economic – TRANSCEND Media Service, 28 Oct 2019

21 Oct 2019 – WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange appeared to struggle to say his own name as he appeared in the dock at Westminster Magistrates’ Court today to fight extradition to the US. Assange told the judge he is up against a “superpower” with “unlimited resources” and appeared to be fighting back tears as he added: “I can’t think properly.”

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Interpreting Turkey’s Military Operation in Syria
Richard Falk | Global Justice in the 21st Century – TRANSCEND Media Service, 28 Oct 2019

18 Oct 2019 – Ever since things started to go badly wrong in Syria after the uprising prompted by the 2011 Arab Spring, the situation has converted the customary fog of war into an impenetrable black box. None of the intervening political actors including Turkey, United States, Iran, Russia, Israel, the UAE, and Saudi Arabia calculated correctly, nor did the various non-state extremist groups associated with al Qaeda and later ISIS, as well as a variety of anti-Damascus Syrian insurgencies.

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Anti-Nuke Activists, Kings-Bay-Plowshares-7 Found Guilty on All Counts
Bill Ofenloch | Kings Bay Plowshares 7 – TRANSCEND Media Service, 28 Oct 2019

24 Oct 2019 – Nonviolent Direct Action against Trident Nuclear Missile Submarine Base – More than 18 months after they snuck onto the site of one of the largest known collections of nuclear weaponry in the world, a jury found the Kings Bay Plowshares 7 guilty of all four of the charges brought against them.

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(Français) Nestlé et la privatisation de l’eau : le cas Suisse
Franklin Frederick | Investig’Action – TRANSCEND Media Service, 28 Oct 2019

22 Oct 2019 – En février dernier, le Gouvernement de la Suisse annonçait la création d’une fondation à Genève, nommée « Geneva Science and Diplomacy Anticipator » . Le but de cette nouvelle fondation est de réguler les nouvelles technologies, depuis les drones jusqu’aux voitures automatiques en passant par l’ingénierie génétique. Les nouvelles technologies se développent très rapidement et cette fondation doit « anticiper » les conséquences de ces avancées sur les plans politique et sociétal. La GSDA se veut également un pont entre les communautés scientifiques et diplomatiques.

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Record Number of Palestinian Homes Demolished: Rights Group
Human Wrongs Watch – TRANSCEND Media Service, 28 Oct 2019

25 Oct 2019 – The rights group added the demolitions left 238 Palestinians including 127 minors without a home. Israel claims demolishing the family homes of alleged militants deters violence, while the Palestinians see it as a form of collective punishment.

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Trident Is the Crime
Kathy Kelly – TRANSCEND Media Service, 28 Oct 2019

On 24 Oct, following a three-day trial, seven Catholic Workers who acted to disarm a nuclear submarine base were convicted of three felony counts and one misdemeanor. On April 4, 2018 the group had entered a U.S. Navy Submarine base which is a home port for the Trident nuclear missile fleet. Just one of those nuclear missiles, if launched, would cause 1,825 times more damage than the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima.

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UK Judge Rejects Delay in Assange Extradition Case
Laura Tiernan | WSWS – TRANSCEND Media Service, 28 Oct 2019

22 Oct 2019 – Pilger told demonstrators: “The whole thing is a grotesque absurdity. There is an extradition law between this country and the United States. It states specifically that someone cannot be extradited if the offences are political… It is not a bit of agitprop, it is not an opinion, they ARE political. All but one charge is based on the 1917 Espionage Act, which was used to jail conscientious objectors during the First World War in the United States.”Pilger concluded: “The source of this is a rogue state—a state that ignores its own laws and international laws and the laws of this country.”

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Courtroom
Dietrich Fischer – TRANSCEND Media Service, 28 Oct 2019

Taking his seat in his chambers, the judge faced the opposing lawyers.

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Don’t Railroad Julian Assange to Virginia
Consortium News | Editorial – TRANSCEND Media Service, 28 Oct 2019

22 Oct 2019 – The WikiLeaks legal team has a strong case to throw out Assange’s extradition request after the government that wants him extradited got hold of surveillance video of his privileged attorney-client conversations.

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Coca-Cola, Nestlé and PepsiCo Named Top Plastic Polluters for the Second Year in a Row
Matt Franklin | Brand Audit – TRANSCEND Media Service, 28 Oct 2019

23 Oct 2019 – Coca-Cola, Nestlé, and PepsiCo top the list according to a new report “BRANDED Volume II: Identifying the World’s Top Corporate Plastic Polluters.” The rest of the top 10 plastic polluters are Mondelēz International, Unilever, Mars, P&G, Colgate-Palmolive, Phillip Morris, and Perfetti Van Melle.

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Comcast Is Lobbying against Encryption That Could Prevent it from Learning Your Browsing History
Joseph Cox | Vice – TRANSCEND Media Service, 28 Oct 2019

23 Oct 2019 – Internet giant Comcast is lobbying U.S. lawmakers against plans to encrypt web traffic that would make it harder for internet service providers (ISPs) to determine your browsing history, according to a lobbying presentation obtained.

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The Pathocracy of the Deep State: Tyranny at the Hands of a Psychopathic Government
John W. Whitehead | The Rutherford Institute – TRANSCEND Media Service, 28 Oct 2019

There is no difference between psychopaths and politicians. Nor is there much of a difference between the havoc wreaked on innocent lives by uncaring, unfeeling, selfish, irresponsible, parasitic criminals and elected officials who lie to their constituents, trade political favors for campaign contributions, turn a blind eye to the wishes of the electorate, cheat taxpayers out of hard-earned dollars, favor the corporate elite, entrench the military industrial complex, and spare little thought for the impact their thoughtless actions and hastily passed legislation might have on defenseless citizens.

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Pain and Pleasure — Laughing Away One’s Blues
Dr Ravi P Bhatia – TRANSCEND Media Service, 28 Oct 2019

Humankind has several emotions — not only pain, pleasure, but sorrow, greed, kindness, happiness, attachment, love, anger and several others. Perhaps the most common emotions are happiness or bliss and sorrow, or depression, sadness.

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Israel Prevents UN Special Rapporteur from Traveling to Palestine
teleSUR – TRANSCEND Media Service, 28 Oct 2019

24 Oct 2019 – Special rapporteur of the United Nations Organization on human rights in Palestine Michael Lynk condemned Israel for preventing him today from traveling to the Palestinian territories, violating thus established procedures and protocols. “Israel has occupied the Palestinian territory for more than 52 years, the longest belligerent occupation in the modern world,” Lynk said.

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Restoring the Korean Economic Miracle
Ellen Brown | Web of Debt – TRANSCEND Media Service, 28 Oct 2019

This paper was written for the Economics of Happiness Conference co-sponsored by Local Futures, held in Jeonju, Korea, on October 16-17, where I was the keynote speaker — a wonderful city and great experience!

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(Português) Investigação secreta revela morte em massa e abuso por trás das corridas de cavalos
Eliane Arakaki - ANDA Agência de Notícias de Direitos Animais, 28 Oct 2019

23 out 2019 – A indústria de corridas de cavalos é uma das mais cruéis formas de exploração de animais já registradas. Cavalos são submetidos a métodos de criação dolorosos para que possam ganhar mais velocidade nas pistas onde muitas vezes são vítimas de acidentes fatais ou que deixam sequelas permanentes. A ABC News descobriu que cerca de 300 cavalos de corrida passaram por um único matadouro em apenas 22 dias.

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German Appetite for Beef Eats into Brazilian Rainforest
Andrew Wasley and Alexandra Heal – The Bureau of Investigative Journalism, 28 Oct 2019

21 Oct 2019 – Germany imported €216m worth of Brazilian beef over five years from meat companies linked to major deforestation in the Amazon and other vital areas.

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UK Blocks Spanish Judge from Questioning Julian Assange over Spying Allegations
José María Irujo – El País, 28 Oct 2019

23 Oct 2019 – The UK is blocking a Spanish judge’s request to question Julian Assange as a witness about allegations that the Spanish security firm Undercover Global S.L. spied on Assange while he was living in the Ecuadorian embassy in London. The magistrate says the refusal by British judicial authorities is unprecedented.

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What Logically Vaccine-hesitant People Need to Know about Flu Shot Propaganda
Gary G. Kohls, MD | Duty to Warn – TRANSCEND Media Service, 28 Oct 2019

22 Oct 2019 – How Big Pharma, the CDC and Big Medicine Have Deceived Us by the Cunning Use of Statistics

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Psychology’s “Dark Triad” and the Billionaire Class
Roy Eidelson – TRANSCEND Media Service, 28 Oct 2019

25 Oct 2019 – The data are stark and compelling. The richest 400 families in the United States own financial assets that exceed the wealth of the bottom 60% of all American households combined. U.S. billionaires pay taxes at a lower effective rate than working class families. The CEOs of S&P 500 companies, averaging over $14 million in annual compensation, make roughly as much in a single day as their median employee earns in an entire year.

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Thwarted Intelligence Disorder
Dr. Naresh Jotwani – TRANSCEND Media Service, 28 Oct 2019

The deep-down sense of being boxed-in, and the outward display of greed, lust and vanity, form a deadly vicious cycle with no avenue of escape. Desperate antics – akin to rattling and banging the cage – only make matters worse; the only possible prognosis is senility. One is tempted to call this state of mind the “thwarted intelligence disorder” (TID); words such as “demonic” have been used for such conditions in earlier times.

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(Português) O Veganismo na Vida de River Phoenix
David Arioch | Vegazeta – TRANSCEND Media Service, 28 Oct 2019

“Algumas pessoas mal informadas afirmam que os ativistas dos direitos animais são terroristas, mas essas pessoas simplesmente ignoram quem são os verdadeiros terroristas – as empresas e indústrias que torturam literalmente bilhões de animais a cada ano” – River Phoenix. Segundo River, é preciso que exista um movimento extremo quando o que acontece com os animais no cotidiano é tão extremo.

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The Passions of Mankind
John Scales Avery – TRANSCEND Media Service, 28 Oct 2019

I would like to announce the publication of a book which discusses human emotions from an evolutionary perspective. The book consists mainly of book chapters and articles that I have previously published, although some new material has been added. It can be freely downloaded and circulated.

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Investment Key Variable, though Not Any Type of Investment
Roberto Sansón Mizrahi | Opinion Sur – TRANSCEND Media Service, 28 Oct 2019

It is claimed that investment is a key variable in every development process, but, beware, not any type of investment. There are investments that contribute to the pursued development and others that hurt it or do not impact on the chosen path. Therefore, it is not right to talk about plain investment without delving into such heterogeneous universe and discerning which investment to make and who does it. Those are two intimately related critical issues.

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Why Are the American People so Passive and Accepting of War?
Dave Alpert | Intrepid Report – TRANSCEND Media Service, 28 Oct 2019

23 Oct 2019 – We have not experienced war on our soil since the Civil War. The closest we came was the destruction and deaths caused by the 9/11 attack, a homegrown incident to gather support for US military action in the Middle East as it “does battle against terrorism”. The reality we refuse to recognize is that it is the US that is the biggest and most dangerous terrorist on the planet.

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That We Live under a Dictatorship Is Now Unquestionable: The Assange Case
Eric Zuesse – TRANSCEND Media Service, 28 Oct 2019

23 Oct 2019 – The military-industrial complex didn’t entirely control the U.S. Government back in 1971 when its absolute right of censorship was rejected by the U.S. Supreme Court in the Pentagon Papers case; but, now, after 9/11, it finally does, and thus democracy has become totally eliminated in today’s America.

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Poet Inhabits the Heart of Jimmy Carter
Gary Corseri – TRANSCEND Media Service, 28 Oct 2019

The 39th President of the United States (1977-1981), Jimmy Carter has been in the news recently, and we wish him well…. I consider him one of the great people I’ve had the honor of meeting. Following his too-brief tenure in the White House, Carter worked gratis for decades with “Habitat for Humanity,” physically building and refurbishing houses for those in need.

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Returning to Obama’s Plan
Amos Gvirtz – TRANSCEND Media Service, 28 Oct 2019

21 Oct 2019 – If Israel wants to survive, then it must return to the Obama plan: to choose the road of peace while we still enjoy the support of the United States, so that we can arrive at a peace agreements that will dramatically reduce the security threat to our existence and our dependence on the superpowers.

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Moksha/Liberation: What Is It?
Stephen Knapp (Sri Nandanandana dasa) – TRANSCEND Media Service, 28 Oct 2019

Moksha is also called mukti, which essentially means to attain freedom from any further forms of differentiated, temporal, and ordinary material existence in the mortal world. It also means, quite simply, becoming free from samsara or the continued rounds of birth and death in the material realm, which is caused by the accumulation and continuation of karma.

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What Makes a Protest Effective?
Public Radio International – TRANSCEND Media Service, 28 Oct 2019

21 Oct 2019 – Major protests have exploded across the world over the past week, with people taking to the streets in Lebanon, Barcelona and Chile. That’s on top of recent demonstrations in Hong Kong, Haiti, Iraq and elsewhere. So, what makes a protest effective?

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Don’t Forget the Tamil Genocide in Sri Lanka
Lee Rhiannon – Jacobin Magazine, 28 Oct 2019

Review of Losing Santhia: Life and Loss in the Struggle for Tamil Eelam, by Ben Hillier (Interventions, 2019) – Victims of decades of racist pogroms, state violence, and military occupation, the Tamil minority has long fought for liberation in Sri Lanka. We should not ignore their struggle.

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Paul Robeson (9 Apr 1898 – 23 Jan 1976): Lessons from a Remarkable Life
Tayo Aluko | Counterfire – TRANSCEND Media Service, 28 Oct 2019

Black Lawyer, Singer and Football Player, Paul Robeson’s Extraordinary Life Holds Many Lessons for the Present Day

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(Português) [Inter] Agir Pacificamente: Lista Preventiva
Francisco Gomes de Matos – TRANSCEND Media Service, 28 Oct 2019

Sempre harmonizar. Jamais hostilizar
Sempre inspirar. Jamais conspirar…

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2019 Distinguished Peace Leadership Award Acceptance Speech
David Krieger | Nuclear Age Peace Foundation – TRANSCEND Media Service, 28 Oct 2019

24 Oct 2019 – Martin Luther King, Jr. said, “I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality.” I would add, as I’m sure he would, that we must work diligently to attain this reality.

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Eminent Buddhist Leader Daisaku Ikeda Urges Halt to Nuclear Weapons and Killer Robots
Ramesh Jaura – IDN InDeptNews, 28 Oct 2019

Full text of the interview of SGI President Daisaku Ikeda where he shares his perspectives on the current state of nuclear disarmament and the development of lethal autonomous weapons systems in the days leading up to the third session of the Preparatory Committee for the 2020 Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons held April 29—May 10, 2019, at the UN headquarters in New York.

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Amazon Rainforest ‘Close to Irreversible Tipping Point’
Dom Phillips – The Guardian, 28 Oct 2019

23 Oct 2019 – Soaring deforestation coupled with the destructive policies of Brazil’s far-right president, Jair Bolsonaro, could push the Amazon rainforest dangerously to an irreversible “tipping point” within two years, a prominent economist has said. Forecast suggests rainforest could stop producing enough rain to sustain itself by 2021.

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Syria: The Human Cost of War
René Wadlow – TRANSCEND Media Service, 28 Oct 2019

No Turning Back: Life, Loss and Hope in Wartime Syria, by Rania Abouzeid (London: Oneworld Publications, 2018) – A moving book by the Lebanese journalist. As an Arabic speaker, she was able to move in Syrian society to interview a range of Syrians caught up in the violence. She was also able to interview Syrian refugees in Turkey, Jordan and Lebanon.

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Correcting the (Im)Balance of Power (Before It’s Too Late)
Joseph Kandra and Kathie MM | Engaging Peace – TRANSCEND Media Service, 28 Oct 2019

Nothing New under the Sun… (?)

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UN Official’s Briefing on Torture of Assange Boycotted by Media
Oscar Grenfell | WSWS – TRANSCEND Media Service, 28 Oct 2019

18 Oct 2019 – As it was, footage aired by the Russian-funded RT outlet showed a grand total of four people in the audience, surrounded by rows of empty chairs. To date, the RT article, and an accompanying video, appears to be the only report on the briefing by any media outlet in the world.

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What If the Government Abolished the Military?
Jørgen Johansen and Brian Martin | Journal of Resistance Studies – TRANSCEND Media Service, 28 Oct 2019

25 Oct 2019 – Imagine that government leaders make an announcement: “We’re going to abdicate responsibility for defense. Over the next few years, our military forces will be phased out. They are too dangerous and counterproductive. It will be up to everyone to figure out how to defend us all without violence.” As entrenched as the military is in our society and minds, civilians can defend a society without using violence.

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Narrative: Whistleblower Denounces Lies, Deceit and Cover-up by the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons Report on Syria
Courage Foundation & Richard Falk – TRANSCEND Media Service, 28 Oct 2019

23 Oct 2019 – Panel Criticizes ‘Unacceptable Practices’ in the OPCW’s Investigation of the Alleged Syria Chemical Attack of April 2018 – The Courage Foundation convened a panel of concerned individuals in Brussels on 15 Oct, which met with a member of the investigation. On this basis the panel issued the following statement. [Foreword by Richard Falk]

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Everything You Need to Know about 5G
IEEE Spectrum – TRANSCEND Media Service, 28 Oct 2019

If all goes well, telecommunications companies hope to debut the first commercial 5G networks in the early 2020s. Right now, though, 5G is still in the planning stages, and companies and industry groups are working together to figure out exactly what it will be.

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(Français) En Israël, les cueilleurs de plantes aromatiques ne veulent plus être criminalisés
Claire Bastier – Le Monde, 28 Oct 2019

6 septembre 2019 – L’origan et la sauge ont une position centrale dans la cuisine des populations arabes d’Israël. Or, depuis 1977, l’Etat hébreu en interdit la cueillette. Une réglementation culturellement discriminante en passe d’être assouplie.

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Securing US Interests through US Military Build-up in Saudi Arabia
Askiah Adam – TRANSCEND Media Service, 28 Oct 2019

24 Oct 2019 – That national interests determine foreign relations is the received norm, and it has been operating especially under Western hegemony forever. Hence, the inability of Western foreign relations experts to perceive of a win-win configuration of the Chinese kind in Africa and Asia.

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D.H. Lawrence on the Antidote to the Malady of Materialism
Maria Popova | Brain Pickings – TRANSCEND Media Service, 28 Oct 2019

“Owners and owned, they are like the two sides of a ghastly disease. One feels a sort of madness come over one, as if the world had become hell. But it is only superimposed: it is only a temporary disease. It can be cleaned away.”

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Yi Jing – I Ching 易經 — The Book of Changes
Igor Micunovic | Human Wrongs Watch – TRANSCEND Media Service, 28 Oct 2019

24 Oct 2019 — Ancient culture of China has made great contributions to world culture. Book of Changes is one of the most precious contributions of Chinese culture, which has exerted a great influence on Chinese philosophy, literature, historical study, as well as natural and social sciences.

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African Leadership Breaking the Deadly Silence on Future Migration
Anthony Judge | Laetus in Praesens – TRANSCEND Media Service, 21 Oct 2019

21 Oct 2019 – Courageous insight on a vital issue that European politicians and the UN fear to evoke. Given the remarkable interview with the President of Niger last week, I have produced this short piece summarizing its essential message within a wider context.

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Why Withdrawing US Troops from Northern Syria Is GOOD
Rick Sterling – TRANSCEND Media Service, 21 Oct 2019

16 Oct 2019 – The foreign policy elite is in an uproar. They say the decision to withdraw from northern Syria was a “gift” to Russia, Iran, and Assad… even ISIS. Despite the howls of indignation and disinformation, withdrawing US troops from northern Syria is a step in the right direction.

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Prof. Johan Galtung (Born 24 Oct 1930)
Antonio C. S. Rosa | Editor – TRANSCEND Media Service, 21 Oct 2019

Galtung was jailed in Norway for six months at age 24 as a Conscientious Objector to serving in the military, after having done 12 months of civilian service, the same time as those doing military service. He agreed to serve an extra 6 months if he could work for peace, but that was refused. In jail he wrote his first book, Gandhi’s Political Ethics, together with his mentor, Arne Næss. This event would trigger a world-changing lifetime work for peace: 170 books, plus.

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In Praise of Kamila Shamsie’s ‘Home Fire’
Richard Falk | Global Justice in the 21st Century – TRANSCEND Media Service, 21 Oct 2019

13 Oct 2019 – It took the withdrawal of the Nelly Sachs Prize to make me familiar with the fine literary achievements and compassionate politics of Kamila Shamsie. Selfishly, I cannot thank the Dortmund City Council enough for its outrageous behavior, evidently canceling the award because a right-wing newspaper outed Shamsie as a supporter of the BDS Campaign. I can imagine Shamsie’ feeling of hurt as well as disappointment as this incident unfolded.

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The Climate Crisis (and Other Crises) Require the Transformation of the Basic Cultural Structure of the Modern World (Part 2)
Howard Richards – TRANSCEND Media Service, 21 Oct 2019

This is a revised version of the TMS Editorial with same title published on 14 Oct 2019–to clarify and answer questions from readers.

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When Time Stands Still
Edward Curtin – TRANSCEND Media Service, 21 Oct 2019

I am finding that far too much of what is being published about our world situation is doing little good. We need different approaches. Here’s one.

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Assange Subjected to Torture & Violations of Due Process Rights – UN Envoy
RT – TRANSCEND Media Service, 21 Oct 2019

16 Oct 2019 – WikiLeaks publisher Julian Assange has been subjected to “psychological torture”– that’s a medical assessment–and his due process rights have been “systematically violated” by all the states involved, according to UN Special Rapporteur on Torture Nils Melzer.

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24 Oct » U.N. Day: Strengthening and Reforming
René Wadlow – TRANSCEND Media Service, 21 Oct 2019

24 October is U.N. Day, marking the day when there were enough ratifications including those of the five permanent members of the proposed Security Council for the U.N. Charter to come into force. It is a day not only of celebration, but also a day for looking at how the U.N. system can be strengthened, and when necessary, reformed.

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(Italiano) È ora di finire la guerra contro la Terra
Vandana Shiva | Centro Studi Sereno Regis - TRANSCEND Media Service, 21 Oct 2019

14 Ottobre 2019 – Quando pensiamo alle guerre ai nostri tempi, volgiamo la mente all’Iraq e all’Afghanistan. Ma la guerra più grossa è quella contro il pianeta. È una guerra con le radici in un’economia che manca di rispettare i limiti ecologici ed etici – limiti all’ineguaglianza, all’ingiustizia, all’avidità e alla concentrazione economica.

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The Age of Radical Evil
Chris Hedges | Truthdig – TRANSCEND Media Service, 21 Oct 2019

14 Oct 2019 – All life, including our own, has become expendable, sacrificed on the altar of profit in a culture of death. “Radical evil, worse than merely treating others as objects, renders vast numbers of people superfluous. They possess no value at all and when no longer of utility to the powerful, discarded as human refuse.” — Hannah Arendt

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Death, Misery and Bloodshed in Yemen
Kathy Kelly – TRANSCEND Media Service, 21 Oct 2019

16 Oct 2019 – Writing about his visit to the world’s largest weapons bazaar, held in London during October, Arron Merat describes reading this slogan emblazoned above Raytheon’s stall: “Strike with Creativity.” Raytheon manufactures Paveway laser-guided bombs, fragments of which have been found in the wreckage of schools, hospitals, and markets across Yemen. How can a weapons manufacturer that causes such death, bloodshed, and misery lay claim to creativity?

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UN’s 75th Anniversary Shadowed by Right-Wing Nationalism, Widespread Authoritarianism and Budgetary Cuts
Thalif Deen | IPS - Human Wrongs Watch, 21 Oct 2019

17 Oct 2019 – Perhaps the most politically-significant event in 2020 will be the 75th anniversary of the United Nations amidst continued threats against multilateral institutions, rising right-wing nationalism, growing authoritarianism and widespread disinformation–in the shadow of one of UN’s worst financial crises. SG Guterres warned: “The situation remains dire; without immediate action, I can no longer guarantee the smooth functioning of the Organization.”

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Dying with Dignity, Not in Isolation
Dr Ravi P Bhatia – TRANSCEND Media Service, 21 Oct 2019

Recently I read a rather uncanny report of some people in the USA getting an invitation for Death over Dinner.  Why bizarre! Normally, talking of death is considered taboo.

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Communicating Nonviolently: A Preventive Checklist
Francisco Gomes de Matos – TRANSCEND Media Service, 21 Oct 2019

Let’s always harmonize. Let’s never antagonize.
Let’s always inspire. Let’s never conspire…

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Tulsi Nails It on National TV… US Regime-Change Wars
Finian Cunningham | Strategic Culture Foundation – TRANSCEND Media Service, 21 Oct 2019

18 Oct 2019 – Peace will come to the Middle East when Washington finally ends its criminal regime-change wars and its support for terrorist proxies. Tulsi Gabbard seems to be the only politician with the intelligence and integrity to tell Americans the truth.

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Switching to Plant-Based Diet from Animal-Based Food
Robert Smith | Human Wrongs Watch – TRANSCEND Media Service, 21 Oct 2019

Hunger in the world continues to grow, as do the number people are overweight. Suboptimal diets were responsible for more deaths than any other single cause, including smoking tobacco. In addition, switching to a primarily plant-based diet from a diet that includes unhealthy animal-based food (red meat and processed meat) is good for your health and for the environment.

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The Neo-Liberal Project in the World and in Brazil Is Anti-Life and the Enemy of Nature
Leonardo Boff – TRANSCEND Media Service, 21 Oct 2019

18 Oct 2019 – I will address the reflections of one of our best philosophers, Manfredo de Oliveira, from the Federal University of Ceara, specialist in the relationship between the economy, society and ethics. His work on the topic is vast. We will summarize here a lengthy study on the project developed elsewhere, and now in Brazil: the ultra radical neo-liberalism.

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Kashmir–The Curious Case of Indian Collective Conscience
Dr Mudasir Firdosi | Countercurrents – TRANSCEND Media Service, 21 Oct 2019

19 Oct 201 9 – Kashmir has been cut off from the rest of the world for more than two months now. The perpetual worry about that ‘phone call’ has traumatized so many. One fears that people are developing traumatic stress even when not physically present in the valley. Even when people do manage a phone call after begging or borrowing, the harrowing silence on the other side says it all.

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Rohingya Refugees Agree Move to Bangladesh Island: Official
Yahoo! News | AFP – TRANSCEND Media Service, 21 Oct 2019

20 Oct 2019 – Thousands of Rohingya living in Bangladesh refugee camps have agreed to move to an island in the Bay of Bengal, officials said today, despite fears the site is prone to flooding. Dhaka has long wanted to move 100,000 refugees to the muddy silt islet, saying it would take pressure off the overcrowded border camps where almost a million Rohingya live.

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The Eurozone in Crisis? New President of the European Central Bank has a Criminal Record. Christine Lagarde
Prof Michel Chossudovsky – Global Research, 21 Oct 2019

14 Oct 2019 – Lagarde was found “guilty” without the enforcement of a one year jail term ordered by the Court: criminals in high office are given special treatment. She was accused of “negligence” rather than “complicity” in a multimillion euro fraud. In a bitter irony, Lagarde was rewarded rather than penalized. Despite her criminal record, she was appointed to lead both the IMF (2011-2019) and the ECB (2019- ).

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‘It Breaks Down Innocent People’: The Interrogation Method at Center of Ava Duvernay Lawsuit
Sam Levin – The Guardian, 21 Oct 2019

16 Oct 2019 – Police consulting firm behind widely criticized ‘Reid interrogation technique’ claims Netflix drama When They See US misrepresents method. The Central Park Five case is one of the most notorious examples of police coercing people into giving false confession. The five teens went to prison and were eventually exonerated by DNA evidence.

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(Français) Dilma Rousseff: «Néolibéralisme et néofascisme sont des jumeaux siamois»
Marc Vandepitte | Investig’Action – TRANSCEND Media Service, 21 Oct 2019

14 Oct 2019 – Parce que toutes les tentatives d’un retour au néolibéralisme par les voies démocratiques ont échoué, l’élite a fomenté un coup d’État constitutionnel. Compte rendu d’une conférence tenue le 21 septembre par Dilma Rousseff, ancienne présidente du Brésil.

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Can Flourishing Communities Fix the World?
George Kent – TRANSCEND Media Service, 21 Oct 2019

The challenge of ending global hunger can be addressed by ending hunger in local communities. This is the cellular approach to dealing with big problems. The health of the larger body is established by ensuring that its cells and the interactions among them all function well. It can be used to deal not only with hunger but also other big issues such as climate change, economics, disaster management, and peace. The approach is based on the simple fact that people are more likely to care about the well-being of people and things close to them than those far away. Caring works best at the local level.

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Johan Galtung Sings “Le Déserteur” (Music Video of the Week)
Posted by Antonio C. S. Rosa | Editor - TRANSCEND Media Service, 21 Oct 2019

Prof. Johan Vincent Galtung performing the famous anti-militaristic ode, Le Déserteur, composed by Boris Vian in 1954. The exquisite artwork is by Xiaonan. Galtung was jailed for six months at age 24 for refusing military service as a conscientious objector, unlawful at the time in Norway. This event would set in motion a lifetime of groundbreaking peace work (over 170 books in his 89 years, +++).

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Taking Next Steps toward Nuclear Abolition
Kathy Kelly – TRANSCEND Media Service, 21 Oct 2019

On April 4, 2018, several of Marianne’s close friends from the New York Catholic Worker community became part of the Kings Bay Plowshares 7 by entering the U.S. Navy Nuclear Submarine base in King’s Bay, GA and performing a traditional Plowshares action. Beginning Monday [21 Oct], they will face serious criminal charges and potentially harsh sentences for their action at Kings Bay. Marianne anxiously awaits their trial. “Why,” she asks, “isn’t there more coverage?”

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How Many Horrible Leaders!
Opinion Sur | Editorial – TRANSCEND Media Service, 21 Oct 2019

How did we get to choose so many mediocre leaders, disoriented, coopted by power, horrible in terms of ethics and their motivations, able in forcing perks for themselves and their own, very far from state-persons orientated towards general wellbeing, environment protection, pacific solutions! Perhaps democracies were born captured by those who kept control over the instruments used for colonizing minds and formatting subjectivities.

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