Articles by Common Dreams
We found 288 results.
Move Over, Peak Oil. Scientists Say ‘Peak Livestock’ Must Arrive This Decade to Limit Global Heating
Jessica Corbett | Common Dreams – TRANSCEND Media Service,
16 Dec 2019
12 Dec 2019 – “If the livestock sector were to continue with business as usual,” experts warn, “this sector alone would account for 49% of the emissions budget for 1.5°C by 2030.”
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New IUCN Report on Ocean Oxygen Loss Gives ‘Ultimate Wake-Up Call’ to Act on Climate
Andrea Germanos | Common Dreams – TRANSCEND Media Service,
9 Dec 2019
7 Dec 2019 – A new report on ocean oxygen loss released today calls for a bold action to rein in planet-warming emissions and save the world’s “suffocating seas.” “Decisions taken at the ongoing climate conference will determine whether our ocean continues to sustain a rich variety of life, or whether habitable, oxygen-rich marine areas are increasingly, progressively, and irrevocably lost.”
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Contract for the Web: Internet Inventor Tim Berners-Lee Unveils Global Plan to Battle ‘Digital Dystopia’
Jon Queally – Common Dreams,
2 Dec 2019
25 Nov 2019 – “The power of the web to transform people’s lives, enrich society and reduce inequality is one of the defining opportunities of our time. But if we don’t act now—and act together—to prevent the web being misused by those who want to exploit, divide and undermine, we are at risk of squandering that potential.”
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Bolivian Coup Comes Less Than a Week After Morales Stopped Multinational Firm’s Lithium Deal
Eoin Higgins | Common Dreams – TRANSCEND Media Service,
18 Nov 2019
11 Nov 2019 – “Bolivia’s lithium belongs to the Bolivian people. Not to multinational corporate cabals.”
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Warning of ‘Untold Human Suffering,’ Over 11,000 Scientists from Around the World Declare Climate Emergency
Julia Conley | Common Dreams – TRANSCEND Media Service,
11 Nov 2019
5 Nov 2019 – More than 11,000 scientists from 153 countries today officially declared a climate emergency and warned of “untold human suffering” if immediate bold action is not taken to stop the warming of the globe. “Scientists have a culture of reticence when it comes to making statements like this, but the emergency is rapidly accelerating, and the scientists are very clear: this is an existential emergency.”
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Brazilian Experts Warn in Open Letter to President Bolsonaro a ‘Genocide Is Underway’ against Uncontacted Tribes
Jessica Corbett – Common Dreams,
14 Oct 2019
7 Oct 2019 – In an open letter to Brazilian society and right-wing President Jair Bolsonaro, a group of experts warned that a “genocide is underway” against uncontacted tribes because of Bolsonaro’s efforts to strip away Indigenous peoples’ rights and lands and open up more of the Amazon rainforest to agribusiness and mining.
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Because ‘a World without Insects Is Not Worth Living in,’ Germany Announces Plan to Ban Glyphosate
Andrea Germanos – Common Dreams,
9 Sep 2019
4 Sep 2019 – The German government announced today a plan to phase out the use of glyphosate—the key chemical in the weedkiller Roundup—with a total ban set to begin by the end of 2023. The European Commission in 2017 renewed the license for glyphosate in the bloc through the end of 2022. The “government intends to oppose any request for the E.U. to renew the license to produce the weedkiller, according to a release by the environment ministry.”
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In Joyful Act of Resistance, Pink Seesaws Installed at US-Mexico Border Fence
Jenna McGuire – Common Dreams,
5 Aug 2019
30 Jul 2019 – Two California professors built three pink seesaws on the U.S.-Mexico border to allow families to play together and to bring “joy, excitement, and togetherness” to both sides of the divide. “We are all connected.”
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7,000+ Colleges and Universities Declare Climate Emergency and Unveil Three-Point Plan to Combat It
Jessica Corbett – Common Dreams,
15 Jul 2019
10 Jul 2019 – More than 7,000 colleges and universities across the globe declared a climate emergency today and unveiled a three-point plan to collectively commit to addressing the crisis. “We all need to work together to nurture a habitable planet for future generations and to play our part in building a greener and cleaner future for all.”
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New Report Exposes Pentagon’s Massive Contributions to Climate Crisis Post-9/11
Jessica Corbett – Common Dreams,
17 Jun 2019
12 Jun 2019 – From the 2001 launch of the so-called War on Terror to 2017, the Pentagon generated at least 1.2 billion metric tons of greenhouse gases—with annual rates exceeding countries such as Portugal or Sweden. Failing to curb the U.S. military’s fossil fuel use, Costs of War Project co-director warns, “will help guarantee the nightmare scenarios” forecast by scientists.
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‘We Are Literally Sawing Off the Branch We All Live On’: Amazon Deforestation Increasing Under Bolsonaro
Eoin Higgins – Common Dreams,
10 Jun 2019
5 Jun 2019 – Satellite images show massive deforestation in the Amazon rainforest, a grim reminder of the devastation wrought by the country’s new president, Jair Bolsonaro. “People who destroy forests feel safe and those who protect forests feel threatened.”
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Time Bombs: A Meditation on Walt Whitman’s 200th Birthday
Bill C. Davis – Common Dreams,
10 Jun 2019
31 May 2019 – Today is Walt Whitman’s 200th birthday. A friend observed it’s better he’s not seeing what’s happened to his country. He was a wound dresser during the civil war so he knew what men tend to do to each other. I suppose a war of sorts is in progress here – the enemy gets chosen not by geographical location but by a roulette wheel of sudden psychotic combatants. Background checks? First question. Are you a human being? Yes. Sorry—no gun for you.
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Why Did Bush Go to War in Iraq? The Answer Is More Sinister Than You Think
Ahsan I Butt – Common Dreams,
25 Mar 2019
20 Mar 2019 – No, it wasn’t because of WMDs, democracy or Iraqi oil. The “Ledeen Doctrine” was named after neoconservative historian Michael Ledeen. The “doctrine” states: “Every ten years or so, the United States needs to pick up some small crappy little country and throw it against the wall, just to show the world we mean business.” It may be discomfiting to Americans to say nothing of millions of Iraqis that the Bush administration spent their blood and treasure for a war inspired by the Ledeen Doctrine.
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Open Letter by Over 70 Scholars and Experts Condemns US-Backed Coup Attempt in Venezuela
Common Dreams – TRANSCEND Media Service,
28 Jan 2019
“For the sake of the Venezuelan people, the region, and for the principle of national sovereignty, these international actors should instead support negotiations between the Venezuelan government and its opponents.”
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The Problem Isn’t Robots Taking Our Jobs. It’s Oligarchs Taking Our Power
Adam Simpson – Common Dreams,
28 Jan 2019
Training for the jobs of the future keeps workers trapped as long as workers can’t shape how technology is used and who profits from it.
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Jeremy Scahill’s Top 10 Takeaways on Mattis Exit and Possible US Withdrawal from Syria and Afghanistan
Jessica Corbett – Common Dreams,
24 Dec 2018
“This is an opportunity for progressive forces to assert an alternative vision for U.S. foreign policy.”
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The Opposite of Evil Is No Longer Goodness
Frances Moore Lappé – Common Dreams,
10 Dec 2018
3 Dec 2018 – My point is simple. It’s now time to focus on courage. Goodness without courage is no longer good enough.
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‘It Is Time for Progressives of the World to Unite’: Sanders-Varoufakis Issue Open Call for New Global Movement
Common Dreams – TRANSCEND Media Service,
3 Dec 2018
30 Nov 2018 – With fascist movements on the rise and controlling the levers of power in the USA and across the world, the U.S.-based Sanders Institute and Europe’s DiEM25—the groups founded by Jane Sanders and former Greek Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis, respectively—announced the launch of Progressive International today with the goal of beating back rightwing forces with an organized “grassroots movement for global justice.”
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Here’s the Dire Climate Report the Trump White House Didn’t Want You to See
Jake Johnson – Common Dreams,
26 Nov 2018
“The decision to release this damning report when families are beginning to celebrate the holidays and newsrooms are short-staffed is a brazen attempt to bury the truth.”
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‘Dangerous Path for Democracy’ and Dire Threat to Press Freedom: Trump DOJ’s Secret Charges against WikiLeaks’ Julian Assange Revealed
Jake Johnson – Common Dreams,
19 Nov 2018
16 Nov 2018 – Free speech advocates and civil libertarians are warning that fundamental press freedoms are under threat after the Trump Justice Department accidentally revealed that secret charges have been filed against journalist Julian Assange. “The notion that the federal criminal charges could be brought based on the publication of truthful information is an incredibly dangerous precedent to set.”
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Eyeing Landmark Verdict in Roundup Cancer Case, Vietnam Demands Monsanto Be Held Liable over Agent Orange
Andrea Germanos – Common Dreams,
3 Sep 2018
“We believe Monsanto should be responsible for compensating Vietnamese victims of Agent Orange for the damages caused by the company’s herbicides.”
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‘Guilty on All Counts!’: In Historic Victory, Monsanto Ordered to Pay $289 Million in Roundup Cancer Lawsuit
Common Dreams – TRANSCEND Media Service,
13 Aug 2018
“This is a company that has always put profits ahead of public safety, and today, Monsanto has finally been held accountable.”
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Elon Musk and the Corporate Controlled Media
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. – Common Dreams,
11 Jun 2018
When Advertisers Are Calling the Shots, Don’t Call It Journalism
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As UN Approves War Crimes Probe, Human Rights Chief Rips Israel’s “Horrifying” Massacre of Palestinians
Jake Johnson – Common Dreams,
21 May 2018
18 May 2018 – “Palestinians have exactly the same human rights as Israelis do. They have the same rights to live safely in their homes, in freedom, with adequate and essential services and opportunities. All of the 1.9 million people who live in Gaza have been penned in behind fences and have suffered progressively more restrictions and greater poverty after 11 years of blockade by Israel.”
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Showing They ‘Learned Nothing’ from Iraq, War Journalists Beat Drums for Trump Attack on Syria
Jake Johnson – Common Dreams,
16 Apr 2018
“Pundits and the media are making John Bolton’s wildest dreams come true: in his first week on the job, everyone is calling for a new war.”
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As Feds Launch Probe, Users Discover ‘Horrifying’ Reach of Facebook’s Data Mining
Jake Johnson – Common Dreams,
2 Apr 2018
Facebook “had the phone number of my late grandmother who never had a Facebook account, or even an email address,” one long-time user wrote after downloading an archive of her data from the platform.
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Led by U.S. Weapons Makers, Global Arms Sales Soared in 2016: Analysis
Jessica Corbett | Common Dreams – TRANSCEND Media Service,
25 Dec 2017
With U.S. weapons companies claiming more than half of global sales, and despite five previous years of decline, arms producers around the world raked in $375 billion in profits.
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Over 15,000 Scientists Just Issued a ‘Second Notice’ to Humanity. Can We Listen Now?
Andrea Germanos – Common Dreams,
20 Nov 2017
13 Nov 2017 – Reassessing warning issued 25 years ago, the “second notice” to humanity warns of “widespread misery and catastrophic biodiversity loss” unless business-as-usual is upended.
→ read full article‘Amazing News’: Rights Groups Celebrate after Italy Bans Use of Circus Animals
Jessica Corbett – Common Dreams,
13 Nov 2017
Advocates for animal welfare praised the Italian parliament while calling on other nations, including the United States, to follow suit.
→ read full articleThree Richest Americans Now Own More Wealth than Bottom Half of US Combined: Report
Jake Johnson – Common Dreams,
13 Nov 2017
8 Nov 2017 – In the United States, the 400 richest individuals now own more wealth than the bottom 64 percent of the population and the three richest own more wealth than the bottom 50 percent, while pervasive poverty means one in five households have zero or negative net worth.
→ read full article‘Sad Day for Warmongers’ as UN Finds Iran in Total Compliance with Nuke Deal
Julia Conley – Common Dreams,
4 Sep 2017
1 Sep 2017 – On what one observer called “a sad day for warmongers,” the United Nations declared today that Iran is fully adhering to the nuclear deal reached in 2015, and that inspectors will not go looking for infractions at the request of the Trump administration.
→ read full articleWith Enormous Harvey Damage, Naomi Klein Warns against ‘Disaster Capitalism’ Redux
Julia Conley – Common Dreams,
4 Sep 2017
Now is exactly the time to speak out against free-market exploitation, says author of ‘The Shock Doctrine.’
→ read full articleCivilians Killed by US Largely Ignored as Endless Global War Continues
Jon Queally – Common Dreams,
5 Jun 2017
Borderless ‘War on Terror’ continues to claim innocent lives around the world… but pattern holds that not all victims receive equal attention. “This new flawed raid by President Trump shows the US is not capable of distinguishing a terrorist from an innocent civilian.” —Kate Higham, Reprieve
→ read full articleJoan Baez Goes Viral with ‘Nasty Man,’ a Protest Song for the Trump Era
Nika Knight – Common Dreams,
10 Apr 2017
6 Apr 2017 – Joan Baez, protest singer of the peace and civil rights movements of the 1960s, has gone viral with a protest song for today’s Trump era, called “Nasty Man.”
→ read full articleThe Predatory Presidency
Roy Eidelson – Common Dreams,
6 Mar 2017
Recent executive orders reveal the Trump White House as a ruthless predator set to prey upon the most vulnerable among us. In nature, potential prey instinctually use a wide range of strategies to ward off attacks—from camouflage to traveling in groups to alarm signals to communal defense based on strength in numbers—and they rarely succumb without a fight. Surely we must be prepared to do the same.
→ read full articleStudy Shows Massive Global Permafrost Melt Underway While Trump Mentions Climate Not Once
Nika Knight – Common Dreams,
6 Mar 2017
Research shows immense expanses of permafrost rapidly disintegrating and releasing huge carbon stores in Canada, Alaska, Scandinavia, and Siberia.
→ read full articleCapitalism Is Doomed — Without Alternatives, So Are We
Jake Johnson – Common Dreams,
24 Oct 2016
Far from loosening the leash, elites have consolidated power to an unprecedented extent, and they have used their influence to undercut democratic movements and hijack public institutions… One thing is clear: The future of capitalism and the future of the planet are intertwined.
→ read full articlePlan Colombia, Permanent War, and the NO Vote
Laura Carlsen – Common Dreams,
24 Oct 2016
The NO vote unexpectedly flipped the political situation back in favor of the rightwing hawks. This uprising could not only flip it back in favor of peace, but also create a social movement capable of going beyond the accords in terms of establishing social justice and human rights and addressing the enormous backlog of demands from below.
→ read full articlePost-9/11 Wars Have Cost Nearly $5 Trillion (and Counting): Report
Nadia Prupis – Common Dreams,
19 Sep 2016
As nation remembers 9/11 victims, report calculates cost of military response to attacks. Dr. Neta Crawford, professor of political science at Brown University, released the figures in an independent analysis of U.S. Departments of Defense, State, Homeland Security, and Veteran Affairs spending, as well as their base and projected future spending.
→ read full articleEmpire in Decline: When the Oligarchy Inherits the Wind
John Atcheson – Common Dreams,
12 Sep 2016
For going on three decades now, the Oligarchy has been turning elections into a game of “heads-I-win, tails-you-lose” in which candidates from either party represented them, and not us. Three studies reveal how completely the Oligarchy controls the process, what the consequences are in terms of policy, and why a citizen’s revolt was inevitable.
→ read full articleGlobal Surveillance Industry Database Helps Track Big Brother Worldwide
Deirdre Fulton – Common Dreams,
8 Aug 2016
“Without instruments capable of restricting transfers and shining a light on the companies and the trade, surveillance technologies developed in and traded from the West will further undermine privacy and facilitate other abuses,” says report.
→ read full articleFive Conspirators in the Eradication of the Middle Class
Paul Buchheit – Common Dreams,
25 Jul 2016
Congress: The Kingpins.
Military: The Enforcers.
Lobbyists: The Con Men.
Media: The Illusionists.
Finance: The Hitmen.
Imperial NATO: Before and After Brexit
Joseph Gerson – Common Dreams,
11 Jul 2016
Our interests and survival depend on Common Security diplomacy rather than the repeated and deadly failures of militarism. As we face the future, either/or thinking and NATO need to be left behind.
→ read full articleTrillions Spent on Violence as World Continues Downwards Spiral Away from Peace
Andrea Germanos – Common Dreams,
13 Jun 2016
The Institute for Economics and Peace shows that chipping away at trillions spent on violence could render huge ‘peace dividend’. The findings are laid out in the think tank’s latest Global Peace Index, now in its 10th edition, released Wednesday [8 Jun]. It ranks 163 states and territories based on 23 indicators covering domestic and international conflict, societal safety and security, and a country’s militarization.
→ read full articleMoney Merry-Go-Round: Emails Show How Wall Street Execs and Alums Crafted Trade Bill
Kathy Kiely – Common Dreams,
6 Jun 2016
FOIA disclosure documents chummy relationship between trade negotiator and big investment banks.
→ read full articleSix-Year Anniversary of WikiLeaks Collateral Murder: A Celebration of Free Speech – 5 April 2010
Nozomi Hayase – Common Dreams,
11 Apr 2016
Brazilian educator Paulo Freire described two types of words as two opposing forces. “Human existence cannot be silent,” he wrote. “Nor can it be nourished by false words, but only by true words, with which men transform the world” The video opened with a quote from George Orwell; “Political language is designed to make lies sound truthful and murder respectable, and to give the appearance of solidity to pure wind”.
→ read full articleCIA Photographed Detainees Naked and Bound Before Extraditing Them for Torture
Nika Knight – Common Dreams,
11 Apr 2016
‘Stripping suspects, taking humiliating photographs of them, sending them around the world into the hands of torturers: these sound like the actions of a crazed dictatorship.’
→ read full articleBeyond Panama: What the World Really Needs Is the #DelawarePapers
Nika Knight – Common Dreams,
11 Apr 2016
“The U.S. is one of the easiest places to set up an anonymous shell company to move ill-gotten gains around the world. It’s also one of the most popular places to do so for the criminal and corrupt,” writes the UK-based anti-corruption group Global Witness.
→ read full article2015: When Global Governments Trampled Human Rights in Name of National Security
Andrea Germanos – Common Dreams,
7 Mar 2016
24 Feb 2016 – Governments worldwide in 2015 capitalized on supposed national security threats to trample over human rights. That’s Amnesty International’s assessment of global human rights in its latest report.
→ read full article‘Internet of Things’ an Absolute Goldmine for Big Brother, Admits Top US Spy
Jon Queally – Common Dreams,
15 Feb 2016
DNI James Clappers acknowledges “intelligence services might use the [web-connected home devices] for identification, surveillance, monitoring, location tracking, and targeting for recruitment.”
→ read full articleIt Wasn’t only Exxon That Knew about Global Warming since the 1970s
Lauren McCauley - Common Dreams,
28 Dec 2015
New investigative reporting by Neela Banerjee with Inside Climate News revealed on Tuesday [22 Dec 2015] that scientists and engineers from nearly every major U.S. and multinational oil and gas company may have for decades known about the impacts of carbon emissions on the climate.
→ read full articleWith ‘Off-Planet’ Mining Bill, US Congress Seeks to Privatize Outer Space
Deirdre Fulton – Common Dreams,
16 Nov 2015
13 Nov 2015 – In a bipartisan bid to encourage commercial exploitation of outer space, the U.S. Senate this week unanimously passed the Space Act of 2015, which grants U.S. citizens or corporations the right to legally claim non-living natural resources—including water and minerals—mined in the final frontier.
→ read full article‘Worse Than We Thought:’ TPP a Total Corporate Power Grab Nightmare
Deirdre Fulton – Common Dreams,
9 Nov 2015
“Worse than anything we could’ve imagined.”
“An act of climate denial.”
“Giveaway to big agribusiness.”
“A death warrant for the open Internet.”
“Worst nightmare.”
“A disaster.”
Time to Stop Worshipping Economic Growth
Brent Blackwelder – Common Dreams,
9 Nov 2015
To remain within the nine planetary boundaries, nations must shed the fetish of economic growth and transition to a true-cost, steady state economy.
→ read full articleFiles in Lawsuit against CIA Stolen in ‘Disturbing’ University Break-In
Nadia Prupis – Common Dreams,
26 Oct 2015
22 Oct 2015 – University of Washington police are investigating a break-in after files from a lawsuit against the CIA were stolen. “About 90 percent of the information” was taken in the break-in. There are backups of the stolen files but the concern now is how the data might be used against rights workers in El Salvador who are involved in the lawsuit.
→ read full article‘Capitalism is Mother Earth’s Cancer’: World People’s Summit Issues 12 Demands
Deirdre Fulton – Common Dreams,
19 Oct 2015
12 Oct 2015 – Decrying capitalism as a “threat to life,” an estimated 7,000 environmentalists, farmers, and Indigenous activists from 40 countries convened in the Bolivian town of Tiquipaya for this weekend’s World People’s Conference on Climate Change.
→ read full articleFortune 500 Companies Stash $2.1 Trillion Offshore as US Taxpayers Foot the Bill
Lauren McCauley – Common Dreams,
12 Oct 2015
America’s Fortune 500 companies are “playing by different rules” when it comes to the federal tax system and, according to a new report out Tuesday [6 Oct 2015], are stashing $2.1 trillion in offshore tax havens—with as much as $620 billion owed to the U.S. taxpayers who are left footing the bill.
→ read full articleHow US Colleges Have Become Ground Zero for Suppression of Palestine Solidarity
Sarah Lazare – Common Dreams,
5 Oct 2015
Two new reports highlight the systematic intimidation, harassment, and censorship that are silencing free speech critical of Israel. The study highlights the common tactic of conflating anti-Semitism with criticism of Israel, and equating all Jews with the Israeli state, in an effort to shut down debate.
→ read full articleUruguay Shows the Way by Leaving Secret Trade Deal TiSA
Viviana Barreto and Sam Cossar-Gilbert – Common Dreams,
21 Sep 2015
17 Sep 2015 – A strong coalition of trade unions, environmentalists and farmers working together on an effective public campaign were able to take on the interests of the world’s biggest companies and win. Last week the Uruguayan government decided to end its involvement in the secret negotiations of the Trade in Services Agreement TISA, signifying an important victory in the global fight against bad trade deals.
→ read full articleThe US Military and the Myth That Humanity Is Predisposed to Violence
Maria Santelli – Common Dreams,
14 Sep 2015
There is a science of teaching soldiers to kill and it is called killology. It is the science of circumventing the conscience. In order to get an otherwise psychologically healthy individual to kill, US military training has been developed to bypass the conscience and have the act of killing – the act of firing one’s weapon with the intent to kill — become reflexive.
→ read full articleHumankind Has Halved the Number of Trees on the Planet
Andrea Germanos – Common Dreams,
7 Sep 2015
Trees ‘store huge amounts of carbon, are essential for the cycling of nutrients, for water and air quality, and for countless human services’.
→ read full articleHiroshima Cover-up: How the War Department’s Timesman Won a Pulitzer
Amy Goodman and David Goodman – Common Dreams,
3 Aug 2015
What about the “deliberate deception” of William L. Laurence in denying the lethal effects of radioactivity? And what of the fact that the Pulitzer Board knowingly awarded the top journalism prize to the Pentagon’s paid publicist, who denied the suffering of millions of Japanese? It is long overdue that the prize for Hiroshima’s apologist be stripped.
→ read full articleVaroufakis: Troika Forced Syriza [and Greece] into Choice between ‘Suicide or Execution’
Lauren McCauley – Common Dreams,
27 Jul 2015
21 Jul 2015 – Former finance minister blasts EU, saying: “No one government should ever be treated that way in the context of a club of democratic nations. The very powerful Troika of creditors were not interested in coming to a sensible, honorable mutually beneficial agreement. They were far more interested in humiliating this government and overthrowing it.”
→ read full articleWith Pope Francis at the Helm, World’s Mayors Pledge to Fight Climate Change
Nadia Prupis – Common Dreams,
27 Jul 2015
‘His Holiness did not convene us here to ratify the status quo, but in fact to upend it,’ said New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio at Vatican conference. At the Vatican on Tuesday [21 Jul 2015], mayors from around the globe pledged to fight climate change and help the world’s poor deal with the effects of a warming planet, an oath that came during a two-day conference with Pope Francis—himself a dedicated climate activist.
→ read full articlePope Francis Tells World Youth to Rise Up Against Global Capitalism
Lauren McCauley – Common Dreams,
20 Jul 2015
‘Make a mess, but then also help to tidy it up,’ Argentinian pontiff said in address to Paraguay youth.
→ read full articleLatest Guilty Pleas Prove Big Bank Criminality ‘Rampant,’ But Jail Time Non-Existent
Deirdre Fulton – Common Dreams,
1 Jun 2015
In announcing settlement, Attorney General Loretta Lynch calls the crimes ‘a brazen display of collusion’ that caused ‘pervasive harm’. First, criminality is rampant on Wall Street. Second, the era of too-big-to-jail is alive and well. Even as they beat their chests announcing how tough they are, government regulators refuse to apply to the giant banks the same rules that apply to everyone else.
→ read full articleWhy Are We in the Middle East?
Jeff Faux – Common Dreams,
25 May 2015
When pressed for more specifics, our governing class offers four rationales for this endless war:
1. Fighting terrorism
2. Containing Iran
3. Securing oil
4. Defending Israel.
‘Guilty of Embarrassing Government’: CIA Whistleblower Gets 42-Month Sentence
Lauren McCauley – Common Dreams,
18 May 2015
A federal court in Virginia sentenced former CIA officer Jeffrey Sterling to three and a half years in prison on Monday [11 May 2015] in a case that has received widespread condemnation for revealing the “rank hypocrisy” of the U.S. government’s war on whistleblowers, as it stands in stark contrast to leniency granted to former CIA director General David Petraeus.
→ read full articleObama’s Gulf Meeting Protocol: Shake Hands, Smile, Ignore Repression, Repeat
Medea Benjamin & Nalini Ramachandran – Common Dreams,
18 May 2015
One could rattle off a plethora of Saudi abuses, yet the biggest question remains: Why does the US, the alleged beacon of liberty and freedom, maintain such close ties with such an oppressive regime?
→ read full articleThe Five-Step Process to Privatize Everything
Paul Buchheit – Common Dreams,
11 May 2015
At the heart of privatization is a disdain for government and a distrust of society, and a mindless individualism that leaves little room for cooperation. Adherents of privatization demand ‘freedom’ unless they need the government to intervene on their behalf. These privatizers have a system.
→ read full articleSecretive and Seedy: How Aid Donors are Opening the Agribusiness Flood Gates
Ian Fitzpatrick - Common Dreams,
30 Mar 2015
When big agribusiness [Syngenta] teams up with international aid organizations [Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, US Agency for International Development] to corner the market on seeds, everyone loses. To give it a more succinct description, this is a meeting where corporations will discuss how to increase their control of the global seed sector.
→ read full articleSolidarity Not Fear: World Social Forum Opens in Tunisia
Sarah Lazare – Common Dreams,
30 Mar 2015
Tens of thousands of people marched in the pouring rain through Tunisia’s capital on Tuesday [24 Mar 2015] to kick off the 14th World Social Forum and bring the message of peace and solidarity to the site of last week’s deadly attack on the National Bardo Museum.
→ read full articleGlyphosate, Favored Chemical of Monsanto & Dow, Declared ‘Probable’ Source of Cancer for Humans: WHO
Jon Queally – Common Dreams,
30 Mar 2015
World’s most widely used herbicide ingredient shown to cause variety of cancers by research arm of World Health Organization.”This increasingly dangerous pesticide treadmill calls into question the logic of genetically engineered herbicide technologies that rapidly lose their utility to farmers and put human health at risk.”
→ read full articleBeware of the Corporate GMO Spin Doctors
Wenonah Hauter – Common Dreams,
23 Mar 2015
Just because the industry has launched a charm offensive in the media when it comes to GMOs doesn’t change the basic facts: GMOs are largely untested, and their long-term effects on our health and our planet are still unknown.
→ read full articleFossil Fuel Divestment Movement Pledges Nonviolent Direct Action
Allyson Gross, Miles Goodrich – Common Dreams,
9 Mar 2015
Just as in the struggles against the Vietnam War, for a living wage, and for divestment from apartheid, our movement is powerful because we have risen up together.
→ read full articleIran President: World ‘Too Intelligent’ To Be Fooled by Netanyahu’s ‘War-Mongering’
Jon Queally - Common Dreams,
9 Mar 2015
Hassan Rouhani presses for optimism amid ongoing nuclear talks, but offers sharp retort to Israel’s prime minister.
→ read full articleUS Offering Its ‘Assistance’ to Push GMOs on Africa: Report
Andrea Germanos – Common Dreams,
2 Mar 2015
U.S. is ‘assisting African nations to produce biosafety laws that promote agribusiness interests instead of protecting Africans.’
→ read full articleReading the Greek Deal Correctly
James K. Galbraith – Common Dreams,
2 Mar 2015
Alexis Tsipras stated it correctly. Greece won a battle and the war continues. But the political sea-change that SYRIZA’s victory has sparked goes on. Greece has already changed; there is a spirit and dignity in Athens that was not there six months ago. Soon enough, new fronts will open in Spain, then perhaps Ireland, and later Portugal, all of which have elections coming.
→ read full articleCyber-Security Firm: NSA-Linked Spyware Found in Hard Drives Worldwide
Lauren McCauley – Common Dreams,
2 Mar 2015
The targets included government and military institutions, telecommunication companies, banks, energy companies, nuclear researchers, media, and Islamic activists. They said the Equation Group “worm” was closely linked to Stuxnet, the cyberweapon the U.S. used to attack Iran’s uranium enrichment facility.
→ read full articleUSA: Accused of ‘Terrorism,’ Animal Rights Activists Head to Federal Court
Deirdre Fulton – Common Dreams,
23 Feb 2015
“The profits of these industries depend not only on keeping animals inside cages but, more significantly, on keeping the idea of animal rights marginalized.” — Rachel Meeropol, Center for Constitutional Rights
→ read full articleThe Fiery Cage and the Lynching Tree, Brutality’s Never Far Away
Bill Moyers – Common Dreams,
9 Feb 2015
Sure enough, there it was: the charred corpse of a young black man, tied to a blistered tree in the heart of the Texas Bible Belt. Next to the burned body, young white men can be seen smiling and grinning, seemingly jubilant at their front-row seats in a carnival of death.
→ read full articleMonsanto Crops Pushing Monarch Butterfly to ‘Verge of Extinction’
Deirdre Fulton – Common Dreams,
9 Feb 2015
Herbicide-resistant genetically modified crops have brought the iconic monarch butterfly to the brink of extinction, according to a new report presented by the Center for Food Safety to Congress on Thursday [5 Feb 2015].
→ read full articleFive Years After: Long Live Howard Zinn
Bill Bigelow – Common Dreams,
2 Feb 2015
Today—Jan. 27, 2015—marks five years since the death of the great historian and activist Howard Zinn, best known, of course, for his beloved ‘A People’s History of the United States,’ arguably the most influential U.S. history textbook in print. Immediately following Zinn’s death, the writer and activist Naomi Klein said, “We just lost our favorite teacher.”
→ read full articleNoam Chomsky: Obama’s Drone Program ‘The Most Extreme Terrorist Campaign of Modern Times’
Andrea Germanos – Common Dreams,
26 Jan 2015
19 Jan 29015 – World-renowned linguist and scholar Noam Chomsky has criticized what he sees as Western hypocrisy following the recent terror attacks in Paris and the idea that there are two kinds of terrorism: “theirs versus ours.”
→ read full articleIn ‘Epic’ Chase, Sea Shepherd Vows to Pursue Poachers to ‘Ends of the Earth’
Deirdre Fulton – Common Dreams,
12 Jan 2015
9 Jan 2015 – The dramatic chase, which has gone on for 22 days, is thought to be the world’s longest pursuit of an illegal fishing vessel. Sea Shepherd’s sister ship, the Sam Simon, retrieved what it described as a “monster” gillnet more than 30 miles long.
→ read full articleFear of Government Spying ‘Chilling’ Writers’ Speech Worldwide
Lauren McCauley – Common Dreams,
12 Jan 2015
‘If writers avoid exploring topics for fear of possible retribution, the material available to readers—particularly those seeking to understand the most controversial and challenging issues facing the world today—may be greatly impoverished.’
→ read full articlePaving Path towards Climate Goal, Denmark Sets World Record for Wind Power
Andrea Germanos – Common Dreams,
12 Jan 2015
‘It shows that we can reach our ultimate goal, namely to stop global warming,’ said climate minister.
→ read full articleEight Stellar Surveillance Scoops: 2014 in Review
Dave Maass - Common Dreams,
29 Dec 2014
Oversight boards and congressional subcommittees can occasionally be effective, but nothing keeps the government in check like investigative reporting. Here are eight stories about surveillance that made our jaws drop this year.
→ read full articleVenezuela’s Maduro: ‘US Knows Where It Can Stick Up Its Sanctions’
Andrea Germanos – Common Dreams,
22 Dec 2014
Speaking at rally to commemorate constitution anniversary, Maduro also calls for investigation of ‘imperialist nations which have bombed Libya, Iraq and Syria’
→ read full articleWhat Makes Nonviolent Movements Explode?
Mark Engler and Paul Engler – Common Dreams,
15 Dec 2014
Why are some protests ignored and forgotten while others explode, dominating the news cycle for weeks and becoming touchstones in political life? For all of those seeking to promote change, this is a critical question. And it was a particularly pressing concern after the financial meltdown of 2008.
→ read full articleAt Home and Abroad, UN Report Details Abysmal US Record of Abuse
Jon Queally – Common Dreams,
1 Dec 2014
Torture, indefinite detention, excessive force, and systematic discrimination and mistreatment have become part of the nation’s modern legacy.
→ read full articleJournalist Risen: ‘Mercenary Class’ Now Permanent Fixture in National Security State
Andrea Germanos – Common Dreams,
27 Oct 2014
Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times journalist James Risen said Sunday [19 Oct 2014] that the secretive and multi-billion dollar war on terror has sparked an entire “mercenary class that feeds off unending war.”
→ read full articleThe Top 1% Own Half of Global Wealth
Jon Queally – Common Dreams,
20 Oct 2014
While wealthiest top one percent own nearly fifty percent of all world’s assets, the entire bottom half of the global population hold less than one percent of the wealth, new financial analysis shows.
→ read full articleWhy We Should Be Seething with Anger over Inequality
Paul Buchheit – Common Dreams,
20 Oct 2014
Each of nine individuals (Gates, Buffett, 2 Kochs, 4 Waltons, Zuckerberg) made, on average, so much from his/her investments since January, 2013 that a median American worker would need a quarter of a million years to catch up. For the most part it was passive income, new wealth derived from the continuing productivity of America’s workers.
→ read full articlePoking Russia with a Stick? NATO Approves Military “Spearhead” for Eastern Europe
Jon Queally – Common Dreams,
15 Sep 2014
Despite warnings from Russia that such a move would be interpreted as a provocation, a plan to deploy thousands of additional US and European troops closer to its border will now become a reality.
→ read full articleUkraine Conflict: Red Meat for Anemic NATO Alliance
Medea Benjamin – Common Dreams,
15 Sep 2014
For the past six months, fighting between the Moscow-backed eastern Ukrainian resistance and the NATO-backed nationalists has led to thousands dead and hundreds of thousands displaced. Instead of seeking to reduce tensions, British Prime Minister David Cameron used the Summit to announce the creation of a new rapid-reaction force of 4,000 troops.
→ read full article(Português) Naomi Klein: Nosso modelo econômico está em guerra com a vida na Terra
Jon Queally - Common Dreams,
18 Aug 2014
As mudanças climáticas têm muito mais a ver com capitalismo do que com carbono: é nosso modelo de consumo que está nos levando à destruição do planeta.
→ read full articleWikiLeaks Defies Australian Court’s ‘Blanket Censorship Order’ by Publishing It
Nadia Prupis – Common Dreams,
4 Aug 2014
WikiLeaks has revealed a secret court order in Australia to censor reporting on a massive, years-long political bribery and corruption scandal in the country involving its central bank and several international leaders. Founder Julian Assange says unprecedented government gag order is ‘blindfolding the Australian public’.
→ read full articleSweetheart Deal among Mafiosi: Citigroup to Pay $7 Billion for Its “Egregious Misconduct”
Andrea Germanos – Common Dreams,
21 Jul 2014
Banking giant sold “toxic financial products,” reaped profits; critics say it now gets a “sweetheart immunity deal.”
→ read full articleThreatening Whales and Planet, US Opens Up Offshore Oil Exploration
Lauren McCauley – Common Dreams,
21 Jul 2014
The Obama administration on Friday [18 Jul 2014] gave the greenlight for fossil fuel companies to begin exploring for oil in the waters off the east coast of the U.S., a move said to have a dire consequences for marine life in the short term and on our global climate for years to come.
→ read full article