tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-957389702177313542024-03-17T04:15:26.176-07:00Went 2 the BridgeOrganizing and actions to resist the moral, environmental and financial bankrupting of the U.S. through wars against the poor, at home and abroad.Lisa Savagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06319699936783253064noreply@blogger.comBlogger1245125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-95738970217731354.post-64448638898389747342024-03-17T04:02:00.000-07:002024-03-17T04:14:54.466-07:00 Grab Bag Of News Your Government Does Not Want You To Know About<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixQmlCsRjlMxmwv1e6qYj4IKBLxKUah4ish7F_KDOnzDX7FN91-5DlMMHyleo852eJeees6Kft-WVi_bkCLIaWIWp1ViCDqSUZ7gNdQtqxWtg0RRWm7nN0_qGbr445HwFTlHEpO7ZCZcCbDeQkn1TzsvGRXf_DGAn_TnCU9Lkt1t-mw3iAMf-vnb9l4BU/s706/Screenshot%202024-03-17%20063518.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="706" data-original-width="704" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixQmlCsRjlMxmwv1e6qYj4IKBLxKUah4ish7F_KDOnzDX7FN91-5DlMMHyleo852eJeees6Kft-WVi_bkCLIaWIWp1ViCDqSUZ7gNdQtqxWtg0RRWm7nN0_qGbr445HwFTlHEpO7ZCZcCbDeQkn1TzsvGRXf_DGAn_TnCU9Lkt1t-mw3iAMf-vnb9l4BU/w638-h640/Screenshot%202024-03-17%20063518.png" width="638" /></a></div><i><span style="font-family: georgia;"><p><i><span style="font-family: georgia;">A reminder that resistance to Israel's war on Gaza did not start on October 7, 2023.</span></i></p></span></i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia;">As I prepared to share documented resistance to Israel's genocide in Gaza I paused for Glenn Greenwald's <a href="https://rumble.com/v4j9vyc-system-update-show-242.html" target="_blank">explanation</a> of why banning TikTok is suddenly a burning issue for Congress and the Biden administration. He notes corporate media reporting that October 7 was a game-changer:</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span></span></p><blockquote><span style="font-family: georgia;">The proposal gained momentum partly as a consequence of disquiet over the app’s handling of misinformation[sic] and antisemitic[sic] content following Hamas’s attack on Israel in October (UK capitalism rag The Economist on March 24).</span></blockquote><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">On the other side of the pond, U.S. capitalism rag The Wall Street Journal said an analysis of TikTok data revealed:</span></p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><p></p><blockquote>far more views for videos with pro-Palestinian hashtags than those with pro-Israel hashtags..at times [the ratio of pro-Palestine to pro-Israel views] ran 69 to 1 (March 12)</blockquote><p></p></span><span style="font-family: georgia;"><p> Greenwald humorously added: "<span style="background-color: white;">Remember when Nikki Haley said..that for every 18 minutes—or whatever it was—that you spend on TikTok, you become 32% more anti-Semitic?"</span></p></span><p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia;">I did not remember that, but I would love to think that for every 18 minutes you spend reading this blog you become 32% more aware of resistance actions that corporate media has conspired to make invisible. Who knows, maybe you will even become 90% more likely to engage in resistance yourself!</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdCvhpGGtluKd-s58XmlZi3BMK6BXhALg0nEffU8lwMyM4090-GSdRj94JYckGw0IdFS4MSvzjlP8h2bf7A8qt_GnGQ6QSMluG7CefRlAIbHTQAhRV4gUhqRR-7_5GMyTCoawsqzuPacAN1BQtJoQStTaYJCIrz_vVbJQ9hGoUrw3-W3EZVyWt14HC6IE/s772/Screenshot%202024-03-17%20054005.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="772" data-original-width="621" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdCvhpGGtluKd-s58XmlZi3BMK6BXhALg0nEffU8lwMyM4090-GSdRj94JYckGw0IdFS4MSvzjlP8h2bf7A8qt_GnGQ6QSMluG7CefRlAIbHTQAhRV4gUhqRR-7_5GMyTCoawsqzuPacAN1BQtJoQStTaYJCIrz_vVbJQ9hGoUrw3-W3EZVyWt14HC6IE/w514-h640/Screenshot%202024-03-17%20054005.png" width="514" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia;"><i><a href="https://twitter.com/OnlinePalEng/status/1768967756060229948">https://twitter.com/OnlinePalEng/status/1768967756060229948</a></i></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia;">This is the kind of success hard blockers dream of: materially disrupting the operations of a factory where they make the bombs dropped on Gaza. You have to get up early to do this sort of thing. Which makes for beautiful pictures once the sun comes up.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVF7F3l5XlR1Eo3-Ld_N1Kf9DHyfQ6-nSv6FmaOTIVu9I3P0Vd-Yrq2We0DLLiZClFwL8jGgnAkkKASa9ecTkDVAMNufqBAJoMw40ke0wa1ESDbyTnaz07t1FdcKcOefN3BbcyibmsT5uziuLHzjUwDRxZA7TQkZgqEMPkY9AW3EaTczX3Gw_-dC529Bk/s800/mar-11-palestine-protest.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="800" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVF7F3l5XlR1Eo3-Ld_N1Kf9DHyfQ6-nSv6FmaOTIVu9I3P0Vd-Yrq2We0DLLiZClFwL8jGgnAkkKASa9ecTkDVAMNufqBAJoMw40ke0wa1ESDbyTnaz07t1FdcKcOefN3BbcyibmsT5uziuLHzjUwDRxZA7TQkZgqEMPkY9AW3EaTczX3Gw_-dC529Bk/w640-h360/mar-11-palestine-protest.jpg" width="640" /></a></div></span><em style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">"Nine young supporters of Palestine chain themselves together and block I-95 in Richmond." Photo and caption by Phil Wilayto, <a href="https://virginiadefender.org/2024/03/12/richmond-highway-blockade-ups-the-ante-in-support-for-palestine/" target="_blank">Virginia Defender</a></span></em><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><em style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"><br /></em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia;">Above is a close look at a different lockdown in progress, this one to shut down Interstate-95 in Virginia. Ten people were arrested and released after <a href="https://virginiadefender.org/2024/03/12/richmond-highway-blockade-ups-the-ante-in-support-for-palestine/" target="_blank">experiencing violence</a> from Virginia State Police. NPR, local t.v. news and a local newspaper covered the action. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia;">Why block I-95 for Gaza? I wanted to answer this common question by showing you the many war profiteers in Virginia using the interactive map created by Christian Sorensen for <a href="https://thebusinessofwar.substack.com/p/mapping-the-business-of-war" target="_blank">The Business of War</a>, but guess what:</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisrjP8HvjGCupJN7tWEbP1AjCO3ziUAaaik_wA5_T4aMEUKpEdjbm7cqTGWUZUxReN998q7-CWJ6Aw4ZpgwN5utGTpukCpi9ci-wxS3EcQU90yM6OPAZE3Fe98kE0QbmwOeO9vEEHvAhyphenhyphenB9sHBopZzK5sW7q6ckvrqxIGuh8Ruxhq5G0dGnRWAz0KipTA/s933/Screenshot%202024-03-17%20063909.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="548" data-original-width="933" height="376" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisrjP8HvjGCupJN7tWEbP1AjCO3ziUAaaik_wA5_T4aMEUKpEdjbm7cqTGWUZUxReN998q7-CWJ6Aw4ZpgwN5utGTpukCpi9ci-wxS3EcQU90yM6OPAZE3Fe98kE0QbmwOeO9vEEHvAhyphenhyphenB9sHBopZzK5sW7q6ckvrqxIGuh8Ruxhq5G0dGnRWAz0KipTA/w640-h376/Screenshot%202024-03-17%20063909.png" width="640" /></a></div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div>Sorenson notes: "<span style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgb(59 130 246 / 0.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; background-color: white; color: #363737;">There is nothing dangerous or illegal about taking public, official information (from military contracting announcements, corporate press releases, and corporate job postings) and transferring it to a map."</span></span><br /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div></div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia;">Don't feel up to locking down? Soft blocks using just our bodies probably can't shut down a weapons factory until our numbers are in the thousands, but they can force those ignoring their country's role in funding genocide to pay attention.</span><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNNeB72LrC-kdA7YLXkcqi8ygaSe8J7XBMZIF1Ixoih1rrElzNN2UzYPxOwgOB-i_IHXprGfVzmPPSz1BWLcyD_kmP7i_wIIdTmS7Qp3td40l6T-cSZm6iuSXgWDqGx2RbSELmzfeAy9gVXttdRU-TK5zoOzNmtVLdRGv06ZDu0L_pEBEhQpjWkM_iSbk/s799/Screenshot%202024-03-17%20055715.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="448" data-original-width="799" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNNeB72LrC-kdA7YLXkcqi8ygaSe8J7XBMZIF1Ixoih1rrElzNN2UzYPxOwgOB-i_IHXprGfVzmPPSz1BWLcyD_kmP7i_wIIdTmS7Qp3td40l6T-cSZm6iuSXgWDqGx2RbSELmzfeAy9gVXttdRU-TK5zoOzNmtVLdRGv06ZDu0L_pEBEhQpjWkM_iSbk/w640-h358/Screenshot%202024-03-17%20055715.png" width="640" /></a></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><a href="https://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/news/protesters-calling-for-gaza-ceasefire-demonstrate-at-san-francisco-airport/ar-BB1jPQDv"><i>https://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/news/protesters-calling-for-gaza-ceasefire-demonstrate-at-san-francisco-airport/ar-BB1jPQDv</i></a><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #2b2b2b;"><blockquote>Organizer Joshua Caldwell said about 300 protesters gathered at [San Francisco] airport's International Terminal at 8 a.m. They blocked traffic outside and security lanes inside and held up banners and signs calling for an end to the bombing campaign that the United Nations says has claimed more than 30,000 lives.. nobody was arrested </blockquote></span></div><br />Wait, did I read that right -- zero arrests? This is becoming a common tactic for suppressing information about resistance actions. (<a href="https://theintercept.com/2024/02/08/facebook-instagram-censor-zionist-israel/" target="_blank">Throttling social media</a> is another.) This action got a fair amount of mainstream media coverage anyway because SFO is a big international airport. <a href="https://went2thebridge.substack.com/p/zero-lamestream-media-coverage-as" target="_blank">Other protests</a> that involve blocking streets? Not so much.</span></div><div><br /></div><div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia;">Even soft blocks take physical stamina and solidarity planning. What if you're just a kid? Or elderly and infirm or can't afford time off or to lose your job? Do what you can, where you can, inspired by these Girl Scouts! From <a href="https://mondoweiss.net/2024/03/girl-scouts-tells-troop-to-shut-down-gaza-fundraiser/?ml_recipient=115879542846915924&ml_link=115879419152697331&utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_term=2024-03-15&utm_campaign=Catch-up" target="_blank">Mondoweiss</a>:</span><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia;"></span></div><blockquote><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><p style="background-color: white; border: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 1.65em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">A Girl Scout Troop in Missouri recently broke away from the organization after it made legal threats against the group.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; border: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 1.65em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">For the Girl Scouts’ “Agents of Change” capstone project, a St. Louis county troop decided to make and sell bracelets to raise money for children in Gaza. The Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri said the move was “political” and instructed them to shut down the fundraiser..</span></p><p style="background-color: white; border: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 1.65em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Despite breaking away from the Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri, the group is staying together, and their bracelet campaign has continued.</span></p></div></blockquote><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">It would take me the rest of the day to share all the resistance actions I'm aware of, and I don't even go on TikTok. Here's one from my inbox, spotted in tiny Blue Hill, Maine this weekend:</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYiV4B8HNSr9fxP51wcRavRLacp8tuAOK9tiMX1_lr4_oSftfr0D5YjTroHHfVg5SMF2Wo5hSS9wHPMoadhyphenhyphenaZhQswIevn2e4oa63I105FqZ_cZvsX_c1M1UBHGX7zayFWdCz00Fn5u8oT7UwYfVAKnT1kDV7WSj_nYRktEUn4fJRuE1h0k4fRL1yUpAc/s640/23ee5e63-ba18-4513-989e-a1ba7ebe9a59.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="427" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYiV4B8HNSr9fxP51wcRavRLacp8tuAOK9tiMX1_lr4_oSftfr0D5YjTroHHfVg5SMF2Wo5hSS9wHPMoadhyphenhyphenaZhQswIevn2e4oa63I105FqZ_cZvsX_c1M1UBHGX7zayFWdCz00Fn5u8oT7UwYfVAKnT1kDV7WSj_nYRktEUn4fJRuE1h0k4fRL1yUpAc/w428-h640/23ee5e63-ba18-4513-989e-a1ba7ebe9a59.jpg" width="428" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Want to protest at an intersection where thousands will see you? Join us in Rockland, Maine next weekend!</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT7Gg1J7uN5iTse_4-DwCf5MPfiKJXxwaJhNrOYvCFGOMAz93XyiiX3FU4Yn14I9T37LyDYQpn8VIaVq-mly8H8fjl03xnJsoZvjhAlfdAUpquFGc7s33yy6ijMXiWwznKcjg8oRJPcfEaWl1R8qzDI91OomwRWMdQWKh8ryRKkVcTHQnwSvtJd7Uq1b8/s1080/Untitled%20(11)%20(1).png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT7Gg1J7uN5iTse_4-DwCf5MPfiKJXxwaJhNrOYvCFGOMAz93XyiiX3FU4Yn14I9T37LyDYQpn8VIaVq-mly8H8fjl03xnJsoZvjhAlfdAUpquFGc7s33yy6ijMXiWwznKcjg8oRJPcfEaWl1R8qzDI91OomwRWMdQWKh8ryRKkVcTHQnwSvtJd7Uq1b8/w640-h640/Untitled%20(11)%20(1).png" width="640" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">And if any of this inspires you to join in, let me hear from you!</span></div><p></p><div><p></p></div></div></div>Lisa Savagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06319699936783253064noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-95738970217731354.post-13935387390801407122024-03-14T08:51:00.000-07:002024-03-14T08:51:30.070-07:00Maine Jews For Palestine Turn Out To Educate Concert-Goers (& About A Zillion Cops)<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb0CJwUCj3kRUlt1_IPVS_X3ECQL6QsKPyw711LW7gksSGU5vW0rxdVhFDfdLpufKPdKzRYO7C3HuknovDgQY1wNDDLueaWmAnGO6FwkduaoQC7KpbozAf1I_YnIv3WwHdEr0uwMm7470mYuPhz3E7pc4hEzsnsGIZLH_XnafL6x-gfTsA2b8ZjeQZLOA/s2048/signal-2024-03-13-211046.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb0CJwUCj3kRUlt1_IPVS_X3ECQL6QsKPyw711LW7gksSGU5vW0rxdVhFDfdLpufKPdKzRYO7C3HuknovDgQY1wNDDLueaWmAnGO6FwkduaoQC7KpbozAf1I_YnIv3WwHdEr0uwMm7470mYuPhz3E7pc4hEzsnsGIZLH_XnafL6x-gfTsA2b8ZjeQZLOA/w480-h640/signal-2024-03-13-211046.jpeg" width="480" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></p>Okay, a zillion is an exaggeration. But more than one person pointed out that last night would have been the perfect time to do a crime in Portland, Maine because every possible cop was at the <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C4eXwrsrSE_/" target="_blank">entirely non-violent protest</a> of a pro-Israel concert at the State Theater. I couldn't ever capture them all in one photo but here's a sampling. There were also vehicles full of cops parked around the intersection.</span><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqZdeGHbI1oGDm2u2UCAQek00BElENsjRF1nYdOvL35lY6cO2IvMTf3oAXP0oOt9ZYmoclSJKIP9zLhyphenhypheniZbtNj9LfXc5NaGZEgiRBnRD7TNTSthLFQbbv88NkFsDN-XNTVSigasFa-yHWjmag0ag8Cw-8ou_ZnELgW8y2n7m_B32ozPLZ0U4mQgG8FQ9k/s1896/IMG_3618.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black;"><img border="0" data-original-height="678" data-original-width="1896" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqZdeGHbI1oGDm2u2UCAQek00BElENsjRF1nYdOvL35lY6cO2IvMTf3oAXP0oOt9ZYmoclSJKIP9zLhyphenhypheniZbtNj9LfXc5NaGZEgiRBnRD7TNTSthLFQbbv88NkFsDN-XNTVSigasFa-yHWjmag0ag8Cw-8ou_ZnELgW8y2n7m_B32ozPLZ0U4mQgG8FQ9k/w640-h228/IMG_3618.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Per DSA's newsletter yesterday:</span></p><blockquote><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="background-color: white;">after receiving over a thousand letters asking them to cancel tonight's performance by Zionist and quintessentially wack rapper Matisyahu, management at the State Theater has failed to even respond. Matisyahu, who regularly brings out Israeli flags and praises the IDF while performing, has already had multiple shows canceled, but the State has failed to follow suit and deplatform this hateful zero-hit-wonder..</span></span></p></blockquote><blockquote><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="background-color: white;">Join us as we..make sure attendees are well aware of the pro-genocide views of the guy they're about to see, which they will have to reckon with as they listen a guy that, even outside of his views, makes music that is frankly bad to the point of parody.</span></span></p></blockquote><p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieOfr-0V2RMIWfvV679EUIowKB5uFxbZbbXAXc7W8LgYpRJGKLpMzra_nFncB1c7PkFoHpNQ76smBS6yU8LM3oPfBgveuOtR3an665kvkiwW-Sakk7Jc-qu7WfyElaILQe3rAm2LrWnw8Qp8ZRl0OEdwsVCDnu1Oa-d_S9BqdQtpPe-0GjxmagL0s9h_Q/s2016/IMG_3645.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1512" data-original-width="2016" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieOfr-0V2RMIWfvV679EUIowKB5uFxbZbbXAXc7W8LgYpRJGKLpMzra_nFncB1c7PkFoHpNQ76smBS6yU8LM3oPfBgveuOtR3an665kvkiwW-Sakk7Jc-qu7WfyElaILQe3rAm2LrWnw8Qp8ZRl0OEdwsVCDnu1Oa-d_S9BqdQtpPe-0GjxmagL0s9h_Q/w640-h480/IMG_3645.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">There were many good signs and banners used in last night's protest, and this was one of my favorites.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">The performer is a worthy target to boycott. Among his many public statements on Israel and its ongoing genocide in Gaza, he was quoted in <a href="https://m.sevendaysvt.com/music/pro-palestinian-groups-musicians-urge-higher-ground-to-cancel-matisyahu-show-40427093" target="_blank">this article</a> about other musicians urging a boycott:</span></p><div style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span></div><blockquote><div style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">"So I performed for the [Israel Defense Forces] soldiers. Does that make me racist, because I support the country of Israel?"</span></div><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="background-color: white;">Matisyahu posted a video to his Instagram in January, showing him performing for the IDF's Golani Brigade as they prepared to invade Gaza.</span><br style="background-color: white; max-width: 100%;" /><br style="background-color: white; max-width: 100%;" /><span style="background-color: white;">"Good luck to my boys[sic] headed north," he posted. "It was an honor to breathe the same air as you tonight.</span></span></p></blockquote><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="background-color: white;"></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">BDS is a strategy to bring economic pressure to bear on Israel and its supporters. So, the news that at least one concert-goer turned away last night after learning about the political views expressed by the performer was welcome, indeed. (And attendance seemed very small compared with crowds I've previously seen lined up to attend concerts at the State Theatre in the past.) From <a href="https://www.wmtw.com/article/maine-jews-for-palestine-protest-concert-at-state-theater/60194118" target="_blank">WMTW's coverage</a>:</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 24px; padding-left: 0px;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span></p><blockquote><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 24px; padding-left: 0px;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Mara Presti was going to the concert, but when she saw the protest and researched what the artist believed in, she changed her mind.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 24px; padding-left: 0px;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">"We can't stand behind that," Presti said. "If he was truly all about peace then we could be there in earnestness, but given his stance, we can't."</span></p></blockquote><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 24px; padding-left: 0px;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Tonight should be interesting in Burlington, Vermont where <a href="https://highergroundmusic.com" target="_blank">another venue</a> has refused to cancel a Matisyahu show despite hundreds of messages requesting that they do so. You may recall that in Burlington last Thanksgiving weekend three Palestinian college students wearing keffiyeh and chatting in Arabic were <a href="https://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/story/news/local/vermont/2023/12/04/palestinian-college-student-shot-burlington-vermont-gofundme-hisham-awartani/71805818007/" target="_blank">shot down in the street</a>. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj82OtpvpgqiStHwREqCLZj5G3Rad2lolSEFVLcUT2SdaZZWXZJJrot2wXxm7JTW9tDIxSti3MCFZSrGdT-cbHWF1L45SGsUfksauzwe7kDJohs5ROvMPYY6FWjf7kqZwAE2_HXw83XXulSy_K1_7nbYacapHq7RhGIl9eKgx5tdY4fgziTPL3PbUc0TqQ/s800/71715830007-afp-344-z-4-rd.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj82OtpvpgqiStHwREqCLZj5G3Rad2lolSEFVLcUT2SdaZZWXZJJrot2wXxm7JTW9tDIxSti3MCFZSrGdT-cbHWF1L45SGsUfksauzwe7kDJohs5ROvMPYY6FWjf7kqZwAE2_HXw83XXulSy_K1_7nbYacapHq7RhGIl9eKgx5tdY4fgziTPL3PbUc0TqQ/w480-h640/71715830007-afp-344-z-4-rd.jpg" width="480" /></span></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Hisham Awartani (on the right) remains paralyzed from the neck down from his injury, incurred while walking to his grandmother's house for dinner. His childhood friends accompanying him, Kinnan Abdalhamid and Tahseen Ali Ahmad, were also injured in the attack by local resident Jason J. Eaton.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">I have family duties or I'd be tempted to travel to Burlington myself today, which is not all that far from Maine. I'm confident there will be a huge turnout even without me. Stay tuned!</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></p><p> </p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #505050;"></span></span></p>Lisa Savagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06319699936783253064noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-95738970217731354.post-77727730932829153132024-03-08T09:29:00.000-08:002024-03-08T09:29:25.538-08:00State Of The False Dichotomy Address Is A New Low, Even For Biden<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8g7EUh9SLU6oCH2TABnshLWPcXkwqIM38AKEOp5U-kGmT1R7TpvpNixKvphYX-L1tMg_oEpVAOUDQf4DQ8bVgwTjmF7uJ_QjcUFbPVPeWOvlPdK1Z1RlLicIugEi3EP6mIM4cf3io5QC7ZMQKS_9R4OgZTQCyYunyE4bl1BQM-y1w_sTj6eABXUR4VYk/s720/insects%20take%20over.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="720" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8g7EUh9SLU6oCH2TABnshLWPcXkwqIM38AKEOp5U-kGmT1R7TpvpNixKvphYX-L1tMg_oEpVAOUDQf4DQ8bVgwTjmF7uJ_QjcUFbPVPeWOvlPdK1Z1RlLicIugEi3EP6mIM4cf3io5QC7ZMQKS_9R4OgZTQCyYunyE4bl1BQM-y1w_sTj6eABXUR4VYk/w640-h480/insects%20take%20over.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: georgia;">I'm old enough to remember when the State of the Union address was not a stump speech, not a mud slinging session, but made sitting presidents look like wise elder statesmen even if they were actually no such thing.</span><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">Joe Biden got the elder part down last night, but his use of the bully pulpit to fulminate against the boogey man who could not be named except as an existential threat to democracy was just embarrassing. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">Then there were the outright lies. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">I'll list some of them here paired with links refuting them.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="letter-spacing: 0.5px;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b>"In fact, there are no American soldiers at war in Ukraine."</b></span></span></div><div><span style="letter-spacing: 0.5px;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.5px;"><a href="https://www.newsweek.com/us-intelligence-pentagon-leaks-american-us-troops-ukraine-jack-teixeira-1794405">https://www.newsweek.com/us-intelligence-pentagon-leaks-american-us-troops-ukraine-jack-teixeira-1794405</a></span></span></div><div><span style="letter-spacing: 0.5px;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b><span style="letter-spacing: 0.5px;">"</span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.5px;">NATO the military alliance of democratic nations created after World War II to prevent war and keep the peace...</span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.5px;">welcome to NATO, the strongest military alliance the world has ever known."</span></b></span></div><div><span style="letter-spacing: 0.5px;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.5px;"><a href="https://thecradle.co/articles/the-axis-of-asymmetry-takes-on-the-rules-based-order">https://thecradle.co/articles/the-axis-of-asymmetry-takes-on-the-rules-based-order</a></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.5px;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b><span style="letter-spacing: 0.5px;">"</span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.5px;">If the United States walks away now, it will put Ukraine at risk."</span></b></span></div><div><span style="letter-spacing: 0.5px;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.5px;"><a href="https://scheerpost.com/2022/03/11/ray-mcgovern-what-role-has-the-u-s-played-in-the-ukraine-crisis/">https://scheerpost.com/2022/03/11/ray-mcgovern-what-role-has-the-u-s-played-in-the-ukraine-crisis/</a></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.5px;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div><div><span style="letter-spacing: 0.5px;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b>"The free world at risk"</b></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">Recent developments in the "free" world:</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgPOmPOrvlC_IkskJ1dRSjZvCvYY-5cUqu429YSX3Uz1ucobxaMHMG4cNByNN_ArVWlVDg3GmGc1mVwf6gCtkPptb1BlhHP452uO0hdwdUPXhd6dctIh0f87RkggncKXMuG66uS_voPSh60-ieMse6tXflQ24AM6-oBusDk6_0jsX5jCLY5LLKzhbL49qs" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="543" data-original-width="771" height="450" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgPOmPOrvlC_IkskJ1dRSjZvCvYY-5cUqu429YSX3Uz1ucobxaMHMG4cNByNN_ArVWlVDg3GmGc1mVwf6gCtkPptb1BlhHP452uO0hdwdUPXhd6dctIh0f87RkggncKXMuG66uS_voPSh60-ieMse6tXflQ24AM6-oBusDk6_0jsX5jCLY5LLKzhbL49qs=w640-h450" width="640" /></a></div><br /><a href="https://twitter.com/disclosetv/status/1765513784230031367">https://twitter.com/disclosetv/status/1765513784230031367</a></span></div><div><span style="letter-spacing: 0.5px;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZrlDhIeNKwTvUIShWuEtvlkKs6wbQc9kyOUx3XXlVtewsnybYWIawDoKj_IjOyD-hqL59plOnMygjKJmv84y9wbO_BNeBWrjoBdzdldH1_NMqjrPpjp24W8blnARaWn31z6ZsZsh4krH8f36RfFLlj1RCSZ7f-dfdEDXJ7rZ-AGtESNeq_ioq4bLamYU/s821/Screenshot%202024-03-08%20111203.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black; font-family: georgia;"><img border="0" data-original-height="821" data-original-width="631" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZrlDhIeNKwTvUIShWuEtvlkKs6wbQc9kyOUx3XXlVtewsnybYWIawDoKj_IjOyD-hqL59plOnMygjKJmv84y9wbO_BNeBWrjoBdzdldH1_NMqjrPpjp24W8blnARaWn31z6ZsZsh4krH8f36RfFLlj1RCSZ7f-dfdEDXJ7rZ-AGtESNeq_ioq4bLamYU/w492-h640/Screenshot%202024-03-08%20111203.png" width="492" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /><span style="letter-spacing: 0.5px;"><a href="https://twitter.com/ScottHech/status/1765612404950581472">https://twitter.com/ScottHech/status/1765612404950581472</a></span></span></div><div><span style="letter-spacing: 0.5px;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b><span style="letter-spacing: 0.5px;">"</span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.03125rem;">my predecessor came to office determined to see</span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.03125rem;"> </span><em style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(59,130,246,.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(229, 231, 235); box-sizing: border-box; letter-spacing: 0.03125rem;">Roe v. Wade</em><span style="letter-spacing: 0.03125rem;"> </span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.03125rem;">overturned. </span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.03125rem;">He’s the reason it was overturned"</span></b></span></div><div><span style="letter-spacing: 0.03125rem;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.5px;"><a href="https://www.newsweek.com/barack-obama-blasted-not-codifying-roe-v-wade-democrat-failure-1719156">https://www.newsweek.com/barack-obama-blasted-not-codifying-roe-v-wade-democrat-failure-1719156</a></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.5px;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.5px;"><a href="https://www.npr.org/2018/06/29/624467256/what-happened-with-merrick-garland-in-2016-and-why-it-matters-now">https://www.npr.org/2018/06/29/624467256/what-happened-with-merrick-garland-in-2016-and-why-it-matters-now</a></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b>"<span style="letter-spacing: 0.5px;">Now our economy is the envy of the world!"</span></b></span></div><div><span style="letter-spacing: 0.5px;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.5px;"><a href="https://en.interaffairs.ru/article/pepe-escobar-welcome-to-the-brics-11/">https://en.interaffairs.ru/article/pepe-escobar-welcome-to-the-brics-11/</a></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.5px;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div><div><span style="letter-spacing: 0.5px;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b>"Removing poisonous lead pipes so every child can drink clean water without risk of getting brain damage."</b></span></span></div><div><span style="letter-spacing: 0.5px;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.5px;"><a href="https://www.metrotimes.com/news/inside-dana-nessels-shit-show-flint-water-investigation-35198674">https://www.metrotimes.com/news/inside-dana-nessels-shit-show-flint-water-investigation-35198674</a></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b>"<span style="letter-spacing: 0.5px;">With a law I proposed and signed and not one Republican voted for we finally beat Big Pharma!"</span></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.5px;"><br /></span></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEWE6LkwBcQ5o0HBlSKyIDcN9wTZhttlcmkA50wP3vwx1xlc87fbMnYYQkK74ivRbzB39rO_RdXpJSArHptzTy96giRjrjvyk71OWRToLUI8y5_jNQphXhQViHqjL_4GW2ED0wK4IV_hn9gVeKLI1sU_jiKM70nMaUnDQL5_BOR8NraKwbVsY3OV5D980/s786/Screenshot%202024-03-08%20113316.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black; font-family: georgia;"><img border="0" data-original-height="786" data-original-width="590" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEWE6LkwBcQ5o0HBlSKyIDcN9wTZhttlcmkA50wP3vwx1xlc87fbMnYYQkK74ivRbzB39rO_RdXpJSArHptzTy96giRjrjvyk71OWRToLUI8y5_jNQphXhQViHqjL_4GW2ED0wK4IV_hn9gVeKLI1sU_jiKM70nMaUnDQL5_BOR8NraKwbVsY3OV5D980/w480-h640/Screenshot%202024-03-08%20113316.png" width="480" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><a href="https://twitter.com/DrEricDing/status/171500348876407">https://twitter.com/DrEricDing/status/171500348876407</a></span></div><div><span style="letter-spacing: 0.5px;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.5px;">"</span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.5px;">I fixed student loan programs to reduce the burden of student debt for nearly 4 Million Americans"</span></span></div><div><span style="letter-spacing: 0.5px;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh9GWIku6STnR9ibvNl73WmZC0ry-gBdJ85R4dWwodTwhGJN3sdZeLzRSXda0DwG7rlVbDlikZSn4NWssNNahgaWuKupCIlJv6StONayyTznY3iZQ04J-sIOGReXMLEp0yHdh-E00UbsGcLTGKb6mHznkymmvwFnJYSq7z3pwNuZf_LfO9UxkFFmAOwgs/s946/Screenshot%202024-03-08%20113753.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black; font-family: georgia;"><img border="0" data-original-height="482" data-original-width="946" height="326" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh9GWIku6STnR9ibvNl73WmZC0ry-gBdJ85R4dWwodTwhGJN3sdZeLzRSXda0DwG7rlVbDlikZSn4NWssNNahgaWuKupCIlJv6StONayyTznY3iZQ04J-sIOGReXMLEp0yHdh-E00UbsGcLTGKb6mHznkymmvwFnJYSq7z3pwNuZf_LfO9UxkFFmAOwgs/w640-h326/Screenshot%202024-03-08%20113753.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /><span style="letter-spacing: 0.5px;"><a href="https://www.studentdebtcrisis.org/free-the-degree">https://www.studentdebtcrisis.org/free-the-degree</a></span></span></div><div><span style="letter-spacing: 0.5px;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b><span style="letter-spacing: 0.5px;">"</span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.5px;">I’ve already cut the federal deficit by over one trillion dollars."</span></b></span></div><div><span style="letter-spacing: 0.5px;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAAZtDSEPNHEs_3D7DV7eCJIDBO-XIcSZNU3B4t6zd2tndCV-fK255rSjtMVw5EJKgrdnywcKPYNsgkXtSCxRO_IzV75ZbQTJBG9UOfw5jhhcIdm-iaPcsu7RPX55z7ZahyCAh2U3UPJODe8Rw4JTnCFnKMCQGPcYWPfjdH7Wg5dur6s-dUlGT72HNQjk/s789/Screenshot%202024-03-08%20113950.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black; font-family: georgia;"><img border="0" data-original-height="789" data-original-width="628" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAAZtDSEPNHEs_3D7DV7eCJIDBO-XIcSZNU3B4t6zd2tndCV-fK255rSjtMVw5EJKgrdnywcKPYNsgkXtSCxRO_IzV75ZbQTJBG9UOfw5jhhcIdm-iaPcsu7RPX55z7ZahyCAh2U3UPJODe8Rw4JTnCFnKMCQGPcYWPfjdH7Wg5dur6s-dUlGT72HNQjk/w510-h640/Screenshot%202024-03-08%20113950.png" width="510" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /><span style="letter-spacing: 0.5px;"><a href="https://twitter.com/ivan_8848/status/1764236250448302114">https://twitter.com/ivan_8848/status/1764236250448302114</a></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="letter-spacing: 0.5px;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="letter-spacing: 0.5px;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b>"I'm taking the most significant action on climate ever in the history of the world."</b></span></span></div><div><span style="letter-spacing: 0.5px;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.5px;"><a href="https://www.mainepublic.org/npr-news/npr-news/2022-10-04/the-nord-stream-pipelines-have-stopped-leaking-but-the-methane-emitted-broke-records">https://www.mainepublic.org/npr-news/npr-news/2022-10-04/the-nord-stream-pipelines-have-stopped-leaking-but-the-methane-emitted-broke-records</a></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b>"<span style="letter-spacing: 0.03125rem;">This crisis began on October 7th with a massacre by the terrorist group Hamas.</span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.03125rem;">1,200 innocent people women and girls men and boys slaughtered, many enduring sexual violence."</span></b></span></div><div><span style="letter-spacing: 0.03125rem;"><a href="goog_335250630"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></a></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.5px;"><a href="https://www.democracynow.org/2024/3/1/nyt_anat_schwartz">https://www.democracynow.org/2024/3/1/nyt_anat_schwartz</a></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.5px;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.5px;"><a href="https://www.oct7factcheck.com/oct7factcheck/Friendly-fire-Israelis-killed-by-IDF-a0b3530b556e423bb8b40f3b2a5e39bc">https://www.oct7factcheck.com/oct7factcheck/Friendly-fire-Israelis-killed-by-IDF-a0b3530b556e423bb8b40f3b2a5e39bc</a></span></span></div><div><span style="letter-spacing: 0.03125rem;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b><span style="letter-spacing: 0.03125rem;">"</span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.5px;">The United States has been leading international efforts to get more humanitarian assistance into Gaza."</span></b></span></div><div><span style="letter-spacing: 0.5px;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.5px;"><a href="https://youtu.be/hfjlvXQ5xgY?si=A05NQ32f-LJU9eQz">https://youtu.be/hfjlvXQ5xgY?si=A05NQ32f-LJU9eQz</a></span></span></div><div><span style="letter-spacing: 0.03125rem;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b><span style="letter-spacing: 0.03125rem;">"</span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.03125rem;"><i>China’s on the rise and America is falling behind.</i> </span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.03125rem;">They’ve got it backward. </span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.03125rem;">America is rising. </span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.03125rem;">We have the best economy in the world."</span></b></span></div><div><span style="letter-spacing: 0.03125rem;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.5px;"><a href="https://thecradle.co/articles/chinas-unexpected-gains-from-the-red-sea-crisis">https://thecradle.co/articles/chinas-unexpected-gains-from-the-red-sea-crisis</a></span></span></div><div><span style="letter-spacing: 0.03125rem;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b><span style="letter-spacing: 0.03125rem;">"</span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.03125rem;">We’re standing up against China’s unfair economic practices. </span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.03125rem;">And standing up for peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait."</span></b></span></div><div><span style="letter-spacing: 0.03125rem;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.5px;"><a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-03-05/philippines-us-plan-military-drills-near-disputed-sea-taiwan">https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-03-05/philippines-us-plan-military-drills-near-disputed-sea-taiwan</a></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.5px;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.5px;"><a href="https://space4peace.blogspot.com/2024/02/korea-war-bases-uss-pyeongteak-tops.html">https://space4peace.blogspot.com/2024/02/korea-war-bases-uss-pyeongteak-tops.html</a></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.5px;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b><span style="letter-spacing: 0.5px;">"</span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.03125rem;">May God protect our troops."</span></b></span></div><div><span style="letter-spacing: 0.03125rem;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><a href="https://youtu.be/6ADuvkqgGfY?si=dl1PgD28u_ZdRdzu">https://youtu.be/6ADuvkqgGfY?si=dl1PgD28u_ZdRdzu</a></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.5px;"><a href="https://www.stripes.com/opinion/2021-07-08/US-troops-in-Iraq-Syria-are-sitting-ducks-2088927.html">https://www.stripes.com/opinion/2021-07-08/US-troops-in-Iraq-Syria-are-sitting-ducks-2088927.html</a></span></span></div><div><span style="letter-spacing: 0.03125rem;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="letter-spacing: 0.5px;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="letter-spacing: 0.5px;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">I'm not going to address all the things Biden assured us he was "gonna" do. Those are the type of easy lies that can't be refuted because they are essentially wishful thinking. </span></span></div><div><span style="letter-spacing: 0.5px;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="letter-spacing: 0.5px;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Remember how when he was campaigning last time he assured us he was "gonna" protect abortion rights, cancel all federal student debt and enact universal health care? Uh huh.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">Our corporate overlords are desperate to keep us believing that there are deep, abiding differences between two parties that serve identical donor class interests. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">And that is the biggest lie of all.</span></div>Lisa Savagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06319699936783253064noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-95738970217731354.post-42562654953605280072024-03-06T03:58:00.000-08:002024-03-06T03:58:50.981-08:00Maryam Aswad: People Are Good And Communities, Collectively, Are Powerful<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKWjv5cN3lKDQHWSPhxNGYx4KfrMm8DuDTiJNaAs3wLTKysp81quyR0T9jVu0Zyggj0IgF_azCGWaVjoPRhoKxXDL9zjr7-Du_9yYKawk0A4EsOK_-kWMdVACCavCg9dnaHKHuVw98E3AU7AyzqvBalCr2_tIkSiofagMqn8ha-dwzuzdEAc0yQeQ8E9k/s1380/Screenshot%202024-03-06%20062645.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="814" data-original-width="1380" height="378" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKWjv5cN3lKDQHWSPhxNGYx4KfrMm8DuDTiJNaAs3wLTKysp81quyR0T9jVu0Zyggj0IgF_azCGWaVjoPRhoKxXDL9zjr7-Du_9yYKawk0A4EsOK_-kWMdVACCavCg9dnaHKHuVw98E3AU7AyzqvBalCr2_tIkSiofagMqn8ha-dwzuzdEAc0yQeQ8E9k/w640-h378/Screenshot%202024-03-06%20062645.png" width="640" /></a></div><p><i>Maine Public's <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C4Eb0WyraWr/?igsh=MmtzcHNqc2Q0enl4" target="_blank">Instagram post</a> was among very few reports on Portland, Maine's March 2 rally</i></p><p><i><br /></i></p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">The decision to ignore last Saturday's <a href="https://www.answercoalition.org/the_people_of_the_world_demand_hands_off_rafah" target="_blank">massive</a> "Hands Off Rafah" rallies appears to have been coordinated across the U.S. </span><span style="font-family: georgia;">My guess is that Aaron Bushnell's extreme protest and the </span><a href="https://www.newsclick.in/aaron-bushnells-self-immolation-indicates-profound-change-consciousness-us" style="font-family: georgia;" target="_blank">actions it inspired</a><span style="font-family: georgia;"> have our corporate overlords spooked.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkRciuVbd3tDF7wgL80tx2P9nuyDfWQAJ-e7Df3Y4PXLX4dFfPx6qasqW5q0c3VbRxQSr8RroGjrWznet4d3TOyh1dwoGbpQsaR7krrUmrwOi3uzX8c2jW8UGZkdzWnBklzolE6Po1V3jxRIye0i8PjOP0tbm1yL76ypwAXNK1nFHSkupGHlXS4JIRklg/s2016/IMG_3563.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1512" data-original-width="2016" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkRciuVbd3tDF7wgL80tx2P9nuyDfWQAJ-e7Df3Y4PXLX4dFfPx6qasqW5q0c3VbRxQSr8RroGjrWznet4d3TOyh1dwoGbpQsaR7krrUmrwOi3uzX8c2jW8UGZkdzWnBklzolE6Po1V3jxRIye0i8PjOP0tbm1yL76ypwAXNK1nFHSkupGHlXS4JIRklg/w640-h480/IMG_3563.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">But when Maine's largest city's daily newspaper failed to notice 1,100+ marching down Congress Street on March 2, they <a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/C4BcYpdrr93/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link" target="_blank">missed a lot</a>. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Today, I'm sharing one of the best of several speeches the <i>Portland Press Herald</i> failed to cover, by permission of its author. I know Maryam because we are both members of the Maine Coalition for Palestine.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="color: black;"></span></span></p><blockquote><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="color: black;">My name
is Maryam Aswad, and I’m speaking to you on behalf of my wonderful comrades in
the Labour for Palestine working group. I’m also a student, teacher,
researcher, and an organizer for the graduate employee union at UNH.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="color: black;">We know
there is a lot happening in a lot of places, but especially in Gaza. We also
know that we can’t really fathom the extent of it. We get details here and
there from what’s being shared by brave reporters on the ground in Gaza, but
every now and again, we learn something new, something uniquely unimaginable
that had been happening throughout the past four months, four years, eighty
years… and it’s gut wrenching each time. You feel weak, small, insignificant…
what could you possibly do about something you can’t even understand?</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="color: black;">I’m a
mathematician, and when I encounter a complicated problem, my intuition is to
walk back and think about something simple, make small steps towards
understanding this complicated problem. Today I want to talk to you about
things that are simple.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b>First,
people are good.</b> Removed from the imperialist systems of oppression that push
them towards fear and greed, people are good.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">When you watch videos from Palestinians in Gaza,
journalists describing the latest Israeli aggressions, there is a lot that is
seen, but goes unsaid. Back when most people lived under roofs, you saw people
walking in and out of houses because everyone kept their doors open. If you’re
looking for something and I have it, come in, take what you need. Come where
you feel safer or where you have compassionate company.</span></span></p></blockquote><p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSVGcCWeQ9CUiOQNqsSD4c50pA3TYnXWKYzW3fM03PscuQPdL7Vo359c9mgG9JumpHMtonIWC7cCfQ_WncNrgNpyEn7Knvd5Hapx26HwodLIgU6ztIF3pVYrLXfmONFsBJ7v9bK-SDyk2e1u0kPQE5WkxuM31Ej8R0d28tm5CvRs_h8JoYM5mDf3BCQEE/s2560/AP21136361381656.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="2560" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSVGcCWeQ9CUiOQNqsSD4c50pA3TYnXWKYzW3fM03PscuQPdL7Vo359c9mgG9JumpHMtonIWC7cCfQ_WncNrgNpyEn7Knvd5Hapx26HwodLIgU6ztIF3pVYrLXfmONFsBJ7v9bK-SDyk2e1u0kPQE5WkxuM31Ej8R0d28tm5CvRs_h8JoYM5mDf3BCQEE/w640-h360/AP21136361381656.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p></p><blockquote><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> You see men rushing
towards collapsed buildings even as they still smoke with Israeli bombs and
fire to find anyone trapped under rubble, others rushing to find water and
medical aid.</span></span></p></blockquote><p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjweMUIIXXFTnknsjnhFoRkcQByCVYAIPCP5wwovnx0mW2uPxY0ovZaR5ISkXRda5Fgkhdl037pmmRp6iyNG55RdoGKgJpUg0YXOXfvNBYpVMdjvJHa3JEEElV_t6VjXn1FmwZu14ot7qw8JLORskl-kfWuJlZrLlUABFvsRQjN9jKYco6li4x_E_Q5fhw/s800/cats.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="554" data-original-width="800" height="444" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjweMUIIXXFTnknsjnhFoRkcQByCVYAIPCP5wwovnx0mW2uPxY0ovZaR5ISkXRda5Fgkhdl037pmmRp6iyNG55RdoGKgJpUg0YXOXfvNBYpVMdjvJHa3JEEElV_t6VjXn1FmwZu14ot7qw8JLORskl-kfWuJlZrLlUABFvsRQjN9jKYco6li4x_E_Q5fhw/w640-h444/cats.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p></p><blockquote><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">You see little kids holding their cat after an explosion because
she gets scared of loud sounds. Meanwhile, the entire community is collecting
food for this cat even as they sleep hungry each night.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Maybe you’ve heard about Hamza, the prisoner in Sacramento
who donated 136 hours of his labour to Palestine. Hamza has been in prison for
40 years for a gun accident he caused as a teenager. 136 hours netted him
$17.74. Thirteen cents per hour. His life savings, and he donated them to Gaza.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b>Second
simple truth, people, communities, collectively, are powerful.</b></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">The people of Gaza who have evacuated towards Rafah
released a letter together the night before the occupation forces began a
massacre at what they had previously called a safe zone. </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">It reads:</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><i><span style="color: black;">We will not leave Rafah under any circumstances, and have
decided to die here or return to our homes victorious.<br />
<br />
We call on the powers of the world to move towards punishing the aggressors and
stopping the slaughter to avoid the impending catastrophe of Rafah.<br />
<br />
We will not return and leave the people of Rafah who have welcomed us and
opened their hearts before their homes to us, and shared with us their every
bite, their clothes, their drink. We will</span></i><span style="color: black;"> <i>not leave them alone.</i><br />
<br /><i>
We call on the free people of Egypt and her beautiful people to mobilize and
pressure their government to deter the invasion of Rafah.</i></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">I’m not going mince words today. The people of Gaza have
been facing a genocide imposed on them by an inherently genocidal colonialist
entity backed by the world’s largest imperialist forces and war machines. And
they are surviving with their hearts intact. Not one government institution
stands behind them. What keeps them alive and what keeps them strong is their
love and compassion towards one another.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Palestinian labourers have called on the global workforce
to refuse to cooperate with the genocide machine, and we hear them loud and
clear. Union workers in Belgium, Barcelona, Italy, Japan refuse to handle
Israeli ships all together. Trade unionists in Britain and Australia blockade
Israeli weapons manufacturers to disrupt genocide. Indian unionists refuse to
be used to replace Palestinian labour in occupied territories. That is
collective power.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Have you heard about the hunger strikes in Dartmouth? Early
on in October, Dartmouth College orchestrated two extremely one-sided panels to
discuss the aggressions. They stifled protests and absolutely refused to
acknowledge their Palestinian students. Two students were arrested as they
peacefully protested, and Dartmouth’s President Beilock accused them of
threatening violence. Dartmouth then went on a victory lap, telling every media
outlet that listened about how wonderfully they handled tensions in the Middle
East. In February, students went on a hunger strike from February 19th and
broke it just yesterday when the school finally sent and email acknowledging
their Palestinian students, agreeing to drop the charges against the protestors
acknowledging them as “consistently peaceful,” and agreeing to meet with the
Dartmouth New Deal to discuss divestment. That right there is community power.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Even me right now. I don’t stand here and talk back against
the empire with my own power. I’m here because I know I’m surrounded by
hundreds of people who will not let the government tell them to limit their
compassion to artificial borders drawn by the powers that be. People who will
stand up and defend each other when they see injustice.</span></span> </p></blockquote><blockquote><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b>THIS is power.</b></span></span></p></blockquote><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span><p></p>Lisa Savagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06319699936783253064noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-95738970217731354.post-22819815275447792542024-03-05T05:11:00.000-08:002024-03-05T05:18:50.180-08:00Electoral Politics In The U.S. Are A Form Of Mental Illness #SuperTuesday<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPDaIRCKqYGmYP7cnKcYygjnXYhxZX5Akp0dnUf9o9nCFPPM5hcfWt7-c8_3XLyK7gKnGy7wqWd3NdTZUt7sgM4J6Cujjja4zqqrgn5s9FavW-_apc0X7Y6f4NfhijopAv2AeRhFJJofn9YAVeUQFjO3QfOao6GPgimFavyl5HtQy-r2THNTkKVzwGIb8/s1170/signal-2024-03-05-041738_002.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1170" data-original-width="1170" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPDaIRCKqYGmYP7cnKcYygjnXYhxZX5Akp0dnUf9o9nCFPPM5hcfWt7-c8_3XLyK7gKnGy7wqWd3NdTZUt7sgM4J6Cujjja4zqqrgn5s9FavW-_apc0X7Y6f4NfhijopAv2AeRhFJJofn9YAVeUQFjO3QfOao6GPgimFavyl5HtQy-r2THNTkKVzwGIb8/w640-h640/signal-2024-03-05-041738_002.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><i><a href="https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/i-pledge-to-write-in-ceasefire-in-maine-on-march-5?source=direct_link&" target="_blank">Link to pledge petition</a> for Maine voters</i><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Today, as Super Tuesday clusters several state primary elections, I'm reminded that some of the common characteristics of mental illness are a lack of insight into one's own condition, and poor judgment.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Electoral politics as practiced in the U.S. is evidence of both.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">In part because real politics is so frightening -- staring into the abyss of taxpayer-supported genocide and proxy wars is not for the faint of heart -- U.S.ians love to focus on elections. Specifically, presidential elections.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0-WgDFkcoZGQIqShwJhx8asHOVV7DlbvXpPJG1LwKQDDWn_hGwNyswbWV2g5ORZJvpDnTzd1m_oBoRRZU2Ow1xBaSqmujIwFq2GJDOr5MZpHQEMQGYQqrgmEECwsN-v0PBfGKQXUQWvCvoGTdKbh3XAN2s0A6O2cMZbGzFYr3meoPmj__UOKBk8uPKAo/s1080/GH2pxn7XoAAE2eU.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0-WgDFkcoZGQIqShwJhx8asHOVV7DlbvXpPJG1LwKQDDWn_hGwNyswbWV2g5ORZJvpDnTzd1m_oBoRRZU2Ow1xBaSqmujIwFq2GJDOr5MZpHQEMQGYQqrgmEECwsN-v0PBfGKQXUQWvCvoGTdKbh3XAN2s0A6O2cMZbGzFYr3meoPmj__UOKBk8uPKAo/w640-h640/GH2pxn7XoAAE2eU.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><i><a href="https://twitter.com/pslnational/status/1764754213190381900">https://twitter.com/pslnational/status/1764754213190381900</a> </i><p></p><p><i>Link to a Twitter thread documenting 50,000 marching in NYC, 15,000 in SF, thousands in Boston, Los Angeles, and Wash DC where they surrounded the Israeli embassy.</i></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">And the corporate media insist on it, <a href="https://twitter.com/pslnational/status/1764754213190381900" target="_blank">failing to report</a> on hundreds of thousands of people <a href="https://open.substack.com/pub/went2thebridge/p/zero-lamestream-media-coverage-as?r=3alev&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true" target="_blank">in the street last Saturday</a> chanting "Free Palestine" from coast to coast while</span><span style="font-family: georgia;"> reporting <i>ad nauseum</i> on a nothing-burger primary. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">The frontrunner for the GOP <a href="https://www.nhpr.org/2024-03-04/bid-to-keep-trump-off-maines-primary-ballot-stalls-after-supreme-court-overturns-colorado-decision" target="_blank">could not be kicked off the ballot</a> per yesterday's Supreme Court ruling in which even liberal justices agreed that states were overstepping their authority in convicting Trump of insurrection without engaging in due process. And no other Republican candidate is even within shouting distance of the former President's poll numbers.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">The Democratic Party primary is even more of a non-event as the visibly senile incumbent is propped up to mumble a few words when rewarded with ice cream and the party will brook no challenge.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">I say "was" because last month the organized voters of the Muslim community in Michigan sent a 100k strong message in their primary by voting "uncommitted" to supporting Genocide Joe in November's election. And this month states without that option are seeing vigorous campaigns to write-in "Ceasefire" rather than cast a vote for Biden or challenger.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpCia68eIObv43T5jitJKAYDePmdD-CS0N2LuU2uxJFwvOwBDXp63VdJNarIldLrhBznCU_hrAwsfRLiyGT6-7BA8so1wA2n3ne-MFzimWm_JEGNfYkmuw_h5qqpa-SJjkwQKZQ3IVn-kBghm3bu7rlHn9gxYWPYHUWMGN1EmFA-Aw8Pkhe6wEv5jlvlU/s2048/polar%20bear%20keffiye.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpCia68eIObv43T5jitJKAYDePmdD-CS0N2LuU2uxJFwvOwBDXp63VdJNarIldLrhBznCU_hrAwsfRLiyGT6-7BA8so1wA2n3ne-MFzimWm_JEGNfYkmuw_h5qqpa-SJjkwQKZQ3IVn-kBghm3bu7rlHn9gxYWPYHUWMGN1EmFA-Aw8Pkhe6wEv5jlvlU/w640-h640/polar%20bear%20keffiye.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div>Source: Bowdoin Students for Justice in Palestine<br /><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Way to use the corrupt structure of false dichotomy and obsession with celebrity against itself!</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">So in the U.S elections will haunt us until November, crowding out news we actually want and need. And that is by design.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Australian blogger Caitlin Johnstone nails it, as usual. An excerpt from <a href="https://www.caitlinjohnst.one/p/nobody-with-real-power-cares-if-you" target="_blank">her post</a> "Nobody With Real Power Cares If You Refuse To Vote For Biden":</span></p><p style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgb(59 130 246 / 0.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; background-color: white; color: #404040; line-height: 1.6em; margin: 0 0 var(--size-20) 0;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span></p><blockquote><p style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgb(59 130 246 / 0.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; background-color: white; color: #404040; line-height: 1.6em; margin: 0 0 var(--size-20) 0;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">There’s been a lot of talk in pro-Palestine circles about withholding votes for Biden in protest of his genocide in Gaza, which is of course fine, but the discourse around doing so often misses an important point. A lot of US voters erroneously think they’d be punishing the Democrats for Gaza by costing them the election, mistakenly assuming Democrats care about winning. They don’t.</span><span style="background-color: transparent;"> </span></p></blockquote><blockquote><p style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgb(59 130 246 / 0.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; background-color: white; color: #404040; line-height: 1.6em; margin: 0 0 var(--size-20) 0;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgb(59 130 246 / 0.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0;">Losing an election costs Democratic party leaders nothing; all the career politicians and political operatives at the top keep their careers either way. From their point of view this is just a cushy job with sweet benefits, and they keep those win or lose. And obviously Biden himself doesn’t care; he’ll have a comfortable retirement regardless of the outcome in November, and on some level he’s surely aware that it’s nuts for </span><a href="https://www.caitlinjohnst.one/p/a-dementia-patient-is-president-because" rel="" style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgb(59 130 246 / 0.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; text-decoration-line: none;">a dementia patient to be in the White House</a><span style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgb(59 130 246 / 0.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0;"> anyway.</span></span><span style="background-color: transparent;"> </span></p></blockquote><blockquote><p style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgb(59 130 246 / 0.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; background-color: white; color: #404040; line-height: 1.6em; margin: 0 0 var(--size-20) 0;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">If the Democrats cared about getting your vote they’d be trying hard to earn it. They’re not trying because they don’t care.</span></p></blockquote><p style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgb(59 130 246 / 0.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; background-color: white; color: #404040; line-height: 1.6em; margin: 0 0 var(--size-20) 0;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">I don't care about it, either. What I do care about: stopping the horror of starving and massacring Palestinians to finish stealing their land. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Trigger warning: this is what your tax dollars under corporate government are supporting.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisyypUD_lZ5yvBIucwRZeGsJwGRrnllIAoDaQBz7mGEYs2tWuiQOxGIYtS35WdjhLQaoS7-dDfhgRr2Ed8yxlu-WjkLjaoxVO6bU1t13QPLu80DDLZwhW2BIpj2UhupkcSljxevcQsruXi_L-O4cZBd4PYnny0q6kZTCn55xotuQr_UeaavVEkhSRXSsM/s847/Screenshot%202024-03-05%20080132.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="808" data-original-width="847" height="610" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisyypUD_lZ5yvBIucwRZeGsJwGRrnllIAoDaQBz7mGEYs2tWuiQOxGIYtS35WdjhLQaoS7-dDfhgRr2Ed8yxlu-WjkLjaoxVO6bU1t13QPLu80DDLZwhW2BIpj2UhupkcSljxevcQsruXi_L-O4cZBd4PYnny0q6kZTCn55xotuQr_UeaavVEkhSRXSsM/w640-h610/Screenshot%202024-03-05%20080132.png" width="640" /></a></div><i><a href="https://twitter.com/QudsNen/status/1764763658322612312"><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">https://twitter.com/QudsNen/status/1764763658322612312</span></a></i><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Say it with me now: Hey hey ho ho, Genocide Joe has got to go.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">And in case you're wondering what I'll be doing at the polls today: nothing. I am a registered Green and there is no primary in my state for my party. All the candidates I'll be ranking in November, starting with Dr. Jill Stein, would actually represent the people's wishes if elected.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">And that is exactly why it is <a href="https://isps.yale.edu/news/blog/2023/12/democracy-in-danger-yale-panel-discusses-causes-and-consequences" target="_blank">very, very unlikely</a> that they ever will be. Those who lack the insight to see that, and who cling to electoral politics as a way to make change in the U.S., are exhibiting poor judgement. Why follow their example?</span></p>Lisa Savagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06319699936783253064noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-95738970217731354.post-49580049530022239552024-03-03T05:26:00.000-08:002024-03-03T05:26:35.313-08:00Zero Lamestream Media Coverage As Over A Thousand Students, Supporters Take To The Streets<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnKPXqwZIchWiepuf8nXyMWv4sT0r1WWpZnkNLPdfwHd-L67JSaFF5KkS3O1GbaHltX-Z_NPI3_d2QTv7gtgG13O7tLrugXwTVZEM1c4yHFdeiLGceD_sr3_hA1EMiWysc6Zl9bPR14XtS0ln_NIDtwsI2Dadu4pTTSSXQEUAqZDo1_kZqtGGzLxaN-78/s2048/signal-2024-03-02-215915_002.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnKPXqwZIchWiepuf8nXyMWv4sT0r1WWpZnkNLPdfwHd-L67JSaFF5KkS3O1GbaHltX-Z_NPI3_d2QTv7gtgG13O7tLrugXwTVZEM1c4yHFdeiLGceD_sr3_hA1EMiWysc6Zl9bPR14XtS0ln_NIDtwsI2Dadu4pTTSSXQEUAqZDo1_kZqtGGzLxaN-78/w640-h480/signal-2024-03-02-215915_002.jpeg" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><i>Aerial photo of Monument Square on March 2 "Hands Off Rafah" rally. If you're not a Mainer please understand -- this is a large crowd for us.</i></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">I am vibrating with anger this morning after attending the biggest pro-Palestine demonstration to date in Maine's biggest city. Maine Students for Palestine turned out over 1,180 (hand-count from photo above) at a march and rally that temporarily took over Congress Street i.e. Portland's main thoroughfare. The speeches yesterday were electrifying, but no mainstream media outlets including the <i>Portland Press Herald</i> could be bothered to cover the event.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQpmG3i5JgbbezL-5QPHfxCj-2kFxuidZP53OOOr5YH-71SR166XU3Mg4_KbdV6DF8N2FP2NL6IYBJJv7PPv0t9kMLLELwTgvoUImiHfmxdWmS1vXd3I1heWP8R6C8F6_HE2a0gdy5KypeznyQ6TTWfKH3kYMC8Qj-Aibg_DDFD-YMgGhYbzRzB6PaO9U/s974/Screenshot%202024-03-03%20065050.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="590" data-original-width="974" height="388" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQpmG3i5JgbbezL-5QPHfxCj-2kFxuidZP53OOOr5YH-71SR166XU3Mg4_KbdV6DF8N2FP2NL6IYBJJv7PPv0t9kMLLELwTgvoUImiHfmxdWmS1vXd3I1heWP8R6C8F6_HE2a0gdy5KypeznyQ6TTWfKH3kYMC8Qj-Aibg_DDFD-YMgGhYbzRzB6PaO9U/w640-h388/Screenshot%202024-03-03%20065050.png" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">I've sent the PPH a note pointing out that organizing at the rally depicted above gathered 400+ signatures in ten minutes to a pledge to write in "Ceasefire Now!" on ballots next week in the Super Tuesday primary. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXTKdg-c2KC8h_BZtB05Wfw76Jkzp6gFChop6fmHebsqeJp8t7mDT2hT7n6rgZMBlvQwyberCoiVES7UlI4GH_I9K_Elb7RQE9xF5b6jOAhTGqWHWAP_EgcdL9RlH-NtMIC68XTxQ-aB64N7gscowY-QCG0A8tEzTomU4VlPWOEjApFnFMrURpJ6IqhzI/s1218/Screenshot%202024-03-03%20080319.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="501" data-original-width="1218" height="264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXTKdg-c2KC8h_BZtB05Wfw76Jkzp6gFChop6fmHebsqeJp8t7mDT2hT7n6rgZMBlvQwyberCoiVES7UlI4GH_I9K_Elb7RQE9xF5b6jOAhTGqWHWAP_EgcdL9RlH-NtMIC68XTxQ-aB64N7gscowY-QCG0A8tEzTomU4VlPWOEjApFnFMrURpJ6IqhzI/w640-h264/Screenshot%202024-03-03%20080319.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">The <a href="https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/i-pledge-to-write-in-ceasefire-in-maine-on-march-5?source=direct_link&" target="_blank">pledge petition</a> has now reached 1,010 signers in total and is going strong, inspired by the 100k voters in Michigan's primary who wrote in "Uncommitted" rather than vote for Genocide Joe. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Not news?</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Rather than engage in a long rant about corporate media as the handmaidens of our descent into true fascism -- the marriage of state and corporate forces -- I am sharing yesterday's remarks by Dawn Star, co-founder of Healthcare Workers for Palestine. The speakers yesterday were on fire, and this was one of the best:</span></p><blockquote><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: georgia;">We have all become witnesses to an unending
barrage of war crimes in this genocide armed and funded by our tax dollars.
Witnessing such traumatic violence: the murder of infants and children and our
fellow humans…surpassing 30,000—30 thousand lives—hellfire missiles with blades
designed to amputate limbs, the complete destruction of Gaza’s healthcare
infrastructure, the forced starvation of millions of displaced Palestinians,
and the massacres of aid seekers, most recently leading to the death and injury
of almost 1000 hungry people.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Burned and broken bodies. Blood covered
flour. These are the images that are seared into our minds. The war criminals
are keeping everyone in a trauma state. A healthy level of empathy is what
compels millions around the world to take to the streets and disrupt the flow
of capital from our labor and our pockets to the deep pockets of the war
profiteers and their political pundits.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: georgia;">The broken American Healthcare system that
we health workers bear the weight of, would tell us to turn away and “take care
of our mental wellness”. The American Medical Association remains silent while
627 of our colleagues were murdered, and many more kidnapped or missing under
rubble. Our Medical Institutions are complicit.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: georgia;">The Mainstream media has become little more
than a paid mouthpiece, allowing a foreign military to editorialize content and
giving a platform to openly genocidal IDF soldiers. These institutions
disregard the safety of their own workers by turning their backs to 130
targeted journalists, The media is complicit.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Yet these are the same institutions that
call our mental state into question, as they did to Aaron Bushnell. Aaron was
one of us. With his words, he told us that he was fully present and aware of
the truth of this so-called war. He told us he would not be complicit in
genocide. Soldiers have burnt their uniforms in solidarity with Aaron’s
message. Like-minded soldiers are here with us today. Aaron’s choice to
self-immolate in front of our eyes while screaming Free Palestine was a result
of the mental distress caused by these violent institutions coupled with the
proper reasoning to comprehend the scope of suffering they inflict.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Every day that Israel continues its
attempted seizure of Gaza, feels more helpless than the last.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: georgia;">I am here to remind you, we are the healthy
ones. We allow ourselves to be present so we may truly feel the impact on our
comrades in Gaza. In his paper on Psychic numbing and genocide Paul Slovac
wrote, “Behind every president who ignored mass murder, were millions of
citizens whose indifference allowed them to get away with it.”[2] We will not
be like those who numb themselves and dissociate from the violence of these
capitalist institutions.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Psychological studies of Palestinians show
that the ongoing occupation has caused unconscionable rates of PTSD in the
people of Gaza. One such study by Mohamed A. S. Altawil concluded, “<span style="background: #FCFCFC; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Palestinians
will suffer for a long time from PTSD, which should be called Chronic Traumatic
Stress Disorder (CTSD) rather than PTSD. This PTSD or CTSD cannot be changed
unless the root of the problem is solved by ending the 74 years of living under
occupation. [1]</span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Aaron succumbed to his wounds, but we are
all still here. I am so glad each of you is here fighting beside me, fighting
alongside our Palestinian family. We will not stop fighting until Palestine is
free. We will not stop fighting until everyone is free. And we will continue to
confront the structures of domination and oppression that cause immense harm in
every corner of this beautiful planet we call home. Those powers would have us
locked away in prisons and institutions, but we know that what we feel is only
due to their abuse. And though Aaron’s final act was one of deep compassion, I
ask that each of you stay here with us. We need you here. We keep us safe.</span></span></p>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: georgia;">
<hr align="center" size="2" width="100%" />
</span></span></div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="background-color: #fcfcfc;">[1]</span> Altawil, M.A.S., El-Asam, A. &
Khadaroo, A. Impact of chronic war trauma exposure on PTSD Diagnosis from
2006-2021: a longitudinal study in Palestine. Middle East Curr. Psychiatry 30,
14 (2023)<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: georgia;">[2] Slovic, P. Judgement and Decision
Making vol 2. no. 2 April 2007 pp. 79-95</span></span></p><p></p></blockquote><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">I'll conclude by saying I'm pretty sure I know what we need to do to get the corporate press to pay attention to our objections to U.S. support for Israel's genocide. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXwVbtIU1aJMDbufo4CnOj7uuNSvqw38u3ZfSTnZeVobPn8oj7X4hZ5_oo5bH2akc2KBNPvxRcEb7busl5-SCM6IKXQKtZzXfEnJN1Gvrk_2bYpgY8EBnW1n7Qikgjuyv0iTEe0ArYPjnr4i7yBnPoXIxF5hmUZA9-jmt5q3eCpzGSm0Ut4BPK4tI3XnA/s973/Screenshot%202024-03-03%20073507.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="427" data-original-width="973" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXwVbtIU1aJMDbufo4CnOj7uuNSvqw38u3ZfSTnZeVobPn8oj7X4hZ5_oo5bH2akc2KBNPvxRcEb7busl5-SCM6IKXQKtZzXfEnJN1Gvrk_2bYpgY8EBnW1n7Qikgjuyv0iTEe0ArYPjnr4i7yBnPoXIxF5hmUZA9-jmt5q3eCpzGSm0Ut4BPK4tI3XnA/w640-h280/Screenshot%202024-03-03%20073507.png" width="640" /></a></div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">A Maine Coalition for Palestine rally February 2 in Portland a few blocks away drew 200 participants and a handful of us were arrested and charged with obstructing a public way.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Nearly every news outlet in Maine covered it.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">So, let's get organizing.</span></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-CA"><o:p></o:p></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span><p></p>Lisa Savagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06319699936783253064noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-95738970217731354.post-41034031288279354912024-03-02T05:03:00.000-08:002024-03-02T05:03:31.410-08:00Gaza Casts A Shadow As State Colleges Are Yoked To War Profiteers<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRpM9iZzGjEaK8LMCiJDSeZPL9NNXD-6lNmxhu3kRJKgu-je6eeEclvxDGkQYpbuyxPMcNwAl1TId82HrESNLKZwcdkHS5ilwd_QAeoynFyZUxCox2FU6uN1Em8QcpE-TATK7gVSDMaqzCnZV2_u5Y8l_AqjEUErmbn6-Ln14IN4TRl5Ctj8swTYDHcOM/s2048/IMG_1513-copy-2048x1536.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRpM9iZzGjEaK8LMCiJDSeZPL9NNXD-6lNmxhu3kRJKgu-je6eeEclvxDGkQYpbuyxPMcNwAl1TId82HrESNLKZwcdkHS5ilwd_QAeoynFyZUxCox2FU6uN1Em8QcpE-TATK7gVSDMaqzCnZV2_u5Y8l_AqjEUErmbn6-Ln14IN4TRl5Ctj8swTYDHcOM/w640-h480/IMG_1513-copy-2048x1536.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><i><span style="background-color: white; color: #505257;">Members of the Statewide Coalition for Palestine protested outside the unveiling of the Maine Defense Industry Alliance </span><span style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #505257;">at the York County Community College’s Instructional Site in Sanford </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #505257;">on March 1, 2024. (<a href="https://mainemorningstar.com/2024/03/01/at-unveiling-of-defense-workforce-initiative-maines-top-officials-fail-to-escape-shadow-of-war-in-gaza/" target="_blank">Maine Morning Star</a>)</span></i></span><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">The U.S. sees a problem: our economy is <a href="https://popularresistance.org/fatal-flaws-undermine-americas-defense-industrial-base/" target="_blank">not on a war footing</a>. Not only can the U.S. not recruit even close to the number of soldiers and sailors they say the Pentagon needs, their wealthy contractors like General Dynamics also report they cannot recruit enough skilled workers to fulfill their Pentagon contracts. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">And despite accepting <a href="https://www.newscentermaine.com/article/news/politics/democratic-lawmakers-threaten-biws-45m-tax-break/97-46a147fc-3c33-4d0f-af39-4aac665aaf53" target="_blank">hefty tax breaks</a> from my state, ostensibly for the purpose of funding job training, GD and others have now maneuvered the state's public post-secondary education establishment to train students in the needed skills.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">By accepting funding from the Pentagon to train workers in jobs like welding that are necessary for building war ships and other weapon systems, Maine's community colleges and universities will be pushed to abandon liberal arts or mathematics education and instead fund job training programs. That's what the <a href="https://www.mitc.com/business-support/industries/defense/maine-defense-industry-alliance/" target="_blank">MDIA is all about</a>.</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span></span></p><blockquote><span style="font-family: georgia;">Founding partners include the State of Maine, General Dynamics Bath Iron Works, the Maine Community College System, the University of Maine System, Maine Maritime Academy, Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, Pratt & Whitney</span></blockquote><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">To add insult to injury, the companies getting this deal -- GD/Bath Iron Works and also Pratt & Whitney -- are directly profiting from Israel's ongoing genocide in Gaza. (Details on that in my previous <a href="https://open.substack.com/pub/went2thebridge/p/gaza-genocide-profiteers-doing-business?r=3alev&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web" target="_blank">post here</a>.)</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirUmYMbdCriQcA_g_U7GUk3r8EIKo9VZn7GIKnbaIlKr827yOzPcoDJ_qEUzn4SsRXanuuUimMWH7XWBx7BEjWS15PpW5nWogjT8h8jwZ7Udc-t5dZFa-1jD140A-7S1i36K5mQkxYDciEZ_a6dqqDNMpSBaJiZ5XvWEZBU-hwn85FwV9wxSAPGL8lvj8/s988/Screenshot%202024-03-02%20075301.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="620" data-original-width="988" height="402" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirUmYMbdCriQcA_g_U7GUk3r8EIKo9VZn7GIKnbaIlKr827yOzPcoDJ_qEUzn4SsRXanuuUimMWH7XWBx7BEjWS15PpW5nWogjT8h8jwZ7Udc-t5dZFa-1jD140A-7S1i36K5mQkxYDciEZ_a6dqqDNMpSBaJiZ5XvWEZBU-hwn85FwV9wxSAPGL8lvj8/w640-h402/Screenshot%202024-03-02%20075301.png" width="640" /></a></div><i>link to video <a href="https://wgme.com/news/local/maine-coalition-for-palestine-protests-before-maine-defense-industry-alliance-reveal-gaza-israel-hamas-general-dynamics-city-council-families-men-women-children" target="_blank">here</a></i><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">So on very short notice a group organized by the Maine Coalition for Palestine showed up at York County Community College to let Sen. Angus King, Sen. Susan Collins (invited but only zoomed in), and Rep. Chellie Pingree know: "USA your hands are red! Thirty thousand people dead!"<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">The event was swarming with journalists eager to interview Maine's congressional delegation, and many of them also wanted to interview and film our protest. Especially after two of us snuck in to the event and raised a ruckus about profiting by participating in the massacre of 13,000 children in Gaza.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Maine Morning Star's Evan Popp and Lauren Macauley published, "<a href="https://mainemorningstar.com/2024/03/01/at-unveiling-of-defense-workforce-initiative-maines-top-officials-fail-to-escape-shadow-of-war-in-gaza/" target="_blank">At unveiling of defense workforce initiative Maine's top officials fail to escape shadow of war in Gaza</a>"</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">And WGME local tv news had this piece: "<a href="https://wgme.com/news/local/maine-coalition-for-palestine-protests-before-maine-defense-industry-alliance-reveal-gaza-israel-hamas-general-dynamics-city-council-families-men-women-children" target="_blank">Maine coalition for Palestine protests before Maine defense industry alliance reveal</a>"</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">A quote from our press release that resonated with an unnamed WGME journalist:</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #121212; letter-spacing: -0.5px;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span></span></p><blockquote><span style="font-family: georgia;">This MDIA effort to make war a core component of the Maine economy is dystopian in the extreme. We should never find ourselves in a position where peace is bad for the Maine economy. War should not be a jobs program.</span></blockquote><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">But warmongering for profit has always been justified in terms of allegedly many good jobs it generates. This enormous lie deliberately sidesteps the fact that a similar investment in several other sectors of the economy would actually generate as many as double the number of full-time jobs with benefits. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih6-ZQ5iwQIBoqR2_7z8kMHqdh0gGFdfKIoF2OjV7AFAaU6rkrxB1QUqCSWQPyUHdBogd2B1vJZyPep1IBo9D2GRTM-suCe0d0JaeVxohvSadHvl2muqZ6OwRh46Kl5ajBV6eOUIols0jQMAJ_7G5oHyM4xTtV1C541RkGvbgHnmq55KWUTAwJjWMXBQ0/s738/Screenshot%202024-03-02%20075832.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="455" data-original-width="738" height="394" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih6-ZQ5iwQIBoqR2_7z8kMHqdh0gGFdfKIoF2OjV7AFAaU6rkrxB1QUqCSWQPyUHdBogd2B1vJZyPep1IBo9D2GRTM-suCe0d0JaeVxohvSadHvl2muqZ6OwRh46Kl5ajBV6eOUIols0jQMAJ_7G5oHyM4xTtV1C541RkGvbgHnmq55KWUTAwJjWMXBQ0/w640-h394/Screenshot%202024-03-02%20075832.png" width="640" /></a></div>Source: <a href="https://watson.brown.edu/costsofwar/files/cow/imce/papers/2011/Job%20Opportunity%20Cost%20of%20War.pdf" target="_blank">Costs of War presentation of research</a>, Robert Pollin & Heidi Peletier, June 13, 2011<br /><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Rep. Chellie Pingree once lectured me on presenting this research to her. In the supercilious way of liberal Democrats she pointed out that her previous gig with Common Cause had her presenting the very same research around the country. Doesn't sound like she learned much.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Or maybe the status and wealth that accrues to a long run in the U.S. Congress <a href="https://went2thebridge.blogspot.com/2022/11/alleged-peace-voter-2022-campaign.html" target="_blank">proved too seductive</a>.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Whatever the reason, she claims she's proud of selling Maine post-secondary students' futures to General Dynamics.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">To quote one of many chants yesterday outside the venue where our elected officials were being glad handed by corporate lobbyists: "How do you sleep at night?"</span></p><blockquote><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></blockquote><p></p>Lisa Savagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06319699936783253064noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-95738970217731354.post-3806023126785145072024-02-29T12:02:00.000-08:002024-02-29T12:02:13.193-08:00Atrocities In Abundance<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4JeqRQvTwy1f8dvhrJXFnqP__zMYvktD9Ftr-GBdV2xye2M2tjZ0iXuO5Es3ELYSPBmVfAJ6b4a6FxMUs_4fU_PxhzzVnM-OMxBDYzBT70L_PDBgsT9MQuMzYzA3WTD2V1f_BREtdlh5vCW2NohjFvUP1MtM8d5rpWDyE0aOyD6qqKTpQ5PppGM8p4BY/s2048/GHdxhN8X0AAf2aW.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1353" data-original-width="2048" height="422" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4JeqRQvTwy1f8dvhrJXFnqP__zMYvktD9Ftr-GBdV2xye2M2tjZ0iXuO5Es3ELYSPBmVfAJ6b4a6FxMUs_4fU_PxhzzVnM-OMxBDYzBT70L_PDBgsT9MQuMzYzA3WTD2V1f_BREtdlh5vCW2NohjFvUP1MtM8d5rpWDyE0aOyD6qqKTpQ5PppGM8p4BY/w640-h422/GHdxhN8X0AAf2aW.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p><i style="font-family: georgia;">I just purchased a print of this original work "Repentance" by Inga Solveig. <a href="https://artsymarxist.pixels.com/art/aaron+bushnell" target="_blank">You can, too</a>.</i></p><p><i style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></i></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">The atrocities committed by Israel seem to escalate with each passing day as if the ICJ ruling that they were likely guilty of genocide accelerated their efforts. I avoid war porn but in the week that U.S. Airman Aaron Bushnell sacrificed his own safety in an attempt to protect Palestinians from violence inflicted by our country, it's surreal how fast the horrors are piling up.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Trigger warning: disturbing content follows.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdVoScsXufR4H_6K-Nj-GYisTu3o_jwRM4nK8I__38lnKmSKafGZwTIUywotmIixxcurgRIZKo8XK3A9-d2OsCvGkoJl1_kW1d0ngaEVYfxX5T6iCYtbc7lHQukMuojkkOlWkyD9jNl0lHW_obUfKP3tx5ltTBcoKFjytqmWWoqQF0fiaK8goLxZ9WqN0/s794/Screenshot%202024-02-29%20135307.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><img border="0" data-original-height="713" data-original-width="794" height="574" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdVoScsXufR4H_6K-Nj-GYisTu3o_jwRM4nK8I__38lnKmSKafGZwTIUywotmIixxcurgRIZKo8XK3A9-d2OsCvGkoJl1_kW1d0ngaEVYfxX5T6iCYtbc7lHQukMuojkkOlWkyD9jNl0lHW_obUfKP3tx5ltTBcoKFjytqmWWoqQF0fiaK8goLxZ9WqN0/w640-h574/Screenshot%202024-02-29%20135307.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><p><i><a href="goog_1380527932"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></a></i></p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><i>Video <a href="https://twitter.com/jakeshieldsajj/status/1763115567198953839 " target="_blank">here</a> if you can stand to watch it. This is not what 5 month old babies typically look like, and the mother is reportedly too malnourished to produce milk to feed her infant.)</i><br /><br /></span><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDb5WC3inHWtCZMDNz319elshBbGa1uRNr1jTAYMSuejqlHe7J1dNJMLgk8gbkwbdeqj_Ld0YtXF_737OAudbw_Da3HQI3Z4Hd_xvzzw_QOEaVZfq8hc-nzUxnnsAK8RXpDOY97ME8ao4ADMBZnVFJWMXvyzsQ-m6uigebQ3qlztajRo3l3GBp0gWoZyA/s851/Screenshot%202024-02-29%20135451.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><img border="0" data-original-height="728" data-original-width="851" height="548" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDb5WC3inHWtCZMDNz319elshBbGa1uRNr1jTAYMSuejqlHe7J1dNJMLgk8gbkwbdeqj_Ld0YtXF_737OAudbw_Da3HQI3Z4Hd_xvzzw_QOEaVZfq8hc-nzUxnnsAK8RXpDOY97ME8ao4ADMBZnVFJWMXvyzsQ-m6uigebQ3qlztajRo3l3GBp0gWoZyA/w640-h548/Screenshot%202024-02-29%20135451.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span><p><a href="https://twitter.com/angeloinchina/status/1763138532695298378"><i><span style="font-family: georgia;">https://twitter.com/angeloinchina/status/1763138532695298378</span></i></a></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">The occasion for the massacre: starving people were receiving food aid. More than 100 were killed and hundreds more were injured.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi53xsm8q2YKa0kEPL77OmOD0FsbK-Fn0MeBPktbPxGIBfa0a4rBgaAx4ZJDidJeTlewdT1tkkoI0ymG7N_B5TOc14oZ5GFoWn37lEQ03W3dxy9aN13oF-d9msqbrM3viGrfJe1RpQOq6-9cdZcMf27oRamh3R96J3qXpWXljTf8S9y4O751MQTZilYI3g/s1110/gettyimages-2040037009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><img border="0" data-original-height="740" data-original-width="1110" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi53xsm8q2YKa0kEPL77OmOD0FsbK-Fn0MeBPktbPxGIBfa0a4rBgaAx4ZJDidJeTlewdT1tkkoI0ymG7N_B5TOc14oZ5GFoWn37lEQ03W3dxy9aN13oF-d9msqbrM3viGrfJe1RpQOq6-9cdZcMf27oRamh3R96J3qXpWXljTf8S9y4O751MQTZilYI3g/w640-h426/gettyimages-2040037009.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /><i>"<a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2024/02/29/middleeast/gaza-city-deaths-food-israel-intl/" target="_blank">More than 100 killed as Israeli forces open fire in chaos at Gaza food lines, Palestinian health ministry says</a>" by Abeer Salman & Jeremy Diamond, CNN, Feb 29, 2024 </i></span><p></p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><div class="headline__byline-sub-text" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; display: inline-flex; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;"></div></span><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblog/2024/2/29/israels-war-on-gaza-live-mass-killing-of-children-in-slow-motion-ngo" target="_blank">Al Jazeera</a> reported:</span></p><ul style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; padding-left: 40px;"><li style="box-sizing: border-box; position: static;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">At least 112 Palestinians waiting for food aid <a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/2/29/dozens-killed-injured-by-israeli-fire-in-gaza-while-collecting-food-aid" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #0059a5;">killed and 760 wounded</a> after being shot at by Israeli forces in Gaza.</span></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; position: static;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">“Life draining out of Gaza at terrifying speed,” says UN aid chief Martin Griffiths on aid seeker attack, as death toll in Gaza crosses 30,000-mark.</span></li></ul><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">In some cases, food aid boxes have been dropped into the surf so that people have to swim out to get it. Israeli snipers shot them, too, according to witnesses. Haven't seen any photos of that.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">The UN Security Council is set to meet later today about the killing of starving, dehydrated aid seekers. <a href="https://peoplesdispatch.org/2024/02/20/us-vetoes-algerian-resolution-for-an-immediate-ceasefire-in-gaza/" target="_blank">Another veto</a> opportunity for the U.S.? </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">And finally, how could we overlook the citizens of Israel out on the borders blocking aid trucks by erecting macabre facsimiles of carnivals with bouncy castles and cotton candy machines to delight the children. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcjOrMUVO-24r7ysWHhduJO8_QlhTeSdIMcB5SsPybyJbmL5rjYYSqRHAO3azpKrZJiBF1bx96WS3sBNgUxrKZeIBogcS1Tt6E4sjNFKoAaCByY8oYZw_G8cfsLHMK0w__-at-MJDIkidxUVWtiPP9QJyeMxgEhTQj5thZDH-BJhlpPXnxqUQG0kPxiDM/s757/Screenshot%202024-02-29%20142327.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="757" data-original-width="755" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcjOrMUVO-24r7ysWHhduJO8_QlhTeSdIMcB5SsPybyJbmL5rjYYSqRHAO3azpKrZJiBF1bx96WS3sBNgUxrKZeIBogcS1Tt6E4sjNFKoAaCByY8oYZw_G8cfsLHMK0w__-at-MJDIkidxUVWtiPP9QJyeMxgEhTQj5thZDH-BJhlpPXnxqUQG0kPxiDM/w638-h640/Screenshot%202024-02-29%20142327.png" width="638" /></a></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><i><br /></i></span></div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><i>https://twitter.com/QudsNen/status/1761147220164845777</i></span><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Not the beautiful starving children of Gaza, dehydrated, orphaned, and mourned.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Only the well-fed, housed, and hydrated Zionist children. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Because apartheid is the enormous, vicious lie that some children are worth more than other children.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">If you're able to, you might join me in donating to the <a href="https://www.pcrf.net" target="_blank">Palestine Children's Relief Fund</a>. It was named as a beneficiary in Aaron Bushnell's last will and testament, a man who could not stay alive in the face of his complicity in all these atrocities.</span></p>Lisa Savagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06319699936783253064noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-95738970217731354.post-87196311183665288902024-02-28T09:24:00.000-08:002024-02-28T09:24:59.260-08:00Gaza Genocide Profiteers Doing Business In Maine<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3V3PvRfU5Sbq__t4UZAAEl_g2uVAHVDQPt9EFZWE8u1byZewtScUQny5yqqVJ0OEwENonFpynj42un_VxB1UJBRcjTEzaziu_RCknjutuMzTUdyD4hkm0dwDUzexQrymKa5SPSJFvN0O3fq_W-CITAhDqYhF1LONmha92JTyOSQTuoif5ZJEDb30XuLI/s1024/JXOBBCKK7VGQ3AUVXB2BDFMXTE.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="683" data-original-width="1024" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3V3PvRfU5Sbq__t4UZAAEl_g2uVAHVDQPt9EFZWE8u1byZewtScUQny5yqqVJ0OEwENonFpynj42un_VxB1UJBRcjTEzaziu_RCknjutuMzTUdyD4hkm0dwDUzexQrymKa5SPSJFvN0O3fq_W-CITAhDqYhF1LONmha92JTyOSQTuoif5ZJEDb30XuLI/w640-h426/JXOBBCKK7VGQ3AUVXB2BDFMXTE.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><i><span style="background-color: white; letter-spacing: 0.503526px;">The Navy destroyer Carney fires missiles to counter drone and missile fire by Houthi rebels in Yemen on Oct. 19, 2023, in the Red Sea. (Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Aaron Lau/Navy)</span><br /></i><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Folks are looking for facts about genocide profiteering in our state (Maine) that they can identify sources for so I made a one-pager that's more like two. I relied on AFSC's fairly current research published <a href="https://afsc.org/companies-2023-attack-gaza" target="_blank">here</a> and also Christian Sorensen's deep research into military contracts available via his substack <a href="https://thebusinessofwar.substack.com/p/mapping-the-business-of-war" target="_blank">The Business of War</a>. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">I tried to arrange things so that you can tell which sources apply to which info. Note that within AFSC's section there are many more links to sources for claims.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><strong>General Dynamics</strong> (source: <a data-cke-saved-href="https://afsc.org/companies-2023-attack-gaza" href="https://afsc.org/companies-2023-attack-gaza">https://afsc.org/companies-2023-attack-gaza</a>)</span></p><ul><li><span style="font-family: georgia;">The world's sixth largest weapons manufacturer, <a data-cke-saved-href="https://investigate.afsc.org/company/general-dynamics" href="https://investigate.afsc.org/company/general-dynamics">General Dynamics</a>, supplies Israel with artillery ammunition and bombs for attack jets used in Israel’s assault on Gaza.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: georgia;">General Dynamics is the <a data-cke-saved-href="https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2023/11/09/htsr-n09.html" href="https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2023/11/09/htsr-n09.html">only company</a> in the U.S. that makes the metal bodies of the MK-80 bomb series, the primary weapon type Israel uses to bomb Gaza. The bodies of the bombs are filled with explosives by the U.S. military, and then can be made into a guided bomb using <a data-cke-saved-href="https://investigate.info/company/boeing" href="https://investigate.info/company/boeing">Boeing</a>'s JDAM kits.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: georgia;">It is also the <a data-cke-saved-href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/long-war-in-ukraine-highlights-need-for-u-s-army-to-modernize-ammo-production" href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/long-war-in-ukraine-highlights-need-for-u-s-army-to-modernize-ammo-production">only company</a> in the U.S. that makes 155mm caliber artillery shells, which have been used extensively to attack Gaza. One source reported that, by Nov. 25, one Israeli brigade fired some 10,000 such shells using BAE’s M109 howitzer.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: georgia;">155mm shells<a data-cke-saved-href="https://www.defense.gov/News/News-Stories/Article/Article/3563298/dod-responds-to-attacks-continues-efforts-to-deter-spread-of-israel-hamas-war/" href="https://www.defense.gov/News/News-Stories/Article/Article/3563298/dod-responds-to-attacks-continues-efforts-to-deter-spread-of-israel-hamas-war/"> have been part</a> of the U.S.’s recent weapons shipments to Israel. The U.S. is <a data-cke-saved-href="https://www.axios.com/2023/10/19/us-israel-artillery-shells-ukraine-weapons-gaza" href="https://www.axios.com/2023/10/19/us-israel-artillery-shells-ukraine-weapons-gaza">planning</a> to send “tens of thousands of 155mm artillery shells that had been destined for Ukraine” to Israel. Their use by Israel, <a data-cke-saved-href="https://webassets.oxfamamerica.org/media/documents/Artillery_Shells_Transver_Policy_BriefingNote_1.pdf" href="https://webassets.oxfamamerica.org/media/documents/Artillery_Shells_Transver_Policy_BriefingNote_1.pdf">according to Oxfam</a>, is “virtually assured to be indiscriminate, unlawful, and devastating to civilians in Gaza.” On Nov. 13, more than 30 organizations <a data-cke-saved-href="https://pomed.org/publication/joint-letter-to-secretary-of-defense-lloyd-austin-opposing-155mm-artillery-shell-transfer-to-israel/" href="https://pomed.org/publication/joint-letter-to-secretary-of-defense-lloyd-austin-opposing-155mm-artillery-shell-transfer-to-israel/">issued</a> a letter opposing the transfer.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: georgia;">General Dynamics also <a data-cke-saved-href="https://www.gd-ots.com/flyer-72-tactical-utility-vehicle-tuv/" href="https://www.gd-ots.com/flyer-72-tactical-utility-vehicle-tuv/">partnered</a> with Flyer Defense to develop an armored patrol vehicle that Israel is testing.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: georgia;">On an Oct. 25 call with investors, General Dynamics CFO, Jason Aiken, <a data-cke-saved-href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/oct/30/wall-street-morgan-stanley-td-bank-ukraine-israel-hamas-war" href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/oct/30/wall-street-morgan-stanley-td-bank-ukraine-israel-hamas-war">said</a>, “I think if you look at the incremental demand potential coming out of [the attacks on Gaza], <strong>the biggest one to highlight and that really sticks out is probably on the artillery side</strong>.”</span></li></ul><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSMCQtawt9PW1P-TTA07bv2_Hf0dpuzpOhNxcK-EKXkx2SaXpiZ195VUKvj6Zulu1fX21hxMVLBnUZacgLofcE06Td3weKD3O8lRH8SwqnEnnBCP2_PCh6-nP3Kosfsny58S2JJ3TRj59K3jYnhNFYhn6l9sCfEvnT5anYsEO1HzLViHCsGkz4jMR59iU/s1024/_77389934_77389932.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="1024" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSMCQtawt9PW1P-TTA07bv2_Hf0dpuzpOhNxcK-EKXkx2SaXpiZ195VUKvj6Zulu1fX21hxMVLBnUZacgLofcE06Td3weKD3O8lRH8SwqnEnnBCP2_PCh6-nP3Kosfsny58S2JJ3TRj59K3jYnhNFYhn6l9sCfEvnT5anYsEO1HzLViHCsGkz4jMR59iU/w640-h360/_77389934_77389932.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><i>Evidence of carpet bombing in Gaza</i><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">source: <a data-cke-saved-href="https://thebusinessofwar.substack.com/p/mapping-the-business-of-war" href="https://thebusinessofwar.substack.com/p/mapping-the-business-of-war">https://thebusinessofwar.substack.com/p/mapping-the-business-of-war</a>)</span></div><div><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><strong>General Dynamics OTS</strong> - Saco, ME<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Aircraft and crew-served weapons (e.g., Gatling guns, 40 mm grenade weapon system, .50 caliber machine gun); guided missile director (<a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/2/17/us-to-send-weapons-to-israel-amid-invasion-threat-in-gazas-rafah-report" target="_blank">MK 82</a>).</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><strong><br /></strong></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><strong>General Dynamics Bath Iron Works</strong> (BIW) - Bath, ME<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Many supporting facilities in neighboring towns, particularly Brunswick. For full list, see: <a data-cke-saved-href="http://www.gdbiw.com/contact-us/directions" href="http://www.gdbiw.com/contact-us/directions" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.gdbiw.com/contact-us/directions</a><br /><br />War ship (destroyer) production. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT-cyBOFS0Sqn9Hs606uCDUnjy2e9Zi5HZP23IXZhEFLbV5aUvE-AnEy_IbMrvwm8twN4x6yJGsJoxVPRzFVvWlRUc5n8dCRrUBXK5FblLQziNvNJ-8v9x0sowZHZiVwwuYxXjQO9qT2cso0fp0vwv92VDpV1Oqc3HbYVKm9jY1LYmZy6-JivpE-FoHDI/s482/Screenshot%202024-02-28%20120531.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="482" data-original-width="460" height="457" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT-cyBOFS0Sqn9Hs606uCDUnjy2e9Zi5HZP23IXZhEFLbV5aUvE-AnEy_IbMrvwm8twN4x6yJGsJoxVPRzFVvWlRUc5n8dCRrUBXK5FblLQziNvNJ-8v9x0sowZHZiVwwuYxXjQO9qT2cso0fp0vwv92VDpV1Oqc3HbYVKm9jY1LYmZy6-JivpE-FoHDI/w436-h457/Screenshot%202024-02-28%20120531.png" width="436" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Examples of BIW-built ships in action supporting Israel:</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">sources: CNN <a data-cke-saved-href="https://www.cnn.com/2024/01/31/politics/us-warship-close-call-houthi-missile/index.html" href="https://www.cnn.com/2024/01/31/politics/us-warship-close-call-houthi-missile/index.html">https://www.cnn.com/2024/01/31/politics/us-warship-close-call-houthi-missile/index.html</a> </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">CBS News <a data-cke-saved-href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/houthis-target-u-s-destroyer-carney-british-merchant-ship-missile-attacks-red-sea-gulf-of-aden/" href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/houthis-target-u-s-destroyer-carney-british-merchant-ship-missile-attacks-red-sea-gulf-of-aden/">https://www.cbsnews.com/news/houthis-target-u-s-destroyer-carney-british-merchant-ship-missile-attacks-red-sea-gulf-of-aden/</a>)</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Future plans</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><a href="https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/uss-zumwalt-pioneering-hypersonic-might-for-the-us-navy-amidst-fleet-modernization/ar-BB1iEb9R">https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/uss-zumwalt-pioneering-hypersonic-might-for-the-us-navy-amidst-fleet-modernization/ar-BB1iEb9R</a></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #2b2b2b;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span></span></p><blockquote><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #2b2b2b;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">excerpt: </span></span></p><p><span style="color: #2b2b2b;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="background-color: white;">The Zumwalt, initially conceived as a littoral combat ship, has seen its mission evolve significantly. Initially, it was to support ground forces with precision-guided naval artillery shells. However, exorbitant costs and technical setbacks saw the ambitious program for 32 vessels slashed to a trio of ships, compelling the Navy to pivot towards the hypersonic upgrade. </span><span style="background-color: #fcff01;">The Zumwalt, alongside its sister ships, the USS Michael Monsoor (DDG-1001) and the Lyndon B. Johnson (DDG-1002)</span><span style="background-color: white;">, are the beneficiaries of this redirected focus, with all three poised to receive the CPS systems.</span></span></span></p></blockquote><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #2b2b2b;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="background-color: #fcff01;">Destroyers built in Maine</span> are deployed in both the Mediterranean and Red Sea to support Israel.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXm8bJZcPvJVf0SfNA0u_iilB48kW3JPLIMY0E4uBtuYRW9xwbW9Y8REQaMpN3lJq5bnCLdos2SfNyGAsHjF32u2VsWqMvC_S5c1MvtV6mjNaEcsPjFRYijPiMwKCypO61nqMpTfCAPz9uLPvGcH4jiyg1ELyexedZRkorpmH5bnI93bYH8G5Ys8bfyb0/s1920/W4ME22_Profile_PrattWhitney_NBAS_Aerial_opt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1197" data-original-width="1920" height="311" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXm8bJZcPvJVf0SfNA0u_iilB48kW3JPLIMY0E4uBtuYRW9xwbW9Y8REQaMpN3lJq5bnCLdos2SfNyGAsHjF32u2VsWqMvC_S5c1MvtV6mjNaEcsPjFRYijPiMwKCypO61nqMpTfCAPz9uLPvGcH4jiyg1ELyexedZRkorpmH5bnI93bYH8G5Ys8bfyb0/w498-h311/W4ME22_Profile_PrattWhitney_NBAS_Aerial_opt.jpg" width="498" /></a></div><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><strong>RTX/Raytheon subsidiary Pratt & Whitney - North Berwick Aero Systems, </strong>North Berwick, ME</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="color: inherit;">source: </span><a data-cke-saved-href="https://afsc.org/companies-2023-attack-gaza" href="https://afsc.org/companies-2023-attack-gaza">https://afsc.org/companies-2023-attack-gaza</a></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="color: inherit;">The world's second largest weapons manufacturer and largest producer of guided missiles, </span><a data-cke-saved-href="https://investigate.afsc.org/company/raytheon-technologies" href="https://investigate.afsc.org/company/raytheon-technologies">RTX</a><span style="color: inherit;"> supplies the Israeli Air Force with guided air-to-surface missiles for its F-16 fighter jets, as well as cluster bombs and bunker busters, which have consistently been used against Gaza's civilian population and infrastructure.</span></span></p><ul><li><span style="font-family: georgia;">Pratt & Whitney manufactures engines for F-15 and F-16 fighter jets.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: georgia;">On an Oct. 24 call with investors, RTX CEO, Greg Hayes, <a data-cke-saved-href="https://www.businessinsider.com/raytheon-ceo-benefit-dod-budget-increases-war-israel-2023-10" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/raytheon-ceo-benefit-dod-budget-increases-war-israel-2023-10">said</a>, “I think really across the entire Raytheon portfolio, you're going to see a benefit of this restocking.”</span></li></ul><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">source: MaineBiz <a data-cke-saved-href="https://www.mainebiz.biz/sponsored/article/pratt-whitney-north-berwick-aero-systems-nbas" href="https://www.mainebiz.biz/sponsored/article/pratt-whitney-north-berwick-aero-systems-nbas">https://www.mainebiz.biz/sponsored/article/pratt-whitney-north-berwick-aero-systems-nbas</a></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><blockquote>Pratt & Whitney’s North Berwick Aero Systems facility produces world-class modules, components, and parts for commercial and military engines. The plant is more than 1 million square feet, and is the largest manufacturing facility under one roof in Maine. This site supports the full life cycle of its products from design and development to production, assembly, overhaul and repair.</blockquote></span></div><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></div>Lisa Savagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06319699936783253064noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-95738970217731354.post-3266442053241107802024-02-26T04:17:00.000-08:002024-02-26T04:17:53.024-08:00Young People In The Empire: This Is Their Vietnam<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM3nepvrLITM8IRzSltbekdxhrxC63KWGBtuWvYs5DFKgJyxax5CCHskDmkIprzzJqa9BKn2foWGnmiseJZB4eZTrCnFQ5rCa2q-jFkKJo-Q_8DqNkRps5t9kPT5MoiXXetwsfS0sEFIhg3KfAYXYUZzI_mwGhPxHVY5w3vLUf3PITd9_MWYPvX_QnYU8/s376/Screenshot%202024-02-26%20063828.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="275" data-original-width="376" height="468" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM3nepvrLITM8IRzSltbekdxhrxC63KWGBtuWvYs5DFKgJyxax5CCHskDmkIprzzJqa9BKn2foWGnmiseJZB4eZTrCnFQ5rCa2q-jFkKJo-Q_8DqNkRps5t9kPT5MoiXXetwsfS0sEFIhg3KfAYXYUZzI_mwGhPxHVY5w3vLUf3PITd9_MWYPvX_QnYU8/w640-h468/Screenshot%202024-02-26%20063828.png" width="640" /></a></div><i>Still from the livestreamed footage of police pointing a gun at a burning man shouting "Get down on the ground!" repeatedly as others scrambled for a fire extinguisher. Australian blogger Caitlin Johnstone described this as, "<a href="https://www.caitlinjohnst.one/p/the-most-american-thing-that-has-335?r=3alev&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web" target="_blank">the most American thing ever</a>."</i><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">It has been said -- but I can't recall now who said it -- that Israel's genocide in Gaza is to young people of today what the U.S. war in Vietnam was to my generation.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">I think the volume and intensity of protests calling for an immediate ceasefire and to free Palestine gave rise to this interpretation.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Those of us protesting the many, many, many imperial wars since Vietnam may be forgiven for wondering: why this one? Why not the war in Afghanistan, or either of the wars in Iraq (ongoing), Syria, Sudan, Libya, even Korea -- the war that never officially ended?</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Young people alive today did not see the carnage of these wars on their television screens the way I once did.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">They do see the carnage of Israel's attempt to eradicate Palestinians to finish stealing their land. Despite Israel cutting Gaza off from communications, electricity, food, or even potable water, they see it. Campaigns raise funds to donate esim cards so Gazans can film what is happening to their loved ones. Despite Israel killing a record number of journalists since October 7, the raw videos and testimonies make it onto social media. Youthful reporters Motaz, now in exile, and Bisan are folk heroes for bringing the gruesome facts to our eyes.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Online personalities like Russell Brand and Lee Camp built a following for their comedy but now college students rely on them for current events reporting and analysis.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Even if the evening news were to show a young girl in Gaza vomiting animal feed -- all that's left to eat after weeks of siege -- and then dying, young people would not be watching.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Young people have given up on corporate "news" and have other ways of finding out that a U.S. airman set himself on fire in front of the Israeli embassy in Washington DC. </span><span style="font-family: georgia;">Young people will learn of Aaron Bushnell's <a href="https://husseini.substack.com/p/ignoring-immolators-lulls-the-society?publication_id=201840&post_id=142048637&isFreemail=true&r=3alev&open=false&utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email" target="_blank">extreme protest</a> crying "Free Palestine!" over and over as he burned and toppled.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhLPmfjGy74IqfN3ktx06WOKMtSqpnZTY2rwz3Z1XwaAUOWzrc71yvy3GVQ1nvQYhBpqkanUPs_tOjK-kCPvWF1cJMBfvCJ4h5ZCCUX78jSm-CzwMgiBTSOz9IrozdMijUF40unVANmC9XDlEblTtXazXH6vOjYo3YC4bfsmUKAo5iQjROEOKXZ3iv6Aw/s3008/self-emmolation-of-vietnamese-buddhist-monk-682825498.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="3008" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhLPmfjGy74IqfN3ktx06WOKMtSqpnZTY2rwz3Z1XwaAUOWzrc71yvy3GVQ1nvQYhBpqkanUPs_tOjK-kCPvWF1cJMBfvCJ4h5ZCCUX78jSm-CzwMgiBTSOz9IrozdMijUF40unVANmC9XDlEblTtXazXH6vOjYo3YC4bfsmUKAo5iQjROEOKXZ3iv6Aw/w640-h426/self-emmolation-of-vietnamese-buddhist-monk-682825498.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">But it probably won't be from the sources where I learned of Buddhist monk </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Thích Quảng Đức who burned himself to death protesting in Saigon in 1963.</span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUhxXHbuYsGHnqYQHncZ7_t6oNRi6oP5R3kwiItkycDqomVe9-Wt2cR4Mlz-BIFxAXTyaWjVr2P1gTHLjmiFBVc9XW1wC1W49cYD9iStO2JngiLkom9D2Ijd36jMlR1havaYoNsHTI_IeyOGK_Yl4gRa7tx8oqQSuy0I4S7K1bg8jvJqGgOxpYB1hncRg/s450/bb07217320_3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="406" data-original-width="450" height="578" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUhxXHbuYsGHnqYQHncZ7_t6oNRi6oP5R3kwiItkycDqomVe9-Wt2cR4Mlz-BIFxAXTyaWjVr2P1gTHLjmiFBVc9XW1wC1W49cYD9iStO2JngiLkom9D2Ijd36jMlR1havaYoNsHTI_IeyOGK_Yl4gRa7tx8oqQSuy0I4S7K1bg8jvJqGgOxpYB1hncRg/w640-h578/bb07217320_3.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Or the other self-immolations here in the U.S. that I and others saw <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/africa/01/19/self.immolation.history/" target="_blank">reported in the news</a>: </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="background-color: white;"></span></span></p><blockquote><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="background-color: white;">In March 1965, an 82-year-old woman, Alice Herz, protested the ongoing </span><a class="cnnInlineTopic" href="http://www.cnn.com/topics/Vietnam_War" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #004276; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Vietnam War</a><span style="background-color: white;"> by setting herself on fire on a Detroit, Michigan, street corner. Norman Morrison, 31, ignited himself eight months later outside the Pentagon, beneath the office window of Defense Secretary Robert McNamara. The following week, Roger Allen LaPorte, 22, did the same in front of New York City's United Nations building.</span></span></blockquote><p></p><p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: georgia;"><span style="background-color: white;">Our imperial managers have decided that such knowledge among the general populace could endanger their hold on power.</span></span></p><p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: georgia;"><span style="background-color: white;">They're right about that. Bushnell was intelligent enough to livestream his self-immolation, making it <a href="https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/other/aaron-bushnell-s-facebook-reveals-final-message-before-self-immolation/ar-BB1iTB6d" target="_blank">hard to ignore</a>. (For example, what do you know about the person who set themselves on fire in front of the Israeli embassy in Atlanta last December? Exactly.)</span></span></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY6xQgHqutT0WK-qtCkGJVlAX3b7KqnkfZtsVnFbymB6ylha64K69rdbBFlNPYt7vnDjE9vM7spYAU9FsZ4tMtBttIzGlDUm8O4YEo4gev-f1o9rDqiqrYGUFuy2vQ1OYYOqNiMjYCM5NyPW6vMM2jv82xOccHp-sUl95AIHacybO4G7Lz7NDs2ywujrk/s1470/aaron-bushnell-sets-himself-on-fire-whilst-shrieking-free-v0-tfaqvhpxzukc1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: georgia; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1436" data-original-width="1470" height="626" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY6xQgHqutT0WK-qtCkGJVlAX3b7KqnkfZtsVnFbymB6ylha64K69rdbBFlNPYt7vnDjE9vM7spYAU9FsZ4tMtBttIzGlDUm8O4YEo4gev-f1o9rDqiqrYGUFuy2vQ1OYYOqNiMjYCM5NyPW6vMM2jv82xOccHp-sUl95AIHacybO4G7Lz7NDs2ywujrk/w640-h626/aaron-bushnell-sets-himself-on-fire-whilst-shrieking-free-v0-tfaqvhpxzukc1.jpg" width="640" /></a></p><p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: georgia;"><br /><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span></p><p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: georgia;"><span style="background-color: white;">Spread the word.</span></span></p><p data-t="{"n":"blueLinks"}" style="background-color: white; color: #2b2b2b; margin: 0px 0px 16px;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span></p><blockquote><p data-t="{"n":"blueLinks"}" style="background-color: white; color: #2b2b2b; margin: 0px 0px 16px;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Earlier in the day, Bushnell posted a final message on Facebook, alongside a link to a Twitch stream that has since been taken down.</span></p><p class="continue-read-break" data-t="{"n":"blueLinks"}" style="background-color: white; color: #2b2b2b; margin: 0px 0px 16px; opacity: 1; position: static;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">He wrote: "Many of us like to ask ourselves, 'What would I do if I was alive during slavery? Or the Jim Crow South? Or apartheid? What would I do if my country was committing genocide?' The answer is, you're doing it. Right now."</span></p></blockquote><p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: georgia;"><span style="background-color: white;">Rest in power, Aaron.</span></span></p>Lisa Savagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06319699936783253064noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-95738970217731354.post-77577753404255069222024-02-25T09:33:00.000-08:002024-02-25T09:33:01.934-08:00How The Propaganda Sausage Gets Made: Navalny<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR6X-chx8IusHEbI2OBHYTNmV0EoyVwVVuMADXQ_VrdYtHFGdvL3Mf9IJWI7iOt3ZXYfFyLjdBf5nOwDFUQ1wfzvsQJ2wl-jioJIyUFW_tvFeg3J-qj_b1jyVOFwI4cduGQgqe5U9ZhL_LFegYaeX1QWlpQr9kyk3UvNifrL66It_uIfAMKvmCX4HyN0A/s943/Screenshot%202024-02-25%20114621.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="131" data-original-width="943" height="88" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR6X-chx8IusHEbI2OBHYTNmV0EoyVwVVuMADXQ_VrdYtHFGdvL3Mf9IJWI7iOt3ZXYfFyLjdBf5nOwDFUQ1wfzvsQJ2wl-jioJIyUFW_tvFeg3J-qj_b1jyVOFwI4cduGQgqe5U9ZhL_LFegYaeX1QWlpQr9kyk3UvNifrL66It_uIfAMKvmCX4HyN0A/w640-h88/Screenshot%202024-02-25%20114621.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3YeXxO-b1sZ4NgzQ3LiMTEtHvlj40TobIgMfonTiWTF48Y9iG-jsidu3Ji8FdI6FBdArQJjms0FzZON5sOPqqLbV1Ar-zM_L5V3xXk31CbXyLw40nDoCM3lJO8T49ZwRxgLICITgUgHnp6Zjcsz9fWc2K30gfyEHzYfpGeCgLeTmKYVLazSFKI0NoJ_4/s891/Screenshot%202024-02-25%20114636.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="133" data-original-width="891" height="96" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3YeXxO-b1sZ4NgzQ3LiMTEtHvlj40TobIgMfonTiWTF48Y9iG-jsidu3Ji8FdI6FBdArQJjms0FzZON5sOPqqLbV1Ar-zM_L5V3xXk31CbXyLw40nDoCM3lJO8T49ZwRxgLICITgUgHnp6Zjcsz9fWc2K30gfyEHzYfpGeCgLeTmKYVLazSFKI0NoJ_4/w640-h96/Screenshot%202024-02-25%20114636.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Finding a replacement for poster boy Zelensky, ill-fated president of Ukraine, was always going to be tricky. Who else would be so willing, even eager, to abase himself so that his photogenic wife could continue shopping for diamonds and haute couture? Who could be counted on to do the job without growing surly, as Zelensky has? Who could embody the "Putin is literally Satan" NATO line without looking like an incompetent leader who excelled at corruption and begging but not much else? </span></div><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Enter Navalny, conveniently dead.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">The headlines above are from my local daily newspaper this morning, the Democratic Party-aligned Portland Press Herald. As genocide and humanitarian disaster unfold in Gaza, these were their featured news items: "Kremlin critic" threatened with a criminal's burial whose death provides an excellent pretext for 500+ new sanctions against Russia.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Because the sanctions imposed on Russia so far have been so effective -- not. Unsanctioned Germany's economy is in the toilet but Russia's economy has thrived. Will the fading empire wake up and realize that its sanctions are counter productive and, at this point, embarrassingly so? Believing in 2022 that sanctions would weaken Russia is understandable. Clinging to this now smacks of wishful thinking with only a tenuous grasp on reality.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkeRW-M97UtSIc6_VIjC8cyjQNAqM874JFFILbU6rqFy1gOGbG_4dQ_mgzSQO5dIodSziQNxqy0XVyQcbD8qgmZv6ErmnFvxyclhW9svI-U7Ltj8L8zg3MW2rRwVIhmwXxjXKeKbPDtkBt20Q6Vx2Aj55ZwD0yy6oGvEBK8zWv4gC04PRr5_c3HYOcFVk/s760/1708648085838_nn_ggu_biden_navalny_sanctions_240222_1920x1080-dbn4s5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="428" data-original-width="760" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkeRW-M97UtSIc6_VIjC8cyjQNAqM874JFFILbU6rqFy1gOGbG_4dQ_mgzSQO5dIodSziQNxqy0XVyQcbD8qgmZv6ErmnFvxyclhW9svI-U7Ltj8L8zg3MW2rRwVIhmwXxjXKeKbPDtkBt20Q6Vx2Aj55ZwD0yy6oGvEBK8zWv4gC04PRr5_c3HYOcFVk/w640-h360/1708648085838_nn_ggu_biden_navalny_sanctions_240222_1920x1080-dbn4s5.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><i>Widow Yulia Navalny getting a hug from President Biden in a photo released by the White House this week.</i><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">So who was Navalny anyway? Unless you've been paying a ton of attention over the past several years, he's probably not who you think he is.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">A <a href="Natali Morris is a former anchor and reporter for MSNBC, CNBC and CBS News" target="_blank">succinct examination</a> of Alexi Navalny's life and death can be found on the Redacted channel by Natali Morris, a former anchor and reporter for MSNBC, CNBC, and CBS News. Morris addresses four key questions:</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span></p><blockquote><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">1) Was he really a hero worth championing?</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">2) Was he poisoned, specifically by the Russian government?</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">3) Was he wrongfully imprisoned?</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">4) Was he actually Putin's main opponent?</span></p></blockquote><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Short answers: no, maybe but not likely, no, and no.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMmuaCho86sY04_VIk1iqcdMYiA6zytOb9esUWoCWUVBTE3abLqZMmzw4WywnQmIU7LSKnqvML2XtArDxBgMSo22OD7ojFeZsIx6tZXil8IEGuJdDQCq7sFciyKA4TifTCJYyHB-Eq0jMqLsnXxL3A5B7It-fNjkOqPpl_seK8ZVIMP5pAHCDgCCsplts/s400/9782315011346.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="283" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMmuaCho86sY04_VIk1iqcdMYiA6zytOb9esUWoCWUVBTE3abLqZMmzw4WywnQmIU7LSKnqvML2XtArDxBgMSo22OD7ojFeZsIx6tZXil8IEGuJdDQCq7sFciyKA4TifTCJYyHB-Eq0jMqLsnXxL3A5B7It-fNjkOqPpl_seK8ZVIMP5pAHCDgCCsplts/w452-h640/9782315011346.jpg" width="452" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Morris references her main source as Jacques Baud's book <i>The Navalny Case: conspiracy to serve foreign policy</i>. (You may remember Baud as the Swiss diplomat who offered <a href="https://www.thepostil.com/our-latest-interview-with-jacques-baud/" target="_blank">useful background and context</a> for the Ukraine proxy war that was widely shared in 2022.)</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Long answers:</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">1) Not a hero. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWLCuwAkiFlq0Qt2EeCEN9n1WwmZQgUme8JSRxMRUJj2KekuXspcbL7vYqfZmRSTxsJmtlX1bg1JzYri4Qlq9sLsVM7mxRd8zyk31V3eF0vyd5_cRz58fvLSdG0d86s-H9fmP5e6JhoubNZmePEqLmNMhYLJo-GG8Ev-_6KeUl8qrzPtVJt4gmVP6Y7xY/s1203/Screenshot%202024-02-25%20101512.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="602" data-original-width="1203" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWLCuwAkiFlq0Qt2EeCEN9n1WwmZQgUme8JSRxMRUJj2KekuXspcbL7vYqfZmRSTxsJmtlX1bg1JzYri4Qlq9sLsVM7mxRd8zyk31V3eF0vyd5_cRz58fvLSdG0d86s-H9fmP5e6JhoubNZmePEqLmNMhYLJo-GG8Ev-_6KeUl8qrzPtVJt4gmVP6Y7xY/w640-h320/Screenshot%202024-02-25%20101512.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">A Salon article from 2017 called Navalny "the Russian Donald Trump" for his white supremacist and anti-immigrant views, and affiliation with skinhead groups in Moscow. He's especially notorious for a 2007 "Muslim migrants are cockroaches" video that's hard to find these days.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">2) Stories abound about what Navalny was poisoned with, when -- like, back in 2020 -- and how. Water bottles? Underwear? Many have posed the<i> cui bono</i> (who benefits?) question pointing out that it makes Putin's regime look bad to have an opponent die in prison. Morris has also published <a href="https://youtu.be/sXN1YIcx0fk?si=PY1dCHIT9m0PYeDH" target="_blank">a new video</a> investigating the likelihood that British operatives poisoned Navalny. Following his death, the U.S. quickly slapped 500+ new sanctions on Russia because: Navalny. So you be the judge of who benefited.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Novitchok, the poison believed to have been used, is a NATO favorite and so lethal than anyone near a person poisoned -- or deploying the poison -- must wear full protective gear. None is in evidence in photos of Navalny traveling to Germany to be treated.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Why did Russia allow Navalny to depart on a flight to Berlin if they were the poisoners? </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Here's the UK medical journal The Lancet on Navalny's blood work back in 2020:</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZdVyBXmlUY-X-_gE29ZKf5y7eVL4QOm7JLhwmLVSIMDN2fBiQ1c7v3yg6WXkvfqymhNxOzkaGn9J-5hmkcRGvrm6vPnhRcckh1TNF0cnCiMv1Mbiz2Af2bJ5TEDBlYIcb_5w5PkYEN09PFT8cbCDY_BUQA1URYgzM1EWwnh6JWydSuYgl4eh0HJ777Yo/s847/Screenshot%202024-02-25%20103152.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="676" data-original-width="847" height="510" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZdVyBXmlUY-X-_gE29ZKf5y7eVL4QOm7JLhwmLVSIMDN2fBiQ1c7v3yg6WXkvfqymhNxOzkaGn9J-5hmkcRGvrm6vPnhRcckh1TNF0cnCiMv1Mbiz2Af2bJ5TEDBlYIcb_5w5PkYEN09PFT8cbCDY_BUQA1URYgzM1EWwnh6JWydSuYgl4eh0HJ777Yo/w640-h510/Screenshot%202024-02-25%20103152.png" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMy61myN_pFQ8ElMUhk2PecmjOIlcKCSLjbIpx7O9nwnCWY2XxJXSuITcZGqzVR5Z4SDeIjyn-8I_bSBKevVqnh9DQD9-cyLAtQrVReJcBO-OO3lv1smWP3FoS8Z6BKJsb0s7K4YvJPFO8tAC39TaaXU95u0vD992mgGif_if4O4VX7yLj_L7IRKaLFsI/s1228/Screenshot%202024-02-25%20110824.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="420" data-original-width="1228" height="218" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMy61myN_pFQ8ElMUhk2PecmjOIlcKCSLjbIpx7O9nwnCWY2XxJXSuITcZGqzVR5Z4SDeIjyn-8I_bSBKevVqnh9DQD9-cyLAtQrVReJcBO-OO3lv1smWP3FoS8Z6BKJsb0s7K4YvJPFO8tAC39TaaXU95u0vD992mgGif_if4O4VX7yLj_L7IRKaLFsI/w640-h218/Screenshot%202024-02-25%20110824.png" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><br /><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">3) Navalny was indicted on corruption charges and given a parole (lenient) sentence. He had violated parole multiple times prior to the alleged poisoning, and eventually had his suspended sentence revoked.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">4) Putin's main opposition is the Communist Party, not right wing extremists who follow Navalny. "When Russians see the Western press champion someone, they get suspicious that that person is a Western puppet. And there is a lot of evidence that Alexei Navalny was indeed a Western puppet, and supported by American government NGOs and the CIA."</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Morris promises to take up that claim and its evidence in a subsequent video, but in the meantime there are <a href="https://thegrayzone.com/2021/02/10/for-russian-leftists-western-favorite-navalny-represents-same-corrupt-elitism/" target="_blank">plenty</a> of <a href="https://thegrayzone.com/2021/01/28/alexei-navalny-myth-wests-russian-opposition-figure/" target="_blank">examinations</a> of this particular point from the last few years. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Most intriguing is this piece by Tony Cartalucci published almost four years ago in</span><span style="font-family: georgia;"> the blog Land Destroyer: "</span><a href="https://landdestroyer.blogspot.com/2020/09/navalny-poisoning-real-target-is.html" style="font-family: georgia;" target="_blank">Navalny Poisoning -- The Real Target is Russian-German Nord Stream 2 Pipeline</a><span style="font-family: georgia;">."</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Hmmm...the plot thickens.</span></p>Lisa Savagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06319699936783253064noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-95738970217731354.post-71803528996479102372024-02-23T09:04:00.000-08:002024-02-23T09:04:51.683-08:00House Minority Leader Still Slinging S**t (As In Bulls**t)<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjMO2WtJ7pqHORQ_dPSq_EyHGfS7id-4dREPKRALT4lcx9-5MbZdPNEcmyBYmpfYv-PBjsnaFbgdA1WR8cQoRSrKOiR49anRLEmeX0hbkkos64_j7IfPq_yUQAaTn8bRmZ_AjCZ_FEmy3OKiJsKo2vjxtZusCFf6JMImP2K6UZyMe5xOH-3IrM9SXf6Zc/s1309/Screenshot%202024-02-23%20103130.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="767" data-original-width="1309" height="376" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjMO2WtJ7pqHORQ_dPSq_EyHGfS7id-4dREPKRALT4lcx9-5MbZdPNEcmyBYmpfYv-PBjsnaFbgdA1WR8cQoRSrKOiR49anRLEmeX0hbkkos64_j7IfPq_yUQAaTn8bRmZ_AjCZ_FEmy3OKiJsKo2vjxtZusCFf6JMImP2K6UZyMe5xOH-3IrM9SXf6Zc/w640-h376/Screenshot%202024-02-23%20103130.png" width="640" /></a></div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Here's my second post on yesterday's action in the Maine capitol building (first post is <a href="https://open.substack.com/pub/went2thebridge/p/maine-tax-breaks-for-genocide-profiteers?r=3alev&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true" target="_blank">here</a>) with an update on our interaction with a legislator who I did not recognize at the time.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">(Sorry, I won't be sharing how we got the banner, t-shirts, or "bloody" sheets through security. Because: security.)</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">But, I can now share the awesome flyers we distributed.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcNrm8PWHjnzhpFzmjnyfaCYiqovPuAuCZVHvn2uvoFQxy43fTAig4IHtbNKqvSYRk64adle7hVsHbua4FRVX8B2dyJ239-9NZW1CYHtQEKF1o8muebZVHBDIfgHty3d0QcpS3d4rlksrqUarlmFWa_9iLAAPCuZ20vpCg_Omhn4zMVjJNlFyXxxfGklY/s1063/Screenshot%202024-02-23%20110207.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><img border="0" data-original-height="818" data-original-width="1063" height="492" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcNrm8PWHjnzhpFzmjnyfaCYiqovPuAuCZVHvn2uvoFQxy43fTAig4IHtbNKqvSYRk64adle7hVsHbua4FRVX8B2dyJ239-9NZW1CYHtQEKF1o8muebZVHBDIfgHty3d0QcpS3d4rlksrqUarlmFWa_9iLAAPCuZ20vpCg_Omhn4zMVjJNlFyXxxfGklY/w640-h492/Screenshot%202024-02-23%20110207.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSSm0hWgHqqiC2Jjy_R0twd71jqb-5m0PEpA8tw130be0E1XmrhYGDbgJB24g5Bqjq3MHRXeUcpBoC_sHqMjnCu1Mj1mz6fIeY0GvOo3_iS3uHvu5bMx-Mo4ClhLVzoKNgII4gCX7QSLnwK2zYLMlhftGHsRF3Nnd7foeLCKeZ0hcYfBMRuKDb9QstH_I/s1060/Screenshot%202024-02-23%20110157.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><img border="0" data-original-height="811" data-original-width="1060" height="490" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSSm0hWgHqqiC2Jjy_R0twd71jqb-5m0PEpA8tw130be0E1XmrhYGDbgJB24g5Bqjq3MHRXeUcpBoC_sHqMjnCu1Mj1mz6fIeY0GvOo3_iS3uHvu5bMx-Mo4ClhLVzoKNgII4gCX7QSLnwK2zYLMlhftGHsRF3Nnd7foeLCKeZ0hcYfBMRuKDb9QstH_I/w640-h490/Screenshot%202024-02-23%20110157.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi47HN01lUbBMFFJT4v9MEGNu8y1QLYkOJx8462zav72doF78jHRJ_q9qN1-DSolpGDN5YdBbs5vqT5V_opb9pGZxnQk4me1WnQ4z7bayrEABth-U2gHZx_g44l7aZb19oKZE2qMdbJLSjfAmD3ZHty5NK0C7FZy-I20K0sSgDLosbRVl3KCu3xG2wY3hA/s1416/Screenshot%202024-02-23%20110238.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><img border="0" data-original-height="692" data-original-width="1416" height="312" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi47HN01lUbBMFFJT4v9MEGNu8y1QLYkOJx8462zav72doF78jHRJ_q9qN1-DSolpGDN5YdBbs5vqT5V_opb9pGZxnQk4me1WnQ4z7bayrEABth-U2gHZx_g44l7aZb19oKZE2qMdbJLSjfAmD3ZHty5NK0C7FZy-I20K0sSgDLosbRVl3KCu3xG2wY3hA/w640-h312/Screenshot%202024-02-23%20110238.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">And I can share my observation that Rep. Billy Bob Faulkingham, a Republican from Winter Harbor who is House Minority Leader, shouted a couple of times at us, "Do you support Israel's right to exist?" and was ignored. Then a solitary voice answered "No." (I'm unsure if this was one of the die-in folks, one of our supporters, or just someone in the considerable crowd that had gathered to watch.)</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRMR6uq0Mzzj1PRgNFfVRYO4GKcCozcQAoaih3NuSRjntHQkfhdKWueQOIiWwXZdPVZmcsu6u3gYanNWWjqNhepnB1EsFyiUgjWJBpa638tVzHlCPZ7LLbmDcMo36inXipwuxp4RTKzA2ZGpg_jA7ZEK9jbUAXIAtuJxoT2_lhZwZ-__hUXrBTMWfe6FQ/s681/Screenshot%202024-02-23%20103110.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="681" data-original-width="647" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRMR6uq0Mzzj1PRgNFfVRYO4GKcCozcQAoaih3NuSRjntHQkfhdKWueQOIiWwXZdPVZmcsu6u3gYanNWWjqNhepnB1EsFyiUgjWJBpa638tVzHlCPZ7LLbmDcMo36inXipwuxp4RTKzA2ZGpg_jA7ZEK9jbUAXIAtuJxoT2_lhZwZ-__hUXrBTMWfe6FQ/w608-h640/Screenshot%202024-02-23%20103110.png" width="608" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">This gave him the perfect opening to shout: "That's genocide! That's genocide!" as he stormed off. (I caught just this portion on video which you can <a href="https://youtube.com/shorts/sjq1nRX-0WE?si=O4BYQ-K3Za3FluQn" target="_blank">see here</a>.)</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">It's unclear whether Faulkingham had seen our flyers. Since he didn't address any of the fiscal points raised (e.g. $200 million in tax breaks General Dynamics has received from Maine over the years) I'm going to assume not. Instead he recited some AIPAC talking points for a reporter who <a href="https://www.foxbangor.com/news/state/protester-hold-die-in-at-state-house/article_6fa5530c-d1d8-11ee-93f0-6f0ccd5753e2.html" target="_blank">interviewed him after the fact</a>.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMyKYC-Ny3pzLcc6zaeLEy8ov30XnxbG4AJ6yYWzXWKcIPoYWK6QmXBEFnZDnTPZCEs_GiFYhdNfjJ0I6GtAqdX_uysO9QdrxU4Eo0jy6mKFTYARt7loR8rvlJ3dk6EbmuXzI1qYH9kXCoo0tuyUX3U3nF_YfjpZFEiqVBfhDgzs8APusGDpaz8rejWDU/s1160/Screenshot%202024-02-23%20103217.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="762" data-original-width="1160" height="420" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMyKYC-Ny3pzLcc6zaeLEy8ov30XnxbG4AJ6yYWzXWKcIPoYWK6QmXBEFnZDnTPZCEs_GiFYhdNfjJ0I6GtAqdX_uysO9QdrxU4Eo0jy6mKFTYARt7loR8rvlJ3dk6EbmuXzI1qYH9kXCoo0tuyUX3U3nF_YfjpZFEiqVBfhDgzs8APusGDpaz8rejWDU/w640-h420/Screenshot%202024-02-23%20103217.png" width="640" /></a></div><i>All photos courtesy of Jim Anderberg</i><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Coalition organizers and media crew have clapped back with a statement addressing his misinformation. An excerpt:</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span></span></p><blockquote><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">“Nothing could be further from the truth,” said Lisa Savage, an organizer with the coalition, who is a long-time anti-war activist and former candidate for U.S. Senate. “The people of Maine are ill-served by legislative leaders who cloak themselves in purposeful ignorance.”</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Reporter Corey Bouchard </span><a href="https://www.wabi.tv/2024/02/22/pro-palestine-protesters-have-taken-over-maine-state-house/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1155cc; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">subsequently interviewed Faulkingham</span></a><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, who expanded on his misconceptions. After viewing the interview, Savage pointed out, “‘From the river to the sea’ is actually a Zionist slogan used to push for displacing indigenous Arab — that is, Palestinian — people from the area between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea.</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">“Also, Jerusalem is the site of the al-Aqsa mosque, where apartheid policies of the occupation have been in full force, with resistance mounting over the years.”</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">I suspect the Israel lobby, which for years has falsely claimed to speak for all Jews worldwide, has contributed to Faulkingham’s misunderstanding of this key point. </span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Maine deserves better from its elected officials.”</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Paige Milligan, an activist who has lived in Palestine and holds a PhD in Arabic literature, commented: “Israel as a state and Zionism as a political project and ideology are fascist, genocidal, racist, and Jewish supremacist. Rep. Faulkingham’s claim that any call to dismantle Israel is ‘genocidal’ shows his ignorance and his own racism, as it conflates the settler-colonial apartheid ethno-state of Israel with</span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> all </span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">of Judaism's many, diverse cultural traditions and histories, and </span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">all</span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Jewish people. This is deeply offensive. </span></span></p><p><span id="docs-internal-guid-3a224e1b-7fff-f035-7f3c-f446f55a579c"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="background-color: white; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Judaism, taken as a religion, a culture, a history, and/or an ethnicity that one is born into, is part of one's identity. Zionism, a supremacist, racist, settler-colonial ideology with roots in 19th century European anti-Semitism and colonialism, is </span><span style="background-color: white; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">not</span><span style="background-color: white; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> an identity. It's a cult.”</span></span></span></p></blockquote><p><span id="docs-internal-guid-3a224e1b-7fff-f035-7f3c-f446f55a579c"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="background-color: white; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"></span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Faulkingham is a well-known Trump (or maybe LePage?) wannabe whose fish stories were deconstructed <a href="https://crashbarry.com/blog/billy-bob-faulkinghams-fishy-tale-of-rogue-wave?fbclid=iwar24chggzf9dic0gpgkfwzsvj8phtloxeimfqbfgqgd-dwo_xmg5meb8swm" target="_blank">here</a>, and who the record shows pleaded guilty to <a href="https://secondnexus.com/maine-representative-faulkingham-throw-poop">throwing human shit on people</a> in 2003. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Now, I have a new research project: exactly how much AIPAC money has he taken?</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">---</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Finally, here is media coverage from two tv channels and that seems to be about it. The <i>Portland Press Herald</i> was there and interviewed me, but published nothing. Someone else who was with us as a photographer noted that Maine Public (aka NPR) didn't cover the event despite being in the state house covering legislation. But participant Kristen Salvatore advises that she will be interviewed by the <a href="https://mainemorningstar.com/2023/11/09/activists-arrested-at-rep-goldens-bangor-office-amid-increased-calls-for-ceasefire-in-gaza/" target="_blank">Maine Morning Star</a> about yesterday's action. Yay!</span></p><p><a href="https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/palestinian-rights-activists-hold-rally-inside-state-house-and-demand-a-ceasefire/ar-BB1iJwX5"><span style="font-family: georgia;">https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/palestinian-rights-activists-hold-rally-inside-state-house-and-demand-a-ceasefire/ar-BB1iJwX5</span></a></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><a href="https://www.foxbangor.com/news/state/protester-hold-die-in-at-state-house/article_6fa5530c-d1d8-11ee-93f0-6f0ccd5753e2.html">https://www.foxbangor.com/news/state/protester-hold-die-in-at-state-house/article_6fa5530c-d1d8-11ee-93f0-6f0ccd5753e2.html</a></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><a href="https://wgme.com/newsletter-daily/palestinian-rights-activists-stage-protest-inside-state-house-maine-gaza-israel-hamas">https://wgme.com/newsletter-daily/palestinian-rights-activists-stage-protest-inside-state-house-maine-gaza-israel-hamas</a></span></p><p><br /></p>Lisa Savagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06319699936783253064noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-95738970217731354.post-81889831513577097682024-02-22T10:30:00.000-08:002024-02-22T11:18:29.739-08:00Maine Tax Breaks For Genocide Profiteers Called Out<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIWeMZkZdPLxAtcQNfq7K9NqcVP-2oawTsfMSe1zgiK8xT6cDBoaPSFxc66JqNeBq0iLsNHeNKkkjjkcYrLtduB6yfiraXr-O9MQoblHcwOXFkZ3yonSwp0HhfPEIgp6fVF_LGMwwSjcCLTHHuQl7tWXictmYfjZVX2zVCWcYasuw_F1LFCgWxH2o6vrM/s2016/IMG_3500.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2016" data-original-width="1512" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIWeMZkZdPLxAtcQNfq7K9NqcVP-2oawTsfMSe1zgiK8xT6cDBoaPSFxc66JqNeBq0iLsNHeNKkkjjkcYrLtduB6yfiraXr-O9MQoblHcwOXFkZ3yonSwp0HhfPEIgp6fVF_LGMwwSjcCLTHHuQl7tWXictmYfjZVX2zVCWcYasuw_F1LFCgWxH2o6vrM/w480-h640/IMG_3500.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><div>Great acoustics in the Maine State House for activists at a Maine Coalition for Palestine event today. The Chamber of Commerce was hosting in the Hall of Flags offering the opportunity to confront General Dynamics and stage a die-in directly in front of them. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></span><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0AOTv2pgAMvoI_TuD3xgc01zq3f4LJuzh6FcAVGdSnD05pghRiZWPnoNcaUYzqGFbhxW_fewrEmYz76-zRlWXTJxKIUqwGZPF-IL9nIRP2G74ay5QrkjRf4GLa4TPKfwaDtNfoBDkYRmf6C_Lvz2GJmZ5SL96yAfB1FgNtmdJJZ-NswzMlYFRm8zL9XI/s2016/IMG_3486.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2016" data-original-width="1512" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0AOTv2pgAMvoI_TuD3xgc01zq3f4LJuzh6FcAVGdSnD05pghRiZWPnoNcaUYzqGFbhxW_fewrEmYz76-zRlWXTJxKIUqwGZPF-IL9nIRP2G74ay5QrkjRf4GLa4TPKfwaDtNfoBDkYRmf6C_Lvz2GJmZ5SL96yAfB1FgNtmdJJZ-NswzMlYFRm8zL9XI/w480-h640/IMG_3486.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><div>An older guy with GD was angry at our presence and he "accidentally" grazed my head with his shoe and then yelled that I had tried to trip him. He seemed especially aggravated by the chant, <i>General Dynamics you can't hide / we charge you with genocide, </i>yelling, "We're not hiding! We're right here!!" </div><div><br /></div><div>So that part alone really made my day.</div><div><br /></div><div>Overall a great day. The amazing solidarity of our group felt good and our STOP ARMING GENOCIDE t-shirts and strong chanting carried a clear message: Tax breaks for genocide profiteers must go! </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBzK8KcWg5WDD97lt-1_7Lni4E26hkYY2VY-9kHFaF16GOD3g5gH3W-_KliptJiD7wSJUrk2GpXf8H99RWmbtcT2MTRQHNVFrOCl-_k8xtvFWugGmDrhO89fMn-_QTAJ0EyqSlQlL5XDbiUoDhVO0KcuU0J26QPWyQ2YYPnPA7xpbyOHC4ImqiBOXfwF8/s2016/IMG_3503.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2016" data-original-width="1512" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBzK8KcWg5WDD97lt-1_7Lni4E26hkYY2VY-9kHFaF16GOD3g5gH3W-_KliptJiD7wSJUrk2GpXf8H99RWmbtcT2MTRQHNVFrOCl-_k8xtvFWugGmDrhO89fMn-_QTAJ0EyqSlQlL5XDbiUoDhVO0KcuU0J26QPWyQ2YYPnPA7xpbyOHC4ImqiBOXfwF8/w480-h640/IMG_3503.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Everyone doing this work has a heart breaking for Gaza, and the children and their families in Palestine, and this is one thing we felt that we could do in response.</div><div><br /></div><div>After holding the space for about a half hour, we cleared out as requested and headed upstairs to the legislative floor where many more lawmakers and lobbyists were present. I'm sure they had heard us down in the Hall of Flags, and now they could see us. The journalists who had started covering us downstairs followed us. Eventually we let ourselves get kicked out of there, too, and headed downstairs to the exit where there is a waiting area we filled with chanting and clapping for several more minutes. Security guards watched but took no action. </div><div><br /></div><div>I was impressed by how broad a swath of the state we drew participants from: MDI, Calais, Deer Isle, Biddeford, Bangor, and Brunswick to name just a few. It was again a multi-generational crowd with college students at one end and boomers at the other. I love that.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></span><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2gd5BAq4IDSNlyb-HyQesEJY4a1aIRZ4wkQTXxYnF4Hcw9FyDOVzckskc_bsxHjcvmpOMnoVfgxZJJULThP5vJOUI-L6-XjTsh-40yp16InuyDrqxKnZYqChOvCHK5LDLAQAaveHv3s8_k-J8BAfYMahw-kJIrd_seKVAHha2PFCpxER24L9rFvRy1Q4/s2016/IMG_3496.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2016" data-original-width="1512" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2gd5BAq4IDSNlyb-HyQesEJY4a1aIRZ4wkQTXxYnF4Hcw9FyDOVzckskc_bsxHjcvmpOMnoVfgxZJJULThP5vJOUI-L6-XjTsh-40yp16InuyDrqxKnZYqChOvCHK5LDLAQAaveHv3s8_k-J8BAfYMahw-kJIrd_seKVAHha2PFCpxER24L9rFvRy1Q4/w480-h640/IMG_3496.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><div><br /></div>Our banner leaders were extraordinary. Our support people were extraordinary. As we exited the legislative floor someone called, "We'll be back." May it be so.</span></div></div></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">--</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">Some mainstream media coverage will follow. Here's the first one:</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><a href="https://www.wabi.tv/2024/02/22/pro-palestine-protesters-have-taken-over-maine-state-house/">https://www.wabi.tv/2024/02/22/pro-palestine-protesters-have-taken-over-maine-state-house/</a></span></div>Lisa Savagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06319699936783253064noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-95738970217731354.post-6256570845419919142024-02-20T06:00:00.000-08:002024-02-20T06:00:07.693-08:00Good News, Bad News As Assange Extradition Hearing Gets Underway<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9S14jz61u4FX7ScCNgwOF-isA42OWP-DRg7wqXsmtofivrBZMeWR_knLVLXrFpvu1x6PcNLXscU99UQQxoyo35WtoHx1X0o4Uw8TxIjJWwHw1SbmYScKarsupJwm2eolouv4czGQyuPsL79FkvP_fxWn224i1gmoHl_odW3Sv5o4ToZtvkYPpzzmP-2g/s828/assange_cc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="552" data-original-width="828" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9S14jz61u4FX7ScCNgwOF-isA42OWP-DRg7wqXsmtofivrBZMeWR_knLVLXrFpvu1x6PcNLXscU99UQQxoyo35WtoHx1X0o4Uw8TxIjJWwHw1SbmYScKarsupJwm2eolouv4czGQyuPsL79FkvP_fxWn224i1gmoHl_odW3Sv5o4ToZtvkYPpzzmP-2g/w640-h426/assange_cc.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/dgcomsoc/14933990406/" style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(59,130,246,.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: inset 0 -1px 0 0 var(--tw-shadow-color); --tw-shadow: inset 0 -1px 0 0 #636363; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid; box-shadow: var(--tw-ring-offset-shadow,0 0 #0000),var(--tw-ring-shadow,0 0 #0000),var(--tw-shadow); box-sizing: border-box; letter-spacing: 0.12px; text-decoration: inherit;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><i>Cancillería del Ecuador / Flickr</i></span></a></p><p><br /></p><p><span face="TwitterChirp, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #0f1419; font-family: georgia; white-space-collapse: preserve;">It's shaping up to be quite a month, possibly a turning point in world history. One the one hand we've got U.S. Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, opining on <a href="https://youtu.be/g8g4QRTyN9E?si=XFf0OnltmxUsINMd" target="_blank">CIA cutout Alexey Navalny</a>'s death in prison:
"The fear of one man only underscores the weakness and rot at the heart of the system that Putin has built."</span></p><p><span face="TwitterChirp, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #0f1419; font-family: georgia; white-space-collapse: preserve;">And on the other hand we've seen evidence that the <a href="https://news.yahoo.com/kidnapping-assassination-and-a-london-shoot-out-inside-the-ci-as-secret-war-plans-against-wiki-leaks-090057786.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cudGhldmVyZ2UuY29tLw&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAGJjz46SdCOdDEijtYOBy1cf7PTReCBryDoCFrFegX_7WagZiUrgfrpeRDCMOljdq_ZddBEIY4Gg54tkSuVmsmu3t85PnmL0OK1t8zbhRkK7sp6DNRHWnGFaMSM9msP0VPLxeJIn3N0MEHIus5Pnp9tAxPTtSqcWl5oaNqHxfjB7" target="_blank">CIA planned to assassinate Julian Assange</a> and we know the U.S. wants to extradite him for "espionage" aka journalism sharing inconvenient truths about the inner workings of empire. In other words, fear of one man underscoring the weakness and rot at the heart of the U.S. imperial system.</span></p><p><span face="TwitterChirp, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #0f1419; font-family: georgia; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoApXaffGWAq1KUZYy_tfxs6t-WhkAHHM3CfG9MeLwSM8i2em-BoSJVgDCGfcAlGUvfB94dPr8oMm3Rq_VAWhcGUa3zJDcAovuNuKBU8h2QU_VY5RzmviSdbA2iqhRR0F34piD-Ox5kknrJd-25qkIbIH66CzPZmUFkikeqg4dGMz6UNiU-2fdXJyAyJU/s766/Screenshot%202024-02-20%20081021.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="766" data-original-width="714" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoApXaffGWAq1KUZYy_tfxs6t-WhkAHHM3CfG9MeLwSM8i2em-BoSJVgDCGfcAlGUvfB94dPr8oMm3Rq_VAWhcGUa3zJDcAovuNuKBU8h2QU_VY5RzmviSdbA2iqhRR0F34piD-Ox5kknrJd-25qkIbIH66CzPZmUFkikeqg4dGMz6UNiU-2fdXJyAyJU/w596-h640/Screenshot%202024-02-20%20081021.png" width="596" /></a></div><br /><span face="TwitterChirp, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #0f1419; font-family: georgia; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><i><a href="https://twitter.com/SMaurizi/status/1759890416852226357">https://twitter.com/SMaurizi/status/1759890416852226357</a></i></span><p></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #0f1419; font-family: georgia; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Today it appears that journalists at the Assange extradition hearing in the UK are being deliberately handicapped in their efforts to cover the proceedings. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #0f1419; font-family: georgia; white-space-collapse: preserve;">The palpable fear that we, the public, might have access to this information underscores the weakness and rot at the heart of the system Blinken feeds off of, don't you think?</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #0f1419; font-family: georgia; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Some are blaming problematic tech in the very fancy courtroom with poor acoustics and no audio feed to the overflow rooms.</span></p><p><span face="TwitterChirp, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #0f1419; font-family: georgia; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Speaking of very fancy tech that is problematic right now, how about those Houthis shooting down their second $30,000,000 MQ-9 Predator drone? Using technology that costs a few thousand dollars. U.S. military-industrial complex response: ka-ching!</span></p><p><span face="TwitterChirp, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #0f1419; font-family: georgia; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Besides which the Houthis have sunk a British ship carrying fertilizer, and hit two more U.S. ships.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6RmbkDn55fOZhDAZ3L06o5Bz2RcxHy94E0KMyLu2PE2sl4L5YpEsci2sIhnI4e-Z4zPLNL8thMrljeLY2N1cYJyrNU1B3KADMWN74ZuGPgH5RuqFqYvoHVJBdUb1C3awsJRs2pdsRtCztFA9dpcl4IkLZggestkN_7qHCPPJcvw49At9p-4uQs5tgYvU/s1280/GGxhz7zWYAAUQFA.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="654" data-original-width="1280" height="328" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6RmbkDn55fOZhDAZ3L06o5Bz2RcxHy94E0KMyLu2PE2sl4L5YpEsci2sIhnI4e-Z4zPLNL8thMrljeLY2N1cYJyrNU1B3KADMWN74ZuGPgH5RuqFqYvoHVJBdUb1C3awsJRs2pdsRtCztFA9dpcl4IkLZggestkN_7qHCPPJcvw49At9p-4uQs5tgYvU/w640-h328/GGxhz7zWYAAUQFA.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><a href="https://twitter.com/SprinterMedia1/status/1759889244313591868/photo/1"><i>https://twitter.com/SprinterMedia1/status/1759889244313591868/photo/1</i></a></span><br /><span face="TwitterChirp, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #0f1419; font-family: georgia; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Did the Western powers not believe Ansar Allah leaders when they warned that they'll go on denying access to the Red Sea as long as the <a href="https://popular-resistance.blogspot.com/2024/02/genocide-accelerates-while-elites.html" target="_blank">genocide in Gaza the West is supporting</a> continues?</span></p><p><span face="TwitterChirp, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #0f1419; font-family: georgia; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Meanwhile in the last couple of weeks we saw CIA whistleblower <a href="https://covertactionmagazine.com/2024/02/12/cia-whistleblower-given-draconian-sentence-after-being-found-guilty-of-leaking-documents-to-wikileaks/" target="_blank">Joshua Schulte sentenced</a> to 40 years for leaking "Vault 7" documents to wikileaks exposing illegal and immoral actions of that federal agency. Here's whistleblower John Kiriakou on the case:</span></p><p><span face="TwitterChirp, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #0f1419; font-family: georgia; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="color: #222222; white-space-collapse: collapse;"></span></span></p><blockquote><p><span face="TwitterChirp, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #0f1419; font-family: georgia; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="color: #222222; white-space-collapse: collapse;">Prosecutors had literally no evidence that Schulte had taken the data from the CIA and transferred it to Wikileaks. But they contended that he was a computer genius who was so brilliant that he was able to cover his tracks. That was enough for the jury..</span></span></p><p><span face="TwitterChirp, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #0f1419; font-family: georgia; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="color: #222222; white-space-collapse: collapse;">The CIA leadership apparently thought the leak was so damaging that then-CIA Director Mike Pompeo ordered the Agency to come up with a plan to </span>kidnap or to kill<span style="color: #222222; white-space-collapse: collapse;"> Julian Assange in London. One former Trump Administration national security official said that Pompeo and other senior CIA leaders, “were completely detached from reality because they were so embarrassed about Vault 7. They were seeing blood.”</span></span></p></blockquote><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">You remember John Kiriakou right? From his Covert Action Magazine bio:</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span></span></p><blockquote><span style="font-family: georgia;">Kiriakou is the sole CIA agent to go to jail in connection with the U.S. torture program, despite the fact that he never tortured anyone. Rather, he blew the whistle on this horrific wrongdoing.</span></blockquote><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">At this point we're all sorely in need of more good news as we await news on Assange that is likely to be very, very bad. Maybe historian Ilan Pappe's <a href="https://www.ihrc.org.uk/it-is-dark-before-the-dawn-but-israeli-settler-colonialism-is-at-an-end/" target="_blank">article</a> belongs here: "It is dark before the dawn, but Israeli settler colonialism is at an end."</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #54595f;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span></span></p><blockquote><span style="font-family: georgia;">This historical project has come to an end and it is a violent end – such projects usually collapse violently and thus it is a very dangerous moment for the victims of this project, and the victims are always the Palestinians along with Jews, because Jews are also victims of the Zionism. Thus, the process of collapse is not just a moment of hope it is also the dawn that will break after the darkness, and it is the light at the end of the tunnel.</span></blockquote><p></p>Lisa Savagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06319699936783253064noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-95738970217731354.post-9382132235196068582024-02-18T03:44:00.000-08:002024-02-18T03:44:07.680-08:00Grieving Gaza In The Company Of The Ones Who Also See<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjs0kVkn0lNy5-81zdG4vzg4xh3QWocx4VBGe7cHxF8ldWAjwzBnlpl4d-wLVdUvCCqWvIqN9zNC6t_aDzPOI_x0QdKmtiwkhvxeNWJ46_BLhfsdfEgf2RB7vNgkhOUUkvxoznLrdI8V2waIzmlWS22HPhizqiWrYXT4UPlNYKWQniCr_2DNkxm8vtAxk/s2016/IMG_3449.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1512" data-original-width="2016" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjs0kVkn0lNy5-81zdG4vzg4xh3QWocx4VBGe7cHxF8ldWAjwzBnlpl4d-wLVdUvCCqWvIqN9zNC6t_aDzPOI_x0QdKmtiwkhvxeNWJ46_BLhfsdfEgf2RB7vNgkhOUUkvxoznLrdI8V2waIzmlWS22HPhizqiWrYXT4UPlNYKWQniCr_2DNkxm8vtAxk/w640-h480/IMG_3449.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Fifty people from all over the state converged on Waterville, Maine yesterday to grieve together. We came together to demand the U.S. government stop funding Israel, and stop arming genocide. It was remarkable to me how many of the fifty I did not know. This is a good thing!</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh99cx45w3gDtVDuihWRwV_EwcnqOvo0VCRlPcTSCSimbqS_EVgH6iGgqxR-dLxy556n8Cug_s0yYvMrmKcRMOApzODTdMjeHkmz3VeEQLzlQo-_4ed-0zA_Xz4gjKDa5Bf2eoIiXSQYr8Uid5AOcM1rirNmntat-CaGeHikk-JQJ-liHkJK0tLjEDSXqk/s2016/IMG_3451.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1512" data-original-width="2016" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh99cx45w3gDtVDuihWRwV_EwcnqOvo0VCRlPcTSCSimbqS_EVgH6iGgqxR-dLxy556n8Cug_s0yYvMrmKcRMOApzODTdMjeHkmz3VeEQLzlQo-_4ed-0zA_Xz4gjKDa5Bf2eoIiXSQYr8Uid5AOcM1rirNmntat-CaGeHikk-JQJ-liHkJK0tLjEDSXqk/w640-h480/IMG_3451.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">A few who joined us were just passing by, saw our signs and banners, and joined in. Many who passed by honked in support.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiioF4M4rKX2FyVe43Veonm5ZyfKqYHGFLtV2G1LW4w6uMCkzZ5tPPXS2ssbpBJ80XrwwQBx5zlDSw_rzRsjNIHjRCxLkk4KzHYkuaObS0VGoKAsuX0ApY2VoBIGuSx-YBttNIaw-ETdTdKgCTp7pLDAmqa-2KvVAguT2txeQ7H_gbwiZVkPZ0WIgDHr4A/s2016/IMG_3431.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1512" data-original-width="2016" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiioF4M4rKX2FyVe43Veonm5ZyfKqYHGFLtV2G1LW4w6uMCkzZ5tPPXS2ssbpBJ80XrwwQBx5zlDSw_rzRsjNIHjRCxLkk4KzHYkuaObS0VGoKAsuX0ApY2VoBIGuSx-YBttNIaw-ETdTdKgCTp7pLDAmqa-2KvVAguT2txeQ7H_gbwiZVkPZ0WIgDHr4A/w640-h480/IMG_3431.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Some had come from as far away as Calais up near the Canadian border.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Some had heard about the event from the men's coffee circle at their UU Church.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Some had heard about it from email, or social media, or word of mouth.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjIJbxdYsdJzGV3WKoFj5My2ezwZGJrNIA5-sd6EodFtK5eymjDM6BHaLGxqWlsixQKdHK2jtINxg5gPLGuXb96DdNqkk93qpsLHbjMMBiul-oRUTvefbIEU5XN-kcJnA041szo_kaApHuKRcNcO83NL0CYEeph6Ddo-Os4kmeSMSNT3jvtGY-zRYPl5Q/s2016/IMG_3435.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1512" data-original-width="2016" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjIJbxdYsdJzGV3WKoFj5My2ezwZGJrNIA5-sd6EodFtK5eymjDM6BHaLGxqWlsixQKdHK2jtINxg5gPLGuXb96DdNqkk93qpsLHbjMMBiul-oRUTvefbIEU5XN-kcJnA041szo_kaApHuKRcNcO83NL0CYEeph6Ddo-Os4kmeSMSNT3jvtGY-zRYPl5Q/w640-h480/IMG_3435.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Some were on their second event of the day, having started at the annual Lenten vigil at General Dynamics' warship factory in Maine, while some had never protested before.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZNmQIieTbPjC_oeEFtf3MqVceya4aXIzib9S6ryPDqpLxLjnOUSUuVUTanMjtl3NOPYlL65aPGh5M3dL5qmgg0oWxsMfKkyIN_i3kL16K1nuwXrXsdnNuaEoV3FXQsx7uINKdXUWS_8T0QYoVoniH87Yko4HRHTFGLIMZwsE3Sw-d9Qhd6kfj_rc_zd4/s2016/IMG_3433.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1512" data-original-width="2016" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZNmQIieTbPjC_oeEFtf3MqVceya4aXIzib9S6ryPDqpLxLjnOUSUuVUTanMjtl3NOPYlL65aPGh5M3dL5qmgg0oWxsMfKkyIN_i3kL16K1nuwXrXsdnNuaEoV3FXQsx7uINKdXUWS_8T0QYoVoniH87Yko4HRHTFGLIMZwsE3Sw-d9Qhd6kfj_rc_zd4/w640-h480/IMG_3433.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">One person I've stood with many times in Bath spoke words like these:<i> When I see a bomb, I rage. When I see a severed limb, I cry.</i></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">One told my husband they have lost a host of former friends who turned out to be Zionists. Yet another heartbreak.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNVd3PM2TM4VJpVVCVYbR9jHjDJoF5UM9qsty1DKUwlTFnfwDTFdh3Pvi3LNB4I7ok3REiz2W7U7PZ097hVxyRnPD77XcG_pVrQbqogmGNrsFoZaHHB9kvGm3N8gy4hd42WOR7gAs3JZQU7zPoUnGueiT6w1RhA6zB3CVcAdOfq_lBd9WdazwRetpd1Dw/s2016/IMG_3441.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1512" data-original-width="2016" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNVd3PM2TM4VJpVVCVYbR9jHjDJoF5UM9qsty1DKUwlTFnfwDTFdh3Pvi3LNB4I7ok3REiz2W7U7PZ097hVxyRnPD77XcG_pVrQbqogmGNrsFoZaHHB9kvGm3N8gy4hd42WOR7gAs3JZQU7zPoUnGueiT6w1RhA6zB3CVcAdOfq_lBd9WdazwRetpd1Dw/w640-h480/IMG_3441.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Some were Veterans for Peace. Some were professors. Some were teachers. Some were caretakers, artists, carpenters, organizers, and students.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfOyh2SB042TsRwKwXdZwMgGrxMkROLO6sMWjHY6i881CVZjHg7Oecsjjx_Q3DCK9CxTcm22Xj9qrWnw5oJXw4B1uMY_3bvTmtCSuj3WcA40XhAlWDELkF5u9jMwy0bBP8xTxy46V2CPmKNzXcO8fBJUfgSD2hX_yCU8oqtOfN_IvyCHradmqAMO-6Ijs/s2016/IMG_3426.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1512" data-original-width="2016" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfOyh2SB042TsRwKwXdZwMgGrxMkROLO6sMWjHY6i881CVZjHg7Oecsjjx_Q3DCK9CxTcm22Xj9qrWnw5oJXw4B1uMY_3bvTmtCSuj3WcA40XhAlWDELkF5u9jMwy0bBP8xTxy46V2CPmKNzXcO8fBJUfgSD2hX_yCU8oqtOfN_IvyCHradmqAMO-6Ijs/w640-h480/IMG_3426.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">My husband's sign is hard to read here but it says "Resistance against occupation is a human right." Behind him, the banner reads in full, "No war with Russia." Because we are against that imperial project of death-dealing, too.</span></p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgreoDoPcQov1VUVWFrLrrKSJJp-yz1Oml4R7rNmgBkQiyGoJF5qqHbzGy6g0tLjyEH0J3FJz2Su1hgukhCIxYRojBq7SWNhWPexH-NalEHJQHFYA-BmELO7VlkZkgGhAawIBpBY7d-C2iOoqXTvzBwGO7pUwqRY5YJ7fW-5lx6Lwa3D8wlORK0wTb9BMk/s2016/IMG_3445.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1512" data-original-width="2016" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgreoDoPcQov1VUVWFrLrrKSJJp-yz1Oml4R7rNmgBkQiyGoJF5qqHbzGy6g0tLjyEH0J3FJz2Su1hgukhCIxYRojBq7SWNhWPexH-NalEHJQHFYA-BmELO7VlkZkgGhAawIBpBY7d-C2iOoqXTvzBwGO7pUwqRY5YJ7fW-5lx6Lwa3D8wlORK0wTb9BMk/w640-h480/IMG_3445.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">It nourished us being together and also knowing that some who could not be with us in person were nonetheless with us in spirit.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">We will continue our resistance to genocide in our time, with our taxes. We will escalate our resistance this week, again. We will not stop if the U.S. imposes a temporary ceasefire so that Palestinians can be forced across the border at Rafah into a concentration camp in Egypt.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">We will not be done until Palestine is free.</span></p><p><br /></p>Lisa Savagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06319699936783253064noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-95738970217731354.post-8548337086246615452024-02-15T02:58:00.000-08:002024-02-15T03:02:54.320-08:00In Way Over Its Head, U.S. Empire Doubles Down<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiQfNrHbso-3V8Alxgx7ypEs5HVFg7FG11ZTlrS79oXMCxbDjNttQe37IIjydsRN26mNOaqpJpIashgJHBE6WGWjcCbFN14cGH4Jhs1TF1ORjXrC78f3Nxi2Vo6g5NcpR5NTX_UwsOl5lrmxu1jmKWz6Tcjt29vkUSqt-M_pk6r1tV1jxojhTLUKK_3jY/s2000/space%20nukes.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1429" data-original-width="2000" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiQfNrHbso-3V8Alxgx7ypEs5HVFg7FG11ZTlrS79oXMCxbDjNttQe37IIjydsRN26mNOaqpJpIashgJHBE6WGWjcCbFN14cGH4Jhs1TF1ORjXrC78f3Nxi2Vo6g5NcpR5NTX_UwsOl5lrmxu1jmKWz6Tcjt29vkUSqt-M_pk6r1tV1jxojhTLUKK_3jY/w400-h286/space%20nukes.png" width="400" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">I've written before about suspecting that the decision to brand U.S. imperial wars as Democrat (Ukraine, genocide in Gaza) or Republican (Iraq, Afghanistan) was a strategic error. Case in point: the wrestling match in Congress to pass yet another $95.3 billion for "D" wars, including ramping up a long term military presence to turn <a href="https://www.patreon.com/posts/talking-taiwan-98488814?token=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJyZWRpc19rZXkiOiJpYTI6MDUyZTc5NGUtMmZhNi00ODhjLWJhMjktOGRhZjcxYzdlYmE2IiwicG9zdF9pZCI6OTg0ODg4MTQsInBhdHJvbl9pZCI6ODQ4MTUzN30.Nzco9dVD8yza4NjWO2sGB_DNCryemkgJot3B6wxqeZw" target="_blank">Taiwan into the next Ukraine</a>.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Unrelated issues like militarization of the U.S.-Mexico border, a vote and donation magnet for Republicans, are a stumbling block under this strategy. The Punch and Judy show of the two parties <a href="https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-aid-congress-senate-5fdcf8cb1964681dcce0f4fe7b9a0f86" target="_blank">battling it out</a> despite having the very same corporate sponsors is now impinging on keeping the debt-ridden empire and its proxy warriors solvent.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">What to do?</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEins8YcvI_pwMKod7kt909e30MQ33Q8WDWMLd4k11QEJ5t3QSHaZcCyx7DrACtQ3qOBP6cc3F8asCDbl-IO_CdE0d-kUo1Wzocl70xutC8VDZiaMJ2jKR7HoKE-iuxeYD-s9X_Xs2uGIaxv23L4VeL7TiuBNqqozO6hha0ZGg3seBAOBs_eO-zDihEzL_I/s720/goering+quote1341290363.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="720" height="534" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEins8YcvI_pwMKod7kt909e30MQ33Q8WDWMLd4k11QEJ5t3QSHaZcCyx7DrACtQ3qOBP6cc3F8asCDbl-IO_CdE0d-kUo1Wzocl70xutC8VDZiaMJ2jKR7HoKE-iuxeYD-s9X_Xs2uGIaxv23L4VeL7TiuBNqqozO6hha0ZGg3seBAOBs_eO-zDihEzL_I/w640-h534/goering+quote1341290363.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Simon Ateba, White House correspondent for Today News Africa, <a href="https://twitter.com/simonateba/status/1757953102051676614" target="_blank">summed up the plan</a> succinctly:</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivTIpVviBIBMb6CTU2G6zmVRH7Ie2wuwdHzhxfKgw-T286805S99WMt6GHo18QF6J1IsPFTf3FECc8UclKzzTBX36_UZ2Gn1qrRRTmsLyh5atT-_EaPlVaAvxhiTZuhjqTVcjU5P2QdH_j36jWV4hnDwrwJQnLsHsjFhR60M_6qbVJl7FS-_1L2LSJy8c/s806/Screenshot%202024-02-15%20055616.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="806" data-original-width="721" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivTIpVviBIBMb6CTU2G6zmVRH7Ie2wuwdHzhxfKgw-T286805S99WMt6GHo18QF6J1IsPFTf3FECc8UclKzzTBX36_UZ2Gn1qrRRTmsLyh5atT-_EaPlVaAvxhiTZuhjqTVcjU5P2QdH_j36jWV4hnDwrwJQnLsHsjFhR60M_6qbVJl7FS-_1L2LSJy8c/w572-h640/Screenshot%202024-02-15%20055616.png" width="572" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Possibly Congress can beat that. Here's what they spent valuable time and effort on yesterday -- condemning <a href="https://www.oct7factcheck.com/Analysis-Evidence-points-to-systematic-use-of-rape-Guardian-46e1023ca06d4d3ea8cd9ba8549c273b" target="_blank">evidence-free</a> allegations of rape being used to portray Israelis as victims rather than genociders.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg97gft8RmhqJqbUWlladgo7XbgiBhHuOSpucfcbQxwNYDtsU2MN_gpk3wEiwjP_8KYP0noRS7DvKi1sw4KyIhSK3HRpSu6H0zX45V2s-C6LHQUYQDxdo3ieUpweOOkeA09KlIHHn7CXXjzm4Ec3SNhXZQUOxNzhaVmV19WEIGt6jPL6qDQ0ElfECJyOtY/s900/GGVEWfJWUAAoa9V.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><img border="0" data-original-height="506" data-original-width="900" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg97gft8RmhqJqbUWlladgo7XbgiBhHuOSpucfcbQxwNYDtsU2MN_gpk3wEiwjP_8KYP0noRS7DvKi1sw4KyIhSK3HRpSu6H0zX45V2s-C6LHQUYQDxdo3ieUpweOOkeA09KlIHHn7CXXjzm4Ec3SNhXZQUOxNzhaVmV19WEIGt6jPL6qDQ0ElfECJyOtY/w640-h360/GGVEWfJWUAAoa9V.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br />The U.S. empire is on the skids. Broke, ideologically deranged, and clutching at straws to justify its continued aggressive actions around the globe. (For a peek into U.S. ambitions to put nukes in space -- and the resistance -- check out the <a href="https://space4peace.org/videos/" target="_blank">Global Network Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space</a>.)</span><p></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9AnWY_Sgr7m1sFhgJvnNSyARMMuQx0JBNwAIAgFEIsGi3_JVskJl9dRsyO2h397311fEatIQU6aYiLfNQOvYG87beD8nUzxWE5mrjLxVh6Xb6VkAwVUlalhw4GHngMT-PQgI68YcXJoLPfjZFryCcCewYhQzwg5sTqI91y-nLNVvR2SRMuLh734i7ZnQ/s851/IMG_3404.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="851" data-original-width="828" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9AnWY_Sgr7m1sFhgJvnNSyARMMuQx0JBNwAIAgFEIsGi3_JVskJl9dRsyO2h397311fEatIQU6aYiLfNQOvYG87beD8nUzxWE5mrjLxVh6Xb6VkAwVUlalhw4GHngMT-PQgI68YcXJoLPfjZFryCcCewYhQzwg5sTqI91y-nLNVvR2SRMuLh734i7ZnQ/w622-h640/IMG_3404.jpg" width="622" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">It's understandable that empire managers are panicking. </span><span style="font-family: georgia;">Their worst nightmare has come true. As their decades of global dominance wind down before they even got a <a href="https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_briefs/RBA1739-1.html" target="_blank">chance to dominate outer space</a>, targeted nations are making common cause with one another. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXhQGLTi3-093BHGE0luRNapMqrgu9dDHcXV-GlmZRAjAdiXgXOHggPzNn95CW69zJNo3aEq20YLO4clGHE5ZeqZYkA6Uq3Gt1modsJyHrqLgntSeJ9JCQNoTPuqfBU_9mq8-UJapXlC7ghTyER8zioOKxo7tkjYD0wGC8cAxYTJxoQ7-QNDcdI5iyCA4/s881/Screenshot%202024-02-15%20042853.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><img border="0" data-original-height="565" data-original-width="881" height="410" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXhQGLTi3-093BHGE0luRNapMqrgu9dDHcXV-GlmZRAjAdiXgXOHggPzNn95CW69zJNo3aEq20YLO4clGHE5ZeqZYkA6Uq3Gt1modsJyHrqLgntSeJ9JCQNoTPuqfBU_9mq8-UJapXlC7ghTyER8zioOKxo7tkjYD0wGC8cAxYTJxoQ7-QNDcdI5iyCA4/w640-h410/Screenshot%202024-02-15%20042853.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><i><a href="https://twitter.com/Sprinter99800/status/1754837851756188009">https://twitter.com/Sprinter99800/status/1754837851756188009</a></i></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Who could have foreseen this development? Just about everybody who can perceive that the emperor has no clothes.</span></p>Lisa Savagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06319699936783253064noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-95738970217731354.post-29009215128631799172024-02-11T03:42:00.000-08:002024-02-11T03:42:37.356-08:00The Grieving, And The Resistance<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1IQm5bKmO2fXKhq5e33l53v4Yr5Zmki4gZqP0L5lyT8yhQcWV4R-Vus2BCoEXv_Qwfb3LwIvSRvE_PSyrDUAU3D0BVHY1uQ7NdZSilfPLyyX85YoG8eNggL-RnGWMQtCmbbkbr3L5oVdaXtclQg7UMg5d9wBKg5lKuRlhV5rrIMVFAunntC6SVrKYqiw/s1200/GGAqlHfW8AAnVGk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="900" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1IQm5bKmO2fXKhq5e33l53v4Yr5Zmki4gZqP0L5lyT8yhQcWV4R-Vus2BCoEXv_Qwfb3LwIvSRvE_PSyrDUAU3D0BVHY1uQ7NdZSilfPLyyX85YoG8eNggL-RnGWMQtCmbbkbr3L5oVdaXtclQg7UMg5d9wBKg5lKuRlhV5rrIMVFAunntC6SVrKYqiw/w480-h640/GGAqlHfW8AAnVGk.jpg" width="480" /></span></a></div><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Healthcare Workers for Palestine created a space for grieving yesterday in Portland, Maine, and I felt grateful. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">If the angle of my photo induces vertigo, it may be because I had been carrying little Hind Rajab with me for days. She is the 6 year old whose historic phone call from a car where her family had been shot dead by Israelis was heard round the world. It didn't save her, though. Because then Israel used U.S. shells and <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroMedHR/status/1756636671901057109" target="_blank">fired on the ambulance</a> rushing to where she was trapped with the corpses of those whom she loved. Subsequent rescuers didn't reach the car until Hind's body had been decomposing for days. Yup, the Israelis killed her, too.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Here's how imperial narrative managers are spinning this child's hell on Earth:</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirH8eobMa3866aVfj1X2pw1juA_aSpVi4ZWI5cpu-C7sgt8KvkvY8tQrfcLG2uOugK7NCQS6wcilJjf02Z5nWu_1CKQVU0tfr5m-SYrx19fnnlqP5-gwXl4TAYj09VFutBUQHs2qZNRv3ui_FeaShi8t0cv-YqNwKN1YD9-31fkWOauzIqZTvSW44T_XA/s1001/Screenshot%202024-02-11%20060515.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="408" data-original-width="1001" height="260" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirH8eobMa3866aVfj1X2pw1juA_aSpVi4ZWI5cpu-C7sgt8KvkvY8tQrfcLG2uOugK7NCQS6wcilJjf02Z5nWu_1CKQVU0tfr5m-SYrx19fnnlqP5-gwXl4TAYj09VFutBUQHs2qZNRv3ui_FeaShi8t0cv-YqNwKN1YD9-31fkWOauzIqZTvSW44T_XA/w640-h260/Screenshot%202024-02-11%20060515.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">"Found dead." Got it.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">So, we grieve and we resist. And we welcome news of resistance in the belly of the beast. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGi3W-daHAlseTyxjRhr9TC07PcTqzy-27jT75OrWFnhC-KyKvi6m5dIh_M7chitVm7ZmIJDO1qzN0XPyGHewUxGX8AB5y5_MRMsPGP-aRIoHXoJqpVeIZDRkFTwhHOPas13DjTrAvDa-vrmj9BOxLyUzo3NrAivhcyok4SbAKtdlx1DqnWc7QZMpr5-8/s780/Screenshot%202024-02-11%20061238.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="780" data-original-width="536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGi3W-daHAlseTyxjRhr9TC07PcTqzy-27jT75OrWFnhC-KyKvi6m5dIh_M7chitVm7ZmIJDO1qzN0XPyGHewUxGX8AB5y5_MRMsPGP-aRIoHXoJqpVeIZDRkFTwhHOPas13DjTrAvDa-vrmj9BOxLyUzo3NrAivhcyok4SbAKtdlx1DqnWc7QZMpr5-8/w440-h640/Screenshot%202024-02-11%20061238.png" width="440" /></a></div><a href="https://twitter.com/palyouthmvmt/status/1756437134066561439"><i><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">https://twitter.com/palyouthmvmt/status/1756437134066561439</span><br /></span></i></a><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">What they're chanting at the Museum of Modern Art in NYC: "There is only one solution / Intifada revolution!"</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Are we gearing up to a general strike that will shut down the war machine? Will I live to see it?</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b>Banality of evil department</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Here's the response I got from the man who allegedly "represents" me, objecting to the humanitarian disaster resulting from suspension of funding to UNRWA:</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9YRW9G2JDFgWQ_6VwcR2VfZ-OigWfugUMLa6L2fnZw2GIMDxJA-__P4H5gCi5y5IyE6bGBHI4-LqBzo_Nvgbnn3UzyZtDAGOg8xZjCimBVvMcfhE_7x003su3ruoiy5-S3LLWqZPrvwe27yLvm-8_OyaKLwuOk6X5kyTRVjbL3B-rNlWuBajv-zWHTN8/s921/Screenshot%202024-02-11%20050646.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><img border="0" data-original-height="670" data-original-width="921" height="466" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9YRW9G2JDFgWQ_6VwcR2VfZ-OigWfugUMLa6L2fnZw2GIMDxJA-__P4H5gCi5y5IyE6bGBHI4-LqBzo_Nvgbnn3UzyZtDAGOg8xZjCimBVvMcfhE_7x003su3ruoiy5-S3LLWqZPrvwe27yLvm-8_OyaKLwuOk6X5kyTRVjbL3B-rNlWuBajv-zWHTN8/w640-h466/Screenshot%202024-02-11%20050646.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Meanwhile, as Jared Golden goes about his well-renumerated imperial service, there are three families who lost loved ones in an attack that has been lied about from the get-go. Was it in Jordan, whose government's hosting of U.S. imperial outposts is a vulnerability with its own people -- many of whom are Nakba refugees? Or was it, as Jordan claimed, just over the border in Syria, where U.S. military presence is an illegal occupation?</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpiE4apJpxzbYZIYl4vXwZR8pjMgsqDZekEx-xQVJ5fHt2TczDxqNSCp7h3e5rvh0VUQZE_cqku64QNufybmoGygBlKOrCmK8Css4TvQoFmcFkmX7VAPVezI3jlr3iV82L099992uDK54-llQ7zDUGYFvbquXnAXcOiZZ2eKFeSEJRVTz5BUfkyKQ7tTs/s1024/00NAT-SOLDIERS-jumbo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="683" data-original-width="1024" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpiE4apJpxzbYZIYl4vXwZR8pjMgsqDZekEx-xQVJ5fHt2TczDxqNSCp7h3e5rvh0VUQZE_cqku64QNufybmoGygBlKOrCmK8Css4TvQoFmcFkmX7VAPVezI3jlr3iV82L099992uDK54-llQ7zDUGYFvbquXnAXcOiZZ2eKFeSEJRVTz5BUfkyKQ7tTs/w640-h426/00NAT-SOLDIERS-jumbo.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">This blog I'm reading lately points out the <a href="https://yesxorno.substack.com/p/mystery-solved-us-dod-killed-soldiers?publication_id=382682&post_id=141562020&isFreemail=true&r=3alev&utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email" target="_blank">truth hiding behind the bureaucratic lies</a>: the Pentagon killed these Black soldiers by leaving them undefended on an assignment surrounded by hostile forces. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Why am I siding with the soldiers? Because I think the poverty draft is intense, the pro-military propaganda is immense (cf. Super Bowl today), and two of them -- Breonna Moffett and Kennedy Sanders </span><span style="color: #494949; font-family: DDG_ProximaNova, DDG_ProximaNova_UI_0, DDG_ProximaNova_UI_1, DDG_ProximaNova_UI_2, DDG_ProximaNova_UI_3, DDG_ProximaNova_UI_4, DDG_ProximaNova_UI_5, DDG_ProximaNova_UI_6, Proxima Nova, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Segoe UI, Nimbus Sans L, Liberation Sans, Open Sans, FreeSans, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14.4px;">-- </span></span><span style="font-family: georgia;">were quite young. They will never get the opportunity to learn more than they knew and change their minds. I wonder if they ever learned the term "Nakba" in school?</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Yes, I'm grieving for them, too. I'm grieving for all the casualties of the war on Palestine -- including the truth.</span></p>Lisa Savagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06319699936783253064noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-95738970217731354.post-88250905897447560982024-02-09T03:57:00.000-08:002024-02-09T03:57:12.513-08:00Bibi & Biden: Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP0UWBD9LWRwIAj_avg0sooQgFJsZcc3SVWpWlF9zvSQ5eerrCqDpndxj57U0d-wyjMDPnQ2N1K5okEr2eFqjbEhd5PtdZdnYwOD_Aai20I3Z7-XkEe7175D_J6Q3Ccw3X1MNd43NIictcgWW6BKUlfilyTZ_0nrXBb5-yipftFeZvghGTxxbfEGd16jw/s976/Screenshot%202024-02-09%20064701.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: georgia;"><img border="0" data-original-height="502" data-original-width="976" height="330" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP0UWBD9LWRwIAj_avg0sooQgFJsZcc3SVWpWlF9zvSQ5eerrCqDpndxj57U0d-wyjMDPnQ2N1K5okEr2eFqjbEhd5PtdZdnYwOD_Aai20I3Z7-XkEe7175D_J6Q3Ccw3X1MNd43NIictcgWW6BKUlfilyTZ_0nrXBb5-yipftFeZvghGTxxbfEGd16jw/w640-h330/Screenshot%202024-02-09%20064701.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia;"><span><br /></span></span><p></p><p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia;">In a week where Joe Biden <a href="https://youtu.be/7jU50GEKoNk?si=IKeAtlw3H8DsPXDB" target="_blank">forgot the word "Hamas"</a> (awkward since their existence is the pretext for genocide in Gaza) and said he was the president of "everybody whether they live in a red state or a <a href="https://twitter.com/rawsalerts/status/1755711836794605933?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1755711836794605933%7Ctwgr%5E81af45351af6de8ba990dee1ec7b4b4e5ad90cbc%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.timesnownews.com%2Fworld%2Fbidens-green-states-gaffe-criticized-after-doj-report-calls-president-elderly-man-with-poor-memory-video-article-107536521" target="_blank">green state</a>" we were left imagining ourselves with a real, visible leader who made some kind of sense. </span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia;">You can disagree with Russian president Vladimir Putin or not, but after watching his historic interview last night I can only imagine Biden debating a world leader like Putin or China's Xi Jinping as a Saturday Night Live skit.</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia;">And in that spirit, because you wouldn't want to miss it, I bring you Katie Halper and Daniel <span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;">Maté</span>'s parody of the U.S. and Israel spitting in the face of the ICJ ruling, "Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now (Genocide Remix)."</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia;"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/dEG76hlnhNw?si=qEv_eaDdCV18sG7c" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></span></p><p><i><a href="https://youtu.be/dEG76hlnhNw?si=RjzTkGvOXyRhkzlC"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia;">https://youtu.be/dEG76hlnhNw?si=RjzTkGvOXyRhkzlC</span></a></i></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Published on YouTube with these notes:</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span></span></p><blockquote><p><span style="background-color: white; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">This song and video were inspired by Benjamin Netanyahu's statement, "Nobody will stop us -- not the Hague, not the axis of evil and not anybody else," and Joe Biden's unwavering support of Israel's war crimes.</span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">
Lyrics:
BIDEN:
Looking in your eyes
I see that we’re aligned
This war that we fund is too good to be true
‘Merica’s beside you
All these bombs to give you
Our whole GDP, we’ll just wire to you!
BIBI:
Let 'em say we’re psychos
I don’t care about that;
History started when Khamass launched their attack!
Let the whole damn region
Just fall apart
We’re the persecuted ones,
So have a heart!
BOTH:
And we can win this thing together
Ethnic cleanse forever
Nothing's gonna stop us now
And when the Strip runs out of Gazans
We'll go kill their cousins
The Hague ain’t gonna stop us
Nothing’s gonna stop us now,
Whoaaaaaa
BIBI:
I'm so glad we're bombing
This war is super calming
A ceasefire would mean
I'd be going to jail.
BIDEN:
Folks say it's unlawful,
And yeah the polls are awful.
But Trump's on the ballot:
Of course I'll prevail!
BIDEN:
Let em say it’s genocide
What do they know?
So you bomb the Gazans right where you tell them to go!
BIBI:
If we kill a hostage
Or maybe three,
That’s the price we pay to save theocracy—
(BIDEN: You mean, democracyyyy!)
BOTH:
And we can win this thing together
Human rights? whatever
Nothing's gonna stop us now
So let the courts keep pressing charges,
Houthis block our barges,
Nothing's gonna stop us,
Nothing's gonna stop us—
Ooh, all that I need is you
All that I ever need
And all that I want to do
Is back you forever
Forever and ever…
And we’ll just keep committing war crimes
Then go do some more crimes
Nothing’s gonna stop us now
And you can save your moral sermons
‘Cause we’ve got the Germans
The Hague ain’t gonna stop us
Nothing’s gonna stop us
And we'll create a global crisis
Claim Khamass is ISIS
Nothing’s gonna stop us now
And if South Africa accuses
They just hate the Jewses
The Hague ain’t gonna stop us
Nothing’s gonna stop us now
And we’ll just keep on genocidin’
Bibi rides with Biden
Nothing's gonna stop us now (Nothing's gonna stop us)
and if our rep gets any lowah
we’ll invoke the Shoah
The Hague aint gonna stop us
Nothing’s gonna stop us now</span></span></p></blockquote><p>----</p><p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia; white-space-collapse: preserve;"></span></p><blockquote><span style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Lyrics by Katie Halper and Daniel Maté. Video edited by Kinky Roach Productions. Biden voiced by Mike MacRae. Bibi voiced by Daniel Maté. Parody of the song "Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now" co-written by Diane Warren and Albert Hammond and recorded by Starship.</span> </blockquote><p></p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #131313;"><span class="yt-core-attributed-string--link-inherit-color" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; white-space-collapse: preserve;"></span><blockquote><span class="yt-core-attributed-string--link-inherit-color" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; white-space-collapse: preserve;">**Please support The Katie Halper Show **</span><span class="yt-core-attributed-string--link-inherit-color" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; white-space-collapse: preserve;">
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</span></span><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></p><p><br /></p><p> </p><p><br /></p>Lisa Savagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06319699936783253064noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-95738970217731354.post-32759420036691122342024-02-05T07:47:00.000-08:002024-02-05T07:47:56.528-08:00Reflections On My Arrest February 2 In Portland, Maine<span style="font-family: georgia;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAZ9e9qTaPx-jiNiwGpGXqcH65w5awfaJOeHzUvurXv2ZcS8WyJjHJUi84Jh7kJJr4LZFHIewcGni8xHBy0RUZ0kkvcJtW2yanbqV6tqry0exphNqAaM-vL5RRWyyu1j4lEimvWttplDg0aVjcq9j0v4pFU64Uq5oGr-tvCDsuyhkNxE_bZMw1NFi-Ymg/s5472/port%202-2%20lisa%20mark%20banner.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3648" data-original-width="5472" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAZ9e9qTaPx-jiNiwGpGXqcH65w5awfaJOeHzUvurXv2ZcS8WyJjHJUi84Jh7kJJr4LZFHIewcGni8xHBy0RUZ0kkvcJtW2yanbqV6tqry0exphNqAaM-vL5RRWyyu1j4lEimvWttplDg0aVjcq9j0v4pFU64Uq5oGr-tvCDsuyhkNxE_bZMw1NFi-Ymg/w640-h426/port%202-2%20lisa%20mark%20banner.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />Reflecting on our direct action in Portland, Maine on Friday February 2 has been interesting. I went straight there from presenting at a UNAC webinar on <a href="https://youtu.be/3pV5ICkZhWw?si=imLzLPrY2nDvkqPk" target="_blank">War & Climate</a> because I had accidentally double booked myself. Now I've had a few days to reflect because after publishing a brief blog post I had family plans over the weekend. This gave me some time to see the many responses to both my own post and to other coverage shared on social media.</span><div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">I'm not going to try and make these observations into a coherent narrative. They're so varied that may not even be possible.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT2MzsK9YI6k2PmtE87WViIAwBouXs5cjwArvJ8mjQWI7VqmYtnAaww5KtScIefNu6Cg33ufobMArty-OW9-tAywjLKjtVhCnMNit8HuTFeK_NzhwJ1N3EWlPjCZnbw0cLSD9YNAgItN84Nuz4boRqRdC1x0TUQn-D-fcoiR_lL9gAYsGJFuctlu_j1vU/s5472/port%202-2%20lisa%20push.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3648" data-original-width="5472" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT2MzsK9YI6k2PmtE87WViIAwBouXs5cjwArvJ8mjQWI7VqmYtnAaww5KtScIefNu6Cg33ufobMArty-OW9-tAywjLKjtVhCnMNit8HuTFeK_NzhwJ1N3EWlPjCZnbw0cLSD9YNAgItN84Nuz4boRqRdC1x0TUQn-D-fcoiR_lL9gAYsGJFuctlu_j1vU/w640-h426/port%202-2%20lisa%20push.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">o The public is very angry with police when they allow roads to be blocked without taking immediate action to clear the blockage. I was told at another action that Maine people in particular are angry with police over their slow response to the Lewiston mass shooting last October. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">o My experience with Maine police in various cities is that they are polite to white people. At least old, apparently affluent white people. Maybe because we look like we might have the resources to sue them for police brutality or other mistakes?</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">o Attitudes toward the police are one of the ways in which organizing with both boomers and younger generations is challenging. Representing the boomers, I see police as working class but confused -- as most are in the U.S. -- about where their class interests reside. I always believe they could change their minds, though they may not be in a position to lose the income.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">o Younger activists may taunt police with insults or call them out for doing routine aspects of their job like clearing a blocked road by arresting people engaging in direct action. To me this seems like an indulgence and not productive for the goals of the direct action. I am very open to hearing other opinions on this.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">o Younger activists are under much more economic pressure, generally, than are retirees like myself. Risking arrest for them is a much higher risk. They may have experienced or witnessed police brutality. They may not be able to get time off work to appear in court. They may not have money for the bail bond person's fee, or be able to pay a fine if one is levied. Support in this area could be crucial in enabling their participation.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">o Security culture for younger organizers is extremely demanding and pretty much all new learning for me. When I've blocked a road or failed to disperse in the past, I did so without much attempt to hide the organizing or our intention to risk arrest.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">o Security culture versus attracting large numbers for actions are in direct conflict. This is a key point. How long could we have held the blockade of exit 7 in Portland if more of the 200 people who were there felt they could risk arrest? How many more people could we have brought to the rally if we were more explicit about our plans?</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">o In some ways I'm surprised that younger activists even put up with us oldsters. At the last four direct actions I've attended, all but one had incidents where an older white person (not an organizer, just an attendee) started trying to boss around the folks doing the direct action. In one case, a rich dude who gives a lot of money to the Democratic Party screamed at people holding a banner and insisted they stop blocking one of many entrances into Bath Iron Works (they kept blocking it anyway). In another case, an older white person who does a lot of tone policing admonished people engaging in action at a senator's house where no one was home except a barking dog many believe was a tape recording. And, in the third case, an older white man hollered repeatedly at chant leaders in Portland to be quiet so the police could speak.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">o Jail support culture among younger organizers I've been working with is amazing. What I've experienced in the past ranged from neglectful to well-organized, but nothing at such a high level of nurturing. And this is ongoing as we consider the legal ramifications of our arrests.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJLCzbsFx3Gfch2PHPa7DELa_yIKEdxhNHcdoSQQ8r8aznUJg7wTkUPg7Nl_qNCLweXyE5AnmFEvNYInFhRCiVnduF6PLOa_NhYLC3NiMGoPLUbgjpdgTVf3yhfa8kQI0uyoSlqFkAESYS4Unp138e5uD_yGTGAJMdQ5odSQhmyrPEiD2fNkn6RD8jgww/s1590/Screenshot%202024-02-04%20225044.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="678" data-original-width="1590" height="366" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJLCzbsFx3Gfch2PHPa7DELa_yIKEdxhNHcdoSQQ8r8aznUJg7wTkUPg7Nl_qNCLweXyE5AnmFEvNYInFhRCiVnduF6PLOa_NhYLC3NiMGoPLUbgjpdgTVf3yhfa8kQI0uyoSlqFkAESYS4Unp138e5uD_yGTGAJMdQ5odSQhmyrPEiD2fNkn6RD8jgww/w856-h366/Screenshot%202024-02-04%20225044.png" width="856" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">o Portland Police seemed confused about their own procedures and protocols, but were mostly polite and respectful, at least in my presence. The pair of officers who cuffed me were rough with my wrists and arthritic hands which caused me to yell that they were hurting me. This caused their supervisor to gaslight me claiming I was not being hurt. They may have been rookies because one of them also told me that I was under arrest for trespass. "Trespass?!" I responded with surprise which caused their supervisor to correct them on the charge being obstructing a public way.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">o At the Cumberland County jail we sat handcuffed in a rather cold paddy wagon for a while as we were swabbed for a covid test and then had our masks confiscated (one got to keep hers); then had our belongings removed and catalogued (two got to keep their cash, one got to keep her cash and her ID., some got to keep their jewelry, etc.); then were photographed and fingerprinted digitally (the cop doing this told me he had never had such a hard time getting usable prints from anyone before me, "and I have fingerprinted a lot of people." My conclusion: even my hands are becoming ungovernable); offered "chow" which meant nothing to the younger arrestees but was a meal of mac and cheese plus milk (why then did nurses ask me if I had any food allergies and record my answer: "Yes, I am allergic to dairy products"?); and released after signing the sheet agreeing to show up in court on March 21, and to refrain from loitering in the road in the meantime.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">o Press coverage was far easier to obtain in Portland than it has been in other nearby towns where police either never appeared or appeared and blocked the roads for us while making no arrests. In case you missed it, here is a list of coverage I've found:</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><div><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.newscentermaine.com/article/news/local/portland/portland-ceasefire-palestine-israel-hamas-conflict-protest/97-6cf80bb3-5e80-4350-9b9d-4d3a9645ec13&source=gmail&ust=1707227895695000&usg=AOvVaw1JW8Of5c-uu4i8zCt6Q30H" href="https://www.newscentermaine.com/article/news/local/portland/portland-ceasefire-palestine-israel-hamas-conflict-protest/97-6cf80bb3-5e80-4350-9b9d-4d3a9645ec13" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: georgia;">https://www.newscentermaine.<wbr></wbr>com/article/news/local/<wbr></wbr>portland/portland-ceasefire-<wbr></wbr>palestine-israel-hamas-<wbr></wbr>conflict-protest/97-6cf80bb3-<wbr></wbr>5e80-4350-9b9d-4d3a9645ec13</span></a></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://wgme.com/news/local/pro-palestine-protesters-block-franklin-street-arterial-in-portland%23&source=gmail&ust=1707227895695000&usg=AOvVaw1c4XLDzEy27BkhU4tiXgNn" href="https://wgme.com/news/local/pro-palestine-protesters-block-franklin-street-arterial-in-portland#" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: georgia;">https://wgme.com/news/local/<wbr></wbr>pro-palestine-protesters-<wbr></wbr>block-franklin-street-<wbr></wbr>arterial-in-portland#</span></a></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.wmtw.com/article/pro-palestinian-protesters-arrested-portland-intersection/46628930&source=gmail&ust=1707227895695000&usg=AOvVaw2zvGPv3JyMLmp6m_6_z_AZ" href="https://www.wmtw.com/article/pro-palestinian-protesters-arrested-portland-intersection/46628930" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: georgia;">https://www.wmtw.com/article/<wbr></wbr>pro-palestinian-protesters-<wbr></wbr>arrested-portland-<wbr></wbr>intersection/46628930</span></a></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://fox23maine.com/news/local/pro-palestine-protesters-block-franklin-street-arterial-in-portland%23&source=gmail&ust=1707227895695000&usg=AOvVaw2Pq9NS0SnTz4qmK-8Bv_B6" href="https://fox23maine.com/news/local/pro-palestine-protesters-block-franklin-street-arterial-in-portland#" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: georgia;">https://fox23maine.com/news/<wbr></wbr>local/pro-palestine-<wbr></wbr>protesters-block-franklin-<wbr></wbr>street-arterial-in-portland#</span></a></div><div><br /></div><div><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.bangordailynews.com/2024/02/02/portland/portland-police-courts/pro-palestine-protest-blocks-traffic-portland/&source=gmail&ust=1707227895695000&usg=AOvVaw3jWjX1Wjw0dXCqDJXD9qTX" href="https://www.bangordailynews.com/2024/02/02/portland/portland-police-courts/pro-palestine-protest-blocks-traffic-portland/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: georgia;">https://www.bangordailynews.<wbr></wbr>com/2024/02/02/portland/<wbr></wbr>portland-police-courts/pro-<wbr></wbr>palestine-protest-blocks-<wbr></wbr>traffic-portland/</span></a></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.pressherald.com/2024/02/02/portland-police-arrest-protesters-blocking-franklin-street/&source=gmail&ust=1707227895695000&usg=AOvVaw0pLOFz-HWv-wqs2FIk1dSC" href="https://www.pressherald.com/2024/02/02/portland-police-arrest-protesters-blocking-franklin-street/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: georgia;">https://www.pressherald.com/<wbr></wbr>2024/02/02/portland-police-<wbr></wbr>arrest-protesters-blocking-<wbr></wbr>franklin-street/</span></a></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /></span></div></div></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">I'll leave you with a quote from the <i>Portland Press Herald </i>article linked above, which I provided after being released from jail when a reporter reached out to me by phone. </span></div><div><header class="site-header pressherald site-header--sticky headroom--not-bottom headroom--not-top headroom--scrolling-down site-header--primary-nav-fixed" id="js-site-header" style="--top-bar-min-height: 33px; font-family: "Source Sans 3", sans-serif; font-weight: 600; position: fixed; top: 0px; transition: var(--header-transform-transition); width: 1263.33px; z-index: var(--z-header);"><section aria-label="Featured Content" class="mtm-featured-content" style="background-color: white; margin-bottom: 10px; opacity: 0; position: relative; transform: translateY(-100%); transition-property: transform, opacity; z-index: var(--z-header);"><ul class="mtm-featured-content__list" id="js-mtm-featured-content-list" style="align-items: flex-start; cursor: -webkit-grab; display: flex; gap: 30px; justify-content: flex-start; list-style: none; margin: 0px; overflow-x: auto; padding-inline: 30px; padding: 2px 15px 1px;"><li class="mtm-featured-content__list-item"><article class="mtm-featured-content__article mtm-featured-content__article--has-image" style="column-gap: 15px; display: grid; grid-template: "image cat" "image title" 1fr / auto 1fr; padding-block: 10px; width: 282px;"><a class="mtm-featured-content__article-image" href="https://www.pressherald.com/2024/02/02/portland-city-council-to-vote-on-new-housing-program-for-homeless/?itm_source=parsely-api" style="color: black; grid-area: image; height: 64px; text-decoration-line: none; text-underline-offset: 2px; width: 67px;"><img src="https://www.pressherald.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2024/02/37825996_20231228_harborviewpark_0015-1706888802.jpg?w=250&h=250&crop=1" style="border: 0px; height: 64px; max-width: 100%; object-fit: cover; transition-duration: 0.25s; width: 67px;" /></a></article></li><li class="mtm-featured-content__list-item"><article class="mtm-featured-content__article mtm-featured-content__article--has-image" style="column-gap: 15px; display: grid; grid-template: "image cat" "image title" 1fr / auto 1fr; padding-block: 10px; width: 282px;"><span class="mtm-featured-content__article-category" style="color: #777777; display: block; font-size: 9px; grid-area: cat; line-height: 1.25; text-transform: uppercase;">NEWS</span><h2 class="mtm-featured-content__article-title" style="font-size: 12px; grid-area: title; line-height: 1.25; margin: 0px;"><a class="mtm-featured-content__article-link" href="https://www.pressherald.com/2024/02/04/renewal-and-expansion-eyed-thanks-to-20-million-federal-grant-to-combat-maine-homelessness-domestic-violence/?itm_source=parsely-api" style="color: black; text-decoration-line: none; text-underline-offset: 2px;">Maine to receive $20 million federal grant to combat homelessness, domestic violence</a></h2><a class="mtm-featured-content__article-image" href="https://www.pressherald.com/2024/02/04/renewal-and-expansion-eyed-thanks-to-20-million-federal-grant-to-combat-maine-homelessness-domestic-violence/?itm_source=parsely-api" style="color: black; grid-area: image; height: 64px; text-decoration-line: none; text-underline-offset: 2px; width: 67px;"><img src="https://www.pressherald.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2024/02/37836852_20240102_encampment_1543-1707073034.jpg?w=250&h=250&crop=1" style="border: 0px; height: 64px; max-width: 100%; object-fit: cover; transition-duration: 0.25s; width: 67px;" /></a></article></li><li class="mtm-featured-content__list-item"><article class="mtm-featured-content__article mtm-featured-content__article--has-image" style="column-gap: 15px; display: grid; grid-template: "image cat" "image title" 1fr / auto 1fr; padding-block: 10px; width: 282px;"><span class="mtm-featured-content__article-category" style="color: #777777; display: block; font-size: 9px; grid-area: cat; line-height: 1.25; text-transform: uppercase;">NEWS</span><h2 class="mtm-featured-content__article-title" style="font-size: 12px; grid-area: title; line-height: 1.25; margin: 0px;"><a class="mtm-featured-content__article-link" href="https://www.pressherald.com/2024/02/03/hamas-shows-signs-of-resurgence-in-parts-of-gaza-where-israeli-troops-largely-withdrew/?itm_source=parsely-api" style="color: black; text-decoration-line: none; text-underline-offset: 2px;">Hamas shows signs of resurgence in parts of Gaza where Israeli troops largely withdrew</a></h2><a class="mtm-featured-content__article-image" href="https://www.pressherald.com/2024/02/03/hamas-shows-signs-of-resurgence-in-parts-of-gaza-where-israeli-troops-largely-withdrew/?itm_source=parsely-api" style="color: black; grid-area: image; height: 64px; text-decoration-line: none; text-underline-offset: 2px; width: 67px;"><img src="https://www.pressherald.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2024/02/Pakistan_Israel_Palestinians_11860_351ab9-1706979169.jpg?w=250&h=250&crop=1" style="border: 0px; height: 64px; max-width: 100%; object-fit: cover; transition-duration: 0.25s; width: 67px;" /></a></article></li><li class="mtm-featured-content__list-item"><article class="mtm-featured-content__article mtm-featured-content__article--has-image" style="column-gap: 15px; display: grid; grid-template: "image cat" "image title" 1fr / auto 1fr; padding-block: 10px; width: 282px;"><span class="mtm-featured-content__article-category" style="color: #777777; display: block; font-size: 9px; grid-area: cat; line-height: 1.25; text-transform: uppercase;">NEWS</span><h2 class="mtm-featured-content__article-title" style="font-size: 12px; grid-area: title; line-height: 1.25; margin: 0px;"><a class="mtm-featured-content__article-link" href="https://www.pressherald.com/2024/02/04/following-u-s-strikes-hitting-yemen-iran-issues-warning-about-suspected-spy-ships-in-mideast/?itm_source=parsely-api" style="color: black; text-decoration-line: none; text-underline-offset: 2px;">Following U.S. strikes hitting Yemen, Iran issues warning about suspected spy ships in Mideast</a></h2><a class="mtm-featured-content__article-image" href="https://www.pressherald.com/2024/02/04/following-u-s-strikes-hitting-yemen-iran-issues-warning-about-suspected-spy-ships-in-mideast/?itm_source=parsely-api" style="color: black; grid-area: image; height: 64px; text-decoration-line: none; text-underline-offset: 2px; width: 67px;"><img src="https://www.pressherald.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2024/02/United_States_Red_Sea_Houthis_41158_190bbc-1707065955.jpg?w=250&h=250&crop=1" style="border: 0px; height: 64px; max-width: 100%; object-fit: cover; transition-duration: 0.25s; width: 67px;" /></a></article></li><li class="mtm-featured-content__list-item"><article class="mtm-featured-content__article mtm-featured-content__article--has-image" style="column-gap: 15px; display: grid; grid-template: "image cat" "image title" 1fr / auto 1fr; padding-block: 10px; width: 282px;"><span class="mtm-featured-content__article-category" style="color: #777777; display: block; font-size: 9px; grid-area: cat; line-height: 1.25; text-transform: uppercase;">LETTERS</span><h2 class="mtm-featured-content__article-title" style="font-size: 12px; grid-area: title; line-height: 1.25; margin: 0px;"><a class="mtm-featured-content__article-link" href="https://www.pressherald.com/2024/02/03/letter-effective-gun-safety-legislation-begins-with-a-phone-call/?itm_source=parsely-api" style="color: black; text-decoration-line: none; text-underline-offset: 2px;">Letter: Effective gun safety legislation begins with a phone call</a></h2><a class="mtm-featured-content__article-image" href="https://www.pressherald.com/2024/02/03/letter-effective-gun-safety-legislation-begins-with-a-phone-call/?itm_source=parsely-api" style="color: black; grid-area: image; height: 64px; text-decoration-line: none; text-underline-offset: 2px; width: 67px;"><img src="https://www.pressherald.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2017/01/pph-icon-red-linkforFB.png" style="border: 0px; height: 64px; max-width: 100%; object-fit: cover; transition-duration: 0.25s; width: 67px;" /></a></article></li><li class="mtm-featured-content__list-item"><article class="mtm-featured-content__article mtm-featured-content__article--has-image" style="column-gap: 15px; display: grid; grid-template: "image cat" "image title" 1fr / auto 1fr; padding-block: 10px; width: 282px;"><span class="mtm-featured-content__article-category" style="color: #777777; display: block; font-size: 9px; grid-area: cat; line-height: 1.25; text-transform: uppercase;">NEWS</span><h2 class="mtm-featured-content__article-title" style="font-size: 12px; grid-area: title; line-height: 1.25; margin: 0px;"><a class="mtm-featured-content__article-link" href="https://www.pressherald.com/2024/02/02/maine-high-court-justice-says-he-was-passed-over-for-reappointment/?itm_source=parsely-api" style="color: black; text-decoration-line: none; text-underline-offset: 2px;">Maine high court justice says he was passed over for reappointment</a></h2><a class="mtm-featured-content__article-image" href="https://www.pressherald.com/2024/02/02/maine-high-court-justice-says-he-was-passed-over-for-reappointment/?itm_source=parsely-api" style="color: black; grid-area: image; height: 64px; text-decoration-line: none; text-underline-offset: 2px; width: 67px;"><img src="https://www.pressherald.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2024/02/37724628_20231206_supreme_court_11-1706914599.jpg?w=250&h=250&crop=1" style="border: 0px; height: 64px; max-width: 100%; object-fit: cover; transition-duration: 0.25s; width: 67px;" /></a></article></li><li class="mtm-featured-content__list-item"><article class="mtm-featured-content__article mtm-featured-content__article--has-image" style="column-gap: 15px; display: grid; grid-template: "image cat" "image title" 1fr / auto 1fr; padding-block: 10px; width: 282px;"><span class="mtm-featured-content__article-category" style="color: #777777; display: block; font-size: 9px; grid-area: cat; line-height: 1.25; text-transform: uppercase;">NEWS</span><h2 class="mtm-featured-content__article-title" style="font-size: 12px; grid-area: title; line-height: 1.25; margin: 0px;"><a class="mtm-featured-content__article-link" href="https://www.pressherald.com/2024/02/02/massachusetts-senate-approves-gun-bill-aimed-at-ghost-guns-and-assault-weapons/?itm_source=parsely-api" style="color: black; text-decoration-line: none; text-underline-offset: 2px;">Massachusetts Senate approves gun bill aimed at ghost guns and assault weapons</a></h2><a class="mtm-featured-content__article-image" href="https://www.pressherald.com/2024/02/02/massachusetts-senate-approves-gun-bill-aimed-at-ghost-guns-and-assault-weapons/?itm_source=parsely-api" style="color: black; grid-area: image; height: 64px; text-decoration-line: none; text-underline-offset: 2px; width: 67px;"><img src="https://www.pressherald.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2024/02/Massachusetts-Gun_Bill_56092_15999c-1706931232.jpg?w=250&h=250&crop=1" style="border: 0px; height: 64px; max-width: 100%; object-fit: cover; transition-duration: 0.25s; width: 67px;" /></a></article></li><li class="mtm-featured-content__list-item"><article class="mtm-featured-content__article mtm-featured-content__article--has-image" style="column-gap: 15px; display: grid; grid-template: "image cat" "image title" 1fr / auto 1fr; padding-block: 10px; width: 282px;"><span class="mtm-featured-content__article-category" style="color: #777777; display: block; font-size: 9px; grid-area: cat; line-height: 1.25; text-transform: uppercase;">TIMES RECORD</span><h2 class="mtm-featured-content__article-title" style="font-size: 12px; grid-area: title; line-height: 1.25; margin: 0px;"><a class="mtm-featured-content__article-link" href="https://www.pressherald.com/2024/02/02/letter-to-the-editor-unfair-criticism-of-netanyahu/?itm_source=parsely-api" style="color: black; text-decoration-line: none; text-underline-offset: 2px;">Letter to the editor: Unfair criticism of </a><a class="mtm-featured-content__article-image" href="https://www.pressherald.com/2024/02/02/letter-to-the-editor-unfair-criticism-of-netanyahu/?itm_source=parsely-api" style="color: black; display: inline; grid-area: image; height: 64px; text-decoration-line: none; text-underline-offset: 2px; width: 67px;"><img src="https://www.pressherald.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2017/01/pph-icon-red-linkforFB.png" style="border: 0px; height: 64px; max-width: 100%; object-fit: cover; transition-duration: 0.25s; width: 67px;" /></a></h2></article></li><li class="mtm-featured-content__list-item"><article class="mtm-featured-content__article mtm-featured-content__article--has-image" style="column-gap: 15px; display: grid; grid-template: "image cat" "image title" 1fr / auto 1fr; padding-block: 10px; width: 282px;"><span class="mtm-featured-content__article-category" style="color: #777777; display: block; font-size: 9px; grid-area: cat; line-height: 1.25; text-transform: uppercase;">OPINION</span><h2 class="mtm-featured-content__article-title" style="font-size: 12px; grid-area: title; line-height: 1.25; margin: 0px;"><a class="mtm-featured-content__article-link" href="https://www.pressherald.com/2024/02/04/the-maine-millennial-gaza-is-full-of-regular-innocent-people/?itm_source=parsely-api" style="color: black; text-decoration-line: none; text-underline-offset: 2px;">The Maine Millennial: Gaza is full of regular, innocent people</a></h2><a class="mtm-featured-content__article-image" href="https://www.pressherald.com/2024/02/04/the-maine-millennial-gaza-is-full-of-regular-innocent-people/?itm_source=parsely-api" style="color: black; grid-area: image; height: 64px; text-decoration-line: none; text-underline-offset: 2px; width: 67px;"><img src="https://www.pressherald.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2019/04/VictoriaHugoVidal03-250x250.jpg?w=250&h=250&crop=1" style="border: 0px; height: 64px; max-width: 100%; object-fit: cover; transition-duration: 0.25s; width: 67px;" /></a></article></li><li class="mtm-featured-content__list-item"><article class="mtm-featured-content__article mtm-featured-content__article--has-image" style="column-gap: 15px; display: grid; grid-template: "image cat" "image title" 1fr / auto 1fr; padding-block: 10px; width: 282px;"><span class="mtm-featured-content__article-category" style="color: #777777; display: block; font-size: 9px; grid-area: cat; line-height: 1.25; text-transform: uppercase;">NEWS</span><h2 class="mtm-featured-content__article-title" style="font-size: 12px; grid-area: title; line-height: 1.25; margin: 0px;"><a class="mtm-featured-content__article-link" href="https://www.pressherald.com/2024/02/04/privacy-public-safety-at-odds-when-teens-are-accused-of-violent-crimes/?itm_source=parsely-api" style="color: black; text-decoration-line: none; text-underline-offset: 2px;">Privacy, public safety at odds when Maine teens are accused of violent crimes</a></h2><a class="mtm-featured-content__article-image" href="https://www.pressherald.com/2024/02/04/privacy-public-safety-at-odds-when-teens-are-accused-of-violent-crimes/?itm_source=parsely-api" style="color: black; grid-area: image; height: 64px; text-decoration-line: none; text-underline-offset: 2px; width: 67px;"><img src="https://www.pressherald.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2024/01/20240104_bombthreat_0170-1704387996.jpg?w=250&h=250&crop=1" style="border: 0px; height: 64px; max-width: 100%; object-fit: cover; transition-duration: 0.25s; width: 67px;" /></a></article></li><li class="mtm-featured-content__list-item"><article class="mtm-featured-content__article mtm-featured-content__article--has-image" style="column-gap: 15px; display: grid; grid-template: "image cat" "image title" 1fr / auto 1fr; padding-block: 10px; width: 282px;"><span class="mtm-featured-content__article-category" style="color: #777777; display: block; font-size: 9px; grid-area: cat; line-height: 1.25; text-transform: uppercase;">NEWS</span><h2 class="mtm-featured-content__article-title" style="font-size: 12px; grid-area: title; line-height: 1.25; margin: 0px;"><a class="mtm-featured-content__article-link" href="https://www.pressherald.com/2024/02/02/brig-gen-diane-dunn-installed-as-first-woman-to-lead-maine-national-guard/?itm_source=parsely-api" style="color: black; text-decoration-line: none; text-underline-offset: 2px;">Brig. Gen. Diane Dunn installed as first woman to lead Maine National Guard</a></h2><a class="mtm-featured-content__article-image" href="https://www.pressherald.com/2024/02/02/brig-gen-diane-dunn-installed-as-first-woman-to-lead-maine-national-guard/?itm_source=parsely-api" style="color: black; grid-area: image; height: 64px; text-decoration-line: none; text-underline-offset: 2px; width: 67px;"><img src="https://w2pcms.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/02/38010256_20240202_General_3847.jpg?w=250&h=250&crop=1" style="border: 0px; height: 64px; max-width: 100%; object-fit: cover; transition-duration: 0.25s; width: 67px;" /><iframe aria-label="Advertisement" data-google-container-id="1" data-gtm-yt-inspected-17="true" data-load-complete="true" frameborder="0" height="90" id="google_ads_iframe_/6119/pressherald.com/news_0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" name="google_ads_iframe_/6119/pressherald.com/news_0" scrolling="no" style="border-style: initial; border-width: 0px; text-align: center; vertical-align: bottom;" tabindex="0" title="3rd party ad content" width="728"></iframe></a></article></li></ul></section></header><main class="mtm-wrapper post-wrapper" style="background-color: white; margin: 0px auto; max-width: 1248px; min-width: 285px; overflow: hidden; position: relative; width: 1212.79px; zoom: 1;"><div class="main-content-wrap" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px auto; position: relative; width: 1212.79px; z-index: var(--z-main); zoom: 1;"><article class="article article--has-sidebar" id="js-mtm-article" itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/Article" style="height: 395.646px; margin-top: 15px; top: 50px;"><div class="mtm-article p402_premium" style="clear: left; display: table-cell; float: left; max-width: 900px; padding-right: 30px; vertical-align: top; width: 751.927px;"><div class="post-content clearfix" data-truncate="3" id="js-post-content" itemprop="articleBody" style="display: inline-block; position: relative; width: 751.927px; zoom: 1;"><p style="color: #222222; font-family: Lusitana, serif; font-size: 1.25rem; line-height: 1.7;"></p><blockquote style="font-family: Lusitana, serif;"><p style="color: #222222; font-size: 1.25rem; line-height: 1.7;">Lisa Savage, one of the protesters who was arrested, said she would risk arrest again if that’s what needs to be done to direct the public’s attention to the war in Gaza.</p><p style="color: #222222; font-size: 1.25rem; line-height: 1.7;">“Israel’s genocide on Gaza is happening right before our eyes,” she said. “We are trying to get the public’s attention and demand that the U.S. government stop supporting genocide. Our message is no business as usual until there is a cease-fire in Gaza.”</p><p style="color: #222222; font-size: 1.25rem; line-height: 1.7;"></p><p style="color: #222222; font-size: 1.25rem; line-height: 1.7;">Savage, 69, compared the violence against Palestinians to the Holocaust.</p><p style="color: #222222; font-size: 1.25rem; line-height: 1.7;">“If you ever wondered what you would have done during the Holocaust, it’s what you’re doing right now,” she said.</p></blockquote><p style="color: #222222; font-family: Lusitana, serif; font-size: 1.25rem; line-height: 1.7;"></p></div></div></article></div></main></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div>Lisa Savagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06319699936783253064noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-95738970217731354.post-10578329247122479462024-02-03T11:13:00.000-08:002024-02-03T11:14:46.239-08:00Mainers: No Business As Usual Until Ceasefire In Gaza<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4aWzNnc36tE0urVhvN_QegnhntUZ-DqIDkfVed1eUsDcqlusyEKNy2q14DF6SBOb0teDdnNtNIQRzHxet7Y_1u-cI012g4ncJXEoNuTdipBoxEn1Hr_ZhQifUGLNSgMfansPQr_nuLgt4MYzNv-RJ0wnoRiZIncrDvcbBr7pGiUGHXGS7qmqbE5-DoqI/s1132/Screenshot%202024-02-03%20140212.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="582" data-original-width="1132" height="330" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4aWzNnc36tE0urVhvN_QegnhntUZ-DqIDkfVed1eUsDcqlusyEKNy2q14DF6SBOb0teDdnNtNIQRzHxet7Y_1u-cI012g4ncJXEoNuTdipBoxEn1Hr_ZhQifUGLNSgMfansPQr_nuLgt4MYzNv-RJ0wnoRiZIncrDvcbBr7pGiUGHXGS7qmqbE5-DoqI/w640-h330/Screenshot%202024-02-03%20140212.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Around 200 people gathered in Portland, Maine yesterday in support of Palestine, grieving ongoing genocide in Gaza that Israel did not even pause after the ICJ ruling. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4_h75VbKHJMm0MkcNyPDh2UnGixWYV1DA2UyjsfjVsto6dG-S1i_iKXdhDMcsgkFC0Z3RGEAyf65u81aMTXaagqKPldioKRbrT9jLv_50TC-F8UekMRHXYii5JoA6rh1x_dmLwK16PLURHetxcRbCY3T7r9w22PGQkQvlHa9yfXofHep3VRxM2GzWcco/s520/port%202-2%20crowd%20sit.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="347" data-original-width="520" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4_h75VbKHJMm0MkcNyPDh2UnGixWYV1DA2UyjsfjVsto6dG-S1i_iKXdhDMcsgkFC0Z3RGEAyf65u81aMTXaagqKPldioKRbrT9jLv_50TC-F8UekMRHXYii5JoA6rh1x_dmLwK16PLURHetxcRbCY3T7r9w22PGQkQvlHa9yfXofHep3VRxM2GzWcco/w640-h428/port%202-2%20crowd%20sit.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">We stood on several corners of a very busy intersection where cars enter and exit I-295 and eventually moved into the road to block both on ramps and off ramps at the Franklin Arterial. Eleven of us were ultimately arrested after refusing to break our blockade. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYNdKBu30YlI8Bcqp_PRiFCdNXICZdjthgKo_kvtJ3ITsr6tMsgTBKeQhMr0gxjYbGKsk-xdLrbDb9SWUzl-OMWNfnADUhtdztcwus35l2F08pTg-kFsvbD50FcihLPK7Zc88R-YUZuG7Qm4YLVN4ZzVxOmKaHP2yOej4eXn76dnHKktjXiyuhVkpRdNo/s5472/port%202-2%20block%20my%20sign.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3648" data-original-width="5472" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYNdKBu30YlI8Bcqp_PRiFCdNXICZdjthgKo_kvtJ3ITsr6tMsgTBKeQhMr0gxjYbGKsk-xdLrbDb9SWUzl-OMWNfnADUhtdztcwus35l2F08pTg-kFsvbD50FcihLPK7Zc88R-YUZuG7Qm4YLVN4ZzVxOmKaHP2yOej4eXn76dnHKktjXiyuhVkpRdNo/w640-h426/port%202-2%20block%20my%20sign.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></p>I'd like to write a longer post about our arrest experience which was interesting in several aspects, but I don't have time for that today. So for now I'll share my friend <a href="https://space4peace.blogspot.com/2024/02/portland-maine-protest-shuts-down-key.html" target="_blank">Bruce's account</a> as well as these links to corporate news coverage (hat tip to Judy Robbins for the compilation):</span><p></p><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.newscentermaine.com/article/news/local/portland/portland-ceasefire-palestine-israel-hamas-conflict-protest/97-6cf80bb3-5e80-4350-9b9d-4d3a9645ec13&source=gmail&ust=1707014464816000&usg=AOvVaw15iGhDaXhn7QsP7iDZXOIS" href="https://www.newscentermaine.com/article/news/local/portland/portland-ceasefire-palestine-israel-hamas-conflict-protest/97-6cf80bb3-5e80-4350-9b9d-4d3a9645ec13" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: georgia;">https://www.newscentermaine.<wbr></wbr>com/article/news/local/<wbr></wbr>portland/portland-ceasefire-<wbr></wbr>palestine-israel-hamas-<wbr></wbr>conflict-protest/97-6cf80bb3-<wbr></wbr>5e80-4350-9b9d-4d3a9645ec13</span></a></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://wgme.com/news/local/pro-palestine-protesters-block-franklin-street-arterial-in-portland%23&source=gmail&ust=1707014464816000&usg=AOvVaw3J6oOvqbn2QORHRTElHCbX" href="https://wgme.com/news/local/pro-palestine-protesters-block-franklin-street-arterial-in-portland#" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: georgia;">https://wgme.com/news/local/<wbr></wbr>pro-palestine-protesters-<wbr></wbr>block-franklin-street-<wbr></wbr>arterial-in-portland#</span></a></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.wmtw.com/article/pro-palestinian-protesters-arrested-portland-intersection/46628930&source=gmail&ust=1707014464816000&usg=AOvVaw107y4xSLNQMj37_vODIowg" href="https://www.wmtw.com/article/pro-palestinian-protesters-arrested-portland-intersection/46628930" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: georgia;">https://www.wmtw.com/article/<wbr></wbr>pro-palestinian-protesters-<wbr></wbr>arrested-portland-<wbr></wbr>intersection/46628930</span></a></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://fox23maine.com/news/local/pro-palestine-protesters-block-franklin-street-arterial-in-portland%23&source=gmail&ust=1707014464816000&usg=AOvVaw3iGYG7J7krLTNJvCDyCS5z" href="https://fox23maine.com/news/local/pro-palestine-protesters-block-franklin-street-arterial-in-portland#" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: georgia;">https://fox23maine.com/news/<wbr></wbr>local/pro-palestine-<wbr></wbr>protesters-block-franklin-<wbr></wbr>street-arterial-in-portland#</span></a></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.pressherald.com/2024/02/02/portland-police-arrest-protesters-blocking-franklin-street/&source=gmail&ust=1707014464816000&usg=AOvVaw1EdVEV8Tj-maep8sl4esTB" href="https://www.pressherald.com/2024/02/02/portland-police-arrest-protesters-blocking-franklin-street/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: georgia;">https://www.pressherald.com/<wbr></wbr>2024/02/02/portland-police-<wbr></wbr>arrest-protesters-blocking-<wbr></wbr>franklin-street/</span></a></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.bangordailynews.com/2024/02/02/portland/portland-police-courts/pro-palestine-protest-blocks-traffic-portland/&source=gmail&ust=1707014464816000&usg=AOvVaw2uPedcgMFUDt_o2UGEzvYP" href="https://www.bangordailynews.com/2024/02/02/portland/portland-police-courts/pro-palestine-protest-blocks-traffic-portland/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: georgia;">https://www.bangordailynews.<wbr></wbr>com/2024/02/02/portland/<wbr></wbr>portland-police-courts/pro-<wbr></wbr>palestine-protest-blocks-<wbr></wbr>traffic-portland/</span></a></div>Lisa Savagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06319699936783253064noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-95738970217731354.post-49811245807729729272024-02-01T13:42:00.000-08:002024-02-01T13:42:43.046-08:00Burning Kids With White Phosphorus Is Not Self-Defense<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiwBE5Tfn-j2z5yt3lmfkjKm4ZL_XaLyU4DUMxzzhwSUsU0wtGZiX-b0gbWJTqnZ2Kl1AyTHRpkmsjPOsyQkeJBXBCH2Jw3_Ku58rKxbN4yeC7TpkmB8cCXmAAMFcgm_jPGIPhGZNyFkFaA3TnwfT0Pb7cPW8Krp2IYGARRq6h7DvFQLWcGpe52i_8p7A/s946/202310mena_palestine_white_phosphorous_artillery_gaza.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="631" data-original-width="946" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiwBE5Tfn-j2z5yt3lmfkjKm4ZL_XaLyU4DUMxzzhwSUsU0wtGZiX-b0gbWJTqnZ2Kl1AyTHRpkmsjPOsyQkeJBXBCH2Jw3_Ku58rKxbN4yeC7TpkmB8cCXmAAMFcgm_jPGIPhGZNyFkFaA3TnwfT0Pb7cPW8Krp2IYGARRq6h7DvFQLWcGpe52i_8p7A/w640-h426/202310mena_palestine_white_phosphorous_artillery_gaza.webp" width="640" /></a></div><i><span class="figure__caption" style="border: 0px solid; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Freight Text W01", Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 16px;">"Airbursts of artillery-fired white phosphorus fall over the Gaza city port, October 11, 2023. </span><span style="font-family: "Freight Text W01", Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 16px;"> </span><span class="figure__credit" style="border: 0px solid; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Freight Text W01", Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 16px;">© 2023 Mohammed Adeb/AFP via Getty Images" Source: <a href="https://www.hrw.org/news/2023/10/12/questions-and-answers-israels-use-white-phosphorus-gaza-and-lebanon" target="_blank">Human Rights Watch report</a></span></i><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Trigger warning: there is a photo at the end of this post of a child burned with white phosphorus. Once you've seen it you probably won't be able to unsee it, at least I cannot. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">The fact that this is happening with my tax dollars makes me feel like breaking everything in Washington DC and Wall Street to get it to stop. There's a limit to how much we can handle of viewing or reading about war atrocities. But this particular phase of the decades long project to ethnically "cleanse" Palestinians has to be the worst in my lifetime in terms of documented harm to at least 11,000 innocent children. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">The children of Vietnam were burned with napalm, while the children of Gaza are burned with <a href="https://youtu.be/vkY2dazfOtY?si=srjfPA65jRVfuFIV" target="_blank">white phosphorus</a>. We are told it is illegal and a war crime and that it keeps burning all the way down to the bone. And yet, here is this poor child. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">We can only hope the child has died. In our anger and grief we must determine not to fail these children. To do all we can do, and then more.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">I hope you can sleep tonight after seeing this image. I'm not sure if I will. But I will still see you on the streets tomorrow.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">TRIGGER WARNING</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">|</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">TRIGGER WARNING</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">|</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">TRIGGER WARNING: MAIMED CHILD</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl7caK4eeLL1rToRbzK75dsoZJHlZVqNRXEvBwYeG9XN_ytDisKwUk0hPgnGNPX2ETCO9HaYjgHSlTZB9156x2gsHY6-idBfktVo47FqDsiEAY3KUpOknlJMaLzbvEaJEeArN67i74L6OLmYA3EV_noegw5CldEQZIkqdxZJT3qzY2xYLAuVrFEQ6ijpY/s822/Screenshot%202024-02-01%20163024.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="822" data-original-width="534" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl7caK4eeLL1rToRbzK75dsoZJHlZVqNRXEvBwYeG9XN_ytDisKwUk0hPgnGNPX2ETCO9HaYjgHSlTZB9156x2gsHY6-idBfktVo47FqDsiEAY3KUpOknlJMaLzbvEaJEeArN67i74L6OLmYA3EV_noegw5CldEQZIkqdxZJT3qzY2xYLAuVrFEQ6ijpY/s16000/Screenshot%202024-02-01%20163024.png" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;"><i><a href="https://twitter.com/s_m_marandi/status/1753033143450259840">https://twitter.com/s_m_marandi/status/1753033143450259840</a></i></span><p></p>Lisa Savagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06319699936783253064noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-95738970217731354.post-10879810231754253742024-01-29T08:55:00.000-08:002024-01-29T08:55:53.295-08:00Moral Queasiness & The ICJ Ruling<p> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwpFjqDpMW6K8-E2mZL2tmR8Gk2xS-NToI1wO63uhyI7BgsJG3jUMJIRsm58IIO5_LYhgdj7leAvRqvH1sHvQ5mjfNT9uEk_gHGD8Wo0httiZBHjNWKYbkagkyCx1KRtFOp3BLg2hMlmT8eG2cOXcDLlNmkbNFVDbNNi4BSwjlRswDZ-JHT8WPz6AisyE/s919/Screenshot%202024-01-29%20101701.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="520" data-original-width="919" height="362" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwpFjqDpMW6K8-E2mZL2tmR8Gk2xS-NToI1wO63uhyI7BgsJG3jUMJIRsm58IIO5_LYhgdj7leAvRqvH1sHvQ5mjfNT9uEk_gHGD8Wo0httiZBHjNWKYbkagkyCx1KRtFOp3BLg2hMlmT8eG2cOXcDLlNmkbNFVDbNNi4BSwjlRswDZ-JHT8WPz6AisyE/w640-h362/Screenshot%202024-01-29%20101701.png" width="640" /></a><br /><i>Source: Middle East Eye "<a href="https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/us-doubles-down-dismissing-genocide-claims-despite-icj-ruling" target="_blank">U.S. doubles down on dismissing genocide claim despite ICJ ruling</a>"</i></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">If you look up "moral queasiness" in the dictionary you'll likely see a picture of some U.S. government official or other spinning support for Israel's genocide in Gaza. Above, we see how Security Council spokesperson John Kirby looked when journalists asked at a White House press briefing on January 26 about whether the ICJ ruling would affect U.S. policy. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Short answer: not at all.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Reactions to the ICJ ruling have ranged from squirming while delivering weasel words to thundering jeremiads, such as <a href="https://youtu.be/MsiGmOUQdj4?si=bRh3bT66w1lAfWDv" target="_blank">this one</a> from Shahid Bolsen of Middle Nation which includes his bottom line: <span style="color: #26282a;">"Anything that discredits western colonial institutions is a good thing."</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="color: #26282a;">My friend Janet Kobren put together this nifty side by side comparison chart to help us sort through the provisions the ICJ ordered versus those South Africa asked them to order.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk3lpFPcc_3n8wiKno0iyZM4HsAZ-76QMiLrQ6Io-80Puh5H4ALGok_WmBiz3YH6L4QCNpuZelmW6sGWGv5XN42SO4k6f3D4o78zDldP0nOPakkXn3DQ9XwTPmC2S03qgf0ARIqsLu2wxIi2fKYMRImi6SpGk-lYqXDXiUh0CKfDRcHyg0e2fddoT9a-g/s2808/provisional%20measures.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2808" data-original-width="716" height="2632" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk3lpFPcc_3n8wiKno0iyZM4HsAZ-76QMiLrQ6Io-80Puh5H4ALGok_WmBiz3YH6L4QCNpuZelmW6sGWGv5XN42SO4k6f3D4o78zDldP0nOPakkXn3DQ9XwTPmC2S03qgf0ARIqsLu2wxIi2fKYMRImi6SpGk-lYqXDXiUh0CKfDRcHyg0e2fddoT9a-g/w671-h2632/provisional%20measures.png" width="671" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /><span style="color: #26282a;"><br /></span></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="color: #26282a;">I've previously shared former UK ambassador Craig Murray's reporting from the courtroom which was valuable as he was THE ONLY press person in the room. Now comes his analysis, "<a href="https://www.craigmurray.org.uk/archives/2024/01/has-international-law-survived-or-has-the-western-political-class-killed-it/" target="_blank">Has International Law Survived, or Has the Western Political Class Killed Itself</a>?"</span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #5a5a5a; font-family: georgia;"></span></span></p><blockquote><p><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #5a5a5a; font-family: georgia;">That the ICJ has not affirmed Israel’s right to self-defence is perhaps the most important point in this interim order. It is the dog that did not bark. <b>The argument which every western leader has been using is spurned by the ICJ. </b>[emphasis mine]</span></span></p><p></p></blockquote><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">No wonder the White House spox is squirming.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Moderates found the ICJ ruling <a href="https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/countries-react-landmark-icj-ruling" target="_blank">encouraging</a> despite the fact that its opening paragraph condemned Hamas but nowhere in the document was there mention of the thousands of Palestinians held in Israel's prisons. You know, the prisoners that Hamas wants to swap for the hostages taken on October 7.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">In case U.S. taxpayers weren't thoroughly nauseated yet, the UN</span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> Relief and Works Agency for Palestine (</span></span><span style="font-family: georgia;">UNRWA) was defunded by the western axis of evil for supporting Hamas. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqEVbnHkOdqf60b6ezQns-hn1ypwT4bkD7ZMxPGwhm34ISM3AUdh-pKNK6ncd9We5oQRyne97dF11Dowo9tVgfTn319NLnPgkQVabbI4FHGLtRa1nY91g5xL4zmw-0plKLFlILEBfcL8i4nMZJKKcnr_BABAGi1niUriEx7GpObaL3vnMkvKMJjiRTLlk/s865/Screenshot%202024-01-29%20114031.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="662" data-original-width="865" height="490" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqEVbnHkOdqf60b6ezQns-hn1ypwT4bkD7ZMxPGwhm34ISM3AUdh-pKNK6ncd9We5oQRyne97dF11Dowo9tVgfTn319NLnPgkQVabbI4FHGLtRa1nY91g5xL4zmw-0plKLFlILEBfcL8i4nMZJKKcnr_BABAGi1niUriEx7GpObaL3vnMkvKMJjiRTLlk/w640-h490/Screenshot%202024-01-29%20114031.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i><a href="https://twitter.com/CensoredNws/status/1751354462868791806">https://twitter.com/CensoredNws/status/1751354462868791806</a></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">As Palestinians in Gaza are literally starving to death! Many see the timing as a ploy to distract from the ICJ ruling.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPWCgWoln16G3j8Ri5YnFzNvjcRDhRIQjvwzpOMUxp7sCfumWnqEpTUaQ09CoB1sMby3WEUXDloq4fVyhP9nE-zmlG3Coq-qzh7P2t6g0eSf4Smmer_42_Jzvsh5y-fZVJY7QB6iqm96QGSTnEB4uwC5uVS_5Uis9vwQP7142NOHaXhE7ZbhSG3J7VQqU/s947/Screenshot%202024-01-29%20112038.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="633" data-original-width="947" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPWCgWoln16G3j8Ri5YnFzNvjcRDhRIQjvwzpOMUxp7sCfumWnqEpTUaQ09CoB1sMby3WEUXDloq4fVyhP9nE-zmlG3Coq-qzh7P2t6g0eSf4Smmer_42_Jzvsh5y-fZVJY7QB6iqm96QGSTnEB4uwC5uVS_5Uis9vwQP7142NOHaXhE7ZbhSG3J7VQqU/w640-h428/Screenshot%202024-01-29%20112038.png" width="640" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><a href="goog_1673690753"><br /></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://twitter.com/HamzaMSyed/status/1751978213645898197"><i>https://twitter.com/HamzaMSyed/status/1751978213645898197</i></a></div><br /></span><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Not to worry, though. Court cases against Israel and also the U.S. for supporting Israel's genocide abound. Here's <a href="https://ccrjustice.org/home/press-center/press-releases/gaza-genocide-lawsuit-against-biden-has-day-court-palestinians" target="_blank">news of a promising suit</a> filed in on behalf of surviving family members heard in federal court in California last week:</span></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyXHDqj2fkHIrlaKMkYeG1xooJsNl3bQttZBmp44Vmm2Uqfm7MS7r-1CkHtm42vriaKnrGFHhG2NrhXZ9jSlV-TZmRvezLXehf4HfCClKee9xQ-CZUwGKE5swM28Wcwh0v9wcmZtxXSFq8Q7rwqRW-mHVWfa6el_fNQlHoFmunhRUUOKZeCInhyFqfyoI/s900/GEy_oUEXIAA52sF.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="675" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyXHDqj2fkHIrlaKMkYeG1xooJsNl3bQttZBmp44Vmm2Uqfm7MS7r-1CkHtm42vriaKnrGFHhG2NrhXZ9jSlV-TZmRvezLXehf4HfCClKee9xQ-CZUwGKE5swM28Wcwh0v9wcmZtxXSFq8Q7rwqRW-mHVWfa6el_fNQlHoFmunhRUUOKZeCInhyFqfyoI/w480-h640/GEy_oUEXIAA52sF.jpg" width="480" /></a><br /><br /><span class="css-1qaijid r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0 r-poiln3" face="TwitterChirp, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; border: 0px solid black; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1419; display: inline; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; list-style: none; margin: 0px; min-width: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; text-overflow: unset; white-space-collapse: preserve;">A scroll of all the names of Palestinians killed since Oct is rolled outside the Oakland Federal Courthouse
Over 30,000 Palestinians have been killed with 60,000+ wounded.
Collectively, 150 family members of the plaintiffs suing Biden admin have been killed. </span><span class="r-18u37iz" face="TwitterChirp, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #0f1419; flex-direction: row; font-size: 17px; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><a class="css-1qaijid r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0 r-poiln3 r-1loqt21" dir="ltr" href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WeChargeGenocide?src=hashtag_click" role="link" style="background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px solid black; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1d9bf0; cursor: pointer; display: inline; font: inherit; list-style: none; margin: 0px; min-width: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; text-align: inherit; text-decoration-line: none; text-overflow: unset; white-space: inherit;">#WeChargeGenocide</a></span></p><p><i><a href="https://twitter.com/ggjalliance/status/1750985060088484159">https://twitter.com/ggjalliance/status/1750985060088484159</a></i></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">If 11,000 Gazan children slaughtered in four months while Biden and Congress cheer from the sidelines doesn't induce moral queasiness, there's probably not much hope for humanity. Will Israel and the U.S. refrain from unleashing the horror of nuclear weapons? Do government officials of those nations have a shred of conscience left to inform this existential decision?</span></p>Lisa Savagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06319699936783253064noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-95738970217731354.post-65823940470440469412024-01-28T05:25:00.000-08:002024-01-28T05:25:27.890-08:00College Students Taking The Lead Standing Up For Gaza<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZkPm-rABcQ4AY_eKXarJdP-YthfvOi_MMnZR68WsrzohMtkZoqobaZ6RvYv9180v5ZzZ_lcAaFMiI6Z-wjfXOqVoM1RP2UxEN5eo3_J2hCksNjidLvJytLo8m7-cbIMZje8DvX3ANsUxFly7NmQau0qdBU9WSaZ-qI1m6STJX5PWqn9bFJYyJ2gsVFB4/s960/IMG_3082.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: georgia; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="415" data-original-width="960" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZkPm-rABcQ4AY_eKXarJdP-YthfvOi_MMnZR68WsrzohMtkZoqobaZ6RvYv9180v5ZzZ_lcAaFMiI6Z-wjfXOqVoM1RP2UxEN5eo3_J2hCksNjidLvJytLo8m7-cbIMZje8DvX3ANsUxFly7NmQau0qdBU9WSaZ-qI1m6STJX5PWqn9bFJYyJ2gsVFB4/w640-h276/IMG_3082.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br />I often experience a push-pull between organizing and writing; both are time intensive and, for me, best done earlier in the day. Yesterday was a case in point. I had two unwritten blog posts cued up, one about the moral queasiness of U.S. government responses to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruling against Israel's genocide in Gaza and one about the pernicious lie that eternal wars are a good jobs program.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">But then the efforts of many organizers in a statewide coalition here in Maine paid off and my husband and I spent the day in Farmington near the U Maine campus at a <a href="https://space4peace.blogspot.com/2024/01/stop-war-protest-in-farmington-maine.html" target="_blank">rousing protest</a> for Gaza.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt3jr05LceSo2j_Bl7yXtn09srP4kr1Ffaj736sGlxWqRAN11acz7T1qlJ3BwMzBpO21DlYrk5fi_hZf5Oxz45GIgvovyAdxHlrAz3iIt0p5DCvk3VlalnlmbQ2NAz6Ri7iXhTtWPNVEE1FygkIy7uTUlGFsN3QuV8babOL_mGIkFIfy8QDbV1zo5AVvg/s1455/IMG_3067.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="487" data-original-width="1455" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt3jr05LceSo2j_Bl7yXtn09srP4kr1Ffaj736sGlxWqRAN11acz7T1qlJ3BwMzBpO21DlYrk5fi_hZf5Oxz45GIgvovyAdxHlrAz3iIt0p5DCvk3VlalnlmbQ2NAz6Ri7iXhTtWPNVEE1FygkIy7uTUlGFsN3QuV8babOL_mGIkFIfy8QDbV1zo5AVvg/w640-h214/IMG_3067.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">All four corners of a downtown intersection were filled as more than 50 people showed up. Several of the students said some version of, <i>This never happens in Farmington. </i>About half of those who came were students, the result of fantastic organizing by the new Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) chapter on campus. They did this despite their fears of losing financial aid for speaking up against genocide -- yes, we are in that world.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHIbYD-d9y3eyLAyoKsB0imEk_4UnAnyG4CtCIJUh-JCeW0JKlS8KzElohXzoSu-6GRo5ZCiiQPmVGl1vSOCCnb0kWXEvjMjK_ZAPCSd3dh53_rMzSjuZ7UNPc2_UAu24-Y3wRNQWvrawyITPqxmmG4GYcrRE9Ll_8sXlyaVnBp_YQgDsKb4UAQK0hXjc/s1211/IMG_3075.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="716" data-original-width="1211" height="378" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHIbYD-d9y3eyLAyoKsB0imEk_4UnAnyG4CtCIJUh-JCeW0JKlS8KzElohXzoSu-6GRo5ZCiiQPmVGl1vSOCCnb0kWXEvjMjK_ZAPCSd3dh53_rMzSjuZ7UNPc2_UAu24-Y3wRNQWvrawyITPqxmmG4GYcrRE9Ll_8sXlyaVnBp_YQgDsKb4UAQK0hXjc/w640-h378/IMG_3075.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">In contrast to other Saturday afternoon protests around Maine, no passing cars honked. One rolled down the window to yell, <i>You are supporting people who rape their own babies -- </i>showing that propaganda works, especially on people who want to hate and don't want to examine actual evidence. Farmington is less of a college town and more of an economically struggling former mill town. Left-leaning students say they feel isolated on campus and that most students are apathetic.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvOR-tWX4dvARBLJrb0O3ilrVEc9wz2NSQAMiCer47wKxaJYoZjiTxUSh0Q8HFEE473oNsaVZx9_ynJOxYt-qWjrPNo6a9KXchzGPiAtbtR0TQobNokwm5dTnJNVmiUVJp5LC9viBkC8ErLLoeSAzNKA62XHFqaECtC29Uh2OdlBFh7HbpyBzOHWS7lpo/s1512/IMG_3077.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="633" data-original-width="1512" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvOR-tWX4dvARBLJrb0O3ilrVEc9wz2NSQAMiCer47wKxaJYoZjiTxUSh0Q8HFEE473oNsaVZx9_ynJOxYt-qWjrPNo6a9KXchzGPiAtbtR0TQobNokwm5dTnJNVmiUVJp5LC9viBkC8ErLLoeSAzNKA62XHFqaECtC29Uh2OdlBFh7HbpyBzOHWS7lpo/w640-h268/IMG_3077.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Well, they weren't isolated yesterday and many reported that made them feel hopeful. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHaoM44hPtxAo5U9r88aMQ4wxZR1qP2s8c-sxTrKyHgYoXGEOWXZ7ef_C7sX6sdOAB_Ac6Pp8NHpotpJRtnQVknDT-WyPODeVqVNlMC_M4wNTQduExh-DVUJIabNThqE7b-3BpoxjMoEo_wj1Hs0uRasA08k6cNkVitEb52VzUkMqjdI_UjrCNDE9I1bk/s2016/IMG_3298.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1512" data-original-width="2016" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHaoM44hPtxAo5U9r88aMQ4wxZR1qP2s8c-sxTrKyHgYoXGEOWXZ7ef_C7sX6sdOAB_Ac6Pp8NHpotpJRtnQVknDT-WyPODeVqVNlMC_M4wNTQduExh-DVUJIabNThqE7b-3BpoxjMoEo_wj1Hs0uRasA08k6cNkVitEb52VzUkMqjdI_UjrCNDE9I1bk/w640-h480/IMG_3298.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Students who spoke after we reconvened in a nearby park gazebo shared that they will be pressing UMF and other U Maine campuses to divest from apartheid Israel. This is the D in BDS, a highly effective way to bring pressure and the reason that many U.S. states have outlawed it at the bidding of the Israel lobby.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEMaUTAyPenqUS4NcmfK6aZKnoiTIKZcrer2MqT4dQ1l3pFDelKuuPuSxmApfd_7Nb3-g4Q1Vc-3AFMj-WSMDVGE1BkqsihVmYc5T1Ec6903h75Irbn3JVl-Be6aw_xfr27hwvb7xlEY6ezz3YHUCp3l2JlFI8RXYRLaBB3pFAgStBOPOIr03rG6FjEug/s2016/IMG_3302.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2016" data-original-width="1512" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEMaUTAyPenqUS4NcmfK6aZKnoiTIKZcrer2MqT4dQ1l3pFDelKuuPuSxmApfd_7Nb3-g4Q1Vc-3AFMj-WSMDVGE1BkqsihVmYc5T1Ec6903h75Irbn3JVl-Be6aw_xfr27hwvb7xlEY6ezz3YHUCp3l2JlFI8RXYRLaBB3pFAgStBOPOIr03rG6FjEug/w480-h640/IMG_3302.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Other notes: a student who'll be interviewed soon on radio about this work got some support and coaching from a young teacher who often acts as an articulate spokesperson for the Maine Coalition for Palestine. Yay!</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Two students from the far away University of Southern Maine had driven up from Biddeford to attend the protest after they heard about it through SJP on their campus and also Healthcare Workers for Palestine.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Would it surprise you to know that even though a <a href="https://went2thebridge.blogspot.com/p/jan-27-press-release-for-farmington.html" target="_blank">press release</a> with powerful quotes from students went out to all media in Maine, not a single reporter showed up?</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTMjnTDnJErHsdl866FKuGXilxuFKH_9M7IKiIbd049XantuKhlGHjzReWTeauZyG04NlomCYLzO__0yBGQGbKwCUOhHSVIWGUwzvkI3C8e1LS43isVZrjrt87p_kxKU9iYAzetIRi8JuXVBtEBx9X9LFeRgJkbF_V6dEvlFGXPG6MGNDBFGc1iswOnfE/s8191/IMG_3299.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1814" data-original-width="8191" height="142" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTMjnTDnJErHsdl866FKuGXilxuFKH_9M7IKiIbd049XantuKhlGHjzReWTeauZyG04NlomCYLzO__0yBGQGbKwCUOhHSVIWGUwzvkI3C8e1LS43isVZrjrt87p_kxKU9iYAzetIRi8JuXVBtEBx9X9LFeRgJkbF_V6dEvlFGXPG6MGNDBFGc1iswOnfE/w640-h142/IMG_3299.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">We didn't attempt our usual group picture but I did try to take a panoramic shot when most of us were in the gazebo for cookies, tabling, and speeches.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">When it was my turn, I spoke about the ICJ case -- subject of <a href="https://youtu.be/1vBnTxnXjUA?si=NZRFSrMoGK6zjMUP" target="_blank">my recorded interview</a> the previous day in response to a blog post "<a href="https://open.substack.com/pub/went2thebridge/p/if-gaza-were-in-maine?r=3alev&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web" target="_blank">If Gaza Were In Maine..</a>" That post shared an powerful map analogy that I expanded on but did not create.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipThunxQEUMTRYmrWnv8tUpqRtHZ9_h9VMbjAUajn2RO0tB3PO5K_aCE0kAA4TswGOrs2WHnuI9etT8HNaYpC9ZMU6bnDQTNm_gCoxztM39Dsqy6w3BRVvEVEjhJMYpPDZtg4GhVDQJXidUHSzx6QHZKE71sO8gTvt-cr3BWCrGtMDF6_WDkXQfY6cwIo/s2700/hCALOqQR.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2700" data-original-width="1800" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipThunxQEUMTRYmrWnv8tUpqRtHZ9_h9VMbjAUajn2RO0tB3PO5K_aCE0kAA4TswGOrs2WHnuI9etT8HNaYpC9ZMU6bnDQTNm_gCoxztM39Dsqy6w3BRVvEVEjhJMYpPDZtg4GhVDQJXidUHSzx6QHZKE71sO8gTvt-cr3BWCrGtMDF6_WDkXQfY6cwIo/w426-h640/hCALOqQR.jpeg" width="426" /></a></div><p style="font-style: italic;"><i>Map created by Will T of the Maine Coalition for Palestine</i></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">So the synergy between writing and organizing is a thing. Even though one makes me feel like my head is going to explode while the other reduces the pressure (I'll let you guess which is which), they're both things I can do on behalf of those living under siege and watching their children die of dehydration.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">I still want to write that post on the ICJ decision once I've had time to consider the varied responses I've seen and heard so far.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">But first, there's some organizing that needs my immediate attention.</span></p><p></p>Lisa Savagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06319699936783253064noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-95738970217731354.post-77920045113862218992024-01-24T04:55:00.000-08:002024-01-24T05:04:11.930-08:00Who's Meddling Now?<p> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtEgxYBbOU1eE-a8yJFEj3LCE-r0EXeMOa_NB08sA2UNTmjd72bjkxlb693W8KXDnNb68iUHIuz6KVaKW8KIdKfFhUs2_ebMQHq7oAkKAveyDrZYpgKg51Z9ozHRcSWi1TfYIYVTdospJFh_NDWvp52vqOO1yCMgwNpFplTp2mn-bc1NnJ3A4qec_cxsM/s875/Screenshot%202024-01-24%20071936.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="708" data-original-width="875" height="518" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtEgxYBbOU1eE-a8yJFEj3LCE-r0EXeMOa_NB08sA2UNTmjd72bjkxlb693W8KXDnNb68iUHIuz6KVaKW8KIdKfFhUs2_ebMQHq7oAkKAveyDrZYpgKg51Z9ozHRcSWi1TfYIYVTdospJFh_NDWvp52vqOO1yCMgwNpFplTp2mn-bc1NnJ3A4qec_cxsM/w640-h518/Screenshot%202024-01-24%20071936.png" width="640" /></a><br /><i><a href="https://www.seacoastonline.com/elections/results">https://www.seacoastonline.com/elections/results</a></i></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">As the old (circa 2000) saying goes, the election's not over until your brother counts the votes. In this case, the New Hampshire primary isn't over until we find out how many of the "unprocessed write-in" plus "other write-in" votes are counted to see if "Ceasefire" pulled in 20.5k votes or fewer than that. Of total votes cast, that would be 20.3% or slightly more than 1 out of 5.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Now do you see why Democrat Shenna Bellows, Maine's Secretary of State, is trying to kick Donald Trump off my state's ballot?</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">The crocodile tears of Trump haters ignore so many things, like the steadily eroding mind of the incumbent, and the steadily escalating mediocrity of Democratic machine candidates. Unpopular president in office? No problem. Just skirt the primaries and don't hold a nominating process. This is to ensure that you nominate a candidate unappealing to the majority of voters in your party.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Because who cares what voters want? As in 2016, the <a href="https://time.com/4471113/donald-trump-magazine-covers/" target="_blank">liberal press</a> has long since <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/culture/cover-story/cover-story-2024-01-15" target="_blank">signaled</a> that our corporate overlords would prefer Trump as the next celebrity spokesman who explains their decisions to us.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">That way they can continue to fan the flames of Russophobia as the U.S./NATO loses its proxy war in Ukraine and Europe lurches toward fascism.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg81Ox99vrcSWL6ANvy446wWn0mJxEUHT8fQssKcE-kGFxmaoseWWQqqm3FZmHDUepLRSpy_hajUNR7MKzSQ8tCNw-jJS7NUvLAml4TrpL7I_m4zPyqVRuALeeN7x0BTxGGGZY5SKD1cB3s3aXbTh4WPMf7GlXgSrma3tg5K_z0pfjMjSHyGvVa_s8UkEQ/s723/GEf46Usa8AAtgig.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="723" data-original-width="723" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg81Ox99vrcSWL6ANvy446wWn0mJxEUHT8fQssKcE-kGFxmaoseWWQqqm3FZmHDUepLRSpy_hajUNR7MKzSQ8tCNw-jJS7NUvLAml4TrpL7I_m4zPyqVRuALeeN7x0BTxGGGZY5SKD1cB3s3aXbTh4WPMf7GlXgSrma3tg5K_z0pfjMjSHyGvVa_s8UkEQ/w640-h640/GEf46Usa8AAtgig.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">But wait -- maybe we won't see a tally of those 20.5k write-in votes, because Israel doesn't want us to. Seeing a large number there would be evidence of the deep unpopularity of its genocide on Gaza. </span><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEuZhuz6BHyXpKNDeHwHfBNk2UVIeTnhKXS3kUpq18oE9JTclcNcGfcmz60jt9E-E7WVBeZFPC54EL1rH47Z2R8WF0jL-KVOqQnAMCfJ3B7jlHIOpqvtAmAH6u3H8krjditd3T6bjrLWVymDmjbtK1uUiMudnrqoJlaXj-lVEZ6I4ysLaAw0uvbMdpGi0/s1599/GEfZaCFWgAA2x4e%20(1).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1599" data-original-width="836" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEuZhuz6BHyXpKNDeHwHfBNk2UVIeTnhKXS3kUpq18oE9JTclcNcGfcmz60jt9E-E7WVBeZFPC54EL1rH47Z2R8WF0jL-KVOqQnAMCfJ3B7jlHIOpqvtAmAH6u3H8krjditd3T6bjrLWVymDmjbtK1uUiMudnrqoJlaXj-lVEZ6I4ysLaAw0uvbMdpGi0/s16000/GEfZaCFWgAA2x4e%20(1).jpg" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><p data-pm-slice="1 1 []"><em>Democratic Majority for Israel PAC letter source on </em><a href="https://twitter.com/jacobkornbluh/status/1749606026746204269?s=20" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank"><em>Twitter</em></a></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Never mind the millions upon millions of world citizens <a href="https://youtu.be/DBXaA_kpuiY?si=_3OfwucoCameAGcd" target="_blank">shutting down ports</a> to Israeli shipping, or <a href="https://finance.yahoo.com/video/biden-interrupted-several-pro-palestinian-065000044.html" target="_blank">interrupting Biden's campaign speeches</a>, or <a href="https://imemc.org/article/us-protesters-block-bridges-interrupt-biden-to-demand-ceasefire/" target="_blank">blocking roads</a> to demand an immediate ceasefire and opening Gaza to receive shipments of humanitarian aid before its surviving children starve to death.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Hey Israel, guess what? If you have to have your agents in the U.S. send a letter like that, or suppress pro-Palestinian content on social media platforms -- you are losing. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfry5i5PoD9aeT_lbIZ19BtJjCRbGZb9tdzCAczHJ9cNmoiVE28TK5Z9Yg0Q13s5s6oawW0YOmPMEW_AoGi8t2qURyW8MC06kUhzHD8lRdU0c30sx9Os3EH0HxOL14O-BngCeKvoO13fo22TKV7cNX4rm-ltCGi3Shc9BaJUmZjQnzaIzMmUtp9Hnfk08/s900/GEgghYVXsAAC8IC.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="890" data-original-width="900" height="632" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfry5i5PoD9aeT_lbIZ19BtJjCRbGZb9tdzCAczHJ9cNmoiVE28TK5Z9Yg0Q13s5s6oawW0YOmPMEW_AoGi8t2qURyW8MC06kUhzHD8lRdU0c30sx9Os3EH0HxOL14O-BngCeKvoO13fo22TKV7cNX4rm-ltCGi3Shc9BaJUmZjQnzaIzMmUtp9Hnfk08/w640-h632/GEgghYVXsAAC8IC.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Unlike Donald Trump. I'm not a fan but, at this particular juncture in the decline of U.S. empire, he's the candidate that doesn't have the blood of Gaza's children on his hands.</span></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /></div>Lisa Savagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06319699936783253064noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-95738970217731354.post-7450639568745334832024-01-21T02:45:00.000-08:002024-01-23T03:58:04.476-08:00If Gaza Were In Maine...<p><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkzienDE0NEbgTbkxBdrFkUcwhwxJ-5_GL_4YkhOr3VYwM46MFWdQHBK_dY8e8M7_zfQYRsfVZNev7bD-i6pySLQX0vHP6DB-Km14vrUuTNUT0OfdPgTe0C_7qFR5T2TWTTIEp0M_Tjl0YL_zrFhvr5cF4oGQIRt0Me6u6PArnB3YEIiq8aMUa10MowlY/s2700/hCALOqQR.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2700" data-original-width="1800" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkzienDE0NEbgTbkxBdrFkUcwhwxJ-5_GL_4YkhOr3VYwM46MFWdQHBK_dY8e8M7_zfQYRsfVZNev7bD-i6pySLQX0vHP6DB-Km14vrUuTNUT0OfdPgTe0C_7qFR5T2TWTTIEp0M_Tjl0YL_zrFhvr5cF4oGQIRt0Me6u6PArnB3YEIiq8aMUa10MowlY/w426-h640/hCALOqQR.jpeg" width="426" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><i>Graphic created & shared by Will, Maine Coalition for Palestine </i></span><em>(corrected Jan 23 to more accurately compare Gaza’s population with Maine’s)</em></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><i><br /></i></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">While noting the incredible outpouring of support for Palestine globally I've heard several friends ask, <i>How can people in the U.S. go about their business with genocide ongoing in Gaza?</i></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Probably because it's far away and the mainstream news/analysis they rely on <a href="https://fair.org/home/sundays-gaza-guests-linked-to-military-industry-pro-israel-funding/" target="_blank">deliberately fails</a> to bring the facts to their attention.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">But what if it weren't far away?</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">If Gaza were in Maine, Israel would have eliminated more than half of our working journalists (200 as of May 2022 according to the <a href="https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes273023.htm" target="_blank">Bureau of Labor Statistics</a>).</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><i><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></i></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjTFltt4GPxvjnWhtR8Jj_yrsmvoPxBhI8n1DSRzB6lnBScsM0XYIf3NAiIJ-pTNLH4qLgbLcPAnlkPEUs4GY5HHuCckBaNN_9pzOM0p7bnZfvIUCk5U0Pl2uOcIV0G14f6gxnGzUFFVgFzy6emZrKS0DHktT895055c_UeFQbsYeih5_TWsZng1zkos8/s900/GEK5Ge1XQAEM18N.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="900" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjTFltt4GPxvjnWhtR8Jj_yrsmvoPxBhI8n1DSRzB6lnBScsM0XYIf3NAiIJ-pTNLH4qLgbLcPAnlkPEUs4GY5HHuCckBaNN_9pzOM0p7bnZfvIUCk5U0Pl2uOcIV0G14f6gxnGzUFFVgFzy6emZrKS0DHktT895055c_UeFQbsYeih5_TWsZng1zkos8/w640-h640/GEK5Ge1XQAEM18N.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><i><br /></i></span></span></div><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">If Gaza were in Maine, these hospitals would have been bombed beyond usefulness: Maine Medical Center (Portland), Northern Light Mercy Hospital (Portland), New England Rehabilitation Hospital (Portland), and Spring Harbor Hospital (Westbrook).</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh32JUE6LqC6AdNZHzOhlvHIZQy7bKzmZitIm6yz7Fl5PCD_cpxQjKb2FQu5WG-RtyIjfynMQcPinvvBC66h523RTlX_lrurVSp59jjls1FkgcNJ0qrWnYMQ-93jScO0IRxf8qUa3qtaCkQl28g0d4Vt2M40l3Yf2rNL2HMtR51G8BKCECkk7W-HX2beHs/s799/Screenshot%202024-01-21%20051411.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><img border="0" data-original-height="732" data-original-width="799" height="586" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh32JUE6LqC6AdNZHzOhlvHIZQy7bKzmZitIm6yz7Fl5PCD_cpxQjKb2FQu5WG-RtyIjfynMQcPinvvBC66h523RTlX_lrurVSp59jjls1FkgcNJ0qrWnYMQ-93jScO0IRxf8qUa3qtaCkQl28g0d4Vt2M40l3Yf2rNL2HMtR51G8BKCECkk7W-HX2beHs/w640-h586/Screenshot%202024-01-21%20051411.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><p><i><a href="https://twitter.com/farrukh_shamsi/status/1748601140705407187"><span style="font-family: georgia;">https://twitter.com/farrukh_shamsi/status/1748601140705407187</span></a></i></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">If Gaza were in Maine, the Portland campuses of these universities would already be bombed to rubble: University of Southern Maine, University of Maine School of Law, USM Muskie School of Public Service, and the University of New England College of Dental Medicine. Also UNE's Westbrook College of Health Professions.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNVfxBK_Bs7KUI_X_0hkW5KUF3DoJX7yV9lIjuCnUwswZI2W9VMZlnnfylLwCoWvGSWBhHF-kvSXEO3b0X-CK2BUWke0lxAeHFvlx0fkkuPu3g-YxUyM_4_XJaiLsiE6sixeoUkMw-CEuWAUw9WAckGRnonX_rQ0mM0FGpSPyZdBxoXXyD-E46XngTwl4/s863/Screenshot%202024-01-21%20050611.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="863" height="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNVfxBK_Bs7KUI_X_0hkW5KUF3DoJX7yV9lIjuCnUwswZI2W9VMZlnnfylLwCoWvGSWBhHF-kvSXEO3b0X-CK2BUWke0lxAeHFvlx0fkkuPu3g-YxUyM_4_XJaiLsiE6sixeoUkMw-CEuWAUw9WAckGRnonX_rQ0mM0FGpSPyZdBxoXXyD-E46XngTwl4/w640-h500/Screenshot%202024-01-21%20050611.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><i><u><p><i><u><br /></u></i></p>https://twitter.com/leftiblog/status/1748013361588224500</u></i><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Or suppose the routine testing of experimental weapons on the people of Gaza moved instead to NYC?</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7RcfwwOsZgWZCSoV8JqbnXp11eYAXV-yrUAKBe5eOgj-WJFfQrhTB4mUu_0RRcTbx1i5H5l_yQLuDdK2OSzDXZhh2MVB_TvWYea7K04v_IFmIyhAnjaaHcqjLce57VbZi8jadN659WMO0BkVBiG9mcsHh5GFjDQgmkBT_Dr1zWSnJSVyNTIG7Ee0hxs4/s2118/wtrbw53w3odc1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2118" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7RcfwwOsZgWZCSoV8JqbnXp11eYAXV-yrUAKBe5eOgj-WJFfQrhTB4mUu_0RRcTbx1i5H5l_yQLuDdK2OSzDXZhh2MVB_TvWYea7K04v_IFmIyhAnjaaHcqjLce57VbZi8jadN659WMO0BkVBiG9mcsHh5GFjDQgmkBT_Dr1zWSnJSVyNTIG7Ee0hxs4/w326-h640/wtrbw53w3odc1.jpg" width="326" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="background-color: white; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><i><span style="font-family: georgia;"><a href="https://x.com/ColumbiaSJP/status/1748729253770698944?s=20">https://x.com/ColumbiaSJP/status/1748729253770698944?s=20</a></span></i></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><i><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></i></span></div><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">It may be hard for people in Maine to see the suffering of Gaza, but it shouldn't be hard for them to figure out who's paying for it via <a href="https://www.state.gov/u-s-security-cooperation-with-israel/" target="_blank">"military aid" to Israel</a>, one of the wealthiest nations on the planet.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxiJxilOcE0JF7-O13SjE5FWgO7O4iBqY4-lGnPE1XFiUPiQ_9SfMZZiXntV35LYk7TgGEjUcF_if-0hsEcLyMwL2VIu2RV-KJxUpFS3vcMWv0iCOWWXWyk1ApKYkR3VVR2-h84gobZRCM_gsMFrcFo7mS7QYVLNdkyWfaFTAD83U4TOhrBzAu14ZoewY/s798/Screenshot%202024-01-02%20082025.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><img border="0" data-original-height="796" data-original-width="798" height="638" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxiJxilOcE0JF7-O13SjE5FWgO7O4iBqY4-lGnPE1XFiUPiQ_9SfMZZiXntV35LYk7TgGEjUcF_if-0hsEcLyMwL2VIu2RV-KJxUpFS3vcMWv0iCOWWXWyk1ApKYkR3VVR2-h84gobZRCM_gsMFrcFo7mS7QYVLNdkyWfaFTAD83U4TOhrBzAu14ZoewY/w640-h638/Screenshot%202024-01-02%20082025.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Perhaps best perceived as what $11 million a year <i>isn't </i>paying for in Maine: universal health care, free public education K-grad school, or bridge and road repairs.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Join us in Farmington next Saturday January 27 at 1:30pm to protest these bad spending priorities. We'll be at the intersection of Main Street and Broadway standing with UMaine Farmington students who helped create our event poster:</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzV7eQZpGwXlvOb34lPX09N0eutiyWXyQCXDnhRTY7AJ1ySnHSAaHWLzFXeegyh6DTyp1yThYOxoSWCF3QFAihPAsfKB163frOl-xKjdoW-y_pSfgZeY4xWLSAh93Yml2-UKBqoBQ0rgO7qqiKthEmokbKYuPwWaZqeR9_eUo_yFRhLd9-LmEOxReBg44/s673/Screenshot%202024-01-17%20054150.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><img border="0" data-original-height="673" data-original-width="528" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzV7eQZpGwXlvOb34lPX09N0eutiyWXyQCXDnhRTY7AJ1ySnHSAaHWLzFXeegyh6DTyp1yThYOxoSWCF3QFAihPAsfKB163frOl-xKjdoW-y_pSfgZeY4xWLSAh93Yml2-UKBqoBQ0rgO7qqiKthEmokbKYuPwWaZqeR9_eUo_yFRhLd9-LmEOxReBg44/w502-h640/Screenshot%202024-01-17%20054150.png" width="502" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia;">Co-sponsored by: Global Network Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space, Maine Natural Guard, PeaceWorks of Greater Brunswick, Communist Party of Maine, Maine Green Independent Party, Citizens Opposing Active Sonar Threats (COAST), Party for Socialism & Liberation Maine, Libertarian Party of Maine, People’s Party of Maine, Peace & Justice Center of Eastern Maine, Veterans for Peace - National, United National Antiwar Coalition (UNAC), and Maine Voices for Palestinian Rights (MVPR).</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia;"> </span></p>Lisa Savagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06319699936783253064noreply@blogger.com0