Blocking the fly-over

Internet censorship exists in Morocco, including the blocking of Google Earth. Once again, we find Western multinationals, in this case Vivendi, involved in the process:

Failure has its benefits

Gideon Levy, Haaretz, October 29: Do not belittle the Annapolis summit. Despite all the prophecies of failure, justified as they are, this summit could still make an important contribution to the history of Israeli-Arab negotiations: For the first time, it will become crystal-clear who aspires toward peace and, more important, who flees from it as…

Don’t ignore the nutters

Frank Rich comforts himself in the New York Times: Whichever candidate or party lands in the White House, this much is certain: Inauguration Day 2009 is at the very least Armageddon for the reigning ayatollahs of the American right. Really? This is a dangerous delusion not borne out by the facts. One example will suffice…

Why can’t we hear them?

The Walkley Magazine is Australia’s leading media publication discussing trends, issues and controversies. In the latest edition, I have an article that highlights the rise of blogging around the world and the tendency of Western media to avoid highlighting these new voices because of racism and ignorance:

What the authorities don’t like

My Iranian blogger comrade, Kamangir, lives in Canada and writes almost daily on the repression suffered by many of his countrymen and women back home. For this “crime”, he has now been slammed by conservative forces in Iran, surely a sign he is having an effect. In solidarity.

Iran is not a threat

International Atomic Energy Agency chairman Mohammed ElBaradei on Iran: I have not received any information that there is a concrete, active nuclear weapon program going on right now. ”¦ We have information that there have been maybe some studies about possible weaponization. But we are looking into these alleged studies with Iran right now. ”¦…

Do you want censorship with that?

Internet repression isn’t only happening in Iran, China and Syria. Italy, over to you: Though it never made the ”˜big’ news, Italy’s latest foray into the blogosphere is indicative of some rather strange thinking from their leaders. Prime Minister Romano Prodi’s undersecretary Franco Levi composed the text to a law that requires anyone with a…

Two sides to blame

Kenneth Roth, Haaretz, October 28: The way a government or armed group responds to a Human Rights Watch report says a lot about its willingness to curb abuses. Does it grapple seriously with the findings or simply dismiss them? Human Rights Watch encountered a bit of each when we recently released reports on why civilians…

Morality, Israeli style

Cutting off electricity supplies to Gaza is just the latest attempt by Israel to inspire the world and highlight its Jewish values. The thinking? Indeed, we always wanted to be a light unto the nations, but there are some cases where darkness can also prove beneficial. In other words, Israel can commit war crimes because…

Head says yes, body says no

Lesson number 2521 in journalism: Never trust a New York Times columnist, such as David Brooks, who regularly meets with the US President and believes, after reading his body language, that he won’t attack Iran. Yes, he’s paid for these “insights.”

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