Vultures (thank you Timothy Carr): The open Internet’s role in popular uprising is now undisputed. Look no further than Egypt, where the Mubarak regime today reportedly shut down Internet and cell phone communications — a troubling predictor of the fierce crackdown that has followed. What’s even more troubling is news that one American company is…
What Egyptian uprising says about the desperate desire for freedom
The Arab world is shaking. Crowds are seething. Anger is everywhere. Egyptian protesters are showing America, Israel and Mubarak what they think of them. Some of the latest reports here and here. From Al-Jazeera: The internet has been central to these protests, though impossible to tell how important. In an age of mass surveillance, it’s…
Lit Fest in Sri Lanka is making political statement
What is the aim of a petition challenging the human rights credentials of a literary festival? Especially one held in a police state such as Sri Lanka? To foster debate, outrage and decisions. One can’t be neutral in such matters. This story is therefore very encouraging: Does it make sense to defend freedom of speech…
Bernard-Henri Lévy on trial
Tariq Ali on today’s indictment in Paris against French “intellectual” Bernard-Henri Lévy who never sees a US/Israeli war he doesn’t love.
Cutting US aid to Israel? Say it ain’t so!
Even the suggestion gets the “moderate” and “mainstream” Zionist lobbies up in arms. Just remind me why America backs a nation in the Middle East that occupies another people and works closely with brutal dictatorships Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Egypt? U.S. Democrats and pro-Israel lobbies slammed on Thursday comments made by newly elected Republican Senator…
Serco at centre of British youth death
What privatisation gets you: An inquest jury has blamed unlawful restraint methods for contributing to the youngest death in custody in Britain for more than a century and concluded there had been a serious system failure at the detention centre. A rehearing ordered by the appeal court found today that the manhandling of 14-year-old Adam…
Egyptians, we stand with you
Feel the fear in Israel and America. The Arab world is rising up. Decades of dictatorships are under threat. Tel Aviv and Washington have created a nexus of bigotry to support their goals. And now what do they have? Mass anger. Nice work. US Vice President Joe Biden talks about Mubarak being “moderate” and a…
