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Category: 1303 (March 2013)
Ahmet Davutoglu the 54 year old Turkish Foreign Minister, former political scientist, academic Professor and an ambassador at large has stated that “'Jihad' not to be confused with terrorism”. In an article on France 24 reports that Davutoglu told a business conference in Istanbul, the idea of jihad should not be confused with terrorism adding that the notion is often misunderstood by American "neo-cons and pro-Israelis".  There is no connection between jihad and terrorism, adding that suggestions to the contrary come from American neo-cons and Israelis. “'Jihad' is the name of fighting for our honour, if required, but above all it means fighting against one's own limitations,” Davutoglu said at a business conference entitled “Turkey in light of international developments, 2013” at the headquarters of the Independent Industrialists’ and Businessmen’s Association. “For us, jihad is a sacred notion; let us not taint this notion by using it like neo-cons and pro-Israelis in America,” Davutoğlu said, while condemning an opposition party deputy who asked the Turkish government on its policy regarding the jihadist movement in Syria at a Turkey-EU Joint Parliamentary Commission meeting on Feb15. Wikipedia states Davutoglu was granted a title of ambassador in 2003 by the joint decision of President Ahmet Necdet Sezer and Prime Minister Abdullah Gül. His publications include Alternative Paradigms: The Impact of Islamic and Western Weltanschauungs on Political Theory, and his book Strategic Depth is a very influential book in Turkey's foreign policy orientation. He is very influential in the military, academic, and government triangle shaping Turkish foreign policy. Davutoglu was one of the leading actors on behalf of the Turkish government during the shuttle diplomacy for the settlement of 2008 Israel–Gaza conflict. He has since called for Turkey to become more than just a regional power within Europe and the Middle East and desires Ankara to have a far more influential role in world politics.  Inspired by France24 ow.ly/iuWZ0 Image source Wikipedia ow.ly/iuX5X Jihad not to be confused with terrorism (March 31 2013)

 

Ahmet Davutoglu the 54 year old Turkish Foreign Minister, former political scientist, academic Professor and an ambassador at large has stated that “’Jihad’ not to be confused with terrorism”. In an article on France 24 reports that Davutoglu told a business conference in Istanbul, the idea of jihad should not be confused with terrorism adding that the notion is often misunderstood by American “neo-cons and pro-Israelis”.  There is no connection between jihad and terrorism, adding that suggestions to the contrary come from American neo-cons and Israelis. “’Jihad’ is the name of fighting for our honour, if required, but above all it means fighting against one’s own limitations,” Davutoglu said at a business conference entitled “Turkey in light of international developments, 2013” at the headquarters of the Independent Industrialists’ and Businessmen’s Association. “For us, jihad is a sacred notion; let us not taint this notion by using it like neo-cons and pro-Israelis in America,” Davutoğlu said, while condemning an opposition party deputy who asked the Turkish government on its policy regarding the jihadist movement in Syria at a Turkey-EU Joint Parliamentary Commission meeting on Feb15. Wikipedia states Davutoglu was granted a title of ambassador in 2003 by the joint decision of President Ahmet Necdet Sezer and Prime Minister Abdullah Gül. His publications include Alternative Paradigms: The Impact of Islamic and Western Weltanschauungs on Political Theory, and his book Strategic Depth is a very influential book in Turkey’s foreign policy orientation. He is very influential in the military, academic, and government triangle shaping Turkish foreign policy. Davutoglu was one of the leading actors on behalf of the Turkish government during the shuttle diplomacy for the settlement of 2008 Israel–Gaza conflict. He has since called for Turkey to become more than just a regional power within Europe and the Middle East and desires Ankara to have a far more influential role in world politics.

 

Inspired by France24 ow.ly/iuWZ0 Image source Wikipedia ow.ly/iuX5X

Luigi Ontani the 69 year old Italian painter, sculptor and multifaceted artist who expresses himself through various artistic forms has been featured by Karen Wright for The Independent in an article titled ‘In The Studio: Luigi Ontani’. Wright states “…Ontani has only just moved into his studio near the Piazza del Popolo in Rome, but already it bears the mark of this inimitable artist, the doorbell highlighted by a tiny portrait of himself as Pinocchio. Called maestro by those who know and revere him, Ontani is an Italian treasure and is unmistakable, dressed today, as always, in a three-piece silk suit, this time the colour of spring greens. …The studio we are in belonged to Canova, the famous sculptor. Ontani recalls that he was walking in the area he now considers home and saw "affittasi" (for rent) in the window of the building. He got on the phone and the building was his by the end of the day. …"I don't like to separate my life from my art." The rooms are high and vaulted with wonderful light. He has painted the concrete floor mauve, his favorite colour, and one that recurs often in both his work and dress. He was – and is still – beautiful, and uses himself, as do so many contemporary artists, as the subject of his art. Many feature him posed as mythical characters, often nude. "My photographs are not documents, not simulacra, but are imaginary. There are others that are documenting, but not me." Shown in Paris and New York, most notably in The Kitchen in the early 1970s, his work clearly inspired the work of Cindy Sherman, among others. Otani distinguishes his art works from his performances saying, "I am naked, like a sculpture; there is no movement. It is not a document, it is a pose."  Inspired by Karen Wright, The Independent ow.ly/iuSoH Image source lanouvellevague ow.ly/iuR4H My photographs are not documents (March 30 2013)

 

Luigi Ontani the 69 year old Italian painter, sculptor and multifaceted artist who expresses himself through various artistic forms has been featured by Karen Wright for The Independent in an article titled ‘In The Studio: Luigi Ontani’. Wright states “…Ontani has only just moved into his studio near the Piazza del Popolo in Rome, but already it bears the mark of this inimitable artist, the doorbell highlighted by a tiny portrait of himself as Pinocchio. Called maestro by those who know and revere him, Ontani is an Italian treasure and is unmistakable, dressed today, as always, in a three-piece silk suit, this time the colour of spring greens. …The studio we are in belonged to Canova, the famous sculptor. Ontani recalls that he was walking in the area he now considers home and saw “affittasi” (for rent) in the window of the building. He got on the phone and the building was his by the end of the day. …”I don’t like to separate my life from my art.” The rooms are high and vaulted with wonderful light. He has painted the concrete floor mauve, his favorite colour, and one that recurs often in both his work and dress. He was – and is still – beautiful, and uses himself, as do so many contemporary artists, as the subject of his art. Many feature him posed as mythical characters, often nude. “My photographs are not documents, not simulacra, but are imaginary. There are others that are documenting, but not me.” Shown in Paris and New York, most notably in The Kitchen in the early 1970s, his work clearly inspired the work of Cindy Sherman, among others. Otani distinguishes his art works from his performances saying, “I am naked, like a sculpture; there is no movement. It is not a document, it is a pose.”

 

Inspired by Karen Wright, The Independent ow.ly/iuSoH Image source lanouvellevague ow.ly/iuR4H

Stefano Ragazzi the Italian Professor undertaking experiments to understand dark particles has been featured by Rebecca Morelle the BBC Science reporter in an article titled ‘Dark Matter: Experiment to shed light on dark particles’ in which she states “In a man-made cavern, deep beneath a mountain, scientists are hoping to shed light on one of the most mysterious substances in our Universe - dark matter. The Gran Sasso National Laboratory seems more like a Bond villain's lair than a hub for world class physics. It's buried under the highest peak of Italy's Gran Sasso mountain range; the entrance concealed behind a colossal steel door found halfway along a tunnel that cuts through the mountain. “The feeling is that dark matter could be just around the corner, so everybody is rushing to be the first to find it” [states] Stefano Ragazzi Director, …But there's a good reason for its subterranean location. The 1,400m of rock above means that it is shielded from the cosmic rays that constantly bombard the surface of our planet. It provides scientists with the "silence" they need to understand some of the strangest phenomena known to physics. Inside three vast halls, a raft of experiments are running - but with their latest addition, DarkSide50, scientists are setting their sights on dark matter. Everything we know and can see in the Universe only makes up about 4% of the stuff that is out there. …They predict that about 73% of the Universe is made up of dark energy - a pervasive energy field that acts as a sort of anti-gravity to stop the Universe from contracting back in on itself. The other 23%, researchers believe, comes in the form of dark matter. The challenge is that until now nobody has seen it. … [Ragazzi] hopes that the first glimpse of dark matter will be in his research facility.”  Inspired by Rebecca Morelle, BBC ow.ly/iuL6f Image source infn.it ow.ly/iuL1I Dark matter could be just around corner (March 29 2013)

Stefano Ragazzi the Italian Professor undertaking experiments to understand dark particles has been featured by Rebecca Morelle the BBC Science reporter in an article titled ‘Dark Matter: Experiment to shed light on dark particles’ in which she states “In a man-made cavern, deep beneath a mountain, scientists are hoping to shed light on one of the most mysterious substances in our Universe – dark matter. The Gran Sasso National Laboratory seems more like a Bond villain’s lair than a hub for world class physics. It’s buried under the highest peak of Italy’s Gran Sasso mountain range; the entrance concealed behind a colossal steel door found halfway along a tunnel that cuts through the mountain. “The feeling is that dark matter could be just around the corner, so everybody is rushing to be the first to find it” [states] Stefano Ragazzi Director, …But there’s a good reason for its subterranean location. The 1,400m of rock above means that it is shielded from the cosmic rays that constantly bombard the surface of our planet. It provides scientists with the “silence” they need to understand some of the strangest phenomena known to physics. Inside three vast halls, a raft of experiments are running – but with their latest addition, DarkSide50, scientists are setting their sights on dark matter. Everything we know and can see in the Universe only makes up about 4% of the stuff that is out there. …They predict that about 73% of the Universe is made up of dark energy – a pervasive energy field that acts as a sort of anti-gravity to stop the Universe from contracting back in on itself. The other 23%, researchers believe, comes in the form of dark matter. The challenge is that until now nobody has seen it. … [Ragazzi] hopes that the first glimpse of dark matter will be in his research facility.”

 

Inspired by Rebecca Morelle, BBC ow.ly/iuL6f Image source infn.it ow.ly/iuL1I

Walter Ruiz the American lawyer and Naval Commander appointed to serve as Defense attorney for captives who faced charges before the Guantanamo military commissions, reported that Guantanamo guards had improperly seized privileged documents his clients needed to aid in their defense and that security officials had improperly been secretly monitoring the conversations between the suspects and their attorneys. In a Huffington Post article titled ‘Obama's Guantanamo Is Never Going To Close, So Everyone Might As Well Get Comfortable’ Ryan J Reilly states “…Navy Cmdr. Walter Ruiz stood inside an old airplane hangar on the southernmost tip of the island and reflected on a central but unfulfilled promise of Obama’s 2008 campaign. “We’re still here,” Ruiz said, as reporters milled around the aging hangar, which has been repurposed as a work space for the journalists and human rights observers who have been flying in and out of Guantanamo since the first suspected terrorists were brought here 11 years ago. …“We’re still in military commissions. We’re still arguing about the basic protections the system affords us. We’re still talking about indefinite detention," Ruiz continued. "We’re still talking about not closing the facility.” After years of legal wrangling, the trials of Khalid Sheikh Muhammad and four other men allegedly responsible for the 9/11 attacks have barely gotten off the ground. Ruiz, an attorney for alleged 9/11 organizer and financier Mustafa Ahmed Hawsawi, estimates he has traveled to Guantanamo 50 to 100 times for client meetings and pre-trial hearings on legal minutiae since he joined the military’s defense counsel office in September 2008. “I’m here trying this case, people were here trying this case in 2008, arguing many of the same motions we’re arguing now,” Ruiz said. “And I think folks that have been around here for a while would tell you not much has changed at all.”  Inspired by Ryan J Reilly, Huffington Post ow.ly/iuHCm Image source Robert Stephenson ow.ly/iuHfy We’re still arguing about basic protections (March 28 2013)

 

Walter Ruiz the American lawyer and Naval Commander appointed to serve as Defense attorney for captives who faced charges before the Guantanamo military commissions, reported that Guantanamo guards had improperly seized privileged documents his clients needed to aid in their defense and that security officials had improperly been secretly monitoring the conversations between the suspects and their attorneys. In a Huffington Post article titled ‘Obama’s Guantanamo Is Never Going To Close, So Everyone Might As Well Get Comfortable’ Ryan J Reilly states “…Navy Cmdr. Walter Ruiz stood inside an old airplane hangar on the southernmost tip of the island and reflected on a central but unfulfilled promise of Obama’s 2008 campaign. “We’re still here,” Ruiz said, as reporters milled around the aging hangar, which has been repurposed as a work space for the journalists and human rights observers who have been flying in and out of Guantanamo since the first suspected terrorists were brought here 11 years ago. …“We’re still in military commissions. We’re still arguing about the basic protections the system affords us. We’re still talking about indefinite detention,” Ruiz continued. “We’re still talking about not closing the facility.” After years of legal wrangling, the trials of Khalid Sheikh Muhammad and four other men allegedly responsible for the 9/11 attacks have barely gotten off the ground. Ruiz, an attorney for alleged 9/11 organizer and financier Mustafa Ahmed Hawsawi, estimates he has traveled to Guantanamo 50 to 100 times for client meetings and pre-trial hearings on legal minutiae since he joined the military’s defense counsel office in September 2008. “I’m here trying this case, people were here trying this case in 2008, arguing many of the same motions we’re arguing now,” Ruiz said. “And I think folks that have been around here for a while would tell you not much has changed at all.”

 

Inspired by Ryan J Reilly, Huffington Post ow.ly/iuHCm Image source Robert Stephenson ow.ly/iuHfy

Steven Allan Spielberg the 66 year old American film director, screenwriter, producer, and studio entrepreneur with a career of more than four decades covering many themes and genres, is to head the Cannes jury for 2013. Ben Child in an article published in The Guardian titled ‘Steven Spielberg to head Cannes 2013 jury’ states “Director whose films – Sugarland Express and ET – premiered at the festival more than 30 years ago says he is 'privileged' to take reins for 66th edition in May. …It will be the first time the US director has taken the role. A favourite of the French event, which premiered his 1974 feature debut Sugarland Express, as well as 1982 sci-fi blockbuster ET, Spielberg agreed in principle to preside over the competition for the coveted Palme D'Or two years ago, say organisers. With his schedule currently clear following delays to sci-fi tale Robopocalypse… "My admiration for the steadfast mission of the festival to champion the international language of movies is second to none. The most prestigious of its kind, the festival has always established the motion picture as a cross-cultural and generational medium." He added: "The memory of my first Cannes film festival, nearly 31 years ago with the debut of ET, is still one of the most vibrant of my career. For over six decades, Cannes has served as a platform for extraordinary films to be discovered and introduced to the world for the first time. It is an honour and a privilege to preside over the jury of a festival that proves, again and again, that cinema is the language of the world." …Cannes general delegate Thierry Frémaux confirmed: "Steven Spielberg accepted in principle two years ago. He was able to make himself available this year to be the new jury president and when meeting him these last few weeks it has been obvious he's excited about the job.”  Inspired by Ben Child, The Guardian ow.ly/iuCrm Image source Romain Dubois ow.ly/iuCjG Privilege to preside over the Cannes jury (March 27 2013)

 

Steven Allan Spielberg the 66 year old American film director, screenwriter, producer, and studio entrepreneur with a career of more than four decades covering many themes and genres, is to head the Cannes jury for 2013. Ben Child in an article published in The Guardian titled ‘Steven Spielberg to head Cannes 2013 jury’ states “Director whose films – Sugarland Express and ET – premiered at the festival more than 30 years ago says he is ‘privileged’ to take reins for 66th edition in May. …It will be the first time the US director has taken the role. A favourite of the French event, which premiered his 1974 feature debut Sugarland Express, as well as 1982 sci-fi blockbuster ET, Spielberg agreed in principle to preside over the competition for the coveted Palme D’Or two years ago, say organisers. With his schedule currently clear following delays to sci-fi tale Robopocalypse… “My admiration for the steadfast mission of the festival to champion the international language of movies is second to none. The most prestigious of its kind, the festival has always established the motion picture as a cross-cultural and generational medium.” He added: “The memory of my first Cannes film festival, nearly 31 years ago with the debut of ET, is still one of the most vibrant of my career. For over six decades, Cannes has served as a platform for extraordinary films to be discovered and introduced to the world for the first time. It is an honour and a privilege to preside over the jury of a festival that proves, again and again, that cinema is the language of the world.” …Cannes general delegate Thierry Frémaux confirmed: “Steven Spielberg accepted in principle two years ago. He was able to make himself available this year to be the new jury president and when meeting him these last few weeks it has been obvious he’s excited about the job.”

 

Inspired by Ben Child, The Guardian ow.ly/iuCrm Image source Romain Dubois ow.ly/iuCjG

Anatole Kaletsky the British journalist and economist named Newspaper Commentator of the Year in the BBC’s What the Papers Say awards, and has twice received the British Press Award for Specialist Writer of the Year, has published an article on Reuters titled ‘The age of austerity is ending’ stating “Whisper it softly, but the age of government austerity is ending. It may seem an odd week to say this, what with the U.S. government preparing for indiscriminate budget cuts, a new fiscal crisis apparently brewing in Europe after the Italian election and David Cameron promising to “go further and faster in reducing the deficit” after the downgrade of Britain’s credit. But politics is sometimes a looking-glass world, in which things are the opposite of what they seem. …in Italy, Britain and the rest of Europe, this week’s events should help convince politicians and voters that efforts to reduce government borrowing, whether through public spending cuts or through tax hikes, are both politically suicidal and economically counterproductive. In Italy, and therefore the entire euro zone, this shift is now almost certain. After the clear majority voted for politicians explicitly campaigning against austerity and what they presented as German economic bullying, further budget cuts or labor reforms in Italy are now off the agenda, if only because they would be literally impossible to implement. If Angela Merkel demands further budget cuts, tax hikes or labor reforms as a condition for supporting Italy’s membership of the euro, a majority of voters have given an unequivocal clear answer: Basta, enough is enough. Most Italians would rather leave the euro than accept any further austerity – and if Italy left the euro, total breakup of the single currency would follow with an inevitability that might not apply if the country exiting were Greece, Portugal or even Spain. …Things may not look that way just yet, but the age of fiscal austerity should soon be over.”  Inspired by Anatole Kaletsky, Reuters ow.ly/iuA5T Image source Twitter ow.ly/iuz0F The age of austerity is ending (March 26 2013)

 

Anatole Kaletsky the British journalist and economist named Newspaper Commentator of the Year in the BBC’s What the Papers Say awards, and has twice received the British Press Award for Specialist Writer of the Year, has published an article on Reuters titled ‘The age of austerity is ending’ stating “Whisper it softly, but the age of government austerity is ending. It may seem an odd week to say this, what with the U.S. government preparing for indiscriminate budget cuts, a new fiscal crisis apparently brewing in Europe after the Italian election and David Cameron promising to “go further and faster in reducing the deficit” after the downgrade of Britain’s credit. But politics is sometimes a looking-glass world, in which things are the opposite of what they seem. …in Italy, Britain and the rest of Europe, this week’s events should help convince politicians and voters that efforts to reduce government borrowing, whether through public spending cuts or through tax hikes, are both politically suicidal and economically counterproductive. In Italy, and therefore the entire euro zone, this shift is now almost certain. After the clear majority voted for politicians explicitly campaigning against austerity and what they presented as German economic bullying, further budget cuts or labor reforms in Italy are now off the agenda, if only because they would be literally impossible to implement. If Angela Merkel demands further budget cuts, tax hikes or labor reforms as a condition for supporting Italy’s membership of the euro, a majority of voters have given an unequivocal clear answer: Basta, enough is enough. Most Italians would rather leave the euro than accept any further austerity – and if Italy left the euro, total breakup of the single currency would follow with an inevitability that might not apply if the country exiting were Greece, Portugal or even Spain. …Things may not look that way just yet, but the age of fiscal austerity should soon be over.”

 

Inspired by Anatole Kaletsky, Reuters ow.ly/iuA5T Image source Twitter ow.ly/iuz0F

Yiannis Boutaris the 71 year old Greek businessman, politician and current mayor of Thessaloniki has given Greece’s second city, Salonika a well needed shake up after succeeding the former mayor Vassilis Papageorgopoulos a former sprinter and medical student nicknamed the Flying Doctor. On his taking of office, Boutaris accused Papageorgopoulos of providing inaccurate financial figures, resulting in an investigation. Niki Kitsantonis for the New York Times has published an article titled ‘Ex-Mayor in Greece Gets Life in Prison for Embezzlement’ highlighting how the subsequent convictions have prompted a frenzied response in the news media and on blogs, where many hailed the unusually severe sentences. Kitsantonis states “The former mayor of Greece’s second city, Salonika, and two of his top aides were sentenced to life in prison …after being found guilty of embezzling almost 18 million euros, or $23.5 million, in public money — a rare conviction in a case involving the political corruption that has contributed to the country’s dysfunction and economic decline. A court in Salonika, a northern port city also known as Thessaloniki, found that the local authorities had set up an “embezzlement machine” and that Vassilis Papageorgopoulos, a prominent conservative who served two terms as mayor from 1999 to 2010, had been “aware of the whole plan but had stayed on the sidelines, feigning ignorance.” …Two other former treasury officials were given terms of 15 and 10 years, and 13 other former employees were acquitted after a five-month trial that began after an estimated shortfall of $68 million was found in the city’s coffers. The court said there was proof that $23.5 million of that sum had been swindled. In trial testimony last month, Mr. Saxonis admitted that the cash transactions had taken place in his office in “flimsy carrier bags” and said he had been taking orders from his superiors.”  Inspired by Niki Kitsantonis, New York Times ow.ly/iuuk3 Image source Γιάννης Μπουτάρης ow.ly/iuuVi Salonika gets a well needed shake up (March 25 2013)

 

Yiannis Boutaris the 71 year old Greek businessman, politician and current mayor of Thessaloniki has given Greece’s second city, Salonika a well needed shake up after succeeding the former mayor Vassilis Papageorgopoulos a former sprinter and medical student nicknamed the Flying Doctor. On his taking of office, Boutaris accused Papageorgopoulos of providing inaccurate financial figures, resulting in an investigation. Niki Kitsantonis for the New York Times has published an article titled ‘Ex-Mayor in Greece Gets Life in Prison for Embezzlement’ highlighting how the subsequent convictions have prompted a frenzied response in the news media and on blogs, where many hailed the unusually severe sentences. Kitsantonis states “The former mayor of Greece’s second city, Salonika, and two of his top aides were sentenced to life in prison …after being found guilty of embezzling almost 18 million euros, or $23.5 million, in public money — a rare conviction in a case involving the political corruption that has contributed to the country’s dysfunction and economic decline. A court in Salonika, a northern port city also known as Thessaloniki, found that the local authorities had set up an “embezzlement machine” and that Vassilis Papageorgopoulos, a prominent conservative who served two terms as mayor from 1999 to 2010, had been “aware of the whole plan but had stayed on the sidelines, feigning ignorance.” …Two other former treasury officials were given terms of 15 and 10 years, and 13 other former employees were acquitted after a five-month trial that began after an estimated shortfall of $68 million was found in the city’s coffers. The court said there was proof that $23.5 million of that sum had been swindled. In trial testimony last month, Mr. Saxonis admitted that the cash transactions had taken place in his office in “flimsy carrier bags” and said he had been taking orders from his superiors.”

 

Inspired by Niki Kitsantonis, New York Times ow.ly/iuuk3 Image source Γιάννης Μπουτάρης ow.ly/iuuVi

Matthew Barney the 45 year old American artist who works in sculpture, photography, drawing and film, whose early works combined sculptural installations with performance and video has been featured by Carol Vogel in a New York Times article titled ‘Matthew Barney Heads to the Morgan Library’. Vogel states “…Barney, an artist with a cultlike following… fashions his sculptures out of unusual materials like tapioca (dumbbells) and petroleum jelly (a weight bench). His drawings are the least known of his works. But to a place like the Morgan they are also the most intriguing. “There will be many people who will be surprised to see a Matthew Barney exhibition here,” said William M. Griswold, the museum’s director. “But his drawings are central to what we do. Many of them explore aspects of his technical innovations and his process, which makes a show like this ideal. For many people it will be a real revelation.” …It is the first museum retrospective devoted to Mr. Barney’s drawings and will consist of about 100 works. They range from the late 1980s, when he was still an undergraduate at Yale University, to those he created in conjunction with his five-part “Cremaster” film cycle, produced between 1994 and 2002, to his current project, “River of Fundament,” his film and live performance collaboration with the composer Jonathan Bepler that was inspired by Norman Mailer’s novel “Ancient Evenings.” Loans for the exhibition are coming from museums here and in Europe as well as from private collections. Besides the drawings… the show will include some of Mr. Barney’s storyboards. To show the kinds of myths and legends that inspire his work he has chosen books and manuscripts from the Morgan’s own collection, like a 2,000-year-old Egyptian Book of the Dead, a medieval zodiac and a copy of Walt Whitman’s “Leaves of Grass.”  Inspired by Carol Vogel, New York Times ow.ly/iqW6r Image source Wikipedia ow.ly/iqVZF An artist with a cultlike following (March 24 2013)

 

Matthew Barney the 45 year old American artist who works in sculpture, photography, drawing and film, whose early works combined sculptural installations with performance and video has been featured by Carol Vogel in a New York Times article titled ‘Matthew Barney Heads to the Morgan Library’. Vogel states “…Barney, an artist with a cultlike following… fashions his sculptures out of unusual materials like tapioca (dumbbells) and petroleum jelly (a weight bench). His drawings are the least known of his works. But to a place like the Morgan they are also the most intriguing. “There will be many people who will be surprised to see a Matthew Barney exhibition here,” said William M. Griswold, the museum’s director. “But his drawings are central to what we do. Many of them explore aspects of his technical innovations and his process, which makes a show like this ideal. For many people it will be a real revelation.” …It is the first museum retrospective devoted to Mr. Barney’s drawings and will consist of about 100 works. They range from the late 1980s, when he was still an undergraduate at Yale University, to those he created in conjunction with his five-part “Cremaster” film cycle, produced between 1994 and 2002, to his current project, “River of Fundament,” his film and live performance collaboration with the composer Jonathan Bepler that was inspired by Norman Mailer’s novel “Ancient Evenings.” Loans for the exhibition are coming from museums here and in Europe as well as from private collections. Besides the drawings… the show will include some of Mr. Barney’s storyboards. To show the kinds of myths and legends that inspire his work he has chosen books and manuscripts from the Morgan’s own collection, like a 2,000-year-old Egyptian Book of the Dead, a medieval zodiac and a copy of Walt Whitman’s “Leaves of Grass.”

 

Inspired by Carol Vogel, New York Times ow.ly/iqW6r Image source Wikipedia ow.ly/iqVZF

Nanjala Nyabola the Kenyan writer and political analyst, is currently a graduate student focusing on the socio-political dimensions of conflict in Africa has published an article on Aljazeera titled ‘International law isn't real' in which she states “Although there is a pseudo-consensus on what the law 'is', it is in fact simply a consensus among elites. It's one of the most common refrains you hear, especially in an American law school, as to why the US has no reason to abide by or participate in international conventions or nascent legal institutions like the international criminal court. The unspoken philosophical implications are: that there is such a thing as "real" law, and that domestic law has somehow achieved that gold standard. After almost two years of grasping the essence of this "realness", swimming upstream against the glib acceptance that Law is, I find myself concluding that there is no such thing as "real" law. Domestic law is no more real than international law and if we allow one, the empty comfort of ascribed "realness", we should be able to extend this comfort to the other. "Real" law is the necessary fiction that consequences must flow from the actions of one against each other, and that the Law as defined by those in power or with money, determines both the infraction and its consequences; yet another tool that those in power have to employ against the powerless. They are able to do this, because even at the most prestigious centres for legal learning and thought, few grapple the meta-question that underpins the entire exercise: namely, what is law? …The onus is on law schools and practitioners to think creatively about how elite consensus on this issue can be created. Ultimately, it comes down to two things: either change the minds of the elite, or change the elite. That is a call to anarchy.”  Inspired by Nanjala Nyabola, Aljazeera ow.ly/iqTxa Image source The Guardian ow.ly/iqTmD International law isn’t real (March 23 2013)

 

Nanjala Nyabola the Kenyan writer and political analyst, is currently a graduate student focusing on the socio-political dimensions of conflict in Africa has published an article on Aljazeera titled ‘International law isn’t real’ in which she states “Although there is a pseudo-consensus on what the law ‘is’, it is in fact simply a consensus among elites. It’s one of the most common refrains you hear, especially in an American law school, as to why the US has no reason to abide by or participate in international conventions or nascent legal institutions like the international criminal court. The unspoken philosophical implications are: that there is such a thing as “real” law, and that domestic law has somehow achieved that gold standard. After almost two years of grasping the essence of this “realness”, swimming upstream against the glib acceptance that Law is, I find myself concluding that there is no such thing as “real” law. Domestic law is no more real than international law and if we allow one, the empty comfort of ascribed “realness”, we should be able to extend this comfort to the other. “Real” law is the necessary fiction that consequences must flow from the actions of one against each other, and that the Law as defined by those in power or with money, determines both the infraction and its consequences; yet another tool that those in power have to employ against the powerless. They are able to do this, because even at the most prestigious centres for legal learning and thought, few grapple the meta-question that underpins the entire exercise: namely, what is law? …The onus is on law schools and practitioners to think creatively about how elite consensus on this issue can be created. Ultimately, it comes down to two things: either change the minds of the elite, or change the elite. That is a call to anarchy.”

 

Inspired by Nanjala Nyabola, Aljazeera ow.ly/iqTxa Image source The Guardian ow.ly/iqTmD

Aleksander Zotin the Russian writer claims there is a difference between “good” corruption and “bad” corruption in an article published on Worldcrunch titled ‘Is There Such A Thing As Good Corruption?’ Zotin states “First of all, the size. A 3% drain on the economy is not the same as a 25% one. But size is far from the only thing that matters. The structure is also important. Good corruption is often a way to grease the wheels of cumbersome regulations, where officials speed up the decision-making process, helping business. Often that means forced political support for regimes that are undertaking painful economic modernization. One of the important signs of “good” corruption is that the money stays in the country, allowing for economic growth. The American political scientist John Nye even calls this the "Switzerland factor." The less that corrupt money leaves the country (often going to Swiss bank accounts), and the more it is reinvested in the home country’s economy, the less damaging the corruption. The aim of good corruption is to create a good investment climate and improve growth in private business. One of the best examples of this good corruption was 20th century South Korea under dictator Park Chung-hee. He often forced large companies to take care of his party’s needs, and rewarded those companies’ loyalty with low-interest loans and business preferences. He used the money to secure his party’s hold on power rather than just for his own personal gain, and nearly all of the money stayed in the country. At the same time, he cracked down on middle-level corruption – investigating large numbers of mid-level officials and thus creating a good investment climate that forced the government to color inside the lines. Although he ruled as a dictator, Park held his government to strict standards, and didn’t use the corruption strictly for personal enrichment.”  Inspired by Aleksander Zotin, Worldcrunch ow.ly/iqQM6 Image source VK ow.ly/iqRmu Such a thing as good corruption (March 22 2013)

 

Aleksander Zotin the Russian writer claims there is a difference between “good” corruption and “bad” corruption in an article published on Worldcrunch titled ‘Is There Such A Thing As Good Corruption?’ Zotin states “First of all, the size. A 3% drain on the economy is not the same as a 25% one. But size is far from the only thing that matters. The structure is also important. Good corruption is often a way to grease the wheels of cumbersome regulations, where officials speed up the decision-making process, helping business. Often that means forced political support for regimes that are undertaking painful economic modernization. One of the important signs of “good” corruption is that the money stays in the country, allowing for economic growth. The American political scientist John Nye even calls this the “Switzerland factor.” The less that corrupt money leaves the country (often going to Swiss bank accounts), and the more it is reinvested in the home country’s economy, the less damaging the corruption. The aim of good corruption is to create a good investment climate and improve growth in private business. One of the best examples of this good corruption was 20th century South Korea under dictator Park Chung-hee. He often forced large companies to take care of his party’s needs, and rewarded those companies’ loyalty with low-interest loans and business preferences. He used the money to secure his party’s hold on power rather than just for his own personal gain, and nearly all of the money stayed in the country. At the same time, he cracked down on middle-level corruption – investigating large numbers of mid-level officials and thus creating a good investment climate that forced the government to color inside the lines. Although he ruled as a dictator, Park held his government to strict standards, and didn’t use the corruption strictly for personal enrichment.”

 

Inspired by Aleksander Zotin, Worldcrunch ow.ly/iqQM6 Image source VK ow.ly/iqRmu

Jeffrey L Sturchio the American Senior Partner at Rabin Martin and former CEO of the Global Health Council, the world's largest membership alliance of public health organizations and professionals in more than 140 countries dedicated to saving lives by improving health throughout the world, has been featured in an article by Isolda Agazzi on the IPS News Service titled ‘Tsunami of Diseases Waiting to Hit’ stating “A tsunami is looming on the horizon and the world is unprepared for it. This one won’t be a massive wall of water but a tidal wave of disease – and experts say the international community needs to act fast to keep it from crashing. “Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) – cancer, heart disease, diabetes and chronic respiratory diseases, among others – have become the leading cause of death worldwide,” Jeffrey Sturchio … told a conference…  “Some 36 million people die from (NCDs) every year, 80 percent of them in low and middle income countries – a figure that will increase by 17 percent in the coming years and by 25 percent in Africa,” he added. Tuberculosis and malaria, in comparison, kill one to two million people around the world every year.“The disease burden is shifting to NCDs, but since developing countries still have to fight infectious diseases, they face a double burden,” Sturchio warned. However, developing countries do not appear to be paying adequate attention to the impending crisis. …financial resources are stretched thin, and it is unlikely that the funds needed to launch a massive global campaign will be readily available. “The reality is that in the last 20 years, tens of billions of dollars in official development assistance have gone to developing countries, mainly (to fight) HIV/AIDS, and it is unrealistic to think that the same will happen again, It will therefore be necessary to capitalise on existing investments and reallocate some of the resources already in circulation” he said.”  Inspired by Isolda Agazzi, IPS News Service ow.ly/in8m3 Image source Global Health TV ow.ly/in8iJ Tsunami of diseases waiting to hit (March 21 2013)

 

Jeffrey L Sturchio the American Senior Partner at Rabin Martin and former CEO of the Global Health Council, the world’s largest membership alliance of public health organizations and professionals in more than 140 countries dedicated to saving lives by improving health throughout the world, has been featured in an article by Isolda Agazzi on the IPS News Service titled ‘Tsunami of Diseases Waiting to Hit’ stating “A tsunami is looming on the horizon and the world is unprepared for it. This one won’t be a massive wall of water but a tidal wave of disease – and experts say the international community needs to act fast to keep it from crashing. “Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) – cancer, heart disease, diabetes and chronic respiratory diseases, among others – have become the leading cause of death worldwide,” Jeffrey Sturchio … told a conference…  “Some 36 million people die from (NCDs) every year, 80 percent of them in low and middle income countries – a figure that will increase by 17 percent in the coming years and by 25 percent in Africa,” he added. Tuberculosis and malaria, in comparison, kill one to two million people around the world every year.“The disease burden is shifting to NCDs, but since developing countries still have to fight infectious diseases, they face a double burden,” Sturchio warned. However, developing countries do not appear to be paying adequate attention to the impending crisis. …financial resources are stretched thin, and it is unlikely that the funds needed to launch a massive global campaign will be readily available. “The reality is that in the last 20 years, tens of billions of dollars in official development assistance have gone to developing countries, mainly (to fight) HIV/AIDS, and it is unrealistic to think that the same will happen again, It will therefore be necessary to capitalise on existing investments and reallocate some of the resources already in circulation” he said.”

 

Inspired by Isolda Agazzi, IPS News Service ow.ly/in8m3 Image source Global Health TV ow.ly/in8iJ

Yinka Shonibare the 50 year old British-Nigerian artist best known for his exploration of colonialism and post-colonialism within the contemporary context of globalisation, while acknowledging his physical disability as part of his identity and physically incapable of carrying out the making of the work himself, his conceptualism takes on a new angle. Shonibare’s work explores issues of colonialism alongside those of race and class, through a range of media which include painting, sculpture, photography, installation art, and film. Coline Milliard in an article published on Boulin Artinfo states “…Shonibare has long nurtured an ambiguous relationship with the Establishment, past and present. But the artist, a prominent post-colonialist voice in Britain – who …cherishes his recently awarded order of chivalry as Member of the British Empire with a pride that isn’t entirely ironic. Shonibare is a self-proclaimed dandy, an “insider and outsider,” and the 18th century, cradle of that empire, is a constant point of reference both for its political overtones and dazzling aesthetic. …The adoption of a motif so conveniently combining bright patterns and politics has been a blessing and a curse for the artist. Although it provided him with a “brand,” its repetitive use has led to a flattening out of his production, and accusations of one-trick-ponyism. …the fabric serves an array of distinct topics, of which post-colonialism and hybrid identity are only two of the most central. The omnipresence of conflicts, the threat of global warming, and food-sustainability are key concerns for Shonibare. …But no matter how idea-led, there’s always an obvious enjoyment of the material, of the colors, textures, or the craft of well-tailored garments in Shonibare’s production. “I may be interested in a number of issues, but primarily I am an artist, and my job is to take people elsewhere,” the artist has said. “My job is to create a wonderland for them.”  Inspired by Coline Milliard, Blouin Artinfo ow.ly/in4R8 Image source Africa SI ow.ly/in4IN My job is to create a wonderland (March 20 2013)

 

Yinka Shonibare the 50 year old British-Nigerian artist best known for his exploration of colonialism and post-colonialism within the contemporary context of globalisation, while acknowledging his physical disability as part of his identity and physically incapable of carrying out the making of the work himself, his conceptualism takes on a new angle. Shonibare’s work explores issues of colonialism alongside those of race and class, through a range of media which include painting, sculpture, photography, installation art, and film. Coline Milliard in an article published on Boulin Artinfo states “…Shonibare has long nurtured an ambiguous relationship with the Establishment, past and present. But the artist, a prominent post-colonialist voice in Britain – who …cherishes his recently awarded order of chivalry as Member of the British Empire with a pride that isn’t entirely ironic. Shonibare is a self-proclaimed dandy, an “insider and outsider,” and the 18th century, cradle of that empire, is a constant point of reference both for its political overtones and dazzling aesthetic. …The adoption of a motif so conveniently combining bright patterns and politics has been a blessing and a curse for the artist. Although it provided him with a “brand,” its repetitive use has led to a flattening out of his production, and accusations of one-trick-ponyism. …the fabric serves an array of distinct topics, of which post-colonialism and hybrid identity are only two of the most central. The omnipresence of conflicts, the threat of global warming, and food-sustainability are key concerns for Shonibare. …But no matter how idea-led, there’s always an obvious enjoyment of the material, of the colors, textures, or the craft of well-tailored garments in Shonibare’s production. “I may be interested in a number of issues, but primarily I am an artist, and my job is to take people elsewhere,” the artist has said. “My job is to create a wonderland for them.”

 

Inspired by Coline Milliard, Blouin Artinfo ow.ly/in4R8 Image source Africa SI ow.ly/in4IN

Alex Johnstone the 51 year old Scottish Conservative & Unionist politician, and Member of the Scottish Parliament for the North East Scotland Region has tabled a motion in the Scottish parliament in an attempt to raise awareness about Macbeth's reign, the former Scottish King much maligned by Shakespeare’s portrayal of him as a as a murderous villain. Billy Briggs in an article published in The Guardian titled ‘Scottish campaign aims to reveal the real Macbeth’ states “ …He was the Scottish king immortalised in one of William Shakespeare's plays as a murderous man driven by a lust for power which led him to guilt, madness and an ignominious death by beheading. Now a campaign in Scotland aims to rehabilitate the 11th-century ruler's tarnished image, arguing that Shakespeare fictionalised the Scot's reign and misrepresented the truth in the eponymous play. …The idea for the campaign followed the recent discovery of the remains of Richard III under a car park in Leicester. The 15th-century English king was also portrayed as a villain by Shakespeare and the subsequent debate about facts pertaining to his life led to Alex Johnstone MSP tabling a motion in the Scottish parliament in an attempt to raise awareness about Macbeth's reign. The motion read: "That the parliament notes the discovery of what is believed to be the remains of the English king, Richard III; considers that the subsequent debate on the merits of his reign were prompted in no small part by his portrayal by Shakespeare; contrasts this debate with the treatment of Macbeth, king of Scotland from 1040 to 1057, by Shakespeare in the play, Macbeth, which was not written until around 550 years after the death of the king at the Battle of Lumphanan; believes that the play is arguably more a reflection on the relationship between Shakespeare and his patron, King James VI, rather than an attempt at historical accuracy…”  Inspired by Billy Briggs, The Guardian ow.ly/imZpJ Image source Scottish Parliament ow.ly/in0vG Aims to reveal the real Macbeth (March 19 2013)

 

Alex Johnstone the 51 year old Scottish Conservative & Unionist politician, and Member of the Scottish Parliament for the North East Scotland Region has tabled a motion in the Scottish parliament in an attempt to raise awareness about Macbeth’s reign, the former Scottish King much maligned by Shakespeare’s portrayal of him as a as a murderous villain. Billy Briggs in an article published in The Guardian titled ‘Scottish campaign aims to reveal the real Macbeth’ states “ …He was the Scottish king immortalised in one of William Shakespeare’s plays as a murderous man driven by a lust for power which led him to guilt, madness and an ignominious death by beheading. Now a campaign in Scotland aims to rehabilitate the 11th-century ruler’s tarnished image, arguing that Shakespeare fictionalised the Scot’s reign and misrepresented the truth in the eponymous play. …The idea for the campaign followed the recent discovery of the remains of Richard III under a car park in Leicester. The 15th-century English king was also portrayed as a villain by Shakespeare and the subsequent debate about facts pertaining to his life led to Alex Johnstone MSP tabling a motion in the Scottish parliament in an attempt to raise awareness about Macbeth’s reign. The motion read: “That the parliament notes the discovery of what is believed to be the remains of the English king, Richard III; considers that the subsequent debate on the merits of his reign were prompted in no small part by his portrayal by Shakespeare; contrasts this debate with the treatment of Macbeth, king of Scotland from 1040 to 1057, by Shakespeare in the play, Macbeth, which was not written until around 550 years after the death of the king at the Battle of Lumphanan; believes that the play is arguably more a reflection on the relationship between Shakespeare and his patron, King James VI, rather than an attempt at historical accuracy…”

 

Inspired by Billy Briggs, The Guardian ow.ly/imZpJ Image source Scottish Parliament ow.ly/in0vG

Jim Hartung the American President of GlobalEnergySolutions an internet-based company providing information about energy and related subjects, having a history in innovative energy technologies includes solar energy, gasification, nuclear power, gas turbines, and enhanced oil recovery. Hartung has published an article on Project Syndicate titled ‘Can NASA Stop Global Warming?’ in which he states “…since the Apollo program, NASA has lacked a clear, overarching goal to guide its activities. To drive progress in crucial areas, the agency needs a compelling vision that is consequential and relevant to current needs… Obama should challenge NASA to address one of today’s most important issues, global warming, by developing safe, cost-effective technologies to remove carbon dioxide from the planet’s atmosphere and oceans. This mission could be accomplished in two phases. During the first phase, which could be completed by 2020, researchers would identify roughly 10-20 candidate geo-engineering technologies and test them in small-scale experiments. The second phase would include large-scale test demonstrations to evaluate the most promising technologies by 2025. Developing these technologies is crucial, given that, over the last half-century, the concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere has increased from roughly 320 parts per million to almost 400 parts per million, heating up the planet and increasing the acidity of the world’s oceans. At this rate, the concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere will exceed 450 parts per million in roughly 25 years. …Far from conflicting with other, more traditional NASA programs, this mission would help to reinvigorate NASA and give its other programs greater focus and significance. This new, overarching vision would motivate NASA to gain a better understanding of the planetary processes that may affect Earth’s future, and to advance its capability to influence these processes if needed. Ultimately, this knowledge could be NASA’s greatest contribution to the world.”  Inspired by Jim Hartung, Project Syndicate ow.ly/imWZ5 Image source Global Energy Solutions ow.ly/imWHL Can NASA Stop Global Warming? (March 18 2013)

 

Jim Hartung the American President of GlobalEnergySolutions an internet-based company providing information about energy and related subjects, having a history in innovative energy technologies includes solar energy, gasification, nuclear power, gas turbines, and enhanced oil recovery. Hartung has published an article on Project Syndicate titled ‘Can NASA Stop Global Warming?’ in which he states “…since the Apollo program, NASA has lacked a clear, overarching goal to guide its activities. To drive progress in crucial areas, the agency needs a compelling vision that is consequential and relevant to current needs… Obama should challenge NASA to address one of today’s most important issues, global warming, by developing safe, cost-effective technologies to remove carbon dioxide from the planet’s atmosphere and oceans. This mission could be accomplished in two phases. During the first phase, which could be completed by 2020, researchers would identify roughly 10-20 candidate geo-engineering technologies and test them in small-scale experiments. The second phase would include large-scale test demonstrations to evaluate the most promising technologies by 2025. Developing these technologies is crucial, given that, over the last half-century, the concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere has increased from roughly 320 parts per million to almost 400 parts per million, heating up the planet and increasing the acidity of the world’s oceans. At this rate, the concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere will exceed 450 parts per million in roughly 25 years. …Far from conflicting with other, more traditional NASA programs, this mission would help to reinvigorate NASA and give its other programs greater focus and significance. This new, overarching vision would motivate NASA to gain a better understanding of the planetary processes that may affect Earth’s future, and to advance its capability to influence these processes if needed. Ultimately, this knowledge could be NASA’s greatest contribution to the world.”

 

Inspired by Jim Hartung, Project Syndicate ow.ly/imWZ5 Image source Global Energy Solutions ow.ly/imWHL

Eldar Mansurov the Azerbaijani composer and EU advisor has published an article on the IPS News Service titled ‘How Deep Are Azerbaijan-Israel Relations?’ in which he states ‘There has been much speculation surrounding Azerbaijan’s relations with Israel, including reports that Israeli warplanes might use Azerbaijani airfields as support bases during a potential attack against Iran. The reality of the bilateral relationship is not so dramatic, as it is pragmatic. We must keep in mind that neither country is an essential strategic asset for the other. From the Israeli point of view, relations with Azerbaijan represent the latest incarnation of a “periphery strategy”, under which Israel, surrounded by hostile Arab states, reaches out to the “outer ring” of non-Arab, “moderate” Muslim states. In bygone decades, Kemalist Turkey and monarchist Iran played this role. Today, Israel’s relations with Turkey are tense, and Iran is an arch-enemy. Azerbaijan is now a cog in the periphery strategy. But Baku can’t compensate for the loss of Israel’s former strategic assets. Azerbaijan is a country with its own geopolitical entanglements, including one that has left roughly 20 percent of its territory under foreign occupation. Baku is not in position to supply the type of support that would be relevant to the security challenges that Israel faces, especially vis-a-vis Iran. …This is not to say that the Azerbaijani-Israeli relations have no future. Azerbaijan, thankfully, is largely free from the poisonous anti-Semitism that prevails in much of the Muslim world. But a sober, realistic assessment by both sides is needed in order to maximise the potential of bilateral relations. For the time being, the diplomatic agendas of both Azerbaijan and Israel diverge significantly, and neither state seems willing to adjust those priorities in the interest of deepening bilateral ties.”  Inspired by Eldar Mamedov, IPS News ow.ly/i3lBO Image source News.Az ow.ly/i3lsN How Deep Are Azerbaijan-Israel Relations? (March 17 2013)

 

Eldar Mansurov the Azerbaijani composer and EU advisor has published an article on the IPS News Service titled ‘How Deep Are Azerbaijan-Israel Relations?’ in which he states ‘There has been much speculation surrounding Azerbaijan’s relations with Israel, including reports that Israeli warplanes might use Azerbaijani airfields as support bases during a potential attack against Iran. The reality of the bilateral relationship is not so dramatic, as it is pragmatic. We must keep in mind that neither country is an essential strategic asset for the other. From the Israeli point of view, relations with Azerbaijan represent the latest incarnation of a “periphery strategy”, under which Israel, surrounded by hostile Arab states, reaches out to the “outer ring” of non-Arab, “moderate” Muslim states. In bygone decades, Kemalist Turkey and monarchist Iran played this role. Today, Israel’s relations with Turkey are tense, and Iran is an arch-enemy. Azerbaijan is now a cog in the periphery strategy. But Baku can’t compensate for the loss of Israel’s former strategic assets. Azerbaijan is a country with its own geopolitical entanglements, including one that has left roughly 20 percent of its territory under foreign occupation. Baku is not in position to supply the type of support that would be relevant to the security challenges that Israel faces, especially vis-a-vis Iran. …This is not to say that the Azerbaijani-Israeli relations have no future. Azerbaijan, thankfully, is largely free from the poisonous anti-Semitism that prevails in much of the Muslim world. But a sober, realistic assessment by both sides is needed in order to maximise the potential of bilateral relations. For the time being, the diplomatic agendas of both Azerbaijan and Israel diverge significantly, and neither state seems willing to adjust those priorities in the interest of deepening bilateral ties.”

 

Inspired by Eldar Mamedov, IPS News ow.ly/i3lBO Image source News.Az ow.ly/i3lsN

Michael H Posner the 62 year old American lawyer, the current Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor (DRL) of the United States, is the subject of an article published in the Guardian by Glen Greenwald who states “…accountability for high-level government officials is inconceivable in the US, highlighting its culture of impunity. A US State Department official  "expressed concern" about what he called "a 'climate of impunity' over abuses by police and security forces" - in Egypt. The official, Michael Posner, warned that failure to investigate Egyptian state agents responsible for "cruel treatment of those in their custody" - including torture - creates "a lack of meaningful accountability for these actions". …statements that are so drowning in obvious, glaring irony that the officials uttering them simply must have been mischievously cackling to themselves when they created them," and this American denunciation of Egypt's "climate of impunity" almost certainly goes to the top of the list. After all, Michael Posner works for the very same administration that not only refused to prosecute or even investigate US officials who tortured, kidnapped and illegally eavesdropped, but actively shielded them all from all forms of accountability: criminal, civil or investigative. Indeed, Posner works for the very same State Department that actively impeded efforts by countries whose citizens were subjected to those abuses - such as Spain and Germany - to investigate them. Being lectured by the US State Department about a "culture of impunity" is like being lectured by David Cameron about supporting Arab dictators. …We also see here, yet again, how monumentally important leaks are. Almost everything we know about the conduct of the US government … comes from diplomatic cables published by WikiLeak …For exactly that reason, it is no mystery why the US government is so eager to punish so severely those responsible for leaks generally and these disclosures specifically: precisely because nothing sheds light on their bad acts the way whistleblowing does.”  Inspired by Glen Greenwald, The Guardian ow.ly/i3iwV Image source US Govt ow.ly/i3ite A climate of impunity over abuses (March 16 2013)

 

Michael H Posner the 62 year old American lawyer, the current Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor (DRL) of the United States, is the subject of an article published in the Guardian by Glen Greenwald who states “…accountability for high-level government officials is inconceivable in the US, highlighting its culture of impunity. A US State Department official  “expressed concern” about what he called “a ‘climate of impunity’ over abuses by police and security forces” – in Egypt. The official, Michael Posner, warned that failure to investigate Egyptian state agents responsible for “cruel treatment of those in their custody” – including torture – creates “a lack of meaningful accountability for these actions”. …statements that are so drowning in obvious, glaring irony that the officials uttering them simply must have been mischievously cackling to themselves when they created them,” and this American denunciation of Egypt’s “climate of impunity” almost certainly goes to the top of the list. After all, Michael Posner works for the very same administration that not only refused to prosecute or even investigate US officials who tortured, kidnapped and illegally eavesdropped, but actively shielded them all from all forms of accountability: criminal, civil or investigative. Indeed, Posner works for the very same State Department that actively impeded efforts by countries whose citizens were subjected to those abuses – such as Spain and Germany – to investigate them. Being lectured by the US State Department about a “culture of impunity” is like being lectured by David Cameron about supporting Arab dictators. …We also see here, yet again, how monumentally important leaks are. Almost everything we know about the conduct of the US government … comes from diplomatic cables published by WikiLeak …For exactly that reason, it is no mystery why the US government is so eager to punish so severely those responsible for leaks generally and these disclosures specifically: precisely because nothing sheds light on their bad acts the way whistleblowing does.”

 

Inspired by Glen Greenwald, The Guardian ow.ly/i3iwV Image source US Govt ow.ly/i3ite

Katherine Gallagher the Irish Senior Staff Attorney at the Centre for Constitutional Rights (CCR), focusing on holding US and foreign government officials, military and corporations accountable for serious human rights violations, has published an article on Aljazeera titled ‘Bahrain: Silencing the voice of the voiceless’. Gallagher states “Bahrain is a small country, often forgotten unless the Fifth Fleet of the US Navy, which it hosts, is in the news. A country where people continue to fight for democracy despite the high, sometimes deadly, price of speaking out. A country which, for the past two years, has been living to the beat of police crack-downs, arbitrary detentions and tear gas shootings. …scores of Bahrainis are languishing in prison simply for having marched in the street to call for economic, social and political reforms. Human rights defenders have become a major target of the regime, with one leading human rights defender after another being arrested for documenting the ongoing abuses. It seems that in today's Bahrain, the surest way to prison is human rights work. …Impunity remains the backdrop for these state-sponsored human rights violations. As of now, very few sentences have been rendered by courts for security officers accused of severe human rights violations and those convicted are low-ranking officers. Moreover, torture accusations by those unlawfully detained continue to be dismissed by the judicial system. …The international community and Bahrain's main partners - particularly the United Kingdom and the United States, which, contrary to its own rhetoric on respecting human rights, continue to provide military aid to Bahrain - must ensure that Bahrain allows its citizens to enjoy their full rights without fearing dire consequences. …Only when all Bahrainis are allowed to exercise the full spectrum of rights, and human rights defenders allowed to do their important work, will the situation in Bahrain improve. “  Inspired by Katherine Gallagher, AlJazeera ow.ly/i3fGA Image source Twitter ow.ly/i3g0w Silencing the voice of the voiceless (March 15 2013)

 

Katherine Gallagher the Irish Senior Staff Attorney at the Centre for Constitutional Rights (CCR), focusing on holding US and foreign government officials, military and corporations accountable for serious human rights violations, has published an article on Aljazeera titled ‘Bahrain: Silencing the voice of the voiceless’. Gallagher states “Bahrain is a small country, often forgotten unless the Fifth Fleet of the US Navy, which it hosts, is in the news. A country where people continue to fight for democracy despite the high, sometimes deadly, price of speaking out. A country which, for the past two years, has been living to the beat of police crack-downs, arbitrary detentions and tear gas shootings. …scores of Bahrainis are languishing in prison simply for having marched in the street to call for economic, social and political reforms. Human rights defenders have become a major target of the regime, with one leading human rights defender after another being arrested for documenting the ongoing abuses. It seems that in today’s Bahrain, the surest way to prison is human rights work. …Impunity remains the backdrop for these state-sponsored human rights violations. As of now, very few sentences have been rendered by courts for security officers accused of severe human rights violations and those convicted are low-ranking officers. Moreover, torture accusations by those unlawfully detained continue to be dismissed by the judicial system. …The international community and Bahrain’s main partners – particularly the United Kingdom and the United States, which, contrary to its own rhetoric on respecting human rights, continue to provide military aid to Bahrain – must ensure that Bahrain allows its citizens to enjoy their full rights without fearing dire consequences. …Only when all Bahrainis are allowed to exercise the full spectrum of rights, and human rights defenders allowed to do their important work, will the situation in Bahrain improve. “

 

Inspired by Katherine Gallagher, AlJazeera ow.ly/i3fGA Image source Twitter ow.ly/i3g0w

 

 

John Malcolm Fraser the 82 year old Australian former Liberal Party politician who was the 22nd Prime Minister of Australia now alienated from his party has published an article in The Age Newspaper titled ‘All the way with the USA?’. Fraser states “There is increasingly aggressive posturing between China and American-backed Japan. If war breaks out Australia must not slavishly follow its superpower friend. The ownership of islands in the East China Sea now represents a highly sensitive and dangerous issue. There has been a significant escalation that could easily lead to conflict between China and Japan. A senior American intelligence officer has strongly sided with Japan and called China a bully on the high seas with ambitions to sink American warships and seize control of waters from its neighbours. He described China as a principal threat. We have the US and Japan lined up in concert against China. …If anyone thinks containment against China and containment against the Soviet Union had any similarities, they should be disabused. The Soviet Union had minimal trade links, no financial and capital market links worth mentioning with the West. China, on the contrary, is heavily entwined in the economies of nearly every Western country, certainly of Australia. It is the largest buyer of US Treasury bills. A war between America and China would have catastrophic results, first for America's economy, then for the economies of the world. If we had a government with a sense of history and of the future, we would seek to use our influence for peace and moderation. We should make it plain to America that we will not be going to war on that issue. We should oppose provocative action by any party. … When is Australia going to have sufficient courage to act as an independent nation?”  Inspired by John Malcolm Fraser, The Age ow.ly/i137R Image source Twitter ow.ly/i133G Courage to act as an independent nation (March 14 2013)

 

John Malcolm Fraser the 82 year old Australian former Liberal Party politician who was the 22nd Prime Minister of Australia now alienated from his party has published an article in The Age Newspaper titled ‘All the way with the USA?’. Fraser states “There is increasingly aggressive posturing between China and American-backed Japan. If war breaks out Australia must not slavishly follow its superpower friend. The ownership of islands in the East China Sea now represents a highly sensitive and dangerous issue. There has been a significant escalation that could easily lead to conflict between China and Japan. A senior American intelligence officer has strongly sided with Japan and called China a bully on the high seas with ambitions to sink American warships and seize control of waters from its neighbours. He described China as a principal threat. We have the US and Japan lined up in concert against China. …If anyone thinks containment against China and containment against the Soviet Union had any similarities, they should be disabused. The Soviet Union had minimal trade links, no financial and capital market links worth mentioning with the West. China, on the contrary, is heavily entwined in the economies of nearly every Western country, certainly of Australia. It is the largest buyer of US Treasury bills. A war between America and China would have catastrophic results, first for America’s economy, then for the economies of the world. If we had a government with a sense of history and of the future, we would seek to use our influence for peace and moderation. We should make it plain to America that we will not be going to war on that issue. We should oppose provocative action by any party. … When is Australia going to have sufficient courage to act as an independent nation?”

 

Inspired by John Malcolm Fraser, The Age ow.ly/i137R Image source Twitter ow.ly/i133G

Suzanne Goldenberg the British environment correspondent based in Washington DC, award winning writer and author of Madam President, about Hillary Clinton's historic run for White House, has published an article on Mother Jones titled ‘Billionaires Secretly Funded Vast Climate Denial Network’ referring to how  the conservative dark-money group ‘Donors Trust’ contributed huge sums to battle against climate-change science. Goldenberg states “Conservative billionaires used a secretive funding route to channel nearly $120 million to more than 100 groups casting doubt about the science behind climate change … helped build a vast network of think tanks and activist groups working to a single purpose: to redefine climate change from neutral scientific fact to a highly polarizing "wedge issue" for hardcore conservatives. The millions were routed through two trusts, Donors Trust and the Donors Capital Fund, operating out of a generic town house in the northern Virginia suburbs of Washington, DC. Donors Capital caters to those making donations of $1 million or more. …By 2010, the dark money amounted to $118 million distributed to 102 think tanks or action groups which have a record of denying the existence of a human factor in climate change, or opposing environmental regulations. The money flowed to Washington think tanks embedded in Republican party politics, obscure policy forums in Alaska and Tennessee, contrarian scientists at Harvard and lesser institutions, even to buy up DVDs of a film attacking Al Gore. The ready stream of cash set off a conservative backlash against Barack Obama's environmental agenda that wrecked any chance of Congress taking action on climate change. Those same groups are now mobilizing against Obama's efforts to act on climate change in his second term. A top recipient of the secret funds … put out a point-by-point critique of the climate content in the president's State of the Union address.”  Inspired by Suzanne Goldenberg, Mother Jones ow.ly/i0XBB Image source YouTube ow.ly/i0ZjU Wedge issue for hardcore conservatives (March 13 2013)

 

Suzanne Goldenberg the British environment correspondent based in Washington DC, award winning writer and author of Madam President, about Hillary Clinton’s historic run for White House, has published an article on Mother Jones titled ‘Billionaires Secretly Funded Vast Climate Denial Network’ referring to how  the conservative dark-money group ‘Donors Trust’ contributed huge sums to battle against climate-change science. Goldenberg states “Conservative billionaires used a secretive funding route to channel nearly $120 million to more than 100 groups casting doubt about the science behind climate change … helped build a vast network of think tanks and activist groups working to a single purpose: to redefine climate change from neutral scientific fact to a highly polarizing “wedge issue” for hardcore conservatives. The millions were routed through two trusts, Donors Trust and the Donors Capital Fund, operating out of a generic town house in the northern Virginia suburbs of Washington, DC. Donors Capital caters to those making donations of $1 million or more. …By 2010, the dark money amounted to $118 million distributed to 102 think tanks or action groups which have a record of denying the existence of a human factor in climate change, or opposing environmental regulations. The money flowed to Washington think tanks embedded in Republican party politics, obscure policy forums in Alaska and Tennessee, contrarian scientists at Harvard and lesser institutions, even to buy up DVDs of a film attacking Al Gore. The ready stream of cash set off a conservative backlash against Barack Obama’s environmental agenda that wrecked any chance of Congress taking action on climate change. Those same groups are now mobilizing against Obama’s efforts to act on climate change in his second term. A top recipient of the secret funds … put out a point-by-point critique of the climate content in the president’s State of the Union address.”

 

Inspired by Suzanne Goldenberg, Mother Jones ow.ly/i0XBB Image source YouTube ow.ly/i0ZjU

Noah Shachtman the American contributing editor at Wired magazine, and the editor of its national security blog, "Danger Room,"  who before turning to journalism, Shachtman worked as a professional bass player, book editor, and campaign staffer on Bill Clinton's first presidential campaign, has published an article titled ‘Is This the Secret U.S. Drone Base in Saudi Arabia?’. Shachtman states “…satellite images show a remote airstrip deep in the desert of Saudi Arabia …the base’s hangars bear a remarkable resemblance to similar structures found on other American drone outposts. And its remote location — dozens of miles from the nearest highway, and farther still to the nearest town – suggests that this may be more than the average civilian airstrip. …the U.S. built its secret Saudi base approximately two years ago. Its first lethal mission was in September of 2011: a strike on Anwar al-Awlaki, the American-born propagandist for al-Qaida’s affiliate in Yemen, which borders Saudi Arabia. Since then, the U.S. has launched dozens of drone attacks on Yemeni targets. News organizations eventually found out about the base. But they agreed to keep it out of their pages — part of an informal arrangement with the Obama administration, which claimed that the disclosure of the base’s location, even in a general way, might jeopardize national security. …The drone base’s exposure is part of a series of revelations about the American target killing campaign that have accompanied John Brennan’s nomination to be the director of the CIA. Brennan currently oversees targeted killing operations from his perch as White House counterterrorism adviser, and would be responsible for executing many of the remotely piloted missions as CIA chief. …In their hours of questioning Brennan, however, the Senators didn’t once ask the CIA nominee about the secret Saudi drone base.”  Inspired by Noah Shachtman, Wired ow.ly/i0Vtx Image source LinkedIn ow.ly/i0VY8 Remote drone airstrip deep in Saudi Arabia (March 12 2013)

 

Noah Shachtman the American contributing editor at Wired magazine, and the editor of its national security blog, “Danger Room,”  who before turning to journalism, Shachtman worked as a professional bass player, book editor, and campaign staffer on Bill Clinton’s first presidential campaign, has published an article titled ‘Is This the Secret U.S. Drone Base in Saudi Arabia?’. Shachtman states “…satellite images show a remote airstrip deep in the desert of Saudi Arabia …the base’s hangars bear a remarkable resemblance to similar structures found on other American drone outposts. And its remote location — dozens of miles from the nearest highway, and farther still to the nearest town – suggests that this may be more than the average civilian airstrip. …the U.S. built its secret Saudi base approximately two years ago. Its first lethal mission was in September of 2011: a strike on Anwar al-Awlaki, the American-born propagandist for al-Qaida’s affiliate in Yemen, which borders Saudi Arabia. Since then, the U.S. has launched dozens of drone attacks on Yemeni targets. News organizations eventually found out about the base. But they agreed to keep it out of their pages — part of an informal arrangement with the Obama administration, which claimed that the disclosure of the base’s location, even in a general way, might jeopardize national security. …The drone base’s exposure is part of a series of revelations about the American target killing campaign that have accompanied John Brennan’s nomination to be the director of the CIA. Brennan currently oversees targeted killing operations from his perch as White House counterterrorism adviser, and would be responsible for executing many of the remotely piloted missions as CIA chief. …In their hours of questioning Brennan, however, the Senators didn’t once ask the CIA nominee about the secret Saudi drone base.”

 

Inspired by Noah Shachtman, Wired ow.ly/i0Vtx Image source LinkedIn ow.ly/i0VY8

Eric S. Perlstein the 43 year old American historian, journalist and was a Senior Fellow at the Campaign for America's Future where he wrote for their blog about the failures of conservative governance, The Big Con. Perlstein has published an article in The Nation Magazine titled ‘Hell Isle’ where he states “Check out what the loopy Ayn Randroids are up to now. In long-suffering Detroit, a libertarian real estate developer wants to buy a civic crown jewel, Belle Isle, the 982-acre park designed by Frederick Law Olmstead …and turn it into an independent nation, selling citizenships at $300,000 … says would-be founder Rodney Lockwood “to provide an economic and social laboratory for a society which effectively addresses some of the most important problems of American, and the western world.” The Plan is …“Belle Isle is sold by the City of Detroit to a group of investors for $1 billion. The island is then developed into a city-state of 35,000 people, with its own laws, customs and currency, under United States supervision as a Commonwealth.” Relations with neighboring, impoverished Detroit will be naught but copacetic, and not exploitative at all: “Plants will be built across the Detroit River…. with the engineering and management functions on Belle Isle. Companies from all over the world will locate on Belle Isle, bringing in massive amounts of capital and GDP.” (Because, you know, tax-dodging international financiers of the sort a scheme like this attracts are just desperate to open and operate factories.) Government will be limited to ten percent or less of GDP, “by constitutional dictate. The social safety net is operated charities, which are highly encouraged and supported by the government.” Although, on Belle Isle, “the word ‘Government’ is discouraged and replaced with the word ‘Service’ in the name of buildings.”  Inspired by Rick Perlstein, The Nation ow.ly/i0TiP Image source Facebook ow.ly/i0TXs What loopy Ayn Randroids are up to now (March 11 2013)

 

Eric S. Perlstein the 43 year old American historian, journalist and was a Senior Fellow at the Campaign for America’s Future where he wrote for their blog about the failures of conservative governance, The Big Con. Perlstein has published an article in The Nation Magazine titled ‘Hell Isle’ where he states “Check out what the loopy Ayn Randroids are up to now. In long-suffering Detroit, a libertarian real estate developer wants to buy a civic crown jewel, Belle Isle, the 982-acre park designed by Frederick Law Olmstead …and turn it into an independent nation, selling citizenships at $300,000 … says would-be founder Rodney Lockwood “to provide an economic and social laboratory for a society which effectively addresses some of the most important problems of American, and the western world.” The Plan is …“Belle Isle is sold by the City of Detroit to a group of investors for $1 billion. The island is then developed into a city-state of 35,000 people, with its own laws, customs and currency, under United States supervision as a Commonwealth.” Relations with neighboring, impoverished Detroit will be naught but copacetic, and not exploitative at all: “Plants will be built across the Detroit River…. with the engineering and management functions on Belle Isle. Companies from all over the world will locate on Belle Isle, bringing in massive amounts of capital and GDP.” (Because, you know, tax-dodging international financiers of the sort a scheme like this attracts are just desperate to open and operate factories.) Government will be limited to ten percent or less of GDP, “by constitutional dictate. The social safety net is operated charities, which are highly encouraged and supported by the government.” Although, on Belle Isle, “the word ‘Government’ is discouraged and replaced with the word ‘Service’ in the name of buildings.”

 

Inspired by Rick Perlstein, The Nation ow.ly/i0TiP Image source Facebook ow.ly/i0TXs

Fayiz Mohammed Ahmed Al Kandari the 37 year old Kuwaiti citizen who has been detained in Guantanamo Bay for nearly 11 years on purely ‘hearsay evidence’ has been profiled in the New York Times. The Project Kuwaiti Freedom states “Al Kandari was a 27 year-old student who went to Afghanistan during his summer vacation in 2001 to render humanitarian aid. It was his belief that helping others might honor his grandmother, who had just died, and bring better health to his mother, who was suffering from cancer. After being captured by U.S. forces, he wrote in a message to his family that an American investigator had questioned him and found nothing against him, and he believed he would soon be freed. He wrote in a Red Cross letter, “If the construction of a mosque…or the digging of a well is the sin that makes me a detainee, then I willingly accept my detention.” Al Kandari according to his Lawyers, is as an example of a detainee for whom all the evidence against him is ‘hearsay evidence’. "Indeed, the evidence considered persuasive by the Tribunal is made up almost entirely of hearsay evidence recorded by unidentified individuals with no first hand knowledge of the events they describe." A tribunal report noted. Al Kandari’s lead attorney from the Office of Military Commissions, Lieutenant Colonel Barry D. Wingard states “Outside of the CSRT process, this type of evidence is more commonly referred to as 'rumor'” and that "Vague charges made it difficult to defend his client …There simply is no evidence other than he is a Muslim in Afghanistan at the wrong time, other than double and triple hearsay statements, something I have never seen as justification for incarceration…” Al Kandari is still subjected to harsh treatment and has been subjected to enhanced interrogation techniques including sleep deprivation, physical abuse, being placed in stress positions, sexual humiliation, and the use of extreme temperature, loud music and dogs.”  Inspired by Project Kuwaiti Freedom ow.ly/hYChK Image source New York Times ow.ly/hYCfz All evidence against him is hearsay evidence (March 10 2013)

 

Fayiz Mohammed Ahmed Al Kandari the 37 year old Kuwaiti citizen who has been detained in Guantanamo Bay for nearly 11 years on purely ‘hearsay evidence’ has been profiled in the New York Times. The Project Kuwaiti Freedom states “Al Kandari was a 27 year-old student who went to Afghanistan during his summer vacation in 2001 to render humanitarian aid. It was his belief that helping others might honor his grandmother, who had just died, and bring better health to his mother, who was suffering from cancer. After being captured by U.S. forces, he wrote in a message to his family that an American investigator had questioned him and found nothing against him, and he believed he would soon be freed. He wrote in a Red Cross letter, “If the construction of a mosque…or the digging of a well is the sin that makes me a detainee, then I willingly accept my detention.” Al Kandari according to his Lawyers, is as an example of a detainee for whom all the evidence against him is ‘hearsay evidence’. “Indeed, the evidence considered persuasive by the Tribunal is made up almost entirely of hearsay evidence recorded by unidentified individuals with no first hand knowledge of the events they describe.” A tribunal report noted. Al Kandari’s lead attorney from the Office of Military Commissions, Lieutenant Colonel Barry D. Wingard states “Outside of the CSRT process, this type of evidence is more commonly referred to as ‘rumor’” and that “Vague charges made it difficult to defend his client …There simply is no evidence other than he is a Muslim in Afghanistan at the wrong time, other than double and triple hearsay statements, something I have never seen as justification for incarceration…” Al Kandari is still subjected to harsh treatment and has been subjected to enhanced interrogation techniques including sleep deprivation, physical abuse, being placed in stress positions, sexual humiliation, and the use of extreme temperature, loud music and dogs.”

 

Inspired by Project Kuwaiti Freedom ow.ly/hYChK Image source New York Times ow.ly/hYCfz

David Choe the 36 year old American painter, muralist, graffiti artist and graphic novelist of Korean descent, having achieved success with his "dirty style" figure paintings comprising raw, frenetic works which combine themes of desire, degradation, and exaltation; has been the subject of an article on The Daily Beast by Lizzie Crocker titled ‘Facebook Artist David Choe Launches New Gig With Porn Star Asa Akira’. Crocker states “A year after David Choe became the most surprising multimillionaire to emerge from Facebook’s IPO, the bad-boy graffiti artist is making the publicity rounds with a new pornographic podcast featuring porn star Asa Akira. ...Tits, ass, and goblins. Bare-chested chicks straddling hellhounds. Perverse imagery has long permeated graffiti artist David Choe’s work, including the infamous murals he spray-painted at Facebook’s first headquarters in Palo Alto, Calif. The company’s then president, Sean Parker, allegedly told Choe to “go crazy and draw as many giant ‘cocks’” on the walls as he wanted. Choe was paid for the job in Facebook stock, which was valued at $200 million when the social media behemoth went public last February. …A year later, Choe is opening up about his new gig with porn star Asa Akira: DVDASA … The first two episodes of DVDASA feature comedian Yoshi Obayashi as a special guest, though Choe hopes to lure actors, rap artists, and other “legitimate people” into the podcast studio… He claims he created the podcast as a forum to voice personal transgressions and divulge bizarre fetishes and fantasies. “When you talk about everything openly, it’s hell on your personal relationships,” he says. “It’s weird, because it feels good and yet it’s also really self-destructive. But [Asa and I] have already figured out that we’re self-destructive people anyway, so it’s like, fuck it.”  Inspired by Lizzie Crocker, The Daily Beast ow.ly/hYBSx Image source Facebook ow.ly/hYBS8 Feels good yet also really self-destructive (March 9 2013)

David Choe the 36 year old American painter, muralist, graffiti artist and graphic novelist of Korean descent, having achieved success with his “dirty style” figure paintings comprising raw, frenetic works which combine themes of desire, degradation, and exaltation; has been the subject of an article on The Daily Beast by Lizzie Crocker titled ‘Facebook Artist David Choe Launches New Gig With Porn Star Asa Akira’. Crocker states “A year after David Choe became the most surprising multimillionaire to emerge from Facebook’s IPO, the bad-boy graffiti artist is making the publicity rounds with a new pornographic podcast featuring porn star Asa Akira. …Tits, ass, and goblins. Bare-chested chicks straddling hellhounds. Perverse imagery has long permeated graffiti artist David Choe’s work, including the infamous murals he spray-painted at Facebook’s first headquarters in Palo Alto, Calif. The company’s then president, Sean Parker, allegedly told Choe to “go crazy and draw as many giant ‘cocks’” on the walls as he wanted. Choe was paid for the job in Facebook stock, which was valued at $200 million when the social media behemoth went public last February. …A year later, Choe is opening up about his new gig with porn star Asa Akira: DVDASA … The first two episodes of DVDASA feature comedian Yoshi Obayashi as a special guest, though Choe hopes to lure actors, rap artists, and other “legitimate people” into the podcast studio… He claims he created the podcast as a forum to voice personal transgressions and divulge bizarre fetishes and fantasies. “When you talk about everything openly, it’s hell on your personal relationships,” he says. “It’s weird, because it feels good and yet it’s also really self-destructive. But [Asa and I] have already figured out that we’re self-destructive people anyway, so it’s like, fuck it.”

 

Inspired by Lizzie Crocker, The Daily Beast ow.ly/hYBSx Image source Facebook ow.ly/hYBS8

Carey L Biron the American Washington correspondent reporting on development, international governance and US foreign policy has published an article on the IPS News Service titled ‘U.S. Firms Stash Tens of Billions in Tax Havens’. Biron states “The research arm of the U.S. Congress is warning that U.S. corporations’ use of tax havens has risen substantially in recent years, with companies offering massively inflated profit reports from small countries with loose tax regulations. …Further, these numbers appear to be growing. Extrapolation from the new CRS statistics suggests that U.S. corporate profits reported from, for instance, Bermuda grew by five times during the decade leading up to 2008, the last year for which data is available. Perhaps the most striking part of the new findings is simply the brazenness with which U.S. corporations appear to have become accustomed to misreporting their overseas earnings. …Incredibly, notes Citizens for Tax Justice, an advocacy group here in Washington, these countries were found to have accounted for 43 percent of the 940 billion dollars of overseas profits reported by U.S. multinational corporations, despite having made just seven percent of their foreign investments in those same countries. On the other hand, the five countries where U.S. corporations do much of their overseas business (the United Kingdom, Germany, etc) were reported to tax authorities as having accounted for just 14 percent of overseas profits. …Tax-dodging effectively takes food from hungry mouths,” Stephen Hale, advocacy head for Oxfam, said in a statement. The group offers an estimate of 32 trillion dollars currently sitting in tax havens around the world, and notes that taxes on this lump sum could raise nearly 190 billion dollars a year. On the contrary, Oxfam states, “Just 50.2 billion (dollars) a year is estimated to be the level of additional investment needed, combined with other policy measures, to end global hunger.”  Inspired by Carey L. Biron, IPS News ow.ly/hYE3X Image source Twitter ow.ly/hYE37 32 trillion dollars currently sitting in tax havens (March 8 2013)

 

Carey L Biron the American Washington correspondent reporting on development, international governance and US foreign policy has published an article on the IPS News Service titled ‘U.S. Firms Stash Tens of Billions in Tax Havens’. Biron states “The research arm of the U.S. Congress is warning that U.S. corporations’ use of tax havens has risen substantially in recent years, with companies offering massively inflated profit reports from small countries with loose tax regulations. …Further, these numbers appear to be growing. Extrapolation from the new CRS statistics suggests that U.S. corporate profits reported from, for instance, Bermuda grew by five times during the decade leading up to 2008, the last year for which data is available. Perhaps the most striking part of the new findings is simply the brazenness with which U.S. corporations appear to have become accustomed to misreporting their overseas earnings. …Incredibly, notes Citizens for Tax Justice, an advocacy group here in Washington, these countries were found to have accounted for 43 percent of the 940 billion dollars of overseas profits reported by U.S. multinational corporations, despite having made just seven percent of their foreign investments in those same countries. On the other hand, the five countries where U.S. corporations do much of their overseas business (the United Kingdom, Germany, etc) were reported to tax authorities as having accounted for just 14 percent of overseas profits. …Tax-dodging effectively takes food from hungry mouths,” Stephen Hale, advocacy head for Oxfam, said in a statement. The group offers an estimate of 32 trillion dollars currently sitting in tax havens around the world, and notes that taxes on this lump sum could raise nearly 190 billion dollars a year. On the contrary, Oxfam states, “Just 50.2 billion (dollars) a year is estimated to be the level of additional investment needed, combined with other policy measures, to end global hunger.”

 

Inspired by Carey L. Biron, IPS News ow.ly/hYE3X Image source Twitter ow.ly/hYE37

Salil Shetty the Indian long-term activist on poverty and justice, former director of the United Nations Millennium Campaign and now Secretary General of the human rights organization Amnesty International has published an article on Aljazeera titled ‘Nigerian government should address the problems’. Shetty states "A country with global aspirations should also be a country of the rule of law. On that count, Nigeria is failing dismally - particularly when it comes to Boko Haram [Islamic militant group]. …The death of 43 adds to the toll of more than 1,000 people killed by Boko Haram over the last two years, including attacks on churches, outside mosques and in markets. Such an assault from within is a challenge to any country. But Nigeria has to find a more effective means of response than it has to-date. The country is positioning itself as a global player and is seeking a permanent seat on the UN Security Council. The terrible crimes of Boko Haram can never be a justification for a country's security forces to kill or disappear people with impunity. The security forces' response is creating an atmosphere of lawlessness across vast swathes of the country. In the words of one Nigerian judge, the authorities' disregard for due process is "barbaric". … Unlawful killings, detention without charge, and enforced disappearances are just some of the human rights violations being perpetrated by Nigeria's security forces in the name of national security which Amnesty International identified in a report launched in November. … The Nigerian government should address the problems, not blame the messenger or deny the undeniable. The Nigerian government owes its own people respect for the rule of law - including by the lawful prosecution of Boko Haram crimes, which we see too rarely. If official lawlessness is denied and goes unpunished, Nigeria will not gain the stability it so badly needs.”  Inspired by Salil Shetty, Aljazeera ow.ly/hYDEp Image source Facebook ow.ly/hYDC8 Creating an atmosphere of lawlessness (March 7 2013)

Salil Shetty the Indian long-term activist on poverty and justice, former director of the United Nations Millennium Campaign and now Secretary General of the human rights organization Amnesty International has published an article on Aljazeera titled ‘Nigerian government should address the problems’. Shetty states “A country with global aspirations should also be a country of the rule of law. On that count, Nigeria is failing dismally – particularly when it comes to Boko Haram [Islamic militant group]. …The death of 43 adds to the toll of more than 1,000 people killed by Boko Haram over the last two years, including attacks on churches, outside mosques and in markets. Such an assault from within is a challenge to any country. But Nigeria has to find a more effective means of response than it has to-date. The country is positioning itself as a global player and is seeking a permanent seat on the UN Security Council. The terrible crimes of Boko Haram can never be a justification for a country’s security forces to kill or disappear people with impunity. The security forces’ response is creating an atmosphere of lawlessness across vast swathes of the country. In the words of one Nigerian judge, the authorities’ disregard for due process is “barbaric”. … Unlawful killings, detention without charge, and enforced disappearances are just some of the human rights violations being perpetrated by Nigeria’s security forces in the name of national security which Amnesty International identified in a report launched in November. … The Nigerian government should address the problems, not blame the messenger or deny the undeniable. The Nigerian government owes its own people respect for the rule of law – including by the lawful prosecution of Boko Haram crimes, which we see too rarely. If official lawlessness is denied and goes unpunished, Nigeria will not gain the stability it so badly needs.”

 

Inspired by Salil Shetty, Aljazeera ow.ly/hYDEp Image source Facebook ow.ly/hYDC8

Androulla Vassiliou the 69 year old Cypriot lawyer and European politician who is the European Commissioner for Education, Culture, Multilingualism and Youth, known for being very active in social and cultural fields within the UN and EU, has been subject of an article by Coline Milliard for Boulin Artinfo titled ‘We Can't Leave Culture to the Market’. Milliard states “Speaking at the first Edinburgh International Culture Summit, EU culture commissioner Androulla Vassiliou reaffirmed the need for EU states to maintain funding for the arts. "Culture represents a public good in which every citizen has a stake and I believe that the case for public intervention is as strong today as it has ever been: the markets alone cannot deliver all that a civilised society needs," she later said in a press statement. The International Culture Summit … brings together politicians and artists from an array of countries to discuss the role culture can play in encouraging dialogue between nations. …As she inaugurated the summit, Scottish culture minister Fiona Hyslop said that the arts and creative sector were "key to economic and indeed social recovery, rather than a distraction from it," the EUobserver reported. Vassiliou and Hyslop's comments arrive at a moment when most European countries are facing severe art funding cuts. Although the Scottish government only reduced its culture spending by 5% since 2010, the rest of the UK experienced cuts of 30%. The European Union is planning to counteract this tendency by increasing its own culture budget by almost 40% for the next EU budgetary cycle in 2014-2020, bringing it up to €1.8b (£1.41b). The "Creative Europe" proposal is currently under discussion at the European parliament, but it is facing firm opposition from Germany, the Netherlands, and the UK. A final decision should be reached by early next year. If it goes ahead, an estimated 300,000 artists could benefit from "Creative Europe" funding.”  Inspired by Coline Milliard, Blouin Artinfo ow.ly/hYDej Image source Marina Ofugi ow.ly/hYDcO We can’t leave culture to the market (March 6 2013)

 

Androulla Vassiliou the 69 year old Cypriot lawyer and European politician who is the European Commissioner for Education, Culture, Multilingualism and Youth, known for being very active in social and cultural fields within the UN and EU, has been subject of an article by Coline Milliard for Boulin Artinfo titled ‘We Can’t Leave Culture to the Market’. Milliard states “Speaking at the first Edinburgh International Culture Summit, EU culture commissioner Androulla Vassiliou reaffirmed the need for EU states to maintain funding for the arts. “Culture represents a public good in which every citizen has a stake and I believe that the case for public intervention is as strong today as it has ever been: the markets alone cannot deliver all that a civilised society needs,” she later said in a press statement. The International Culture Summit … brings together politicians and artists from an array of countries to discuss the role culture can play in encouraging dialogue between nations. …As she inaugurated the summit, Scottish culture minister Fiona Hyslop said that the arts and creative sector were “key to economic and indeed social recovery, rather than a distraction from it,” the EUobserver reported. Vassiliou and Hyslop’s comments arrive at a moment when most European countries are facing severe art funding cuts. Although the Scottish government only reduced its culture spending by 5% since 2010, the rest of the UK experienced cuts of 30%. The European Union is planning to counteract this tendency by increasing its own culture budget by almost 40% for the next EU budgetary cycle in 2014-2020, bringing it up to €1.8b (£1.41b). The “Creative Europe” proposal is currently under discussion at the European parliament, but it is facing firm opposition from Germany, the Netherlands, and the UK. A final decision should be reached by early next year. If it goes ahead, an estimated 300,000 artists could benefit from “Creative Europe” funding.”

 

Inspired by Coline Milliard, Blouin Artinfo ow.ly/hYDej Image source Marina Ofugi ow.ly/hYDcO

Daniel Buren the 74 year old French conceptual artist, classified as an abstract minimalist known best for using regular, contrasting maxi stripes to integrate the visual surface and architectural space, notably historical, landmark architecture. Among his chief concerns is the ‘scene of production’ as a way of presenting art and highlighting facture (the process of ‘making’ rather than for example, mimesis or representation of anything but the work itself). The work is site specific installation, having a relation to its setting in contrast to prevailing ideas of a work of art standing alone. Buren has been profiled in an article by Roberta Smith for the New York Times titled ‘Daniel Buren: 'Electricity Fabric Paint Paper Vinyl ...', Smith states “[Buren]  who reduced painting to awning stripes printed on canvas or paper some 40 years ago, has probably eked more mileage out of this signature end-of-painting motif than any artist could logically expect. …Buren shows the latest versions of site-specific works in vertically striped paper that date back three and four decades. These pieces are, in effect, intermittent expanses of wallpaper that alter our sense of a space and create a nice graphic, even decorative punch. …Buren takes up the striped canvas again, but with several twists. In one he layers the canvas with white-striped Plexiglas to block or expose the colored stripes beneath. In the other group glam-rock chic prevails: the canvas is luminescent, cut with a curved or a diagonal edge that is lined with a glowing strand of fiber optics. Despite their newness, these pieces conjure the early-1960s work of artists like Frank Stella and Robert Mangold; they are arbitrary and conventional, and could be derivative student works that Mr. Buren abandoned to make the site-specific pieces at Petzel. Mr. Buren gets credit for choosing art over ideology, but he has to do more than relearn old tricks.”  Inspired by Roberta Smith, New York Times ow.ly/hYBrJ Image source Français ow.ly/hYBqs 130305 Electricity Fabric Paint Paper Vinyl

Daniel Buren the 74 year old French conceptual artist, classified as an abstract minimalist known best for using regular, contrasting maxi stripes to integrate the visual surface and architectural space, notably historical, landmark architecture. Among his chief concerns is the ‘scene of production’ as a way of presenting art and highlighting facture (the process of ‘making’ rather than for example, mimesis or representation of anything but the work itself). The work is site specific installation, having a relation to its setting in contrast to prevailing ideas of a work of art standing alone. Buren has been profiled in an article by Roberta Smith for the New York Times titled ‘Daniel Buren: ‘Electricity Fabric Paint Paper Vinyl …’, Smith states “[Buren]  who reduced painting to awning stripes printed on canvas or paper some 40 years ago, has probably eked more mileage out of this signature end-of-painting motif than any artist could logically expect. …Buren shows the latest versions of site-specific works in vertically striped paper that date back three and four decades. These pieces are, in effect, intermittent expanses of wallpaper that alter our sense of a space and create a nice graphic, even decorative punch. …Buren takes up the striped canvas again, but with several twists. In one he layers the canvas with white-striped Plexiglas to block or expose the colored stripes beneath. In the other group glam-rock chic prevails: the canvas is luminescent, cut with a curved or a diagonal edge that is lined with a glowing strand of fiber optics. Despite their newness, these pieces conjure the early-1960s work of artists like Frank Stella and Robert Mangold; they are arbitrary and conventional, and could be derivative student works that Mr. Buren abandoned to make the site-specific pieces at Petzel. Mr. Buren gets credit for choosing art over ideology, but he has to do more than relearn old tricks.”

 

Inspired by Roberta Smith, New York Times ow.ly/hYBrJ Image source Français ow.ly/hYBqs

Omar Deghayes the 43 year old Libyan with residency status in the UK, having been arrested in Pakistan in 2002 and  taken into US military custody, was sent onto Guantanamo Bay detention camp where he was blinded permanently in one eye after a guard used fingers to gouge his eyes. Deghayes had moved temporarily to Pakistan with his Afghan wife and child, where he was arrested along with his family by bounty hunters in Pakistan and taken to the Bagram Internment Facility, prior to being sent onto Cuba. His wife and child were later released. Deghayes states "...troops marched into his cellblock 'singing and laughing' before spraying his face with mace and digging their fingers into his eyes as an officer shouted 'More! More.' ...My eye has gone a milky white color... Matt Sledge in an article for Huffington Post states “…spending six years in Guantanamo. He was never charged with or convicted of any crime, but it took strenuous pressure from United Kingdom authorities to win his release during the waning days of the Bush administration. Since then he has transformed himself into an anti-Guantanamo campaigner in the UK. He has mixed feelings about the camp's recently passed 11th anniversary. "To an extent it's good because it does make people aware that Guantanamo still exists," Deghayes said. But for Deghayes the anniversaries take on a more personal meaning than an excuse for speech making or press releases. …whenever such an anniversary rolls around, "All this comes back to memory, the mistreatment there." Obama, he said, has been "a real big disappointment to many of the human rights groups and people who care about justice." "Look at the people who committed all the crimes before Obama. He said let's look forward and we don't want to bring justice. That's turning a blind eye, I don't think anybody can excuse that."  Inspired by Matt Sledge, Huffington Post ow.ly/hYADV Image source Tobias Klenze ow.ly/hYAqg I don’t think anybody can excuse that (March 4 2013)

 

Omar Deghayes the 43 year old Libyan with residency status in the UK, having been arrested in Pakistan in 2002 and  taken into US military custody, was sent onto Guantanamo Bay detention camp where he was blinded permanently in one eye after a guard used fingers to gouge his eyes. Deghayes had moved temporarily to Pakistan with his Afghan wife and child, where he was arrested along with his family by bounty hunters in Pakistan and taken to the Bagram Internment Facility, prior to being sent onto Cuba. His wife and child were later released. Deghayes states “…troops marched into his cellblock ‘singing and laughing’ before spraying his face with mace and digging their fingers into his eyes as an officer shouted ‘More! More.’ …My eye has gone a milky white color… Matt Sledge in an article for Huffington Post states “…spending six years in Guantanamo. He was never charged with or convicted of any crime, but it took strenuous pressure from United Kingdom authorities to win his release during the waning days of the Bush administration. Since then he has transformed himself into an anti-Guantanamo campaigner in the UK. He has mixed feelings about the camp’s recently passed 11th anniversary. “To an extent it’s good because it does make people aware that Guantanamo still exists,” Deghayes said. But for Deghayes the anniversaries take on a more personal meaning than an excuse for speech making or press releases. …whenever such an anniversary rolls around, “All this comes back to memory, the mistreatment there.” Obama, he said, has been “a real big disappointment to many of the human rights groups and people who care about justice.” “Look at the people who committed all the crimes before Obama. He said let’s look forward and we don’t want to bring justice. That’s turning a blind eye, I don’t think anybody can excuse that.”

 

Inspired by Matt Sledge, Huffington Post ow.ly/hYADV Image source Tobias Klenze ow.ly/hYAqg

Roberto Guillermo Pizarro Hofer the 68 year old Chilean economist , academic, socialist and former Minister of State has published an article in the America Economia titled ‘The 1% has enough 99%’ referring to the Occupy Wall Street Movement. In a Worldcrunch translation of the article, Pizarro is quoted as stating “...difference in incomes is the consequence of an elevated concentration of property and wealth in a few hands. The most powerful economic groups have multiplied their actions in the last 20 years in a rhythm that simply excludes the rest of Chile. They accumulated with the dictatorship and kept going when it ended and the coalition governments were formed. …In the last decade, the wealth of the five most powerful economic groups has expanded in an unprecedented way, from $5.6 million in 2002 to $48.3 million in 2010. In addition, the Chilean tax regime has been extremely generous to large corporations and wealthy sectors of the population, while, on the other hand, the unprecedented expansion of the credit system through high rises and supermarkets has provided huge profits to these groups. Finally,the expansion of trade and financial openness of the Chilean economy, through the Free Trade Agreement (TLC), the central component of the country's foreign policy, has allowed a global scale reproduction of Chilean investors abroad. Consequently, it is no exaggeration to say that the State has been captured by an economic minority who use it in their favor. Instead of using it as a tool to compensate for the inequalities of the market economy, it has become an instrument for economic expansion of a few. Under such conditions, the nation's sense of community has weakened by the presence of a fragile State, serving a minority considered an ideological nuisance.”  Inspired by Roberto Pizarro, America Economia ow.ly/hMJRH Image source elperiodista ow.ly/hMJOq The State captured by an economic minority (March 3 2013)

 

Roberto Guillermo Pizarro Hofer the 68 year old Chilean economist , academic, socialist and former Minister of State has published an article in the America Economia titled ‘The 1% has enough 99%’ referring to the Occupy Wall Street Movement. In a Worldcrunch translation of the article, Pizarro is quoted as stating “…difference in incomes is the consequence of an elevated concentration of property and wealth in a few hands. The most powerful economic groups have multiplied their actions in the last 20 years in a rhythm that simply excludes the rest of Chile. They accumulated with the dictatorship and kept going when it ended and the coalition governments were formed. …In the last decade, the wealth of the five most powerful economic groups has expanded in an unprecedented way, from $5.6 million in 2002 to $48.3 million in 2010. In addition, the Chilean tax regime has been extremely generous to large corporations and wealthy sectors of the population, while, on the other hand, the unprecedented expansion of the credit system through high rises and supermarkets has provided huge profits to these groups. Finally,the expansion of trade and financial openness of the Chilean economy, through the Free Trade Agreement (TLC), the central component of the country’s foreign policy, has allowed a global scale reproduction of Chilean investors abroad. Consequently, it is no exaggeration to say that the State has been captured by an economic minority who use it in their favor. Instead of using it as a tool to compensate for the inequalities of the market economy, it has become an instrument for economic expansion of a few. Under such conditions, the nation’s sense of community has weakened by the presence of a fragile State, serving a minority considered an ideological nuisance.”

 

Inspired by Roberto Pizarro, America Economia ow.ly/hMJRH Image source elperiodista ow.ly/hMJOq

John J Studzinski the British American Banker and vice chair of Human Rights Watch, serving on many prestigious bodies councils and arts institutes has published an article in The Guardian titled ‘Germany is right: there is no right to profit, but the right to work is essential’ highlighting the strength of Germany lies in its medium-sized manufacturing firms, whose ethos includes being socially useful. Studzinski states “People talk too much about the economy and not enough about jobs. When economists, academics and bankers are allowed to lead the debate, the essential human element goes missing. This is neither healthy nor practical. Unemployment should be our prime concern. Spain, with youth joblessness close to 50%, is in the gravest crisis, but there is hardly a government on the planet that is not wondering what it can do to guide school-leavers into work, exploit the skills of older workers, and avoid the apathy and alienation of the jobless, which undermines not just the economy but also the social fabric. There may be no definitive answer but, over the past half-century, Germany has come closest to finding it. Its postwar economic miracle was impressive, but its more recent ability to ride out recessions and absorb the costs of reunification is, perhaps, even more remarkable. …Germany's resilience springs from the strength of its medium-sized, often family-owned manufacturing companies, collectively known as the Mittelstand, which account for 60% of the workforce and 52% of Germany's GDP. …There is no right to make a profit, and profit has no intrinsic value. But there is a right to work, and it is fundamental to human dignity. Without an opportunity to contribute with our hands or brains, we have no stake in society and our governments lack true legitimacy. There can be no more urgent challenge for our leaders. The title of the next G8 summit should be a four-letter word that everyone understands – jobs.”  Inspired by John Studzinski, The Guardian ow.ly/hMIcU Image source HRW ow.ly/hMIbg No right to profit but right to work is essential (March 2 2013)

 

John J Studzinski the British American Banker and vice chair of Human Rights Watch, serving on many prestigious bodies councils and arts institutes has published an article in The Guardian titled ‘Germany is right: there is no right to profit, but the right to work is essential’ highlighting the strength of Germany lies in its medium-sized manufacturing firms, whose ethos includes being socially useful. Studzinski states “People talk too much about the economy and not enough about jobs. When economists, academics and bankers are allowed to lead the debate, the essential human element goes missing. This is neither healthy nor practical. Unemployment should be our prime concern. Spain, with youth joblessness close to 50%, is in the gravest crisis, but there is hardly a government on the planet that is not wondering what it can do to guide school-leavers into work, exploit the skills of older workers, and avoid the apathy and alienation of the jobless, which undermines not just the economy but also the social fabric. There may be no definitive answer but, over the past half-century, Germany has come closest to finding it. Its postwar economic miracle was impressive, but its more recent ability to ride out recessions and absorb the costs of reunification is, perhaps, even more remarkable. …Germany’s resilience springs from the strength of its medium-sized, often family-owned manufacturing companies, collectively known as the Mittelstand, which account for 60% of the workforce and 52% of Germany’s GDP. …There is no right to make a profit, and profit has no intrinsic value. But there is a right to work, and it is fundamental to human dignity. Without an opportunity to contribute with our hands or brains, we have no stake in society and our governments lack true legitimacy. There can be no more urgent challenge for our leaders. The title of the next G8 summit should be a four-letter word that everyone understands – jobs.”

 

Inspired by John Studzinski, The Guardian ow.ly/hMIcU Image source HRW ow.ly/hMIbg

Jose Efrain Rios Montt the 86 year old former de facto President of Guatemala, dictator, army general, and former president of the Congress, who came to public office through a coup d'etat in1982 is currently on trial for Genocide and crimes against humanity. Amy Ross in an Aljazeera article titled ‘Wading uncharted waters: The trial of Rios Montt’ discusses how the events in Guatemala are exceptional because they are happening at home, in the nation where the crimes occurred. Ross states “When a judge ruled … Montt will, finally, stand trial for the crime of genocide, the news resounded profoundly at home and abroad. These events in Guatemala mark the first time a national court, anywhere, prosecutes its own former head of state for the crime of genocide. Several international courts established in the last 20 years have prosecuted people involved in genocide. …the judge ordered the former army general confined to his home - represented an extraordinary break with impunity in the Central American country; the decision to proceed with the trial, despite attempts to have the charges dropped, is of even greater significance. No ranking officer has been held responsible for the violence in which some 200,000 people, almost all civilians, lost their lives. …Holding trials "away" has been deemed appropriate when conducting a trial at home carries considerable risks. The rationale behind establishing international tribunals for the former Yugoslavia in The Hague, The Netherlands, and for Rwanda in Arusha, Tanzania, was that holding trials in the country where the violence occurred would put participants at risk and potentially disrupt other fragile socio-political conditions.  …We should pay close attention to these legal proceedings in Guatemala. In the US, evidence of torture, disappearances and other crimes against humanity committed by US service members is denied, ignored or disposed of with minimal punishment. We might well need lessons from the brave lawyers in Guatemala.”  Inspired by Amy Ross, Aljazeera ow.ly/hMHhZ Image source The Kooza ow.ly/hMHEM Wading uncharted waters: Trial of Rios Montt (March 1 2013)

 

Jose Efrain Rios Montt the 86 year old former de facto President of Guatemala, dictator, army general, and former president of the Congress, who came to public office through a coup d’etat in1982 is currently on trial for Genocide and crimes against humanity. Amy Ross in an Aljazeera article titled ‘Wading uncharted waters: The trial of Rios Montt’ discusses how the events in Guatemala are exceptional because they are happening at home, in the nation where the crimes occurred. Ross states “When a judge ruled … Montt will, finally, stand trial for the crime of genocide, the news resounded profoundly at home and abroad. These events in Guatemala mark the first time a national court, anywhere, prosecutes its own former head of state for the crime of genocide. Several international courts established in the last 20 years have prosecuted people involved in genocide. …the judge ordered the former army general confined to his home – represented an extraordinary break with impunity in the Central American country; the decision to proceed with the trial, despite attempts to have the charges dropped, is of even greater significance. No ranking officer has been held responsible for the violence in which some 200,000 people, almost all civilians, lost their lives. …Holding trials “away” has been deemed appropriate when conducting a trial at home carries considerable risks. The rationale behind establishing international tribunals for the former Yugoslavia in The Hague, The Netherlands, and for Rwanda in Arusha, Tanzania, was that holding trials in the country where the violence occurred would put participants at risk and potentially disrupt other fragile socio-political conditions.  …We should pay close attention to these legal proceedings in Guatemala. In the US, evidence of torture, disappearances and other crimes against humanity committed by US service members is denied, ignored or disposed of with minimal punishment. We might well need lessons from the brave lawyers in Guatemala.”

 

Inspired by Amy Ross, Aljazeera ow.ly/hMHhZ Image source The Kooza ow.ly/hMHEM

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