In a disturbing development, the Associated Press has revealed emails in which former Indiana governor Mitch Daniels advocated banning the use of Howard Zinn’s text, “A People’s History of the United States” in the state’s educational systems. What’s troublesome is not dislike of a book but that Daniels seems to have been willing to misuse […]
Archives for July 2013
Syria: Attack on Sayyida Zainab Provokes Sunni-Shiite Tensions in Lebanon, Iraq, Pakistan
The rocket attack on the Shrine of Sayyida Zaynab in the suburbs of Damascus on Friday has intensified the sectarian overtones of the Syrian civil war and exacerbated Sunni-Shiite tension in Iraq and elsewhere. Shrapnel killed the venerated caretaker of the shrine. ( Sayyida Zaynab [d. 682 AD] was the granddaughter of the Prophet Muhammad). […]
First, Close all the Coal Plants: MIT Study Shows they Shorten Lives
“Data from China show that large amounts of coal emissions shorten lives”: The MIT Energy Intiative reports: ” A high level of air pollution, in the form of particulates produced by burning coal, significantly shortens the lives of people exposed to it, according to a unique new study of China co-authored by an MIT economist. […]
Annals of White Terrorism: Police Arrest Suspect in bombing of Mosque, Murder of Muslim
A British-Ukrainian suspect is being looked at for both the murder of an elderly Muslim man and several bombings outside mosques in London. Terrorism against Muslims by people of European Christian heritage is almost never called ‘terrorism’ in the press, but this case clearly fits any reasonable definition of the phenomenon. Likewise there is never […]
“Whoever Speaks of 1967 borders speaks of Auschwitz”: Israel Cabinet not Serious about talks on a Palestinian State
US Secretary of State John Kerry very tentatively announced Friday that he has hopes that Israeli and Palestinian negotiations will start back up with a visit of both sides to Washington in the coming week. Oddly, he made the announcement alone, not flanked by either Palestinians or Israelis, prompting questions of whether he really had […]
How Fast can a Camel Run?
Camel Race – Wadi Rum, Jordan
On Anniversary of the First Moon Walk, it is the Chinese who Plan another
Today is the anniversary of the first moon walk, in 1969. Walter Cronkite anchors the first moon walk Meanwhile, nowadays it is China that is aiming for a moon base. They have begun by manned near-space missions, most recently the Shenzhou-10, a 15-day space mission by three astronauts. Beijing’s further goal is a space station […]
Protests and the Trayvon Martin Foundation: “Trayvon is Down but we’re Rising Up”
Small protests were held in about 100 cities throughout the US on behalf of Trayvon Martin, the 17-year-old unarmed victim in a shooting incident in Florida whose armed killer was found not guilty this week. Some were demanding that the acquitted killer, George Zimmerman, be charged with depriving Martin of his civil rights. Martin’s parents […]
Egypt’s pro, anti-Morsi Demonstrators Settle in for the Long Game
Friday saw large demonstrations in Cairo and several other cities by Muslim Brotherhood members demanding the reinstatement of deposed Egyptian President Muhammad Morsi. Those who are happy to see him gone, including millions of youth of the Rebellion Movement, Coptic Christians, working class people hurt by his economic policies, and Mubarak regime leftovers, have less […]