A few thousand people came out to demonstrate in 40 cities Germany on Saturday against US National Security Agency spying and German government complicity with it. They hailed from the Green Party, the Pirate Party, and organizations like “Stop Watching Us!” The biggest demo was in Frankfurt, the financial capital. German Chancellor Angela Merkel (center-right) […]
Fox to Reza Aslan: Why would a Muslim write a book about Jesus?
Academic publishes scholarly study of the historical Jesus. Fox Cable News wants only to talk about his own religious background as a Muslim. Apparently they don’t know over there that Muslims believe in Jesus (as a prophet, which is what the New Testament calls him– remember his comment about a prophet not being without honor?). […]
Egyptian authorities release CCTV Footage of Muslim Brotherhood Attack on 6 October Bridge
The Egyptian authorities have released CCTV video of the Muslim Brotherhood attempt to take over 6 October bridge, showing vanguards engaged in stone-throwing and appearing to cause fires (molotov cocktails?). h/t EAworldview Journalist @Beltrew also reported seeing the same events unfold. The Egyptian military allege that they simply repelled this attempt to take a key […]
Egypt: Midnight Massacre of Muslim Brothers at 6 October Bridge (NBC Video)
NBC news reports on the massacre at October 6 Bridge last night in Cairo. The Egyptian health ministry is now saying 66 are dead, the Muslim Brotherhood estimates twice that. NBC to its credit suggests a rational reason for the discrepancy. Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
Propaganda Terms in the Media and What They Mean – Noam Chomsky
This talk is from 1990 but it is astonishing how well it holds up. The terms of discourse haven’t changed. Propaganda Terms in the Media and What They Mean – Noam Chomsky
Egypt’s Revocouption Part Deux: Dueling Crowds leave 30 Dead
Egypt’s combination of popular street power and military power continued to dominate the unfolding events in that country on Friday. On Wednesday, Defense Minister Abdel Fattah al-Sisi called on the Egyptian masses to gather on Friday to “delegate” to the army the authority necessary to root out terrorism. Al-Sisi got his wish, as enormous crowds […]
Tunisia: Demos, Parliament Resignations and the Republic of Sidi Bouzid Secedes
The assassination on Thursday of the leftist leader of the Popular Front, Mohamed Brahmi, provoked no end of trouble in Tunisia on Friday. The left and the middle and upper class secularists tended to blame it on the ruling Renaissance (Ennahda) Party, a party of the religious Right. Some outright accused Renaissance of being behind […]
Pentagon: Americans must give up Liberties to fight “enemies” but we won’t say who they are (Currier)
Cora Currier writes at ProPublica In a major national security speech this spring, President Obama said again and again that the U.S. is at war with “Al Qaeda, the Taliban, and their associated forces.” So who exactly are those associated forces? It’s a secret. At a hearing in May, Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., asked the […]
Egypt: Military announces ‘War on Terror,’ Calls for Massive Demos Against Muslim Brotherhood
Here are two videos from AFP that help explain all those people milling in the street today in Egypt. Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, the Minister of Defense, called for big demonstrations on Friday so that that people can “delegate” to the military the ability to wage a “war on terror.” The use of that language […]