Dissent

Why won’t Western Politicians Condemn Israeli Crackdown on Palestinian Protesters, but do Complain about Ukraine?

(Via AFP) Hundreds demand reopening of key Hebron street (via AFP) Palestinians held a protest Friday in the West Bank city of Hebron to demand its main street be reopened, 20 years after the Israeli military closed it on security grounds. An AFP correspondent said about 1,000 Palestinians joined by Israeli and international… RT […]

Dissent

The Dark State: Snowden’s Revelations on Secret Gov’t Surveillance are the Tip of the Iceberg

contributors

(By Tom Engelhardt) Intelligence officials have weighed in with an estimate of just how many secret files National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden took with him when he headed for Hong Kong last June. Brace yourself: 1.7 million. At least they claim that as the number he or his web crawler accessed before he left town. Let’s assume […]

Dissent

The other Face of Putin’s Olympics: Pussy Riot Whipped, Beaten for Protest Song at Sochi

Juan Cole

Channel 4 News: “Members of the Russian protest group Pussy Riot are beaten with whips by Russian security police after trying to perform at the Winter Olympics.”

censorship

Tens of Thousands on Twitter Drop Turkey’s President over Internet Censorship Law

Juan Cole

(Via AFP) Turkey president loses Twitter followers over web law (via AFP) Turkish President Abdullah Gul has lost tens of thousands of Twitter followers after signing into force a controversial law voted in by parliament that would tighten controls over web use. Gul, a frequent user of social media, lost almost 80,000 followers… —— […]

censorship

Court Upholds Making fun of NSA, DHS, slaps Down their Nuisance Suit

Juan Cole

VOA reports, ‘The U.S. National Security Agency and the Department of Homeland Security suffered a legal defeat Tuesday as a feisty T-shirt designer reaffirmed the right to ridicule these large and powerful federal agencies. As VOA’s Jim Randle reports, the issue concerns satire, free speech, and the process of democracy.’

Dissent

Fisticuffs in Parliament as Turkish Gov’t undermines Independence of Judges

Juan Cole

(Via AFP) Lawmakers brawl as Turkey tightens grip on judiciary (via AFP) Turkey’s parliament passed a contested bill Saturday tightening the government’s grip on the judiciary, sparking a fist-fight that left one lawmaker with a broken nose. Fighting erupted between ruling party and opposition lawmakers as the bill — tabled… ——— Related video: Euronews […]

censorship

Donkeys on the Nile: The Egyptian Gov’t’s Problem with Journalists

contributors

(By Jonathan Moremi) “While Cairo was exploding, Egypt’s State TV aired pictures of a donkey pulling its cart peacefully along the banks of the river Nile” Three years after the revolution, the donkey seems to have become the metaphor for how Egypt’s military rulers spell the word ‘truth’ and intend to tell the story of […]

Dissent

Did Religious Extremism drive 2 Million Egyptian youth to Unbelief?

Juan Cole

(By Juan Cole) Egyptian journalist Hilmy al-Namnam said last fall that some researchers had concluded that there were 2 million Egyptian atheists. He blamed the rapid increase in unbelief among young people on the period of Muslim Brotherhood rule and the hypocrisy of television preachers. Educated young women are especially dismayed at the discourse on […]

Dissent

NSA’s Zero Day Exploits: Paying $800 mn. to Hackers so they Can Spy on You

contributors

(By Pratap Chatterjee via Tomdispatch) Imagine that you could wander unseen through a city, sneaking into houses and offices of your choosing at any time, day or night. Imagine that, once inside, you could observe everything happening, unnoticed by others — from the combinations used to secure bank safes to the clandestine rendezvous of lovers. […]