Eviction Story
Posted on | January 9, 2009 | No Comments
Not my best story. I started on it late after my original assignment on the SEIU fell through.
ANCHOR:
TWO MEN IN OAKLAND FIND THEMSELVES HOMELESS TODAY. THEY WERE GIVEN THIRTY DAYS TO EVACUTE THEIR HOME IN A CONVERTED GARAGE AFTER THE CITY CITED THEIR LANDLORD FOR ILLEGALLY RENTING THE SPACE. WHEN THE CASE WENT BEFORE JUDGE JUDITH FORD, SHE RULED THAT LIVING IN AN APARTMENT ILLEGALLY RENTED TO THEM WAS JUST CAUSE FOR EVICTING THEM. JARED MARCHILDON REPORTS.
Collective Punishment
Posted on | January 9, 2009 | 1 Comment
If there is any doubt about how Israel is conducting the colonization of Palestine, read today’s headline: “Israel Shelled Gazan Civilians.” Israeli soldiers rounded people up, around 100, put them in a school and then 24 hours later bombed the building. There can be no doubt that they knew civilians were in there. 30 of them died.
This is an acute demonstration of the sick campaign of collective punishment the Israeli government pursues against Gazans. And it didn’t begin with this incursion. They have been starving them, denying them movement, and intermittently bombing them for years.
The Israeli government has run continuous flights over Gaza for a long time, occassionally breaking the sound barrier to terrorize the inhabitents. Sharon pulled 8,000 “settlers” a.k.a. colonists out of Gaza a few years back. Over the next year 12,000 had moved back in. They stationed soldiers, ran these flights and posted tanks on the borders to “protest” the settlements.
The sea routes to Gaza, if you haven’t seen the news, has also frequently been cut off. In fair language, that’s called a blockade. Tanks on your doorstep is called a seige. Flights overhead are called patrols–like the patrol of a prison guard.
All of this adds up to collective punishment. Hamas fires rockets into Israeli settlements, so Israel punishs all palestinians. In part, because Israel does not know how to respond to such a disparity of force. The weak use homemade rockets to terrorize a civilian population (colonialists). That is not justified on any ground, but since 2000/2002(?not sure of the year, but a long time), no more than 20 Israeli civilian colonists have died. The death toll superceded 700 yesterday. 219 are women and children.
Blockades, patrols, seiges, and collective punishment. Punishing a civilian population violates international treaties, Geneva and distorts reality and creates “terrorists.” This lastest war will only deepen the problem.
American Decline
Posted on | January 7, 2009 | 4 Comments
I am going to make an off-hand wager: the decline of the United States will lead to a more peaceful world.
(Reading the Harper’s Piece Utopia Falls would help as background here)
Theory of hegemonic transfer would have it that during times of flux, one big power in decline and another rising, there exists conflict. China seems like one likely candidate, with their communist system clipping along quite well while other economies suffer, to take over from American Dominance. But, China talks of a peaceful or quiet rise and what their world “leadership” would look like is a crapshoot.
The character of American political leadership is quiet clear though. Torture, perpetual warfare, astronomical imprisonment rates, forceful economic control, and support for whatever dictatorship or cruel entity happens to be in line with our business interests–all under the guise of Human Rights, American exceptionalism and the interest of others. Military empire in short. Half of the world’s military expenditure is our own.
In America’s decline our militarism is sure to wither. In my world, that can only be a good thing.
An article from Al Jazeera
Posted on | January 2, 2009 | No Comments
http://english.aljazeera.net/focus/2008/12/20081230122143645275.html
Sent from a good friend of mine. His comment was that the article reflects his belief (very true) that this reflects “the reaffirmation of power by powerful nations (i.e. UN) and the ilegality or terrorism of the “other.”
Some more thoughts on Gaza
Posted on | January 2, 2009 | No Comments
“Only by ignoring the history of the Arab-Israeli conflict can you justify Israel’s current war on Gaza.”
Iraqi Boy Gets New Ears
Posted on | January 1, 2009 | No Comments
Rosey says there is never any good news. All the news stations cover is the bad stuff according to her. Well, yesterday I got to cover a good story. Enjoy
If you want to hear more on what’s happening in Gaza from our radio station, click here: the-kpfa-evening-news-for-december-31st-2008.
Hillary Flattens Iran
Posted on | December 29, 2008 | No Comments
Lost in the anger over the economic team and the re-appointment of Robert Gates (or did Obama even have the choice?) was Hillary Clinton’s nomination as Secretary of State. The environmentalists have reason to worry over his appointments (though I have a hard time hating too much on Ken Salazaar because he is from my home state), and all people on the left or hurt in this economic crisis should be pissed about Lawrence and the economic team, and everyone with a heart should be ticked about Gates. So, with all of these bad appointments (and he did make some good ones), I had forgotten about Clinton. Read more
gazans responsible for israel killing gazans
Posted on | December 28, 2008 | 3 Comments
Israel begins to bomb the hell out of Gaza. Their defense minister says Isreal is preparing for a ground incursion and will not stop. The death toll is climbing quickly and the victims are mostly civilian–this is an incredibly densely populated area–it is a verifiable massacre.
And, who is responsible? The colonizing government bombing Gaza? That government that barricades the Strip and prevents UN aid, medical help and food from entering? Or, the people who are now being bombed and starved by said government? Read more
The Wealth
Posted on | December 26, 2008 | No Comments
In my story on the Presidio a few weeks ago I identified Donald Fisher as “gap founder and billionaire.” When I said billionaire, I said it with a degree of venom in my voice. After I realized that my tone betrayed my bias–not that every writer does not have one. Riches are inherently suspect in my mind, and the greater the wealth the greater the suspicion.
Immigrant Rights Day
Posted on | December 18, 2008 | No Comments
I got to cover a truly international story today!
Anchor intro:
A COALITION OF IMMIGRANT RIGHTS GROUPS RALLIED OUTSIDE SAN FRANCISCO’S CITY HALL TODAY FOR INTERNATIONAL MIGRANTS DAY. SEVEN MEMBERS OF THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS JOINED THE COALTION CALLING FOR IMMIGRANT JUSTICE IN SAN FRANCISCO. JARED MARCHILDON REPORTS.
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