Rice Faces Stanford Students’ Questions on Torture

When is torture illegal? There’s a great representation of divergent views in this video of Former U.S. Secretary of State Condeleeza Rice speaking with Stanford students in an informal setting.

Eco-Savvy Storytellers watching the greening of politics.

Rice Faces Stanford Students’ Questions on Torture

When is torture illegal? There’s a great representation of divergent views in this video of Former U.S. Secretary of State Condeleeza Rice speaking with Stanford students in an informal setting.

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Banana, Blood and Fungus Describe Unregulated Corporatism’s Weakness for Greed

Huffington Post contributor Johann Hari offers a metaphor for unsustainable corporate practices in a telling of the history of the world’s most popular fruit: the banana.

Is there a parable for our times in this odd milkshake of banana, blood and fungus? For a hundred years, a handful of corporations were given a gorgeous fruit, set free from regulation, and allowed to do what they wanted with it. What happened? They had one good entrepreneurial idea – and to squeeze every tiny drop of profit from it, they destroyed democracies, burned down rainforests, and ended up killing the fruit itself.

Read more of Why Bananas are a Parable For Our Times.

Banana, Blood and Fungus Describe Unregulated Corporatism’s Weakness for Greed

Huffington Post contributor Johann Hari offers a metaphor for unsustainable corporate practices in a telling of the history of the world’s most popular fruit: the banana.

Is there a parable for our times in this odd milkshake of banana, blood and fungus? For a hundred years, a handful of corporations were given a gorgeous fruit, set free from regulation, and allowed to do what they wanted with it. What happened? They had one good entrepreneurial idea – and to squeeze every tiny drop of profit from it, they destroyed democracies, burned down rainforests, and ended up killing the fruit itself.

Read more of Why Bananas are a Parable For Our Times.

Eco-Savvy Storytellers watching the greening of politics.

Banana, Blood and Fungus Describe Unregulated Corporatism’s Weakness for Greed

Huffington Post contributor Johann Hari offers a metaphor for unsustainable corporate practices in a telling of the history of the world’s most popular fruit: the banana.

Is there a parable for our times in this odd milkshake of banana, blood and fungus? For a hundred years, a handful of corporations were given a gorgeous fruit, set free from regulation, and allowed to do what they wanted with it. What happened? They had one good entrepreneurial idea – and to squeeze every tiny drop of profit from it, they destroyed democracies, burned down rainforests, and ended up killing the fruit itself.

Read more of Why Bananas are a Parable For Our Times.

Eco-Savvy Storytellers watching the greening of politics.

Banana, Blood and Fungus Describe Unregulated Corporatism’s Weakness for Greed

Huffington Post contributor Johann Hari offers a metaphor for unsustainable corporate practices in a telling of the history of the world’s most popular fruit: the banana.

Is there a parable for our times in this odd milkshake of banana, blood and fungus? For a hundred years, a handful of corporations were given a gorgeous fruit, set free from regulation, and allowed to do what they wanted with it. What happened? They had one good entrepreneurial idea – and to squeeze every tiny drop of profit from it, they destroyed democracies, burned down rainforests, and ended up killing the fruit itself.

Read more of Why Bananas are a Parable For Our Times.

Thanks for your continued subscription. If you have an insight or piece of news that seems to fit our blog, please feel free to contact us.

Obama’s Rock-Star Status Challenged in Gaza-Israel Conflict

Much of the world cheered when Barack Obama won the 2008 US Presidential Election. Never has there been such an international out pour of delight. However, Obama’s recent cabinet appointments and decision to refrain from calling for a cease fire in the current Israel-Gaza/Lebanon conflict has drawn the sharp criticism of Progressives, Greens and Black Nationalists. As if that’s not enough, Democratic House members are also responding to appointments with ruffled feathers.

Black Agenda Report Editor Glen Ford has been critical of Obama for a long time, pointing out that while the President-Elect holds celebrity status amongst many in the black community, their vision is short-sighted. Ford indicates that Obama stands on the shoulders of Martin Luther King, Jr. but does not fulfill the promise of the Civil Rights leader.

Ford, an outspoken Black Nationalist, points instead to Green Party Presidential Candidate Cynthia McKinney as “Black America’s moral emissary to the world…Thanks to the presence of the former Georgia congresswoman and Green Party presidential candidate on the mission, millions of Arabs have been made aware of a different Black America, one that is not silent, like Barack Obama, in the face of a purposely inflicted human rights catastrophe.”

Obama has asserted that he is very concerned with the recent conflict but that “there is only one President at a time.” This defense is sour sloganism for activists who are impatient for solutions to the conditions of Palestinians in Gaza. Progressive Democrats are more patient, but still critical. Ben Cohen writes in the Huffington Post that Obama and Clinton’s silence on the Gaza is a failure that will lead to the strengthening of Hamas.

Given that President Bush is already halfway to the Crawford Ranch, Obama’s deference leaves a vacuum of opinion from the White House.

Obama’s Rock-Star Status Challenged in Gaza-Israel Conflict

Much of the world cheered when Barack Obama won the 2008 US Presidential Election. Never has there been such an international out pour of delight. However, Obama’s recent cabinet appointments and decision to refrain from calling for a cease fire in the current Israel-Gaza/Lebanon conflict has drawn the sharp criticism of Progressives, Greens and Black Nationalists. As if that’s not enough, Democratic House members are also responding to appointments with ruffled feathers.

Black Agenda Report Editor Glen Ford has been critical of Obama for a long time, pointing out that while the President-Elect holds celebrity status amongst many in the black community, their vision is short-sighted. Ford indicates that Obama stands on the shoulders of Martin Luther King, Jr. but does not fulfill the promise of the Civil Rights leader.

Ford, an outspoken Black Nationalist, points instead to Green Party Presidential Candidate Cynthia McKinney as “Black America’s moral emissary to the world…Thanks to the presence of the former Georgia congresswoman and Green Party presidential candidate on the mission, millions of Arabs have been made aware of a different Black America, one that is not silent, like Barack Obama, in the face of a purposely inflicted human rights catastrophe.”

Obama has asserted that he is very concerned with the recent conflict but that “there is only one President at a time.” This defense is sour sloganism for activists who are impatient for solutions to the conditions of Palestinians in Gaza. Progressive Democrats are more patient, but still critical. Ben Cohen writes in the Huffington Post that Obama and Clinton’s silence on the Gaza is a failure that will lead to the strengthening of Hamas.

Given that President Bush is already halfway to the Crawford Ranch, Obama’s deference leaves a vacuum of opinion from the White House.

Eco-Savvy Storytellers watching the greening of politics.

Obama’s Rock-Star Status Challenged in Gaza-Israel Conflict

Much of the world cheered when Barack Obama won the 2008 US Presidential Election. Never has there been such an international out pour of delight. However, Obama’s recent cabinet appointments and decision to refrain from calling for a cease fire in the current Israel-Gaza/Lebanon conflict has drawn the sharp criticism of Progressives, Greens and Black Nationalists. As if that’s not enough, Democratic House members are also responding to appointments with ruffled feathers.

Black Agenda Report Editor Glen Ford has been critical of Obama for a long time, pointing out that while the President-Elect holds celebrity status amongst many in the black community, their vision is short-sighted. Ford indicates that Obama stands on the shoulders of Martin Luther King, Jr. but does not fulfill the promise of the Civil Rights leader.

Ford, an outspoken Black Nationalist, points instead to Green Party Presidential Candidate Cynthia McKinney as “Black America’s moral emissary to the world…Thanks to the presence of the former Georgia congresswoman and Green Party presidential candidate on the mission, millions of Arabs have been made aware of a different Black America, one that is not silent, like Barack Obama, in the face of a purposely inflicted human rights catastrophe.”

Obama has asserted that he is very concerned with the recent conflict but that “there is only one President at a time.” This defense is sour sloganism for activists who are impatient for solutions to the conditions of Palestinians in Gaza. Progressive Democrats are more patient, but still critical. Ben Cohen writes in the Huffington Post that Obama and Clinton’s silence on the Gaza is a failure that will lead to the strengthening of Hamas.

Given that President Bush is already halfway to the Crawford Ranch, Obama’s deference leaves a vacuum of opinion from the White House.

Thanks for your continued subscription. If you have an insight or piece of news that seems to fit our blog, please feel free to contact us.

Congo and the Fight for Minerals

Often seen as a theater of ethnic cleansing, the Congo suffers from the brutal repercussions of being a mineral rich land. Here, mercenary profit drives genocide and systematic rape. As a Belgium colony, the Congo produced large amounts of gold which helped to fund WWII efforts. Now overseen by warlords and guarded by glassy-eyed gun-bearing youths, this once rich land produces the minerals required to make our electronic goods and gold jewelry. Writer and activist Ann Garrison offers this interview to Pacifica Radio’s KPFA.

Thanks for your continued subscription. If you have an insight or piece of news that seems to fit our blog, please feel free to contact us.