Wisdom Quarterly: human rights

Showing posts with label human rights. Show all posts

Sunday, November 6, 2011

Free the Slaves (video)

Wisdom Quarterly (Green Fest LA, Oct. 29, 2011), FreeTheSlaves.net

Together we can end it: 1320 19th St. NW Ste. 600, Washington, DC 20036, (202) 775-7480.

Now that Demi Moore is divorcing a philandering Ashton Kutcher, who will bring attention to child sex trafficking and the plight of underage prostitutes in the US? Who will stop the beatings of unpaid laborers? Who will get rights for domestic help treated worse than pets?

Jessica Gardiner answers questions and admires newborn. "Our mission is simple: We liberate modern slaves around the world then help them build their lives as human beings" (WQ/Seven).

Slavery goes far deeper than girls being forced to be molested to profit pimps and impoverished madams in secret brothels, who frequently trick parents into selling their children into indentured servitude or a better future -- never realizing what that means.

How to do something about it: info@freetheslaves.net

Impersonal economic forces ruin lives, but so do the very personal choices of white slavers, purchasers, money launderers, and capitalists with the next best thing to gold: free disposable labor. Most of us are "wage slaves," but at least we get wages and can act as if we were free. Imagine losing even those two perks.

Talking about an incomprehensible topic sometimes means just pointing at pictures. Gardiner grieves while producer Harold Linde fields questions (WQ/Seven).

Free The Slaves occupied a booth across from John Perkins -- the former self-described "economic hitman" for the US military-industrial complex -- at this weekend's Green Fest. Twin ghosts, beautiful young ladies with gaunt and haunted faces called attention to a taboo topic. An oversized picture book by Lisa Kristine. FTS

Success in solving the problem feels good, so celebrate!

Monday, October 10, 2011

Happy Birthday, Columbus (video)

For the World to Live "Columbus" Must Die
Russell Means, Program #MEAR003, recorded in Denver, CO on April 27, 1992

LISTEN TO AUDIO. For too many of us, for too long, the indigenous peoples of this continent have been curiosities that existed somewhere over the horizon between fantasy and reality. The popularly crafted images were of medicine men [mostly women], squaws, peace pipes, teepees, tom toms, tomahawks, war bonnets, war paint, war whoops, and war parties. The only Indians we knew were named Tonto, Geronimo, and Crazy Horse. In recent years a lot of these cliches have disappeared. The American Indian Movement has done much to break down the conventional stereotypes. AIM articulates a program of self awareness and pride. It promotes treaty and land rights and religious freedom for Native Americans.

Columbus Day stock market rally, "Occupy Wall Street" and "Occupy D.C." continue as wealthy suburb’s rush to the food bank
Columbus Day Blues

Russell Means, an Oglala Dakota and a prominent voice in the continuing struggle for indigenous rights, is a founding member of AIM and one of its leading spokespersons. He is Chief Executive Officer of the American Indian Anti-Defamation Council, an organization which monitors anti-Indian racism in the media and politics, and has organized and lectured throughout the world.

"Where Next Columbus?"
Crass
Another's hope, another's game
Another's loss, another's gain
Another's lies, another's truth
Another's doubt, another's proof
Another's left, another's right
Another's peace, another's fight
Another's name, another's aim
Another's fall, another's fame
Another's pride, another's shame
Another's love, another's pain
Another's hope, another's game
Another's loss, another's gain
Another's lies, another's truth...

Marx had an idea from the confusion of his head
Then there were a thousand more waiting to be led
The books are sold, the quotes are bought
You learn them well and then you're caught

Another's left, another's right
Another's peace, another's fight
Mussolini had ideas from the confusion of his heart
Then there were a thousand more waiting to play their part
The stage was set, the costumes worn
And another empire of destruction born
Another's name, another's aim
Another's fall, another's fame
Jung had an idea from the confusion of his dream
Then there were a thousand more waiting to be seen
You're not yourself, the theory says
But I can help, your complex pays

Another's hope, another's game
Another's loss, another's gain

Satre had an idea from the confusion of his brain
Then there were a thousand more indulging in his pain
Revelling in isolation and existential choice
Can you truly be alone when you use another's voice?

Another's lies, another's truth
Another's doubt, another's proof
The idea born in someone's mind
Is nurtured by a thousand blind
Anonymous beings, vacuous souls
Do you fear the confusion, your lack of control?
You lift your arm to write a name
So caught up in the identity game

Who do you see? Who do you watch?
Who's your leader? Which is your flock?
Who do you watch? Who do you watch?
Who's your leader? Which is your flock?
Einstein had an idea from the confusion of his knowledge
Then there were a thousand more turning to advantage
They realised that their god was dead
So they reclaimed power through the bomb instead
Anothers code, another's brain
They'll shower us all in deadly rain
Jesus had an idea from the confusion of his soul
Then there were a thousand more waiting to take control
The guilt is sold, forgiveness bought
The cross is there as your reward

Anothers love, another's pain
Anothers pride, another's shame
Do you watch at a distance from the side you have chosen?
Whose answers serve you best? Who'll save you from confusion?
Who will leave you an exit and a comfortable cover
Who will take you oh so near the edge, but never drop you over?
Who do you watch?

Monday, October 3, 2011

What "Occupy Together" wants (list)

The position of Occupy Together as edited by Wisdom Quarterly

Declaration of the Occupation of New York City
Occupylosangeles.org

As we gather together in solidarity to express a feeling of mass injustice, we must keep an eye on what brought us together. We write so that all people wronged by corporate forces of the world will know that we stand together as allies. We are here until the fairness that is already law is actually applied to banks, hedge funds, corporations, the military, and the White House. As ONE people, united, we acknowledge that:

The future of the human race requires the cooperation
Our system must protect our rights
If the system is corrupt, it is up to individuals to protect rights
A democratic government derives its (just) power from people
Corporations do not have our consent to extract Earth's wealth
No real democracy is attainable when economic power rules

We come at a time when corporations -- which place profit over people, self-interest over justice, and oppression over equality -- run our governments. We have peaceably assembled here, as is our right, to let these facts be known.

But WHY are you occupying major US cities?

Corporations have taken our houses through an illegal foreclosure, despite not having the original mortgage.
Corporations have taken bailouts from [corrupted politicians on the backs of] taxpayers with impunity, yet they continue to give their executives exorbitant bonuses.
Corporations have perpetuated inequality and discrimination in the workplace based on skin color, age, sex, gender identity, and sexual orientation.
They have poisoned the air, water, and food supply and undermined farming through monopolization.
They have profited from illegal torture, unjust confinement, and cruel treatment of countless nonhumans and actively hidden these practices.
They have stripped employees of the right to negotiate for living wages and safer working conditions.
They hold students hostage with tens of thousands of dollars in student loan debt, a human right provided to earlier generations.
They have outsourced labor and used that as leverage to cut workers’ health coverage and pay.
Corporations have corrupted the courts to have the same rights as people, with none of the responsibility.

They have spent millions on legal teams to look for ways to evade taxes and get out of health insurance contracts.
They have sold our privacy as a commodity.
They have bought and traded pollution as a commodity.
They have used our police and military to end freedom of the press.
They have deliberately declined to recall faulty products in pursuit of profits.
They determine economic policy, despite the catastrophic failures their policies have and continue to produce.
They have lined the pockets of politicians who are supposed to regulate them.
They HIDE and block alternate forms of energy to keep us dependent on oil, gas, plastic, war, coal, and pollution.
They block generic chemicals that have already reaped great profits violating patent promises.
They block and outlaw natural remedies, therapies, vitamins, and supplements.
They promote synthetic poison pharmaceuticals and tainted vaccines.
They purposely cover up oil spills, accidents, criminal bookkeeping, and harmful ingredients in pursuit of profit.
They keep us disinformed, misinformed, and fearful by control of the media.
They accept private contracts to murder prisoners even when presented with serious evidence of their innocence.
They perpetuate colonialism occupying us at home and others abroad.
They encourage and engage in torture and the murder of innocent civilians overseas.
They behave as a military-industrial EMPIRE that has little regard for US citizens.
Corporations create, deploy, and sell weapons of mass destruction in order to receive government contracts.*

*THESE GRIEVANCES ARE NOT AN ALL-INCLUSIVE LIST OF WHY WE ARE HERE.

As long as they don't come to DC, I don't care what they do. You won't fund my re-election? Well, these hippies have got to be dealt with with the full authority vested in my office.

People of the world,

We the New York City General Assembly occupying Wall Street in Liberty Square, urge you: Assert your power.

Exercise your right to peaceably assemble; occupy public space; create a process to address the problems we all are facing; generate solutions accessible to everyone.

To all communities that take action and form groups in the spirit of direct democracy, we offer support, documentation, and all of the resources at our disposal.

We will make our voices heard!

Log in or register to post comments.
Woman at SF Fed demands Dimon come out hands up

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

The Lesbian Subversives of Iran (video)

Wisdom Quarterly (ANALYSIS)

(ICB) Sundance Audience Award winner "Circumstance" -- a wealthy Iranian family struggles to contain a teenager's growing sexual rebellion and her brother's dangerous obsession.

Homosexual acting out is common in religions/cultures that strictly segregate boys and girls. The very desire for purity leads to guilt, shame, and makes one wonder if that is not the point. Christianity (Catholicism), so vehemently opposed to gays, seems most famous for this. And Pres. Ahmadinejad seems as in denial about what is going on as an American mom.

(sff) Meet the Artists: Maryam Keshavarz on her [Iranian lesbian]
film "Circumstance" premiering at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival.

But Buddhism where monasticism is prodded or where monastics deny and prevent the natural affinity of young people to commingle is not immune to this phenomenon. Macho Iran, Afghanistan, and enclaves like the US military and American prisons and seminaries and Republican caucuses (and other segregated environments) are havens for homosexual acting out.

Do Iranians make funny clips of American leaders' hypocrisy?

Hypocrisy comes with high morals.

And we are all in denial, hoodwinked by the hyper-masculinity and poorly veiled misogyny. Maybe eroticizing the issue focusing on Muslim lesbians (surely an oxymoron in Islam as it would be in fundamentalist Christianity) will bring the issue to light. Let gays be gay, but it might be nice to spare non-gays the guilt and shame of youthful indiscretions because they are given precious few alternatives just when their hormones are raging.

American Bacha Bazi (NAMBLA-style B4U-ACT)

[Bacha bazi is the Middle Eastern custom of what in the West is regarded as child molestation and pederasty.] Along with venerable child advocate Dr. Judith Reisman, I attended a conference hosted by the American pro-pedophile group B4U-ACT. Conference highlights: Pedophiles are “unfairly... demonized,” “Children are not inherently unable to consent” to sex with an adult, “in Western culture sex is taken too seriously,” “Anglo-American standard on age of consent is new [and ‘Puritanical’]. In Europe it was always set at 10 or 12. Ages of consent beyond that are relatively new and very strange, especially for boys. They’ve always been able to have sex at any age.” And an adult’s desire to have sex with children is “normative.”

Snooki understands rise in US lesbianism rate
VIDEO: Jersey Shore's drunk lesbian episode
VIDEO: Mass-rape of women, children by US soldiers
VIDEO: US police [homo]sexually abuse woman
(Military-trained) police go into action stripping, falsely imprisoning, humiliating, (raping?) under color of authority against anyone for any reason, even those who call for help. Stark County Ohio Sheriffs (male and female) attack and forcibly strip an innocent woman [a military and CIA prison technique] then charge her with resisting. (330) 430-3800, 4500 Atlantic Blvd., N.E., Canton, Ohio 44705, strkshrf@raex.com
S.N.A.P. sues Pope, Vatican for child rape in world court
VIDEO: No. American police ignore rape, abuse victims
VIDEO: Rape with official approval in American prisons
VIDEO: US Tax Money Funds Pedophilia - WikiLeaks
VIDEO: Young boys made sex slaves in Afghanistan
VIDEO: America's toughest jails, Brits behind bars
Catholic priests rape, survivors go to Int'l court
How (Americans) become gay

American Bucha Bazi: Warden David Wise (6:35) would not want to work in a prison without vices that keep the prisoners busy and make control easier for authorities.

Friday, July 15, 2011

New Hippies through the Decades (video)

Amber Dorrian, Seven, Macpherson, Pauper Poet (Wisdom Quarterly)
1960s: "Wonderwall" with George Harrison

Imagine a world where we all got along. Nothing divides us but our arbitrary categories and allegiances. We say we're this, not that. Imagine converting to all religions, clinging to none. Imagine accepting everyone, rejecting none. Imagine not judging, and without judgment, acceptance and compassion.

1970s: "In every dream home a heartache. And every step I take takes me further from heaven."Is there a heaven? I'd like to think so. Standards of living, they're rising daily. But home, O sweet home, it's only a saying..." (Roxy Music).

The Buddha's Dharma is universal and leads to light. There is no reason to reject anything or anyone. Nirvana's Kurt Cobain seemed to be onto something. But even before that, the Beatles understood, and Led Zeppelin imagining themselves traveling through Kashmir. Then Rave Culture caught on in the very next decade, first in the UK then the US. And there may be no better example of techno than Makai's remix of "Five Elements Ninja."

"Instead of money and power, rave called for empathy, intimacy, spirituality, and the joy of losing yourself in the crowd."

1980s: Rave culture is born

Of course many think the 90s were a dark period of materialism, blind ambition, and chemical drugs. But there was crunchiness and a longing for days gone by, as funny as it may seem that three decades on, the Sixties were still the only example of "peace, love, and happiness" many Americans had, that and Grateful Dead shows followed by Phish. This was followed in the aughts (00s) by endless free festivals that continue to this day.

Rainbow Spirit

1990s: Festivals, festivals, and more plans for festivals

Then the music industry fell into a dormant period, at least rock music did, until one Buddhism inspired some depressive Seattle slackers to wish for a "final end of suffering." The singer named his new band "Nirvana" as he tried to walk the path and cross over from the muddy banks of the Wishkah. It has smelled like Teen Spirit deodorant ever since. And in 1999, it culminated in a post-punk MTV orgy of violence and greed.

Kurt Cobain: "At this point I have a request for our fans. If any of you in any way hate homosexuals, people of different color, or women, please do this one favor for us... leave us the ***K alone! Don't come to our shows, and don't buy our records."

2000s: Y2K began in 1999 with MTV's version of Woodstock

The Fenians, Irish Republic Proclamation: "All men are born with equal rights, and in associating together to protect one another and share public burdens, justice demands that such associations should rest upon a basis which maintains equality instead of destroying it. We therefore declare that, unable longer to endure the curse of monarchical government, we aim at founding a republic, based on universal suffrage, which shall secure to all the intrinsic value of their labour" (The Irish People to the World 1867).

Suburban angst builds before Los Angeles rises

2010s: "And now The End is near. And so I face the final curtain. Ha, ha, ha. You can't, I'm not a queer. I'll state my case, of which I'm certain. I've lived a life that's full. I traveled each and every highway. And more, much more than this, I did it my way" (Sid Vicious).

L.A. RISING 2011: Rage Against the Machine (July 30)

Things

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Buddhist Sri Lanka charged with war crimes

Sri Lanka defends charges of alleged war crime

Amid mounting pressure from the western nations on Sri Lanka to investigate alleged war crime during the ethnic conflict, the government today said that that the politically motivated campaign to undermine the sovereignty of the country will fail as its friends would stand by it. Foreign Minister G.L. Peiris underlined that Sri Lanka had not been internationally isolated in the back drop of the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's expert panel report which accused Colombo of war crimes and called for a probe. More

Indefensible state crimes
Wisdom Quarterly (COMMENTARY)

While the sacred isle of Sri Lanka off the southern tip of India is not officially Buddhist, the majority of its Sinhalese population and most of its government officials are Buddhists. This majority waged a sustained campaign against rebel Hindu-Tamil forces attempting to secede. Keeping the relatively small island united was an admirable goal.

But there are twists and turns. The Buddhist president double-crossed his own people by secretly funding terrorist Tamil Tigers. The actions of at least one official kept the war going; Tamils eventually repaid the double cross by assassinating him. And Asia's longest running civil war continued for decades longer than it might have otherwise.

There can be little doubt that the dominant power, the Sri Lankan military and clandestine services, committed war crimes as much as it pains Sinhalese citizens to admit as much.

However, we cannot take sides with war criminals -- particularly state-sponsored actors -- simply because they espouse Buddhist values or aspirations. The civilian Tamil minority (shown here protesting in the US and UK) was wronged. This continued even after the cessation of hostilities when they were sent to detention camps and stripped of dignity and land. Unless countries and religions take the high road when they hold power, how can they ask others to take that road when they themselves are powerless?

Of course, Tamil Tigers committed atrocities of their own as a rebel force, and this cannot be justified.

But in light of their subordinated status in Sri Lankan society and the discrimination they face as a racial and religious minority, Tamil behavior is more understandable than the government counter measures taken against them. There are comparable situations in Palestine/Israel and the rest of the world versus such superpowers as the USA, England, USSR, China, and Rome.

How will anyone defend abuses by legitimate powers? At least China officially renounced Buddhism in favor of communism before engaging in a campaigns of atrocities against the citizens/subjects it claimed -- Tibetan, Taiwanese, Uighurs, and other ethnic (non-Han Chinese) minorities.