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Friday, May 16, 2003 |
QUOTE OF THE DAY
"Fascism should more appropriately be called corporatism because it is a merger of state and corporate power."
- - Benito Mussolini (Encyclopedia Italiana)
MAY 16th IN HISTORY:
1527 - - The Medici government in Florence, Italy is overthrown; the Republic is re-established.
1918 - - US Congress passes Sedition Act against radicals, penalizing anyone judged to be hindering the war effort by making false statements, obstructing enlistment, or speaking against production of war materials, the American government, its constitution, or flag. Signed into law by President Wilson 5/21/18.
TV TIP TODAY
Fri, May 16, 7:00 AM ET (Fri, May 16, 4:00 AM PT)
Fri, May 16, 1:00 PM ET (Fri, May 16, 10:00 AM PT)
Peter Coyote's The Active Opposition: Your New$ and the Bottom Line
An exploration of the impact of media consolidation. Host Peter Coyote interviews Walter Cronkite and moderates a panel of media experts, who discuss why, since the 1996 Telecommunications Act, the number of major U.S. news organizations has shrunk to six. MORE INFO AT:
Your New$ and the Bottom Line
Will re-broadcast over the next few weeks
RHINO HERE:
RHINO'S BOTTOM LINE today is a brief essay that to my knowledge is not yet posted on the web, but has been making its way around cyberland via email. Written by K. Scott, it first compares the current governmental right sided drift to changes in a computer operating system. then it intelligently proposes activists focus on three primary areas of concern. Smart stuff.
But first, 2 items of possible interest. Following up on yesterdays blog item about the U.N. 2nd Session of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, is this weeks editorial from the largest circulated American Indian periodical, Indian Country Today (they call it ICT) providing insight into what may or may not come out of this weeks meeting.
And before that, an article from ICT including interview bites with yours truly on a new exercise-comedy video we're distributed free of charge throughout Indian communities.
'Rez-Robics' by DreamCatchers Inc. and Navajo Health Promotions
by: Lucinda Rowlands, Indian Country Today, 5/8/03
MALIBU, Calif. - Richard Simmons had better stay on his toes. White Mountain Apache comedian Drew LaCapa is gunning for his job. But it doesn't look like Simmons will have to turn over his tank-top just yet. LaCapa seems to prefer leopard print spandex and purple gingham dresses.
"Rez-Robics," the long-awaited two-video set produced by DreamCatchers Inc. and Navajo Health Promotion specifically targets American Indians and is available free of charge to them. "Rez-Robics - The Exercise Tape" and "Rez-Robics for Coach Potato Skins" use humor to teach simple methods to treat and beat the silent killer that has reached epidemic proportions - diabetes.
LaCapa provides comic relief on "Rez-Robics for Coach Potato Skins" with the help of Northern Exposure's Elaine Miles, Nez Perce/Cayuse, rapper Natay, Navajo, and other well known Indian country faces....
READ IT ALL AT:
http://www.indiancountry.com/article/1052410303
Indigenous representation grows at United Nations: but will economic cooperation follow?
Indian Country Today Editorial, May 12, 2003
The world's indigenous peoples converge this week in New York for the United Nations Second Session of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues. This is an important event and we congratulate all the Native nations, institutional and individual supporters who have worked diligently to introduce indigenous voices onto the global stage.
For over 500 years, indigenous peoples faced one of two choices: be exterminated or be assimilated. The idea that the Native peoples of the world could find a seat at the table and be able to express themselves to the global community - from within their own cultures and historical realities - was considered ludicrous.
That all changed in 1977, when after half a century of struggle, the first UN conference to gather information on cases of human rights violations against indigenous peoples was held in Geneva, Switzerland. That gathering of nearly 170 traditional elders and community leaders, the International NGO (Non-Governmental Organization) Conference on the Discrimination Against the Indians of the Americas, marked a tremendous occasion. Formally, for the first time, the world heard not only about the many atrocities suffered by the Native communities, it also heard genuinely unique philosophies of life and existence. Indigenous intelligence entered the universal discourse...
READ IT ALL AT:
http://www.indiancountry.com/article/1052748329
8:50:43 AM 
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Hostile "upgrade" of USOS
from K. Scott, 5/11/03
An unwanted, unnecessary, and indeed counterproductive "upgrade" of the operating system of the United States is in the offing. Like those upgrades of our computer operating systems, which are touted as improvements but in fact generally signal mayhem in our ability to deal with our computers and the software programs that we are used to using, the forced "upgrade" of the USOS (United States Operating System) will not improve the lot of citizens but rather will effectively cancel most of the software that we are used to (with all of their known flaws....) -- such as environmental, education, transportation, social services, administration of justice, carrying out of elections, taxation, social security, etc.
I am using a computer operating system as a metaphor for the social systems whereby information is disseminated and decisions are made, as opposed to the substance of the decisions that get made. In this view, the USOS could be seen to have three main components: our electoral process; our justice system; and the media. [Note that using the pretext of the Reichstag Fire, Hitler early on moved to get control of the media (Goebbels was his media/propaganda chief) and the courts. I don't think they then had any more elections after that....] Changes that the Bush administration and its cronies want to make in the operational infrastructure of this country could also perhaps be viewed as computer viruses, or "worms" (technically, I'm out of my depth here...) that neutralize any challenges from those who want to use legal means to exercise their rights under the Bill of Rights and change US society to be more democratic and equitable. In short, to get a fair share of the pie, which will require shortening the fat cats' rations.
Thus, it seems to me that with the storm of action alerts that we are all most likely, getting (environment; health benefits; education being defunded; Department of Interior, something happening there... etc., not to mention the ongoing high crimes, misdemeanors, and lies we are surrounded by -- so much that you cannot figure out what to respond to and end up putting everything in the "to do... some other time" corner of your email program), there might be an argument for focusing on these three areas above all as we allocate our limited activism resources (letter writing etc.) .
1. Justice system: put pressure on our reps. to block appointment of right-wing judges at all levels.
2. Put pressure to force transparent and monitorable and challengeable electoral process (under threat from computerized voting machines that can be fiddled with).
3. Media: Put pressure on reps. to block changing FCC regs so that one corporate owner can own over 35% of the media in a region or city (this is approximate recap of desired change).
1. Right-wing justices will block challenges to attacks on citizens' rights.
2. Computer election fraud means no way to ensure that anyone but Repubs or Dems "chosen" by Repubs will ever be elected.
3. Media control means we will never find out anything. Ultimately, media control will mean control of Internet; corporations will seek ways to control Internet as "commons" for political discussion/ dissent. Americans who disagree with the "mainstream consensus" could find themselves gagged, bound, and isolated. Actually, everyone would be gagged, bound, and isolated, but progressives dissenters might find themselves *actually* g, b, and i... Anyway... Here are three info sources for these issues:
1. Justice:
TWO LINKS TO PEOPLE FOR THE AMERICAN WAY
http://www.pfaw.org/pfaw/general/default.aspx?oid=103 http://www.pfaw.org/pfaw/general/default.aspx?oid=613
2. Election computer fraud: See forwarded letter from Peter Coyote.
RHINOS BLOG ON ELECTION FRAUD INCLUDING MESSAGE FROM PETER COYOTE
http://radio.weblogs.com/0103207/2003/04/16.html 3. Media: See/hear
TWO RHINOS BLOGS WITH LOTS OF RESOURCES ON FIGHTING THE FCC RULE CHANGES
http://radio.weblogs.com/0103207/2003/05/12.html#a1024
http://radio.weblogs.com/0103207/2003/04/30.html
"RHINO'S BLOG" is the responsibility of Gary Rhine. (rhino@kifaru.com)
Feedback, and requests to be added or deleted from the list are encouraged.
SEARCH BLOG ARCHIVES / SURF RHINO'S LINKS, AT:
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RHINO'S OTHER WEB SITES:
http://www.dreamcatchers.org (INDIGENOUS ASSISTANCE & INTERCULTURAL DIALOG)
http://www.kifaru.com (NATIVE AMERICAN RELATIONS VIDEO DOCUMENTARIES)
Articles are reprinted under Fair Use Doctrine of international copyright law.
http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.html
All copyrights belong to original publisher.
6:42:09 AM
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© Copyright 2005 Gary Rhine.
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