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Saturday, January 10, 2009 |
BBC: "'Consider the terrible consequences of the 'anything goes' Bush Administration, whose irresponsible non-regulation of financial institutions has led to this crisis.'
Those words, from the Democratic Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi, sum up the charge against George W Bush - that in the eight years of his presidency he actively pursued policies of deregulation which caused the biggest financial and economic meltdown since the Great Depression.
It is a grim legacy for President Bush to contemplate as he enters his final days in office - but is it true?
Market collapse
He certainly presided over a widespread failure of regulation.
'Far-reaching reform'
Many see the repeal of the Glass-Steagall Act as a major, direct cause of the current financial crisis.
But it was signed by a Democratic President, Bill Clinton, and supported by many other Democratic politicians, among them the scourge of Bush deregulation Nancy Pelosi.
President Bush must take his share of the blame.
There is no doubt that George W Bush is a natural supporter of deregulation and that his administration did nothing to stop all sorts of questionable financial activities in the private sector (even though it did not condone them).
As president, he bears the ultimate political responsibility and his party has paid the ultimate political price."
Of course, it is the policy adopted by right and left that is to blame for this crisis. The neocon ideology, the market economy, the deregulation and privatization, are the direct cause of our trouble. It was and still is the reigning ideology even among Democrats and New Labour. They continue their imperialist and market policies. That is the source of the crisis.
The solution is this: governments should take over and nationalize all essential services, like energy, health care, public transport, the military, banks, education, etc. This will guarantee the continuation of services and provide employment, thus keeping the economy going. If taxpayers money is used to bail out companies, these companies should be directed and controlled by the government and the profits those companies make should go to the community.
The market economy failed, it does not work, it ruined our economy. It's time for new rules.
11:30:34 AM 
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BBC: "Former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair will receive the highest civilian award in the US - the Presidential Medal of Freedom - next week."
He deserves this medal for his war crimes, his lies, his collaboration with the torture practices of the US.
AlterNet: "The Bush administration's infatuation with presidential power has finally pushed the country over a constitutional precipice. As of New Year's Day, ongoing combat in Iraq is illegal under US law.
In authorizing an invasion in 2002, Congress did not give President Bush a blank check. It explicitly limited the use of force to two purposes: to 'defend the national security of the US from the threat posed by Iraq' and 'enforce all relevant UN Security Council resolutions'.
Five years after the fall of Saddam Hussein, the government of Iraq no longer poses a threat. Our continuing intervention has been based on the second clause of Congress' grant of war-making power. Coalition troops have been acting under a series of Security Council resolutions authorizing the continuing occupation of Iraq. But this year, Bush allowed the UN mandate to expire on December 31 without requesting a renewal. At precisely one second after midnight, Congress' authorization of the war expired along with this mandate."
11:14:27 AM
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UN: "Since the Israeli military operation began on 27 December until 8 January 758 Palestinians have been killed - approximately 42% of whom were women (60) and children (257) according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health. The number of children fatalities has increased by 250% since the beginning of ground operation on 3 January. The Israeli offensive has resulted in the largest number of forcibly displaced Palestinians since 1967. The electricity output steadily declined as the week progressed, and finally shut down in most parts of Gaza on 4 January. During the week, the overriding health concern was of the effect of power outages on primary health facilities. As of 7 January, 800,000 people in North Gaza, Gaza and the Middle Area are without running water supply."
RedCross: "The ICRC/PRCS team found four small children next to their dead mothers in one of the houses. They were too weak to stand up on their own. One man was also found alive, too weak to stand up. In all there were at least 12 corpses lying on mattresses.
In another house, the ICRC/PRCS rescue team found 15 other survivors of this attack including several wounded. In yet another house, they found an additional three corpses. Israeli soldiers posted at a military position some 80 meters away from this house ordered the rescue team to leave the area which they refused to do. There were several other positions of the Israel Defense Forces nearby as well as two tanks."
Guardian: "It's time. Long past time. The best strategy to end the increasingly bloody occupation is for Israel to become the target of the kind of global movement that put an end to apartheid in South Africa.
In July 2005 a huge coalition of Palestinian groups laid out plans to do just that. They called on 'people of conscience all over the world to impose broad boycotts and implement divestment initiatives against Israel similar to those applied to South Africa in the apartheid era'. The campaign Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions was born.
Every day that Israel pounds Gaza brings more converts to the BDS cause - even among Israeli Jews. In the midst of the assault roughly 500 Israelis, dozens of them well-known artists and scholars, sent a letter to foreign ambassadors in Israel. It calls for 'the adoption of immediate restrictive measures and sanctions' and draws a clear parallel with the anti-apartheid struggle. 'The boycott on South Africa was effective, but Israel is handled with kid gloves ... This international backing must stop.'"
List of Israeli companies to boycott.
11:06:59 AM
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© Copyright 2009.
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