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Sat, 15 Nov 2003 15:31:38 GMT |
May 3, 2003
The first weblog from a politician:
Why Gary Hart Wants to Blog. Without actually entering the presidential race, the former senator is testing the waters for a potential White House bid with a weblog that advertises his views on security and other issues. Will other pols follow suit? By Patrick di Justo. [Wired News]
12:15:16 PM 
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May 3, 2003
The first weblog from a politician:
Why Gary Hart Wants to Blog. Without actually entering the presidential race, the former senator is testing the waters for a potential White House bid with a weblog that advertises his views on security and other issues. Will other pols follow suit? By Patrick di Justo. [Wired News]
12:15:16 PM
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May 2, 2003
Reclaim the Streets for ????
The first of May is the international workers' holiday, and is traditionally celebrated in Sweden by marches and speeches by the labor movement and related parties, chiefly the ruling Social Democrats. This year also saw what was supposed to be a street party by an organization of young people called "Reclaim the City".
When this organization first surfaced a couple of years ago, it seemed like a very good thing. The news was full of reports of rapes and other crimes against women, youth gangs were stopping other young people on subway trains and stealing their cellphones and robbing pensioners on the streets, neo-Nazi hooligans were beating up immigrant kids. We really needed to take the streets back.
But that wasn't what Reclaim the City was about. Their enemy wasn't the hoods and rapists, their enemy is the police. Their entire program has been to confront the police by trashing stores and spray-painting buildings.
That's what happened on May Day. The crowd of about 500 gathered in Berzelli Park, across from the Royal Dramatic Theater in the center of the city. I happened to be eating at a Lebanese restaurant next to the park, and the young people who gathered there, waving their red flags with pictures of Che, looked harmless enough. I saw no signs of the masks they were said to be wearing to disguises their identities an hour later when the violence started.
The police were also keeping a low profile, a couple of blocks away, where they could be called in quickly, but where they weren't a provocation.
Eventually the park emptied. A little later, when we left the restaurant, we drove up Birger Jarlsgatan, the same street the demonstrators marched up. After a couple of blocks, as we neared the central "square" (it's more of a triangle) Stureplan, two young people came running down the street, one on each side of the cars in our lane. Very strange, we thought.
Then up ahead at Stureplan we could see that something was happening. Smoke in the air, police car lights blinking, lots of vehicles not going anywhere. We were lucky enough to turn off and get out of the area, so the rest I know from the media.
The leaflet handed out encouraging people to come to the demonstration said the theme was "Destroy". That pretty much sums it up. Twenty-five shop windows smashed, 100 buildings spray-painted, windows on several cars broken. Afterwards some of the demonstrators blamed the police for something, but it's hard to see how you can get upset with the police for arresting you after you've just smashed a store window.
In interviews after previous similar actions, demonstrators expressed surprise that they were detained by the police. Apparently Reclaim the City isn't interested in civil disobedience, as practiced by Thoreau, Gandhi, or Martin Luther King. During the Vietnam War, when we demonstrated we knew that being arrested was a possible consequence of our actions. When I forced the authorities to draft me, and then went to Oakland Induction Center and told them I didn't want to be part of their nasty war, I expected to go to prison. But taking the consequences of their actions doesn't seem to be part of Reclaim the City. And even though the three members interviewed in this morning's "Dagens Nyheter" claimed to be pacifists, violence was definately part of the program.
They broke the windows of a small watch shop owned by an immigrant from the Middle East and took all the watches. He doesn't have insurance because the insurance company says it won't cover such a shop in that extremely trendy part of downtown Stockholm. They trashed the little Taco Bar across the street. How are tacos a symbol of Evil Capitalism? The employees of one restaurant saved their place of work by standing in front with their arms linked, forming a human shield.
Naturally they trashed McDonalds, and in the interview the demonstrators said that while they personally thought the others had gone to far, they think McDonalds, along with banks and pornography shops (there are none at Stureplan) are legitimate targets. When the reporter pointed out that society regards such activities as legal, and wondered how democratic it is to attack legal businesses permitted by Society, the three got muddled and affirmed their faith in democracy.
That was reminiscent of a radio interview with a spray painter who claimed he did it to take back institutions. When the reporter said that such institutions belong to the whole community, and most of the community might not want those buildings spray-painted, the painter just got confused.
Reclaim the City apparently has a homepage at www.motkraft.net I was going to check there to see if there is anything in English to illustrate their views, or perhaps offer another perspective on what I write. But the site seems to be completely down today. Check later, they should be back.
9:55:09 AM
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May 2, 2003
Reclaim the Streets for ????
The first of May is the international workers' holiday, and is traditionally celebrated in Sweden by marches and speeches by the labor movement and related parties, chiefly the ruling Social Democrats. This year also saw what was supposed to be a street party by an organization of young people called "Reclaim the City".
When this organization first surfaced a couple of years ago, it seemed like a very good thing. The news was full of reports of rapes and other crimes against women, youth gangs were stopping other young people on subway trains and stealing their cellphones and robbing pensioners on the streets, neo-Nazi hooligans were beating up immigrant kids. We really needed to take the streets back.
But that wasn't what Reclaim the City was about. Their enemy wasn't the hoods and rapists, their enemy is the police. Their entire program has been to confront the police by trashing stores and spray-painting buildings.
That's what happened on May Day. The crowd of about 500 gathered in Berzelli Park, across from the Royal Dramatic Theater in the center of the city. I happened to be eating at a Lebanese restaurant next to the park, and the young people who gathered there, waving their red flags with pictures of Che, looked harmless enough. I saw no signs of the masks they were said to be wearing to disguises their identities an hour later when the violence started.
The police were also keeping a low profile, a couple of blocks away, where they could be called in quickly, but where they weren't a provocation.
Eventually the park emptied. A little later, when we left the restaurant, we drove up Birger Jarlsgatan, the same street the demonstrators marched up. After a couple of blocks, as we neared the central "square" (it's more of a triangle) Stureplan, two young people came running down the street, one on each side of the cars in our lane. Very strange, we thought.
Then up ahead at Stureplan we could see that something was happening. Smoke in the air, police car lights blinking, lots of vehicles not going anywhere. We were lucky enough to turn off and get out of the area, so the rest I know from the media.
The leaflet handed out encouraging people to come to the demonstration said the theme was "Destroy". That pretty much sums it up. Twenty-five shop windows smashed, 100 buildings spray-painted, windows on several cars broken. Afterwards some of the demonstrators blamed the police for something, but it's hard to see how you can get upset with the police for arresting you after you've just smashed a store window.
In interviews after previous similar actions, demonstrators expressed surprise that they were detained by the police. Apparently Reclaim the City isn't interested in civil disobedience, as practiced by Thoreau, Gandhi, or Martin Luther King. During the Vietnam War, when we demonstrated we knew that being arrested was a possible consequence of our actions. When I forced the authorities to draft me, and then went to Oakland Induction Center and told them I didn't want to be part of their nasty war, I expected to go to prison. But taking the consequences of their actions doesn't seem to be part of Reclaim the City. And even though the three members interviewed in this morning's "Dagens Nyheter" claimed to be pacifists, violence was definately part of the program.
They broke the windows of a small watch shop owned by an immigrant from the Middle East and took all the watches. He doesn't have insurance because the insurance company says it won't cover such a shop in that extremely trendy part of downtown Stockholm. They trashed the little Taco Bar across the street. How are tacos a symbol of Evil Capitalism? The employees of one restaurant saved their place of work by standing in front with their arms linked, forming a human shield.
Naturally they trashed McDonalds, and in the interview the demonstrators said that while they personally thought the others had gone to far, they think McDonalds, along with banks and pornography shops (there are none at Stureplan) are legitimate targets. When the reporter pointed out that society regards such activities as legal, and wondered how democratic it is to attack legal businesses permitted by Society, the three got muddled and affirmed their faith in democracy.
That was reminiscent of a radio interview with a spray painter who claimed he did it to take back institutions. When the reporter said that such institutions belong to the whole community, and most of the community might not want those buildings spray-painted, the painter just got confused.
Reclaim the City apparently has a homepage at www.motkraft.net I was going to check there to see if there is anything in English to illustrate their views, or perhaps offer another perspective on what I write. But the site seems to be completely down today. Check later, they should be back.
9:55:09 AM
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© Copyright 2003 GlobalWatch: Notes from the Swedish.
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| AlterNet | | 2:02PM UTC |
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 Call Me a Bush-Hater. Sneering, jeering, bad manners, hideous diplomacy, threats, demands, lies, arrogance, bluster, tax cuts for the rich. And you wonder why we think he's a lousy president?
The Scalping Party. The Tiger Force atrocity in Vietnam was the third major war crimes revelation in the last few years to encounter apathy in the media and indifference from Washington.
A Double Standard for Heroes?. Jessica Lynch and Shoshanna Johnson underwent nearly identical ordeals in Iraq. But only the white soldier's story made the cover of Time magazine.
Indian Americans Enter the Matrix. The Bollywoodization of American popular culture has long been underway. But with the appearance of a South Asian in 'The Matrix Revolutions,' a new era has begun.
An Object Lesson in Investing. Here's what happens to your hard-earned money when it enters the giant money-skimming machine we call the stock market.
The Rev in the Race. Understanding Al Sharpton's standing as a reputed black leader requires an understanding of recent history. Understanding Sharpton the Presidential candidate requires delving a bit further into the past.
Killer Cure. Everyone wants Medicare to cover prescription drugs, right? Not so fast.
The Professor Takes the Gloves Off. New York Times columnist Paul Krugman tells how he found his voice, why Bush makes him miss Nixon, and why he insults Fox News whenever he can.
The Truth About the Green River Killer. Gary Ridgway should have been caught a long time ago. His choice of victims had everything to do with why he wasn't.
Personal Voices: Apology to the American Worker. I actually thought Nike and Adidas and Delta and Sara Lee were American companies run by American employees. I admit, I was confused.
Why Aren't We Winning the Indie Movie Race?. Just a decade ago it felt like the indie movie scene could become a haven for multiculturalism. Now it's just as white as the blandest Hollywood studio. What happened?
What's Health Insurance, Mom?. At 7, my daughter should be fretting over the well being of her favorite stuffed animals -- not the fates of her uninsured parents.
Listening to Veterans. We will soon be welcoming home the first of another generation of emotionally damaged veterans. How can we appropriately honor them without glorifying war?
Freedom and Security. The sacrifice of civil liberties for the appearance of greater security is a mistake that leaves future generations with little hope for freedom.
P. Diddy and Hip Hop's Tattered Garments. Hip-hop fashion kings need to take a hard look at the labor conditions that prevail in the factories where their clothes are made.
Billboard Politics. U.S. government propaganda doesn't convince Iraqis -- so why do Americans fall for it?
The 'Thing' Economy and the 'Care' Economy. A truly moral economy would reconcile our desire to prosper with our deepest moral and spiritual impulses.
Memo To Arnold: Educate, Don't Incarcerate. Unlike Davis, California's governor-elect is no slave to the powerful prison guard union -- so maybe he can afford to do the right thing.
Sarah Jones' American Dream. In her latest piece, the acclaimed playwright takes on the roles of 10 immigrants to weave a story of racism and xenophobia in the era of homeland security.
Shock Troops of the Right Wing. Censoring television movies, overturning court decisions, halting construction projects -- just what will conservatives do next?
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| Greenpeace | | 3:04PM UTC |
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Rainbow Warrior on Toxic Patrol in India. The Greenpeace sailing vessel the Rainbow Warrior is currently anchored off the coast of Alang, India. Alang is the site of the world's largest shipbreaking yard. Greenpeace is planning to conduct "toxic patrols" of ships which are here waiting for scrapping. A team of experts will do a survey and take samples to determine what type of toxic materials are on board before the ships are beached and the actual scrapping starts. Shipbreaking is an enormous danger for people and the environment. Greenpeace is the only organization in the world fighting for the 100,000 people working in this industry and for the environment they live in.
UK's own ghost ship found in India. There's outrage in the UK! The US is sending its "ghost fleet," complete with asbestos and toxic chemicals, for dismantling in England. The UK government has said the ships will have to go back. A British court has put a halt to any dismantling. Permits have been revoked. But meanwhile, in India, guess what Greenpeace's ghost-busting toxic patrol has found?
What would you do to save the tallest trees?. In Tasmania, Australia, they have these trees, that are... tall. OK, a lot of trees are tall, but these are the tallest hardwood trees in the world. We're talking trees taller than a 25-story building and 400 years old. Some people look at trees like this and they just think, "wow". Other people, they look at these trees and they think, "Wow, I could cut that down, chop it up, feed it through a wood chipper, and sell it to these companies in Japan!" And that is just what they are going to do, unless we can stop them.
Click here to find out how.
When scientists and policy makers meet. Before any major international meeting there are advance meetings to lay the groundwork. A lot of the decisions finalised at the main meeting are often made at these meetings - months before the big one.
Today was the start of one of the more important of these meetings, the ninth meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice to the Convention on Biological Diversity. That's SBSTTA-9 and the CBD to you insiders, and it will be going on in Montreal all week.
Year one of the Prestige oil spill. The Prestige oil tanker sank on November 13th, 2002. But this Thursday marks not the one year anniversary of an accident, but year one of a decade-long disaster. Despite this, criminally little has been done to prevent the recurrence of a similar catastrophe.
Japanese whaling fleet ready to depart. Greenpeace has learned that five vessels will set forth shortly from Shimonoseki in Japan, perhaps as early as Friday, to hunt whales once again. They continue to do so despite a worldwide moratorium on commercial whaling, under the false pretence that their purpose is "research."
US Toxic 'ghost fleet' not wanted in the UK. Two former US Navy ships are now crossing the Atlantic for scrapping in the UK. Contaminated with toxic waste, the failure of the US to clean them up at home has caused outrage in Europe. But have a closer look at the issue of shipbreaking: putting toxic vessels out of sight and out of mind is the rule rather than the exception -- and the recipients are usually developing countries.
EU waters down chemicals reform. Important new laws in Europe have been announced this week to address the current flawed and inadequate rules governing chemicals harmful to health and the environment. While the new laws represent a step forward, heavy chemical industry lobbying and scare-mongering have significantly weakened the proposal already.
France reclaims toxic ship. After being caught illegally exporting ships containing hazardous waste to Turkey, the French military has seized a former french aircraft carrier they had sold for scrapping. This high seas tale exposes again the underhand tactics and cost cutting of some sections of the shipping industry at the expense of the environment and workers' health.
Hidden hazards revealed in Disney products. Tests by independent scientists have revealed that toxic 'gender bending' chemicals are found in everyday children's products like Disney pyjamas. These chemicals can damage the developing foetus and young children; they should not be found in products you put your kids into every night.
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