Eastern Europe: From Socialist Bloc and Non-Alignment To U.S. Military Colonies by Rick Rozoff

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by Rick Rozoff
Featured Writer
Dandelion Salad
Stop NATO
Stop NATO-Opposition to global militarism
May 10, 2010

Eleven years ago today the North Atlantic Treaty Organization was in the seventh week of a bombing war against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, one which saw over 1,000 Western military planes fly over 38,000 combat missions, bombs dropped from the sky and Tomahawk cruise missiles launched from the Mediterranean Sea.

Having quickly exhausted military targets, NATO warplanes resorted to bombing so-called targets of opportunity, including bridges on the Danube River, factories, Radio Television of Serbia headquarters in the capital (where sixteen employees were killed), a refugee column in Kosovo, the headquarters of political parties and the residences of government officials and foreign ambassadors, a passenger train, a religious procession, hospitals, apartment courtyards, hotels, the Swedish and Swiss embassies and the nation’s entire power grid.

BP’s Suttles Massages Numbers for Press

https://dandelionsalad.wordpress.com/

Sent to DS from James at ChrisBunny!

by James Chris Fields
ChrisBunny! Facebook!
crossposted at ChrisBunny!
May 10, 2010

There’s something very telling about the way a seasoned spokesperson uses numbers when holding a Public Affairs briefing. Today Mr. Suttles lived up to his name.

According to BP Chief Operating Officer Doug Suttles on May, 10, video available here.

Hey Elton: Don’t Go Breaking Our Hearts by Eileen Fleming

by Eileen Fleming
Featured Writer
Dandelion Salad
10 May, 2010

Palestinian civil society has called on Elton John to respect their boycott call and cancel his June 17th concert in Tel Aviv. If he does, he’ll be joining Santana and Gil-Scott Heron, who recently canceled their spring concerts in Israel. Bob Dylan was scheduled to play Tel Aviv on May 27, 2010, but as of this writing that date is no longer posted on his tour schedule.

Greg Palast: Behind the Immigration Law

by Greg Palast
Featured Writer
Dandelion Salad
www.gregpalast.com
10 May, 2010

“The law doesn’t say we are busting you if you’re not a citizen, the law says we’re busting you if you don’t have your papers.” — Greg Palast

The Brazen Turkish Lobby by Luke Ryland

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by Luke Ryland
Featured Writer
Dandelion Salad
crossposted on Sibel Edmonds’ Boiling Frogs Post
10 May, 2010

Leading Law Firm Hires Accused Criminal to Head Up New Office in Turkey

DLA Piper, one of the world’s largest international law firms, is opening for business in Turkey. According to The Lawyer magazine,”DLA Piper has been targeting Turkey after bringing on board (former Under Secretary of State) Marc Grossman.”

Choosing Marc Grossman to front for the Turkish operation is an unusual decision for DLA Piper. Grossman has been credibly accused of serious criminal activity involving the nuclear black market, facilitating terrorism, visa fraud, congressional bribery and blackmail. Former FBI Counterintelligence and Counterespionage Manager, John Cole has confirmed that the FBI investigated Grossman for a decade, and stated that the investigation was “buried and covered up.”

The carve-up in ‘the national interest’ begins By William Bowles

By William Bowles
Featured Writer
Dandelion Salad
Creative-i
10 May, 2010

“The public and markets want…to see a “government in place”” — Alistair Darling

You didn’t need a visit to the Delphic Oracle in order to figure out what would happen, in any case I doubt that many want to visit Greece these days. So, on 8 May the carve-up began with Nick Clegg, leader of the Liberal Democrats meeting a team of Tory advisors in order to strike a deal to try and form a ‘coalition’ government. So much for ‘first past the post’ electoral system, designed in pre-historic times to maintain the hegemony of the ruling class. And if a deal can’t be struck with the Tories the next stop will be the Labour Party, though a deal with Labour is unlikely as it would require every party, aside from the Tories that is, to vote with the Lib-Dem/Labour coalition on the substantive policy issues.

The Financial Oligarchy Reigns: Democracy’s Death Spiral From Greece to the United States

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By David DeGraw
Amped Status
10 May, 2010

As the Economic Elite continue their plunder, the people in Greece riot and the big banks score yet another big blow against the people of the United States.

Gordon Brown to quit as Labour leader

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http://www.thesun.co.uk
10 May, 2010

Gordon Brown has sensationally revealed he will quit as Labour leader.

In a speech outside 10 Downing Street, the PM said his party will elect a new leader by the time of its next conference in September.

But, he said, he will not stand or back any particular candidates.

[…]

via Brown to quit as Labour leader | The Sun |News|Election 2010

After Religion Fizzles, We’re Stuck with Nietzsche by Chris Hedges

by Chris Hedges
Featured Writer
Dandelion Salad
Truthdig
May 10, 2010

Image by Dandelion Salad via Flickr

It is hard to muster much sympathy over the implosion of the Catholic Church, traditional Protestant denominations or Jewish synagogues. These institutions were passive as the Christian right, which peddles magical thinking and a Jesus-as-warrior philosophy, hijacked the language and iconography of traditional Christianity. They have busied themselves with the boutique activism of the culture wars. They have failed to unequivocally denounce unfettered capitalism, globalization and pre-emptive war. The obsession with personal piety and “How-is-it-with-me?” spirituality that permeates most congregations is undiluted narcissism. And while the Protestant church and reformed Judaism have not replicated the perfidiousness of the Catholic bishops, who protect child-molesting priests, they have little to say in an age when we desperately need moral guidance.

Emperor Hickel: The Man Who Invented Alaska … and Sarah Palin by Greg Palast

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http://www.buzzflash.net/story.php?id=1094015

by Greg Palast
Featured Writer
Dandelion Salad
www.gregpalast.com
10 May, 2010

Wally Hickel invented Alaska and told me he regretted it. He also invented Sarah Palin, and I was hoping, when I travel to Alaska next month, to ask him whether he also regretted that second creation.

Hickel wanted to be President; of what nation, well, that changed. First, he wanted to be President of the United States. That required that his home, Alaska, become united with the States, a task he accomplished in 1959 with the help of his buddy, and later enemy, Richard Nixon.

“That was a mistake,” he said, referring to US Statehood. “We should have been our own nation,” which, I pointed out, would have made him President instead of Governor.