Labor Day: The Unknown Holiday by Walter Brasch (repost)

Image by Children’s Bureau Centennial via Flickr

by Walter Brasch
Writer, Dandelion Salad
www.walterbrasch.com
Originally published September 7, 2009
September 7, 2015

It’s Labor Day, and that means millions of Americans are celebrating. Most Americans have no idea what Labor Day is, other than self-serving political speeches, hot dogs, burgers, a pool party, and the last day of a three-day holiday. Few even know that Labor Day exists to allow people to remember and honor the struggles for respect, dignity, and acceptable wages and working conditions for the rank-and-file employees.

Sanctioned Terrorism by Soraya Sepahpour-Ulrich

Image by Jagz Mario via Flickr

by Soraya Sepahpour-Ulrich
Guest Writer, Dandelion Salad
The Saker
September 7, 2015

Who is a terrorist? Undoubtedly, what comes to mind is Daesh (ISIL), al-Qaeda, MKO, Boko Haram, etc. What is terrorism? The events of 9/11 and the gruesome beheadings carried out by Daesh shape our visual perception of terrorism. What is left unmentioned and unrecognized in our collective psyche is the kind of terrorism that has been deliberately obfuscated: sanctioned terrorism or terrorism with a license – sanctions.