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European Salon de News, Discussion et Klatsch - 20 June

by Fran Fri Jun 19th, 2009 at 02:09:55 PM EST

 A Daily Review Of International Online Media 


Europeans on this date in history:

1947 – Ivo Milazzo, an Italian comic book artist, was born.

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 EUROPE 

by Sassafras on Fri Jun 19th, 2009 at 12:05:14 PM EST
EUROPE: Lithuania Throttles Gay Rights
BRATISLAVA, Jun 19 (IPS) - Rights groups are calling on EU leaders to act after Lithuanian lawmakers approved controversial legislation that they say makes homosexuals "second class citizens" and breaches European conventions on human rights.

The legislation passed by Lithuania's parliament this week bans the discussion of homosexuality in schools and any reference to it in public information available to children.

Gay and human rights groups have condemned the law, claiming it institutionalises homophobia, is discriminatory, and violates the right to freedom of expression.

They say it will also make gay youths more vulnerable, as teachers and other school students will be unable to provide information to them about homosexuality, or could be afraid to help them if they are bullied or attacked by peers.

They also believe it breaches the European Convention on Human Rights, and have called on members of the European Parliament (MEPs) and EU leaders to put pressure on the Lithuanian government and president, who has yet to sign the law into effect, to amend it.
by afew (afew(a in a circle)eurotrib_dot_com) on Fri Jun 19th, 2009 at 01:07:50 PM EST
[ Parent ]
good luck, but some of the ocuntries in that region seem to view hating gays as some proof of machismo.

keep to the Fen Causeway
by Helen (lareinagal at yahoo dot co dot uk) on Fri Jun 19th, 2009 at 03:05:25 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Deutsche Welle: Greenland gains control of natural resources after winning self-rule

Greenland is set to wrest control of its vast natural resources from Copenhagen after almost 300 years under Danish rule this weekend.

The Arctic island faces a historic shift on Sunday when a new self-rule status takes effect, the product of a referendum last November in which just over 75 percent of Greenlanders voted to take back more powers from Denmark after years of negotiations.

Under the self-rule agreement, Greenlanders will be recognized as a distinct people with the right to self-determination and Greenlandic will become the territory's official language.
by Sassafras on Fri Jun 19th, 2009 at 01:35:22 PM EST
[ Parent ]
MoneyWeek:Latvia is on the brink of crisis

Latvian growth rocketed as the private sector gorged on cheap credit from overseas. But when capital inflows ceased with the credit crunch, the bubble burst. And the downturn is being made worse by Latvia's currency peg. It has tied the lats to the euro to qualify for entry into the single currency. But that means the currency cannot fall, and thereby boost growth via exports. So the government has to engineer a so-called 'internal devaluation' - prices and wages must fall for competitiveness to be restored. That involves painful austerity measures, a pre-requisite for more help from the IMF.
by Sassafras on Fri Jun 19th, 2009 at 01:40:27 PM EST
[ Parent ]
The Baltic Times: Teachers' salaries halved

RIGA- The recently approved budget amendments for 2009 have reduced all teachers' salaries by half as of Sept. 1. The teachers will be receiving the bare minimum subsistence amount, 172 lats per month.

In order not to exceed the allocated budget, more dramatic cuts will have to be introduced in schools in the last four months of 2009. In other state-funded institutions salaries will be curbed already sooner, with the budget amendments becoming effective July 1.
by Sassafras on Fri Jun 19th, 2009 at 01:42:59 PM EST
[ Parent ]
ekatherimini: Acropolis Museum reignites Marbles debate

Opinion still divided on whether artifacts in British Museum should be returned to be put on display in new building in Athens

...the wishes of the Greek Ministry of Culture, which, in online materials documenting the "official Greek position" on the Marbles, lists an excerpt from a 2004 interview with Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis forecasting consensus in favor of the sculptures' return.

The British Museum, which planned to send two representatives to the inaugural celebration according to spokeswoman Hannah Boulton, maintained last week that it would not relinquish the sculptures, new museum or no.

"[The museum] doesn't alter our view that the sculptures in the Museum's collection should remain here as part of the unique overview of world cultures that the British Museum exists to present," Boulton wrote in a statement to Kathimerini English Edition last week.

by Sassafras on Fri Jun 19th, 2009 at 02:05:40 PM EST
[ Parent ]
BBC NEWS | Politics | Police examine Lib Dems donation

Police are looking into money laundering allegations over the Liberal Democrats' acceptance of £2.4m from a donor later convicted of fraud.

Michael Brown's donation hugely boosted the party's 2005 election campaign, the BBC's Newsnight programme said.

Mr Brown was convicted of fraud in 2008 but vanished before being sentenced to seven years in jail last month.



Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.
by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Fri Jun 19th, 2009 at 09:26:46 PM EST
[ Parent ]
 SPECIAL FOCUS 
 EU Summit 

by Sassafras on Fri Jun 19th, 2009 at 12:05:57 PM EST
BBC: EU agrees Irish treaty compromise

EU leaders have agreed a deal they hope will secure the Lisbon Treaty a "Yes" vote in a second Irish referendum.

Ireland won legally-binding assurances that Lisbon would not affect Irish policies on military neutrality, taxes and abortion, diplomats said.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy said leaders had agreed to Irish demands that the guarantees would be given the status of a treaty "protocol".

But he stressed it would not affect the other 26 member countries.

by Sassafras on Fri Jun 19th, 2009 at 12:19:14 PM EST
[ Parent ]
EurActiv.com - Summit deal paves way for second Irish Lisbon referendum | EU - European Information on EU Treaty & Institutions
A compromise was reached today (19 June) between EU leaders offering Ireland legally-binding guarantees on the Lisbon Treaty without requiring other countries to re-ratify the text.

The carefully-worded agreement provides assurances sought by Irish Prime Minister Brian Cowen, but also stresses that the guarantees are Ireland-specific and do not affect other countries. Crucially, this satisfies the Irish government without requiring re-ratification by countries which have already backed the treaty.

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown had yesterday raised concerns that any substantive change to the Lisbon Treaty, which has already been approved by national parliaments, would require the House of Commons to approve the treaty once more.

Brown, who has been facing domestic political problems in recent weeks, was reluctant to re-open the debate on the treaty. Close contacts between British and Irish officials resulted in the inclusion of additional paragraphs in the final conclusions issued by EU leaders.

by afew (afew(a in a circle)eurotrib_dot_com) on Fri Jun 19th, 2009 at 01:01:31 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Bloomberg.com EU Backs New Financial Agencies to Unify Oversight

June 19 (Bloomberg) -- European Union leaders agreed to their most sweeping overhaul of financial regulation, sharpening scrutiny of banks and risks after spending more than half a trillion dollars propping up lenders in the credit crisis.

The leaders of the 27 countries meeting in Brussels backed the creation of agencies to unify oversight of banks, insurers, investment firms, credit-rating companies and hazards in the broader economy, according to a draft of a statement to be issued today. The U.K. won a compromise to scale back the authorities' power to make decisions involving national money.

by Sassafras on Fri Jun 19th, 2009 at 12:26:48 PM EST
[ Parent ]
[Torygraph Alert]

Telegraph: Gordon Brown looks to have surrendered significant powers over the City of London to new bodies of European Union financial regulators

The European Commission and other EU officials are celebrating after the Prime Minister accepted on Thursday night the creation of European supervisors over national regulators.

Senior EU officials described how in return for a promise that Brussels regulators can not have power to tell the British government when, and by how much, to bail out banks, Mr Brown has given ground on a broad range of other supervisory powers.

by Sassafras on Fri Jun 19th, 2009 at 12:29:15 PM EST
[ Parent ]
All I can say is "I hope so", cos there's absolutely no sign of any serious attempt at restraining the City's appetite for pillage and piracy.

keep to the Fen Causeway
by Helen (lareinagal at yahoo dot co dot uk) on Fri Jun 19th, 2009 at 03:07:59 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Who knew he had any powers over the City in the first place?
by afew (afew(a in a circle)eurotrib_dot_com) on Sat Jun 20th, 2009 at 02:20:45 AM EST
[ Parent ]
EurActiv.com - EU leaders back financial supervision overhaul | EU - European Information on Financial Services
EU leaders agreed today (19 June) on a text which should pave the way for significant reform of European financial supervision. The deal comes two days after US President Barack Obama announced a major overhaul of American supervisory rules.

After a long debate at the two-day European Council in Brussels, heads of state and government gave their green light to a common documentPdf external , and have seemingly overcome two major sticking points that were putting at risk crucial reform of the European financial supervisory architecture.

At stake were the European Commission's proposal on the role of the new EU authorities to oversee cross-border groups, and the powers of the European Central Bank within the new European Systemic Risk Board (ESRB), which will send warning signals whenever the entire financial system is at risk.

The UK led the criticism on both issues. However, pressure from other EU heavyweights, in particular Germany and France, and newsexternal arriving from Washington of Obama's ambitious plans on financial supervision pushed UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown to accept a compromise that takes into account British concerns.

by afew (afew(a in a circle)eurotrib_dot_com) on Fri Jun 19th, 2009 at 01:03:54 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Traian Basescu at the end of the Summer European Council: - Regional Europe - HotNews.ro
"The economic crisis is consistent throughout the EU. I have not seen executives to declare "we passed the climax" Romanian incumbent President Traian Basescu. Basescu informed that Jose Manuel Barroso's candidacy for the role of the EC president is unanimously supported.

"The discussions on the economic crisis in the EU were of maximum importance. I can tell you I haven't met executives that could say "we passed the climax". All top politicians are focused on the crisis' evolution and determined to continue to adopt measures to save as many jobs as possible."

by afew (afew(a in a circle)eurotrib_dot_com) on Fri Jun 19th, 2009 at 01:24:41 PM EST
[ Parent ]
EurActiv.com - EU leaders warned about emerging 'major' gas crisis | EU - European Information on Energy Supply
European Commission President José Manuel Barroso warned EU leaders at a summit today (19 June) that European nations must avoid sleepwalking into another gas crisis, which he said could hit Europe within weeks as tensions between Ukraine and Russia resurface.

Barroso said he had informed EU heads of state and government of difficulties developing for Ukraine to pay for Russian gas.

"It is in fact a major crisis," Barroso said. "We have sent a fact-finding mission to Kiev and Moscow. I have spoken to Prime Ministers [Vladimir] Putin and [Yulia] Timoshenko, to IMF general director [Dominque] Strauss-Kahn and gas industry representatives. There is indeed the risk of another major crisis in weeks, not months, and we must protect European citizens."

Barroso said that in the following week the Commission would host a meeting with representatives of international financial institutions, European gas companies and member countries to look into whether a short-term package of stop-gap funding could be put together.

He added that the Commission had already advised "vulnerable countries" to take immediate measures. During the January gas crisis, Bulgaria and Slovakia proved to be particularly vulnerable, lacking alternative supply sources or sufficient gas storage.

by afew (afew(a in a circle)eurotrib_dot_com) on Fri Jun 19th, 2009 at 01:05:09 PM EST
[ Parent ]
"we're happy to ignore 30 years of history to pretend that the Russians an Ukrainians can blackmail us, and we'll let them"

... except that he has no money to pay out, so this is just stupid political noise.

Gah that topic is so depressing.

In the long run, we're all dead. John Maynard Keynes

by Jerome a Paris (etg@eurotrib.com) on Sat Jun 20th, 2009 at 12:31:23 PM EST
[ Parent ]
 ECONOMY & FINANCE 

by Sassafras on Fri Jun 19th, 2009 at 12:06:23 PM EST
Timesonline: Stanford to face $8bn investment scam claims

Allen Stanford arrived at a federal court in Virginia today to face criminal charges over an alleged $8 billion investment scam.

The entrepreneur already faces civil charges from the Securities and Exchange Commission, the financial regulator, over the sale of $8 billion worth of certificates of deposit with his Antigua-based Stanford International Bank.

The SEC alleges that Mr Stanford, his chief financial officer, Jim Davis, and chief investment officer, Laura Pendergest-Holt, ran a "Ponzi" scheme similar to the $65 billion fraud committed by Bernard Madoff, who will be sentenced in New York next Tuesday.

by Sassafras on Fri Jun 19th, 2009 at 12:59:30 PM EST
[ Parent ]
BRIC countries catch up and overtake G7 | Top Russian news and analysis online | 'RIA Novosti' newswire
MOSCOW. (Oleg Mityayev, RIA Novosti economic commentator) - The Russian city of Yekaterinburg on May 16 hosted the first official summit of BRIC, a group comprising four countries showing the highest rate of economic growth - Brazil, Russia, India and China.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said in the wake of the summit that the event was aimed at promoting a fairer world order.

The BRIC nations currently account for 15% of the global economy and 42% of global currency reserves. These are important reasons for BRIC to have ambition to influence international economic and financial policies.

According to many estimates, emerging economies will the driving force of the expected global economic recovery - that is, they will bail out wealthier nations. Citigroup's chief executive Vikram Pandit said at the St Petersburg International Economic Forum in early June that "China, India and Russia will become the engine of world growth for a while."

Most estimates put China's and India's 2009 GDP growth at 6% and 4%, respectively, while the Group of 7 will still be in recession. The two fastest growing modern markets, China and India, are not heavily dependent on exports to industrially developed countries, but are developing independently due to booming internal demand.
by afew (afew(a in a circle)eurotrib_dot_com) on Fri Jun 19th, 2009 at 01:27:37 PM EST
[ Parent ]
The two fastest growing modern markets, China and India, are not heavily dependent on exports to industrially developed countries, but are developing independently due to booming internal demand.
?????????????
So China no longer needs the USA as a market, but rather can turn on a dime and sell all of the products they have been exporting to their own citizens?  How did I miss this news?

"It is not necessary to have hope in order to persevere."
by ARGeezer (ARGeezer a in a circle eurotrib daught com) on Sat Jun 20th, 2009 at 12:23:06 AM EST
[ Parent ]
By not reading Russian analysts? ;)
by afew (afew(a in a circle)eurotrib_dot_com) on Sat Jun 20th, 2009 at 02:21:43 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Al Jazeera: Emerging economies want more say

The world's biggest emerging markets have called for a bigger say in the global financial system at their first summit.

The leaders of Brazil, Russia, India and China (Bric) called for a "more diversified" currency system, but backed away from Russian calls for a new "supra-national" currency to replace the dollar.

by Sassafras on Fri Jun 19th, 2009 at 01:27:47 PM EST
[ Parent ]
I can't see how this would be bad.  Hopefully they also got the memo about increased responsibility for that same financial system.
by paving on Fri Jun 19th, 2009 at 04:16:49 PM EST
[ Parent ]
At the rate the US is proceeding the world will need something to replace the dollar in the mid term.  The euro is the strongest candidate, but can it do the job by itself?

"It is not necessary to have hope in order to persevere."
by ARGeezer (ARGeezer a in a circle eurotrib daught com) on Sat Jun 20th, 2009 at 12:26:58 AM EST
[ Parent ]
De-Dollarization - Dismantling America's Financial-Military Empire - Michael Hudson - financial economist and historian

Challenging America will be the prime focus of extended meetings in Yekaterinburg, Russia (formerly Sverdlovsk) today and tomorrow (June 15-16) for Chinese President Hu Jintao, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and other top officials of the six-nation Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO). The alliance is comprised of Russia, China, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Kyrghyzstan and Uzbekistan, with observer status for Iran, India, Pakistan and Mongolia. It will be joined on Tuesday by Brazil for trade discussions among the BRIC nations (Brazil, Russia, India and China).     

The attendees have assured American diplomats that dismantling the US financial and military empire is not their aim. They simply want to discuss mutual aid - but in a way that has no role for the United States, NATO or the US dollar as a vehicle for trade. US diplomats may well ask what this really means, if not a move to make US hegemony obsolete.



"The future is already here -- it's just not very evenly distributed" William Gibson
by ChrisCook (cojockathotmaildotcom) on Sat Jun 20th, 2009 at 07:47:10 AM EST
[ Parent ]
An excellent article by Michael Hudson, reiterating and updating previous points delineating the manner in which the USA has used the reserve currency status of the dollar to unwillingly enlist the rest of the world to finance the military encirclement of Russia, China, the Mid-East and Central Asia with US military bases.  Now he is pointing to the likely means towards the possible unraveling of that accomplishment.

"It is not necessary to have hope in order to persevere."
by ARGeezer (ARGeezer a in a circle eurotrib daught com) on Sat Jun 20th, 2009 at 10:17:19 AM EST
[ Parent ]
are all that interested in using the only eisting alternative to the dollar, which is the euro.

They will NOT be able to create another alterantive themselves, because who would be crazy enough to put one's savings in rouble or yuans?

In the long run, we're all dead. John Maynard Keynes

by Jerome a Paris (etg@eurotrib.com) on Sat Jun 20th, 2009 at 12:33:46 PM EST
[ Parent ]
 WORLD 

by Sassafras on Fri Jun 19th, 2009 at 12:06:51 PM EST
Guardian: Iran elections: Khamenei warns protesters to stay off streets

Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, issued a stern warning to opponents today to stay off the streets as he denied claims that last week's elections had been rigged.

In an uncompromising address at Friday prayers, Khamenei claimed that the high turnout at the elections showed how much the Iranian people supported the regime, and blamed western powers for interfering in Iranian politics

The speech now creates a clear dilemma for Mousavi and his supporters: do they return to the streets in open defiance of Khamenei or drop their demands? Prior to today's speech, Mousavi had called on the opposition movement to gather in Tehran tomorrow afternoon for a rally, but many may now feel too fearful of a crackdown by the authorities.
by Sassafras on Fri Jun 19th, 2009 at 12:15:10 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Al Jazeera: Khamenei's speech 'a threat'

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran's supreme leader, has spoken publicly for the first time about with his country's disputed presidential election results.

His comments followed massive street protests against the poll outcome, which showed Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the incument president, winning with 66 per cent of the vote.

Analysts gave their opinions to Al Jazeera on the speech made during Friday prayers at Tehran University.

by Sassafras on Fri Jun 19th, 2009 at 12:16:55 PM EST
[ Parent ]
This threat, while renewed, has been assumed by all those who are protesting this entire time.  Everything we have seen since the election in terms of mass protest is actually illegal in Iran.  

There is also great danger for Khamenei here in that any attempt to seriously crack-down will create a large number of martyrs.  In Islam and particularly in Iran this presents a great challenge to the ruling power and undermines the legitimacy of the "Islamic Republic."

I think the legitimacy of the Republic has already been largely undermined.  If the Ayatollah goes further he will lose the support of the masses entirely.  There are two foundations of the Islamic Republic of Iran that are critical for its legitimacy with the people:  Respect for Islamic principles and respect for the will of the people.  A violent suppression of protest at this juncture would constitute a violation of Islamic principle and the second has already occurred.  

by paving on Fri Jun 19th, 2009 at 04:24:11 PM EST
[ Parent ]
The interesting question will be the time frame. Khamenei seems now quite vulnerable to event risk and it is likely that Rafsanjani and other power brokers in Iran are and will be working on options and will act opportunistically.  George Packer posted an interesting article comparing the potentials for change in Burma and Iran on The New Yorker blog on June 17: Green and Saffron.  He finds it unlikely for a number of reasons that hardliners can as successfully stonewall in Iran as they continue to do in Burma.  

"It is not necessary to have hope in order to persevere."
by ARGeezer (ARGeezer a in a circle eurotrib daught com) on Sat Jun 20th, 2009 at 01:07:50 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Presseurop: What's the deal with Iran?

Even after a week of protests disputing incumbent President Ahmadinejad's landslide victory in the Iranian election, the EU still keeps a low diplomatic profile. Several newspapers across the continent are suggesting that this might have something to do with European economic interests in the Islamic republic.
by Sassafras on Fri Jun 19th, 2009 at 12:39:16 PM EST
[ Parent ]
It seems entirely consistent with Europe's non-existent foreign policy.  The real shocker would be a united European voice making statements one way or the other.  Not that it would be helpful...
by paving on Fri Jun 19th, 2009 at 04:25:51 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Very much not the anticipated speech. Quite confrontational. Seems as tho' they've decided to tough it out and it may well work in the short term.

But it basically spells the end of the Iranian theocracy. Civilised democratic change working within thoecratic limits has been rejected and so sooner or later, and definitely within the time period of the next election, there will be another uprising. Only that one will be as bloody and dangerous as the toppling of the shah.

keep to the Fen Causeway

by Helen (lareinagal at yahoo dot co dot uk) on Fri Jun 19th, 2009 at 03:14:36 PM EST
[ Parent ]
and what did the UK do to earn especial condemnation ?

keep to the Fen Causeway
by Helen (lareinagal at yahoo dot co dot uk) on Fri Jun 19th, 2009 at 03:15:13 PM EST
[ Parent ]
The UK is a well known lapdog of the US, you do the math :)

--
$E(X_t|F_s) = X_s,\quad t > s$
by martingale on Sat Jun 20th, 2009 at 05:28:54 AM EST
[ Parent ]
More than that, the UK was the traditional colonial power running Iran before handing over to the US in the post-WWII years.
by afew (afew(a in a circle)eurotrib_dot_com) on Sat Jun 20th, 2009 at 07:37:46 AM EST
[ Parent ]
1953 Iranian coup d'état - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The 1953 Iranian coup d'état was the Western-led covert operation that deposed the democratically-elected government of Iranian Prime Minister Mohammed Mosaddeq.[1][2][3] The coup was organized by the United States' CIA and the United Kingdom's MI6, who aided and abetted anti-Mosaddeq royalists and mutinous Iranian army officers in overthrowing the Prime Minister.[4] CIA officer Kermit Roosevelt, Jr. organized Operation Ajax[5] to aid retired General Fazlollah Zahedi and Imperial Guard Colonel Nematollah Nassiri to establish a pro-US and pro-UK government, by bribing Iranian government officials, reporters, and businessmen.[6]


Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.
by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Sat Jun 20th, 2009 at 08:49:50 AM EST
[ Parent ]
This has clearly become Khameini versus the people.  How this will turn out is anyone's guess.  Iran's history is full of crushed uprisings as well as successful mass overthrows of the ruling regime.  

I will say that if the govt. succeeds in crushing this rebellion it will be very violent and only temporariliy successful.  I expect there are many within the clerical, military and parlimantary establishment there who see this the same way.

There is definitely a way to move forward here and the whole thing seems balanced on a pivot at this moment.  On which side will weight come down?

by paving on Fri Jun 19th, 2009 at 04:19:59 PM EST
[ Parent ]
The supreme leader described those alleging flaws in the June 12 election as "enemies."
(from yesterday's salon)

A man of words and not of deeds is like a garden full of weeds; a man of deeds and not of words is like a garden full of turds — Anonymous
by Carrie (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Fri Jun 19th, 2009 at 04:37:09 PM EST
[ Parent ]
And don't believe they didn't hear him loud and clear!  Saturday is the big day.  Expect everybody to show up.
by paving on Fri Jun 19th, 2009 at 07:44:03 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Supreme Leaders (think of Cheney) do not want any other life than to be a Supreme Leader, and will do literally ANYTHING to maintain that position, people, the country, the world be damned.  Power is like heroin, very addictive.  Who will the military point their guns at, that is the ultimate question. If this was the US we have our average citizens with their guns allied with people like me with my chemical/biochemical resources.

They tried to assimilate me. They failed.
by THE Twank (yatta blah blah @ blah.com) on Sat Jun 20th, 2009 at 05:44:14 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Deutsche Welle: Europe joins global protests to mark detained Suu Kyi's birthday

Burma's detained democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi celebrated her 64th birthday Friday as world leaders once more called for her release.

The statement comes as the latest step in a global internet-based campaign to highlight the Nobel Peace Prize winner's plight and honor her birthday with a 64-word message.    

Campaign calls for 64 words for Suu Kyi

by Sassafras on Fri Jun 19th, 2009 at 12:43:47 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Independent: Images reveal full horror of 'Amazon's Tiananmen'

First, the police fire tear gas, then rubber bullets. As protesters flee, they move on to live rounds. One man, wearing only a pair of shorts, stops to raise his hands in surrender. He is knocked to the ground and given an extended beating by eight policemen in black body-armour and helmets.

Demonstrators getting worked-over by the rifle butts and truncheons of Peru's security forces turn out to be the lucky ones, though. Dozens more were shot as they fled. You can see their bullet-ridden bodies, charred by a fire that swept through the scene of the incident, which has since been dubbed "the Amazon's Tiananmen".

by Sassafras on Fri Jun 19th, 2009 at 12:48:59 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Peru Overturns Decrees That Incited Protests - NYTimes.com
Peru's Congress on Thursday overturned two decrees by President Alan García that were aimed at opening large areas of the Peruvian Amazon to logging, dams and oil drilling but set off protests by indigenous groups this month in which dozens died. <...>

"Today is a historic day for all indigenous people and for the nation of Peru," said Daysi Zapata, a leader of the Peruvian Jungle Inter-Ethnic Development Association, a group representing more than 300,000 people from Peru's indigenous groups.

The apparent end to the impasse came after at least 24 police officers and 10 civilians were killed in clashes and acts of retaliation in northern Bagua Province, some of Peru's bloodiest political violence since a two-decade war ended in 2000. ...



Truth unfolds in time through a communal process.
by marco on Fri Jun 19th, 2009 at 03:11:01 PM EST
[ Parent ]
BBC - dot.life: Iran's internet dilemma
Sometimes a picture really is worth a thousand words. We've all heard about the cyber-battle between the Iranian government and opposition protestors, with a flood of information coming from Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and other social media sources, despite the efforts of the authorities to block web access. But this image - in a blog by the security firm Arbor Networks - really tells the story of the Iranian regime's strategy:



"The future is already here -- it's just not very evenly distributed" William Gibson

by ChrisCook (cojockathotmaildotcom) on Fri Jun 19th, 2009 at 02:36:33 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Dictatorships view the Internet as damage and try to route around it.
by ThatBritGuy (thatbritguy (at) googlemail.com) on Fri Jun 19th, 2009 at 10:41:50 PM EST
[ Parent ]


A man of words and not of deeds is like a garden full of weeds; a man of deeds and not of words is like a garden full of turds — Anonymous
by Carrie (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Sat Jun 20th, 2009 at 05:24:15 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Joe Bageant: Worker rights: No balls, no gains

It was also a period of Teamsters Union corruption, replete with criminal moguls such as Dave Beck, George Meany and Jimmy Hoffa. Yet the history of the few top lizards on the national rock of greed is not the history of the people.

If a few pricks and gangsters have occasionally seized power over the dignity of labor, countless more calculating, bloodless and malevolent pricks -- the capitalist elites -- have always held most of the card -- which is why in 1886 railroad and financial baron Jay Gould could sneer, "I can always hire one half of the working class to kill the other half." And why a speaker at the U.S. Business Conference Board in 1974 could arrogantly declare, "One man, one vote has undermined the power of business in all capitalist countries since World War II."  And why that same year Business Week magazine said, "It will be a hard pill for many Americans to swallow -- the idea of doing with less so that big business can have more. Nothing in modern economic history compares with the selling job that must now be done to make people accept this new reality."

The new reality is here, and has been since 1973, the last year American workers made a wage gain in real dollars. Hell, it's been here so long we accept it as part of America's cultural furniture.

it had no name....(spooky music)...

now they call it.... the anglo disease...

go read the while thing, it's priceless history, studs terkel style. joe is a national treasure.

'The history of public debt is full of irony. It rarely follows our ideas of order and justice.' Thomas Piketty

by melo (melometa4(at)gmail.com) on Fri Jun 19th, 2009 at 04:25:54 PM EST
[ Parent ]
The reason the CIO turned to the mob for support was to get their own muscle to counter the hired goon squads thrown at picket lines, etc. by management in the 30s. Even the goon squads were an improvement over 19th century practice of owners calling the friendly governor to have the guard come and shoot the protesters.

"It is not necessary to have hope in order to persevere."
by ARGeezer (ARGeezer a in a circle eurotrib daught com) on Sat Jun 20th, 2009 at 01:17:31 AM EST
[ Parent ]
aah, the missing link!

thanks ARG, i always wondered.

'The history of public debt is full of irony. It rarely follows our ideas of order and justice.' Thomas Piketty

by melo (melometa4(at)gmail.com) on Sat Jun 20th, 2009 at 04:37:44 AM EST
[ Parent ]
 LIVING OFF THE PLANET 
 Environment, Energy, Agriculture, Food 

by Sassafras on Fri Jun 19th, 2009 at 12:07:26 PM EST
BBC:World hunger 'hits one billion'

One billion people throughout the world suffer from hunger, a figure which has increased by 100 million because of the global financial crisis, says the UN.

The UN said almost all of the world's undernourished live in developing countries, with the most, some 642 million people, living in the Asia-Pacific region.

In sub-Saharan Africa, the next worst-hit region, the figure stands at 265 million.

Just 15 million people are left hungry in the developed world.

"Just"...

by Sassafras on Fri Jun 19th, 2009 at 12:35:45 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Q&A: 'Biodiversity Is Essential Ingredient in Agriculture'
IPS: A recent declaration of the G8 development ministers in view of the G8 meeting in July seems to recognise the importance of agriculture for development. But support to agriculture has fallen from 17 percent of total aid spending in 1980 to less than 3 percent in 2006. Do you think that research in agriculture can be considered good investment for economic development?

EF: In fact, this is the first time there is such strong accent on agriculture. There has been a call for action, not just for rhetoric, particularly in agriculture and food security. And a recognition also that the challenge of tackling food security and the problem of nutrition is something that needs to be science based, so that policies can be put in place that will be appropriate.

An increase in investment in agriculture has been made virtually by all the development ministers of the G8 who recognised that we need to look at the longer-term solutions, including through research. And support to public research into agriculture is the most effective investment to promote long- term economic development; it offers a better return on investment than other forms of aid.

We need to look at food security not only in terms of quantity of food but the quality of food, that will have an impact on health outcomes. And that requires diverse diet based on a broad use of local agriculture biodiversity.
by afew (afew(a in a circle)eurotrib_dot_com) on Fri Jun 19th, 2009 at 01:11:31 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Guardian: Europe to hunt more whales than Japan

Europe plans to hunt more whales than Japan for the first time in many years, dividing EU countries and dismaying conservationists who say that whaling is escalating in response to the worldwide recession.

Figures seen by the Guardian before a meeting of more than 80 countries next week, show that Norway, Denmark and Iceland propose to hunt 1,478 whales compared to Japan's 1,280 in 2009. This would be an increase of nearly 20% by Europe on last year.

by Sassafras on Fri Jun 19th, 2009 at 01:06:12 PM EST
[ Parent ]
 LIVING ON THE PLANET 
 Society, Culture, History, Information 

by Sassafras on Fri Jun 19th, 2009 at 12:07:51 PM EST
Guardian: Internet has changed foreign policy for ever, says UK's Gordon Brown

Foreign policy can never be the same again -- and it's all because of the internet, Gordon Brown said in an exclusive interview with the Guardian.

"People have now got the ability to speak to each other across continents, to join with each other in communities that are not based simply on territory, streets, but networks; and you've got the possibility of people building alliances right across the world."

This, he said, has huge implications. "That flow of information means that foreign policy can never be the same again.

"You cannot have Rwanda again because information would come out far more quickly about what is actually going on and the public opinion would grow to the point where action would need to be taken.

"Foreign policy can no longer be the province of just a few elites."

by Sassafras on Fri Jun 19th, 2009 at 12:23:40 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Independent: World's best comic collection opens to public in France

From Saturday comic books will have their own Louvre, a museum devoted to the art of speech-bubbles, super-heroes, boy journalists, stubborn Gauls and facetious talking animals.

The Musée de la bande dessinée in Angoulème in south-west France claims to have the largest collection of comic books and original comic book artwork in Europe, and possibly the world.

The museum will have full status as a Musée de France, alongside such institutions as the Louvre and the Palace of Versailles. Its opening marks the further consecration of the "bande dessinée" - a huge industry in France selling 33,600,000 comic books a year - as a separate art form in its own right.
by Sassafras on Fri Jun 19th, 2009 at 12:54:36 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Timesonline: Single-mother digital pirate Jammie Thomas-Rasset must pay $80,000 per song

A federal jury ruled that Jammie Thomas-Rasset willfully violated the copyrights on 24 songs, and awarded record companies $1.92 million.

The single mother of four from Minnesota was found liable for using the Kazaa peer-to-peer file-sharing network to download the songs over the internet.

by Sassafras on Fri Jun 19th, 2009 at 01:03:40 PM EST
[ Parent ]
 PEOPLE AND KLATSCH 

by Sassafras on Fri Jun 19th, 2009 at 12:08:20 PM EST
Independent: Showgirl 'taped herself in bedroom with Italian PM'

A showgirl who claims that she and other women were paid to attend Silvio Berlusconi's private parties said yesterday that she had pictures showing her with the Italian prime minister in his bedroom.

Ms D'Addario, 42, who was yesterday described by a senior government figure as a high-class prostitute, said that the footage showed her standing in front of a mirror. A bedroom with a framed photograph of Veronica Lario, Mr Berlusconi's estranged wife, was in view. She said she had made the recordings "so that nobody could deny I had been there".
by Sassafras on Fri Jun 19th, 2009 at 12:11:44 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Scary title, I was thinking duct tape.
by afew (afew(a in a circle)eurotrib_dot_com) on Fri Jun 19th, 2009 at 01:30:38 PM EST
[ Parent ]
And you just had to share that mental picture with us, didn't you?
by Sassafras on Fri Jun 19th, 2009 at 02:12:20 PM EST
[ Parent ]
It came to me unbidden.

God, I'm sounding like Burlesquoni.

by afew (afew(a in a circle)eurotrib_dot_com) on Fri Jun 19th, 2009 at 02:42:54 PM EST
[ Parent ]
smart cookie!

i'm sure they were discussing important EU ( or EWW!)

diplomacy

how long before he starts a porn channel?

'The history of public debt is full of irony. It rarely follows our ideas of order and justice.' Thomas Piketty

by melo (melometa4(at)gmail.com) on Fri Jun 19th, 2009 at 04:11:10 PM EST
[ Parent ]
He started them back in eighties! Canale 5, Italia 1 and Rete 4.
by de Gondi (publiobestia aaaatttthotmaildaughtusual) on Fri Jun 19th, 2009 at 04:22:34 PM EST
[ Parent ]
The all-time best comment on duct-tape courtesy someone.

Effectively the comment is missing a tribute to bondage.

Anyway, here are a takes from her 2004 calendar.

by de Gondi (publiobestia aaaatttthotmaildaughtusual) on Fri Jun 19th, 2009 at 04:20:54 PM EST
[ Parent ]
I thought you Europeans were supposed to be famous for not caring about this kind of thing...

"Pretending that you already know the answer when you don't is not actually very helpful." ~Migeru.
by poemless on Fri Jun 19th, 2009 at 04:25:43 PM EST
[ Parent ]
This kind of thing? When was the last time a head of state or government was caught running a prostitution ring?

A man of words and not of deeds is like a garden full of weeds; a man of deeds and not of words is like a garden full of turds — Anonymous
by Carrie (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Fri Jun 19th, 2009 at 04:31:18 PM EST
[ Parent ]
"This kind of thing" being scandalous extramarital action.  

"Pretending that you already know the answer when you don't is not actually very helpful." ~Migeru.
by poemless on Fri Jun 19th, 2009 at 04:37:26 PM EST
[ Parent ]
The allegations about Berlusconi border on the criminal already.

A man of words and not of deeds is like a garden full of weeds; a man of deeds and not of words is like a garden full of turds — Anonymous
by Carrie (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Fri Jun 19th, 2009 at 04:38:37 PM EST
[ Parent ]
I totally give up on trying to understand the European moral compass.


"Pretending that you already know the answer when you don't is not actually very helpful." ~Migeru.
by poemless on Fri Jun 19th, 2009 at 04:42:21 PM EST
[ Parent ]
So much simpler in America.  If it involves sex is it bad, if it involves guns it is ok.  Easy to remember.


"Pretending that you already know the answer when you don't is not actually very helpful." ~Migeru.
by poemless on Fri Jun 19th, 2009 at 04:43:25 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Which part of "Berlusconi runs a prostitution ring" is not understandable?

A man of words and not of deeds is like a garden full of weeds; a man of deeds and not of words is like a garden full of turds — Anonymous
by Carrie (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Fri Jun 19th, 2009 at 04:48:43 PM EST
[ Parent ]
LOL

"Pretending that you already know the answer when you don't is not actually very helpful." ~Migeru.
by poemless on Fri Jun 19th, 2009 at 04:49:46 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Please explain.

A man of words and not of deeds is like a garden full of weeds; a man of deeds and not of words is like a garden full of turds — Anonymous
by Carrie (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Fri Jun 19th, 2009 at 04:51:29 PM EST
[ Parent ]
What do you need me to explain?  Europeans used to pride themselves on being too enlightened and liberal to care who their leaders were sleeping with, unlike us messed up Puritans over in the New World.  You keep screaming that he is running a prostitution ring, which I think is a term that refers to pimps and sex traffickers, not the men who actually pay to partake of the services.  You just kept saying it over and over.  It's criminal!  He's running a prostitution ring!   I was laughing at your vehemence.  

Still confused as ever, though...

"Pretending that you already know the answer when you don't is not actually very helpful." ~Migeru.

by poemless on Fri Jun 19th, 2009 at 05:14:24 PM EST
[ Parent ]
He has business associates recruiting girls to have sex with. Okay, so he is the main customer of the prostitution ring, but he runs it, too.

A man of words and not of deeds is like a garden full of weeds; a man of deeds and not of words is like a garden full of turds — Anonymous
by Carrie (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Fri Jun 19th, 2009 at 05:18:06 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Ach.  How's it any different than those courts you guys used to have?  And you can't possibly be under the impression that mistresses do not receive some type of remuneration.  Are the women being forced against their will?  I mean, are they full time sex slaves kept against their will, or women who have been offered a nice amount of money for a night with the Premier?  Sounds like these are models, not street urchins struggling to feed themselves.  Were threatened if they did not comply?  Were they kidnapped?

"Pretending that you already know the answer when you don't is not actually very helpful." ~Migeru.
by poemless on Fri Jun 19th, 2009 at 05:36:34 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Mind you, I'm not suggesting that this all isn't totally creeptastic.  I'm just wondering where you choose to draw the line.  

"Pretending that you already know the answer when you don't is not actually very helpful." ~Migeru.
by poemless on Fri Jun 19th, 2009 at 05:41:24 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Extramarital affairs between consenting adults are not abusive.

Sexual harassment of underlings and protitution are.

But you know this already, so why do I have to tell you?

A man of words and not of deeds is like a garden full of weeds; a man of deeds and not of words is like a garden full of turds — Anonymous

by Carrie (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Fri Jun 19th, 2009 at 05:49:48 PM EST
[ Parent ]
She's listed as being 42.  And no offense, but Europeans large do have a MUCH higher tolerance for sexual harrassment than Americans.  Or at least in my own and every American girl I know who has been abroad's experiences.

"Pretending that you already know the answer when you don't is not actually very helpful." ~Migeru.
by poemless on Fri Jun 19th, 2009 at 05:52:57 PM EST
[ Parent ]
It's a bit curious.  First you are mad because he is running a prostitution ring.  Then when it is pointed out that he's the client, not the pimp, you are mad because of the underaged girls.  

Again, I was responding to the post here, and not the story about the underaged girls.  A 42 yr old model/escort taped herself with Berlusconi.  That's what I was responding to.  

And extramarital affairs are abusive, actually.  

"Pretending that you already know the answer when you don't is not actually very helpful." ~Migeru.

by poemless on Fri Jun 19th, 2009 at 05:57:36 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Then when it is pointed out that he's the client, not the pimp, you are mad because of the underaged girls.

He's the owner and single client of the ring.

A man of words and not of deeds is like a garden full of weeds; a man of deeds and not of words is like a garden full of turds — Anonymous

by Carrie (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Fri Jun 19th, 2009 at 05:59:49 PM EST
[ Parent ]
And extramarital affairs are abusive, actually.

What, to the cheated spouse?

A man of words and not of deeds is like a garden full of weeds; a man of deeds and not of words is like a garden full of turds — Anonymous

by Carrie (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Fri Jun 19th, 2009 at 06:00:22 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Very often, to all the involved parties, eventually.

"Pretending that you already know the answer when you don't is not actually very helpful." ~Migeru.
by poemless on Fri Jun 19th, 2009 at 06:14:56 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Sounds like these are models, not street urchins struggling to feed themselves.  Were threatened if they did not comply?  Were they kidnapped?

Wait, if it isn't gritty and shady it isn't exploitative?

Let's see, a 17-year old leaves her portfolio with a modelling agency and the agency owner then "forgets" the portfolio on Berlusconi's desk along with her cellphone number... Yeah, just par for the course in Europe and nothing to be shocked about.

What Europeans are more tolerant of than Americans is extramarital affairs with consenting adults. But things like "consorting with minors" or sexual harassment of underlings is equally frowned upon.

A man of words and not of deeds is like a garden full of weeds; a man of deeds and not of words is like a garden full of turds — Anonymous

by Carrie (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Fri Jun 19th, 2009 at 05:45:49 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Right but I am not talking about the underaged girls - that's a whole different matter and clearly sick and wrong.  I am talking about the 42 yr old escort.

"Pretending that you already know the answer when you don't is not actually very helpful." ~Migeru.
by poemless on Fri Jun 19th, 2009 at 05:51:27 PM EST
[ Parent ]
I wonder what her deal is - after 'meeting' Berlusconi he put her on the short list for being a candidate for the European Parliament (among a number of other similar women), and after that blew up in his face he put her on the lists for the local elections in Bari. And she may advance her celebrity career with these videotapes she took inside his bedroom, though her political career is shot. So she's definitely not innocent. But if she can pierce the veil of lies Berlusconi has erected on this whole thing...

I mean, "Berlusconi can probably get many women for free" is the best his lawyer can come up with to counter the allegations that he paid this 42-year old €2,000 per visit. WTF?

A man of words and not of deeds is like a garden full of weeds; a man of deeds and not of words is like a garden full of turds — Anonymous

by Carrie (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Fri Jun 19th, 2009 at 05:58:33 PM EST
[ Parent ]
It's all connected.

Did you see the one this morning about how he bragged to Jacques Chirac about how many women from porn magazines had used his bidet after he bagged them?

A man of words and not of deeds is like a garden full of weeds; a man of deeds and not of words is like a garden full of turds — Anonymous

by Carrie (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Fri Jun 19th, 2009 at 06:02:27 PM EST
[ Parent ]
No I didn't (and my soul would have been better if you hadn't mentioned it.)  I did read about Chirac boasting of his enormous success with women though.

"Pretending that you already know the answer when you don't is not actually very helpful." ~Migeru.
by poemless on Fri Jun 19th, 2009 at 06:14:24 PM EST
[ Parent ]
<grin>

A man of words and not of deeds is like a garden full of weeds; a man of deeds and not of words is like a garden full of turds — Anonymous
by Carrie (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Fri Jun 19th, 2009 at 06:19:43 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Bwahahaha!  That was a fun read, thanks.  De Gondi sure ahs a way with words...

"Pretending that you already know the answer when you don't is not actually very helpful." ~Migeru.
by poemless on Fri Jun 19th, 2009 at 06:24:27 PM EST
[ Parent ]
"Chirac liked to get away to mix with conservative peasant stock types with whom he would eat traditional plates based on lesser known animal parts." is one of the most entertaining sentences I have read in a while...

"Pretending that you already know the answer when you don't is not actually very helpful." ~Migeru.
by poemless on Fri Jun 19th, 2009 at 06:26:27 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Pics or stfu
by paving on Fri Jun 19th, 2009 at 04:28:53 PM EST
[ Parent ]
She's 42, that's an improvement over the young girls, right?  BTW, I had no clue Berlusconi was 72!  I mean, if all the stories are true, that's almost impressive.  :)


"Pretending that you already know the answer when you don't is not actually very helpful." ~Migeru.
by poemless on Fri Jun 19th, 2009 at 04:41:18 PM EST
[ Parent ]
I just watched the documentary God Grew Tired Of Us about the Lost Boys of Sudan.

An astonishing, humbling, inspiring story and film.  I urge everyone to watch it. How people who have suffered such an unimaginable holocaust as children can grown up into such amazing, positive, powerful individuals, just blows my mind.

Truth unfolds in time through a communal process.

by marco on Fri Jun 19th, 2009 at 10:11:54 PM EST
[ Parent ]


Truth unfolds in time through a communal process.
by marco on Fri Jun 19th, 2009 at 10:31:18 PM EST
[ Parent ]
How disturbing.

A man of words and not of deeds is like a garden full of weeds; a man of deeds and not of words is like a garden full of turds — Anonymous
by Carrie (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Sat Jun 20th, 2009 at 03:37:07 AM EST
[ Parent ]
I mean, I know it's satire but satire should be funny.

A man of words and not of deeds is like a garden full of weeds; a man of deeds and not of words is like a garden full of turds — Anonymous
by Carrie (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Sat Jun 20th, 2009 at 03:39:07 AM EST
[ Parent ]
it is funny.

In the long run, we're all dead. John Maynard Keynes
by Jerome a Paris (etg@eurotrib.com) on Sat Jun 20th, 2009 at 06:26:11 AM EST
[ Parent ]
I found it disturbing.

A man of words and not of deeds is like a garden full of weeds; a man of deeds and not of words is like a garden full of turds — Anonymous
by Carrie (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Sat Jun 20th, 2009 at 06:27:49 AM EST
[ Parent ]
If anyone here has read idées noires...

Un roi sans divertissement est un homme plein de misères
by linca (antonin POINT lucas AROBASE gmail.com) on Sat Jun 20th, 2009 at 07:04:56 AM EST
[ Parent ]


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