In what has the appearance of a political show trial Pussy Riot members – Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, Yekaterina Samutsevich and Maria Alekhina – have been slapped by a Moscow court with six more months of detention. For anyone unfamiliar with the background story link to earlier posts here and here. In
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Drive-by Planet: ‘Death of Evidence’ march: Canadian scientists protest Harper cuts
Symbolic statements can speak volumes. This week in Ottawa Canadian scientists staged a funeral march to mourn the “death of evidence” caused by the Harper government’s slashing of research programs. The Grim Reaper – scythe in hand – led a march of scientists in lab coats with designated pallbearers carrying
Continue readingDrive-by Planet: Was Arafat killed? Uri Avnery suspects hand of Ariel Sharon
Questions have long been circulating about the strange circumstances surrounding the death of Yasser Arafat. In the months prior to his death Arafat’s health wasn’t what it had been, but nevertheless he was judged by medics to be in pretty good shape for a man of his age. He was
Continue readingDrive-by Planet: Jeanne Reynolds of CLASSE speaks with WSWS
Top: Student protest with CLASSE banner Below:Jeanne Reynolds and Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois The Coalition large de l’association pour une solidarité syndicale étudiante (CLASSE) represents student groups from Quebec CÉGEP colleges and universities. It has been at the forefront of student protests in Quebec opposing the Charest government’s plan to dramatically hike
Continue readingDrive-by Planet: Earth: the planet we risk destroying
This NASA video of planet Earth is a slow glide, unlike the time lapse version that is available. Time and motion feel natural. It’s like being on the craft watching the vistas and the distant horizon unfold before our eyes. Some of the captures are absolutely stunning. It shows Earth
Continue readingDrive-by Planet: 350.org’s Bill McKibben on Colorado fires and the global warming threat
On the heels of the failures of Rio+20 initiatives, the US has been hit by environmental wake-up calls in the form of a devastating heatwave and flooding. These are hardcore warnings of what the future holds unless we act to address the devastating impact of global warming. Our children’s future,
Continue readingDrive-by Planet: Julian Assange talks with Tariq Ali and Noam Chomsky
The RT network offers content you won’t find elsewhere online. It has been accused of a pro-Kremlin bias and while there is some truth to that, it can also be a subjective evaluation. What some people view as pro-Kremlin content might be seen by someone else as coverage that offers
Continue readingDrive-by Planet: Pussy Riot members still in jail: a Russian ‘witch hunt’
Above: Yekaterina Samusevich, Nadezhda Tolokonnikova and Maria Alyokhina Some of the repressive measures in Russia against protesters, opposition leaders and activist artists such as the Voina collective have been extreme. This year the jailing of members of Pussy Riot sparked outrage, not just in Russia but internationally. Criticism of Russia
Continue readingDrive-by Planet: Quebec protests June 22: crisis far from over
There were large rallies in Montreal and Quebec City June 22. Students and supporters demonstrated against fee hikes, against Bill-78 and held the banners of social and political activism high. The term “student protest” needs to be revised to some extent because these protests now involve Quebeckers from all walks
Continue readingDrive-by Planet: Dahan phone hoax exposes Nadine Morano’s political sympathies
Back in 2008 Sarah Palin believed she was talking on the phone with French president Nicolas Sarkozy when in fact she was speaking with a Quebec comedian Marc-Antoine Audette. A more recent high-profile hoax call is making the news in France. It involves a former minister in the Sarkozy government,
Continue readingDrive-by Planet: Rio+20: ‘Fossil of the Day’ award for obstructionist Canada
At the Durban Climate Change Conference last year and now at the Earth Summit in Rio, Canada has been handed “Fossil of the Day” awards in recognition of its burgeoning reputation as a global leader in environmental obstructionism – not to mention its active role as trasher of environmental protections.
Continue readingDrive-by Planet: Ottawa hush job: Parks Canada employees latest to be silenced
CBC reports that Parks Canada employees are being muzzled by the feds – not permitted to criticize the agency or the federal government. Employees have received letters of warning to that effect. This is happening at a time when the agency has been cutting hundreds of jobs. CBC: Workers are
Continue readingDrive-by Planet: SYRIZA leads in final Greek poll: Tsipras firm on rejecting bailout
A final poll before the Greek election on June 16 has the radical left SYRIZA in front of the pack. Greek law bans the publication of any new polls in the 2 weeks before elections. A Public Issue poll for the Kathimerini newspaper puts SYRIZA at 31.5, New Democracy at
Continue readingDrive-by Planet: 5 Broken Cameras: a powerful record of Palestinian resistance
Top right: Emad Burnat and Guy Davidi 5 Broken Cameras is a must see. The documentary covers a span of 5 tumultuous years in the life of a Palestinian farmer turned cameraman named Emad Burnat. Burnat purchased his first camcorder in 2005 to record the birth of his fourth son,
Continue readingDrive-by Planet: Troika and allies forcing a political agenda in EU
In response to the EU financial crisis austerity has been enacted in the name of crisis-management. It has been pushed along with other neoliberal measures that would have a hard time getting a pass at the ballot box. The crisis is being used to push a political agenda. Austerity is
Continue readingDrive-by Planet: Predator Nation: Charles Ferguson rips financial industry
Charles Ferguson’s new book “Predator Nation: Corporate Criminals, Political Corruption, and the Hijacking of America” is a well written, scathing critique that exposes the crooked underside of corporate America. Ferguson doesn’t exactly come across as a radical. He’s a former executive and government adviser who spent enough time in academia
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