*You may need to raise volume to improve audio quality on this video The Bureau of Investigative Journalism has launched a new project – Naming the Dead – that aims to identify those killed in drone strikes. As part of its investigative work the Bureau has been tracking and recording
Continue readingAuthor: Jay Cables
drive-by planet: Maria the ‘mystery’ Roma girl and Madeleine McCann… racist underside of news coverage
Maria posters and headline/Maria’s biological mother Sasha Ruseva A story from Greece about a four year-old ‘mystery girl’ named Maria has been making headlines in the mainstream media. Maria who is fair-haired was living in the care of a Roma couple who happen to be dark complexioned. This created suspicions
Continue readingdrive-by planet: CBC interview with Dana Golan of Breaking the Silence: "Our Harsh Logic" compiles testimonials of Israeli soldiers
Dana Golan, a veteran of the Israeli Defense Forces and former director of Breaking the Silence, was interviewed last Sunday on the CBC radio program The Sunday Edition. When asked by the CBC’s John Enright about the mandate of Breaking the Silence, Golan offered the following: So, Breaking the Silence
Continue readingdrive-by planet: SYRIZA’s Alexis Tsipras and Slavoj Zizek in discussion at the 2013 Subversive Festival in Zagreb
This is a follow-up to my earlier post on this year’s Subversive Festival in Zagreb. Srećko Horvat hosts Alexis Tsipras leader of Greece’s radical left party, SYRIZA, and the philosopher Slavoj Žižek. The discussion focuses on the crisis of neoliberalism and the role of the European left. The ‘about’ info
Continue readingdrive-by planet: Rammstein: Slavoj Zizek’s fave band – with a heart that ‘beats on the left’
The hugely popular German metal outfit Rammstein is often associated with the Neue Deutsche Härte scene along with bands such as Die Krupps, Laibach, Eisbrecher and Oomph!. The Slovenian band Laibach in particular has been a big influence. Rammstein’s debut album, Herzeleid (1995) was very successful. The band’s follow-up album
Continue readingdrive-by planet: Slavoj Zizek’s sharp blade: video interview on changes in the global financial and political system
The Slovenian philosopher Slavoj Žižek is one of the most engaging thinkers around, not only in terms of the ideas but in person. He’s engaging even if you don’t altogether agree with him. When he is in top gear he fulminates, gestures furiously with both hands and delivers with conviction.
Continue readingdrive-by planet: Tariq Ali and Oliver Stone at the 2013 Subversive Festival in Zagreb: "Untold History of the U.S."
Tariq Ali and Oliver Stone took part in a roundtable discussion at the sixth annual Subversive Festival in Zagreb earlier in the year – a discussion well worth revisiting. It’s an interesting exchange of ideas and toward the end includes questions from the audience. The discussion covers a range of
Continue readingdrive-by planet: Edward Snowden tribute mural in Manchester by artist Sarah Lynn Mayhew
In a tribute to NSA whistleblower, Edward Snowden, Manchester-based artist, Sarah Lynn Mayhew, has created a mural entitled “Truth is Coming and it Cannot be Stopped.” The artwork appears on a substation wall in the Northern Quarter area of the Manchester city center – part of the Out House Project.
Continue readingdrive-by planet: Arab Spring: uprisings, protests… not much to do with revolution
A recent Tariq Ali article in Guernica – What is a Revolution – challenges misconceptions about the popular uprisings in the Middle East that some pundits characterise as the Arab Spring or more dramatically as “revolutions.” A key point in Ali’s article is that popular uprisings, however large, do not
Continue readingdrive-by planet: Ecuador’s Ricardo Patiño on Latin American resistance to NSA spying, influence of Castro and Chavez
In this Democracy Now interview, Ecuadorean Foreign Minister, Ricardo Patiño, addresses a range of topics in discussion with Amy Goodman. In reference to NSA spying Patiño said “Edward Snowden opened the eyes of the world to an international crime. The NSA is spying on the whole world and that’s a
Continue readingdrive-by planet: Pavlos Fissas’ accused killer Giorgos Roupakias had Golden Dawn links: killing adds fuel to Greek anti-austerity protests
Top: Killah_P Beneath: Suspect Giorgos Roupakias in custody and shrine at killing site On September 17, Greek hip-hop artist Pavlos Fissas aka Killah P was stabbed to death in the Amfiali/Keratsini neighborhood of Piraeus (about 10 miles from downtown Athens). He was ambushed by neo-Nazis linked to the far-right Golden
Continue readingdrive-by planet: ‘Into the Fire’ video: targeting of immigrants in Greece by the authorities and Golden Dawn fascists
Into the Fire sends a powerful message about the xenophobia and violence faced by immigrants in Greece struggling to survive against steep odds. A large percentage were driven to seek asylum not as a matter of choice but because of war and other problems in their countries of origin. Many
Continue readingdrive-by planet: Democracy Now interview with Noam Chomsky on Syria and related matters: U.S. ‘torturing’ Iran for 60 years
In this talk hosted by Democracy Now, Noam Chomsky raises a number of key points with respect to the U.S. government’s approach to Syria and Iran. He also addresses the self-serving attitude of the U.S. with respect to international law. The spectacle of Barack Obama, a president known for his
Continue readingdrive-by planet: Al Qaeda linked rebels in Syria: Putin accuses Kerry of lying: Syrian rebel atrocities – NYT video footage
Islamist fighters in Syria: Beneath – al-Nusra Front fighters execute Syrian soldiers Given the military excesses the Assad regime has directed against its own people, genuine representatives of the Syrian people would seem like the force to back in the increasingly vicious civil conflict. But maybe not. A rebel force
Continue readingdrive-by planet: Calls by Jewish groups for removal of Translink ‘Disappearing Palestine’ ads is an attack on free speech
Beneath left: Martha Roth of the Palestine Awareness Coalition An ad appearing on a dozen or more Vancouver buses and in the City Center SkyTrain station has been the target of criticism by some Jewish groups. The four-panel ad shows a map of Israel over the last six decades –
Continue readingdrive-by planet: Video: George Galloway’s impassioned speech opposing attack on Syria: UK parliament votes NO to military action
One of the highlights of the British parliamentary debate on Syria was the rousing speech delivered by Respect Party MP for Bradford West, George Galloway. He delivered with trademark conviction and elan, stating his opposition to any British involvement in an attack on Syria. This is part of what Galloway
Continue readingdrive-by planet: John Kerry’s speech: U.S. hypocrisy in preparing conditions for an illegal attack on Syria
In the course of his speech to prep public opinion for the likely US-NATO attack on Syria, U.S. Secretary of State, John Kerry, said: “President Obama believes there must be accountability for those who would use the world’s most heinous weapons against the world’s most vulnerable people.” The killing of
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