Story Archives - Page 499 of 662

Tibetan Freedom Struggle: Refugee School Points to Future

Sammy Loren December 5, 2007 Sammy Loren

The first sign that welcomes visitors reads, "Caution: Children at Play." Back in the West, a sign of this sort wouldn't even cock an eyebrow, but up in the Himalayas, it stopped me dead in my tracks. Indian street life is defined by chaos. Clogged with cars and cows, lepers and beggars, roads are forged like white water rapids, not splashed in like puddles. Yet, I'm visiting the Tibetan Children's Village, a residential school for underprivileged Tibetan refugees.

A History of Infamy: US Military Tactics From Vietnam to Iraq

Al Huebner December 5, 2007 Al Huebner

National Public Radio recently reported on one of the latest gadgets developed by DARPA, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. Described as a non-lethal weapon, it concentrates microwaves and can reach a target as far away as 500 yards, causing the victim to retreat. One of the scientists involved in its development, noted that it operated by heating water molecules just under the skin, causing pain. In short, this non-lethal weapon functions like a microwave oven. Yet the report was remarkably free of important details. For example, what happens if the device strikes a target at a distance appreciably less than 500 yards?

No More Recruits: Vermont Protesters Shut Down Recruitment Center

Joshua Lambert, VT Indymedia December 3, 2007 Joshua Lambert, VT Indymedia

Around mid afternoon on November 30th, two groups of demonstrators converged in front of the Williston, Vermont, Military Recruitment Office in Maple Tree Place. Members of Mount Mansfield Union High Schools’ Peace Club and Iraqi Veterans Against the War led the rally march against military recruitment in High Schools. In all, 75-80 protesters took to the street with ambitions to shutting down the recruitment center for the day… Keep reading this report at read more

Post Annapolis: A Road Ahead?

Rene Wadlow December 3, 2007 Rene Wadlow

There was a high level of scepticism - not to say cynicism - concerning the outcome of the November 27th conference on Israel-Palestine in Annapolis. There were a few photo-ops but no memorable photos that I have seen. All the chief actors in this play had different motivations and different interests to advance. If the aim of the meeting were really a settlement of the key final status issues between Israel and Palestine and the creation of a Palestinian state, a trip to Washington and a car ride to Annapolis would have been unnecessary.

New Politics in Old Bolivia: Public Opinion and Evo Morales

Benjamin Dangl November 28, 2007 Benjamin Dangl

Evo Morales, Photo: ABI

Nearly two years into the presidency of Evo Morales, government officials and leftist social organizations are determined to break with the past and transform the nation. The opposition calls it a civil war. The government calls it a revolution. Other Bolivian activists and analysts call it business as usual. A look at public opinion and recent conflicts in Bolivia exposes the challenges facing Bolivia's first indigenous president.

Shock Doctrine: Power, Passion, and Neoliberalism

Walden Bello November 28, 2007 Walden Bello

Bello

Naomi Klein's The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism is very impressive indeed. This is, however, not immediately evident, a sense that is confirmed by Joseph Stiglitz' review of the book. Even before I read it, I was certain that the Nobel laureate would highlight Klein's attempt to make a connection between the electric shock experiments performed by the notorious McGill University psychologist Ewen Cameron who was on contract with the CIA and the economic shock approach developed by Milton Friedman at the University of Chicago.