Pundits & the Geopolitics

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"Out of confusion comes clarity" -Kwame Ture

Language and Imperialism: On American Empire and Translating the world

Against the Grain - August 24, 2010 at 12:00pm

Click to listen (or download)

The Baku-Turkey and China Oil aka Petroluem pipelines crisscrossing the Caucasus, Middle East and along the Silk Road. Some fear that the BTC pipeline is the new source of petroleum for the United States.

Cable news replaced

Baku, Azerbaijan

Refugee Chronicles: The Long and Lonely Road from Sudan to France

The Occupation of the American mind

This documentary needs no introduction. But it can not be said enough how the media has played a huge role in the American and European public and citizens' perception of Israel and Palestine conflict especially where the civilian rights, empathy and deeper context are concerned. Israeli public relations or Hasbara hebrew for advocacy or image has been in overdrive for years to present Israel as a david vs goliath or an innocent victim in the Middle East who has been provoked by numerous Palestinian, Arab and North African rivals and enemies. Originally produced and published in 2016 by the Media Education Foundation, the documentary is still relevant and recommended watching. This is an unofficial sequel to the groundbreaking Peace, Propaganda and the Holy Land: on media image of Palestine and Israel also made by the MEF. As always enjoy the film.

Israel's Flag is Not My Flag

Alfred Lilethanal, an American Jewish critic and author was an early critique of Zionism and how the ideology morphed into Israeli nationalism and the Israeli state along with political Zionism was placed at the center of Jewish identity instead of Judaism. He also questioned why Jews around the world have to drop their respective national identities and homelands to embrace Israel when many Jews had and still continue to have no desire or interest to live in Israel or a Jewish State. Nor are they attached to the Israeli experience. Lilethanal's critique and perspective is not unique among American Jews both religious and secular. Orthodox Jews, contrary to popular belief, oppose Zionism and the creation of a Jewish State as it goes against the teachings of the Torah.

The Night Won't End Al Jazeera documentary on the brutal Israeli war in Gaza, backed by the United States

Alex ShamsIranian American writer and Editor at Ajam Media Collective that dives deep into Iranian culture and society beyond the tired media representations.

Balkanization of Sudan

Mysterious ideology behind Sudan's toughest rebels

Sudan prepare for war 2012

Exposing US agents of low-intensity warfare in Sudan and East Africa

Does the Western Left have an Africa problem?

An analysis on how the Left and anti war activists (US, UK, France, Australia) tend to drag their feet and at times incline to urgently address be as passionate about ongoing struggles and conflicts in DRC and other African countries (exception being Apartheid South Africa, South Sudan) in comparison to the decades long leftist support for Palestinian rights and ending the occupation. The decades long struggle for rights of the ordinary Congolese is rarely placed at the center of the anti war/imperialist movement.

Radio Galaxy

Why South Sudan rejoining Sudan may not be hopeful

Four ways Americans-taught-white-savior-complex-can

Haiti: An Occupation in Blackface

Saudi Arabia islamize Liberia, West Africa?

Halford MacKinder, Geostrategy and the heartlands of the world

Refugee Crisis: Canada must do more, Harper's policies have failed

Drowned toddler's Asylum: Canada denied baby refugee family, baby Aylan Kurdi dies

Border blues: Why Must Africans jump through hoops for a visa?

Yinon's Revenge: Panoramic of chaos in the Arab World

International Law on Occupied Palestinian territories

Critical analyze: Third World women and inadequacies of Western Feminism

An Alternative to the "Keeping us Save" principle

For the Land and the Lord: Jewish fundamentalism in Israel

Saudis destroying Muslim history and own heritage in Mecca luxury expansion

A Mediterranean identity and the arab mashriq

The Displacement of Arab Identity: A Tunisian Perspective

Egyptian television host Bassem Youseff and his jokes that got him arrested

Blood Borders: Iraq, Syria and the death of the Modern Middle East

Black France: History, Culture and Identity of African Frenchmen and women

Modernising a medieval city: 19th Century Renovation of Medieval Paris

The Islamic World called the Ummah in Arabic in size and diversity geographic, linguistic and cultural.


Funfacts: There are more Arabic speakers in Africa from Morocco to Egypt, Somalia and Sudan than there are in the Middle East. Indonesia and Pakistan (together over 300 million) are the world's largest Muslim countries. The third largest Muslim population in the world is in India. 100 million + Indians in Gujurat, Mumbai, Delhi and other cities and states celebrate Ramadan, Eid, go on hajj and speak multiple languages.
Arab Muslims only make up 25% of the world's Muslim population, 43% of Africa's religious population follows Islam and the reminder of the world's Muslims are located across Asia from Malaysia, Iran to Chechnya and across Russia (which is mostly located in Asia with the Western part of Russia closer to Europe) to The Stans (Kazakstan, Krygzstan, Turkmenistan), Philippines, Papua New Guinea and Maldives and Fiji.
Europe has one of the continent's oldest Muslim populations in Bosnia, Albania, Russia, Serbia, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria and Turkey
Americas has been home to a small growing Muslim communities for a couple of centuries in Latin America and United States has one of the oldest Muslim communities in the Americas: African American Muslims. The first Muslims to the US and before the US to Brazil and Caribbean came as slaves from West Africa in 16th-17th centuries.
Sufism, Sunni, Shia and Druze form the diverse dimensions of Islam

Islam: One of the three Abraham religions alongside Judaism and Christianity. Islam is the last of the three to emerge in 620s after the Quran (Islam's holy book which includes the same stories as in the Bible's old and new testament) was revealed to Prophet Muhammad in Arabia. It began as a revelation and as a social movement for in the same manner as Christianity. Islam spread from Arabia to North Africa, Asia and other parts of Africa over the next century after Muhammad's death 622. There are five pillars of Islam.
1 Shahadeh declaration of faith,
2 Zakat giving charity to those in need
3 Salat prayer
4 Hajj or pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in a Muslim's life
5 Ramadan aka fasting for one month during which food and drink is given up before sunrise and sunset similar to Lent where a Catholic must give up for a month until Ash Wednesday. In Islam, the day of breaking of fast is known as Eid al fitr and the day of sacrifice id Eid al Adha, which a sheep or lamb is sacrificed following the story of Abraham scraficing his son Issac as a test by God or Allah.

Under Islamic rule, several famous empires and dynasties rose across Africa, Europe and Asia, Ummayads, Abbasids, Empire of Mali along with the famous and still literary city Timbuktu home to some of the largest library and universities in West Africa, Futon Jola, Mongols ie Genghis Khan, Qublai Khan, Tamerlane (Timur), Mughals in India and Pakistan, Ayubbids after Saladin, Fatimids in Egypt, Persia, Ottoman Empire, House of Saud or al Sauds from where Arabia got the prefix to its name Saudi Arabia. Muslim, Christian and Jewish scholars played a critical role in passing on knowledge, science, arts, culture and literature from Africa, Middle East and Asia and ancient Romans/Greeks to Europe and Americas.


Pundits use humor, from slapstick to intellectual (no matter how mundane to jingoistic, derogatory &
insulting), politics of fear, chauvinism, machismo and occasionally politically incorrect (complaining against "PC wars") to quietly support right wing geopolitical and cold war styled policies in Middle East, Africa, and Central Asia.The pundits rarely mention the continual destruction of Palestinian life, disruption of life where oil pipelines are located in Niger Delta, Nigeria to Baku, Azerbaijan. Also not mention and denied by the pundits is the first genocide of the 20th Century...Armenian Genocide.

Some defined words
Pundit: As known as a "Talking head" is usually a person who gives their opinions, perspectives or viewpoints on a political, historical, cultural issue through mass media

Geopolitics: Geography's prominence and importance in international relations and foreign policy of a specific country, region or corporation.

Norway terror attacks and excusing the terrorism of the Right wing, White Christian fundamentalist and nationalists

In the aftermath of Boston bombings, question everything you hear
Mother Jones, on how media disinformation after terrorist attacks and bombings create a state of fear and predictable and sometimes deadly consequences of confusing reports on who committed acts of terror.

When terrorists are white Europeans: Made in America & Europe
Now that the Boston bombing suspects' identities and ethnicity has been confirmed, media channels such as CNN and Fox News have been taken aback that the suspects did not fit the earlier description of the stereotypical image of the crazed terrorist. Both suspects Dhzokhar and Tamerlan (as in Tamerlane the Great) Tsarnaev are Chechens, one of who is American while the older brother Tamerlane was in the process of becoming a citizen. Like the Norweigen terrorist Anders Breivik from July 2011 attacks, the two suspects are white Europeans who were not considered suspicious or capable of terrorism before Monday's bombings. The mainstream media has usually portrayed violent terrorist attacks by European terrorists whether they be American or Europeans from Norway in a wider context. Instead of painting Breivik or Dhzokhar Tsarnaev as the personification of evil as is usually done when suspect of Palestinian, Somali, Algerian or Iraq descendant is accused of brutal terrorist attacks like the Boston Boming. White terrorists' actions are juxtoposted with the terrorist's humanity and past lives. The media interviews friends and family members who describe them as, "a regular and normal guy," "He was always smiling and just a nice guy," "He was friendly and polite," "I would've never known or suspect him to do such a thing." "He's a great kid" or "He didn't have many friends but he was a quiet guy who kept to himself." Despite being terrorists, Breveik and Dhzokhar and Tamerlane their life stories are given weight in hopes of understanding their motivations. Breveik and Tsarnaev brothers have hobbies, family, names and friends and fathers and occasionally mothers who loved or knew them on a personal level beyond the label of terrorist. White terrorists aren't lumped into a scapegoated ethnic group (unless they are Chechen), Christianity and by extension the pope aren't called into question nor accused of promoting violent extremists or hate (although history has witnessed many contradictions), if they are Muslims, Islam is still labeled with radicalism but disconnected from the terrorists' Islamic identity, white men aren't profiled excessively or brutalized by police departments from Homeland security or airport security, they are not detained for long periods or suspected of being potentially dangerous whenever a major violent attack or event occurs even if evidence points to others or them as the possible suspect. European culture is not linked to a long standing culture of violence nor are statements made suggesting in a crude way that aggressiveness and war is linked to their identity.

The same human story isn't granted to terrorist who are Palestinian or Somali. Their names are only mentioned, their families mourn with little background or life stories being shared with the wider world from loving family and friends. There is no description of the Somali or Palestinian terrorist suspect before or after an attack as "a regular and normal guy," "I'd never imagine he would do something like that." "He loved to play sports and always smile." "He wanted to live in peace and helped others selflessly." The suspect's religion Islam are scrutinized as a motivation for why terrorism occurred. While even Prophet Muhammad is accused of encouraging violence and terrorism in absentia. Muslims who live around the world (representing the geographic distance and diversity of the Islamic world) nor have no connection to the suspect's country or terror attacks, find themselves equally held responsible for a supposedly religiously inspired violence of a single person. Rarely if ever does the media report on the widespread condemnation of terrorism and violence against innocent people by Muslims of multiple ethnicities and countries.

Dzhokhar Tsarnaev: A Dark side and crisis masked
In Boston, A Rare Rejection of the Dead
Tamerlane Tsarnaev's body hangs in limbo literally for the lack of finding a burial place anywhere in Massachuettes. The Funeral director has been both criticized and protested against for trying to find a proper burial place within the city.
Blowback in Boston-Pepe Escobar RT News
Decoding the invisible whiteness in Boston Bombing Coverage
Boston Marathon Bombings, manhunt and the Race to Racism
Being Brown after the Boston Bombing
Norway's Muslims share nation's grief and hope for unity
Oslo terror suspect wrote of fear of Islam and Plan of War
Nationalists pose a bigger threat to national security than Al Qaeda
Norway, Islam and Threat of the West
Blaming Muslims yet again
Is the Right on the Rise in Europe?
Norway's attack Reveal World of Hatred
Chris Hedges, Fundamentalism kills
Exploiting a Tragedy
The Greater Threat: Christian Extremism From Timothy McVeigh to Anders Breivik
The Omnipotence of Al Qaeda and Meaninglessness of "Terrorism"
Norway Attacks Stokes Fear of growing Extremism?

Israel accused of abusing detained kids

Terrorism and War in perspective

Cartoon by Black Commentator showing that terrorism happens to everyone not to a select few. That terror isn't used only by groups but by Western nations as well against Non Western nations.

It's not quantum physics when it comes to understanding the motive of terrorists' actions. Some terrorist groups do use religion as a motivation for their members but terrorism at its root is political and generally happens after all attempts by groups through non violent protest and diplomatic channels have failed to get the world's attention to an injustice or a cause. The mainstream media will scorn terrorist organizations for years without understanding their motivations or reactions to violence beyond the "good vs evil" mantra. Dhokzar Tsarnaev mentioned that he and his brother Tamerlane's motive for the bombing was their anger at US war in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Unmanned: America's Drone Wars hosted on Pakistani TV

The voices of children, men and women and families are told through this brilliant documentary

By extension the continual drone bombings in Yemen and Pakistan has left many children and young people in both countries in mourning and growing anger at the US. This week Nabila Rehman who lost her grandmother from a Drone attack on their home in a mountainous village in Pakistan, spoke to a nearly empty US Congress on what she saw and became the face of drone attack victims and survivors. Though many have never been to America or met an American, for them the drone has become the face of America. Their sense of safety and former peaceful lives in villages and small towns has been changed by the drones. Many militants turned terrorists before the Tsarnaev brothers have often referenced bombings, wars and violent discrimination against a religious, ethnic or cultural group by overt excessive military machines, chemical weapons, oppression/repression by local governments and foreign and neighboring occupying forces (often supported or back by Western countries and their allies among them Qatar and Saudi Arabia indirectly supporting Al Qaeda affiliates in Libya and now Syria) and the world's continual silence or inaction among the key reasons/motivations for why terrorist groups commit acts of violence. Here are some well known revolutionary groups that morphed over time from revolutionary groups into desperate terrorist organizations: the IRA Irish Republican Army, PLO Palestine Liberation Organization during the Cold War, Hezbullah, Tamil Tigers (also the first modern terror group to use suicide bombers) Mujahideen in 1980s Afghanistan, Jewish Irgun and Stern Gangs in 1940s Palestine responsible for bombing the King David, Germany's Red Army Faction or Baader-Meinhof known for killings and numerous airplane hijackings among them the hijacking of Israeli flight in Entebbe, Uganda, Red Brigades (Brigate Rosse still in existence in Italy) their most infamous gruesome attack being the 1978 kidnapping and assassination of Aldo Moro the late Italian Prime Minister and Carlos the Jackal.

By today's definition of terrorism. the Black Panthers and various African Liberation movements in US and African countries ie M23 rebels in D.R. Congo (where the civil and regional war has been playing out since Congolese independence in 1960) can now be accused and are being relabeled as terrorist organizations. Assata Shakur the aunt of famed rapper Tupac Shakur was added to FBI;s list of most wanted terrorist being the first African American women to receive the label. In West Africa, Boko Haram in Nigeria, Ansar al Dine and MUJOA in Mali and armed rebel turned death militias in Libya have drawn inspiration from Al Qaeda or previously active terror groups FIS and GIA in Algeria to transform formerly stable countries Mali and Libya through car bombings, hostage taking and waging war towards the neighbors into unstable fragmented nations to either overthrow a government under the name of imposing puritanical government claiming to fight on behalf of the victims often caught in terror attacks. The more extreme violent terrorist groups rally under the banner of being revolutionaries championing on long standing societal ills and marginalization that national governments failed to address or reach a war of attribution that wears down the country militarily and economically.

Than there is the current century's ultimate boogeyman Al Qaeda and its local variations in Libya, Algeria, Iraq, Syria, Mali who have used its platform as a fuse to reinstate a 12th century recreation of political system based on a literal interpretation of religious texts and models. The Al Qaeda admirers and supporters include Taliban and Jamatt Islami in Pakistan, Afghanistan and London. All are accused directly or indirectly of carry out deadly terrorist attacks ranging from airplane hijackings 9/11, car and suicide bombings often holding the citizens of Western and African/Asian countries as equally responsible for their government's foreign policy or political actions. Citizens who often have no direct say nor the final word on their government's defense and security mechanism for preventing the next terror attacks or relationships with countries where the suspected terrorists or militant hail from.

The containment policy during the Cold War by the US and NATO countries to halt the spread of Communism through the use of proxy wars and paramilitaries turn death squads, Western support for dictators or governments who were Democratic only on paper, violation of human rights, torture, expulsion and self exiles and neo liberal economic policies has revived itself in the War on Terrorism. It also brings to question the use of State terrorism by Western countries and its Latin American, Asia and African allies. The US support for death squads in El Salvador, Colombia and deadly government repression that killed hundreds of thousand civilians across Central and Southern America from the 1950s through 1980s. The Dirty War in Argentina that specifically targetted and murdered leftist groups and anyone associated with opposition or resistance groups to the Military Junta and its leaders Jorge Videla that succeeded him Roberto Viola, Carlos LaCoste and Leopoldo Galteri. In chile, Augusto Pinochet's bloody rise after Chile's democratically elected leader Salvender Allende's death on September 11, 1973 and fierce authoritarianism and economic polices that literally shocked the Chilean economy into economic success to the expense of cutting necessary social programs. In a grim irony, most of South and Central America's dictators have lived long lives imprisoned. Southeast Asia the pro-American governments of Ngo Dinh Diem Vietnam and Suharto in Indonesia again with the use of paramilitaries halting peaceful protests or riots against the regimes, brutal military oppression against provinces West Papua and rights of East Timor, with excessive force, torture and mass killings. In Algeria, the French government and military turned to collectively punishing Algerians both in the cities and capital Algiers and the countryside during the 1954-1962 Algerian War for Independence. The French colonial military relied on bombings and massive torture of prisoners and informantants belonging to the FLN. As with other pro independence resistance groups across Africa and Asia, the FLN was seen as a existential threat to colonial powers and continual European domination least it inspired other nations and peoples to fight for their rights. The Mau Mau Rebellion (1952-1960) or Uprising in Kenya was also brutally crush by the British with the use of concentration camps, torture and media blackouts. Britain was the first country to use concentration camps (30 years before Adolf Hitler began establishing concentration camps across Nazi Germany) during the Boer War against white South Africans in 1901. It was not a coincidence that the Algerian Revolution followed on the heels of the French defeat at Dien Bien Phu by the Vietminh succeeded by Viet Cong. The most infamous use of government's deadly force was the 1961 Paris Massacre of pro-FLN Algerians by the Parisian police living in the capital and across France. For years, the French denied and covered up the massacre in vain of downplaying the significance and stain on history. It was only recently that France officially admitted and cautiously recognized committing the massacre. Throughout the decolonization era, resistant groups were labeled as militant and eventually was painted with a terrorist label in the aftermath of Munich Massacre.

Former President George W. Bush's demand to "fight the terrorists over there" through the use of military force and weapons that collectively punishes whole countries, peoples and towns with minimal protests from NATO countries has created deep resentment and exposed the hypocrisies and double standards of the US and European in eyes of non Western, world citizens (the majority who are non political and outrage that more violent terrorist groups seek to represent or speak for them) in countries across the Middle East,West and East Africa, North Africa and Asia. That their lives are not regarded as valuable as when a terrorist attack occurs in Iraq or Gaza but when it happens in London or Boston it is 24/7 world news. There is a saying that the Chickens are coming home to roost from the intense wars and drones bombings in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Yemen and the social destruction of Iraq as result of 2003 Invasion in the name of bringing Democracy instead of letting democratic institutions and traditions emerge from within Iraq itself.

How Sri Lankan rebels built a suicide bomber

British rapper Lowkey explains the origins and motives that drives people to commit acts of violence that lead to terrorism in the name of injustice.

Home is Where the Heart is Lowkey

Home Relatives Part 2 Lowkey

Terrorist Low Key

No Place to Hide: Strategies of Terrorism 1982

A self explanatory film on how terrorist (revolutionary) groups receive weapons, logistics of transporting and training groups and fighters abroad, support from governments considered hostile to Western countries and the double standards of how the same government allow terror groups to cross borders undetected until an attack occurs. Also features governments' response to capturing and detaining terrorists. Frighteningly relevant methods that are still used today.

Terrorism against Iran and Egypt

Who is Ansar Jerusalem and where did it come from?

Tourism industry specifically targetted by terrorist group in Sinai as tourists are killed

The Merchants of Death

Chasing the Arms Dealers and war mongers who profit from choas and instability in war torn or conflict wrecked regions. The arms and weapons smugglers pay little attention to the consequences of free following cache of weapons until their own products come back to hurt them.

Golpes militares y el neoliberalismo en America Latina

War is Business: Story of Africa (History Full Documentary)

Water and the next resource war

Cartoon by Latuff. Some 230,000+ Somali children, women, men and elderly were killed by famine sweeping the countryside. Like Ethiopia and other neighboring countries Chad, Darfur, Sudan, Somalia has experienced frequent famines for decades. Food is available in Somalia but is rationed or limited to many families as a result of the continual instability, insecurity and 20 year old war. Famine is a combination of geography usually rapid or mild desertification of agriculture lands, overgrazing, flooding or any natural disaster that erodes or dries up the soil, lack of grazing lands or fertile soil to grow necessary food and crops, little to no access finances ie money to buy food.

To say that water is life is not an understatement. Water has provided sustenance for humanity going back centuries. It aided in building the world's cradle of civilizations in Egypt, Ethiopia, Great Zimbabwe, the Fertile Crescent and China. Many of the world class cities and ancient cities of the world rely on waterways not only for livelihoods but for trade, movement of peoples and access to the rest of the world. Humans can go for days without food but without water life would not exist. There have been thousands of great flood stories from many of the world's cultures: Noah's arc, Babylon, Mayan and African floods featuring numerous cosmic like floods throughout history to either explain the significance of a deity's or god's wrath upon civilization or the significance of the precious liquid where water is both revered as a blessing and a curse. Despite the planet being covered in 2/3 of water, most of Earth's water is undrinkable unless purified with the exception of fresh water being readily drinkable. Farming and irrigation would not be possible without immediate and continual access to water sources. Sea routes have played a crucial role in development of island and mainland nations not to mention the rise and fall of nations, regional and world powers, international trade and economics and the building up of multiple and hegemonic powers through providing rising powerful countries with trading partners, raw materials, newer markets or strategic locations along major sea routes such as Suez Canal Egypt, Horn of Africa (Somalia, Ethiopia, Yemen), Cape of Good Hope (South Africa), Silk Road in Central Asia, Straight of Malacca (Malaysia), Strait of Gibraltar (Spain and Morocco) are reminders of how seas and oceans still play a vital role in livelihoods of billions of people, providing food and goods, moving people and products across the globe via ships, carriers, ferries, etc. Constant wars and fights to claim some form of control over a region (Middle East or Horn of Africa) is often justified by a rising superpower China and its allies and competitors Taiwan, Japan, Philippines, Malaysia and India or a weakening hegemonic power as the US and Europe gain or maintain their immediate access and influence over control of major routes and the countries who control the travel of goods and weapons (military and nuclear) near the various borders and coastlines. Some could say water is even more valuable than oil or petroleum and natural gas.

Since the industrial revolution and rapid rise of the latest economic powerhouses the BRICS countries and some independent non BRICS countries Philippines Thailand, Malaysia Indonesia, Ghana, Nigeria, etc waterways, canals, lakes, rivers and even ground water have experienced pollution and irreversible ecological damages. Destruction from industrial waste from factories, unplanned urbanization, strain on the land have further sped up climate change. Snow fall can also causes flooding and lead to road erosion. Flooding is a never ending threat and problem for many island nations and major coastal cities Jakarta, Dhaka, Monrovia, Manila among other coastal national capitals. In the US it is fracking, a pumping method used by drilling companies that moves poisonous chemicals into the ground and tap water. Fracking is so flammable that a water in a fracked area can be lit on fire defying the logic of basic chemistry and the periodic table. Recently, overflowing rivers in Colorado and random appearance of sinkholes have been swallowing people and cars to the shock of the whole nation. West Virginia and other Appalachian states has experienced decades of mountain top removal and dumping of hazardous materials by careless multinationals or local firms transformed various landscapes from the desert to the scenic mountainside. Oil spills in coastal areas has eaten up the coastline while poisoning the biodiversity of seas. Human waste from lack of available hygienic public sewage systems or a depleted water sources. Climate change has proven the Earth's fragility and the damages both natural and human made throughout the centuries have many countries rushing to find alternative methods to farming, agriculture, industries and movement that would preserve Earth instead of further destruction. Desertification has increased across arid regions of the world further depleting already limited water wells, boreholes and lakes as underground aquifers become the new water source to replace older above ground water sources not easily available Aquifers are necessities for countries and local communities who often find themselves having to share or find ways to equally distribute access to underground aquifers that millions rely for the subsistence. Famines, droughts and rising sea levels, floods and hurricanes have become more common. The US is now experiencing the coldest winter in twenty years dubbed the Polar Vortex. The vortex has swept across the Midwest in cities such as Chicago to Minnesota and Philadelphia. These cities are notoriously cold during the end and beginning of each year. But the polar vortex brings added dangers to people who live in the region. Freezing winds from the vortex can turn the skin into frost bitten peels in a matter of a few minutes outdoors. The mainstream media assures everyone huddled in doors from the freezing cold that is not climate change or global cooling. Mother Nature would beg to differ. Natural disasters are not tied to one region of the world nor the poster child a specific country.

Parallel to pollution is the multinational water bottling companies and water organizations quest to privatize bodies of water in lakes and springs where water is extracted to sell purified water to consumers across the world at unusually medium to high prices in bulk by brand name bottle companies. Even in food culture the same justification for having access to the seas is being carried out by nations but also gourmet to low cost sea food providers, supermarkets, specialty and general restaurants to importers and exporters to obtain pricey pieces of fish, crabs, lobsters, calamari and other delicatessen sea foods when producing the small amounts of calamari aka squid is not possible. There is a need to please everyone from the markets to food critics to restaurant goers eager for the latest bite of a new low carb sea food based diet or new foodie delicatessens. When natural or organic foods are not considered enough, corporations and companies rely on harmful chemicals and genetically modified seeds to feed the planet. GMOs have been added into daily naturally nutritious foods we eat for nearly 50 years. At the expense of health, modified foods and colorings that are banned in most countries around the world are still eaten in the United States and other developing countries. Environmental laws and rights of the sea also add to the wallet squeeze many eaters experience at the supermarket. Privatization of water by multinationals extracting water, draining fisheries or killing sea creatures has met justified resistance from indigenous and local peoples living around springs and lakes where companies retrieve their products from. The right to water is undeniably a human right. Depletion of water sources particularly in North Africa, Red Sea and Dead Sea access in the Middle East, Europe, West Africa, Easter Africa through irrigation or the building of high powered dams meant to deliver hydro powered electricity for countries has also rise tension between neighbors.

The River Nile, the world's oldest and longest river is a case study of Egypt, Uganda and DR Congo's fight to not only keep control over the flow and access to the Nile but also ownership of the Nile. The use of Nile for energy source has long been an ongoing debate in all the countries along the Nile. The building of the Aswan Dam and creation of Lake Nasser in Egypt which displaced the Egyptian Nubians from their original homes in the process can serve as a symbol of the role not only water but government negligence plays in society's social development. The recent creation of the Moroe Dam in Sudan destroyed parts of the kingdom of Moroe bringing to question the need to safeguard and preserve irreplaceable cultural heritage and arts without allowing it to succumb to destruction by new critical infrastructure projects. Ethiopia's new Dam project brings the role of local people's dispossession and displacement, disruption of the fragile ecosystem, possible of destruction and preservation of ancestral monuments to the forefront of any future or current Dam structures meant to provide for a country. Ethiopia and Egypt are no exception. The three Gorge Dam in China also brought condemnation as well as praise for displaced people and disrupting a fragile but important sea way. Egypt and Ethiopia are gearing closer to confronting each other over the control of Nile Dam being built in Ethiopia. Water played a major factor in Egypt's protests and revolution. It continues to play a role in the government's water policies. The DR Congo is home to the world's largest amount of hydro power in the form of the Congo River. If the Congo River was transformed into a hydro power dam, it would be able to electrify most of the African continent. The Congolese government is currently constructing the Grand Inga Dam across half the Congo River.

Water Privatization as the catalyst to the Egyptian Revolution

Nature...Interrupted

The Oarfish who washed up on shore in California from Japan

Recently two oarfishs some of the world's largest deep sea creatures only found in the depths of the Pacific Ocean, have been washing ashore in California. Historically, the Oarfish has been seen in Japan and Japanese culture as an omen of an impending earthquake. The Oarfish is also the inspiration for the Poem the Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner. Beyond being a symbol of doom, the oarfish represents many animals' seemingly instinctive sixth sense when it comes to detecting possible earthquakes or floods. Dogs among other animals are known to senese tremors where humans can not. Earth's ecosystem works in both mysterious and practical ways to provide stability for all its human and non human inhabitants. Returning to the oarfish, its home is located in the Ring of Fire, the world's biggest confluence of fault lines and Volcanic eruptions in the world can be found in the Pacific Ocean from the Americas to Asia. The countries especially low lying countries such as Bangladesh and Philippines surrounding the Pacific ocean have experienced a tidal wave of typhoons, floods and earthquakes over the past few months. Hundreds have been killed either attempting to escape or refusing to leave their homes. Others can only move out of the way of strong dry season weather as climate change rages in their countries. Perhaps there will be no earthquake as the oarfish is inspected by scientists for radiation and other poisons. But its dislocation from its natural habitat brings the question of the Earth's polluted waters to attention once again.

Oranges are not Orange: The Green oranges of tropical countries
War and Water: Hydropolitics propels the balkanization of Africa
Egypt, Ethiopia water disputes deepens
Ethiopia diverts flow of Blue Nile with Dam project
Africa must avert water war
Libya's Man made river and water wars
Refugees straining Jordan's limited water supplies
Global Corporations and Bangladesh building Collapse
Bangladesh factor collapse: Global Cheap labor, economy and wages at a dollar
Made in Bangladesh: The Terror of Capitalism
Forum on Terror of Capitalism comments by Indian, Bangladeshi and other citizens
Garments, political dissatisfaction and military bases: West pushing Bangladesh towards Wahhabism

The More Fish: A World without water or the great flood.

Blue Gold: World Water Wars

A World without water

Russia in Afghanistan during the 1980s Soviet-Afghan war

Islam in Europe

Clash of civilizations or cultural misunderstandings for over eight hundred years Islam, Christianity, Judiasm, Muslims Christians and Jews, peoples and cultures from East, West, South and North have interacted,traded and married across Europe. Histories has been kind and unforgiving to the relationship between Europe, Middle East, Africa and Asia. As former colonial powers, France, UK, Netherlands, Germany, etc have become home to many immigrants (whose children are first and second generation German, French or Dutch citizens) from former colonized countries. Moroccan, Algerian, Sudanese, Senegalese immigrants and families are Muslim, trying to keep tradition from their homelands alive within their families to remind their children and grandchildren of their ancient heritage and cultures in a post modern and ultra secular Europe and a world that has become over stress and faces constant economic, political and societal problems. At times, families feel alienated as all immigrant parents do living in a new country, society and culture. Children of immigrants while born in France, Germany, Netherlands and UK are integrated into society sometimes more so than their traditional parents and grandparents. However British, French or German born Pakistani, Algerian or Senegalese children and young adults also feel that their lives are sorely missing something. Balancing their cross borders identity as a Muslim, European born, importance of family, tradition, not loosing your roots and belonging to Britain, France, Netherlands and having only minimal connections to their families' original homelands have been put under increasing scrutiny lately as a consequence of war on terror, media sensationalism surrounding Islam and young Muslims and continued immigration debate across the European Union. As many right wing leaders come to power, old fears about Muslims, Islam and immigrants posing a threat to the traditional image of Europe has been used to win support for local, regional and even national politics and campaigns promoting fear of oriental other and Islam as a "cult of death." Most of these recurring stereotypes have been used since the Crusades and during colonialism and colonization of Africa, Asia and Middle East in many countries with large Muslim communities to justify iron grip of colonialism and prove the superiority of Europe and West over the non-Western world. While many Muslims have countered the misconceptions about Islam as seen through media and pop culture as solely a religion of violence, as secretly conspiring to conquer Europe, given 800 years presence and history of Muslims in Spain, Sicily, France, etc the fear of Muslims as terrorists and potention jihadis has created a surge in xenophobia, racism, intolerance and ignorance toward a new multicultural Europe in 21st century. Nor has campaigns, lectures and even open mosque events by Muslim organizations ebbed popularity of right wing governments or propaganda. Contrary, it has encouraged it. While the media often focuses on Muslims in Western Europe there has always been indigenous Muslims with diverse cultures, languages and traditions living in Turkey, Azerbaijan, Albania, Cyprus former Yugoslavia, Greece, Armenia, Republic of Georgia, Russia (has one of the largest Muslim communities in all of Europe, Tartarstan, Chechnya, Dagestan, etc) that are Europeans and balancing their European identity with Islam.

The many diverse mosques of Europe from Austria and Azerbaijan to Bosnia and Netherlands, enjoy

One example of the fears promoted by media is creation of Sharia Law in Europe through the growth of Muslim communities. Construction of new minarets for mosque in Switzerland have been banned following a vote on Nov. 29, 2009. Keep in mind not all Swiss supported the ban.

Swiss Ban on Mosque Minarets in depth coverage
Minerat Ban Live discussion what comes Next? Islam Online.com
Swiss Minerat controversary final votes are in
An interesting rebuttal to the media fears about Rise of Islam in Europe

Venezuela, Latin America, Gringolandia & Between a rock & a Hard place

Famous for its natural body, historical leaders and multiculturalism, Venezuela is renown for its petropolitics and infamous president Hugo Chavez, Ignoring Occupation will take a look and a dive into the Bolivarian Revolution, Latin American history, U.S. Foreign Policy across the Americas, the coups, dictators and caudillos that have been supported & disposed of by CIA, School of Americas now renamed the Western Hemsphere School for Development & Security and current as well as previous seating presidents. Also dive into the geopolitical history, eurocentrism, racism and race that has also defined Latin America in the same way all these factors have defined people of color and European majority in the U.S. The American businesses, corporations, negocios, etc who pay little attention to the politics, social change and grassroots organization taken place in America's "backyard" until the businessmen are threatened with lost of business. Before the War on Terrorism, before the Arab World needed American styled reform, before oil was discovered in Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Kuwait, by British Empire and later the United States, U.S. began its empire, based its current Foreign Policy on, fights terrorism with force, violence and ignores the legitimate historical grievances of whole countries not just counter insurgents and guerillas and continues to live with the consequences of promoting Democracy at all costs in Latin America.

Venezuela & RCTV

Muting RCTV in Venezuela

Free Speech and RCTV in Venezuela

A pipeline runs througheth

Crude Awakenings
A recently produced feature film about the continual downward spiral of oil prices and production by examining peak oil through the last 100 years of American history, its relations to the consumer market and foreign policy. In English with Polish subtitles.

Blood & Oil: Middle East and WWI
Historical documentary that looks at the history of western intervention in Middle East from colonialism, partition, British and French control across the Arab World. Retells the importance of newly discovered oil wells in the Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Iran before, during and after World War I as the allied powers and colonialists saught to expand their power, influences and ways of life beyond colonized and defeated regions to restless colonies and challenging superpowers and multipowers prior to the current War on Terrorism.
Blood & Oil Part 1

News report: "Obama tells Muslim world there is no U.S. war on Islam"
We will have to wait and see if we finally get to use are own petro resources instead of Niger Delta's, Baku's and everyone else....The BTC pipeline runs underneath Turkey, Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan which has led to Russia's reassertation of power in the Caucasus and Caspian Sea region. Russians are also interested in Ukraine's petro resources in the port cities of the Crimea. The Pundits rarely refer to history, colonialism or empire building and conquests when speaking to their audience about the role of oil politics, history, dehumanization and Western intervention in Africa, Middle East and Asia. There are plenty of references made to popular culture that serves as a substitute to a more serious and intellectual look at geography and its intersections with Western policies and old colonial empires.

Why Yugoslavia Still Matters

Ignoring Occupation

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