Stuart Jeanne Bramhall's Blog: The Most Revolutionary Act , page 1307

People Over Politics: Michigan Militia Joins Michael Moore to Protest Flint Water Crisis

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An unlikely left-right coalition.

Desultory Heroics

By Carey Wedler

Source: Anti-Media

The water crisis in Flint, Michigan has inspired an unlikely partnership: a local militia group is coordinating with outspoken liberal filmmaker Michael Moore to demand accountability and clean water for residents.

Moore, a Flint native who first gained notoriety for his his documentary on the town’s economic hardships, has spoken out against the state and local government’s negligent handling of the disaster. The high volume of lead in public water supplies has contaminated children’s blood and led Flint’s mayor to declare a state of emergency.

The crisis has drawn widespread attention and outrage.

At a rally on January 16, Michael Moore said, “I am standing in the middle of a crime scene. Ten people have been killed … because of a decision to save money.” The city’s water supply was changed from Detroit’s water supply to the Flint River in 2014…

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Stop Telling Women to Smile

Stop Telling Women to Smile

Directed by Dean Peterson (2014)

Film Review

Stop Telling Women to Smile is a public art project by African American artist Tatyana Falalizadeh. Her goal is to fight the daily street harassment young women face in New York and other cities (I, too, experienced street harassment until well into my forties).

In this type of harassment, packs of men make obscene catcalls and noises at random women as if they own them.

Falalizadeh interviews women about the intense humiliation and degradation this causes. Each woman identifies the specific message she wishes to convey to her abusers. Then Falalizadeh paints the women and puts up the posters in neighborhoods they frequent.

Examples of messages include:

“Stop Telling Women to Smile.”

“I’m Not Here for You.”

“Women Aren’t Outside for Your Entertainment.”

“Keep Your Thoughts About My Body to Yourself.”

If Key and the Police want a riot at TPPA – they’ll create one « The Daily Blog

The audacity of Key lying repeatedly about the TPPA has led to a building fury.

The lie that this forced trade deal which signs away our sovereignty would be debated in Parliament is shown up for the falsehood it is when it was revealed that Key intended to sign the deal before Parliament even opened.

The lie that this won’t impact Maori Treaty rights or our ability to pass environmental laws has been shown up by new papers released this week and the entire economic case for the deal has been blown wide open by research released today.

By signing it a mere 2 days before Waitangi Day is almost attempting to create disorder.

Now we find out that the NZ Police are training their staff to start police a riot…

TPP: Police undertake riot training

New Zealand Police have been undertaking mass riot training ahead of the signing of the Trans-Pacific Partnership in Auckland next month.

The trade agreement, that has sparked widespread controversy due to its closed-door negotiations, will be signed by international diplomats on February 4.

Dozens of large-scale protests have been held across the country as the five years of negotiations for the deal came to a close in the US last year.

The Herald understands that increased riot training – officially known as public order training – has been taking place ahead of the signing, as police prepare for more possible civil unrest.

…Muldoon green lighted the Springbok tour in part to divide the country and harden his support base, by agreeing to a signing 2 days before Waitangi Day, Key is playing the same divide and rule politics.

The first chance to fight back is the Town Hall meeting in Auckland next Tuesday (live streamed on The Daily Blog) and the massive protest action planned on the 4th of February.

If the Police are actively training for a riot, then they are planning to manufacture one. Everyone going on the 4th must take their cellphones and record Police actions so we can hold the buggers to account. It would not be the first time a National Party Prime Minister used the Police to beat protesters and activists and if they do, we should be prepared to publicise that around the world.

We will not be intimidated. We will not back down. We will not allow Key and his corporate overlords sign away our democracy.

Source: If Key and the Police want a riot at TPPA – they’ll create one « The Daily Blog

TPP: Police undertake riot training

New Zealand’s propaganda machine is in full swing.

by Morgan Tait

From New Zealand Herald

New Zealand Police have been undertaking mass riot training ahead of the signing of the Trans-Pacific Partnership in Auckland next month.

The trade agreement, that has sparked widespread controversy due to its closed-door negotiations, will be signed by international diplomats on February 4.

Dozens of large-scale protests have been held across the country as the five years of negotiations for the deal came to a close in the US last year.

The Herald understands that increased riot training – officially known as public order training – has been taking place ahead of the signing, as police prepare for more possible civil unrest.

Police Association vice-president Senior Sergeant Luke Shadbolt said that the TPP signing was the focus of annual public order training.

The Herald understands that the training goes over and above previous annual training, and involved more staff on a “mass” scale.

Police National Manager of Response and Operations, Chris Scahill, said police were responsible for all security aspects of the event.

He would not be drawn on any operational details for the event – including staff numbers.

“We can however say that we plan for every eventuality which can be anticipated, and the measures we take will be appropriate and thorough.”

The police operation will be overseen by Police National Headquarters, and will involve staff from a number of police districts.

Read more here

When Rape Becomes a Game

Power

Directed by Jeanny Gearing (2014)

Film Review

Power is a disturbing documentary about a South African martial arts expert Debi Stevens and her efforts to fight India’s rape culture by teaching Indian girls to defend themselves. The film was produced following the 2012 gang rape and murder of a 23 year old physiotherapy intern on a Delhi bus.

In addition to showing excerpts from some of Stevens’s classes, Power provides disturbing insights into a cultural framework that makes it “okay” for 75% of India’s urban males population to sexually assault women. As in the Middle East, India’s extremely patriarchal and misogynist culture, combined with a large population of permanently unemployed males seems to set the stage for this kind of violence against women.

I found this film particularly instructive in view of recent publicity about migrants committing group sexual assaults in Cologne – in a variant of the Arab rape game Taharrush (see It’s an Arab rape game called Tarrarush).

Jyoti Singh‘s attackers were neither Arab nor Muslim but Hindu.

 

GUEST BLOG: Barry Coates – Whose rules rule? Democracy vs TPPA « The Daily Blog

Source: GUEST BLOG: Barry Coates – Whose rules rule? Democracy vs TPPA « The Daily Blog

The campaign against the TPPA is gearing up for opposition to the planned signing of the TPPA in Auckland on 4th February. It’s time to stand up and be counted.

In recent years, Kiwis have turned out in huge numbers to say that this government has no mandate to sign the TPPA. A majority of Kiwis reject the TPPA according to a TV3 Reid Research poll, but the government is planning to sign it anyway. They have responded to concerns over the TPPA with secrecy, arrogance and spin.

We need to make it clear that this lock-in of failed liberalisation policies and the transfer of our democratic rights to multinationals is not acceptable. Civil society campaigns have defeated pro-corporate global rules in the Multilateral Agreement on Investment in the 1995-1998 and in the WTO in 1999-2003. We now need to defeat the TPPA and its clones.

This is not our last chance to stop the TPPA – governments still need to get it ratified, and it is looking very shaky in the US – but this is the time to mobilise, build our movement and get commitments from all political parties that they will reject the TPPA. We need a strong enough movement so that, even if it does pass, a future government will defy the pressure and ditch the TPPA.

There will be a TPPA Don’t Sign tour of public meetings, starting at 7pm in Auckland Town Hall (26/1), Wellington St Andrews Centre (27/1), Christchurch cardboard cathedral (28/1) and Dunedin Burns Hall on 26-29 January, with Lori Wallach from Public Citizen and Jane Kelsey. They will be joined by a political panel in Auckland, including several party leaders. Please spread the word. We need to fill these venues. It’s free but we need donations to pay for the costs.

A number of local TPPA coalitions are organising a protest/alternatives events in public spaces in the weekend of 30-31 January, with music, performance, workshop, kapa haka and speeches, including an event in Auckland. The aim is to make it clear we reject the TPPA but also reach out and mobilise our allies from across society, in social justice, environment, workers rights, health, education, iwi, faiths, artists, musicians and others.

We plan a media blitz to publicise the Don’t Sign speakers tour and weekend events. This means supporters swamping the airwaves, social media and print media with a call for the government not to sign the TPPA and publicising the ‘Don’t Sign’ petition that has already reached 22,000 signatures in less than a week.

The government is obviously worried about protests and kept the signing secret, even after other governments had confirmed it is going to be in Auckland on Thursday 4th February. They are still not revealing the venue for their meeting. There will be a peaceful, visible and powerful march down Queen St, gathering in Aotea Square at midday to leave at 12.30. It’s a great way to spend your lunchtime! There will be other actions on the day.

There is anger and frustration over the government’s secrecy and arrogance on the TPPA, and the give away of our democratic rights. But the kaupapa of It’s Our Future is non-violent civil disobedience, and we call on all who might take action to respect those principles. We have strong support for the campaign and actions that turn off members the public are likely to focus media attention on public disruption, rather than on the TPPA. We call on all those who take action to do so in ways that will meet our common aims.

If the government ignores our voices again and does sign that’s not the end of the campaign. The government then needs to ratify the deal. We will work with our partner ActionStation to swamp the Select Committee with submissions, and we plan a speakers’ tour across NZ to support local campaigners. This will also publicise the expert peer reviewed research papers that counter government spin about the TPPA and expose the dangers of the TPPA to our environment, our health, human rights and our economy.

Political opposition to the TPPA is crucial.  The Green Party, NZ First and the Maori Party have given assurances they are against the TPPA but there have been mixed messages from the Labour Party. Our campaign will let political parties know that votes at the next election will depend on them rejecting the TPPA. The Waitangi Tribunal will hold a hearing in mid-March.

The TPPA campaign is entering its crucial phase. We have public support, committed activists, local organisation, research and international allies on our side. But John Key and this government are desperate to get the TPPA. We need to make it politically impossible to for them to ratify the TPPA, or if they do, build a united opposition that will be strong enough to walk away when they get into government. We can and must win this campaign.

Thanks to the hundreds of thousands of Kiwis who have taken action on the TPPA, and especially to the group of key activists across Aotearoa who have been leading the campaign. Kia kaha!

Barry Coates, It’s Our Future spokesperson; http://itsourfuture.org.nz/; itsourfuturenz@gmail.com

Muslim Group Donating 30,000 Bottles of Water to Lead-Poisoned Flint*

Hwaairfan's Blog

Muslim Group Donating 30,000 Bottles of Water to Lead-Poisoned Flint*

By Everett Numbers

The Michigan chapter of international Muslim organization Who is Hussain? pledged to donate 30,000 bottles of water to Flint, Michigan, where the local, state, and federal governments have all declared a state of emergency over lead contamination in the water supply.

“We saw what needed to be done and we decided to do it. We reached out to schools, neighbours, friends, mosques, anyone and everyone to help us by donating a case of water, or money towards a case,” Dr. Aziza Askari, the head of the non-profit’s chapter told the Washington Times.

Two years ago, Flint officials switched the city’s water source in an attempt to save money, but neglected to take proper precautions. The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality has received the brunt of the blame, allegedly ignoring citizen complaints of lead in…

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The Movement to Dismantle Industrial Agriculture

Growing Change

Directed by Simon Cunich (2011)

Film Review

Growing Change is an Australian documentary about Latin America’s food sovereignty movement and the deliberate campaign by Venezuela and other left leaning governments to extract themselves from the US-run system of industrial agriculture.

The film begins by quoting from a 2008 study by the UN Environment Programme called Agriculture at a Crossroads: International assessment of Agricultural Knowledge, Science and Technology.

This study concludes that industrial agriculture can’t produce enough food to feed 9 billion people.* Although it cites a number of reasons for this conclusion, the documentary highlights two of the most important: oil depletion (industrial agriculture requires 66 barrels of oil per year to feed one person) and the destruction of topsoil through repeated use of pesticides, herbicides and fungicides that kill living organisms responsible for soil fertility. In part due to urbanization, the world has lost 25% of their productive farmland over the last 25 years.

Food Sovereignty in Venezuela

Using Venezuela as an example, Growing Change demonstrates how industrial agriculture increases world hunger, with foreign corporations driving peasant farmers off their lands and destroying local farmers’ livelihoods through cheap food imports.

As Venezuela expanded oil production to become the world’s largest oil exporter (in 1950), ruling elites allowed the country’s agricultural system to collapse. Forced to leave their land (either by direct expropriation or inability to compete with cheap food imports), farmers flooded into the slums of Caracas and other Venezuelan cities. Meanwhile with all the oil profits going to ruling elites and their US backers, mass unemployment and poverty left the majority of the population with no money to buy food.

Things came to a head in 1989 with the massive Caracasa uprising, in which the Venezuela army shot 3,000 protesters.

Venezuelan Reforms Led by Grassroots

For me, the chief value of this film was learning that most of the reforms Hugo Chavez implemented were driven – not by Chavez himself – but by well-organized peasant and workers groups. Moreover it was clearly the power of their organizing that brought him to power in 1998.

Between 1998 and 2008, Chavez used oil revenues to reduce the prevalence of malnutrition from 21% to 6%. His land reform program redistributed 6 million acres of vacant land to 250,000 families. Working through community councils and self-governing cooperatives, the new occupants put most of this land into organic production. Chavez also heavily subsidized organic urban farms on vacant city land, free meals at work sites and community centers and a 40% reduction in the cost of imported food for the poorest families..

*World population is predicted to reach 9 billion by 2050.

**Unless they had illegally expropriated the land, landowners were compensated at fair market value for undeveloped land the Chavez government confiscated.

Back when cars were a rarity, people ruled the streets

How the public relations industry engineered our brains and made the world safe for automobiles.

Middle-class families scooped up affordable and speedy Model Ts. As they began to race through the streets, they ran headlong into pedestrians—with lethal results. (illustration by Kyle Bean)

via Back when cars were a rarity, people ruled the streets.

 By Clive Thompson

Smithsonian Magazine | Subscribe

December 2014


When you visit any city in America today, it’s a sea of cars, with pedestrians dodging between the speeding autos. It’s almost hard to imagine now, but in the late 1890s, the situation was completely reversed. Pedestrians dominated the roads, and cars were the rare, tentative interlopers. Horse-drawn carriages and streetcars existed, but they were comparatively slow.

So pedestrians ruled. “The streets were absolutely black with people,” as one observer described the view in the nation’s capital. People strolled to and fro down the center of the avenue, pausing to buy snacks from vendors. They’d chat with friends or even “manicure your nails,” as one chamber of commerce wryly noted. And when they stepped off a sidewalk, they did it anywhere they pleased.

“They’d stride right into the street, casting little more than a glance around them…anywhere and at any angle,” as Peter D. Norton, a historian and author of Fighting Traffic: The Dawn of the Motor Age in the American City, tells me. “Boys of 10, 12 or 14 would be selling newspapers, delivering telegrams and running errands.” For children, streets were playgrounds.

At the turn of the century, motor vehicles were handmade, expensive toys of the rich, and widely regarded as rare and dangerous. When the first electric car emerged in Britain in the 19th century, the speed limit was set at four miles an hour so a man could run ahead with a flag, warning citizens of the oncoming menace, notes Tom Vanderbilt, author of Traffic: Why We Drive the Way We Do (And What It Says About Us).

Things changed dramatically in 1908 when Henry Ford released the first Model T. Suddenly a car was affordable, and a fast one, too: The Model T could zoom up to 45 miles an hour. Middle-class families scooped them up, mostly in cities, and as they began to race through the streets, they ran headlong into pedestrians—with lethal results. By 1925, auto accidents accounted for two-thirds of the entire death toll in cities with populations over 25,000.

An outcry arose, aimed squarely at drivers. The public regarded them as murderers. Walking in the streets? That was normal. Driving? Now that was aberrant—a crazy new form of selfish behavior.

“Nation Roused Against Motor Killings” read the headline of a typical New York Times story, decrying “the homicidal orgy of the motor car.” The editorial went on to quote a New York City traffic court magistrate, Bruce Cobb, who exhorted, “The slaughter cannot go on. The mangling and crushing cannot continue.” Editorial cartoons routinely showed a car piloted by the grim reaper, mowing down innocents.

When Milwaukee held a “safety week” poster competition, citizens sent in lurid designs of car accident victims. The winner was a drawing of a horrified woman holding the bloody corpse of her child. Children killed while playing in the streets were particularly mourned. They constituted one-third of all traffic deaths in 1925; half of them were killed on their home blocks. During New York’s 1922 “safety week” event, 10,000 children marched in the streets, 1,054 of them in a separate group symbolizing the number killed in accidents the previous year.

Drivers wrote their own letters to newspapers, pleading to be understood. “We are not a bunch of murderers and cutthroats,” one said. Yet they were indeed at the center of a fight that, clearly, could only have one winner. To whom should the streets belong?

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By the early 1920s, anti-car sentiment was so high that carmakers and driver associations—who called themselves “motordom”—feared they would permanently lose the public.

You could see the damage in car sales, which slumped by 12 percent between 1923 and 1924, after years of steady increase. Worse, anti-car legislation loomed: Citizens and politicians were agitating for “speed governors” to limit how fast cars could go. “Gear them down to fifteen or twenty miles per hour,” as one letter-writer urged. Charles Hayes, president of the Chicago Motor Club, fretted that cities would impose “unbearable restrictions” on cars.

Hayes and his car-company colleagues decided to fight back. It was time to target not the behavior of cars—but the behavior of pedestrians. Motordom would have to persuade city people that, as Hayes argued, “the streets are made for vehicles to run upon”—and not for people to walk. If you got run over, it was your fault, not that of the motorist. Motordom began to mount a clever and witty public-relations campaign.

Their most brilliant stratagem: To popularize the term “jaywalker.” The term derived from “jay,” a derisive term for a country bumpkin. In the early 1920s, “jaywalker” wasn’t very well known. So pro-car forces actively promoted it, producing cards for Boy Scouts to hand out warning pedestrians to cross only at street corners. At a New York safety event, a man dressed like a hayseed was jokingly rear-ended over and over again by a Model T. In the 1922 Detroit safety week parade, the Packard Motor Car Company produced a huge tombstone float—except, as Norton notes, it now blamed the jaywalker, not the driver: “Erected to the Memory of Mr. J. Walker: He Stepped from the Curb Without Looking.”

Don’t Eat the Chicken!

The Problem with Chicken

Directed by Rick Young (2015)

This documentary can’t be embedded but can be viewed free at the following link:

http://www.pbs.org/video/2365487526/

Film Review

The Problem with Chicken is a PBS Frontline documentary about a year-long Salmonella Heidelberg epidemic in 2012 that infected more than 600 people in 29 states.

Salmonella Heidelberg is a particularly virulent form of salmonella that is increasingly prevalent in factory farmed chicken, as well as increasingly antibiotic resistant. Salmonella Heidelberg infection frequently results in hospitalization and occasionally death.

The film examines a hopelessly corrupt regulatory system in which the USDA* inspectors test whole birds, but not chicken pieces (the most common source of salmonella infections) and in which the USDA couldn’t compel Foster Farms to recall their contaminated chickens until they located an an unopened pack of Foster Farms chicken with the specific strain of Salmonella Heidelberg that had infected a specific chicken.

This obscure legal technicality meant that despite clear DNA evidence identifying Foster Farms as the source of contamination, an outbreak that could have been stemmed in a few weeks went on a full year and officially sickened 634 people.

The Problem with Chicken also explodes the chicken lobby myth that chicken-related infections can be prevented by proper cooking and handling of chicken. Studies show that thorough cooking doesn’t kill either salmonella or campylobacter, another human pathogen commonly carried by chicken.

The main shortcoming of this documentary is its failure to examine why potentially deadly pathogens are increasing in factory farmed chicken: namely the process in which battery chicken are raised in a cesspool of feces in tightly packed cages and continually fed antibiotics (the main source of increasing antibiotic resistance). See Food Inc.

Surely these are the practices that need to be banned by regulation. It’s ridiculous to expect that a few hundred USDA inspectors are going to protect us from food-borne illnesses by spot checking hundreds of thousands of turkeys and chickens for pathogenic organisms.

*The US Department of Agriculture is the federal agency responsible for guaranteeing food safety.

 

Photo credit: איתמר ק., ITamar K. (Own work) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons