Dennis Kucinich – most courageous Congressman

The Fight Americans Can’t Afford to Lose Everyday Americans are in the fight of their lives. Their jobs, their homes, their pensions, their savings, a modest standard of living – all under assault by rising prices, tightened credit, corporate greed, and a Congress that has bailed out Wall Street financial interests at the expense of taxpayers and to the detriment of struggling homeowners. The fight is far from over, and the ONE Congressman who has been the leader in defending your interests needs your help to continue being your voice in Washington. Dennis Kucinich has been sounding the alarm for years. He has led the opposition to these obscene giveaways to corrupt interests that have been gambling with your hard-earned dollars. He’s been demanding direct assistance to Americans whose lives and futures are at risk – proposing real economic recovery programs that will create millions of jobs and put money in the pockets of working men and women all across the country. But, as Dennis continues fighting for the interests of everyday Americans, he’s also fighting to hold on to his seat in the House of Representatives against a Republican who’s raising money, spending money, and aggressively seeking to put Ohio’s 10th Congressional District into GOP hands. The honest, decent, hard-working families of this country can’t afford to lose the fight of their lives. And they can’t afford to lose Congressman Dennis Kucinich. His voice is crucial to our future. And your support has never been more important.

Why War with Iran is Imninent (or) Bomb, Bomb Iran

 

US envoy sees Iran sanctions next week

The Herald Sun – February 22, 2008 8:54 pm – error message states no longer available

“We will succeed in shutting down Iran’s oil bours…. er. I mean, nuclear weapons program!” — Official White Horse Souse

Take a good look at the photo labeled “Heavy water plant.” That’s actually a set of refinery cracking towers. Heavy water plants, like uranium enrichment plants, consist of cascades of centrifuges. The lies just never stop coming. – M. R. – alternative news source

 

 

Well-funded special-interest groups have unbalanced our democratic system so what are we are we going to do now? Jurgen Habermas deduced that as capitalism developed, the uneven distribution of wealth & mass media would damage our public sphere. During the meeting of the World Trade Organization in Seattle, 1999, online activists mobilized protests against globalization in what came to be known as ‘the Battle in Seattle.” My son was involved in that protest almost ten years ago. Very naively, no one in my seemingly safe world understood what was going on there, nor did we even bother to find out. My extended family was unsympathetic when I mentioned my son was hit by a rubber bullet. He must have done something wrong. It is sad to me that only after returning to school I finally learned what that protest was all about. (Long after my son was killed in 2001. )

My hope now is that I can persuade my friends and loved ones before it is too late what these organizations are really about. The names they have taken upon themselves make them sound like official, trustworthy benefactors – World Bank (WB), International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the G8 – just the opposite of what they really are. They are individuals organized for the express purpose of making money off the most vulnerable people, those in developing countries. They have no more conscience than a loan shark.

http://www.battleinseattlemovie.com/video.html

Going back to Seattle, 1999 – what happened was many individuals & groups, using their genius, creativity, and knowledge of Internet media linked activists to mobilize real-world action, gaining widespread attention to the cause. Unfortunately, not my attention or that of anyone I knew. The website of the Independent Media Center helped powerless groups frame and disseminate their message, and at the same time, exercise leverage against a powerful international organization (WTO).

The Internet is our threatened public sphere, our modern, but vulnerable network for communicating information & points of view, an e-town hall. The public sphere Habermas observed was the coffee houses of Victorian England in the 18th Century. But he was able to deduce that “as capitalism developed, the uneven distribution of wealth and the emergence of mass media would extinguish the ability of citizens to have their voices heard, damaging the public sphere.” See zeitgeistmovie.com

The Internet is cheaper than the phone, it is easy to publish material either on the web or by email. Circulation is rapid, with global reach, available even in developing countries. New blogging software now allows anyone to become a publisher which is a great freedom. However, I no longer believe it is difficult to control or censor the Internet. As can been seen with cut internet cables and filters, governments will do anything when it suits their agenda.

Also see Petrodollar warfare, Petrobourse

From Wikipedia:

The Iran Petroleum Exchange, International Oil Bourse^[1] or Iranian_Oil_Bourse^[2] (IOB; the official English language name is unclear) is a commodity exchange that IIranian ministries and other state and private institutions have announced they are creating. The IOB is a Petrobourse for petroleum, petrochemicals and gas in various non-dollar currencies, primarily the Iranian rial and a basket of other major currencies. The geographical location is at the Persian Gulf island of Kish which is designated by Iran as a free trade zone.[3].

The Iranian Oil Bourse was inaugurated on 17 February 2008. Mysteriously, undersea Internet cables were cut February 1, 2008 in an attempt to disrupt this inauguration.

See earlier blog: [Internet cables severed last week causing disruptions across the Middle East and parts of Asia, two undersea cables that were cut Jan. 30. They are about 5 miles off the north coast of Egypt, near the port city of Alexandria, and run between Egypt and Palermo, on the Italian island of Sicily. One of the two Mediterranean cables was owned by FLAG. The other, identified as SEA-ME-WE 4, or South East Asia-Middle East-West Europe 4 cable, was owned by a consortium of 16 international telecommunication companies. Egypt’s telecommunication ministry said no ships were registered near the location at the time. The cuts slowed businesses, hampered personal Internet usage and caused a flurry of Internet blogger speculation, including mentions of sabotage. Government authorities and FLAG, which stands for Fiber-Optic Link Around the Globe, have refused to comment on the speculation.]

Although opening an oil bourse has been delayed in the past 2 years, Iran has had success in asking its petroleum customers to pay in non-dollar currencies. On December 8, 2007, Iran reported to have converted all of its oil export payments to non-dollar currencies.

Background

The three current oil markets are all US dollar denominated: North America’s West Texas Intermediate crude (WTI), North Sea Brent Crude, and the UAE Dubai Crude. The two major oil bourses are the New York Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX) in New York City and the International_Petroleum_Exchange (IPE) in London. The proposed Iranian bourse would establish a fourth oil market, denominated by the Iranian rial, the euro and other major currencies.

Timeline

April 20th, 2007    Bomb, Bomb Iran

December 2007 Iran stops accepting U.S. dollars for oil. [19]

January 2008 Iran’s Finance Minister Davoud Danesh-Jafari told reporters that the bourse will be opened during the anniversary of the Islamic Revolution (February 1-11). [2].

February 2008 On February 4, the Iranian Cabinet approved the creation of the oil bourse in two stages – first a raw oil exchange and secondly an oil byproducts exchange. The Ministry of Finance and Economics, the Oil Ministry, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Central Bank of Iran are required to create a workgroup to coordinate the project, and the Iran Commodities Bourse Company is given the task of carrying out the project. The communique from the Cabinet states that the “Ministry of Finance and Economics is required to take measures in making the petrochemical byproducts bourse operational by the end of February 2008.” [20]

On February 17 2008, the Iranian Oil Bourse was inaugurated in a video conference ceremony from the capital Tehran attended by ministers of oil, finance and economic affairs as well as chairman of Iran’s Stock Exchange and a number of other officials and financial experts.[21] The transactions will be made in Iranian rial and other major currencies. [22] The Iranian Oil Bourse will likely accept Russian ruble as well.^[23]

3-10-2008 Somebody thinks the conspiracy theories are dismissed because Tehran’s cut internet cables were quickly rerouted through Turkey. Sounds like a perfect plan to me. They are more accessible there than underwater. If the U.S. military only uses satellite for its internet, sounds like anything less should be considered unsecure.

1. ^ KFZO MD: Investment in oil and gas in Kish is competitive and justified. Kish Free Zone Organization (2008-02-09). Retrieved on 2008-02-10.
2. ^ ^{a b} Iran Oil Bourse to deal blow to dollar
3. ^ Kish Oil Exchange Planned, Iran Daily, January 24, 2006
4. ^ Iran stops selling oil in U.S. dollars -report, Reuters, December 7, 2007
5. ^ The Iranian line in the sand, Dan Crawford, The Republic (Vancouver), August 18 to 31, 2005
6. ^ A star rises in the east, Stella Farrington, April 2005
7. ^ Speaking freely: What the Iran ‘nuclear issue’ is really about, Chris Cook, January 21, 2006, Asia Times/energybulletin.net
8. ^ A frenzied Persian new year, March 22, 2006, Asia Times
9. ^ Iran oil bourse next week, April 26, 2006, Iranian.ws
10. ^ Ministry to offer IOB Articles of Association in two months, May 19, 2006, Mehr News Agency
11. ^ Iranian Journel, building has been purchased and new date is September, accessed July 6 2006
12. ^ Iran’s oil bourse to be launched, September 15, 2006, Mehr News Agency
13. ^ Iran May Reduce Use of Dollar, Tehran Papers Say, December 6, 2006, Bloomberg
14. ^ Press TV – Iran’s Baghdad embassy shifts to euro
15. ^ China shifts to euros for Iran oil, The Scotsman, 27 March 2007
16. ^ IRI to stop pricing oil in dollars, IRIB News, 31 March 2007
17. ^ Iran asks Japan to pay in yen, not dollars for oil purchases, Tokyo, 14 July 2007, IRNA
18. ^ UPI: “Analysis: Iran moves to ditch U.S. dollar”
19. ^ RIA Novosti: Iran stops accepting U.S. dollars for oil. TEHRAN, December 8, 2007
20. ^ The cabinet approves the opening of the International Oil Bourse. Kish Free Zone Organization (2008-02-04). Retrieved on 2008-02-07.
21. ^ 1st phase of Iran oil stock inaugurated on Kish Island, IRNA Reports, Feb. 17, 2008
22. ^ Oil bourse opens in Iran’s Kish Island Retrieved 17 February 2008
23. ^ IIran Oil Bourse may use Russian ruble , Press TV Reports, Feb. 15, 2008

Literature

• Clark, William R.: Petrodollar Warfare : Oil, Iraq and the Future of the Dollar, New Society Publishers, 2005, ISBN 0-86571-514-9

External links

• Iran Oil Bourse to deal blow to dollar www.PressTV.ir, January 2008
• [1] Hysteria Over Iran and A New Cold War with Russia: Peak Oil, Petrocurrencies, and the Emerging Multi-Polar World, December 2006
• PetroTalk Portal for petro related Articles, Discussion, Links and more
• Iran oil bourse next week, Persian Journal, Apr 26, 2006
• Iran takes on west’s control of oil trading, The Guardian
• The Real Reasons Why Iran is the Next Target: The Emerging Euro-denominated International Oil Marker
• Petrodollar Warfare: Dollars, Euros and the Upcoming Iranian Oil Bourse
• The Proposed Iranian Oil Bourse
• Trading oil in euros – does it matter?
• Will the Iranian Oil Bourse Threaten the Dollar?
• Petrodollars and Nuclear Weapons Proliferation: Understanding the Planned Assault on Iran, Centre for Research on Globalization, February 10, 2006
• The Iranian line in the sand
• Petrodollar or Petroeuro? A new source of global conflict
• The Iranian Threat: The Bomb or the Euro?
• The Real Reasons Why Iran is the Next Target
• Strange ideas about the Iranian oil bourse (a counterpoint with countercounterpoints in comments…)

• Iranian Oil Bourse opening IOB will open amid hurdle:

  Iranian Oil Bourse Opening by Steve Austin – 2008/02/06

• Unlike other bourses, the IOB relies on a peer-to-peer trading model, using the Internet. IOB has been in the works for several years and encountered many hurdles on the way, the last of which are severed underwater internet cables creating an Internet outage throughout the Middle East days before the IOB’s opening and prompting conspiracy theories. In recent years the US has outfitted some of its submarines with the capability to splice optical fiber underwater so these theories may not be far-fetched.
  Having the world’s second largest oil reserves of 136 gigabarrels, Iran will likely extend its influence on financial markets when the IOB opens. Although under-reported by the media, this historical shift and its consequences should be watched closely.

From: justforeignpolicy Subscribe Unsubscribe Joined: 10 months ago Videos: 5

John Bolton, recently US ambassador to the United Nations, admitted on a conference call in January that he actually WANTED Iran to withdraw from the nonproliferation treaty or to expel nuclear inspectors.

This casts doubt on the official justification for an aggressive posture against Iran – and suggests that some administration officials are simply looking for an excuse for war.

Another threat to our Public Sphere

According to Jurgen Habermas (1962), it is crucial for society to enshrine free communications, a prerequisite to social justice. Mass media is the chief institution of publications. Media institutions are concerned with organization, financing, legal frameworks of media ownership, control, licensing, access, communication discourse such as the BBC, CBC, and PBS. Right now there is a threat to some of them:

Reject Bush’s Cuts to Public Broadcasting

“This past week, the New York Times reported that the Bush administration has once again proposed deep cuts in federal funding for public broadcasting. Unfortunately the cuts proposed this year are even more severe than in past …

For 8 straight years, the President’s budget requests have attempted to cut or entirely eliminate funding for public broadcasting. For seven of those years, Congress has responded to massive public pressure and restored the funding. This year’s proposed cuts are the deepest ever proposed by the administration. Even Patricia Harrison, a former co-chairwoman of the Republican National Committee who currently serves as the President of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), has called these cuts “draconian.” In addition to slashing current and future funding, this year’s proposal even tries to go back and withdraw funding already approved in previous years.

Practically every day we hear a new story about media consolidation. More and more, the free press that is so essential to our democracy is owned and controlled by a smaller and smaller number of mega-corporations. Never has it been more essential to have a publicly funded, noncommercial media outlet that provides thoughtful rather than partisan news and doesn’t waste our time covering Britney Spears and the baseball steroids scandal.

In his last year in office, don’t let Bush pull the plug on Bill Moyers, the News Hour, Big Bird, and the Cookie Monster.”

Petition: “We ask that all members of Congress join us in supporting full funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting in fiscal year 2009, as well as rejecting the President’s proposed rescissions of funding already approved in prior fiscal years.

This administration’s proposed cuts to the CPB budget are short-sighted and unnecessary. Overwhelmingly, polls show that the American people — of all political persuasions — enjoy the publicly-funded, noncommercial programming offered by CPB and PBS.

Many families do not have access to cable and depend upon PBS for kid-friendly programming that is not offered by the major networks, especially in the prime time hours. Cuts to public broadcasting would threaten such programming. To end this debate once and for all, Congress should guarantee permanent funding for CPB and full independence from any partisan meddling.”

Sign the petition here: http://act.credomobile.com/campaign/save_pbs/8wekssn918dexim?

 

Artifacts with Politics

 

 

 

http://it.stlawu.edu/~global/glossary/newglosshome3.html

Hegemony, Subculture, Advertising and the Spectacle

Edward Ames, Julia Reid, and Tim O’Connor.

March 19, 1993
SOAN 370 – American Advertising and the Science of Signs.

RAMBLE ON EDWARD

Advertising is one of the major institutions of the intellectuals (see Antonio Gramsci) supporting the structural and ideological interests of the ruling class, the dominant cultures of our late capitalist society. Modern society, organized along the lines of capitalist production and expansion, requires advertising to engineer the ’spontaneous’ consent to, and participation in, the ideology of mainstream capitalist culture among the masses of people. This essential component serves to create the optimum conditions for capitalist expansion and furthers the elitist businessmen’s control of economic production. Stuart Ewen described this nicely in his book on the evolution of modern advertising (as did Lears in his article, though he meant not to). Due to overproduction and underconsumption created by the industrial revolution Ewen states, “It became imperative [for the businessman] to invest the laborer with a financial power and a psychic desire to consume,” or in other words to a transform the American Dream from success as an entrepreneur to success as an acquire of goods (Ewen 1976: 25). Laborers learned, with the help of advertisements, to exchange their labor for a wage which was in turn exchangeable for goods that supposedly offered them freedom and signified success and social worth, while in fact it stripped them of true empowerment, a unified identity and “evoked their participation in their own oppression” (Herskovitz, 1979: 182).

 

 

 

 

Politics of the Internet

Will American society continue to exclude ordinary citizens from important choices about the design and development of new technologies and information systems? Most likely there will continue to be unequal power over decisions about what is built and why, intensive efforts to hem in and control people’s lives in both work and consumerism, and present our future as something nonnegotiable.

Businesses will demonstrate accomplishment in what could and should be choices only to be decided by public investigation and debate – a disguised form of economic plunder. They conceal their strategy by designs that appeal to individual gratification which complicate social issues. Those with the understanding of what is happening must choose to protest or at least inform groups willing to take action on behalf of the community.

The technological vulnerability of the Internet offers the opportunity for expression of protest against agencies or corporations targeted as oppressive or exploitive. “Hacker-Activists” have previously broken into restricted websites of military agencies and financial companies in order to call attention to their insecurity and to protest against their goals.

We don’t want social outcomes “determined by market forces.” Every day, someone makes deliberate choices about the relationship between people and new technology. Should it be someone with commercial intent, concealed or otherwise? Have we traded away much of our humanity and gracious way of living for a lifestyle which leaves others hungry, plundered or dead?

Computer professionals with insight into important matters with social outcomes must express their knowledge and judgments to a broad public or be complicit in the capitalist conspiracy. Information technology and social justice are now interconnected. We need social policies that defend democratic social choice against corporate manipulation and the false labeling of dynamic changes in social or living conditions as “progress” or as “unstoppable.” Where there are obvious and increasing signs of social disorder, look for propaganda and hidden agendas. Computer professionals are not “value-neutral” any longer. They are the best positioned to help democracy and society on a global level or assist in creating victims.

Before access to information technology, our existing information systems attempted to control the flow of information through taboos, costs, and restrictions. Governments do not believe that information should be free. Corporations feel they should not only control it, but charge for it as well.

But the digital world celebrates the right of the individual to speak and be heard, the foundation of American media and democracy. The world’s information is being liberated, and so are we. The hackers and geeks who founded and shaped it believed that there should be no obstacles between people and information. They are the ones that can thwart the obstructions to freedom and democracy that are constantly being devised by government and business. The dominant ethic of this community is that information wants to be free. That idea is antithetical to the history and nature of politics and capitalism. Instead of the government watching people, people should watch their government. Power increasingly functions in global networks, bypassing the institutions of the nation-state. Social movements must be able to compete with corporations and governments in their global impact on the media. The Internet is an ideal facilitator of social movements because it cannot be disorganized or captured.

Can the Digital Revolution will show us solutions for eradicating poverty, ignorance, and war in radical and hopeful ways? Technology is power. Education is power. Communication is power. The citizens of the Digital Nation could form a political movement based on common global values, a moral ideology, and a humane agenda which could construct a more civil society, new politics based on rationalism, shared information, the pursuit of truth, and new kinds of community.