Forget the Golden Rule, Says Philosopher A.C. Grayling
Friday, September 16, 2011
Thursday, September 15, 2011
Palestinians head for UN state showdown
Palestinians head for UN state showdown
Israel has seen the political landscape rapidly transform around it
Not for the first time this year, Israel finds itself a nervous spectator as tumultuous events in the region around it rapidly change the shape and nature of the Middle East.
The domino-like fall of authoritarian regimes in Tunisia, Egypt and Libya, not forgetting the violent turmoil in Syria, caught almost everyone by surprise and, arguably, left Israeli politicians floundering for a coherent policy response.
The Israeli government was criticised in many quarters for its lukewarm response to the Arab Spring - concerns about regional security and the rise of Islamic political parties were perhaps seen as more important than expanding political pluralism in the Middle East.
Justifiable criticism or not, those were events almost exclusively beyond Israeli control and over which it could ultimately have had little or no influence.
The thorny issue of recognition for a Palestinian state is different story.
The right-wing coalition government led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has made it abundantly clear that it opposes "unilateral" Palestinian moves towards statehood, either as a full member of the UN, via the Security Council, or for "Enhanced Observer Member" status, via a majority vote in the General Assembly.
Israel says either option seriously undermines negotiations towards a two-state solution - Israeli and Palestinian states existing side by side - saying that such a course of action will not lead to peace or the establishment of a Palestinian state.
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On this occasion, Europe is arguably a more important player than the United States”
There have also been threats, from Israel's Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman and his deputy Danny Ayalon, that if the Palestinians go to the UN, Israel would consider changing the status of east Jerusalem and the West Bank settlements.
"If the Palestinians independently take blunt unilateral steps to declare statehood, then all [previous] agreements are nullified," said Mr Ayalon on his Twitter account earlier this week.
Warnings and threats aside, Israel stands accused of doing little to offer the Palestinians a constructive and viable alternative.
The airport limousine services and VIP security details must have been stretched to their limits as a succession of senior US and European diplomats shuttled between Cairo, Jerusalem and Ramallah this week.
The goal of Tony Blair, Catherine Ashton, Dennis Ross and David Hale to extract some genuine concession or initiative from the Israelis that would persuade the Palestinian leader, Mahmoud Abbas, to drop his bid for statehood at the UN and to return to peace talks.
There has been considerable international pressure on the Palestinian side, too, to refrain from the UN option but the Palestinians are confident momentum - and much of the world - is on their side.
Israel's long-established position is that there can be no "pre-conditions" to the resumption of talks and refuses to countenance suggestions that it should stop building in illegal settlements on occupied Palestinian land or offer any other concession to Mr Abbas.
Time 'running out'
There has been much analysis in Israel that, as consistent and firm as the position of Mr Netanyahu is, it only serves to increase the country's isolation at a time when Israel is losing friends and supporters in the region.
The US believes Palestinian statehood should only come through peace talks
(Why not through U.N and international community, like Israel was established?)
Recent difficulties with Egypt and Turkey aside, many Israelis feel their government is being out-manoeuvred by the Palestinian UN initiative and is not coming up with a credible, coherent response.
Israel knows the United States will use its veto in the Security Council to oppose the declaration of a Palestinian state, should it come to that.
And while it will back its strongest ally in the region, Washington would rather not have to use that veto because of the message it would convey in the wider Arab world.
US President Barack Obama has, after all, declared his wish to see the Palestinian flag flying at the UN, albeit as a consequence of successful peace talks with Israel.
That is why, on this occasion, Europe is arguably a more important player than the United States.
If a majority of EU countries - especially the French, Germans and British - support Palestinian recognition at the UN that could make life very uncomfortable for Israel.
The position of European governments is not yet clear - that is what the diplomats are busy finalising this week - but recent polls in Europe suggest their populations strongly support the idea of Palestinian membership at the UN.
Israel's diplomats around the world have been busy too, putting forward arguments against Palestinian upgrading or full recognition at the UN.
An aide to Prime Minister Netanyahu this week told the Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper: "Israel is not isolated... we should stop the self-flagellation as if we were to blame for everything."
But many senior Israelis are convinced that a return to negotiations with the Palestinians will allay tensions, not only in the West Bank, Jerusalem and Israel but in the region as a whole.
With time running out, what might be required now is a gesture from Israel that can make that a reality and avoid a showdown in New York next week.
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Mid-East shuttle dipomacy ahead of Palestinian UN bid
Mid-East shuttle dipomacy ahead of Palestinian UN bid
Catherine Ashton extended her visit for further talks with Benjamin Netanyahu
Senior US and international envoys have begun a fresh round of shuttle diplomacy to try to head off a Palestinian bid for UN membership.
US diplomats Dennis Ross and David Hale, as well as EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton and Middle-East envoy Tony Blair are in the region to try to revive stalled peace talks.
Palestinians are preparing a bid for UN membership later this month.
Israel has warned of "harsh and grave consequences" if the move goes ahead.
Mr Ross and Mr Hale arrived in Israel on Wednesday and held talks with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Ehud Barak, the US State Department said.
They were due to travel to the West Bank on Thursday for talks with Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas.
Baroness Ashton also held talks with Mr Netanyahu on Wednesday morning, and announced she was extending her visit for further talks in the evening.
"I hope that in the coming days what we will be able to achieve together will be something that enables the negotiations to start," she said.
Analysts say the 27-member EU could split over the issue of Palestinian statehood if it comes to a vote at the UN, with some states backing the effort and others likely to oppose it.
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Wednesday spoke to Mr Blair - who represents the Quartet of international Middle East negotiators - and to Baroness Ashton, state department spokesman Mark Toner said.
"This is part of our intensive effort here to find a way forward," he added.
The last round of peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians broke down a year ago.
Since then, the Palestinians have launched a campaign to join the UN as a full member state with international recognition based on their 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as a capital.
The UN begins its annual General Assembly general debate in New York on 21 September.
Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman, speaking on Wednesday, warned of dire consequences if the Palestinians went ahead.
"From the moment they pass a unilateral decision there will be harsh and grave consequences," he said.
"I hope that we shall not come to those harsh and grave consequences, and that common sense will prevail in all decisions taken," he added.
Some hardline Israeli politicians have called for Israel to annex sections of the West Bank if the Palestinians go ahead.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Commentary
All these threats simply for asking to be recognized as a country?
Everyone already recognizes Palestine, but this U.N bid could make it official and binding.
Yet they respond with threats of violence? Historians of the future will write wondering how such people today lived. How people like you and me could DENY the right of people to live, safely and securely in their own home.
Israel deserves it's existence, and it is flourishing as a result. Surely the Palestinians deserve the same.
Lets not pillage and plunder their people any longer...
Enough is enough. Give them liberty, don't give them Death.
Olbermann: Alan Grayson Interview - Tea Party to the Sick: 'You Can Go To Hell'
Countdown with Keith Olbermann 09-13-2011 1b - Sickos, with Alan Grayson
"If I Was Running America..." Richard Branson Explains What He Would Do About The Job Market
"If I Was Running America..." Richard Branson Explains What He Would Do About The Job Market
Commentary
Do you know what talking points are?
Talking points are put in place to help anchors or people in general, push a particular message in a particular way.
Talking points are the opposite of truth and open dialog.
Talking points shut the process of listening and discussion, into blabbering random facts in a biased way.
Kudlow, the ANCHOR of this show, is OBVIOUSLY blurting talking points.
Richard brandson says one thing, and Kudlow completely says something different.
Branson NEVER EVEN USED the word Taxes, and YET Kudlow says it...
It's pathetic how anchors today can't even have a simple conversation without using talking points.
This is obvious media manipulation. At least Richard brandson gave him the truth and he seemed taken aback by it.
Do you know what talking points are?
Talking points are put in place to help anchors or people in general, push a particular message in a particular way.
Talking points are the opposite of truth and open dialog.
Talking points shut the process of listening and discussion, into blabbering random facts in a biased way.
Kudlow, the ANCHOR of this show, is OBVIOUSLY blurting talking points.
Richard brandson says one thing, and Kudlow completely says something different.
Branson NEVER EVEN USED the word Taxes, and YET Kudlow says it...
It's pathetic how anchors today can't even have a simple conversation without using talking points.
This is obvious media manipulation. At least Richard brandson gave him the truth and he seemed taken aback by it.
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
China Cracks Down on "Gutter Oil," a Substance Even Worse Than its Name Read more: http://globalspin.blogs.time.com/2011/09/13/china-cracks-down-on-g
China Cracks Down on "Gutter Oil," a Substance Even Worse Than its Name
Palestinian Statehood bid in United Nations - Making sense and finding truth in Media Bias
The ignorant/biased/criminal claim made by the U.S Ambassador that U.N statehood recognition of Palestine, is useless and a waste of time:
(Obviously since she is the American Representative, she is biased in her beliefs and positions)
Reply about this claim:
(Obviously since she is the American Representative, she is biased in her beliefs and positions)
Reply about this claim:
Why the big fuss if this move is useless? Obviously, it will make a difference and Israel/America's response to this move is PROOF that U.N statehood recognition of Palestine does matter.
PIZZA IS MURDER
2 youtube channels well worth subscribing to.
These people are actually creative and make videos you actually want to watch.
Keep up the good work Julian and popfriction. :)
Vaccination Causes 'Mental Retardation'? Fact-Checking Michele Bachmann's Claim (Sarah Palin 2.0)
Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN) participates in the CNN/Tea Party Republican presidential candidates debate in Tampa, Florida, September 12, 2011.
REUTERS/Scott Audette
Monday night's Republican primary debate saw candidate Michele Bachmann on the attack — especially against Texas Gov. Rick Perry. Bachmann slammed Perry for signing an executive order in 2007 requiring all sixth-grade girls to get vaccinated against HPV, the virus that is the leading cause of cervical cancer.
Most media reports following the debate focused on Bachmann's key criticism of Perry: his engaging in "capital cronyism." She accused Perry of acting under the influence of campaign donations from HPV vaccine manufacturer, Merck, which stood to gain millions from mandatory vaccination.
She further noted that the executive order — a tactic the governor admits was a mistake — prevented families from being able to choose whether or not to get the vaccine. (The federal government recommends the HPV vaccine for all 11- and 12-year-old girls.)
But perhaps more disturbing are comments Bachmann made Tuesday morning about the safety of the HPV vaccine itself — and what they revealed about her utter misunderstanding of the science.
LIST: Gov. Rick Perry's Weird Science
Talking with Matt Lauer on the Today show, Bachmann said that the vaccine was "a very dangerous drug." She continued:
I had a mother come up to me last night here in Tampa, Fla., after the debate. She told me that her little daughter took that vaccine, that injection. And she suffered from mental retardation thereafter. The mother was crying when she came up to me last night. I didn't know who she was before the debate. This is the very real concern and people have to draw their own conclusions.
In fact, "mental retardation" is not a "very real concern" when it comes to vaccination. Rather, Bachmann is once again resurrecting the alleged connection between vaccines and mental disability — namely autism — which has been repeatedly debunked. Last year, the fraudulent research that first triggered such widespread fear of vaccination was retracted by the medical journal that published it, and its author, Andrew Wakefield, was stripped of his medical license.
In August, a sweeping report by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) analyzed all the available data on the adverse events associated with eight childhood vaccines and found few risks. Notably, it also confirmed that there was no connection between the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine (MMR) — the vaccine that so many parents still fear — and autism risk.
The IOM report did not include data on the HPV vaccine, which is relatively new. But according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), "mental retardation" is not a side effect of the vaccine. Known side effects include local injection site reactions, fainting, dizziness, nausea and headaches, as well as hypersensitivity reactions like rashes, hives and itching — all noted on the drug's labeling.
The vaccine's label also makes note of more serious but rare adverse events like Guillain-Barré syndrome, pregnancy and death, but analysis of the data show that these events were not connected to the vaccine. Rather they coincidentally occurred in people who also got the vaccine. (Indeed, imagine if a vaccine could make you pregnant?)
MORE: Vaccine Safety: New Report Finds Few Adverse Events Linked to Immunizations
It's that element of coincidence that continually seems to confuse people like Bachmann, who don't have a firm grasp of the science. Earlier this year, I spoke with vaccinologist Paul Offit, author of Deadly Choices: How the Anti-Vaccine Movement Threatens Us All, who explained the muddle.
Many of the side effects that parents associate with mandatory childhood vaccinations — especially problems that affect mental health — are actually just coincidental medical events, Offit said. Autism, some symptoms of brain damage and other traits often emerge between ages 1 and 4, the same time period that many vaccinations, including MMR, are administered. "There's definitely going to be those temporal associations that aren't necessarily causal associations," he said.
It bears noting that the HPV vaccine is administered at ages 11 and 12 — a decade later than the childhood vaccinations that continue to cause so much consternation.
As for Bachmann's misguided comments, perhaps the Global and Regional Asperger Syndrome Partnership put it best:
"Congresswoman Bachmann's decision to spread fear of vaccines is dangerous and irresponsible," said Evan Siegfried, a spokesman for the Global and Regional Asperger Syndrome Partnership. "There is zero credible scientific evidence that vaccines cause mental retardation or autism. She should cease trying to foment fear in order to advance her political agenda."
Meredith Melnick is a reporter at TIME. Find her on Twitter at @MeredithCM. You can also continue the discussion on TIME's Facebook page and on Twitter at @TIME.
Number of Americans in poverty hits record high
Number of Americans in poverty hits record high
President Obama last week launched a new jobs plan to try to increase employment opportunities
The number of Americans living in poverty rose to a record 46.2 million last year, official data has shown.
This is the highest figure since the US Census Bureau started collecting the data in 1959.
In percentage terms, the poverty rate rose to 15.1%, up from 14.3% in 2009.
The US definition of poverty is an annual income of $22,314 (£14,129) or less for a family of four and $11,139 for a single person.
The number of Americans living below the poverty line has now risen for four years in a row, while the poverty rate is the biggest since 1993.
Poverty among black and Hispanic people was much higher than for the overall US population last year, the figures also showed.
The Census Bureau data said 25.8% of black people were living in poverty and 25.3% of Hispanic people.
Its latest report also showed that the average annual US household income fell 2.3% in 2010 to $49,445.
Meanwhile, the number of Americans without health insurance remained about 50 million.
The data comes as the US unemployment rate remains above 9%.
President Barack Obama last week launched a new $450bn job creation plan.
He wants to fund huge construction projects, schools and services, while giving tax cuts to workers and small businesses to boost recruitment.
However, his plans require backing from Congress, where Republicans - who control the House of Representatives - have voiced their opposition.
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