Re: FLUXLIST: small protest continues
Hi all, Thanks for responses and comments regarding media coverage in the US. It's always interesting to find out what's happening elsewhere at a time like this, especially since the mainstream media just keep trotting out the same distorted version of the truth as they see it. Thanks especially for the links. Have checked out all of them and together with a number of others have uploaded them to my war pages for easy reference. I've also uploaded an interesting article by George Monbiot which talks about US treatment of POWs as well as alleged war crimes in Afghanistan and a link to clips from Jamie Doran's film 'Afghan Massacre' which discusses that. On the lighter side Roger Stevens sent me some detourned movie posters which I uploaded late last night. Anyway, all new stuff at www.sol23.com I've also put a link to Chomsky's thoughts on the war. Thom, your description of the mood in SF was very interesting. BTW - I enjoy your work on moviepoopshoot.com originally I only discovered that site via seeing Jay And Silent Bob Strike Back..but I guess that was the point. cheers, Sol.
Re: FLUXLIST: small protest continues
sol, if your looking for other journals reports of protest actvity. you might want to check out the archives of the POETICS list, which has had quite a few in the last 3 weeks.. there has also been piles of other kinds of links comments filtering thru. mIEKAL
Re: FLUXLIST: small protest continues
Hi Sol My belated contribution...just received these links from a friend...it's also worth keeping an eye on the website of the Stop the War Coalition www.stopwar.or.uk to stay up to date with anti-war stuff in the UK. From: Dr David Turner To: Recipient list suppressed Subject: Information sources Date: 27 March 2003 01:48 The following sources of information on the war are highly recommended: The Memory Hole -- This is Gulf War 2 [Photographs of Iraqi casualties (civilian and military), including the Al Jazeera pictures; SOME ARE VERY DISTURBING] http://www.thememoryhole.org/war/gulfwar2/ Iraq Body Count Database [Constantly updated civilian casualty figures; this is a very high-quality site, with information carefully collated from a wide range of sources] http://www.iraqbodycount.net/bodycount.htm Global Policy Forum -- Iraq Crisis [Lots of background reading that sets the war in its proper context, historical and otherwise; a lot of the material here is very hard to come by in print form (you'd need to spend a day or two in the library of the School of Oriental and African Studies -- I know because I had to, when I was looking for some of this stuff a while back)] http://www.globalpolicy.org/security/issues/irqindx.htm IndyMedia UK [Samizdat reporting on the anti-war movement; lots of stuff that never gets into the mainstream media (for instance, very detailed eye-witness reports of the outrageous police operation to stop people demonstrating at RAF Fairford last Saturday)] http://uk.indymedia.org/ - Original Message - From: Sol Nte [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Thursday, March 27, 2003 9:36 AM Subject: Re: FLUXLIST: small protest continues Hi all, Thanks for responses and comments regarding media coverage in the US. It's always interesting to find out what's happening elsewhere at a time like this, especially since the mainstream media just keep trotting out the same distorted version of the truth as they see it. Thanks especially for the links. Have checked out all of them and together with a number of others have uploaded them to my war pages for easy reference. I've also uploaded an interesting article by George Monbiot which talks about US treatment of POWs as well as alleged war crimes in Afghanistan and a link to clips from Jamie Doran's film 'Afghan Massacre' which discusses that. On the lighter side Roger Stevens sent me some detourned movie posters which I uploaded late last night. Anyway, all new stuff at www.sol23.com I've also put a link to Chomsky's thoughts on the war. Thom, your description of the mood in SF was very interesting. BTW - I enjoy your work on moviepoopshoot.com originally I only discovered that site via seeing Jay And Silent Bob Strike Back..but I guess that was the point. cheers, Sol.
FLUXLIST: small protest continues
Hi all, Have put up the latest graphics I've sent to Blair. Not being able to make as many graphics as I want to (lack of time) but hoping to make a few more. Can't decide whether it makes more sense to send large numbers of the same design or many different designs. I mean it's probably all falling on deaf ears but somehow I hope there is something productive in this activity. latest sol23.com :: war pages www.sol23.com Ultimately I think we all feel a certain powerlessness in the face of government at times like this yet we must voice our opinions for more sensible solutions. I feel that in even just sending these small messages to Downing Street at least we're registering our disapproval. Part of many of those current actions all over the world that may prove futile is the repeating to oneself and others that we know war is wrong and we continue to believe it to be wrong. An interesting protest I feel, and one that would perhaps have more effect than marching, letterwriting etc. is non-payment of taxes (e.g. council tax). I remember reading of Thoreau's refusal to pay taxes to protest against the US war in Mexico. Although these days since so many people pay taxes transparently (direct debit etc.) it would be hard to prevent the government from collecting tax but still it's an interesting idea. After all, it worked with the Poll Tax! I wonder too, how much support is growing for war? The media would have us believe it's increasing but I believe they're trying to make it increase by encouraging people to change their minds in the assumption that others are changing their minds. I think the smaller turnouts for demos now are a reflection of people feeling that action is pointless when the government (read Blair) ignores it. After all when cabinet members resign and backbenchers protest and Blair ignores it then what effect will people shouting in the streets have? BTW - It would be nice to hear from fluxlisters elsewhere in the world as to what the mood is there with regard to war. What's the media barrage in your neighbourhood? I've been trying to keep up with things via indymedia.org but would welcome any other good sites people have found that are telling ordinary stories of this conflict. there seem to be some blogs, have you seen http://dear_raed.blogspot.com/ any sites other fluxlisters are looking at for news etc? Also anyone know of any art responses to the war...campaigns etc. Thanks for posting the protest songs and graphics links so faranymore would be most welcome. Oh, Roger sent me some great detourned anti-war movie posters which I'll put up but haven't had a chance to yet..maybe tonight. Okay, well that's it from me. Back to work. Peace to all, Sol.
RE: FLUXLIST: small protest continues
Sol, any sites other fluxlisters are looking at for news etc? www.pacifica.org for news www.pacifica.org/peace for other resources also www.democracynow.org for news Reed
Re: FLUXLIST: small protest continues
hi sol and all, one of the best sources of news about the anti war movement and protest in general is www.thenation.com a newspaper that has been around for a long time. see this site for a current bid for peace at http://members.xoom.virgilio.it/kareninazoom/PACE/pace.htm regarding rhizome, i believe they have a free day once a week but their first call was for contributions and when that failed to bring in enough to keep them going they decided to go for paid membership. the television is filled with the war and many programs are prempted as well as a banner on the bottom of the screen continually telling us what is happening. there are also advertisements for the military which are done in the 'support our troops' manner. the government is definitely doing a hard sell on the war and since they control the media they can do what they want with it. the feeling of helplessness is something that is hard to reconcile here in the 'land of the free'. peace now! carol
Re: FLUXLIST: small protest continues
So far my favorite moment of embedded video coverage was a camel bumping into a soldier, flashed just for a second on CNN yesterday... the runner up was Rumsfeld saying he couldnt be responsible for the comments of retired generals... but in general the moments of irony humor are miniscule in this war of information propaganda being controlled from the white house. unwar always mIEKAL
Re: FLUXLIST: small protest continues
:Can't decide whether it makes more sense to send large numbers of the same :design or many different designs. I mean it's probably all falling on deaf :ears but somehow I hope there is something productive in this activity. It encourages people to commit their own senseless acts of defiance, thus helping to build a movement. : :BTW - It would be nice to hear from fluxlisters elsewhere in the world as to :what the mood is there with regard to war. What's the media barrage in your :neighbourhood? Here in the San Francisco Bay Area the mood is weird. A lot people are just going nuts over their sense that we have no control over our government. When we didn't elect Bush Jr. he still ended up in the whitehouse. I watch CNN ... no, I /monitor/ CNN ... and even the war hounds were so anxious for a ring side seat to evening edition of BOMBS OVER BAGHDAD, ie, Judy Woodruff and Wolf Blitzer, are starting to realize the extent of their complicity in fueling support for a war that started with a lie. A lie that they willingly fed to America. I think many Americans wanted to believe that there was some justice or righteousness to this unprecedented pre-emptive strike. Now that Rumsfeld is telling us that the war has just begun and America can see that there has been no evidence of weapons of mass destruction, and the families back home realize that their sons and daughters weren't going on a quick and dirty operation to overthrow Saddam Hussein (because we were told he was a threat, i.e. WMD's), the sense of optimism and popular support is waning and I wouldn't be surprised if the troops themselves realize they are being sacrificed, a literal blood sacrifice, for lucrative defense contracts for Bush Jr's friends and for no sense of honor or heroism. Of course, this is exactly what progressives and anti-war commentators have been saying all along. So there you have it. This dirty, stinking, never-ending war being brought to you by those murderous, thieving, lying thugs George Bush Jr and Tony Blair. I am working on an essay right now that 1) vents my frustration - to put it mildly but is also evolving into a manifesto for long term strategies for social change and the eventual deposition of the Bush Regime and all its supporters in ever corner of society. If you don't get the root, the weed will just grow back. Sincerely, And extremely angry, Thom Fowler
