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Cully Downer is Irish and the author of 'Ahaanews' a UK based blog activist site. He has been a mental health advocate and freelance author both in the UK and North America. He works independently and now lives in the south coast of England.
OpEd News Member for 952 week(s) and 6 day(s)
7 Articles, 20 Quick Links, 28 Comments, 1 Diaries, 0 Polls
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20 Quicklinks
Saturday, May 31, 2014
PressTV - Obama's US exceptionalism explained SHARE
Obama's US exceptionalism, we might have hoped, is more along the traditional lines of the US being a political example to other democracies and reformers across the world. Unfortunately, that does not seem to be the case. By claiming that US exceptionalism entitles the US to carry out unilateral military actions, as he did in his recent speech, Obama is spouting the very same destructive Neoconservative ideology that many of his supporters must have thought he had rejected.
PressTV - Obama's US exceptionalism explained SHARE
Obama's US exceptionalism, we might have hoped, is more along the traditional lines of the US being a political example to other democracies and reformers across the world. Unfortunately, that does not seem to be the case. By claiming that US exceptionalism entitles the US to carry out unilateral military actions, as he did in his recent speech, Obama is spouting the very same destructive Neoconservative ideology that many of his supporters must have thought he had rejected.
Wednesday, May 21, 2014
Noam Chomsky and the Public Intellectual in Turbulent Times SHARE
Noam Chomsky reminds us that caring about other people is a dangerous idea in America today, and he trades in ideas that defy scholastic disciplines and intellectual boundaries, says Henry Giroux.
Rooted in the fundamentals of anarcho-syndicalism and democratic socialism, he has incessantly exposed the gap between the reality and the promise of a radical democracy, particularly in the United States, though he has provided detailed analysis of how the deformation of democracy works in a number of countries that hide their diverse modes of oppression behind the false claims of democratization. Chomsky has attempted to refigure both the promise of democracy and develop new ways to theorize agency and the social imagination outside of the neoliberal focus on individualization, privatization, and the assumption that the only value that matters is exchange value.
Noam Chomsky and the Public Intellectual in Turbulent Times SHARE
Noam Chomsky reminds us that caring about other people is a dangerous idea in America today, and he trades in ideas that defy scholastic disciplines and intellectual boundaries, says Henry Giroux.
Rooted in the fundamentals of anarcho-syndicalism and democratic socialism, he has incessantly exposed the gap between the reality and the promise of a radical democracy, particularly in the United States, though he has provided detailed analysis of how the deformation of democracy works in a number of countries that hide their diverse modes of oppression behind the false claims of democratization. Chomsky has attempted to refigure both the promise of democracy and develop new ways to theorize agency and the social imagination outside of the neoliberal focus on individualization, privatization, and the assumption that the only value that matters is exchange value.
(1 comments)
Tuesday, May 20, 2014
A Powerful Long-term Alliance Between China and Russia Is Unnerving Washington SHARE
The giant, state-controlled Russian energy giant Gazprom will agree to supply the giant state-controlled China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) with 3.75 billion cubic feet of liquefied natural gas a day for no less than 30 years, starting in 2018. That's the equivalent of a quarter of Russia's massive gas exports to all of Europe. China's current daily gas demand is around 16 billion cubic feet a day, and imports account for 31.6% of total consumption.
A Powerful Long-term Alliance Between China and Russia Is Unnerving Washington SHARE
The giant, state-controlled Russian energy giant Gazprom will agree to supply the giant state-controlled China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) with 3.75 billion cubic feet of liquefied natural gas a day for no less than 30 years, starting in 2018. That's the equivalent of a quarter of Russia's massive gas exports to all of Europe. China's current daily gas demand is around 16 billion cubic feet a day, and imports account for 31.6% of total consumption.
Monday, May 19, 2014
The Deep Roots of Skilled Labor Shortages: Anti-Union, Anti-Worker Corporations SHARE
The two missing links are the role of the construction owner, like Chevron, in crushing the unions that provide skilled journeymen in the construction trades, and a clear discussion of the wage levels needed to attract skilled workers from parts of the country the recovery hasn't reached. The story says wages are rising in Texas, but from what to what? Are wage levels high enough to persuade a journeyman electrician from Michigan or Los Angeles to relocate to Houston? Or are they unreasonably low, given the scarcity of skilled workers and the years of training required to produce a journeyman? How do union wages compare with non-union wages? The story never says.
The Deep Roots of Skilled Labor Shortages: Anti-Union, Anti-Worker Corporations SHARE
The two missing links are the role of the construction owner, like Chevron, in crushing the unions that provide skilled journeymen in the construction trades, and a clear discussion of the wage levels needed to attract skilled workers from parts of the country the recovery hasn't reached. The story says wages are rising in Texas, but from what to what? Are wage levels high enough to persuade a journeyman electrician from Michigan or Los Angeles to relocate to Houston? Or are they unreasonably low, given the scarcity of skilled workers and the years of training required to produce a journeyman? How do union wages compare with non-union wages? The story never says.
Sunday, May 18, 2014
America as Torture Central: From Prisons to "Black Sites" - Informed Comment SHARE
Amnesty International report on global torture exposes inhumane acts perpetrated by United States
Despite a vow to "restore America's moral standing" in the world, Obama's administration has ended its pursuit of US personnel accused of abusing prisoners. Eric Holder, the US attorney-general, said 2 years ago that the admissible evidence would not be sufficient to obtain a conviction beyond a reasonable doubt.
An investigation that initially looked at 101 cases, in the end examined just two -- that of Gul Rahman, who died in a secret CIA prison in Afghanistan in 2002, and Manadel al-Jamadi, who died in CIA custody at Iraq's notorious Abu Ghraib prison in 2003.
America as Torture Central: From Prisons to "Black Sites" - Informed Comment SHARE
Amnesty International report on global torture exposes inhumane acts perpetrated by United States
Despite a vow to "restore America's moral standing" in the world, Obama's administration has ended its pursuit of US personnel accused of abusing prisoners. Eric Holder, the US attorney-general, said 2 years ago that the admissible evidence would not be sufficient to obtain a conviction beyond a reasonable doubt.
An investigation that initially looked at 101 cases, in the end examined just two -- that of Gul Rahman, who died in a secret CIA prison in Afghanistan in 2002, and Manadel al-Jamadi, who died in CIA custody at Iraq's notorious Abu Ghraib prison in 2003.
(1 comments)
Thursday, February 8, 2007
AlterNet: ForeignPolicy: How to Prevent a War with Iran SHARE
To stop the looming war with Iran, Congress needs to pre-empt the possibility of the White House launching an attack. The secret weapon is the Boland Amendment.
AlterNet: ForeignPolicy: How to Prevent a War with Iran SHARE
To stop the looming war with Iran, Congress needs to pre-empt the possibility of the White House launching an attack. The secret weapon is the Boland Amendment.
(1 comments)
Thursday, February 8, 2007
AlterNet: The Rise of Christian Fascism and Its Threat to American Democracy SHARE
Dr. James Luther Adams, my ethics professor at Harvard Divinity School, told his students that when we were his age -- he was then close to 80 -- we would all be fighting the "Christian fascists."
The warning, given 25 years ago, came at the moment Pat Robertson and other evangelists began speaking about a new political religion that would direct its efforts toward taking control of all institutions, including government.
AlterNet: The Rise of Christian Fascism and Its Threat to American Democracy SHARE
Dr. James Luther Adams, my ethics professor at Harvard Divinity School, told his students that when we were his age -- he was then close to 80 -- we would all be fighting the "Christian fascists."
The warning, given 25 years ago, came at the moment Pat Robertson and other evangelists began speaking about a new political religion that would direct its efforts toward taking control of all institutions, including government.
(1 comments)
Thursday, February 8, 2007
AlterNet: 9/11: The Case Isn't Closed SHARE
No matter what you believe about who was responsible for 9/11, and how it went down, we're all amazed at how much political capital the events of that day produced for this administration: A bipartisan consensus on torture; an era of permanent war; detentions without trial; "no fly" lists for activists; the Bill of Rights gone with the wind, and a cowed professional media willing to self-censor and suppress pertinent informati
AlterNet: 9/11: The Case Isn't Closed SHARE
No matter what you believe about who was responsible for 9/11, and how it went down, we're all amazed at how much political capital the events of that day produced for this administration: A bipartisan consensus on torture; an era of permanent war; detentions without trial; "no fly" lists for activists; the Bill of Rights gone with the wind, and a cowed professional media willing to self-censor and suppress pertinent informati
(1 comments)
Thursday, February 8, 2007
ITV - John Pilger - Iran: a war is coming SHARE
The United States is planning what will be a catastrophic attack on Iran. For the Bush cabal, the attack will be a way of "buying time" for its disaster in Iraq. In announcing what he called a "surge" of American troops in Iraq, George W Bush identified Iran as his real target. "We will interrupt the flow of support [to the insurgency in Iraq] from Iran and Syria", he said. "And we will seek out and destroy the networks provid
ITV - John Pilger - Iran: a war is coming SHARE
The United States is planning what will be a catastrophic attack on Iran. For the Bush cabal, the attack will be a way of "buying time" for its disaster in Iraq. In announcing what he called a "surge" of American troops in Iraq, George W Bush identified Iran as his real target. "We will interrupt the flow of support [to the insurgency in Iraq] from Iran and Syria", he said. "And we will seek out and destroy the networks provid
(1 comments)
Wednesday, February 7, 2007
Think Progress » New Report Spells Out Catastrophic Consequences Of Military Action Against Iran SHARE
Yesterday, a coalition of British NGOs, think-tanks, and trade unions published a new report that assesses an attack on Iran's nuclear facilities would be "highly dangerous."
Think Progress » New Report Spells Out Catastrophic Consequences Of Military Action Against Iran SHARE
Yesterday, a coalition of British NGOs, think-tanks, and trade unions published a new report that assesses an attack on Iran's nuclear facilities would be "highly dangerous."
(1 comments)
Wednesday, February 7, 2007
If Hindsight Is 20/20, the Black Panthers Look Better and Better All the Time SHARE
While Dr. King's nonviolent resistance made the national papers, direct confrontation and community services made more sense to the Panthers.
If Hindsight Is 20/20, the Black Panthers Look Better and Better All the Time SHARE
While Dr. King's nonviolent resistance made the national papers, direct confrontation and community services made more sense to the Panthers.
(1 comments)
Wednesday, February 7, 2007
Courtesy, Professionalism, and Respect? Not for Journalists SHARE
Does accurately covering a protest mean putting yourself at risk of police harassment? Some young journalists say it does, reports Wire Tap magazine.
Courtesy, Professionalism, and Respect? Not for Journalists SHARE
Does accurately covering a protest mean putting yourself at risk of police harassment? Some young journalists say it does, reports Wire Tap magazine.
(1 comments)
Monday, February 5, 2007
Nation fiction | csmonitor.com SHARE
Is the concept of nation slipping? One might think so with a UN blueprint for the future status of Kosovo. The Balkan enclave has been UN-run since 1999 when NATO freed its mainly Albanian population from Serb rule. Not granting it freedom would fit a global trend.
Nation fiction | csmonitor.com SHARE
Is the concept of nation slipping? One might think so with a UN blueprint for the future status of Kosovo. The Balkan enclave has been UN-run since 1999 when NATO freed its mainly Albanian population from Serb rule. Not granting it freedom would fit a global trend.
(1 comments)
Monday, February 5, 2007
Europe 'ripe' for our ideas, says far right | csmonitor.com SHARE
The "Identity, Tradition, and Sovereignty" caucus, is constituted inside the EU Parliament. It includes the "Attack" party from Bulgaria, which published lists of Bulgarian Jews on its website; the party of Alexandra Mussolini, grand-daughter of Italy's World War II fascist leader; and is led by Bruno Gollnisch of Jean-Marie Le Pen's far-right French party, who faced trial in Lyon this fall for Holocaust denia
Europe 'ripe' for our ideas, says far right | csmonitor.com SHARE
The "Identity, Tradition, and Sovereignty" caucus, is constituted inside the EU Parliament. It includes the "Attack" party from Bulgaria, which published lists of Bulgarian Jews on its website; the party of Alexandra Mussolini, grand-daughter of Italy's World War II fascist leader; and is led by Bruno Gollnisch of Jean-Marie Le Pen's far-right French party, who faced trial in Lyon this fall for Holocaust denia
(1 comments)
Monday, February 5, 2007
Iran's weakened hard-liners crave a US attack | csmonitor.com SHARE
From the rhetoric of President Bush to his dispatch of Patriot air-defense systems and a second carrier battle group to the Persian Gulf, there are growing signs that the Bush administration is showing its willingness to solve the Iranian nuclear crisis with a preemptive military attack. The already tense US-Iran relationship is now a tinderbox.
Iran's weakened hard-liners crave a US attack | csmonitor.com SHARE
From the rhetoric of President Bush to his dispatch of Patriot air-defense systems and a second carrier battle group to the Persian Gulf, there are growing signs that the Bush administration is showing its willingness to solve the Iranian nuclear crisis with a preemptive military attack. The already tense US-Iran relationship is now a tinderbox.
(1 comments)
Monday, February 5, 2007
Bloggers can make money, but most keep day jobs | csmonitor.com SHARE
The rise of 'contextual advertising' has created a 21st-century version of royalties.
Bloggers can make money, but most keep day jobs | csmonitor.com SHARE
The rise of 'contextual advertising' has created a 21st-century version of royalties.
(1 comments)
Monday, February 5, 2007
U.S. workplace not family-oriented - Your Career - MSNBC.com SHARE
A new study shows that the United States continues to lag "far behind virtually all wealthy countries with regard to family-oriented workplace policies such as maternity leave, paid sick days and support for breast-feeding.
U.S. workplace not family-oriented - Your Career - MSNBC.com SHARE
A new study shows that the United States continues to lag "far behind virtually all wealthy countries with regard to family-oriented workplace policies such as maternity leave, paid sick days and support for breast-feeding.
(3 comments)
Monday, February 5, 2007
Jeff Jarvis: Why YouTube gets my vote for political punditry SHARE
The revolution will not be televised. It will be YouTubed. The open TV of the people is already turning into a powerful instrument of politics - of communication, message, and image - in the next US presidential election.
Jeff Jarvis: Why YouTube gets my vote for political punditry SHARE
The revolution will not be televised. It will be YouTubed. The open TV of the people is already turning into a powerful instrument of politics - of communication, message, and image - in the next US presidential election.
(1 comments)
Sunday, February 4, 2007
Wal-Mart Cuts Taxes By Paying Rent to Itself SHARE
Here's how it works: One Wal-Mart subsidiary pays the rent to a real-estate investment trust, or REIT, which is entitled to a tax break if it pays its profits out in dividends. The REIT is 99%-owned by another Wal-Mart subsidiary, which receives the REIT's dividends tax-free. And Wal-Mart gets to deduct the rent from state taxes as a business expense
Wal-Mart Cuts Taxes By Paying Rent to Itself SHARE
Here's how it works: One Wal-Mart subsidiary pays the rent to a real-estate investment trust, or REIT, which is entitled to a tax break if it pays its profits out in dividends. The REIT is 99%-owned by another Wal-Mart subsidiary, which receives the REIT's dividends tax-free. And Wal-Mart gets to deduct the rent from state taxes as a business expense
(2 comments)
Wednesday, January 17, 2007
Jesse Jackson: Media Ownership a Civil Rights Issue SHARE
American news media valued King as a man who fought for equality, Jackson said. But when King began to attack America's foreign policy, the media could no longer back him, he said.
Jesse Jackson: Media Ownership a Civil Rights Issue SHARE
American news media valued King as a man who fought for equality, Jackson said. But when King began to attack America's foreign policy, the media could no longer back him, he said.
