The Thunderbolt 220105 — Selective Compassion
Dana Walker
The Thunderbolt
News — Commentary — Calendar of Activist Events — Dumb Jokes
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1) FYI Section:
1A) Free Online Activist Workshops
1B) January Edition of Glen’s Parallax Perspectives: Environmental Rights
1C) Message from the Radical Women
2) Weekly Peace Vigil
3) Political Economy of Labor and Labor Resistance: The USA & China
4) Bonus Tip of the Day
A detailed description of all events is located after the News and Commentary section
To go directly to an event description just type the index entry above into a search box
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Selective Compassion
220105
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Apologia
Hey, People!
I know I haven’t been doing my job lately, and again this week I have barely anything — and in fact I’m mostly publishing this week to let everyone know about Glen Anderson’s work since he seems to be having no such problems.
I suspect this is a temporary condition, but I just can’t seem to get the motor running these days.
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Selective Compassion
One thing I will comment upon; I noticed a glaring example of ‘selective compassion’ when it comes to media coverage of foreign affairs: Back when the withdrawal from Afghanistan was happening and the Media Machine was bemoaning the death of one of its most lucrative cash cows, one of the horrible specters they envisioned was the horrific plight awaiting Afghan women when the Taliban took over.
Those were totally legitimate critiques as women do indeed seem to suffer extreme oppression under the Taliban — but now that Afghanistan is about to take over from Yemen the title of World’s Biggest Humanitarian Disaster — which disaster is wholly manufactured in the United States in the form of ‘sanctions’ and which disaster will most definitely engulf all of those women that the Media Machine was expressing such concerns over just a few months ago — that same Machine is now almost completely silent on the subject. A UN report warned that “combined shocks of drought, conflict, Covid-19 and an economic crisis in Afghanistan have left more than half the population facing a record level of acute hunger.”
They also report that over a million children are so malnourished they are at risk of dying in the coming months (IRC, 12/3/21).
https://www.rescue.org/article/what-next-afghanistan-hunger-crisis
According to Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting [FAIR]:
“Since November 1, well into the worsening crisis, FAIR identified only 37 TV news segments from ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN, Fox and MSNBC that mentioned “humanitarian” in the same sentence as Afghanistan. That’s 37 segments in seven weeks.
“For perspective, as the US withdrew in August, journalists from those shows mentioned “women’s rights” in the same sentence as Afghanistan more often—42 times—in just seven days. Today, as those women and girls face starvation, the deeply concerned TV reporters are virtually nowhere to be seen. Even when reports did mention the crisis, they rarely highlighted the US role. Of the 37 mentions, FAIR was able to find only four that named sanctions as a factor.”
https://fair.org/home/media-forget-afghan-plight-as-us-sanctions-drive-mass-famine-risk/
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And what really makes my head explode is the fact that they still get away with selling ‘sanctions’ as a ‘humanitarian’ form of warfare just because no one gets bombed.
That is indeed true. No one gets bombed. Rather than being killed quickly by a bomb, they are instead slowly starved to death.
The American occupation left Afghanistan dependent upon aid for 40% of its GDP and 80% of its budget. After withdrawal the US froze $9 billion of Afghanistan’s Central Bank reserves, the US and the UN cut off Afghanistan from the world’s banking system, and they seriously limited aid.
And keep in mind that at least bombs usually target military targets. Under sanctions the military and the elites still take whatever they think they need to do whatever they think they need to do and they barely feel the pain; such sanctions target almost exclusively civilians, and of that population mostly children.
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Our country mass murders children as official policy. It has been doing so ever since Vietnam.
That is something that the ‘bad guys’ do when it’s in a movie.
Do we want to be the ‘bad guys’ when they make movies about us in the future?
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It’s time to get to work…
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The Olympia Action Alert
Week of January 4th thru January 11th, 2022
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1) FYI Section:
1A) Free Online Activist Workshops
Glen Anderson has been doing this stuff for longer than most of you have been alive. This is activist training from a pro:
Choose a bold, positive future! Yes, we really can solve problems!
Nonviolent grassroots organizing really is effective in creating the positive changes we want for peace, social & economic justice, the environment & climate, humane politics, and more.
You can significantly develop your skills – and gain new resources – if you SIGN UP NOW for my series of FREE ONLINE WORKSHOPS every week for 6 consecutive weeks from mid-January through mid-February.
I offer the same workshop twice each week, so you may CHOOSE:
· EITHER Sundays afternoons (1:30-3:30 pm Pacific Time) starting Sunday January 16
· OR Monday evenings (6:30-8:30 Pacific Time) starting Monday January 17.
These workshops are FREE and user-friendly. They are good for people of ALL ages and ALL levels of experience.
People who have taken these workshops have found them informative, inspiring, and practical.
See the information I posted to my blog (including an informative flyer):
To sign up now, simply e-mail me at glenan...@integra.net or call me at (360) 491-9093 and tell me whether you want SUNDAYS or MONDAYS.
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1B) January Edition of Glen’s Parallax Perspectives: Environmental Rights
Glen also produces a monthly television program. (I sometimes suspect Glen of having a small army of clones hidden away somewhere doing all the work that he continuously churns out…):
The January 2022 interview on “Glen’s Parallax Perspectives” TV series provides fresh insights and powerful encouragement for protecting the environment by recognizing legal rights for nature.
People in Thurston County WA with cable TV can watch it 13 times throughout January 2022 on channel 22 (every Monday at 1:30 pm, every Wednesday at 5:00 pm, and every Thursday at 9:00 pm).
Also, people EVERYWHERE can watch it at ANY TIME starting now – and available forever – through my blog. Please USE THE LINK BELOW to WATCH THE VIDEO on your computer or phone – AND/OR READ THE THOROUGH SUMMARY that I typed up about what we said during the interview plus some additional information:
https://parallaxperspectives.org/lets-recognize-legal-rights-for-nature
Here is some basic information about this savvy and inspiring interview:
The January 2022 episode of “Glen’s Parallax Perspectives” provides a fresh perspective — and proposes a fresh solution — for some environmental problems that are serious but are not being solved by conventional methods.
Glen Anderson interviewed two experts — Kai Huschke and Elliott Moffett — who have savvy insights and practical experience working to protect environments and establish legal rights for nature.
Very often, when people want to protect the environment by filing appeals in governmental hearings or in courts, the environmentalists’ cases are dismissed because – even though the environment is being hurt – those individuals themselves are not hurt by the damage to the environment, so their cases are dismissed because those individuals lack legal “standing.” However, if we recognize legal rights for the environment (e.g., a river, a forest, or an ecosystem), that entity would have legal “standing” and could protect its interests in court.
In the U.S., Latin America, and elsewhere, a movement is growing to recognize legal rights for nature.
This TV interview explores the concept, why it is so important, and some successes in pursuing legal rights for nature. We encourage organizing further progress.
Questions? Contact Glen Anderson (producer and host) at (360) 491-9093 or glenan...@integra.net
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1C) Message from the Radical Women
I got this message from the Radical Women of Seattle:
2022—a year for radical change!
What a year it’s been! Let's hear it for everyone who fought the good fight against 2021’s constant background of Covid, climate change, and general uncertainty. Heartfelt sympathy and solidarity to those who’ve lost loved ones, fought illness, or suffered job loss and other hardships this year.
Truly, for those with a social conscience, the last two years have shown that humans will rise to help and defend each other when offered the chance. This is an inspiring lesson for our ability to make change.
We’ve also seen the growth of the far-right with women, people of color, queer and trans folk, and workers in their crosshairs. The misogynist, capitalist patriarchs of the U.S. Supreme Court are targeting reproductive rights and separation of church and state. Voting rights and labor protections are at risk.
Meanwhile, the Democrats are most concerned about what’s good for corporations and winning over votes from Trump supporters. Biden’s administration has been virtually silent on the issue of abortion rights, underscoring how useless the Democrats are in defending people most at risk.
Those pressing for positive change have our work cut out for us in the coming year – continuing the momentum to build a multi-racial, militant working-class feminist fight to defend bodily autonomy, human rights, and Mother Earth. We need a global economic system of shared resources where the majority makes the decisions. All aboard for the socialist, feminist revolution!
Please join the struggle in 2022. Your leadership, experience, voice and passion are needed! Contact rw...@radicalwomen.org to get involved with Radical Women.
Below are some upcoming opportunities around reproductive rights in January. Keep an eye on the calendar at ReproJusticeNow.orgfor more events in other cities on or around January 22, the anniversary of Roe v. Wade which legalized abortion in the U.S.
SAT., JANUARY 8
Chicago, IL
Defend Abortion Access: Counter-Protest March
for "Life"
12:30pm - 219 S Dearborn St, Chicago
Protest this Midwest anti-abortion conference and march
Initiated by Chicago for Abortion Rights. Endorsed by RW.
Contact: RW.il...@radicalwomen.org about travelling from Naperville.
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SAT., JANUARY 22
San Francisco, CA
Protest the West Coast “March for Life”
11:30am - Rally at Federal Building, 450 Golden Gate Ave., march to Civic Center, San Francisco
Sponsored by Reproductive
Justice SF. Endorsed by Radical Women.
Info: Reproductive Justice SF
reproju...@gmail.com
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2) Weekly Peace Vigil
Friday December 31st
4:30 to 6 pm @ Percival Landing, Corner of 4th & Water Streets
I got this message from Glen:
Olympia’s weekly peace vigils occur all year around, regardless of holidays and regardless of weather!
We warmly (!) invite you to join us FRI DEC 24 and FRI DEC 31 (and every Friday) from 4:30 to 6:00 (or as much of that time as you can spare) at the SW corner of 4th & Water downtown (across the street south from the Kissing Statue).
I’ll bring a good, varied selections of signs, or you may bring your own. We support peace, human rights, nonviolence, the climate, positive encouragement for grassroots organizing, etc. (No signs are rude or partisan.)
Our Wednesday noon-hour peace vigil also needs more participants every Wednesday (12 noon to 1 pm) at the NW corner of Sylvester Park at Legion & Capitol Way. I always bring a good, varied selections of signs, or you may bring your own.
Thank you for literally “standing up for peace!”
Glen Anderson (360) 491-9093 glenan...@integra.net
See information in the “Economics” category of my blog, www.parallaxperspectives.org
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3) Political Economy of Labor and Labor Resistance: The USA & China
Wednesday January 12th
7 to 9 pm on Zoom
I got this message from Peter:
POLITICAL ECONOMY of LABOR and LABOR RESISTANCE: The US and China
Wednesday January 12, 2022 7-9 pm
We live in a critical juncture of a deadly pandemic amidst wealth accumulation by the rich, growing inflation and continued worker exploitation. Fortunately, it is not all doom and gloom within the United States and China.
As we enter 2022 & the third year of the pandemic, join E4E for a virtual forum that will examine the political economy of the United States. Four million fewer people are working today than in early 2020. At the same time, millions are quitting their jobs and employers claim they cannot fill vacant positions. We will discuss this contradiction in addition to the rise in prices for working people and the federal government response.
Moreover, we will discuss the current resurgence of different forms of labor activism in the United States and China. Kellogg’s and John Deere workers led successful strikes against their bosses. In China, harsh factory conditions and worker self-organization have led to an increase of wildcat strikes. Meanwhile, President Biden is continuing Trump’s aggressive military build-up against China despite the threat of global annihilation. We will break down the significance of growing forms of labor resistance and explore future possibilities for Chinese workers and US-China relations.
The purpose of this Economics for Everyone (E4E) event is to increase knowledge of the issues raised and call for cooperation and solidarity among the people of the U.S. and China. Join us!
Speakers:
Zhongjin Li: Assistant Professor of Economics at University of Missouri - Kansas City and co-editor of China on Strike (Haymarket Books, 2016)
Peter Bohmer: Emeritus Faculty of Political Economy at TESC, member of E4E
Rebekah Woelkers: TESC graduate, member of E4E
Join the discussion by clicking https://evergreen.zoom.us/j/89280420624,
OR typing tinyurl.com/E4ELabor into your browser,
Wednesday January 12, 2022 7-9 pm
https://www.facebook.com/groups/OlympiaDSA/permalink/4645504082236001/
"Tell No Lies, Claim No Easy Victories" Amilcar Cabral
http://blogs.evergreen.edu/peterbohmer
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4) Bonus Tip of the Day:
Try to have compassion for everyone.
Peace.
Dana
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https://dana98501.wordpress.com/2022/01/05/tb-220105-selective-compassion/
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