The Weekly Watch
News is inherently bias. What stories do you think are most important? From my view this weeks big stories include the continuing leaks about the Clinton Foundation, Bernie's announcement of “Our Revolution” (despite his lack of support for Tim Canova), the escalation of the ongoing proxy war in Syria, and the continuation of the Brazilian coup. All that and more below... Please add your take on the week's news (or any other thoughts) in the comments.
Election
Media's bias in the Presidential election and debates with Glen Ford (6.5 min)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5L-kTfYSbdo
The corporate-controlled media gets to decide which Presidential candidates get to have a spot on the stage at the Presidential debates with Farron Cousins. (2.5 min)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Em17CIjtZVU
Charismatic politicians, like criminal psychopaths, exhibit a failure to accept responsibility for their actions, have a high sense of self-worth, are chronically unstable, have socially deviant lifestyle, need constant stimulation, have parasitic lifestyles and possess unrealistic goals. (11 min)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ORNlGdOMM2Q
Our Revolution?
Bernie's launch event and speech (52 min)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nPYkpERY6cA
Norman Solomon, coordinator of The Bernie Delegates Network, says the overall structure and objectives of "Our Revolution" are encouraging but Sanders retreated from positions he took towards the end of his presidential campaign by not addressing US foreign policy and wars (20 min)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BqXmX8lDJ2I
We speak with Larry Cohen, incoming board chair of Our Revolution, and with Claire Sandberg, former digital organizing director for Bernie Sanders’s campaign, who resigned as the organizing director for Our Revolution (15 min)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pgLyFrQYu0s
The Foundation
Can't get enough Foundation dirt? Try this site for more.
http://thompsontimeline.com/clinton-foundation-resources/
Bill Curry discusses the newest release of emails and the nature of the foundation. (18 min)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kf6UUXI-AXY
David Sirota and Paul Glastris debate the Clinton Foundation's corruption (or its appearance). (18 min)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ia0TUv97dhI
The debate continues about the fate of the foundation (8 min)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2vDUR7Jv0hY
Fox News Can't wait for Assange's next release. They interviewed him twice this week.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SEL1fTf0vcI part 1 (3.5 min)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B7A33TnA5fw part 2 (6.5 min)
and 12 more min with Julian on Fox and Fiends
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WQRVdlCJSHk
Did someone attempt to kill Assange? Intruder seen at Ecuadorian Embassy (6.5 min)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pTlbnmlzwZ8
Police slow to arrive at embassy (3 min)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3-UDsxKCfgE
Green Party
Jill Stein - For The Love of Money in Politics (5 min)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zo21vf85xIE
For all of Jill's interviews this week check out
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNPXLOZRCORjQiQl_sELbpw/videos
Economics
Bill Black explains how perverse executive compensation is leading to declines in productivity and prolonging post-recession unemployment (6.5 min)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z0t3obCz36w
Lee Camp interviews filmmaker, author and economics professor Richard D. Wolff about his new book and the pitfalls of current capitalism. (first 15 min)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JGbC2nB9GqM
Matt Kennard details his new investigative report for In These Times, which exposes first-hand the severe mistreatment of workers and union busting in Cambodian and Chinese Special Economic Zones (18 min)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=15_SRX6yVNE
Chris Hedges enters the capitalist labyrinth with Rob Urie, author of Zen Economics. Urie says it's time to reimagine the way we understand and relate to the world around us (27 min)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z0bp8L7YHWE
TPP
Assange on Democracy Now a year ago explaining the TPP (6.5 min)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_5b-99oxCEs
President Obama is doing his best to sell TPP to the American people, but why? Cenk Uygur, host of The Young Turks, breaks it down. (9 min)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H8NVQrSNT9U
Surprise! PBS cuts mention of TPP from Jill Stein's interview this week (3 min)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nvqdl_CGCGk
Education
John Oliver examines Charter schools (18 min)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l_htSPGAY7I
Donors for Charter Schools hide inside non-profits from the Boston Globe
https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2016/08/19/the-checks-are-pouring-into...
Problems with US schools (2.5 min)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uAZqMaBY2MI
Tens of thousands of teachers in Mexico have gone on strike in Chiapas state against the govt-imposed education reform. (1.5 min)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yAtlZ5Xfsqc
Foreign affairs
Using civil unrest to promote dictatorships around the world (9 min)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2r2vmzFOvfI
Portraying Russia as a threat to the United States is good for business, if you’re in the business of war that is (3.5 min)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VfHKQo-_85Y
SYRIA
What you were not told about the Syrian Conflict (17 min)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dkamZg68jpk
The call for US airstrikes to scare President Bashar Assad into submission is a call for terrorism, says former CIA analyst Ray McGovern (14 min)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TLqInNKOAXo
Rick Sterling, has written an article claiming that the goal of US media coverage of Syria is to prepare the country for a War and says, “we are not going to make peace by creating more war.” (5.5 min)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vRZKZPVE-mk
Turkey invades Syria. Vijay Prashad, a professor of international studies at Trinity College and columnist for the Indian magazine Frontline, discusses the war.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zvoESRH0c3w (8 min)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MEhgkdF2LYs (10 min)
YEMEN
Washington's war on Yemen with Andrew Cockburn, the Washington editor for Harper’s magazine. (20 min)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RYxKCq2h_DA
BRAZIL
The five-day impeachment trial has begun against suspended President Dilma Rousseff and her fate now lies in the hands of Brazil's Senate. (2 min)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-omQS6BwZuI
HONDURAS
Last week, Honduras's Supreme Court approved a change in the constitution allowing Presidential re-elections. This was the exact pretext for the 2009 coup against President Manuel Zelaya (2 min)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qp3kvwykdWE
COLOMBIA
Colombia’s government and leftist FARC rebels unveiled a final peace deal on Wednesday to end a 50-year-old guerrilla war, one of the world’s longest conflicts which took the resource-rich country to the brink of being a failed state.
http://www.latinamericanpost.com/article/historic-peace-deal-between-col...
PERU
Peruvian officials say there are "strong indications" that a rogue group of officers within the country's police force has carried out illegal killings...the rogue officers allegedly passed the victims off as dangerous criminals to secure promotions.
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-37166224
ITALY
Earthquake rescue efforts (2 min)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WpaOgrD9YVE
INDONESIA
Indonesia poised to be region's biggest digital economy by 2025: Study
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/business/international/indonesia-poi...
HONG KONG
Hong Kong confirms first case of Zika virus
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asiapacific/hong-kong-confirms-first...
SINGAPORE
The world's first self-driving taxis will be picking up passengers in Singapore starting Thursday.
http://www.chinapost.com.tw/asia/singapore/2016/08/26/476626/1st-self-dr...
ZIMBABWE
Keep an eye on Zimbabwe. Things are heating up. Mugabe is losing control. What happens next will depend on whether the military decides to support the protesters [leading to regime change] or support Mugabe [possibly leading to armed internal conflict]. Zimbabwe Police, Protesters Clash in Harare. Opposition protesters threw back teargas canisters as well as rocks towards the police, who fired more in an exchange that lasted for hours.
http://allafrica.com/view/group/main/main/id/00045527.html
A court-approved march was forcefully broken up by police anyway, sparking riots "all over" Zimbabwe's capital, Harare.
http://allafrica.com/stories/201608270005.html
Environment
The $3.8 billion Dakota access pipeline has been partially halted after several months of protests by Native Americans and environmentalists. North Dakota has responded by arresting dozens and declaring a state of emergency (3 min)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wB-rJH6_OB8
The Lancet has concluded much of the Northern Hemisphere will be too hot by 2085 to host the Summer Olympics (10.5 min)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ex0PxN6PRNk
A new study has found that without action on climate change, the millennial generation as a whole will lose nearly $8.8 trillion in lifetime income dealing with the economic, health and environmental impacts of climate change. (6 min)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g8DvXuiFiH8
Think we can just move to a new planet? They may have found one (1 min)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-r9H6hJ2HF0
What spoke to you this week?
Comments
Suggestions?
How might this feature be better? Thanks for the input...
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
So depressing as usual. You may need to balance
with cute animal (cats and dogs work in the US) videos. Like everyone else. After tears, fear and guilt, a little comedy makes it all forgotten.
Sounds like the faceoff with tribes is attracting more tribes plus attention. That is an almost-smile. My DNA signature has no NA, and a good dose of Viking.
Hey! my dear friends or soon-to-be's, JtC could use the donations to keep this site functioning for those of us who can still see the life preserver or flotsam in the water.
TTIP is dead
Someone finally says it
If true, and it seems to be, this is very good news.
I think the failure of T-TIP, on the heels of BREXIT, means the politicos are waking up to the fact that the wage earners, would-be wage earners, and former wage earners have roused themselves from the torpor and are not happy with the way the political economy has been managed in their name.
Thanks for the information and I hope it holds true.
"The justness of individual land right is not justifiable to those to whom the land by right of first claim collectively belonged"
I believe its true
However, TTIP is different from TTP and TISA.
Those are still on track.
Yes I realize the others are proceeding apace but any bump
in the neoliberal road is a positive thing.
We need to have a "one down-two to go" story on this and not let people become confused that T-TIP is the one and only.
I wish I had an idea of how to work to stop TTP in the lame duck session. I mean, the USA has lost COOL - with its 90% approval rating in the polls - and everything is quiet about that. Well, not exactly quiet but unreported in the for-profit press and with little visible resistance.
"The justness of individual land right is not justifiable to those to whom the land by right of first claim collectively belonged"
Greenpeace leaks might have helped
The TTIP was leaked.
https://ttip-leaks.org/
Evidently New Zealand has provided us with the details of the TPP deal...
http://tpp.mfat.govt.nz/text
I didn't realize it was available.
McConnell had good news this week -
U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said on Thursday that the Senate will not vote on President Barack Obama's signature Asian trade deal this year, punting it to the next president for changes and consideration.
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trade-tpp-mcconnell-idUSKCN1102CM
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
Does that mean the TPA expires?
IIRC that was the vote taken on fast-tracking TPP through Congress with a flat "up or down" vote, no consideration, no changes, no nothing.
Can/will Congress reverse itself on this? Or did they set an expiration date beyond which it all has to be discussed and voted on all over again? Or is it all just meaningless noise? (Practically everything out of DC these days seems to be meaningless noise.)
There is no justice. There can be no peace.
I can't seem to find out
I've searched around but have not been able to locate an expiration. I did find one thing that might explain the rethugs opposition...
https://uk.news.yahoo.com/time-running-tpp-110554805--finance.html
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
Interesting conversation
with Bill Curry and Paul Jay about "our revolution" and the future of the progressive movement (22 min)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FOWtbSVJ7mg
Near the end of the piece Bill suggest successful movements don't involve politicians - it's driven by people like the fight for $15 and gay marriage.
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
I get that movements are driven from the bottom
but if at some point they don't produce some leaders to present the viewpoints coherently and be the public faces of the movement and also get some politicians into the game to introduce legislation, nothing will ever happen. I am not promoting cults of personality, I'm just saying that at some point you need some political power or action to get some laws and regulations promoting and creating the change. Otherwise, you get the Occupy situation, which brought issues into the front of consciousness, but which had no effective way to act on the good that they did. IMO.
I also think we have enough disgruntled and active citizens at the bottom to cut right to the chase and go for the political power to get the things we ALREADY know we want - like single payer, no TPP, free tuition, living wages, climate change policies, fraud free elections, unhackable elections, police oversight, repealing Citizens United, cleaning house of our existing corrupt bought and paid for politicians, etc. We don't need to discover new issues, we need to unite around the ones we already have.
Bernie's Leftovers should be strong enough and informed enough and passionate enough to coalesque into another MORE political movement and not be veal penned by Our Revolution, especially now that we know that it's just another large money front co-opted by the Democrats.
" “Human kindness has never weakened the stamina or softened the fiber of a free people. A nation does not have to be cruel to be tough.” FDR "
Curry's point
(I think) is that successful movements are people driven. It wasn't a politician that lead the civil rights movement, nor the LGBT movement, nor the peace movement (which could stand to be revitalized)...it was people who forced the pols to act.
At any rate it was an interesting discussion with Paul Jay suggesting your points. Go to the last 5 min or so for that portion of the conversation.
I'm afraid we are already seeing the splintering of the Bernie movement/energy. But I'm hopeful we can get something together after this horrid election.
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
Thank you for this week's Weekly Watch, Lookout! EOM
Everyone thinks they have the best dog, and none of them are wrong.
Hope you found something of interest UL
I know there is too much here for a person to watch or read, but I hope there is something that everyone might find of interest.
Someone suggested people on c99 are not interested in a 10, 20, or 30 min video clips... that short articles are of more use. Basically what I'm trying to do here is share the things I've seen through the week that I found insightful as I look around for decent news.
All the best!
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
Hey, you've done an excellent job, Lookout! I enjoy
the variety of 'news' categories that you've chosen to cover.
I'm watching to see what will happen with the COLA for federal transfer programs this Fall. (determined in October, IIRC) When I find out, I'll shoot you an article.
It's very important--it will also determine whether or not there will be another increase in Medicare premiums for 2017.
Thank you for TWW--between you, Joe, gjohnsit, and others--we're on our way to becoming a well-informed blogging Community, I'd say!
Mollie
“I believe in the redemptive powers of a dog’s love. It is in recognition of each dog’s potential to lift the human spirit, and, therefore, to change society for the better, that I fight to make sure every street dog has its day.”
--Stasha Wong, Secretary, Save Our Street Dogs (SOSD)
National Mill Dog Rescue (NMDR) - Dogs Available For Adoption
Update: Misty May has been adopted. Yeah!
Everyone thinks they have the best dog, and none of them are wrong.
Stein on c-span
News conference earlier this morning.
https://www.c-span.org/video/?414279-1/green-party-nominee-jill-stein-ho...
Glad to see...
Jill get more and more exposure. I got a vote green 2016 bumper sticker this week, and placed it over my old vote democratic one.
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
IMO your news roundup
is more informative than the front pages of any of the major news aggregators. Great work, Bravo!
native
Thanks
Alex Budarin has been terrific sending in world news and issues. If any of you read or see pieces you think belong please pm me for inclusion or add them to the comments!
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
Our Revolution
The video with Larry Cohen & Claire Sandberg clarified for me the differences between OR & Brand New Congress.
As I see it, OR is a non-profit which points us to people & campaigns to support, either by donating to OR as a whole, or individually through more direct links. OR can not directly coordinate with any campaign. (Whether this is the reason why Bernie has not campaigned for Tim Cardona, I don't know.) I had hoped that OR would run some phone-banking, but perhaps not. Because it's a non-profit, it can accept any size donations from individuals. Also, it can support candidates for all levels of govt from school boards to Congress, as well as ballot propositions.
BNC, on the other hand is a PAC specifically for Congressional candidates in 2018. Starting early is IMO a good thing for two reasons. First, candidates need to be put forward by us, then vetted, and then presumably given some training because they'll mostly be people who are not currently politicians. Second, by starting very early in this process, we can hopefully avert some of the mistakes we've understood only after the fact of Bernie's campaign. These candidates will need to agree to Bernie's slate of progressive issues, and agree not to take corporate money. The total limit of an individual's donation is $5,000 to BNC. I believe an individual can then also contribute directly to any candidate.
I'm posting this because my first reaction & that of others I know, was annoyance that Bernie's movement has "splintered" into these 2 groups. Now I think they both have important roles.
This conversation also cleared up things for me...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FOWtbSVJ7mg
It is a little long at 22 min, but Paul Jay and Bill Curry look at the OR issues. They discuss c3 and c4 tax shelters and talk about movement organizations from the 70's till today. I found it insightful as was the Democracy Now discussion.
Thanks for your insight.
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”