Knosha

Mike Sunnucks of the Phoenix Business Journal writes, “The economy is in recession. Consumer spending is down, foreclosures are up and a host of businesses are laying off workers and struggling with tight credit and the troubled housing and financial markets. The U.S. Federal Reserve Bank and U.S. Treasury Department have pumped more than $8.5 trillion into the economy via equity purchases of bank stocks, liquidity infusions, Wall Street and bank bailouts and taxpayer rebates. U.S. automakers are seeking more than $14 billion in federal loans with fears they could fall into bankruptcy without a bailout. The U.S. housing and subprime lending-induced recession also has hit economies in Europe, Japan and China.”

In light of this he mentions how a new report by the U.S. Army War College, which came out this past month, talks about “the possibility of Pentagon resources and troops being used should the economic crises lead to civil unrest, such as protests against businesses and government or runs on beleaguered banks.”

The War College Report states that “Widespread civil violence inside the United States would force the defense establishment to reorient priorities in extremis to defend basic domestic order and human security.”

The Full 51 Page War College Report Known Unknowns: Unconventional “Strategic Shocks” in Defense Strategy Development can be downloaded.  It is authored by Mr. Nathan P. Freier, a Visiting Professor of Strategy, Policy and Risk Assessment at the U.S. Army’s Peacekeeping and Stability Operations Institute and a Senior Fellow in the International Security Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS).  Mr. Freier joined CSIS in April 2008 after retiring from the U.S. Army after 20 years as a lieutenant colonel.

The report “is a work of the U.S. Government as defined in Title 17, United States, Section 101.  As such, it is in the public domain, and under the provisions of Title 17, United States Code, Section 105, it may not be copyrighted.  It should be noted that Mr. Freier states that  “The views expressed in this report are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Department of the Army, the Department of Defense, or the U.S. Government. This report is cleared for public release; distribution is unlimited.”

The National Security Archives website has posted documents and commentary shedding light on the 1968 Tlatelolco massacre of protesting students.  The official story had long been that communist forces infiltrated the students and opened fire on soldiers, which led to violent reprisal by the troops under fire.  The information now made available by the US and Mexican governments reveals a story almost too twisted to be believed.  A branch of the Mexican military known as the Presidential Guard posted snipers in buildings surrounding the site of the protest.  The snipers, however, were not there to target the protesters.  Rather, the snipers attacked the troops stationed around the protest, leading the soldiers to believe the protesters were firing on them.  What followed was a bloody retaliation that left untold numbers of students dead and wounded.

Radio Diaries has a program available to listen to that interviews witnesses 40 years after the massacre.

The video bellow is archival footage in which you can see flashes from the sniper rifles that started the shooting.

Check out this article about the on going factory occupation in Chicago at the Republic Windows & Doors factory. In its fourth day, and receiving a surprising amount of media attention, what I find even more shocking is the  strong talk  assistance from many politicians.

At a press conference at City Hall, Alderman Ricardo Muñoz announced a proposed ordinance that would shift city funds from Bank of America to other banks, require City Council approval for any BoA underwriting or marketing of city bonds, and force the bank to bring any proposed zoning changes on property directly to City Council.

“Under the law, the City Council has the authority and responsibility to take into account the interests of Chicago and its residents when deciding which banks to do business with,” Muñoz said. “Bank of America profits handsomely from the business it gets from the City and other governments. We have a right to demand that workers are treated fairly.”

Post over at the Centre for Research on Globalization has interesting analogy of the circumstances, and speaks of  the potential of things to spread as people across the nation become empowered by this event.

CNN – Commentary: Chicago factory sit-in fits nation’s mood

Article with Obama: Defends the workers

Heard of the documentary  What Would Jesus Buy released this past year?

I suppose I am too sensitive, but this video of Bush being ignored by world leaders at the G20 Summit hurts to watch. Still, I felt the need to share. Thanks to Mark Frauenfelder,at BoingBoing.

A look at how many Native Americans choose to commemorate.

DAY OF MOURNING “An annual tradition since 1970, Day of Mourning is a solemn, spiritual and highly political day. Many of us fast from sundown the day before through the afternoon of that day (and have a social after Day of Mourning so that participants in DOM can break their fasts). We are mourning our ancestors and the genocide of our peoples and the theft of our lands. NDOM is a day when we mourn, but we also feel our strength in political action. Over the years, participants in Day of Mourning have buried Plymouth Rock a number of times, boarded the Mayflower replica, and placed ku klux klan sheets on the statue of William Bradford, etc.”

Talking about Plymouth Rock… or, um, Plymouth Pebble

In observance of Veteran’s Day I spent much of this morning watching videos on youtube with the kids. (Youtube is a main source of education in our home, as Asher and I tend to search whatever we are learning about for more info on the site).

There were many we came across that I wanted to post today, but this one seemed most appropriate, as it  reminded me that the responsibility of observing the day seems to have greater importance now that I am a mother. I have more than my own ignorance to fight against. (The irony of this song in light of Asher’s homeschooling right now is not lost on me.)

Every Sunday, Veterans For Peace honor the soldiers killed in Iraq with a cemetery of crosses at the beach next to the Santa Monica Pier. I met the filmmakers of Arlington West: the Film, which consists of 105 candid interviews with visitors to the memorial.  Taken from their website: “Views and opinions expressed in this film offer a broad look at public sentiment both for and against war. Many of the interviews are with young soldiers who participated in the war and have returned or are on their way to Iraq. Members of Gold Star Families – those family members whose sons or daughters have died in the US war in Iraq – military recruiters, and even children, are among the many others interviewed in this film. Interviews expressed in this film range from pro-war to anti-war, making the film all that much more engaging.”

“Arlington West: The Film has been shown in classrooms and at assemblies in hundreds of high schools and colleges across America to thousands of students. This beautifully made and very powerful film provides students with the information they need to make an educated decision about joining the military.”

I found this person’s blog post, “Beyond the Election,” interesting. It was sent to me by a woman from my church.  There is definitely a non-violent action slant to it, I believe the person is associated with either Christian Peacemakers or Pax Christi.   However, the writer (I don’t even know if Gene is a man or a woman!) expresses some ideas that can apply to any organization or individual.  Those ideas mainly have to do with the notion that, while we may enjoy a government in which we have a remarkable degree of influence over who “leads,” our greater power lies in our day to day actions, our choices and an awareness of their consequences, the thoughts and beliefs we express and the manner in which we deliver our message, who we support and how, and so on.

MIT Press Journals – International Security Vol. 33, No. 1, published a study titled “Why Civil Resistance Works: The Strategic Logic of Nonviolent Conflict“.  The study, written by Maria J. Stephan and Erica Chenoweth, suggests that nonviolent campaigns are historically more successful than armed campaigns.