Activism
Posted on April 30, 2012 by skeptik@l
As if the world hasn’t already seen its share of injustice and inequity. In fact, those were the primary reasons for the start of revolutions such as the Arab Spring Movement and the Occupy Movement. The aim of the Occupy Movement is no longer foreign to most of the masses; to stop the 1% of the elite from further taking advantage of the 99% of the rest. So what happens when the banks start to form an alliance to “go against” the other 99%?
Max Abelson of the San Francisco Chronicle has apparently made it known that this might be going on right now, under our very noses. Abelson mentions that the major banks in the world are coming together with a common consensus and purpose in mind. That is solely to gather inside information about the Occupy protests and protesters. Most of the protest targets are JPMorgan Chase and… Continue reading →
Posted in Activism, Modern Living |
Tagged Banks, Occupy
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Posted on April 22, 2012 by skeptik@l
Of all the petitions that have been signed in the United States recently, the one about the legalizing marijuana appears to be the most fascinating. With America’s balance of payment deficit on the rise, it is no wonder more than three hundred economists (this includes three Nobel laureates) have agreed to propose to remove the enforcement of the drug. Apparently, an economist from Harvard, Jeffrey Miron did credible research to ascertain that if the United States government were to legalize Marijuana, they would save about $7.7billion yearly. Apart from that, another $6billion could be saved if the United States government decides to tax the drug according to the same rates as cigarettes and alcohol.
In total, that would amount to a total of $13.7billion yearly. Imagine what that amount of money would do to an economy, any economy! In this instance, the economists here don’t necessarily promote the immediate need… Continue reading →
Posted in Activism, Economics, Environment, Modern Living, Society |
Tagged Marijuana
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Posted on April 15, 2012 by skeptik@l
Now everyone likes good controversy once in a while. This is precisely why Julian Assange, one of the most controversial figures in our time managed to find media space for him to launch his own talk show. Yes, that’s right, you heard me. Julian Assange, the famous (or infamous?) founder of Wikileaks will debut a talk show on Russia’s television network next week onwards.
“The World Tomorrow” will be the title of the talk show. As reported by CNN, the talk show will most likely be full of controversial content and the line up for the talk show guests will make your jaw drop. The guest list not yet officialised but a strong hint was dropped; the first interview will be a very controversial one.
The official launch date for “The World Tomorrow” is set this Tuesday. It was reported that a commotion was triggered at this regard. The details… Continue reading →
Posted in Activism, Media, Modern Living, Social Commentary, Society |
Tagged Julian Assange
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Posted on April 10, 2012 by skeptik@l
2011 was the year of protest and revolution. It was the year of change. Many believed it to be a precursor for something bigger. For that, people like us expect a lot from this year, the year 2012. Sadly, it seems as though the revolution from last year is lost somewhere and it can’t be found.
Where did the revolution go? Sandra Gonzalez-Bailon tries to address that question in the article she wrote for Al-Jazeera. According Gonzalez-Bailon, social media sites like twitter and facebook generally help to spread the message and cause of a revolution but the impact is short-lived. The basis of this idea is that online platforms help the spread of controversial politics because online platforms are generally flexible. The process of re-tweeting on Twitter, sharing a link on Facebook or sending out online messages to social media contacts make the information being shared and spread have… Continue reading →
Posted in Activism, History, Media, Modern Living, Social Commentary, Society, World Affairs |
Tagged Revolution, Social Media
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Posted on March 21, 2012 by skeptik@l
Jason Russell, the co-founder of the famous (or infamous) non-profit organization Invisible Children has had his fair share of outrageous publicity after caught doing unimaginable things in public. The unthinkable actions made by the filmmaker of famous Kony 2012 video include running down the streets of California in nothing but his underwear (he was caught naked as well), screaming at the top of his lungs, pounding his fists on the walkway, vandalizing cars, shouting at drivers as well as masturbating in public. What everyone really wants to know is what on Earth triggered this insane, barbaric side of Russell?
One of the reasons which led to the emergence of “crazy” Russell is the negative allegations being thrown to the Invisible Children organization. According to ABC News,
“(Ben) Keesey (of Invisible Children), 28, said “program expenses” — money that directly benefits their cause — accounted for 80.5 percent to 85.7… Continue reading →
Posted in Activism, Media, Propaganda, Society |
Tagged Jason Russell, Kony 2012
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Posted on March 16, 2012 by skeptik@l
For the many criticisms faced by the United Nations with regards to International Justice, the decision to open a war crimes court from ten years ago proved to exist with honourable intentions. On the 14th of March, the first ever verdict was decided by the International Criminal Court. The decision, albeit a long, gruelling one which took a long time to progress, was regarding the case of Thomas Lubanga Dyilo, the Congolese warlord.
For his outrages crimes against humanity as well as genocide, Thomas Lubanga Dyilo was detained about six years ago. According to Reuters,
“The world’s first permanent war crimes court opened nearly a decade ago, promising accountability for brutal tyrants, justice for victims and swift trials for perpetrators.
On Wednesday, the International Criminal Court will hand down its first ever verdict, a ruling in the case of Congolese warlord Thomas Lubanga Dyilo, who was detained six years ago… Continue reading →
Posted in Activism, History, Society |
Tagged War Crimes Court
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Posted on March 8, 2012 by skeptik@l
If you happen to be a part of any social networking site, the name Joseph Kony should not be foreign to you. Since the last couple of days, Invisible Children Incorporated, a non-profit organization aimed at raising awareness to the activities going on in Uganda, has been spreading a particular thirty minute documentary on Joseph Kony, the supposed leader of the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) in Central Africa. With the documentary going viral, the goal of the organization is somewhat met. Now millions of people all over the world know who Joseph Kony is and what he has done to thousands of children in Uganda.
The video informs us that Kony abducts children in their sleep and forces them to join the LRA. Kony has allegedly used brainwashing tactics to influence these children. Girls who are abducted are forced to become sex slaves. Anyone who fails to comply will be… Continue reading →
Posted in Activism, military affairs |
Tagged Kony2012
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Posted on February 27, 2012 by skeptik@l
Bigotry and racial prejudice is still pretty rampant in the 21st century today. It is probable to assume that uncivilized acts and barbarism was a thing of the past, now that Man is a much more evolved species. Apartheid or “apartness” is a great example of racial prejudice and segregation which occurred in South Africa from 1948 to 1994. It was only until Nelson Mandela came into power that the crime of apartheid in South Africa came to a halt. However, apartheid is still a big problem today, in another part of the world.
In February or March, University campuses all over the world usher Israeli Apartheid Week. The aim of Israeli Apartheid Week is to “to educate people about the nature of Israel as an apartheid system and to build Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) campaigns as part of a growing global BDS movement.” The movement started in Canada, Toronto in… Continue reading →
Posted in Activism, History, military affairs, Modern Living, Philosophy, Social Commentary, Society |
Tagged Apartheid, Israeli Apartheid Week
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Posted on February 11, 2012 by skeptik@l
On May 2010, Bradley E. Manning was arrested by the United States Army for being suspected of having revealed classified information to the whistle-blower website WikiLeaks. What is perceived as an act of betrayal to the United States government and military, Manning’s actions were also deemed to be an act of peace.
The Oklahoma Center for Conscience and Peace Research (OCCPR) had nominated United States Army Private First Class Bradley Manning, the United States soldier was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize.
According to Eurasia Review,
‘In its nomination, OCCPR stated that it chose Bradley Manning because of his alleged role in leaking documents and other evidence of war crimes, corruption and lies related to the U.S. wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, including the notorious “collateral murder” video (downloadable online at http://www.opednews.com/populum/www.collateralmurder.org) which U.S. forces firing on unarmed Iraqi civilians, members of the press and children.
“Bradley Manning… Continue reading →
Posted in Activism, military affairs, Modern Living, Society |
Tagged Bradley Manning, Whistleblowers, WikiLeaks
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Posted on February 9, 2012 by skeptik@l
For many years, human beings exist as superiors with regards to the other living organisms to walk the Earth. Human beings have a highly developed brain and are fully capable of “abstract reasoning, language, introspection, and problem solving.” Apart from that, human beings also possess self-awareness, sapience and rationality. Due to the obvious superiority that is held by human beings, the treatment of the other living organisms on Earth gets raised by fellow animal activists.
The recent case about five killer whales named as plaintiffs in a lawsuit brought up the issue of “animal slavery”. BBC reports,
“Five killer whales have been named as plaintiffs in a lawsuit which argues they deserve the same constitutional protection from slavery as humans.
A US judge is considering a complaint by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals’ (PETA) against SeaWorld.
It is reportedly the first time a US court has heard… Continue reading →
Posted in Activism, History, Modern Living, Society |
Tagged Animal Rights
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Assange’s “The World Tomorrow”
Posted on April 15, 2012 by skeptik@l
“The World Tomorrow” will be the title of the talk show. As reported by CNN, the talk show will most likely be full of controversial content and the line up for the talk show guests will make your jaw drop. The guest list not yet officialised but a strong hint was dropped; the first interview will be a very controversial one.
The official launch date for “The World Tomorrow” is set this Tuesday. It was reported that a commotion was triggered at this regard. The details… Continue reading →
Posted in Activism, Media, Modern Living, Social Commentary, Society | Tagged Julian Assange | 2 Comments