For three years, a small hospital east of Los Angeles has billed Medicare for the costs of confronting what appears to be a cardiac crisis of unprecedented dimension.

From 2008 through 2010, Chino Valley Medical Center in San Bernardino County claimed that 35.2 percent of its Medicare patients were suffering from acute heart failure – a dangerous, often-deadly breakdown in the heart’s ability to pump blood.

That’s six times the state average, according to a California Watch analysis of Medicare billing data.

This reported surge of heart failure among older patients entitled the hospital’s parent company, Prime Healthcare Services, to bonus treatment payments from the federal government worth thousands of dollars per case, Medicare records show.

The hospital appears to have taken advantage of Medicare rule changes that authorized bonus payments for treating patients with major complications.

In 2006, before Medicare began making bonus payments, the hospital didn’t report any acute heart failure cases, records show. From 2008 through 2010, after the new reimbursement system was phased in, the hospital said it treated 1,971 Medicare patients for acute heart failure, according to the billing data.

Without access to internal records, it’s impossible to determine how Prime billed for its cases of acute heart failure. But in 88 percent of the cases, it was listed as a secondary diagnosis that typically would trigger bonus payments.

Prime attorney Anthony Glassman said in a letter that the heart failure diagnoses at Chino Valley were accurate and were made by treating physicians, not the hospital itself. He said California’s Watch’s analysis was “faulty, unfair and biased.”

Chino Valley has a high rate of acute heart failure because its patients are especially prone to the ailment, Glassman wrote: Compared with other hospitals, more patients come from nursing homes, and an “exceptionally high” number of heart patients are admitted via the emergency department.

But when California Watch excluded patients from nursing homes and focused solely on patients admitted from the emergency room, the acute heart failure rate at Chino Valley dropped only 1.5 percentage points, to 33.7 – still the highest in California and five times the state rate.

Two heart specialists said it would be unlikely for a hospital to have a heart failure rate anywhere near what has been claimed at Chino Valley.

“You don’t see (hospitals) where 35 percent of the Medicare population has heart failure,” said Dr. Gregg Fonarow, medicine professor at UCLA and director of the Ahmanson-UCLA Cardiomyopathy Center. “Even 10 percent would be unusual.”

Fonarow said his review of national data shows about 5 or 6 percent of Medicare patients have acute heart failure as a primary diagnosis. When cardiologist Dr. Steven Shayani, president of the New York Heart Research Foundation, was apprised of the heart failure rate at the hospital, he asked why Medicare officials weren’t investigating.

“Acute heart failure is very prevalent, as you know,” he said. “However, there is no way of explaining” Chino Valley’s high rate, he said. “It doesn’t make any sense.”

Both experts said they suspected the high rate at Chino Valley reflects exaggerated diagnoses – either by doctors or by the hospital’s coders, the personnel who prepare computerized Medicare bills to obtain reimbursement from the government. ...

The Walkley Awards are the Australian equivalent of the Pulitzers: that nation’s most prestigious award for excellence in journalism. Last night, the Walkley Foundation awarded its highest distinction — for “Most Outstanding Contribution to Journalism” — to WikiLeaks, whose leader, Julian Assange, is an Australian citizen. The panel cited the group’s “courageous and controversial commitment to the finest traditions of journalism: justice through transparency,” and hailed it for having “applied new technology to penetrate the inner workings of government to reveal an avalanche of inconvenient truths in a global publishing coup.” As I’ve noted before, WikiLeaks easily produced more newsworthy scoops over the last year than every other media outlet combined, and the Foundation observed: “so many eagerly took advantage of the secret cables to create more scoops in a year than most journalists could imagine in a lifetime.” In sum: “by designing and constructing a means to encourage whistleblowers, WikiLeaks and its editor-in-chief Julian Assange took a brave, determined and independent stand for freedom of speech and transparency that has empowered people all over the world.”

What makes this award so notable is that the United States — for exactly the same reasons that the Foundation cited in honoring WikiLeaks’ journalism achievements — has spent the last year trying to criminalize and destroy the group, with some success. Showing the true colors of America’s political class, U.S. politicians like Dianne Feinstein plotted to prosecute WikiLeaks for its journalism and Joe Lieberman thuggishly demanded that private corporations cut off all funds to the group (most of which complied), while others, like Newt Gingrich and Sarah Palin, branded them Enemy Combatants and called for them to be treated like Terrorists. Meanwhile, the Obama administration — while parading around the world as defenders of Internet freedom and a free press — harassed its supporters with laptop seizures at airports and Twitter subpoenas. Recall that the Pentagon, all the way back in a top secret 2008 report, declared WikiLeaks — which also received the 2009 award from Amnesty International for excellence in New Media — an enemy of the state and plotted how to destroy it.

It is telling indeed that the U.S. — with the backing of its subservient allied governments — has devoted itself to the destruction of the world’s most effective journalistic outlet. It is equally telling that the Obama administration has subjected the accused WikiLeaks leaker, Bradley Manning — who is accused of (more accurately: credited with) having exposed endless amounts of illegality and corruption – to pre-trial detention conditions so harsh and inhumane that its own State Department spokesman vehemently denounced that treatment and ultimately resigned over it. As I argued last weekend in the UC-Davis pepper-spraying context, the U.S. loves to flamboyantly offer rights . . . provided they are not effectively exercised to challenge those in power; as soon as they are, the exercise of those rights is severely punished rather than protected.

That is exactly what has been done to WikiLeaks by the U.S. Government — serious threats and punishment meted out extra-legally to this group for the crime of adversarial journalistic exposure of government wrongdoing (in contrast to the large American media outlets that typically serve the Government’s interests and thus patted on the head) — and the awarding of this prestigious journalism award in Australia makes that even more vividly clear. Equally telling is that while leading Australian journalists have vocally defended WikiLeaks for engaging in pure journalism, the American actors who play the role of journalists on TV in the U.S. have almost unanimously scorned and denounced the group for the greatest sin in their eyes: undermining, exposing and defying political authorities. In sum, China revealingly imprisons the Nobel Peace Prize winner, while the secrecy-obsessed U.S. Government works to destroy the group that has uniquely displayed “courageous and controversial commitment to the finest traditions of journalism: justice through transparency.”

The laws of physics tell us we can't build a rocket that will travel faster than the speed of light, that gravity governs objects on Earth, and that perpetual motion machines are not possible. In chemistry, diffusion constants, reaction rates, and atomic properties set the limits of chemical reactions and types of molecules that can be synthesized. Biology dictates our absolute need for clean air, clean water, clean soil, clean energy, and biodiversity for our survival and health.

Those are laws of nature and we can't change them. We have to live within their boundaries. Capitalism, free enterprise, the economy, corporations, currency, markets, and regional borders are not forces of nature. We invented them. If they don't work, we can and must change them.

Instead we try to alter nature to fit our priorities. Look at what happened at the Copenhagen Climate Summit in December 2009. We saw 192 nations gathered to deal with the atmosphere that belongs to no one — 192 national borders, 192 economic priorities, trying to shoehorn nature to fit our creations! We should be looking for ways to make our systems work with nature, not the other way around.

It's a message that's starting to emerge from the Occupy movement.

It's not just about the one per cent who rake in an ever-increasing proportion of society's wealth while 99 per cent bear the real costs. It's also about corporate power and the systems that facilitate it. A few corporations have become bigger than most governments.

Occupiers know, because so many are young, that the inequities represented by the one per cent today are also intergenerational. Although not all corporations are bad, many of them, and the super-rich who run them, are increasing their wealth at the expense of generations to come — exhausting resources, extinguishing species, and poisoning air, water, and soil. The costs of those problems will be most strongly felt by successive generations to come, yet economists discount them.

Why do the governments we elect to look after our well-being and future act as cheerleaders for the corporate sector? Because money talks.

Corporations may produce or do things that we need and that are good for society, but their real mandate is to make money, and the more they make and the faster they make it, the better. Corporations are said to be the economic engines of society. But as Joel Bakan explains in his book The Corporation, when profit is their primary goal, corporate leaders will fight to reduce their share of taxes, demand subsidies, oppose regulations, and fire hundreds of employees for the sake of the bottom line.

Globalization does not encourage the highest standards for workers, communities, or ecosystems. Instead, corporations often go for the lowest standards of medical care, wages, and environmental regulations because it's all about maximizing profit. The global economy means our garbage and toxic effluents are shared with the world, dumped into the air, water, and land.

When you buy running shoes, a cellphone, or a car, it's almost impossible to know whether slave or child labour was involved in its production. How can you be aware of the ecological impacts or the toxic materials that may be generated in the manufacturing process? These costs are hidden, yet each time we make a purchase, we become part of that system that exploits people and ecosystems.

To me, the Occupy movement is about putting decisions and democracy back into the hands of people. We need democracy for people, not corporations; we want greater equity; we demand social justice; and we want to recognize and protect our most fundamental needs — clean air, clean water, clean soil, clean energy, biological diversity, and communities that support our children with love and care.

My generation and the boomers who followed have lived like reckless royalty and thoughtlessly partied like there's no tomorrow. We forgot the lessons taught to us by our parents and grandparents who came through the Great Depression: live within your means and save some for tomorrow; satisfy your needs and not your wants; help your neighbours; share and don't be greedy; money doesn't make you a better or more important person. Well, the party's over. It's time to clean up our mess and think about our children and grandchildren.

With contributions from Ian Hanington, David Suzuki Foundation editorial and communications specialist.

A group of 98 baby fruits bats, known as spectacled flying foxes (Pteropus conspicillatus), arrived at an animal hospital in Brisbane, Australia after they became orphans.

The bats' parents were killed indirectly by February's Cyclone Yasi. The storm destroyed tree canopies where the bats normally live, forcing them to forage on the ground and exposing them to deadly ticks, according to the video from the Associated Press.

Rachel Sloan, a caregiver for the bats, told AP it has been difficult caring for them.

"Well it's like a new newborn baby, but you've got 100 of them," she said.

The orphans are originally from near Tolga, in Far North Queensland, but were transported further south to Brisbane where they could be accommodated, reports Sky News Australia.

They will be returned in January.

Spectacled flying foxes are considered a "vulnerable" species, according to The Sydney Morning Herald. The bats are quite important to their ecosystem.

Michael Beatty from RSPCA Australia told AP, "Without the flying foxes, there are no forests. They simply die out."

In the U.S., a fungus called white-nose syndrome is threatening brown bat populations.

A woman in northern Virginia has become a real-life "Batwoman" and dedicated herself to helping and rehabilitating members of the local bat population.

More than five million Pakistanis are now estimated to require humanitarian assistance as a result of this year’s floods, and almost half of those in need are children, United Nations aid agencies reported today.

A just completed joint assessment by the UN and Government has found that the five million in need are mainly in Sindh and Balochistan provinces, with 25 per cent of them women and 50 per cent children.

Almost 800,000 homes were destroyed or badly damaged in the floods, which began in August, and nearly 750,000 people were still displaced at the end of October.

Gaëlle Sévenier, a spokesperson for the UN World Food Programme (WFP), told reporters in Geneva that the agency has so far distributed food rations to more than 2.9 million people and requires another $70 million out of the $133 million it originally requested to finance its operations.

The UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) reported that about one third of affected villages were still under water, and a large number of water sources were also contaminated.

UNICEF spokesperson Marixie Mercado said the most urgent risks to children are those related to safe water and malnutrition, with malnutrition rates in the affected areas already found to be high before the floods began.

Alan Bennett has added his weight to the Occupy London protest by paying a visit to the encampment outside St Paul's Cathedral.

The playwright took tea with activists on Friday, and left two signed copies of his work at the camp's library tent. The books – which he dedicated "To Occupy London" – were The History Boys and his family memoir, A Life Like Other People's.

Last week the fashion designer Vivienne Westwood addressed protesters, telling them that what they were doing was "wonderful".

Other public figures to have visited the camp have included WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange and Radiohead's Thom Yorke.

Bennett is no stranger to political engagement. He described austerity-driven plans to close libraries as "child abuse" and earlier this year joined Zadie Smith and Philip Pullman in the campaign to save a London library – opened by Mark Twain in 1900 – from closure.

Activists have been camped in the churchyard of St Paul's Cathedral since 15 October.

Last week the Corporation of London served an eviction notice on Occupy London for obstructing the public highway.

A hearing is due to begin at the High Court on 19 December, with protesters vowing to fight any moves to be forced to close the camp.

Capitalism vs. The Climate

... Responding to climate change requires that we break every rule in the free-market playbook and that we do so with great urgency. We will need to rebuild the public sphere, reverse privatizations, relocalize large parts of economies, scale back overconsumption, bring back long-term planning, heavily regulate and tax corporations, maybe even nationalize some of them, cut military spending and recognize our debts to the global South. Of course, none of this has a hope in hell of happening unless it is accompanied by a massive, broad-based effort to radically reduce the influence that corporations have over the political process. That means, at a minimum, publicly funded elections and stripping corporations of their status as “people” under the law. In short, climate change supercharges the pre-existing case for virtually every progressive demand on the books, binding them into a coherent agenda based on a clear scientific imperative.

More than that, climate change implies the biggest political “I told you so” since Keynes predicted German backlash from the Treaty of Versailles. Marx wrote about capitalism’s “irreparable rift” with “the natural laws of life itself,” and many on the left have argued that an economic system built on unleashing the voracious appetites of capital would overwhelm the natural systems on which life depends. And of course indigenous peoples were issuing warnings about the dangers of disrespecting “Mother Earth” long before that. The fact that the airborne waste of industrial capitalism is causing the planet to warm, with potentially cataclysmic results, means that, well, the naysayers were right. And the people who said, “Hey, let’s get rid of all the rules and watch the magic happen” were disastrously, catastrophically wrong.

There is no joy in being right about something so terrifying. But for progressives, there is responsibility in it, because it means that our ideas—informed by indigenous teachings as well as by the failures of industrial state socialism—are more important than ever. It means that a green-left worldview, which rejects mere reformism and challenges the centrality of profit in our economy, offers humanity’s best hope of overcoming these overlapping crises.

But imagine, for a moment, how all of this looks to a guy like Heartland president Bast, who studied economics at the University of Chicago and described his personal calling to me as “freeing people from the tyranny of other people.” It looks like the end of the world. It’s not, of course. But it is, for all intents and purposes, the end of his world. Climate change detonates the ideological scaffolding on which contemporary conservatism rests. There is simply no way to square a belief system that vilifies collective action and venerates total market freedom with a problem that demands collective action on an unprecedented scale and a dramatic reining in of the market forces that created and are deepening the crisis. ...

Over 80% of New Zealanders believe the current requirement to label genetically modified foods should be retained, according to a Consumer Link poll.

Just 10% believe the regulations should not be retained, while 83% believe they should be.

The poll, commissioned by the Sustainability Council, was conducted from November 8th to 14th across a sample of 500 and has a margin of error of 3.3%.

New Zealand’s current law generally requires the labelling of food products that have more than 1% GM content.

The US government considers these requirements a trade barrier and it is clear that it would like to see their effective removal as part of the proposed free trade deal – the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP).

When MFAT’s chief TPP negotiator was asked last year what were “the top local impediments” to concluding a TPP agreement, the nation’s GMO regulations and Monsanto’s unhappiness with these was the first item cited, according to a US embassy cable disclosed by Wikileaks.

The Sustainability Council believes it is important that political parties declare their position on this issue before election day. In particular:

• Whether the party would make preservation of the current GM labelling requirements a bottom line for the TPP negotiations; and

• Whether it would rule out supporting any weakening of these requirements in the next term of government.

Poll Detail:

Question: “In New Zealand, food products you buy must generally state on the label if they contain genetically modified ingredients. Should the requirement to label genetically modified foods be retained?

Results: Yes 83.04% No 10.35% Don’t know 6.60%

Brisbane's bullshit city cycle hire scheme - a monument to the triumph of free market fundamentalist idiocy over public amenity - is symbolic of the infinite obscenities wrought upon the people of Brisbane under the Newman administration.

The bikes sit idle 24/7 and their installation all around the city has ruined what remains of the CBD's unique streetscape. The carcentricity of Brisbane's streets - especially in the CBD - is now so bad that you take your life into your own hands if you walk or ride.

... When it comes to views not shared by the leadership of the two parties, as in the above excerpt from the Paul interview, everything changes. Views that reside outside of the dogma of the leadership of either party are inherently illegitimate. Such views are generally ignored, but in those rare instances where they find their way into the discourse — such as this Paul interview — it is the duty of “objective” reporters like Schieffer to mock, scorn and attack them. ...

This is why one sees truly adversarial conduct from establishment journalists applied only to those who are relatively powerless and marginalized (i.e., OWS), or to those views that have no currency within the political establishment (Paul’s foreign policy/civil liberties arguments). These journalists are, first and foremost, advocates, defenders, and spokespeople for prevailing establishment wisdom and institutions. They have every right to advocate for those views, but it is anything but “objective.” ...

 

Journalist Defends His First Amendment Rights Against A Series Of Attempts To Intimidate Him By NYPD Officers [VIDEO]

Corner Pine and Nassau Streets, New York City [17/11/11]

 

As part of the Bureau’s ongoing research into political lobbying we have been looking at the links between key government officials and the private sector.

Our latest analysis follows a recent damning report on the Department of Health’s Public Health Responsibility Deal, which introduced a voluntary code aimed at encouraging fast food firms, supermarkets and drinks manufacturers to cut back on salt, fat and trans fats, all of which are associated with many public health problems such as obesity.

The report, by the Commons health select committee, criticised the Deal as being potentially too lenient towards the food industry by allowing a voluntary agreement rather than using legislation.

Going soft on big food companies

With this concern in mind, the Bureau looked at the links between Bill Morgan - the Department of Health’s top special adviser on policy development – and his previous employers.

Mr Morgan came to Lansley’s office in July 2010 having been director for the health arm of Mandate Communications, a public relations company which has since merged with MHP communications.

MHP’s clients include Coca Cola, Kraft Foods and Tesco Stores. All three companies have signed up to the Public Health Responsibility Deal.

An MHP spokesperson said: ‘MHP openly declares all our clients and employees, in line with the voluntary code and as part of our own commitment to transparency. However, we can also confirm that, at no time, did Bill Morgan either directly or indirectly advise Kraft Foods or Tesco stores.’

On its website, however, MHP notes Mr Morgan’s potential for linking the interests of its clients with government policy.

A former colleague of Morgan’s announced the special adviser’s move to the DoH saying, ‘Health Mandate’s clients and our team of consultants have obviously benefited from Bill’s insights into the direction of Conservative policy. Now, as he prepares to take up a new role, we look forward to continuing to be at the heart of the major policy debates which will shape the future of the NHS.’

And DoH’s hospitality records show that in October 2010 Mr Morgan attended a breakfast meeting with representatives from Health Mandate.

A Department of Health spokesperson said: ‘The breakfast meeting hosted by Mandate was between Mr Morgan and a range of healthcare stakeholders, including several charities, to update them on the government’s NHS plans. He has undertaken similar engagements hosted by other organisations.’

Mr Morgan’s departmental hospitality records show meetings with other companies and organisations, however Mandate are the only public relations company logged.

NHS reforms

MHP represents various private health agencies too and was recently reported to be stepping up its focus on NHS commissioning processes and engaging more closely with GPs, tying nicely with the DoH’s Health and Social Care Bill.

Earlier this year lobbying watchdog Spinwatch revealed leaked emails between Morgan and private healthcare company, Tribal, which appeared to be providing the DoH with a list of pro-privitisation GPs to help convince ministers and the public of the need for further NHS privatisation.

Health Secretary

The health secretary Andrew Lansley, who masterminded the Responsibility Deal, also has past links to organisations representing big companies.

Lansley was a paid director of marketing agency Profero until December 2009. During this time Lansley was also Shadow Secretary of State for Health.

Current clients of Profero include Marks and Spencers and, in its Australian branch, Pizza Hut.

Drinks manufacturer Diageo, producers of Johnnie Walker, Smirnoff and Guinness among others, was added to the company’s client list in February 2011. Diageo provided the health select committee with written evidence in favour of the Public Health Responsibility Deal.

The Conservative Party’s 2010 election manifesto stated that if elected they would ‘ban off-licences and supermarkets from selling alcohol below cost price.’ Since coming to power the coalition government has not gone this far, instead introducing a minimum price of duty plus VAT on alcohol sales in England.

Real concerns

Shadow Public Health Minister Dianne Abbott said she has ‘real concerns about Andrew Lansley’s current Special Adviser Bill Morgan, who used to work for a lobbying firm, who have worked for a lot of ‘big businesses’ with an interest in the regulation of the food industry.’

Abbott continued, ‘It’s a concern because the government’s health strategy is little more than a favour to their friends in big business, with their voluntary initiatives with industry. You cannot expect big business, which makes billions every year by marketing sugary, fatty and unhealthy foods to willingly limit its own profiteering. ‘Responsibility deals’ just camouflage the fact the government is refusing to take action on issues like trans-fats and binge-drinking.’

A Department of Health spokesman responded to questions over conflict of interests saying, ‘Andrew Lansley’s non-executive position with Profero is well documented and was listed in the Register of Member’s Interests before he became Secretary of State for Health. He stepped down from the role, which did not involve direct work for any Profero clients, before he was appointed Secretary of State for Health.’

‘Bill Morgan’s previous employment at what is now MHP Communications is also a matter of public record. He did not work on Tesco or Kraft accounts while employed there, and had no professional contact with either organisation in this time. There are no conflicts of interest in either case.’

In the early hours of the morning of November 25, Black Friday, Occupy Tampa Mic Checked several big box stores: Walmart, Best Buy, and Target.

www.freedividual.com

 

In San Francisco, 400 occupiers at a plaza in the financial district were served traditional Thanksgiving fixings sent by the renowned Glide Memorial Church to volunteers and supporters of the movement fighting social and economic inequality.

"We are thankful that we are, first and foremost, in a country where we can protest," said the Rev. Cecil Williams, the founder of Glide and a fixture in the city's activist community.

"And we are thankful that we believe that there are things that could be worked out and that we have a sense of hope. But we know that hope only comes when you make a stand."

While the celebration remained peaceful in San Francisco, an amplified version of a family Thanksgiving squabble erupted in New York when police ordered a halt to drumming by protesters at an otherwise traditional holiday meal.

About 500 protesters were digging into donated turkey and trimmings at lower Manhattan's Zuccotti Park, when police told a drummer to drop playing.

About 200 protesters surrounded a group of about 30 officers and began shouting in the park where the Occupy movement was launched on Sept. 17.

"Why don't you stop being cops for Thanksgiving?" yelled one protester.

"Why don't you arrest the drummers in the Thanksgiving parade?" hollered another.

A van rolled up with more officers, but they stayed back as protesters eventually decided to call off the drumming and return to their food. Tensions have run high at the park since campers were evicted on Nov. 15.

Protester Chris Coon wandered into Zuccotti in a Santa Claus suit with a list of "naughty" people that included former President George W. Bush, former Vice President Dick Cheney and New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

"Bank of America foreclosed on the North Pole, then I flew here in my sleigh and the NYPD towed my sleigh," Coon said. "So now I'm here in Zuccotti Park protesting the 1 percent."

Demonstrators nationwide say they are protesting corporate greed and the concentration of wealth in the upper 1 percent of the American population.

The movement was triggered by the high rate of unemployment and foreclosures, as well as the growing perception that big banks and corporations are not paying their fair share of taxes, yet are taking in huge bonuses while most Americans have seen their incomes drop.

Restaurants and individual donors prepared more than 3,000 meals for the gathering at Zuccotti. Haywood Carey, 28, of Chapel Hill, N.C., helped serve the meals and said the Thanksgiving celebration was a sign of Americans' shared values.

"The things that divide are much less than the things that bind us together," he said.

In upstate New York, Danny Cashman, 25, an Afghanistan war veteran who works for a company that resells cellphones, said he sleeps at least three nights a week at an encampment in Rochester to show his solidarity with the movement.

"For today, this is my family," Cashman said as he dug into a chicken dinner at the 35-tent encampment in tiny Washington Square Park.

"We have a great brotherhood, great friends, a great community."

Pat Mannix, 72, a longtime community activist, dropped off a vegetarian turkey and pies at the camp.

"I give thanks for these young people," she said.

"The young people down here are sleeping out in spite of the cold, the wind, the soaking rains, and they are here trying to save democracy."

In Los Angeles, where more than 480 tents have been erected on the lawns of City Hall, activist Teri Adaju, 46, said she typically serves dinner to homeless people on Thanksgiving and knows that many at the Los Angeles encampment were just that. Still, she added, "Everybody's in good cheer."

In Las Vegas, Occupy protesters planned a potluck meal at their campsite near the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Organizer Sebring Frehner said he was happy to skip his traditional meal at home.

"Instead of hunkering down with five or six close individuals in your home, people you probably see all of the time anyway, you are celebrating Thanksgiving with many different families _ kind of like the original Thanksgiving," Frehner said.

Trisha Carr, 35, spent her holiday at the Occupy encampment at City Hall in Philadelphia. She has been out of work for more than two years and lost her car and home. She's been living in an Occupy tent for two weeks.

"Some days are harder than others," she said. The sunny, crisp weather Thursday put her in a good mood, and she watched the annual Thanksgiving parade before coming back to the encampment for a plate full of turkey and fixings. Carr said her job search has been fruitless, and the government needs to do more to help people like her.

"I had the benefits, I had money in my pocket, I had health care _ I had it all," Carr said. "There should be no reason why people aren't working."

Day seven saw a decrease in the number of schoolies arrested overnight in Surfers Paradise compared with the same night last year.

Police arrested 15 schoolies on 16 charges overnight compared to the 25 schoolies on 25 charges in 2010. Of those schoolies arrested overnight all were male. ...

The Greens NSW spokesperson on mining Jeremy Buckingham has condemned the O’Farrell Government’s move to cancel this week’s Private Members Business sitting day as a cynical manoeuvre to avoid a vote on the Coal Seam Gas Moratorium Bill.

The Coal Seam Gas Moratorium Bill was next in the order of business due to be debated on Friday morning, the last sitting day of the year.

“Last year Barry O’Farrell condemned Kristina Keneally for her decision to prorogue Parliament in an attempt to avoid scrutiny on the electricity privatisation, yet now he has canned the last sitting day of the year to avoid a vote on the Coal Seam Gas Moratorium Bill,” said Greens MP Jeremy Buckingham.

“With the ban on fracking expiring on December 31, it will be back to full speed for the coal seam gas industry over summer because the O’Farrell government was too gutless to debate the merits of a moratorium or vote on it.

“Regardless of the government’s procedural tricks, the coal seam gas industry has not earned a social licence to operate and the community will use direct action, such as the Spring Ridge blockade, if they try to roll out.

On November 13th 2011, economists from the University of Massachusetts Amherst drafted an open statement to the Occupy Wall Street movement pledging their support. Since then, more than 200 economists from around the world have added their names. Read more at econ4.org

 

The WikiLeaks truck that graced the Occupy Wall Street encampment at Zuccotti Park for most of its duration got lost last week when New York Police impounded it, and now that it's been found in a police impound lot, it's not in great shape. "It has two parking tickets on it, and the battery's dead, " an aggravated-sounding Clark Stoeckly, the truck's 29-year-old owner, said over the phone on Wednesday afternoon. Police eventually gave Stoeckly a jump that got him on the road, but not before they threatened to arrest him for videotaping them in the impound lot (more on that later). The whole thing sounds contentious, except for Stoeckly's guardian angel: A sympathetic judge.

The truck, a modified U-Haul that sports giant decals reading "WikiLeaks Mobile Collection Unit" and "Top Secret" was parked adjacent to Zuccotti Park since Occupy Wall Street started. Stoeckly says he has no connection to WikiLeaks, but he supports its mission. The truck's been missing since Stoeckly got arrested while driving it last Thursday during the big Occupy Wall Street protest. Stoeckly said police stopped him on Broadway near Zuccotti Park because his license plate was "askew" and asked to search his vehicle. When he wouldn't consent to the search, he said, they arrested him for obstructing government administration and held him until Friday night.

"Basically, I got out Friday evening, I wasn’t able to pick up my keys until Monday morning," and by that point the truck was nowhere to be found," Stoeckly said.

His arresting officer, he said, had given him a piece of scratch paper with the name and number of Mike's Towing, in Brooklyn, telling him that's where the truck was.

"Come to find out that Mike’s Towing has never received the truck at any point. So yeah. It went missing."

After calling various city offices on Monday and Tuesday and not finding anyone who could tell him where the truck was, Stoeckly decided to see a judge about the growing stack of parking tickets he owed. Perhaps, he thought, the judge would be able to tell him where to go after he made things right with the city. The judge did him one better. Stoeckly tweeted: "An OWS sympathizer judge just dropped all of my parking tickets. They say the truck is at pier 76 impound. On my way. Great Day!" How did he know the judge was a sympathizer? "He told me I was doing good work."

But Stoeckly found his parking ticket luck ran out once he got to the impound lot. Apparently the truck hadn't spent the entire time there while it was separated from him. Two new tickets perched on the windshield (see left), both with the address 16 Varick St. "I got a ticket for parking in a bus lane and parking next to a fire hydrant. Those were on Friday morning between 8 and 9 a.m." On Tuesday night, somebody tweeted a photo of the truck getting towed from Varick Street on Friday, presumably to the impound lot.

Reunited with his truck, Stoeckly tried to start the engine to pull out of the lot. Nothing. He got a jump start, and made it across the lot again, but the truck died again. When cops tried to give Stoeckly another jump, things got contentious. "I started videotaping it, and the officer threatened to have me arrested," saying Stoeckly couldn't record them on city property. He did anyway, and tweeted the footage.

In the end, they got the truck started, and Stoeckly headed out from the impound lot. He tweeted: "On my way to OWS storage to drop off blankets. I believe I tweeted this a week ago."

Press conference - November 24, 2011 [AUDIO]

Senator Ludlam spoke to the media about the questions on notice he received back from Foreign Minister Rudd about Julian Assange.

 

PP: We believe that art/design is the best form of communication because, when done well, it can speak many many languages and convey complex ideas simply. Do you agree and do you have any thoughts or comments in response to that idea?

YO: Yes. I love the idea of I LOVE YOU, EARTH in different languages.

PP: Do you think it’s important for art/design to move out of a gallery and onto the streets and into the hands of people? If so, why?

YO: A gallery is a confined space. If it moves out in the streets, people might see it just from the car windows when they’re racing by.

PP: If you could give one message to creative people all over the world, what would it be?

YO: Do it.

The Australian Government appears to be failing to fully protect WikiLeaks editor-in-chief Julian Assange from extradition to the United States and should better explain its position, Australian Greens Senator Scott Ludlam said today.

“The Attorney-General, Robert McLelland, has made no comment on the issue in several months and initially pronounced WikiLeaks’ actions illegal and wouldn’t rule out cancelling Mr Assange’s passport,” Senator Ludlam said in Canberra.

Senator Ludlam will put a further question on behalf of Mr Assange to the government during Senate question time today after Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd answered some, but not all, of the questions put by Senator Ludlam more than 30 days ago about the protection of Mr Assange’s citizenship rights.

“Kevin Rudd appears to be doing his job in providing legal and consular support. However, in a troubling move, three of my questions relating to the extradition or rendition of Mr Assange from Sweden to the United States have been referred to the Attorney-General, Mr McLelland. Two were not answered,” Senator Ludlam said.

“I asked whether he has sought assurances that Sweden will not temporarily surrender Assange to the US. Mr Rudd responded that he has sought assurances from Sweden for due process in the case - not what I asked. I asked whether the government has sought clarification as to what crimes the US Grand Jury is investigating. Mr Rudd answered that there has been no ‘formal’ advice, not whether any had been sought.

“The focus must now shift to the Attorney General and the Prime Minister. Will they make representations to prevent the extradition or rendition of Mr Assange to the United States?

“With a final appeal hearing on December 5, Mr Assange could be sent to Sweden to face allegations there but under the temporary surrender mechanism under extradition treaties, could find himself in the United States.

“Will the Australian Government prevent Mr Assange being further extradited from Sweden to the United States for doing what the media have always done which is bring to light material that governments would prefer to keep secret?”

Senator Ludlam will hold a press conference this afternoon in the Senate courtyard.

Protect Julian Assange from US rendition: http://scott-ludlam.greensmps.org.au/wikileaks

Katter's Australia Party Announces Three New Candidates For Gold Coast

Adam Hollis endorsed as Katter's Australian Party candidate for Albert [Media Release - 24/11/11]

Katter’s Australian Party has endorsed Adam Hollis as its candidate for the State Seat of Albert at the next Queensland election. Adam Hollis is a married father of two and a qualified tradesman with a background in small business and logistics.

He enjoys working in his community and volunteering with local church groups, as well as coaching and playing in the local soccer competition. ...

The Lock the Gate Alliance today praised the ABC for the quality of its information on coal seam gas presented on its web site (www.abc.net.au/coalseamgas)

Lock the Gate president Drew Hutton said the ABC deserved the highest praise for cutting through much of the hype surrounding the issue and presenting the costs and benefits in an objective and interesting manner.

Mr Hutton said he was particularly impressed by the site's mapping that shows the positions of many of the coal seam gas wells in Queensland and New South Wales with back-up information on issues like impacts on underground water, fracking and the economic benefits and costs.

"This is brilliant research by ABC investigative journalist Wendy Carlisle that deserves to be read by all Australians," Mr Hutton said.

"The only addition I would like to see added to the site is information on key companies like Arrow Energy, QGC, Origin, Santos and AGL and a map showing the names and contacts of Lock the Gate groups and other groups concerned about the industry.

Everyone should look at it before the coal seam gas industry, alarmed that such clear information is getting to the public, starts applying pressure to have it removed."

Press Release: Occupy Wellington

Occupy Wellington are holding a public discussion at Civic Square today at 12pm before walking to Parliament to deliver a letter to the Minister of Finance and the Minister of State Owned Enterprises.

The letter highlights the role of Australian investment bank Lazard, who reportedly stand to make $100m for advising on the sale of the publicly owned assets.

"I'm concerned that the government is making preparations to sell off our assets without any electoral mandate to do so and with the majority of people opposing the proposed sales." says John Maynard, a supporter of Occupy Wellington and President of the Postal Workers Union of Aotearoa Southern District.

"We thought we'd send them a letter to ask for an explanation as to how selling states assets will make for a more equitable distribution of wealth".

The group also plan to deliver a letter addressed to Lazard CEO Kenneth M. Jacobs.

The group has invited representatives from both the National Government and Lazard to join a public discussion to explain how the proposed sales will benefit the New Zealand public.

The appointment of Lazard was undertaken in spite of polls indicating that 60-80% of New Zealanders oppose the sale or partial sale of publicly owned assets.

Speakers at the public discussion include Bill Rosenberg, CTU Economist and Director of Policy, and Catholic Priest Gerry Burns President of the Catholic social justice network, Caritas Oceania.

The intersection of Gympie and Hamilton Roads at Chermside has been reopened following a serious crash in which a woman, believed to be a 74-year-old from Carseldine, died this afternoon.

Around 1pm, the woman was crossing Gympie Road when she was struck by a truck.

Traffic diversions were in place for a number of hours at the site as Forensic Crash Unit officers began investigations into the incident.

Mike Bloomberg has already come under fire for just about every aspect of the late-night raid that cleared Occupy Wall Street out of Zuccotti last week. From reports of police violence, to keeping members of the press from observing the action, to disregarding a restraining order reopening the park, to the apparent damage and destruction of personal property seized at the park, the mayor has faced a lot of questioning over his handling of the eviction. But one of the strongest issues to arise from the raid is the treatment of the 5,000-volume People's Library housed at the park. The Bloomberg administration originally claimed that the library was intact and ready to be reclaimed, but that assertion has unraveled, and it now appears that the self-proclaimed free-speech mayor is in the awkward position of having presided over the destruction of thousands of books.

Today, the volunteer librarians who presided over the collection -- all of it donated, many by authors of the works themselves -- held a press conference to display what remains of the library. It's a pretty sorry picture.

Only a third of the collection has been recovered from the city, and librarians and their lawyers assume the rest have been destroyed. Most of what has been recovered is damaged, about a third of them so badly that they're unusable.

Many of these were on display on a conference table at the press conference, and the profusion of mildew, snapped bindings, and crumpled, filthy pages made it seem entirely plausible that the entire library had been treated like trash.

Norman Siegel, a lawyer working with the librarians, clearly knows a good visual when he sees one. Prominent in the mess were damaged holy books, brutalized Bibles sharing space with wrecked copies of the Bhagavad Gita.

Librarians, like the other occupiers, were given only 15 minutes notice before the eviction, and so didn't have time to remove the library. At the press conference, they told of rebuilding their library with new donations after the eviction -- only to have their new collection taken by police again, the books placed in the trash and smeared with old food.

The American Library Association has released a statement against the destruction of the library.

Like good librarians -- many of them have or are pursuing degrees in library science -- the volunteers maintained a thorough catalog of the collection, so they know exactly what they had and what's missing.
Librarians declined to put a monetary value on the missing and destroyed books.

"So many people have had so many things to say about how our movement lacks focus or the people down here don't really know how to say what it is they have to say or they're making ridiculous demands," said Daniel Norton, a library science student who has been volunteering at the People's Library. "And I think what this represented and what we were affording people was the literacy to articulate their criticism. So to place a dollar value on the physical books themselves would completely undervalue what it was that the library was affording people."

Instead of cash damages, the librarians are asking the city to replace books that have been lost or damaged. They're also asking for a promise that this sort of destruction of a working library will never happen again. Thirdly, and perhaps the greatest stretch, they're asking the city to provide a space for the library going forward.

And if the city doesn't comply? Siegel declined to answer questions about whether a lawsuit was imminent, saying only, "Anyone in this room who knows myself or [National Lawyers Guild NYC Chapter Head] Gideon Oliver standing here, what's Clint Eastwood's favorite line? 'Make my day.'" ...

Top United Nations officials today called for engaging all of society, and especially young people, to end violence against women, a scourge that spans the globe and takes many forms, including rape, domestic violence and harassment at work.

“Whether in developing or developed countries, the pervasiveness of this unacceptable violence should shock us all,” Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said at an event in New York to mark the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women.

“Violence – and in many cases the mere threat of it – is one of the most significant barriers to women’s full equality,” he added. This year’s Day, observed annually on 25 November, focuses on youth leadership in preventing and ending gender-based violence.

“Our challenge,” said Mr. Ban, “is to ensure that the message of ‘zero tolerance’ is heard far and wide. To do that, we must engage all of society – and especially young people – and in particular young men and boys.” He highlighted the need to promote “healthy models of masculinity,” and in particular encourage young men and boys to become advocates for change.

“I urge governments and partners around the world to harness the energy, ideas and leadership of young people to help us to end this pandemic. Only then will we have a more just, peaceful and equitable world.”

In a separate message for the Day, Mr. Ban said the right of women and girls to live free of violence is “inalienable and fundamental” and enshrined in international human rights and humanitarian law. It also lies at the heart of the “UNiTE to End Violence against Women” campaign that the Secretary-General launched in 2008 that has galvanized governments, civil society, the corporate sector, athletes, artists, women, men and young people around the world to end the pandemic.

Mr. Ban also urged governments and the private sector to increase their support to the UN Trust Fund to End Violence against Women, which is marking 15 years of giving grants to support innovative regional, local and national projects. The fund has delivered grants worth $77 million to 339 initiatives in 126 countries and territories since it was established in 1997.

However, demand for support continues to outstrip resources, the Secretary-General said, noting that this year alone, the fund has received more than 2,500 applications requesting nearly $1.2 billion. Mr. Ban said an additional $100 million in annual donations is needed.

The Executive Director of UN Women, Michelle Bachelet, for her part, called on world leaders to mobilize political will and investment to ensure that women can live a life without violence.

“Violence against women is not solely a women’s issue,” she stated in her message for the Day.

“It diminishes each and every one of us. We need to come together to end it. By coming together, by standing up against violence against women, we will come closer to peace, justice and equality.”

According to UN Women, 125 countries have specific laws that penalize domestic violence, and equality between women and men is guaranteed in 139 countries and territories. But women continue to be subjected to violence, with estimates indicating that up to six in 10 women have suffered physical and/or sexual violence in their lifetime, a majority from their husbands or partners.

Ms. Bachelet outlined 16 concrete policy actions to end violence against women, including revising laws, providing universal access to emergency services for survivors, engaging men and boys, and bringing perpetrators to justice.

In a related development, the UN released a report today stating that Afghanistan has a long way to go before its women are fully protected from violence and their equality is properly upheld through the landmark Elimination of Violence against Women (EVAW) law enacted two years ago.

The report, produced by the UN human rights office (OHCHR) and the UN mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), makes 32 recommendations to the Government and its international partners to improve implementation of the law, including raising greater awareness of the law among Afghan women and men and within all levels of the Government.

Iaato on November 21, 2011 - 1:28pm

The system will have to break and reorganize first, from the bottom up, Midi. Repost from stale Drumbeat that won't be seen otherwise:

I know a lot of nursing friends right now working in hospitals who can't get off the treadmill, can't slow down, and are leading quiet lives of desperation as things get worse and worse. More hierarchy, more bureaucracy, more authoritarian control, more conflict, more rules, more computerization. Less patient time, less caring, less breaks, less autonomy.

We are now at the point of sitting with our backs to the patient while we tap a keyboard to fill in a checklist or swipe a barcode to hand out a pill. We are dancing to the drumming of the military-industrial complex, and we'll dance until the flywheel snaps. Nurses and patients are cogs in the factory assembly line. The hospital bureaucracy is the floor manager.

Doctors are customers, and the insurance industry and big Pharma are the owners. Each action that we take as cogs in the corporate system sends money shooting up the pyramid to come spitting out the top, and the owners take the money and buy meaningless luxury goods in a frantic race for status.

Each year brings new feedback loops that add more technology, more power, more rules, more useless hierarchy, more medication, more insurance administration, and less patient care. If you can't get off the assembly line at this point, you probably need medication. And you're probably getting meds, if the Pharma sales numbers are to be believed.

What happens when the ponzi scheme blows up, the money stops, and the status shifts? There will be a LOT of people standing around scratching their heads wondering "Who moved my cheese?"

Below, from my dissertation, what happens to the spinning flywheel over time. This is happening in every industry, but is especially rampant in government, academia, and healthcare, the last three bubbles. They're broken, and the inequities become exponential over time.

Even Rockman admits it:
http://www.theoildrum.com/node/8639#comment-852085

A Senate committee has demanded urgent action from health authorities who allowed faulty hip implants to be used in more than 5,000 patients.

The Community Affairs References Committee says almost 500 patients have had to have the so-called metal-on-metal hip replacements removed.

The hip replacements are made by DePuy, a subsidiary of Johnson and Johnson.

The committee has called for stricter regulation of medical devices, better reporting of adverse events and more education for doctors about potential problems with implants.

It also says patients may need to be checked to see whether toxic metals have leeched from the faulty implants.

Independent Senator Nick Xenophon originally called for the inquiry and says the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) should have done more.

"There was a deep and systemic failure in our regulatory system," he said.

"It's a case where the TGA watchdog needs a guide dog, because the TGA hasn't done it's job properly."

More than 400 patients are launching a class action against the manufacturer.

Western Australia’s peak environmental body claims new offshore oil leases awarded on Friday are threatening the recently world heritage listed Ningaloo Reef.

Conservation Council of WA Marine Coordinator Tim Nicol said, “With this year’s round of planned and approved oil leases, every major coral reef in the Northwest of our state could soon be threatened by the risk of a nearby oil spill.”

One lease awarded to Woodside Energy and Mitsui E&P, WA-463-P, comes within 20km of the Ningaloo Marine Park and world heritage area and locks in $42m of exploration, including drilling. Two other leases that were awarded to Woodside lie offshore not far from Ningaloo. Woodside and Shell were also awarded new leases offshore from the Rowley Shoals coral reefs, which are among the most remote and pristine marine areas in the world.

Mr Nicol said, “We are calling on the Government to put some balance into the management of our Northwest oceans by creating a marine sanctuary offshore from Ningaloo Reef that will provide a permanent buffer against the impacts of oil drilling and the risk of spills.

“No one wants to see a Gulf of Mexico or Timor Sea oil spill right off the coast from Ningaloo Reef.

“The waters off our Northwest coast are some of the most unique and pristine tropical marine areas in the world. We need a much more responsible approach to balancing development with protecting this fragile marine environment.

“The Ningaloo Reef draws in millions of tourist dollars every year. An oil spill in the region would cripple this industry and put thousands of West Australians out of work. We need to set up a marine sanctuary to keep out the oil rigs and insure our natural heritage against industrial disasters.”

The 2011 release of proposed leases, which will be up for approval next year, was the biggest in the last decade. Approval of these leases in 2012 would further extend the area allocated for drilling along the Ningaloo coast, surround the Rowley Shoals coral reefs with oil leases and add to the oil leases already offshore from the Kimberley whale nursery. It would also add additional grounds offshore from the Shark Bay world heritage area, Dampier Archipelago, Scott Reef and the Abrolhos Islands.

The Federal Government is currently planning new marine sanctuaries for the Northwest region. The draft marine park plan is out for public comment, which closes on the 28th November. The Conservation Council of WA is urging all concerned members of the public to make their voices heard at http://ccwa.org.au/takeaction/marine_sanctuaries

The Australian Greens have tabled a dissenting report in response to the findings of the Senate Inquiry report into Animal Welfare Standards. Australian Greens Agriculture spokesperson Senator Rachel Siewert says it is 'implausible' that MLA and LiveCorp were unaware of appalling animal welfare issues in Indonesia.

"Clearly MLA and LiveCorp have failed to adequately monitor or improve animal welfare practices in foreign markets," Senator Siewert said today.

"Both MLA and LiveCorp appear motivated by the industry's economic effectiveness, rather than the welfare of animals. Clearly the Government needs to play a greater regulatory role in the live export industry.

"It is disappointing that the Senate Inquiry was distracted by inappropriate comments made by Liberal Senator Chris Back.

"I have no doubt that Four Corners went to substantial effort to substantiate the veracity of the footage they broadcast. Senator Back should retract the comments he made under the protection of parliamentary privilege.

"The inquiry was distracted by these comments rather than focusing on the industry and animal welfare," said Senator Siewert.

"This is a hot button issue for people around the country but many will be disappointed by the Committee's recommendations," Australian Greens animal welfare spokesperson Senator Lee Rhiannon said today.

"The public outcry will not go away until the live export trade is stopped and pre-slaughter stunning becomes mandatory at all Australian abattoirs.

"The Greens will continue to campaign on our private members bill to ban all live animal exports, and bring the bill back for debate again next year.

"I congratulate Animals Australia and the many community groups and individuals who have campaigned to put this issue firmly on the public radar," said Senator Rhiannon.

Visit Of President Obama And Deployment Of US Troops In Darwin

Senator LUDLAM (Western Australia) (00:43): by leave-I rise to acknowledge that I got just as carried away as everybody else on the occasion of the visit last week by the President of the United States of America, Barack Obama. I was looking forward to the chance to see him up close and to get a sense of the rhetorical power that first caught the attention of the world at the Democratic National Convention in 2004. In that regard, he did not disappoint. His speech to the Australian parliament was beautifully crafted. He held 226 Australian parliamentarians and a packed public gallery spellbound. After the oration we saw him work the room with ease, flashing his smile and taking his own time to meet the MPs who had just given him a long-standing ovation. To me, at least, he seems to be a genuinely warm and charismatic human being.

Listening to the speech, the 500-year arc of history, the drive to a more perfect union and the liberating power of democratic ideals fought through the second half of the 20th century hung in the air with tangible force. A few minutes into his speech it became apparent, firstly, that this hypnotic invocation of shared sacrifice and global democratisation was intended for a much larger audience, listening in from the US and Beijing respectively, and secondly, that it was being delivered from a parallel universe.

In this universe, winding down two successful forced injections of democracy into Iraq and Afghanistan frees up nuclear armed military assets for further peace building in the Asia-Pacific region. In this universe, the democratic process in America has not been crippled by massive parasitic corporate interests that have brought the country to the brink of financial and social collapse. In this universe, all Australians will automatically accept the newest in a line of more than 1,000 US military bases scattered across the globe, despite the unfortunate lapse in democratic due process that saw not a single Australian voter asked if they thought it would be a good idea. In this universe, whistleblowers and journalists at the Wikileaks organisation can be pronounced summarily guilty by the highest office bearers in the country and threatened with extrajudicial killing. The President can riff beautifully on the rule of law, transparent institutions and equal administration of justice.

In this universe, above all, amnesia must prevail. In order for the United States to take its place as the guardian of democracy, a few details are required to be quite aggressively forgotten. Just considering the postwar period, the US has actively supported the overthrow of democratically elected governments, including but not limited to the administration in Iran in 1953, in Guatemala in 1954, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 1960, in Brazil in 1964, in Ghana in 1966, in Chile in 1973, in Argentina in 1976, in Guatemala again in 1993 and probably in Haiti in 2004. There has been well-documented, overt and often harmful US interference in Iraq on multiple occasions since 1963 and in Nicaragua, El Salvador, Afghanistan, Cambodia, Vietnam, Angola, Somalia and possibly Venezuela. In addition, sustained financial, political and military support has been provided for decades to dictatorships in places like the Philippines, Nicaragua, Panama, Chile and medieval fiefdoms like Saudi Arabia.

Oddly, in a speech largely focused on the power of democracy, the President barely mentioned the Arab spring that has rocked North America and the Middle East this year with a grassroots pro-democracy tide. It is odd until you recall that almost to the bitter end the US government was a key backer of the very regimes in Tunisia and Egypt that were toppled by ordinary people putting their lives on the line. Obviously this is not something that is specific to the United States. All major powers throughout history have behaved that way. China is behaving exactly that way at the moment in Burma and across Africa. The Soviet Union, towards the end of its reign, behaved the same way, as did the British Empire and the Spanish before that.

This is not to say that the US has not been a force for positive change in many places. The US government's sanctions against the vile dictatorship in Burma are actually stronger than Australia's. And the President's acknowledgment of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi's struggle will help remind pro-democracy campaigners in Burma that they are not forgotten. But no such complexity or nuance seemed possible in the address last Thursday. President Obama, in asking us to accept the United States as a unilateral force for good deeds in the world, has offered Australians a more poetically crafted version of President Bush's admonition that 'you are either with us or against us'.

With this simple logic accepted uncritically by the government and with the nauseating submission by Mr Tony Abbott, of course the next step in the Asian century is for a permanent US military presence in Australia. Can we forget, please, this concept of a marine base hosting 2,500 US marines on a rotating basis? Because of course that is just the label on the box. Once established, the facility will take whatever the shape the US government requires it to, as has happened at literally hundreds of installations from Subic Bay in the Philippines to the sprawling complexes of Germany, Japan and the UK and dotted right across the Pacific.

Without a whisper of consultation, the Australian government has taken us into uncharted territory. There are, we are aware, more than 1,000 US bases around the world. The US anthropology professor David Vine says that these represent the largest collection of bases in world history. He adds:

Officially the Pentagon counts 865 base sites, but this notoriously unreliable number omits all our bases in Iraq (likely over 100) and Afghanistan (80 and counting), among many other well-known and secretive bases.

He continues:

Where are all those military bases outside the military zones like Iraq and Afghanistan, and what purpose do they serve?

These are questions that Australians really should be asking.

More than half a century after World War II and the Korean War, wrote Vines, we still have 268 bases in Germany, 124 in Japan and 87 in South Korea. What are these bases in Germany and Japan actually for?

With so little known about what form these bases will take in reality, a couple of questions are in order. It would have been the Prime Minister to have asked them last week, but I suspect that she did not. Firstly, why are the people of Okinawa, an island chain to the south of the Japanese mainland, so desperate to get rid of the massive US facilities there? Their campaign succeeded in changing the government in Japan in 2009 and forcing the United States, with great reluctance, to begin casting around for alternate hosts. If we want to know why they have so fiercely resisted the presence of US forces in Okinawa, we can take a few hints. It has to do with the noise impacts of living in a practice war zone, widespread chemical contamination, periodic rapes and sexual assaults, unexploded munitions, drug abuse, prostitution and the enormous financial cost to the Japanese government.

In May 2010 a survey of the Okinawan people conducted by In May 2010 a survey of the Okinawan people conducted by Mainichi shimbun, a mainstream newspaper in Japan, found that 71 per cent of Okinawans surveyed thought that the presence of marines on Okinawa was not necessary-and I am not sure if any opinion poll has yet been taken in Australia-with 15 per cent saying that they thought that it was necessary.

From 1952 to 2004, there were approximately 200,000 accidents and crimes involving US soldiers in which 1,076 Japanese civilians died. Over 90 per cent of the incidents were vehicle or traffic related. In 1995, the abduction and rape of 12-year-old Okinawan school girl by two US marines and one US sailor led to demands for the removal of all US military bases in Japan. This helped change the government in Japan in 2009 and it is the reason why the political situation there has so radically changed. The incoming government in Japan immediately about faced, but we can still see enormous pressure to move the military installations or at least some of the heavy footprint in Okinawa out of Japan. And now the United States is casting around for alternate sites. We should not imagine that this is simply something suffered merely by the people of Okinawa or even by people simply in the footprint of US bases. This is not something that occurs under one particular flag or another; this is just about the heavy imprint of military facilities, no matter which flag they fly.

I am interested in one of the few examples that I know of in which US military installations were contested non-violently by host populations and the US military left. People may know that the continuing post-war presence in Vieques in Puerto Rico by the United States Navy drew enormous protest and dissent from the host population there, angry mainly at the expropriation of land and the incredible environmental impacts of continual training bombardments by the United States Navy. Protests came to a head in 1999 when a native of Vieques, David Sanes, who was an employee of the US Navy, was killed by a bomb from a navy fighter that fell outside the impact template. He had been working as a security guard for the US Navy. That brought events in Vieques to the boil. Now the United States is gone and again US military commanders are looking for areas that they can bomb, areas that ships can dock in and places where soldiers can train. This will affect host populations, especially women. Alcohol consumption is also a problem.

We do not hear a great deal about the impact of military facilities on South Korea, but it is now something that Australians, particularly residents of the Northern Territory, are going to need to learn a great deal about very rapidly. This is now real. The Australian population has not been asked if we think that this is a good idea. We have been told. The announcement was obviously leaked to the Fairfax press last week. The President firmed that up during his address on Thursday. It appears that this drive to democracy that the United States has been spearheading around the world will not extend to the people of Australia, because we will not be asked. One South Korean woman told the press, 'Our government was one big pimp for the US military,' in a recent interview. That is something that we are going to need to get used to as well: the epidemic of sexual violence that surrounds bases with huge numbers of frustrated young people, mostly men.

My second question for the government is what control Australia will have over activities conducted on the base, imagining that it will go ahead.

For example, it appears that cluster munitions, which Australia was until recently part of the campaign to abolish, will be allowed to be stored there. But I am interested to know about nuclear weapons, depleted uranium munitions and other things that the ADF do not deploy, to their great credit, and have no intention of deploying.

This afternoon, my attention was drawn to a press release by the Cluster Munitions Coalition, who put out a statement acknowledging that the ALP caucus, to their enormous shame, appears to have voted not to amend its widely criticised cluster munitions prohibition bill, which was introduced into this place months ago and which disappeared off the Notice Paper when, to my understanding, sustained backbench opposition on both sides of this chamber caused defence and legal spokespeople to withdraw it and consider whether perhaps amendments would be required, and of course they are. The Cluster Munitions Coalition wrote:

The two key loopholes the Government has written into the Bill, which the Coalition supports, enable Australian troops to actively assist the USA in the use of cluster bombs and also explicitly permit the USA to stockpile its cluster bombs on Australian soil. These allowances blatantly disregard the whole intent of the Convention which aims to eradicate these weapons for all time.

That is shameful if it is true. And for this base the Australian government will be talking about a policy of not storing nuclear weapons on Australian soil, which this government is committed to eradicating from the world, yet, in my view, unless this is enacted into law, the US government will eventually be doing just that because that is how they behave.

My third question is: what happens in the event that the US government uses the base for a military invention that, heaven forbid, the Australian government or the Australian public might not support? That is something that has clearly not been thought through. Australia has its own regional security interests in the Asia-Pacific region and they are not always going to be in perfect alignment with those of the United States. But what happens if the US chooses this platform or this base or this lily pad, or whatever the jargon is these days, for a surge deployment into a war zone that Australia actually thinks is a terrible idea, as many Australians did on the Afghanistan deployment and a vast majority of Australians did in terms of the invasion of Iraq? What will we do if these US facilities-not just communications bases, because goodness knows we have plenty of experience of those in Australia-are used in an actual deployment of US troops, aircraft, munitions and vessels from Darwin for a war zone that the Australian people do not support? Do we really believe that an Australian government of either flavour will have the spine to stand up and say, 'No, you can't use those facilities'? This is a direct ceding of sovereignty to a foreign power and I cannot believe the bizarre bipartisan silence on this announcement.

Another question I have is around environmental contamination. Again this is an issue that has severely impacted areas where training, in particular, occurs but also where there is just stockpiling of chemicals. In the Australian Greens we tend to focus on things like radiological weapons, cluster munitions and so on because there is that global push to simply eliminate these things from the arsenals of the world. But in fact at military bases around the world, whether in southern Japan, South Korea, Puerto Rico, central Europe or wherever else, the most severe long-term impacts can come from the highly carcinogenic material, just from the fuels, the solvents, the oils and heavy metals that are released during military operations and which affect the land, water and ocean.

If you are talking about bombing training ranges and so on, you have the additional problem of unexploded munitions-chemicals, propellants, explosives and so on that either are blown all over the landscape when the munitions detonate or lie there undetonated, effectively sterilising that land use from all other forms of use. I did not hear a great deal about that last week when these announcements were being made. This is something that is of particular interest to me, having followed these issues now for about 10 years. In 2001 and 2002, in the lead-up to the invasion of Iraq, there were very strong moves to introduce military bases, in particular a naval facility, into my hometown, into Cockburn Sound, south of Perth for so-called sea swap trials, where the United States would sail a naval vessel into port, airlift in a new crew and airlift out the old crew and save the vessel from having to traverse all the way back to Guam or wherever it had come from. That would have been very efficient from the US government's point of view. The other thing they were very interested in was the training range at Lancelin, where US Navy aircraft would repeatedly blast with air-to-ground munitions and ships would use ship-to-shore munitions, to the enormous detriment of the local people there. I have no doubt at all that that facility is back on the cards again. We did not hear much about that last week.

I have many other questions, but the principle one is this: in the suffocating spirit of bipartisan Obama worship that fell across Canberra like a fever last week, will this debate even get to occur? Mr Obama, I wish you well in confronting the daunting challenges that surround you at home and I wish you wisdom and foresight in planning America's responses to the security challenges of the 21st century. But as an Australian citizen I say with the greatest respect that you are not my president.

FROM MINES TO MINDS – A GOLDEN GENERATION POWERED BY OUR MOST PRECIOUS RESOURCE

Premier and Minister for Reconstruction Media Release [23/11/11]

Premier Anna Bligh has launched a plan to use the State’s resources to fuel the education of the next generation of Queenslanders.

The Premier released From Mines to Minds: A proposal to establish a Queensland Education Trust at West End State School today.

The paper proposes the establishment of a multi-billion dollar Queensland Education Trust using 50% of future LNG royalties – projected at more than $1.8 billion in the next 10 years alone.

“We want to take the wealth from the earth and use it to train the minds of our children,” said the Premier.

“We can harness the energy of the decade of prosperity we see before us to create a golden generation that will secure Queensland’s bright future for a century and more.

“The QET can be the tool we use to build a bright future that will make Queensland the best place in the world to live, raise a family and to fulfil your potential,” said the Premier.

“In Queensland we are already on the cusp of enormous prosperity with a resources boom unlike anything we’ve ever seen before.

“The question now is how we use this prosperity.

“A Labor Government will invest in Queensland’s children because we know they are the most precious resource we have.”

The Government’s proposed trust could be invested in different ways including;

* Individual Trust Accounts for Education – an individual endowment that would mean every newborn child would have a nest egg valued between $7800 and $9500 when they turn 18 or;

* Dedicated Education Fund: an investment fund where the proceeds are reinvested by Government in education and training initiatives beyond the basics throughout the schooling years and potentially beyond.

The Premier said under the Trust account model every Queensland child born on or after July 1, 2012 would receive a savings endowment at birth that could be accessed at age 18.

“This would consist of an initial deposit of $500 at birth followed by a further contribution of around $3,200 in the year they enter Prep when the first royalties from the LNG industry will begin to flow,” said the Premier.

“This money will be invested by the QET until the young person turns 18 when they can use the money towards education or training costs.”

Modelling indicates that the golden generation’s first members could receive between $7,800 and $9,500 when they turn 18. Under the second option the QET would invest up to 50% of LNG royalties as an education ‘future fund’.

“This would be used to provide extra funding over and above what is currently provided and would give Queensland children a huge advantage over children from other states.”

Under this model the QET would set aside funds for specific initiatives such as;

TAFE and university scholarships for rural, regional and disadvantaged students

International exchange programs

Language programs

“The decisions we make today will shape the Queensland of the future in a way that has never been possible in the past,” said the Premier.

“We are on the cusp of a bright future, bringing massive prosperity in the coming decade. We can use that prosperity to create a golden era that can last for a hundred years and that is our vision for Queensland.”

The Queensland Government wants to hear from Queensland communities.

We want your feedback on the QET by February 17, 2012. You can have your say by writing to us at: Education Trust, PO Box 15185, Brisbane 4000 or email at Education.Trust@premiers.qld.gov.au.

Feedback can also be provided online at http://www.getinvolved.qld.gov.au/gi/consultation/205/view.html.

The proposal, From Mines to Minds: A proposal to establish a Queensland Education Trust, is available at www.thepremier.qld.gov.au

Audio grabs of the Premier are available at: https://govportal.ministerial.qld.gov.au/index.cfm?content=Audio

 

Earth Song, Michael Jackson

 

The Pipe [Which was broadcast on SBS 1 last night 22/11/11]

 

Spread Of Marine Disease Confirms Worst Fears:

Queensland Greens Media Release [21/11/11]

The Queensland Greens say that news that marine disease has now spread to prawns in Gladstone harbour confirms their worst fears regarding the seriousness of the ecosystem collapse occurring there and warned that failure to act swiftly would endanger the entire Queensland seafood industry.

‘It is unacceptable for the fisheries minister to allow the harbour to remain open and for the environment minister to not call a stop to dredging,’ Queensland Greens spokesperson Dr Libby Connors said today.

‘Work must halt until there is some definite scientific data about what is taking place in these waters.

‘Over the last few days we have had glossy advertisements from the Gladstone Ports Corporation and claims in state parliament that have added to the confusion.

‘Fisheries Minister Craig Wallace needs to acknowledge that disease seems to be spreading out from Gladstone south and north to the Kolan and Fitzroy Rivers.

‘This latest data just adds to the urgent need to solve what is happening in Gladstone waters.

The Queensland Greens called on Minister Craig Wallace to resign over the handling of the disaster at Gladstone many weeks ago and have repeatedly urged a halt to dredging.

‘The Queensland Greens have all along expressed concern that the planned expansions of coal and gas in this state would cause irreparable harm to Queensland’s sustainable primary industries of farming and fisheries but we never thought we would see such a sudden and dramatic collapse of this regional fishery.

‘It may yet be found that the dredging for coal terminals and csg/LNG plants is not the cause of the ecosystem collapse but the failure of the government to act decisively in the face of the crisis by pausing dredging is an indication that they will not stand up to the coal and gas industries.

‘The New South Wales ALP have finally acknowledged that a moratorium on csg development is essential for that state.

‘The Queensland Government’s refusal to acknowledge the urgent need for a similar pause in Queensland is part of the reason why they are lagging in the polls.

‘The state election is going to be fought on coal and gas but sadly neither major party is sufficiently independent to manage this powerful sector and its unfolding environmental havoc.’

Occupy Brisbane gig – MC Obama AKA MC Antidote, sfa*ma*to and Andy Paine – Wed Nov 23, South Brisbane

There’s a gig tonight in South Brisbane with some Occupiers and supporters playing. It’s just a gold coin donation to get in and it’s 7pm at Between the Walls, Manning St, South Brisbane. ...

President Obama is in New Hampshire on Tuesday to discuss the economy. While in Manchester, the president was speaking to a group of supporters when he received Occupy Wall Street's trademark "mic check" heckling treatment that so many Republican candidates and commentators have been subject to.

The crowd was allegedly trying to say "Mr. President - Over 4,000 peaceful protesters have been arrested while banksters continue to destroy the economy with impunity. You must stop the assault on our 1st Amendment rights. Your silence sends a message that police brutality is acceptable. Banks got bailed out, we got sold out."

The president handled this event far better than Michele Bachmann, where she was ushered offstage until the heckling died down and the protesters were escorted out of the room.

Recently, Ron Paul received the "mic check" treatement by Occupy Wall Street protesters too, where he received them cordially and, when they were finished, responded "do you feel better?"

This response ranks among the better and more dismissive responses to the OWS protesters. Paul followed up by expressing his support for the OWS movement and the self-described 99 percent.

House Majority Leader Rep. Eric Cantor (R-VA) and former George W. Bush senior political advisor Karl Rove have also been "mic checked" by occupiers with varying degrees of success.

Rove called on the protesters to cease their shouting down tactics and engage in debate and "stop acting like a fascist."

Meanwhile, 59 percent of Americans have no opinion on the Occupy Wall Street movement.

 

Occupy Chicago Mic Check Rahm Emanuel [VIDEO]

Day five of schoolies on the Gold Coast continued to be free of any major incidents with crowd numbers remaining steady in Surfers Paradise for the first official “Chill Out” night.

Overnight there were 10 male schoolies arrested on 11 charges relating mainly to public nuisance and street offences with 38 liquor infringement notices issued to schoolies.

Police arrested 22 people on 24 charges which were not schoolies related and were mainly for public nuisance and street offences with 6 liquor infringement notices issued to non schoolies.

A new online survey conducted by the Australian Psychological Society (APS) suggests young Australian adults are less carefree than often supposed, with those aged 18-25 reporting higher levels of stress and lower levels of wellbeing than any other age group.

The survey of over 1500 people, released to mark the beginning of National Psychology Week, also found a staggering 1 in 8 people reported severe stress, with 30% of all those surveyed identifying the workplace as the cause of their stress.

The report – Stress and Wellbeing in Australia in 2011: A state of the nation survey – suggests the challenge of finding and keeping work may be contributing to the high levels of stress in younger Australians, with those under 25 reporting the lowest levels of job satisfaction and work-life balance.

Professor Lyn Littlefield, Executive Director of the APS, said: ‘Stress is something we all experience from time to time. What’s concerning here is the level of stress we’re seeing, particularly in young Australians, as they navigate the transition to adulthood, and with that relationships, work and education.’

Suggesting that concerns over the economy are affecting Australian’s levels of stress, the report found more than half (52%) of those surveyed reported financial issues as the main driver for stress, ahead of health issues and family problems.

And in a worrying trend, 40% of Australians are reporting the use of alcohol in an effort to manage their stress, although less than half of those who use alcohol (19%) report it to be effective in managing stress. The same applies for using food to soothe stress, with 64% turning to food but only 25% finding it effective.

Professor Littlefield said: ‘The research shows that people eat or use alcohol as a way of easing the symptoms of stress, but this is ineffective.’

When it comes to reaching out for help, 15% of people sought help from a mental health professional to manage their stress while 25% of those surveyed relied on help from a family member or friend.

Professor Littlefield said: ‘Research shows that excessive stress can affect your work, home life, relationships and physical health. If your stress levels are stopping you leading a happy and healthy lifestyle, you can take action. Small adjustments to the way you think or behave can often have a big impact. If needed, you can seek help from an expert psychologist, who can help you manage the effect of stress on you and your family’.

Timor-Leste is making significant progress in consolidating its social, security and political stability despite a number of challenges, a senior United Nations said today, noting that presidential and legislative elections slated for next year will be key milestones in that process.

“The elections are widely expected to lead to a peaceful transition to a new Government in Timor-Leste by the third quarter of 2012, with the space for meaningful engagement of an opposition,” said Ameerah Haq, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General and head of the UN Integrated Mission in Timor-Leste (UNMIT), told the Security Council.

She encouraged international partners to show commitment to Timor-Leste by sending observers for the elections and providing the financial support required for UN electoral activities, to be conducted at the request of the Government.

PNTL officers have effectively addressed incidents, and there has been no impact on the continuing low rate of crime.

Challenges faced by the country include enhancing institutional capacity, strengthening the security sector and building the capacity of its human resources, she said.

Introducing the Secretary-General’s latest report on UNMIT to the Council, Ms. Haq noted that the handing over by the mission in March of policing duties to the country’s national force, the Policia Nacional de Timor-Leste (PNTL), was also an important milestone.

“Since the PNTL’s resumption of policing responsibilities on 27 March, PNTL officers have effectively addressed incidents, and there has been no impact on the continuing low rate of crime,” said Ms. Haq, adding that the effectiveness of the force will, to a large extent, depend on its ability to maintain the trust of the public.

UNMIT was set up in 2006, following an outbreak of deadly violence, to replace several earlier missions in the small South-East Asian country that the UN shepherded to independence in 2002 after it broke away from Indonesia.

It will maintain a police presence of up to 1,280 personnel to support the PNTL until after next year’s elections, when the mission is planning to withdraw.

Ms. Haq said preparations for the phasing out of UNMIT are under way, and that she had in September signed a joint transition plan with Prime Minister Xanana Gusmão to guide the transition.

“The planned and orderly conclusion of a peacekeeping mission is only one aspect of a successful transition,” she said.

“Equally important is establishing, in consultation with the Government in view of its priorities and requirements, what form of UN engagement will be needed thereafter by the country.”

Consultations will continue on the various options for a UN presence in Timor-Leste after the departure of UNMIT. Options will need to be discussed with the Government formed after next year’s elections.

A Greek friend has sent me lots of information on links between the suppression of dissent at UC Davis and similar events in Greece from the days of the military junta to the present. Here's a video commemorating the 1973 uprising centred on Athens Polytechnic, which led to the downfall of the military junta the following year[1]. the last title says "The Polytechneio lives on. In struggles today." Link

Among the legacies of the uprising was a university asylum law that restricted the ability of police to enter university campuses. University asylum was abolished a few months ago, as part of a process aimed at suppressing anti-austerity demonstrations. The abolition law was based on the recommendatiions of an expert committee, which reported a few months ago (report here, in Greek). There's an English translation here, but it doesn't work well for me.

Fortunately, my friend has translated the key recommendations

University campuses are unsafe. While the [Greek] Constitution permits the university leadership to protect campuses from elements inciting political instability, Rectors have shown themselves unwilling to exercise these rights and fulfill their responsibilities, and to take the decisions needed in order to guarantee the safety of the faculty, staff, and students. As a result, the university administration and teaching staff have not proven themselves good stewards of the facilities with which society has entrusted them.

The politicizing of universities – and in particular, of students – represents participation in the political process that exceeds the bounds of logic. This contributes to the rapid deterioration of tertiary education.

Among the authors of this report - Chancellor Linda Katehi, UC Davis. And, to add to the irony, Katehi was a student at Athens Polytechnic in 1973.

fn1. The fall of the Greek junta, only a year after Pinochet's coup in Chile was, in retrospect, a historic turning point, after which rule by generals became steadily less common.

A University of California chancellor apologized to jeering students on Monday for police use of pepper spray against campus protesters in a standoff captured by video and widely replayed on television and the Internet.

The pepper-spraying last week led to suspensions of the campus police chief and two officers, and thrust the normally quiet, conservative and mostly apolitical UC Davis campus to the forefront of anti-Wall Street "Occupy" protests nationwide.

Faculty and student critics of Friday's confrontation, some of whom demanded the chancellor's resignation, said it had damaged the school's image and the climate for free expression at the university.

UC Davis Chancellor Linda Katehi has come under sharp criticism for the school's handling of the protests, with some critics blaming her for what they viewed as excessive force employed by campus police.

An hours-long rally on Monday, attended by more than 1,000 students, faculty members and even parents, was capped by demonstrators pitching at least a dozen tents in the center of the campus, again defying rules forbidding such encampments.

Taking the stage following a parade of speakers who railed against her, Katehi told the crowd: "I'm here to apologize. I really feel horrible for what happened on Friday." Many in the audience answered with boos and catcalls.

"You may not believe anything I say today. It's my responsibility to earn your trust," she said, adding, "I don't want to be the chancellor of the university we had on Friday."

The crowd roared back with cries of "Resign!"

She left the stage after about a minute, looking shaken, and was hustled by security personnel to a waiting car, followed by a throng of media and a cluster of students yelling: "Don't come back!"

As on other campuses around the country, protests at UC Davis, a school of 31,000 students known for its agriculture, wine-making and veterinary programs, started out focused on issues of economic inequality and tuition hikes.

But Monday's rally was spurred by last week's pepper-spray dousing of protesting students and an earlier confrontation at UC Berkeley in which police jabbed students with night sticks.

There was no visible police presence at Monday's gathering, which remained peaceful.

"Before, students didn't see how (the Occupy movement) affected them, but I think watching the video ... they see how it affects them," said Cole Sawyer, 19, from Long Beach, California, one of the students pepper-sprayed last week.

HOT SPOT

Hours earlier in Oakland, a hot spot of anti-Wall Street activism in recent weeks, police in the largely working-class city on the east bank of San Francisco Bay swept away, at least temporarily, the last of the town's protest camps.

Police moved in shortly after midnight and removed 20 to 30 tents from Snow Park, the only Oakland camp still standing after another park and a vacant lot were cleared on Sunday. Later, organizers said they had occupied a home in the process of foreclosure in what they described as a "home defense".

Oakland police spokeswoman Johnna Watson said the tents at Snow Park were dismantled without incident or arrests.

Oakland has been a flash point of the anti-Wall Street movement, helping rally support nationwide for demonstrations launched in New York in September to protest excesses of the financial system, bank bailouts and high unemployment.

Attention over the weekend shifted to UC Davis, near the state capital, Sacramento, where a widely circulated video clip showed a police officer walking back and forth in front of protesters huddled on the ground, repeatedly spraying them in the face. Other police kept onlookers at bay with batons.

UC President Mark Yudof placed two campus police officers on paid administrative leave on Sunday and launched a review of police procedures university-wide. He told all 10 UC campus chancellors in a teleconference on Monday: "We cannot let this happen again," according to a university statement.

Katehi said on Monday that the campus chief of police had also been suspended. In addition, she asked the Yolo County District Attorney's office to investigate the use of force by campus police and said she would create a task force to conduct a campus review and report recommendations in 30 days.

But the executive council of the Academic Senate at UC Davis, which represents some 1,800 faculty at the campus, voted on Sunday to form its own inquiry and a "representative assembly" of all 100 department representatives next week.

"The agenda will be to have a discussion with the chancellor," council chair Linda Bisson, a viticulture professor, told Reuters. She added that one possible outcome could be a call for a vote of no-confidence.

"Most people I've spoken to say, 'We want the facts in the case, and then we'll decide.' Others say, 'It doesn't matter what the facts are. The incident was so atrocious, the chancellor has to go.'" No date for the meeting has been set.

UC Davis spokeswoman Claudia Morain denied that Katehi had instructed police to use force in removing tents last week.

"There was a concern that letting them remain and letting the number grow could be a health hazard. The whole idea was to end it peaceably," she said.

 

In response to coordinated attacks on the occupations and attacks on workers across the nation: Occupy Oakland calls for the blockade and disruption of the economic apparatus of the 1% with a coordinated shutdown of ports on the entire West Coast on December 12th.

The 1% has disrupted the lives of longshoremen and port truckers and the workers who create their wealth, just as coordinated nationwide police attacks have turned our cities into battlegrounds in an effort to disrupt our Occupy movement.

We call on each West Coast occupation to organize a mass mobilization to shut down its local port.

Our eyes are on the continued union-busting and attacks on organized labor, in particular the rupture of Longshoremen jurisdiction in Longview Washington by the EGT.

Already, Occupy Los Angeles has passed a resolution to carry out a port action on the Port Of Los Angeles on December 12th, to shut down SSA terminals, which are owned by Goldman Sachs.

Occupy Oakland expands this call to the entire West Coast, and calls for continuing solidarity with the Longshoremen in Longview Washington in their ongoing struggle against the EGT.

The EGT is an international grain exporter led by Bunge LTD, a company constituted of 1% bankers whose practices have ruined the lives of the working class all over the world, from Argentina to the West Coast of the US.

During the November 2nd General Strike, tens of thousands shutdown the Port Of Oakland as a warning shot to EGT to stop its attacks on Longview.

Since the EGT has disregarded this message, and continues to attack the Longshoremen at Longview, we will now shut down ports along the entire West Coast. Participating occupations are asked to ensure that during the port shutdowns the local arbitrator rules in favor of longshoremen not crossing community picket lines in order to avoid recriminations against them.

Should there be any retaliation against any workers as a result of their honoring pickets or supporting our port actions, additional solidarity actions should be prepared.

In the event of police repression of any of the mobilizations, shutdown actions may be extended to multiple days.

In Solidarity and Struggle, Occupy Oakland -In Oakland: the West Coast Port Shutdown Coordinating Committee will meet on General Assembly days at 5pm before the GA to organize the local shutdown, and to network with other occupations.

Occupy Writers

Occupy Filmakers

Occupy Musicians

 

Joe Moore wants to become IL EPA Director and have his wife appointed to replace him on the Chicago City Council. So to curry favour with Mayor Rahm Emanuel, Joe voted for a bad budget that is not what his constituents need. So we mic checked him.

'Inside Job' is a 2010 documentary film about the late-2000s financial crisis directed by Charles H. Ferguson. The film is described by Ferguson as being about "the systemic corruption of the United States by the financial services industry and the consequences of that systemic corruption." ...

The first question in last Saturday night’s Republican debate on foreign policy dealt with Iran, and a newly published report by the International Atomic Energy Agency. The report, which raised renewed concern about the “possible existence of undeclared nuclear facilities and material in Iran,” struck a darker tone than previous assessments. But it was carefully hedged. On the debate platform, however, any ambiguity was lost. One of the moderators said that the I.A.E.A. report had provided “additional credible evidence that Iran is pursuing a nuclear weapon” and asked what various candidates, upon winning the Presidency, would do to stop Iran.

Herman Cain said he would assist those who are trying to overthrow the government. Newt Gingrich said he would coördinate with the Israeli government and maximize covert operations to block the Iranian weapons program. Mitt Romney called the state of Iran’s nuclear program Obama’s “greatest failing, from a foreign-policy standpoint” and added, “Look, one thing you can know … and that is if we reëlect Barack Obama Iran will have a nuclear weapon.” The Iranian bomb was a sure thing Saturday night.

I’ve been reporting on Iran and the bomb for The New Yorker for the past decade, with a focus on the repeated inability of the best and the brightest of the Joint Special Operations Command to find definitive evidence of a nuclear-weapons production program in Iran. The goal of the high-risk American covert operations was to find something physical—a “smoking calutron,” as a knowledgeable official once told me—to show the world that Iran was working on warheads at an undisclosed site, to make the evidence public, and then to attack and destroy the site.

The Times reported, in its lead story the day after the report came out, that I.A.E.A. investigators “have amassed a trove of new evidence that, they say, makes a ‘credible’ case” that Iran may be carrying out nuclear-weapons activities. The newspaper quoted a Western diplomat as declaring that “the level of detail is unbelievable…. The report describes virtually all the steps to make a nuclear warhead and the progress Iran has achieved in each of those steps. It reads likes a menu.” The Times set the tone for much of the coverage. (A second Times story that day on the I.A.E.A. report noted, more cautiously, that “it is true that the basic allegations in the report are not substantially new, and have been discussed by experts for years.”)

But how definitive, or transformative, were the findings? The I.A.E.A. said it had continued in recent years “to receive, collect and evaluate information relevant to possible military dimensions of Iran’s nuclear program” and, as a result, it has been able “to refine its analysis.” The net effect has been to create “more concern.” But Robert Kelley, a retired I.A.E.A. director and nuclear engineer who previously spent more than thirty years with the Department of Energy’s nuclear-weapons program, told me that he could find very little new information in the I.A.E.A. report. He noted that hundreds of pages of material appears to come from a single source: a laptop computer, allegedly supplied to the I.A.E.A. by a Western intelligence agency, whose provenance could not be established. Those materials, and others, “were old news,” Kelley said, and known to many journalists. “I wonder why this same stuff is now considered ‘new information’ by the same reporters.” ...

Bob and Sally Dowler tell the Leveson Inquiry that News Of The World gave them false hope after their daughter went missing. [Report by Sam Datta-Paulin: ITN - 21/11/11]

Walton-on-Thames schoolgirl Milly Dowler's mother did not sleep for three nights after she learned that a private detective working for the News of the World hacked her daughter's phone, the Leveson Inquiry has heard.

Sally Dowler described her joy when she was given false hope that Milly was still alive after investigator Glenn Mulcaire deleted some of the murdered schoolgirl's voicemails. She rang her daughter's phone repeatedly in the weeks after she vanished as she walked home in Walton-on-Thames, Surrey, in March 2002, the inquiry into press standards was told.

"At first we were able to leave messages, and then her voicemail became full and then you rang and then you just got the recorded 'you are unable to leave messages at the moment'," she said.

Mrs Dowler continued calling 13-year-old Milly's number and felt elation when she finally got through to her daughter's recorded message.

She told the inquiry:

"I rang her phone. It clicked through onto her voicemail, so I heard her voice and it was just like, 'she's picked up her voicemail, she's alive'. When we were told about the hacking, that's the first thing I thought. But like I told my friends, 'she's picked up her voicemail, she's picked up her voicemail'."

Mrs Dowler said the credit on Milly's mobile phone was very low so police put more money on it. But she could not remember how detectives reacted when she told them that her daughter appeared to have accessed her voicemails.

Mrs Dowler described the moment, just before the trial of a man accused of Milly's murder, when police told her and her husband Bob that Mulcaire hacked their daughter's phone.

She said:

"As soon as I was told it was about phone hacking, literally I didn't sleep for about three nights because you replay everything in your mind and just think, 'oh, that makes sense now, that makes sense'."

Giving another example of press intrusion, Mrs Dowler described how she and her husband were photographed on a private walk to retrace their daughter's steps seven weeks after Milly disappeared.

Three days later a picture of Mrs Dowler touching a "Missing" poster appeared in the News of the World.

"We quietly retraced her steps and no-one was around," she said.

"We had put out 'Missing' leaflets and I was checking to see if the right poster was up. That was on the Thursday, and the following Sunday that photo appeared in the News of the World. We did not see anyone - they must have taken the photo using a telephoto lens. How on earth did they know we were doing that walk on that day? It felt like such an intrusion into a really private grief moment."

Last week, on the mayor’s order, police violently raided a peaceful community in the middle of night, discarding thousands of books, excluding witnesses and press, etc.

"Public safety" has been the excuse to continually restrict the constitutionally guaranteed freedom of expression, freedom of movement, and freedom of speech of those who disagree with the mayor and the 1% he represents.

On this unseasonably warm and bright autumn day, a group of these same individuals and their supporters came to express their complaints against the perpetrator of last Tuesday’s injustice—again, in a peaceful and constitutionally guaranteed way.

They were met with yet more steel barricades and armed police.

The comparison of Bloomberg to a medieval warlord is, if anything, too kind—medieval warlords weren't usually this systematic.

Police are investigating a serious traffic crash that occurred at Main Beach last night. Initial information suggests two pedestrians were struck by a car at a pedestrian crossing on Main Beach Parade around 8.30pm.

A 17-year-old boy and 18-year-old girl were transported to the Gold Coast Hospital with serious head injuries.

The Forensic Crash Unit is investigating.

Anyone with information which could assist police with their investigations should contact Crime Stoppers anonymously via 1800 333 000 or crimestoppers.com.au 24hrs a day.

Ban Urges Action To Improve Road Safety In Honour Of Accident Victims: UN [20/11/11]

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today called for global mobilization of expertise, resources and individual commitment to improve road safety as a demonstration of honour to all those who have lost their lives in road traffic accidents across the world over the years.

“Let us mobilize all possible contributions to improving road safety – from city planners to vehicle designers, from policy makers to road users,” said Mr. Ban in his message to mark the World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims, which is observed on 20 November every year.

“Let us honour those who have lost their lives on the world's roads by acting to save the lives of others.”
He pointed out that nearly 3,500 people die on the world's roads every day and tens of thousands others are injured, noting that road accidents have become the leading cause of death for people between the ages of 15 to 29.

“This is an unacceptable price to pay for mobility.”

The first global Decade of Action for Road Safety was launched in May in an effort to reduce a scourge that kills an estimated 1.3 million people annually and leaves millions of others injured or permanently disabled.

The United Nations-backed 2011-2020 Decade of Action aims to save five million lives.

It provides a framework for governments, civil society and the private sector to work together to improve road management, upgrade the safety of roads and vehicles, and educate drivers, passengers and pedestrians on safe road use.

“The plan focuses on the big risks, including speeding, drinking and driving, inattention while using mobile devices, and failing to use seat-belts, helmets and child restraints,” said Mr. Ban.

“It calls for better infrastructure and innovation. The global plan also encompasses care for victims, including their rescue, treatment and long-term rehabilitation. It calls for thorough crash investigations to prevent further deaths and injuries.”

The Secretary-General said the UN itself earlier this month introduced a system-wide policy to promote road safety and the safe operation of the Organization's vehicles.

Global vehicle ownership is forecast to double by 2020, and given the rapid expansion of the use of motor vehicles, especially in the world's emerging economies, capacity-building for road safety is essential, he noted.

Clashes between Egyptian riot police and rock-hurling protesters in Cairo's Tahrir Square continue Sunday. Military police, backed by armored vehicles, launched a new assault, using clouds of tear gas, rubber bullets and batons to disperse the crowd. At least 13 people are believed to have been killed in clashes in the past two days, while hundreds of soldiers and police are trying to evict several thousand protesters from the square, dismantling their tents and tearing down their banners. Around 1,000 people, including 40 policemen, have been injured.

Abdallah Abdelrahman, who heads a field hospital in Tahrir Square, told AFP that three of those casualties occurred Sunday due to asphyxiation, presumably caused by the tear-gas. According to reports, most of Tahrir Square was covered with debris and shattered glass on Sunday following what is reported to be the worst standoff between police and protesters in months.

All roads leading to the square were blocked by protesters, who ran ID checks on anyone coming into the area. Meanwhile, Al Jazeera quotes sources saying that the country’s Culture Minister Emad Abu-Ghazi resigns to object the use of excessive force against protesters. ...

It's the moment you've been waiting for all week, and now you get to sleep right through it. That's the beauty of the weekend. Here's some news for whenever you feel like it: Occupy Toronto has its day in court, the Toronto District School Board will hold by-elections for new trustees, and the Toronto Zoo could be in deep trouble if its elephants go to California.

Occupy Toronto was put through the wringer yesterday as Judge David Brown grilled the lawyer representing the movement on her argument that the occupation is actually protected by the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. However, Brown stressed the poignancy of his questions shouldn’t lead people to think he’s necessarily going to reject the protesters’ argument in his decision on Monday as to whether or not the City is allowed to evict them. It could just be tough love from an otherwise caring father figure. Who knows, Occupy Toronto might have found its Bill Cosby. Brown kind of looks like a guy who would wear sweaters.

Although he is popularly known as a nincompoop, Sun News Network personality Ezra Levant might just have crossed over into creepy weirdo territory as he and Toronto Sun staffers went into Occupy Toronto’s camp yesterday at 3 a.m. to essentially film people sleeping in their tents, to find out how many actually were. The late-night raiders used a thermal camera, the kind that may or may not actually work, to look into the tents, and found very few people sleeping in them. So what does it all mean for those people actually spending the night in St. James Park? Get a lock for your tent flap, at the very least.

You might recall a Toronto District School Board trustee suggesting not too long ago that the board get Queen Elizabeth II to appoint two new trustees to fill positions left vacant after current trustees were elected to the provincial legislature. Well, hopefully old Lizzie hasn’t packed her royal bags just yet, because the board has instead decided the new trustees should be democratically elected in by-elections, which will take place in Ward 17 (Don Valley East) and Ward 20 (Scarborough-Agincourt) on February 27. In other words, no reason for the Queen to come. Which is too bad, because nothing screams “democracy works better” quite like a school board trustee by-election.

If you thought zoos were happy places where animals could eat, frolic, and live content, Disney-like lives, well, you probably never actually visited a zoo. The animals mostly just sleep, and occasionally snarl at little kids. But even people a bit more grounded in reality might be surprised to learn how harsh the world of zoos can get. Case in point: the Association of Zoos and Aquariums Accreditation Commission might pull the Toronto Zoo’s accreditation if city council goes ahead with its decision to ship the zoo’s three elephants to a sanctuary in California rather than an AZA-approved facility. The commission also warned of a potential “accident” involving the Toronto Zoo’s flamingos, tigers, and a whole lot of barbecue sauce if council doesn’t change its mind.

Victorian Public Nurses and Midwives are currently fighting to protect the Victorian public health system. Many nurses and midwives are having their pay docked for participating in industrial action.

Pay docking does mean that despite providing the same level of care that you would expect when in a nurse's or midwife's care, nurses and midwives are being docked between half and a full day's pay. They are working the same hours they normally do at half or no pay.

The Victorian Nurses and Midwives Hardship Fund has been set up so nurses and midwives who are found to be in need, through a careful and transparent vetting process, can continue to put food on their dinner tables for the their families and meet urgent bills. All applications to the fund are subject to independent assessment by a skilled group of professionals that includes nurses.

The Victorian Nurses Welfare & Hardship Fund is subject to independent and external auditing to ensure the highest level of probity and governance.

We have been inundated with support from the public and if you are reading this you are one of those who has asked how you can show them support : Yes you can!

Donations will go towards alleviating the urgent financial needs of Victorian Nurses and Midwives. This is not a donation towards the campaign. There are no administrative costs or fees - 100 % of your donation goes towards supporting Victorian Nurses and Midwives in their hour of need. Those who wish to make a donation can do so by:

* donating securely online
* dropping into ANF (Vic Branch) offices at at Level 5, ANF House, 540 Elizabeth Street, Melbourne (across from the Vic Market), or
* by cheque or credit card by downloading and printing the donation form

Thank you for your support.

In 1971, John Lennon moved to New York City, led protests against both racism and the Vietnam war, and released the seminal album "Imagine," which included both the world famous title track and another song called "Give Me Some Truth."

Forty years later, his younger son Sean descended upon Occupy Wall Street to call for some truth of his own.

The singer/songwriter, who has put out both solo albums and a new record with his band "Ghost of a Sabre Tooth Tiger," paid a visit down to Zuccotti Park and performed a song with Rufus Wainwright. But instead of their own songs, the duo chose another tune for the occasion: Madonna's "Material Girl."

"Just played, 'Material Girl,' by Madonna at Occupy Wallstreet w Josh Fox, Dustin Hamman, and Rufus Wainwright! The revolution is televised!" Lennon tweeted afterwards. He also posted photos on his Tumblr, which you can check out by clicking here. ...

A group of musicians are planning to show their support of the Occupy Wall Street at an event timed to start after Sunday night's American Music Awards.

After the show, which takes place at Nokia Theatre at L.A. Live in downtown Los Angeles, a discussion will take place at Villa Lounge in West Hollywood related to the movement's relationship to the entertainment community.

Members of the Los Angeles and Wall Street occupations -- including journalist-activist David DeGraw, one of the Occupy organizers and organizers -- will be present, along with musicians who support the movement against corporate greed. Doors are set to open at 8 p.m.

Dozens of recording artists have already appeared or performed at OWS and other Occupy demonstrations nationwide, including former Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello, Michael Franti, Russell Simmons, Joan Baez, David Crosby and Graham Nash.

Several are developing projects in solidarity with the Occupy movement, which started Sept. 17 in New York and has since spread to more than 2,000 cities nationwide as well as other countries. It is estimated that 9 million people are occupying public spaces worldwide.

Greens MP Adam Bandt says he will move a motion to set a date for the withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan forcing a vote on the issue.

Mr Bandt says there have been numerous ministerial statements and debates on the issue, but it is now time for the Parliament to vote on setting a date for a safe withdrawal.

The Prime Minister will make a statement on Afghanistan today.

"We have had the debate. Now it is time to set a date for the safe return of our defence forces from Afghanistan."

"The Americans are bringing ten thousand troops home by Christmas and even the Afghan commander says it is time for us to leave."

This will be the first time the House of Representatives has voted on setting a date for the deployment to end.

The motion reads:

That this House calls on the government to set a date for the safe return of Australian troops from Afghanistan.

Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) staff are likely to take industrial action on November 30th after Special Minister of State Gary Gray refused to sign-off on an agreement staff had negotiated with BOM management.

Minister Gray's decision has angered BOM staff who had negotiated in good faith and believed that the agreement offered fair recognition of the work they do with effective pay rises of 10.15-10.6 per cent over three years.

CPSU National Secretary Nadine Flood said Minster Gray's decision was staggering and showed disrespect for BOM staff.

"After seven months of negotiations the BOM finally offered an agreement that recognised the work that the skilled and dedicated staff at the Bureau do. Gary Gray has now decided to tear that up and send the parties back to negotiations," Ms Flood said.

"We are baffled by this decision, which has been based on trivial objections to conditions which have been allowed in other public sector agreements.

The changes demanded by the Special Minister of State mean that 75 employees already earn less than average weekly earnings will have to forego $800 per year. Mr Gray has also objected to provisions which would give staff up to 20 days of Carers Leave per year, limiting it to 18 days.

"This is a ridiculous level of petty micro-management from the Special Minister which does nothing to encourage management and staff to negotiate in good faith," said Ms Flood.

Ms Flood said that staff were now considering a return to protected industrial action.

"Bureau staff provide essential services to Australians but Gary Gray doesn't seem to recognise our dedication, professionalism and skills.

"Taking industrial action is a last resort, but we are not prepared to accept Minister Gray's interference. We know members of the public, emergency services and industry appreciate the important work that Bureau staff do," Ms Flood said.

Staff rejected the first agreement offered by BOM management with 83 per cent voting against. After staff took protected industrial action the BOM made a second offer which was accepted by staff.

As well as providing short and long range weather forecasting, the Bureau's 1700 staff:

• work with emergency services through weather emergencies such as fire, floods and cyclones
• provide services to the aviation, maritime and agriculture industries
• collect and analyse climate data; and
• provide a huge amount of information in real time on the Bureau website, one of the most accessed Australian websites.

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