Each week, we cover the stories that are just left out of the US propaganda machine. News that the people in charge, the corporations and your government want keep from the public eye.
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WAMC/NPR:
The BBC report (June 14) by Tim Franks on the Gaza Freedom Flotilla was a new low for Public Radio. Mr. Franks gives airtime to a viscous parody of the flotilla victims, nine unarmed civilians gunned down in international waters by Israeli commandos. Not only that, but Mr. Franks interviews the director on why he made the parody.
Should parodies be made of civilian victims of violence? How about a parody of 9/11 victims? Would NPR be interviewing the director of such a parody? Or how about a parody of the victims of the Holocaust?
I urge listeners to actually view this Israeli parody of their recent massacre. It says nothing about the true victims of the violence, but worlds about a country that has lost its moral bearings in its racist and murderous treatment of millions of Palestinians. (NOTE: YouTube has now removed the video, and the only place you can listen to it is on NPR's program archives)
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IFCO/Pastors for Peace:
"The U.S. Government Doesn't Want You to Go to Cuba. We say come with us to see for yourself. Pastors for Peace 21st Friendshipment Caravan to Cuba
July 3 – August 3, 2010
Many of us hoped that President Obama's election would bring about some changes in many aspects of US policy - including the ending of the illegal, immoral, and internationally condemned US economic blockade against Cuba. By now, a year has passed: but the fundamental mechanisms of the blockade remain in full force, with just a few small exceptions...
But Cuba is still deemed an 'enemy' under the Trading with the Enemies Act. Sales of US products to Cuba are still severely restricted, and sales of Cuban products to the US are absolutely forbidden. Banks and businesses in other countries are still harassed for doing business with Cuba. The travel ban on US citizens visiting Cuba remains. This cruel and immoral blockade has been in place almost 50 years, and has outlasted 10 US presidents.
...In July 2010 our caravan will travel in school buses, trucks and cars along 13 different routes, visiting 130 US and Canadian cities. At every stop we will educate people about the blockade while collecting construction supplies and tools, medical supplies and equipment, educational and cultural supplies, to be donated to our sisters and brothers in Cuba."
-->Pastors for Peace has been organizing these caravans to break the illegal blockade of Cuba for many years. The New York Times hasn't covered this story since 1992. It is obviously not what the Pentagon wants Americans to read about each year.
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Guardian UK:
"Since the flotilla assault, world attention has shifted to Israel's blockade of Gaza. Pressure to ease it will intensify today when EU foreign ministers are expected to adopt a robust position. Spain, which currently holds the EU's rotating presidency, will pres s for a vigorous approach, with support from France, Italy and the UK. The Spanish prime minister, José Luis Zapatero, called at the weekend for a strong joint EU position on the siege.
Zapatero said his foreign minister, Miguel Ángel Moratinos, would argue at the meeting that the EU should stand up for the end of the blockade on Gaza and extend all its political and diplomatic capacity to reach that goal."
-->International pressure to break the blockade of Gaza? Readers of The NY Times will never get the full story of international condemnation. In this case, both the Pentagon and the Israeli lobby triumph over the American people's right to know.
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Huffington Post:
"ACORN Vindicated of Wrongdoing by the Congressional Watchdog Office.
A preliminary probe by the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) of ACORN has found no evidence the association or related organizations mishandled the $40 million in federal money they received in recent years. A review of grants by nine federal agencies found no problems with ACORN's grants. In my book Seeds of Change I document how ACORN, the largest most successful national anti poverty organization in America, was forced to close its door.
The GAO interviewed and obtained documentation from grant program managers and staff from nine agencies...
The GAO, an independent, nonpartisan agency that works for Congress, is often called the 'congressional watchdog.' It investigates how the federal government spends taxpayer dollars."
-->How many stories did The NY Times do about right wing charges against Acorn? Enough stories to think that our newspaper of record would have printed at least one article about how all the charges were proven to be false by the GAO.
