Tuesday, 30 July 2013

Be Edward Snowden and run away from CIA agents in this phone game

♪♫ Teho Teardo & Blixa Bargeld - What If...?

Petr Pavlensky

Russian art student Petr Pavlensky wrapped himself in barbed wire. The confused policemen attempted to untangle and remove him from the public square — first by putting a blanket to hide the horror, then with wire cutters. The protestor was gashed and cut by the self-imposed net. ‘The action symbolises man’s existence in a repressive legal system, where any movement causes severe reaction by the Law as it bites into the body of the individual’
Via
You may remember Petr from when he sewed his mouth up at the time of the Pussy Riot trial

Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose

Oh FFS!!! Gawker writer blames white kids rioting on listening to 'Anarchy In The UK'...jayzus that's a 37 year old case of deja-vu if there ever was. Also makes me feel quite old...

U.S. Deploying Jets Around Asia to Keep China Surrounded

HA!

Via

John Fugelsang on Walmart

Bradley Manning Trial Discussion: A Verdict Approaches

As the court martial of Bradley Manning nears a verdict, public opinion remains sharply divided over the consequences of his actions. The military's restraints on media coverage may have reduced overall interest in the trial, but that hasn't stopped dedicated citizens and journalists from subjecting every syllable of the proceedings to a steady flow of passionate, often partisan, scrutiny.
As well they should. The case centers on some of the most troubling issues of contemporary politics: excessive government secrecy, war crimes, the Arab Spring, encryption technology, and the use of solitary confinement as torture. Manning's fate may set the precedent for how the United States regards other leakers, like Edward Snowden, as either whistleblowers or traitors.
To sort out these complex questions, ReasonTV invited three experts to discuss the trial. Eli Lake, the national security correspondent for Newsweek and The Daily Beast, is at once grateful to see cracks in wall of state secrecy, while also acknowledging that Manning's actions have caused significant harm to American interests. Citizen journalist Alexa O'Brien defends Manning against the most serious charges of espionage and aiding the enemy, arguing that a close reading of the court records shows otherwise. Courthouse News reporter Adam Klasfeld questions the government's decision to prosecute Manning as a spy, instead of a conscientious objector.
The three journalists were a combustible mix of personalities. Tempers flared, and clashes of informed opinion occasionally descended into personal invective. Lake and O'Brien locked horns over the issue of what, if any, harm was caused by Manning's disclosures. There were fierce disagreements about the most basic facts about the case. Yet throughout the quarreling, the conversation remained substantive, and it provides insight as to why this trial is among the most important in recent times.