Stephen Zunes on the Mavi Marmara:

To leading Democratic lawmakers, such as Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), however, "this flotilla was more about creating an incident than helping people." Similarly, Mikulski insisted that the activists "cared more about inciting a confrontation that they did about delivering aid."

These lawmakers seem to have forgotten, however, the longstanding tradition of strategic nonviolent direct action to "create an incident." The four African-American students who sat at the Woolworth's lunch counter in Greensboro back in 1960 weren't just interested in a cup of coffee. Similarly, when civil rights activists protested in downtown Birmingham in 1963, there was reason to suspect that Sherriff Bull Connor would use force to break up the demonstrations.

When people struggle nonviolently for justice against an oppressive state apparatus, there is no contradiction between helping people and creating an incident.

Mavi Marmara autopsy

The Guardian on autopsy reports from the Mavi Marmara. The bottom line:
Autopsy reports reveal that most of the victims of the Israeli raid were shot in the head at close range. Fulkan Dogan, a 19-year old U.S. citizen, was shot five times from less than 18 inches away.

Gaza on brink of implosion as aid cut-off starts to bite

The Guardian, from 2006:

Israel's policy was summed up by Dov Weisglass, an adviser to Ehud Olmert, the Israeli Prime Minister, earlier this year. 'The idea is to put the Palestinians on a diet, but not to make them die of hunger,' he said. The hunger pangs are supposed to encourage the Palestinians to force Hamas to change its attitude towards Israel or force Hamas out of government.

Cultures of Resistance Video of the Mavi Marmara

Israeli Attack on the Mavi Marmara, May 31st 2010 // 15 min. from Cultures of Resistance on Vimeo.

CounterPunch Diary

Pariah Nation

By ALEXANDER COCKBURN

"At least half of any US president’s job is play-acting, pretending to be in charge, on behalf of We the People. Most of what actually happens in America is beyond any president’s ability or political inclination to control.

The banks run the finances. The oil companies and Israel vie for control of US foreign policy. The arms companies arrange the wars. The insurance companies figure out who should live or die."

Revolt of the Drone Operators

Some CIA Officers Say Predator Strikes Helping Al Qaeda

By GARETH PORTER

"Addicott said the drone programme has been driven by President Barack Obama, rather than by the CIA. "Obama's trying to show people that we're winning," he added.

The programme was originally authorised by President George W. Bush against a relatively short list of high-level al Qaeda officials, and with highly restrictive conditions on approval of each strike. The strike could not be approved unless the target was identified with high confidence, and a complete assessment of "collateral damage" had to ensure against significant civilian casualties."

Will Glenn Beck’s Common Nonsense Change Our Nation?: An Interview With Alex Zaitchik

Monday 24 May 2010

by: Sara Robinson | The Campaign for America's Future

SR: Beck has set himself up as this sort of revisionist history and civics teacher. What do you think it means for the country that we've got two million people watching his fractured-fairy-tale versions of history every day?

AZ: It doesn't speak very well for the state of conservatism, that's for sure. It wasn't all that long ago that the most high-profile representatives of conservatism were people like Bill Buckley, who—disagree with him as you might have on the issues—was very educated, and didn't routinely make wildly idiotic statements. Here's another difference: Instead of smearing those with whom he disagreed, as Beck did with Van Jones, Buckley invited Huey Newton, who really was a black-power revolutionary, onto Firing Line and actually talked to him, not about him, for an hour, like an adult. So I think first and foremost, Beck's stature and influence is a statement on conservatism more than it's a statement on the country. It's important to keep in mind that it's only a very small percentage of the country at large that's watching this guy, and those people tend to be the more hardcore, less-educated conservatives.