| Cleaves |
Independent Open Publishing
|
|
| "The price of ignorance is slavery" |
|
|
|
 All stories
 Media Strategies and Revolving Spin posted by peptide, 2005-06-18 09:33:37
Should anyone be in shock or awe over the fact that Bush, Blair and Howard still lead their respective governments? What are the results of international exposure regarding the lies they promulgated in relation to the Iraq invasion? It is highly unlikely that any of these leaders would have survived the public outrage generated by these exposures in a historical setting a few decades earlier. But today leaders are comfortable in the knowledge that the public is not as it was and times are not conducive to integrity or public outrage. (full story)
mass media / international
The Art of Distraction posted by tide, 2005-06-15 07:28:54
The most effective form of crowd control is distraction, from the Roman Colosseum to Mao Zedong’s domestic steel furnaces, leaders of the past and present all understand that the focus of the masses should never be directed at government or its leaders. Few (if any) of today’s leaders or governments could withstand the rigour of sustained attention from the population. (full story)
social/political / international
Chinese Spies and Defectors posted by lao lin, 2005-06-09 09:08:26
The recent bid of a disaffected Chinese consular official to defect in Australia has displayed some curious behaviour from all concerned, not the least being the ineptitudes of Chinese government officials. Representatives of sovereign powers are not usually intimidated by journalists; however, during an interview (on the Australian media) the Chinese ambassador’s response to a question regarding the claim that three thousand Chinese 'spies' were operating in Australia, exhibited all the inexperience expected from Chinese officials in matters of international espionage. (full story)
social/political / international
The Ugly Australian posted by nano, 2005-06-04 01:49:33
The Australian media has lost itself in a ‘feeding frenzy’ once again. The Corby drug case in Indonesia has struck a resonant chord in the cultural consciousness. Media analysts would recall a previous occasion when the local media lost itself in itself and careered into a back lot of a Disneyland film set. It was the (now infamous) Chamberlain "dingo baby" case, a perfect example of objective reporting! A drone population was whipped into a state of distraction only to later confront the reality of Chamberlain’s innocence. This is the result of the media displacing the ‘story' and becoming the event. (full story)
social/political / editorial
   Semantic Subterfuge and Semiotic Terrorism posted by nano, 2005-05-16 21:23:28
This paper is an attempt to distinguish between the background (passive) and the foreground (active) in the social dynamic and the (foreground) passive and (background) active in the textual/cultural dynamic. If layers of meaning develop as a consequence of a chance semantic juxtaposition – be assured they are unintended or accidental. However, the writer would intentionally introduce a discursive contrivance, the textual 'dis-incorporator' or the "semiotic terrorist" – those who are able to reverse the prevailing method of reading/writing. (full story)
social/political / international
Intelligence USA posted by cleaves, 2005-04-23 07:28:01
It’s now official, but do these admissions carry even a vestige of credibility? The US administration recently announced that it was grossly in error regarding internal intelligence assessments of the existence of WMDs in Iraq. Someone forgot to inform neo-con PR that the bull has already wrecked the China shop. (full story)
social/political / international
The Gold Bead Game posted by peptide, 2005-04-15 21:01:04
Judgement was recently passed on a perpetrator of one of the largest corporate fraud/failures in Australian history. Minimum time to be served, approximately two and a half years! When we consider the negative impact this individual had on numerous shareholders, employees and the average ‘Joe’ in the street, one could wonder at the ‘severity’ of a sentence usually reserved for marijuana offences. Perhaps publishing the defendant’s legal costs may have helped a lay public better understand how justice is dispensed in Australia. But that’s another story (which should be written). This story will examine one factor contributing to the demise of a huge financial ‘institution’. (full story)
injustice/law / editorial
Once Lucky posted by cleaves, 2005-04-09 08:05:52
“A slave is he who cannot think for himself.” (Euripides)
“As I would not be a slave, so I would not be a master. This expresses my idea of democracy.”
(Abraham Lincoln)
“The worst form of delusion is self-delusion and the most amenable slave is one who thinks he is free.” (Anonymous)
In today’s world the above quotes could not be more relevant, the whole social world drama in which we all find ourselves cast has become a master-slave dichotomy. Subservience is now the modern way of life for the majority. Few are ‘free’, if any. It would be preferable if we all took stock of our real-life circumstances before resorting to indignation born/e of denial. (full story)
social equality/unity / international
The Jackal posted by cleaves, 2005-03-29 21:40:33
What stares you in the face is invisible! Who would suppose that Mr. “bouquet of flowers”, architect for the US world domination model, best friend of the Tel Aviv government, student of mass murderer Kissinger and neo-con extraordinaire, Paul Wolfowitz, would be allowed to run a drink stand [erratum] vie that is for presidency of the World Bank. – what next, a Kissinger nomination for the Nobel Peace Price? (full story)
social/political / international
UN Strikes Back posted by cleaves, 2005-03-12 05:32:40
Kofi Annan recently announced the UN is attempting to define “terrorism” in a universal sense; he hopes that a ‘new’ definition would apply both to States and groups. In view of the flagrant disregard for international law and convention by the US, one wonders whether this is a flight of fancy or a feeble attempt to regain some relevance for the UN. This new definition largely hinges on ‘civilian’ attacks. Analysts would view this as a purely ideological manoeuvre. The definition of “civilian” is no longer clear. (full story)
social/political / international
Modern Warfare posted by cleaves, 2005-03-08 03:49:18
A popular myth of today is that America is the “undisputed” leading military power of the world. However, does this claim stand up to the scrutiny of even the simplest analysis? All things are relative in a military context so the obvious question is against whom is this ‘power’ dominant? The combined nuclear assets of the Sino-Russian alliance alone is enough to dispatch the entire American continent, if the sheer force of numbers (manpower) is included, the ‘winner’ would be the Chinese and Russians. In the context of all-out war the one absolute fact (that the US attempts to ignore) is mutual assured destruction. The Zionist lunatics (Perle, Wolfowitz, Rumsfeld) who persuaded Bush to abandon nuclear disarmament treaties, thereby giving other nations similar license, have put us all in jeopardy. (full story)
peace/war / international
Bush and EU (Update) posted by cleaves, 2005-02-25 23:31:01
For pure entertainment value the gloved Punch & Judy or Balinese shadow puppets are preferable to Bush and the EU leaders. The images the media presents of these flesh and blood puppets, all ‘stringed’ by their respective Transnational Corporations, are amusing if not entertaining. (full story)
social/political / international
Chieftain’s Lament posted by cleaves, 2005-02-20 21:11:09
Are we fools that we cannot see that America has become everything it once despised? Is the Bill of Rights merely a fanciful document to be disregarded whenever it suits. Have the words freedom, liberty, equality been reduced in meaning to the level of advertising slogans, or worse, utilised as a veil to cloak despotism, conquest and exploitation? Are we so stupid that we believe the absurd proposition that we must surrender our liberties in order to safeguard our liberties? Reality signals an unambiguous yes to all the above. A nation is only its people and there is no blame to lay elsewhere. How profound is the contradiction that is ourselves? (full story)
social equality/unity / international
State of the Union posted by cleaves, 2005-02-15 05:32:14
There has never been an instance in recorded history when a nation that achieved military superiority did not attempt to dominate other nations. This is the inevitable result of gaining a strategic or technological ‘advantage.’ In view of the historical record, is it unusual that America would abandon its founding principles in favour of despotism and the pursuit of world domination? The path the US has taken is not new; it is a tired well-worn path that leads to certain destruction. (full story)
peace/war / international
Myopia posted by cleaves, 2005-02-02 00:38:03
Never before in modern history has the sensibility of the population been so anaesthetised. And never before will such a high price be extracted for the failure to reign in nefarious groups that have taken control of the major institutions of power.
While we brood in self-involved distraction, our options are being slowly but effectively eroded and our hard-won liberties are being curtailed. Yet where is the reactive response to these occurrences? With the exception of people of conscience, inertia and apathy has permeated the majority. (full story)
social/political / international
page newer stories | 202 | 203 | 204 | 205 | 206 | 207 | 208 | 209 | 210 | |
|
|
