The artwork for A History of Now, the new album from Asian Dub Foundation (ADF), is a set of iPhone apps. But instead of Apple鈥檚 tame applications, the band of British-born Indian genre benders have invented their own parodies.
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Hidden beneath the spectacular street battles that forced Egyptian dictator Hosni Mubarak out of office was a trigger that exists in dozens of countries throughout the world 鈥 food.
Or, more specifically, the lack of it.
Commentators have focused on the corruption of the dictatorship, or the viral effects of the Tunisian uprising or what appears to be akin to an Arab political awakening.
But the inability of the Egyptian regime to ensure a steady flow of food staples should also be viewed as a critical factor driving this seemingly spontaneous movement for freedom.
A huge battle of the right of public sector workers to organise has broken out in the state of Wisconsin. In response to a law pushed by Republican Governor Scott Walker, protesters have held a sit-in at the state legislature in Madison, Wisconsin鈥檚 capital, since February 14.
Under heavy public pressure, the South Australian government of Labor Premier Mike Rann appears to be wavering in its support for mining uranium in the Arkaroola wilderness in the state鈥檚 north.
On February 18, the Adelaide Advertiser gave front-page headlines to reports that Arkaroola, a privately-held nature sanctuary and ecotourism site in the Flinders Ranges about 600 kilometres north of the state capital, could be declared a national park.
More than 100,000 protesters packed Pearl Roundabout in Bahrain's capital, Manama, on February 22, demanding an end to the regime of King Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa.
Protester Muhammad Abdullah told The New York Times: 鈥淭his is the first time in the history of Bahrain that the majority of people, of Bahraini people, got together with one message: this regime must fall.鈥
If the Khalifa family 鈥 which has ruled the tiny island nation for 200 years 鈥 falls, it could have major implications for the region and world politics.
An angry group of about 20 protesters held a snap action for refugee rights on February 18 outside the Perth office of the Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC).
During the protest, Refugee Rights Action Network (RRAN) members covered the DIAC sign with a new message that proclaimed it 鈥渢he department of child abuse鈥.
The protesters called for the Australian government to respect the human rights of refugees and put an end to mandatory detention of asylum seekers' children.
Several activists held up signs saying 鈥渟hame鈥.
As the wave of popular uprisings has spread across the Arab world, a flurry of articles have appeared suggesting Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez could be the next 鈥渄ictator鈥 to be overthrown.
Such arguments follow a pattern in the corporate media of slandering the Chavez government and the revolutionary process it leads.
They aim to conceal the real threat that haunts imperialism: that the Arab world may follow the example of Venezuela and other countries in Latin America 鈥 and break away from Western hegemony.
Invasions don鈥檛 bring democracy It鈥檚 a pity the 鈥渃oalition of the willing鈥 invaded Iraq and Afghanistan. Maybe if they hadn't, the Iraqi and Afghan people would have been getting rid of Saddam Hussein and the Taliban themselves 鈥 right now. And building their own real organic democracies, step by step.
Full Quarter Storms
By Sonny Melencio
2010, Transform Asia Inc.
transform.asia1@gmail.com
Veteran Filipino socialist activist Sonny Melencio鈥檚 political autobiography, Full Quarter Storms, covers a lot of history.
The book tells the story of the 鈥淔irst Quarter Storm鈥, the student uprising in 1970 (from which the book draws its title), and the driving of this powerful movement underground by the declaration of martial law by then-president Ferdinand Marcos in 1972.
The Refugee Action Coalition in Sydney has obtained a letter, reprinted below, which was written to the immigration department 40 days after the Christmas Island disaster, by survivors.
RAC has welcomed the subsequent government decision to release Seena, the nine-year-old orphaned Iranian boy (and the family that is caring for him), and two other orphaned survivors, but says all survivors must be released.
* * *
In the Name of God the Compassionate, the Merciful
Refugees pose no threat. They are simply people seeking refuge from wars, poverty, exploitation and/or dangerous climate change. Many come for a better life, for themselves and their families.
The rich countries, and the imperialist system of war and exploitation over which they preside, create refugees. Yet instead of helping those forced to seek asylum, they criminalise them.
About 50 angry policyholders 鈥 victims of the huge floods that inundated large parts of Brisbane in January 鈥 protested outside the South Bank offices of insurance company CGU on February 18. The noisy protest presented a list of demands to the company, the February 19 Courier Mail said.
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