Afghani massacre at the hands of US military despicable, seen primarily as PR problem by US media
On Sunday, it was reported that a US soldier killed 16 Afghan civilians in Southern Afghanistan.
The massacre has resulted in more Afghan protests against the US/NATO occupation, despite the lack of attention to this critical issue in the US.
US government responses are framing the massacre as an anomaly and that the US military does not commit these kinds of atrocities as a matter of policy. However, Kathy Kelly, interviewed this morning on Democracy Now!, stated:
“I think that the United States and military officials would like to characterize the massacre as exceptional, sort of one bad apple. But I think it actually encapsulates what the United States presence in Afghanistan has been all about. Unprovoked and uncaused attacks have been waged by the United States against Afghan civilians. It isn’t as though this was one deplorable act. This soldier was assigned to a Joint Special Operations Force base, and the Joint Special Operations Forces have been engaging in the night raids on an average of 10 per night, sometimes as many as 40 per night, all across Afghanistan and killing civilians steadily. And combine that with the drone surveillance and the helicopter—combat helicopter attacks that have killed civilians. Just in Kapisa three days earlier, four civilians were killed. This, of course, has fueled a long-simmering rage across Afghanistan, where 400 people are displaced every single day by the war and the fighting.”
Public Relations Problem not human rights issue
Despite the horrendous act of violence by the US military against Afghani civilians on Sunday, the major US news media is not reporting this incident as a war crime, but as a public relations disaster.
The national media watchdog group Fairness & Accuracy in Reporting posted an excellent media analysis today that once again demonstrates how the major news media in this country has essentially taken a favorable position on the decade long US occupation of Afghanistan. Here is part of that analysis:
The front-page headline at USA Today (3/12/12) read, “Killings Threaten Afghan Mission.” The story warned that the allegations “threaten to test U.S. strategy to end the conflict.” In the New York Times (3/12/12), the massacre was seen as “igniting fears of a new wave of anti-American hostility.” The paper went on to portray occupation forces as victims:
The possibility of a violent reaction to the killings added to a feeling of siege here among Western personnel. Officials described growing concern over a cascade of missteps and offenses that has cast doubt on the ability of NATO personnel to carry out their mission and has left troops and trainers increasingly vulnerable to violence by Afghans seeking revenge.
The fact that the massacres occurred two days after a NATO helicopter strike killed four civilians was “adding to the sense of concern.”
Another Times piece (3/12/12) began with this:
The outrage from the back-to-back episodes of the Koran burning and the killing on Sunday of at least 16 Afghan civilians imperils what the Obama administration once saw as an orderly plan for 2012.
That sounds as if “outrage” is the most serious problem–the reaction to the actions, not the actions themselves.
Treating the killing of civilians as chiefly a PR problem is not a new phenomenon. As FAIR noted (“The Bad PR of Dead Civilians,” 5/11/09), the news that dozens were killed in NATO airstrikes brought headlines like “Civilian Deaths Imperil Support for Afghan War” (New York Times, 5/7/09), “Claim of Afghan Civilian Deaths Clouds U.S. Talks” (Wall Street Journal, 5/7/09) and “Afghan Civilian Deaths Present U.S. With Strategic Problem” (Washington Post, 5/8/09).
This same kind of reaction was reported on MLive today, with the reporter taking attention away from the 16 civilian deaths and giving voice to a GVSU professor and Michigan Senator Carl Levin, both of whom support the US occupation in Afghanistan. Levin, even went as far as to say the killing of 16 Afghani civilians by the US military will put US soldiers at risk.
This Saturday, (March 17) there will be a Michigan Inter-Occupational Summit, where people from various Occupy groups throughout the state will converge in Grand Rapids to share information, experiences and skills with anyone who wished to attend.
The summit will take place on the GVSU downtown campus in the Loosemore Auditorium from 11:00AM til 11:00PM, with workshops and educational sessions offered throughout the day. A breakdown of the day can be viewed on the Grand Rapids Activist Calendar.
Part of the day will be spent both learning about the destructive practices of the multinational corporation Monsanto, plus a public protest against the company from 2:30PM – 4:00PM at Monument Park on the corner of Division and Fulton in downtown Grand Rapids.
According to Occupy GR’s blog:
Since it’s founding in 1901, Monsanto has had a sordid history riddled with outbreaks of dioxins, some of the most dangerous of chemical substances like agent orange, and constant controversy over their business methods.
There will be information sessions about Monsanto at the 10th Michigan Inter-Occupational Summit that will talk about the company and their connection to:
- an estimated 25,000 suicides in India
- “Terminator Seeds”
- their aggressive patent strategies that are putting many organic and non-Monsanto farmers out of business
- their corruption of our government through executives and corporate lawyers being given positions in the EPA, the FDA, the court system.
You can also access information about the 10th Michigan Inter-Occupational Summit and the Monsanto protest this Saturday at this link.
Last Tuesday we posted a list of local entities that advertise on WOOD Radio as part of the campaign to get Rush Limbaugh’s syndicated show off the air in West Michigan.
A few days ago we received notice that one of those advertisers, Maple Creek, has since pulled their funding from the station, according to a spokesperson from the senior housing center, which is run by Lutheran Social Services.
This is certainly a step in the right direction, but this is just the beginning and we need to keep the pressure up. The national campaign continues to target big advertisers and our campaign is focusing on local businesses that are advertising on WOOD Radio. To be clear, we are targeting any West Michigan entity advertising on WOOD Radio, not just those that run ads during the Limbaugh show. If we are going to be effective, we need to target any and all local advertising on the local Clear Channel station, WOOD Radio.
- At the bottom, we are re-posting the local advertisers that need to be contacted. Please share this list with as many people as possible and re-post on Facebook and any other social media venues as possible.
- Continue to send e-mails to WOOD Radio Station Manager Tim Feagan TimFeagan@clearchannel.com. All e-mails that call for Limbaugh’s removal from the air must go in the station’s public file, which could be useful since WOOD Radio is renewing their license with the FCC this year.
- Send written letters to WOOD Radio/Time Feagan, 77 Monroe Center, Grand Rapids, MI 49503. These letters will also go into the station’s public file.
- We need people to contact organizations and ask them to sign on to this campaign to pressure WOOD Radio. We need women’s organization, unions, student groups and any and all organizations that believe hateful speech has no place in West Michigan.
West MI Advertisers on WOOD Radio:
Grand Rapids Lighting
616-949-4931
Kyper College
kcapisciolto@kuyper.edu 616-988-3676
Kent Equipment
(616) 675-5368 http://www.kentequipment.com/contact.htm
River City Reproductions
616.464.1220 info@rivercityreproductions.com
Life EMS
1-888-543-3367 info@lifeems.com
Mercantile Bank of Michigan
616.406.3604 https://www.mercbank.com/contact.asp
Silver Bullet Firearms
(616) 249-1911 silverbulletfirearms@gmail.com
West Michigan Office Interiors
(800) 964.0201 sales@wmoi.com
Granite Transformations
(866) 400-1594
http://grandrapids-granitetransformations.aiprx.com/grandrapids/contact-us/
AMR-West Mi
(616) 459-8228
http://www.ems-education.com/page5/
AAA Turf
616-669-7715
West Michigan Glass Block
616.243.3700
http://www.wmgb.com/contact.asp
Bartlett Tree Experts
616-245-9449
Spectrum Health
(616) 391-1382
http://www.spectrumhealth.org/body.cfm?id=57
Family Fare
616-878-8350
Occupy Grand Rapids announces their willingness to be in solidarity with those facing foreclosure
On Friday, Occupy Grand Rapids announced that they were ready to work with people who were facing home foreclosures.
In a Media Release, the group states:
“Occupy Our Homes is ready to resist foreclosures with homeowners and families who are ready to fight back. This is a national movement of people like you and me, who support homeowners and families who stand up to the banks and fight for their homes. We stand in solidarity with Occupy Wall St.
If you are facing foreclosure or eviction, and you are ready to fight… We want to work with you. Maybe you’re looking to negotiate with the bank, maybe you just need more time before you move out, maybe you need to get a loan modification. Maybe you’re the victim of foreclosure fraud. We are here to work with you and to help you save your home.
What is Foreclosure Defense? What is Eviction Resistance?
These are a range of tactics that can be used to defend your home, everything from contacting the bank and suing for fraud to inviting us to occupy your yard and physically blocking an eviction attempt. Occupy Our Homes – GR can help with foreclosure defense and eviction resistance. We work together with you to come up with a plan of action. We can stand up, with you, against eviction. Everyone’s situation is different, so the strategy we come up with has to fit your needs.
Housing is a right, not a privilege.
Everyone deserves to have a roof over their head and a place to call home. Millions of Americans have worked hard for years for the opportunity to own their own home; for others, it remains a distant goal. For all of us, having a decent place to live for ourselves and our families is the most fundamental part of the American dream, a source of security and pride.
In 2008, we discovered bankers had been gambling with our most valuable asset, our homes… betting against us and destroying trillions of dollars of our wealth. Now, because of the foreclosure crisis Wall Street banks created with their lies and greed, millions of Americans have lost their homes, and one in four homeowners are currently underwater on their mortgage.
The Occupy Wall Street movement and brave homeowners around the country are coming together to say, “Enough is enough.” We, the 99%, are standing up to Wall Street banks and demanding they negotiate with homeowners instead of evicting them.”
Occupy Grand Rapids is open to working with anyone who genuinely wants to fight housing foreclosures and the financial system at the root of this economic and housing crisis. The group can be reached by phone (616) 805-9023, e-mail homes@occupygr.org or occupygr.org/homes.
A Putrid Misogyny
This article by Gail Dines is re-posted from Counter Punch.
Ever since Rush let out his true feelings about women as “sluts” and “prostitutes” – and inadvertently revealed his porn use – the media and blogosphere has been alive with discussions about the Republican “war on women”. You have to hand it to these Republican fools, they do seem to be getting themselves into trouble a lot lately with their inability to mask their putrid misogyny. Yes, there is a war on women, but is it is not just the Republicans who have been waging this.
What gets less air-time is the never-ending war that both Democrats and Republicans have been waging against women with policies that create an economic climate that makes women and children’s lives intolerable. Cutting education, healthcare, and welfare programs always hurts women and children the most. And while we are at it, we may as well admit that most men aren’t having such a wonderful time either, as they struggle to survive in a society where the rich seem to have limitless greed and a blood lust for destroying the lives of those of us who don’t have a country club membership.
Yes, I am enraged when the ridiculous right come out with new and improved statements about women being wanton whores and all, but I can’t help having a grudging admiration for the Republicans because what they are doing makes good political sense. Creating media distractions is not a new strategy. In the past, the demonization of African Americans has been an excellent way to get the white working class to vote against their class interests. Who can forget Ronald Reagan’s “welfare queen” speeches, or George H. W. Bush’s Willy Horton rampage? Those in power will do whatever it takes to get the working class to take their eyes off the rich, and if this means holding up an entire race as the cause of America’s problems, then so be it.
And now it is women’s turn. With our insatiable sexual appetites, our fondness for aborting “unborn children”, and our love of reproducing outside of state sanctioned marriage, we are, it seems, slowly but surely destroying everything that made this country great. The social conservatives are doing their buddies, the fiscal conservatives, a great service here because the latter get to carry on stealthily dismantling this country piece by piece, while the media spend time talking about whether women are indeed sluts!
My solution is that all women should admit that we are indeed wanton for having a vagina, and then insist that the media move on to discuss the way the elite, who control both the Democratic and Republican parties, are destroying this country. We should refuse to play their game by defending ourselves against stupid, adolescent slurs, and instead redefine the problem. And the problem is that women have to live in a male dominated society that systematically and willfully denies them a life of economic, political and sexual equality. Things may get a bit worse under the Republicans, but let’s not forgot that is was Bill Clinton who spearheaded the assault on welfare mothers, while of course, busy spilling his semen into the lap of a woman young enough to be his daughter.
I am so happy that Rush seems to be the straw that broke the camel’s back, but please don’t let us squander this moment by focusing just on his sex-baiting slurs. We need to think bigger and bolder than this, and push for a more politically ambitious goal of redistributing wealth and power. We should never, ever have to beg men for our rights, and the only way to put an end to this, is to dismantle the racist, sexist, capitalist structures that still dominate America.
Interview with Grand Rapids Author Greg Shotwell on his new book, Autoworkers Under the Gun
Earlier this week we had an opportunity to sit down and talk with long time UAW activist Greg Shotwell.
The occasion for the interview was the release of Shotwell’s new book published by Haymarket books, Autoworkers Under the Gun: A Shop-floor view of the end of the American Dream.
We talked about his years with the UAW, his involvement with the Soldiers of Solidarity, the importance of writing from a shop floor perspective and the state of unions in the US today.
In addition, Shotwell addressed the potential of workplace democracy and the problem of big labor’s attachment to the Democratic Party.
Free! 4th Annual Empowered Womyn’s Health workshop March 24
The Bloom Collective hosts a free workshop, Empowered Women’s Health, 1 to 5 p.m. Sat. March 24 in the Steepletown Center, 671 Davis NW., where the Bloom Collective is located (corner of 5th & Davis). The workshop will share information on alternative practices and philosophies around the issues of women’s healthcare as well as provide a safe space for women to share health wisdom with each other.
Such wisdom was the basis for good health in times past, before healthcare became a commodity on the stock market and a product on the pharmacy shelf.
The workshop is intentionally free because access to health information, or healthcare for that matter, should not be based on a woman’s ability to pay.
This year’s sessions include:
- CLOTHES ENCOUNTERS: HOW TO MEND & REPURPOSE YOUR GARMENTS with seamstress Camille Metzger, proprietor of Blue Marble Threads
- DON’T BUDGET MY BUDGET with Roni VanBuren, community liaison, Our Kitchen Table
- YOGA NIDRA DEEP RELAXATION WITH INTENTION with Stelle, from The Bloom Collective
- An Introduction To Womb Wellness with Juliea Paige Bearth, Doula
- SIMMER AWAY STRESS: COOKING FOODS THAT DETOX THE BODY AND RELIEVE THE SOUL. With Nancy Rutledge, Chef, CC Dining Services.
Throughout the afternoon, Doula and certified Reiki practitioner, Afiya Orara, will provide mini-Reiki sessions and Rachael Hamilton will share about menstrual health and how to sew our own pads. Racchael has been a favorite presenter during past Womyn’s Empowered Health workshops.
We will conclude with a potluck supper featuring Chef Nancy’s dishes, Womyn Friendly Herbal Teas and a Group Sharing Time. Please bring a dish to pass. Limited childcare is available—contact The Bloom ahead of time to arrange.
IWW Film night to screen Black Power Mixtape on March 15
The Grand Rapids branch of the IWW, along with Occupy GR and The Bloom Collective are hosting the first public screening of the recently released film Black Power Mixtape 1967 – 1975.
During the rise of the Black Power Movement in the ’60’s and ’70s, Swedish Television journalists documented the unfolding cultural revolution for their audience back home, having been granted unprecedented access to prominent leaders such as Angela Davis, Stokely Carmichael, and Black Panther Party founders Huey P. Newton and Bobby Seale.
Now, after more than 30 years in storage, this rarely seen footage spanning nearly a decade of Black Power is finally available, as seen in a light completely different from the narrative of the American media at the time. The film is a mix of archival footage with contemporary reflections on the significance of the Black Panther Party for Self Defense and other Black Power groups.
There will be a discussion following the film.
Black Power Mixtape
Thursday, March 15
7:00PM
IATSE Labor Hall
931 Bridge St. NW in Grand Rapids
New Media We Recommend
Below is a list of new materials that we have read/watched in recent weeks. The comments are not a “review” of the material, instead sort of an endorsement of ideas and investigations that can provide solid analysis and even inspiration in the struggle for change. All these items are available at The Bloom Collective, so check them out and stimulate your mind.
The Imperial Messenger: Thomas Friedman at Work, by Belen Fernandez – After years of being an apologist for American imperialism and American exceptionalism, someone has finally written a book that exposes New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman. Belen Fernandez’ work is masterful, with sharp analysis and biting commentary on the arrogance of Friedman and his often dimwitted observations about the role of the US in the world. Fernandez critiques both Friedman’s books and his NYT columns. The 145-page book is a quick read, yet full of important analysis, particularly on Friedman’s take on the US since 9/11 and in the Israeli/Palestine conflict. For a study in how US journalists act as cheerleaders for empire, this book delivers.
Autoworkers Under the Gun: A Shop-floor view of the end of the American Dream, by Greg Shotwell – Long time Grand Rapids resident and labor activist Greg Shotwell provides us with a gem of a book in Autoworkers Under the Gun. This collection of short shop-floor reflections from someone who used to work in the auto industry and as a member of the UAW, gives readers a much-needed perspective on the auto-industry from the bottom up. Shotwell also provides us with an interesting look at the political tensions between rank and file workers and union bureaucrats. Shotwell began writing about these issues for a dissident group within the UAW known as the Soldiers of Solidarity under the column heading of Live Bait & Ammo. The retired union worker does what Howard Zinn challenged all of us to do…….tell history from the point of view that is different from those in power. Highly recommended.
Making the Future: Occupations, Interventions, Empire and Resistance, by Noam Chomsky – This most recent collection of short Chomsky musings covers the period of 2007 – 2011. The MIT Linguistics Professor who continues to write and speak demonstrates his continued commitment to challenging US hegemony. What is interesting about this collection of writings is that it begins at the end of the Bush administration and continues through the Obama years, demonstrating a seamless thread of US imperialism. In addition, Chomsky provides readers with a wonderful assessment of the revolutionary movements around the global, from the Arab Spring to Occupy Wall Street. Vintage Chomsky.
Granito: How to Nail a Dictator (DVD) – This feature-length documentary covers a 30-year journey by filmmaker Pamela Yates. As a young film student, Yates was in Guatemala during the early 80s, a period known as La Violencia – The Violence. Yates gained access to both the armed insurgents and the Guatemalan military and ended up with a film entitled, When the Mountains Tremble, a film that featured the young Guatemalan Indian activist Rigoberta Menchu. The story picks up years later when Yates becomes involved in the Spanish legal case against former Guatemalan dictator Rios Montt. Yates discovers that some of her archival film is a valuable resource in making a case against Montt, along with newly discovered Guatemalan documents that make the legal case for genocide charges more convincing. Granito is a powerful film about memory, justice and how a whole nation is attempting to heal from decades of brutal violence.
Earlier today 15 people gathered in front of the building that house Clear Channel, the parent company of WOOD Radio.
The protest was a result of last week’s comments from syndicated radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh, who called Georgetown law student Sandra Fluke a “slut” and a “prostitute.”
Since Saturday, the National Organization for Women’s (NOW) Grand Rapids chapter and GRIID have been calling on people to contact WOOD Radio to demand that they remove the Limbaugh show from their lineup. Limbaugh is broadcast on WOOD Radio five days a week from noon – 3pm.
The local campaign consists of people sending written letters or e-mails to the Station Manager Tim Feagan TimFeagan@clearchannel.com and pressuring local companies that currently advertise on WOOD Radio to pull their funding until the station removes the Limbaugh show.
Today people held signs outside the Clear Channel building, while others went inside to deliver more letters and look at the station’s public file. The group was able to determine that so far there are at least 80 separate complaints from people, all demanding that WOOD Radio stop broadcasting Limbaugh. The group will continue to monitor the number of letters that WOOD Radio receives on this issue, which could have an impact on whether or not the Clear Channel station will be able to renew their license with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) later this year.
When a Clear Channel representative finally came down they told those gathered that only 1 person at a time could go up. People said they wanted to go as a group to deliver the additional letters people brought today and to talk to the Station Manager. People were told that the Station Manager was out to lunch and then said that people could come up in pairs. Two groups of two went to the 10th floor offices of Clear Channel, since the public no longer has immediate access to the local office of the radio conglomerate. People are required to call the station, which will send a representative downstairs to escort people upstairs.
Some local news media showed up to report on the protest with WZZM 13 posting a preliminary story online and an MLive story that was longer, but failed to mention that today’s protest was just the kickoff to an ongoing campaign.
