Neoliberal News of the Day: Jan. 31, 2013

The Pathopsychology of War with Cynthia McKinney & Abayomi Azikiwe  -  “This week on Heart of Africa, Kudakwashe hosted Former US Congresswoman & 2008 US Presidential Candidate for the Green Party, Cynthia McKinney & African Historian, Political Analyst & Editor of Pan African News Wire, Abayomi Azikiwe. The phenomenal discussion was on “The Psychology (Pathopsychology) of War”.”

Melissa Harris-Perry Buries The Lead Story on National Wave of Public School Closings  -  “The fact is that high-stakes testing is being forced upon states and school districts by the Obama administration as part of its Race To The Top Program. RTTT awards funding to states and school districts on the basis of four criteria — (1) school transformations and (2) school turnarounds, in which large numbers of staff are fired and “run the school like a business consultants brought in to tie teacher salaries tightly to test scores, (3) school restarts in which public school facilities are handed over to charter operators, and (4) school closings. RTTT guidelines were written in the first place by consultants from the Eli Broad, Walton Family, Gates, and other self-interested foundations which have spent tens of millions promoting charter schools and educational privatization.

Clothing to Die For -  “Well, isn’t that nice. A few weeks after a fabric-fueled inferno killed more than 100 locked-in garment workers at the Tazreen Fashion factory outside Dhaka, the 23rd Bangladesh Apparel and Textile Exposition gathered under a gold-colored “circular dome with dazzling lighting [like] a gala concert on a broad way [sic] theater,” the conference center’s website boasted. A minute of silence kicked off the proceedings, and then the reps and buyers turned to ensuring that Bangladesh, which has some of the world’s most poorly paid garment workers, wins the race to the bottom of low-wage countries. Last year clothing exports earned the country $19 billion, a whopping 78 percent of its total exports.”

Spying on Iran? Iran Arrests Elements of Network Linked to BBC: Intelligence Ministry  -  “The Iranian Intelligence Ministry says it has arrested several elements cooperating with a Western media network. In a statement released on Wednesday night, the Ministry said that in line with its duties to counter any foreign infiltration and interference in the country, it identified “one of the largest media networks affiliated to the global arrogance.”

Al-Nusra Mass Executions of Abducted Citizens in Aleppo: Syria Calls on UN Security Council  -  “Foreign and Expatriates Ministry on Wednesday sent two identical letters to President of The UN security Council and UN Secretary General on the mass execution perpetrated by terrorist groups of “Jabhat al-Nusra” against tens of abducted citizens in Aleppo on Tuesday and throwing their bodies in Qweiq river in Bustan al-Qasr neighborhood.”

Mali and AFRICOM’s Africa Agenda: Target China  -  “Out of the blue in the last days Mali has suddenly become the focus of world attention. France has been asked to militarily intervene by Mali’s government to drive Jihadist terrorists out of the large parts of the country they claim. What the conflict in Mali really is about is hardly what we read in the mainstream media. It is about vast untapped mineral and energy resources and a de facto re-colonization of French Africa under the banner of human rights. The real background reads like a John LeCarre thriller.”

UN Panel: Israeli Settlements Are Illegal – “The United Nations’ first report on the broad policy of Israeli settlements concluded Thursday that the government’s practice of “creeping annexation” clearly violates the human rights of Palestinians, and called for an immediate halt.”

Israel must remove all Jewish settlers from occupied West Bank – UN inquiry  -  ““Israel must, in compliance with article 49 of the Fourth Geneva Convention, cease all settlement activities without preconditions,” the report read, adding that Israel must immediately begin to withdraw all settlers from the occupied Palestinian territories (OPT).”

Charter Schools That Start Bad Stay Bad, Stanford Report Says - “When it comes to charter schools, the bad ones stay bad and the good ones stay good, according to a report on charter school growth released by an influential group of Stanford University scholars on Wednesday.”

Assad: We regained the upper hand   – “Syrian President Bashar al-Assad told visitors that the Syrian army “regained the initiative on the ground to a very high degree and achieved important results, which will come to light soon.”

Russia says ‘deeply concerned’ over Israeli airstrike in Syria  -  “On Wednesday, the Syrian army said two people were killed and five others injured in an Israeli airstrike on a research center in Jamraya, near the capital, Damascus. Israel declined to comment on the issue.”

Israeli Attack: Desperate Bid to Save Failed Syrian Campaign   -  “Israel has conducted airstrikes in Syria based on “suspicions” of chemical weapon transfers, in a flagrant violation of the UN Charter, international law, and in direct violation of Syria’s sovereignty.”

Israeli regime deploying forces on Syria border: Syria TV  – “Syria’s state television says the Israeli regime is deploying military forces on the Syrian border.”

Clashes in Athens as Protesters Break into Gov’t Building – “The Wednesday protest, by a few hundred people, was organized by a Communist backed labor union, and took place in front of the Labor Ministry building. The protesters were voicing their anger by the severe austerity measures that have gripped Greece since the financial crisis took hold in the country in late 2009.”

Saudi Arabia: 36 Days in Jail for Human Rights Sign  -  “Saudi Arabia’s harsh crackdown on demonstrations led many to start experimenting with new methods for showing dissent.”

French military oversees power-sharing deal in Central African Republic -  “The political realignment underway is being driven by the French government, which aims to reassert control over its former resource-rich colony and counter China’s growing economic and diplomatic influence.”

US considering new drone base in Africa  -  “If the plan is approved, up to 300 US military servicemembers and contractors could be sent to the base to operate the drone aircraft, the New York Times reported. US Africa Command is also considering another location as an alternative to the base in Burkina Faso, the official said.”

Declining Union Membership and Attacks on Workers: Pages from the Neoliberal Playbook  -  “Last week, the U.S. Labor Department reported that the percentage of U.S. workers who were union members in 2012 had fallen to a 97-year low of 11.3 percent of the workforce. The total number of union members fell by 400,000 workers relative to 2011. In 2011, the unionization rate was 11.8 percent of the workforce.”

Hey, Hey, Barack! What Do You Say? How Many Kids Have You Killed Today?  -  “I personally found the president’s inaugural speech not just insipid, but disgusting. It reached its gut-churning nadir near the end where he said:”

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