NPR
Showing posts with label corruption. Show all posts
Showing posts with label corruption. Show all posts
Wednesday, November 11, 2026
For months, U.S. and Israeli officials have been negotiating a plan to shift U.S. aid to Israel from the State Department to the Pentagon. It would integrate parts of the Israeli and American defense industries, and facilitate new joint projects... "It's just going to be repackaged, reframed — and possibly not include the same kind of congressional oversight."
Saturday, September 19, 2026
Dear America- How much pollution and corruption has been generated by the manufacturing, transport, and deployment of bombs?
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letter I just sent to my elected leaders
Dear America,
My vote is for decency, dignity, and kindness.
Kindness to people, kindness to our planet, to our skies
and galaxy... and kindness to the future.
Stop forcing every American taxpayer to be a cog in the ugly war
machine, the MILITARY INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX that has been killing
children, tormenting families, pulverizing homes, destroying
communities, and brazenly polluting our
shared planet earth... and now our skies.
How many men, women, and children have been killed by American
made weapons of war, cruel policies, and cuts to aid since 1990 ?
How much pollution and corruption has been generated by the manufacturing,
transport, and deployment of bombs?
9/11 was one day for all of America, one day with some utterly horrifying hours filmed, memorialized, seen, and
talked about for decades now, while American bombs have been blasting-
terrorizing, wounding and killing countless strangers who had nothing at all to do with 9/11.
American bombs have been killing civilians day after day for decades, in a slow torture of all humanity.
Might is not right.
We should be funding human needs- healthcare, education, families,
public transportation so that more people can get and keep a good job.
Diplomacy. Democracy. Freedom... Not more and more war!
Social Security needs to be solvent. Invest in the people's needs, including parks and environmental protections.
We should not be funding war and Israel: Pennsylvania Treasurer, Stacy Garrity, poured tax payer funds into Israel bonds- $20 million since 2023, raising Pennsylvania's investment to $56 million https://littlesis.org/news/u-s-state-and-local-treasuries-hold-at-least-1-6-billion-in-israel-bonds/
Since October 7th 2023, at least fourteen USA state governments, four USA municipal governments and one public pension fund have invested in Israel bonds. Combined, these investors have recently purchased $564 million in bonds... $1.6 billion worth of Israel bonds combined.
Don’t invest in bombs or buy Israel bonds.
Vote for America, vote for and invest in a better future for all people,
regardless of supposed race, religion, gender, or nationality. !
We don't need government tyranny empowered by data centers that
record every click of every mouse, with algorithms compiling favored
lists of who says what and who to imprison and destroy - we need the
rule of fair and just laws, for everyone's sake.
Please help support the United Nations- empower international law and respect for UNIVERSAL human rights.
Stop state sponsored terrorism and "preemptive" wars... SCORN VIOLENCE!!!
Sincerely,
Anne Selden Annab
NOTES https://anniesnewletters.blogspot.com/search/label/Notes
The US military just confirmed that it has deployed weapons in space.
Rare film footage of Palestine from 1896, captured by the Lumière Brothers – pioneers of cinema. These unique films provide an invaluable glimpse into daily life in the Holy Land under the Ottoman Empire, offering a rare perspective of a time long past. Watch as Palestine appears over 100 years ago, during an era when the world was rapidly changing, and cinema was just beginning to take shape!
“What Are You Doing to My Brother?” A true story by Mike Hanini Odetalla (Abu Odeh) ... Here was an elderly Orthodox rabbi, aboard a plane filled largely with Jewish passengers headed to Israel, publicly kissing the hand of a Palestinian Muslim and calling him brother.
Palestinian American activist arrested and ‘charged for trespassing at a public hearing’. Noura Erakat says a Florida mayor shortened speaking time and banned discussion of investment in Israeli bonds
'Everything changed': The human cost of 25 years of US wars... Successive wars launched after 9/11 have killed at least 4.5 million people and displaced more than 38 million others.
4.7 Million Dead, $8 Trillion: Counting the Devastating Human & Economic Costs of the Post‑9/11 Wars
Never forget also means remembering who else was hurt on 9/11 | - Ann Van Dyke, PennLive letters
Datacenter rush will create ‘tsunami’ of discarded electronics, report says: Global push will triple toxic e-waste annually in 25 years, filling enough shipping containers to circle globe six times
"The White Dove" by artist Reem Arkan
"It’s worth remembering that no one actually asked for AI, and yet here it suddenly is trying to kill us. And even if that’s averted, it’s embedding itself in our workplaces and in our emotional lives (ChatGPT may be the largest provider of mental health services in the US), robbing us of the capacity for critical thinking, and threatening economic and social stability." Brigid Delaney
"There is something historically inevitable in this. Immigration from countries and backgrounds against which the US has waged military and ideological war eventually yields not a cowed assimilation, but a sort of political cosmopolitanism – kryptonite for American exceptionalism."
Report by Israeli human rights group [B’Tselem] says systematic and broad assault being waged on conditions required for Palestinians’ existence
Children. Displaced people. Farmers. Shepherds. People returning to check their homes. Israeli drones track their movements, and strike them with precision.
The violence and the creation of new outposts are two different aspects of settlement activity, but together they show how illegal settlement expansion is occurring not only through established communities and government planning, but also through new activity on the ground.... Animated map shows spread of illegal Israeli settlements across Palestine
Why protect nature with criminal law (#EcocideLaw)? Criminal law: 👼 Shapes moral boundaries 💰 Redirects financial flows 🤵 Creates personal accountability
From Spain to Netherlands to UK: Israel exploits Gaza aid coordination to entrench occupation and settlements- Israel leverages its control over humanitarian aid coordination, which is an international legal obligation meant to assist civilians, to blackmail, punish, and isolate states
"Zohran Mamdani and Abdul El-Sayed are probably today’s most visible Muslim American politicians. What makes them noteworthy is not just their obvious communication skills, but their deliberate attention to policies that enhance the public good for all."
For now, it is Palestinians who are being killed and displaced. But ideologies of supremacy and domination threaten us all- In Gaza, we’ve seen horror unfold with global powers’ support. Is that a blueprint for elsewhere?
"In the coming year, amidst a world filled with horror, may we turn our rage, our grief, and our despair into steadfast action. May we renew our dedication to the Palestinian freedom struggle. May we double down in our commitment to collective liberation." Jewish Voice for Peace - Rosh Hashanah
A quarter century later, we must recognize that “wars on terror” have undermined Human Rights and stretched the fundamental principles of international law to breaking point. Security and human rights must go hand in hand
“Consider what we didn’t do,” said [Ben] Rhodes. “I sometimes am haunted by this. The trillions of dollars spent on a forever war: what could that have been spent on? Climate change, universal healthcare, public education. There’s a real opportunity cost to how we chose to spend our time and resources."
“What is taking place today in the West Bank is a Chillul HaShem, a violation of God’s name of the worst order. We cannot stay silent. This is terrible for Palestinian people who want to get on with their lives in peace. It is terrible for Israel,” he said. Wittenberg added: “We must speak out. We must do so out of deep concern for what is human and just, and for the sake of Israel and Judaism. We cannot turn away.”
A Palestinian child looks at the funeral of three-year-old Saadi Ghalia, who was killed by an Israeli tank shell, in Deir al-Balah. Testimony from 24 Israeli military insiders on the secret systems used in the war on Gaza has been revealed in a new documentary film about the mass killing of Palestinian civilians.
Grief Tsunami
A poem by award winning poet Naomi Shihab Nye from her newest book (2026) Sidekick
"As the CIA director John Ratcliffe said of advanced AI models this summer, “it would be … not misplaced to refer to their capabilities as akin to digital nuclear weapons.” This technology should be treated with this deadly seriousness, not the move fast, break things ethos defining Silicon Valley. And right now, stopping the race to build labor-replacing machines – ones the public does not want and the industry can no longer control – is the only surefire way to head off calamity." Garrison Lovely
Secret systems used by Israel in mass killings of Gaza civilians revealed in new film. Testimony from Israeli military insiders involved in surveillance and remote killings features in documentary produced by the Guardian
Miliband rejects chief rabbi’s claim that West Bank sanctions put UK Jews at risk. Foreign secretary says Sir Ephraim Mirvis wrong to suggest measures against Israeli settlements will make British Jews less safe
The Guardian view on Britain’s new Middle East policy: an unlawful occupation must carry a price- Ed Miliband has delivered Britain’s toughest indictment of Israeli conduct in Palestinian lands - and rightly says this has economic consequences
"Our sanctions aren’t about the Israeli people, but about the unacceptable policies of the Israeli government, and the suffering they cause Palestinians" Andy Burnham, prime minister of the United Kingdom
UK accuses Israeli ‘terrorists’ of ethnic cleansing in West Bank with government backing. Ed Miliband announces sanctions on trade with settlements as PM says in the Guardian it is time to act
United Nations: For 80 years, the UN has been saving lives & helping people by: 🇺🇳 feeding the hungry 🇺🇳 helping those forced to flee 🇺🇳 vaccinating children 🇺🇳 promoting human rights 🇺🇳 protecting the planet 🇺🇳 responding to humanitarian crises & more....
Sustainable Development Goals are a call for action by all countries – poor, rich and middle-income – to promote prosperity while protecting the planet. They recognize that ending poverty must go hand-in-hand with strategies that build economic growth and address a range of social needs including education, health, social protection, and job opportunities, while tackling climate change and environmental protection
"As the Sept. 11th Families for Peaceful Tomorrows have said numerous times, war will not end terrorism or bring peace." William Lambers
"In Gaza, rubble is not just construction waste. It is part of a crime scene, a graveyard, and the material record of a brutal and senseless 2-year bombing campaign" Francesca Albanese
The world is finally watching Palestine. But who gets to narrate its story? As courts and sports stadiums turn towards Palestine, a quieter struggle runs beneath the headlines over memory, heritage and the right of Palestinians to speak for themselves
"A state banning “dates from Ma’ale Adumim [a city in the West Bank]” while “continuing to licence the equipment used to enforce the checkpoints around it” had not “changed its relationship with the occupation … It has rearranged its communication strategy.” UN expert Francesca Albanese calls for ‘true paradigm shift’ as Miliband resets policy on Israel Exclusive: UN special rapporteur on occupied territories says ban on goods from settlements ‘important’ but must go further if it is to amount to more than a ‘press release’
Israeli ministers keep telling everyone their brutal plans – so why doesn’t the world take them seriously? Schemes to forcibly remove Palestinians from Gaza are not being promoted by fringe voices. But the international community continues to avert its eyes
"Zionists have been contemplating the ethic cleansing of the Palestinians ever since Herzl. 750,000 were evicted in 1948; 325,000 more in 1967. Katz & Ben Gvir want to kick out 2m more: "US rejects Israeli suggestions of removing Palestinians from Gaza"" William Dalrymple
Between Dec 2024 and Jan 2026, Israel’s “Operation Iron Wall” expelled the entire populations of Jenin, Tulkarm and Nur Shams refugee camps, killed 102 Palestinians, including 21 children, and largely destroyed the emptied camps, making them uninhabitable. The Operation raises concerns of crimes against humanity and ethnic cleansing, and appears aimed at entrenching the Israeli occupation and undermining the viability of a Palestinian state. Read the report:
Israel ‘organised and prepared’ to remove Gaza population if US gives green light, Katz says
POWER ... a 2026 Poem by Anne Selden Annab
Symbols of Palestine- Palestinian artist- Fedaa Boqaileh, 1948... "I dream of a gallery … one day , exact vision here… where people can smell the jasmine, hear the oud,share a coffee and sit to admire falasteen…"
Ben-Gvir did not come into power in a vacuum: he was helped into his position by an international community that has afforded Israel complete impunity
Israeli settler violence and escalating Israeli military operations alongside severe movement restrictions, demolitions and widespread displacement “have eroded Palestinian livelihoods and contributed to increased food insecurity...”
Dear America, I know for a fact that there are good and decent Jewish people on planet earth, there are good and decent Jewish groups on earth... but Israel is bad.
DEAR AMERICA
WE THE PEOPLE are being forced to fund weapons, escalating war, hate, and hypocrisy everywhere.
ICE and Israel should both be de-funded and de-fanged.
Jobs created by the weapons industry bring temporary economic relief to some- while inflicting immense pain and suffering on many many many more.
Pushing all commerce online to "Save A Tree" ends up decimating numerous forests and fields for energy and water hungry Data Centers. CEOs and our elected leaders take huge profits while taxpayers are left with escalating losses, including the surging loss of land and water for hyperscale Data Centers.
Anti-immigrant legislation and excessive funding for ICE are more about protecting wealthy people and corporations, who can hire illegals knowing that the workers and their families will be too afraid to complain about dangerous working conditions, low pay, long hours, and slum landlord housing.
You can't win a modern war. You can destroy homes & families, you can usurp land & resources from the rightful owners, and you can undermine & destroy a free press and the fourth estate- but people worldwide have memories, as well as a sense of right and wrong that cannot be bombed into oblivion.
STOP THE BOMBS and the bigotry, and PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE stop accepting bribes & propaganda & bad advice from a very foreign country that seeks to destroy support for UNIVERSAL human rights and the rule of fair and just laws.
Along the way we learned that slavery is wrong. We learned that domestic violence is wrong. We learned that racist hate is wrong. SO WHY are we funding Israel and why are we bombing Iran for Israel!!!
Violence is a problem- not the answer
The power of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights is the power of ideas to change the world. It inspires us to continue working to ensure all people can gain freedom, equality and dignity...
In 1945, 50 nations came together in San Francisco to create a new organization for peace, prosperity & human rights- the United Nations
"The United Nations is the only place on Earth where all the world's nations come together to discuss common problems and find shared solutions that benefit all of humanity. This intergovernmental organization born out of the ashes of the Second World War remains indispensable to the pursuit of world peace, justice, equality and sustainable development" https://www.un.org/en/
The right of refugees to return to homes and lands they were expelled from is an individual right and cannot be unilaterally abrogated by third parties. https://imeu.org/resources/resources/fact-sheet-palestinian-refugees-the-right-of-return-under-international-law/441
"Whereas recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world..." https://www.un.org/en/about-us/universal-declaration-of-human-rights
The real refugee crisis is the failure to make peace. Refugees flee war, conflict and persecution. End the wars that force people to run for their lives.
Monday, August 24, 2026
"Meanwhile, with his unwinnable war in the Middle East, capricious tariff regime and penchant for self-enrichment on an epic scale, Trump is turning the US into an increasingly unpredictable player in the global economy. Instead of the guarantor of rules-based markets and open global trade routes, the US has become a source of uncertainty and chaos." Heather Stewart in The Guardian
Jumpy bond markets make it clear: Trump risks driving US into debt crisis
Treasury secretary Scott Bessent’s attempt to calm bond markets is a sign of weakness not strength
Sun 23 Aug 2026
“Look, there’s nothing magic about that $40tn number,” the US Treasury secretary, Scott Bessent, told CNBC insouciantly last week, as the country’s debt mountain surpassed another bleak record.
Yet Bessent’s decision to intervene in government bond markets in an effort to combat soaring yields belied his studied calm in TV interviews – and reignited fears the US may be on the road to a debt crisis.... READ MORE https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/aug/23/jumpy-bond-markets-make-it-clear-trump-risks-driving-us-into-debt-crisis