Facts Management.

The following is the transcript of Arundhati Roy, an Indian Political Activist, and Writer invited to speak by the Lannan Foundation on September 18,2002, at the Lensic Performing Arts Center in Santa Fe, New Mexico.   The speech delivers a strong narrative on the steps that brought us to today's global crises (the corruption of governments and the illusion of freedom in which its citizens live). "... today the world is run by three of the most secretive institutions in the world: The International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, and the World Trade Organization, all three of which, in turn, are dominated by the U. S." Arundhati  Roy's speech can be viewed and heard in a documentary.   Follow the link below. Pass the word around. http://www.youtube.com/user/eHistory101 Transcription of Arundhati Roy reading Lensic Performing Arts Center Santa Fe, New Mexico. September 18, 2002                My talk today is called "Come September." The theme of muc

On December 10, 1948, The General assembly of the United Nations adopted and proclaimed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights; the full text appears in the following pages if you follow the link below. Following this historic act, the Assembly called upon all Member countries to publicize institutions, without distinction based on the political status of countries or territories." H..p://www.un.org/en/documents/udhr/ Article 5. No one shall e subjected to torture or cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment. Article 6. Everyone has the right to recognition everywhere as a person before the law. Article 7. All are equal before the law and entitled to equal protection without any discrimination. All are entitled to equal protection against any discrimination in violation of this Declaration and against any incitement to such discrimination. Article8. Everyone has the right to an effective remedy by the competent national tribunals for acts violating the fund

Some thirty years ago, on the big screen, we watched Darth Vader kill with sheer force of will. It was pure science fiction. Or was it? "The Men Who Stare At Goats" is a soon-to-be-released major motion picture starring George Clooney, Jeff Bridges, and Ewan McGregor. It is a lighthearted look at how the U.S. Army explored paranormal powers, parapsychology, and psychic functioning in the late 1970s and early 80s. The film portrays all of this in a whimsical and comical tone, but there is a real story behind this humorous tale, and that story is deadly serious. Three years in the making, Jon Ronson's Crazy Rulers of the World explores the apparent madness at the heart of U.S. Military, Intelligence, and Government communities.  With first-hand access to the leading players in the story, Jon Ronson examines the extraordinary -- and plain bizarre -- national secrets at the core of George W Bush's war on terror.    Interviewee: "We had a master sergeant th

Brief History of the Maya Civilization. The Mayan civilization arose in Mesoamerica around 250 AD , influenced by the culture and religion of the Olmecs. The Mayan urban culture flourished until about 900 AD but thrived in various places until the Spanish conquest. During this first 650 years, which scholars call the Classic Period , the Mayan civilization comprised more than 40 sizeable cities spread across modern-day Mexico, Guatemala, and northern Belize. Cortez At its peak, the total population may have reached 2 million people, most of whom lived in modern-day Guatemala. The cities have been mainly ceremonial centers, with most of the Maya living a rural, agricultural life around the towns. Sometime after 900 AD, the Mayan culture declined dramatically, and most cities were abandoned. The latest scholarship attributes this decline to the loss of trade routes due to war. The tremendous southern cities became depopulated, but the cities of the Yucatan peninsula in Mexico (such

 I have posted these photos and essays to illustrate  my previous posts.  Often "a picture will say it all." By clicking on the link: slide show...   you will be redirected to the Foreign Policy web page. Thank you. Children at Work While many children are now enjoying summer holidays from school, others are toiling away in sweatshops. Amid the Great Recession, more parents may pull their children out of school and put them to work to supplement the family income. Slides Show: Children at Work   The Battle over Israel's Settlements  As Washington gears up for a showdown over Israel's settlements, settlers are taking matters into their own hands.   Slide Show: The Battle over Israel's Settlements   The Land of No Smile R enowned documentary photographer Tomas van Houtryve entered North Korea by posing as a businessman looking to open a chocolate factory. Despite 24-hour surveillance by North Korean minders, he took arrestin

"In the arts of life, man invents nothing; but in the arts of death, he outdoes Nature herself, and produces by chemistry and machinery all the slaughter of plague, pestilence, and famine." George Bernard Shaw " Rachel Corrie, American killed by an Israeli army bulldozer, Tom Handel; British shot to the head by an Israeli sniper, James Miller; British shot by the Israeli army. If foreigners are dying like this in Gaza, what happens to the one million Palestinians who live there."  This is how the documentary "Investigation" by Journeyman begins. This documentary is filmed by a British crew for over 40 days. They lived and filmed daily events you will not see in leading stream media. Palestinian civil casualty is a fact deliberately omitted from the U.S. news. The Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip are under siege by the Israeli Army. The Jewish People were victimized during WWII by the Nazi Germans, and since 1948, Israel has been crush

  The European Union's hopes of more significant global clout centered on Ireland on Friday as voting started in a referendum to ratify the Lisbon Treaty. A year ago, Irish voters rejected the treaty, a watered-down version of the constitution that French and Dutch voters vetoed in 2005. The treaty gives the bloc more decisive leadership, effective foreign policy, and a fairer decision-making system. Follow the link for a clear map of the E.U.   http://www.ezilon.com/european_maps.htm 27 Countries Here are some of the main points of the 250-page treaty. * INSTITUTIONS : E.U. leaders will choose a president of the European Council for a renewable 2-1/2 year term to strengthen the system of rotating presidencies. -- A powerful new foreign policy chief, at the head of an E.U. foreign service, will give the bloc a more significant say on the world stage. The High Representative will answer to E.U. governments, vice-president of the European Commission, and manage t

 Civilization is the encouragement of differences. Civilization thus becomes a synonym of democracy. Force, violence, pressure, or compulsion with a view to conformity is both uncivilized and undemocratic." Mohandas Gandhi "What difference does it make to the dead, the orphans, and the homeless, whether the mad destruction is brought under totalitarianism or the holy name of liberty or democracy?" Mohandas Gandhi These are our brothers and sisters. Who gave their lives? Unselfishly Not for fame and glory but because they were told. "I object to violence because when it appears to do good, the good is only temporary; the evil it does is permanent." Mohandas Gandhi "A man is but the product of his thoughts. What he thinks, he becomes." Mohandas Gandhi     This was made up in Texas, announced in January to the Republican leadership that war would take place and be good politically. There was no imminent t

My War, My Story ( after viewing the movie, please take a minute and leave a comment.) This documentary is a candid highlight of Iraq's war.  Vets from across the country talk about their position on the war. Most of these vets remain loyal yet question the U.S. involvement in Iraq. This documentary is not a statement from the political left– many of these vets have a conservative background. The outrage shown by some vets about how corporations have made billions at their expense comes mainly from the working class. The documentary highlights the difficulties of resuming their life: patriotism made them go, and greed made them expendable. You will also hear of civilians killed at checkpoints. Eric, from Chicago, describes the accidental slaughter of three generations of a family. Jimmy from North Carolina ordered his Marines to open fire on a speeding car full of civilians. What effects do incidents like these have in the long run on returning vets? The film

This ABC documentary is an eye-opener on the practice of the Pharmaceutical industry. When a government puts capital gain before the welfare of its people. You must see this documentary to understand the argument that is debated today about health care, insurance, doctor, and laboratory. "Big Bucks, Big Pharma" pulls back the curtain on the multi-billion dollar pharmaceutical industry to expose the insidious ways that illness is used, manipulated, and sometimes created for capital gain. Focusing on the industry's marketing practices, media scholars and health professionals help viewers understand how direct-to-consumer (DTC) pharmaceutical advertising glamorizes and normalizes prescription medication use and works with promotion to doctors. These industry practices shape how patients and doctors understand and relate to disease and treatment. Ultimately, "Big Bucks, Big Pharma" challenges us to ask important questions about the consequences of relying on a f

This documentary will leave you stunned to see how our Democracy and freedom can be manipulated, leaving us helpless. We, the people, were faced in the 2000 elections with uncounted votes, a cliche voting machine... all through the election broadcast, we heard an unsettling report from voting centers.  The next day, when the elected president's name was announced, America rallied and hailed the new president. Was he the people's choice? Maybe not.  Bev Harris's grandmother, publicist, and writer did ask the question, "how do the votes count?". Join her in her journey for the truth. Description of the following documentary: This documentary exposes the vulnerability of computers - which count approximately 80% of America's votes in county, state, and federal elections - suggesting that if our votes aren't safe, our Democracy isn't safe either. Trailer. Full documentary, click here or copy and paste it to your browser http://freedocument

In a report from 1997 from the CDC , the United States had the highest number of child homicide, suicide, and firearms-related deaths of 26 developed countries; of course, children have been abused all through history, and some believe we are just beginning to face the true prevalence and significance of child abuse, others worry that many people have become obsessed with child abuse and deny personal responsibility for their problems.    I believe child abuse is inflicted by mentally ill perpetrators ( men or women) regardless of race, age, and social status. When adults use their power over children to subjugate, control, and take on other roles but protector, they have crossed a threshold of conscience right and wrong, thus leading to mental illness. Otherwise, how can one justify inhuman tortures inflicted on harmless infants or children? The other big problem in our society is the bureaucracy surrounding the agencies responsible for protecting children. Overloaded by many cas