My anger has morphed into sadness, heartbreak actually. As the decade of zeros ends I see nothing but a tragic, historic and deadening American Disappointment, a terrible replacement for a once noble American Dream. The Great Recession was merely one symptom of the nation’s slide into slime, a quicksand created by the two-party plutocracy.

On July 9, Iranians bravely commemorated the beginning of 1999 protests and VR recorded Iranian-Americans' solidarity rally in DC that day.  Watch their video record of the July 11 rally here.

This year's challenge of Iranian election results drew millions to the streets and vastly many more to venues across the Internet-connected world for news and support.  The revolution was tweeted: Google even released a new translator, Persian ALPHA, while on Facebook and Twitter, people of the global village watched and participated where possible, in the inspiringly massive and originally peaceful demand that the government deliver the democratic change they believed was due. 

The right to dissent is not so guarenteed by clerics who disagree, however, and scenes of students battling Basijis through the university gates emerged as new emblems of an older Iranian tradtion where students lead in protest against excesses of monarchs and mullahs.

This weekend's pro-democracy rally in Washington, DC was timed to promise solidarity of Iranian-Americans with the people of Iran while celebrating the 10th anniversary of students dying to defend another democratic essential, independent media.

On July 11, 2009, speakers drew straight lines from the student protests known as 18th of Tir to current events in Iran.  The rally featured personal messages from four former students arrested after the hardliner-controlled judiciary forced shutdown of a pro-reform newspaper on July 7, 1999.  Demanding removal of a ban that silenced the presses of reformist-Salam, demonstrations turned violent when a student in an attack by police.

Eventually, a week that saw major unrest spread to cities across Iran left at least three dead, scores missing, and hundreds detained by authorities.

Watch videos of the weekend anniversary rally below.

[CORRECTION: The July 11 event was not organzed by the Facebook group, Iranian-American Youth.]

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Promoted. Originally posted 2009-07-04 10:16:58 -0400. -- GH

Dover 'Old Guard'
Dover 'Old Guard' team shoulders heavy burden

Iraq, Rapidly becoming the Forgotten War!! There have been 4,641 coalition deaths -- 4,324 Americans, 2 Australians, 1 Azerbaijani, 179 Britons, 13 Bulgarians, 1 Czech, 7 Danes, 2 Dutch, 2 Estonians, 1 Fijian, 5 Georgians, 1 Hungarian, 33 Italians, 1 Kazakh, 1 Korean, 3 Latvian, 22 Poles, 3 Romanians, 5 Salvadoran, 4 Slovaks, 11 Spaniards, 2 Thai and 18 Ukrainians -- in the war in Iraq as of June 4 2009, according to a CNN count. { Graphical breakdown of casualties }. The list below is the names of the soldiers, Marines, airmen, sailors and Coast Guardsmen whose deaths have been reported by their country's governments. The list also includes seven employees of the U.S. Defense Department. At least 31,354 U.S. troops have been wounded in action, according to the Pentagon. View casualties in the war in Afghanistan.

[Reposted with permission from Sibel Edmonds' blog 123 Real Change.]

Seeking Our Iranian Comrades’ Solidarity

Dear Activists in Iran:

We stand in solidarity with you and your movement against the alleged election fraud you’ve claimed. In return we hope you will reciprocate by supporting us in our struggle here in which we’ve been engaged for hmmmm…more or less eight years now – the following is an abbreviated list of our grievances:
 

Dover 'Old Guard'

Dover 'Old Guard' team shoulders heavy burden

‘Capture the Flag: A Political History of American Patriotism’

The flag is not powerful in spite of its ambiguity; it is powerful because of its ambiguity. It has stood, at different times, for radical democracy, opposition to immigration, the abolition of slavery, unregulated capitalism, segregation, integration, and a hawkish war policy, among many other things.

Read a selection from the introduction of "Capture the Flag: A Political History of American Patriotism" by Woden Teachout

A winter wind swept across New York Harbor on a late after noon the day after Christmas in 1971. Tourists riding the last two ferries from Manhattan to the Statue of Liberty huddled against the bulkheads, sheltering themselves from the gusts. Among the passengers were clusters of long-haired adults in well used army-surplus clothing, looking for all the world like hippies taking in the world-famous landmark. The mission of these fifteen men, however, went far beyond tourism.

Immediately upon docking at the island, the men performed a quick reconnaissance. They wedged open a few doors and then took refuge from sight; some crouched behind the massive supporting columns in the base of the statue. Some found storage closets and tucked themselves away......................Read Rest Here

Iraq, Rapidly becoming the Forgotten War!! There have been 4,603 coalition deaths -- 4,286 Americans, 2 Australians, 1 Azerbaijani, 179 Britons, 13 Bulgarians, 1 Czech, 7 Danes, 2 Dutch, 2 Estonians, 1 Fijian, 5 Georgians, 1 Hungarian, 33 Italians, 1 Kazakh, 1 Korean, 3 Latvian, 22 Poles, 3 Romanians, 5 Salvadoran, 4 Slovaks, 11 Spaniards, 2 Thai and 18 Ukrainians -- in the war in Iraq as of May 5 2009, according to a CNN count. { Graphical breakdown of casualties }. The list below is the names of the soldiers, Marines, airmen, sailors and Coast Guardsmen whose deaths have been reported by their country's governments. The list also includes seven employees of the U.S. Defense Department. At least 31,230 U.S. troops have been wounded in action, according to the Pentagon. View casualties in the war in Afghanistan.

First Photos of Fallen Soldier Ends 18-Year Ban - 4.05.09

An airman stands next to the coffin containing the body of Air Force Staff Sgt. Phillip Myers as it is lowered from a plane upon its return to the U.S. at Dover Air Force Base in Dover, Delaware April 5, 2009. Myers, of Hopewell, Virginia, died April 4 near Helmand province, Afghanistan of wounds suffered from an improvised explosive device. For the first time since the Obama administration reversed an 18-year-old ban on news coverage of returning fallen soldiers, the military allowed media to cover to cover the arrival tonight of an airman killed in Afghanistan. Collapse (Joshua Roberts/REUTERS)

I wish to thank the families who allowed the press photo's showing the respect the fallen receive and the real cost of war!!

Look around you, what can one say, except possibly going further into lower wages, at least they wouldn't be stagnant as they have been for most for these past years.

And workers having a Voice, C'mon!!!

Iraqi unions announce new confederation

And where did this take place, wellll.... in Iraq, of all places:

Jim has faithfully kept this list and posted it here regularly.  It is a heartbreaking task and and my hat is off to him. Thanks Jim! -- promoted by roxy. Originally posted 2009-03-05 14:11:55 -1000

Iraq, Rapidly becoming the Forgotten War!! There have been 4,572 coalition deaths -- 4,255 Americans, 2 Australians, 1 Azerbaijani, 179 Britons, 13 Bulgarians, 1 Czech, 7 Danes, 2 Dutch, 2 Estonians, 1 Fijian, 5 Georgians, 1 Hungarian, 33 Italians, 1 Kazakh, 1 Korean, 3 Latvian, 22 Poles, 3 Romanians, 5 Salvadoran, 4 Slovaks, 11 Spaniards, 2 Thai and 18 Ukrainians -- in the war in Iraq as of January 6, 2008, according to a CNN count. { Graphical breakdown of casualties }. The list below is the names of the soldiers, Marines, airmen, sailors and Coast Guardsmen whose deaths have been reported by their country's governments. The list also includes seven employees of the U.S. Defense Department. At least 31,089 U.S. troops have been wounded in action, according to the Pentagon. View casualties in the war in Afghanistan.

Thanks to jimstaro for his tireless work to help us remember those who have lost their lives in the course of service to the country.  Nothing personal but we look forward to the day he can put these monthly posts to rest for good. - standingup

The Hidden Casualties Of War: Suicide

Military Suicides at a 30-Year High

Suicide Rate Reflects Toll of Army Life With Suicides at a 30-Year High, Army Vows to Address Problem

In 2008 alone, the Army reports there were at least 128 confirmed cases of suicide, more than a dozen of which are still under review.

U.S. Army Suicides Highest In 3 Decades

'GoldStar Moms' Honor Their Fallen, Christmas 2008

Back on December 26th 2006 I put together a post, for my site and a few others, in remembrance of an anniversary of a day my fellow Vietnam Veterans made a statement to our country, a statement of a Country in Distress, Our Country!
A shoutout about not only our War of Choice but what our society was going through, Civil Rights Movement, care of the returning Vets, civil disobedience for the many failed policies, and more, the statement wasn't really taken seriously except by the minority, as is usually the case, the country itself just dug deeper into it's apathy and never came to terms with our War and Occupation and still hasn't!
December 26, 1971 Two dozen members of Vietnam Veterans Against the War "liberated" the Statue of Liberty with a sit-in to protest resumed U.S. aerial bombings in Vietnam. They flew an inverted U.S. flag from the crown as a signal of distress.
 

Senate Rules Kill Bailout, Foil Democracy

Rigged Game Stops Vote on Bill

Michael Collins

(Wash. DC)  The Unites States Senate voted down a "cloture" resolution last night killing the automaker bailout before it was even considered.  Failure to gain approval for cloture opened the bill up to an anticipated filibuster.  General Motors, the largest U.S. manufacturer, is in terrible shape financially and may not survive the month.   

The company has 270,000 employees.

Harry Reid (D-NV), the Senate Majority Leader, offered these stirring words:  "If there is no agreement that can be reached ... we have danced this tune long enough."  Dec. 12, 2008 Reid joined the majority of Republicans in opposing cloture.

Cloture resolutions require a 60% yes vote to pass.  A simple majority won't do.   The final Senate vote on cloture was 52 in favor, 35 opposed, with 12 not present.  The motion failed to meet the 60% standard by eight votes.  Even with those not present, the resolution would have likely failed.

Cross-posted at The National Gadfly

Every morning on my walk to the bus, I pass the windows of a shop called Bazar.  They sell imports, womens' clothing, shoes, etc.  I often look at the dresses on display with an eye for something my wife would like me to surprise her with.  They often have some posters for bands or performances that I assume the owner fancies.