International Aid for Gaza flotilla attacked by IsraelOccurred in International WatersContinued after white flag was raised!

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From Al Jazeera

Israeli forces have attacked a flotilla of aid-carrying ships aiming to break the country's siege on Gaza.

At least 19 people were killed and dozens injured when troops intercepted the convoy of ships dubbed the Freedom Flotilla early on Monday, Israeli radio reported.

The flotilla was attacked in international waters, 65km off the Gaza coast.

Avital Leibovich, an Israeli military spokeswoman, confirmed that the attack took place in international waters, saying: "This happened in waters outside of Israeli territory, but we have the right to defend ourselves."

URGENT ACTION ALERT:


PROTEST AND CONTACT THE GOVERNMENT NOW!

Israeli warships have surrounded the Gaza flotilla, and are flying drones and a helicopter overhead. All on board the boats are wearing their lifejackets and are prepared.

They need your help.

1. PROTEST: MONDAY 31 MAY

Demand immediate government intervention against Israel blocking the flotilla's route to Gaza.

Where: Outside Downing Street When: 2pm, Monday 31 May (nearest tube: Westminster)

Protest called by PSC, Stop the War Coalition, British Muslim Initiative, Friends of Al Aqsa

2. EMAIL THE FOREIGN OFFICE NOW - Send the template letter below to

private.office@fco.gov.uk
AINAGCorrespondence@fco.gov.uk
haguew@parliament.uk

3. EMAIL NICK CLEGG - Send the template letter to

cleggn@parliament.uk
libdemleader@parliament.uk
cleggn@hotmail.co.uk
leader@libdems.org.uk

Dear Mr [Clegg],

You will be aware that an international flotilla of ships is, at this moment, attempting to deliver essential humanitarian aid to Gaza. The aid includes construction materials which would enable the people of Gaza to rebuild the homes destroyed by Israel in Operation Cast Lead last year.

There are nearly 700 people on board the boats, all of whom are ordinary civilians from around the world, including 40 British citizens. They have undertaken this mission out of concern for the people of Gaza, who are now entering their fourth year under siege, without access to basic necessities. They pose no threat to Israel, and are completely unarmed.

Despite this, the Israeli navy is attempting to block the flotilla from reaching Gaza, and Israeli warships surrounded the boats on Sunday (30th May) night, while drones and a helicopter have been flying overhead. This hostile action has taken place in international waters.

I urge you to act swiftly to protect the flotilla, which is breaking no international laws, and, in particular, the British citizens on board, and to ensure that Israel allows this vital aid to reach its destination.

Israel's occupation of Gaza is illegal under international law, and it has been accused in a UN report of committing war crimes in Gaza.

Your obligation must be towards a group of citizens peacefully attempting to deliver humanitarian aid, than to a country which repeatedly violates international treaties and resolutions. Those on board the boats face a serious threat - I call on you to end the UK government's silence over Israel's aggressive actions against the flotilla, and intervene now to demand its safe passage to Gaza.

Yours sincerely

[source link]

BIG DAN also has a good collection of videos and links to articles on the situation.

Protests erupt across world after Israeli raid

Video of protests

Commandos claim they used paintball guns

Israel a Lunatic State - Norman Finkelstein

Live coverage from Al Jazeera

Cynthia McKinney Mourns the Dead of the Freedom Flotilla to Gaza

Gaza TV's phlog - George Galloway Speaks Out

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you really want to click this image

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The Gulf Oil Spill is horrible,Nigeria is far worse

The oil companies have run roughshod over the country and decimated the land:

Nigeria's agony dwarfs the Gulf oil spill. The US and Europe ignore it

From the National Geographic

Oil For Nothing: Multinational Corporations, Environmental Destruction, Death and Impunity in the Niger Delta

Shell forced to settle out of court for complicity in crimes against humanity

Next - Shell to stand trial in the Hague for Nigeria oil spills

The curse of oil still stalks Nigeria delta

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To the Gulf of Mexico and ...

An ominous report by Russia's Ministry of Natural Resources warned of the impending disaster resulting from the British Petroleum (BP) oil and gas leak in the Gulf of Mexico

NOTE: Source is suspect - see comments.

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Addiction!

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ANIMATED FORECAST OF FUTURE OIL SPREAD

OCEAN CURRENTS OF THE EASTERN GULF OF MEXICO [Power Point]

Former Federal EPA agent Scott West: BP – “Beyond Prosecution”

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It's Only Getting Worse!

Full Deepwater Horizon coverage at the Lair

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My Next House

[click picture - video 49:11]

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99 went off a caffeinated cliff today

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I know, I know, so what else is new? Just click the image to find out. Blow your mind out in a car. You haven't noticed that the light has changed.

XOXOXOX

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Deepwater Horizon Disaster:Referred to as mishaps...I call it CRIMINAL!

27:46

The surface slick has now entered the Loop Current.
Where are the underwater plumes?

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Greenpeace marine biologist Paul Horsman inspects oil washed ashore 

on a Mississippi River beach this week.

Jeremy Jackson - leader in the study of the ecology and evolution of marine organisms - How We Wrecked the Oceans. Video 18:12

Coverage and FAQ from Pro Publica

CBS News crew threatened with arrest by BP crew

104,000 barrels - 4,368,000 gallons per day

Full Deepwater Horizon coverage at the Lair

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spend a couple three hoursgetting a fix on the economic situation

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It will be well worth your time.

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public service announcement

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This is the climate bill we've been looking for....

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Mother Earth is Bleeding

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SWEEPING IT UNDER THE CARPET:

An airplane sprays Corexit on the spill in an attempt to break up and sink the oil floating on the surface.

Chemical dispersants are being used to break up the oil spill, causing it to sink to the depths - out of sight, out of mind! But what are the true environmental affects of this procedure?

This paper sheds light on the challenges encountered after the oil has sunk. Just because it isn't seen at the surface does not mean it is gone. To the contrary, it is suspended in the water column and transported by the currents to other areas where it may re-appear causing ecological damage at the surface, or settle to the sea floor harming bottom dwelling life, not to mention everything in between.

The dispersants also evaporate some of the oil. This and the burning of the oil on the surface also pollute the air causing additional problems. Officials are now looking into the odors which abound in the coastal areas and inland even as far as New Orleans.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration - NOAA - has dispatched a science team to study the spill. In conjunction with their efforts the Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium research ship Pelican has been redirected to aid in the survey of the water column in the Gulf.

What are the long term effects of the use of dispersants?

FAIRHOPE, Ala. — The potential long-term impact of using chemical dispersants as part of BP’s plan of attack against the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is not yet known, and that is causing concern for some.

One group fears every gallon used to fight the massive oil spill caused when British Petroleum’s (BP) Deepwater Horizon offshore oil platform exploded last month could cause as much, if not more, harm to the environment and its inhabitants than the crude itself.

That’s the word coming from a group of toxicology experts, led by Dr. William Sawyer, addressing the Gulf Oil Disaster Recovery Group, a group of lawyers claiming to protect the interests of those affected by the crisis.

BP chooses to use chemical dispersants produced by a company with which it has close ties rather than far less toxic and more effective products manufactured by competing companies:

BP PLC continues to stockpile and deploy oil-dispersing chemicals manufactured by a company with which it shares close ties, even though other U.S. EPA-approved alternatives have been shown to be far less toxic and, in some cases, nearly twice as effective.
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So far, BP has told federal agencies that it has applied more than 400,000 gallons of a dispersant sold under the trade name Corexit and manufactured by Nalco Co., a company that was once part of Exxon Mobil Corp. and whose current leadership includes executives at both BP and Exxon. And another 805,000 gallons of Corexit are on order, the company said, with the possibility that hundreds of thousands of more gallons may be needed if the well continues spewing oil for weeks or months.
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Of 18 dispersants whose use EPA has approved, 12 were found to be more effective on southern Louisiana crude than Corexit, EPA data show. Two of the 12 were found to be 100 percent effective on Gulf of Mexico crude, while the two Corexit products rated 56 percent and 63 percent effective, respectively. The toxicity of the 12 was shown to be either comparable to the Corexit line or, in some cases, 10 or 20 times less, according to EPA. [Blog Editor's Note: that should read 1/10 to 1/20 of the toxicity. There is no such thing as "10-20 times less" unless you are talking about negative numbers. 1 time less is zero! Arrgghh!]

Additional Reading Here and Here

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Additional Photos

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The War Game

WHY ARE WE FLIRTING WITH THIS?

And Now for a Much Needed Distraction:Love & Theft

From the National Film Board of Canada Online Film Festival

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Time to Pay The Piper

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Arrest of 13 CIA Agents Sought in Spain

Prosecutors attached to the Audiencia Nacional in Madrid are reportedly requesting that Judge Ismael Moreno issue an order for the arrest of thirteen CIA agents involved in an extraordinary rendition operation from 2004, the newspaper El País reports this afternoon, citing sources within the court.

Iceland, too, is looking for the perps in their financial collapse.

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Our World Today -There has to be a Better Way

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IN RESPONSE TO THE OIL SPILL IN THE GULF OF MEXICO
—FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE—

[Venus, Florida — 12 May 2010] On the Gulf Coast of the United States the shock is now setting in for millions of American citizens as we now realize the true extent of the damage caused by our desire for obsolete and dangerous fossil fuels, and our perpetuation of an outdated monetary world society, where the bottom line has always been profit at all costs, be it human or environmental. It is time for a viable solution to deal with a system hardwired for self destruction.

It is with that very unfortunate introduction that we, The Zeitgeist Movement, now must enter the international conversation to express the need for true change. That word is not some jingoist slogan devised by a focus group, but the evident desire of the public for a meaningful transition out of the destructive legacy, the burden of our past mistakes as a maturing civilization. We only have one Earth; there is no reset button here.

We must break out of our established ideologies that have prevented progress. Ending the political duality, economic stratification and false divisions is key to overcoming our apparent historical bondage that says the future we were promised must remain an elusive dream. We must now rethink our society and outgrow those parts of it that serve to paralyze us.

As of Friday, April 30th it was reported by CBS News (US) that the spill had spread to cover 2,100 square miles and was still spilling at a rate up to 5,000 barrels (210,000 gallons) a day. As of today, there has been no progress in stopping this catastrophe. This did not have to happen. It happened because we continue to use an obsolete technology for the sake of maintaining a profitable establishment. An establishment that perpetuates vast inequality in its wages to its employees versus its core owners, destroys fragile and vital eco-systems, and pollutes our air.

It is time for real change, not empty promises. No amount of socialism or free market ideology will save us from ourselves, there needs to be a fundamental re-write of what we think we know, to achieve a sustainable human enterprise.

Our generation has stood and watched as our planet has been raped and pillaged, yet we do nothing. Our generation has stood and watched as our government bailed out the very people who created this economic crisis, yet we do nothing. Our generation has stood and watched as our rights have been stripped away from us, and yet we do nothing. Our generation has stood and watched as we have been handed the problems of the countless generations before it, and we are preparing to do the same to the next generation, and we do nothing.

Let us be the first generation to hand solutions to our children and our children’s children. But we can’t do it alone. Let us break down the barriers we have created amongst ourselves. We need all of you, every last one, to say enough is enough in one voice. Not as Americans or Russians, Christians or Muslims, but as fathers, mothers, brothers and sisters. Let us destroy the lines between us and work to create a world where our children are truly safe and free. Let us create a world where we can tell our children that they can be and do whatever their heart desires, and know deep inside us we are telling them the truth. Let our generation be the one.

We have the tools, we have the knowledge, we have the technology. It is time we make the transition to a world, an economy, and a future we all deserve regardless of geographic location or economic disposition. As long as we rely on legacy systems defined in a 19th century mentality all we will do is spin our wheels while a parade of economic and ecologic disasters visits us again and again. It is time to pull the plug on this charade because as you will find out, there is a better way.

We, the Zeitgeist Movement representatives, reach out to you so that we can all work together to do what must be done. Every man, woman and child has a voice, but together we can create one voice so deafening that no one will have a choice but to listen. But it requires you. It requires you put away preconceived notions you have been told about “the way things are” as if it is the only way, because it's not! Our way of thinking will no longer sustain us. We can either remain in the house of cards we have built and watch it collapse all around us, or we can, through the best our society has to offer, begin to construct a stable mature and thriving society so that the Gulf Coast Oil Spill, the Exxon Valdez and many others are nothing more then an embarrassing footnote in history.

The choice is yours.

— The Zeitgeist Movement

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FAIL

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Efforts to cap a leaking oil well in the Gulf of Mexico suffered a major setback Saturday, after ice-like crystals [methane hydrate] clogged the inside of a massive dome meant to contain an 18-day-long spill.

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The Obummer War Machine Surges On

NEW WARS TO KEEP WAR ENDLESS

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THE WORLD AFTER OBUMMER

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Airport Full Body Scanners

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I think I'll take the full body strip search option!

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SPACE LIZARDS

Net Neutrality Is There Hope After-all?Or is it an Illusion?

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What a difference a day makes. Earlier this week the net neutrality troops were wringing their hands at reports that the Federal Communications Commission planned to throw in the towel on the Open Internet—abandoning any effort to reclassify ISPs as common carriers, following a Federal court's overthrow of the agency's Order against Comcast.

But now it's all smiles in response to Wall Street Journal and Washington Post stories indicating that, quite the contrary, FCC Chair Julius Genachowski plans to take something like that route.

Large Air Spill at Wind Farm - No threats reported

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SOME CLAIM TO ENJOY THE BREEZE

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"Let's stop and take a look from a diffrent perspective
we're blinded by our ignorance our minds are infected
you'd think id be happy that Barack Obama was elected
but im not stupid i know the illuminati are connected

thats a statement to make so let me go through the basics
we're still mental slaves we're just not seeing the slave ships
because they do it in a way that rarley leaves questions
belive every word they say or you'll get sectioned

we're threatend by religion but creation holds a mystery
the storys of the messiah was re-written through out histrory

which ever scripture you follow the koran or the bible
its just a diffrent way for them to lock you down in a cycle
but me i set my own path out for survival
no way im handing my life over to these false idols
weather its Allah, Jehova or Jesus Christ
I'll turn cold on the subject just like a peice of ice

once i was christian, had faith in my religion
but now my eyes are open and im not told when to listen
so i'll catch fire to the scriptures and all the politicians
because im perfectly aware of their over throwing mission

so let me break it down to you simple and clear
they've got us dangling on strings surrounded by fear
and they've been doing the same things for over hundreds of years
my rap flow is so drastic it will put pain to your ears

you can doubt me all you like saying conspiracys and fiction
but if you read it yourself it dates back to the eygytians
so kids be carefull with what your learning in class
how can histroy be histroy unless you go to the past
anything can be looked on re-writ then be put in a pad
the reality of this world is that its dark and its sad

this is your choice to except but if you dont then its a shame
but for me theres still a few unanswered things in my brain
like how the crash of the pentogon left no trace of a plane
the truth of 911 is still yet to be explained

you see the unanswered questions could just go on for hours
like why were there already bombs in the twin towers?
because going to war with iraq would help them gain power
and only money, pain and blood is what they devour

im aware of the system so my mind is speed racing
i'll pay a aids infected crackhead to rape a free mason

no way will they ever break me, myself and i
subliminal messages they always try and hide
like the dollar bill covered with the all seeing eye

bin laden was put through bush's training academy
and nazi blood runs through the whole royal family
im banging on the locks wid a hammer and an allen key
it stress's me till i itch like i've got a allergy

unfortunitly this song iv'e made is far from a soulotion
away from all the dirt and grime and all of the poulotion
but to prepare yourself for the day of the reviloution

i can gurantee for sure that this day is on its way
and if we all stand strong we can make them fucking pay
there are fema consontration camps all over the states
that will be soon more worse off than guantanamo bay

they're hungry for control and they're looking desperately
for the new world order spreading just like leprosy
looking around everyday yeah it vex's me
watching the blind lead the blind right next to me

some may struggle to understand or to agree
but the heat to what i say is to the highest degree
because the fires burning in your mind burning your dreams
so be more open minded so your thoughts can be free"

Let's Get Together

Non Sequitur by Wiley

Goldman Sachs FraudA Study in Fascism

[ht 99]

Be sure to check out the links at the Amped Status website



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