OneBigTorrent.org

Democracy Now! Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Category: News & Current Affairs
Description:
Today's Headlines Iran Accuses Detained Americans of Espionage CBS: Obama to Send Up to 40,000 Troops to Afghanistan 40 Democrats Threaten to Reject Healthcare Bill over Abortion Restrictions Fort Hood Shooter to Be Tried in Military Court Survey Highlights Global Concerns over Free Market Capitalism Palestinians Knock Down Part of West Bank Wall Again EPA Attempts to Silence Agency Critics of Cap and Trade Maldives President Urges Developing Nations to Become Carbon Neutral Whistleblower: Peak Oil Closer than IEA Forecasts Show China Executes Nine over Xinjiang Riots Watchdog: New York State Regulation of Natural Gas Wells Has Been "Woefully Insufficient for Decades." The New York-based Toxics Targeting went through the Department of Environmental Conservation’s own database of hazardous substances spills over the past thirty years. They found 270 cases documenting fires, explosions, wastewater spills, well contamination and ecological damage related to gas drilling. Many of the cases remain unresolved. The findings are contrary to repeated government assurances that existing natural gas well regulations are sufficient to safeguard the environment and public health. The state is considering allowing for gas drilling in the Marcellus Shale watershed, the source of drinking water for 15 million people, including nine million New Yorkers. Filmmaker Philippe Diaz on "The End of Poverty?" Earlier this year, the IMF and the World Bank warned that the financial crisis posed a serious challenge to reducing poverty. The World Bank predicted that the economic crisis could push another 53 million people in the global South into poverty. Well, according to the latest numbers from the United Nations, we’re now up to 2.7 billion people around the world who survive on less than two dollars a day, one billion of whom live on less than a dollar a day. Given the dire statistics and the widening gap between the rich and the poor, how can we see the eradication of poverty? That’s the central question of a new documentary called The End of Poverty? Hoodwinked: Former Economic Hit Man John Perkins Reveals Why the World Financial Markets Imploded -- and How to Remake Them John Perkins calls himself a former economic hit man. He has seen the signs of today’s financial meltdown before. The subprime mortgage fiasco, the collapse of the banking industry, the rising unemployment rate—these are all familiar to him. Perkins was on the front lines of monitoring and helping create these very events that were once just confined to the Third World. From 1971 to 1981, he worked for the international consulting firm of Chas T. Main, where he was a self-described “economic hit man.” He is the author of the New York Times bestseller Confessions of An Economic Hit Man and The Secret History of the American Empire.
Seeders: 28
Leeches: 48

Democracy NOW! Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Category: News & Current Affairs
Description:
Harry Reid: Senate Bill Will Include Public Option Plan Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has announced the Senate healthcare reform bill will include a public health insurance plan that states can choose to opt out of. Sen. Harry Reid: “As we’ve gone through this process, I’ve concluded—with the support of the White House, Senators Dodd and Baucus—that the best way to move forward is to include a public option with the opt-out provision for states. Under this concept, states will be able to determine whether the public option works well for them and will have the ability to opt out, if they so choose. I believe that a public option can achieve the goal of bringing meaningful reform to our broken system. It will protect consumers, keep insurers honest, and ensure competition. And that’s why we intend to include it in the bill that we submitted—that will be submitted to the Senate.” The Washington Post reports the opt-out provision was engineered by New York Senator Charles Schumer as a compromise between moderates who want a smaller government role and liberals who prefer a single-payer system. The Democratic leadership must now scramble to secure the sixty votes needed to pass the measure. While details of how states could opt out of the system are unclear, it likely means that millions of Americans may never have a chance to enroll in a government-run health insurance plan because of Republican opposition. A combined total of 154 million people, or 51 percent of the population, live in states where Republicans control the governor’s mansion or the state legislature. Massey Energy Begins Blasting Coal River Mountain In West Virginia, Massey Energy has begun blasting operations on Coal River Mountain despite deep opposition from environmental groups and critics of mountaintop removal mining. Coal River Mountain is the last intact mountain on the historic Coal River Mountain range. All of the other mountains have been blown up by coal companies. Jeff Biggers, author of the book The United States of Appalachia: “Residents in the Coal River Valley in West Virginia were shocked last Friday to hear the rattle of explosives and see plumes of smoke rise above Coal River Mountain. According to news reports on Monday, Massey Energy has clearcut the lush forest and blasted part of the historic ridge in the first leg of a 6,000-acre mountaintop removal mine. For advocates across Appalachia and citizens group across the nation, the impending mountaintop removal operation on Coal River Mountain amounts to a final showdown between out-of-state coal companies and the state of coalfield residents.” Activists had proposed to save the mountaintop and turn it into a wind farm, a proposal which was seen by many as a model for sustainable green economic development. Anti-mountaintop removal activists are now calling on President Obama to halt the mining operation and save Coal River Mountain. US Official Resigns over War in Afghanistan The former top American civilian working in the Zabul province of Afghanistan has resigned from the Foreign Service to protest the Afghan war. Matthew Hoh said he quit because he had come to believe the war was simply fueling the insurgency and that the United States is asking its troops to die for what is essentially a far-off civil war. In his resignation letter, Hoh wrote, “I have doubts and reservations about our current strategy and planned future strategy, but my resignation is based not upon how we are pursuing this war, but why and to what end.” Hoh is a thirty-six-year-old former Marine who fought in the Iraq war. He is the first US official known to resign in protest over the Afghan war. Monday Marked Deadliest Day for US in Afghanistan in Four Years Meanwhile, President Obama said Monday he will not rush his decision about whether to send more troops to Afghanistan, where fourteen Americans died yesterday in the deadliest day for US forces in more than four years. Ex-AIG CEO Is Back with New Insurance Venture The New York Times reports that former AIG CEO Maurice Greenberg is quietly building up a family of insurance companies that could compete with his former company. To fill the ranks of his venture, C.V. Starr & Company, Greenberg has been hiring some people he once employed. One insurance executive said, “Basically, he’s just starting ‘A.I.G. Two’ and raiding people out of ‘A.I.G. One.‘” People who work in the industry said Greenberg may soon be siphoning off AIG’s business and, therefore, its means to repay its debt to the government. AIG was the recipient of the biggest taxpayer bailout in history. Showdown in Chicago Continues Outside Bankers Meeting In other financial news, protests are continuing in Chicago outside the American Bankers Association convention. Sheila Bair, the chair of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, spoke to both the protesters and bankers on Monday. At a rally before thousands of activists, Bair voiced support for the creation of a Consumer Financial Protection Agency. Sheila Bair: “By regulating the non-bank shadow sector for the first time, this new agency can help prevent future abuses. I hope we see other measures taken that will create a more resilient, transparent and better regulated financial system, including an end to the ‘too big to fail’ doctrine. Yes, no more bailouts. No more bailouts." UN Urges US Engagement in Climate Change Deal During a stop in Seattle, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called on the US Senate to pass a bill limiting carbon emissions. Moon said such a bill will encourage other nations to act to fight climate change. Janos Pasztor, the director of the Secretary-General’s Climate Change Support Team: “There are reports of a new poll in the United States that indicates that interest and support for action on climate change may actually be declining. The Secretary-General sees US engagement as vital for a climate change deal, a point he made in an op-ed today and in interviews since Seattle. He stated that we cannot afford another period where the US stands on the sidelines.” Canadian Climate Activists Disrupt House of Commons In Canada, about 200 young people staged a protest inside the House of Commons Monday forcing lawmakers to shut down the question period. The activists were calling on the Canadian Parliament to pass a bill setting out deep cuts in carbon emissions. Six people were reportedly detained, and the police beat at least one protester. Amnesty: Israel Denies Palestinians Access to Water Amnesty International has accused the Israeli government of preventing Palestinians from receiving enough water in the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip. Israel controls much of the West Bank’s water supplies, pumping from an aquifer that bridges Israel and the territory. Amnesty International’s Donatella Rovera called on Israel to distribute the region’s water resources in a fair manner. Donatella Rovera: “Palestinians are having access to four times less water than Israelis, and for some Palestinian communities it’s ten times less water for the Palestinians than the Israelis. To put an end to the situation where Israeli settlements in the Occupied Territories, which are unlawful under international law, have swimming pools and green lawns and irrigated fields, and the Palestinians do not have enough water even for drinking and for basic domestic needs.” US Officials to Travel to Honduras Senior US officials will travel to Honduras this week to press ousted President Manuel Zelaya and the country’s coup leaders to break a stalemate in a four-month-old political crisis. This marks the first time since the coup that the Obama administration has taken a leading role in pressuring the leaders of the de facto government to restore democratic order in Honduras. On Friday, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton spoke with both Zelaya and Honduras’s de facto leader, Roberto Micheletti. Officials said Clinton told the two leaders that there was “increasing frustration” over the deteriorating situation in Honduras. Clinton is said to have reserved her toughest comments for Micheletti, because the United States believes he has been “the most difficult.” Fidel Castro’s Sister Admits She Spied for CIA In other news from the region, Fidel and Raul Castro’s sister has admitted she spied on her brothers for the CIA in the 1960s. Juanita Castro disclosed her role as a spy in a new memoir. Juanita initially hailed the Cuban revolution but later became disillusioned by the actions of her brothers. Chamber of Commerce Sues Yes Men for Prank The US Chamber of Commerce has sued the Yes Men, after the political pranksters impersonated the organization. The Yes Men staged a fake press conference at the National Press Club last week to announce that the Chamber was changing its stance on climate change and supporting capping greenhouse gas emissions. Several news outlets, including Reuters, CNBC and Fox Business Channel, reported the policy change as fact before issuing corrections. The Chamber is suing the Yes Men for misappropriating its logo and violating a host of related copyrights. Activists Protest Mercenary Trade Association Meeting And the International Peace Operations Association is holding its annual conference in Washington this week. The trade association represents mercenary groups and private military contractors, including DynCorp and Triple Canopy. A coalition of activist groups, including CODEPINK, Africa Action and the Hip Hop Caucus, are planning to hold a protest and forum today to counter the mercenary conference. Independent journalist Jeremy Scahill: “While these merchants of death are meeting in Washington, DC, human rights activists and other concerned people are going to be gathering to protest these mercenaries. And we’re not only going to be addressing the use of mercenaries in Afghanistan and Iraq, which we know well is continuing unabated, but also the use of mercenary forces on the African continent, which is a story that basically never makes it into the corporate media. There are mercenaries that, once again, are operating in the Congo, in Somalia, in the conflict in Ethiopia and Eritrea. And so, we’re gathering to try to shut down this whole privatized war apparatus and to raise awareness of this Bush administration policy that the Obama administration is continuing and escalating.”
Seeders: 84
Leeches: 16

The Anarchist Library on torrent

Category: eBooks, Magazines, Audio Books
Description:
The whole archive of theanarchistlibrary.org
Seeders: 14
Leeches: 3

Ajami (2009)

Category: Misc
Description:
Directed by Scandar Copti, Yaron Shani. Scandar Copti is a Palestinian citizen born in Jaffa. He has made several fiction, documentary and experimental short films. His first feature, Ajami (09, co-director), won the Caméra d'Or – Special Distinction at the Cannes Film Festival. Yaron Shani is a Jewish filmmaker born in Israel. He studied film at Tel Aviv University. Ajami (09, co-director), which was awarded the Caméra d'Or – Special Distinction at the Cannes Film Festival, is his feature-directing debut. With Fouad Habash, Nisrine Rihan, Elias Saba Release Date - 17 September 2009 (Israel) Short Synopsis: Jaffa's Ajami neighborhood is a melting pot of cultures and conflicting views among Jews, Muslims and Christians. Sensitive 13-year-old Nasri and his older brother Omar live in fear when their entire family is in danger after their uncle foolishly wounds a prominent clan member. Naive young Palestinian refugee Malek works illegally in Israel to help finance the surgery that will save his mother's life. Affluent Palestinian Binj dreams of a bright future with his Jewish girlfriend. Jewish policeman Dando becomes obsessed with revenge when his brother is found dead in the West Bank... Longer Synopsis: Spiralling violence slowly permeates the emotional fabric of Ajami, a fourfold Middle Eastern saga that slowly blends into one monumental story of woe. The film is jointly directed by an Israeli, Yaron Shani, and a Palestinian, Scandar Copti, who prove that though they may be unable to share a country, they are perfectly capable of sharing a movie. It's no coincidence that the film's greatest virtue is its tenacity. By auditioning locals from Jaffa and arduously rehearsing for ten months, the directorial duo took the time to both adapt the actors to the film and the film to the actors. Each character has a special place in the script, which carefully establishes context for every new face before forging ahead with the final mission: to somehow bring them all together. In Jaffa's Ajami neighbourhood, young Nasri (Fouad Habash) finds himself in trouble when his uncle (Ghassan Ashkar), the proprietor of a humble café, unknowingly wounds a member of a powerful clan who tried to sell him protection. The attempt at retribution fails and mistakenly costs an innocent neighbour his life when, in fact, the intended target was Nasri's older brother Omar (Shahir Kabaha). The only way to survive is to pay their way out. The traditional clan meeting, a deeply disturbing scene melding greed with religion, leaves Nasri's family deeply in debt and out of options. Meanwhile, Malek (Ibrahim Frege), a teenaged Palestinian from across the border, is putting his money aside for a whole different reason. Illegally employed at a luxurious restaurant, he's hoping to pay off his mother's bone marrow transplant. On the Israeli front, family man and police officer Dando (Eran Naim) is struggling to put his brother's disappearance behind him. Sent on a drug bust, he comes across Binj (Copti), a Palestinian with a Jewish girlfriend who dreams of leaving Ajami behind. If all this seems a little overwhelming, that's because it is. Dropping you right in the middle of the ocean, Copti and Shani take their time throwing you a life buoy, just because they know that will make their rescue raft seem all the more rewarding. And believe me, it is. --- Spoken language is mostly Arabic with some Hebrew. Subtitles are in Hebrew (hard-coded) Video: DiVX 5.0 ( 720 x 552 ) 25 fps Audio: MP3 - Stereo - 44.8 khz
Seeders: 65
Leeches: 12

Aljazeera - Inside Story - Politics over justice?

Category: Documentary
Description:
Immune from prosecution - Ehud Barak, the Israeli defence minister, avoids court in the UK. Palestinian rights groups in London attempted to have Barak arrested over Israel's war on Gaza, which left about 1,400 Palestinians dead. Barak's anticipated visit to the UK brought protests not only from Palestinian groups but also from members of the British parliament. As Israeli defence minister, Barak ordered Israel's offensive on Gaza. The British foreign office fought the case - bringing in its top lawyers who claimed that Barak has immunity. He is in Britain on official business meeting David Milliband, the British foreign minister. So, did political considerations override justice? And what does it all mean for the applicability of international humanitarian law? Inside Story, with presenter Nick Clark, discusses with guests Michel Abdel Massih, an international criminal lawyer and Queen's Council and the man who filed the suit, Dan Schueftan, a professor of political science at Haifa University, and Betty Hunter, the general secretary of the Palestine Solidarity Committee.
Seeders: 4
Leeches: 0

PBS Frontline - Israel's Next War (2005) (Repost)

Category: Documentary
Description:
(The Kahanists, who are members of Kach) PBS Frontline - Israel's Next War (April 5th 2005) They do not believe in peace talks. They do not want to share the land. They are well armed and are carrying out increasingly violent attacks, even targeting innocent civilians. They are members of Israel's militant far right, and they are threatening to become Israel's next big problem. In "Israel's Next War?" FRONTLINE goes deep inside the world of militant Jewish radicals who pose a grave new threat to Israeli security and, potentially, to the region. "The dream of these extremists"?to blow up the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, one of the most important holy sites in the Muslim world?"should give us sleepless nights," says former Israeli Security Chief Avi Dichter. "Jewish terror is liable to create a serious strategic threat that will turn the Israeli-Palestinian conflict into a conflict between thirteen million Jews and a billion Muslims all over the world." The program also profiles two young men?Shlomo Dvir and Yarden Morag?who planned to set off a bomb at a Palestinian girls school just as hundreds of young students arrived in the morning. The timing was carefully designed to harm as many children as possible. "It was my idea," says Shlomo Dvir in an exclusive interview from an Israeli prison. "Whoever gets hurt, gets hurt." Most Israelis reacted with shock and horror when Dvir and Morag's plan was revealed?but a small minority refused to condemn them. Dvir and Morag's bomb never went off?an Israeli policeman lucked onto their plot at the last minute?and the investigation led Israeli security officials to an underground of other radical settlers who helped with this attack and others. These settlers are part of a much larger group of far rightists in Israel?the Kahanists, who are members of Kach, the outlawed party of the late Rabbi Meir Kahane, who rose to prominence in the 1980s with his message that nothing short of the expulsion of all Arabs from Jewish land will guarantee Israeli security
Seeders: 39
Leeches: 20

Naomi Klein: Democracy Now 2009 09 14

Category: News & Current Affairs
Description:
Naomi Klein: Democracy Now 2009 09 14 439 mb/ 59:05 mins/mp4 [IMG]http://img21.imageshack.us/img21/7650/naomiklein.jpg[/IMG] 1. Naomi Klein interview: No Celebration of Occupation: 1,500 Artists and Writers Sign Letter Protesting Toronto Film Festival Decision to Spotlight Tel Aviv A protest at the Toronto International Film Festival has taken center stage after a group of artists and writers signed a letter of protest against the festival’s decision to spotlight the city of Tel Aviv. Activists say the TIFF spotlight plays into Israel’s attempt to improve its global image in the wake of the assault on the Gaza Strip and the ongoing occupation of Palestinian land. Over 1,500 people have signed the letter, called “The Toronto Declaration: No Celebration of Occupation,” including Jane Fonda, Viggo Mortensen, Danny Glover and Harry Belafonte. We speak with journalist and author Naomi Klein, who helped draft the letter. 2. Naomi Klein on "Minority Death Match: Jews, Blacks and the 'Post-Racial' Presidency" We speak with journalist Naomi Klein about her latest article for Harper’s Magazine, “Minority Death Match: Jews, Blacks and the ‘Post-Racial’ Presidency.” The piece examines the World Conference Against Racism that was held in Geneva this past April, a follow-up to the first racism conference in Durban, South Africa in 2001. There was a major boycott with the Obama administration refusing to attend, claiming the conference would unfairly target Israel. Critics say the controversy over Israel could have been an excuse to avoid dealing with the conference’s key issues, including addressing the legacy of slavery Interviews start at 10:00mins Online :http://www.democracynow.org/2009/9/14/no_celebration_of_occupation_1_500 Support www.DemocracyNow.org with website purchases and/or donations. View, listen, download: The Peace and Freedom Report weekdays at the website. Other shunster posts at:http://www.bt-chat.com/browse.php?category=11
Seeders: 68
Leeches: 15

Avenge But One of My Two Eyes / Nekam Achat Mishtey Eynay (2005)

Category: Documentary
Description:
נקם אחת משתי עיני The title comes from Samson's famous last prayer asking God to give him the strength one last time to take revenge. In a surprising exercise of symmetry, Avi Mograbi uses Jewish mythology to portray the Palestinian mindset. Against a backdrop of senseless daily persecution, Mograbi shows us lost people, clueless in a situation that nobody seems to make any sense out of. It is a fresh new approach void of the usual bloody violence and hatred, with no commentary or voice-over, where real-life people enact a macabre and surrealist play. It is this kind of documentaries that give me hope because I can see that there are still people in the midst of all this hatred that can still retain enough lucidity to recognize what they see for what it is : a shame. Two peoples with so much in common entangled in a death embrace that will consume them both. Just like the director of the documentary, we want to scream at them " What are you doing ?!" Released: ;; July 14th, 2005 Technical Details: ;; MPEG 4 - resolution: ;; 560x320 - Millions of colors FPS: ;; 29.97 MPEG Layer 3 audio, Stereo, 48.000 khz Data Rate: ;; 969.88 kbit / second
Seeders: 0
Leeches: 0

Democracy Now! Wednesday, September 2, 2009

Category: News & Current Affairs
Description:
Today's Headlines CIA Won’t Release Docs on Bush Admin Role in Torture, Secret Prisons Afghan Deputy Intel Chief Among 23 Killed in Mosque Bombing Firm Protecting US Embassy in Kabul Accused of Widespread Misconduct Study: Contractor Use at Record High in Afghanistan Report: US Plans 14,000 Additional Combat Troops in Afghanistan Report: US Extends Blackwater Contract in Iraq Iraq Deaths at Highest Level in 13 Months 3 Palestinians Killed in Israeli Attacks on Gaza, West Bank Zelaya to Meet Clinton in Washington Chile Seeks Mass Arrests for Abuses under Pinochet Ex-Guatemalan Military Official Convicted for Junta-Era Disappearances Chevron Accuses Ecuadorian Judge of Corruption in Amazon Case Study: Low-Wage Workers Subject to Routine Violations Wall Street Execs Reaped Windfall from Market Rebound Labor, Environmental Groups Challenge Wal-Mart EPA to Designate CO2 a Pollutant; Senate Delays Climate Bill Iraqi Journalist Detained for a Year Without Charge by US Forces Despite Iraqi Court Order to Release Him A year ago today, US and Iraqi forces raided the home of Iraqi journalist Ibrahim Jassam, a freelance photographer working for Reuters. Soldiers seized his computer hard drive and cameras. He was led away, handcuffed and blindfolded. For the past year the US military has held Jassam without charge. Ten months ago, the Iraqi Central Criminal Court ordered his release for lack of evidence, but the US military refused to release him, claiming he was a “high security threat.” [includes rush transcript] "American Casino" - Doc Investigates Roots of the Subprime Mortgage Meltdown and Tells the Stories of Its Victims The subprime mortgage meltdown was at the heart of what’s been called the Great Recession of 2008. It caused more than a million Americans to lose their homes and brought Wall Street to its knees. A new documentary opening today in New York takes on the subprime crisis, tracking its roots on Wall Street and Washington and profiling some of its victims, mainly African American families who lost their homes. We play highlights and speak with filmmakers Leslie and Andrew Cockburn. [includes rush transcript]
Seeders: 77
Leeches: 11

This Way Up (2009)

Category: Documentary
Description:
This Way Up Premiere Date: August 25, 2009 This is a story about a wall — the separations it's meant to enforce, and the unintended ones it gives birth to. The security wall being constructed by Israel on the West Bank has divided Palestinian families and communities. It has also isolated the Catholic-run Our Lady of Sorrows nursing home outside of Jerusalem, leaving its feisty residents to face old age in the throes of one of the world's most bitter conflicts. With beautiful imagery, moments of laughter and use of a quietly eccentric older guide, This Way Up examines the social, economic and religious barriers that arise from physical ones. Format : AVI Length : 465 MiB for 56mn 23s 83ms Codec : XviD source : PDTV Subtitles : English Video #0 : MPEG-4 Visual at 1 009 Kbps Aspect : 528 x 384 (1.375) at 29.970 fps Audio #0 : MPEG Audio at 130 Kbps Infos : 2 channels, 48.0 KHz Enjoy! Ekolb
Seeders: 8
Leeches: 7