Propaganda

Drifting towards dictatorship

Posted on by bob

At the time of his death in 2006, Augusto Pinochet had been implicated in over 300 criminal charges for human rights violations. The charges included 194 counts of killings Spanish citizens. He was arrested in London and held on house arrest in comfortable rented accommodation for a year and a half before being released by the British government. During that time he was visited by Margaret Thatcher to pay her respects.

Who was Pinochet?

Pinochet was the Chilean dictator who took power in Chile in 1973 after a US backed coup that ousted President Allende the democratically elected socialist president of Chile, which lead to a brutal right wing dictatorship, led by Pinochet.

“Pinochet’s newly formed junta locked hundreds of thousands of people in detention centres, “disappeared” (killed) at least 2,279 for political reasons and tortured another 31,947. Pinochet took power by military force and used military force to maintain his regime.” libcom Continue reading →

As America awaits more violent attacks, (Act II) time for some reflection

Posted on by bob

I don’t think the moron nutcases attacking the capital are the main problem. They are kind of puppets for the main regime, the Cristian fundamentalist. The clean cut people in the wheelhouse charting the course. Remember when they were talking on US news outlets about UK cities being run by Muslims, which people here were perplexed at. Continue reading →

Reawakening the intellectual life of the working classes

Posted on by bob

There are lots of people in the world with a whole variety of needs. Some are reasonable some are exotic some are crazy some are just stupid. How should anybody judge the opinions and actions of others? What causes people to do things that are abhorrent to others for the good of themselves? What is it some people need so badly that they will do almost anything to get it. These are the big mysteries that take up much, of many peoples time and lives. They ask. Why is the world so fucked-up for me when I haven’t done anything? Continue reading →

Intercept?

Posted on by bob

The journalist Glenn Greenwald, a columnist for the British newspaper The Guardian, talks during event in Rio de Janeiro.Relating to article – Journalism, Secrecy, and The Intercept By and Michael Albert

By Michael Albert
Source Z Communications

Some months back I interviewed Glenn Greenwald to appear on both ZNet and New Left Project –  just as this article is appearing on both. The interview was substantive instead of an interviewer attacking and Greenwald parrying. The goal was for it to spur constructive discussion about journalism and the First Look project and Intercept component of it. It didn’t happen.

Greenwald is as quick, succinct, and clear in conversation as he appears in videos. He stuck me as likeable and certainly not the harsh fellow he is often made out to be. But some of his interview answers were troubling.

Greenwald understands the coercive possibilities of capitalist owners or the state curtailing adversarial journalism from above. That is the danger Greenwald believes will not overtake First Look/Intercept because he feels the owner, Pierre Omidyar, is sincerely committed to never imposing restrictions and, more positively, to actively establishing a journalism-friendly workplace.
Keep reading article INTERCEPT?

The Future of ZCommunications

Posted on by bob

znetZ’s Future

Times are hard for all media, and particularly for alternative media. This is due to a combination of factors including but not limited to a growing audience disinclination to pay for information. If you couple that with alternative media being unable, in many cases, to get foundation or large donor funding, and with its commitment to not selling its audience to advertisers, which would likely yield little revenue in any event, the situation becomes dire.

In the face of such trends, only a few avenues, other than surrender and dissolution, exist.

  • A project can seek to generate new income from new channels, to pay its bills.
  • A project can severely reduce its costs.
  • A project can convince its audiences that support is desirable and worth their attention.

Z is following all these paths.
Keep Reading article The Future of ZCommunications