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The Torture Colony: an article by Bruce Falconer about Paul Schaefer, a German evangelist whose utopia in Chile helped the Pinochet regime perform torture and execution | The American Scholar
In a remote part of Chile, an evil German evangelist built a utopia whose members helped the Pinochet regime perform its foulest deeds
ba ling hou: best identified by their ambivalence | MetaFilter
Beijing's underground: "Five years ago, none of my students at Tsinghua or Beida had any interest in what we would call countercultural stuff," says Michael Pettis, a finance professor at Beida's -- that is, Peking University's -- Guanghua School of Management who owns D-22 and the Maybe Mars label. Today Mr. Pettis estimates that a quarter of his students have been to rock clubs and maybe 5% to 10% "are really knowledgeable and sophisticated.
Trees Never Meet | MetaFilter
Trees Never Meet is the thoughtful blog of David, a historian of Africa. Though posting has slowed recently, the archives are fascinating. On fitting in; on killing animals as an ex-vegetarian; on Namibian legal history; on "anti-conquests"; on the types of people who have inhabited Namibia since the conquest; on Namibian politics. David also has a fantastic, well-written dream blog.
Living communally in Russia | MetaFilter
Kommunalka - communal apartments - were begun by the Bolsheviks in Russia at the end of the Russian Revolution to address overcrowding in cities - and also to punish the bourgeoisie who had previously lived in comfort. Kommunalka were an enduring social experiment, where multiple families were assigned by the state to live together in close quarters with no expectation of privacy. It was not uncommon for tenants to spy on each other. Though communism ended in Russia almost two decades ago, Kommunalka still exist today.
Ethnic conflict in China | MetaFilter
"On the evening of July 5th, several hundred Uighur youths went on a bloody rampage [in Urumqi, Xinjiang] following a peaceful demonstration over a separate incident of ethnic violence at a Guangdong toy factory. . . . In the days that followed, bands of roving Han vigilantes armed with kitchen knives, hammers, metal pipes and other improvised weapons sought to mete out revenge in the Uighur suburbs of the city. . . . Caught in-between these increasingly polarized and agitated ethnic communities is the Chinese state, which, rather than orchestrating the brutal oppression of the non-Han minorities, finds itself increasingly powerless to stop the spiralling circle of ethnic hatred which its policies helped to foster in the first place."
Here is a news report on the Guangdong toy factory violence that preceded the Xinjiang rioting.
Here is a translation of the Gongmeng (Open Constitution Initiative) study of China's Tibet policy referred to in the linked China Beat article, with an introduction by the Campaign for Tibet. The report is carefully critical of the government's approach to Tibet: "Ordinary Tibetans have a far keener and evident sense of deprivation than any sense of government help, and like many people living in provinces in the interior, are deeply discontented with the local power-brokers."
Dead Silence: Fear and Terror on the Anthrax Trail | MetaFilter
Anthrax War - On the 6th Anniversary of the death of Dr. David Kelly, a provocative film (and book) about the 2001 Anthrax Attacks examines Kelly's role in the hidden world of germ weapons research. Youtube parts: 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7.
Anthrax War goes on to reveal how the 2001 Anthrax Attacks have spawned a $50 billion dollar “Bio-defense” boom in which biological weapons research is now being conducted, with little oversight, by corporations and private labs – the new “Bio-Terrorism Industrial Complex”.
The film underscores how fear of terrorism combined with the lure of extraordinary profits may be leading to a global germ war arms race that could be hurtling the planet toward catastrophe.
Anthrax War recently aired on CBC's documentary series, The Passionate Eye and will be broadcast on the ARTE network and other broadcasters in Europe and SBS in Australia in the coming months.
oobject » 15 images of not so secret secret service buildings
The original British Secret Service headquarters was just that, secret. But the increase in importance of electronics meant that it was more important for a building to be invisible to electronic eavesdropping. as such the current M16 HQ in London is about as obvious a giant sign saying ’secret building here’, yet it is enclosed in a giant Faraday cage to protect its communications.
Not all Intelligence agencies have had a discrete architectural past, Franco’s House of Screams, or the Soviet Lubyanka are demonstrably terrifying. Mossad’s HQ, until the 60s or the current Australian Secret Intelligence Service look quite modest compared to the hardly known Ministry of National Security of Azerbaijan, which houses its intelligence service, in a large and monolithic building of dramatic proportions.
Iran: The Rooftop Project | MightierThan.com
One of the most compelling elements of the continued uprising in Iran has been when each night under the cover of darkness Iranians chant themselves hoarse from the rooftops, balconies, and windows of their homes. This is done to express resolve, hope, frustration, but probably more than anything else – to provide a way for people to be together, in spirit and in their cause. As long as their voices echo through each night, Iran is not yet free. It is the soundtrack of revolution.
This is meant to be the most complete possible collection of recordings of nighttime protest in Iran since the beginning of the uprising. Its goal is to locate and profile at least one video for each night primarily focusing on the nightly chanting of Allah-o-Akbar from the rooftops whenever that footage is available. Some of these videos have not been widely seen until now. I will continue to update this post with new videos as they become available, please encourage people in Iran to try to record these evening chants of Allah-o-Akbar so that the world can continue to see and hear them every day. There are several days for which I was unable to find a video – please help me find them! – you can email me at itsmightier@gmail.com – I can post the videos anonymously under my YouTube account if needed. The permalink for this post will be http://mightierthan.com/rooftop
This project is dedicated to “Oldouz84″
Operation Midnight Climax | MetaFilter
Operation Midnight Climax is a new web series about how the CIA used prostitutes to test LSD on unsuspecting American citizens. "Operation Midnight Climax was a CIA mind-control research program that began in the 1950's. The project consisted of CIA-run safehouses in San Francisco, Marin and New York. It was established in order to study the effects of LSD on unconsenting individuals. Prostitutes on the CIA payroll were instructed to lure clients back to the safehouses, where they were given a wide range of substances, including LSD, and monitored behind two-way mirrors
another riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma | MetaFilter
Iran's debate over theocracy took an interesting turn when Ayatollah Sistani the preeminent Shi'a cleric in Iraq made a recent visit. Sistani has stated that in order to be legitimate a ruler should win acceptance from a majority of believers. Threats Watch has analysis on this as the so called Battle for Iran shifts from the streets to the heart of power. How Iran is ruled is both different and complicated. The crisis is far from over; we are now probably at the end of the beginning. Here is a round up of analysis from dianaswednesday.
Ahmadinejad Tells Obama Not to Interfere in Iran - washingtonpost.com
TEHRAN, June 25 -- Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad warned President Obama on Thursday to "avoid interfering" in Iranian affairs, and his security forces arrested 70 academics overnight after using clubs and tear gas Wednesday to break up demonstrations over the disputed June 12 elections.
Life in a North Korean Concentration Camp | MetaFilter
North Korea's concentration camps reportedly contain over half a million citizens, and is possibly one of the worst cases of systematic human rights abuses occurring in the world today. Ahn Myong Chol, an ex-prison guard, describes the conditions of the inmates of Camp 22, in objective and chilling detail. On medical experiments being performed on prisoners: "....the glass chamber has 3 main subdivisions: one is for blood experiments, another is for poison gas, and the third is for suffocation gas. 3 or 4 people, normally a family, are experimented on. The scientists sit around the edge and watch from above...".
Chol's description of camp life, the psychology of being a prison guard and his victims: "If I was in a bad mood, I would find an excuse (to torture.) It's just like pigs or dogs. You could beat them everyday without caring if they lived or died. Everyday. For around 3 years I enjoyed torturing people."
Shin Dong Hyuk, a young man who was actually born into a prison camp, is the only known survivor to escape Camp 14. Now in South Korea, he tells the stunning story of what is was like to be born in a prison camp, and the stark contrast of life outside of it. "Mothers get beaten during their work so they come home and beat their kids to relieve stress. We only called our parents mom and dad. There is no caring relationship between the parents and their children like in South Korea. I had never felt it even once."
posted by thisperon (91 comments total) 32 users marked this as a favorite
A brief history of modern Iran | MetaFilter
As the world watches the conflict in Iran unfold, many commentators have tried to make a connection between the current protests and either the coup of 1953 or the revolution of 1979. But what do we know of the history of that country and how well do we know its leaders? Some of the major political players who have dominated the trajectory of the recent history of Iran include Mohammed Mossadegh, Mohammad Rezā Shāh Pahlavi, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Mahmoud Ahmedinejad, and Mir-Hossein Mousavi. All links above are to Wikipedia pages. For more extensive articles and information, check below the fold.
Isla del encanto? | MetaFilter
With all the dust that's been* riled up by Obama's nomination of Sonia Sotomayor (previously), everyone is suddenly taking an interest in Puerto Rico. A basic question that may come up is why we're there in the first place. Understanding that, we can see how the complicated relationship has played out between Puerto Rico, the US, and, most recently, the United Nations. Although the UN has urged the US to take steps towards establishing Puerto Rico's sovereignty, referendums held on the island have overwhelmingly preferred the status quo and the US has been indifferent at best. But independence activists, after a twenty-year decline, may be on the rise. The island's current governor, Luis Fortuño, is pro-statehood. But the whole issue has taken a back seat since plans have been made to fire 30,000 government workers, privatize some public services, and sell some the the government's US$3.2 billion debt.
Still recovering from the 2006 economic crisis that some say never ended and struggling with a 15% unemployment rate, Puerto Rico's future is cloudy.
A lot of haters. | MetaFilter
Max Blumenthal is Feeling the Hate In Jerusalem on Eve of Obama's Cairo Address (SLYT).
See Max Blumenthal's shocking footage of the reaction by some Israelis and American Jews in Jerusalem to Obama's speech to the Muslim world. Co-produced by Joseph Dana, aka Ibn Ezra: ibnezra.wordpress.com and Mondoweiss, a blog that covers the Israel-Palestine conflict and the Middle East from a progressive Jewish perspective.
posted by T.D. Strange
I have here in my hand a list... | MetaFilter
40 million Iranians watched a "remarkable, no-holds-barred" and nationally televised debate between President Ahmadinejad (blog) and his rival, former Prime Minister Mousavi (Facebook).
Mousavi said Ahmadinejad was moving toward dictatorship, and that his Holocaust denial had hurt Iran's dignity; the President said Mousavi had conspired with former presidents Hashemi Rafsanjani and Khatami against him. Ahmadinejad then pulled out a dossier on Mousavi's wife, saying she didn't have proper qualifications for graduate school. Mousavi replied "This is typical of your government. Instead of finding solutions, you send your deputies to make files on the people."
The election is June 12th. There will be several more debates among other candidates including Ahmadinejad, Mohsen Rezai and Mehdi Karroubi .
This all raises the bigger question: how democratic is Iran? Radio Free Europe says "Less than Iraq." DilbertBlog says "As much as America is." The Guardian says "Complicated."
Babylon Falling-Blog-
Babylon Falling is a concept driven independent bookstore, located in Lower Nob Hill San Francisco, with a focus on the spirit of Revolution. In addition to new books we also carry similarly themed collectible toys, artwork, DVDs, and our own in-house t-shirt line featuring designs submitted by artists who have exhibited at the store.
Revolution surrounds us. On one side of the store the shelves are dedicated to the history, theory, and politics of Revolution. The other wall of shelves is focused on aesthetic and stylistic Revolution and features sections devoted to literature, graphic novels, art, and music. The toys, artwork, clothing, and DVDs complement and supplement the collection of over 3,000 titles. NO FILLER.
We also host regular events that have included performance art, book signings, and art exhibitions. You can see pictures of our past events here
We were recently chosen as Best Bookstore For Aspiring Activists by the San Francisco Bay Guardian for their 2008 Best of the Bay awards. Read the review here
As the good doctor was fond of saying, "Res ipsa loquitor" - The thing speaks for itself.
Maud Newton: Blog
Maud Newton was born in Dallas, Texas, to southern parents. At two, she moved to Miami, Florida, where she was often mistaken for a tourist because of her pallid complexion.
She attended the University of Florida in Gainesville, where she studied writing with Padgett Powell and Harry Crews. Then, for lack of a better plan, she blundered into law school, also at U.F. After accruing a bundle of loans to finance her legal education, Maud confirmed what she had suspected all along: she did not want to be an attorney. She practiced law in Florida for a few years anyway.
Now she lives in New York City, where she works as an editor and writer. In her free time, she writes, reads, and blogs -- and sends checks to the U.S. Department of Education.
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