Daily Archives: August 9, 2010

Church

Cardinal attacks US over Lockerbie bomber reaction

BBC
Full text of Speech
Cardinal O’Brien said the Scottish government had done nothing wrong

Cardinal Keith O'Brien

The leader of the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland has attacked the US over the release of the Lockerbie bomber.

Cardinal Keith O’Brien said the Scottish government was right to free Abdelbaset Ali al-Megrahi last year on compassionate grounds.

US lawmakers want Scots politicians to explain their decision to a committee but the cardinal said ministers should not go “crawling like lapdogs”. Continue reading Cardinal attacks US over Lockerbie bomber reaction →

USA

In Massachusetts, A Victory for Fair Elections

YES Magazine
The Bay State is the latest to sign on to a simple strategy to make sure that every vote counts.

Photo by Lower Columbia College.

Our current system for filling the highest office in the land is broken. The current Electoral College system of electing a president in separate state-by-state elections allows losers to win, creates opportunities for partisans to game the system, and leads to most voters’ preferences being essentially ignored. Continue reading In Massachusetts, A Victory for Fair Elections →

Peace, USA

Some Nuclear Sunshine

1 Comment

YES Magazine

An intercontinental ballistic missile on display at the Titan Missile Museum in Arizona. Photo by John Uhles

The U.S. reveals the size of its nuclear arsenal for the first time. Are we any closer to disarmament?
For the first time since America first tested a nuclear weapon 65 years ago, the government has disclosed how many nuclear weapons are in our active stockpile. It is long overdue.

The good news is that this action enhances U.S. credibility as President Obama presses to reduce all nuclear arsenals and move towards their eventual elimination. “You can’t get anywhere towards disarmament unless you are going to be transparent about how many weapons you have,” Sharon Squassoni, a nuclear analyst with the Center for Strategic and International Studies, told the Associated Press. Continue reading Some Nuclear Sunshine →

Brazil, Environment

Indigenous Encampment Planned on Xingu River

Amazon Watch
Hundreds to Converge in Altamira to Highlight Threats of Proposed Belo Monte Dam
Members of the Press Invited to Attend
Altamira, Brazil – Hundreds of Brazilian indigenous leaders from the Amazon Basin will be joined by local riverbank dwellers and dam-affected people to participate in a regional meeting of the Terra Livre Encampment, in Altamira, Pará, from August 9-12. Organized by the Amazonian Indigenous Organization COIAB, and supported by a coalition of Brazilian and international organizations, participants will occupy the riverside port of Altamira and discuss threats posed by major infrastructure projects in the Amazon, in particular the controversial Belo Monte Dam. The meeting will end with a public rally in Altamira on August 12. Continue reading Indigenous Encampment Planned on Xingu River →