Author Archives: RagBlog

Earth’s Oceans Are Deeply Troubled

Reefs including the Great Barrier Reef off Australia could begin to break up within a few decades, research suggests. Photograph: Cathie PageClimate deal may be too late to save coral reefs, scientists warnBy David Adam / October 27, 2008 A … Continue reading

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Don’t Write Off That Attack on Iran Quite Yet

Waiting for the Curtain to RiseBy Alexander Cockburn / October 24, 2008 So what happened to the Bush/Cheney pre-election attack on Iran? It’s like everything else. You think you have months. You put it on one side, in the “things … Continue reading

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Guantanamo Irregularities Yield Military Probe

Air Force Brig. Gen. Thomas Hartmann at the Guantanamo Bay U.S. Naval Base, Cuba, in a June 4, 2008 file photo. Photo: Brennan Linsley/Reuters.U.S. general target of Guantanamo probeBy Danica Coto / October 26, 2008 SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – … Continue reading

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Canada: Where Torture Is Condemned

Former Supreme Court Justice Frank Iacobucci found that Canadian security services probably contributed indirectly to the torture in Syria of three Arab Canadians suspected of involvement in terrorist activities. Photo: Chris Wattie/ReutersPrejudice in a post-9/11 worldBy Haroon Siddiqui / October … Continue reading

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Another of the "Coalition of the Willing" Leaves

Kazakhstan Withdraws Troops from IraqBy John C. K. Daly / October 24, 2008 The strategic seismic shockwave unleashed throughout the former Soviet Union by the August military confrontation between Georgia and Russia continues to reverberate throughout the Caucasus and Central … Continue reading

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World Hunger: Such a Goddamned Nuisance

World Food Day: Global Crises’ Double StandardsBy Ramzy Baroud / October 25, 2008 The 25th annual World Food Day, marked on 16 October, was an occasion whose arrival and passing received little media attention or governmental fanfare. Evidently, much of … Continue reading

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Expecting Change with a New Leader? Think Again

Shame And The 2008 ElectionBy Angie Riedel / October 25, 2008 The presidential election is only a matter of days away now. I wish I could say there is reason to be optimistic that it will bring an end to … Continue reading

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Iraq Status of Forces Agreement Languishes

Iraq’s prime minister won’t sign U.S. troop dealBy Roy Gutman / October 24, 2008 BAGHDAD — Fearing political division in the parliament and in his country, Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki won’t sign the just-completed agreement on the status … Continue reading

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Shouldn’t a Global Treaty Against Guns Be Next?

Too Many GunsBy Frida Berrigan / October 23, 2008 We’ve heard a lot about gun control and the second amendment in this election season. A McCain-Palin poster, featuring Alaska’s 44-year-old governor with a big gun and the viewer in her … Continue reading

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For the Dart Players in the Audience

Being a long-time birder and having participated in league darts for years in Edmonton, Alberta, I had to post this. My apologies to those who are offended by an innocent hummer being so “mistreated,” but I believe he was fine … Continue reading

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Poverty: Governments Can Be Forced to Do Right

More than 116 million people stood against poverty this weekend.© Global Call to Action against PovertyAnti-Poverty Rallies Smash World RecordBy Haider Rizvi / October 23, 2008 UNITED NATIONS – The worldwide anti-poverty mass action that took place last weekend has … Continue reading

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Health of All Is Affected by Preventable Pollution

These children are developmentally impaired as a result of lead poisoning. Haina, Dominican Republic. Photo: Blacksmith Institute.Worst Forms of Pollution Killing MillionsBy Stephen Leahy / October 23, 2008 UXBRIDGE, Canada – Gold mining and recycling car batteries are two of … Continue reading

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