This is from the Green Party of Michigan:
Ecological Wisdom * Social Justice
Grassroots Democracy * Non-Violence
Green Party of Michigan
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
www.MIGreenParty.org
** News Release **
** ------------ **
May 1, 2014
For More Information, Contact:
-----------------------------
John Anthony La Pietra, GPMI Elections Co-ordinator
jalp5dai@att.net
(269) 781-9478
Fred Vitale, GPMI Meeting Manager
freddetroit@sbcglobal.net
(313) 490-5805
Michigan Greens to Hold Convention June 7-8
===========================================
GPMI Members to Gather in Detroit Area from Across the State
to Nominate Federal, State, and Local Candidates;
Party Will Also Publish Its 2014 Platform
The Green Party of Michigan (GPMI) will hold its
2014 state nominating convention in the Detroit area
on Saturday, June 7 and Sunday, June 8.
The Saturday session is scheduled to run from 9am
to 5pm at the International Institute, 111 E. Kirby,
Detroit. On Sunday, Michigan Greens will convene at
the Phoenix Cafe, 24918 John R., Hazel Park from 9am
to 3pm.
This will be the Green Party's eighth convention
since it earned its place on the Michigan ballot in
2000. Conventions and county caucuses are how GPMI
and other alternative parties nominate candidates for
the November general elections.
GPMI Elections Co-ordinator John Anthony La Pietra
points out that the state-law-required convention/caucus
system doesn't bring Green nominees the publicity of
taxpayer-financed primary elections. "On the other hand,
every candidate we nominate has to show a solid commitment
to the party's values."
Those values include the Four Pillars of all US Greens:
grassroots democracy, social justice, ecological wisdom,
and non-violence. GPMI applies its values to key issues
of the day in its 2014 Platform, which will be publicly
available at the convention.
GPMI Meeting Manager Fred Vitale will be having
updates of information about the convention agenda,
directions to the two sites, hotels and restaurants
in the area, and other links posted on the party's
new Website at:
http://www.migreenparty.org/nominating-convention.html
GPMI's 2014 platform and its four major sections --
"Democracy and Human Rights", "The Environment", "Resource Wars",
and "Jobs and the General Welfare" -- can be seen at
http://www.migreenparty.org/our-platform-and-positions.html
If you would like to be considered for a possible GPMI
nomination for partisan elective office, contact Elections
Co-ordinator John Anthony La Pietra <jalp5dai@att.net> for
an article about the nomination process. Candidates who
answer the party's questionnaire in the article by May 24
will have their answers included in a booklet distributed
to delegates at the convention.
For other information about GPMI, its values, and its
candidates, visit:
http://www.MIGreenParty.org/
You can also “like” the Green Party of Michigan US
Facebook page and follow GPMI's Twitter feed @MIGreenParty.
# # #
created/distributed using donated labor
Green Party of Michigan
PO Box 504
Warren, MI 48090-0504
313-815-2025
www.MIGreenParty.org
GPMI was formed in 1987 to address environmental
issues in Michigan politics. Greens are organized
in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Each
state Green Party sets its own goals and creates its
own structure, but US Greens agree on Ten Key Values:
Ecological Wisdom
Grassroots Democracy
Social Justice
Non-Violence
Community Economics
Decentralization
Feminism
Respect for Diversity
Personal/Global Responsibility
Future Focus/Sustainability
For the latest news,
“like” the Green Party of Michigan US Facebook page --
and follow us at Twitter: @MIGreenParty.
Sunday, May 04, 2014
Matisse’s colours shone in the century’s darkest hour
This is a repost from Great Britain's Socialist Worker:
Illness turned Henri Matisse from painter to
pioneer of collage. His cut-outs come alive in a landmark exhibition at
Tate Modern, says Peter Robinson
Henri Matisse was one of the greatest and most radical artists in the first half of the 20th century—and the last ten years of his life were among his most creative.
In 1941, with France under Nazi occupation, Matisse was diagnosed with cancer. He underwent serious operations where his life hung in the balance, and until he died he had to work from his wheelchair and bed.
He developed a completely new style to his art, leaving painting behind for colourful collages.
Tate Modern’s blockbuster summer exhibition covers these years. It is the biggest ever exhibition of Matisse’s cut-outs.
The 14 rooms are a riot of intense blocks of vibrant colour. The shapes are laid out in harmonious rhythm, creating an overwhelming sense of beauty and exuberance.
The cut-outs are made from pieces of paper covered in gouache—a paint usually used for posters because of its rich colour. They can’t be mixed or blended so the range of colours is limited.
Assistants would cover the paper with paint to Matisse’s specifications. He would then sit in bed with a huge pair of scissors and cut shapes that seemed to come to life in his hands.
People who witnessed this process found it hard to believe how much intensity and energy he had.
He would then direct an assistant to pin each piece to the wall and gradually assemble a finished piece. He called it his production line.
This method thrilled him. Instead of having to draw a line and then fill it with colour he saw it as cutting directly into colour as if sculpting it.
Circuses
He worked on books and periodicals using this method, most famously Jazz, which contains delightful scenes from circuses and folklore. The compositions seem to dance with life, as in The Horse, the Rider and the
Clown, pictured.
But Matisse was disappointed in the printed result as it had removed the sensitivity of his hand-made pieces.
For a time his eyesight was affected from living too long with what he called “enchanted colours”.
Matisse saw his masterpiece as the chapel in Vense near Nice in the South of France.
Over four years he turned his studio into a replica of the chapel and designed everything from the stained glass windows to the priests’ garments. The colour and light create a sumptuous celebration of life.
The exhibition also includes huge pieces that began on the walls of his flat in Paris. He covered up a stain with a cut-out swallow.
Then, inspired by his memories of Tahiti, he went on to fill the walls with birds, sea life and plants. Many of his works come from his memory, including designs for a tiled patio which recalls the geometry and rhythm of Islamic art.
He would completely fill the walls of his studio with startlingly bright forms from nature pinned loosely so that they waved in the breeze. He said, “I can’t go outside so I have brought a garden inside”.
Matisse’s colours shone in the century’s darkest hour
Henri Matisse, The Horse, the Rider, and the
Clown 1943-4 (Pic: © Centre Pompidou, MNAM-CCI, Dist. RMN-Grand Palais /
Jean-Claude Planchet © Succession Henri Matisse/DACS 2013)
Henri Matisse was one of the greatest and most radical artists in the first half of the 20th century—and the last ten years of his life were among his most creative.
In 1941, with France under Nazi occupation, Matisse was diagnosed with cancer. He underwent serious operations where his life hung in the balance, and until he died he had to work from his wheelchair and bed.
He developed a completely new style to his art, leaving painting behind for colourful collages.
Tate Modern’s blockbuster summer exhibition covers these years. It is the biggest ever exhibition of Matisse’s cut-outs.
The 14 rooms are a riot of intense blocks of vibrant colour. The shapes are laid out in harmonious rhythm, creating an overwhelming sense of beauty and exuberance.
The cut-outs are made from pieces of paper covered in gouache—a paint usually used for posters because of its rich colour. They can’t be mixed or blended so the range of colours is limited.
Assistants would cover the paper with paint to Matisse’s specifications. He would then sit in bed with a huge pair of scissors and cut shapes that seemed to come to life in his hands.
People who witnessed this process found it hard to believe how much intensity and energy he had.
He would then direct an assistant to pin each piece to the wall and gradually assemble a finished piece. He called it his production line.
This method thrilled him. Instead of having to draw a line and then fill it with colour he saw it as cutting directly into colour as if sculpting it.
Circuses
He worked on books and periodicals using this method, most famously Jazz, which contains delightful scenes from circuses and folklore. The compositions seem to dance with life, as in The Horse, the Rider and the
Clown, pictured.
But Matisse was disappointed in the printed result as it had removed the sensitivity of his hand-made pieces.
For a time his eyesight was affected from living too long with what he called “enchanted colours”.
Matisse saw his masterpiece as the chapel in Vense near Nice in the South of France.
Over four years he turned his studio into a replica of the chapel and designed everything from the stained glass windows to the priests’ garments. The colour and light create a sumptuous celebration of life.
The exhibition also includes huge pieces that began on the walls of his flat in Paris. He covered up a stain with a cut-out swallow.
Then, inspired by his memories of Tahiti, he went on to fill the walls with birds, sea life and plants. Many of his works come from his memory, including designs for a tiled patio which recalls the geometry and rhythm of Islamic art.
He would completely fill the walls of his studio with startlingly bright forms from nature pinned loosely so that they waved in the breeze. He said, “I can’t go outside so I have brought a garden inside”.
Anti-drone events in Central New York (Minnie Bruce Pratt)
This is from Workers World:
Syracuse, N.Y. — In a determined protest against the U.S. use of drone warfare, 150 people marched to the gates of Hancock Air Base in Syracuse, N.Y., on April 27. The multinational march was part of a regional day of education and action linking poverty, racism and war.
People in Afghanistan, for example, are targeted by Reaper drones piloted out of Hancock Air Base.
Soldiers in the 174th Attack Wing, New York National Guard, fly the drones. The 174th previously flew F-16s; it is the first U.S. squadron to convert to all-unmanned combat planes.
Human rights groups estimate that U.S. drones have killed thousands of people in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Somalia and Yemen since 2002. On April 7, a drone strike killed more than a dozen people in Kunar province, Afghanistan, near the Pakistan border. Eighty people have been arrested in recent protests at the Hancock gates. In 2011, protesters delivered a “War Crimes Indictment” to the base.
Some demonstrators held up photographs of individuals, many of them children from these same four countries, who were killed by U.S. drone bombings. Some activists carried photographs of Trayvon Martin and Troy Davis, and other Black youth and adults, who were killed by vigilante attacks, racist police and state execution.
The Upstate Coalition to Ground the Drones and End the Wars, with members in Buffalo, Binghamton, Ithaca, Rochester, Saratoga, Syracuse and Utica, called the action, which was coordinated locally by the Syracuse Peace Council.
A people’s declaration
At this action, protesters declared “A People’s Order of Protection Against Drone Terrorism” ordering the 174th Attack Wing to stop all bombing of “the children of Afghanistan, their families and their villages.”
An “order of protection” is a legal tool used by victims of domestic violence to keep their abusers at a safe distance. A court typically issues such an order against someone who harms or threatens to harm another person.
Military and local authorities have recently attempted to limit and repress anti-drone actions by issuing “orders of protection” against more than 50 demonstrators.
These orders prohibit those anti-drone activists from coming within sight of Hancock under penalty of arrest.
Some activities usually covered by an order of protection include ordering an abuser to stay away from a person and her children, move out of the family home or not carry a gun.
Currently “protected” by such an order — and thus placed in the role of “victim of abuse” — are Hancock Air Base, its 2,000 personnel and armed soldiers, and its commander. All are part of Air Combat Command, one of the ten major commands of the U.S. Air Force.
Activists are fighting in court to overturn this state abuse of an “order of protection.”
Poverty, racism and drones
A standing-room-only, multinational crowd of more than 600 people attended a pre-march event that focused on connecting the links between poverty, racism and drone warfare.
The event took place at Tucker Missionary Baptist Church, a historically Black congregation on the South Side of Syracuse.
Dr. Cornel West, a featured speaker, is a noted African-American scholar and professor of Philosophy and Christian Practice at Union Theological Seminary. Dr. West stressed the connections between Wall Street, U.S. “imperial crimes,” the prison-industrial complex and the failure to meet people’s needs.
The audience cheered loudly when he said, “There is always money for wars and for prisons but not for health care and education.”
He added, “Capitalism is a failed system when it comes to the poor and working people.”
Sponsors of both events included United National Anti-War Coalition, local chapters of the Catholic Worker, the Green Party, the National Action Network, Veterans for Peace, and many Western and Central New York peace and justice groups.
Articles copyright 1995-2014 Workers World. Verbatim copying and distribution is permitted in any medium without royalty provided this notice is preserved.
Anti-drone events in Central New York
By Minnie Bruce Pratt on May 2, 2014
April 27 protest at Hancock Air Base.
WW photo: Minnie Bruce Pratt
Syracuse, N.Y. — In a determined protest against the U.S. use of drone warfare, 150 people marched to the gates of Hancock Air Base in Syracuse, N.Y., on April 27. The multinational march was part of a regional day of education and action linking poverty, racism and war.
People in Afghanistan, for example, are targeted by Reaper drones piloted out of Hancock Air Base.
Soldiers in the 174th Attack Wing, New York National Guard, fly the drones. The 174th previously flew F-16s; it is the first U.S. squadron to convert to all-unmanned combat planes.
Human rights groups estimate that U.S. drones have killed thousands of people in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Somalia and Yemen since 2002. On April 7, a drone strike killed more than a dozen people in Kunar province, Afghanistan, near the Pakistan border. Eighty people have been arrested in recent protests at the Hancock gates. In 2011, protesters delivered a “War Crimes Indictment” to the base.
Some demonstrators held up photographs of individuals, many of them children from these same four countries, who were killed by U.S. drone bombings. Some activists carried photographs of Trayvon Martin and Troy Davis, and other Black youth and adults, who were killed by vigilante attacks, racist police and state execution.
The Upstate Coalition to Ground the Drones and End the Wars, with members in Buffalo, Binghamton, Ithaca, Rochester, Saratoga, Syracuse and Utica, called the action, which was coordinated locally by the Syracuse Peace Council.
A people’s declaration
At this action, protesters declared “A People’s Order of Protection Against Drone Terrorism” ordering the 174th Attack Wing to stop all bombing of “the children of Afghanistan, their families and their villages.”
An “order of protection” is a legal tool used by victims of domestic violence to keep their abusers at a safe distance. A court typically issues such an order against someone who harms or threatens to harm another person.
Military and local authorities have recently attempted to limit and repress anti-drone actions by issuing “orders of protection” against more than 50 demonstrators.
These orders prohibit those anti-drone activists from coming within sight of Hancock under penalty of arrest.
Some activities usually covered by an order of protection include ordering an abuser to stay away from a person and her children, move out of the family home or not carry a gun.
Currently “protected” by such an order — and thus placed in the role of “victim of abuse” — are Hancock Air Base, its 2,000 personnel and armed soldiers, and its commander. All are part of Air Combat Command, one of the ten major commands of the U.S. Air Force.
Activists are fighting in court to overturn this state abuse of an “order of protection.”
Poverty, racism and drones
A standing-room-only, multinational crowd of more than 600 people attended a pre-march event that focused on connecting the links between poverty, racism and drone warfare.
The event took place at Tucker Missionary Baptist Church, a historically Black congregation on the South Side of Syracuse.
Dr. Cornel West, a featured speaker, is a noted African-American scholar and professor of Philosophy and Christian Practice at Union Theological Seminary. Dr. West stressed the connections between Wall Street, U.S. “imperial crimes,” the prison-industrial complex and the failure to meet people’s needs.
The audience cheered loudly when he said, “There is always money for wars and for prisons but not for health care and education.”
He added, “Capitalism is a failed system when it comes to the poor and working people.”
Sponsors of both events included United National Anti-War Coalition, local chapters of the Catholic Worker, the Green Party, the National Action Network, Veterans for Peace, and many Western and Central New York peace and justice groups.
Articles copyright 1995-2014 Workers World. Verbatim copying and distribution is permitted in any medium without royalty provided this notice is preserved.
Highlights
This piece is written by Rebecca of Sex and Politics and Screeds and Attitude, Cedric of Cedric's Big Mix, Kat of Kat's Korner, Betty of Thomas Friedman is a Great Man, Mike of Mikey Likes It!, Elaine of Like Maria Said Paz, Ruth of Ruth's Report, Marcia of SICKOFITRADLZ, Stan of Oh Boy It Never Ends, Ann of Ann's Mega Dub, Isaiah of The World Today Just Nuts and Wally of The Daily Jot. Unless otherwise noted, we picked all highlights.
"Iraq is not your football and we blew it in the US..." -- most requested highlight by readers of this site.
"Iraq snapshot," "Senate Veterans Affairs Committee reviews alternative care (Ava)," "Begich tried (Wally)," "Senator Richard Blumenthal," "Petzel lied to Senate Veterans Affairs Committee" and "Iraq snapshot" -- C.I., Ava, Wally, Ruth and Kat report on a Senate Veterans Committee.
"Isaiah's The World Today Just Nuts "The Little Pri..." -- Isaiah notes the little prince still seems unsure of what job he was elected to do.
"Once It Was Alright Now (Farmer Joe)," "Lonely Women," "the confession," "Poverty Train," "Lu," "Timer," "Eli's Coming," "Sweet Blindness," "Emmie" and "Yes, I'm ready" -- community post on Laura Nyro's Eli and the Thirteenth Confession.
"The Other Woman," "The Amazing Spider-Man 2," "Box office, Johnny Depp" and "Amy Heckerling" -- Betty, Stan and Kat go to the movies.
"Idiot of the week: Lizz Winstead" -- Mike picks the idiot of the week.
"E-mails in the kitchen" -- Trina goes through the e-mails.
"Good TV, Bad TV," "Arrow is so-slow and boring," "Elementary," "The 100 -- a good episode," "Revolution," "The Mindy Project," "Lies and The 100," "revenge" and "The I Don't Care Wife" -- Marcia, Stan, Mike, Ann, Elaine and Rebecca cover TV.
"Barry offers some ass" and "THIS JUST IN! JUSTY'S TROUSER SNAKE TAPS SOME PRESIDENTIAL WHAT!" -- Barry gets a little.
"Music," "David Rovics and Roberta Flack" and "laura nyro and bob hoskins" -- Elaine, Kat and Rebecca cover music.
"Senate Veterans Affairs Committee reviews alternative care (Ava)"
"The unseemly obsession" -- Betty lays it out.
"Where are the jobs?" -- it should be the mantra.
"State of the Union" -- Isaiah dips into the archives.
"The unseemly obsession" -- Betty lays it out.
"Where are the jobs?" -- it should be the mantra.
"State of the Union" -- Isaiah dips into the archives.
"Slowly they turn" and "THIS JUST IN! TWERK THAT THANG!" -- Barry works that ass.
"Jalal makes a video," "The violence in Iraq," "A teenage suicide bomber," "The Kurds," "Thug Nouri al-Maliki," "Thug Nouri wants a third term," "Iraq's elections" and "So little coverage of Iraq" -- some of the Iraq coverage in the community.
Sunday, April 27, 2014
Truest statement of the week
In fact, if Iraqi politicians are mature enough they should be able
to construct a different coalition with someone other than Maliki as
prime minister.
Criticizing Maliki may be easy, bearing in mind his government’s failure to solve such mundane problems as the shortage of water and electricity in Baghdad, not to mention rampant corruption that, according to some Iraqis, has gone beyond the “normal” limits in so-called developing countries.
The least one could say is that the Maliki government is guilty of underachievement.
Iraq could have done much better.
-- Amir Taheri, "Moving Beyond Iraq's Nightmare" (Asharq Al-Awsat).
Criticizing Maliki may be easy, bearing in mind his government’s failure to solve such mundane problems as the shortage of water and electricity in Baghdad, not to mention rampant corruption that, according to some Iraqis, has gone beyond the “normal” limits in so-called developing countries.
The least one could say is that the Maliki government is guilty of underachievement.
Iraq could have done much better.
-- Amir Taheri, "Moving Beyond Iraq's Nightmare" (Asharq Al-Awsat).
Truest statement of the week II
To maintain his hold on power, however, Maliki enjoys two key assets:
the current legislation, which, absent provisions for term limits,
allows for his prolonged stay in office, and the Iraqi military, which
he has placed under tight control. The implications are not necessarily
reassuring, whether for his opponents or for hopes for sustained
democracy in Iraq.
-- Myriam Benraad, "With Elections Nearing, Iraq’s Maliki Confronts His Shiite Challengers" (World Politics Review).
-- Myriam Benraad, "With Elections Nearing, Iraq’s Maliki Confronts His Shiite Challengers" (World Politics Review).
A note to our readers
Hey --
Another Sunday.
First up, we thank all who participated this edition which includes Dallas and the following:
The Third Estate Sunday Review's Jim, Dona, Ty, Jess and Ava,
Rebecca of Sex and Politics and Screeds and Attitude,
Betty of Thomas Friedman Is a Great Man,
C.I. of The Common Ills and The Third Estate Sunday Review,
Kat of Kat's Korner (of The Common Ills),
Mike of Mikey Likes It!,
Elaine of Like Maria Said Paz),
Cedric of Cedric's Big Mix,
Ruth of Ruth's Report,
Wally of The Daily Jot,
Trina of Trina's Kitchen,
Marcia of SICKOFITRDLZ,
Stan of Oh Boy It Never Ends,
Isaiah of The World Today Just Nuts,
and Ann of Ann's Mega Dub.
And what did we come up with?
We'll see you next week.
Peace.
-- Jim, Dona, Ty, Jess, Ava and C.I.
Another Sunday.
First up, we thank all who participated this edition which includes Dallas and the following:
The Third Estate Sunday Review's Jim, Dona, Ty, Jess and Ava,
Rebecca of Sex and Politics and Screeds and Attitude,
Betty of Thomas Friedman Is a Great Man,
C.I. of The Common Ills and The Third Estate Sunday Review,
Kat of Kat's Korner (of The Common Ills),
Mike of Mikey Likes It!,
Elaine of Like Maria Said Paz),
Cedric of Cedric's Big Mix,
Ruth of Ruth's Report,
Wally of The Daily Jot,
Trina of Trina's Kitchen,
Marcia of SICKOFITRDLZ,
Stan of Oh Boy It Never Ends,
Isaiah of The World Today Just Nuts,
and Ann of Ann's Mega Dub.
And what did we come up with?
Amir Taheri on the Iraqi elections.
Myriam Benraad also on the Iraqi elections.
Iraq votes April 30th (security forces vote on Monday). The western press is in a rush to declare the winner -- before voting even takes place.
Yes, there are two Ava and C.I. pieces this edition. They took on NBC News in the other one, while they take on Bad Teacher in this one and also cover Enlisted, Mother Up! and Cleaners.
Robert Redford keeps finding new ways to make himself a professional joke. Mike, Ann, Cedric and Wally covered this topic in "Idiot of the week: Robert Redford," "Robert Redford got busted as a fake ass" and "Old Man Redford exposes himself" and "THIS JUST IN! THE LYING ROBERT REDFORD!"
What we listened to during the writing of this edition.
Ava and C.I. explain how NBC News has lost control of the brand.
Short feature. This is a State Department photo. No credit was given on the State Department's Instram so we can't tell you who took the picture.
We work through a few of the e-mails.
Barack's sending what into Iraq?
How does a centrist see Barack's foreign policy? Kenneth Pollack answers.
Disabled Veterans of America issued the statement.
This is a press release from Senator Barbara Boxer's office.
Repost from Workers World.
Repost from Great Britain's Socialist Worker.
Mike and the gang wrote this and we thank them for it.
We'll see you next week.
Peace.
-- Jim, Dona, Ty, Jess, Ava and C.I.
Editorial: The media and the Iraqi elections
Today's Sunday Times of London carries Hala Jaber's "Iraq PM 'as bad as Saddam' set to win new term" which opens with this sentence, "The Iraqi prime minister, Nouri al-Maliki, is expected to emerge the victor in this week's elections amid a surge in violence to levels approaching the sectarian bloodshed that tore the country apart in 2008."
We get the violence part but what's this "expected to emerge the victor"?
We've seen that a lot lately in a lot of so-called reports.
The people writing them never cite a poll. Because no poll exists.
Nouri is the alleged front-runner because the western press has declared him to be the front-runner.
The western press predicted Nouri would sweep the 2013 elections, of course. This despite his not being on a single ballot in Iraq.
How did that turn out?
Oh, that's right State of Law didn't fare too well.
Last week, Amir Taheri (Asharq Al-Awsat) pointed out:, "The coalition that has sustained him in power has simply melted away. Maliki’s core support -- coming from one wing of the Al-Da’wah party --accounts for around 11 percent of the electorate." Sunday's Zaman notes, "Although the Shiite-dominated State of Law Coalition (SLC) led by Maliki -- who is seeking a third consecutive term in office -- is widely seen as the front-runner, experts believe the outcome of the elections may yield a surprising result as there are criticisms of Maliki's leadership. Iraq's election not only offers real competition, but there is also uncertainty about the outcome."
But the western media insists Nouri is going to sweep the elections?
While the western media tries to handicap the race, it's left to the Arab media to offer anything of substance.
The editorial board of the Daily Star isn't optimistic about this round of parliamentary elections and notes, "At the last elections, in 2010, it was clear that what the people of Iraq wanted did not really matter, and that with Iran’s backing, Nouri al-Maliki was sure to be re-elected." Abdul Rahman al-Rashid (Arab News) observes, "The Americans, spending trillions of dollars, tried to do a similar thing and created a democracy in Iraq. The result, however, is disastrous. Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri Al-Maliki has grabbed more power than the former dictator of Baghdad, Saddam Hussein. "
We get the violence part but what's this "expected to emerge the victor"?
We've seen that a lot lately in a lot of so-called reports.
The people writing them never cite a poll. Because no poll exists.
Nouri is the alleged front-runner because the western press has declared him to be the front-runner.
The western press predicted Nouri would sweep the 2013 elections, of course. This despite his not being on a single ballot in Iraq.
How did that turn out?
Oh, that's right State of Law didn't fare too well.
Last week, Amir Taheri (Asharq Al-Awsat) pointed out:, "The coalition that has sustained him in power has simply melted away. Maliki’s core support -- coming from one wing of the Al-Da’wah party --accounts for around 11 percent of the electorate." Sunday's Zaman notes, "Although the Shiite-dominated State of Law Coalition (SLC) led by Maliki -- who is seeking a third consecutive term in office -- is widely seen as the front-runner, experts believe the outcome of the elections may yield a surprising result as there are criticisms of Maliki's leadership. Iraq's election not only offers real competition, but there is also uncertainty about the outcome."
But the western media insists Nouri is going to sweep the elections?
While the western media tries to handicap the race, it's left to the Arab media to offer anything of substance.
The editorial board of the Daily Star isn't optimistic about this round of parliamentary elections and notes, "At the last elections, in 2010, it was clear that what the people of Iraq wanted did not really matter, and that with Iran’s backing, Nouri al-Maliki was sure to be re-elected." Abdul Rahman al-Rashid (Arab News) observes, "The Americans, spending trillions of dollars, tried to do a similar thing and created a democracy in Iraq. The result, however, is disastrous. Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri Al-Maliki has grabbed more power than the former dictator of Baghdad, Saddam Hussein. "
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
