this blog is a visual notebook of inspirations for a group of bandit bloggers. we post things we see and like. our lives don’t revolve around singular topics and neither does our blog. sorry! nothing is in-or-out of context here. enjoy xx
watson was arrested in response to an interpol red notice from japan (oh… i see… so there is international law after all… but only when you are to arrest real criminals, like an environmentalist who’s trying to save our oceans!)
so did paul watson kill 1,000’s of men, women and children? did he steal anyone’s property or starve them to death? no…. “japan alleges that watson and his crew damaged a japanese whaling vessel in 2010 and injured a crew member with a stink bomb” no this is for real and not a joke…
“it is accepted by the prosecution that watson, who has been involved in thwarting whalers for five decades, was not present at the time of the alleged crime. it is instead claimed that he was party to the decision by the activist peter bethune to board the vessel and throw a stink bomb on to its deck.” – the guardian
watson and “the captain paul watson foundation” have appealed the decision to the supreme court. protests have erupted worldwide, condemning denmark’s cooperation with japan. watson’s defense team argues that japan’s extradition request is based on “false” claims. they also claim to have video footage proving the crew member was not on deck when the stink bomb was thrown.
its really a sad time when interpol red notices are issued for such absurd ‘crimes’ and only to then watch the rest of the world go to shit infront of our eyes. by kl
aaron bushnell was just 25-year-old when he set himself on fire in front of the israeli embassy in washington on february 25, 2024
bushnell’s act was the second self-immolation protesting united states support for israel in the 2023 war, which has killed over 40,000 palestinians to date (with more than half being women and children *PBS) and resulted in a major humanitarian crisis. in december 2023, another protestor set herself on fire at the israeli consulate in atlanta.
aaron bushnell was a U.S. air force devops engineer, troubled by what he saw. he died after setting himself on fire outside the front gate of the embassy of israel in washington, D.C. immediately before the act, bushnell said that he was protesting against “what people have been experiencing in palestine at the hands of their colonizers” and declared that he “will no longer be complicit in genocide”, after which he doused himself with a flammable liquid and set himself on fire. as he burned, bushnell repeatedly shouted “free palestine!” after he collapsed onto the ground, two secret service officers attempted to extinguish the flames while a third covered for them with their weapon. bushnell was transported to a local hospital in critical condition and was declared dead in the evening. despite the media ignoring this act of defiance, this selflessness should not be forgotten in this selfish world. to peace and safety for all innocent israelis and all palestinians. by xy
“4 more years, 4 more years…” of this, do you remember?
captain kirk and the crew are examining radio signals originating on earth and become confused by the messages broadcast by president trump. enjoy. by cm
stars ralph fiennes, walter murch, and winston churchill amongst others
ralph fiennes reads the transcripts of norman darbyshire who was a british spy who worked for the SOE and the MI6. he played a key role in the 1953 coup d’état that overthrew mohammed mossadegh, the democratically-elected prime minister of iran.
the cia is quoted acknowledging the coup was carried out “under cia direction” and “as an act of u.s. foreign policy, conceived and approved at the highest levels of government”.
watch how the MOSAD worked with iran in helping the shah to remain in and grip to power.
coup 53 documentary directed by taghi amirani – if unavailable click here
must watch… riveting, provocative and revelatory, coup 53 plays out like one of john le carré’s spy thrillers and is one of the most important and relevant documentaries of our time. 10 years in the making, the film – a meta textual account – seeks to uncover the past and expose the underhandedness that went into staging a coup d’état, by british and american forces, in 1953 iran- overthrowing the democratically elected government of prime minister mossadegh, reinstating the shah as head of the state, and ultimately leading to the revolution.
through a series of video interviews and transcripts – some aired as part of a documentary-series ‘end of empire’ and some that never saw the light of day, but were carefully preserved – the film’s director – taghi amirani – stitches together an intricate yarn that is gripping, powerful and extremely detailed in both its analysis and its cinematic scope. this is what documentaries need to be. riveting, provocative and revelatory, coup 53 plays out like one of john le carré’s spy thrillers and is one of the most important and relevant documentaries of our time.
10 years in the making, the film – a meta textual account – seeks to uncover the past and expose the underhandedness that went into staging a coup d’état, by british and american forces, in 1953 iran- overthrowing the democratically elected government of prime minister mossadegh, reinstating the shah as head of the state, and ultimately leading to the revolution.
through a series of video interviews and transcripts – some aired as part of a documentary-series ‘end of empire’ and some that never saw the light of day, but were carefully preserved – the film’s director – taghi amirani – stitches together an intricate yarn that is gripping, powerful and extremely detailed in both its analysis and its cinematic scope. this is what documentaries need to be. by nw
fascism may be defined as a form of political behavior marked by obsessive preoccupation with community decline, humiliation, or victim-hood and by compensatory cults of unity, energy, and purity, in which a mass-based party of committed nationalist militants, working in uneasy but effective collaboration with traditional elites, abandons democratic liberties and pursues with redemptive violence and without ethical or legal restraints goals of internal cleansing and external expansion. – robert paxton
with the recent surprise win for the left in the french elections, some may be tempted to think fascism is on the back foot. unfortunately, that’s not the case. let’s take a look at the state of rising fascism in europe. second thought is a channel devoted to education and analysis of current events from a socialist perspective. listen away. by bb
if you were told this is a one sided fight, don’t shoot john oliver, hes only telling the truth.
palestinians live in 2 areas one is gaza and the other the west bank, both are under the israeli thumb – by now we all now know and have seen how life in gaza is. here’s how the “better behaved – lucky palestinians” live in the west bank. click here if vid is missing
ben & jerrys founders : ben cohen and jerry greenfield stopped the sale of their ice cream in the israeli occupied territories before unilever changed that
john oliver discusses how the west bank settlements (israeli enclaves in palestinian west bank area) came to be, what their presence there means for everyone in the region, and why the weight of the world rests squarely on the shoulders of ben & jerry’s. good one john. by xy
“…until the philosophy which hold one race superior and another inferior
is finally and permanently discredited and abandoned…
“…until there are no longer first class and second class citizens of any nation…
until the color of a man’s skin is of no more significance than the color of his eyes…
read the ICJ full ruling on the genocide in gaza : the international court of justice has issued its opinion and the conclusion is loud and clear: israel’s occupation and annexation of the palestinian territories are unlawful, and its discriminatory laws and policies against palestinians violate the prohibition on racial segregation and apartheid. amnesty also ny times
“…until the basic human rights are equally guaranteed to all, without regard to race …everywhere is war…” bob marley lyrics from the song war… by dd
julian assange freed pending his plea deal with the US– here is looking back at what happened…
rape allegation (all dropped and forgotten) involving swedes anna ardin and sofia wilen
julian assange before his arrest and time in united kingdom’s belmarsh prison. assange stood up to the most powerful forces in history and made them bow their heads in shame. he humiliated the US and then faced their wrath. within weeks of seeking refuge in sweden, julian assange had a warrant out for his arrest for rape and sexual molestation (all cases were eventually dropped)…
“i am not a cia agent” anna ardin who assange had sexual relationship with upon his stay in sweden prior to the allegations
sofia wilen another of assange partners during his stay in sweden
four corners BBC sex lies and julian assange documentary – a total political hit
four corners BBC hero or villain – julians wiki partner dishes out some hate toward assange
60 minutes the 2011 6o minutes interview
“…what followed next may define the modern era. quickly after the accusations began, concerns emerged about the legal barrage aimed at him. this documentary by the BBC gets to the heart of the matter and tells a tale of david and goliath. “sitting outdoors with the world’s coolest, smartest people! it’s amazing!”, anna ardin tweeted, as she sat at a barbecue she had arranged for assange.
yet according to the allegations she would later bring against him he had recently sexually abused her. “you wouldn’t send such messages if you had been raped by someone the night before”, argues assange’s lawyer.
assange believes that the whole legal snafu is aimed at sending him to the united states to face trial for revealing state secrets.”quite incredible to see this documentary now and see everything he was saying, all his paranoia was all valid…. by dd
great documentary on the lakota nation and their quest for justice – quite an interesting film to view in these trying times. saw this again for the third time tonight (if you count movies seen on flights as one) available on apple tv and on youtube – well worth the watch, especially if you pay for it xx by xy
a new exhibit with previously unseen photographs by jim marshall at the san francisco art exchange (SFAE).
almost 60 years after the creation of the CND peace symbol, marshall’s body of “peace” photographs is a “beautiful and thoughtful reflection from one of the most celebrated photographers of the twentieth century,”
no on the travel ban oakland 1965
the exhibit is in celebration of the release of marshall’s new book jim marshall: peace, released byreel art press, according to a press release. the forward is written by street artist shepard fairey, the book’s text is written by peter doggett… and joan baez, provides the book’s afterword
peace walk for nuclear disarmament golden gate park 1962
free speech rally telegraph ave. berkeley 1968
marshall was one of the most recognized photographs in the history of music. he also explored the changing times of the 1960s, photographing the creativity and celebrity. he started documenting the CND peace symbol and peace rallies as a personal project, reel art press writes. the photographs had remained in his archives until now. the photographs were taken between 1961 and 1968 across america.
new york city photographed at newport folk festival in 1963
jim marshall 1936-2010
the CND peace symbol was designed in 1958 by gerald holtom for the british campaign for nuclear disarmament, reports reel art press. the symbol then spread from the uk to the us. marshall’s photographs document the symbol’s different meanings over time, starting as a symbol for “ban the bomb”-specific protests, and ending up as an international sign for peace. by xy
“…one day they came and they took the communists, and i said nothing because i was not a communist.
then one day they came and they took the people of the Jewish faith, and i said nothing because i had no faith.
then one day they came and took the unionists, and i said nothing because i was not a unionist.
they burned the Catholic churches one day, and i said nothing because i was a protestant.
one day they came and they took me, and i could say nothing because i was as guilty as they were of genocide, destroying the rights of any man to live…”
some great words by charles mingus, genuine people should follow them regardless of the parties – follow them when they effects the jews and follow them when they effects the palestinians. cease fire now, free the hostages, stop the illegal settlements, demand a just peace, there is no humane alternative – by xy
we are all trying to sort out how we got here? the atrocities on oct 7th were hard to take in, followed by more blood and death on the other side, which is also hard to accept. let us try and understand how we got here. why cant these 2 people (palestinians and israelis) live together in peace like they did until they didn’t some 75 years ago?
let us clarify that there are two categories of arabs living there – and they are often referred to “interchangeably”. they are those 1- the arab-citizens of israel who live in israel proper and those 2- the palestinians living in westbank and gaza who are facing much harsher set of realities such as settlements in west bank and check points across their territory. this article from “council on foreign relations” ( cfr.org ) refers to the ones living in israel proper as “citizens of israel”.
“council on foreign relations” was established in 1921 and is currently run by michael froman (president) and david rubenstein (chirman).
unedited excerpts :”israel’s declaration of independence recognizes the equality of all the country’s residents, arabs included, but equality is not explicitly enshrined in israel’s basic laws, the closest thing it has to a constitution. some rights groups argue that dozens of laws indirectly or directly discriminate against arabs.
israel’s establishment as an explicitly jewish state is a primary point of contention, with many of the state’s critics arguing that this by nature casts non-jews as second-class citizens with fewer rights. the 1950 law of return, for example, grants all jews, as well as their children, grandchildren, and spouses, the right to move to israel and automatically gain citizenship. non-jews do not have these rights. palestinians and their descendants have no legal right to return to the lands their families held before being displaced in 1948 or 1967.
another major difference is that, unlike the vast majority of jewish israelis, arab citizens do not have to serve in the israel defense forces (IDF), the country’s military. they can still enlist, and some do, especially druze and circassians, but some are stigmatized in their communities as a result. yet, not enlisting can significantly disadvantage them both socially and economically. for instance, many israelis make important and lasting personal connections with their fellow citizens through the idf, and they also receive many financial benefits, such as education assistance and discounted permits for building homes and owning land.”
“statistics from IDI show that arab citizens of israel continue to face structural disadvantages. for example, poorly funded schools in their localities contribute to their attaining lower levels of education and their reduced employment prospects and earning power compared to israeli jews. more than half of the country’s arab families were considered poor in 2020, compared to 40 percent of jewish families. socioeconomic disparities between israel’s jewish and arab citizens are less pronounced in mixed cities, though a government audit in july 2022 found arabs had less access to municipal services in those cities.
a good historic context in the recent history of the conflict and the rise of netanyahu, america & the road to war in gaza (full documentary) | FRONTLINE
gideon levy is an ex IDF soldier and an israeli journalist for the israeli daily haaretz
arab citizens’ concerns about inequality mounted after israel passed its nation-state law in 2018. among other provisions, the law removed arabic as an official language but gave it a “special status,” declared israel the nation-state of the jewish people, and said the jewish people have a unique “right to exercise national self-determination in the state of israel.” the language left many arabs feeling that their rights as citizens were being undermined.
to address disparities in the so-called arab sector, in 2021, the government approved a $9 billion, five-year plan to boost employment, improve health-care services and housing, and develop infrastructure, among other goals. it followed a similar initiative by the previous prime minister, benjamin netanyahu, who designated more funding for the sector than any of his predecessors, even as he frequently incited anger toward the arab community.” and then there is the west bank and gaza which is another story – the full article currently available here. by xy
a visual collective outlet of inspiration
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