End of Iraq War – New York Times published by Yes Men

The Yes Men do it again. Over a million copies of a fake NYT dated 4 July 2009 were handed to commuters in New York and Los Angeles with the headline Iraq War Ends. Brilliant. You can see the fake New York Times website, which has articles like  Ex-Secretary Apologizes for W.M.D. Scare  and USA …
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Don’t let Obama become a “Kennedy”

As expected Barack Obama has broken historical trends in this election. His victory was gained through hard work and campaign spending. But it happened because of a yearning for change from a wide cross-section of America. Not only has he finally broken the race barrier but he has made superlative gains in places that have …
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One country – two systems, again?

It is encouraging to see the relationship between China and Taiwan improving.  Practical aspects like increased flights and trade will benefit both countries.  Maybe China is willing to engage because they envision another “one country – two systems” arrangement evolving which would allow both China and Taiwan to save face while continuing on their current …
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World Food Day 2008

World Food Day 2008 provides an occasion to once again highlight the plight of 923 million undernourished people in the world. Most of them live in rural areas where their main source of income is the agricultural sector. Global warming and the biofuel boom are now threatening to push the number of hungry even higher …
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McCain – sacrificial lamb

The writing is on the wall. And getting clearer day by day. McCain is the sacrificial lamb being slaughtered for the GOP. But do the democrats really want to win this election? Do they realise how difficult it will be to manage the economy, politics and society in the coming years? Does Obama know what …
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Financial meltdown dwarfed by economic destruction of nature.

While the collapse of credit markets around the world is bearing on our minds, and curtailing our consumption today, the destruction of the earth’s biosphere by humanity’s footprint is so massive and immediate that its effects will compound the economic dislocation now and be felt directly within a year. The global economy is losing more …
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Living in Hebron: A work of fiction. But only just.

A new film shows the reality of life for people in the middle east.  A simple story of students breaking curfew to go to a school reunion it brings to life the tension and impossibility of humanity in the middle east.  It will not be released till April, but this review gives a sense of …
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Moral hazard, bailing out the rich and more trouble to come.

It is exasperating to hear that US regulators and policy makers have decided to bail out the principals responsible for the gross uncertainty and risk that prevails in financial markets. Hundreds of billions of dollars will be spent on buying bad debts in order to reliquify financial markets. It doesn’t sound like a smart investment …
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