FEMA exposed: Used their own employees to stage phony PR for FEMA on fires
Since the Washington Post exposed the phony reporters, now there's a cleanup spin going on. But there's so many big questions, like why did television reporters allow the fire coverage to become all about praising politicians and FEMA. Also, there's Blackwater's pending training base on the border at Potrero, where the Harris fire started.
Some of the most biased news reporting that was ever broadcast assaulted viewers during the California fires last week, ignoring the magnitude of the tragedies, enormous loss of homes and evacuation of nearly a million people. The cameras focused on smiling Arnold Schwarzenegger and George Bush, and praising politicians, while people watched their homes burn and struggled for news of their loved ones.
FEMA's phony news reporters:
http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2007/10/27/fema_scolded_for_staging_phony_news_conference/
October 27, 2007
October 26, 2007
Solidarity: Photos of Mohawks and Zapatistas at encuentro
More photos from Zapatistas' encuentro in Sonora, Mexico:
Special thanks to Angela Sterritt and the Indigenous Free School for the photos!
Angela was among the Native youth there, including Dustin from Redwire Native Youth Media and Gord from Warrior Publications. More photos:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/indigenous-encuentro/
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Special thanks to Redwire Native Youth Media for sending those photos. Read more about Redwire:
http://www.redwiremag.com/
The Vícam Declaration: “We will defend Mother Earth with our lives”
by Hermann Bellinghausen
Originally published in La Jornada
Translation by Zapagringo
... The participants in the encuentro proclaimed their historic right to free self-determination, “respecting the different ways that, for the exercise of this, our people decide, according to their origin, history and aspirations." Also, they reject “the war of conquest and capitalist extermination imposed by the transnational companies and the international financial organizations in complicity with the great powers and nation states.
"They express their rejection of “the destruction and sacking of mother earth by means of the occupation of our territories for industrial, mining, agribusiness, touristic, savage urbanization and infrastructure activities, as well as the privatization of the water, land, forests, oceans and coasts, biological diversity, the air, the rain, traditional knowledge and all that is born of mother earth."
Read more ...
http://zapagringo.blogspot.com/2007/10/vcam-declaration.html
Read more at Narco News:
"Mohawks in solidarity with Zapatistas at Encuentro"
Revolution begins with Awakening
by Brenda Norrell
http://www.narconews.com/
"O'odham: Awakening at the Encuentro"
by Brenda Norrell
http://www.narconews.com/
October 25, 2007
San Diego Harris fire began at controversial Blackwater site
The Harris fire, that is still burning in San Diego Country, began near Potrero, where one man was killed in the fire on Sunday. Potrero is where Blackwater plans to build a military-style training facility near the border. Now, four more burned bodies have been found. The fire is only 20 percent contained and 97 homes have been lost with many injuries.
San Diego Fires: A Good Reason To Stop Blackwater
23 hours ago by Rosemary
If you have been following the efforts of Blackwater to create a facility in Potrero, you will know that many San Diegans have been blindsided by the plans for the mercenary corporation to build here. These fires are just another reason ...
...Beyond the damage and destruction to life and property, the timing of this wildfire could not be much worse. This fire exploded just as the people of Potrero were preparing for a recall election on December 11 to kick out the planning group members who approved Blackwater's base. With ballots scheduled to be mailed in early November to less than 600 registered voters in this historic vote-by-mail recall, Potrero residents were preparing for an intense campaign over the next six weeks.
Four more burned bodies found near Potrero:
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/metro/20071025-1757-bn25fires2.html
San Diego Fires: A Good Reason To Stop Blackwater
23 hours ago by Rosemary
If you have been following the efforts of Blackwater to create a facility in Potrero, you will know that many San Diegans have been blindsided by the plans for the mercenary corporation to build here. These fires are just another reason ...
...Beyond the damage and destruction to life and property, the timing of this wildfire could not be much worse. This fire exploded just as the people of Potrero were preparing for a recall election on December 11 to kick out the planning group members who approved Blackwater's base. With ballots scheduled to be mailed in early November to less than 600 registered voters in this historic vote-by-mail recall, Potrero residents were preparing for an intense campaign over the next six weeks.
Four more burned bodies found near Potrero:
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/metro/20071025-1757-bn25fires2.html
Somewhere on the border
By Brenda Norrell
http://www.bsnorrell.blogspot.com/
SOMEWHERE ON THE BORDER -- For a couple of years now, I've had this romantic image of a journey from the southern border of the United States, to the northern tip of Alaska. In a perfect world, I would get in my very own camper truck and drive out of Tucson, then to the border at Lukeville, Arizona, and finally to San Diego, before heading north.
In a not-so-perfect-world, I began this journey five days ago, in a rental car with a discount coupon and really sick with a lung infection. Of course, I could have never imagined that when I reached San Diego, a few small fires would turn into all of southern California engulfed in flames. However, when I arrived Sunday afternoon, it was the hurricane force winds tossing the car around on canyon bridges that was the most terrifying.
Still, in just five days along the border, I've learned how extremely complex and different each region is, from Lukeville, Ajo and Yuma in Arizona, to the port of entry at Quechan. Then, there's my new personal favorite, Calexico, California. Driving through town, I had to ask myself, "I wonder if the Minutemen get in their faces here." Later, hanging out around the border wall west of town, a border agent wandered over. Looking at the border wall, he said, "They jump it pretty easy."
Looking back over the past five days, there's two things that stand out in my mind now: If you want to terrify a biologist on the federal payroll -- just ask how the border wall will effect the endangered jaguars, bats and Sonoran Pronghorns migrating along the border. (Their minds seem to take a quick accounting: "Will I be able to get unemployment?") They are terrified to speak the truth.
Second, there's a reason that the people of San Diego are often voted the most beautiful in the United States. There's a beauty of spirit within the people. While evacuees were watching their homes burn, or waiting without any news of homes and loved ones, there was a gentleness and sweetness of spirit that is rare. Yes, they said, they would rebuild. The place is too beautiful to leave.
Last night, I tried to drive back to Viejas to write about the humanitarian efforts there, but the dark smoke, blowing out to the east from the fires, was too heavy to breathe. So, I'm back to asking those questions about the border wall, jaguars, bats and Pronghorns.
And, I'm back on the road.
Photo: On the border near Calexico, California/Photo Brenda Norrell
http://www.bsnorrell.blogspot.com/
SOMEWHERE ON THE BORDER -- For a couple of years now, I've had this romantic image of a journey from the southern border of the United States, to the northern tip of Alaska. In a perfect world, I would get in my very own camper truck and drive out of Tucson, then to the border at Lukeville, Arizona, and finally to San Diego, before heading north.
In a not-so-perfect-world, I began this journey five days ago, in a rental car with a discount coupon and really sick with a lung infection. Of course, I could have never imagined that when I reached San Diego, a few small fires would turn into all of southern California engulfed in flames. However, when I arrived Sunday afternoon, it was the hurricane force winds tossing the car around on canyon bridges that was the most terrifying.
Still, in just five days along the border, I've learned how extremely complex and different each region is, from Lukeville, Ajo and Yuma in Arizona, to the port of entry at Quechan. Then, there's my new personal favorite, Calexico, California. Driving through town, I had to ask myself, "I wonder if the Minutemen get in their faces here." Later, hanging out around the border wall west of town, a border agent wandered over. Looking at the border wall, he said, "They jump it pretty easy."
Looking back over the past five days, there's two things that stand out in my mind now: If you want to terrify a biologist on the federal payroll -- just ask how the border wall will effect the endangered jaguars, bats and Sonoran Pronghorns migrating along the border. (Their minds seem to take a quick accounting: "Will I be able to get unemployment?") They are terrified to speak the truth.
Second, there's a reason that the people of San Diego are often voted the most beautiful in the United States. There's a beauty of spirit within the people. While evacuees were watching their homes burn, or waiting without any news of homes and loved ones, there was a gentleness and sweetness of spirit that is rare. Yes, they said, they would rebuild. The place is too beautiful to leave.
Last night, I tried to drive back to Viejas to write about the humanitarian efforts there, but the dark smoke, blowing out to the east from the fires, was too heavy to breathe. So, I'm back to asking those questions about the border wall, jaguars, bats and Pronghorns.
And, I'm back on the road.
Photo: On the border near Calexico, California/Photo Brenda Norrell
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