1. Martine ibsen 2. Los Angeles: No more licenses for same-sex marriages
3. I think this article is interesting when it comes to movements and countermovement, and what it does to a stat and the laws within it. It is about whether homosexual couples should be able to get married or not. Gay couples in California have been able to be wed legally since May, because of protests against the law, clamming it for eliminating a fundamental right from just one group -- lesbian and gay Californians, and that the law before and now again, is undoing the constitution's core commitment to equality for everyone. However, apparently it seems to me a strong countermovement has been able to get their voice heard during the general election. The way it was possible for the countermovement to get through was that the stat would change it back again if a majority of voters during the election night would be against gay marriage. The protesters from/for this minority group choose to protest in front of the CNN, strategically a good idea if you want the whole world to know about it, and may get pressure on the state of California from outside.
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Los Angeles: No more licenses for same-sex marriages
November 6, 2008 -- Updated 1702 GMT (0102 HKT)
CNN) -- The Los Angeles County Registrar's Office stopped issuing same-sex marriage licenses after the passage of a ballot measure to eliminate the right of gay couples to marry, the agency said Wednesday. Three groups have petitioned the California Supreme Court challenging the passage, and thousands of protesters took to the streets Wednesday to vent their disappointment. California's Proposition 8 passed by 52.5 percent to 47.5 percent in Tuesday's general election. "This is a great day for marriage," Ron Prentice, chairman of ProtectMarriage.com, said in a statement. "The people of California stood up for traditional marriage and reclaimed this great institution." The amendment to the state constitution overrides a state Supreme Court ruling in May that legalized same-sex marriage. iReport.com: Did you vote in favor of Proposition 8? The decision to suspend the marriage licenses was based on the secretary of state's semi-official canvass results from Election Night and a provision in the state's constitution that says a proposed amendment "shall be submitted to the electors and if approved by a majority of votes thereon takes effect the day after the election," Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk Dean Logan said in a news release. The agency said it would act accordingly if it is directed to reverse course or take further action in the future. The American Civil Liberties Union, Lambda Legal and the National Center for Lesbian Rights are asking the state's high court for an immediate stay or an injunction to prevent the initiative from taking effect. The groups argued in papers filed with the high court that the ballot initiative process "was improperly used in an attempt to undo the constitution's core commitment to equality for everyone." The measure did that "by eliminating a fundamental right from just one group -- lesbian and gay Californians," the groups said in a written statement. The demonstrators rallied peacefully in West Hollywood, holding placards and waving gay pride flags. Elsewhere, hundreds of protesters staged a half-hour sit-in outside CNN's Los Angeles bureau on Sunset Boulevard. The demonstrators chanted slogans and banged on the building's glass doors but then dispersed without incident. Talk show host Ellen DeGeneres said she is "saddened beyond belief" over the proposed amendment. iReport.com: Historic day was 'bittersweet' DeGeneres, who wed actress Portia de Rossi in August, said in a statement Wednesday to The Associated Press that she, "like millions of Americans, felt like we had taken a giant step toward equality" by electing Barack Obama as president. DeGeneres says that with the passage of California's Proposition 8, "we took a giant step away." The measure was one of three stunning blows to supporters of same-sex unions in Tuesday's election. Voters in Arizona and Florida also approved constitutional amendments recognizing marriage only as a union between one man and one woman. In Arizona, where a similar measure failed in 2006, Proposition 102 passed with 56 percent of the vote. Florida voters approved that state's amendment, 62 percent to 38 percent. Watch where ballot initiatives succeeded and failed » Arizona, California and Florida were the only states to weigh constitutional amendments banning same-sex unions this year, down from 11 states in the 2004 election. But voters faced other hot-button social issues Tuesday, from abortion and affirmative action to suicide and animal rights. As of Wednesday, CNN had projected results on most major initiatives, based on actual results and exit poll data from key areas. Fifty-seven percent of voters in Arkansas supported a measure to prohibit unmarried sexual partners from adopting children or from serving as foster parents. The measure specifies that the prohibition applies to opposite-sex as well as same-sex couples. Two proposals that would have limited reproductive rights were defeated. Learn details of ballot measures » Voters in Colorado rejected a measure defining a person to "include any human being from the moment of fertilization," which would have applied to sections of the Colorado Constitution that protect "natural and essential rights of persons." South Dakota voters rejected a proposal to prohibit abortions except in cases of rape or incest or where the mother's life or health is at risk. A similar measure that did not include exceptions for rape or the health of the mother was on the ballot in 2006; voters rejected it 56 percent to 44 percent. Voters in Michigan chose to amend the state constitution to permit human embryonic stem cell research with certain restrictions. The embryos, which must have been created for fertility treatment purposes, would have to be ones that would have been discarded otherwise, and they may not be used more than 14 days after cell division has begun. The movement to change marijuana laws won victories in two states. Michigan became the 13th state to legalize marijuana for medical purposes, with 63 percent of the vote. Voters in Massachusetts approved an initiative to decriminalize possession of less than an ounce of marijuana. Voters in Nebraska approved a measure prohibiting the state government from discriminating against or granting preferential treatment to people based on race, ethnicity, color, sex or national origin. The vote effectively bans affirmative action programs in the state. CNN projected that voters in Washington approved a citizen initiative allowing adults with six months or less to live to request lethal medication prescribed by a physician. A physician is not required to comply, and anyone participating "in good faith" with the request would not risk criminal prosecution. Arizonans rejected a measure to overhaul state laws prohibiting the employment of illegal immigrants. Under Proposition 202, only employers who know that an employee does not have legal status would have risked having their business licenses suspended or revoked. Many states also weighed budget-related proposals with significant implications for the generation of state revenue.
In Massachusetts, voters rejected a measure to cut the state personal income tax rate in half for 2009 and eliminate the state personal income tax starting in 2010. A similar ballot measure in North Dakota also failed. Proposals related to gambling and lotteries were on the ballot in eight states, including Maryland, where current law prohibits the operation of commercial slot machines. Voters there approved a constitutional amendment to authorize the use of video lottery terminals, or slot machines, at certain locations in the state to fund public education.
1. Graciëla Nooitgedagt 2. Anti-democatic Movement
3. This article is about how a movement in Thailand wants to increase democracy in their country. However, what they are doing is the opposite, and is a disquise to gain more influence in the government, by framing theirselves as pro-democratic.
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Who's behind Thailand's protests?
Though many Western newspapers describe the forces behind protests in Thailand as "pro-democracy," their history shows they are anything but, Paul Heideman argues.
August 28, 2008
People's Alliance for Democracy protests in Bangkok in June (Gerry Popplestone)
THAILAND'S ONGOING political crisis took a turn for the worse on August 26 when anti-government protesters took over government buildings, set up roadblocks and forced a state-run television station off the air.
The protests are led by the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD), a movement headed by media tycoon and multimillionaire Sondhi Limthongkul. Despite its name, the PAD is a vehicle primarily for the urban middle and upper classes, described by the Bangkok Post as the "blue blood jet set."
The PAD first achieved international prominence in the coup of September 2006, when it, along with sections of the military, overthrew the democratically elected government of Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra. Thaksin was the founder of the populist Thai Rak Thai Party (roughly translated as the Thai Unity Party), which had led the government since 2001.
Founded in the late 1990s on a platform of debt relief, subsidies to farmers and universal health care, Thai Rak Thai's tenure in power was marked by an ambiguous legacy.
On the one hand, Thaksin followed through on his health care plan and created a system of universal coverage that expanded health care access from 76 percent of the population to 96 percent, as well as providing low-cost access to HIV/AIDS medication. On the other hand, Thaksin went ahead with various neoliberal and free-trade agreements that threatened to undermine the progress made, especially with respect to Thailand's ability to manufacture generic HIV/AIDS medication.
Even more disturbing was Thaksin's record as a vicious prosecutor of the international war on drugs. In his first term in office, over 3,000 suspects were executed without ever coming to trial.
Discontent with Thai Rak Thai's human rights abuses and neoliberal policies resulted in a growing protest movement. In 2004, protests of 200,000 workers helped delay an energy privatization plan pushed by Thaksin.
Seeing an opportunity in the political instability, upper-class forces created the PAD in an attempt to channel people's anger at Thaksin into safer channels. Given the historic weakness of the Thai left, the PAD was able to absorb large layers of the protest movement without significant challenge. Embracing an end to political corruption as its slogan, the PAD sought to remove Thaksin from power and replace him with a less dangerously populist figure.
The PAD's accusations of government corruption were ironic, given that Thaksin's regime had seen a decrease in political corruption, and the 2005 re-election of Thai Rak Thai was marked by the largest voter turnout in voter history, as well as a massive reduction in vote-buying.
In order to explain Thai Rak Thai's apparent popularity, the PAD argued that the party had "tricked the ignorant rural poor" into voting for it. This was, as Thai Marxist Giles Ji Ungpakorn argues, "a convenient justification for ignoring the wishes of 16 million people."
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
THE PAD achieved victory in September 2006, when a military junta took control of Bangkok while Thaksin was visiting New York. The junta relied on the twin support of the PAD and the Thai royalty. Thai Rak Thai party members came under repression, and many resigned.
The coup regime, renaming itself the Council for Democratic Reform (CDR), immediately instituted a massive censorship campaign. Heads of television stations were instructed to carry no news reporting on public opinion. Three hundred community radio stations were ordered to cease broadcasting. The CDR issued an ominous announcement that it would "urgently retaliate against foreign reporters whose coverage has been deemed insulting to the monarchy" (in whose name the CDR governed).
The junta promised elections within 12 months of its seizure of power. To combat the still massive popularity of Thaksin and Thai Rak Thai, the party was officially dissolved and banned.
Elections were scheduled for December 2007. In an attempt to regain power, many prominent Thai Rak Thai members agreed to stand in the elections on the People's Power Party (PPP) ticket, a right-wing party headed by Samak Sundaravej, a former governor known for his brutality in repressing protests.
The PPP would go on to win the elections, and Samak became prime minister. Thai Rak Thai members did exercise some influence in the party however, leading Sondhi and the PAD to describe Samak's government as a proxy for Thaksin.
It is this charge that has been the prime motivator behind this latest round of protests. Though many Western newspapers have been describing the protest forces as "pro-democracy," their history shows that they are anything but.
Additionally, the PAD currently has close ties to Gen. Saprang Kalayanamitr, a key player in the 2006 coup who was passed over for Army chief general. Saprang represents the extreme right wing of the Thai military and has been quoted in newspapers saying he will shoot his political opponents himself. Recently, he told Thai papers that he is personally giving orders to the PAD.
Contrary to their image in the Western media, the protests in Thailand are not a movement for democracy. They represent an attempt by the extreme right wing of Thai politics to gain even greater influence in the government.
Without an independent left, Thai workers' anger over neoliberalism has been hijacked by ruling-class forces intent on forcing through even more brutal attacks on the people's living standards.
2. Unionized workers at YTN attacked newsroom again
3. I couldn't find the article in english, so I'll briefly sum up the story. The unionized workers at YTN attacked the newsroom again, and made a logo saying 'fair journalism' appear on the screen in the middle of a news program. Then the YTN authorities in the control room tried to cover the logo with another logo 'LIVE'. The authorities said that this is an illegal action which should be strictly punished. The protesters said that the 'LIVE' logo appeared on the news which was a pre-taped program and not live, and argued that their actions were wrong.
This is another creative and novel strategy of protest invented by the unionized workers at YTN, and I believe since they got a lot of media attention through their actions, they are until now qiute successful.
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‘낙하산 사장 퇴진운동’을 벌이고 있는 YTN 노조가 13일 오전 생방송 중이던 ‘뉴스 오늘’ 화면에 ‘공정방송’ 자막을 삽입했다.
‘뉴스 오늘’은 이날 오전 9시부터 10시까지 화면 오른쪽 상단에 YTN 노조가 삽입한 ‘공정방송’이라는 자막을 노출한 채 방송이 나갔다.
이에 대해 구본홍 YTN 사장은 이날 성명을 내고 “노조의 회사 방송 핵심 시설 점거와 ‘공정방송’ 자막 무단송출은 명백한 불법이고 묵과할 수 없는 중대한 사태”라며 “법과 사규에 따라 주도자를 처벌하고 가담자도 징계하겠다”고 밝혔다.
전국언론노동조합 YTN지부(지부장 노종면)는 “‘공정방송’ 로고는 ‘뉴스 오늘’ 시간대에만 노출하고 마무리했다”고 밝혔다. 노종면 노조위원장은 “‘월드컵 대표방송’ ‘한 시간 빠른 뉴스’ 등 방송사 로고 밑에 슬로건을 집어넣는 것은 타사에서도 일반적인 일”이라며 “공정한 보도가 YTN의 가치를 높일 것이라는 판단으로 ‘공정방송’ 슬로건을 넣은 것인 만큼 문제될 이유가 없다”고 밝혔다.
노조로부터 ‘이명박 정권의 낙하산 사장’으로 지목받으며 퇴진운동이 벌어지고 있는 구본홍 사장은 지난달 말 노조원 5명을 상대로 업무방해 금지 가처분신청을 냈다.
1.Chenyang Wu 2.Gay Rights Rallies Held Across U.S. 3.I'm quite curious to see the gay marriage movement get its setback right after Americans crushed racism when Barack Obama was elected. Actually gays and lesbians got their success in California in May, when Supreme Court ruled that gay couples can legally wed. I'm not sure if homosexual marriage should be proed, but at least this time the protesters lost their campaign to reach equity to a larger extent. It is believed that Part of the reason is that Obama inspired unprecedented numbers of African Americans to vote, who are less likely to be comfortable with equality for gay people. Anyways, it seems that America faces setting a new discrimination problem now.
--------------------------- (BOSTON) — Gay rights supporters in the state where same-sex couples first exchanged wedding vows gathered Saturday to protest the California vote that banned gay marriage there and to urge supporters not to quit the fight for the right to wed.
Crowds gathered near public buildings in small communities and major cities including New York, San Francisco and Chicago to vent their frustrations, celebrate gay relationships and renew calls for change. (See TIME's pictures of the week)
"Civil marriages are a civil right, and we're going to keep fighting until we get the rights we deserve as American citizens," Karen Amico said in Philadelphia, holding up a sign reading "Don't Spread H8".
"We are the American family, we live next door to you, we teach your children, we take care of your elderly," said Heather Baker a special education teacher from Boston who addressed the crowd at Boston's City Hall Plaza. "We need equal right across the country."
Massachusetts and Connecticut, which began same sex weddings this past week, are the only two states that allow gay marriage. All 30 states that have voted on gay marriage have enacted bans.
Protests following the vote on Proposition 8 in California, which defined marriage as between a man and a woman, have sometimes been angry and even violent, and demonstrators have targeted faiths that supported the ban, including the Mormon church.
However, representatives of Join the Impact, which organized Saturday's demonstrations, asked supporters to be respectful and refrain from attacking other groups during the rallies.
The mood in Boston was generally upbeat, with attendees dancing and signing to the song "Respect." Signs cast the fight for gay marriage as the new civil rights movement, including one that read "Gay is the new black."
But anger over the ban and its backers was evident at the protests.
One sign in Chicago read: "Catholic Fascists Stay Out of Politics."
"I just found out that my state doesn't really think I'm a person," said Rose Aplustill, 21, a Boston University student from Los Osos, Calif., who was one of thousands at the Boston rally.
Planning for the nationwide protests was started by a Seattle blogger, Amy Balliett, just days after the California vote, which took away gay marriage rights that had been granted by the state's high court.
The idea rapidly spread online and Join the Impact predicted that Saturday's protests would involve tens of thousands of people in hundreds of communities.
In North Dakota, where voters in 2004 overwhelmingly approved a constitutional ban on same-sex marriage, low-key protests were held Saturday in Grand Forks and Fargo, where people lined a bridge carrying signs and flags.
"It's been very peaceful," said Josh Boschee, who helped organize the Fargo protest.
In Chicago, Keith Smith, 42, a postal worker, and his partner, Terry Romo, 34, a Wal-Mart store manager, had photos of their wedding ceremony which they held even though gay marriage is not legal in Illinois.
"We're not going to wait for no law," Smith said. "But time's going to be on our side and it's going to change."
2. two high school students reject to take the college entrance exam
3. This article says that two high school students in 3rd grade rejected to take the college entrance exam in Nov. 13th to protest the present competitive admission test system. Also they belong to the organization to do away with present college entrance exam system. For me, who took this exam 3 years ago, thses two students look so courageous. Everybody in Korea, especially high school students always think that this admission test system s*cks but nobody dare to protest it becuase they don't want to get any disadvantage. Therefore I think, their protest is brave movement, and I hope that their tiny picketing would contribute to the large footstep to make better admission system in Korea.
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"입시 폐지" 수험생 2명 수능 거부
‘입시폐지대학평준화국민운동본부’는 대학수학능력시험일인 13일 서울 광화문 정부중앙청사 후문 앞에서 수능 응시를 거부한 고교3학년 학생 2명이 참가하는 기자회견을 연다고 12일 밝혔다.
운동본부는 이날 회견에서 현 정부의 학교시장화정책이 입시경쟁을 더욱 심화시키고 있다고 주장하며 대학입시자율화 정책 철회 및 본고사 부활 중단, 현행 입시 전면 폐지, 고교졸업자격고사 등을 요구할 계획이다.
A very down to earth* kind of guy. I'm an environmental sociologist interested in establishing material and organizational sustainability worldwide. I'm always looking for interesting materials/technologies, inspiring ideas, or institutional examples of sustainability to inspire others to recognize their choices now. To be fatalistic about an unsustainable world is a sign of a captive mind, given all our options.
*(If "earth" is defined in a planetary sense, concerning comparative historical knowledge and interest in the past 10,000 years or so anywhere...) See both blogs.
5 comments:
1. Martine ibsen
2. Los Angeles: No more licenses for same-sex marriages
3. I think this article is interesting when it comes to movements and countermovement, and what it does to a stat and the laws within it. It is about whether homosexual couples should be able to get married or not. Gay couples in California have been able to be wed legally since May, because of protests against the law, clamming it for eliminating a fundamental right from just one group -- lesbian and gay Californians, and that the law before and now again, is undoing the constitution's core commitment to equality for everyone. However, apparently it seems to me a strong countermovement has been able to get their voice heard during the general election. The way it was possible for the countermovement to get through was that the stat would change it back again if a majority of voters during the election night would be against gay marriage. The protesters from/for this minority group choose to protest in front of the CNN, strategically a good idea if you want the whole world to know about it, and may get pressure on the state of California from outside.
-----------------------------------
Los Angeles: No more licenses for same-sex marriages
November 6, 2008 -- Updated 1702 GMT (0102 HKT)
CNN) -- The Los Angeles County Registrar's Office stopped issuing same-sex marriage licenses after the passage of a ballot measure to eliminate the right of gay couples to marry, the agency said Wednesday.
Three groups have petitioned the California Supreme Court challenging the passage, and thousands of protesters took to the streets Wednesday to vent their disappointment.
California's Proposition 8 passed by 52.5 percent to 47.5 percent in Tuesday's general election.
"This is a great day for marriage," Ron Prentice, chairman of ProtectMarriage.com, said in a statement. "The people of California stood up for traditional marriage and reclaimed this great institution."
The amendment to the state constitution overrides a state Supreme Court ruling in May that legalized same-sex marriage. iReport.com: Did you vote in favor of Proposition 8?
The decision to suspend the marriage licenses was based on the secretary of state's semi-official canvass results from Election Night and a provision in the state's constitution that says a proposed amendment "shall be submitted to the electors and if approved by a majority of votes thereon takes effect the day after the election," Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk Dean Logan said in a news release.
The agency said it would act accordingly if it is directed to reverse course or take further action in the future.
The American Civil Liberties Union, Lambda Legal and the National Center for Lesbian Rights are asking the state's high court for an immediate stay or an injunction to prevent the initiative from taking effect.
The groups argued in papers filed with the high court that the ballot initiative process "was improperly used in an attempt to undo the constitution's core commitment to equality for everyone."
The measure did that "by eliminating a fundamental right from just one group -- lesbian and gay Californians," the groups said in a written statement.
The demonstrators rallied peacefully in West Hollywood, holding placards and waving gay pride flags. Elsewhere, hundreds of protesters staged a half-hour sit-in outside CNN's Los Angeles bureau on Sunset Boulevard. The demonstrators chanted slogans and banged on the building's glass doors but then dispersed without incident.
Talk show host Ellen DeGeneres said she is "saddened beyond belief" over the proposed amendment. iReport.com: Historic day was 'bittersweet'
DeGeneres, who wed actress Portia de Rossi in August, said in a statement Wednesday to The Associated Press that she, "like millions of Americans, felt like we had taken a giant step toward equality" by electing Barack Obama as president.
DeGeneres says that with the passage of California's Proposition 8, "we took a giant step away."
The measure was one of three stunning blows to supporters of same-sex unions in Tuesday's election. Voters in Arizona and Florida also approved constitutional amendments recognizing marriage only as a union between one man and one woman.
In Arizona, where a similar measure failed in 2006, Proposition 102 passed with 56 percent of the vote. Florida voters approved that state's amendment, 62 percent to 38 percent. Watch where ballot initiatives succeeded and failed »
Arizona, California and Florida were the only states to weigh constitutional amendments banning same-sex unions this year, down from 11 states in the 2004 election.
But voters faced other hot-button social issues Tuesday, from abortion and affirmative action to suicide and animal rights.
As of Wednesday, CNN had projected results on most major initiatives, based on actual results and exit poll data from key areas.
Fifty-seven percent of voters in Arkansas supported a measure to prohibit unmarried sexual partners from adopting children or from serving as foster parents. The measure specifies that the prohibition applies to opposite-sex as well as same-sex couples.
Two proposals that would have limited reproductive rights were defeated. Learn details of ballot measures »
Voters in Colorado rejected a measure defining a person to "include any human being from the moment of fertilization," which would have applied to sections of the Colorado Constitution that protect "natural and essential rights of persons."
South Dakota voters rejected a proposal to prohibit abortions except in cases of rape or incest or where the mother's life or health is at risk. A similar measure that did not include exceptions for rape or the health of the mother was on the ballot in 2006; voters rejected it 56 percent to 44 percent.
Voters in Michigan chose to amend the state constitution to permit human embryonic stem cell research with certain restrictions. The embryos, which must have been created for fertility treatment purposes, would have to be ones that would have been discarded otherwise, and they may not be used more than 14 days after cell division has begun.
The movement to change marijuana laws won victories in two states. Michigan became the 13th state to legalize marijuana for medical purposes, with 63 percent of the vote. Voters in Massachusetts approved an initiative to decriminalize possession of less than an ounce of marijuana.
Voters in Nebraska approved a measure prohibiting the state government from discriminating against or granting preferential treatment to people based on race, ethnicity, color, sex or national origin. The vote effectively bans affirmative action programs in the state.
CNN projected that voters in Washington approved a citizen initiative allowing adults with six months or less to live to request lethal medication prescribed by a physician. A physician is not required to comply, and anyone participating "in good faith" with the request would not risk criminal prosecution.
Arizonans rejected a measure to overhaul state laws prohibiting the employment of illegal immigrants. Under Proposition 202, only employers who know that an employee does not have legal status would have risked having their business licenses suspended or revoked.
Many states also weighed budget-related proposals with significant implications for the generation of state revenue.
In Massachusetts, voters rejected a measure to cut the state personal income tax rate in half for 2009 and eliminate the state personal income tax starting in 2010. A similar ballot measure in North Dakota also failed.
Proposals related to gambling and lotteries were on the ballot in eight states, including Maryland, where current law prohibits the operation of commercial slot machines. Voters there approved a constitutional amendment to authorize the use of video lottery terminals, or slot machines, at certain locations in the state to fund public education.
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http://edition.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/11/05/state.laws/index.html
1. Graciëla Nooitgedagt
2. Anti-democatic Movement
3. This article is about how a movement in Thailand wants to increase democracy in their country. However, what they are doing is the opposite, and is a disquise to gain more influence in the government, by framing theirselves as pro-democratic.
--------------------------------
Who's behind Thailand's protests?
Though many Western newspapers describe the forces behind protests in Thailand as "pro-democracy," their history shows they are anything but, Paul Heideman argues.
August 28, 2008
People's Alliance for Democracy protests in Bangkok in June (Gerry Popplestone)
THAILAND'S ONGOING political crisis took a turn for the worse on August 26 when anti-government protesters took over government buildings, set up roadblocks and forced a state-run television station off the air.
The protests are led by the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD), a movement headed by media tycoon and multimillionaire Sondhi Limthongkul. Despite its name, the PAD is a vehicle primarily for the urban middle and upper classes, described by the Bangkok Post as the "blue blood jet set."
The PAD first achieved international prominence in the coup of September 2006, when it, along with sections of the military, overthrew the democratically elected government of Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra. Thaksin was the founder of the populist Thai Rak Thai Party (roughly translated as the Thai Unity Party), which had led the government since 2001.
Founded in the late 1990s on a platform of debt relief, subsidies to farmers and universal health care, Thai Rak Thai's tenure in power was marked by an ambiguous legacy.
On the one hand, Thaksin followed through on his health care plan and created a system of universal coverage that expanded health care access from 76 percent of the population to 96 percent, as well as providing low-cost access to HIV/AIDS medication. On the other hand, Thaksin went ahead with various neoliberal and free-trade agreements that threatened to undermine the progress made, especially with respect to Thailand's ability to manufacture generic HIV/AIDS medication.
Even more disturbing was Thaksin's record as a vicious prosecutor of the international war on drugs. In his first term in office, over 3,000 suspects were executed without ever coming to trial.
Discontent with Thai Rak Thai's human rights abuses and neoliberal policies resulted in a growing protest movement. In 2004, protests of 200,000 workers helped delay an energy privatization plan pushed by Thaksin.
Seeing an opportunity in the political instability, upper-class forces created the PAD in an attempt to channel people's anger at Thaksin into safer channels. Given the historic weakness of the Thai left, the PAD was able to absorb large layers of the protest movement without significant challenge. Embracing an end to political corruption as its slogan, the PAD sought to remove Thaksin from power and replace him with a less dangerously populist figure.
The PAD's accusations of government corruption were ironic, given that Thaksin's regime had seen a decrease in political corruption, and the 2005 re-election of Thai Rak Thai was marked by the largest voter turnout in voter history, as well as a massive reduction in vote-buying.
In order to explain Thai Rak Thai's apparent popularity, the PAD argued that the party had "tricked the ignorant rural poor" into voting for it. This was, as Thai Marxist Giles Ji Ungpakorn argues, "a convenient justification for ignoring the wishes of 16 million people."
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
THE PAD achieved victory in September 2006, when a military junta took control of Bangkok while Thaksin was visiting New York. The junta relied on the twin support of the PAD and the Thai royalty. Thai Rak Thai party members came under repression, and many resigned.
The coup regime, renaming itself the Council for Democratic Reform (CDR), immediately instituted a massive censorship campaign. Heads of television stations were instructed to carry no news reporting on public opinion. Three hundred community radio stations were ordered to cease broadcasting. The CDR issued an ominous announcement that it would "urgently retaliate against foreign reporters whose coverage has been deemed insulting to the monarchy" (in whose name the CDR governed).
The junta promised elections within 12 months of its seizure of power. To combat the still massive popularity of Thaksin and Thai Rak Thai, the party was officially dissolved and banned.
Elections were scheduled for December 2007. In an attempt to regain power, many prominent Thai Rak Thai members agreed to stand in the elections on the People's Power Party (PPP) ticket, a right-wing party headed by Samak Sundaravej, a former governor known for his brutality in repressing protests.
The PPP would go on to win the elections, and Samak became prime minister. Thai Rak Thai members did exercise some influence in the party however, leading Sondhi and the PAD to describe Samak's government as a proxy for Thaksin.
It is this charge that has been the prime motivator behind this latest round of protests. Though many Western newspapers have been describing the protest forces as "pro-democracy," their history shows that they are anything but.
Additionally, the PAD currently has close ties to Gen. Saprang Kalayanamitr, a key player in the 2006 coup who was passed over for Army chief general. Saprang represents the extreme right wing of the Thai military and has been quoted in newspapers saying he will shoot his political opponents himself. Recently, he told Thai papers that he is personally giving orders to the PAD.
Contrary to their image in the Western media, the protests in Thailand are not a movement for democracy. They represent an attempt by the extreme right wing of Thai politics to gain even greater influence in the government.
Without an independent left, Thai workers' anger over neoliberalism has been hijacked by ruling-class forces intent on forcing through even more brutal attacks on the people's living standards.
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http://socialistworker.org/2008/08/28/behind-thailand-protests
1. Hojin Yoo
2. Unionized workers at YTN attacked newsroom again
3. I couldn't find the article in english, so I'll briefly sum up the story. The unionized workers at YTN attacked the newsroom again, and made a logo saying 'fair journalism' appear on the screen in the middle of a news program.
Then the YTN authorities in the control room tried to cover the logo with another logo 'LIVE'.
The authorities said that this is an illegal action which should be strictly punished. The protesters said that the 'LIVE' logo appeared on the news which was a pre-taped program and not live, and argued that their actions were wrong.
This is another creative and novel strategy of protest invented by the unionized workers at YTN, and I believe since they got a lot of media attention through their actions, they are until now qiute successful.
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‘낙하산 사장 퇴진운동’을 벌이고 있는 YTN 노조가 13일 오전 생방송 중이던 ‘뉴스 오늘’ 화면에 ‘공정방송’ 자막을 삽입했다.
‘뉴스 오늘’은 이날 오전 9시부터 10시까지 화면 오른쪽 상단에 YTN 노조가 삽입한 ‘공정방송’이라는 자막을 노출한 채 방송이 나갔다.
이에 대해 구본홍 YTN 사장은 이날 성명을 내고 “노조의 회사 방송 핵심 시설 점거와 ‘공정방송’ 자막 무단송출은 명백한 불법이고 묵과할 수 없는 중대한 사태”라며 “법과 사규에 따라 주도자를 처벌하고 가담자도 징계하겠다”고 밝혔다.
전국언론노동조합 YTN지부(지부장 노종면)는 “‘공정방송’ 로고는 ‘뉴스 오늘’ 시간대에만 노출하고 마무리했다”고 밝혔다. 노종면 노조위원장은 “‘월드컵 대표방송’ ‘한 시간 빠른 뉴스’ 등 방송사 로고 밑에 슬로건을 집어넣는 것은 타사에서도 일반적인 일”이라며 “공정한 보도가 YTN의 가치를 높일 것이라는 판단으로 ‘공정방송’ 슬로건을 넣은 것인 만큼 문제될 이유가 없다”고 밝혔다.
노조로부터 ‘이명박 정권의 낙하산 사장’으로 지목받으며 퇴진운동이 벌어지고 있는 구본홍 사장은 지난달 말 노조원 5명을 상대로 업무방해 금지 가처분신청을 냈다.
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http://www.segye.com/Articles/NEWS/CULTURE/Article.asp?aid=20081114000829&subctg1=&subctg2=
1.Chenyang Wu
2.Gay Rights Rallies Held Across U.S.
3.I'm quite curious to see the gay marriage movement get its setback right after Americans crushed racism when Barack Obama was elected. Actually gays and lesbians got their success in California in May, when Supreme Court ruled that gay couples can legally wed. I'm not sure if homosexual marriage should be proed, but at least this time the protesters lost their campaign to reach equity to a larger extent. It is believed that Part of the reason is that Obama inspired unprecedented numbers of African Americans to vote, who are less likely to be comfortable with equality for gay people. Anyways,
it seems that America faces setting a new discrimination problem now.
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(BOSTON) — Gay rights supporters in the state where same-sex couples first exchanged wedding vows gathered Saturday to protest the California vote that banned gay marriage there and to urge supporters not to quit the fight for the right to wed.
Crowds gathered near public buildings in small communities and major cities including New York, San Francisco and Chicago to vent their frustrations, celebrate gay relationships and renew calls for change. (See TIME's pictures of the week)
"Civil marriages are a civil right, and we're going to keep fighting until we get the rights we deserve as American citizens," Karen Amico said in Philadelphia, holding up a sign reading "Don't Spread H8".
"We are the American family, we live next door to you, we teach your children, we take care of your elderly," said Heather Baker a special education teacher from Boston who addressed the crowd at Boston's City Hall Plaza. "We need equal right across the country."
Massachusetts and Connecticut, which began same sex weddings this past week, are the only two states that allow gay marriage. All 30 states that have voted on gay marriage have enacted bans.
Protests following the vote on Proposition 8 in California, which defined marriage as between a man and a woman, have sometimes been angry and even violent, and demonstrators have targeted faiths that supported the ban, including the Mormon church.
However, representatives of Join the Impact, which organized Saturday's demonstrations, asked supporters to be respectful and refrain from attacking other groups during the rallies.
The mood in Boston was generally upbeat, with attendees dancing and signing to the song "Respect." Signs cast the fight for gay marriage as the new civil rights movement, including one that read "Gay is the new black."
But anger over the ban and its backers was evident at the protests.
One sign in Chicago read: "Catholic Fascists Stay Out of Politics."
"I just found out that my state doesn't really think I'm a person," said Rose Aplustill, 21, a Boston University student from Los Osos, Calif., who was one of thousands at the Boston rally.
Planning for the nationwide protests was started by a Seattle blogger, Amy Balliett, just days after the California vote, which took away gay marriage rights that had been granted by the state's high court.
The idea rapidly spread online and Join the Impact predicted that Saturday's protests would involve tens of thousands of people in hundreds of communities.
In North Dakota, where voters in 2004 overwhelmingly approved a constitutional ban on same-sex marriage, low-key protests were held Saturday in Grand Forks and Fargo, where people lined a bridge carrying signs and flags.
"It's been very peaceful," said Josh Boschee, who helped organize the Fargo protest.
In Chicago, Keith Smith, 42, a postal worker, and his partner, Terry Romo, 34, a Wal-Mart store manager, had photos of their wedding ceremony which they held even though gay marriage is not legal in Illinois.
"We're not going to wait for no law," Smith said. "But time's going to be on our side and it's going to change."
1. So youn Kim
2. two high school students reject to take the college entrance exam
3. This article says that two high school students in 3rd grade rejected to take the college entrance exam in Nov. 13th to protest the present competitive admission test system. Also they belong to the organization to do away with present college entrance exam system. For me, who took this exam 3 years ago, thses two students look so courageous. Everybody in Korea, especially high school students always think that this admission test system s*cks but nobody dare to protest it becuase they don't want to get any disadvantage. Therefore I think, their protest is brave movement, and I hope that their tiny picketing would contribute to the large footstep to make better admission system in Korea.
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"입시 폐지" 수험생 2명 수능 거부
‘입시폐지대학평준화국민운동본부’는 대학수학능력시험일인 13일 서울 광화문 정부중앙청사 후문 앞에서 수능 응시를 거부한 고교3학년 학생 2명이 참가하는 기자회견을 연다고 12일 밝혔다.
운동본부는 이날 회견에서 현 정부의 학교시장화정책이 입시경쟁을 더욱 심화시키고 있다고 주장하며 대학입시자율화 정책 철회 및 본고사 부활 중단, 현행 입시 전면 폐지, 고교졸업자격고사 등을 요구할 계획이다.
시험을 거부한 수험생과 운동본부 회원들은 회견 뒤 퍼포먼스와 1인 시위를 벌일 예정이다.
임희윤 기자 (imi@heraldm.com)
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http://www.heraldbiz.com/SITE/data/html_dir/2008/11/12/200811120649.asp
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