afellowkid

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[–] afellowkid@lemmygrad.ml 2 points 2 months ago (1 children)

You might be interested in this: https://archive.org/details/my-life-and-faith-eng/

Memoirs of a Korean who grew up under Japanese occupation, got radicalized as a young teen and became a revolutionary, lived in the newly formed DPRK, then became a war correspondent, later got captured and spent 40 years being tortured in south Korean prison, and was eventually released and he returned to DPRK. It's his memoir but it also serves as an overview of recent Korean history starting from the Japanese occupation period.

[–] afellowkid@lemmygrad.ml 7 points 7 months ago (1 children)

https://archive.org/details/my-life-and-faith-eng/

The memoirs of Ri In Mo: Korean revolutionary soldier, DPRK war correspondent, poet, and long-term unconverted political prisoner, who was held and tortured in South Korea for almost 40 years before being freed and later being allowed to return to the northern part of his homeland. Written in 1996.

He also writes about his childhood and radicalization as a young teen living under Japanese colonial occupation.

[–] afellowkid@lemmygrad.ml 14 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

Remember there is c/documentaries! You might find something good there too.

Taken for a Ride - The U.S. History of the Assault on Public Transport in the Last Century - This documentary takes a look at the old public transport system of Los Angeles and follows the step-by-step process by which it was dismantled by General Motors. IMO it's a good one for seeing a concrete example of the actual steps that privatization can take -- GM bought the streetcars after a campaign calling them inefficient/run down etc., then after buying them, let them degrade in quality and service, then replaced them with a supposedly superior bus system. Then they allowed the buses to give poor service, ultimately promoting individual cars over buses and highway expansions as the solution to traffic congestion.

Former CIA Agent John Stockwell Talks about How the CIA Worked in Vietnam and Elsewhere - This interview clip is only 15 minutes long but gives a very concise and specific example of how the CIA manipulates the media by having contacts with reporters and passing them a mixture of true and false stories, basically coming up with bullshit and fake photos that will go viral and spread CIA talking points while the "source" of the information becomes more and more obscured as the story is passed around different news agencies, as well as how the CIA have funded the production of countless books, whose authors were allowed to write whatever they wished as long as they included this or that specific point, and that these authors have gone on to have solid and respected careers in academia.

Cybersocialism: Project Cybersyn & The CIA Coup in Chile - From what I recall it gives a good overview of what happened in Chile. In my opinion, due to Chile's case being so well-documented, it's a case which people without a lot of background knowledge can start to learn about the process of CIA coups from and how it relates to protecting the interests of the bourgeoisie. A viewer of this documentary can then start applying that knowledge to many other cases where a similar pattern comes up (country tries to nationalize industries/resources which are in foreign imperialist hands => economic loan denial/asset freezes/sanctions are implemented by the imperialists & opposition groups and terrorists in the country are funded & coups are orchestrated by the imperialist power.)

The Human Face of Russia - Simply, lots of footage of everyday life in 1980s USSR. As I recall, it was a foreign group going there to film and fact-check about the living standards and learn about various political and social activities of the people. IIRC it was a pretty calm and positive documentary, a good one if you need some time away from more heavy and upsetting topics.

The Weight of Chains - About the breakup of Yugoslavia.

The U.S. School That Trains Dictators & Death Squads - About the School of the Americas.

Gaza Fights For Freedom - About the Great March of Return.

The Lobby - Four-part undercover investigation into Israel's covert influence campaign in the United States.

[–] afellowkid@lemmygrad.ml 26 points 1 year ago (3 children)

Man I hate this dude

The history of the Middle East since 1948 shows Israel constantly striving for peace, only to be rebuffed time and again by the Arabs.

-- Antony J. Blinken, "Lebanon and the Facts", 1982

Israel is not, has never been, nor will ever be the irreproachable, perfectly moral state some of its supporters would like to see. Israelis are, after all, only human. Still, one pedestal the Jewish state can stand on--and stand on alone in the Middle East--is that of a democracy. Yes, there are tragic excesses in the occupied territories. True, the invasion of Lebanon claimed many innocent lives. The fact remains, though, that Israelis question themselves and their government openly and honestly. Eventually, as in other democracies, those responsible for wrongdoing are held accountable.

-- Antony J. Blinken, "Israel's Saving Grace", 1982

The summer of 1982 may be remembered in history as the time Israel passed from adolescence to adulthood. The illusions of a child are left behind. But the Jewish state remains special, an oasis in a desert. Its citizens have built a working democracy from scratch in a region that has no others. Israelis must treasure that democracy, protect it with all their will. For if they don't, the growing pains that are Lebanon, Shatila and Sabra, the repression of Arabs and the feud between Ashkenazim and Sephardim could turn into a plague.

-- Antony J. Blinken, "The Danger Within", 1983

1
submitted 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) by afellowkid@lemmygrad.ml to c/socialistmusic@lemmygrad.ml
 

Lyrics

It isn't nice to block the doorway,

It isn't nice to go to jail,

There are nicer ways to do it,

But the nice ways always fail.

It isn't nice, it isn't nice,

You told us once, you told us twice,

But if that is Freedom's price,

We don't mind.

It isn't nice to carry banners

Or to sit in on the floor,

Or to shout our cry of Freedom

At the hotel and the store.

It isn't nice, it isn't nice,

You told us once, you told us twice,

But if that is Freedom's price,

We don't mind.

We have tried negotiations

And the three-man picket line,

Mr. Charlie didn't see us

And he might as well be blind.

Now our new ways aren't nice

When we deal with men of ice,

But if that is Freedom's price,

We don't mind.

How about those years of lynchings

And the shot in Evers' back?

Did you say it wasn't proper,

Did you stand out on the track?

You were quiet just like mice,

Now you say we aren't nice,

So if that is Freedom's price,

We don't mind.

It isn't nice to block the doorway,

It isn't nice to go to jail,

There are nicer ways to do it

But the nice ways always fail.

It isn't nice, it isn't nice,

Well thanks for your advice,

But if that is Freedom's price,

We don't mind, we don't mind!


 

Video's content begins @56:44

For a quick look of the general vibe see @1:04:32

"We now stand at a moment where many are again making the bet that we’re too divided, we’re too distracted at home to stay the course..." says Blinken in his speech about supporting Israel and Ukraine, as he is repeatedly disrupted by activists demanding a ceasefire in Gaza and an end to funding genocide and are gradually pulled out of the room one-by-one by the Capitol Police.

Remarks on the State Department website: https://www.state.gov/opening-remarks-by-secretary-antony-j-blinken-before-the-senate-appropriations-committee-on-a-review-of-the-national-security-supplemental-request/

The several statements and chants by activists demanding an end to the bombing of Gaza and genocide of Palestinians are listed only as "(Interruption.)" in the transcript.

I just happened to be reading that transcript and was curious what the repeated "interruptions" were, assuming it would be something like this, so I checked the video out. In the vid you can see the tense atmosphere as Blinken attempts to deliver his soulless advertisement-like speech in a firm optimistic or "inspiring" tone, making statements about how the US's adversaries have assessed the US is internally divided but the US is actually a resilient and strong leader, while the chairwoman has to keep hitting the gavel and pausing the hearing as activists shouting "genocide" at Blinken are dragged out one by one by the cops, while Blinken sits in a tense, irritated, and pathetic posture and then keeps trying to continue with his sales pitch tone between interruptions and being called a genocide supporter, with others sitting in the hearing behind him looking variously annoyed, drained, and bleak

 

More context here: https://electronicintifada.net/content/watch-film-israel-lobby-didnt-want-you-see/25876

The Electronic Intifada has obtained a complete copy of The Lobby – USA, a four-part undercover investigation by Al Jazeera into Israel’s covert influence campaign in the United States.

We are releasing the leaked film simultaneously with France’s Orient XXI and Lebanon’s Al-Akhbar, which have respectively subtitled the episodes in French and Arabic.

The film was made by Al Jazeera during 2016 and was completed in October 2017.

But it was censored after Qatar, the gas-rich Gulf emirate that funds Al Jazeera, came under intense Israel lobby pressure not to air the film.

Now The Electronic Intifada can reveal for the first time that it has obtained all four parts of the film.

To get unprecedented access to the Israel lobby’s inner workings, undercover reporter “Tony” posed as a pro-Israel volunteer in Washington.

The resulting film exposes the efforts of Israel and its lobbyists to spy on, smear and intimidate US citizens who support Palestinian human rights, especially BDS – the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement.

 

The Ukraine crisis has laid bare the deep divisions between great powers and cast doubt on the "rule-based order" built by the West. What should a multipolar world look like? What can be done to make sure that the world is not divided between "first-class" and "second-class" countries and peoples?

For this edition of Leaders Talk, CMG's Wang Guan traveled to Moscow and sat down with Russian President Vladimir Putin ahead of his visit to China to attend the 3rd Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation. President Putin spoke about Russia-China relations and how they have nurtured and developed in the last two decades, not only on the energy front but also in other areas of mutual interest. He told Wang how the Russian vision of an Eurasian Economic Union aligns with China's Belt and Road Initiative and why President Xi's concept of "building a global community of shared future" is realistic and coherent. President Putin also expressed at length his position on the conflict in Ukraine and drew another parallel with Iran, saying that "the West keeps adding fuel to the fire."

[–] afellowkid@lemmygrad.ml 1 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago)

Gaza Fights for Freedom (2019) - Documentary

How Palestine Became Colonized (2016) - Documentary

Massacres were indispensable to creation of the Israeli state - Article

Letter from Gaza: ‘We prefer to die standing than to give up’ - Article

Electronic Intifada - Journalism outlet

Palestinians get killed when they do nothing, they get killed when they protest peacefully. Western libs continue to fund and ignore the deaths of Palestinians regardless. Palestinians are being murdered en masse now for those who have taken up arms, but their reality has been that they are murdered en masse regardless anyway, because the plan is to remove them (edit: that is to say, "responding" to their resistance is just a pretext, an excuse to kill/remove Palestinians will always be found, no matter what the narrative around it is). Some random liberal who openly admits not knowing much about the situation and refusing to support Palestinian liberation because an organized resistance is too scary for liberal bystanders to think about really means nothing to Palestinians. Westerners, settlers, liberals can debate all they want about it and be sad that Palestinians aren't dying more quietly and politely, but it's a basic reality that people who are being oppressed are going to resist. And when your plan is to remove a people and you silence and kill off and ignore all of their peaceful resistance efforts (of which there always have been and are many, but it's ignored), all that remains is organized militant resistance. If you remain ignorant of it now or only care to genuinely listen to one side then you truly do not give a fuck about stopping violence, you just want to keep having dance parties next to concentration camps.

I'm not going to respond further but good luck in learning, I hope you mean it.

 

From 2010 to 2020, the world experienced mass protests. Yet, those protests have not brought about more democracy and freedom. Why did these protests lead to the opposite of what they supposedly demanded? In this episode, journalist Vincent Bevins joins the podcast to discuss his latest book, If We Burn: The Mass Protest Decade and the Missing Revolution (2023).

I haven't read the book, but in this interview they cover the role of mass media in how it portrays and effects street protests, covering examples in Brazil, also touching on the Arab Spring, Euromaidan, and Hong Kong, discussing what the mass media selectively covers and leaves out, how attracting media attention has altered what kind of protests occur, and how decentralized movements without clear demands, a structure of decision making, or plans for how to exercise power are subjected to being co-opted.

 

Video from 2020

 

As the United Nation’s agency responsible for public health, the World Health Organization (WHO) strongly condemns Israel's repeated orders for the evacuation of 22 hospitals treating more than 2000 inpatients in northern Gaza. The forced evacuation of patients and health workers will further worsen the current humanitarian and public health catastrophe.

The lives of many critically ill and fragile patients hang in the balance: those in intensive care or who rely on life support; patients undergoing hemodialysis; newborns in incubators; women with complications of pregnancy, and others all face imminent deterioration of their condition or death if they are forced to move and are cut off from life-saving medical attention while being evacuated.

Health facilities in northern Gaza continue to receive an influx of injured patients and are struggling to operate beyond maximum capacity. Some patients are being treated in corridors and outdoors in surrounding streets due to a lack of hospital beds.

Forcing more than 2000 patients to relocate to southern Gaza, where health facilities are already running at maximum capacity and unable to absorb a dramatic rise in the number of patients, could be tantamount to a death sentence.

Hospital directors and health workers are now facing an agonizing choice: abandon critically ill patients amid a bombing campaign, put their own lives at risk while remaining on site to treat patients, or endanger their patients’ lives while attempting to transport them to facilities that have no capacity to receive them. Overwhelmingly, caregivers have chosen to stay behind, and honor their oaths as health professionals to “do no harm,” rather than risk moving their critically ill patients during evacuations. Health workers should never have to make such impossible choices.

Additionally, tens of thousands of displaced people in northern Gaza are seeking refuge in open spaces in or around hospitals, treating them as havens from violence as well as to protect the facilities from potential attacks. Their lives, too, are at risk when health facilities are bombed.

There are verified reports of deaths of health care workers and destruction of health facilities, which denies civilians the basic human right of life-saving health care and is prohibited under International Humanitarian Law.

WHO calls for Israel to immediately reverse evacuation orders to hospitals in northern Gaza, and calls for the protection of health facilities, health workers, patients, and civilians. WHO also reiterates its calls for the immediate and safe delivery of medical supplies, fuel, clean water, food, and other humanitarian aid into Gaza through the Rafah crossing, where life-saving assistance – including WHO health supplies that arrived earlier today – is currently awaiting entry.

 

Excerpts:

Since 7 October 2023, more than 1,900 Palestinians have been killed, including at least 600 children, more than 7,600 injured, and over 423,000 people have been displaced as a result of the Israeli strikes. This fate befell a population which has already experienced five major wars since 2008 in the context of an unlawful blockade imposed by Israel since 2007, which Albanese said has been widely condemned by the international community as collective punishment.

On 12 October, Israeli forces issued an order for 1.1 million Palestinians in north Gaza to move to the south within 24 hours, amidst ongoing airstrikes. The next day, Israeli forces reportedly began to enter Gaza in order to “clear” the area. Palestinians have no safe zone anywhere in Gaza, with Israel having imposed a “complete siege” on the tiny enclave, with water, food, fuel and electricity unlawfully cut off. Rafah, the only border crossing that remained partially open to the Gaza strip, was closed after damage caused by Israeli airstrikes.

“There is a grave danger that what we are witnessing may be a repeat of the 1948 Nakba, and the 1967 Naksa, yet on a larger scale. The international community must do everything to stop this from happening again,” the UN expert said. She noted that Israeli public officials have openly advocated for another Nakba, the term for the events of 1947-1949 when over 750,000 Palestinians were expelled from their homes and lands during the hostilities that led to the establishment of the State of Israel. The Naksa, which led to Israel’s occupation of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip in 1967, displaced 350,000 Palestinians.

 

Excerpts:

For the last week, Israel has been exterminating an average of 100 Palestinian children per day. On Saturday, a doctor at al-Shifa, the Gaza Strip’s main hospital in Gaza City, told Al Jazeera that every hour dozens of dead and hundreds of injured were being brought in.

On Friday, Israel bombed convoys of vehicles traveling on one of the two roads that the military identified as “safe routes,” killing at least 40.

Meanwhile, a humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza is underway as essential supplies have not been allowed into the territory – already under a comprehensive Israeli blockade since 2007 – for more than a week.

The vast majority of Palestinians in Gaza are already refugees from lands inside what is now called Israel – or 1948 Palestine by most Palestinians and many others.

The World Health Organization on Saturday reiterated its warning that “evacuation orders by Israel to hospitals in northern Gaza are a death sentence for the sick and injured.”

Israel cut off internet connectivity in Gaza, and the destruction of two of Gaza’s three cellular towers and inability to charge mobile phone batteries has made it difficult for Palestinian families to contact one another – its own form of psychological torture.

Article embeds many twitter messages sent from people in Gaza about their situation and memorial messages about family members and others, public statements by orgs, as well as photos and links to further information and other news reports.

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