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POPSWatching TV http://rockmusic.suite101.com/article.cfm/martyrdom_of_a_yellow_rose_as_a_student_protest From one comment made regarding this song: "She's not fictional. In fact, you can hear her speak on the track. 2. It's not so much about HER as it is about you and me watching her and then going down to Applebees for the $7.99 steak sizzler or stopping off at Starbucks for a latte. He is ridiculing US for our lack of action in the face of reality. " (alienanthropologist, Silver Spring, MD)
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POPSIt Can't Happen Here Without the assent of her people, America is being converted from a Christian country, nine in 10 of whose people traced their roots to Europe as late as the time of JFK, into a multiracial, multiethnic, multilingual, multicultural Tower of Babel not seen since the late Roman Empire. The city farthest along the path is Los Angeles, famous worldwide for the number, variety, and size of its ethnic and racial street gangs. Not to worry. It can't happen here.
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POPSChina blocks internet sites, services ahead of Tiananmen anniversary
This is not unexpected. The Tiananmen demonstration anniversary is June 4 and Twitter messages were encouraging people to wear white, the color of mourning, until they were suddenly blocked. For the Chinese authorities to go through this much trouble to suppress the exchange of all other non-related ideas and thoughts just to prevent anything concerning the Tiananmen Square ordeal from getting through illustrates the Chinese authorities distrust of the Chinese people. This action reminds the rest of the world just how repressive China is and for the US government to encourage its citizens to support China through trade with them while demanding, pleading for, suggesting, whimpering about, giving up on human rights reform is irresponsible. It is so futile to hang on to old ways of thought and mind control. The internet has already been let out of the box and to suppress it in this manner just illustrates how old school these people are.
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POPSSMOKING AND CIVIL RIGHTS
On a practical level, there is simply no reason for the ban on American smokers. The "Public Health" argument, deployed by the EPA, is unconscionably flawed4 and distressingly familiar. Public Health as a rationale for legislation and segregation has a long and dishonorable record. Till the end of the 1950's, the identical kinds of arguments--the "menace to public health"--supported racial discrimination. It was widely accepted and officially tossed around that if a black person and a white person drank for the same fountain, rested in the same rest room, or ate from the same plate--even though the plate had been washed in between--poor whitey would catch his death. In the course of our history, the banner of Public Health--"statistically proven" and trumpeted by the press--has been used to discriminate--also to legislate--against the Chinese, the Italians, the Irish and the Jews...who've been fingered as the "causes" of polio, cholera, TB and bubonic plague.5 This is simply an old hus
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POPSYouTube Blocked In China More: "While most of the rest of the world thinks of the Dalai Lama as a peaceful leader in exile, the official view in China is that he hides behind a facade of non-violence while inciting the same in Tibet, in an attempt to achieve Tibetan independence and restore the old feudal system. They paint the latter as a theocracy with serfdom, diametrically opposed to Democratic Reform. Maybe it’s just me, but I have a hard time believing any talk of “democracy” from a government that suppresses the free expression of ideas. Whom do you believe?"
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POPSThomas Friedman’s Five Worst Predictions In 2001, Friedman advised the American citizenry to “keep rootin’ for Putin,” hailing the K.G.B. veteran as “Russia’s first Deng Xiaoping” and a strong force for reform. Three years later, Friedman announced in his most awkward prose that “I have a ‘Tilt Theory of History’,” and called Russia “a huge nation” (this part checks out) “that was tilted in the wrong direction and is now tilted in the right direction” with regards to free speech, the rule of law, and the like. In 2007, Friedman finally noticed that Russia cannot even properly be termed a democracy and promptly wrote a column to this effect.
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POPS"Tiananmen Square Massacre was Right" Nat Intel Council head Obama's nominee to head the National Intelligence Council, former Saudi lobbyist, wrote that China's crackdown in the Tiananmen Square Massacre didn't go nearly far enough. It's scary that a man who justifies the brutal massacre of student protesters will now head the National Intelligence Council. http://reason.com/blog/show/131843.html
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POPSAxl Rose Speaks I'm still a huge Gn'R fan... Yes, I liked Chinese Democracy... I think it's a great record. Obviously, it's not traditional Gn'R for me. I won't argue with that... but it's a great album nonetheless.. Go to the site to read the full article! Great read!
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POPSDissent Taboo Certainly dissent harms the bottom line. And don't even bring up laws to ensure worker safety and fair pay. The power change in Washington and it's impact on Chinese relationships will be interesting to watch.
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POPSTop 10 sellers of 2008 - on vinyl Great article! Who would have thought so much Vinyl is still sold, though I did buy Gn'R's Chinese Democracy CD online from HMV UK - only because a single from the album came for free with it... on vinyl!
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POPS The Message Of Obama's Socialist Realism Art And Senator Obama’s supporters insist that their dear leader has nothing to do with socialist/Marxist leanings, thoughts, beliefs? Next time they tell you that, just point out the Fairey “Hope” button they wear on their lapel, or the one they are sporting as a sticker on their car. The similarities between the Soviet, Cuban, Chinese Communist and Barack Obama propaganda posters are not coincidental. Barack Obama is a collectivist, a far-Left socialist who has attracted and has the support of radical groups, including the Communist Party Illinois, Socialist Party USA, The Center for Constitutional Rights and The Committees of Correspondence for Democracy and Socialism. The Obama “Progress” poster was designed by leftwing (surprise!) artist Shepard Fairey. A similar poster by Fairey, with the word “change” on it is sold by Barack Obama’s online campaign store.
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POPSFrench neocolonialism in Africa Johann Hari looks at the way that France has managed to maintain control of its colonies in Africa by using its forces to keep pliant dictators in power. He suggests that there is a new scramble for control of African resources, led by the Chinese.
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POPSthe conundrum on one hand, it's the olympics, which is awesome on the other hand, china is pretty heinous sometimes. this site keeps track of what's going on while everyone's eyes are focused on beijing
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POPSYou remember Al Qaeda, right? The Anchoress, who came to kick ass and chew bubblegum. And she was fresh out of bubblegum. Yeah, that guy! The guy who does more than just talk about freedom and progress. The guy who has brought real hope and change to people all over the world, and yes, here in America. But you don’t want to hear it. It’s the wrong and inconvenient narrative, the embargoed one.
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