mehreenkasana: This is so important especially after the incident involving Pakistani student Malala Yousafzai. I cannot stress upon on how dangerous the rhetoric around this event is considering how many have instantly resorted to support drone attacks. Journalist Urooj Zia states this simply: “Please, stop using the attack on Malala to justify drones. We’ve been ‘droned’ for years now, & freely. Are militants dead? No.” Incidents like these need to be treated with caution and consideration by media given how the framing of a tragedy (especially a gendered tragedy) leads to the justification of foreign policies that, in the long run, prove to be highly detrimental. 
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mehreenkasana:

This is so important especially after the incident involving Pakistani student Malala Yousafzai. I cannot stress upon on how dangerous the rhetoric around this event is considering how many have instantly resorted to support drone attacks. Journalist Urooj Zia states this simply: “Please, stop using the attack on Malala to justify drones. We’ve been ‘droned’ for years now, & freely. Are militants dead? No.”

Incidents like these need to be treated with caution and consideration by media given how the framing of a tragedy (especially a gendered tragedy) leads to the justification of foreign policies that, in the long run, prove to be highly detrimental. 

Why is it so easy to rage at the Taliban? Why is it so hard to rage at the conditions that gave rise to the Taliban and continue to sustain it—the semi-feudalism, the predatory capitalism, the thousand and one mafias, the relentless machinations of imperialism and the military? How have we the scions of anti-military all of a sudden started pulling at its shirt asking for it to wipe out the Taliban? What is all of this if not intellectual and moral bankruptcy? Reprehensible as the shooting of Malala Yusufzai is, it does not justify imperialist drone attacks on peoples living in tribal areas. Reprehensible as the targeting of a 14-year-old girl is, it does not justify the Pakistan Army’s often indiscriminate operations that have led to the displacement of millions of people. And, reprehensible as the Taliban’s transparently idiotic and self-serving discourse is, it is not Pakistan’s biggest enemy. Pakistan’s biggest enemy is our unwillingness to transcend our own hypocrisies.

There are countless Malalas.

Call a spade a spade.

Forbes Magazine cover: Pakistani American billionaire Shahid Khan. Auto-parts supplier and NFL team owner. “With sweat and smarts, Pakistan-born Shahid Khan built a $3.4 billion manufacturing juggernaut from the ruins of an Illinois auto parts maker. To celebrate, he just bought one of the worst teams in the NFL, with the pledge of a similar turnaround. Only in America, folks.” [x] Never underestimate.
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Forbes Magazine cover: Pakistani American billionaire Shahid Khan. Auto-parts supplier and NFL team owner.

“With sweat and smarts, Pakistan-born Shahid Khan built a $3.4 billion manufacturing juggernaut from the ruins of an Illinois auto parts maker. To celebrate, he just bought one of the worst teams in the NFL, with the pledge of a similar turnaround. Only in America, folks.” [x]

Never underestimate.

(via mehreenkasana)

It only takes 20 minutes for the NYT to shift the blame.  After allowing them onto the bridge, police cut off and arrested dozens of Occupy Wall Street protesters. became In a tense showdown over the East River, police arrested hundreds of Occupy Wall Street demonstrators after they marched onto the bridge’s Brooklyn=bound roadway. (image via Reddit. Quote via Daily Kos)
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It only takes 20 minutes for the NYT to shift the blame. 

After allowing them onto the bridge, police cut off and arrested dozens of Occupy Wall Street protesters.

became

In a tense showdown over the East River, police arrested hundreds of Occupy Wall Street demonstrators after they marched onto the bridge’s Brooklyn=bound roadway.

(image via Reddit. Quote via Daily Kos)

(via sainthannah)

Source: dailykos.com

We have to ask ourselves, “What’s the best way to grow the economy and create jobs?”

Should we keep tax loopholes for oil companies? Or should we use that money to give small business owners a tax credit when they hire new workers? Because we can’t afford to do both. Should we keep tax breaks for millionaires and billionaires? Or should we put teachers back to work so our kids can graduate ready for college and good jobs? Right now, we can’t afford to do both.

This isn’t political grandstanding. This isn’t class warfare. This is simple math. These are real choices that we have to make. And I’m pretty sure I know what most Americans would choose. It’s not even close.
Obama 

(via uzairm)

Source: kateoplis

thedailywhat: This Is Important, You Should Know About It of the Day: Immensely popular Syrian political cartoonist Ali Ferzat — a noted critic of President Bashar al-Assad’s bloody opposition crackdown — has reportedly had both his hands broken by four masked gunmen as a warning to cease his anti-Assad activism. Ferzat, who once counted Assad among his friends, was dragged out of his car by the unidentified thugs, forced into their jeep, and driven to an airport road outside of Damascus where he was beaten and burned before being bagged and tossed from the vehicle. According to his son, the gunmen told Ferzat they were breaking his hands “to teach him not to draw against his ‘masters’.” Though initial reports claimed the gunmen were members of Assad’s security forces, Rami Abdul-Rahman of the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights told the Associated Press the attackers’ identity “could not be confirmed.” Ferzat’s official website was suspended for a time, but now appears to be back up. His Facebook page as well as a support page are both up and running. In addition, several of his cartoons can be seen in the video posted below. According to the UN, at least 2,200 people have been killed by Syrian forces since mid-March. In a recent interview broadcast on Syrian television, Assad dismissed calls to step down.  [ap via msnbc / guardian / wapo / atlantic / nyt.] :O
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thedailywhat:

This Is Important, You Should Know About It of the Day: Immensely popular Syrian political cartoonist Ali Ferzat — a noted critic of President Bashar al-Assad’s bloody opposition crackdown — has reportedly had both his hands broken by four masked gunmen as a warning to cease his anti-Assad activism.

Ferzat, who once counted Assad among his friends, was dragged out of his car by the unidentified thugs, forced into their jeep, and driven to an airport road outside of Damascus where he was beaten and burned before being bagged and tossed from the vehicle.

According to his son, the gunmen told Ferzat they were breaking his hands “to teach him not to draw against his ‘masters’.” Though initial reports claimed the gunmen were members of Assad’s security forces, Rami Abdul-Rahman of the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights told the Associated Press the attackers’ identity “could not be confirmed.”

Ferzat’s official website was suspended for a time, but now appears to be back up. His Facebook page as well as a support page are both up and running. In addition, several of his cartoons can be seen in the video posted below.

According to the UN, at least 2,200 people have been killed by Syrian forces since mid-March. In a recent interview broadcast on Syrian television, Assad dismissed calls to step down. 

[ap via msnbc / guardian / wapo / atlantic / nyt.]

:O

Breaking News of the Day: In a letter to the Apple Board of Directors and the Apple community, Steve Jobs announced today that he will be stepping down from his role as CEO. In his letter, Jobs said he can “no longer meet [his] duties and expectations as Apple’s CEO,” and recommended that Apple appoint COO Tim Cook as his replacement. The board announced that it would, in fact, appoint Cook as CEO, and Jobs would become the Chairman of the Board. Cook will also join the board effective immediately. [yahoo]
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Breaking News of the Day: In a letter to the Apple Board of Directors and the Apple community, Steve Jobs announced today that he will be stepping down from his role as CEO.

In his letter, Jobs said he can “no longer meet [his] duties and expectations as Apple’s CEO,” and recommended that Apple appoint COO Tim Cook as his replacement.

The board announced that it would, in fact, appoint Cook as CEO, and Jobs would become the Chairman of the Board. Cook will also join the board effective immediately.

[yahoo]