Endless Flow of Weapons Fuels Endless War in Iraq and Syria
by Jon Queally for Common Dreams, reposted on MintPressNews:
An analysis of new data (pdf) collected by a group which tracks weapons in global conflict zones has found that a large proportion of the munitions now being used by ISIS fighters in Iraq and Syria are from U.S. manufacturers, either captured on the battlefield or sold to them by supposed U.S. allies.
How Does This End? 35 Military Interventions since 1980 and Terrorism Grows
A day before a subcommittee hearing on Capitol Hill is slated to look into police militarization, a short film has been released, documenting how the Pentagon has flooded small town police forces with tanks and equipment capable of waging war
The Burning Bed,’ 30 years later. And Ray Rice, now
By Susan Grigsby for Daily Kos:
On the evening of October 8, 1984, over one-third of all American television sets were turned to NBC for the premiere of The Burning Bed, starring Farrah Fawcett and Paul LeMat. Based on the true story of Francine Hughes, it brought the brutal reality of domestic violence out of the shadows and into our living rooms. We sat mesmerized as Mickey Hughes' need for control over his wife grew ever greater as he seemed to lose control over the rest of his life. Slaps became punches. Pushes became throws across a room, followed by violent beatings.
‘Relentless and Ruthless’: Filmmaker Robert Greenwald on the Koch Brothers
by Jon Queally for Common Dreams:
Robert Greenwald is the director of the recently re-released documentary film, Koch Brothers Exposed; 2014 Edition, and the founder and president ofBrave New Films, where he has produced and directed films including Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price and Unmanned: America’s Drone Wars. Recently, Greenwald spoke with NEA Today to talk about the billionaire Koch brothers’ efforts to undermine the public good and promote the interests of the 1 percent in America.
US Senate Approves $500 Million to Arm Syrian Militants
by Jon Queally for Common Dreams:
Despite loud warnings from many quarters—including foreign policy experts, the anti-war left and dissenting CIA analysts—that such a move could prove disastrous, the U.S. Senate on Thursday voted overwhelmingly to approve $500 million in government funds to help arm, train, and support so-called moderate military forces inside Syria.
The Fight For 12
The folks over at Brave New Films Were kind enough to make some visuals to Aid our cause. What is that cause you might ask, or you might not. We are in the process of raising our city minimum wage. The Eureka Fair Wage Act is finally going to come to a vote of the people. More and Video after the Jump
Will Congress Finally Put a Dent in the $4.3 Billion in Surplus Military Equipment Going to Police Departments?
By Zoe Carpenter for The Nation Magazine:
Congress returns to Washington this week, one month since the shooting of Michael Brown and the ensuing police crackdown on protesters in Ferguson, Missouri. Right away, lawmakers will address one of the many civil-rights issues highlighted by the tragedy: the militarization of local police.
When Did Americans Become the Enemy? New Video Explores Decades Of Police Militarization
By Zoe Carpenter for The Nation Magazine:
As the U.S. Senate prepares to hold a hearing Tuesday on the militarization of local police—not just in Ferguson, Missouri, but across America—a short new video from Brave New Films underscores that the problem of trigger-happy, armed-for-warfare cops is more widespread and disturbing than we think
This Photo Says A Lot about Fox New’s Coverage of Micahel Brown’s Death in Ferguson
Our friends at Brave New Films summed up Fox's coverage in one well-chosen photo:
As I previously posted, McKay's dubious reporting was called out yesterday on CNN's Reliable Sources.
CCD’s - 200 Must See Documentaries
by Angel Uriel Perales for CCD:
The last 15 years have seen an explosion and proliferation of the documentary film medium. Perhaps because of the relative ease of digital editing or perhaps because film festivals and film critics are finally giving documentaries their artistic due, the golden age of documentaries has blossomed and matured. What has also helped is that many universities have upgraded their film studies departments from history and criticism to actual production and have been training more budding documentary filmmakers. Furthermore, some production companies such as HBO Pictures, BBC, Discovery Channel, History Channel, PBS, and A&E have developed their own documentary film departments.