I just wanted to share this tribute to women of the silver screen.

http://glumbert.com/wii/view.php?name=womenfilm

Happy Thanksgiving ...

Lee

Getting back tot he point which has been rudely obscured by some male sexists blogging here who would rather listen to their own voices:-

Quote CNN: “The woman was originally sentenced in October 2006 to 90 lashes. But that sentence was more than doubled to 200 lashes and six months in prison by the Qatif General Court, because she spoke to the media about the case, a court source told Middle Eastern daily newspaper Arab News…... Al-Lahim told CNN his law license was revoked last week by a judge because he spoke to the Saudi-controlled media about the case…....

The Justice Ministry acknowledged in its statement Tuesday that the attorney is no longer on the case, saying he was punished by a disciplinary committee for lawyers because he “exhibited disrespectful behavior toward the court, objected to the rule of law and showed ignorance concerning court instructions and regulations”....”

Despite the fact that the case has sparked outrage among human rights groups,  Truthdig has blacklisted the CNN link. According to Truthdig:-

Action Denied: Blacklisted Item Found
http://edition.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/meast/11/20/ - but add this to the URL <saudi.rape.victim/index.html>

#114598 by Ernest Canning on 11/19 at 8:10 pm: “...why is it that you cannot distinguish between something I quote someone else as saying and that which I personally express…”

I don’t understand what it is you are whining about, Ernest…... I responded to you in a polite manner and now you seem to want to be rude. Surely you’re not jealous because I’ve been to the M.East (Arab countries) as well as the author you say you quoted…... and perhaps you haven’t!?!?

Doug, why is it that you cannot distinguish between something I quote someone else as saying and that which I personally express?  The quote I provided was from John Perkins’s book, “Confessions of an Economic Hit Man.”  The portion of the quote you referred to was a remark made to Perkins by a Saudi diplomat to Perkins in 1974, at a time when goats were the Saudi answer to recycling their trash.  Both Perkins and the Saudi diplomat have been to Saudi Arabia, so I imagine both were in a position to observe Saudi wealth disparity—the existence of which does not eliminate the fact that the goats were disposing of Saudi trash in 1974.

Do you have any other bright ideas for challenging one of my posts?

#114481 by Ernest Canning on 11/19 at 8:07 am: “‘No self-respecting Saudi would ever collect trash,’ he said.  ‘We leave it to the beasts.’”

Certainly no peasants amongst that lot, eh, Ernest?!?! Not so if you actually go there and see for yourself….... The princes are princes but there is still a scruffy bunch at the bottom of their pecking order. They tend to conceal that these days by hiring 1,000’s of foreign workers from everywhere in Asia, though…...

To Paracelsus & Doug Chalmers:  Interesting comments about the status of goat herders in Saudi Arabia.  Consider the following from John Perkins’s “Confessions of an Economic Hitman.”

“In 1974, a diplomat from Saudi Arabia showed me photos of Riyadh, the capital of his country.  Included in these photos was a herd of goats rummaging among piles of refuse outside a government building.  When I asked the diplomat about them, his response shocked me.  He told me that they were the city’s main garbage disposal system.”

“‘No self-respecting Saudi would ever collect trash,’ he said.  ‘We leave it to the beasts.’”

#114348 by Paracelsus on 11/18 at 3:38 pm: “... The Hijab (veil) and Abaya (long black dress/cloak) are modern expressions of Islam. There is no historical record of such dress.” .....They put the Bedouin goat herders into power in Saudi Arabia. The garb enforced upon women is unprecedented. This Islam is a brand of jacobinism….”

Interesting, Paracelsus, and the hijab was nothing more originally than something to protect womens’ hair from the dust and sand blown by the wind…... As you say, then the ignorant goat-herders came along!!!

Dubai was not always “the place where Arabs go to sin”, though. 30 years ago, it was little more than a small town and an oil refinery/loading facility at the mouth of a creek in which the traditional wooden sailing dhows were still moored.

Despite also having religious police, Malaysia is known as another place where Arabs go to sin….....

“Nasier was imprisoned, of course but the consumption of alcohol remained legal. That was to remain the case until Nasir’s libertine brother, Mishari, got himself drunk one night and went out and shot the British consul dead, and succeeded in seriously wounding his wife. From that date forward, Saudi Arabia went dry, preferring to ban alcohol than exercise self restraint. Excess, of course, is a Royal privilege. Women and whoring around were not to be excised from the menu of pleasures, of course. Orgies, rapes and pedophilia were in order, as long as they were exercised in a discreet manner. As the party went on, women were increasingly made a visible- and by design, showcased, as an example of Arab virtue. The Hijab (veil) and Abaya (long black dress/cloak) are modern expressions of Islam. There is no historical record of such dress.”

http://sigcarlfred.blogspot.com/2005/11/behind-veil-muslim-women-and-our.html

The particular brand of that is popular in the Middle East is supported by power elites in Great Britain. They put the Bedouin goat herders into power in Saudi Arabia. The garb enforced upon women is unprecedented. This Islam is a brand of jacobinism.
I find it interesting that the more secular parts of the Middle East, Iraq and Iran, are receiving the worst from the United States.

#114152 by RAE on 11/17 at 8:04 am: “The Saudis may appear sophisticated ......but their brutal ways are still caveman base….”

What you described is exactly what one sees in the USA, RAE. Be it Hollywood glitz and glamor or the trappings of Wall Street and Pennsylvania Avenue, it is the same “caveman”.

But their treatment of women is something extreme. The women really do look bizarre going around in their black tents with their faces masked - if you see any at all, ugh!

Sadly, the West doesn’t really care because it is intrinsically sexist, too. We know this…... not so much at present, but from a very recent past!

Then there are the Saudi princes’ private jets carrying hard drugs from S.America into Europe and elsewhere by the ton!

But, Obama takes the cake with his recent statement that the USA should not be “buying oil from dictators”, uhh! How does he think the Saudi royal family remain in power????

I guess he means that he will be supporting the US military-industrial complex just as soon as he gets into power. Another “caveman”!!!!

The Saudis may appear sophisticated as they emerge from their Rolls Royces wrapped in gold trimmed garments dripping with oil but their brutal ways are still caveman base.

I clearly have no understanding of their culture and values. And I don’t want to. There can be no acceptable reasons for treating fellow human beings in this manner.

Quote BBC: “On appeal, the Arab News reported that the punishment was not reduced but increased to 200 lashes and a six-month prison sentence….... The rapists also had their prison terms doubled. But the sentences are still low considering they could have faced the death penalty….”

Search “Hudood” and see how it is!

The Hudood Ordinance (Urdu: حدود مسودہ) (also spelled Hudud) was a law in Pakistan that was in force from 1979 to 2006. It has been replaced by the Women’s Protection Bill…... The Hudood Law was ostensibly intended to implement Muslim Shari’a law, by enforcing punishments mentioned in the Quran and sunnah for a number of crimes, including extra-marital sex (zina[1]), the drinking of alcohol, and theft. It was enacted in 1979 as part of then military ruler Zia-ul-Haq’s Islamization process… http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hudood_ordinance

Then there is “An Ordinance to bring in conformity with the injunctions of Islam the law relating to the Offence of Zina” http://www.pakistani.org/pakistan/legislation/zia_po_1979/ord7_1979.html

those crazy muslims. they really know how to mete out justice. my previous favorite was when the iranians used construction cranes to hang people for adultery or homosexuality. ya gotta admit, those fuckers know how to put on a vegas style execution.

I am disgusted with many anti-Semites who call themselves progressives. Here is an expose of their horrible works:

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=7749694216572836816&q=the+ringworm+children&total=19&start=0&num=10&so=0&type=search&plindex=0

Dover,

“The anti-Semitic, one-track mind of some “progressives” is sickening to real progressives.”

Calling a bigot progressive may be out of context and doesn’t “progressives” mean the eye glasses?  I actually agree with the intent of your comment.

#114036 by Ernest Canning

“I think you need to be careful with your use of the pronoun “we.” If you are referring to oil products consumed within the continental U.S. that is one thing.  But surely you must appreciate that this nation’s wealthy elite, under their neoliberal new world order, do not bound in by borders.”

Good point.

Did you know that most of Alaska’s North Slope oil is shipped to Asia? It is as if we were a nation of kid billies being denied mother’s milk from the doe by our goat farmer overlords. We are being starved to death economically.

The Usefulness of Fanatical Islam to the Anglo-American Establishment

The British financed religious fanatics in Iran in the early 1950’s. Mossadegh was a politically moderate leader who wanted to industrialize Iran. The Iranian public was sympathetic to constitutional republicanism. The government was nationalistic and sympathetic to middle class yeoman capitalism. It is interesting that the same fanatic Ayatollahs who supported the coup of the Shah would later support Khomeini in the 70’s. Fanatical Islam is the Anglo-American establishment’s best friend. It is like two double agents from “opposite” sides feeding each other classified information in an effort to mutually boost their careers. 

http://www.redmoonrising.com/Ikhwan/BritIslam.htm

“To prepare for the coup the Americans funded Ayatollah Bihbani and the British gave a group led by Ayatollah Qanatabadi $100,000 to stir up unrest against Mossadegh. Ayatollah Kashani was given $10,000 by the CIA and his followers played a role in the demonstrations in central Tehran. Another group of fundamentalist agitators was led by Tayyeb Hsaj-Reza’i, a figure who later became a supporter of the Ayatollah Khomeini. (6)

In mid-August, 1953, Mossadegh’s government was beset by a multitude of CIA and British-funded plots and demonstrations. On August 15 Mossadegh’s Foreign Minister was kidnapped in a bid to intimidate the government. On August 16 the Shah issued a statement dismissing Mossadegh as Prime Minister and at the same time propaganda materials were distributed that falsely alleged that religious mullahs were to be hanged by members of the communist Tudeh party (7). On August 17 and 18 mobs made up of religious fanatics and supporters of the Shah converged on Tehran creating chaos and terror. On August 19, in collusion with the chief of police, the mobs were able to reach the Prime Minister’s residence and after a fierce battle Mossadegh was forced from power. Several days later the Shah returned from Italy and thus began his 25-year dictatorial regime. The story of the Shah’s downfall twenty-five years later, at the hands of the same fundamentalist fanatics who helped him acquire his throne in the first place, involves the British as well, which we will find out momentarily. Radical Islam was indeed a useful tool for the British, and their manipulation of it was only just beginning.”

@ #114048 by Lee

I was raised as a Jewish boy. I like my first two names
David Michael. I don’t see Joseph Mengele as a name I would like change to. Neither would would I like to change my name to Richard Perleman or Menachim Begin. I deplore anti-Semitism, and I wish the Israeli government would make reparations to Jewish people it has harmed. Some of the worst of anti-Jewish people are Israeli’s who have committed crimes of inhumanity against Jews.

RE: #114043 by Paracelsus on 11/16 at 3:30 pm

Please look up Dr. Joseph Mengle.
Paracelsus was a Swiss doctor ... in view of your obvious anti-Semitism, I suggest
that you change your screen name to Mengele.

#113994 by dover

Please look up Ralph Schoenmann. He is a Jewish socialist. I wish Robert Scheer would interview Ralph. It would be interesting to see two old Jewish guys get in a “heated discussion” over Israel. Mr. Schoenmann really opened my eyes to Zionism.

Paracelus:  I think you need to be careful with your use of the pronoun “we.”  If you are referring to oil products consumed within the continental U.S. that is one thing.  But surely you must appreciate that this nation’s wealthy elite, under their neoliberal new world order, do not bound in by borders.  Exxon-Mobil and Chevron are knee deep in both blood and oil all over the world.

We get most of our oil from the New World. Middle Eastern Oil is a drop in the bucket for the US.

#113869 by P. T. on 11/15 at 8:33 pm: “...The hatred of women there is intense….”

Sounds like Edwards and Obama’s attempted ‘punishment’ of Hillary Clinton….... sexist slugs doing the Republican’s work for them, uhh!!!

#113945 by Ernest Canning on 11/16 at 7:18 am
(1118 comments total)

““With the oil still flowing to the benefit of the family Bush don’t look for Laura Bush to champion women’s rights in Saudi Arabia like she did at the beginning of our assault on Afghanistan.””
===========================================

Well said, Ernest C.;  we are so darn addicted to oil that we can’t disavow this Saudi Arabia regime. Hope we can soon. They still encourage the radical elements that disrupt the Mideast. Let alone producing most of the suicide hijackers who killed Americans at the towers in NYC.

With the oil still flowing to the benefit of the family Bush don’t look for Laura Bush to champion women’s rights in Saudi Arabia like she did at the beginning of our assault on Afghanistan.

@ #113914 by Howard

“Morally there is not comparison. Israel established a nation morally. Land was not “stolen” from the nomadic tribes meandering across the terrain, any more than the early Americans stole this country from the primitive, warring Indians. Israel established a civilized, Western-style outpost in which, for the first time in that region, individual rights were recognized.”

Is this your strongest argument? Also to characterize all American Indians as warring on each other so as to establish some sort of moral excuse is very weak tea. Do you know for sure that Palestine consisted of nomadic tribes meandering over the land before the Jewish migrations? Where did those ancient orange and olive tree groves come from before the modern Jews settled in? I suppose they were tended by ghost farmers.

Howard has made some good comments and they make much more sense than the bigoted ones from some others.  The right of Israel to exist is a given, but I would prefer they did it on their own.  Some of their policies have had a George Bush like mentality, the last one in Lebanon seemed quite wrong.  If jewish people want to win friends and influence people they have to quit spitting on them.

Religions all religions are made up by men, they are used to control the ignorant, this article is just a small sample of the gross miss-justices religion has over peoples lives.  Treatment of women inherent in most religions, from the Moslem’s to Christians,  the sexism is only matter of degrees.

@ #113914 by Howard

During the interregnum, thousands of Jews emigrated to Isreal. Given the hostility of the Palestinians to the state of Isreal in ‘48, why were their efforts to stop the immigrations of Jews into Palestine so ineffective?
Also how were Jews able to become the owners of 80 and 90 year old olive tree orchards in ‘48?

#113873 by Lee

Tell me Lee, who is the biggest funder and backer of radical Islam? You will be shocked at the answer!

RE:  #113908 by Non Credo on 11/16 at 3:42 am

    ““At least there is a practical, strategic basis for our relationship with the Saudi regime (oil). But our relationship with Israel, in which we totally subordinate our interests to theirs, has neither strategic nor moral justification. “”
================================================
============================================

I say its the other way around.  Most likely you misprinted.  Who wants a relationship with a country like Saud Arabia which is outlined above.  Goodness gracious !

Morally there is not comparison. Israel established a nation morally. Land was not “stolen” from the nomadic tribes meandering across the terrain, any more than the early Americans stole this country from the primitive, warring Indians. Israel established a civilized, Western-style outpost in which, for the first time in that region, individual rights were recognized.

It is the Arabs’ tribalism that creates the threat to peace; it is their antagonism toward the principle of rights that makes them willing to engage in both open warfare and covert terrorism.

And stategically Israel is very very needed.  Israel is the major strategic asset of the United States in an area of the world that is the cradle of Islamo-fascism, which is dominated by tyrants and permeated by religious obscurantism and shows almost total disregard for human rights. During the decades-long Cold War, Israel was America’s indispensable rampart against the inroads of the Soviet Union. It is now the bulwark against the aggressive intentions of Iran. During Desert Storm, Israel provided invaluable intelligence, an umbrella of air cover for military cargo, and had personnel planted in the Iraqi deserts to pick up downed American pilots.

Gen. George Keagan, former head of U.S. Air Force Intelligence, stated publicly that “Israel is worth five CIAs,” with regard to intelligence passed to our country. He also stated that the yearly $1.8 billion that Israel received in military assistance was worth $50 to $60 billion in intelligence, R&D;savings, and Soviet weapons systems captured and transferred to the Pentagon. In contrast to our commitments in Korea, Japan, Germany, and other parts, not a single American serviceperson needs to be stationed in Israel. Considering that the cost of one serviceperson per year — including backup and infrastructure — is estimated to be about $200,000, and assuming a minimum contingent of 25,000 troops, the cost savings to the United States on that score alone is on the order of $5 billion a year.

Re#113854 by Non Credo on 11/14 at 7:11 Pm:

Yes, Non Credo, that’s exactly right, Saudi Arabia is so damn weird BECAUSE of their God belief. That is what all religion is all about: controlling the poor and weak.

Here in America, land of the ‘God Blessed’, when ‘God Believing’ legislators in South Dakota were confronted with a certain situation, their reply was, “All life is sacred, it is God’s creation alone.”  The situation:

The very real case of a 12 year old South Dakotan child impregnated by her drunken father.  She was thankfully allowed to abort this inbred future ‘God Believer’.  But left to the machinations of American ‘God Believers’, this CHILD would have been punished even further by having to bear this abomination and then have to RAISE it with NO HELP from the government, because, like all right to lifers, South Dakota ‘God Believers’ feel that a fetus is sacred, but a child is a “welfare brat.” As for the father, NO mention was made of his rape, only that he would “recieve help” for his “alcoholism”.

And so we see, Non Credo, Saudi Arabians are no more “damn weird” than their American ‘God Believing’ counterparts.  Both use and abuse women in the name of the filth that is the most egregious of all MAN-made stupidities: religion.

PS Non Credo:Only one good thing came out of this situation:  America is a secular nation BECAUSE the founding fathers knew first hand the idiocy of a theocracy, so the South Dakota bill that would have legitimized incest was voted down.

“To all you anti American and anti Israeli fools. America’s and freedom’s real enemy is radical Islam”

Your swinish ignorance is appalling.  Saudi Arabia is a friend of Christian war criminal Bush.  So is Jew war criminal Olmert.

Amen to Leefeller…

Even though the Shrub used the Religious Right, never intending to really follow through, it still energized them to think about being a real force in politics.
Let those who want to live under Religious Law move to countries where there is Religious Law already, rather than try to import it here. Or move to a religious compound like the one the pizza guy founded in Florida.
But it is nice to know that Pat Robertson can compromise his morals by backing Rudy…because Rudy can be elected, despite Rudy hopping from woman to woman and being pro-abortion.
Nothing like a religious person sticking to their position…until they need to change.

To all you anti American and anti Israeli fools. America’s and freedom’s real enemy is radical Islam ... you misguided (or maybe intentional) traitors deserve to inherit this: http://www.truthdig.com/eartotheground/item/20071115_s audi_court_punishes_rape_victim/

ah, the religion of peace at it’s finest.

The hatred of women there is intense.

It is nice to know that we support a country who is still in the good old dark ages, plus the added bonus a county that enforces their rule of law.  This is a great argument of why we need religion in our politics.