We’ve lived so long under the spell of hierarchy—from god-kings to feudal lords to party bosses—that only recently have we awakened to see not only that “regular” citizens have the capacity for self-governance, but that without their engagement our huge global crises cannot be addressed. The changes needed for human society simply to survive, let alone thrive, are so profound that the only way we will move toward them is if we ourselves, regular citizens, feel meaningful ownership of solutions through direct engagement. Our problems are too big, interrelated, and pervasive to yield to directives from on high.
—Frances Moore Lappé, excerpt from Time for Progressives to Grow Up

Saturday, February 23, 2013

Pictures Speak Volumes In Oscar-Nominated Israeli Films

Click here to access article by Jonathan Cook from his blog the view from Nazareth

The Zionist section of the Empire is fighting to keep Israeli-connected films about the ongoing Israeli oppression of Palestinians from being seen and celebrated. Israeli filmmakers are bravely trying to tell an honest story about Israeli human rights crimes.
Israelis have been revelling in the prospect of an Oscar night triumph next week, with two Israeli-financed films among the five in the running for Best Documentary. But the country’s right-wing government is reported to be quietly fuming that the films, both of which portray Israel’s occupation of the Palestinian territories in a critical light, have garnered so much attention following their nominations.