International

Around 4 PM, people started to gather at Foley Square, just a few blocks from City Hall. Their goal: to march to Liberty Plaza (Zuccotti Park). The Unions took the initiative to organize the rally in support of Occupy Wall Street, after last week’s police brutality. They had arrested over 800 people, had violently tackled many, and used pepper spray on the protesters.

Reporters Without Borders urges the Chilean congress to reject a government
bill which, in response to a ninth-month-old wave of protests by students
and others,
would violate basic rights by criminalizing the expression of opinions in
public. It also contains disastrous provisions for journalists covering
protests.

In the Week of Nonviolence in Mar del Plata, there was a debate on “Violence and Media. Contributions for a more inclusive communication”. Pressenza’s experience and contribution in the construction of an agenda relating to nonviolence was displayed, in contrast to the constant violent look emitted by the major media in Argentina.

Facing clear headed new generations of Chileans and secondary school and university students showing strong political wit after negotiations which were supposed to let the government ignore the strikers’ demands broke down yesterday, today Chile’s militarized carabineros (police) anticipated the protests by carrying out the most brutal repression.

There are people who claim that humanity, since its origins, can only be interpreted in terms of war: we have always killed each other. We kill each other to steal; we kill each other to occupy a particular space, a cave or a piece of fertile land. We also kill each other to be the leader, out of envy, due to jealousy or sadism.

Over the past year, the world has watched with great interest as the Arab Spring has dissolved decades of repression. Citizens weary of injustice have stood up and demanded control of their destinies. I wish that oppressed people everywhere in Africa could benefit from the dramatic changes we are witnessing in North Africa.

The United Nations committee entrusted with helping countries tackle terrorism has voiced concern at the close connection between terrorists and transnational organized crime, including the illegal movement of nuclear, chemical, biological and other potentially deadly materials.

Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud Abbas handed over a request to UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon, asking the United Nations to admit the state of Palestine as a full member. Then he told the General Assembly “I call upon the distinguished members of the Security Council to vote in favour of our full membership.”

In the midst of the current stampede to slash federal spending, U.S. Congress might want to take a look at two unnecessary (and dangerous) “national security” programs that, if cut, would save the United States over a quarter of a trillion dollars over the next decade.

The crisis in the economic system has been well anticipated by those who noticed the complex and esoteric way in which modern Monetarism creates scarcity through taking money out of a hat to lend it, but not making enough to repay with interests. Speculation then concentrates it. Challenges to such bizarre and poverty creating system are not tolerated. Oct 15th Wake Up Day.