Category: Broader foreign policy
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Rejecting “Us versus Them” in the Aftermath of Paris
The day after the attacks on Paris, I had a spaghetti dinner in Prenzlauerberg (a neighborhood in the former East Berlin) with a German man I am just getting to know. We talked about our concerns that these deaths would lead to more escalation in political violence, especially actions by the U.S. and member states of the EU that could lead to more deaths. But we are an unusual pair of people to be having this conversation. He is a former member of the Red Army Faction (RAF), and I am an American whose only brother was killed by the Red Army Faction in 1985 as part of an attack on the US airbase on Rhein-Main (my dinner partner was already serving time in prison for other deaths at the time). For the two of us, the pain of families in Paris, Beirut, Syria, and many other places in the world torn by political violence is not abstract.
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Iran: Where the story starts matters
I got to hear a great piece about Iran on WNYC yesterday: Robin Wright gave an insightful interview on what the approaching inauguration of the new Iranian president could mean for U.S.-Iran relations, especially given that the U.S. House has voted to yet again renew and deepen economic sanctions against Iran. Wright mentions that the relationship […]
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No one Should Kill or Die for my Smartphone
Even though I have a fair amount of gadgets (MacBook Pro, G1 smartphone, Lumix camera, Flip, the list goes on…), I have not done a great job tracking the impact of buying and using them. Well, it’s time for me to make sure that my enjoyment of these things doesn’t cost other people their lives. […]
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Taking Action in Support of People in Gaza
The attack of the flotilla carrying humanitarian aid to Gaza has brought attention to the crisis there. Some useful links: Democracy Now has, as usual, great reporting, including interviews with people who were on the ship. Avaaz has set up a page for people to sign a petition to the UN calling for an international […]
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Another Portland-Iran Solidarity Rally Tuesday
Got this from Gabi’s blog: Local folks are calling for another vigil in solidarity with the people of Iran. This vigil will be Tuesday, June 23 at 7 PM in Pioneer Courthouse Square. Thanks also, Gabi, for posting this LA Times article about the death of Neda Agha-Soltan, who was killed on the street in […]
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Portland in Solidarity with People of Iran
I made it to the candlelight vigil in solidarity with the people of Iran at PSU last night. There were over 300 people there to show their support, and people observed a moment of silence for those who had been killed by “security forces” in Tehran. I got my “We are all Iranians” button and […]