Drones in Gaza and the Significance for Purchasers of Israeli Drones

Many countries around the world have purchased or leased Israeli drones, including the UK, Canada, Australia, the Netherlands, Turkey. Many of these have been the Hermes 450 or variants, the same drone used extensively and more or less secretly in Israel’s occupation of the West Bank and Gaza, and in the recent attacks on Gaza.

The UK has an 850 million pound contract with UTacS to provide the UK with modified Hermes 450 drones under the Watchkeeper programme.

Israeli has the leading position in the development of drones, with two companies IAI and Elbit Systems as world leaders.

When countries purchase Israeli drones, what is happening?

For one thing, they are purchasing state of the art technology which has been field tested in ‘combat’ in the occupied territories of Palestine. Israel has a long history of drone use in Palestine, though this was relatively secret until recently. Drones by their nature are difficult to detect, and without IDF confirmation of their use this was difficult to establish.

But beginning about five years ago, reports of drones used in targetted assassinations became more common. Drones were first used to provide surveillance, but subsequently the technology was developed to arm the drones with missiles and other weapons, as well as non lethal capability like the ability to jam cell phones.They were also able to ‘mark’ targets, so that targets could be attacked by other weapons like missiles or bombs launched from military jets.

Early reports talked about the high accuracy of these weapons. Certainly Palestinian militants became fearful of them.

But in Operation Cast Lead reports came in of many, many civilian deaths caused by drones, in circumstances where it ’should’ have been able to distinguish between fighters and civilians. What was happening? Are drones less precise than believed in the fog of war? Were drones being used to murder people? We can’t know at the moment because Israel refuses to examine the events, or to provide the tapes of the drone attacks to be publicly reviewed.

When a country buys or purchases Israeli drones they are accepting the baggage that goes with them. A brand name cosmetic company can’t survive if it uses ‘animal testing’. Yet western democracies purchase drones from Israeli companies knowing that these drones are either hopelessly and dangerously inaccurate, or have been associated by the senseless slaughter of civilians.

The introduction of the Watchkeeper drone seems to have been delayed beyond the expected date of spring 2010. Is this delay due to technical considerations or is the UK MOD embarrassed to introduce these modified Hermes 450 drones just before an election, which could become an election issue?

[Via http://wanderingraven.wordpress.com]

Amchitka Everywhere!

“Brothers and sisters in Greenpeace.  Greenpeace is beautiful and you are beautiful because you are here tonight.  You came here because you are not on a death trip.  You believe in life.  You believe in peace.  And you want them now.  By coming here tonight you are making possible a trip for life and for peace.  You are supporting the first Greenpeace project, sending a ship to Amchitka to try to stop the testing of hydrogen bombs there or anywhere.” – Irving Stowe

These words opened a concert held at the PNE in Vancouver on October 16, 1970 featuring preformances Joni Mitchell, James Taylor and Phil Ochs.  November 11, 2009 Greenpeace along with Maple Music released a recording of that concert under the label “The 1970 concert that launched Greenpeace.” The concert did launch Greenpeace. Literally, that is what the Don’t Make a Wave Committee named the boat they took up to Amchitka.

Back in November, in the name of research, I bought the CD – even though all the proceeds go to Greenpeace – and after a few months fighting with Canada Post got to listen to it.  As far as live recordings from the 1970s go it is good stuff.  Despite what some might say about punk and protest, or rock and rebellion, folk music was where it started and the trio on this CD did, and continue to do, it well.

Phil Ochs set list includes Rhythms of Revolution, I Ain’t Marching Anymore, Joe Hill, Changes and I’m Gonna Say It Now (opening line “Oh I am just a student, sir, and only want to learn/But it’s hard to read through the risin’ smoke of the books that you like to burn”).  Then comes James Taylor, the last minute addition to the bill and not included on the posters.  And it finishes with Joni Mitchell.  On a musical level, Joni’s voice is still rich and young and untarnished by decades of smoking.  Not that her voice is now bad – one listen to her rerecording of Both Sides from 2000 puts that to rest – but a live recording from right before “Blue” was released highlights what it was.  The set list opens with Big Yellow Taxi making you wonder what might have been if she hadn’t backed out of Woodstock at the last minute.  From start to finish it makes me wish I had a time machine to go back and experience it.

The concert speaks to the end of the hippie era of concerts for a cause, as opposed to concerts for a profit, and also marks a distinct turn in post-war activism.  Following the trip to Amchitka, Greenpeace moved from an anti-nuclear movement to an environmentalist (and anti-nuclear) movement.  According to the official history of Greenpeace, this shift was in response to seeing first hand the whaling practices in the North Pacific.  The next Greenpeace mission was the first of what has become their trademark – sailing into the middle of the ocean, getting in a dingy and putting themselves between the harpoons and the whales.  Yet, Greenpeace was not the only organization making this shift.  Across the country, environmental concerns were becoming separate issues from the peace/women/race/anti-war/anti-nuclear umbrellas they were under in the 1960s.  Aspects of environmentalism remain connected to the peace movement, uranium mining and nuclear development for example, but in the decades since the end of the 1960s the environment has become its own movement.  What role Greenpeace plays in all this is not my question to answer, but the shared history of environmental activism and peace activism expresses itself in this concert.  For my research, it is the youth aspect that is most interesting and much more research is required to do that part justice.

When the Amchitka album came out late last year, there was a mild amount of publicity.  Greenpeace blogged about it, the CBC put a short article on their website, and a few environmentalist bloggers noted its arrival, but that was about it.  Greenpeace made the biggest deal out of it – as to be expected for the concert that launched the international activist juggernaut with more money than innovative protest ideas – but every record store I went to looking for the CD had never heard of it.  Maybe media outlets decided to overlook this CD because it falls under the “folk” genera which has been replaced by ‘indie” and “alternative” in terms of subject matter and ability to engage the educated, affluent, middle class young adult market.  Maybe Greenpeace didn’t market it well enough – which is ironic given their proficiency at getting media attention for every other move they make.  Whatever the reason, it is worth a listen for the quality of the recording, the quality of the song writing, and what the concert stood for.  Concerts for a cause don’t come around all that often these days (Live 8 was more media hype than action, SARS-fest was all about reviving the Toronto tourism industry, and benefit singles are so over done there seems to be a new one every month).  It is too bad really, maybe if a little bit of that hippie spirit that made concerts like the Amchitka fundraiser possible were around the world be a happier place – or at least a more politically aware one.  Tickets to the concert were only $3; cheap enough to put a smile on the face of the poorest music loving student.

[Via http://canenvirorock.wordpress.com]

"In my own line of work, I get access to a lot of private company info including salaries. I am consistently amazed at how low the majority of salaries are in Vancouver relative to other parts of Canada."

Clarke at vancouvercondo.info 6 Mar 2010 4:58 pm – “In my own line of work, I get access to a lot of private company info including salaries. I am consistently amazed at how low the majority of salaries are in Vancouver relative to other parts of Canada. The stats I have seen on median incomes in Canada seem to bear this out as well. But, we have the most expensive real estate. Go figure.”

[Via http://vreaa.wordpress.com]

Sarah Palin in Canada can only go so far

According to The National Post, Canada’s conservative paper, Sarah Palin made quite an impression in Calgary, Alberta, probably the only place in Canada where people will listen to her drivel. The Globe and Mail’s coverage was decidedly more fair and balanced, noting that Palin’s approval rating in the United States remains quite low.

Among Palin’s supporters in Calgary were members of the Wildrose Alliance party. I had never heard of the Wildrose Alliance, so I assumed they were a far-right party Alberta-based party that thought the Canadian Conservative party too moderate. And it looking at their platform, it appears that I was right. They rehearse some of the talking points of the United States’ Republican Party, including “school choice,” super-low taxes and and super-small government. They call for “innovative new ideas that deliver health care more efficiently,” which undoubtedly is code for more private sector involvement and market-based initiatives (some of which I might support, provided nobody lost access to the high-quality and affordable healthcare the Canadian system already provides). The Wildrose Alliance party also recognizes “that families are a cornerstone of society and must be maintained.,” their paean to Christian conservatism.

But, and here’s the important but, not only will they never have real power, (and least, I sure as hell hope they won’t), but they’ll never be able to touch Canada’s universal healthcare, or support of gay marriage, or abortion rights, or other good things that are so entrenched in Canadian cultural and political life.

There are lunatics and idiots who support Sarah Palin in Canada, sure. But they are in an extreme minority, and can only go so far. And I though I’m living in the United States now, I’m thankful that Canada, despite it’s unfortunate Conservative government right now, remains a sensible place that I can call home.

[Via http://threews.wordpress.com]

Exclusive Membership

Isria – Reports submitted by the Governments of Argentina, Mexico, New Zealand and Uzbekistan on measures taken to implement the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights will be reviewed by the Human Rights Committee at its ninety-eighth session, which will be held in New York at United Nations Headquarters from 8 to 26 March 2010…

The following 165 States have ratified or acceded to the Covenant: Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Andorra, Angola, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, Colombia, Congo, Costa Rica, Côte d’Ivoire, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia, Finland, France, Gabon, Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Malawi, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Korea, Romania, Russian Federation, Rwanda, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, San Marino, Senegal, Serbia, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Slovakia, Slovenia, Somalia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Syrian Arab Republic, Tajikistan, Thailand, The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Timor-Leste, Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United Republic of Tanzania, United States of America, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Viet Nam, Yemen, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

[Via http://downwitheverybody.wordpress.com]

Bye Canada

As many of you know, I am in the software business and have been for almost 18 years. My photography is my outlet, and FPT is my side business. Recently, this last year has had me working in Vancouver, BC.  My time there finally ended on Feb 26th as I said goodbye to my team and came back to Seattle for new adventures in the life of a technical professional. On my way out I took a few pictures. These next three are my final images from Canada.

183 Squared

Down the Alley

I guess its time to go find some new shots. I really havent taken anything since these. My thanks to the great people of Vancouver. I had a wonderful time in this fantastic city. Living in downtown for a year was a blast and the scenery around Vancouver is amazing. If you have never been there I highly recommend it.

[Via http://facesplacesandthings.info]

Margaret Wente's idea of retirement, slightly skewed

Fishing is what conventional retirees do.

By Ashliegh Gehl

Thinking of retirement? If yes, consider rubbing elbows with Margaret Wente’s circle of friends. It’s a taste-test of how sweet retirement can be; or at least Wente’s romanticized, slightly unrealistic version of it.

In her column, “Is there life after retirement?” in The Globe and Mail, Wente tiptoes through a handful of retired friends. One by one Wente gingerly introduces the reader to an assortment of exotic fruits, the kind retirement could potentially bear.

Who knew there was more to retirement than early morning games of golf or a summery Alaskan cruise under the midnight sun. These conventional forms of retirement, as Wente calls them, may not be so conventional anymore. After all, who can afford to take the financial leap when Canadians are constantly reminded of how poorly the economy is doing.

“Only 38% of Canadians contributed to an RRSP by the March 1 deadline, a poll commissioned by BMO Financial Group found. About 56% saying they had decided not to contribute and 6% preferred not to answer,” the Toronto Sun reported yesterday.

Why did less than half of Canadians not contribute to RRSP’s? The BMO survey found two-thirds mentioned a lack of cash was the primary reason.

On Feb. 26, the Ottawa Citizen reported RRSP’s dropped from 6 per cent in 2007 to just above 5 percent in 2008.

“I think it’s very common that people will think of what their current needs are for money, as opposed to what their needs might be down the road,” said Executive Director Gena Katz, of Toronto-based Ernst & Young’s tax practice, in the Ottawa Citizen.

If Canadians are barely covering costs now, making sure finances are secured come retirement is a distant, even nonexistent thought. When people are focused on the now, building schools in a different country does not register on the mental radar. Food, shelter, and family is what comes first.

The only plausible and realistic point Wente makes involves how Boomers inching into retirement are being portrayed.

“Boomers, we are warned, will soon be a huge drain on society.

As they age into senility, their pension entitlements and medical demands will suck the system dry. They will consume far more than they produce,” says Wente.

If there is any hint of agreement in perspective with Wente, it rests in knowing a handful of Boomers who are not societal drains with 911 on speed-dial. Retirees can choose to live actively, contributing to the communities in which they live.

What was most interesting about Wente’s pedestal-retirees, who may be setting to the bar for lofty-retirement goals, is what they chose to do. Two examples chose to work internationally while the other two focused energies at home.

“I’m betting that there are lots of people like the Ebys out there, and that there will be more and more as the boomers gradually age out of their careers,” Wente writes. 



What the Ebys are doing is honourable. It’s a goal they have set for themselves and from what Wente has disclosed, a lot is coming from it. Let’s hope there are more people like Wente’s two other examples who are keeping the good work they do in the country.

If Boomers are thought of as drains, one way to dispel the myth is to not be a part of the problem, but create solutions.

[Via http://agehl.wordpress.com]