No more DRONE ATTACKS Protest Thursday, December 5th

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LA drone protest, protest drones in los angeles, protest LA dec 5 federal building, Protest Thursday December 5th Los Angeles

Thursday, December 5th – 3:00 PM to 7:00 PM
LOCATION: The Westwood Federal Building
11000 Wilshire Blvd, West Los Angeles 90024
Corner of Wilshire & Veteran

Please join the Pakistani community and anti-war organizations including Code Pink, ANSWER, International Action Center and UNAC in united demonstrations against U.S. drone strikes in Pakistan and anywhere.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/PTI-Los-Angeles/188223647877889

This action is organized by Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), the Pakistan organization that has coordinated anti-drone protests in Pakistan and worldwide and is asking for your solidarity.

Just recently, while many in the U.S. were participating in the  “Thanksgiving” holiday, U.S. drone attacks were unceasing, killing 8 in the Hangu district of Pakistan at a Seminary. 3 teachers and 5 students were killed and were among 100 students attending the classroom that was hit. Several were injured in the attack, yet the killer drones remained hovering overhead to delay critical emergency care.

Given that the Obama administration has significantly increased drone strikes over the Bush administration, it will take a tremendous outpouring of the anti-war and progressive movements to help create a real movement against drones – one that has already been started by the courageous outpouring of thousands of Pakistani people in Pakistan, which has inspired anti-drone protests world wide.

A recent report in the London-based Bureau of Investigative Jouranalism states that only 1.5% of the drone attacks since 2004 have killed “high-profile” targets and that 830 civilians have been killed.

Although the U.S. government is illegally breaking international law, violating the sovereignty of the Pakistani people and committing aggregious war crimes with each strike, whether they are “high-profile” or not,  these numbers expose that the targets of drone strikes are Pakistani civilians. Yet, as horrifying as these numbers are, they fail to illustrate the psychological damage and torture created by making everyone fear the skies in their neighborhoods, especially children – many of whom have witnessed the gruesome death of parents and relatives struck by a U.S. drone’s bombs.

Please join this movement and protest alongside the Pakistani community here in Los Angeles this Thursday.

Following is a video of the New York demonstration at the UN last Friday:
www.presstv.ir/detail/2013/11/30/337490/antidrone-protest-held-at-un-in-new-york

iacla.org – (323) 306-6240 – socialjusticecenterla@gmail.com

Weaponized Drones An International Concern

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drones, europe acquiring weaponized drones, international drone use, reports on drones

We Are Change Report on Weaponized Drones in Europe
Activist and journalist Elsa Rassbach explains the situation with the German government and their move to acquire weaponized drones.

WATCH VIDEO: http://youtu.be/NMakNfUGatQ

Spying and the Defense Budget

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2013 defense budget, big brother clamp down, defense budget, devil in the details, funding war, H.R. 2397, HR 2397, keep calm, nsa spying, spying on americans, what do we spend money on, what happened to america

• The spying and fear mongering continue. It is reported by EFF (Electroni Frontier Foundation) that there was a closed vote by Congress defeating an amendment that sought to curtail NSA Surveillance. It was part of the Defense Appropriations bill (budget for the department of defense – NSA is part of this). https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2013/07/close-vote-congress-shamefully-defeats-amash-amendment-which-sought-curtail-nsa

The bi-partisan Amendment: H.R. 2397
http://rules.house.gov/bill/hr-2397
(100- at the top of the Amendment list) stated:
“Ends authority for the blanket collection of records under the Patriot Act. Bars the NSA and other agencies from using Section 215 of the Patriot Act to collect records, including telephone call records, that pertain to persons who are not subject to an investigation under Section 215.” http://rules.house.gov/bill/hr-2397

The vote was 205 to 217.

We could not find the “withdrawn” statement regarding H.R. 2397 (100- at the top of the Amendment list). But the online doc date is older than the EFF report.
*If anyone finds it would you comment on this post below? 

Interesting details on Defense Budget spending for those who aren’t afraid to recognize the devil in the details: http://rules.house.gov/bill/hr-2397
*Click Amendments on the left to view.
Note: if you go down the list (or do a search for “withdrawn”) you can see some very interesting items that were withdrawn including an amendment that would have banned force feeding inmates at Guantanamo Bay (103 version 1), stopping aid to Syria, reducing aid to Egypt and other amendments that would have made a difference in stopping the on-going violence in the world and keep our freedoms free.

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2013/07/house-judiciary-committee-rails-against-domestic-spying

• You probably heard that some of the Feds had told Web companies to turn over passwords. http://news.cnet.com/8301-13578_3-57595529-38/feds-tell-web-firms-to-turn-over-user-account-passwords/

Groups are starting lawsuits against this un-american action of robotical databasing everything. We are not robots, this is not a robotical slave world. Geez. https://www.eff.org/press/releases/unitarian-church-gun-groups-join-eff-sue-nsa-over-illegal-surveillance

What to do in times like these? Say cool.
DON’T fall into the anger stream (for anything). Create a better reality by creating better moments. Connect with people and smile. It’s all about the frequency. Get your creativity out. Now is the time. Rock it. The creative power of the universe cannot be squashed into a box of black and white. BE!

——
Illustration: David Dees http://www.deesillustration.com/artwork.asp?item=689&cat=satire

Lee Camp Moment of Clarity on Drones

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drone commentary, drones 2013, info about drones, Lee Camp moment of clarity drones

The Obama Administration’s unmanned drones have been bombing targets on their “kill list” for several years now. A new report from McClatchy on some leaked documents show that the military is not ONLY killing high level al Qaida.

Enjoy and get informed by Lee Camp with his own unique style of sarcastic comedy.

WATCH VIDEO: http://youtu.be/KJGbFeg62as

More Info: 
http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2013/04/09/188062/obamas-drone-war-kills-others.html

http://www.salon.com/2012/05/29/militants_media_propaganda/

Help out the Moment of Clarity and keep this show going: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/leecamp/a-full-season-of-the-moment-of-clarity-show-with-l

Lee Camp’s website: http://leecamp.net/

Commentary on Drones

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commentary grant marcus drones, commentary on drones, drone industry, drones california, what are drones

Drone Surveillance Wants You!
THE DRONING OF CALIFORNIA AND THEN THE REST OF US

There is a current war on the American people going
on.  Corporations in California are at war with us and each
other, vying over who will get the first $22billion drone
contract in our state.
Legislator Jeff Gorell 44th District, wants to build drones
in Oxnard, turning FWY 101, from Lancaster (Edwards
Airforce Base) to Lompoc (Vandenberg Airforce Base) or
a 75 mile stretch into a “technology corridor” for drones.
Point Magu, designated to assemble the drones, will com-
plete the “military triangle” for drone technology in central
California.
Assemblyman Gorell, past naval intelligence officer,
manipulating drones over Pakistan, wants to use drones
on the American people to “fight crime.”  According to
Pacific Business News, “That’s where the real money is.”
Drones, at 5,000 feet, and with infrared cameras, can
take detailed photographs on the ground, and detect
movements within walls or curtained windows.  Drones
can also be weaponized with advanced weapons.  And
reports of the evolutionary technology have suggested
that drones will eventually be reduced to “bug-size,”
fitting in the cracks of walls or windows, and entering
homes for surveillance purposes.
Gorell wants to secure profits of his privatized drone
industry “project” through tax-free incentives–or on the
backs of California taxpayers–while preventing account-
ability by building them under national security at Point
Magu Navy Base.  He baits California by promising jobs,
but the switch is those jobs will largely come from out
of state, using international visas to hire foreign cheap
labor.
Homeland Security and the Defense Department are
planning to move into the military triangle once legisla-
tion is passed in Sacramento
Drone technology will, at first, likely target the poorest
areas in California, the hunting down of immigrants, and
the crackdown on marijuana growers.  But in that pro-
cess, will also likely encroach on the lives of every Cali-
fornian; and as the drone industry expands (by “700%
in the next few years”) it will likely also impact every Am-
ican, as it spreads to other states.
Regardless of its expansion, the real questions should
be: What will drone technology mean to the further errad-
ication of American personal freedoms?  Could drones
possibly lead to the elimination of due process, if Am-
ericans were targeted as “terrorists” or “combatants?”
(See the Obama secret drone memos/John Stewart).
And how can we presume anything involving corporate
personhood, privatization, and militarization, will, in any
way, serve best the American people?  Or will drone tech-
nology, instead, turn Californians and the rest of the United
States into Pakistani victims of the West?

*courtesy of Grant Marcus