Hope No Shit

Here's One For Detroit Friends of Labor:

http://chicago.indymedia.org/newswire/display/87415/index.php TRT 18.45

National People's Summit and Tent City June 14, 2009

I Love This Country:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/japan/6086843/Japans-opposition-pledges-to-ban-US-weapons.html

The man tipped to become the next prime minister of Japan has vowed to keep American nuclear weapons out of the country if he comes to power.

Political Discourse In America Today:

http://watchingthewatchers.org/article/37863/govt-funded-reporter-urged-lynching-black

Govt-Funded Reporter Urged Lynching of Black Congresswoman

Food Art

Just Plain Interesting:

http://rense.com/general86/stun.htm

Stunning crop art has sprung up across rice fields in Japan . But this is no alien creation - the designs have been cleverly planted.

We Should All Be So Lucky

Generation XX:

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/japans-generation-xx-1704155.html

Japanese males are transforming into grass-eaters

Japan Dispatch #4*

Ames, author of Going Postal:

http://counterpunch.org/ames06122009.html

Every day, Americans play the role of Elmer Fudd to the oligarchy's Bugs Bunny--if you look at it from the oligarchy's point of view, at least.

Robber Soul? Creepy:

http://www.fox8.com/wjw-reincarnation-txt%2C0%2C1190900.story

It is being called the most documented case of reincarnation ever.A little boy is able to recall over 50 memories from someone else's life. A World War II Pilot's family believes it is their reincarnated brother based on the child's memories.The boy's story is so compelling, it has been published in a new book called "Soul Survivor"

How convenient:

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/c82cc49a-573d-11de-8c47-00144feabdc0.html

Mufti Sarfaraz Naeemi, a prominent Muslim cleric widely known in Pakistan for denouncing suicide bomb attacks, was killed on Friday when a young Taliban sympathiser blew himself up at Mr Naeemi’s mosque in Lahore, capital of the Punjab.

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Japan Dispatch #4 May 23, 2009

I hope LB meeting went well.

I can only begin to describe how the last two days went. What an incredible experience.

Before we left Hiroshima, Mr Salih mentioned how the ruins of the atomic explosion reminded him of the state of Iraq today. No ill will intention on his part, but man, did that hurt.

I had a delightful conversation with Mr HINADA on the train back to Osaka. He teaches High School English and it was pleasurable speaking more freely. I`m sure his translation was excellent because we were entering a presentation I was not prepared to expect.

The auditorium had about 300 people. The organizers here were all college students and their energy was contagious. The program was put together with precision, many short rest periods breaking up the series of 3 minute video entries. Mr Salih and SANA video of hospital injuries was in the morning and Aaron in Erbil and my speech was in the afternoon. I covered counter recruitment in the Chicago Public Schools and IVAW. It went over quite well, the Japanese Peace Movement is on the ground running neutralising the growing militarization of this country. The slogan of the Japanese Teachers Union is `Never Again Will We Send Our Children Into Battle` and I asked Mr HINADA to have the JTU send a letter to Marilyn Stewart of the Chicago Teachers' Union, with that sentiment. I`m sure he will.

Everyone here is thoroughly impressed with Aaron Hughes. It was announced that he accepted an invitation to attend the ZENKO conference here on August 1 and a big roar from the audience went up. He deserves it.

All the videos were exciting, especially one about a sit down occupation in a WalMart type store in Korea 2007. I have DVD`s of the entire Festival and this one should be put on CAN ASAP language as it is. Visually does the trick on this one.

It was a joyous day and, again, we went to dinner afterwards and the students made this party great fun, but again again, I didn`t know what was coming next.

I overslept and had to hurry my sorry, tired ass to the train station with MR MORI, Kondo, the excellent Arabic translator and Mr Salih to go to Kyoto, about an hour train. I was beat, but once still again invigorated when we go to another beautiful venue and maybe 100 people to greet us. The structure of this day a little different, but many short breaks which was very nice to mingle. I had to get away for an hour before my talk because my thoughts were so overwhelmed, but I got it together. Salih and I have developed a splendid relationship. I`m very concerned about his safety. Maybe, I`ll have a cop knock me on the head with a stick at some demonstration, but he may very well be killed for his efforts. I say good bye to him today and must make it meaningful.

I talked about the dying, lying corporate media and how important it is to use the new technologies available to tell your own stories. I tried to encourage the videotographers because it seems most of them are fairly new to it.. All very creative, these video shorts were a treat to see and doubly so because the messages were all positive and show the better side of people. Very engaging in these struggle stories.

They presented us with several lovely gifts at the end. Everyone worked so hard on the preparation of this event and all thought it a great success.

Because it sure as hell created a splendid farewell party. What a tremendous good time of singing, laughing and fun. It was great to see Mr Salih laugh so much. We had a splendid rendition of the Internationale (I gotta learn the words, but I sang the chorus with robust cheer). It was blast. Pictures galore, I can`t wait to share with everyone.

This morning I`m training solo to Tokyo and that ought to be interesting. I`ll be met by someone to talk to another board. I`ll have a few hours of sightseeing beforehand.. I've running since I`ve arrived, literally, and it will be nice just to wander around for a while.

The next day I`ll flying to Seattle to spend some time with my daughter and some friends in Tacoma. Take a couple of days to unwind and get my thoughts together. LB has made many strong friendships through this endeavour. I just represented, it`s the body of work that sells itself and everyone should be very proud of our 22 year record. The people here sure appreciate it. What great hosts, they treated Salih and myself like kings and I have nothing but the highest regard for the Japanese people.

I`ll make some phone calls as soon I return to the States.

Take care, everyone.

Japan Dispatch #3*

The State of the Union:

http://rawstory.com/08/news/2009/06/09/new-video-shows-officer-shove-then-taser-72-year-old-grandmother/

McCain then tasers her. As Winkfein lies on the ground screaming, he orders, “Now put your hands behind your back. Put your hands behind your back or you’re going to be tasered again.”

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May 21. 2009

Hello All,

Before we left Okinawa, we had an interview at the Shrimpo, the daily newspaper, one of two there. The Okinawa Times had an article and picture from our time on the rooftop of the school. The TV crew aired a 5 min news piece Friday on our visit. The interview went very well, the editorship is somewhat progressive and we expect good copy from this.

Before heading to the airport Professor Nobu, a great host, took us to the marketplace. Colorful, exotic and just amazing. The marketeers were most surprised to see an Iraqi and American travelling together and we received great respect and many free samples of food. Smoked pigs intestine, anyone?

We flew back to Osaka where Mr Sato met us and took us by train to Kyoto to address the staff of Japan Peace TV. At that point, KenJi took leave back to Tokyo and Mr MORI translated for me. They showed a Sana production of interviews of Baghdad school boy, aged 12-15, whose fathers have been killed or kidnapped. They also showed the LB piece on the Palestinian protest in front of the Israeli Consulate on Jan 9. My portion of the presentation centered how the war machine is trying to suppress both Mr Salih and my efforts to tell the story at ground level. He has to see the US Army destroy his camera and computers, I have to deal with lawsuits trying to take my raw footage of protest events. Not quite comparable, the point is it is the same source at work.

It went well, and dinner afterwards with another great host, Mr Sato, was lively and well attended. I was extremely tired afterwards, and dropped into my hotel bed.

The next morning, another exchange was made and Mr OgU, another student Arabic translator, took Mr Seiko-san's place and Osamu rejoined us at the newspaper office where we had another interview with the three dailies of Osaka. For an hour and a half, we made a truncated video presentation and spoke and answered questions to the half dozen reporters present. I tried to keep to the point of my attempted civil rights suppression in America and how the war is fought both abroad and at home. One question about Obama, I had to dump on him a little.

Next, we took the bullet train to Hiroshima, about an hour and a half. We were met by Mr Hinada, a high school teacher and two of his former students. He also became my translator. We went to the Peace Museum and I can't describe how moving it was. Every American school child should get a free trip to go there. We videotaped Mr Salih impressions afterwards in front of the ruins of the Atomic Dome on the grounds there. LB should really research getting an Arabic translator in the Iraqi dialect and use this piece and Sana images more.

We then had a forum in an auditorium which I assume was the public library. It wasn't all that well attended, but I got the feeling these were older, more long time peace activists. They showed Sana`s piece on the hospital injured and Aaron in Erbil. I talked on the theme of promoting international human compassion through the use of video images. Again, we went for dinner afterwards and I learned much more about Japan Peace TV, its funding and mission and I will share this with you when I return. Today we train back to Osaka and, I believe, address the University students there. This has been just a tremendous experience. I'm representin` the best I can. We are being treated and received extremely well, still, I look forward to returning, resting and getting back to work.

IS,

EWS

Japan Dispatch #2*

Tadpoles with face masks on:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/5491846/Sky-rains-tadpoles-over-Japan.html

Clouds of dead tadpoles appear to have fallen from the sky in a series of episodes in a number of cities in the region since the start of the month.

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May, 20, 2009

Hello All -

It`s morning here and at 9am we will be having a press conference with the two local newspapers in Okinawa. Then we fly back to Osaka city and quarantine conditions.

Yesterday went quite well, I thought. KenJi and I took an early morning flight, kicked around the marketplace, had a long talk over American coffee waiting for Mr. Salih, his translator Seika-san and Yoshi from ZENKO, the peace group here, to rent a car and arrive. They were a bit delayed, but it gave KenJi and I time to learn how to listen and talk to each other.

We all met up and drove to the Okinawa International University. We met our host, Professor Nobu, his student assistant Ishawa. She is also the chairperson for the Nokahoma, or community based union. They are currently attempting to get debt relief for college loans from the Education Ministry. We address Nobu`s peace studies class of 12-15 young students, also the local TV camera crew and two reporters were present. We started out with Iraq PeaceTV`s production of the situation of some Iraqi people living, surviving, in a garbage dump within site of the Green Zone compound in Baghdad. It was gut wrenching to watch and should be a piece on LB very soon. Next was Chicago Occupied, which was lame by comparison, but very important to be seen when discussion started. Mr. Salih, through Seika, had 15minutes and decried the occupation, what it was doing to his people and stating the past two production chiefs of Sana TV have been assassinated, one his uncle. Now the US military has destroyed his editing computers and other equipment, he has one camera to get the truth concerning current conditions in Baghdad.

It was a tough act to follow, I felt mortified. I spoke about the militarization of American society, my recent graduation ceremony experience at Marquette and the poverty draft. The students had seen in an earlier class JapanPeaceTV`s production of the Erbil conference, so that allowed me to talk about Aaron and IVAW and their situation within the peace movement in the US. I expressed my rage, representing millions of peace loving Americans and for Mr Salih`s behalf, at the military war machine and explaining our inability to stop the atrocities. 15 minutes went by too quickly, I could have kept rolling for 30 more.

A couple of questions followed, and the students were most respectful.

We then went on the roof of the building overlooking a US air base installation butted against University property. It seems quite a dangerous situation, as one helicopter has already crashed on the grounds in 2005. Ishawa explained the problem with noise and pollution it creates. We were interviewed by the TV crew, also.

Next, we drove to another lookout site to look at another US airbase, this one much larger with F15`s taking off and landing. This is the Air and War show 24/7. Ishawa informed us that heightened activity occurred two weeks before the invasion of Iraq and we should monitor such concerning Iran, or any other future action.

We all we then taken to Professor Nobu`s project of a monument dedicated to the 10-20,000 forced Korean laborers killed on Okinawa during WW2. It is a beautiful bronze relief and it`s mirror image is directly across the sea on the Korean peninsula. It shows the strength of the Korean laborer, the anguish of his mother and shame of Japanese military.

Later, we went to traditional dinner, all on our fine host Professor Nobu. He was quite animated and the time was festive. Mr Salih and I through the English/Japanese/Arabic/Japanese/English method did get to know each other a bit more.(He has 8 daughters and three sons!) He did state that he recognizes the difference between the American people and its government and that was a relief for me. I promised to do all I can to get him more cameras and equipment for his important reports from Iraq and maybe I could expect some help in this from my LB-istas? The good professor gave us a lot of Okinawan history and the parallels to Shock and Awe and the Iraq occupation were amazing. They called it the Iron Storm, a three month barrage of artillery, culminating in 60 years of occupation. He presented us with a book with the perspective of the Okinawans, using photos of US Army obtained through FOI Act. I was touched by the gesture and, of course, got a picture.

Dinner was fine time and my hosts were gracious beyond belief. Many connections were made and friendship was celebrated. We will be moving on today and my short stay in Okinawa has strong memories.

I`ll try to write from Osaka city tomorrow, maybe through blue gloves.

Japan Dispatch #1*

The War Monster is everywhere:

http://www.infowars.com/ruling-party-official-japan-should-attack-north-korea/

... if you’re wondering how North Korea got its nukes in the first place, look no further than the U.S. government itself.

Two years before North Korea was included in the “axis of evil,” former U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, during his time as executive director of ABB, signed off on a $200 million dollar contract to build light water nuclear reactors in North Korea.

Rumsfeld was merely picking up the baton from the Clinton administration, who in 1994 agreed to replace North Korea’s domestically built nuclear reactors with light water nuclear reactors.

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May 19, 2009

Hello All,

The flight was uneventful, everything went smooth. I was greeted in Osaka by the bio-force in suits and masks, they checked us out thoroughly, got more fingerprints and pictures of our faces and let us in. Osamu, MR MORI and KenJi took me out to traditional Japanese dinner last night. We had a great conversation covering many topics of the coming week, LB and Peace TV. I didn:t realize they are on weekly, so they are always pressed. They are very ambitious and have 100 shows done so far.

This morning KenJi and I are to fly to Okinawa and I will meet Mr Shalah from SANA TV and we will address a class of social justice students at the University. I'll be showing Chicago Occupied and speaking for 30min, I find in my mind I have a lot to say, it's the stringing together that must be refined.

My son graduated Sunday from Marquette. I couldn't believe the militarization of his school's ceremony. The three branches lead the procession into the hall and during the diploma ceremony, the student who joined the military were announced to a disturbing round of applause. I started clapping loudly for the graduates who got a degree in Social Welfare and Justice, I'd like to believe people were joining in by the end. Marquette talks from both sides of their mouth and will be getting a pointed letter when I return.

I'll have to tie this all in when I speak. Osamu and Kenji opened my perspective on why they find this aspect so interesting. Japan is a de-militarized zone. They have gone a couple generations of no forced conscription or outward military presence until, of course, recently. The school teachers who won't stand for the recently (mid 80s) imposed playing of the WarSongs at ceremonies are leading the way to this discussion.

As I was talking this over with my son afterwards, he asked me Wasn't it always like this? You can see the insidious creep it has.

OK, I'll try to write everyday and keep you guys updated.

One for Diplomacy*

WOW:

http://b.static.ak.fbcdn.net/swf/mvp.swf?8%3A152716%3A1&v=84510643574&ev=0

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I just returned from a whirlwind tour of Japan. By all standards, it was a great success.

At the very last after-event dinner, I made the statement "Corporate Television is crap." My dutiful translator needed to know, "What is this crap?" I had him explain the origin of the word being the root of inventor Thomas Krapper, designer of the water toilet as we know it today. (But I'll take a TOTO any day.) I asked the five gentlemen present, "What goes in the Krapper? Crap." One asked, "Is it like shit?" I explained you may say crap to your grandmother, but not shit. They all nodded in understanding.

I picked up a bean from one of the many dishes on the table. I held it up and asked my translator to interpret and have these men to repeat after me. "Beans, beans, the musical fruit... (they sounded it out in Japanese)... "The more you eat them, the more you toot... (Again, with quizzical looks). "Mr. Wesley-san, what is this toot?" I gave them a visual, audio and olfactory. They laughed til they busted a gut.

A bit later, as I got up to relieve some beer pressure I said, "I gotta take a pee." "What is this pee?" I wiggled my finger by my groin and again the laughter began again.

As I returned, my trusty translator had his small laptop out and was entering these new words to his Japanese/English database. He said to me, "We have many international guests. I have escorted many American guest. Never before has anyone taught me Fart, Crap and Pee." We all had another great laugh.

I'm a natural diplomat at heart.