Tell us about your summer job

I came to Columbus one summer from Norfolk and worked with these two extraordinary Designers. They were extremely knowledgeable and also knew how to make the job fun. I learned more from them in one summer than I did going to college.

This is a comment to Editorial Wed. June 24, 2009
To “Hot Topics” at columbustelegram.com

With the obsession and deletions in news reporting, what is the Media trying to tell us
A Response to the Wednesday, June 24, 2009 article “Without U.S., Iranians stand on own”

By Jean Jaspersen-Naegele

Of course, the Iranians (people and government) know where the US Government and its Media stand on the defense of the opposition and their support of “hopeful” changes to this defiant regime. The US, western countries and their allies have been interested in Iranian resources (oil, etc.) and their strategic position in the greater Middle East for a long time. The Iranian Regime has been a thorn in the side of our government since the US/British ally (The Shah) was ousted in 1979 with the Revolution. When one puts two and three together, of course, this was to be another “color revolution”. You all have noticed that everyone in the Iranian demonstrations wears “green”, haven’t you? Remember Belgrade’s (former Yugoslavia) 2000 Revolution (I don’t remember if they were using color coding as yet). Then of prominence- (Caucasus Region) Georgia’s 2003 “Rose Revolution”, (Eastern Europe) Ukraine’s 2004 “Orange Revolution”, (Central Asian) Kyrgyzstan’s 2004 “Tulip” Revolution, (Middle East) Lebanon’s 2005 “Cedar Revolution” possibly come to mind when one thinks about colors and “revolutions” of late.

Other color changes that did not work out, i.e. Belarus, Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan (all in 2004) were not reported on (deleted as news items). The South American oil producing country of Venezuela’s 2005 “Marigold Revolution and then 2007 and again 2008 ones, all not producing the regime change were in contrast to the other failed revolutions were much reported on in US media. This time the name of “Green Revolution” has been downplayed because it does look very similar in the non-violent actions and strategies used in other “seemingly spontaneous and remarkable” regime changes. I am not passing judgment on the peoples of any of these countries but the influence of Western operatives has followed the same pattern so don’t tell me the US and others are not involved. Keeping low profile in terms of Presidential comments is wise indeed. We all (should) know the discussions (obsessions) about his comments are for us the voting public, not anyone in Iran. With internet and media as it is today, the Iranians know where the US stands and what they have in mind.

My criticism of this kind of obsessive reporting is that it is totally misleading. It is played to such an extent that is seems that it is the only thing going on worth reporting on at the moment. One could be suspicious that this is similar to the obsessive lead up/preparation of the American public for the invasion of Iraq. In comparison, is the Media reporting on the number of Amazon Indigenous people in Peru, for example, who are dying due to the repression of the Peruvian government, its police and army? Or for that matter, has anyone even heard about what is happening in the Peruvian Amazon and in Peru as a whole? They are not having an election but a significant battle is being fought for our world.

The government, in particular the President Alan Garcia, signed rights to explore, log and drill in 70% of the Peruvian Amazon in 2006 and 2007 via presidential decree to a number of international oil companies. Why was he doing this? He was responding to intense pressure from the US, whose new Free Trade Agreement with Peru required the “opening up” of the resource areas to multi-national corporations and from the International Monetary Fund who lent Peru money, funded in large part by our US taxes. (Reference from the Commondreams article listed below.) The indigenous population was not informed of these rights concessions, nor was the Peruvian population in general. The Free Trade Agreement and the Rights to the oil companies went into effect in February 2009 and since this time the Indigenous peoples in the Amazon have been demonstrating.

After about six weeks of negotiations, the government got restless, sent in the military and Army helicopters and opened fire on the protestors. Dozens were reportedly killed and hundreds missing according to the indigenous ethnic groups. (The Peruvian Amazon is populated with about 350,000 indigenous peoples from about 50 different ethnic groups.) Following this escalation in violence from the Government, massive demonstrations took place throughout Peru against the Government. The Peruvian Congress has consequently repealed the laws that allowed Oil Company drilling. Garcia was forced to apologize and the Indigenous peoples won and saved the Amazon, for now.

The Indigenous peoples did not run away but defended their beloved forest with spears and arrows, they defended one of the “lungs of our world” vital to the survival of us all, i.e. the world environment, green house gases, global warming, etc...

Is this not a struggle against an unjust regime that the Media should also be reporting on?
The numbers of protestors killed by the government forces and repression far exceeds what is happening in Iran. The courage of the Indigenous Peoples of the Amazon should shame us as people. They stood up for what they believed in, gave their lives and did something for all of humanity.

The reality is both struggles in the Amazon and in Iran need equal time in our news media. Both are important world news items for us all to learn about. As a visitor in the Columbus community, I am impressed with the Columbus Telegram news reporting on international news, and their editorials. I would hope such parallel significant events in our world, mentioned above, will find their way into Columbus Telegram, also.

References for my article http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/06/24-4, google.com for color revolutions (listed above), non-governmental agency CANVAS among numerous other websites not listed.

To:Jean Jaspersen-Naegele, What in the heck are you talking about and why on this question about a summer job?????

To Jean Jaspersen-Naegele,
I think you need to take the summer off. You are far too serious.