Category Archives: International

Now there are tanks

Fierce Planet Posted on by

Believe me I am aware of how strange it may seem that I, an old-fashioned peace activist who spent years working with Quaker pacifists, stand 100% with Ukraine as it wages a war of self-defense. My approach to this situation arises from discussions I’ve had with other activists about the nature of pacifist beliefs, and what it means to engage in nonviolent resistance. The discussions back then mostly focused on objections from those of us who were committed to a feminist vision of the future, a vision that definitely included the right of women to defend ourselves from predation. But … Continue reading →

Russian war crimes continue

Fierce Planet Posted on by

There is no question in my mind that Russia has committed and continues to commit war crimes through Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. From the dead bodies strewn in the streets of Bucha and other areas around Kyiv early in the invasion, to the piles of rubble and miles of graves that are all we have left of Mariupol and the people who lived there, to the tortured citizens of recently liberated Kherson, Russia and their mercenary armies have left a trail of agony, rape, and death that is clearly designed to terrorize the Ukrainian people. It is past time for … Continue reading →

Rejecting democracy

Fierce Planet Posted on by

I’ve been watching the attempted insurrection in Brazil, not with much shock, but with some anger. This is, of course, another expression of the right-wing authoritarians who are doing their best to fracture political systems around the world. They stormed Brazil's National Congress and set fire to the carpet. They attacked presidential offices, rifled through papers and tried to barricade themselves inside. Videos show Jair Bolsonaro's supporters rioting in Brazil’s government offices. https://t.co/dpVKpXYIdo pic.twitter.com/eMDQGA0rpf — The New York Times (@nytimes) January 9, 2023 Apparently Bolsonaro has been working with Steve Bannon, Stephen Miller, and perhaps other Trump-aligned fascist types, which … Continue reading →

State of the World 2023

Fierce Planet Posted on by

Happening now at The Well: a topic where Jon Lebkowsky, Bruce Sterling, and a very smart cast of dozens consider the state of the world as the new year dawns. So far it’s been a wide-ranging, global discussion about crypto, AI, climate change, health and COVID, and more. The entire topic is world-readable, though non-members can’t post directly but rather need to send questions or comments by email to the hosts. (Most of the Well is only open to members.) This is the 22nd iteration of this discussion, and earlier versions can also be found among the topics in the … Continue reading →

Dreamers

Fierce Planet Posted on by

Look who we are, we are the dreamers We make it happen ’cause we believe it Look who we are, we are the dreamers We make it happen ’cause we can see it Here’s to the ones that keep the passion Respect, oh, yeah Here’s to the ones that can imagine Respect, oh, yeah     Jungkook of BTS opens the FIFA World Cup Ceremony with Qatari singer Fahad Al-Kubaisi and a dazzling host of dancers who appeared to be from all over the world. This is the first time a Korean performer has opened the World Cup. The song … Continue reading →

The liberation of Kherson

Fierce Planet Posted on by

Kherson, the largest Ukrainian city that Russia managed to occupy, has been fully liberated and returned to Ukrainian control. Kherson was always a site of fierce resistance, resistance that was met with brutality (gift link). Atrocities of this sort have been found everywhere the Russians took over, but in Kherson they were particularly widespread. Witnesses recount detentions, torture, disappearances in occupied Kherson …Days after Russian forces fled in retreat, surrendering the only regional capital Russia had managed to seize since the start of its invasion, the horrors that occurred in this stately 18th-century port city are just starting to come … Continue reading →

We hear you. We see you.

Fierce Planet Posted on by

To the women of Iran, always. One of the best commentaries about what “Zan, Zendegi, Azadi,” [Woman, Life, Liberty] mean, by @AliVelshi. He ends the segment with this message to the Iranian women: “You are not voiceless; we hear you, we see you.” A must watch!#MahsaAmini #مهسا_امینی #IranProtests pic.twitter.com/gnDyNAUjfV — Omid Memarian (@Omid_M) October 18, 2022

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One more thing…

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And then I’ll get back to US politics, I promise. After years of waiting around and negotiating behind the scenes, BTS has decided to go ahead with their mandatory military enlistments. Kim Seokjin, the eldest of the group, could enlist within the month after the release of his latest solo work. I love the way BTS and BigHit are handling this. They’ve been jerked around enough by the SK government trying to profit from them while holding enlistment over their heads. Both BTS and ARMY went through a lot, emotionally, since Festa dinner this year. For the most part fans … Continue reading →

BTS Concert in Busan – free to view tonight

Fierce Planet Posted on by

Over on Twitter, I realized that I have not seen a single mention in western media of the huge, free concert BTS is performing in Busan, South Korea on Oct. 15 at 6 pm KST. That’s tonight at 3 am MDT for those of us in Colorado, so I’m looking at another all-night romp. The concert is free to attend, and the non-transferable tickets ran out in minutes. The effort is in support of the city’s bid to host the 2030 World Expo, to show that what seems like a sleepy seaside city can present a major world event. Fortunately … Continue reading →

Now that’s impact…

Fierce Planet Posted on by

For this Iranian revolution. There are now over 274 000 000 (274 million) tweets on the Persian version of the Mahsa Amini hashtag. For context, since mid-2013, the #BlackLivesMatter hashtag has accumulated 63 000 000 (63 million) tweets. #IranRevolution — Marc Owen Jones (@marcowenjones) October 12, 2022

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