Iran Tests Missiles

Iran has tested two different types of short-range missiles and plans to test a new long range missile. I see this as a response to increasing international pressure to halt uranium enrichment (which Iran says is for energy). After watching the brutal crackdown and media blackout after the Iranian election I find it difficult to believe most of the information coming out of the Iranian government. If you somehow missed the last Iranian election, I strongly suggest that you do some research into the fraud allegations and massive protests.

Regardless, I find today's news disconcerting...

4000 U.S. Combat Deaths

And counting...

Of course, nobody ever 'sees' the dead, so it can have no effect on you. It's just a number on a screen. There could be a million deaths - if none of the soldiers fall within your Monkeysphere, then you probably won't care that much. Once you're wrapped your head around that, it should be easy to understand why the U.S. government doesn't want pictures of dead soldiers coming home. Despite this, some pictures survive...

Black and White

John McCain and Barack Obama have two very different views about the war in the middle east and America's future. Our good friends at TPMtv have set these two perspectives beside each other. Take a quick look and tell me what you think. Whether you are American or not, the upcoming election will have a major impact on the world and your own life.

In a follow-up to an earlier post, I would also like to point fellow teachers towards Wikispaces. If you enjoyed the "Portal to Media Literacy" video you might have wondered how you could set up a wiki in your own classroom. Wikispaces provides free, unlimited wikis for educational purposes. Take advantage of these amazing participatory classroom tools.

Oppression

In the media, we often hear about how Israeli troops are 'reacting' to Palestinian rockets when they attack and kill civilians in Palestine. The irony if this statement should be obvious.

The laws of these lands are created to push the Palestinians away. The most insidious of these laws is the demolition of Palestinian homes. If you're interested, you can check out the wiki for more information. What would drive you to go to war? To fire rockets? To suicide bomb? What if you were completely oppressed, your home was destroyed, your children were stillborn because their mothers could not pass Israeli checkpoints to get to a hospital, your brothers and fathers were arrested because of alleged ties to 'terrorist' networks?

The video I've posted documents the actions of Jews who are against all of this. The people who resist the occupation, who resist the demolition, and who assist in the rebuilding. Check it out.