Winning Hearts & Minds

Turkish court throws out Taksim redevelopment project that sparked mass protests

"A Turkish court has cancelled a project to redevelop Istanbul’s central Taksim square, a copy of the court’s decision showed, ruling in a dispute that triggered a nationwide wave of violent anti-government protests. The administrative court ruled in early June, at the height of the unrest, that a master plan to reshape the square violated preservation rules, the square’s identity and other regulations, according to a lawyer for the plaintiffs. The decision may jeopardize what many saw as Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan’s personal quest to remake Taksim Square in the teeth of opposition that led to mass protests over his perceived authoritarian style of rule." Continue reading →

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The Revolution of Brazil – An Interview

"This picture was taken in Brasilia, the capital of Brazil during last week’s protests. The protests took place in front of the National Congress building where there is a small lake, the ministry buildings can be seen at the back. At some point protesters tried to invade the building across the lake and were repelled by the police with tear gas and batons. They are known to have been using rubber bullets as well. Later in the evening the protesters broke through and ended up on top of the building. It was a huge symbol to Brazil when they broke through. A few of them were quoted as saying something in the lines of 'we are taking our home back'." Continue reading →

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Brazilian leader asks for referendum after worst unrest in 20 years

"The move, widely supported by the public, came after three weeks of protests over corruption and public spending which marred the Confederations Cup, a dress rehearsal for next year’s football World Cup, which will also be held in Brazil. On Tuesday night truck drivers blocked roads in at least 10 states to press for the elimination of tolls and fuel subsidies. Leftist leader Rousseff last week proposed a national pact with state governors to boost public services and guarantee a balanced budget. A Datafolha poll showed that 68 percent of Brazilians back Rousseff’s proposals." Continue reading →

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Swisscom boss pledges data is safe

"Swisscom has never released data to the US authorities, he assured the paper. Information is only released in response to requests from the Swiss police request on the basis of a court order. However, Schloter estimated that just 10 to 15 per cent of data linked to all Swiss internet users is actually stored in Switzerland. The rest is stored in data centres abroad, 'mainly in the United States, via Google, Facebook or Twitter'. Meanwhile one in four Swiss internet users said they would change their online behaviour following revelations of far-reaching US surveillance of personal data." Continue reading →

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‘There’s element of panic in US policy towards Edward Snowden’

"US civil rights activist Norman Solomon tells RT that hardly any government will want to challenge the US in this way. Solomon believes US attempts at grabbing Snowden and bringing him to the US are a sign of panic. No one, including Snowden, is capable of stopping further leaks, as the documents have been handed to journalists or other people who can make them public. Norman Solomon is one of the organizers of the 'Hands Off Edward Snowden!' online campaign, which calls on US citizens to individually email President Obama asking him not to interfere in Snowden’s attempts to seek asylum. 46,000 signatories have already sent emails." Continue reading →

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Egypt’s Tamarod protest movement

"Tamarod is a new grassroots protest movement in Egypt. The group, whose name means 'rebel' in Arabic, claims it has collected more than 22 million signatures for a petition demanding President Mohammed Morsi step down and allow fresh presidential elections to be held. Following Sunday's massive demonstrations, in which millions of people took to the streets in Cairo and other cities, Tamarod gave the president an ultimatum to resign or face a campaign of 'complete civil disobedience'. It urged 'state institutions including the army, the police and the judiciary, to clearly side with the popular will as represented by the crowds'." Continue reading →

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Run4Guns In Utah. It Annoys Gun Control Advocates.

"A pro-gun group in Utah is organizing an event to be held this September: Run4Guns. Residents are invited to strap on a holster and a pistol, and then join the fun. The event will be held in Spanish Fork. Promoters are heralding this as the nation’s first open carry run. There will be a 3.1 mile race. Additionally, there will be a half-mile 'armed dash.' Proceeds from the event will go toward victims of gun violence. this is a nice touch. It makes it difficult for the anti-gun brigade to complain. But difficult does not mean impossible." Continue reading →

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State Department bureau spent $630,000 on Facebook ‘likes’

"State Department officials spent $630,000 to get more Facebook 'likes,' prompting employees to complain to a government watchdog that the bureau was 'buying fans' in social media, the agency's inspector general says. The department's Bureau of International Information Programs spent the money to increase its 'likes' count between 2011 and March 2013. Despite the surge in likes, the IG said the effort failed to reach the bureau's target audience, which is largely older and more influential than the people liking its pages. Only about 2 percent of fans actually engage with the pages by liking, sharing or commenting." Continue reading →

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Americans troubled more by governmental abuse than terrorism

"In the dozen years since 9/11, frequent polling conducted by Fox has suggests that the majority of Americans have all the while said they’d give up their freedoms for the sake of security. Only with the latest inquiry though are those answers reversed: the last time a majority of Americans opposed giving up privacy for security was May 2001. Not only are Americans more opposed now to giving up personal freedoms for the sake of security than they were after 9/11, but other statistics show that distrust against the federal government continues to climb." Continue reading →

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Public Approval of Supreme Court Falls to All-Time Low

"The U.S. Supreme Court finished its term with big decisions on voting rights, affirmative action and same-sex marriage. Following those rulings, public approval of the court has fallen to the lowest level ever recorded in more than nine years of polling. Just 28% believe the Supreme Court is doing a good or an excellent job. At the same time, 30% rate its performance as poor. That’s the highest-ever poor rating. It’s also the first time ever that the poor ratings have topped the positive assessments. These numbers are even weaker than the numbers recorded following the Supreme Court ruling upholding the president’s health care law last year." Continue reading →

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