(no subject)

[gwydion]

* At least 289 people died in a factory fire in Karachi. (The numbers have been rising since it happened as people who initially survived keep dying). The circumstances remind me of the Triangle Shirt waist fire, with trapped workers jumping to their deaths from the roof because there were no reasonable ways to get out, like fire escapes or emergency exits, and the owners hadn't bothered with fire alarms and sprinklers.

This is why workers need unions and rights. It's horrifying and heartbreaking. This is why workers need unions and rights. It’s horrifying and heartbreaking. This is a man made disaster created by the greediness and cost cutting by management.

* The American Ambassador to Libya is among those killed on the attack on the consulate in Libya. There is a running battle in Cairo between security forces and extreme right wing protesters in cairo. It's looking more and more like an organized attempt by Al Queada to gin up violence to correspond with 9/11. The film had been on youtube for some time without any response. Both the Libyan and Egyptian governments are in the early stages of formation and weren't really prepared for this. The Libyan government appears to be horrified and is trying to mobilize to protect surviving embassy personnel and has put out a statement that I find encouraging condemning the attacks. Egyptian moderates are talking about the Cairo riot as an attempt to hijack the Revolution. The President of Egypt hasn't released a statement yet. In places like Tunisia and Afghanistan, the governments are making preparation in case it spreads. Watching middle of the night coverage, I was suspecting no one was asleep at the white house. Tonight, I can see signs that folks are scrambling on the diplomatic side. I am terribly, terribly happy to have President Obama and Secretary Clinton out there dealing with this instead of someone like Bush or Romney.

* Mitt Romney is using this crisis to make a strawman attack on the President, by repeatedly telling the lie that a tweet by the Cairo embassy sent out before the riot in the attempt to head it off was an official statement by the president siding with the rioters. After all, what better time to tell lies about the President than during a national crisis? Mitt Romney also wants to remind you that foreign policy is a "shiny object" and a "distraction." Sigh. Do we really want someone this unpatriotic and willing to lie to inflame an already ugly diplomatic situation who thinks that foreign policy should be a tool for personal political gain instead of something that should be conducted for the best interests of our country.

* Hundreds of LGB folk murdered in targeted killings in Iraq. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-19557895

* I woke up tired and still in pain and that set the tone for the day. I did manage to make my Doctor's appointment and run key errands, during which the asshole in front of me in line turned and yelled at me for no particular reason. I guess because being an asshole to other people makes waiting better. Sigh. I'm a bit icky from the flu shot on top of it, plus Hector won't shut up and eat. I just want a nap, really.

* To the list of stories that make no sense unless the main character is a rich white person let's add Bringing Up Baby. She goes around stealing cars and everyone thinks it's quirky and cute and eccentric because she's a rich white woman. Same with releasing a leopard to wreck havoc on the countryside. And on and on.

Comments

[deepseasiren.livejournal.com]

You just have to feel sorry for people who are that rude.