Brilliant!

Hope in one hand, work in the other... which hand gets the most done?
Or something like that. :-)

I had heard of this a few years ago and simply didn't believe it. So after you linked to this I spent the afternoon digging.

I went into the "Bureau of Industry and Security" a subdivision of Dept. of Commerce and from there to "Exporting Basics". In this section a sort of cryptic message is in a small box among the explanations of Exporting Basics
http://www.bis.doc.gov/licensing/exportingbasics....

"The EAR contain provisions relating to matters not discussed in this short overview. Two examples of important concepts not discussed here are controls on the activities of U.S. persons in support of proliferation programs (see EAR §744.6) and the antiboycott provisions contained in EAR §760."

Within EAR there is a long "Denied Persons List" - People who are denied permission to export. http://www.bis.doc.gov/dpl/thedeniallist.asp

there are individual people listed as well as companies.

Free? Oh no, not really as free as many think we are in the States. At anytime, someone can take your home, take your entire street if they want, under laws such as imminent domain. Taxes are a requirement even if you are sickened by the fact that most tax dollars go to fund the war machine while disenfranchised families go hungry in the streets, while you are left to decide between groceries or taking a sick child to the doctor. "For the People" my foot.
And capitalism has never been about being free- that they call it a 'free market" is absolutely mind-boggling because the reality is, one is roped into supporting a system that would dump you in a heartbeat if better profits are to be made elsewhere- one is made dependent on what they are taught is no other alternative to living the "good life". When the good life for a few is made on the backs of the many who are bruised, then what is that exactly?

This thing though- it looks as if the gov wanted to make a 'federal case' out of people choosing to boycott an industry or a product that is produced under inhumane or environmentally unsustainable situations, a person making such a conscientious decision can be penalized and perhaps even jailed. Amazing.

OK check this out- feel the difference- the Real K'naan :-)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jTh63eUnGTo&fe...

Misha thanks for this- this needs to be exposed. Wow, I had no idea...

I wonder about the mind-soul of Rachel and other martyrs such as herself. I imagine them in the cosmic sidelines, looking at us and waiting for the world to wake up... I imagine them when they look at the US/Israel mutual complicity and seeing from that birds-eye view all of the damage created not just in the Mid East but world round due to this unholy alliance. I imagine them cheering us on, to go forward with the truth, using our creative minds, fortified by our strong hearts, to direct our able hands in building a better future for humanity, while we simultaneously eliminate the oppression built on hatred and greed.
It looks bleak, perhaps, at the moment, but wait, these events have set the spirit of the world on fire.
Crimes are exposed, complicity is seen. Shine that Light.
We Are Winning.

K'naan in his pure form is an excellent artist. His westernized music, however, is rather tepid and sounds a lot like boy bands. I just ignore nearly every song on Troubadour, for instance, but his earlier "My Life is a Movie" is awesome, as are his live performances, which have a beat so deep it will give you chills- feels so real it'll give you tears. Very real and heartfelt; an important voice for the people.
Then he came to America... <sigh>
I imagine he'll swing back to his roots- at least I hope so.
I'm not familiar with the female artist here at all, but I have to say this video is quite unfortunate in general. Too bad it can never be un-watched. I'm sure there is a point in here somewhere but maybe I'm just not cool enough to get it.

The Israeli lady, while pretty enough, has very pointed ears. I guess that's cute if you're into elf-type relations, but me, I'd have to go for Rima.

I'd have to insist that Israel use two...