Printed Editions



Download our Printed Editions
Volume: 1.1 1.2

Monday, December 12, 2011

A Brief Report on the Most Bothersome Internet Posts Today

A neo-columbian take on the eastern seaboard. Abhorrent and divisive? Yes.
But who knew that NJ had such contested internal politics? This map is both fascinating and disgusting.

Below you should find a Cartography final created by a Rutgers University
student majoring in Ethnic Studies and Political Communications.
He recently failed the semester.
--------------------------

Sunday, December 11, 2011

Israel Brings Racist Discrimination Policies to U.S Capital

Courtesy of Mondoweiss, covering "The War of Ideas in the Middle East"

***Especially recommended reading for 1) soon-to-be Middlebury graduates looking forward to those burgeoning State Department job opportunities and 2) members of Middlebury Hillel, who continue to sponsor propaganda "Birthright Vacations" and stifle debate over the occupation. Enjoy!
-----------------------------------------------------------------


Lawsuit fights hotel’s decision to bar Muslim employee from serving Israeli officials (UPDATED)

by Alex Kane on December 9, 2011

Arafi
Mohamed Arafi is suing his employer for barring him from servicing an Israeli delegation staying at a Washington, D.C. hotel
Scroll down to see Max Blumenthal's thoughts on the case.
Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak was in town to address the Brookings Institution’s Saban Forum, and Mohamed Arafi, a Moroccan-born U.S. citizen, was ready to work. An entire Israeli delegation, including Barak, was staying at Washington, D.C.’s high-end Mandarin Oriental Hotel, where Arafi has been a valet dry cleaner since late 2009. But when he showed up to work on December 10, 2010, he was told that he was barred from working the two floors where the Israelis were staying. The reason given, according to Arafi, was because he is Muslim, and the Israeli delegation did not want to be served by Muslims.
Now, Arafi and the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) are fighting back in the form of legal action alleging employment discrimination by the hotel against Arafi. The recently filed case is currently in district court in Washington, D.C, and comes on the heels of an inconclusive Equal Employment Opportunity Commission ruling on the case.
The hotel is not backing down, and responded in a Nov. 28 filing (pdf) that they were following a national security directive from the State Department that barred Arafi and 11 other employees from serving the Israeli delegation.
Arafi says that the hotel has also punished him for speaking out by cutting his workweek from five days to two days, and that his work colleagues said demeaning things about Muslims to him after the incident became known to them.
“What they want me to do is just quit,” Arafi said in a phone interview. “I don’t want to run away…I want to stay there until I have my rights.” The company has denied Arafi’s charges.
The case could also be seen as a stark illustration of the consequences of Israeli-style “war on terror” attitudes towards Muslims.
The lawsuit describes what happened (pdf), according to Arafi, when the Israeli delegation came to the hotel:
Ms. Escander, [Arafi’s supervisor], stated to Boris [another employee], “Boris, Israel is here. You go up and get the dry cleaning for Mohamed.” Mr. Arafi was confused and asked for an explanation. Ms. Escander stated to Plaintiff, “You know the Israeli delegation is here. You cannot go on the 8th and 9th floor (to pick up or deliver laundry).” Plaintiff asked for further explanation. Ms. Escander stated, “You know how the Israelis are with Arabs and Muslims. It’s better if you just let Boris go.”

Democracy in America is a sick joke and the masses aren't laughing anymore.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/steven-van-zandt/democracy-in-america_b_1139463.html?ref=fb&src=sp&comm_ref=false

Thursday, December 8, 2011

Don't Ignore the Climate Talks: A Problem Greater Than Inaction

The COP17 Durban Climate Ministers are sending a clear message, if ever so politely: "Fuck you, Africa." Keep reading to find an article after the break featuring South African Professor Patrick Bond on the new privatization of soil, activist intimidation, and a Seattle '99 style walkout. 

But first you gotta ask- who let this guy crash the party?



Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

A Gadfly, A New Year: Notes on Politics and our Next Print Issue

Dear Friends,

This semester has been a slow one for the GADFLY. Please don't fret- we have many fine articles from our contributors on their way. Expect a hardcover print (Issue 2.1) to be out in the first half of J-term, which should include extensive commentary on OWS, Wikileaks, campus politics, college propaganda, and the ongoing discussions over Money at Midd. We are lucky to have a range of students who send us some outstanding material, however many students tend to be 'activists' in their own right, and this semester has (quite surprisingly) provided a load of distraction to this end. In the meantime, please note that past print issues are always available in PDF format (look to the blog's masthead) or a physical copy can be found in The Gamut Room.

Overall, we still maintain a belief in the necessity for continuing our printed medium, keeping materials and cost at an absolute minimum, while maintaining an accessible format which will (in theory) remain for perpetuity. Also, we know you love our dope graphic designers; shout-out to our fans in the Department of Public Safety (any likeness is entirely unintentional). 

Dean Collado may feel it necessary to remind us that there are people working in 'Old Chapel,' but here at the GADFLY we know (that you know?) that indeed, people also inhabit Foucault's panopticon, even if in the metaphorical sense. Such is Old Chapel's inclination- to "observe and normalize." A recent example is the new personal key-code entry on the Bike Shop? 

The administration likes to talk as if we don't all have a web-tracker installed on our laptops from the day we arrive here... how silly of them. We'll keep to our commentary on making this college a more just and unbiased placed to learn. It should go without saying that to achieve such ends, very little escapes critique!

Lastly, one cannot avoid addressing the controversy the GADFLY found itself at the heart of last week, which concerns quite serious accusations of racism and the behavior of armed police officers on campus. Thanks to a guest post on this blog, and persistent instigation of The Middlebury Campus editors, the controversy has been widely disseminated and is expected to appear in next Thursday's paper. While new details and counter-accusations have come to light, one shudders to think that the entire controversy could easily have remained undisclosed. That would have truly been a shame, regardless of one's perspective. 

We encourage you to visit a new blog setup in support of Barrett Smith '13, who was recently fired from his position as FYC of Stewart Hall over alleged misconduct in connection to the controversy. It truly is heartwarming to see students rally together when they perceive injustice- no matter how big or small. You can find the blog through our link here:
                                                                     http://blogs.middlebury.edu/keepbarretthere/

More updates to come later on this week. In the meantime, good luck with finals, work, or the celebration of false idols (Pleasant Saturnalia, Pagans). 


Keep fighting the good fight.

In Solidarity,

the GADFLY