Drive-by Planet

What the Natan Eshel affair says about Netanyahu

2012-02-26T13:39:00.016-08:00

Top: Eshel / Middle: Netanyahu and "Resh"
Bottom: Yohanan Locker, Zvi Hauser, Yoaz Hendel

Women in Israel who are sexually victimized by officials in high places prefer to remain anonymous. In the media they are sometimes identified by a letter of the Hebrew alphabet. In the case of one of the victims of former president Moshe Katsav, the chosen letter was Aleph. More recently in a harassment case connected with the office of Israeli PM Netanyahu, the female victim was known only by the identifier Resh or "R."

Resh has chosen to remain faceless, even declining to testify. No doubt she is aware of the fate that befell the woman in the Katsav affair. In the wake of the affair her life was ruined. Everyone in the media knew her true identity. She was unable to find employment and had to move out of Israel.

The recent case involving Resh would suggest not a lot has changed.

According to reports issued by State Comptroller, Micha Lindenstrauss, leading Netanyahu aide, Natan Eshel, engaged in the harassment of Resh, a female subordinate.

A Haaretz editorial describes Eshel as "... the go-to person for Benjamin and Sara Netanyahu." Elsewhere he is described as a bureau chief and top adviser.

Netanyahu and Eshel

It is alleged that Eshel became so obsessed with Resh he took to stalking her and spying on her. The harassment included taking upskirt shots with a cellular phone. He is also accused of reading Resh's email along with other conduct characterized as "unbefitting and unacceptable."

Three senior PMO officials reported the harassment of the woman to the attorney-general. According to a Maariv report 28 people in-all were interviewed in connection with the case. Eshel admitted to misconduct, signed a plea agreement and stepped down - but the handling of this case says a lot about the status and protections afforded to working women in Israel, especially as it relates to this type of harassment.

The harassment claim was dismissed by the PM's bureau as "cheap gossip." Netanyahu gave no credit to the reporting officials for stepping up and doing the right thing, rather he appears to regard them as whistle blowers who went over his head. On the other hand the PM had no problem extending warm sentiments to Eshel on his resignation, thanking him for his "years of dedicated service" and his “important contribution to the good work of Israel’s government.”

Haaretz:

From Netanyahu's perspective, Eshel's loyalty compensates for his inappropriate conduct and is more praiseworthy than the whistle-blowing of Military Secretary Yohanan Locker, Cabinet Secretary Zvi Hauser and National Information Directorate head Yoaz Hendel, who got the alleged harasser ousted from the heart of the government by doing their civic duty and making sure the law got enforced.

Netanyahu was apparently put out that the complaints weren't brought directly to him. Perhaps there was good reason they weren't. Given his reactions to the affair one wonders if complaints about Eshel's conduct would have been suppressed. Netanyahu's primary concern certainly didn't appear to be the victim in the affair.

Some Israeli opinion in reaction to the Eshel affair is frankly unbelievable and gives some insight into why chauvinistic attitudes have proved so intractable in some quarters. A leading Israeli media presenter, Ayala Hasson, referred to attractive women workers as "candies" and argued that if sexual harassment occurs, the women should switch jobs. She gave an example of a woman who was "discreetly" removed from her position because her boss "wanted her like a lovely piece of candy.”

Characterizing women as "candies" suggests their value is predicated on their sexuality. Hasson comes off as an enabler and part of the problem. Her "solution" amounts to further victimization along the lines of "Hey honey you're way too cute and candy-like for the boss to handle... better run off and look for work elsewhere."

A more reality-based assessment was given by Meretz Party Chairwoman Zahava Gal-On - “When a woman working in the Prime Minister’s Office is harassed, and the attorney-general takes five weeks to decide whether to even launch an investigation, only to later hand it [the investigation] over to the Civil Service Commission and then close the case with a plea deal, it indicates that we have a serious problem and are still far from achieving equality.”

The Labor Party's Shelly Yachimovich said of Netanyahu's actions - “Instead of praising his office’s senior employees, who exhibited decency and reported the grave indiscretions taking place in his bureau, he turned his back on them … The message conveyed by Netanyahu’s actions is that of hostility toward the rule of law and hostility toward victims of harassment in the workplace. Upstanding men who may want to help [harassed women] will be afraid to do so.”

More on the story from the UK Independent.

Russian band Pussy Riot flashes Moscow cathedral

2012-02-23T11:27:00.011-08:00

The icons and statuary in Christ the Savior cathedral in Moscow were rocked this week when all-female band Pussy Riot staged a flash gig. It was a brief, unscheduled appearance during which the band belted out the lyrics of their tune "Holy Shit." As with a lot of Pussy Riot lyrics, Putin is the target... the lines include - “Holy Mother, Blessed Virgin, chase Putin out!”

One reason for the choice of the venue may have been the statement by the patriarch that Russians shouldn't go out and protest. Given the rigged elections, rampant corruption and Putin's power games many Russians are fed up and the often spectacular protests - sometimes tagged agitprop - are a reflection of the deep discontent.

The cathedral gig was a gutsy move. As we know from the prison terms handed out to members of the art collective Voina, such protests are often labeled "hooliganism" by the authorities. For the cathedral gig band members wore their trademark neon balaclavas but no doubt the cops will try to put a face to the participants.

Cathedral action beneath:

The band was formed shortly after Putin announced he would be making yet another run for the presidency. A founding member who goes by the name Tyurya said Putin's announcement spurred them into action... "So we decided, damn it, we need to do something. We always went to protests and things, but it seemed to us we needed to do something more."

The cathedral event isn't the first time Pussy Riot has staged its own version of occupy. They put on an impromptu show in Red Square where the lyrics included - "Revolt in Russia, Putin's got scared!"

There are about 30 people in the group. Members cite the Riot Girl movement of the 90's as an inspiration. Bikini Kill and Sonic Youth are also influences.

Pussy Riot is part of the brave, highly original protest movements that have been springing up in Russia. They include groups such as the Blue Buckets and the art collective Voina. Voina "actions" that have made headlines include a live performance to protest the "incestuous" elevation of Dmitry Medvedev to the office of president. It featured five couples having public sex in Moscow's Timirayzev State Museum. Another action - In Memory of the Decembrists - included staged hangings. An action that attracted a lot of attention in 2010 was the massive 65m long phallus Voina painted on the Liteyny drawbridge leading to the Bolshoy Dom, headquarters of the Federal Security Service.

Pussy Riot members reveal few personal details. Aside from granting a degree of anonymity, the balaclavas send a message that the group represents the many. Band member Garadzha said in an interview "It shows we can be anybody...". In speaking of the need for change in Russia, she said "this is a rotton, broken system."

A Guardian article provides more background:

The band began writing songs with lyrics such as: "Egyptian air is good for the lungs / Do Tahrir on Red Square!" and performing on trams and in the metro. Videos of the flash gigs began spreading across the internet. When the protest leader Alexey Navalny was jailed for 15 days after his arrest during Russia's first post-election protest on 5 December, three members of Pussy Riot took to the roof of the jail where he was being held, setting off red flares as they sang "Death to prison / Freedom to protest!"

The fear of arrest long ago left the band members, steeped in the tradition of illegal protest. "We have experience with it, we've been detained at protests before," said Tyurya. "It's not scary – you're surrounded by good, normal people, those who protest against Putin."

The band doesn't describe what they do as either "art" or "politics" - for them it's one and the same. The venues they have chosen for their flash gigs are both symbolic and provocative. State-controlled television isn't open to satire or other forms of protest targeting Putin, so opposition voices have sought out alternative venues on the internet, in theaters and on the street.

Pussy Riot demonstrates that the spirit of revolution in Russia in alive and well. It's no coincidence that the members are proud feminists. Garazhda told the Guardian: "For now, they don't beat or jail us as much. There's a deep tradition in Russia of gender and revolution -- we've had amazing women revolutionaries."

Check out this video also of Pussy Riot in action:

Huffington Post coverage of the cathedral gig - here

Jodi Rudoren's tweets and the chill in the lobby

2012-02-20T15:49:00.000-08:00

A Rachel Shabi article in the Guardian's Comment is Free section titled False accusations of antisemitism desensitize us to the real thing is worth the read. It discusses the targeting of New York Times Jerusalem reporter Jodi Rudoren for tweets that a number of concerned Zionists viewed as problematic.

Rachel Shabi:

Apparently, soon-to-be bureau chief Jodi Rudoren has been sending bad tweets to the wrong people and that's enough to have Israel's rightwing defenders denounce the journalist, within hours, as biased and "anti-Zionist".

She should not be tweeting "cutesy missives" to Electronic Intifada co-founder Ali Abunimah. She shouldn't be approving a forthcoming book titled The Crisis of Zionism by American writer Peter Beinart. In fact, the most benign critics suggest, she should not be tweeting at all – which, we can guess, would not be the case had she decided to post about, say, the dry weather and deluge of hummus that await her in Jerusalem.

It is predictable, but nonetheless rather pathetic that Ms Rudoren was targeted in this fashion. Abunimah is a prominent Israel critic who has presented an interesting argument in favor of a one-state solution. Rudoren was doing what journalists do - namely pursue leads and solicit opinion. Sounds as though her messages were upbeat or "cutesy" according to the displeased... how is that evil?

The Times came to Ms Rudoren's defence stating that the paper had "complete confidence in Jodi's fairness and integrity as a journalist..."

Some of the criticism has come from Atlantic blogger, Jeffrey Goldberg. He says that Abunimah "argues for Israel's destruction." It would more accurate to say that Abunimah views Zionism as the problem, as in fact many Jews do - check out the views of Ben Ehrenreich on the topic.

Too often criticism of Israel is linked to the anti-Semitic shadow. If you communicate with people who are Israel critics you must by extension be somehow tainted. The reach of the Israel Lobby means that this type of intimidation succeeds all-too-often in damping down perfectly reasonable criticism of Israel.

Menachem Shalev, a former spokesman for the Israeli consulate in New York was disarmingly honest about the influence of the Lobby: "Of course, a lot of self-censorship goes on. Journalists, editors, and politicians are going to think twice about criticizing Israel if they know they are going to get thousands of calls in a matter of hours. The Jewish lobby is good at orchestrating pressure."

It's not just journalists who suffer consequences. The influence of the Lobby extends to the heart of US power. In March 2009, Charles W. Freeman, Jr. withdrew his candidacy for the chair of the National Intelligence Council. Freeman didn't pull his punches on the reasons why: "The libels on me and their easily traceable email trails show conclusively that there is a powerful lobby determined to prevent any view other than its own from being aired .... The tactics of the Israel Lobby plumb the depths of dishonor and indecency .... The aim of this Lobby is control of the policy process ...."

Rachel Shabi:

The [Rudoren] incident is part of a broader rash of pouncing-upon from rightwing pro-Israelis that has sucked the oxygen out of any conversation about the country – especially in the US.

Add Canada to that. It isn't always the better known right-wing pro-Israeli voices either doing the pouncing. When reverberations of the Gaza war were still front and center a column in the Toronto Star by Rosie DiManno accused protesting Canadian students of a sort of uber version of anti-Semitism - something she dubbed "hyperbolic anti-Semitism."

DiManno's attack on Canadian students exercising their democratic rights came at a time when an increasing percentage of Israelis were showing sympathy for a virulent and racist brand of right-wing nationalism. Yet DiManno went after Canadian students protesting Israeli actions that were in contravention of international law rather than lambasting the drift toward political extremism in Israel.

On the other side of the coin, during the same heated time period Canadian Jews stepped up to express their concern about attempts to suppress valid criticism of Israel. They made the comparison between spurious allegations of anti-Semitism and the anti-Communist terror of the 1950s.

One hundred and fifty Canadian Jews co-signed a statement that outlined their concerns. The statement was rejected as an op-ed by the Toronto Star and the Globe and Mail.

It comes as no surprise at all that Ms Rudoren was targeted in this fashion for "offending" tweets. Kudos to the Times for standing to her defence.

Electronic surveillance bill: Big Bro Toews wants your data

2012-02-17T17:38:00.001-08:00

Canadian Public Safety Minister, Vic Toews, is pushing a draconian surveillance bill that would give police extraordinary powers to snoop on Canadians. On a different but related matter Toews wants an investigation into a Twitter account - @vikileaks30 - that has been exposing details of his marital breakdown. How does it feel Vic - having people nosing into your affairs? Not much fun eh?

The Conservatives are outraged. The Twitter account allegedly links back to an IP address in the House of Commons. The Tories are fingering the NDP as prime suspects. The NDP denies involvement.

Toews clearly doesn't like the invasion of his privacy. Who would? Yet this is the same Minister who is behind Bill C-30, a surveillance nightmare that opens the door to violations of Canadians' privacy. The CBC reports that Internet providers would be required to hand over subscriber data, name, address, mobile phone number, IP address and online ID's - without a warrant. The Bill would also compel internet providers to provide a "back door" to make communications accessible to police. Essentially a spy portal. More on C-30 provisions from CBC - here.

Toews is the same guy who tarred a Liberal MP who questioned the Bill's provisions with "he can either stand with us or with the child pornographers." To call the smear disgusting is an understatement. The sacrifice of Canadians who fought in two world wars in defence of liberty is besmirched by Toews' gutter politics on a matter so integral to Canadians rights and freedoms. The police already have the resources to wage a fight against predators. C-30 is a road too far and would grant way too much power to the authorities.

The Berlin Wall may have come down but the snoop-and-control tactics of the Stasi are alive and well in Stephen Harper's Conservative Party. It's just a question of how much we will allow them to get away with. The Tories are a punitive, vengeful bunch who punish and ridicule people who disagree with them. The former leader of the NDP, Jack Layton, was smeared as "Taliban Jack" for proposing talks with the Taliban - eminently reasonable as compared to Harper's gung-ho no-cut-and-run rhetoric in the face of a no-win mission. Another Tory target - British MP George Galloway - was denied entry into Canada to speak. He was smeared by a Tory spokesperson as "an infandous street-corner Cromwell."

By choosing his moves carefully when he was in a minority position Harper managed to seduce the soft vote that helped to put him over the top. His attempt to sell himself as good old Stevie included tickling the ivories, crooning for the cameras and taking part in a TV comedy show.

Now we're seeing the real agenda emerging. More prisons even though crime stats have shown a downward trend, a cynical effort to pass a draconian surveillance bill using child victims as cover, an attempt to reshape Canadian institutions along conservative lines - just some of the items on the agenda. Harper wants to give Canada an American-style makeover and in the course of doing that change the very essence of what it means to be Canadian.

Beneath the NDP's Charlie Angus defending freedom in Canada:

Big Bro Canada: Stasi redux

2012-02-17T17:23:00.000-08:00

Related story - here

Las Malvinas: Prince William should focus on polo

2012-02-15T22:26:00.000-08:00

Las Malvinas aka the Falklands is one of the last theaters available to the Brits for flag waving and displays of military-style jingoism. They've been upping the ante lately. Prince William weighed in in his role as coptor co-pilot inflaming an already volatile situation that has seen angry headlines, protests and union jack burning in Buenos Aries.

William Hague, the British foreign secretary, described William's unwelcome presence in the region as "entirely routine." Is he saying that on an anniversary year of the Falklands war William was dispatched without any prior discussion in Number 10? Making it sound like business-as-usual is a little disingenuous to say the least.

What's all the bluster about anyway? Well nothing that would warrant royalty and warships. The jack is planted in the Falklands. There is no threat of imminent invasion. There is though the small matter of oil in the seas around the islands and as mentioned the approaching anniversary of the unnecessary war launched by Thatcher. There is also Meryl Streep's version of Thatcher doing the rounds of the theaters. Add William-waving and a diplomatic war of words and it's all a combustible mix for S. Americans who think the British need to stick to their own hemisphere.

In a recent interview Sean Penn, who is no stranger to S. American politics, characterized British geo-political grandstanding as 'colonialist, ludicrous and archaic.' He also said that any attempt to control natural resources would be seen as an act of bullying and that the sharing of resources should be brokered through diplomatic talks. Sounds perfectly reasonable.

The days of imperial grandstanding by the mother island is over. Sooner or later a deal will be reached on the Malvinas. In addition to being unnecessary and unwanted, all of this pomp and bluster is a waste of time and newsprint.

Lower the William and take the military hardware home.

Citizen Poet project sends Vladimir Putin a message

2012-02-15T02:24:00.000-08:00

Increasing numbers of Russians are fed up with Vladimir Putin's power games, with rampant corruption and the slow pace of reform. After the "gap years" with Dmitry Medvedev in the presidency, Putin's orchestrated return to the Kremlin is being greeted with a heavy dose of cynicism.

Where there is cynicism there is also satire. The "Citizen Poet" project has been a sensation in Russia. It features well known Russian actor Mikhail Yefremov reading poems from the Russian classics. The poems were adapted for the project by the writer Dmitrii Bykov.

Some of the skits are aimed at Putin but the material also deals with other Russian themes.

Initially Citizen Poet was an internet project. The creators hoped to draw an audience of a few thousand online. The first video exceeded expectations attracting around 250,000 hits. It has since skyrocketed into the millions. The videos can be found on the Russian site F5.

The project's brand of satire has met with some resistance. The Russian TV channel Dozhd that carried some of the earlier episodes, balked at a skit that took aim at the Putin-Medvedev relationship. The material was considered too insulting to Medvedev.

The technique for getting the message across can be illustrated by a Yevtushenko poem written in 1957 that was really a lament about a problematic relationship. The poem was cleverly adapted to address Putin's feelings toward Medvedev. Without explicitly referring to tensions in the ruling tandem the poem channels Putin's reflections:

Here is what’s befallen me
My old friend does not come to me
He even feels free
To open his mouth and disagree
Yes, I taught him to put on skis
To keep the Kuril Islands from the Japanese
Back then he was not so loud
He barely ever made a sound.

Citizen Poet will be in the UK prior to the March election that will see Putin attempt to regain the presidency. As an article in the UK Independent notes there is a symbolic aspect to the UK performances:

Independent:

The first London concert will take place at the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Hall in Westminster, just across from the Houses of Parliament and a symbolic venue for Russian businessmen.

It was here that the annual Russian Economic Forum was held, the biggest economic event in the Russian calendar each year. In 2007, with UK-Russian relations in freefall after the death of Alexander Litvinenko in London, top Russian businessmen and Kremlin-linked speakers pulled out of the forum, after a ban on attending was reportedly ordered by Mr Putin.

Yevgeny Chichvarkin, founder of the Russian mobile phone retailer, Yevroset, gave his backing to the UK event. Chichvarkin was forced to flee Russia for the UK in 2008. He feared arrest following his refusal to pay large bribes to Interior Ministry officials.

Kremlin calling

2012-02-15T02:02:00.000-08:00

Related story - here

Song Byeok: N Korean artist paints Kim Jung il in drag

2012-02-12T17:46:00.000-08:00

What comes to mind when you mention "art" and "N. Korea" in the same sentence is propaganda - art that venerates Dear Leader, glorious military victories, joyous workers and racial purity. It seems inconceivable that a N.Korean artist who dedicated his talents to producing state propaganda could ever be responsible for works satirizing former Dear Leader Kim Jung il.

Meet Song Byeok, a one time N. Korean propaganda artist. He has turned his talents to producing satirical works that are a far cry from the propaganda posters he used to design in which "Every line, every angle... was just copying from the model. There was no creativity, none of the artist’s personality, nothing.”

Now the message is coming from the artist himself and although the subject matter is still N. Korean-related the vision is radically different. A grinning Kim Jung Il appears in one piece, not as master of his corner of the universe, but as a Marilyn Munro-like drag queen holding down a fluttering dress and sporting a wide grin. All that's missing is a blonde wig. Dear ex-Leader as we have never known him.

Song Byeok has come a long way from the propaganda posters that he now refuses to describe as "art". He says he simply painted pictures he was required to produce. Song says: “People in the paintings had to seem happy. If not, they would not be published publicly...”

Life was tough for Byeok in N. Korea. During the famine of 2000 he attempted to get to China for needed food supplies. In the course of an attempt to cross the Tumen River into China, his father drowned. Byeok was subsequently detained by N.Korean border guards and did a stint in a prison camp. After he was amnestied he made it into China and later to S. Korea.

An exhibition at the Atlanta Goat Farm Arts Center will feature the artist's better known paintings along with new work.

You have to admire Song Byeok's courage. Even though he is working on the outside, N. Korean authorities haven't been known to look kindly on critics. These works in addition to being original and engaging, are brave.

Related video beneath. The first part dates back a little to a time period when Kim Jung il was still in power .

Song Byeok Atlanta Exhibition from Song Byeok on Vimeo.

The Law in These Parts: difficult truths about Israeli justice

2012-02-08T08:36:00.000-08:00

The Israeli film The Law in These Parts, was awarded Best Documentary at the 2011 Jerusalem Film Festival and the World Cinema Grand Jury Prize at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival. Director Ra'anan Alexandrowicz, said it was the hardest film he has ever made.

It's a brilliant piece of work. The film gets behind the rigged court system in the West Bank and cleverly exposes its inner workings via the mouths of those who were in on it from the early going. What becomes evident is that "justice" was routinely manipulated in the interests of national and IDF priorities.

In speaking of his film Alexandrowicz said that "... upholding the law doesn't always lead to justice. It can even be used as a tool against certain segments of society."

The film is divided into five chapters and comes across as almost academic in its approach. It features interviews with Israelis who helped set up the system in the West Bank and administer it. As you watch these men explain themselves and justify their actions, it is disturbingly reminiscent of war criminals conducting self-serving reviews of past actions. There are moments of ambivalence when facial expressions and body language seem to contradict the words being spoken.

The truths that come out in the wash aren't pleasant. Activities that were probably very routine are troubling to those looking in from the outside. One judge candidly says that he was aware of the torture that was going on. The admission seemed as routine as the land confiscations and other aggressions committed in the name of the state.

Black and white footage from the early years of the Israeli occupation evokes memories of incursions by the Germans into lands of the conquered in WW2. It is a comparison that resonates even as it disturbs. The film certainly isn't alone in going there. During operation Cast Lead in Gaza, a former Zionist, British MP Sir Gerald Kaufman, made a direct reference to IDF tactics as Nazi-like.

To say there are issues with the administration of justice in the occupied territories is a large understatement. The problems are systemic and deeply rooted.

Lisa Hajjar, a professor at the University of California, did extensive research into the system in the West Bank for her book Courting Conflict: The Israeli Military Court System in the West Bank And Gaza. A very good review by Menachem Hofnung - here - highlights important areas of Ms Hajjar's work.

In describing the impact of the system in the West Bank, Hofnung says: "The military court system has served as the important foundation within the broader range of governing institutions and practices in which Palestinians are controlled by the state of Israel, subjected to restrictive codes of conduct, and physically immobilized through the use of mass arrests, closures, curfews, checkpoints and prisons."

Haaretz columnist Gideon Levy likened the "law enforcement mechanism of the IDF" to a "ridiculous simulacrum of a justice system." In his article IDF's law enforcement is a joke of a justice system Levy talks about individual cases involving the killings of Palestinians and the ways in which the wheels of justice turned slowly or not at all - slightly more perhaps when pushed by human rights organizations such as B'Tselem.

In its 2011 Annual Report, Amnesty International detailed the many abuses that have become woven into the fabric of life for Palestinian residents in the occupied territories.

Amnesty International:

Consistent allegations of torture and other ill-treatment, including of children, were frequently reported. Among the most commonly cited methods were beatings, threats to the detainee or their family, sleep deprivation, and being subjected to painful stress positions for long periods. Confessions allegedly obtained under duress were accepted as evidence in Israeli military and civilian courts.

The Israeli newspaper Haaretz deals in more hard truth about Israel than you are likely to find in N. American mainstream media. The columnist Gideon Levy told American Jews: "If you love Israel, criticize it." Advice a few N. American editors should take under notice.

Trailer of The Law in These Parts beneath:

Brock U study links low IQ with racism, prejudice

2012-02-05T10:29:00.000-08:00

A Brock University study has come up with findings guaranteed to ignite a few fires on the net. Put in the most basic terms the research finds that people who succumb to racism and prejudice are likely to be less intelligent and drawn to right-wing ideologies.

Researchers conducted in-depth analysis on data from British and US studies. One finding indicates that lower intelligence scores in childhood is an indicator of racism in later life and that racist attitudes may be compounded or 'mediated' by the adoption of right-wing beliefs.

It seems reasonable to extrapolate that the above traits could dispose individuals to take meaning and identity from right-wing ideology - a reassuring 'big daddy' solution to life's problems. Right-wing ideology after all is structured, ordered, conformist, resists radical change and in some cases actively promotes prejudice as a virtue.

Course there's always a danger of drawing hard and fast conclusions from a study like this. Perhaps at the risk of stating the obvious, lead researcher Gordon Hodson said it doesn't follow that all liberals are smart and all conservatives are stupid.

There are any number of thinkers with right-wing political allegiances who clearly aren't dealing with an intelligence deficit. Christopher Hitchens by any measure was a brilliant thinker yet he supported a hardline conservative agenda. His reactionary stance on some issues often seemed at odds with his impressive analytical skills and capacity to think outside the box.

In general terms though as it applies to most mortals, the Brock study lends weight to a common perception - namely that right-wingers often seem less smart and more inclined to prejudice. It isn't just a hunch either. Polling data... social and political science research... has repeatedly demonstrated that people who support right-wing parties are more likely to hold prejudiced views than people of more liberal political persuasions.

It could also have to do with wiring. A study out of the University of London offers physiological 'evidence' that the brains of conservatives and liberals are structured differently. Researchers found that liberals tend to have a larger anterior cingulate cortex, a part of the brain that has to do with how information is processed. Conservatives tend to have a larger amygdala, linked with emotional detection.

All things considered the Brock study seems headed in the right direction - no pun intended.

More on the study from Live Science.

No big surprise

2012-02-04T08:02:00.000-08:00

P183: Russian graffiti artist draws Banksy comparison

2012-02-01T17:34:00.001-08:00

A Russian graffiti artist P183 aka "Bankski" to some, is behind Banksy-like murals that have been showing up in and around Moscow. The Banksy comparison though shouldn't be taken too far. P183 could as easily be linked with Blek le Rat as an influence - in the end it's about P183's work and his brave venture in Russia at a time of deep political unrest. The Banksy comparison has helped give him some profile.

There is little out there about the man himself. According to reports P183's a 28-year old dude named Pavel. Other sources claim he's an active member of the Russian LiveJournal community.

P183's street art - raw eye-catching stuff - has drawn the Banksy comparisons for obvious reasons. In the Moscow area his mural-style graffiti turns up on median dividers, walls, even on bridges. He has also undertaken some fairly ambitious mixed media installations.

P183 and Banksy have their own distinctive styles. Wit and message are neatly combined in some of Banksy's best work. The humor doesn't detract from the power of the message. P183 also sends a strong message. There is a visceral, dramatic quality to some of his work. It will be interesting to see where he takes it.

Check out the video beneath with more of P183's work to accompanying beats.

For larger versions of the murals try this Guardian gallery.

Âlâ magazine: is 'Islamic fashion' un-Islamic?

2012-01-30T01:32:00.001-08:00

There is a degree of hypocrisy when it comes to Islam and its relationship with fashion. There has been an explosion of websites, magazines, fashion houses and events that showcase what can be described as "Islamic fashion" and yet there are those in the Islamic community who see the term as an oxymoron. They believe fashion and Islam are incompatible or an uneasy mix.

A new Turkish women's magazine Âlâ - roughly translated as 'superb, excellent' - features models in headscarves wearing Islamic-style dress. Some of the inspiration for Âlâ came from the British magazine Emel. One of the founders of Âlâ, Volkan Atay, has reservations about the term "Islamic fashion" preferring "fashion details" as a way of describing what the magazine is about. His reasoning is that fashion is trend-driven and what is "in" one year is out the next. This in his view is unIslamic.

It's a fine line that not everyone might get. On the surface Âlâ presents pretty much like a western fashion magazine. Some of the photo shoots are similar to the type of spread you might find in Vogue or Elle. Even though the models are wearing Islamic dress there is still sex-appeal, although less overt.

Since its launch Âlâ has been a hot item. According to Turkish media reports it has been outselling Vogue and Elle in that country.

Der Spiegel has a photo gallery of the inside world of Âlâ - here.

Criticism of Âlâ has come from religious rather than secular quarters. Journalist Ihsan Eliacik claims that the magazine caters to the "nouveau riche." He takes issue with putting women on display, something he considers un-Islamic. He says that even though the women are wearing headscarves they are still being objectified in the same manner as models 'wearing bikinis.' The era of the 'invisible' Muslim woman is changing fast so maybe Mr Eliacik should fast forward.

An article in The Atlantic mentions Tekbir Giyim, CEO of a Turkish textile company, who argues that fashion and Islam are not necessarily mutually exclusive.

A look at some of the better known magazines catering to Muslim women that feature stylish hijabs and designer outfits suggest that "Islamic fashion" is a real and happening fashion curve. There certainly seems to be growing interest. Blogs dedicated to hijab styles are just one example with names like Hijabulous, Hijabi Couture, Hijabs High, Hijabib Style, Random Hijabi and Stylish Muslimah.

More about Âlâ and reactions to it in the video beneath:

Islamofashionism

2012-01-30T00:30:00.000-08:00

South Africa: interracial poster generates heat

2012-01-28T18:10:00.000-08:00

Even with apartheid gone racial sensitivities still run deep in South Africa. There is nothing like a provocative photo to trigger a reaction.

A political poster put out by the student wing of the Democratic Alliance - the main opposition party - is guaranteed to push a lot of buttons. It shows a studly white dude who looks as though he's fresh out of the shower in a loving embrace with a stripped down black woman. The accompanying tagline reads: "In OUR future, you wouldn't look twice."

So what's the big deal? A snapshot in time - sweet and personal - in which considerations of race take a backseat to togetherness. Ideally what the "rainbow nation" should be all about. Right? Not exactly. While most S. Africans like or are okay with the ad, others are less impressed.

Not long after the posters went up the media reaction kicked in. The story went viral on social networking sites in SA and became a talking point on radio and TV shows. The reactions of detractors ranged from accusations of racism to complaints about "pornography."

A statement by the ruling ANC party reflects their view that the Democratic Alliance is a white-controlled party with "token" blacks. It said the DA poster followed the “Irish coffee” principle of “sprinkling darkies on white foam.”

The ANC characterization of the Democratic Alliance is a bit harsh. The DA recently elected a black woman, Lindiwe Mazibuko, as leader of its parliamentary wing. Its predecessor - The Progressive Party in its various manifestations - included many well known anti-Apartheid activists such as Helen Suzman and Harry Schwarz.

On another level the ANC response is understandable. The couple represented in the poster is still a bit of a fantasy in a S. Africa marked by deep racial and socio-economic divides. The bulk of blacks live in crowded townships while whites mostly live in well-to-do suburban neighborhoods. It is this underlying reality that could understandably trigger a negative reaction to an image that some may see as out-of-touch.

A similar heated reaction greeted the story about a white South African actor, Carolyn Forword, who had problems kissing a black actor on-stage in the course of the Riverside Theatre Company's production of the Pied Piper of Hamelin. Race and the inequities associated with it still strike a deep chord in South Africa.

The DA says it is pleased with the wide ranging reaction to the poster. An insightful comment I read on the related Facebook page came from Jhandre Bredenkamp who said: "Well done in drawing reaction! Time for many people to stop and think: What does my reaction to this photo really say about me?"

More on story from Huffington Post and Mail and Guardian

Siberia: toys and dolls stage Russian mini-demo

2012-01-27T02:04:00.001-08:00

Russians unhappy with rigged elections and the prospect of the return of Tsar Vlad don't always have it easy making their objections known, especially if they happen to live in the Siberian city of Barnaul.

Would-be protestors had to become resourceful when a protest was broken up and requests to hold a sanctioned demo repeatedly turned down by local authorities. Rather than defy the ban in person locals decided to use toys and stuffed animals as stand-ins - an event they dubbed a "nano demonstration."

Lego figurines, teddy bears, stuffed rabbits and monkeys, toy sheep and horses took up the cause. An army of mini protestors, all immune to frostbite, had no problem standing in the snow alongside miniature protest signs. The messages got straight to the point: "I'm for clean elections"... "A thief should sit in jail, not the Kremlin"... "Putin: don't confuse the peoples' interests with your own interests."

A graduate student behind the toy demo, Lyudmila Alexandrova said "The authorities' attempt to limit citizens' rights to express their position has become absurd..."

Russians are very resourceful when it comes to challenging the authorities. The art collective Voina has staged a number of headline making events in order to get their message out. Everything from staged hangings to painting a 65-meter-phallus on a bridge in St Petersburg.

The toy demo in Barnaul hasn't fared any better than the human ones. Cops tried pressuring those involved to take their little furry friends home... took photos of the toys and wrote down the messages on the signs. They also warned that the event was illegal since the demo area hadn't been rented from city authorities.

Despite the novelty aspect to the Barnaul protest, the message is deadly serious. There is a lot of anger in Russia over an election that was clearly rigged in favor of Putin's United Russia party aka "the party of crooks and thieves."

Stalin once said that it is the counting rather than the voting that matters. The maxim still seems to hold true. Exit polling indicated United Russia had won less than 30% of the vote. But after a long wait, the result came in at 46.5%.

Other irregularities include astounding turnouts in some regions that appeared to exceed 140%. In Chechnya United Russia pulled off a miraculous 99.5%.

If toys can get out the message about the vote rigging and contempt for democracy that is stalling progressive reform in Russia, more power to them.

More from Radio Free Europe

A photo gallery of the toy demo from The Guardian.

Al Jazeera video discusses the Russian election and rigging allegations:

CasaPound: Ezra Pound's daughter defends fascist papa

2012-01-23T23:34:00.001-08:00

Top: Ezra Pound/Mary de Rachewiltz

The daughter of the American poet, Ezra Pound, is demanding that the Italian extremist organization CasaPound stop using her father's name.

Mary de Rachewiltz was spurred to take legal action by the Christmas killing of two Senegalese traders in Florence. The perpetrator, Gianluca Casseri - who committed suicide following the killings - was known to have ties with CasaPound.

Casseri

Ms Rachewiltz takes exception to what she describes as a "politically compromised organization" using the name of Pound. Hardly surprising CasaPound found the poet so inspirational. Her equally "compromised" father was a fascist supporter in WW2 - and a very vocal one.

Ezra Pound was a highly accomplished poet, but his reputation has been marred by his fascism and the virulent anti-Jewish views that can be found in his poetry, writings and polemics. What is odd about Pound is the stark contrast between the disciplined use-of-language in his poetry and the fascist shill who at times came off like the worst type of soap box demagogue.

The poet Charles Olson had an interesting take on Pound - "Pound and his kind want to ignore [the masses]. They try to lock them out. But they swarm at the windows in such numbers they block out the light and the air. And in their little place Pound and his kind suffocate, their fear turns to hate. And their hate breeds death. They want to kill. And, organized by Hitler and Mussolini, they do kill--millions."

Pound's broadcasts on Italian radio during WW2 included frequent attacks on Jews. During the same period he wrote for Italian newspapers - apparently he needed the coin. One piece had the title The Jews, Disease Incarnate. His pro-fascist writings also showed up in Action, a newspaper put out by British fascist leader Oswald Mosley. On its pages he stated his bizarre belief that the Third Reich was "the natural civilizer of Russia."

Associates were made aware of his loyalties. In a letter to the publisher James Laughlin, he wrote that Roosevelt represented Jewry in America and signed off with "Heil Hitler."

Even on the day of Germany's surrender, Pound had high words of praise for Hitler. On May 8, 1945, he told a reporter from the Philadelphia Record that Hitler was "a Jeanne d'Arc, a saint."

He was arrested by American troops and transferred to the US Disciplinary Training Center north of Pisa. There he was consigned to a six-by-six outdoor steel cage or "death cell" for three weeks. The experience contributed to a mental breakdown.

The steel cages in Pisa.

On his return to the US Pound was charged with treason. He was judged to be mentally ill and confined in St Elizabeth's hospital in Washington D.C. Following his release from the hospital in 1958, he returned to Italy where he died in 1972.

Given Ezra Pound's very public fascist allegiances and extensive connections with Italy, it's little surprise that a new breed of extremist in that country identifies with him. While it's entirely understandable that Mary de Rachewiltz has reacted to the Florence killings with concern about the appropriation of the Pound name, her late father supported an ideology that was responsible not for the death of two, but for the death of millions.

Beneath is an Ezra Pound radio recording from the 40's. The audio quality is poor but it provides an insight into his views of World War 2.

Not my dad!

2012-01-23T23:30:00.000-08:00

Breivik's manifesto 2083 to be adapted for stage by Cafe Teatret

2012-01-21T21:49:00.000-08:00

The manifesto of Norwegian mass murderer Anders Behring Breivik is headed for a dramatic makeover. The artistic director of the Copenhagen based Cafe Teatret, Christian Lollike, has plans to adapt the 1,500 page manifesto for the stage.

Lollike said that the views espoused by Breivik aren't unique and that it's possible a similar type of tragedy could happen again. He believes it is important to understand where Breivik was coming from - "What I'm afraid of is that Breivik's way of thinking will be left alone and will not be probed and reflected on..."

Christian Lollike

A cynical view might be that the project is an attempt to exploit Breivik's infamy. That certainly seems to be the view of Erik Ulfsby, director of The Norwegian Theatre. He called Lollike's rationale "a bad excuse to draw attention to his project."

Per Balch Soerensen, the father of one of those murdered by Breivik said the play - Manifesto 2083 - is an "acceptance of his (Breivik's) acts."

Lollike is right about one thing - it is important to examin Breivik's ideas. It is important to look beyond the manifesto as Breivik's "creation" to the sources, connections and individuals that helped inspire and motivate him. He may have acted alone, but he was heavily influenced by the "crusading" conspiracy theorists who, however inadvertently, helped place a metaphorical gun in his hand. There was nothing spontaneous about Breivik's actions, the massacre was preceded by meticulous planning and extensive online communications.

A Guardian article titled Anders Breivik's spider web of hate includes maps that show the web pages Breivik linked to and the ways in which those pages link back to Breivik's manifesto:

More Breivik mind maps from the Guardian here.

Breivik's manifesto is heavily derivative with borrowings from some of the better known online "defenders of the gates." Names that come up include the pseudonymous Fjordman and Jihad Watch's Robert Spence. Breivik also seemed impressed with a site called Gates of Vienna run by American Edward May. Other pundits mentioned include Daniel Pipes, Mark Steyn and Melanie Phillips.

In common with a lot of right wing alarmists Breivik blames the "downfall" of Western culture on "cultural Marxists" and "multiculturalism." His obsessions are tediously predictable - vikings, Templars, crusaders... all the epic stuff that fed into his sense of being white, Christian and superior. He says at one point "I am very proud of my Viking heritage. My name, Breivik, is a place name from Northern Norway, dating back to before the Viking era..."

It's the type of mono-minded writing of the cut-and-paste variety that seems eerily familiar. Some pundits have noted a similarity in style between Breivik's manifesto and jihadist instruction manuals.

Some on the right argue that Breivik was a madman and that calling him an "Islamophobe" shouldn't really apply because he went after his "neighbors" and no mosque was targeted. The need to believe that since Breivik was deranged those who he cites as authorities are somehow absolved of any taint of association, however tangential, is understandable. These pundits are keen to put as much mileage between themselves and the atrocity as possible. Labeling Breivik as unhinged is one way of doing that. Unfortunately for them, twisted though Breivik's thinking may be a recent diagnosis determined that he is not insane.

UK Independent:

Psychiatrists who are monitoring Norwegian mass murderer Anders Behring Breivik say that he is not psychotic, contradicting an earlier diagnosis by experts.

A court filing by the public prosecutor said four experts at Ila Prison in Oslo had not observed any signs that Breivik was insane.

It was also revealed that he was not receiving any medication and the prison had not seen any need to move him to another facility.

His manifesto although derivative was carefully crafted, even compelling reading in parts. A crusader on a mission and it's clear where he drew his inspiration from.

One way to do a dramatic reworking of the manifesto would be to get behind the crusader's mask and justifications to expose the web of hate-driven thinking that was a prime motivator. A theatrical adaptation of Breivik's manifesto just might succeed in doing that. Whether Cafe Teatret's monologue, Manifesto 2083, will come even close is another question.

Loomit and year of 'Germany in India'

2012-01-20T20:52:00.002-08:00

The German graffiti artist Mathias Koehler aka Loomit has been working in India under the aegis of the year of "Germany in India". Graffiti artists Zebster, Tasso and Wok have also been involved with the project.

Here's part of the statement put out by Infinite Opportunities that describes some of the aims of "Germany and India 2011-2012":

Eligible projects have to be in accordance with the overall theme and focus of “Germany and India 2011-2012: Infinite Opportunities”. The project should be relevant to both Germany and India and fall under the thematic focus of “StadtRäume — CitySpaces”, which addresses relevant transformation processes in India and the various challenges regarding rapid urban development.

Later this month the German Film Orchestra will perform works by the Indian composer A.R. Rahman aka "the Mozart of Madras". In another much anticipated event the legendary German football club Bayern Munich took on team India at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in New Delhi.

Loomit has been working in Delhi. One of his projects took him to the Malviya Nagar area. Below are some examples of Loomit's work in India.

Loomit in Delhi

Check out the video beneath of a collaborative musical event featuring German percussionist and drummer Christoph Haberer and Indian percussionist Sivamani.

Read more about Germany in India 2011-2012 here.

Rick Perry's misguided 'Islamic terrorist' spin re Turkey

2012-01-18T17:31:00.000-08:00

As though we need any more proof that American politics on the right risks a descent into unhinged nuttiness, up steps Rick Perry with his wisdom on Turkey.

Perry has had a few challenges in the course of the Republican race. A candidate touted as a top gun in the right's campaign against Barrack Obama has revealed himself over time to be a few bullets short of a full round.

Most recently Perry suggested that Turkey is run by Islamic terrorists. He made this astonishing remark during a Republican candidates' debate while attempting to drive home a point about honor killings in Turkey.

That wasn't his only outlandish claim. During a TV interview he told CNN's Wolf Blitzer that Turkey received $11 billion in aid in the last few years. This is incorrect unless Perry's "few years" covers the time span between now and the 1940's. Since 2009 Turkey has received $21 million in military and security assistance.

Turkey is a long standing NATO ally. Just recently a NATO early-warning radar system - part of the missile defense system in Europe - was set up in Turkey. The White House stated in response to Perry's remarks, Turkey is "on the front line in the war against terrorism."

Syria's Bashar al-Assad who is viewed by many on the right as a backer of "Islamic terrorism" has been roundly criticized by Turkish authorities for attacking his own citizens. Turkey went as far as slapping sanctions against Damascus last month. PM Erdogan has called for al-Assad to step down.

So-called "honor" killings happen in many countries, not just Turkey. They happen here in Canada, in the UK. They happen in the USA. They happen in Sweden, in Denmark, in the Netherlands. It is a mistake to use it as an excuse to tar Turkey - and by extension Islam - with the "extremist" brush because at root it is a product of patriarchal cultural norms that run deep in more traditional societies. Many imams have openly condemned the practice.

In reaction to a current case in Canada involving an Afghan man who is on trial for the murder of his three daughters and first wife, dozens of Canadian imams spoke out to condemn "honor" violence. Ottawa-based imam Samy Metwally told the Ottawa Citizen “What’s called honour killing is not part of Islamic teaching or tradition, and in fact there is no honour in this killing at all...” He spoke with the newspaper on the day of the "call to action" when imams across Canada delivered sermons expressing their opposition to the practice.

Violence in Turkey towards women and gays in the name of misguided honor is a problem. On this blog I wrote about the background to the killing of a gay Turkish man named Ahmet Yildiz. Crimes against women and homosexuals that in the past remained hushed up in Turkey are increasingly being exposed. This is one reason we are seeing an increase in related stats and hearing more about such incidents in the media. A good thing, because an important step in tackling such abuses is to force them into the light of day.

When a 19-year old named Ceylan Sosyal was killed by her brother with family connivance because she married without her parent's approval - six members of the family were taken into custody. Turkey is showing signs of getting to grips with a problem that PM Erdogan has described as “a longstanding bleeding wound of the society.”

Writing in The Guardian, Elif Shafak speaks of some of the initiatives that are being taken in Turkey, both officially and at the grass roots level, to address the problem:

Family and social policies minister Fatma Sahin has announced that abusive husbands will be kept away from their homes with the help of electronic handcuffs. A group of men in the eastern province of Van have organised a significant march to protest at male violence. The group's speaker proclaimed: "We are ashamed of men who attack women and do so in the name of manhood."

University students are marching on the streets, women's organisations are collecting signatures. Through blogs, websites, magazines, fanzines, panels and conferences activists are raising their voices, singers give concerts to honour women who have been victims of killings, writers and poets condemn the violence openly and contest it with their words. And yet, all this is not enough. Unless we change the way we raise our sons and discard our belief that they are superior to our daughters, unless we mothers stop treating our sons as the sultans in the house, nothing will be enough.

"Honor" violence in Turkey is rooted in social conditioning, especially in those sectors of society that have a more traditional patriarchal outlook. Using these tragedies to create the impression that Turkish leadership is extremist and "terrorist" is completely off-base.

Perry is at the back of the pack in S. Carolina so maybe he decided to go for a headline grabber in hopes of scaring up a few badly needed votes.

The world according to Rick

2012-01-18T17:26:00.000-08:00

Etam lingerie models flash Renoir

2012-01-15T00:04:00.000-08:00

The French lingerie company Etam has been using "flash flash" ad campaigns to get the message out. Judging from the coverage of their recent unofficial "show" at the Musee d'Orsay in Paris it's grabbing attention, both positive and negative.

Museum visitors had their contemplation of impressionist masters interrupted when three Etam models dropped their trenchcoats to reveal colorful lingerie. The trio took off running through galleries hung with works by impressionist heavies such as Renoir, Monet, Seurat, and Cézanne.

Museum officials were not amused. Musee d'Orsay has a strict no-filming policy without prior authorization. Director Guy Cogeval has threatened legal action if Etam doesn't remove the video from its website. Bit late since the video has gone viral.

The museum released a statement calling the impromptu flash show "a serious infringement of the Orsay's rights and the rights of others."

Etam probably thinks it's worth the risk. After all a stunt like this gets picked up and relayed across the net with lightning speed. Outraged officialdom and threats of lawsuits just add to the interest.

The company has staged similar events before. Lingerie models were filmed in their skimpies skating at the Eiffel Tower ice rink. In another shoot the models stripped down to bare essentials to go through security at Charles de Gaulle airport.

Flash ad campaigns are a bit like the advertising equivalent of shock-and-awe. They pull major coverage by turning product promotion into a show stopping event... a news story.

T-Mobile's flash mob ads generated a huge buzz. "The T-Mobile Dance" in London's Liverpool Street Station was a viral sensation. Bystanders got drawn into the action, taking pictures and texting - an interactive experience very different from conventional product advertising.

On the flip side of the coin, these events can also be annoying or an inconvenience. Depending on your preference, having a carefully scheduled afternoon with the masters interrupted by giggling lingerie models could ruin the mood. Flash mobs have also drawn criticism from transport police in the UK for obvious reasons - hundreds of dancing, strutting people can be a major headache at the peak of rush hour.

Video of the Musee d'Orsay event from Huffington Post

Sarah Ferguson orphanage film: Turkish court files charges

2012-01-14T02:38:00.000-08:00

The Duchess of York aka Fergie has been charged by a Turkish court in connection with an ITV documentary she participated in that investigated conditions in Turkish orphanages.

She has been charged with breaching Turkey's laws by acquiring secret undercover footage and of violating the privacy of five children. In the case of a conviction the charges carry a maximum jail term of more than 22-years. A British interior ministry source says there is no prospect of her being extradited to face the charges.

The Duchess was accompanied by her daughter Eugenie during the trip.

While making the documentary Fergie posed as a potential charitable donor and when the occasion required disguised her appearance with a wig and large headscarf. She kept her royal status under wraps going by only the name "Sarah".

The documentary Duchess and Daughters: Their Secret Mission was broadcast on the UK's ITV show, Tonight, in November 2008. Disturbing scenes showing disabled children provoked an angry reaction from Turkish authorities. The Duchess was accused of smearing Turkey. This is a country where there is an actual law against insulting Turkishness. Article 301 of the penal code makes it illegal to insult Turkey, the Turkish ethnicity, or Turkish government institutions.

The Duchess who claims she is "apolitical" said she undertook the project "as a mom" and a human rights activist for children - but since we're talking about the notorious Fergie some skepticism has been expressed about her motivations.

Fergie has been known to do a number of newsworthy things over the years that have left people scratching their heads. All the way from being photographed having her toes sucked by "financial adviser" John Bryan... to being caught in a sting operation trying to sell access to her husband, the Duke of York, for $500,000.

It could be argued that Fergie's royal status brought a celebrity angle into play and so helped highlight a human rights issue. If the documentary has helped spur reform then so much the better. However Turkish authorities may not have seen it quite like that. They are no doubt aware of Fergie's reputation and being "outed" by someone who has spent much of her adult life being outed mightn't have gone over too well. Also it isn't as though the situation facing children in care in the UK is beyond reproach.

Some Turkish politicians take the view that the undercover documentary was an effort to hurt the country's chances of joining the EU. The minister responsible for child protections, Nimet Cubukcu, said it was known that Fergie was opposed to Turkey's EU ambitions. Turkish Foreign minister, Ali Babican, has also been critical saying the documentary involved " a breach of privacy".

There is little argument that there are human rights issues in Turkey that need to be addressed. As far back as 2005, Mental Disability Rights International (MDRI) released a report - Behind Closed Doors: Human Rights Abuses in Psychiatric Facilities, Orphanages and Rehabilitation Centers of Turkey. In response to the criticism in the report Turkey's largest psychiatric hospital, the Bakırköy state hospital in Istanbul, abolished the use of "unmodified" ECT procedures.

To what extent Fergie's undercover op has helped the larger cause of bettering the lot of kids in care is hard to gauge. One thing you have to say for her though... unlike many royals who have most in common with Madam Tussaud's lookalikes, Fergie isn't afraid to give it a go.