tag:www.singingrevolution.com,2012:/blog//4 2012-02-09T16:28:05Z Movable Type Commercial 4.23-en tag:www.singingrevolution.com,2012:/blog//4.711 2012-02-09T16:23:56Z 2012-02-09T16:28:05Z

Sunday, February 12, 2012 3:00 PM Lexington High School Choral Department is proud to be the first high school group to screen "The Singing Revolution" as a fundraiser for their upcoming concert tour of Sweden, Finland and Estonia. Filmmakers James...

Maureen http://www.singingrevolution.com/ Lexington High School Choral Department is proud to be the first high school group to screen "The Singing Revolution" as a fundraiser for their upcoming concert tour of Sweden, Finland and Estonia. Filmmakers James Tusty and Maureen Castle Tusty will be present for the screening to introduce the film, talk about the journey of making the documentary and to take audience questions and feedback. Lexington High School choruses will perform Estonian choral selections,and 50 guests may opt for a special ticket which will include a catered reception with the filmmakers. Lexington High School 251 Waltham Street Lexington, MA 02421 3:00 - 5:30pm Film screening, Q&A session and mini-concert 6:30 - 7:30pm Reception with filmmakers, James Tusty and Maureen Castle Tusty Tickets are available now and can be purchased by contacting Elise Rowley at singingrevolutionlhs@gmail.com $5 students $12 adults $30 film screening and reception (limited to 50 participants) ]]> http://www.singingrevolution.com/blog/2012/02/tsr_screening_concert_in_lexin.shtml tag:www.singingrevolution.com,2011:/blog//4.709 2011-11-28T18:30:08Z 2011-11-28T18:32:01Z

"The Singing Revolution" got a nice review/full article in the Wall Street Journal. Click the link below to read the article also on the website: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424053111903596904576514322485299098.html?KEYWORDS=singing+revolution....

Maureen http://www.singingrevolution.com/ http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424053111903596904576514322485299098.html?KEYWORDS=singing+revolution.]]> http://www.singingrevolution.com/blog/2011/11/the_singing_revolution_in_the.shtml tag:www.singingrevolution.com,2011:/blog//4.707 2011-07-27T10:42:08Z 2011-07-27T10:55:10Z

By ANTHONY SHADID Published in the The New York Times July 21, 2011 HAMA, Syria -- As anthems go, this one is fittingly blunt. "Come on Bashar, leave," it declares to President Bashar al-Assad. And in the weeks since it...

Maureen http://www.singingrevolution.com/ By ANTHONY SHADID Published in the The New York Times July 21, 2011 HAMA, Syria -- As anthems go, this one is fittingly blunt. "Come on Bashar, leave," it declares to President Bashar al-Assad. And in the weeks since it was heard in protests in this city, the song has become a symbol of the power of the protesters' message, the confusion in their ranks and the violence of the government in stopping their dissent. Although no one in Hama seems to agree on who wrote the song, there is near consensus on one point: A young cement layer who sang it in protests was dragged from the Orontes River this month with his throat cut and, according to residents, his vocal cords ripped out. Since his death, boys as young as 6 have offered their rendition in his place. Rippling through the virtual communities that the Internet and revolt have inspired, the song has spread to other cities in Syria, where protesters chant it as their own. "We've all memorized it," said Ahmed, a 40-year-old trader in Hama who regularly attends protests. "What else can you do if you keep repeating it at demonstrations day after day?" Tunisia can claim the slogan of the Arab revolts: "The people want to topple the regime." Egyptians made famous street poetry that reflected their incomparable wit. "Come on Bashar, Leave," is Syria's contribution to the pop culture of sedition, the raw street humor that mingles with the furor of revolt and the ferocity of crackdown. ]]> http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/22/world/middleeast/22poet.html?_r=2&ref=world ]]> http://www.singingrevolution.com/blog/2011/07/another_example_of_the_power_o.shtml tag:www.singingrevolution.com,2011:/blog//4.706 2011-07-06T17:48:27Z 2011-07-06T17:51:23Z

Estonian Youth Sing Their Way into the Future "Singing was a potent symbol of nationhood for Estonians throughout decades of Soviet rule. Now it's helping the country complete its journey into European integration....." FULL ARTICLE: http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,15210489,00.html...

Maureen http://www.singingrevolution.com/ Estonian Youth Sing Their Way into the Future "Singing was a potent symbol of nationhood for Estonians throughout decades of Soviet rule. Now it's helping the country complete its journey into European integration....." FULL ARTICLE: http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,15210489,00.html]]> http://www.singingrevolution.com/blog/2011/07/estonian_youth_music_festival.shtml tag:www.singingrevolution.com,2011:/blog//4.693 2011-06-01T18:02:17Z 2011-06-01T22:08:15Z

Yemen on the Edge Excerpt: "There was a sense that the people of Yemen were too poor or too tribal or too "backward" to engage in a nonviolent civil insurrection against their dictator. However, as other unarmed pro-democracy uprisings...

Maureen http://www.singingrevolution.com/ Yemen on the Edge Excerpt: "There was a sense that the people of Yemen were too poor or too tribal or too "backward" to engage in a nonviolent civil insurrection against their dictator. However, as other unarmed pro-democracy uprisings in the region have demonstrated, the desire of human freedom and the willingness face down the tanks, machine guns, tear gas, and truncheons to defend basic rights is indeed universal." article]]> http://www.singingrevolution.com/blog/2011/06/an_article_by_stephen_zunes_in.shtml tag:www.singingrevolution.com,2011:/blog//4.691 2011-05-26T19:45:39Z 2011-05-26T19:59:34Z

Why Estonia may be Europe's model country By Isabelle de Pommereau, Correspondent / May 18, 2011 Tallinn, Estonia An 82-foot-high billboard wrapping Estonia's finance ministry building in its capital, Tallinn, boasts: "The euro, my money." It stands just blocks from...

Maureen http://www.singingrevolution.com/ Why Estonia may be Europe's model country By Isabelle de Pommereau, Correspondent / May 18, 2011 Tallinn, Estonia An 82-foot-high billboard wrapping Estonia's finance ministry building in its capital, Tallinn, boasts: "The euro, my money." It stands just blocks from the city's cobbled, winding medieval streets and baroque churches, in a downtown where skyscrapers have replaced Russian bunkers, as a symbol of Estonia's transformation from poor Soviet republic to the European Union's rising star. When Estonia was accepted into the eurozone in January, seven years after joining the EU and two decades after the fall of the Soviet Union, it was another big step for the small Baltic nation away from its imposing neighbor to the east, Russia. Over the next five years, it's expected to have Europe's fastest-growing economy. It emerged from the global financial crisis wounded, but has rebounded after adopting austere measures few other countries would accept. It's given the world Skype and the only national volunteer cyberarmy, and is adding to the EU a rare sense of determination at a time when pessimism about the euro prevails - a consequence of the debt crises that have hit Greece, Ireland, and Portugal and the bailout plans that followed. Indeed, Estonia, which is still the eurozone's poorest country, has emerged as the darling of its beleaguered union. [Editor's note: The original version incorrectly stated that Estonia is the poorest European country. It is the poorest eurozone country.] article]]> http://www.singingrevolution.com/blog/2011/05/it_is_possible_to_undertake_se.shtml tag:www.singingrevolution.com,2011:/blog//4.686 2011-05-17T19:52:43Z 2011-05-17T20:18:58Z

Gene Sharp Evan McGlinn for The New York Times Gene Sharp is an American intellectual whose ideas can be fatal to the world's despots. For decades, Mr. Sharp's practical writings on nonviolent revolution -- most notably "From Dictatorship to Democracy,"...

Maureen http://www.singingrevolution.com/ Gene Sharp Evan McGlinn for The New York Times Gene Sharp is an American intellectual whose ideas can be fatal to the world's despots. For decades, Mr. Sharp's practical writings on nonviolent revolution -- most notably "From Dictatorship to Democracy," a 93-page guide to toppling autocrats, available for download in 24 languages -- have inspired dissidents around the world, including in Burma, Bosnia, Estonia and Zimbabwe, and now Tunisia and Egypt. When Egypt's April 6 Youth Movement was struggling to recover from a failed effort in 2005, its leaders tossed around "crazy ideas" about bringing down the government, said Ahmed Maher, a leading strategist. They stumbled on Mr. Sharp while examining the Serbian movement Otpor, which he had influenced. When the nonpartisan International Center on Nonviolent Conflict, which trains democracy activists, slipped into Cairo several years ago to conduct a workshop, among the papers it distributed was Mr. Sharp's "198 Methods of Nonviolent Action," a list of tactics that range from hunger strikes to "protest disrobing" to "disclosing identities of secret agents." article]]> http://www.singingrevolution.com/blog/2011/05/article_on_gene_sharp_professo.shtml tag:www.singingrevolution.com,2011:/blog//4.685 2011-05-12T17:36:38Z 2011-05-12T17:38:26Z

Excerpt from article "The rise of a new nonviolent popularism in the Middle East may seriously undercut the viability of the jihadi image of violent social change"...

Maureen http://www.singingrevolution.com/ Excerpt from article "The rise of a new nonviolent popularism in the Middle East may seriously undercut the viability of the jihadi image of violent social change" article]]> http://www.singingrevolution.com/blog/2011/05/the_jihadi_revolution_is_dead.shtml tag:www.singingrevolution.com,2011:/blog//4.678 2011-05-02T17:10:05Z 2011-05-02T17:21:44Z

Here's a great summary of how oppressive regimes are trying to control this new era of immediate online information sharing. The technology race takes on all new meaning, and who's going to be better/faster at it? Those desperate for freedom...

Maureen http://www.singingrevolution.com/ Click here to read the full article "The 10 Tools of Online Oppressors" from CPJ - The Committee to Protect Journalists ]]> http://www.singingrevolution.com/blog/2011/05/totalitarian_regimes_still_con.shtml tag:www.singingrevolution.com,2011:/blog//4.673 2011-04-20T20:46:01Z 2011-04-20T21:05:06Z

News Digest on Nonviolent Conflict The following articles take a look at nonviolent conflict around the world; check the link below to find out what's happening in your homeland. article...

Maureen http://www.singingrevolution.com/ article]]> http://www.singingrevolution.com/blog/2011/04/various_articles_on_nonviolent.shtml tag:www.singingrevolution.com,2011:/blog//4.671 2011-04-14T21:54:52Z 2011-04-14T22:12:24Z

"A revolution simply means great change, significant change, and that's how I'm defining it--great change for the better, brought about through non-violent means." Please read article below:...

Maureen http://www.singingrevolution.com/ "A revolution simply means great change, significant change, and that's how I'm defining it--great change for the better, brought about through non-violent means." Please read article below: article]]> http://www.singingrevolution.com/blog/2011/04/a_quote_from_aung_san_suu_kyi.shtml tag:www.singingrevolution.com,2011:/blog//4.662 2011-03-25T20:04:04Z 2011-03-25T20:28:35Z

The following is an article from "The Moscow Times" on differences, both economic, and social, that are working so well for Estonia in comparison to Russia (both countries, formerly members of the Soviet Union) Excerpt: The contrast between Estonia and...

Maureen http://www.singingrevolution.com/ The following is an article from "The Moscow Times" on differences, both economic, and social, that are working so well for Estonia in comparison to Russia (both countries, formerly members of the Soviet Union) Excerpt: The contrast between Estonia and Russia becomes all the more striking when we turn to qualitative indicators. In the recent survey of math skills of school pupils by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, Estonia ended up in 17th place, far higher than the Western average, while Russia fell significantly below the average in 38th place. More obscure comparisons of health care point in the same direction. The Estonian public sector functions very well by the standards of the European Union, while Russia's social sector is neither effective nor efficient. Please read full article: Learning Some Big Lessons From Little Estonia 22 March 2011 By Anders Aslund Of all the post-Communist countries, none has been more successful in its reforms than Estonia. Today, it is difficult to imagine that only 20 years ago, Estonia and Russia were republics in the same state. A comparison between the two shows what really matters for social and economic development. The least remarkable difference lies in gross domestic product. Estonia's GDP per capita is about 20 percent higher than Russia's at current exchange rates. This difference was about the same when both states belonged to the Soviet Union. In these terms, both have been successful. Estonia's strong growth performance shows how limited Russia's advantage is from its vast oil revenues, even when the oil price is close to an all-time high. The predicted growth rates for the next few years are similar at about 4 percent a year, though Estonia is more likely to outperform than Russia. The contrast between Estonia and Russia becomes all the more striking when we turn to qualitative indicators. In the recent survey of math skills of school pupils by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, Estonia ended up in 17th place, far higher than the Western average, while Russia fell significantly below the average in 38th place. More obscure comparisons of health care point in the same direction. The Estonian public sector functions very well by the standards of the European Union, while Russia's social sector is neither effective nor efficient. The largest difference is corruption. Out of the 178 countries on the Corruption Perception Index of Transparency International, Estonia ranks 26, while Russia is No. 154. Estonia was perceived as somewhat more honest in Soviet days, but not much. This discrepancy has largely arisen after the end of the Soviet Union. Estonia has grown more honest, and Russia far more corrupt. The direct cause of this huge chasm is the business environment. On the World Bank index for the ease of doing business, Estonia ranks steadily 17 out of 183 countries, while Russia is 123rd and falling. Estonia is simply a much more livable society. Estonia is a leader in e-government, while Russia's red tape remains oppressive. These few observations show two different things. On the one hand, the level of economic development as measured in GDP is usually rather inert and economic convergence with the West requires decades. In terms of purchasing-power parity, Estonia has reached about half of the GDP per capita of the original 15 members of the European Union. At the same time, however, in most qualitative regards, Estonia ranks higher than the original EU members, showing that the functioning of the state and the public sector can change much faster than people usually think. Corruption is often blamed on ingrained traditions and institutions of the Soviet Union or the Russian Empire, but both Estonia and Russia were part of those states. Arguments of religion and culture have proved wrong so often that we may ignore them. The rising gap between Estonia and Russia shows how important government policy is and how fast corruption and the state can actually change. No government can get away with blaming history or tradition for its failure to control corruption. Nor is it sufficient to be a market economy or maintain good fiscal policy. Before the global financial crisis, Russia and Estonia had similarly limited public expenditures as a share of GDP, and both enjoyed persistent fiscal surpluses and had virtually no public debts. Both countries have flat income taxes and generally low or moderate tax rates. But business life is quite different in the two countries. Estonia has no oligarchs or even very rich people. In the early 1990s, its business was dominated by shady metal traders, who operated like their Russian colleagues, buying metals at low prices fixed by the state and exporting them at a free market price. Such business required controls over prices and exports, but as soon as both were liberalized this business was washed away. Russian business remains dominated by oligarchs whose very existence requires good relations with the ruling elite -- one that doles out money, permits and other assets, while limiting competition from the market. Russia's red tape gives officials the opportunity to collect kickbacks and allows the business elite to reap excessively large profits because of stifled competition. Much of this is being financed with rents from oil and gas, which go to wealthy officials and favored businessmen. Russia needs to achieve Estonia's degree of deregulation and transparency. The ultimate difference is that the Estonian government is focused on the welfare of its nation, while the Russian leaders are preoccupied with their own welfare. That is the difference between democracy and authoritarianism. Democracies are strong in crisis because they enjoy legitimacy in the eyes of their citizens. On March 6, Estonia held parliamentary elections. The current two dominant center-right coalition partners, the Estonian Reform Party and the Pro Patria and Res Publica Union, won an increased majority, although GDP plummeted by a total of 19 percent in 2008 and 2009, when the same government ruled. The Estonian voters understand that this was caused by the global financial crisis and do not blame their government for what it cannot control. Small, open economies are vulnerable to the hazards of loose global monetary policy. The Estonian government was compelled to carry out a fiscal adjustment of no less than 9 percent of GDP in 2009 essentially by cutting public expenditures. It has also managed to minimize its budget deficit. The contrast is stark with authoritarian Russia, where the government is so afraid of the population that it has switched to a populist policy during the crisis, throwing money at any group that may cause unrest. Thus, Russia maintains a significant budget deficit despite the current abundant oil revenues. Estonia sets a good example for Russia to follow. It shows what Russia should and can do when it becomes democratic again. After all, Russia is far too rich, educated and open to be so corrupt and authoritarian. Remember that there is only one country that is richer and more corrupt than Russia -- Equatorial Guinea. http://www.singingrevolution.com/blog/2011/03/learning_some_big_lessons_from.shtml tag:www.singingrevolution.com,2011:/blog//4.661 2011-03-25T16:18:02Z 2011-03-25T16:31:39Z

Here's an excerpt from an article comparing the effectiveness of nonviolent resistance, such as just happened in Egypt, to violent resistance as is happening in Libya. The stats from their research are very interesting to note... EXCERPT: "And while the...

Maureen http://www.singingrevolution.com/ Here's an excerpt from an article comparing the effectiveness of nonviolent resistance, such as just happened in Egypt, to violent resistance as is happening in Libya. The stats from their research are very interesting to note... EXCERPT: "And while the fighting in Libya is far from over, it's not too early to ask a critical question: which is more effective as a force for change, violent or nonviolent resistance? Unfortunately for the Libyan rebels, research shows that nonviolent resistance is much more likely to produce results, while violent resistance runs a greater risk of backfiring......" Please read the full article: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/10/opinion/10chenoweth.html?_r=1]]> http://www.singingrevolution.com/blog/2011/03/effectiveness_of_nonviolent_re.shtml tag:www.singingrevolution.com,2011:/blog//4.659 2011-03-16T20:06:11Z 2011-03-16T20:40:15Z

Let Freedom Sing: Estonia's Army of Voices Arrives In Redding By Adam Mankoski March 16, 2011 2 Comments Printer-Friendly "Land of my Father, land that I love, I can't abandon her. For her a hundred times, I shall give my...

Maureen http://www.singingrevolution.com/ Let Freedom Sing: Estonia's Army of Voices Arrives In Redding By Adam Mankoski March 16, 2011 2 Comments Printer-Friendly "Land of my Father, land that I love, I can't abandon her. For her a hundred times, I shall give my life," begins "Mu Isamaa On Minu Arm," written by Estonian National Poet Lydia Koidula. This passionate poem, created during Estonia's Great Awakening, was first set to music in 1869 and performed that year for Estonia's first Laulupidu, an annual gathering of 30,000 vocalists on one stage and one of the world's largest amateur choral festivals. The song slipped by Laulupidu Soviet censors in 1947, was banned from the festival in the 1950s and sung defiantly in 1969 by 100,000 amateur singers, in competition with 100 soviet band members trying to drown them out. "Mu Isamaa On Minu Arm" was the song that unified Estonia, a country that lost a quarter of its citizens to deportation or execution by the end of WWII. During Estonia's occupation, this song became the rallying cry for a non-violent "Singing Revolution" from 1987 to 1991. Hundreds of thousands of Estonians gathered publicly to sing forbidden patriotic songs and share protest speeches, risking their lives to proclaim their desire for independence. Estonia's "Singing Revolution," accomplished without the loss of a single life, is documented in a film by James and Maureen Tusty that is screening this weekend in Redding. I spoke to Maureen about her experiences in Estonia, music as a revolutionary force and what it's like to watch 30,000 people sing at the same time. ]]> How did your career path lead to creating this film? My husband Jim and I are both filmmakers, and in 1999 we had the opportunity to teach a filmmaking course at the first university to teach film after the departure of the Soviets. As we started to build friendships there, people began to share stories, sitting over dinner, about what happened during these revolution years. We were astounded and moved by what we learned, and the more we researched, the more we were shocked at how dramatic these events were. We committed ourselves to sharing this powerful story outside of Estonia. As we see the current events dramatically unfolding before us in the Middle East, it reaffirms the undeniable human drive for self-determination and that freedom is absolutely core to the human experience. I'm nervous for you just thinking about the film's 2006 premiere in Estonia. How was that? Nervous doesn't begin to describe it! Although we did not make the film for Estonians (they already know their own history), we knew we had to premiere the film there, both out of respect for those who lived it, and also to validate the story. We spent four years researching and fact checking, and we wanted Estonians to consider this film an accurate reflection of their own story. The film premiered at the Black Nights Film Festival to a sold-out audience. It was very meaningful for us when the audience stood and applauded at the end for a solid 10 minutes. And Estonians are not known for being overly-effusive. Even our Estonian co-producers were amazed! It was quite special. What's it like to see Laulupidu live? When I attended my first song festival years ago I thought, "How good could 30,000 singers all together really sound?" How embarrassed I am now of that thought. The Song Festival is a cultural and musical masterpiece, rehearsed for years by choirs that have been singing their entire lives. The quality of the music, the singing, the power of so many voices beautifully orchestrated is overwhelming. You will never hear anything like it, anywhere else, period. What is your favorite of the new generation of revolutionary songs? Too hard to pick just one. I don't think it's the music itself (which, given the time period the songs were written, remind me of what I was lamely dancing to in high school). What's amazing is what these songs are saying. During Soviet times, openly singing about their nation and history instantly touched people to the core, and you can still feel that when you listen to them today. You say that "Songs can be so much more than entertainment." Expound on that. This is the ultimate example of music and song having a profound impact on history and a nation's ultimate survival. Although singing is not the only important factor that caused Estonians to regain their independence in the early '90s, its profound role was critical and multifaceted. Estonia's song tradition helped people to preserve their language and their culture throughout the occupation as the Soviets tried to deny any Estonian identity and assimilate the nation. When the "singing revolution" began in the late 1980s and wave after wave of people came out to gather at these first protests, you can imagine the extreme emotions, anger and fear these people must have felt. Most of these people had parents or grandparents killed or imprisoned in Siberia, a lifetime of oppression, and now after 50 years finally released that anger and frustration. KGB and Soviet police were present at all of these events, just waiting for an excuse to crack down. The Estonian people knew they had to keep these protests non-violent, simply for their survival. Their culture of singing played a critical role in helping them to maintain their non-violent approach, as well as keep their culture alive. Experience James Tusty and Maureen Castle Tusty's "The Singing Revolution," the story of how the Estonian people peacefully regained their freedom, this Saturday in Redding. The screening includes guest speaker Shane Kikut, whose father Aksi lived in Estonian refugee camps for 9 years until they were able to emigrate to the U.S. in 1950. He will share stories about his father and aunt and their experiences. What: A screening of "Singing Revolution," a benefit for People of Progress & Genocide No More - Save Darfur. When: Saturday (March 19), 7 p.m. Where: First United Methodist Church, 1825 East Street, Redding Cost: $5 students, $7.50 general, $20 family. Tickets available at Graphic Emporium - 1525 Pine Street, Redding, or at People of Progress - 1242 Center Street, Redding. For more information about the screening, contact: Marv Steinberg at 229-3661 or Melinda Brown at 243-3811. Click HERE to learn more about the Singing Revolution, and the film. Note from Maureen Tusty: Films like this are often not rated in the U.S., but in Canada this film received a rating of PG for mild violence. She has received emails from people who have brought their 10-, 11- & 12-year-old children to see the film. While each child is different, Tusty advises against taking a child under age 9 or 10. Adam Mankoski enjoys experiencing and writing about the people, places and things that embody the free spirit of the State of Jefferson. He and his partner own HawkMan Studios and are the creators of Redding's 2nd Saturday ArtHop. Email your NorthState weekend events to adamm.anewscafe@gmail.com. http://anewscafe.com/2011/03/16/let-freedom-sing-estonias-army-of-voices-arrives-in-redding/ http://www.singingrevolution.com/blog/2011/03/article_on_the_singing_revolut.shtml tag:www.singingrevolution.com,2011:/blog//4.658 2011-03-16T13:31:57Z 2011-03-16T13:42:17Z

"We mounted this fight to live under the values of the West -- freedom, human rights and human dignity. And now we are alone. But we will stand here in Benghazi to the end. We will live in dignity or...

Maureen http://www.singingrevolution.com/ "We mounted this fight to live under the values of the West -- freedom, human rights and human dignity. And now we are alone. But we will stand here in Benghazi to the end. We will live in dignity or we will die." This is a quote from a Libyan revolution participant. Sadly, I heard similar statements from many, many Estonians interviewed for "The Singing Revolution". I wish there were a way to share the Estonian's experience throughout these struggling regions - gaining freedom is rarely swift, and from what I've learned, hope is essential. click below to read the full article... ]]> Libyan revolution on the verge of collapse Published On Tue Mar 15 2011 By Mitch Potter Washington Bureau BENGHAZI, LIBYA--Forces loyal to Moammar Gadhafi punched hard into the last line of defence protecting the rebel capital of Benghazi Tuesday, putting the shrinking revolution at risk of collapse as hope for international intervention wanes. As another day of UN deliberations ended in discord, the Libyan regime ringed the strategic city of Ajdabiya from two sides, launching volleys of rocket fire from air and ground-based artillery and triggering an exodus or fighters and civilians north on the 200-kilometre highway to Benghazi. Libyan state TV declared Ajdabiya "cleansed of mercenaries and terrorists." Rebel officials in Benghazi later disputed the claim, insisting a rebel counter-attack had retaken the city 100,000. The rebels also claimed a string of victories elsewhere using the first-ever deployment of at least two aging jetfighters brought to the rebel side by defecting Libyan pilots, including the sinking of three Gadhafi warships and an air strike on a military base at Gadhafi's home town of Sirte. But the claims could not be independently verified and come after days of rebel assessments on the fighting that did not match journalists' observations on the ground. All impartial evidence points to Gadhafi's forces continuing the push eastward deep into rebel territory, at the expense of the severely outgunned rebel army. Supporters of a no-fly zone introduced a UN resolution Tuesday aimed at stopping Gadhafi's planes from bombing civilians, but Russia and Germany expressing misgivings. At a G8 meeting earlier in the day, France and Britain failed to win support for a no-fly zone. With no significant progress on grinding foreign diplomacy aimed at stemming the Gadhafi surge, the rebel leadership is now grappling with the prospects that any outside help will amount to too little, too late. "It's unbelievable what is happening at the international level," Iman Boughaigis, spokeswoman for the nascent Libyan Transitional Council, told the Toronto Star. "We mounted this fight to live under the values of the West -- freedom, human rights and human dignity. And now we are alone. "But we will stand here in Benghazi to the end. We will live in dignity or we will die." The Gadhafi brigades now appear in partial control, at least, of the crucial Ajdabiya crossroads, where one desolate desert highway stretches 400 km to the rebel-held city of Tobruk and the eastern border with Egypt and another runs north to Benghazi. A siege of one of both cities now seems likely. And if Gadhafi loyalists break beyond Ajdabiya, there appears a largely unimpeded route to the border itself, which has been unguarded since the uprising erupted one month ago. For days, as the poorly armed rebel fighters retreated hundreds of kilometres in the face of the regime's overwhelming air and groundfire, the hard kernel of the revolt in Benghazi vowed a fight to the death rather than cede their newfound freedom to Gadhafi. The fate of these people, many thousands of whom have gone public, sharing for the first time the deprivations of the past 42 years, appears dangerously near to being left to the mercy of a regime that routinely describes them as "rats and vermin." Some activists wept openly Tuesday at the waterfront courthouse that has served as headquarters of the homegrown revolution. Others described in bitter terms the disappointment of their unanswered pleas for foreign intervention. And others still wondered at the message Gadhafi's apparent rout sends to other autocrats in the region facing popular, freedom-seeking uprisings. None of the revolts that have ricocheted around Arab world have drawn anywhere near the blood of Libya, where minimal estimates placed the death toll at well over 1,000, many of them unarmed civilians. "If this was happening to a western country -- Italy, Germany or Spain -- how long world the world wait to act? One day, one week?" Dr. Abdul Atif Aghwal, chairman of Benghazi's Jamahiriya Hospital, told the Toronto Star. "Here, we wait one month and nothing happens. Gadhafi is a megalomaniac, his mind has snapped, and he will only kill more until he is stopped." Many western journalists who have made home in Benghazi since the uprising erupted were packing bags and readying for an overnight run for the Egyptian border. Others among the handful of foreign nationals left in Benghazi were looking to their governments for a possible final evacuation by sea. Gadhafi promised on Monday he would not kill activists involved in the uprising, should they be trapped and ultimately captured in Benghazi. But a translation of a regime leaflet dropped by air over Ajdabiya suggests retribution may be in the cards. "It is the hour we face the betrayers. House by house, street by street, one by one, person by person, we will hunt the rats," the leaflet said. "Huge numbers of armed people are coming to protect you, so join us. Do not hesitate to execute the betrayers and the rats." Any assault on the well-armed rebels Benghazi itself raises the spectre of urban warfare of a ferocity unseen this past month, with the potential for long weeks of battles and a high civilian death toll. "The amount of guns in Benghazi, the number of RPGs in private homes, is enormous," another rebel spokesman, Mustafa Gheriani, said Tuesday night. "If it should come to that, this city will fight with everything it has." The Gadhafi surge into Ajdabiya came after two days of air attacks, a morning of artillery shelling and what appeared to be a short-lived counterattack Monday, when some rebel fighters managed to push back to the oil port of Brega, 80 km west. Word of the rebel counterstrike emboldened some civilians to attempt to drive back to their homes along the desert road between the two towns. But the civilian convoy reportedly was subjected to a withering attack by Gadhafi forces, with several cars and their occupants destroyed, according a German media crew that witnessed the ambush. The German journalists also were hit in the attack and said their Libyan driver was killed by gunfire. They claimed to have fled on foot, moving eastward for seven hours late Monday before flagging down a rebel car and making their way back to relative safety in Benghazi. http://www.thestar.com/news/world/article/954084--the-star-in-libya-libyan-revolution-on-the-verge-of-collapse ]]> http://www.singingrevolution.com/blog/2011/03/and_now_we_are_alone_-_somethi.shtml