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REWIND - A Week of Quotes and Cartoons

SUNDAY

Quote of the Day

February 2, 2014

'Kerry's rush to punish Russia and Nato's decision to

respond to Kiev's call by holding a meeting of member

states' ambassadors in Brussels today were mistakes.

Ukraine is not part of the alliance, so none of the

obligations of common defence come into play. Nato

should refrain from interfering in Ukraine by word or

deed. The fact that it insists on getting engaged

reveals the elephant in the room: underlying the crisis

in Crimea and Russia's fierce resistance to potential

changes is Nato's undisguised ambition to continue two

decades of expansion into what used to be called "post-

Soviet space", led by Bill Clinton and taken up by

successive administrations in Washington. At the back of

Pentagon minds, no doubt, is the dream that a US navy

will one day replace the Russian Black Sea fleet in the

Crimean ports of Sevastopol and Balaclava.'

Columnist Jonathan Steele, a roving foreign

correspondent and author the book

Ghosts of Afghanistan

The Guardian (UK)

February 2, 2014

Toon of the Day

Ownership

Mike Luckovich



 

MONDAY

Quote of the Day

 

'To the American people, give them my best wishes and my

gratitude. To the U.S. government, give them my anger,

my extreme anger.'

Afghan President Hamid Karzai

to departing Washington Post

journalists following an

interview March 1 in Kabul

Washington Post

March 3, 2014

 

Toon of the Day

Party Down

Tony Auth

 

TUESDAY

Quote of the Day

 

'Neoconservatives, politicians and frustrated Cold

Warriors filling armchairs in the outdated "strategic"

think tanks that litter Washington will continue to howl

at the moon. But U.S. policy should be run by the sober.

The president would be well advised to investigate

whether the European Union, Russia and the United States

can join together to preserve Ukraine's territorial

unity; to support new and free elections; and to agree

to allow Ukraine to be part of both the European Union

and Russian customs union, while reaffirming the pledge

that NATO will not extend itself into Ukraine. It is

time to reduce tensions and create possibility, not flex

rhetorical muscles and fan the flames of folly.'

Katrina vanden Heuvel

Washington Post

March 4, 2014

 

Toon of the Day

Oscar Nights

Rob Rogers

 

WEDNESDAY

Quote of the Day

 

'Perhaps, by picking the right fights, revealing the

Republican extremes, pointing the right direction even

while in slow retreat, the president is exposing the

right, exhausting their troops, and awakening Americans

to meet the challenges of the day. As fanciful as that

may be, it is much more plausible than expecting this

budget's long-term direction to take us where we need to

go.'

Robert L. Borosage, founder and

president of the Institute for

America's Future and co-director

of the Campaign for America's Future

CAF

March 5, 2014

 

Toon of the Day

Backyards

Jim Morin - Miami Herald

 

THURSDAY

Quote of the Day

 

'Commemoration of the life and contributions of Hugo

Chavez Frías should not be about hero worship or

uncritical praise of his unfinished Bolivarian project.

There is no question that he set forth a singular

profile, but we should not lose sight of the fact that

he was a committed social individual, ultimately one

among the many Venezuelans and people around the world

dedicated to justice, equality, self-determination and

sovereignty. Although he was vigorous, at times

assertive, in arguing his principles, forthright in

challenging his critics and passionate in his polices

and collaborations with the poor and marginalized, he

did indeed work successfully with people and national

leaders often of radically different outlooks and

stations in life in Venezuela and the United States and

around the world.

'We will forever remember Chavez as we do King and

Mandela in their bold convictions about justice, in

their deep courage against great destructive powers and

in their human foibles that nevertheless led social

movements and governance policies that inspired and

improved the lives of their societies and the world. And

we ask you to do so also, but to do so by critically

taking up solidarity with the Venezuelan and Latin

American and Caribbean peoples and their governments

that in memory of Hugo Chávez Frías are still inspired

by his leadership and sincerely strive to improve their

democracy, their self-determination and sovereignty, and

their material and spiritual well-being.'

Danny Glover and James Counts Early

Activist and actor Danny Glover

is board member of the TransAfrica

Forum. James Counts Early is a

member of the political committee

of the Regional Articulation of

Afro-Descendants in Latin America

and the Caribbean, and a board

member of the Institute for Policy Studies.

TruthOut

March 6, 2014

Toon of the Day

Spheres

M. Wuerker

 

FRIDAY

Quote of the Day

 

'Paul Ryan need only go to Wall Street - or, for that

matter, through the walkways of National Harbor, the

shiny new suburban Washington enclave where the CPAC

conference was being held - to find "full stomachs and

empty souls" - where Americans pick up the lunch tab for

some of the very banksters who drove the country into

financial disaster and recession. If conservatives

prefer full stomachs in corporate boardrooms to full

stomachs in America's classrooms, they are the one's

with "empty souls".'

Terrance Heath, online producer at

Campaign for America's Future, in

response to Rep. Paul Ryan's remark

Thursday to the convention of the

the Conservative Political Action

Conference about school lunches

accusing "the left" of offering

Americans "a full stomach and

an empty soul."

CAF

March 7, 2014

 

Toon of the Day

Ryan and the Poor

Pat Bagley

Salt Lake Tribune

 

SATURDAY

Quote of the Day

 

'It is a grim and enraging list of injustice. Sex

trafficking. Sex slavery. Domestic slavery. Female

genital mutilation. Gang rape. Rape. Prostitution.

Forced marriage. Child brides. Pornography. Domestic

violence. Acid attacks. Adolescent pregnancy. Barred

from education. Contraception unavailable. Abortion

impossible. Maternity care out of reach. These are

threads in the life stories of millions of women from

New Delhi to New York, and they are some of the reasons

why, for all the progress made in the 103 years since

the first, it is still necessary to have an

International Women's Day.'

Editorial

The Guardian (UK)

March 8, 2014

 

Toon of the Day

Order

Jim Morin - Miami Herald