A newspaper is not just for reporting news, it's to get people mad enough to do something about it. -- Mark Twain
 IRAQ WAR - DAY 40 Hijacked by the Jews It is the mission of the Jews for the U.S. to occupy Iraq, just as the Israelis occupy Palestine. Ed note: In my whole life, from my heart I never, ever thought I'd say, "The Jews this or the Jews that..." or "It is the mission of the Jews for the U.S. to occupy Iraq, just as the Israelis occupy Palestine." Up 'til now, and for the past thirty years, since Sirhan Sirhan killed Robert Kennedy, I've always referred to the "enemy" of the Palestinians as the Israeli and the Zionists. The only fault I ever found with the (monolithic) Jews was their (collective) silence and looking the other way while the Israelis and the Zionists abused the Palestinians. The fact is, the "Israeli" and the "Zionists" are Jews, and by no means am I calling for their rounding up and incarceration and demise. I am saying that the Jews who have taken over the United States government have at their disposal us; the United States of Ameica, and they're using the White House, the Pentagon, and with it the armed forces to carry out their overseas deeds (to "occupy" Iraq just as the Israelis "occupy" Palestine), and John Ashcroft's FEMA domestically to round us up, to incarcerate us, and to somehow dispose of us, while they have at their disposal the U.S. Treasury, not only to run Israel, but the United States and the world too. John Ashcroft is a self-proclaimed Christian Zionist, and a dupe. There must be a time in our human history for the Authentic Jews (as is defined in Islam, and by al-Qur'an as the "People of the Book") to speak up against the "neocons" and the Zionists, and the self-named "Christian Zionist" or be prepared to be tarred with the same proverbial brush. Please, dear friends and readers, please don't misinterpret these words of mere observation as an idle threat. Just as U.S. presence in Iraq (or Sa'udi Arabia) is an affront to Islam and Muslims, since when in history did anyone ever need an excuse to be anti-Semitic? But in who's interest is it for continued Jewish silence on the activities of the Zionists, the Israelis and now the White House "neocons" and the Christian Zionists? See: The Evil One by Hank Roth, and Christian Zionists by By Charles E. Carlson. As regular readers know by now, I am from the "greater jihad" and "lesser jihad" school of Islam; a peacenik, and I am supportive of the Micheal Learner approach to a Palestinian state and an Israeli state. I have written that some of my best friends aren't Jews. Well, that's true only because I don't know that many Jews from the git, and I just don't have so many friends, Jew or not. That said, some of the people in this world who I most admire are Jews, but none of them (as far as I know) are so blinded by their love for Israel (real estate) that they're not being straight with justice for Palestinians. ok. That said about the Jews, it is also true that ordinary Americans had best take a look at this neocons Cabal at the White House and do something about it. I don't mean to sound vile like THE James "Pull the plug on the Bush Agenda" Carvile, but somebody better start saying something and doing something or very simply, we're all going to get more of the same, or worse! Skeletons 1933 - 2003 
Danny Schechter, newcollegenews.net, thenation.com motherjones.com, tompaine.com, indymedia.org informationclearinghouse, alternet.org, Tom Engelhardt  DISCUSSION * NEWS * IRAQ BODY COUNT * SARS BODY COUNT 28APR2003 The Evil One by Hank Roth "Evil in its metaphysical, absolute sense, is a notion so common to the fundamentalist, reactionary religious worldview that Bush and bin Laden share... George Bush actually stands today at the head of the Protestant fundamentalist movement in the United States..." Also see: Christian Zionists by By Charles E. Carlson. George Bush and Paul Wolfowitz are not deceptive. They are promoters of serial wars and they make no pretenses about it. Mr. Wolfowitz is the front man for THE PROJECT FOR THE NEW AMERICAN CENTURY (PNAC), described by none other than ABC Nightline anchorman Ted Koppel, as a "Cabal" for war. What Israeli patriot Koppel failed to note is that the Cabal's plan is an anti-Islamic war agenda on wheels, aimed at one Muslim country after another. The 90-page PNAC document is available for all the world to read. The primary facilitator of serial wars, who are deceptively edging us toward it, call themselves Christian Zionists (CZ). We did not invent this term, they did. Christian Zionism is political and racist. And see: The Satanic Church of the American Flag Skeletons 1933 - 2003
Danny Schechter, newcollegenews.net, thenation.com motherjones.com, tompaine.com, indymedia.org informationclearinghouse, alternet.org, Tom Engelhardt DISCUSSION * NEWS * IRAQ BODY COUNT * SARS BODY COUNTIRAQ WAR - DAY 39 Newt "He's baaack" Gingrich - At the Pentagon Gloves come off on the US home front By Jim Lobe Only a week after United States military forces consolidated their control of Baghdad, a new war has broken out, this time in Washington. The opening cannonade was delivered on Tuesday by the former Republican Speaker of the House of Representatives (1995-98) and member of the Pentagon's Defense Policy Board, Newt Gingrich, at the neo-conservative American Enterprise Institute (AEI). Gingrich, who is close to Pentagon chief Donald Rumsfeld, aimed the full fury of his rhetorical fire on a building located about two kilometers to the southwest, the State Department, which he accused of actively subverting President George W Bush's agenda in Iraq and beyond. "The last seven months have involved six months of diplomatic failure and one month of military success," Gingrich charged, adding, "Now the State Department is back at work pursuing policies that will clearly throw away all the fruits of hard-won victory." [MORE] Corporate Colonialism Companies... March! By James Ridgeway Like one of the 19th-century European colonial empires, the Bush government is calling on Bechtel, Halliburton, and other major corporations to take over the job of running the Iraqi colony. These companies are to act in the name of the government. They are to be paid out of our taxes. It might just as well be the British East India company. The colonial corporations become the instrument of the nation-state, in this case to undertake the reconstruction of Iraq. They, not the government, are the purveyors of laws and customs and democratic ideals. The main instrument of the U.S. in Iraq is not the Pentagon, the U.S. Agency for International Development, or the Army Corps of Engineers, but the Bechtel Group. The giant international engineering outfit has won a contract worth up to $680 million that gives the company a leading role in rebuilding Iraq, a job that eventually may cost $100 billion. [MORE] It's the Oil, Stupid by Michael T. Klare On the second day of the invasion of Iraq, US commandos seized two Iraqi offshore oil terminals in the Persian Gulf, capturing their defenders without a fight. "Swooping silently out of the Persian Gulf night," exulted James Dao of the New York Times, Navy SEALs claimed "a bloodless victory in the battle for Iraq's vast oil empire." Dao's dramatic turn of phrase revealed more about the Administration's plans for Iraq than almost every other report from the battlefield. While American forces turned a blind eye to the looting of Iraq's archeological treasures, they moved quickly to gain control over oilfields, refineries and pipelines. Even before Iraqi resistance had been squelched, top US officials were boasting that Iraq's oil infrastructure was safely in American hands. [MORE] Looting Our Lives by Seymour Melman The strong - perhaps savage - accusation in the title of this short paper is in response to the post 9-11 marshalling of resources for enlarging the war powers of the U.S. government. All this is in support of a worldwide drive for profit and power, without limit, by the Bush-Cheney state capitalist directorate. A principal "cover story" for these processes is the Guns and Butter dogma: the U.S. can afford both without limit. [MORE] Ed. note: Besides being right on, the Melman article Looting Our Lives is well researched and he notes his sources well. This is powerful ammunition for bolstering the common sense quotient should it ever matter. Also thanks to Tom Engelhardt for Melman's stats, and the heads up to the articles above. Skeletons 1933 - 2003
Danny Schechter, newcollegenews.net, thenation.com motherjones.com, tompaine.com, indymedia.org informationclearinghouse, alternet.org, Tom Engelhardt DISCUSSION * NEWS * IRAQ BODY COUNT * SARS BODY COUNT27APR2003 THE DICK by Shane Kosakowski Remember when the US was cool? It wasn't that long ago, think back.  We were the fun, rich, good-looking, popular country. We drove the coolest car and had the tasty
girlfriend with the big tits and the pool. We hung out with all the other cool countries, but still
said hi to Mexico in the hallways (even though he smelled like a spicy sweatsuit). We were the best
athlete and played guitar in a shitty band. We would get drunk and prank Russia and do coke on the
away bus. We would kick somebody's ass if they fucked with our friends and we would lend money if
our friends were fucked. We were a superhero in the history of the world.
Sure, we were only human. We hooked up with Panama's girlfriend while he was away at soccer camp. We got caught smoking a blunt in our basement and blamed it on Nicaragua. We felt up El Salvador's sister when she got drunk and fell asleep. We pretended to be friends with Greece, and then made fun of her behind her back (after all, that bitch did look like Snufalupagos). We did a lot of things that young, stupid countries do when they're growing up; mistakes the rest of the world could overlook. Then, I don't know... we changed. We started picking on the band kids more than we used to. And instead of just calling them "dorks," we began to slap them around a little. When they didn't let us copy off their tests, we'd wait for them outside of class and drop their pants in front of Sweden and Brazil. Sure, we'd still help Columbia if somebody was talking shit to him, and we'd give Canada a ride home whenever she needed it, but you could really tell that we thought we were a little too cool. You could see we were getting a little too cocky to hang out with. Before you knew it, America was, officially, the big dickhead. We went from being the fun-loving character, who would get drunk and pretend we were fucking a lamp, to the guy talking on his cell phone at the gym. Now we wear purple-tinted sunglasses inside the mall and wife-beaters to the bar (to show off our barbed-wire tattoo). Nobody likes us anymore; when the world sees our name on caller I.D., they just let it go to voicemail. Look at who we hang out with now - England. Fucking England! How long has it been since England was cool? The only chicks that call England have chipped teeth and pockmarks. So where do we find ourselves? It's Friday night and we've decided to crash the party that we didn't get invited to. Iraq got a keg, a band and is charging everybody 10 bucks at the door. We've decided to walk into the backyard, beat the shit out of Iraq and only let our friends fill their cups. What will the rest of the world do? Individually speak out against us? Yeah right... we'll fuck shit up. All get together and beat the shit out of us? Nope - most of them don't like each other anyway. So what would you do to a bully that is taking what isn't theirs, a bully who is too big to defeat alone, a bully who must understand the repercussions of being a douchebag? You key his car. Ed. note: Well, I wouldn't have said it that way - Kosakowski did. And that's the way he runs BATHTUB gOULASH. Check it out! Skeletons 1933 - 2003
Danny Schechter, newcollegenews.net, thenation.com motherjones.com, tompaine.com, indymedia.org informationclearinghouse, alternet.org, Tom Engelhardt DISCUSSION * NEWS * IRAQ BODY COUNT * SARS BODY COUNTIRAQ WAR - DAY 38 Reason for War? WMDs? Oil? Israel? Regime Change! To build its case for war with Iraq, the Bush administration argued that Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction, but some officials now privately acknowledge the White House had another reason for war - a global show of American power, and democracy? ABC News is saying, "History will judge the United States by whether this war marked the beginning of the end for the terrorists who hate America." [MORE] Clerics Call for Islamic State in Iraq Hundreds of white-clad worshippers sat cross-legged on a boulevard in this war-shattered city Friday and listened to a cleric's exhortation: Iraqis must unite to create an Islamic state. The same message resounded across Iraq on the main day of Muslim prayers, as clerics spoke about the need to come together after the ouster of Saddam Hussein. Some urged the United States to leave Iraq. [MORE] Remarks of Attorney General John Ashcroft... Ashcroft lauds Ed Meese: "Keep liberty burning bright!" "Leadership in the Cause of Liberty" Robert H. Krieble Lecture Heritage Foundation New Orleans, LA April 24, 2003 Good evening and thank you, Ed. It is an honor to be introduced by a man who has served our nation in so many important roles, and who continues to work tirelessly to inspire fellow citizens to take up the cause of liberty. I also thank the Heritage Foundation, and the organizers of this evening's lecture, for their invitation to discuss the values that have shaped our nation and the leadership needed to defend those ideals. The Heritage Foundation has long understood the power of ideas in combating tyranny and defending liberty. Heritage has been a fount of knowledge and wisdom spreading our Founding ideas and ensuring they are a continuing source for our nation's greatness. The Spirit of Justice awards given tonight represent that same fidelity to the limited government, the rule of law, and our Constitution. Of course, I can not go without noting that former Attorney General Meese and I have much in common. As attorneys general we both know what it is like to face a serious threat from a global enemy. We both know what it is like to work closely with a President we admire and trust, and who is a principled defender of freedom. Finally, we both know what it is like to be showered with praise and glowing portrayals from Washington's press and pundits. As attorney general, Ed Meese provided a model of leadership. He was never intimidated or cowed. He always stood firm in his defense of freedom and the rule of law-and because of his deep respect for the Constitution, the American people respected him. These are the qualities that not only made him a successful attorney general, but make him a great American as well. As many of you know, this year marks the 30th anniversary of another milestone in the defense of liberty: the establishment of the freedom-based public interest law movement-founded by General Meese and led by so many of you here tonight. For three decades, this movement has dedicated itself to protecting the Founders' vision and the rule of law as well as the lives and liberties of every American. This movement is a living monument to Robert H. Krieble - the man for whom this night is named. He, too, understood that a vigorous defense of freedom is the duty of every generation and a call to action for every American. Robert Krieble came to know the rich blessings of liberty through his hard work and entrepreneurship. He felt a debt of gratitude to the great Americans who fought for and founded this nation. He generously turned his focus to preserving for future generations the freedom with which he was blessed. His efforts ranged from supporting great think tanks such as Heritage to smuggling fax machines to citizens into the Soviet Union to help spread the ideas of freedom. He understood that in the great marketplace of ideas, freedom needs persuasive voices, persistent hearts, and courageous acts. Half a world away, young Americans are now risking their lives to defend liberty. We have seen them wage one of the most successful and awe-inspiring military campaigns the world has ever seen. The war was decisive and humane. Victory was overwhelming. Peace and freedom will be built on its solid moral foundations. We owe these young Americans our thanks as well as our prayers. We also owe it to future Americans to keep the light of liberty burning bright. The book of Proverbs proclaims that where there is no vision, the people perish. But where there are no people, the vision perishes. For those familiar with the bloodstained history of the 20th Century, the importance of vision and leadership in the cause of freedom cannot be overemphasized. For much of the 20th Century, the dehumanizing ideologies of totalitarianism suppressed freedom and opportunity for millions around the world. Now in the 21st Century, terrorism threatens freedom, but in a far more insidious way. Individuals and transnational networks now plot from within free societies to spread fear, foment hatred, and undermine liberty. Looking back on history, we can see moments when such forces opposed to freedom became so powerful that they appeared nearly invincible. Sometimes, it seemed that raw power was destined to win and then rule over creativity, humanity, and the genius of free individuals. As we reflect on our modern struggle-the war against terrorism-we must ask ourselves, why have we prevailed in the past and why will we prevail in the future? The answer is simple, undeniable, and humbling: Leadership. At key moments in the 20th Century, great and courageous leaders stood up to the forces of tyranny and ambition. Leading individuals raised their voices and mustered all their eloquence to rally the freedom-loving to fight the tide of oppression and injustice. The names of these heroes evoke their great deeds and recall the stirring words that fanned the flames of freedom: Winston Churchill ... Harry Truman ... Margaret Thatcher ... and President Ronald Reagan. These are world leaders who reminded free people of the vision and the deeds that defined their nations and distinguished their cause. President Bush has shown he too is a leader in this tradition. He identified the extent of the threat we face. He mobilized the forces of freedom to use our nation's influence and position in the world to lead us into a safer and more secure future. As our nation fights the war on terrorism, the lives and words of great leaders remind us that in pursuing our cause we do not seek to dominate or control. We seek to stir hearts, inspire action, and uphold our highest ideals. We can learn from Churchill, Truman, Thatcher, Reagan and President Bush what defines the great leaders and nations that change history for the better. What stands out first and foremost in a survey of such leaders is that there is a stark difference between leadership and mere governance. Governance focuses on the lowest, the least, the minimum threshold necessary to satisfy the status quo and those entrenched in power. Leadership inspires the best and aspires to the highest ideals. Leadership forges consensus. It does not follow it. Leadership is founded upon principle. It does not shift with every wind. Leadership invokes values and speaks to hearts. It does not measure success by the numbers in a crowd or the opinions of the chattering classes. Governance merely sets the lowest bar that a person must meet to be considered a member in good standing of a society. Nothing more. Advocates of governance often focus on process over principles. As a result, they postpone serious challenges-kicking the can down the road and avoiding the challenges of leadership. Winston Churchill explained why those who fail to confront brutal facts endanger us: "Each one hopes that if he feeds the crocodile enough, the crocodile will eat him last." Throughout the 20th Century and into the dawn of the 21st, we have seen, firsthand, the cost of denial and delay-the concentration camps of Hitler's Germany, the executions and starvation of Stalin's Russia, and the terror and death of Saddam Hussein's Iraq. Harry Truman committed the United States to the resolute opposition to such totalitarianism. In 1947, he told Congress that Americans must make the "frank recognition that totalitarian regimes imposed on free people, by direct or indirect aggression, undermine the foundations of international peace and hence the security of the United States." From the very first days following the terrorist attacks on September 11th, President Bush understood the threat posed by global terrorism. He understood what terrorists shared with all totalitarians: an implacable hatred of freedom. President Bush rejected the model of mere governance to deal with terrorism and embraced the challenge of authentic leadership. President Bush sought bold measures and decisive actions. He did not push to do as little as possible. He sought to do as much as possible to safeguard freedom for future generations. President Bush understands that true leaders do not defer problems. They define problems and they deliver solutions. While it was understandable that some wished for immediate and symbolic retaliation for September 11th, President Bush rejected the idea of firing missiles at empty tents or roaming camels. The President resolutely committed our nation to a bold, long-term plan that would protect liberty and free an entire nation. That campaign and the peace that has followed show our values. Women in Afghanistan now walk the streets, go to work, even serve in government. Children-both boys and girls-can obtain an education. Leadership is a call to greatness in which character is revealed. It is informed by years of moral choice. It is the furnace in which the steel of discipline is fired and forged and the mettle is tested. Those who are led and those who first hear the call of action are inspired and emboldened only by leaders who offer a personal example and inspiration. A great leader provides the model of action that pushes or pulls a people to achieve their highest or best calling. He or she does this by posing clear moral choices. In the 1980s, we saw such leadership when President Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher came to office. They were given economies in disrepair, nations burdened by self-doubt, and a world overrun by extreme ideologies. But with uncompromising moral clarity they took on these challenges. President Reagan put the choice before people: "[I]f history teaches anything, it teaches that simpleminded appeasement or wishful thinking about our adversaries is folly. It means the betrayal of our past, the squandering of our freedom.... I urge you to beware the temptation of pride-the temptation of blithely declaring yourselves above it all and label both sides equally at fault, to ignore the facts of history and the aggressive impulses of an evil empire, to simply call the arms race a giant misunderstanding and thereby remove yourself from the struggle between right and wrong and good and evil." President Reagan's words-like President Bush's words-were often condemned or ridiculed by pundits and elites who blanched at the word "evil." But President Reagan did not retreat. Totalitarianism, he charged, was doomed to end up on the "ash heap of history." President Bush outlined the dangers from malevolent regimes when he spoke to the American people last year about the threat posed by the "axis of evil." He understands that evildoers exist and commit acts of unspeakable horror when in power. President Bush took up a mighty challenge in Iraq to end a regime that used chemical weapons on its own people, leaving thousands dead, blind, or disfigured. This is a regime whose capacity for evil was a threat to the United States. This was a regime that tortured children while their parents were forced to watch. This was a regime whose methods of repression were limited only by the twisted imaginations of depraved minds. This was a regime that embraced electric shock, burning with hot irons, dripping acid on the skin, mutilation with electric drills, and brutal rapes. Thanks to leadership, thanks to President Bush, this is a regime that no longer exists. Leaders of free nations present stark choices. They trust the people to hear the call to action, judge them by their deeds, and then unite together in defense. In explaining the coalition's cause in Iraq, Prime Minister Tony Blair understood the lessons of history: "So our choice is clear: back down and leave Saddam hugely strengthened, or proceed to disarm him by force. Retreat might give us a moment of respite, but years of repentance at our weakness would, I believe, follow." In contrast, those who practice mere governance ignore persuasion and appeal and place their futures in the hands of polls and process. You cannot claim to be a leader if all you do is take a poll, figure out where the people are going, and then vault yourself ahead of them and declare, "I got here first. I am your leader!" Pole-vaulting does not equal leadership. If you think about it, a bus driver always gets to the final stop before any of the passengers, but that does not make him a leader. Leadership determines where we should be going by providing vision and then drives support for the plan to get us there. Winston Churchill eloquently decried those who sought to hide behind a crowd instead of to inspire action: "I see that a speaker at the week-end said that this was a time when leaders should keep their ears to the ground. All I can say is that the British nation will find it very hard to look up to leaders who are detected in that somewhat ungainly posture." Throughout our war on terrorism, President Bush has stood tall in his defense of freedom. Just weeks ago, critics charged that "thousands" of American soldiers would be killed in Iraq. Critics charged that the world system was being destabilized and that the "Arab street" would explode into flames. They insisted arms inspections continue, convinced that the crocodiles would eventually eat their fill and cease being crocodiles. President Bush did not allow these voices of critics to distract him from hearing the muffled cries of those desperate to be lifted into the light of freedom. President Bush saw that the war against Iraq reinforced our war on terrorism and made the cause of liberty stronger. Since September 11th, the enemies of freedom have seen decisive action from the United States. For every American, the results of our lawful efforts should be encouraging-we are winning the war on terrorism. For every terrorist, our ongoing successes are a reminder the final outcome of our nation's war against terror is not in doubt. To date, we have captured more than 3000 terrorists worldwide. Forty percent of al Qaeda's leadership has been capture or killed. We have identified and tracked hundreds of suspected terrorists throughout the United States. We have broken up four alleged terrorist cells in Buffalo, Portland, Detroit and Seattle. We have brought 237 criminal charges in our courts; and We have obtained convictions or guilty pleas from 119 individuals, including shoe-bomber Richard Reid; "American Taliban" John Walker Lindh, and four of six members of a Buffalo, New York terror cell. We have cut off terrorist funding, including: Designating 36 groups and individuals as terrorist organizations; freezing $124 million in assets and more than 600 accounts around the world; as well as conducting 70 investigations into terrorist financing, with 23 convictions or guilty pleas to date. We know the battle is not yet won, nor does the war to defend liberty ever end. But as President Bush has declared, "These days are good days in the history of freedom." The nightmare of Saddam Hussein's ambition and his lust for power are ended. For the people of Iraq a new life in the sunshine of freedom has begun. For the people of America we take another step in our journey to live in freedom and under the rule of law. We know from history that great leaders and great causes are rare. But in America, the spirit of our nation is always renewed and our greatness as a people is ever strengthened by our dedication to the cause of freedom. With your help, I know we can keep alive these ideals that inspire and ensure our nation remains as powerful as we are just, and a beacon for freedom-loving people around the world. Thank you. God bless you. And God bless the United States of America. Ed. note: Thanks to Declan and the Politech list. Skeletons 1933 - 2003
Danny Schechter, newcollegenews.net, thenation.com motherjones.com, tompaine.com, indymedia.org informationclearinghouse, alternet.org, Tom Engelhardt DISCUSSION * NEWS * IRAQ BODY COUNT * SARS BODY COUNT26APR2003 Is menace of "cyberwar" overstated or not? Is it hot in here, or what? Today, three items from Declan McCullagh's Politech list caught my attention; "Judge says current P2P networks are legal to operate" and " Federal judge gives Verizon 14 days to ID Kazaa user*", and now Is menace of "cyberwar" overstated or not?: Overstated or not, at what point in time; i.e., when does our inappropriate response to the menace of cyberwar become a self-fulfilling prophecy? In The Guardian UK article " The Paranoia that Paid Off", Peter Rojas wrote, "Should a cyberterrorist attack prevail and shut down the power grid or disrupt the emergency response system [according to Bruce Schneier, founder and chief technical officer of Counterpane Internet Security], 'these sorts of outages and problems tend to happen by accident already, so we have workarounds for them. What we don't have workarounds for are people flying planes into buildings or blowing up embassies.'" Sure enough we do have political "workarounds" and statesmanship and the like but we don't choose to use them. And why should we? For every plane some disgruntled terrorist flies into a building, we can retaliate by invading a country or two here and there, and bomb the perceived enemy and countless innocent bystanders into oblivion - and if they have oil, or some real estate that we can use to lay oil pipelines, we'll take that too. If such an Ashcroft (paranoia pay off) over-response as we have seen since the 911 Pearl Harbor-like attack can justify the further diminishing of our liberties through the Patriot Act or some such, in the name of protecting us from that which we have brought upon ourselves through our complete abandonment of fairness and justice, in the matter of our looking the other way as a matter of policy, while injustices continue on in Palestine alone, for example, then what? Through politics it possible to free us pre-emptively from some of the "online security" technology that would conveniently enslave us to lost liberties. In the context of something Danny Schechter wrote in a recent column: "[News] anchors repeat essentially what's told to them by the government..." I get from some of these writers that they're more ok with continuing on in caving in and spouting the administration's cowboy status quo (line) - no matter the price (for paranoia) we ultimately hafta pay in lost liberties - so long as the writers' comfortable lives are not (yet) interfered with. Sorry to thrash around on the subject, but this "Is the menace of cyberwar overstated or not?" article for its lack of commitment to anything, and not even trying to be funny... but that even for Orwellian irony's sake the writer didn't even try to acknowledge what it appears we are getting closer to everyday makes me sick. OR did you hear the one about the frog, or maybe it was a lobster sitting in hot water that was getting hotter and hotter so gradually he didn't notice? *UPDATE: Verizon Surrenders Names of Suspected Song Pirates to RIAA Who is the Constitutional culprit here? Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) or Verizon?? Certainly NOT the individuals who are alleged to have been the downloading wrong-doers. Different question altogether. Skeletons 1933 - 2003
Danny Schechter, newcollegenews.net, thenation.com motherjones.com, tompaine.com, indymedia.org informationclearinghouse, alternet.org, Tom Engelhardt DISCUSSION * NEWS * IRAQ BODY COUNT * SARS BODY COUNTIRAQ WAR - DAY 37 Fox News Employee Charged in Smuggling Iraqi Goods File under Everybody Could Win: Benjamin Johnson, a satellite truck engineer for Fox News was charged with smuggling souveniers out of Iraq, and promptly got his ass fired. Maybe CNBC will have the good sense to give up finance commentator Larry Kudlow - to fill the empty slot over at Fox. [MORE] News you won't find on CNN (Cabal News Network) or FAUX (Dubyous) NEWS - from informationclearinghouse: NORTH KOREA'S WAR STRATEGY OF MASSIVE RETALIATIONS AGAINST US ATTACKS * US WAS SET TO BOMB JOURNALISTS' HOTEL * MORE THAN HALF OF IRAQ'S TOP 'WEAPONS SITES' SEARCHED WITH NO RESULT * BUSH BARS UN WEAPONS TEAMS FROM IRAQ * DID BUSH DECEIVE US IN HIS RUSH TO WAR? * DOLLARS, DEAD AMERICANS, FEAR AND THE RE-ELECTION OF PRESIDENT BUSH * THERE'S LIES, DAMN LIES, AND THEN THERE'S THE CORPORATE PRESS * CROWN JEWEL OF AMERICAN EMPIRE * THE REAL AXIS OF EVIL * US BACK IN NUCLEAR BOMB-MAKING BUSINESS * MSNBC REVEALS FACTS ON ISRAEL'S WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION * EYEWITNESS KILLING OF AP PHOTOGRAPHER * DOES THIS LOOK LIKE "LIBERATION"? FLASH PRESENTATION * PLAYING POLITICAL GAMES WITH THE PUBLIC MIND * THE NYT AND WMD * PILGRIMS THREATEN JIHAD AGAINST AMERICAN FORCES * WHY THE MULLAHS LOVE A REVOLUTION * CHEST BANGING, HERE AND THERE * INTERESTING INSIGHT REGARDING "THE PENTAGON CRASH?" * RUSSIAN OFFICIAL PREDICTS 'CATASTROPHIC' EVENTS - Note to readers: The informationclearinghouse website is under attack again for a second day. Please bookmark http://64.176.94.191 (also hacked) and the mirror site http://informationclearinghouse.literati.org/. Skeletons 1933 - 2003
Danny Schechter, newcollegenews.net, thenation.com motherjones.com, tompaine.com, indymedia.org informationclearinghouse, alternet.org, Tom Engelhardt DISCUSSION * NEWS * IRAQ BODY COUNT * SARS BODY COUNT25APR2003 The Boss on Free Speech and Patriotism Bruce Springsteen is not one to let his voice be frozen out by a free speech chill. The man whose 1984 song "Born in the USA" remains an anthem for patriots of many stripes including those who see dissent as the truest expression of Americanism has issued a powerful defense of the Dixie Chicks and artistic free speech in general. See The Boss Defends Dissenters - 04/23/2003 entry. Stars and Strife by Chris Willman  Exclusive to Entertainment Weekly: Two months after Natalie Maines' infamous remark about President Bush, the Dixie Chicks bare all about the war, the backlash, and their future - an excerpt from Entertainment Weekly's May 2, 2003, issue. Also see CNN's Chicks defiant with interview, nude cover article. Band defends antiwar sentiments, cites concerns about safety. Some Dixie Chicks background and links, originally published March15th. Syndicated columnist and Nation Contributing Editor Robert Scheer, like the Dixie Chicks and Tim Robbins, has been attacked recently as "unpatriotic," and "anti-American" for having the temerity to publicly criticize the Bush Administration. The main attacker has been Fox News' Bill O'Reilly, who has urged his viewers to contact the Los Angeles Times demanding Scheer's dismissal. See ActNow, the Nation's activist weblog, for info on how to counter this campaign. See A Bully Can be Stopped; a speech by Tim Robbins, delivered at the National Press Club in Washington, DC. Ed. note: We're running specials all week on proliferation - an atomic bomb in every garage MSNBC Reveals Facts on Israel's Weapons of Mass Destruction by Ira Chernus - CommonDreams.org Most astounding web page of the week: http://www.msnbc.com/news/wld/graphics/strategic_israel_dw.htm Here is MSNBC, giving us more information on Israel's weapons of mass destruction (WMD) than we've seen from any left-wing or peace-activist news source. -- Thanks to Tom Engelhardt. Skeletons 1933 - 2003
Danny Schechter, newcollegenews.net, thenation.com motherjones.com, tompaine.com, indymedia.org informationclearinghouse, alternet.org, Tom Engelhardt DISCUSSION * NEWS * IRAQ BODY COUNT * SARS BODY COUNTIRAQ WAR - DAY 36 The Shia faithful - Danny Schechter File under eye-tojah-so: Danny Schechter wrote this ayem: As thousands of the Shia faithful flagellated themselves for Allah while denouncing the United States occupation of their country, some in the Bush brigade must be waxing just a bit nostalgically for the bad old days of Saddam Hussein, the demon we loved to demonize. "He," you can hear them mutter, "at least kept the Sharia crowd in check; he was a strong man we could do business with. He opted for a civil state, not a religious one. He was such a useful bad guy to rail against" But, for better or worse, they no longer have Saddam to kick around. As the good poet once said, when the center doesn't hold, things fall apart. And it will take more than the hapless General Jay Garner to put Humpty Dumpty back together again. The New York Times is leading with this tale of woes today as well with several stories like : "As Baghdad Awaits Aid, Feeling Grows Against U.S. Islamic passions suppressed under Saddam Hussein escalated in Karbala. In Baghdad, Iraqis awaited material help from the U.S." And then there is: "Iranian-trained agents have crossed into Iraq and are working to advance Iranian interests, according to U.S. officials." Ed. note: HOW UNGRATEFUL, them shee-yikes!! The Rumsfeld and neocon bunch ordered in the U.S. military to clean house on Saddam, and the sheeyikes don't even say, "Thanks!" Instead they say, "Jon Cheese, go home!" As Cher said in Moonstruck (the movie), "This is modern times, there aren't supposed to be Miracles anymore..." I was worried there for about 32 days that the U.S. was actually going to pull it off... until I heard the Shi'ah sayin' "Neither this or that, instead Islam!" That, along with "Enjoin good and forbid evil" is what brought about the demise of the Shah's regime under Imam Khomeini. We've got kin over there, and another is scheduled to leave within just a few days, so for our very selfish interests, we want this thing over asap, and have the kids back home here in Oregon. I have written elsewhere that the original U.S. War on Terrorism turned into a War on Tourism, and took some other dangerous and deadly twists and turns along the way. They lost their artifacts, but they also lost loved ones. Forget their artifacts! They won't soon forget that their "liberators" are the ones who killed their loved ones. Thank God for the 1953 CIA overthrow of Mossadeq that paved the way for a fighting force strong enough and dedicated enough (to something enough) to back down the U.S. from their (un-dedicated and murderous) foolishness and mischief. The Republican "Guard" was weak and dedicated to Saddam?? No better than the Republican (GOP), whose arrogance left them blind to Middle East reality... It was a Miracle! OR Whoever cares the most wins! Too bad the fat lady ain't singin' And speaking of the War on Tourism, did you hear the one about what Falwell and the chaps over at Deet Fourth Reich are saying about SARS: Fidel put his hat into the 2012 Olympics ring. I read today, on BBC http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/2968659.stm there are a couple of convictions coming down on the Mormons for their 2002 Winter Olympics bribery. File under Trial of the Century: Today I received a rant from our friend Carl Worden, who said that 46% of the people who responded from one his recent articles (Laci Peterson's Murderer: A Look Back At The Zodiac), and based on edvidence gleaned from Fox Cable, are willing to blow Scott Peterson away for blowing away his wife (and baby). Forget that even Fox hasn't produced a smoking gun (or brick). An excerpt from Carl's letter: "114 and counting: That's the number of men released from death rows in the United States in the past 12 years, after DNA forensic science proved they could not have committed the crimes the jurors said they did." "I've just been tallying up the responses to my article, "Laci Peterson's Murderer: A Look Back At The Zodiac", in which I presented facts that bring into question the seemingly "given" guilt of husband Scott Peterson." "Now, it isn't that I believe Scott Peterson is innocent or guilty. That is not the issue. The problem is that, based upon the facts known in the public realm today, there is no way I could send Scott Peterson to a lethally injected death, because as a responsible citizen and potential juror, I am required to assume innocence unless proven guilty to the extent that there is simply no question about it." "46% of the respondents to my article disagree with that "stupid" legal principle. (Several used the term, "stupid" to describe my article) Without actually coming out and writing it, they believe it better to let one innocent man hang, than for ten guilty to go free. According to them, the circumstantial evidence against Scott Peterson is so overwhelming that, if they had the opportunity, they would vote guilty and sentence him to death today, and based only on the existing evidence known to the general public." [MORE] Does anyone remember Mohammed (always Mohammed) and Malvo? In their day, they were quite a media number. Now, weigh the Scott Peterson up against that one and see how soon we forget... OR Forget what?? Ari Fliesher's quote of the day: re "no outsider" should interfere with Iraq's democracy? "We have made clear to Iran that we would oppose any outside organization's interference in Iraq, interfering with their road to democracy." Did you hear about the guy who invented the "laugh track" died? No joke! http://www.thewpbfchannel.com/entertainment/2152720/detail.html  Today we're listening to an old (new) Riverside recording: "Monk's Music". John Coltrane and Coleman Hawkins - tenor. Gigi Gryce - alto. Ray Copeland - trumpet. Wilbur Ware - bass. Art Blakey - Drums. The tunes (to speak of): Well, You Needn't; Ruby, My Dear; Off Minor; Epistrophy, and Crepuscule With Nellie. Remembering life before the 2000 Election, 911 and the (new) Iraq war... Plus "Bonus Tracks" Skeletons 1933 - 2003
Danny Schechter, newcollegenews.net, thenation.com motherjones.com, tompaine.com, indymedia.org informationclearinghouse, alternet.org, Tom Engelhardt DISCUSSION * NEWS * IRAQ BODY COUNT * SARS BODY COUNT24APR2003 Want Drugs With Those Fries? by Michael Khoo Fast food companies are super-sizing antibiotic resistance. No one likes to think about what goes into fast food. But stories about fatty fries and potentially carcinogenic ingredients are only half the story. A second important threat to public health lurks just beyond the fryer - the enormous amounts of antibiotics used to make the burgers, bacon and nuggets. [MORE] Michael Khoo is a Washington representative with the Union of Concerned Scientists. Skeletons 1933 - 2003
Danny Schechter, newcollegenews.net, thenation.com motherjones.com, tompaine.com, indymedia.org informationclearinghouse, alternet.org, Tom Engelhardt DISCUSSION * NEWS * IRAQ BODY COUNT * SARS BODY COUNTIRAQ WAR - DAY 35 Jihad (and Mujahideen at indymedia.org?) "And the evil (consequences) of what they did shall become manifest to them and that which they mocked shall encompass them." [al-Qur'an 45.33] Ed. note: The more I think about it, the more convinced I am that indymedia got had with a genuine disinformation article. None but a Muslim would have noticed, and how many Muslims are indymedia readers? In other words, WHO was this article really aimed at? dunno. Possibly some real pros are doing some real mischief (aimed at the alternative news/info crowd). Check out: http://www.indymedia.org/front.php3?article_id=313683&group=webcast Or another way of saying it that is just about right: "Whatever they were joking about will whirl in around them..." as in what goes around... I have studied this matter for more than 20 years, and while (except as noted), I can't take away from the writer anything of what he said about the perceived undervaluing of "lesser jihad", I won't give up an inch of ground on Greater Jihad. It's like the western equiv of "grace" or the ongoing challenge of maintaining sobriety after 20 years of serious drinkin' and druggin'! It is obvious that the writer is a great and sinless man. Most of us are not so great, and not so sinless. Hence, the actualized and "greater" struggle continues on. Until we are as pure and clean of soul and spirit as the writer, personally, I'd hafta be out of my mind to go out and call the pot black or to cut down the kufr or any such thing. Just living here (except in France), we struggle not to be the western world hypocrite. This round would be too easy to win or lose. It ain't my fight at the moment, but whoever the writer is and what he is saying hasta be refuted, more so even than francis-dot-net nut*; a non-Muslim version of a "great and sinless" man. For openers, check out the difference between the Qur'anic version of 4:95-6, and the "webcast" version: "The holders back from among the believers, not having any injury, and those who strive hard in Allah's way with their property and their persons are not equal; Allah has made the strivers with their property and their persons to excel the holders back a (high) degree, and to each (class) Allah has promised good; and Allah shall grant to the strivers above the holders back a mighty reward: (High) degrees from Him and protection and mercy, and Allah is Forgiving, Merciful." [4:95-96] "Those believers who sit back are not equal to those who perform Jihad in the Path of Allah with their wealth and their selves. Allah has favored those who perform Jihad with their wealth and their selves by degrees over those who sit back. To both (groups) has Allah promised good, but Allah has favoured the Mujahideen with a great reward, by ranks from Him, and with Forgiveness, over those who sit back. And Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most - Merciful." (4:95-96) Also, check out the difference between the Qur'anic version of 5:8, and the (as presented) "webcast" version (and calling it "5:8":) O you who believe! Be upright for Allah, bearers of witness with justice, and let not hatred of a people incite you not to act equitably; act equitably, that is nearer to piety, and he careful of (your duty to) Allah; surely Allah is Aware of what you do.[5.8] "Be just, it is closer to piety; and fear Allah. Allah is aware of what you do." (5:8) In that chapter of the Qur'an, there is some discussion about "the campaign" but it is about showing the kind of mercy we were shown before we got it. All Muslims are not in agreement on all matters. In our struggle, and in our scholarly endeavor, and within the bounds of Islamic law, that's ok somehow for most the thoughtful Muslims who always hope and pray and are in gratitude to be where we're (each) at in any given moment. I suspect that the person who wrote the piece is not an Authentic Muslim, but is someone just up to doing some real mischief, which is why I posted that particular (45.33) verse at the top. In the name of "jihad", the writer attempts to say something about the justification for the mujahideen committing a kind of violence that just ain't in Islam. - That isn't to say that the war that's been started in Iraq won't end in tragedy for the U.S., it will - to the degree they don't know what they're doing, and to the degree they don't know who they're messing with. Because I love (and live and breathe) the subject, and because I am one of the "greater and lesser" jihad and peacenik crowd who the writer attempts to insult, I'll likely write longer later, and about the validity, of the speaker, and of the hadith in question. But if the writer is as off about that as he is about his rendering of al-Qur'an, I'll likely rest my case early. The question remains, did indymedia get had? *Also, in overnight e-news, a heads up from a well intentioned friend is a www-article from a francis-dot-net nut who puts his problem off onto the Arabs or Muslims, who in God's perfect time will settle all matters. He's overlooking his real problem; his own government and the neocon, religious right and the Israeli-Jewish-Zionist lobby in the aftermath of the 2000 election, 911, and now most recently the U.S. military - while appearing to have crossed an imaginary line of quicksand is on their way into a quagmire that will make Vietnam or Lebanon look like a Sunday picnic. The U.S. policy makers and the Bush White House (already) upset a delicate middle east (status quo) balance, and being so ignorant of what's what, they are not going to be prepared to control the tiger they've unleashed. To a great extent the war between Bush and Saddam was personal, and a media war; not as big as the OJ trial, but big enough. The Shi'ah don't care about media or public opinion. =========== Dave@Francisnet.com I will spell it out for you. Apparently some of the people in the Arab world don't quite get it. The US supports Israel. It does not want to see Israel destroyed. It will not, under any circumstances, allow that to happen. That may be wrong, it may be unfair, but in case you haven't noticed, the world is unfair. Get over it. It is the world you were born into. Make the best of it. Israel says that it just wants its physical integrity protected, and that it is only protecting itself. Whether true or not, you can debate in your coffeshops, newspapers, mosques, and wherever else you choose to. Americans believe the. We believe them because the face we see of the Arab in the Arab world is an ugly, screaming mob, burning flags, cheering bin Ladin, supporting Saddam, and killing Americans. You will NEVER get America's sympathy as long as you continue to present that face. America respects groups and leaders who have won their freedom, and if you think you can militarily defeat Israel, with the full and total support of the US military, then go for it. Good luck. More likely you will weaken yourselves, embarrass your armies, and continue your cycle of backward living for an other few centuries. If you want to see Israel's support in the US cut back, take my advice. 1-Come out against terrorist acts. Killing civilians, guerilla fighting, all of it. Come out against violence. Don't allow it, don't spread it, and don't do it! 2-Show that you are thoughtful, instead of just some disgusting, bad smelling, nasty mob screaming in unison. Be a group of individuals, come together for a single purpose, and make that purpose the establishment of a peaceful existence for Jews and Arabs alike. 3-Denounce the hate mongers among you. Cut them loose like they are your ex-wifes relatives. Get them far away from you. Do not let them be on TV. Or radio. Or magazines. You get the idea. 4-Take responsibility for yourselves. Quit begging for others to solve your problems. Solve them yourself. What has Israel, for example, got to do with Iran? The lives of Saudi youth are not affected by Israel at all, but they spend their time bitching about Israel, instead of getting a job. Understand that you, the Arab street, are being played for the suckers that you are. Not by Tel Aviv, not by Washington, but by Cairo, Riyadh, and Damascus. As long as they can keep you in the streets screaming about Israel, you aren't screaming about the TRUE problems in the Arab world. 5-Apologize for the past. Now, I know, with the inflated sense of pride that exists throughout the Arab world, this is a particularly tough one, but face it. You people have behaved like asses for the last couple of years. Hold on, did I say couple? I meant to say for the last THOUSAND years. You have let what was once a promising culture be hijacked by leaders who have run you into the ground. I mean, look around you. Your lives suck, and they suck because of your apathy toward your leaders robbing you blind, your laziness in advancing, and your hatred of the civlizations who have blown past you like so many Corvettes passing old ladies in walkers. Apologize to the Arab street, if you are a leader. To the young if you are old, to the world if you are a hate monger. Ask the west to forgive you, admit that you have done a lot wrong, and get on the path of doing the right thing. The west in general, and America in particular, are very kind, forgiving places. After you do these five things, you will find that your lives will get better, America will begin to pay true respect to you and your societies, and your social structure will finally be worthy of some respect. In the end though, it is up to you, the Arab street. You can do these things now, and get on the path to joining the civilized world, or you can continue to watch bigger, stronger, better nations kick you around like you are a bunch of little girls. You will never be able to defeat Israel militarily, as long as the US stands behind it. Never. Dave Francis The Dave Francis Show Radio Roks 102 FM-Now Live on the Internet! www.francisnet.com Skeletons 1933 - 2003
Danny Schechter, newcollegenews.net, thenation.com motherjones.com, tompaine.com, indymedia.org informationclearinghouse, alternet.org, Tom Engelhardt DISCUSSION * NEWS * IRAQ BODY COUNT * SARS BODY COUNT23APR2003 informationclearinghouse hacked informationclearinghouse has been hacked and taken offline by those who would try and prevent free speech. Please bookmark this IP http://64.176.94.191 and the mirror site http://informationclearinghouse.literati.org WOODSTEIN! FROM MUCKRAKERS TO BUCKRAKERS Selling The Watergate Notes Isn't Good For Journalism. Woodward and Bernstein have found a new way to cash in. While it may make them richer it neither enriches journalism nor the regard in which it is held. -- Richard Blow BALLOTS CAN KEEP BULLETS FROM FLYING The peace movement, re-energized by Bush's war, could lead environmental, health care and other activists in an effort to register and turn out millions of voters in 2004. -- John Moyers and Elizabeth Ready SYRIA LONG ON NEOCONS' HIT LIST A study three years ago that called for a preemptive attack on Israel's nemesis in Lebanon was signed by a slew of powerful Bush advisors. -- Jim Lobe, Foreign Policy in Focus Weapons of mass destruction revisited (1) By Tom Engelhardt Bush and Blair and the Big Lie By Eric Margolis The Elusive Weapons of Mass Destruction By William O. Beeman Anthrax attack bug "identical" to army strain newscientist.com The Nation Topless War Profiteers: Bush White House turning the war and its aftermath into a bonanza for corporate friends' bottom lines and a boondoggle for US taxpayers, see John Nichols' Online Beat. For a look at where the neocons in the Bush Administration might want to go after Iraq, see Capital Games by David Corn Skeletons 1933 - 2003
Danny Schechter, newcollegenews.net, thenation.com motherjones.com, tompaine.com, indymedia.org informationclearinghouse, alternet.org, Tom Engelhardt DISCUSSION * NEWS * IRAQ BODY COUNT * SARS BODY COUNTIRAQ WAR - DAY 34  Tarik al Shahab hits Iraqi news stands
The long-banned Iraq Communist Party yesterday won the race to publish the first newspaper in Baghdad since the fall of Saddam. The eight-page "Tarik al Shahab" (People's Way), handed out for free, was snapped up eagerly by passers-by hungry for any kind of news after the US invasion eradicated state-run media. "Collapse of a Dictator" read the headline under the hammer and sickle on the front page, followed by an article railing against the abuses of Saddam's "bloody, terrorist reign". "Our people want a democratic, federal, independent and united Iraq," said another headline in the eight-page tabloid. Tarik al Shahab also carried several statements from the Iraqi Communist Party (ICP). They were datelined from Shaqlawa in northern Iraq's Kurdistan. Tarik al Shahab was published in the northern city of Arbil. The KDP led by Massoud Barzani has controlled an enclave in northern Iraq with its rival Patriotic Union of Kurdistan since the aftermath of the 1991 Gulf war. The Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) said it had distributed 10,000 free copies of the newspaper in Baghdad on Friday in a gesture to show its hopes for a free and united Iraq. The ICP was officially outlawed in 1985, which gave an official air to what had already been a long campaign of communist persecution under Saddam's ruling Baath Party. Under Saddam's rule, the five daily newspapers, Ath-Thawra, Al-Jumhuriya, Babel, Al-Iraq and Al-Qadisiya were the mouthpiece of government, mainly lavishing praise on the rulers - as news. All published their final editions on April 9, the day USUK troops occupied central Baghdad. [MORE Skeletons 1933 - 2003
Danny Schechter, newcollegenews.net, thenation.com motherjones.com, tompaine.com, indymedia.org informationclearinghouse, alternet.org, Tom Engelhardt DISCUSSION * NEWS * IRAQ BODY COUNT * SARS BODY COUNT22APR2003 Sensational news stories - without substantiation FAKE NEWS FROM STRAIGHT MEDIA
Report: Scientist Tells Weapons Truths. (CBS) An Iraqi scientist claims Saddam Hussein had military links to al Qaeda, has sent banned weapons to Syria since the 1990s and ordered illegal weapons destroyed or buried before the recent war began, U.S. troops tell a newspaper. [MORE] There is a very similar story on USAToday: Weapons man links al-Qaeda, Iraq By Tom Squitieri, USA TODAY No wires service stories to match (yet). Skeletons 1933 - 2003
Danny Schechter, newcollegenews.net, thenation.com motherjones.com, tompaine.com, indymedia.org informationclearinghouse, alternet.org, Tom Engelhardt DISCUSSION * NEWS * IRAQ BODY COUNT * SARS BODY COUNT |
"Macintosh is friendly to technically-challenged people like me." -- Yo Yo Ma, Cellist
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Michael Moore's documentary, Bowling for Colombine, wins at France's prestigious awards ceremony in Paris.
In his acceptance speech Moore thanked France for "having the courage to stand up and say no" to US plans to attack Iraq. "One of the best definitions of an ally, of a friend, is that your friend is the one who can tell you when you're wrong," he said. "So thank you for showing us the way, for standing up and for something very important... I want to let you know that there are tens of millions of Americans who feel the same way." Moroccan artists pay tribute to US anti-war stars. "We praise the courage of American stars who said no to war in Iraq," said Mohamed Bakrim, secretary general of the association of the Casablanca cinema festival. Bush: The Fictitious President Michael Moore, one of the first signatories of the "Not in my name" appeal, symbolizes resistance to war and to violence, he said adding "with their commitment against war, American stars have given another image of America." Michael criticized Bush and the USUK war in Iraq, during his Oscar acceptance speech at the Academy Awards. The documentary maker who won his first Oscar Sunday for Bowling for Columbine, had said "We live in the time where we have fictitious election results that elect a fictitious president. We live in a time where we have a man who's sending us to war for fictitious reasons, whether it's the fiction of duct tape or the fiction of orange alerts. We are against this war, Mr. Bush! Shame on you, Mr. Bush! Shame on you!" Michael Moore to Tackle Bush/bin LadenTies in Next Doc Michael Moore will depict alleged dealings between two generations of the Bush and bin Laden families in his next documentary "Fahrenheit 911." "The primary thrust of the new film is what has happened to the country since Sept. 11, and how the Bush administration used this tragic event to push its agenda," Moore tells Variety . "It certainly does deal with the Bush and bin Laden ties. It asks a number of questions that I don't have the answers to yet, but which I intend to find out." The documentary will suggest that the business dealings between George Bush and Osama bin Laden's late father led to George W. Bush and Osama bin Laden becoming mortal enemies. "The senior Bush kept his ties with the bin Laden family up until two months after Sept. 11," Moore says. "The bin Ladens invested heavily in the Carlyle Group, which has its hands in a number of pies and is the 11th largest defense contractor even though it mostly buys failing defense companies and sells them for profits." |
 www.oregoncoastradio.com
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800 American professors sign document warning of Israeli ethnic cleansing
We join with our Israeli colleagues in calling for vigilance as events unfold in Israel and the Occupied Territories. With an average of more than $10 million dollars per day of American tax dollars going to Israel, we believe Americans cannot remain silent while crimes as abhorrent as ethnic cleansing are being openly advocated. We urge our government to communicate clearly to the government of Israel that the expulsion of people according to race, religion or nationality would constitute crimes against humanity and will not be tolerated. For more information about the U.S. letter, including instructions on how to sign it, see: www.professorsofconscience.org. |
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