John Waters Pays Homage to his Role Models (Book Review) (tags)
John Waters is a Baltimore Icon! He’s a film director, producer, author and a recovering Catholic. The then-Maryland Censor Board panned many of his early flicks, “as pure garbage.” Waters is openly gay. His latest book is “Role Models.” In it, Waters reveals the people who have influenced and have helped to shape his own complex persona. Waters confesses in his tome that he voted for Barack Obama because “he ‘was’ a friend of Bill Ayers!”
Rudacille’s Tome: A Must-Read for Labor Buffs (Review) (tags)
In 1959, Bethlehem’ Sparrows Point plant, outside Baltimore, was “the largest steelworks in the world.” In its heyday, it employed 36,000 workers. Bethlehem went into bankruptcy in 2001, and many of its retirees at the “Point” got screwed out of their benefits. Deborah Rudacille’s book, “Roots of Steel,” recreates, via compelling “oral histories,” the history of the Point; the collapse of Bethlehem, an industrial titan; and the baleful impact that it had on the lives of its union workers and communities that they lived in.
Albert Camus: A Stranger No More (Book Review) (tags)
Two authors, Robert Zaretsky and Elizabeth Hawes, have resurrected Albert Camus, the late French Algerian novelist and philosopher, in their just released books. I’m recommending both of their tomes. I think their efforts contribute, in different ways, to enhancing Camus’ literary legacy. Camus’ courageous moralizing against the excesses of the ideologues of his days is timely. Let’s face it, we too live in an era where crazed warmongers are running amuck.
Labor Fights Back at Goose Island (Book Review) (tags)
Kari Lydersen has penned an absorbing book, “Revolt on Goose Island.” It chronicles how 250 members of the UE, a progressive union, occupied a factory, “Republic Windows,” located in Chicago, IL, rather then just meekly submit to its closing. It’s labor history at its best. This “direct action” came not long after AFL-CIO labor leader Richard L. Trumka denounced the evils of “globalization,” and the predatory schemes of the Wall Street boy-ohs.
“Hail to the Cheat,” a political novel, by Ted Venetoulis - A Review (tags)
Americans need a good laugh. After eight years of Dubya, and one year of President Barack Obama, who prefers to be loved and not feared, a political spoof has arrived to save the day. It’s Ted Venetoulis’ fun-filled novel, “Hail to the Cheat.” President Lance Billingsley gets caught by the First Lady, Jessica Berringer, “doing” her dear friend, Sondra Heatherstone, on the carpet and in the buff in the Oval Office! Fireworks quickly erupt!
“This Dream Called Death,” a novelzine, by Stephen Janis (A Review) (tags)
Stephen Janis builds his tale, “This Dream Called Death,” in one bone-chilling scene after another, with a writing style that suits the genre. His descriptions of the city of Balaise are first rate. As the tension escalates, the character of the narrator evolves, too, into a much more sympathetic figure. Janis takes you for a ride into a history, a nightmare, which I fear, may be only one more 9/11 incident away from becoming our reality!
Maryland’s Marty O’Gov Turns His Back on Fallen Mayor Dixon! (tags)
As a result of a plea deal, Baltimore’s Mayor Sheila Dixon will leave office, on Feb. 4, 2010. She was recently found guilty of stealing $530 worth of gift cards intended “for the poor.” Before the ink was dry on the agreement, however, Dixon’s ex-crony, the former mayor, and now Maryland Governor, Martin O’Malley, was pretending that she no longer existed. Appropriately, the French philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre said, “Hell is other people.”
Neo-Catholics and Neo-Cons: An Unholy Alliance (Satire) (tags)
Betty Clermont’s book is called: “The Neo-Catholics: Implementing Christian Nationalism in America.” She insists that some of the Right Wing Boy-ohs at the Vatican embraced the Neo-Con ideology for the Church. In the U.S., they used the “Family Values” gimmick to sell Reagan/Dubya to the faithful. Meanwhile, they pushed for a Capitalism-Gone-Wild, Daddy-Knows-Best system. A Vatican agent in the U.S. wants to see Clermont’s opus banned!
Jury Gives Mayor Sheila Dixon a “Go to Jail” Card! (tags)
Baltimore’s Mayor Sheila Dixon was convicted on Dec. 1, 2009, by a jury of her peers, of stealing gift cards, worth about $525, intended for the “poor and needy.” As a result, she will forfeit her office, lose her $83,000 a year pension, and could go to jail. Her crime paled in significance to the massive wrongdoings of the Wall Street Mob, but, the State Prosecutor underscored to the jury: The Mayor was stealing “from the children of Baltimore!”
John Allen Muhammad, Death Penalty and the Gulf War Syndrome (tags)
The state of Virginia executed John Allen Muhammad, the Washington area sniper, who killed ten innocent people on a murder spree. Muhammad, like Timothy J. McVeigh, was a Gulf War Vet, who was exposed to deadly toxic chemicals. His lawyers pleaded with Governor Tim Kaine to spare his life, arguing that he was suffering from the “Gulf War Syndrome.” Albert Camus, the author, said the death penalty was really about--“vengeance!”
It’s Baltimore, Hon!: Did Mayor Dixon Steal from the Poor? (tags)
High comedy will hit Baltimore, on Monday, Nov. 9, 2009. Mayor Sheila Dixon’s trial on theft charges begins. She’s accused of stealing about $1,500 of gift cards slated for the poor. The Mayor denies any wrongdoing. There’s an ex-boyfriend, a developer, in the mix. He’s already copped a plea in another City Hall corruption case and plans to testify against the Mayor. Oh, where is the iconic film maker John Waters when we need him the most?
David Swanson’s “Daybreak” is a Wake-Up Call for Patriots (tags)
America is in deep doo doo! It goes beyond the Wall Street-induced financial meltdown. David Swanson’s “Daybreak” book is a wake-up call and a plan for “Citizen Power” action. The Bush-Cheney Gang is gone, but President Obama acts like he is serving out Dubya’s third term. How presidential power was enlarged and the Congress collapsed is good to know. However, how to fight to get our country back from these usurpers, is even more important.
The Smearing of Mary Robinson (tags)
The Israel Worshippers (IWs) are clever! As I write, 1.5 million Gazans are languishing under Israeli occupation. The IDF’s siege of Gaza from Dec. 27, 2008 to Jan. 18, 2009, took about 1,400 innocent lives. To change the subject from Gaza, the IWs orchestrated a campaign against Mary Robinson, whom President Obama had nominated for a “medal of freedom.” The IWs’ campaign failed. Ms. Robinson got her medal and the focus remains on Gaza.
The Coup in Honduras: A Teachable Moment for Obama? (tags)
President Barack Obama‘s main duty under the U.S. Constitution is to see to it that the laws are “faithfully executed.” By a UN Treaty, approved by the Senate, in 1994, torture is against U.S. law. No ifs, ands or buts about it. No exceptions! In Honduras, some apologists for the “de facto” regime, are pretending that they followed the law, when they gave their president the boot. Will Obama play the same “pretend game” on Torture? Stay Tuned. .
Pseudo Theologian Rep. Peter T. King Sounds Off (tags)
Notre Dame U. plans to bestow an honorary degree on President Barack Obama. This caused the ultra Iraq War Hawk, Rep. Peter T. King (R-3-NY), to toss a major hissy fit. He insisted that because of Obama’s support for abortion, that the award would be an insult to “Catholic moral teachings.” Why weren’t these Catholic standards applied to the Bush-Cheney Gang’s War without End, torture policies and the shredding of the U.S. Constitution?
Ronald Reagan: Betrayer of Main Street America! (tags)
William Kleinknecht takes the gloves off in his new book,”The Man Who Sold the World: Ronald Reagan and the Betrayal of Main Street America.” He shows that the so-called “great communicator,” was, in fact, the “great enabler of corporate greed.” The Vulture Capitalists were set loose on the people by “Reaganism.” I say: Take Reagan’s name off that airport in D.C. Let his Fat Cat cronies pay for his memorials, not the taxpayers.
Edgar Allan Poe: A Tragic, but Talented, American Original (tags)
Edgar Allan Poe, poet, novelist and literary critic, died in 1849, age 40, under mysterious circumstances, in Baltimore, MD. The British author, Peter Ackroyd, insightfully captures the trials and tribulations of this great man of letters in his latest tome, “Poe: A Life Cut Short.” Poe invented the modern detective story and his poem, “The Raven,” is a classic in the genre. Ackroyd reveals Poe’s battle with the bottle, and adds a wrinkle: his aversion to sex!
Antiwar Activists “Boot” Dubya Out the Door (tags)
A rally and march was held in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 19, 2009. It’s objective was to give President George W. Bush “the boot” as he exited an office that he has disgraced by his failure to uphold the law. David Swanson, cofounder of afterdowningstreet. org, was one of the speakers at the event. He underscored the importance of appointing a “Special Prosecutor” to look into and hold accountable the culpable members of the Bush-Cheney Gang.
Wall St. and the Fed Get Fatter, While Main St. Suffers (tags)
The greed of some of the Wall St. banksters, and the Fed’s inept policies, like condoning deregulation, are the real causes of the current financial meltdown. Nevertheless, the U.S. Congress has given them a green light to rake in trillions of dollars in taxpayers’ bailout money, with little or no public disclosure. The Fed’s functions should be taken over by the Treasury Dept. Main St. needs to be Congress’ prime concern, not Wall Street.
Priest Demands “Confession” from Some Obama Voters (tags)
Recently, a RC priest in Modesto, CA, got upset about Catholics voting for the Prez-Elect Barack Obama. He said if they did so because of his pro-abortion position, then they needed to go to Confession before receiving Holy Communion. Didn’t the good padre every hear of the “Separation of Church and State” clause? Also, as a result of the priest-pedophile scandal, many feel it’s the wrongdoers in the RC Church who need to do the confessing.
Ronald Reagan: B Film Actor, Ladies’ Man and FBI Snitch (tags)
Ronald Reagan’s persona was crafted from 1937 to 1965, working in B films. The Shadow side of Reagan, however, reveals that he was a snitch for the FBI and ratted out his fellow members of the Screen Actors Guild (SAG), during the days of the “Red Scare.” He also was a notorious womanizer, according to Marc Eliot's expose: “Reagan: The Hollywood Years.” It was Reagan, too, as U.S. President, who ruthlessly busted PATCO in 1981.
Hey, Prez-Elect Obama: Say “Thanks” to Alan Greenspan! (tags)
Sen. John McCain’s presidential candidacy was done in mostly by a Wall Street-Financial Meltdown, in late Sept. 2008. This phenomenon took the issue of “national security,” which favored him, off the table, and replaced it with “the economy,” which was Sen. Obama’s strongest suit. The fact that Dubya is the most unpopular president in history, coupled with having $639 million to spend, all added up to a smashing victory for Prez-Elect Obama.
It’s The Money, Stupid!: Over $1 Billion Raised for Prez Race! (tags)
The candidates for the White House have raised over $1 billion in their quest to win the election on Nov. 4, 2008. The Dems’ Sen. Barack Obama has racked in $639 million, while the GOP’s nominee, John McCain, has taken in $360 million. The four other Third Party candidates for the presidency have brought in about $5.5 million. The only thing we know for sure is this: When big money contributions dominate the electoral process, the people lose!
Leonard Bernstein’s “Mass” Speaks to Today’s World (tags)
Political and religious authority is crumbling in a crisis of faith. The late Leonard Bernstein put those themes, and much more, in his concert triumph, “Mass.” After eight years of Bush-Cheney, the priest/pedophile scandal, coupled with the costly Wall St. Bailout, the loss of trust in our institutions is rampant. If the people want real change, they are going to have to rely on themselves, and on each other to create, in unity, the world that they desire.
Assassinations, Wars and Meltdowns: Who Benefits? (tags)
America has been subjected to the some severe shock therapy over the years. JFK, MLK, Jr. and Bobby Kennedy were all murdered! Then, there was the Vietnam War (1963-75); the “Watergate” scandal; and the horrors of the 9/11 tragedy; followed by the invasion and occupation of Iraq. The latest hit is the Wall Street bailout, to wit: the economic and fiscal meltdowns. They all spell out the sharp decline of America. Is it by accident or by plan?
Sen. Barbara Mikulski: Dubya Made Her Do It! (tags)
Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-MD), on Sept. 22, 2008, charged that the Bush-Cheney Gang, led by Dubya, unduly pressured her into voting for the USA Patriot Act and also creating the “dysfunctional” Homeland Security Department. She said they used “fear” and “bad ideas” and implied that they made her into a “rubber stamp!” Sen. Mikulski whined about the idea of a Wall St. bailout, too, but then she voted to give the parasites the $700 billion.
Pelosi Pushed Book, While Taxpayers Revolted Over Bailout (tags)
When the Congress was debating the $700 billion bailout of the greedy bankers on Wall St., an overconfident Speaker Nancy Pelosi was in Baltimore hawking her book, “Know Your Power.” On Sept. 29, 2008, the House of Representatives, responding to a taxpayers’ revolt, rejected the Bush-Cheney Gang’s bailout scheme. Speaker Peolsi, in her library spiel, conveyed a false sense of security about the grim economic situation facing the nation.
The Fed, AIG, Congress, Third Party Candidates and the Debt (tags)
The Fed,” William Greider said, “decides who shall prosper and who shall fail.” American International Group (AIG), Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and Bear Stearns, all private entities, will be bailed out by the taxpayers. Third Party candidates want an audit and investigation of “The Fed,” an unelected clique. “The Fed,” and the Treasury Dept., are currently submitting a Mother of All Bailout schemes to the Congress. It may cost the public $1 trillion!
The Dems Are Going the Way of the Whig Party (tags)
The 2006 mid-term election was the tipping point marking the decline of the Dems. They had promised that if they won, that they would end the Iraq War. The Peace Movement was both blind sided and outraged by their refusal to keep their word. This is why, too, Cindy Sheehan, has left the Democratic Party. The Dems have morphed into the DemRepublicrats. Soon, they will be going the way of the Whig Party and taking Sen. Barack Obama with them.
Is the “Mega” Spy Case Headed for Hollywood? (tags)
I can see the newspaper advert: “Dustin Hoffman as ‘Mega,’ the Israeli Spy who outwitted U.S. officials for more than 20 years!” In May, 2008, an ex-U.S. military engineer, Ben-Ami Kadish, was indicted for spying for Israel. Supposedly, he has ties to the convicted Israeli spy, Jonathan Pollard. The Feds believe that another Israeli operative, known only as “Mega,” is still on the loose. But, they are closing in on him--fast. What a film “Mega” will make!
Dems, Media Elite Overreacted to Gov. Sarah Palin (tags)
When John McCain picked Gov. Sarah Palin to be his VP running mate, most Americans yawned: “Sarah, Who?” Not the Democrats and the Media Elite. They tossed a first-class hissy fit. One of the worse offenders was the site, “HuffPost.” It even created a special page posting a lot ot negative rumors about the “working mom.” Meanwhile, GOP speakers, like the pro-Iraq War, pro-waterboarding Sen. Joe Lieberman, got off the hook with little criticism.
Sen. Joe Biden (D-DE) was a lousy pick to be Barack Obama’s VP running mate. Delaware only has three electoral votes. Plus, Biden doesn’t represent either the “politics of hope” and/or of change. His record in the U.S. Senate reveals someone who has gone along with the Iraq War, while doing little or nothing to protect the Constitutional Rights of the people from the excesses of the Bush-Cheney Gang. I suspect the Democratic Party has a death wish!
John Edwards Fiddled While America Burned (tags)
John Edwards’ sleazy extramarital affair reminded me of the excesses in the final days of the Roman Empire. In 2006, Edwards began his trysts with his mistress. He stopped lying about the seedy affair on Aug. 8, 2008. Meanwhile, about 1,955 U.S. troops died in the Iraq War. While Edwards was “doing” his paramour, others in Washington, D.C., like House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, have been “doing” the public about ending the war and impeachment.
William Greider Raps Predatory Usury Schemes (tags)
How did the country get into this unholy financial mess? Think usury! Acclaimed author William Greider points the finger at banks, and people of great wealth, “taking advantage of poor people by lending them money on terms that are sure to fail.” He blames others, too, like “The Fed,” under the reign of Alan Greenspan, the U.S. Congress, and Wall Street. Mr. Greider charges that these parties worked to “castrate” the watchdogs.
President John Fitzgerald Kennedy (JFK) was assassinated on Nov. 22, 1963, in Dallas, TX, as the result of a conspiracy. Why did the Shadow Government decide to eliminate him? We now know he wanted to get U.S. troops out of South Vietnam. JFK had also been taking on Wall St. and The Fed. He threatened to disband the CIA and close tax loopholes beneficial to “Big Oil” and the multinationals. JFK made a lot of powerful enemies--one too many!
Is Dubya an Agent of the New World Order? (tags)
Conspiracy is as American as apple pie. Every day in America, in state and federal courts, some defendant faces charges of conspiracy. I submit that since 1891, a conspiracy has existed, forged by British imperialist Cecil Rhodes, and others, to reduce America to a vassal state of the New World Order. It is beyond cavil that the policies of Dubya (George W. Bush) have been an absolute disaster for America. Could Dubya be working for the NWO?
Barack Obama Is Taking On a Lot of Bum Advice (tags)
It’s painful to watch Sen. Barack Obama slide over to the Right on so many important issues, as the presidential election heats up in ‘08. FISA, NAFTA and Israel are a few. He’s also met with Colin Powell and suggested that he might keep Robert Gates on as his Secretary of Defense. What’s next? Irv “Scooter” Libby as head of his Justice Department? If Obama doesn’t want to flop, like Sen. John Kerry did in ‘04, he better ponder changing his ways.
City Hall Scandal Hits Baltimore After “The Wire” Exits (tags)
There is never a dull moment in Baltimore, Maryland. It seems as soon as HBO’s “The Wire” program left town, our Mayor, Sheila Dixon, became the subject of a state corruption probe. It’s all mostly about two fur coats and some travel trips with an ex-boyfriend. At the time, he was a developer doing business with the city. Does it add up to bribery or is it a tempest in a teapot? The Grand Jury holds the answer to that question. Stay tuned.
Obama's Accuser and the Surreal Scene at the NPC (tags)
The fur was flying fast and furiously at the National Press Club on June 18, 2008. Larry Sinclair was in town--the bete noire of U.S. Sen. Barrack Obama (D-IL). After making an opening statement, the media ripped into Sinclair, challenging just about every aspect of his anti-Obama yarn. It wasn’t a good day for the accuser. He was also arrested after his spiel by the DC cops and turned over to two Federal Marshals on an outstanding Delaware warrant.
David McCullough, at Boston College, Sees No Evil (tags)
What is the role of the intellectual in the Age of Bush and Cheney? On May 19, 2008, David McCullough, gave a commencement address at Boston College, a Jesuit institution. He never said one critical word about the Iraq War or the serial lies of the Bush-Cheney Gang that got the U.S. involved in that Neocon-inspired conflict. I believe Mr. McCullough missed an opportunity to speak out and to inspire the students to take their country back.
The Masada Complex: Bush and Olmert are Exhibit A (tags)
President George W. Biush and Israel’s PM, Ehud Olmert, are setting the stage for a U.S. led attack on Iran. Only a mostly spineless Congress can stop Bush from committing yet another War Crime. Recently, the war-loving duo visited Masada, a desert fortress in Israel, where 960 Jewish zealots committed suicide, in 73 A.D., rather than surrender to Rome’s legions. Are Bush and Olmert both suffering from “The Masada Complex?”
Sen. Mikulski’s Warmongering Exposed by Peace Activist (tags)
The Iraq War is crashing our economy! We also now know that it was launched by the Bush-Cheney Gang based on 935 certifiable lies. Yet, Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-MD) continues to vote to fund it to the tune of $514 billion. Her excuse is that she “supports the troops.” Vietnam War veteran, nurse and Peace activist, Ms. Madeleine Mysko, isn’t buying Mikulski’s dubious line. She wants the war ended and the troop brought safely back home, now.
America, Fight Back: Nationalize the Oil Industry! (tags)
Surging oil prices are sinking the U.S. economy, while Big Oil is raking in obscene profits. For example, ExxonMobil recorded profits in 2007 of $40.6 billion. Its CEO’s pay averaged out to $13,700 an hour. Today, gas is selling at $3.50 a gallon with no end in sight. Truckers are paying more for their diesel fuel and as a result food prices are rising. Globally, nationalization of the oil industry is the trend. It’s time for the U.S. to join that club.
Ron Paul Is Right on Peace, Liberty and Ending the U.S. Empire (tags)
Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX) has taken a lot of hits during his campaign for the White House. What scares folks about this guy? I went to hear him speak, on April 14, 2008, at Goucher College, Towson, MD. Unlike some dubious liberals in the Congress, Rep. Paul voted against the USA Patriot Act. He also wants to end the Iraq War and bring the troops home, now; and to dismantle America’s global empire before it bankrupts the country. Sounds like Ralph Nader to me!
AFL-CIO’s John J. Sweeney Fears “an American Nightmare!” (tags)
On April 8, 2008, John J. Sweeney said in Baltimore, MD, that the country is going down the tubes and dragging working class people with it. He’s the head of the national AFL-CIO. He added that in November: “We have an opportunity to reverse these awful trends.” On May 1, 2008, West coast dockworkers are calling a work stoppage to protest the U.S. wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Perhaps, Mr. Sweeney will join them on the picket line. Stay tuned.
Like Dubya: Pelosi, Clinton and Mikulski Deserve Boos, Too! (tags)
In Washington, D.C., President George W. Bush was loudly booed on opening day, March 30, 2008. He tossed out the ceremonial first pitch and the huge baseball crowd gave him an earful. Too bad, the “Gang of Three,” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Sen. Hillary Clinton, and Sen. Barbara Mikulski, weren’t with him on the mound. They have enabled the Iraq conflict by voting to fund it, despite their promise to “end the war.” They deserve boos, too!
Regime Change: An American Addiction (tags)
I would like to blame the Neocons for America’s sordid record of “regime change” around the globe, but I can’t! For Iraq, yes! But, sadly, the U.S. has been in the dirty business of “regime change” for at least 110 years going back to the days that it unlawfully seized Hawaii. Author Stephen Kinzer’s book, “Overthrow: America’s Century of Regime Change,” tells the story of how 14 countries, many in Central America, came under our hegemony.
Alan Greenspan at the Feds: A Disaster for America (tags)
The supposed financial guru, Alan Greenspan, was nominated to head the Federal Reserve, in 1987, by that union-bashing dunce, President Ronald Reagan. At his confirmation hearing, the late Sen. William Proxmire (D-WI), exposed the fact that Greenspan’s economic forecasting record was “dismal” and “wrong” most of the time. In his book: “Greenspan’s Bubbles,” William A. Fleckenstein proves Sen. Proxmire’s instincts were prophetic.
Neocon Jonah Goldberg Praises David Mamet (tags)
How would you feel if that raving Neocon Jonah Goldberg praised you? Well, this is the position that lapsed liberal David Mamet, a knee jerk supporter of Israel, is in. Mamet endorsed a “Free Market” system and bashed NPR, as “National Palestinian Radio.” In a rant for the Village Voice he explains his conversion to Conservatism and underscores how government should “get out of the way.” Goldberg lionized him for rejecting “the pieties of the Left.”
Oh, That Trillion Dollar Financial Bubble, It’s Leaking! (tags)
It’s here! Author Charles R. Morris calls it: “The greatest credit bubble in history!” He insists that the “writedowns and defaults” of credit devices will “come out about $1 trillion.” Problem: President George W. Bush, Jr. is in denial about the crisis. Like that amiable dunce, President Ronald Reagan, he contributed to this horrible mess by turning the country over to the Vulture Capitalists and also by launching the Iraq War with its price tag of $3 trillion!
The Neocons’ Ties to the 9/11 Commission’s Report (tags)
There was little chance that the 9/11 Commission was going to establish the full truth. One reason why: Its Executive Director, the Neocon-loving Philip D. Zelikow, had his own agenda, to wit: protecting the interest of the Bush-Cheney Gang and linking “Al-Qaeda to Iraq.” Zelikow had previously written a book with Condi Rice, authored a paper used to justify the preemptive attack on Iraq and worked on Bush’s presidential transition team in 2000/2001.
Sen. Lieberman Says Waterboarding Won’t Really Hurt You! (tags)
One of the prime enablers of the Bush-Cheney Gang has been Sen. “Turncoat Joe” Lieberman (IND-CT). This guy loves the Iraq War and is foaming at the mouth pushing for the U.S. to attack Iran. Now, he’s come out for waterboarding! Sen. Lieberman insists it isn’t torture. How would he like it if Jonathan Pollard, the Israeli spy, is waterboarded? Torture is inhumane. Would Sen. Lieberman like to have a torture school named after himself?
Civil Resistance In the Age of Bush and Cheney (tags)
Civil Resistance to the wrongdoings of U.S. regimes has a long, and honorable, history. In his well documented tome, “Protesting Power: War, Resistance, and Law,” Professor Francis A. Boyle captures the essence of that story. He explains how “civil resistance” differs from “civil disobedience.” He also cites cases, where he was involved as an attorney and/or expert witness. Professor Boyle's book is, indeed, timely and needed.
Sen. Obama Beat the Political Machine in Maryland (tags)
Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) gave Sen. Hillary Clinton a decisive thrashing in Maryland’s primary election on Feb. 12, 2008. He beat her by about 180,000 votes. Despite Clinton having the state’s senior U.S. Senator, Barbara Mikulski, in her corner, along with its governor, Martin O’Malley, and also the party’s entire political machine, Obama won by a 60% to 37% margin. David Lindorff is right: “Obama...may be creating...a constituency for real change.”
A McCain-Lieberman Ticket in 2008? (tags)
Will the presidential election of 2008 reprise, to some extent, the 2000 event? Don’t be surprised if Sen. “Turncoat Joe” Lieberman (IND-CT) ends up as the V.P. choice of Sen. John McCain on the GOP ticket. At every photo op during this election year, Lieberman’s mug has showed up next to McCain’s. Lieberman helped to drag Al Gore down to defeat in 2000. Will he do the same for McCain or will another Israeli Firster get the nod? Stay tuned.
Bush and Cheney in Hell for 935 Lies - A Satire (tags)
Thanks to the great Dante, we know there is a Hell. President George W. Bush, Jr. is headed there, along with Dick Cheney, for the “935” lies, which they concocted that got the country into the Iraq War. Many politicos, who ignored the “935” lies, and also voted to fund the war, like Nancy Pelosi and Barbara Mikulski, will be suffering, too, in the inferno. The cunning Neocons are set for a “Special Place,” and the implosion of WTC-7 becomes an issue.
William Kristol, Neocon: Never Having to Say You’re Sorry! (tags)
Tommy Tomorrow, the cartoonist, said that William Kristol’s career as a warmonger had “failed upward!” On Aug. 11, 2008, activist Russell Mokhiber picketed the NYT’s office and demanded that Kristol, who was recently named to its Op Ed Page, meet with severely wounded Iraq War veteran, Tomas Young. Young is featured in Phil Donahue’s film, “Body of War.” Being a repulsive Neocon, like Kristol, means you never have to say you’re sorry.
Neocon-Lite Sen. Mikulski Sets Dems’ Cynical Agenda (tags)
The 2008 presidential election is heating up. Neocon-Lite Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-MD), in a spiel in the Baltimore Examiner, blasted President George W. Bush for shortchanging national priorities because of the cost of the Iraq War. She failed to mention, however, that she has been an enabler of that conflict and has done nothing to end it. The cynical Democratic Party strategy is to let the Iraq War continue and to blame Bush for everything.
The Making of an “Exceptional” Monster: Josef Stalin (tags)
His father was a drunk who regularly beat him. His name was Josef Stalin. Born in Russia’s Georgia, in 1878, under the rule of the Romanov Czars, he excelled as a student, while building up a deep resentment towards the cruel occupiers of his Caucasus region. Stalin became a Marxist revolutionist and a master conspirator. The book, “Young Stalin,” by Simon Sebag Montefiore, tells how this merciless, but extremely talented, psychopath was forged.
Voices of the Iraq War Dissenters Ring Out (tags)
The horrific Iraq War, launched by the Bush-Cheney Gang, is now in its fifth year, with no end in sight. Nevertheless, there were some stouthearted souls inside both the governments of the U.S. and the UK, (Denmark and Australia, too), who tried to expose the lies of the wire pullers. In “Dissent: Voices of Conscience,” co-authors Col. (Ret.) Ann Wright and Susan Dixon tell their compelling stories. It’s current history and a great read, too.
O’Malley Hugs Olmert, While USS Liberty Is Forgotten (tags)
Annapolis, MD, on Nov. 27, 2007, was the backdrop for a propaganda ploy concerning the Mideast. Meanwhile, MD’s Gov. Martin O’Malley had lunch with Israel’s Prime Minister, Ehud Olmert, but he failed to invite Palestine’s Mahmoud Abbas. Last summer, O’Malley cheerleaded the Israeli Defense Forces attack on Lebanon. It is highly likely that topics like: Occupied Gaza, Rachel Corrie or the USS Liberty, never came up at his meal with Olmert.
America: No Country for Old Men (tags)
Every once in a while, a movie comes along which captures, as a metaphor, the times that we are living through. That film is “No Country for Old Men.” It’s based on a novel by Cormac McCarthy. The flick is the creation of the Coen brothers, Joel and Ethan. It is a gem of a movie--grim in effect and dark in vision. In it, the villain, a sociopath, (think “Bush-Cheney Gang”) is winning; and the good guy, the Sheriff, (read “The People”), is ready to call it quits!
U.S. Catholic Bishops “See No Evil” in the War Party (tags)
The Bush-Cheney Gang has been running the country into the ground the last seven years, while creating a framework for a fascist police state. It has also slaughtered 1.2 million Iraqis and sent 3,867 of our finest sons and daughters to a early grave in an illegal and immoral war. But, you wouldn’t know it from any of the results of the annual conference of U.S. Catholic Bishops. To them, abortion is the greatest evil facing Mankind! Go figure!
Why Bush Doesn’t Have to Suspend the Constitution! (tags)
President George W. Bush doesn’t have to mimic Pakistan's dictator, Gen. Pervez Musharraf, and suspend the Constitution, since he doesn’t have any opposition. The two major political parties are controlled by the same Wire Pullers. Meanwhile, an “Axis of Zionists,” Michael Mukasey at Justice, Michael Chertoff at Homeland Security and Joshua Bolten at the WH, now have a choke hold on key positions in our government. America is in deep doo-doo!
U.S. Troops Are Dying, So That Bush Can “Save Face!” (tags)
Rep. Bob Filner (D-CA), on Oct. 17, 2007, on Capitol Hill, said: “Thousands of kids are going to come back in caskets, [from the Iraq War], which we are not allowed to see, or with amputations, brain injuries, with traumatic stress.” Why? Rep. Filner answers: “[Because Bush] is going to make the Democrats take responsibility for ‘this thing.’ That is to ‘save his face.’” I say: Let Bush “save face” in prison, with V.P. Dick Cheney, as his cell mate!
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi Gets an "F" Grade (tags)
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) has miserably failed the American people. Instead of standing up to the Bush-Cheney Gang on the illegal Iraq War, and a host of other issues, too, she has caved in. The American people voted for a change of policy on Iraq, in the Nov. 7, 2006 election; Pelosi has failed to deliver on that mandate. When ex-House Speaker Tom Foley let the voters down, they gave him the boot. It’s time to give Speaker Pelosi the boot, too!
The Killing Silence of Alan Greenspan (tags)
The Bush-Cheney Gang lied the country into the Iraq War. Now, Alan Greenspan, the ex-Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserves, has admitted: “’Everyone’ knows the Iraq War was largely about oil!” Greenspan should be forced to testify, under oath, before a Grand Jury and/or the House Judiciary Committee about this amazing disclosure. The American people are entitled to the truth and the liars should be punished.
Rev. Billy Graham: A Prince of War Exposed (tags)
The Rev. Billy Graham, a darling of the Evangelical Right, has never seen a U.S. war that he couldn’t bless. He once advocated that President Richard M. Nixon bomb the “dikes” in the north of Vietnam. He also criticized the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. for speaking out against the war. A new book, “The Prince of War: Billy Graham’s Crusade for a Wholly Christian Empire,” by Cecil Bothwell exposes the camera-mugging preacher as a serial warmonger.
September 15th Rally Is Unnerving Bush-Cheney Gang (tags)
The Bush-Cheney Gang is shaken by the coming massive antiwar rally set for September 15th, in Washington, D.C. On Sept. 6, 2007, it disrupted the ANSWER Coalition’s promotion of that demonstration. A cop-on-horseback interrupted ANSWER’s press conference that day. Three activists were also arrested. Plus, the antiwar activist, the Rev. Lennox Yearwood Jr., was assaulted by six Capitol Hill cops on Sept. 10th.
Is It Time to Rein in AIPAC? (tags)
The American Israel Public Affairs Committee, “AIPAC,” is the nine ton elephant in the room! It is the ultra-engine that drives the Israel Lobby. After the Walt/Mearsheimer Report came out in March, 2006, its cover was blown. Now, Grant F. Smith’s latest book, “Foreign Agents: AIPAC,” is hitting the streets. It is a searing indictment of AIPAC in the Court of Public Opinion and should be read by every American who cares about the fate of the Republic.
The 5:32 AM Train to Washington, D.C. (tags)
A lot has changed since 9/11, mostly all for the worse. When I took the commuter train from Baltimore to Washington, D.C., on the morning of Aug. 7, 2007, “Big Brother” knew I was on it, since an ID is needed to buy a ticket. When I got to D.C., “Big Brother’s’” cameras watched me get on and off the Metrorail. When I tried to videotape a demonstration at the DOE, a security guard threatened to confiscate my camcorder and to put me “in handcuffs!”
Cheney “Fixes” Libby, Cons America and Thwarts Justice (tags)
Vice President Dick Cheney is a Halliburton-challenged-con-man extraordinaire! Rep. Dennis J. Kucinich (D-OH) charged, via H Res 333, that he lied the nation into the Iraqi War and that he is also seeking, by hook or by crook, a war with Iran. Rep. Jim McDermott (D-WA) said Cheney acts like he is “above the law.” Rep. Jesse Jackson, Jr. (D-IL) urged, after “Scooter” Libby, a Cheney stooge, got his sentence commuted, that it’s time for “an inquiry into these very serious crimes.” Bottom line: Impeach Dick Cheney!
The “Cloud” over Dick Cheney Just Got Darker! (tags)
Lewis “Scooter” Libby is a dark cloud hanging over the head of Dick Cheney. The Special Prosecutor is convinced that Libby lied to protect his boss, the V.P., re: Joe Wilson/Valeri Plame smear. This dark cloud, coupled with the “Nightmare” of impeachment, is Cheney’s new reality. Rep. Dennis J. Kucinich (D-OH), et al, via H Res 333, intend to bring Cheney to Justice. It’s time for Rep. John Conyers of the Judiciary Committee to issue the subpoenas.
Remembering the USS Liberty: Four Decades Later (tags)
On June 8, 1967, the Israelis attacked the USS Liberty killing 34 Americans. They insist it was an “accident.” Lt. James M. Ennes, Jr., a Liberty veteran and an author, said it was “deliberate.” A book, “Operation Cyanide,” claims the attack was a set up to blame the Egyptians and bring the U.S. into the 1967 Six Day War on the side of Israel. Will the U.S. Congress do the Liberty justice? Lt. Ennes doubts it, but he adds: “We can’t stop asking for it.”
America’s Robespierre: President George W. Bush? (tags)
There is a Robespierre-like clone residing in our White House! His name is George W. Bush. Thanks to a book by Dr. Justin A. Frank, entitled: “Bush on a Couch,” we know a lot more about him and his dysfunctional upbringing. Like Robespierre, Bush is a fanatic on both politics and religion. A “dry drunk,” he won’t seek treatment or own up to his responsibility for the Iraqi War. In the mold of a whacky Robespierre, he also sees himself as the liberator of Iraq!
A Congressman of the People: Parren J. Mitchell (RIP) (tags)
Rep. Parren J. Mitchell, age 85, died on May 28, 2007. He served the people of Baltimore, MD, for eight terms in the U.S. Congress (1971-87). He was fighter for Civil Rights, who opposed the Vietnam War and pushed for the impeachment of Richard M. Nixon. Today, by contrast, Maryland is stuck with U.S. Sen., Barbara A. Mikulski. She supports funding for the Iraqi War, with no conditions, and condones the wrongdoings of President George W. Bush.
From Historic Jamestown, VA to the Endgame (tags)
Virginia is steeped in history. Recently, I decided to take in Jamestown. It sits on the James River, not far from the Chesapeake Bay. Founded in 1607, by the Brits, it almost went the way of the lost colony of Roanoke. However, Captain John Smith, a so-called “commoner,” saved the day. By the time, the Native Americans leaders figured out what a mortal threat the British interlopers posed to them, it was too late for them to do anything about it.
Mothers For Peace Arrested on Capitol Hill (tags)
The “SWARM on Congress” campaign got off to a rousing start on May 14, 2007, in the nation’s capital. Cindy Sheehan spoke to the crowd at Lafayette Park; along with Rep. Lynn Woolsey (D-CA) and activists Kevin Zeese, David Swanson, Debra Sweet, Ann Wright, the Rev. Lennox Yearwood, and others. After parading to Capitol Hill, 33 of the estimated 250 antiwar activists were arrested there for refusing a police order to disperse.
Dr. Gilbert Burnham on the 654,965 Death Toll in Iraq (tags)
One of the true horrors of the Iraqi War is the death toll of the civilian population caught up in that conflict. In Oct., 2006, “The Lancet,” a prestigious British Medical Journal, published a study entitled: “The Human Cost of the War in Iraq.” One of its co-authors was Dr. Gilbert Burnham of the Johns Hopkins U. Its stunning conclusion: 659,965 Iraqis have died in the war as of July, 2006! On May 8, 2007, Dr. Burnham discussed that report.
“Pro Surge” Mikulski Is Paving the Way for Hillary! (tags)
Want-to-be president, Sen. Hillary “War Lite” Clinton (D-NY), recently gushed over U.S. Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-MD). She said that “Pro-Surge” Mikulski had “paved” the way for her. Indeed, Mikulski has done a lot of paving, especially with respect to the manufacturing jobs lost on her watch. In addition, Mikulski persists in supporting funding for the Iraqi War. Now, it has been disclosed that she knew the Bush-Cheney Gang was lying about the war.
The U.S. military announced the deaths of 11 more U.S. troops in Iraq (tags)
“Pro Surge” Mikulski Is Paving the Way for Hillary!
“Pro Surge” Mikulski Is Paving the Way for Hillary! (tags)
Want-to-be president, Sen. Hillary “War Lite” Clinton (D-NY), recently gushed over U.S. Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-MD). She said that “Pro-Surge” Mikulski had “paved” the way for her. Indeed, Mikulski has done a lot of paving, especially with respect to the manufacturing jobs lost on her watch. In addition, Mikulski persists in supporting funding for the Iraqi War. Now, it has been disclosed that she knew the Bush-Cheney Gang was lying about the war.
Complicit Democrats Ripped at Pro Peace Rally (tags)
As a result of the Bush-Cheney Gang’s insane “Surge” strategy, 1,300 Maryland Nation Guard members will be deployed to the hell hole that is Iraq. On May 3, 2007, in Baltimore, a rally was held to protest that action. Maryland State Del. Jill P. Carter blasted U.S. Senators Barbara Mikulski and Ben Cardin for funding the war and then saying that they wanted to “protect the troops.” She called that bizarre conduct: “politically schizophrenic.”
La Brea Tar Pits: A Metaphor for the America Republic? (tags)
President George W. Bush now has the power, thanks to a mostly cowardly Congress, to declare “Martial Law!” The Defense Authorization Act of 2006 gave him the green light. All he needs is a Reichstag-like incident and our Republic will be history. Like the animals who were trapped in the La Brea Tar Pits in Los Angeles, it has been sinking for years. Author Chalmers Johnson is convinced the U.S. Empire is headed the way of Greece’s and Rome’s.
Helen Thomas Compares Bush’s White House to Watergate (tags)
White House reporter, Helen Thomas, gave a talk at McDaniel College, in Westminister, MD, on April 12, 2007. She labeled President George W. Bush Jr. as a very “isolated” individual, and said today’s White House reminded her of “Watergate,” with the “circling the wagons” and “siege” mentality, She denounced the Iraqi War as “illegal, immoral and unconscionable, “and asked: “Why do Americans tolerate such a dumbing down of our country?”
The Zell[ing] Out of the Baltimore Sun (tags)
Sam Zell, a multibillionaire and “committed Zionist,” will soon gain control of the LA Times, the Chicago Tribune, the Baltimore Sun, and 23 TV stations. Zell, an AIPAC supporter, has promised he won’t interfere with the news sections of any of the media outlets. I think he’s another Mortimer B. Zuckerman of the NY Daily News, who pushed for the Iraqi War. America--prepare for a “Dark Age!”
Send Sen. Mikulski to Iraq, Not the MD National Guard! (tags)
As Marylanders prepare to celebrate Easter, some of them, members of the state’s National Guard, are receiving a notice from the Pentagon. It says that they will be deployed to Iraq. They are being called up to fulfill the insane “Surge” strategy of the Bush-Cheney Gang. Sen. Barbara A. Mikulski (D-MD) has voted to fund the “Surge.” She is complicit in that regime's wrongdoing. I say: Keep the MD National Guard home and send Sen. Mikulski to Iraq!
Locals Protest Vulture Capitalists and the Iraqi War (tags)
On March 19, 2007, the Baltimore City Council unanimously approved a Resolution condemning the Iraqi War, the lies that got us into it, George W. Bush’s insane “Surge,” and demanded the troops be “safely” withdrawn from that conflict. On that same night, a Peace Rally was held at St. Vincent de Paul RC Church. The Rev. Heber Brown III said: “It’s time for us to raise hell for peace in our churches.” The event was sponsored by the local UPJ group.
“Has Sen. Barbara Mikulski Lost Her Soul?” (tags)
Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-MD) voted against the Iraqi War. But, since then, she has acted like an agent of the Bush-Cheney Gang by consistently voting to fund it to the tune of $411.3 billion. Mikulski says she “cares about the troops,” but Peace advocates in Maryland think that she has “lost her soul.” They wonder when Mikulski is going to say: “Stop this war!” She has ignored the mandate of the Nov. 7, 2006 election. Iraq is now Sen. Mikulski’s War!
Pentagon Focus of a Spirited Peace Demonstration (tags)
The Pentagon was the focus of a spirited Peace demonstration on March 17, 2007. The crowd in the tens of thousands heard from over 30 riveting speakers. Activist Cindy Sheehan said: “Let’s stop this b... s...These b... s.... wars. It’s for the corporations...to make them rich and line the pockets of the...war criminals.” She added: “We’re the deciders. And we have decided that we want Bush and Cheney impeached...indicted...and imprisoned.”
AIPAC’s Gabfest: Israel Lobby Shows Off Its Power (tags)
The American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) was in Washington, DC, for a three-day gabfest. Leaders of both the Democratic and Republican Parties were slated to make appearances at the event held at the Washington Convention Center. The Israel First Lobbying group is known for its dominating influence over the U.S. Congress and the presidency. Outside the Center, on March 12, 2007, activists made their voices of protest heard.
Scripted Libby Trial Ends on Cue: What Can Happen Next? (tags)
The Prosecutor, Patrick J. Fitzgerald, crafted the “Scooter” Libby case to protect the Bush-Cheney Gang. Even the members of Libby’s jury knew something was missing. Now, it’s time for the House’s Judiciary Committee to pick up the baton. Sen. Harry Reid (D-NEV) said Libby manipulated “intelligence” to get us into the war and that the case revealed “deeper truths” about VP Dick Cheney. I say: “Bring Cheney to the Bar of Justice!”
The Sacco and Vanzetti Case Revisited (tags)
On August 23, 1927, the State of Massachusetts executed two-Italian born immigrants for their alleged roles in the murders and robbery of a payroll clerk and his security guard on April 15, 1920. The condemned, Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti, were militant anarchists. A mockery of a fair trial led to their ultimate fate. Professor Deborah Contrada revisits their case and concludes that there was “reasonable doubt, easily” as to their guilt.
James Howard Kunstler: “America, Think Downscale!” (tags)
America is headed for “a long emergence,” according to author, James H. Kunstler. He’s convinced that the days of the economy running on a cheap supply of fast-fading oil will soon be history. He spoke at Loyola College in Baltimore, MD, on Feb. 20, 2007. Kunstler said it’s time for the country to think: “Downscale!” He sees hard times ahead. Kunstler also doesn’t think much of how the U.S. looks either. He said much of it is a “piece of crap.”
From George Washington to a Broomstick for a President (tags)
When Rep. Elijah E. Cummings (D-MD) met with President George W. Bush, in the White House, on Feb. 15, 2007, he got the distinct impression that Bush’s “soul was shut down,” and that on the Iraqi War that his “mind was shut tight.” Non-binding Congressional Resolutions will not stop Bush’s “Surge.” Cutting off funds for the war will. Antiwar activists are showing the way on this issue by taking their campaign directly to the U.S. Congress.
My Letter to William Cardinal Keeler (tags)
The RC Bishops in the U.S. are against abortion. Most of the RC laity is against it, too. They get the message from the Bishops on that issue. Yet, these same Bishops, and the Pope, too, are also, on moral grounds, against the war in Iraq. Nevertheless, that idea, strangely, hasn’t gotten down to most of the faithful. William Hughes asks Cardinal William Keeler why.
David Simon: “We’re Headed Towards Separate Americas!” (tags)
The award-winning author of the acclaimed HBO program, “The Wire,” painted a grim picture of this country. David Simon said: “We’re headed [towards] separate Americas.” Speaking at Loyola College, in Baltimore, MD, on Feb. 6, 2007, he said that “unencumbered Capitalism has become our God.” In our greedy society, Simon underscored: “Human are worth less, not more: less.” He said America is going to be a “more brutish, cynical and divided place.”
How to Revive a Spiritually Dead America in One Easy Lesson! (tags)
America is going down the toilet! Question: What are you going to do about it? The Russian writer, Alexander Solzhenitsyn, urged his people, in 1974, to take on the Stalinists remnant and to “Live Not by Lies.” Today, America is languishing under the Bush-Cheney Gang, Masters of Deception. “Obedience to lies,” Solzhenitsyn said, robs a people, keeping them “in the herd and a coward.” Remedy--”Live by the truth...It is the only [choice] for a soul.”
Rep. John Conyers: “Congress Can Fire Bush!” (tags)
A massive anti-Iraqi War rally was held, in D.C., on Sat., Jan. 27, 2007. The Chairman of the House’s Judiciary Committee, Rep. John Conyers (D-MI), sent an unmistakable warning to President George W. Bush. Conyers said he wants the “war stopped.” He reminded Bush, that the U.S. Congress “can fire him.” Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA) said Bush “tricked the American people” into the war. She said, to loud applause: “Bush isn’t the decider. He’s the liar!”
The Peoples’ Counter State of the Union Message (tags)
George W. Bush, the Liar-in-Chief, did his thing on Tuesday night, Jan. 23, 2007. He delivered another one of his so-called “State of the Union” messages to the Congress, on Capitol Hill. Outside the building, however, by the reflective pool, activists, like: Col. Ann Wright, Medea Benjamin, Jeffrey Milliard and Travis Morales, offered a true representation of the state of our nation. They demanded an end to the Iraqi War and bringing our troops home.
Lt. Gen. William E. Odom: A Cassandra for Our Times (tags)
The Bush-Cheney Gang’s immoral and illegal war in Iraq “hugely advances” the interest of Al Qaeda and Iran. “No American interests” are served by that conflict, according to Lt. Gen. William E. Odom, USA, Rtd. The longer U.S. forces remain in Iraq, he said, “the worse it will get.” He added: “Staying the course makes no sense.” Leaving Iraq now, Gen. Odom insisted, “is the only way to recover from the greatest strategic mistake in American history.”
Libby’s Trial Crafted to Protect Bush-Cheney Gang (tags)
Instead of going after the cabal that lied the country into the Iraqi War, Special Counsel, Patrick J. Fitzgerald, focused on only one defendant, Irving “Scooter” Libby. He also made sure no conspiracy count was utilized in the indictment against him. V.P. Dick Cheney will not testify at Libby’s trial. Fitzgerald, who has close ties to Rudy Giuliani, will continue to make sure that nothing comes out to hurt the interests of the Bush-Cheney Gang.
Dr. Suzan D. Johnson Cook Honors MLK Jr.’s Memory (tags)
Martin Luther King Jr., a hero of the Civil Rights Movement, was assassinated in Memphis, TN, on April 4, 1968. His impressive legacy, however, lives on. For the last 25 years, the Enoch Pratt Library in Baltimore has honored his memory with a commemorative lecture. On Jan. 13, 2007, Dr. Suzan Johnson Cook filled that role with distinction. She called on her audience to do their part, “to make a difference,” and to be “strengthened by our struggle.”
Shut Down The Guantanamo Penal Colony, Now! (tags)
On the 5th anniversary of the opening of the U.S. prison at Guantanamo, Cuba, Jan. 11, 2007, demonstrations were held across the country. In Washington, D.C., the Supreme Court was the site of a protest action, as was the U.S. District Court. At the latter, about 100 activists were arrested inside the building. Meanwhile, outside, activists dressed in orange jump suits, the uniform of the Gitmo detainees, demanded to have their “Day in Court!”
Daniel Ellsberg: “Bush is Dangerous. He has to Go!” (tags)
Daniel Ellsberg of “Pentagon Papers” fame was one of the riveting speakers at an event at the National Press Club, in Washington, D.C., held on Jan. 4, 2007. It was sponsored by the World Can’t Wait organization. Ellsberg said that President George W. Bush and V.P. Dick Cheney have to go. He labeled Bush “dangerous!” He urged activists to push for a two pronged Congressional strategy: First, to cut off all funding for the Iraqi War; and, secondly, to investigate the serial crimes of the Bush-Cheney Gang.
Will Jimmy Carter’s Book Liberate the Palestinians? (tags)
The year 2006 was another hell on earth for the Palestinian people, especially in Gaza. Is there any hope for relief? Harriet Beecher Stowe’s book, “Uncle Tom’s Cabin,” led to freedom for African-Americans. Question: Will ex-President Jimmy Carter’s tome, “Palestine Peace Not Apartheid,” play a comparable role in ending the evil of the Israeli Occupation?
Cop Assaults Activist at Lockheed Martin Protest (tags)
A peaceful rally, on the morning of Dec. 22, 2006, protesting Lockheed Martin’s production of lethal cluster bombs turned ugly. The giant defense contractor’s headquarters are located in Montgomery County, MD, just north of Washington, D.C. As one of the activists, Patrick J. Elder, was speaking to the demonstrators about the deadly effects of the cluster bomb device, he was ordered “off the grass” by a police officer. When Mr. Elder immediately complied and moved to the sidewalk, he was then assaulted by a cop.
Aaron Burr and Dick Cheney: Two Treacherous VPs (tags)
V. P. Dick Cheney is a very powerful, but desperate individual. The idea that the Bush-Cheney Gang is planning to send 30,000 more troops into the Civil War in Iraq is insane. A planned war with Iran is also on Cheney’s agenda as a diversion to save himself and George W. Bush from impeachment. The Special Prosecutor will soon cross examine Cheney in the “Scooter” Libby case. Unless the U.S. Congress acts soon to impeach, say good-bye to the Republic!
How Not to Interview Donald Rumsfeld (tags)
Cal Thomas is a Right Wing hack, who has shilled for the bloodbath that is the Iraqi War. On Dec. 7, 2006, he interviewed Donald Rumsfeld, the outgoing Secretary of Defense at the Pentagon. “BaWa Walters, herself, couldn’t have done a worst job of puffery. No questions were asked by Thomas about U.S. or Iraqi casualties, WMD, or the fact that Rumsfeld has been charged with war crimes. Thomas’ shameless spiel mocks the idea of a Free Press.
Mythic Figures Spooking Dubya (tags)
President George W. Bush, the quintessential warmonger, is on the defensive! If you look close enough, you can see the fear in his eyes. Since 2005, Cindy Sheehan, an “Earth Mother,” has been challenging him to a face-to-face meeting. The cowardly Bush has declined. Meanwhile, other splendid activists, like the “Hero/Patriot” from the mythic past, are demanding the impeachment by the U.S. Congress of both Bush and V. P. Dick Cheney.
Protesting Colin Powell’s Deception (tags)
One of the principal co-conspirators in selling the Iraqi War was Colin Powell, the ex-U.S. Secretary of State. Few will ever forget his deception-filled speech before the UN, on Feb. 5, 2003, which helped launched the Neocon-inspired conflict. His own aide, Col. Lawrence Wilkinson, called it “a hoax on the American people.” Powell was in Baltimore on Dec. 5, 2006, to give a talk. Activists, led by the “Citizens for Peace” group, protested his gig.
OJ and Dubya: Both in Denial, Both Unrepentant (tags)
O.J. Simpson and George W. Bush have a lot in common. They are both unrepentant wrongdoers, who are in denial about their outrageous conduct. Thankfully, OJ’s book escapade was foiled by outraged public opinion. Bush, and his cohort, VP Dick Cheney, however, intend to “stay the course” in Iraq and maybe attack Iran. Only the U.S. Congress can stopped the duo. Impeachment is Constitutionally mandated. Will Congress do its duty?
Kathy Kelly to James Baker: “Tell the Truth about Iraq!” (tags)
Nobel Peace Prize nominee, Kathy Kelly, gave a talk at the UMBC campus, on Nov. 20, 2006. She mocked the ex-Secretary of State, James Baker, for saying he wasn’t going to “wring his hands” about past mistakes in Iraq. Baker heads up the so-called “Iraq Study Group.” Kelly roared: “We will wring our hands! One of the ways to stop this next war is to tell the truth about this war. And, it’s not going to be such a pleasant mirror to look into.”
Impeachment Call Echoes Near Independence Hall (tags)
In 1974, Elizabeth Holtzman, then a Congresswoman from New York City, served on the House’s Judiciary Committee, which drafted Impeachment charges against then-President, Richard M. Nixon. On Nov. 11, 2006, she appeared on a panel, in Philadelphia, PA. Holtzman believes George W. Bush has “subverted the Constitution” and that “the people are ahead of the politicians” and will bring Bush and Dick Cheney “to impeachment.”
The Anti-War Movement Sourced the Democrats’ Victory! (tags)
The Democratic Party, read “The War Lite” Party, is basking in the glow of victory today. It has regained control of the House of Representatives, and the U.S. Senate for the first time in 12-years. The two issues that it won on-The Iraqi War and the whacky persona of President George W. Bush-had little or nothing to do with the Democratic Party. Those two matters were actually sourced by activists in the Anti-Iraqi War Movement!
Mary Robinson Spotlights Human Rights Abuses in Darfur (tags)
Before the word “Feminist” became fashionable, Mary Robinson, a Barrister, legislator and educator, was shaking up the “conservative” establishment in the Republic of Ireland. After serving a term as its first female President, she became the UN’s High Commissioner for Human Rights. Today, human rights, on a global scale, is her cause. On Nov. 1, 2006, in a lecture at Adelphi, MD, she exposed human rights atrocities in Darfur and elsewhere.
Lieberman’s Electoral Fate Tests Power of Wirepullers (tags)
Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman, the ultra Iraqi War Hawk, is up for reelection in Connecticut on Nov. 7th. He lost the Democratic primary, but has re-created himself as an Independent. Ned Lamont is his opponent. If Lieberman can be defeated, it will be a blow to the Wirepullers and also an opportunity for antiwar forces to reshape the new Congress, which may lead to impeachment proceedings, in 2007, against both George W. Bush and Dick Cheney.
Eamon McGuire: The Life of an Undercover IRA Activist (tags)
What is it like to be on the run with the CIA looking for you? Well, Eamon McGuire, an Irishman, can tell you something about that, along with what it was like to be member of the IRA’s South Armagh Brigade. For over 20 years, McGuire led a double life: one as an aircraft engineer, the other as an IRA operative. His newly-released book, “Enemy of the Empire: Life as an International Undercover IRA Activist,” is compelling reading.
The Legacy of the Iraqi War Hawks (tags)
The body count goes up and up in Iraq; with more dead U.S. soldiers and Iraqi civilians. Chaos reigns! Yet, the man primarily responsible for this carnage, President George W. Bush, insists on “staying the course.” The evil legacy of this conflict metastasizes. The War Hawks, many in the U.S. Congress, some in the Media, along with the Neocons, bear culpability, too, in this matter. The Nov. election may be a last chance to restore sanity in Washington, D.C.
Kevin Zeese Blasts "Special Interests" at Senate Debate (tags)
In an historic first, a three-way debate was held between the candidates running for the office of U.S. Senate in Maryland. Kevin Zeese, the “Unity Candidate,” blasted the Democrats and Republicans in the Congress for selling the country out “to the special interests.” Unlike his opponents, Lt. Gov. Michael Steele and Rep. Ben Cardin, Zeese offered specific proposals to solve the many problems facing the people of the state of Maryland.
Hidden Costs of the Iraqi War Exposed (tags)
As of Oct. 3, 2006, the Iraqi War has led to the deaths of 2,720 U.S. military personnel, cost taxpayers $331.1 billion, while Iraqi civilian casualties are estimated at over 100,000. However, there are also “hidden costs” to this awful conflict. Some were revealed at a Capitol Hill “Iraq Forum” on Sept. 26, 2006. They are the costs to the children of Iraq; to the Iraqi War Veterans; and to the American taxpayers, who are stuck with the tab, while other economic and social priorities go unanswered.
Human Rights Experts: “Israel Committed War Crimes!” (tags)
On Sept. 27, 2006, two leading experts on Human Rights spoke at the Palestine Center, in Washington, D.C. Curt Goering of Amnesty International, said Israel’s massive bombing campaign in Lebanon, including dropping more than a million cluster bombs, was a “war crime.” His group is pressing the UN for a full inquiry. Joe Stork of Human Rights Watch called the Israelis’ destruction of Gaza’s only electric power generating plant a “war crime.”
Protester Arrested at U.S. Capitol Asks: What About the First Amendment? (tags)
Activists took their case for ending the Iraqi War to the party responsible for authorizing it--the U.S. Congress! On Sept. 26, 2006, 71 protesters were arrested by police on various charges. The organizing groups for the event were the “National Campaign for Nonviolence Resistance” (NCNR) and the “Declaration of Peace.” One of the protesters arrested was Max Obuszewski of the NCNR. He demanded to know: “What about the First Amendment?”
Prof. Jonathan Turley: “Stop Being a Country of Chumps!” (tags)
A conference was held on 09/18/06 at the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA), in Baltimore, to celebrate the birthday of the U.S. Constitution. One of the speakers was Professor Jonathan Turley of the GWU’s School of Law. He accused George W. Bush of creating an “uber presidency” and violating the “Separation of Powers” doctrine. He also blasted the two-party system as a monopoly. Prof. Turley said: “We need another political party!”
Kevin Zeese: “It’s Time to Try Diplomacy in Middle East!” (tags)
Since the end of WWII, the U.S. policy in the Middle East has created only “more anger-more hatred for our county,” said Kevin Zeese. Speaking on 09/13/06, at the Palestine Center, in D.C., Zeese ripped the Bush-Cheney Gang for giving Israel the “green light” to terrorize Lebanon for 33-days. Zeese also took it to task for abandoning the Palestinians and for its hostile attitude towards Iran. “It’s time to try diplomacy in the Middle East,” he said.
Bush-Cheney Hit with “Mock” Guilty Verdicts for War Crimes (tags)
It was appropriate that the “Guilty” verdicts against the Bush-Cheney Gang for committing war crimes and crimes against humanity were announced at “Camp Democracy,” on the National Mall. On Sept. 13, 2006, Ann Wright, an ex-U.S. diplomat, read the “mock” verdicts. She was also one of the five jurists who heard the evidence compiled by the Bush Crimes Commission.
Netanyahu Beats Drum for U.S. War with Iran (tags)
Leave it to a Far Right Likudite, Benjamin Netanyahu, to show up on 09/06/06, in Philadelphia, “The City of Brotherly Love,” and beat the drum for a U.S. war with Iran. What a lethal irony! In his spiel, Netanyahu, an ultra Israeli Hawk, sounded like President George W. Bush, while also ignoring Israel’s many wrongs against the peoples of Palestine and Lebanon.
Remembering Katrina and the Need for Climate Justice (tags)
Nearly one year after Katrina struck the Gulf Coast, the Bush-Cheney Gang has done little, on the issue of global warming, to prevent another devastating disaster. At a rally, on Aug. 26, 2006, at the main headquarters of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Adm. (NOAA), Mike Tidwell, the author of “The Ravaging Tide,” charged that unless something is done now about the warming of our global atmosphere, more Katrinas are on their way.
Kevin Zeese: Attack on Iran May Lead to WWIII! (tags)
Takoma, Maryland’s City Hall was the scene for a lively discussion on Middle East issues, on Aug. 17, 2006. Kevin Zeese, the “Unity candidate” for the U.S. Senate in Maryland, and one of the panelists, said Israel’s attack on Lebanon was premeditated and that an attack on Iran might lead to WWIII. Noura Erakat said Lebanon had been devastated ‘on a humanitarian level” by Israel’s War Machine. She also denounced Israel as an “Apartheid state.”
Neocons’ Middle East Scheme Is Backfiring (tags)
Back in 1996, a clique of Neocons, led by Richard Perle, concocted a scheme for Israel to “destabilize” the Middle East. The Palestinians were to be crushed and Iraq and Lebanon balkanized. The U.S. and UK were conned into doing the Neocons’ dirty work in Iraq. Now, Hezbollah fighters have tossed a huge wrench into the not-so-clever plot. Instead of Israel becoming “safer,” the Neocons have put its citizens at risk and its army in danger of defeat.
Kevin Zeese Challenges Rep. Cardin on Israel (tags)
Kevin Zeese, an Independent candidate for U.S. Senate from Maryland, is shaking up the Establishment. Despite the “unmatched power” the Israel Lobby exerts over our foreign policy, Zeese is challenging Rep. Ben Cardin to speak out about Israel’s “terror military policy” in Occupied Gaza and Lebanon. Cardin, who is also running for the U.S. Senate in MD, submitted a two sentence reply to Zeese. The people of Maryland deserve better!
Qana Massacre Protested at State Department Rally (tags)
As a result of the Israeli massacre of 56 civilians, mostly children, in the village of Qana, in Lebanon, a protest action was held in front of the State Department in Washington, D.C. on Monday, 07/31/06. The activists were there to protest the massacre and to demand an immediate ceasefire. Noura Erakat said, “Israel needs to be held accountable for its murders.” Four of the demonstrators were arrested in an act of civil disobedience.
Mayor Martin O’Malley Pimps for Israel Lobby (tags)
U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) is a politician that regularly sucks up to the powerful Israel Lobby. Fortunately, she has an opponent in this year’s primary, Jonathan Tasini, who is calling her on her shameless behavior. In Baltimore, Mayor Martin O’Malley, who wants to be governor of Maryland, is following in Clinton’s footsteps. When the Israel Lobby called a rally, on 07/25/06, to boost support for Israel, O’Malley showed up to do its bidding.
Israel’s Barbarism in Lebanon/Gaza Protested (tags)
On July 25, 2006, a spirited rally was held in front of the Israeli Embassy in Washington, D.C. The protesters demanded an end to Israel’s murderous attacks on Lebanon and Gaza. The rally was preceded by a march through the neighborhood, which included the protesters carrying 50 coffins draped in black. The coffins symbolized the innocent Lebanese and Palestinians, who have been slaughtered in the latest war crimes committed by Zionist Israel.
The Rev. Billy Graham is No Phil Berrigan! (tags)
The Rev. Billy Graham was in Baltimore recently doing his religious revival thing. For years, he was a crony of warmongering presidents, like Richard M. Nixon. Rev. Graham’s preaching never attracted me. However, the life work of the late Phil Berrigan, an ex-Josephite priest, had a profound influence on me, and others. Berrigan spoke the truth to power. He relentlessly took on the War Party and spent 11 of his 79 years in prison for his protest actions.
What If Israel Had Never Been Created? (tags)
What would the world look like, if in 1948, the state of Israel hadn’t been created? Unfortunately, President Harry S. Truman, under the “influence of the Zionists,” gave his endorsement to that violence-inspiring project. Since that time, life for the Palestinans has become a hell-on-earth under the heel of Israel’s brutal Death-Mayhem-&-Occupation Machine. John Lennon said, “Imagine there’s no countries.” Okay, let’s imagine: There is no Israel!
The Ancient Redwoods: Witnesses to a Fading Republic (tags)
The Ancient Redwoods are older by centuries than the American Republic itself. They are found only in the northwest coastal region of the nation. They have witnessed this country’s birth struggle, its awful Civil War, its rapacious expansion westward, and now, finally, its imperial hubris and rapid decline. By the time the Bush-Cheney Gang gets done ripping the country off (aided by complicit Democrats), the Republic will be a fading memory.
Richard Perle: A Serial Warmonger! (tags)
Richard Perle is at it again! He tossed a hizzy fit when the Bush-Cheney Gang decided to have “talks” with Iran over their disputed nuclear program. The Mother of All Neocons implied President George W. Bush was a coward. He said the President “blinked” and that the Mullahs had “glared” him down. Perle has no shame! He helped to create the disaster which is the Iraqi War. Now, he wants to set the stage for a repeat U.S. performance with Iran.
What’s Next for the Palestinians - Starvation? (tags)
Since 01/06, when the Palestinians elected a Hamas-dominated government, the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) have accelerated their brutal treatment. After Israeli PM, Ehud Olmert, appeared before the lapdog U.S. Congress on May 31, 2006, the IOF also slaughtered 32 Palestinians, including 10 children. On 06/23/06, Tim Rothermel and Laila El-Haddad, at a Capitol Hill forum, warned that the Palestinians may, eventually, face starvation, too.
Ralph Nader: “Americans Need Moral Courage!” (tags)
Ralph Nader spoke at a campaign rally, in Baltimore, MD, on behalf of Kevin Zeese, who’s running as an Independent for a U.S. Senate seat. Nader called his former press secretary, “a great candidate.” An activist’s activist, Nader said a vast majority of Americans need a dose of “moral courage.” They have allowed “a few,” to rule over the many. “Democracy,” Nader said, “isn’t a slogan. People need to get motivated, show up and get organized.”
Kevin Zeese: “Both Parties Selling Country to Highest Bidder!” (tags)
Kevin Zeese, an independent candidate for U.S. Senate in Maryland, accused both parties, Democrats and Republicans, of “selling the country to the highest bidder.” He spoke at a Forum, in Baltimore, MD, on June 4, 2006. Zeese emphasized the importance of breaking the straightjacket the two parties have on the voters in order to give them a real choice. Zeese also underscored that our fragile environment is headed for a global disaster, unless serious policy changes are made within the next five to ten years.
Will Debunking the Exodus “Myth” be Hollywood’s Next Hit? (tags)
Hollywood’s version of “The Da Vinci Code” is out. Many Christians consider it a sacrilege. The Vatican and the Opus Dei organization are the bad guys in the flick, which claims Jesus was married to Mary Magdalene and had a child by him. Interestedly, there is also plenty of evidence that the Exodus story is a fantasy concocted by Jewish scribes. Question: Do you think Hollywood will ever do a movie debunking Israel’s claim to the lands of the Palestinians?
Liars’ Club Confab: Bush and Blair at White House (tags)
The prime members of the Anglo-American Liars’ Club, President George W. Bush and the UK’s Tony Blair, met at the White House on May 25, 2006. The bull session lead to more perpetual war propaganda, including an agreement to keep troops there until the new Iraqi government of occupation “takes control.” Protesters expected at the confab, include Ann Wright, who resigned her State Dept. job rather than endorse the Neocon-inspired war.
Should Noam Chomsky Reset His Compass? (tags)
Noam Chomsky was interviewed for the 2005 book, “Imperial Ambitions.” In it, he addressed the Iraqi War, but he failed to take on the hawkish Neocons. Chomsky said the war was about the “control of oil.” He also ignored the influential Israeli Lobby’s role in agitating for the conflict. In the introduction, a colleague said that he “misses nothing.” Question: How can that be true, if Chomsky missed the six ton elephant in the room - the Israeli Lobby?
Sheehan Labels Bush’s White House: “A Crime Scene!” (tags)
On May 18, 2006, activists attempted to deliver a “Don't Attack Iran” Petition, which was signed by over 43,000 individuals, to a White House official. The bureaucrat refused to accept it, despite the fact that the Right to Petition the government for a redress of grievances is a right older than the Constitution and a cornerstone of the First Amendment. A defiant Cindy Sheehan then labeled George W. Bush’s White House: “A Crime Scene!”
Code Pink Challenges White House (tags)
Code Pink activists showed up on Mother’s Day to challenge the War Party. They took their case directly to the White House. In a rally that included a mini-parade, speeches, a sing along and the waving of plenty of roses, the Ladies in Pink were in great form. Cindy Sheehan said they are “making a difference.” And, Actress Susan Sarandon read an open letter to Laura Bush, in which she mocked Laura’s husband, “The Decider,” as a warmonger.
Stop the Neocons from Digging our Graves! (tags)
The Neocons are at it again! Besides Iran, they now are verbally assaulting Russian and China. Robert Kagan, the cofounder of the Zionist-dominated “Project for the New American Century,” (PNAC), accused those two nations of being protectors of a “league of dictators,” which includes Iran. Meanwhile, since “Imperialism,” is supposedly the bad guy, the Israeli Lobby and the Neocons, who helped to push the Iraqi War, continue to get a pass.
What an Odd Bird that Elie Wiesel Is! (tags)
To some, Elie Wiesel is a “messenger to mankind.” Well, Alexander Cockburn doesn’t think so. He said that Wiesel, a devout Zionist, failed as a messenger when it comes to those “victimized” by the policies of the U.S. and Israel. After the first Persian Gulf War, Wiesel gave Dubya’s daddy, Bush I, a humanitarian award and called that bloodbath “a magnificent victory!” This supposed moralizer has also been silent about the evils of the Iraqi War.
King Would be Proud of Rep. Barbara Lee! (tags)
On April 27, 2006, a Forum was held on Capitol Hill by the House of Representatives’ “Out of Iraq Caucus,” whose purpose is to end the Iraqi War and bring all the troops home. A leading Caucus members, Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA), also testified. She said there were no WMD in Iraq and that Osama bin Laden had no connections to 9/11, Iraq or Saddam Hussein. Lee said the Bush-Cheney Gang must answer to the people: “Why did [they] do it?”
Kevin Zeese: “Hawkish Israeli Lobby Wants War with Iran!” (tags)
The Israeli Lobby, with others, helped to instigate the Iraqi War. A scholarly report, the “Harvard Study,” which was recently released, also documents the “unmatched power” of the Lobby over the national interest. Now, the Bush-Cheney Gang is targeting Iran for a pre-empted strike. Is the hawkish, hard right, pro-Israeli Lobby pushing for a war with Iran, too? Kevin Zeese, an independent candidate for U.S. Senate In MD, thinks that it is.
Breaking the Mikulski Code! (tags)
Sen. Barbara A. Mikulski (D-MD) voted against the Iraqi War, but she has consistently voted to fund it. She poses as a liberal, but on the Iraqi conflict, there is little or no difference between her complicity in that wrong and that of VP Dick Cheney. He was recently booed at a baseball game. When will the people of Maryland begin booing her? Another funding for the Iraqi War vote is coming up in late April. Will Mikulski again support the Bush-Cheney Gang?
Paul Wolfowitz’s Heart of Darkness (tags)
Now, War Hawks within the Bush-Cheney Gang are planning a First-Strike against Iran. It may come just before the Nov. midterm elections. The Neocon Paul Wolfowitz concocted the notion of a Pre-emptive War. His target, in 2003, was Iraq. Every time I hear Wolfowitz’s name mentioned, I curse him for all the deaths and suffering that his scheme has caused to the peoples of that unfortunate country, our brave troops and to our dwindling treasury.
Another Surreal Day in the Age of Bush (tags)
The baseball season opened on April 3, 2006. President George W. Bush was in Cincinnati and tossed out the “ceremonial” pitch. Jay Leno said it went off to the “far right.” Meanwhile, nine brave U.S. troops were killed in Iraq on that day; one for every inning Bush was at the game. Zacarias Moussaoui, a suspected mental case, faces the death penalty for 9/11. Also, corruption-tainted Rep. Tom DeLay (R-TX) fears a hammering from the justice system.
Hey, General Assembly of MD: ”Reverse Deregulation!” (tags)
Most Marylanders can expect their electric bills to go up by $743 a year-a 74 % increase! In 1999, the legislature deregulated the industry. In a sweetheart deal, BGE was absorbed by Constellation Energy and required to begin buying its electricity on the open market. Meanwhile, BGE’s electric-generating assets, originally paid for by the people, were turned over to Constellation in “a cash-free shuffle.” The ratepayers are now being asked to pay again!
Pentagon Gets Coffin, While Protesters Get Arrested! (tags)
Activists marched on the Pentagon, on March 20, 2006. In a direct action, a symbolic coffin was hoisted over a fence by the protesters at the facility, located in northern Virginia, just opposite Washington, D.C. About 20 demonstrators were arrested. The “Iraq Pledge of Resistance” organization sponsored the event on the third anniversary of the bloodbath in Iraq. A prayer was also offered near the Pentagon to honor all of the Iraqi dead.
When Propaganda Controls America’s Thinking (tags)
Propaganda is a science. No one knows that better than the Bush-Cheney Gang. It cleverly used every scare tactic and lie available to con the country into the Iraqi War. In the Dubai port deal, those same kinds of ruses were turned against it. George Bush was hoisted up on his own petard. The great Oswald Spengler reminds us of how the Media can influence us, via repetition, into believing any kind of lie. Now, will the U.S. be lied into a war with Iran?
"Thou Shalt Not Criticize the Zionists!" (tags)
There is an 11th Commandment! It states: “Thou Shalt Not Criticize the Zionists.” Recently, the Brit’s Royal Court Theater wanted to put on a play, in NYC, entitled, “My Name is Rachel Corrie.” Corrie was the peace activist, who was killed by an Israeli bulldozer, on March 16, 2003, in Occupied Gaza. The NYC theater company, however, has “postponed” the production because Jewish leaders objected to it. This is an example of that 11th Commandment!
Is Hell Too Good for the Iraqi Warmongers? (Satire) (tags)
Do you wonder if the Iraqi warmongers will ever be punished for their evildoings? Well, thanks to one of Italy’s greatest sons, Dante Alighieri, there is a way to find out. He wrote “The Divine Comedy,” the first book of which is about his descent into Hell. It’s called, “The Inferno.” With a little imagination, Dante was sent forward to the year 2065. He reprised his trip to the Inferno for us and forwarded an account of what he had witnessed.
Exposing agenda of Christian right w/ satire (tags)
Satire piece shows possible future if Christian right extremists take control of US. Added comment shows reality behind satire, from war on the environment, women's rights and Palestinians..
“Best Director” Oscar for Ports Brouhaha Production (tags)
The Iraqi War has been raging for over three years with hardly a peep out of the Congress and/or the Media. Now, a deal which would permit an Arab-owned company to manage stevedore operations in six U.S. ports has sent both into a feeding frenzy. Why? The U.S. Coast Guard is in charge of security at the ports, not the stevedoring outfit. Whoever is behind this ports brouhaha affair deserves an Oscar nomination for - “best director!”
Exposing agenda of Christian right extremists with satire (tags)
Satire piece shows possible future if Christian right extremists take control of US. Added comment shows reality behind satire, from war on the environment, women's rights and Palestinians..
Arab Port Deal Distorted for Political Gain (tags)
Recently, 8,600 U.S. companies have been taken over by foreign ownership, while 20 percent of all U.S. assets are held by foreigners. The politicians were silent. Now, a United Arab Emirates’ enterprise will soon be operating stevedoring companies in six U.S. ports, including Baltimore’s. Its Mayor, Martin O’Malley, almost broke a blood vessel complaining. However, he didn’t say a word while the preceding British outfit was doing the work. Go figure!
Muslim-Bashing and the Power of Cartoons (tags)
Back in the late 19th century, the political cartoonist, Thomas Nast, in NYC’s “Harper’s Weekly,” viciously attacked Catholics, the Irish and the Vatican. He crossed the line with those caricatures. The same can be said about the Danish authors of the 12 cartoons vilifying the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), the revered founder of Islam. The demonizing was, in effect, an attack on all of the Muslim faithful. The parties responsible should offer an apology.
Cindy Sheehan: “Bush’s Presidency Is Illegitimate!” (tags)
Cindy Sheehan is back in Washington, D.C. She appeared at a Forum, on Jan. 30, 2006, proposing the impeachment of both President George W. Bush and his vice-president-in-mayhem, Dick Cheney. Sheehan believes Bush’s election in 2000, by the Supreme Court was illegitimate and that his abrogating to himself Congress’s war making powers to invade Iraq was unconstitutional. Congress won’t do anything, Sheehan said, “unless we make them” do it.
Abramoffgate: It’s the Same Sleaze, Just Bigger! (tags)
Jack Abramoff may be the sleaziest influence peddler to hit the halls of power in Congress - ever. As many as 20 Congressmen may be caught up in the crimes of this confessed master briber. Yet, there is nothing really new about corruption scandals on Capitol Hill. The biggest obscenity is this: Brave U.S. soldiers are dying in Iraq in a war sanctioned by the “most corrupt Congress in history,” and started by a wacky President - George W. Bush.
Is George Bush a Mad Emperor? (tags)
President George W. Bush took the country into the Iraqi War based on a policy of lies. It has cost the lives of an estimated 30,000 to 100,000 Iraqis. Since 2001, Bush has ordered the National Security Agency (NSA) to spy on the American people under the guise of catching terrorists. He arrogantly ignored a secret court, the FISA Court, which was set up for that purpose. Bush acts like a mad Roman emperor; he’s as whacky as a Caligula or a Nero.
Green Party’s Kevin Zeese Has New Approach (tags)
On Dec. 14, 2005, the Green Party candidate for the U.S. Senate in MD, Kevin Zeese, ripped into President Bush calling his Annapolis speech, “filled with lies!” He also demanded the U.S. get out of Iraq and admit it’s a “failed policy.” He labeled the Military-Industrial Complex, the “greatest threat to our country.” Zeese also wants a “Single Payer” health care system, a “share the wealth” economy and a fair and balanced Middle East policy.
An Open Letter to Randy “Duke” Cunningham (tags)
The corrupt ex-Rep. Randy “Duke” Cunningham, an eight-term member of the Congress, will be sentenced on 02/27/06, for taking $2.4 million in bribes. An ultra hawk, he pushed for the Iraqi War which has cost untold misery for the Iraqi people and death and pain to the lives of so many American families. Cunningham said he wants to “atone” for his wrong doings. If so, let him come clean at his hearing about all of the pervasive corruption on Capitol Hill.
Ex-Rep. Findley: “It’s Time to Exit Iraq!” (tags)
On Dec. 1, 2005, at a public forum, on Capitol Hill, ex-Rep. Paul Findley (R-IL), urged President George W. Bush to pull U.S. troops out of Iraq-promptly. He offered a four point plan to that end. Findley said that his greatest fear is that Bush “will persist in his quest for a military victory.” He praised Rep. John Murtha (D-PA) for demanding an “early and complete exit from Iraq.” Findley called for ending the U.S.’ “ugly role in the killing fields of Iraq.”
Why Ted Koppel Shouldn’t be Compared to Murrow (tags)
For 25 years, the boring Ted Koppel was the anchor on ABC TV’s “Nightline” program. He toed the Establishment line! Now, David Zurawik, a media critic for the Baltimore Sun, wants us to believe that Koppel is leaving behind “a legacy of innovation and integrity.” This is pure nonsense! Koppel, among other faults, failed to challenge the serial lies of the Bush-Cheney Gang, and the Neocons, too, that led us into the Iraqi War. That is his real legacy!
Should the Irish be Trusting the Brits? (tags)
The Irish people want peace, with justice, in the Brit-occupied Six Counties of N. Ireland. This is why, in 1998, they voted for the “Good Friday Agreement” (GFA), a formula for power sharing. At an Irish peace forum on 11/18/05, at Georgetown U., panelists debated the GFA. They all seem to agree the now-suspended Six County “Assembly,” had to be restored in order to make any additional progress. However, many other issues, like building trust, remain.
Joe Wilson Rips the Bush-Cheney Gang (tags)
Ex-Ambassador Joe Wilson took the gloves off in a lecture that he gave on Nov. 14, 2005, in Baltimore. He ripped into the “Brownshirts” in the Bush-Cheney Gang; hack columnist, Bob Novak; and the indicted and “cowardly” White House operative, Irv “Scooter” Libby. Wilson speculated that the “outing” of his wife as a CIA agent was done in an attempt to make others “afraid” to speak out about how the country was dragged into the Iraqi war.
Opportunity Knocks for the Green Party (tags)
President George W. Bush’s approval numbers are falling faster than the values of Ken Lay’s Enron stock. Nationwide, Bush is at 39 percent, while in Maryland, he has dipped further to 33 percent. As Bush’s goes, so goes the GOP. It’s time for the Green Party to make its move. The Democrats are part of the corrupt Two-Party duopoly. The country needs an alternative. In MD, Kevin Zeese is running as a Green Party candidate for the U.S. Senate.
Digging Deeper: Why No Conspiracy Count for Libby? (tags)
The pre-Iraqi War intelligence was “fixed around the policy,” according to the Downing St. Memos. The perjury case of Irving “Scooter” Libby, Dick Cheney’s gofer, is only one small piece of the scheme to lie the country into war. Special Counsel Fitzgerald failed to use a conspiracy count against Libby, but he didn’t hesitate to do so in the Khaled Dumeisi case. Why the double standard? The Congress must get to the bottom of this cover-up.
Cindy Sheehan: Is Iraq War Another Vietnam? (tags)
On a sidewalk in front of the White House, on Oct. 26, 2005, anti-war activists, Cindy Sheehan, John Bruhns and Juan M. Torres, Sr., and others from groups, like “Veterans for Peace,” gathered at a Vigil to protest the conflict. The toll of U.S. military dead had just reached the grim 2,000 mark. Sheehan predicted the war will be another Vietnam, unless the people can bring it to an end.
America's Middle Class: In the Tank! (tags)
Just about everyday, the news is bad! The economy is going to hell, the Iraqi War continues unabated and the energy crisis is shifting into high gear. One direct result: The Middle Class is disappearing. No Middle Class, no democracy! And yet, our people seem to be sleepwalking through it all. Maybe, Carl Jung was right when he said, “The people can’t stand too much reality.”
Million More Movement Rally Strikes Unity Theme (tags)
The Mall, in the Nation’s capital, Washington, D.C., was the scene for a massive rally, on Sat., Oct. 15, 2005, entitled the “Million More Movement.” It was a reprise of the “Million Man March,” of ten years ago. This event, which drew a massive crowd, called for justice for the “poor and disenfranchised” in the country. Minister Louis Farrakhan of the Nation of Islam was the primary speaker.
The Mother of All Anti-War Rallies (tags)
The Anti-Iraqi War rally in Washington, DC., today, 09/24/05, put on by the “United for Peace and Justice” organization, was a highly-spirited event. The Ellipse was overflowing with protesters and the march around the White House seemed to go on forever. MP, George Galloway, blasted George W. Bush and Tony Blair as “war criminals.” He said that we owe it to the world to make it clear that these “war criminals are not acting in our name!”
Cindy Sheehan Rips War Party in Baltimore Talk (tags)
Cindy Sheehan, and the “Bring Them Home Now Tour,” hit Baltimore City last night. The Shriver auditorium on the Johns Hopkins U. campus was packed to capacity to hear the anti-Iraqi War messages of her and others. Sheehan said, we need an “Opposition Party” and that Congress is mostly made up of cowards, who have given “a liar” and “a maniac,” - George W. Bush - the power to invade Iraq. If Congress doesn’t shape up, she said: “Fire them!”
RFK, Jr. Blasts Big Oil & Bush-Cheney Gang (tags)
The Bush-Cheney Gang gave the store away in the so-called “Energy Bill.” It granted $4 billion in tax breaks to Big Oil, despite the fact that ExxonMobil had profits of $24 billion last year! Now, environmentalists rallying in Washington, D.C., on 09/20/05, suspect that parts of the pristine Arctic Wildlife Refuge will soon be opened up to oil drilling. At the protest, RFK, Jr., labeled George Bush: “The worst environmental president in U.S. history!”
“Iraq is a No-Win, No-End War!” - Max Cleland (tags)
On Sept. 15, 2005, a Congressional “Forum” was held on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. It was chaired by anti-Iraqi War advocate, Rep. Lynn Woolsey (D-CA). She accused the Bush-Cheney Gang of creating a “bloody and ruinous debacle,” in Iraq, and that it was long past the time to discuss exit strategies. Max Cleland, a witness at the Forum and a Vietnam War veteran, and ex-U.S. Senator, said, “Iraq is a No-Win, No-End War!”
AFL-CIO in Solidarity with Locked Out Canadian Workers (tags)
On 09/12/05, a rally was held in Washington, D.C., in solidarity with the 5,500 Canadian Media Guild (CMG) members, who have been locked out of their jobs. Linda Foley, President of the TNG-CWA; Larry Cohen of the CWA; and John Sweeney, President of the AFL-CIO, all blasted the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) for their deplorable tactics. They then presented letters of support for the CMG to an Embassy of Canada official.
Along Baltimore City’s Peace Path (tags)
On 09/11/05, demonstrators in Baltimore City turned out to protest rabid militarism and the Iraqi War. If this action also leads political hack, Sen. Barbara A. Mikulski (D-MD), to speak out against the Iraqi War and to stop funding it, it will be a huge success! Her priority has been to give tens of billions of taxpayers’ money to Israel, while the Chesapeake Bay is dying from “dead zones,” and the levees at N.O. were in desperate need of repairs.
Neocon Goldberg Mocks Victims of Katrina (tags)
While New Orleans was reeling from the first deadly effects of “Hurricane Katrina,” Neocon Jonah Goldberg mocked the idea of placing some of the city’s refugees in the Superdome. This is the same warmonger who once wrote that the U.S. should “bomb Canada!” When France refused to go along with the Bush-Cheney Gang’s scheme to invade Iraq, he smeared the French people as a nation of “liars,” who were only interested in a “desire for oil.”
Christopher Hitchens Panders to War Parties! (tags)
Christopher Hitchens, the scourge of the late Mother Teresa of Calcutta, is at it again! The ex-Lefty has written a rant defending the indefensible - the Iraqi War! His main point: Saddam Hussein was a thug, so therefore the Iraqi war was justified. The Straussian Neocon, however, got it wrong! Under International Law, regime change isn’t a legal cause for a war. This is why Bush and his poodle, Blair, had to “fix” the intelligence around the policy.
Katrina and the Neocons' Iraqi War: Wake-up Calls? (tags)
Hurricane “Katrina” hit the central Gulf Coast on Aug. 29, 2005, causing devastation. When the Army Corps of Engineers had asked for additional funding to protect the New Orleans region from flooding, the Bush-Cheney Gang said, “No!” Meanwhile, the Neocon-inspired Iraqi War continues to waste hundreds of billions of dollars of our nation’s resources. Isn’t it time for the American people to wake-up and take action to restore the Republic?
Bill O’Reilly Wants to Suppress Abu Ghraib Evidence (tags)
The ACLU is fighting in court for the release of all evidence that might tie high level policy makers to the Abu Ghraib torture scandal. The Pentagon said the release of that evidence will “increase the likelihood of violence” against U.S. troops. Fox News’ Chickenhawk, Bill O’Reilly, agrees that it is not only unpatriotic to do so, but that it would “help the jihadists.” He also smeared CBS, NBC and the NY Times for supporting the ACLU’s legal position.
George W. Bush & Raffy Palmeiro: Birds of a Feather! (tags)
George W. Bush lied us into the Iraqi War, but remains unpunished for his wrongdoing. Meanwhile, on the sports front, Raffy Palmeiro of the Baltimore Orioles has tested positive for steroids and been suspended for ten days. Yet, he told Congress he had never used steroids. Rep. Chris Shays said he was “extremely disappointed” about Palmeiro. If so, what should the response of Congress be to all of Bush’s treachery? Think: Impeachment!
George Bush, our “Liar-in-Chief,” is Ignorant of History! (tags)
Baltimore’s patriots defeated the invading British forces in the War of 1812-1814, at Fort McHenry. Yesterday, President Bush, ranted at the Dundalk Marine Terminal, across the harbor from the fort, urging the renewal of the draconian Patriot Act. Bush is our “Liar-in-Chief” and he’s ignorant of history. What’s next? A surveillance device implanted in everyone’s head?
“The Neocons Have Played U.S. for a Chump!” (tags)
It’s bad enough that the slippery Neocons got the U.S. involved in the Iraqi War, now those scoundrels want us to attack Iran! Just the other day, the unindicted war criminal, Henry Kissinger, suggested that we take Iran down, if certain conditions were fulfilled. Thanks to the compelling “Downing St. Memos,” and the splendid work of Think Tanks, like the IRmep, it has become clearer that the conniving Neocons have used the U.S. as a chump!
Will Ben Stein Come Clean about the Iraqi War? (tags)
Ben Stein is a Neocon, author and comedic actor. He was also an ex-speech writing hack for Richard Nixon. He recently wrote an online piece in which he praised the U.S. troops as society’s “real stars.” What he left out of his spiel, however, was that he is a War Hawk, who helped to put those same troops in harm’s way based on a pack of lies. Stein has also claimed that the horrific abuse of inmates at Abu Ghraib was only “frat-boy mistreatment!”
Ben Hecht & Sami Al-Arian: What’s the Difference? (tags)
The late Ben Hecht tried to save the Jews of Europe from the Nazi onslaught. Sami Al-Arian is struggling to lift the cruel Israeli occupation off the backs of the Palestinians. Hecht was praised for his First Amendment efforts, while Al-Arian faces trial in Florida “for supporting terrorism!” A devout Muslim, he has been a leader in the Tampa, Florida community. Al-Arian has also been fired from his tenured teaching position at the U. of South Florida.
Abe Foxman Attacks U.S. Naval Academy! (tags)
Abe Foxman is a windbag! His organization, the ADL, got caught, back in the 90s, with its pants down, spying on political groups. It was the shameless Foxman, too, who was exposed, taking $250,000 in donations for his organization from sleazy Marc Rich, while working to get him a presidential pardon. Now, Foxman is laboring to get the U.S. into an unnecessary war with Iran, while attacking the U.S. Naval Academy for its noontime prayer session!
Ann Wright on the Follies of Bush’s War (tags)
One of the unsung heroes of the opposition to the Iraqi War is Ann Wright. Rather than support the war, she resigned her position with the State Dept. on March 19, 2003. Ms. Wright, a career diplomat for over 16 years, who had also served in the military, believes the Downing Street Memos have plenty of ammunition in them to support impeachment proceeding against President George W. Bush and criminal charges against others in his administration.
Rep. Conyers’ Spotlights Bush’s Pack of Lies (tags)
The Downing St. Memo was center stage on Capitol Hill, in Washington, DC, on June 16, 2005. Rep. John Conyers (D-MI) called a hearing to focus on that leaked document, which shows that President George W. Bush, Jr., and his cohorts, were looking to “cook the intelligence” on the Iraqi War. Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA) said Bush is “a liar” and it’s time to bring the troops home!
CSI Washington: Death of Amerigo (Satire) (tags)
A proposed script is submitted for a CSI TV show based in Washington, D.C. It begins with the discovery, in Neocon Park, of the body of a murdered woman, Amerigo Vespucci. An investigation indicates that there were 38 witnesses to the homicidal attack, who did nothing! The Kitty Genovese case of the 60s, in NYC, is recalled. CSI’s Dave Marshall says, “Just because 38 b....... lost their humanity doesn’t mean with have to lose ours, too.”
America's Future: Endless Enemies, Endless Debt (tags)
America is going to hell! After WWII, it began to be slowly taken over by wily intriguers, wearing pin stripe suits. These grasping men (some were women, too) have been using primarily our federal government, the U.S. Congress, the CIA, NSA, the IMF, the mass media, corporations, banking facilities and our foreign policy, to make us more foes around the globe, while serving their own greedy ends. In the process, these schemers have grown extremely powerful at the expense of the Republic. They rarely choose to hold any office and prefer to operate from behind the scenes. I call them, “The Wire Pullers” (See Jonathan Kwitny’s “Endless Enemies” for some examples of how this exploitation works.)
Protesters Want U.S. Out of Iraq (tags)
One of the most passionate remarks came from Fernando de Solar Suarez, the father of a U.S. Marine, who was killed in Iraq. Suarez moved the crowd to tears with his comments about losing his son.
Award Winning Journalist Robert Fisk in California Tonight and Tomorrow (tags)
Award Winning Journalist Robert Fisk in California Tonight and Tomorrow
Zionist Savagery At Jenin Recalled (tags)
rimes that cry to heaven were committed in Jenin by the IOF. By way of illustration, despite the desperate pleas of Ulm Jamal, a 68-year old woman, the Israeli thugs bulldozed a house, where her paralyzed son was trapped. His last words from underneath the tons of rumble were, "Oh Allah, Oh Allah" (See pp.149-151, "Searching Jenin: Eyewitness Accounts of the Israeli Invasion," Ed. by Ramzy Baroud.) The callous bulldozer driver called the mother, and others who were begging for him to stop, "Whores!"
Where is Iraq War Instigator, Richard Perle? (tags)
It?s a certainty that the idea of ?regime change? for Baghdad was first hustled in Zionist Israel. A 1996 paper concocted by Perle, Douglas Feith and David Wurmser, entitled, ?A Clean Break: A New Strategy for Security the Realm,? called for, inter alia, ?the removal of Saddam Hussein and the installation of a Hashemite monarchy in Baghdad.?
NYC Cuts Workers, While Israel Grows Richer (tags)
Article about How Vast Financial Aid to Israel has Contributed to US Terror Risk