the watch bush lied, people died. escalate nonviolence. |
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Evict Bush!
BuzzFlash headlines of note:
Even as a dominant superpower whose allies are barely threatened and are all well armed by world standards, the US just can't get enough weapons.
US and German firms (along with firms from all other permanent Security Council members) were heavily involved in arming Iraq after the embargo.
Blix to US and UK: If you have the evidence, hand it over.
Faith-based groups opposed to environmentalist faith-based groups getting government grants to promote a green agenda. An opponent claims that the green agenda is "filled with a lot of loathing of the human species," but I guess he hasn't heard about the skyrocketing rates of asthma and other environmentally linked illnesses that are afflicting more Americans every day. Or about the pollution warnings that encourage pregnant women to minimize consumption of fish. Or...
Senator Frist's Bill to end drug manufacturer's liability for mercury poisoning in children is moving through the Senate. Go here to read more and send a message to your Senator. Hey, and he's supposed to be from the 'pro-life' party. Apparently, as in so many cases, the only people whose lives they seem to care about are the ones that haven't been born yet.
Did US soldiers preside over a massacre of surrendered Taliban in Afghanistan? posted by Natasha at 3:13 PM | PERMALINK |Foreign nationals being urged to leave Venezuela. Venezuela's military commander has declared that he favors a peaceful solution.
Bush spokesentity Condoleeza Rice offers this advice to Chavez:
Too bad the administration gives better advice than it takes. In case they haven't been watching things closely enough, Chavez is the legal head of state, and the oil company is the property of the state. In what country is it deemed 'high-handed' to allow government employees to strike for three weeks in order to agitate for an unconstitutional early election or the resignation of an elected leader?
The government wants to wish all of our seniors a Merry Christmas, and hopes they understand about the 4.4% cuts in Medicare payments. Many doctors have already said that they will no longer be able to accept Medicare from patients, as payments have been drastically reduced and no longer cover sufficient of their expenses. Even though both parties talk a lot about prescription drug benefits, with cuts like this they seem very unlikely.
We can now add the elderly to the very long list of people that our current administration is targeting with a vengeance. Most Medicare recipients live on fixed incomes, of which they may spend up to a fifth on healthcare, and increasingly buy prescription drugs out of the country. Up to 30% resort to skipping pills to save money, even though many of their medications don't work properly or may be dangerous if doses are skipped.
If we don't have a voter revolt in 2004, there won't be much country left to run in six years.
Update: On a similar note, the previous generation of high blood pressure drugs are more effective than their expensive new counterparts. Guess which ones are prescribed more often? posted by Natasha at 2:23 PM | PERMALINK |Check out the friendly, neighborhood Easter Lemming today. Too many good stories and links. posted by Natasha at 1:46 PM | PERMALINK |Alas, A Blog on the INS roundups. posted by Natasha at 10:01 AM | PERMALINK |Sergey Brin on Google's don't be evil philosophy. posted by Natasha at 2:03 AM | PERMALINK |Courtesy of Atrios, we find this Mark Kleiman post on Bill Frist, the current favorite to replace the disgraced Trent Lott as incoming majority leader. This comment caught my eye:
And the reason why this particular point was noteworthy had to do with the statements of a Republican talking head regular on Hardball earlier tonight. (His name escapes me, and they don't have a transcript for the show up at present.) The man was going on and on about how concerned he was that Frist might not be pro-life or in favor of a constitutional ban on abortion because he owns stock in a hospital chain (HCA) which performs abortions. He brought this up repeatedly in almost every statement, and the message I got loud and clear was this: Frist is a moderate on abortion.
Now Frist is supported by the President, and has a so-far solid base of support among his fellow senators, so why bring this up at all? The only reason I can think of is to send a message to independent voters that the loathsome and radically far right Trent Lott is being replaced with a man who's a moderate on one of the most divisive political issues in the country. An issue that almost came to the floor for a vote to change the platform at the 2000 Republican convention.
This is a particularly smart thing to try to lodge in the public consciousness, especially as Frist is one of the candidates for having inserted the atrocious Homeland Security stealth provision barring lawsuits against vaccine manufacturers by the parents of autistic children. He may now bathe publicly in the glory of being mainstream and PC, instead of the ignominy of being an oppontunist who protects big corporations from devastated families. It would seem that he's not conflicted about his interests in the slightest.
Update: According to an article spotted by Easter Lemming, Bill Frist has received a %100 rating from the National Right to Life Committee every year since 1997, the earliest year they started rating candidates. My assertion that this 'challenge' to his pro-life credentials is part of a disinformation campaign to paint him as a moderate is sounding better already. posted by Natasha at 1:44 AM | PERMALINK |Chris Floyd suggests that the real dangers of weapons falling into the wrong hands come not from 'rogue states' but from otherwise respectable members of the global community:
There's a laundry list of links at the bottom of the article to various news stories related to intelligence shortfalls before 9-11, and US policy's increasingly wanton disregard for human life. Of particular note was this article detailing the repeated efforts of a disaffected Taliban official to warn the world of the impending attacks. posted by Natasha at 1:05 AM | PERMALINK |A few days ago, it was noted here that the US government shut down a radio program that was the focal point for the coordination of the growing protest movement in Iran. The call-in portion of the program which regularly featured interviews and on-the-spot cellphone coverage from the demonstrations was replaced by a 24-hr stream of pop music interspersed with ten minutes of canned news every hour. Yet on the White House website you can find this mealy mouthed statement of support for both the move and the Iranian people. In part:
Well I'm sure the protest organizers will be just thrilled to learn that Britney Spears and Whitney Houston will be coming to their rescue. That must be exactly the kind of "uncensored information" they wanted to get. Can't you just hear them chanting 'Oops, I did it again' towards the encroaching Basij militia forces?
Shades of 'let them eat cake' and then some. A colorful stream of uncensored information spontaneously occurred to me as I read this statement.
Update: The URL for the article about the change in programming has been changed to point to the same article in a different paper. The original source appears to have fee-based archives, too much hassle. posted by Natasha at 12:36 AM | PERMALINK |The White House spokesentities want to reassure you that increased government involvement in monitoring the internet will not invade the privacy of individual users. Whew. That's alright then. posted by Natasha at 12:19 AM | PERMALINK |In the BBC:
Violence in Kashmir as a government minister is killed, and three women are executed. The women were dragged from their homes and killed a few days after a small faction of Islamic militants put up posters in the area ordering all women to wear veils in public.
World Bank resumes investment in Iran. The country's stock market is currently one of the few in the world to be doing well, and the government has recently been making diplomatic overtures to virtually anyone willing to reciprocate.
France formalizes relations with its Muslim community.
EU fishing compromise pleases no one. The fishing industry says the move will lead to bankruptcy, fisheries managers fear the extinction of cod in the North Atlantic.
Venezuela's elite opposition continues to strike in defiance of a court order. For those not keeping track, Chavez' opponents called him a lawless dictator for defying a court order. It's now become fashionable to portray Chavez as a gorilla, in keeping with the racist tone of the protests, fueled in part by Chavez' native heritage and low-income family background.
George Soros fined for insider trading.
Bush postpones planned trip to Africa.
UN will evacuate Ivory Coast refugees. Between 50,000 and 60,000 Liberians had taken refuge in the formerly peaceful country.
Alan Greenspan says that global tension is slowing recovery. posted by Natasha at 12:06 AM | PERMALINK |Friday, December 20, 2002 George Monbiot talks about the other biotech war. In part:
That's real class. Using a famine to force unwanted genetic contamination on impoverished countries. Read more about the spread of GM crops in North America here. posted by Natasha at 11:28 PM | PERMALINK |Robert Scheer on America's Weapons of Mass Destruction. posted by Natasha at 11:15 PM | PERMALINK |WampumBlog examines the claim that vaccines are unrelated to autism by going over the research protocols used in a recent study. Also, a list of likely culprits for the language added to the Homeland Security bill making it illegal to sue vaccine manufacturers for possible damages. posted by Natasha at 5:39 PM | PERMALINK |If you still wonder why John Ashcroft is regarded as an unsettling person, The Rant has the goods. Read the whole thing. posted by Natasha at 2:56 PM | PERMALINK |In the Asia Times:
How many North Koreans does it take to change a lightbulb.
The tribal smuggling routes of Asia. Pakistan - Iran - Turkey, no questions asked.
Israel's own occupation correspondent.
Bangladesh becomes more of an international symbol of Muslim brotherhood, and at the same time perhaps a better environment for terrorists.
South Korea's new president's platform. He was elected in a race that saw slightly more than 70% voter turnout.
Henry Liu is unimpressed with American-style central banking. This point was interesting, hopefully enough so that you'll go read the whole, long article:
Turks plan to put troops in the hotly contested Iraqi city of Kirkuk. posted by Natasha at 11:15 AM | PERMALINK |In the Guardian:
A Lott less. Trent Lott has stepped down as majority leader, but has not resigned his seat. The story correctly notes that it was bloggers who kept the issue alive, ultimately resulting in a large media backlash.
Nestle has backed down from demanding 6 million dollars from impoverished Ethiopia. Eleven million Ethiopians face starvation.
Nobel prize laureate and former World Bank chief Joseph Stiglitz says there is no invisible hand. This quote was a striking outline of what seems wrong with a broad range of policy making, beyond the confines of pure economics (emphasis added):
Both Koreas to World: Leave us alone.
Blair tells British troops to be ready just in case Iraq should not comply with disarmament.
The US and Britain insist that Iraq has not complied with disarmament and reporting. posted by Natasha at 10:30 AM | PERMALINK |Thanks to Body and Soul, we find a good article on Howard Dean, the only Democrat to officially announce that he will indeed be running for president. Everyone else so far has announced their intention to investigate running to various levels of certitude. posted by Natasha at 9:42 AM | PERMALINK |Thursday, December 19, 2002 Government Executive's online edition has several recent articles outlining the encroaching corporatization of government.
Air traffic control, for instance, may not be 'inherently governmental.' Therefore, only a step away from being open for commercial competition.
The Defense Department may be transformed after the fashion of the Homeland Security Department. By which it's meant that the civil service protections thus far enjoyed by government employees may be stripped from civilian employees.
Contractors may now be allowed to assist in guarding military bases. This new provision has considerable restrictions and a sunset clause, but you never know when a law might overstay its welcome.
A Houston based contracting firm is increasingly providing support services for the US Army in the Balkans. Their services began in 1995, and they've provided ever-increasing support for our troops. This is really an ongoing issue, as the past few decades has seen the rise and consolidation of private defense consultants.
They also speak about impending base closures. Maybe they should consider, as this Nation article points out, bringing some troops back home. The US has around 800 military installations overseas (more weekly, it seems) and had a minimum of 100,000 military personnel out of the country as of April. posted by Natasha at 8:45 PM | PERMALINK |Electrolite points out why Bush's hands are dirty in the Lott affair, as a direct beneficiary of racist political tactics himself. And also explains exactly what was originally meant by states' rights. posted by Natasha at 6:08 PM | PERMALINK |Blogspot's archive script appears to be broken across the board, or on several sites at least. Please forgive the inconvenience, they'll probably have it back up in a day or so. The links to individual posts won't work as long as this is the case. posted by Natasha at 5:57 PM | PERMALINK |See The Forest points us to this article on who's funding Venezuela's "revolutionaries". Three guesses, and the first two don't count. This portion, though, did an excellent job of contrasting the press spin with the realities of US policy:
Again, it must be remembered that Venezuela's oil company is partially and legally owned by the state. A significant impetus in the drive to oust Chavez is his refusal to allow it, and its profits, to be completely privatized. And Chavez has made no move to put any of the strikers or their leaders in jail, or to threaten them. He's certainly from a different school of 'brutal dictator' than Hussein.
This Commonweal Institute article outlines how the Far Right onslaught affects society. posted by Natasha at 5:07 PM | PERMALINK |David Ehrenstein skewers a Republican spinmeister for claiming that Trent Lott has 'conceded Republican leadership on race-related issues to the Democrats and the traditional civil rights community.' I had to read that twice before it sunk in. posted by Natasha at 4:46 PM | PERMALINK |In the BBC:
Roh Moo-Hyun is the newly elected President of South Korea. He favors engagement with the North.
All five convictions in the Central Park Jogger case overturned by DNA evidence and a confession.
Hundreds of Muslims arrested in Los Angeles.
Venezuela's high court rules that oil industry must reopen.
Israeli settlement removed.
Greenland weighs in on missile defence.
Weapons suppliers from Security Council member states broke Iraqi embargo. posted by Natasha at 2:34 PM | PERMALINK |Unsurprisingly, the National Review is spewing outrageous lies about Venezuela. Among these lies are the following:
It should be pointed out that in Venezuela, unlike other countries in the region, is not rounding up or executing its political opposition. The government is not sponsoring paramilitary groups to murder peasant organizers. Mothers aren't holding vigils at police stations for disappeared sons and husbands. Even the people who planned and participated in the April coup remain free to agitate against the regime. There has been no seizure of the opposition media, no laws passed or police actions taken to stop the demonstrations. No one has been stopped from expressing their political opinion, or threatened for doing so. This would seem like an irrelevant laundry list of things he hasn't done, except that they are being done and have been done in the past by governments in the area that the US supports 100%. They were even formerly done in Venezuela, which country once had the most feared police force in the region.
The only thing that can be remotely pinned on Chavez so far is the bad economy and his insistence on following Venezuela's election law. Oh yeah, and he's a leftist, which is automatically a crime against humanity to some people. I've posted other links on the topic discussing various of Chavez' alleged crimes and a good Mother Jones article.
*Update: The Guardian has an article on the subject that discusses both the opposition and pro-government factions. This quote said it all:
Update: The shooter was a foreign national who had arrived in the country the day before the shooting, and was released during the coup.
Eschaton has more on the immigration round-ups, and also this post and links. I second his sentiment at the end of that last post and say that I'm deeply embarassed and mad as hell that this is happening in America.
Further fueling the fire, since many of the detainees are being taken in for delays in paperwork, a Nepalese applicant I know said that they stopped issuing any green cards in September. He was supposed to have gotten his in October, but lucky for him, we're not going after people from Nepal.
Go at once to congress.org and tell your congresscritter and your senators that this kind of behavior by our government is unacceptable in every way. Our founders didn't spill blood so that the Bushies could trash our constitution by detaining people on the basis of religion or national origin. If we don't speak up now, this could be as bad as the Japanese round-ups in WWII, and I think we're rightly ashamed to think of that now. posted by Natasha at 11:18 AM | PERMALINK |Wednesday, December 18, 2002 An unidentified talking head on CNBC just claimed that it was racist of Democrats to refuse to appoint the hispanic Miguel Estrada as a federal judge. This candidate should have been opposed by anyone claiming to represent liberals, even if he was a gay black woman. Doubters may refer to this Nation article entitled The Right's Judicial Juggernaut. posted by Natasha at 7:08 PM | PERMALINK |US stands alone at population conference.
It should be noted that in many of the countries whose underage family planning services the US objects to, many young women commonly get married well before the age of 18. Since the radical policies suggested by Bush would never be allowed by fiat here at home (though they're trying to sneak them in the back door), it can only be thought that this is simply a sop to the far right here at home. Yes, they can't absolutely dictate to American women, but if you live in Bangladesh or India the Christian Right has a message for you: Drop dead. posted by Natasha at 2:02 PM | PERMALINK |Women in Afghanistan still being treated badly in areas dominated by US approved warlords. Chastity police and hordes of adolescent informants still dog their public movements. posted by Natasha at 1:28 PM | PERMALINK |Cambodian residents guilty of minor offenses are being deported to Cambodia under recent and retroactive laws. Many do not speak Khmer, some were born in Thai refugee camps, and some face future detention in a country confirmed to practice torture in its prisons. posted by Natasha at 12:39 PM | PERMALINK |In Mother Jones:
Hugo Chavez of Venezuela clings to power by the skin of his teeth, and the support of the people who elected him. They have a further perspective on his grave and terrible sins, and Venezuela's recent political history.
A loosely outlined but damning Trent Lott retrospective. I have to note here that it would be a shame if Lott were the only segregationist sheethead to be outed in the feeding frenzy. The nearly identical voting record of newfound Lott enemy Sen. Nickles, and the Council of Conservative Citizens affiliations of John Ashcroft are only the tip of the iceberg.
The costs of water privatization. The full article is in the current print edition (recommended), though they include a good teaser, with a showcase story about the disaster of privatization in Atlanta. But you can also read more about the Atlanta situation. This article on the IMF insistence that Nicaragua privatize against their own laws. Phillipine privatization problems. A Wisconsin columnist talking about the use of privatization in the US as an entitlement system for political donors. This open letter concerning Bolivia's failed experiment. Or this CS Monitor piece about the mixed results of efforts around the world.
Jonathon Freedland weighs in on the highly publicized (in the UK) visit to Britain of Syria's Bashar Assad, and the concurrent snubbing of Iran's Mohammad Khatami. Mr. Assad is a despot guilty of numerous human rights violations, while Mr. Khatami is a democratically elected reformist, waging an uphill battle against clerical extremists. In part:
Nice to know who we're helping. posted by Natasha at 11:46 AM | PERMALINK |Through the Looking Glass has an interesting post on terrorist hospitals. posted by Natasha at 11:27 AM | PERMALINK |Both the chief of the Army and commandant of the Marine Corps, members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, unsure whether the proposed battle plan in Iraq will really be so easy to pull off. posted by Natasha at 10:14 AM | PERMALINK |In a trend becoming popular with columnists these days, Maureen Dowd channels Lee Atwater in a hypothetical conversation about Karl Rove's dilemma. How do you wink at the segregationists without looking like you're winking at the segregationists? posted by Natasha at 9:39 AM | PERMALINK |Atrios covers the Christian theocrat movement in this post and the one just above it. posted by Natasha at 9:31 AM | PERMALINK |US shuts down the voice of Iran's student protests.
The protests have been so successful, and the death sentence so unpopular, that a senior member of the judiciary has stepped down in protest and the country's 28 provincial governors have now come out against it. Apparently, that's not what the US wants. Instead, they told Iran's huddled masses to stay home, and listen to pop music.
Update: The URL for the main article has been changed to point to the same article in a different paper. The original source appears to have fee-based archives, too much hassle. posted by Natasha at 9:17 AM | PERMALINK |Tuesday, December 17, 2002 Yesterday was the registration deadline for males from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Sudan and Syria to register with the government. Even more individuals will be required to go through the same process shortly. Those who don't will be subject to criminal charges.
According to the Democracy Now broadcast earlier this evening, the INS workers in Los Angeles detained so many registrants, they ran out of plastic handcuffs. posted by Natasha at 8:05 PM | PERMALINK |A video made to celebrate the retirement of Jeffrey Skillings' predecessor at Enron is eerily prescient of the company's future problems. It features cameos by both George H. W. Bush, and George W. Bush, stating that Mr. Kinder had been a tremendous friend of the Bush family and a great Texan. There was also this:
posted by Natasha at 7:47 PM | PERMALINK | There's been a lot of good commentary and blogging on the administration's new plan to shift more of the tax burden to lower and middle income citizens, but this Tom Tomorrow cartoon is really just a tremendous sum up. posted by Natasha at 3:49 PM | PERMALINK |See The Forest has a number of good links up, including this one where Thomas Leavitt discusses right wing bias in economic policy discussions in a major newspaper. He makes a fine case, but I'll tease you with the 'money' quote.
posted by Natasha at 2:51 PM | PERMALINK | Calculating Value
I'm starting back to school in January and just purchased my textbooks yesterday. One of my classes will be macroeconomics, and I didn't get farther than a page into the assigned book (Macroeconomics 4th Ed., by David Colander) before thinking that the author has spent too much time in a state of self-congratulatory mental masturbation. Let's examine the some of the first assertions on p. 5, the first page of full text:
Where to begin!? Barring that his 'definition' of economics sounds like a defense of fascism (and is almost certainly not the generally accepted one), it rests on a number of misconceptions.
A main one is the fundamental theme here that people are lazy and worthless unless coerced into doing something useful for their society. If that were the case, it would be hard to imagine how well Maslow's hierarchy of needs describes the phases of the lives of individuals and societies. As a person's physical needs are met, they look to their social needs, and then to self-actualization. It's traditional in the broad scope of human society that its elderly members who have attained these things turn most devotedly to aiding their families and societies.
Next is the subtle but very wrong idea that play activities (presumably ones that generate no money) are worthless to society. Certainly blogging is a play activity, but yet it's recently been responsible for bringing to light the entrenched racism of the Republican leadership. An intangible but not insignificant benefit, not incomparable in kind (though miniscule in scope) to the mass organizing of the Civil Rights movement. Thomas Edison spent years 'playing around' in his lab, and producing inventions we still use today. In the crucial matter of furthering productivity in the future, the stress-free play activities of young children are crucial to their learning and development. Adults who get sufficient play may even be more productive and creative in the workplace. And here we come to the creativity question.
It's undeniable that most all human wealth (resources, culture, technology) is due to human inventiveness. Copper and tin weren't particularly useful until someone figured out how to make bronze, for example. The creative state of mind functions best in an atmosphere of play, of natural curiousity, or of seeming 'idleness.' Creativity happens unpredictably, sometimes after a long period of unproductive 'fiddling' with things. Anyone who would dismiss its worth is clearly locked in a factory values mindset whose god is Efficiency, and whose sacrament is the Time Clock. Barbara Ehrenreich has a lot to say about this pervasive attitude and its stifling of the people trapped in it.
Further, it's clear that many people who work the hardest and longest hours in society get paid the least and respected even less. City employees who have thankless, hazardous, and tedious jobs are often criticized for wanting pay increases, though no one who accuses them of greed is lining up to take their job. In New York, police officers must often hold a second job to make ends meet. The same could not be said of most financiers in that city, but their wants are clearly deemed more worthy of being met by our current system. You'd have to find a pretty arbitrary definition of 'working harder' to say that white collar office workers labor either longer or harder than many public employees.
Let's Be Reasonable
On p. 8, he suggests the following as reasonable possibilities that someone should be willing to consider:
Liver transplants: The medical and technological experience and advancement gained from transplant technology often pays for itself. If in no other way than that very rich people will certainly pay to receive the services of those who figure out how to do it well, yet certainly by advancing medicine for everyone. But this is a spectacularly bad example, as the liver is capable of extensive self-regeneration and a significant number of those potentially requiring transplants alter their lifestyles in such a way as to avoid the need. And he's also presented this as an either/or choice between what sounds like a publicly funded nutrition program, and an operation which is usually paid for privately. IOW, he has assumed that the money comes from the same source.
Pollution: There is no one who suggests (to my knowledge) that it's possible to eliminate all pollution. This would require the banning of campfires and backyard BBQs. He also says that perhaps we shouldn't 'try' to eliminate it. Why not? This only makes sense even to say if a person assumes another either/or choice between legislating an immediate end to all pollution and allowing things to continue exactly as they are. Again, the technological advances possible if eliminating even most pollution was made a priority goal of society would almost certainly generate plenty of economic activity of their own. He undervalues or completely ignores once again the value of new technology. In short, this is no different than suggesting that the adoption of cars might destroy the economy due to putting horse-buggy manufacturers out of business.
Automobile Safety: Ford and Firestone. Pinto. Do I need to go on? To any given individual, their life and safety is usually worth quite a bit more than their car. The suspicion that an automobile manufacturer doesn't feel the same way to the tune of $12 would be enough to so jeopardize the image of a line of cars as to seriously damage both their sales and marketing efforts overnight. The good author must have missed the constant barrage of automobile commercials where the safety ratings of the vehicles in question are emphasized, and crash test results used to reinforce the idea. Are mass recalls and dead inventory really a better use of resources than installing a $12 part?
As to his assertion that seeming cold-heartedness is really just reasonable, I would say that in our society especially, it definitely isn't. The examples that he gives would almost indicate a belief that if a thing sounds cold-hearted, it must be reasonable. Yet legal liability, boycotts, shifts in buying habits, and the expense of repairing a damaged reputation would all seem to indicate otherwise. Maybe we've finally hit upon the reason why big business is so enamored of tort reform and owning the press. They genuinely believe that it's better for society that some of us die for their profits.
Yet that doesn't even begin to cover the lost productivity due to illness, injury, and death possibly engendered by some of his perspectives. Many third world countries are calculated to be losing tons of money over the poor health and high mortality rates of their citizens. Certain activities may be profitable at first, but the bills come due eventually, though sometimes to society at large instead of the party responsible. I'll close with a quote from the book "Natural Capitalism" by Hawken, Lovins, & Lovins:
posted by Natasha at 2:21 PM | PERMALINK | In the Asia Times:
China struggles to create more wealth without too much inequality.
At a London conference to discuss the future of Iraq after an invasion, Iraqi Kurds insist that they will have 10,000 troops in Baghdad.
Jim Lobe reports that the Bush administration has spent the past week incurring distrust and ridicule from governments across the world.
This view of the current struggles in Iran holds that, contrary to popular media views, Iran's would-be reformers are the natural outgrowth of the 1979 revolution. posted by Natasha at 12:33 PM | PERMALINK |A ceasefire negotiated in the Democratic Republic of Congo today. The country has seen 2.5 million perish in four years of civil war. posted by Natasha at 12:12 PM | PERMALINK |Paul Krugman becomes the first (to my knowledge) major media writer to notice that not only are many prominent Republicans racist, they're also avowed theocrats.
Which is more scary, it's hard to say. But the Bush administration is now funding theocrats and disavowing racists, so I would guess that the religious far right has the most clout. Nobody, indeed, seems to think that the president should apologize for openly associating with the Rev. Jerry Falwell. After the September 11th terrorist attacks, Mr. Falwell famously said this:
Mr. Falwell has not been accused by the mainstream media thus far of 'blaming America' or being 'anti-American.' If you go take this quiz, that fact might seem even more astonishing.
Nor is saying that America deserves to be punished by God the only astonishing belief publicly held by Falwell. In this past year alone, he's said that: The Palestinians have no right to a state, that land is all part of Israel's patrimony. He called the prophet Mohammed a terrorist. He claims that global warming was invented to destroy America.
Mr. Falwell boasted to the television audience of the Donahue show that he had been to dinner at the White Houses of both Presidents Bush, and an organization of his was the first to receive faith-based funding from the Bush administration. To date, no one has asked Mr. Bush about Falwell's long history of bigotry, hatred of American freedoms, and vocal attacks on immigrants. Though some days after Falwell's statement that Mohammed was a terrorist, in fact after a deadly riot over the pronouncement occurred in India, Bush publicly stated that the American government did not endorse this view.
Anyone who's a real Christian must shudder every time they hear Falwell's name, but he continues to be a perfectly respectable 'voice' for the biblical worldview. He continues to be the sanctioned best buddy of the president. And now he's receiving government funding.
(repost) posted by Natasha at 11:27 AM | PERMALINK |Paul Krugman becomes the first (to my knowledge) major media writer to notice that not only are many prominent Republicans racist, they're also avowed theocrats.
Which is more scary, it's hard to say. But the Bush administration is now funding theocrats and disavowing racists, so I would guess that the religious far right has the most clout. Nobody, indeed, seems to think that the president should apologize for openly associating with the Rev. Jerry Falwell. After the September 11th terrorist attacks, Mr. Falwell famously said this:
Mr. Falwell has not been accused by the mainstream media thus far of 'blaming America' or being 'anti-American.' If you go take this quiz, that fact might seem even more astonishing.
Nor is saying that America deserves to be punished by God the only astonishing belief publicly held by Falwell. In this past year alone, he's said that: The Palestinians have no right to a state, that land is all part of Israel's patrimony. He called the prophet Mohammed a terrorist. He claims that global warming was invented to destroy America.
Mr. Falwell boasted to the television audience of the Donahue show that he had been to dinner at the White Houses of both Presidents Bush, and an organization of his was the first to receive faith-based funding from the Bush administration. To date, no one has asked Mr. Bush about Falwell's long history of bigotry, hatred of American freedoms, and vocal attacks on immigrants. Though some days after Falwell's statement that Mohammed was a terrorist, in fact a day after a deadly riot over the pronouncement occurred in India, Bush publicly stated that the American government did not endorse this view.
Anyone who's a real Christian must shudder every time they hear Falwell's name, but he continues to be a perfectly respectable 'voice' for the biblical worldview. He continues to be the sanctioned best buddy of the president. And now he's receiving government funding. posted by Natasha at 11:08 AM | PERMALINK |Monday, December 16, 2002 Faux blog breaks the news that FOX is now cancelling Firefly, a show I've rather come to like. The original 2-hr premiere will be aired Friday, the one the network fiddled with and gutted. A petition to save Firefly will be printed by the authors and hand-delivered to the FOX network's offices.
If you haven't seen the show before, check out the original pilot this Friday. posted by Natasha at 3:33 PM | PERMALINK |The crimes of Hugo Chavez
A person reading the New York Times, or even the usually impartial BBC, could not be faulted for the impression that what is now occuring in Venezuela is a grassroots effort to drive out an unpopular president-turned-dictator. But these news outlets are exceptionally coy about what it is that President Hugo Chavez is supposed to have done to raise public ire, except to say that the economy is bad. They will even say that what's wanted is a public referendum on his continued leadership, so that restless Venezuelans don't have to wait until the end of his term to get rid of him.
That all just sounds so democratic and reasonable. Like we should be rallying around these brave freedom fighters willing to take to the streets against... what, exactly?
What they fail to mention is that the striking 'workers' are more likely to be factory managers and owners who have closed down their businesses, or investors who have withdrawn money from the market as a protest. They also won't mention that the people who work in said shops have protested the closing of these businesses, staged sit-ins, and overwhelmingly support the president. In other words, it's a lockout, not a walkout. The news outlets hope, perhaps, that their western readers living in countries with huge middle classes will forget that a 'middle class' strike in a country like Venezuela is talking about a relatively small segment of the public.
They also don't dwell overlong on why it is that a legally elected head of state should step down before his term ends, and why his vice president should step down with him. Essentially, saying that they must hand power over to the opposition just because they're asking. Has he done something illegal? Has he taken to molesting children on public television? Mainlining heroin? Of course not, or these worthy papers would have trumpeted it far and wide.
No, he's committed the terrible sin of infuriating the money people, the foreign companies, and enacting policies that favor the poor. Policies, I might add, that poll very well when western leaders propose them to their own citizens. Which is perhaps why those policies remain undiscussed. The public must be prepared for another coup attempt which perhaps succeeds, without the 'confusion' of feeling sympathetic to a leader being tarred and feathered in the western press.
Justin Podur lists 'Chavez' crimes' in more detail:
Wow. Is this guy a crazy, power-mad dictator, or what? But Al Giordano reports that the Venezuelan people aren't buying it, even in the face of so-called mediation attempts that condemn the peaceful demonstrations of Chavez supporters.
I would disagree with the author on just one point. That " “the big lie theory” for controlling public opinion no longer works", as it certainly seems that people haven't caught on here in the US. Though if what's coming out of our government right now regarding Venezuela is universally applicable, we could organize massive demonstration and national walkouts against Bush, and he would be logically obligated to resign. Constitution be damned. After all, the economy is pretty bad, and his policies are quite unpopular, so...
In the Guardian:
More on the Hindu nationalist BJP party's landslide victory in Gujarat. This has been quite the banner year for religious fundamentalists.
Brian Whitaker weighs in on how the US media is doing their best to prepare the public for war with Iraq. Even if all they have are rumour, suspicion, hearsay, and 'threat analysis.' (I was informed a while ago that spinning up wildly improbable and frightening scenarios, and selling them to readers as though they were in imminent danger of being visited on their neighborhood, is properly called threat analysis. Formerly known as 'making stuff up to scare the daylights out of people.')
Luke Harding explores the fringes of Dhaka, the sprawling, polluted capital of Bangladesh. posted by Natasha at 11:43 AM | PERMALINK |Sunday, December 15, 2002 The Arab News reports on the recent elections in Gujarat, overwhelmingly restoring Hindu nationalists to power. This editorial points out that if such a party as the BJP had been elected in a western nation, there would have been international outcry (remember Jorg Haider of Austria?).
The party has been in power during the public slaughter of one or two thousand Muslims, the public rape of Muslim women, and looting and burning the homes of Muslims. The police stood by during the whole thing and did nothing to help, and there's evidence that the violence was planned and encouraged by officials. Much of Gujarat state's Muslim population is now living in refugee camps.
Where is the outcry over this ongoing series of atrocities? Do we only care about the human rights of people we want to bomb? The only place I've heard much of anything about this is in The Nation, that bunch of liberal 'objectively pro-Saddam America-haters.' Liberal media my ***. (I'm going to go swear now. As loud as I can without incurring complaints from the neighbors.)
Also, they had an interesting piece on human rights from an Islamic perspective. posted by Natasha at 2:12 PM | PERMALINK |No Gore in '04. Sigh. I guess Kerry and Dean are alright, but if Lieberman or Gebhardt get the nomination, I'd be so tempted to leave the presidential category on my ballot blank. posted by Natasha at 1:41 PM | PERMALINK |Check out this FAIR action alert regarding the FCC's proposed loosening of the cross-ownership standards. Anyone interested in continuing to get news that conflicts with the interests of large corporations should write their congressional spokesentities at once.
A link to a Paul Krugman article on the topic and to the website of a group organizing to oppose the new changes can be found here. posted by Natasha at 8:09 AM | PERMALINK |Frankenfood (aka, Genetically Modified Organisms)
If you've been following the genetically modified food debate, and perhaps if you haven't, you'll want to know about this. The Nation posts an article regarding what's happening with the GM food industry in the US today. In part:
The article goes on to describe the potential hazard that this, and other types of GM contamination pose to lucrative export markets. Many countries would be hesitant to purchase US crops if they were suspected to be routinely mixed with GM crops. But it isn't just direct mixing that's a problem, but also cross-pollenation. This article discusses GM contamination of original wild corn in Mexico, suspected to have been caused by imported food aid. The remote crops have been mystifyingly found to contain transgenic DNA sequences.
But wait, there's more. While some would consider unintended GM contamination to be a curse Monsanto considers it a cash cow, as brought to us by Marc Kaufman of the Washington Post. This incident occurred last year, the first case of its kind:
In short, whatever benefits there might someday be from these developments: Biotech companies have released into the wild transgenic organisms whose spread cannot be controlled. They've shown themselves willing to sue over 'unauthorized' use of their virulent intellectual property. Their licensing agreements prevent farmers from storing their own seed and maintaining self-sufficiency. Oh, and it also reduces the value of contaminated crops on the world market. No wonder some African countries don't want this stuff even if they're starving. posted by Natasha at 7:48 AM | PERMALINK | |
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