Aug 14: Film on Chile under Pinochet

Aug. 14

Film: The Judge & the General

At Walter Reade Theater,
Lincoln Center.

The Judge & the General will also be shown on the PBS series "POV"
Aug. 19


A Chilean judge uncovers long-buried secrets during a six-year investigation of former dictator Augusto Pinochet and, in the process, must confront his own role in that dark past.

As filmmakers and journalists, Elizabeth Farnsworth, Patricio Lanfranco and Richard Pearce have — in film, video, and newsprint — covered the horrors and heroism of Chilean history since the election of President Salvador Allende in 1970.

That history raises the most basic questions of our times: why do human beings believe that they are doing the right thing when they torture and murder in the name of some higher goal? And what can be done to atone for those crimes and provide some measure of justice to victims?

Should we watch the Beijing Olympics?

AP/Yves Logghe
OK, so I'm watching the Beijing Olympics. Should we not watch it because it's in China, a nation with one of the worst human rights records. I think if the Olympic spirit meant anything today, Beijing would not be the site of these Olympic games. But we didn't award China the games. The Chinese government suppresses freedom inside the country and supports genocide outside its borders (Sudan). By attending the Opening Ceremonies heads of state like Bush are legitimating the behavior of the Chinese leadership. No matter what they say. Had they wanted to condemn China's behavior they would have not appeared there and told the world why. I have never believed - once the International Olympic Committee awards the games to a nation that the athletes should be punished by a boycott. But heads of state like Bush don't have to indulge themselves and enhance the prestige of the host country by attending. But, as we know, human rights have never been at the top of Bush's agenda.

Unlike the NBC commentators ( who, I believe, are under orders not to anger the host country) I thought the opening ceremonies were way over the top. They were too big, too loud and just too much. But the evening was saved for us by the parade of athletes. The best moment of the evening was when Chinese basketball giant Yao Ming walked in with a nine-year-old boy who had escaped the earthquake and went back to rescue his schoolmates. When asked then why he went back, he simply said: "I was a hall monitor and it was my responsibility." I hope he is China's future, not the monsters currently in charge. Yao Ming kept an eye on him (holding him up most of the time) the rest of the evening - it was a lovely sight.

Well it's almost time, let the games begin.

Aug 21: two films on abortion

Thursday, August 21, 7PM

Through the Lens Series
Abortion Worldwide: Two Documentaries

Bluestockings
172 Allen Street
(bt Stanton and Rivington Sts)
212.777.6028

Come out and hear from filmmakers Sarah Diehl and Angie Young

$5 Suggested

Diehl is from Berlin, and her film Abortion Democracy: Poland / South Africa, compares these two states abortion policies.

Young's film The Coat Hanger Project reflects on the current state of the U.S. pro-choice movement 35 years after Roe v. Wade.

Bluestockings is a radical bookstore, fair trade cafe and activist center in the Lower East Side of Manhattan.

Aug. 6 (Hiroshima Day): film showing

Hiroshima Day update:

Wednesday August 6, 8:00 pm

Hiroshima Day Film Conviction

Hotel Gregory,
8315 4th Avenue (near 84th Street),
Bay Ridge, Brooklyn.
(Train: R to 86th Street)

Award-winning documentary film about three Dominican nuns convicted and sentenced to federal prison for their non-violent protest at a Minuteman III missile site in northern Colorado. This film evokes important conversations about faith-based political action, the role of nuclear weapons in national defense, and the role of international Law in federal courts.

Directed/Produced by Brenda Truelson Fox.
Approximate running time: 43 minutes.
Discussion will follow the film.
For more information visit: http://www.jonahhouse.org/UN.htm
Hotel Gregory, 8315 4th Avenue (near 84th Street), Bay Ridge, Brooklyn.
Train: R to 86th Street
Sponsors: Bay Ridge Interfaith Peace Coalition, Peace Action New York State, and Peace Action -- Bay Ridge
Endorsed By: Brooklyn For Peace

Tennis turmoil at the top

The men's and women's tennis tournaments (Men in Cincinnati, women in Montreal) are on the TV air. It should be fun.

There's a bit of turmoil at the top of each tour. Since Justine Henin unexpectedly retired no one on the women's tour has been able to hold onto the number one spot for more than a few minutes. After she won in Australia, Maria Sharapova was #1 for about 15 minutes (she is now out for the season - no Olympics, no U.S. Open - with what I believe is the tennis equivalent of a rotator cuff shoulder injury - remember baseball's Tommy John). She was replaced by Ana Ivanovic on June 9 after Ivanovic won the French Open. Venus Williams slipped in with a win at Wimbledon without unseating Ivanovic (not close enough in the rankings). Now although Jelena Jankovic lost Friday in the quarter finals to unseeded Dominika Cibulkova, Jankovich will move into #1 on August 11th. In today's Montreal final, my favorite Dinara Safina (Marat Safin's little sister) takes on still unseeded Cibulkova. But my advice is: keep an eye Dinara, she's going places. Good luck Dinara!

Spoiler update: Safina beat Cibulkova, 6-1, 6-2

Until the last few weeks, the rankings on the men's tour seemed stable. Roger Federer the men's equivalent of Henin had been #1 for about four years and seemed destine to continue dominating the sport (except on clay). But then suddenly he became vulnerable. He lost to Novak Djokovic in the Australian Open, then lost to Rafael Nadal in the French Open (so what else is new?) and then, in a titanic match, lost to Nadal at Wimbeldon. Throughout all this he held on to his #1 ranking. But it was slipping away. Finally this week in Cincinnatti, after losing to Ivo Korlovic in the quarter finals Federer lost his #1 ranking to longtime #2 Rafael Nadal. Nadal will take over the #1 ranking August 18th. But irony stepped in last night, Djokovich beat Nadal in Cincinnati before Nadal could even take over #1. He still will, but the bloom is a bit off the Nadal rose.

We're rooting for Scotsman Andy Murray to beat Djokovich in the Cincinnati final that's on now. A long shot, but what the hell.

Update: Longshots sometimes come in. It's Murray 7(7)-6(4), 7(7)-6(5). The tennis irony continues. Nadal moves into #1, Djokovich beats Nadal, then Murray beats Djokovitch. Let's have a scotch to celebrate.

The real question is why is none of this mentioned on the network sports reports? None of these folks are American? National chauvinism, perhaps?

McClone whines about New York Times. So what else is new?

According to AP reporter Devlin Barrett,

McCain campaign spokesman Michael Goldfarb...compared the editors [of the New York Times] to a blogger:

sitting at home in his mother's basement and ranting into the ether between games of Dungeons & Dragons.

When they begin (continue) bitching about the media, they are usually in trouble. Although Barrett also points out that complaining about the New York Times usually gets you brownie points with the right-wing nuts. McClone seems to need that since his credibility outside that sphere seems to be eroding quickly. Oh, by the way, I've never played Dungeons and Dragons and my mother passed away quite some time ago.

Bugliosi on the case for convicting Bush for murder

Vincent Bugliosi, the former Los Angeles prosecutor who wrote Helter Skelter about the prosecution and conviction of Charles Manson, has written a book which puts forward the case for trying George W. Bush for murder because of the invasion and occupation of Iraq: The Prosecution of George W. Bush for Murder. Despite the fact that Helter Skelter is the largest selling true crime book of all time the corporate media won't touch his new book with a 10-foot pole. Here is his testemony before the recent Conyers committee hearings on the "non-impeachment" Bush. (If you are reading this on FaceBook please click here to see the video.)

Nation Magazine open letter to Barack Obama

The editors of the Nation Magazine have prepared the following letter to be presented to Barack Obama before the Democratic National Convention. It highlights the support we all have for the positions he has taken so far and the concern regarding his living up to them as his campaign further develops. It also includes a promise that we will critically support him. Please read and sign this letter today.

Dear Senator Obama,We write to congratulate you on the tremendous achievements of your campaign for the presidency of the United States.

Your candidacy has inspired a wave of political enthusiasm like nothing seen in this country for decades. In your speeches, you have sketched out a vision of a better future--in which the United States sheds its warlike stance around the globe and focuses on diplomacy abroad and greater equality and freedom for its citizens at home--that has thrilled voters across the political spectrum. Hundreds of thousands of young people have entered the political process for the first time, African-American voters have rallied behind you, and many of those alienated from politics-as-usual have been re-engaged.

You stand today at the head of a movement that believes deeply in the change you have claimed as the mantle of your campaign. The millions who attend your rallies, donate to your campaign and visit your website are a powerful testament to this new movement's energy and passion.

This movement is vital for two reasons: First, it will help assure your victory against John McCain in November. The long night of greed and military adventurism under the Bush Administration, which a McCain administration would continue, cannot be brought to an end a day too soon. An enthusiastic corps of volunteers and organizers will ensure that voters turn out to close the book on the Bush era on election day. Second, having helped bring you the White House, the support of this movement will make possible the changes that have been the platform of your campaign. Only a grassroots base as broad and as energized as the one that is behind you can counteract the forces of money and established power that are a dead weight on those seeking real change in American politics.

We urge you, then, to listen to the voices of the people who can lift you to the presidency and beyond.

Since your historic victory in the primary, there have been troubling signs that you are moving away from the core commitments shared by many who have supported your campaign, toward a more cautious and centrist stance--including, most notably, your vote for the FISA legislation granting telecom companies immunity from prosecution for illegal wiretapping, which angered and dismayed so many of your supporters.

We recognize that compromise is necessary in any democracy. We understand that the pressures brought to bear on those seeking the highest office are intense. But retreating from the stands that have been the signature of your campaign will weaken the movement whose vigorous backing you need in order to win and then deliver the change you have promised.

Here are key positions you have embraced that we believe are essential to sustaining this movement:

§ Withdrawal from Iraq on a fixed timetable.

§ A response to the current economic crisis that reduces the gap between the rich and the rest of us through a more progressive financial and welfare system; public investment to create jobs and repair the country's collapsing infrastructure; fair trade policies; restoration of the freedom to organize unions; and meaningful government enforcement of labor laws and regulation of industry.

§ Universal healthcare.

§ An environmental policy that transforms the economy by shifting billions of dollars from the consumption of fossil fuels to alternative energy sources, creating millions of green jobs.

§ An end to the regime of torture, abuse of civil liberties and unchecked executive power that has flourished in the Bush era.

§ A commitment to the rights of women, including the right to choose abortion and improved access to abortion and reproductive health services.

§ A commitment to improving conditions in urban communities and ending racial inequality, including disparities in education through reform of the No Child Left Behind Act and other measures.

§ An immigration system that treats humanely those attempting to enter the country and provides a path to citizenship for those already here.

§ Reform of the drug laws that incarcerate hundreds of thousands who need help, not jail.

§ Reform of the political process that reduces the influence of money and corporate lobbyists and amplifies the voices of ordinary people.

These are the changes we can believe in. In other areas--such as the use of residual forces and mercenary troops in Iraq, the escalation of the US military presence in Afghanistan, the resolution of the Israel-Palestine conflict, and the death penalty--your stated positions have consistently varied from the positions held by many of us, the "friends on the left" you addressed in recent remarks. If you win in November, we will work to support your stands when we agree with you and to challenge them when we don't. We look forward to an ongoing and constructive dialogue with you when you are elected President.

Stand firm on the principles you have so compellingly articulated, and you may succeed in bringing this country the change you've encouraged us to believe is possible.

Aug.6: memorial commemorating the 63rd anniversary of Hiroshima Day

Wednesday, August 6, 7 - 9 p.m.

NO MORE: No more Hiroshimas; No more occupations; No more saber rattling.

Unitarian Universalist Congregation at Shelter Rock
48 Shelter Rock Road, Manhasset

(From Northern Blvd - Go South on Shelter Rock Rd. about ½ miles; entrance is on rights at sign & white picket fence.
From LIE - Exit 35 North from east or exit 36 from West; go 1 ½ miles on Shelter Rock Road, entrance will be on left.)

Dear Dan,

Great Neck SANE, Peace Action & the Long Island Alliance for Peaceful Alternatives presents a memorial event commemorating the 63rd anniversary of Hiroshima Day. Wednesday, August 6, 2008, we will say NO MORE: No more Hiroshimas; No more occupations; No more saber rattling. On that day we will demand our government bring our troops home - JOIN US!

There will be speakers and music by the extraordinary jazz musician and peace activist, Bob Lepley. For more information call Great Neck SANE at 487.3786 or Long Island Alliance at 741.4360.

Speakers Include:

Michael D'Innocenzo, Professor of History, HofstraUniversity

Mary Beth Sullivan, Outreach Director, Global Network Against Nuclear Weapons

Hon. Michelle Schimel, New York State Assemblywoman

Reverend Mark Lukens, Bethany Congregation

Fred Brewing, Esq, Civil Rights Attorney

Margaret Melkonian, Co-Director, Long Island Alliance for Peaceful Alternatives

Co-Sponsors:
Great Neck Womanspace, Reach Out, Social Justice Comm., Unitarian Universalist Congregation at Shelter Rock, Interfaith Alliance - L.I., Pax Christi - L.I., Five Towns Forum, Code Pink-L.I.

Sincerely,

Kevin M. Martin
Executive Director
Peace Action

Aug 6th and 9th: 63rd anniversaries of the U.S. atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki

August 6th and 9th will mark the 63rd anniversaries of the U.S. atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.(I will post updates about upcoming events around these anniversaries as I learn about them)

Here is the call to action put out by United for Peace and Justice:

United for Peace and Justice has declared August “Nuclear-Free Future Month.” The specter of nuclear weapons in the hands of “rogue” states has become one of the 1 top U.S. excuses for waging war, yet the United States continues to rely on the threatened first use of nuclear weapons as the cornerstone of its national security policy. We call on groups to take action and raise awareness about the ever-increasing threat from nuclear weapons and the environmental and proliferation dangers posed by the global nuclear power “renaissance.”

Through popular education, video screenings, art exhibits, protests, vigils and more, we are working to put nuclear issues on the political agenda of the 2008 Presidential and Congressional elections and to build stronger ties between the nuclear abolition, anti-war, and climate justice movements. We are working in solidarity with these fundamentally connected movements to create a safe, just future.

August 6th and 9th will mark the 63rd anniversaries of the U.S. atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Expanding the traditional anniversary period will allow more opportunities for groups to plan and organize events focusing on all aspects of the nuclear issue. We seek to reach a broad public and to inspire more people to participate in a wide variety of antinuclear activities, including efforts to encourage the Presidential candidates to make both the abolition of nuclear weapons and immediate steps to move in that direction a central campaign priority, as we demand clean, sustainable, non-nuclear energy alternatives.

Our main vehicle for coordinating activities and disseminating information will be the new website where you will find a variety of action ideas and educational resources. We encourage you to post your group’s planned activities to the calendar you will find there. Please help us spread the word!

McClone not only echoes Bush but also Sen. Clinton

For the last few weeks I have been telling anyone who would listen that for some bizarre reason the McClone campaign was aping Hillary Clinton's hardly winning tactics. Suddenly some corporate-owned media right-wing columnists are noticing this odd phenomenon as well. On Friday in the New York Daily News two columnists linked the McClone and Clinton campaign strategies. In a piece titled "McCain's Mess: Campaign Chaos," Kirsten Powers wrote:

While Obama hobnobbed with world leaders, the McCain campaign settled on a relentless whine about media bias, interspersed with flailing attacks.

She continued:

In many ways, the McCain campaign has turned into a less functional version of Hillary Clinton's: complaining about the press, making crazy accusations about Obama, showing disarray, harping on 'experience," ridiculing "hope" and making dishonest claims about gas prices.

On the other hand, longtime-right-wing columnist, National Review editor, Rich Lowry took another tack in trying to right McClone's flailing campaign. He commented:

A McCain comeback has to begin in a deconstruction of Obama as too risky to be president.... The playbook is partly provided by Hillary Clinton, who found her voice in lunch-bucket appeals to working-class white and Hispanic voters.

He notices:

Of course, she didn't defeat Obama -- but McCain ought to be encouraged by how close she came.

Coming close ain't however winning. He didn't, of course, notice the inherent racism of appealing to "white and Hispanic voters." But he wouldn't after all. He went on to write:

For a contemporary Democrat, she ran a center-right campaign; she talked of blowing Iran to smithereens, downed shots of Crown Royal and appealed frankly to blue-collar whites. These gestures conveyed a sense of toughness that endeared Hillary to her working-class voters and highlighted a vulnerability of the polished but aloof Obama.

This is all, remember, coming from right-wing McClone supporters, who are hoping he can turn things around. Some of us have very different ideas. I would, however, make one suggestion to McClone: get Lorne Michaels to schedule a special mid-Summer edition of Saturday Night Live, so that they can all commiserate and moan about how McClone is being mistreated by the mainstream media.

McClone plays both sides against Obama again

There must be something permeating the drinking water in Arizona. The McClone campaign criticized Sen. Obama for cancelling a visit with wounded troops in Germany. And Arizona's other senator, Jon Kyle, immediately hopped on the anti-Obama defamation bandwagon. It's almost certain that these same fools would have criticized him if he had visited the troops. Can't you hear it now: "He's exploiting the troops for campaign purposes." I'll bet the McClone campaign had two possible TV ads prepared, one if he went to visit the troops and one if he didn't.

If after his behavior this past week anyone still takes McClone seriously as a potential president, we are in deeper shit than even I thought.

Aug. 2: Mass March Against War on Iran

Mass March Against War on Iran

Saturday, August 2

Assemble 12 noon

Times Square, 43rd St. & Broadway

An Attack could be Imminent
We Can’t Afford to Wait
Take It to the Streets This Summer
U.S. out Of Iraq , Money for human needs, not war!

This Thursday, July 24, 4:45-5:30
Union Square
there will be a mass distribution of leaflets
to help spread the word about the Aug. 2 action.

If you're not able to make it to Union Square,
drop by the Solidarity Center (55 W. 17th St. 5th Floor) (bt 5th and 6th Aves)
to pick up leaflets and stickers to distribute in your neighborhood, school, workplace, or union hall.

"Mission accomplished" again in Iraq

I knew when the US Abraham Lincoln (see photo) sailed into Iraqi waters that a new "mission accomplished" in Iraq speech was about to rear its foolish head. The only difference from the announcement of May 2, 2003 is this time it was made on dry land by John McClone.

Not being able to say anything just once McClone also told CBS anchor Katie Curic that "We have succeeded in Iraq."

It is truly sad to witness the crumbling of an American hero in his desperate reach for the mantle of Commander in Chief. He consistently demonstrates how little he knows about the Middle East in general and Iraq in particular when his buddy Conn. Sen. Joe Lieberman isn't there to prompt him. The question remains: Why does the media continue to treat him as a serious political person despite his more and more evident limitations.

Mamma Mia!: The Movie: The review

We saw Mamma Mia! at a screening Thursday night. I know that I will be seen as a killjoy to the multitude of ABBA fans and all those who have loved the Broadway stage version over these past eight years; but we saw it for nothing and you shouldn't pay a penny more. That's about what it is worth.

The story in its simplest form (and that's all there really is) is about a young woman (Sophie) who is about to marry her boyfriend (Sky) and finds her mother's (Donna - Mamma Mia) diary in which she identifies the three men she had sex with before she became pregnant with Sophie. One of these men (Sam, Bill or Harry) is obviously Sophie's unknown father. So, of course, Sophie invites all three to her wedding on a Greek Island. She plans to identify the one who participated in her conception (rather naively she expects to recognize him on sight, which, of course, doesn't happen) and ask him to walk her down the aisle. Oh! one more thing: she doesn't tell Mamma Mia or boyfriend Sky anything about her plan. So, when the three potential dads arrive together on Harry's boat you can imagine the comedy of errors that ensues.

Actually this almost non-existent story is really just an excuse for some essentially non-singing actors to perform 17 familiar ABBA tunes: "The Dancing Queen," "Honey, Honey," "The Winner takes All," and, of course, "Mamma Mia."

All I can say is "thank god for Broadway veteran Christine Baranski (who plays Tanya, one of Momma's buddies). Her other backup singer (yes! Momma was a band singer in her checkered past) is played by the wonderful British actor Julie Walters. Who acquits herself very well. The others try hard to do justice to ABBA with varying degrees of success - Meryl Streep (Momma Mia) and Amanda Seyfried (Sophie) succeed better than the three guys (Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth and Stellan Skarsgard) who should not give up their day jobs.

I'm not at all certain why they needed a writer (Catherine Johnson) to create all this. The dialogue isn't much more sophisticated than the story. And the direction (Phyllida Law-who directed the Broadway show) could have been done improvisationally by the actors without much help. If I never see another bunch of Greek villagers dancing through town again it will be soon enough. But then remember this is all merely to provide a framework on which to hang the ABBA tunes. So the real question is does the music make it worthwhile. The ABBA music is certainly pleasant enough. It is melodic and upbeat. But if the purpose is to highlight the music why get a bunch of non-singing movie stars to perform it. I guess they thought they needed the names to sell tickets. I'm not sure how much recording trickery was necessary to make it possible for Meryl Streep to hit and carry out some of those notes. But, all I can say is, if Marlon Brando could assay Sky Masterson in Guys and Dolls, the movie, you go girl. The three guys add almost nothing to the mix. And there is far more chemistry between Donna and her daughter than there is between momma mia and the one with whom she finally hooks up. The whole thing does leave you wondering: where is a home DNA kit when you need one.

Dalai Lama: "I love President Bush... but...his method becomes unrealistic because of lack of understanding about reality."

Rob Kall of OpEd News attended a talk by the Dalai Lama in Philadelphia last Wednesday and provides this quote from the conversation:

Things are not black and white. Things are relative. Things are interdependent. When we look at a situation we have to consider all the factors.

Many world disasters, including war, including the Iraq war, are due to lack of this holistic nature (looking at all the factors.) Like Saddam Hussein-- ending things for him. "Reality is not that simple.

Of course, I have great respect for, in fact, I love President Bush, because he is very frank, very straightforward. His intentions are good, but some of his policy in spite of his sincere motivation and right goal, and some of his method becomes unrealistic because of lack of understanding about reality.

I urge you to ask yourself: "How many times have I heard or read this in the corporate media?"

WAND added to blog links

I have just added WAND (Women's Action for New Diretions) to the links on this blog. Please take the time to check them out. They describe their purpose in this way:

WAND empowers women. To take political action.
To change our culture and our national priorities:
Toward peace and real security. Away from militarism and violence

July 16: Reading: Naomi Klein, The Shock Doctrine

Naomi Klein will be reading from the new paperback edition of her best-selling, The Shock Doctrine,

Wednesday, July 16, 7:00pm sharp

Union Square Barnes & Noble
33 East 17th Street

212-253-0810

Bobby Murcer, 1946-2008

Bobby Murcer faced one of the most daunting challenges ever confronting a professional athlete. The New York Yankee's great center fielder Joe DiMaggio retired in 1951. Mickey Mantle, his all-star replacement, retired in 1969 and was succeeded by Bobby Murcer. Obviously every time a great ballplayer retires someone has to replace him, but following not one but two baseball icons was a truly formidable task. Although, unlike his predecessors, Murcer did not have a Hall-of-Fame career, he filled their shoes admirably. On the field, over 17 years, he hit 252 home runs, had 1,862 hits and a .277 career batting average. He appeared in five All-Star games (one as a San Francisco Giant). Murcer retired in 1983, when he became a Yankee sportscaster, a job he held virtually until his death.

Murcer was beloved by Yankee fans (actually many baseball fans) because of the kind of person he was as much as for his accomplishments on the field and in the broadcast booth. Murcer was a charming and warm human being. His legacy may be as much a result of the manner in which he dealt with the blow of being diagnosed with a cancerous brain tumor (which eventually took his life) as anything he did before.

Murcer will undoubtedly be eulogized during Tuesday's All-Star game and the Yankees will wear black arm bands for the rest of the season, but most of us who saw Bobby Murcer in center field and heard him behind the microphone will remember him alot longer then that.

July 18: Seth Tobocman - celebrate publication of Disaster and Resistance: Political Comics

Friday, July 18th, 7PM

Seth Tobocman

"Disaster and Resistance"

Bluestockings
172 Allen St (bt Stanton and Rivington Sts)
(1 block south of Houston and 1st Ave)

Free

Celebrate the release of Seth Tobocman's Disaster and Resistance: Political Comics

In Disaster and Resistance, Tobocman outlines contemporary social and political struggles, and he offers bold and urgent insights into the landscapes of the 21st century. Sociologist of popular culture Paul Buhle calls Disaster and Resistance

A graphic revelation, an artistic and political document of enormous value in our troubled world

Also appearing Peter Kuper, Fly, Eric Blitz and Steve Wishnia.

Tobocman is one of the founders of World War 3 Illustrated and his previous books include You Don't Have To Fuck People Over To Survive, and War In The Neighborhood.

Thoughts about yesterday's FISA vote

A few more comments on the disgraceful anti-American FISA vote in the Senate yesterday.

At a time when the Cheney/Bush administration commands support from about 20% of the population, the vast majority of which believes that the country is headed in the wrong direction, the only place Bush could win any kind of vote is in the obsequious Congress. These people who have been elected to represent us, clearly don't.

I am aware that when the corporate media talk about a "Democratic" congress, that is by no means a reflection of reality. First of all, a Democratic Party that required Conn. Sen. Joe Lieberman's vote to take control can't possibly reflect Democratic values. Although it's not at all clear to me what values the Democratic party represents on international issues. More to the point, how they differ from the belligerent war-mongering of the Bush/McCain policies. The 2006 election provided the Democrats with barely enough votes to organize the congress, clearly not to control it.

But there is a far more important point to be made. Why should only Democrats be committed to preserving the Constitution and the rule of law? After all, every senator takes the following oath of office:

I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter: So help me God.

Clearly the part about "support[ing] and defend[ing] the Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic" slipped the mind of most of these toadies yesterday. There is absolutely no question that Bush and Cheney are "domestic enemies" of our democratic system and our Constitution. The ACLU describes what happened yesterday in these words:

Congress has not only legalized the Bush administration's secret NSA spying program, it has given the government even more power to listen to our phone calls and read our emails than even the Bush administration illegally claimed for itself under its secret program. And, by granting telecoms immunity, it has made it highly unlikely that we will ever learn the extent of the administration’s lawless actions.

Clearly we need to take back control of our society from the military-industrial complex, which Pres. Eisenhower so eloquently warned us against in his Farewell Address.

July 26: Celebration in solidarity with the Cuban Revolution

Annual July 26th Celebration in solidarity with the Cuban Revolution.

Saturday, July 26th

The 1199/SEIU Building Martin Luther King Labor Center,
310 West 43rd Street (between 8th and 9th Avenues),
(Times Square Subway Stop).

Cuba Solidarity New York urges everyone to attend this year's annual July 26th Celebration in solidarity with the Cuban Revolution.

The theme of this year's Celebration is "Change in Continuity, Continuity in Change."

The featured speaker will be a representative of the Cuban Mission to the UN, as well as a moving film with relatives of the Cuban Five made by New York filmmakers Sally O'Brien and Jennifer Wager. There will be food, drink and music.

This years event will take place as rampant speculation, disinformation, and wishful thinking envelopes big-business media coverage of Cuban reality since Fidel Castro, for reasons of health, declined to put himself forward in nomination for re-election as President of the Cuban Council of State and the election of Raul Castro to that position.

The issue of Cuba has also entered into this year’s Presidential election campaign as Republican John McCain and Democrat Barak Obama, both of whom support continued U. S. sanctions, engage in a tactical debate over whether or not to liberalize travel restrictions for Cuban-Americans or engage in any direct diplomatic contact with the revolutionary Cuban government, and whether or not such “adjustments” would advance their common aim of destroying the Cuban Revolution and its example for the volatile Latin America of today.

In solidarity and struggle,
Cuba Solidarity New York

Who voted for and against the U.S. version of the Nuremberg Defense?

Power corrupts,
and absolute power corrupts absolutely.
(Lord Acton)

Today is a very sad day for our Constitution and our country. Sixty-nine Senators voted to ensconce the "Nuremberg Defense" in our legal system. You remember the defense of the Nazi bureaucrats: "I was only following orders." We moved closer than ever to an imperial presidency, toward absolute power. This is, of course, exactly what the founders of our nation were trying to protect against in the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.

Be sure of one thing - it's not just the telecom companies that Bush and the puppet Republicans are trying to protect, it's the people who gave the orders. Without bringing the small fry to justice the top dogs will never be put on trial for violating the law. This bill also makes legal much of what Bush did illegally.

Here are the votes:

YEAs---69 (Democrats in bold)
Alexander (R-TN)
Allard (R-CO)
Barrasso (R-WY)
Baucus (D-MT)
Bayh (D-IN)
Bennett (R-UT)
Bond (R-MO)
Brownback (R-KS)
Bunning (R-KY)
Burr (R-NC)
Carper (D-DE)
Casey (D-PA)
Chambliss (R-GA)
Coburn (R-OK)
Cochran (R-MS)
Coleman (R-MN)
Collins (R-ME)
Conrad (D-ND)
Corker (R-TN)
Cornyn (R-TX)
Craig (R-ID)
Crapo (R-ID)
DeMint (R-SC)
Dole (R-NC)
Domenici (R-NM)
Ensign (R-NV)
Enzi (R-WY)
Feinstein (D-CA)
Graham (R-SC)
Grassley (R-IA)
Gregg (R-NH)
Hagel (R-NE)
Hatch (R-UT)
Hutchison (R-TX)
Inhofe (R-OK)
Inouye (D-HI)
Isakson (R-GA)
Johnson (D-SD)
Kohl (D-WI)
Kyl (R-AZ)
Landrieu (D-LA)
Lieberman (ID-CT)
Lincoln (D-AR)
Lugar (R-IN)
Martinez (R-FL)
McCaskill (D-MO)
McConnell (R-KY)
Mikulski (D-MD)
Murkowski (R-AK)
Nelson (D-FL)
Nelson (D-NE)
Obama (D-IL)
Pryor (D-AR)
Roberts (R-KS)
Rockefeller (D-WV)
Salazar (D-CO)
Shelby (R-AL)
Smith (R-OR)
Snowe (R-ME)
Specter (R-PA)
Stevens (R-AK)
Sununu (R-NH)
Thune (R-SD)
Vitter (R-LA)
Voinovich (R-OH)
Warner (R-VA)
Webb (D-VA)
Whitehouse (D-RI)
Wicker (R-MS)

NAYs---28
Akaka (D-HI)
Biden (D-DE)
Bingaman (D-NM)
Boxer (D-CA)
Brown (D-OH)
Byrd (D-WV)
Cantwell (D-WA)
Cardin (D-MD)
Clinton (D-NY)
Dodd (D-CT)
Dorgan (D-ND)
Durbin (D-IL)
Feingold (D-WI)
Harkin (D-IA)
Kerry (D-MA)
Klobuchar (D-MN)
Lautenberg (D-NJ)
Leahy (D-VT)
Levin (D-MI)
Menendez (D-NJ)
Murray (D-WA)
Reed (D-RI)
Reid (D-NV)
Sanders (I-VT)
Schumer (D-NY)
Stabenow (D-MI)
Tester (D-MT)
Wyden (D-OR)

Not Voting - 3
Kennedy (D-MA)
McCain (R-AZ)
Sessions (R-AL)

July 10: Freeze the Threat of WAR ON IRAN

FREEZE THE THREAT OF WAR ON IRAN:

Part of a national call to action by United for Peace and Justice

Thursday, July 10, 5:00 PM (at Lexington and 42st)

At 5:30: enter Grand Central Station

At 5:00 PM, everyone will gather at Lexington and 42St. At 5:30, we will enter Grand Central, spread out walking and talking casually and then at the appointed time, everyone will freeze and stand still and silent for 5 minutes.

U.S. officials say Israel is mounting a "full court press" to get the Bush administration to strike Iran's nuclear complex, CBS News reports. In The New Yorker, Seymour Hersh reports that congressional leaders agreed last year to fund a major escalation of covert operations against Iran. New York Newsday and the Seattle-Post Intelligencer warn that Congress is considering a resolution promoted by AIPAC (American Israel Public Affairs Committee) that would effectively endorse a naval blockade of Iran, an act of war.

If you have "Peace with Iran" or "We Not Be Silent" t-shirts, wear them and some will be for sale that day. There will also be "Peace with Iran" signs that can be pinned to shirts. (No signs are allowed in Grand Central Station).

Please register if you plan to attend, so that the organizers will have some idea of how many people to expect

July 9: From MoveOn: Nat'l Day of Action for an Oil-Free President

From MoveOn.org:

Dear MoveOn member,

National Day of Action for an Oil-Free President.

HOLLAND TUNNEL GAS STATION (in Jersey City)
Wednesday, Jul. 9, 2008, at 5:00 PM

Have you seen the latest ad from the RNC? With holiday travel and gas prices on every channel, the Republicans are spending over $3 million in the next week to convince voters that high gas prices are Barack Obama's fault.

What's scary is that their strategy is working—even though the Republicans' energy policy got us into this mess!

So this Wednesday, we're pushing back with our National Day of Action for an Oil-Free President. We'll be gathering at gas stations around the country to reach out to voters and make sure they know John McCain is Big Oil's candidate and that he won't solve our energy crisis.

We'll be in front of gas stations with signs and fliers to remind people that McCain is in the pocket of Big Oil. His campaign is run by oil industry lobbyists,(1)
and he looks to Big Oil for big campaign contributions.(2)
We can't count on him to push for alternative energy solutions or help lower gas prices.

But soon ads blaming Obama for gas prices will be up all over the country. And people squeezed by energy costs may forget that it was another Republican with close ties to Big Oil and former oil lobbyists advising him in the White House who brought us to this point.

Now is the time to make sure voters know John McCain won't solve our energy crisis.
Hope you can make it! Thanks for all you do.

P.S. Can't make this event?
Here is another event near you:

SE Corner of Atlantic Ave and Henry, Brooklyn at 6:00 PM

Sources:
1. "John McCain, His Big Oil Lobbyists, and His Big Oil Policies," Progressive Media USA Research, June 16, 2008
http://mccainsource.com/corruption?id=0014

2. "John McCain On The Side Of Oil Companies," Progressive Media USA Research, April 23, 2008
http://www.mccainsource.com/homefront?id=0001

Why are we so insecure about our country?

On this the birthday of our country I have but one question: Why have we become so insecure? Why are we so afraid of possibly negative truths? Why can't we talk about real issues and not just reject them out of hand? Now I know that the media (in its obsession for political gossip) highlights and treats real questions as sound bites. For example, last week when Gen. Wesley Clark raised a perfectly legitimate question about how McSame's experience in Vietnam (heroic as it might have been) prepares him for the presidency it becomes the meat of political gossip. In any sane world it would have been treated as a legitimate question. The pundits could only focus on how the comment would affect the campaign. Not on whether his Vietnam experience prepares him for the presidency or, in fact, combined with his personality makes him the absolute wrong person for the job.

The same is true of Michelle Obama's saying that her husband's winning the primaries was the first time she was proud of her country. As a Black woman, how much was there for her to be proud of. Why can't we treat it as a legitimate heartfelt comment instead of a negative sound bite? Can we learn anything from the questions raised by the Rev. Jeremiah Wright or must we treat him only as a loudmouthed racist?

I can't explain our insecurity - but somehow we have to face it.

A Native American activist we used to know would say that when we paved over the land we lost touch with what was real. Or maybe independent journalist Greg Palast has part of the answer:

Bush is so far away from his refugee loser roots that he just doesn’t get what it is to be American. So he steals the one thing that every American is handed off the boat: a chance. When they take away your Social Security and overtime and tell you sleeper cells are sleeping under your staircase, you don't take a chance, you lose your chance, and the land of opportunity becomes a landscape of fear and suspicion, an armed madhouse.

Whatever the reason for our insecurity, we have to deal with it. Under the present circumstances our political candidates can't be honest with us. And as I have said before, without truth and honesty on the part of our leaders democracy is impossible.

Letter to Barack Obama on up-coming bill to revise the Fisa law

I just sent the following letter to Barack Obama. Let's see what response I get.

Hi,
I have been very excited about your campaign: until now. Your decision to endorse the Bush-initiated legislation to expand the government's domestic spying powers and providing legal protection to the telecom companies that worked with the NSA's domestic wiretapping program seems to fly in the face of the kind of new leadership you have promised. It also reverses your promise to stand up against such legislation. This does not bode well for your campaign. It also doesn't keep faith with those of us who have supported you from the begining. Letting Gen. Clark "twist in the wind" when he raised a question you should have raised didn't help your image either.

Remember that Sen. Clinton voted to back Bush on the issue of the invasion of Iraq (and later to label Iran's Kutz force as a terrorist organization) in order to enhance what one of her supporters called "her testicular fortitude." Her advisors felt she need to enhance her image as one who can play with the boys in their current testosterone-laden foreign policy. See how much good that did her. Don't go down the same futile road.

So far you have let John McCain define the narrative of this campaign. If you continue to do that you will pay the same penalty John Kerry paid in '04. The presidency is a position of leadership. You need to take control of the Party in Congress. The Democrats' strategy of appealing to a mythical "independent" vote, at the expense of your real base, has done them no good in 2000 and 2004. If you keep following instead of leading, you will follow the Gore (of 2000) and John Kerry right out the door of the White House.

Your claim that you shifted your position to support the Bush legislation because it is the best you can get. That just isn't leadership. You need to stand up for what we thought you believed in. That's leadership. That's what we expect from you. And that's what we need to continue supporting your campaign, which is still filled with hope. But Hope can turn to disappointment if it's not fulfilled.

Thanks for your time,
I am still in solidarity with you,
Dan Cohen

Letter to MSNBC

I just sent the following e-mail to MSNBC. Let's see what, if any, response I get.

Hi,

As always I appreciate your work. But I don't understand why you choose to simply approach issues like Gen. Wesley Clark's questions about John McCain's qualifications for the presidency based on his war service by asking how they will effect the campaign rather than as an opportunity for a serious discussion. When you have a panel of "experts," why not let them take the issue Gen. Clark raised and go with it.

Many of us have had the same question for some time, it is fundamental to who McCain is and little that he has said suggests qualifications for the presidency. It's clear that as heroic as it was (and Gen. Clark made a point of that) has helped him to know the difference between Shiite and Sunni in Iran and Iraq. Today is different from then. His war-mongering sensibilities don't auger well for a foreign-policy change today.

You have a responsibility to ask the questions (certainly after they are raised by others) not to just treat them as another form of campaign gossip. I know you're too good for this Fox-like approach to politics. Don't let me down.

Good luck
Dan Cohen
(gaelinc@aol.com)

Sign this petition to stop media distortion of the campaign

From MoveOn.org:

On Sunday, General Wesley Clark spoke honestly and bluntly about what it takes to be Commander in Chief. He said that while Senator John McCain's service made him a hero to millions, including Clark himself, McCain's experience doesn't trump the poor judgment that he's shown on some of the most important issues in recent years.
General Clark is right, but the media's been twisting his words and accusing him of saying things he didn't say.
When the media distorts the facts on important issues like this, it has serious consequences. Can you sign the petition supporting General Clark and tell the media to stop distorting his comments?
A compiled petition with your individual comment will be presented to major news media outlets.

Here's what Gen. Clark actually said judge for yourself:

On Patriotism to counteract Fourth of July rhetoric

In anticipation of the Fourth of July rhetorical explosions here are some quotes on Patriotism:

Patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel.

Samuel Johnson, [quoted in Boswell's Life of Johnson English author, critic, & lexicographer (1709 - 1784)]

Patriotism is your conviction that this country is superior to all other countries because you were born in it.

George Bernard Shaw, [Irish dramatist (1856 - 1950)]

Patriotism is often an arbitrary veneration of real estate [or perhaps oil] above principles.

George Jean Nathan, U.S. drama critic & editor (1882 - 1958)

Media can't see McSame for who he really is Now

For some time now I have been troubled by the assumption on the part of first Sen. Clinton and now Sen. Obama that John McSame is qualified - on the basis of his service in Vietnam and his five years as a prisoner of the Vietcong - to be president. I simply have not been able to understand the basis for this conclusion, which seems to me to fly in the face of everything McSame does and says. In other words, what is it about being a war hero - and McSame was a war hero - that qualifies someone to be president?

Sunday on a talk show Gen. Wesley Clark finally raised the same question. And Obama rushed to the nearest microphone to back off Clark's remarks. Here's how the AP characterized the candidates' responses after Clark made his comments:

A day after retired Army Gen. Wesley Clark, now an Obama supporter, discussed McCain's experience as a Navy pilot and prisoner of war in Vietnam on a Sunday talk show, his remarks set off the pattern that has become familiar from innumerable earlier flaps over surrogate remarks during the presidential election year: The candidates, Obama and McCain, took the high road while the bare-knuckled language was left to their surrogates.

Toward the end of the same article reporter Beth Fouhy quoted McSame's "high road" remarks:

McCain himself said,

If that's the kind of campaign Sen. Obama and his surrogates and supporters want to engage in, I understand that. But it doesn't reduce the price of gas by one penny. It doesn't achieve our energy independence or make it come any closer. Doesn't make any American stay in their home who's at risk of losing it today. And it certainly doesn't do anything to address the challenges Americans have in keeping their jobs, homes and supporting their families.

If that's the "high road," I'd like to see what it looks like when McSame takes the "low road."

It was Oil after all

In 2003 a gallon of gas cost $1,56. It seems unlikely that Bush and Co. would have gotten much support for the invasion of Iraq if at that point they had said it was to regain control of Iraq's oil. But clearly it was. How convenient that Osama bin Laden had provided them with the perfect rational for the invasion. It was the key to "war on terror."

At that time in opposition to the invasion, many of us wore buttons that said: "No more blood for oil." The corporate media flying on the wings of the neo-con fantasies about the Middle East, poo-pooed the idea that the invasion was to return the big four oil companies to Iraq. So we heard lots about "weapons of mass destruction" and "the export of democracy." But as Bill Moyers and Michael Winship say:

... one by one, these concocted rationales went up in smoke, fire and ashes. And now the bottom line turns out to be....the bottom line. It is about oil.

Although it won't be the all-encompassing "oil law" that Bush & Co. envisioned and has been fighting for the New York Times reports that: "Deals With Iraq Are Set to Bring Oil Giants Back."

I'm not sure if John McSame has been let in on the secret. It seems he is still stuck on the neo-con excuses for the invasion. When he talks about how we will never "be defeated in Iraq," one wonders what we could possibly win or lose in Iraq. The Iraqi people, after all, are the only winners or losers. The tragedy is that Bush and McSame seem determined to send more young American women and men (and hundreds of Iraqis) to their deaths to fulfill their fantasies.

Brecht Forum: Internship Opportunities

Summer & Fall Internship Opportunities at the Brecht Forum

The BRECHT FORUM is a place for people who are working for social justice, equality and a new culture that puts human needs first. Through its programs, classes and special events, the Brecht Forum brings people together across social and cultural boundaries and artistic and academic disciplines to promote critical analysis, creative thinking, and collaborative work.

The Brecht Forum is currently seeking interns for the Summer and Fall 2008

Summer dates: July 8 - August 29
Fall dates: Sept 8 - December 12

Interns would assist with all aspects of the day to day operations of the organization. The position will allow participants to develop critical skills such as non-profit management, community outreach & publicity, and video production, along with the opportunity to connect with other local progressive organizations and leading artists and intellectuals. In addition to these valuable life skills, interns will receive free admission to all Brecht programs, classes and special events as well.

Internship opportunities include:

Outreach: Working with the Outreach Coordinator in promoting Brecht Events. Tasks include flyering at special events, posting events to online calendars and bulletins, tabling at conferences and helping to develop & design additional materials.
Space management: Working alongside Brecht staff in preparing the gallery space for upcoming shows, lectures and classes. Helping out with the door at events as well as general space maintenance.
Research: Help develop programs through researching speakers, artists and films for possible events.

Qualifications: This is an opportunity geared to persons who have a strong interest in social justice issues and building progressive culture. Interns will commit to minimum of 10-15 hours a week, with more hours available if needed. Applicants must be detail oriented, have strong online researching skills and be able to work independently. A background in social movement history, and/or previous organizing experience in a related field is recommended but not required. People of color, women, trans and gender non-conforming people, and individuals of diverse backgrounds are encouraged to apply.

For more information:
(212) 242-4201 or
Kazembe@brechtforum.org

The Brecht Forum
451 West Street,
www.brechtforum.org

Aug 2: Mass March to stop war on Iran

Saturday, August 2, 12 noon

MASS MARCH IN NYC
Assemble at Times Square
(43rd St. & Broadway)

STOP WAR ON IRAN
An Attack could be Imminent
We Can’t Afford to Wait

It is with grave concern that we observe the growing threat of a new U.S. war--this time against the people of Iran.

The media is filled with reports of an alleged nuclear threat posed by Iran and the assumed need for the U.S. to take military action. These reports remind us of the "Weapons of Mass Destruction" reports issued in the months leading up to the war on Iraq.

Stop War On Iran
55 West 17th St, 5C,
New York, NY 10011

WRL Releases Special Report Assessing the Antiwar Movement

The War Resisters League has released a report on the current state and future of the anti-war movement in their magazine, WIN.

The War Resisters League recently conducted a Listening Process, asking 90 grassroots organizers from across the county to reflect on the state of antiwar organizing in the United States. The new special issue of WIN magazine features their reflections and insights.

Throw Joe Lieberman out of the Democratic caucus

I signed this petition to the Democratic Steering Committee to remove Joe Lieberman. The last thing we need is a right-wing "Republican" war monger in Democratic clothing. So we need to demand that Lieberman be removed as chairman of the Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee. Join me and the other 22,192 signers (as of June 25,8PM) because we cannot tolerate a leader of the Senate Democratic Caucus who supports George Bush and McCain's 100 year war in Iraq. We cannot tolerate a Democratic chairman of the Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee who endorses and stumps for McCain and plans to speak at the Republican National Convention. We call on the Senate Democratic Steering Committee to strip Joe Lieberman of his chairmanship and his leadership role.

Dems who changed vote on telecom immunity got twice as much telecom money as those who didn't

According to MAPLight.org

On March 14 of this year the House passed an amendment that rejected retroactive immunity for phone carriers who helped the National Security Agency carry out the illegal wiretapping program without proper warrants. Ninety-four House Democrats voted in favor of this measure--rejecting immunity--on March 14, then ‘changed’ to vote in favor of the June 20 House bill--approving immunity.

“Why did these 94 House members have a change of heart?” asked Daniel Newman, executive director of MAPLight.org, “Their constituents deserve answers.”

MAPLight.org's research department compiled PAC campaign contributions from Verizon, AT&T, and Sprint and correlated them with the voting records of all House members who voted on last week’s FISA bill. (The analysis used data from CRP; contributions were from January 2005 through March 2008). Here are the findings:

Comparing Democrats' Votes (March 14th and June 20th votes):

Verizon, AT&T, and Sprint gave PAC contributions averaging:

$8,359 to each Democrat who changed their position to support immunity for Telcos (94 Dems)
$4,987 to each Democrat who remained opposed to immunity for Telcos (116 Dems)

88% of the Dems who changed to supporting immunity (83 Dems of the 94) received PAC contributions from Verizon, AT&T, or Sprint during the last three years (Jan. 2005-Mar. 2008).

All House Members (June 20th vote:)
Verizon, AT&T, and Sprint gave PAC contributions averaging:

$9,659 to each member of the House voting "YES" (105-Dem, 188-Rep)
$4,810 to each member of the House voting "NO" (128-Dem, 1-Rep)

June 28: Brothers for Sisters water brigade at Dyke March

Join BROTHERS FOR SISTERS on SATURDAY, JUNE 28, 5PM to coordinate the WATER BRIGADE for the 15TH ANNUAL DYKE MARCH down 5th Avenue.

Meet between 5:00 and 5:45 pm
at the SouthWest corner of 5th Avenue and 14th Street,
to gather resources (get water, cups and trays) and prepare for the arrival of the
15TH Annual Dyke March by 6:45, headed South down 5th Avenue toward Washington Square Park.

Feel free to contribute resources
(especially bottled water)

Call LIDELL at 212/222-9794 [home], 646/441-7081 [cell], or
E-Mail LidellNYC@Gmail.com for more info.

Obama leads McSame in latest presidential-poll

Getty Images / AP
In a two-person presidential race between only Sens. Obama and McCain, registered voters chose Obama over McCain by 49% to 37% in the most recent Los Angeles Times national poll. When independent candidate Ralph Nader and Libertarian Bob Barr are added to the mix, voters chose Obama over McCain by 48% to 33%. I can only surmise why Green Party candidate Cynthia McKinney was left out. But I can't say I'm surprised.

According to a CNN analysis of five recent national surveys, Obama's lead drops to 8 points over McSame.

July 9: Discussion: The Internet

If you are reading this, the discussion about the way the Left can use and protect the internet should be important to you. (Dan)

Wednesday, July 9, 7:30 pm

The Internet: Protecting It, Expanding It, Using It

With Members of Democracy in Action & May First/People Link

The Brecht Forum
451 West Street (bt Bank & Bethune Sts),
Phone: (212) 242-4201 - Email: brechtforum at brechtforum.org

Activists from both organizations will lead an exploration of how the progressive movement can use Internet technology, what you as an activist can do on the Internet and why the Internet itself is so vitally important to our movement's future and the world's. A very interactive and open discussion.

Sliding scale: $6/$10/$15
Free for Brecht Forum Subscribers

To contact Brecht Forum:
Phone: (212) 242-4201)
Email: brechtforum at brechtforum.org

George Carlin, 1937-2008

One of the hardest things about trying to say anything about the death of George Carlin is that he has already shown the rediculousness of almost everything we say when someone dies. But here goes.

If the world seems sadder today it's because George Carlin is no longer amongst us. With Carlin's death, one of the transformative figures of American culture is gone. I know, he was just a comedian. But he influenced most of this generation of comics (including John Stewart, Stephen Colbert, the early Saturday Night Live company, Sarah Silverman, etc.). Where would we be without The Daily Show, The Colbert Report and - despite all its faults - Saturday Night Live- of which he was the first guest host? He did for this generation what Lenny Bruce and Mort Sahl did for his generation.

He stood up against the stupidities of those in power. He embodied much of the protest of the sixties and seventies in a humorous form, much the way Will Rogers did for an earlier generation.

In November he will be awarded the Kennedy Center 11th annual Mark Twain Prize for American Humor. Unfortunately posthumously.

In 1978 he delivered his classic "7 Dirty Words" commentary, which, after WBAI ran it uncensored, led to a Supreme Court decision establishing the "family hour", which TV still follows today. Perhaps the most memorable tribute to Carlin is "The 7 Dirty Words you can't say on Television."



Notice that none of these words have anything to do with violence, but only with the two things that scare Americans the most: sexuality and natural bodily functions.

Here are two of my favorite Carlin routines:

July 1: Discussion: "Which Way is Left?"

Our very good friend Juliet Ucelli is speaking at an event at the Brecht Forum. This post should not be seen as an endorsement of any sort of vanguard party. I have noticed that each generation of activists re-invents "The Left." But these are good people and it should be an interesting dicussion.

Here's the info:

Tuesday, July 1, 7:30 pm

Which Way Is Left?

the Brecht Forum,
451 West St. (bt. Bank and Bethune sts.)

A new generation of left activists has begun to express the need for more than just single-issue activist groups and ad hoc coalitions. Some are raising the question of building a broad-based revolutionary organization, also known as a party or parties.

In association with Freedom Road's pamphlet Which Way is Left? Theory, Politics, Organization and 21st-Century Socialism, this forum will focus on the above topic.

Panelists:

Kamembe Balagun, writer, blackmanwithalibrary.com, Brecht Forum

Herm Jerome, NY Study Group--Party/Study/Party

Juliet Ucelli, Freedom Road Socialist Organization, OSCL

Kamau Franklin, Malcolm X Grassroots Movement


Questions to be explored include:

* Why do we need a broad-based, multi-issue revolutionary organization or party?
* What should it look like? Among what sectors should it be based?
* How might such an organization develop?
* What should be the relationship between a revolutionary organization and the mass social movements?

Sliding scale: $6/$10/$15
Free for Brecht Forum subscribers

All governments lie, but Bush and Co. have shredded democracy

If there was ever any doubt about it, we now have conclusive evidence that our government has been lying to us through its teeth almost constantly. Although the Bush administration has turned lying into an art form (it's virtually the only thing they do with any efficiency) they by no means invented the practice. As I.F. Stone warned us:

All governments lie, but disaster lies in wait for countries whose officials smoke the same hashish they give out.

Although I doubt that hashish is still the drug of choice in the White House (or the halls of Congress), I have been wondering for some time what the presidential Bush and the vice-presidential Dick have been smoking, it would be nice to know, it must be really good stuff. Government mendacity doesn't even seem to be the attribute of one political party. Democrat Lyndon Johnson used the fictitious Tonkin Bay incident much the same way Bush used the Weapons of Mass Destruction - to provide false pretenses for sending our young women and men to die.

It seems fortuitous that former Bush press secretary Scott McLellan's What Happened: Inside the Bush White House and Washington’s Culture of Deception detailing the lies used to sell the invasion of Iraq and the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence report which told the same story surfaced within a week of each other. But they clearly reinforce each other. It's important to note here that the Senate report finally surfaced after five years of Republican cover up to protect their president and his cohorts. (In case you were wondering in whose interest your senators and representatives were working.) In an editorial (June 6) The New York Times said:

It has taken five years to finally come to a reckoning over how much the Bush administration knowingly twisted and hyped intelligence to justify that invasion. On Thursday — after years of Republican stonewalling — a report by the Senate Intelligence Committee gave us as good a set of answers as we’re likely to get.

The report shows clearly that President Bush should have known that important claims he made about Iraq did not conform with intelligence reports. In other cases, he could have learned the truth if he had asked better questions or encouraged more honest answers.

This is almost exactly what McClellan tells us. Except he tends to let Bush off the hook and blames the rest of the administration and the enabling media.

As important as all this is and we knew it all before last week, I think what's really important is how these lies that "all governments tell" destroy the very foundations of democracy. The basic building block of any truly democratic society is trust. If we can't trust each other and those we elect to act in the common interest how can the system work? Bush and company lied (about the most crucial decision any government can make) and his Congressional groupies (on both sides of the aisle) swore to it. Over 4,000 young American women and men and many more thousands of Iraqis paid the supreme penalty because Bush and his acolytes lied. Democracy simply can't work under those conditions.

As far as I can determine Bush clone John McSame has not yet responded to the Senate report. But it's fairly clear, from other things he has said, that he would follow in his master's footsteps.

So what can we do?

Well - as Rep. Kucinich (D-OH) has said - impeachment would be a real first step.

But the same people who thought impeachment was an appropriate response to a president getting blow jobs in the Oval Office, don't seem to think lying to send thousands to their death in Iraq or incompetence in the face of Katrina are impeachable offenses. Well let's put it in terms they might understand - it would serve as a deterrent to the next government thinking about lying.

But what we have to do is take back our government and re-birth our democracy. That's going to be a tough job. We have to undo about 30 years of right-wing plundering of our political system.

With all due respect to our own neo-con snake oil sellers, there is something even more ominous abroad in the land: the huge military machine that we have created in the post-World War II period. When the Cold War came to an end there was a period of time (albeit brief) when an alternative to permanent war was possible. Then along came 9/11 and the Global War on Terror (GWT). Remember that in the past when a nation decided to go to war, even when we decided to enter WWII, it had to be mobilized on to a war footing. Now we have an enormous war machine waiting to be put to use. Like any technology once its in place we are more likely to use it. There are a number of complex issues that flow from this. According to Robert Scheer:

...after mandated programs are funded, the military consumes roughly six out of ten dollars. As a consequence, increases in domestic spending must be funded by cutbacks in military spending. That is the most honest way to judge the opportunity cost of the military dollar, as in, two unneeded submarines versus health insurance for 4 million kids.

There is, however, a greater cost to having a huge permanent military: the vitality of our democracy. As we saw in the run-up to the Iraq War, the fearmongers who seek an expanded military are not above using their enormous lobbying power to influence the debate. The public will not support the military unless it feels its activities are connected with a real threat, so the military and its suppliers and other allies have to exaggerate that threat. Such is the risk of "the total influence--economic, political, even spiritual" of the military-industrial complex, which Eisenhower warned is 'felt in every city, every Statehouse, every office of the federal government.' It is a built-in and well-financed constituency that stresses the military option over the diplomatic one, that exaggerates the strength of the enemy rather than realistically appraises it and that desperately finds new wars to be fought.

What is going on in our name is irrational, costly and dangerous, but there are powerful vested interests that want to keep it that way. Those interests remain so strong that neither Barack Obama nor John McCain has called for cutting a military budget that is the largest since World War II. But without such cuts all the campaign promises about funding domestic programs, from education to healthcare, are an obvious fraud.

So, in addition to the thousands of lives - both American and Iraqi - lost and the more than a million displaced Iraqis, the costs of feeding the bloated (and often irrelevant to the current challenges)war machine has enormous domestic consequences. So the lies that led us into an invasion and occupation that denies the essence of who we are also undermines our ability to fulfill our needs at home. At some point it has to stop. And only we can stop it by taking back our democracy and electing people who can be trusted to act in our interests. Keep this in mind the next time the Republicans go on about raising taxes to finance new domestic programs. There is an alternative.

Tim Russert, 1950-2008

Andrew asks: hey where's the article on tim russert?!?!

Interesting question. I'm not sure I have anything to add to the hours of tributes to Mr. Russert after his death on Friday (June 13) at the all too early age of 58. But with regard to death and age: I don't think it's as important how long we live (although 58 is really too young) as what we do with the years we have. Russert's early death is a warning to all of us that we don't know how long we have, so we need not to put off what we want to do. Russert clearly didn't.

On Saturday Ann and I went to a major bookstore. While I was at the info counter two people came up and asked for Russert's book about his father, Big Russ and Me. The person behind the counter said they had no copies left, and all bookstores were sold out. Isn't it odd the way we respond to death?

One of the reasons I haven't added to the onslaught of tributes (on air and in writing) is that I wasn't a particular fan. I actually didn't think much about him. He seemed much like most other commentators on the corporate media. I remember vividly that it was on Meet the Press that the vice-presidential Dick chose to spout his lies about invading Iraq. I don't remember any serious challenge from Russert to the Dick's bull. But that doesn't really set him apart from most other media types during the selling of Iraq.

His sudden death at work from a heart attack is already shedding some light on heart problems. That might actually be his true legacy. I think he would be proud of it.

One more thing: I hope they pick a woman to replace him on Meet the Press. Two suggestions I would make are either Norah O'Donnell or Andrea Mitchell - they are both class acts.

June 19: Brecht Forum: Barack Obama and the Left

Thursday, June 19, 7:30 pm

A People's President? Barack Obama & the Left

Brecht Forum
451 West Street (between Bank & Bethune Streets,

Panelists include: Ta-Nehisi Coates, Atlantic Monthly, Village Voice;
Doug Henwood, Left Business Observer;
Betsy Reed, The Nation;
Gary Younge, The Guardian/The Nation;
and others to be announced.

The Democratic Party may have unified behind Barack Obama's presidential bid, but the American left has not. Some progressives argue that we should largely silence our concerns about Obama's policy shortcomings, from Israel and Iraq to the economy and healthcare, at least until he gets elected. Others contend that his weakness on these and other issues is simply unforgiveable, and that the left should not be seen in such company. And yet a third group insists that though we should do so without illusions, critically supporting Barack's presidential bid opens opportunities for building progressive politics and perhaps even pulling the candidate in our direction.
...and if you don't leave either more confused or more outraged than you were before, we will have failed!

Our customary panel of eloquent and erudite experts will cover the spectrum of left attitudes towards Obama. We can't promise to resolve the debate. But we hope to make the issues at stake a little clearer, while informing, and even entertaining, along the way.

Refreshments will be served

Sliding scale: $6/$10/$15
Free for Brecht Forum Subscribers
Phone: (212) 242-4201
Email: brechtforum at brechtforum.org

Petition to G8 Summit on climate change: sign now

I just signed an urgent global petition demanding the Group of 8 (G8) stop efforts to derail progress towards a new international treaty to tackle global warming. Climate change is a very important issue, and I thought you might like to join me in taking action.

Climate change hangs in the balance at the 2008 G8 Summit. At this point we have to look to G8 President Japan for bold leadership. But the Japanese PM has so far excluded commitments to mid-term emission cutting targets. Scientists agree: these targets -- 25-40% by 2020 -- are crucial if we are to avoid a climate catastrophe. With the Japanese proposal and the U.S. and Canada seeking to exploit loopholes in any agreement, we’re in danger of losing all the progress made towards a new global treaty at the UN climate meeting in Bali last December.

Avaaz ,the global advocacy group, is creating a worldwide public outcry to demand strong action of the G8. The petition will be delivered to the Japanese PM and G8 President, Yasuo Fukuda, on Wednesday June 18. So please, take a moment now to make your voice count by signing the petition. Together we can stop the Group of Eight from ruining the planet.

Homophobia in the military

Iowa Sen. Tom Harkin questions Marine Gen Pace, chairman of the U.S. military Joint Chiefs of Staff, about his comments backing the Pentagon's "don't ask, don't tell" limits on gays serving in the military.

I believe homosexual acts between two individuals are immoral and that we should not condone immoral acts, Pace said.

I do not believe the United States is well served by a policy that says it is okay to be immoral in any way.

Is John McSame too old to be president or just not well enough informed?

According to Friday's (June 13) New York Post, John McSame claimed the use of terms like "out of touch" and "inconsistent" were examples of "ageism" being used as a weapon against him. The reference was to former presidential candidate and Obama supporter John Kerry's criticism of McSame's comments about Iraq in an interview with Matt Lauer on Wednesday's (June 11) The Today Show (see video below, Iraq comments at end of interview). What this silly dispute shows is that McSame and his people are a very tricky bunch. If the "ageism" accusation works, every time McSame says something dumb (and he seems to do that quite often), his campaign can get off the hook by crying "ageism." What, in fact, Kerry said was that McSame was "confused" when he again compared Iraq to Korea, Germany and Japan and "out of touch" with the American people on this issue. He clearly is both, but not because of his age. If anyone believes the very limited role U.S. troops play in Korea is anything like the occupation of Iraq, they maybe or may not be old, but they are certainly ignorant about the situation. It's also quite interesting that it's OK for McSame to accuse Obama of being too young, but not visa versa “I admire and respect Senator Obama,” McCain said, with his patented sarcastic laugh. “For a young man with very little experience, he’s done very well.” One last thought (for now) about McSame and "ageism:" If these claims are as effective as the Clintons' claims of sexism against the Senator - which have much more substance - it will all be a tempest in an oatmeal pot.

Tonight, June 13: NOW: Fighting the Army

If you're as tired as I am of all the rhetoric about supporting and honoring the troops in Iraq, uttered by the same phony politicians who want nothing to do with these young American women and men when they come back, particularly if supporting and honoring them costs money, be sure to watch PBS' Now tonight, Friday, June 13, 8:30PM (Repeated Sun. June 15, 11:00PM) The show explores a scandal first uncovered in The Nation Magazine -- how military doctors are purposely misdiagnosing soldiers wounded in Iraq, labeling them mentally ill in order to deny them medical care and disability pay.

Of the thousands of U.S. troops getting discharged from the Army each year, many who are suffering from post traumatic stress disorder and brain injuries aren't getting the vital care they need. The Army claims these soldiers have pre-existing mental illnesses or are guilty of misconduct. But advocates say this is a way for the Army to get rid of "problem" soldiers quickly, without giving them the treatment and benefits to which they're entitled.

NOW travels to Fort Hood in Texas to meet traumatized soldiers fighting a new battle, this one against the army they served. Are soldiers being wrongfully discharged for honorable service?

The program features Nation reporter Joshua Kors' interview with Sgt. Chuck Luther, who was wounded by mortar fire, then jailed until he agreed his wounds were caused by a "personality disorder." Kors' original piece of reporting for The Nation on the issue, recently received a National Magazine Award, the industry's highest honor.

Hillary pisses on history

Last night was one of the most significant moments in U.S. history - a person of color was nominated by a major political party as its presidential candidate. Remember it's been a little over 100 years since, when the Constitution was ratified in 1787 most Black men were slaves and slaves were counted as only 3/5 of a person. From ratification until the adoption of the Black Citizenship Amendment Black males were allowed to vote in only seven states (Black women,of course, couldn't vote because at the time of ratification no women could vote). Despite the 1868 amendment Black male voting didn't become a reality until Black people and some sympathetic whites fought and died for civil rights. That struggle culminated in a number of voting rights laws and the possibility of what happened yesterday, when the Democrats came one significant step closer to officially nominating Barack Obama.

I spent alot of time last night listening to the pundits pontificate on yesterday's events. Most of the discussion was, unfortunately, not about this historic moment but about "What does Hillary want?" In other words, Hillary Clinton pissed on Obama's moment, in fact she pissed on American history. That, of course, shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone who has paid even slight attention to the Clinton's history. In their world everything revolves around them (currently the Senator), no one and nothing else counts unless it works for them. All those predictions that Clinton would withdraw from the nomination race with grace were based on the assumption that she is a classy human being. That's obviously not true and never has been. As always, it's all about Hillary and what she wants.

Instead of the question, "what does Hillary want?" I would ask: "what's wrong with Hillary?" It continues to be fascinating to watch the Senator and the former President blame everyone else for their mistakes. She also seems to be trying to strong arm her way on to the ticket. But, from what I've heard, many of her supporters including some people in her campaign are backing away as fast as they can from her mean-spirited speech last night.

It hasn't escaped my thoughts that her blatant attempt to force Obama to offer her the vice-presidential nomination and that if he doesn't and it undermines his campaign, she expects to benefit from his loss. I think that like most of her strategies the opposite will be the case. She will be blamed for undermining the Party.

The main thing, however, is to look forward to the next historic event: Nov. 4th and the election of the first person of color as President of the U.S.

A Black POTUS, imagine that!

gay and lesbian civil rights: marriage

The right wing wants to continue depriving gay, lesbian, bi-sexual and transgendered people of the most basic of civil rights - the right to be married to the person you love. Family - and GLBT people can create families - is the basic building block of all societies. The right wing wants to keep GLBT people outside our society. All the arguments against the right of GLBT people to marry used to be used - probably by many of the same people - to prevent Blacks and whites from marrying each other. In human society, all people should be treated as equals - you can't be equal if you are deprived of your basic human rights. The right to be married to the person you love is as basic as it gets. The Human Rights Campaign has fought for civil rights for LGBT people. Today one of their major campaigns is for GLBT people to be able to marry. This is Lesbian, Gay, Bi-sexual and transgender pride month. A great way to celebrate Pride Month would be to contribute to HRC. But wait! Due to the generosity of HRC board member Bruce Bastian if you contribute before June 16 your gift will be doubled (until the total reaches $120,000). So watch this video, get inspired and get out your check book.

Job Opening: Editor/Publisher of WIN Magazine

Job Opening: Editor/Publisher of WIN Magazine

The War Resisters League is seeking a self-motivated, professional, and skilled half-time Editor/Publisher to produce and manage (in consultation with Publications Committee) all phases of its quarterly publication, WIN Magazine.

As one of the leading radical voices in the antiwar movement, The War Resisters League challenges military recruitment and war profiteering, organize nonviolent direct action, support conscientious objectors and GI resisters, and offer on-the-ground tools to end the current war and all wars. Their current work includes the Not Your Soldier Project, local and regional antiwar organizing projects and work to help build and sustain a national movement supporting GI resisters.

The responsibilities of the job include: planning articles, contacting potential authors and soliciting articles and graphics, editing copy, writing news briefs as needed, coordinating magazine production and printing, overseeing magazine's budget, working with database manager on subscription system, overseeing magazine website, and soliciting advertising, as well as sharing general office duties with other staff

The ideal candidate will have: substantial editorial experience and knowledge of magazine or newsletter production and management; excellent writing, word processing and e-mail skills; commitment to nonviolence and the philosophy of the War Resisters League; willingness to work in collective staff environment; and knowledge of movements for peace and justice. Experience with desktop publishing software a plus.

WIN, the primary publication of the War Resisters League, is a 32-page quarterly magazine of information and thought-provoking pieces on national and international issues from a pacifist perspective. WIN also keeps the WRL membership and other readers informed about the activities and resources of the War Resisters League.

This is a half-time (20 hours/week plus occasional evening and weekend meetings) salaried position. Yearly salary is $18,925, with full benefits, including health insurance, paid vacation and a pension contribution of five percent beginning in the second year.

WRL is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer, and women, people of color and LGBT people are especially encouraged to apply. The WRL office, however, is located on the second floor and thus is not accessible to wheelchairs or people with ambulatory issues. Applicants should also be advised that there is an office cat.

The War Resisters League affirms that all war is a crime against humanity. We are determined not to support any kind of war, international or civil, and to strive nonviolently for the removal of the causes of war, including racism, sexism and all forms of human exploitation.

Please send cover letter and resume to: wrl@warresisters.org by June 21, 2008 with WIN Job Search in the subject line. You can also fax your application to 212.228.6193.





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WRL_organizations mailing list

Tuesdays in June: Vigils for Darfur

Vigils for Darfur:
The U.S. will hold the presidency of the Security Council during June.

Tuesdays in June, noon to 2 pm
(June 10, 17, and 24)

At US Mission to the United Nations,
140 E. 45th St,
(between Lexington and 3rd Ave.)

The U.S. will hold the presidency of the Security Council during June.
This is the time for the U.S. to use its leverage to push the UN to enforce the resolutions it has already passed and deploy the already-authorized UN troops (UNAMID) and impose multilateral sanctions on the Sudanese regime, in order to end ongoing atrocities, being carried out with impunity by the Sudanese government.

Call for international justice and accountability, including arrest of Sudanese officials who have been indicted by the International Criminal Court.
Now is a time of renewed violence in Darfur. In the wake of a failed coup in Khartoum, Darfuris in the capital are being targeted on the basis of their ethnicity. Civilians not involved in the coup attempt are being executed and disappered. There are also renewed attacks on Darfuri villages.

Sponsor: NYC Coalition for Darfur, Vigil Group
Learn more about the current situation and what you can do NOW
Next meeting BFP Darfur Crisis Committee Tues. June 24, 7:30 pm
E-mail darfur@brooklynpeace.org for location.

True Crimes: The Untold Story Behind the Devastation of Iraq - Tonight - at Town Hall

If you can't make it to Town Hall tonight (Tues 6/3) for True Crimes: The Untold Story Behind the Devastation of Iraq, go to worldcantwait.org for a live webcast of the event.

The event, will take place at New York City's Town Hall.

It features bestselling author JEREMY SCAHILL,
Pulitzer Prize-winning writer CHRIS HEDGES,
journalist LAILA AL-ARIAN, and
The New Yorker's SEYMOUR HERSH

They will go behind the headlines to tell the untold story of the occupation of Iraq, the daily plight of Iraqi civilians, and the ongoing role of private mercenaries in America's so-called "war on terror."

This event marks the book launches of Collateral Damage: America's War Against Iraqi Civilians by Chris Hedges and Laila al-Arian and the updated paperback edition of Blackwater: Rise of the World's Most Powerful Mercenary Army by Jeremy Scahill.

June 4: Film Showing: LIFE & DEBT

Film Showing: LIFE & DEBT

Wednesday, June 4, 7:00 pm

The Diversity Center of Queens
76-11 37th Ave (2nd Floor)
(E,F,R,G,V,7 to Roosevelt)

In 2001, years before the current food crisis, Stephanie Black made a movie about how the IMF and World Bank ruined Jamaica's economy and transformed it from a nation that exported food to one forced to rely on imported food. Life and Debt tells this story of economic devastation clearly and beautifully.

Watch the movie and stick around afterward to discuss the impact of neo-liberalism around the world and how people are organizing a resistance.

Sponsored by the International Socialist Organization
For more into, contact or (646) 452-8662**

We Need A Roe of Our Own in New York State

I'm not certain how dated this is but I just got it from NARAL N.Y. so I thought you might not have seen it.

On April 18, 2007, the United State Supreme Court, in a 5 – 4 decision, threw out years of precedent and upheld President Bush's Federal Abortion Ban. With this decision, the Court deserted its long standing commitment to protecting women’s health and has opened the floodgates for further state and federal abortion restrictions.

Six states have already introduced measures to further restrict abortion since the decision came down; however, New York is fervently working to safeguard a woman's right to access safe and legal abortion by introducing the Reproductive Health Act.

Check out this Fact Sheet on this bill that will take the principles of Roe v. Wade and put them squarely into New York Law. We must secure the freedoms we have now before any further federal or state legislation is passed. We need a Roe of our own.