Independent journalist Greg Palast will make two appearances in New York City (May 1 and May 2) while on tour to promote the new edition of his excellent book Armed Madhouse
An Evening with Greg Palast
Randi Rhodes and Robert Kennedy Jr
Tuesday MAY 1st — 7pm
Community Church of New York,
40 East 35th St. (Bt Park&Madison)
The official NYC Launch of Palast’s NEW updated and expanded Paperback edition of
Armed Madhouse
Palast, Rhodes and Kennedy talk about "From Baghdad to New Orleans"
Also featuring:
Palast’s film: Big Easy to Big Empty — The True Story of the Drowning of New Orleans
All Proceeds go in support of WBAI Pacifica Radio and The Palast Investigative Fund
Also the following evening:
Talk and Book Signing
Wed May 2 7pm - Wed May 2 9pm
Border's Books and Music,
10 Columbus Circle, Time Warner Center
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
Imus update
Update on Imus in the Hateful Morning post.
Although it's clear that CBS Radio and MSNBC are trying to get away with Imus' racist and sexist remarks the sponsors are not - so Imus may be in for more than a two-week suspension. According to Keith Olbermann
"recent comments on the show have caused [one sponsor] to discontinue its advertising on Imus in the Morning...the co-president of Bigalow Tea announced that her company, whose advertising contract with Imus in the Morning had just expired, had 'suspended our current advertising and may not resume it" [and] the nation's biggest marketer Proctor and Gamble had suspended its advertising commitments for the television simulcast and the media buying agency Carat USA says some of its clients have asked for their commercials to be pulled from the Imus program, though it would not identify those clients."
The abandonment of the show by advertisers will be far more damaging than anything CBS Radio and MSNBC seem willing to do at this point. But this will only happen if we keep the pressure on.
One further word: a number of people have raised the question: If all the Hip Hop artists and rappers call Black women hos, why is everyone picking on Imus? Doesn't their using these words make them part of the common language?
First, I don't listen to most Gangster Rap because I think much of it does demean women and is sexist and possibly racist. And many of the people who have been calling for Imus to be fired have previously been equally critical of Rap music.
But the simple fact is "Two wrongs don't make a right." If I commit murder that doesn't make it OK for you to go out and kill someone.
Each person has to take responsibility for their own actions.
Although it's clear that CBS Radio and MSNBC are trying to get away with Imus' racist and sexist remarks the sponsors are not - so Imus may be in for more than a two-week suspension. According to Keith Olbermann
"recent comments on the show have caused [one sponsor] to discontinue its advertising on Imus in the Morning...the co-president of Bigalow Tea announced that her company, whose advertising contract with Imus in the Morning had just expired, had 'suspended our current advertising and may not resume it" [and] the nation's biggest marketer Proctor and Gamble had suspended its advertising commitments for the television simulcast and the media buying agency Carat USA says some of its clients have asked for their commercials to be pulled from the Imus program, though it would not identify those clients."
The abandonment of the show by advertisers will be far more damaging than anything CBS Radio and MSNBC seem willing to do at this point. But this will only happen if we keep the pressure on.
One further word: a number of people have raised the question: If all the Hip Hop artists and rappers call Black women hos, why is everyone picking on Imus? Doesn't their using these words make them part of the common language?
First, I don't listen to most Gangster Rap because I think much of it does demean women and is sexist and possibly racist. And many of the people who have been calling for Imus to be fired have previously been equally critical of Rap music.
But the simple fact is "Two wrongs don't make a right." If I commit murder that doesn't make it OK for you to go out and kill someone.
Each person has to take responsibility for their own actions.
Monday, April 09, 2007
Imus in the hateful morning
As John McEnroe used to say: "You can't be serious?"
Two weeks suspension for Don Imus. In other words, if you spew hate on MSNBC and CBS Radio you get a two-week vacation. "I think it's clearly not enough," Al Sharpton told CNN.
"This is a two-week cooling off period," The Rev. Jesse Jackson said, according to Gambling 911. "It does not challenge the character of the show, its political impact, or the impact that these comments have had on our society."
But there are other aspects of the Imus show that may change right away. For example, The Washington Times reports that "Hall of Famer Cal Ripken canceled an appearance on Don Imus' radio and television program scheduled for later this week because of comments the talk show host made about Rutgers' women's basketball team." A few more people with integrity, or those who just don't want to get involved in the controversy, could change the minds at CBS Radio and MSNBC.
Does the "I" in I-man really stand for Idiot? Or perhaps a better question is: Does Imus take us for idiots? Obviously he does and it seems he's right.
On April 4Th Imus and his executive producer were discussing the previous night's Rutgers/Tennessee women's title basketball game.
IMUS: "That's some rough girls from Rutgers. Man, they got tattoos and --"
[The show's executive producer] McGUIRK: "Some hard-core hos."
IMUS: "That's some nappy-headed hos there. I'm gonna tell you that now, man, that's some -- woo. And the girls from Tennessee, they all look cute, you know, so, like -- kinda like -- I don't know."
Since then he has claimed to not be a racist, to have intended the comment to be funny, and today (Monday) he said:
"I'm not a bad person. I'm a good person who said something bad."
The simple fact is that good people don't think that something as hateful as "nappy-headed hos" is funny. What kind of audience listens/watches his show? A friend of mine commented that if he said something similar about the Israeli women's basketball team (I don't know if there is one) he'd already be suspended while this discussion is going on and probably never see the inside of a broadcast studio again.
I don't know if he should be fired outright or given a long suspension, but two weeks is less than a slap on the wrist. Monday on The View , Elizabeth Hasselback suggested he be suspended until Black History Month (February). That would be a good beginning.
Whether Imus is eventually fired or gets a meaningful suspension it has nothing to do with constitutionally protected speech. Unless the government enters the dispute. Given the current makeup of the Bush FCC hurtful speech is seen as much less dangerous than a nipple.
The Rev. Jesse Jackson said that Imus' suspensions would not halt the protests that have taken place as a result of the comments. There should be demonstrations every day outside CBS and NBC (a moving demo) until there is a punishment that fits the crime. Imus is not the issue. Racism and sexism are.
It shouldn't surprise anyone that the headline of the Imus story on Fox News.com is "Two Sides to Imus Story?"
Friday, April 06, 2007
Cheney lurks in shrubs at Bush press conference
I have a weak stomach so I don't usually watch Bush press conferences, but I did last week. And watched an extraordinary Bush administration visual: Cheney lurking in the shrubs during the conference and then slinking into the White House after it ended.
It brought back memories of the wire under Bush's jacket in the first debate with Kerry. Only this time Cheney decided to make a personal appearance and work the puppet strings himself. Or maybe he was just there to step in if Bush needed backup.
Dad demands son not be treated as "baggage"
"In an about-face by the U.S. government four years into the war in Iraq, America's fallen troops are being brought back to their families aboard charter jets instead of ordinary commercial flights, and the caskets are being met by honor guards in white gloves instead of baggage handlers with forklifts.
"That change — which took effect quietly in January and applies to members of the U.S. military killed in Afghanistan, too — came after a campaign waged by a father who was aghast to learn that his son's body was going to be unloaded like so much luggage."
{From Fox News}
The times they are a changin': Disney stands up
"Same-sex couples who want to exchange vows in front of Cinderella's Castle now have the chance.
"The Walt Disney Co. had limited its Fairy Tale Wedding program to couples with valid marriage licenses, but it is now making ceremonies at its parks available to gay couples as well."
(from the UK Guardian)
Wednesday, April 04, 2007
Obama slips into Bushspeak
Photo by Kwame Ross
What happens when the political snake proffers the presidential apple? It seems it beclouds your mind with Bushspeak.
Here's what Senator Barak Obama said when asked about the possibility of a funding cut-off if Bush goes through with his threatened veto of recent congressional anti-war legislation:
"I think that nobody wants to play chicken with our troops on the ground," he told the Associated Press, adding: "I don't think we can muster at this point a majority of Senate Democrats or Republicans to vote for a cutoff of funding."
Labelling it as "playing chicken with our troops on the ground," which is, of course, exactly what Bush is doing, is likely to make it much less likely that "a majority of Senate Democrats or Republicans [will] vote for a cutoff of funding."
Senator, if you're anti-war, don't throw your principles out the window to enhance your presidential prospects. It won't work, no matter what your advisors are telling you.
What happens when the political snake proffers the presidential apple? It seems it beclouds your mind with Bushspeak.
Here's what Senator Barak Obama said when asked about the possibility of a funding cut-off if Bush goes through with his threatened veto of recent congressional anti-war legislation:
"I think that nobody wants to play chicken with our troops on the ground," he told the Associated Press, adding: "I don't think we can muster at this point a majority of Senate Democrats or Republicans to vote for a cutoff of funding."
Labelling it as "playing chicken with our troops on the ground," which is, of course, exactly what Bush is doing, is likely to make it much less likely that "a majority of Senate Democrats or Republicans [will] vote for a cutoff of funding."
Senator, if you're anti-war, don't throw your principles out the window to enhance your presidential prospects. It won't work, no matter what your advisors are telling you.
Tuesday, April 03, 2007
Chelsea Neighbors United newsletter
Check out the latest newsletter from Chelsea Neighbors United to End the War.
And remember if you live in Chelsea (or even if you don't):
"Every Tuesday evening at 6 pm (rain or shine), Chelsea Neighbors United to End the War assembles on the northwest corner of 8th Avenue and 24th Street. ... [CNU is] a community protest against the war in Iraq."
And remember if you live in Chelsea (or even if you don't):
"Every Tuesday evening at 6 pm (rain or shine), Chelsea Neighbors United to End the War assembles on the northwest corner of 8th Avenue and 24th Street. ... [CNU is] a community protest against the war in Iraq."
Iran and the British sailors
During the saga of Iran and the British sailors I have been plagued by a question: How is it possible for the corporate media to once again buy into the innocent Blair-Bush act? Or perhaps, is it possible to actually envision Blair and, in this case, his sidekick, Bush as victims of an international incident?
This has been articulated perfectly by Robert Parry on Consortiumnews.com:
"Of course, left outside this narrow frame of reference was the gross violation of international law – the bloody invasion of Iraq in 2003 – that put the Brits there in the first place.
"Back then, international law was deemed little more than a nuisance getting in the way of what President Bush and Prime Minister Tony Blair wanted to do, i.e. conquer Iraq, install a compliant government, 'privatize' its resources, and threaten other countries in the region to get in line."
"The combined interventions by the United Kingdom and the United States may have cost the lives of hundreds of thousands – possibly millions – of Iraqis and Iranians over the past century, but somehow Blair and Bush have positioned themselves as the innocent victims – at least as far as the Western press corps is concerned."
Of course, Bush has spent most of his almost two terms in office playing the victim. And until last Nov. 7 it worked perfectly. And now it's up to the Democrats to articulate an alternative framework and take it to the people before Bush, once again, snatches victory from the jaws of defeat (here, not in Iraq).
This has been articulated perfectly by Robert Parry on Consortiumnews.com:
"Of course, left outside this narrow frame of reference was the gross violation of international law – the bloody invasion of Iraq in 2003 – that put the Brits there in the first place.
"Back then, international law was deemed little more than a nuisance getting in the way of what President Bush and Prime Minister Tony Blair wanted to do, i.e. conquer Iraq, install a compliant government, 'privatize' its resources, and threaten other countries in the region to get in line."
"The combined interventions by the United Kingdom and the United States may have cost the lives of hundreds of thousands – possibly millions – of Iraqis and Iranians over the past century, but somehow Blair and Bush have positioned themselves as the innocent victims – at least as far as the Western press corps is concerned."
Of course, Bush has spent most of his almost two terms in office playing the victim. And until last Nov. 7 it worked perfectly. And now it's up to the Democrats to articulate an alternative framework and take it to the people before Bush, once again, snatches victory from the jaws of defeat (here, not in Iraq).
Sunday, April 01, 2007
African-Americans and baseball
This month - as a new season begins - the lords of baseball will once again climb on the back of Jackie Robinson on the occasion of the 60Th anniversary of the breaking of baseball's racist barriers to promote the game and enrich themselves.
This is what Hall of Famer Dave Winfield has to say about the current situation in today's Daily News:
"[There is an] exodus from the game of African-American players and fans - in 1975, 25% of ballplayers were African-American. Today, it's 8% - and some teams have none."
Hypocrisy has never been far from baseball public relations.
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
The neocons vs. big oil
Remember Dick Cheney's secret meetings to develop an energy policy in the early days of the first Bush administration before 9/11 "legitimated" their already-developed plan to invade Iraq and privatize the oil.
Here's a brief exchange between independent journalist Greg Palast and former Shell Oil CEO Philip Carroll last week on Democracy Now
"GREG PALAST: So I asked Shell's former boss if the neo-con's agenda matched that of the oil industry.
"PHILIP CARROLL: They're absolutely poles apart. Many neo-conservatives are people who do have certain ideological beliefs about markets, about democracy, about this, that and the other. International oil companies, without exception, are very pragmatic, commercial organizations. They don't have a theology. They don't have a doctrine. They are going to do what is in the best interest of their shareholders.
"GREG PALAST: Americans have never paid so much for gasoline. Big oil execs are grinning. They've never seen such big profits. The neo-cons say we missed the chance to stop this run-up in oil prices. All we had to do was sell off Iraq's oil fields. But big oil killed it."
Watch Palast's full report on big oil and Iraq on Democracy Now
Here's a brief exchange between independent journalist Greg Palast and former Shell Oil CEO Philip Carroll last week on Democracy Now
"GREG PALAST: So I asked Shell's former boss if the neo-con's agenda matched that of the oil industry.
"PHILIP CARROLL: They're absolutely poles apart. Many neo-conservatives are people who do have certain ideological beliefs about markets, about democracy, about this, that and the other. International oil companies, without exception, are very pragmatic, commercial organizations. They don't have a theology. They don't have a doctrine. They are going to do what is in the best interest of their shareholders.
"GREG PALAST: Americans have never paid so much for gasoline. Big oil execs are grinning. They've never seen such big profits. The neo-cons say we missed the chance to stop this run-up in oil prices. All we had to do was sell off Iraq's oil fields. But big oil killed it."
Watch Palast's full report on big oil and Iraq on Democracy Now
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
Howard Zinn on the Left, Congress and the war
Chelsea Neighbors Against the War has reprinted Howard Zinn's latest piece on the Left, Congress and the war in Iraq http://www.chelseaneighborsunited.org/, which will appear in the May, 2007 issue of The Progressive.
At this moment when Congress is debating cutting-off funds for the this immoral and unpopular war, Zinn not only takes issue with the the "Democrats [who] are behaving with their customary timidity, proposing withdrawal, but only after a year, or eighteen months," but also with sectors of the left like "MoveOn, which polled its members on the Democrat proposal, saying that progressives in Congress, 'like many of us, don’t think the bill goes far enough, but see it as the first concrete step to ending the war.'"
So it is clear that Zinn's article is too urgent to wait for the print version of the May issue of The Progressive. I strongly urge you to check it out on the Chelsea Neighbors' website or that of The Progressive.
I think it's particularly important to herald the courage of the Democrats in the House who voted against the war-funding measure out of a commitment to ending the war NOW - Maxine Waters, Lynn Woolsey, Diane Watson and Barbara Lee, all of California, Dennis Kucinich of Ohio, John Lewis of Georgia, Mike McNulty of New York and Mike Michaud of Maine.
The Senate vote on a similar measure should happen any minute. And our posture toward these largely political votes will be very important. As Zinn says:
"When a social movement adopts the compromises of legislators, it has forgotten its role, which is to push and challenge the politicians, not to fall in meekly behind them.
"We who protest the war are not politicians. We are citizens. Whatever politicians may do, let them first feel the full force of citizens who speak for what is right, not for what is winnable, in a shamefully timorous Congress."
At this moment when Congress is debating cutting-off funds for the this immoral and unpopular war, Zinn not only takes issue with the the "Democrats [who] are behaving with their customary timidity, proposing withdrawal, but only after a year, or eighteen months," but also with sectors of the left like "MoveOn, which polled its members on the Democrat proposal, saying that progressives in Congress, 'like many of us, don’t think the bill goes far enough, but see it as the first concrete step to ending the war.'"
So it is clear that Zinn's article is too urgent to wait for the print version of the May issue of The Progressive. I strongly urge you to check it out on the Chelsea Neighbors' website or that of The Progressive.
I think it's particularly important to herald the courage of the Democrats in the House who voted against the war-funding measure out of a commitment to ending the war NOW - Maxine Waters, Lynn Woolsey, Diane Watson and Barbara Lee, all of California, Dennis Kucinich of Ohio, John Lewis of Georgia, Mike McNulty of New York and Mike Michaud of Maine.
The Senate vote on a similar measure should happen any minute. And our posture toward these largely political votes will be very important. As Zinn says:
"When a social movement adopts the compromises of legislators, it has forgotten its role, which is to push and challenge the politicians, not to fall in meekly behind them.
"We who protest the war are not politicians. We are citizens. Whatever politicians may do, let them first feel the full force of citizens who speak for what is right, not for what is winnable, in a shamefully timorous Congress."
Friday, March 16, 2007
March 21: Book party - Blackwater
Wednesday, March 21st at 7:00 pm.
(Doors open at 6:15)
The New York Society for Ethical Culture
2 West 64th Street at Central Park West, New York City.
Jeremy Scahill will discus Blackwater
in conversation with Nation columnist and best-selling author Naomi Klein and
award-winning journalist and host of Democracy Now! Amy Goodman
in a forum presented by The Nation Institute.
$10 requested donation.
A book signing of Blackwater and No Logo will follow the conversation.
For the full story of the world's most powerful mercenary army and what the privatization of the U.S. military means for American democracy, read Scahill's new book Blackwater (Nation Books). It's an invaluable read for anyone concerned with the direction of the American experiment. Click here for info and to order online.
March 18: March for Peace
Sunday March 18:
NYC Peace March
Brooklyn Parents for Peace
join us
On the 4th anniversary of Bush's War in Iraq,
To say
4 years too many!
Not one more death, not one more dollar!
End the war in Iraq!
1:00 pm Assemble:
Brooklyn delegation: 36th Street East Side of 6th Ave
Youth and student delegation: 37th Street East Side of 6th Ave
2:00 pm March to Dag Hammarskjold Plaza, United Nations
Festival of Peace and Justice: continues until 6:00 pm at DH Plaza
We demand:
**Bring our troops home now, safe and alive!
**No more billions for war, death, and destruction!
**Fund human needs: jobs, health care, education, and housing!
Sponsored by United for Peace and Justice
Endorsed by Brooklyn Parents for Peace
Join tens of thousands of New Yorkers in a mighty march!
NYC Peace March
Brooklyn Parents for Peace
join us
On the 4th anniversary of Bush's War in Iraq,
To say
4 years too many!
Not one more death, not one more dollar!
End the war in Iraq!
1:00 pm Assemble:
Brooklyn delegation: 36th Street East Side of 6th Ave
Youth and student delegation: 37th Street East Side of 6th Ave
2:00 pm March to Dag Hammarskjold Plaza, United Nations
Festival of Peace and Justice: continues until 6:00 pm at DH Plaza
We demand:
**Bring our troops home now, safe and alive!
**No more billions for war, death, and destruction!
**Fund human needs: jobs, health care, education, and housing!
Sponsored by United for Peace and Justice
Endorsed by Brooklyn Parents for Peace
Join tens of thousands of New Yorkers in a mighty march!
March 18: Chelsea March to end the war
Join your Chelsea neighbors in the March To End The War
Sunday, March 18th
Chelsea Neighbors United to End the War
assemble at 1 pm
at 6th Avenue at 39th Street (enter from east side)
We are marching for an immediate withdrawal of U. S forces from Iraq;
an end to the funding of this war except for the safe withdrawal of all our armed forces;
no military attacks on Iran;
full funding of veterans benefits;
aid to reconstruct Iraq under Iraqi control;
the redirection of our tax dollars for social programs at home.
Look for the Chelsea Neighbors United signs or
the New York Metro Area Postal Union banner
March route goes past the NYC offices of Senators Clinton and Schumer and then on to the United Nations
For further information on the day of the march call
Chuck at 917-693-9427
Chelsea Neighbors United To End The War
P.O. Box 821
JAF Station
New York, NY 10116-0821
212-726-1385
http://www.chelseaneighborsunited.org
Sunday, March 18th
Chelsea Neighbors United to End the War
assemble at 1 pm
at 6th Avenue at 39th Street (enter from east side)
We are marching for an immediate withdrawal of U. S forces from Iraq;
an end to the funding of this war except for the safe withdrawal of all our armed forces;
no military attacks on Iran;
full funding of veterans benefits;
aid to reconstruct Iraq under Iraqi control;
the redirection of our tax dollars for social programs at home.
Look for the Chelsea Neighbors United signs or
the New York Metro Area Postal Union banner
March route goes past the NYC offices of Senators Clinton and Schumer and then on to the United Nations
For further information on the day of the march call
Chuck at 917-693-9427
Chelsea Neighbors United To End The War
P.O. Box 821
JAF Station
New York, NY 10116-0821
212-726-1385
http://www.chelseaneighborsunited.org
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
Has O'Reilly left the human race?
Keith Olbermann once again awarded Bill O'Reilly the "Worst person in the world" label and said that O'Reilly had left the human race in response to his comments about the legal status of the victims of last week's fire in New York (9 children and 1 adult). O'Reilly's major concern was whether the children were in this country illegally. He said that the children died because of "an excess of compassion" that allowed them to be here in the first place.
Olbermann . Although acknowledging that immigration could be a legitimate topic of discussion, that his focus on that as the victims were being buried was outrageous.
Although Olbermann's outrage is more than legitimate since O'Reilly has once again shamed us all, the question is how can someone leave the human race who has never been a part of it in the first place. Buffy where are you now that we need you.
Olbermann . Although acknowledging that immigration could be a legitimate topic of discussion, that his focus on that as the victims were being buried was outrageous.
Although Olbermann's outrage is more than legitimate since O'Reilly has once again shamed us all, the question is how can someone leave the human race who has never been a part of it in the first place. Buffy where are you now that we need you.
Monday, March 12, 2007
Hey Martha! What do you think about scooter's conviction?
=
Scooter Libby has been convicted of lying, under oath, to a federal grand jury. Apparently, right-wing pundits Bill Kristol and Joseph diGenova do not believe that this kind of offense is worthy of prosecution.
the Weekly Standard’s Bill Kristol on Fox:
"[Fitzgerald] indicted one person, not for any underlying crime, but for allegedly mis-remembering a couple of conversations with reporters when talking about them to the grand jury — these were conversations that went nowhere. No one thinks Scooter Libby actually leaked Valerie Plame’s name, even if that were a crime, which it isn’t.
"Bush should pardon Scooter Libby and get the whole thing over with…I am blaming Ashcroft for recusing himself. And the CIA was out to get people in the White House at that point. And Bush should pardon Scooter Libby."
Conservative pundit and attorney Joseph diGenova is trying to portray a pardon of Libby as standard operating procedure:
"I think ultimately, of course, there are going to be pardons,” said Joseph diGenova, a former prosecutor and an old Washington hand who shares that view with many pundits. “These are the kinds of cases in which historically presidents have given pardons."
This, of course, is only the tip of the pardon-scooter-today iceberg.
So Martha, what do you think of all this fuss about Scooter's conviction for lying to the authorities? Although he will almost surely be pardoned, he might actually go to jail.
Scooter Libby has been convicted of lying, under oath, to a federal grand jury. Apparently, right-wing pundits Bill Kristol and Joseph diGenova do not believe that this kind of offense is worthy of prosecution.
the Weekly Standard’s Bill Kristol on Fox:
"[Fitzgerald] indicted one person, not for any underlying crime, but for allegedly mis-remembering a couple of conversations with reporters when talking about them to the grand jury — these were conversations that went nowhere. No one thinks Scooter Libby actually leaked Valerie Plame’s name, even if that were a crime, which it isn’t.
"Bush should pardon Scooter Libby and get the whole thing over with…I am blaming Ashcroft for recusing himself. And the CIA was out to get people in the White House at that point. And Bush should pardon Scooter Libby."
Conservative pundit and attorney Joseph diGenova is trying to portray a pardon of Libby as standard operating procedure:
"I think ultimately, of course, there are going to be pardons,” said Joseph diGenova, a former prosecutor and an old Washington hand who shares that view with many pundits. “These are the kinds of cases in which historically presidents have given pardons."
This, of course, is only the tip of the pardon-scooter-today iceberg.
So Martha, what do you think of all this fuss about Scooter's conviction for lying to the authorities? Although he will almost surely be pardoned, he might actually go to jail.
Sunday, March 11, 2007
March 27: Book party: The Cost of Privilege
Many of you have heard about Chip Smith's incredible book--The Cost of Privilege: Taking on the System of White Supremacy and Racism-- . The book is now out, and there's a...
Book Party/Forum
THE COST OF PRIVILEGE
Tuesday, March 27, 7 p.m.
with Bill Fletcher Jr., Harmony Goldberg and the author, Chip Smith
Brecht Forum
451 West St. (betw. Bank & Bethune)
Suggested donation: $6/$10/$15-No one turned away
(A/C/E/L to 14th St. & 8th Ave, walk down 8th Ave. to Abingdon Square, turn right onto Bethune St., walk west and turn left on West St., the last block before the highway)
Bill Fletcher Jr. is former president of TransAfrica Forum and a long-time activist in the labor and Black liberation movements.
Harmony Goldberg, a veteran of Bay Area youth organizing and popular education projects such as SOUL (School of Unity and Liberation) and a former trainer with the Challenging White Supremacy workshop, is currently a student of Cultural Anthropology at the CUNY Graduate Center.
Chip Smith is the author of The Cost of Privilege: Taking on the System of White Supremacy and Racism, which will be available for sale. He has been a Machinists union departmental steward and a founder of Fayetteville Peace with Justice, and is a member of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization.
Wednesday, March 07, 2007
The death of [Capt.] America
Captain America is dead (Captain America #25}. He probably won't be laid out in the Capitol rotunda. The masses won't be able to pay their respects. He might even be resurrected like his D.C. cohort Superman. Perhaps when the villains currently occupying the White House are gone. But for now, he's dead.
When an icon dies it is a moment for reflection. The death of the Capt. is clearly such a moment.
In the ancient world the people had to live up to their ideals in order not to anger the gods. So today we need to earn the right to our superheros. Capt. America was one of the modern pantheon. Not exactly a superhero - Steve Rogers actually had no super powers - but the ultimate human being. Created to fight Hitler and the Nazis in the age of FDR, perhaps he no longer had a role to play in "the new American century" represented by miniatures such as Bush, Cheney and the recently departed Rumsfeld.
Bush could never fill out the uniform.
According to the Marvel Universe:
"From art student to super soldier to symbol of America to rebel leader, Steve Rogers is the living symbol of the ideals of America."
But America has to live up to those ideals in order to justify a living symbol to protect them.
Goodbye Capt. in your 66 years you've been a true super-hero. Come back soon. Till then rest-in-peace.
Monday, March 05, 2007
The Paris Hilton of the right
Just as Paris Hilton will do anything to get attention, (for example, her porn video mysteriously appeared on line just before the debut of her TV "reality" show) so it seems will Ann Coulter.
There is nothing political about Coulter's screeds. If there were the level of our political discourse would have descended below even that of Bush and Rove. Just like Hilton when Coulter has something to sell, like a book, she trashes a few 911 widows. When she needs to be noticed at a right-wing conference, she pushes the ugly envelope further than even her right-wing cohorts can stomach.
She brought her March 2 speech at the annual Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC)in Washington, D.C., to a conclusion with these words:
"I was going to have a few comments on the other Democratic presidential candidate, John Edwards, but it turns out that you have to go into rehab if you use the word 'faggot,' so I'm - so, kind of at an impasse, can't really talk about Edwards, so I think I'll just conclude here and take your questions."
To not see this as a desperate cry for attention by a person of very limited talents is to be manipulated by her as she twists the corporate media. The only thing she's actually good at.
Ann Coulter doesn't need rehab, she needs Super Nanny.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)