August 2009
8/31
Early Warning Systems for the Coming Storm
by Stephen Leahy
Inter Press Service
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2009/08/31-10
.
Go to Pittsburgh, Young Man, and Defy Your Empire
by Chris Hedges
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/08/31-0
.
We Need a Special Prosecutor for Blackwater and Other CIA ‘Contractors’
Blackwater’s web of connections includes a Who’s Who of former Bush-era
CIA officials. And that’s just one company in a sea of ‘private
contractors’
by Jeremy Scahill
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/08/31-4
.
Apologies, Anger and Apathy
My Lai and Lockerbie Reconsidered
by Nick Turse
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/08/31
.
Water, Water – Not Everywhere
by Olga Bonfiglio
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/08/31-1
.
Reverse Bank Robbery
No wonder America’s banks are making profits again: the US government is
bribing them to borrow its own money
by Dean Baker
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/08/31-7
.
Earthjustice
EPA Data Reveal Far Reach of Toxic Coal Ash Threats
Details from 584 coal ash sites in 35 states finally released; public
health at risk
http://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2009/08/31-9
.
Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER)
Obama Strip-Mining Pick Bad News for Coal Country
Industry-Friendly State Regulator Signals There Will Be No Crackdown on
Abuses
*This pick is the pits – another promise punted
http://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2009/08/31-5
.
DEMOCRACY NOW!
“The Deadly Choices at Memorial” – Investigation of New Orleans Hospital
Tells Story of How Medical Staff Euthanized Patients in Katrina
Aftermath
http://www.democracynow.org/2009/8/31/the_deadly_choices_at_memorial_investigation
Four Years After Katrina, New Orleans Still Struggling to Recover from
the Storm
http://www.democracynow.org/2009/8/31/four_years_after_katrina_new_orleans
A Paradise Built in Hell: Rebecca Solnit on “The Extraordinary
Communities that Arise in Disaster”
http://www.democracynow.org/2009/8/31/a_paradise_built_in_hell_rebecca
8/29
FAIR Blog
Way Cleared for More ‘Excessive Media Consolidation’
http://www.fair.org/blog/2009/08/29/way-cleared-for-more-excessive-media-consolidation/
8/28
Honduran Resistance Goes It Alone
60 days of anti-coup protests show persistence in civil disobedience and
little faith in international community
by The Real News Network
http://www.commondreams.org/video/2009/08/28
.
G.I. Joe, Post-American Hero
The Long, Slow Death of American Triumphalism
by Tom Engelhardt
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/08/28-0
.
Katrina, Four Years Later: Expert Fired Who Warned Levees Would Burst
by Greg Palast
*Old times there are not forgotten
They never really ended, did they?
(I’m a Southern boy, so believe me, I know)
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/08/28-7
.
Flushing Blackwater
by Jeremy Scahill
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/08/28-10
.
Food & Water WatchActivists in Pennsylvania Thwart Three Privatization
Attempts
Statement of Food & Water Watch Executive Director Wenonah Hauter
*Tapping into people power
http://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2009/08/28-3
.
FAIR Blog
NYT Stands Up for the Little Insurance Company Employee
*Comment left at link
http://www.fair.org/blog/2009/08/28/nyt-stands-up-for-the-little-insurance-company-employee/
.
DEMOCRACY NOW!
Pentagon Hires Rendon Group to Profile and Rate Journalists Covering
Afghanistan War
http://www.democracynow.org/2009/8/28/pentagon_hires_rendon_group_to_profile
Report: Taxpayers to Pay Subprime Players Billions to Fix Loan Mess
http://www.democracynow.org/2009/8/28/report_taxpayers_to_pay_subprime_players
Former Wells Fargo Subprime Loan Officer: Bank Targeted Black Churches
as Part of Predatory Subprime Lending Scheme
http://www.democracynow.org/2009/8/28/former_wells_fargo_subprime_loan_officer
“From Recession to Depression: The Destruction of the Black Middle
Class”
http://www.democracynow.org/2009/8/28/from_recession_to_depression_the_destruction
8/27
Whole Foods Boycott Grows
by Maureen Turner
The Valley Advocate (Massachusetts)
*Organically odious
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2009/08/27-5
.
An Underground Railroad for Iraqi Women
by GRITtv
http://www.commondreams.org/video/2009/08/27
.
Liar, Liar – Well, Healthcare Pants on Fire
by Donna Smith
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/08/27-9
.
ACLU
Over 500 Organizations Demand White House End Flawed State and Local
Immigration Enforcement Program
Federal 287(g) Program Results in Illegal Profiling and Threatens Public
Safety, Say Groups
http://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2009/08/27-0
.
DEMOCRACY NOW!
As Obama Golfs with UBS CEO Days After Firm Avoids Criminal Prosecution,
UBS Whistleblower Given 40-Month Jail Term
*I’m glad I can’t smell, ’cause this stinks to high heaven, don’t it?
Parenthetically, I wonder if anyone from MoveOn was caddying?
http://www.democracynow.org/2009/8/27/as_obama_golfs_with_ubs_exec
8/26
Coalition Calls for Faster Restoration of Wetlands Destroyed by
Now-Closed Mississippi River Gulf Outlet
The Times-Picayune (New Orleans)
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2009/08/26-7
.
EPA: Chemicals Found in Wyo. Drinking Water Might Be From Fracking
by Abrahm Lustgarten
ProPublica.org
*Digging up the dirt on “clean” natural gas
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2009/08/26-2
.
Right-Wing Mad Scientist and His Mindless Murdering Drones
by Laura Flanders
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/08/26-3
.
The Scapegoat’s Apology
by Robert C. Koehler
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/08/26-5
.
Food’s Role in the Health Care Crisis
by Jill Richardson
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/08/26-0
.
A Bailout for the US Healthcare Industry
by Rose Ann DeMoro
*Add one part ignorance, one part idiocy, and one part selfishness, and
you have the toxic recipe both parties feed on to keep single payer off
the dinner table.
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/08/26-7
.
California Nurses Association/National Nurses Organizing Committee
Many Hospitals Are Not Ready for H1N1: Nurse Survey Shows Deficiencies
in Hospital Swine Flu Readiness
Data from 190 Healthcare Facilities in Nine States from California to
Maine
http://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2009/08/26
.
Institute for Public Accuracy
Four Years After Katrina
*The cruel audacity of “Nope”
http://accuracy.org/newsrelease.php?articleId=2059
.
DEMOCRACY NOW!
Glenn Greenwald on CIA Interrogation Probe, Obama and Why the Media
Failed on Covering Torture
http://www.democracynow.org/2009/8/26/glenn_greenwald_on_cia_interrogation_probe
8/25
Bottled-Water Scam Finally Feels Squeeze
by Derrick Z. Jackson
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/08/25-5
.
Coup Protestor Gang-Raped by Honduran Police
by Robert Naiman
*So why did it take HRW nearly seven weeks to say something? Were they
too busy equating the enormity of Israel’s crimes with those of some
Palestinian groups?
And no, that’s not to excuse any violence against civilians – but are
some civilians more worthy of concern than others?
What do you think?
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/08/25-2
.
On Senator’s Grassley’s ‘Moderation’
by Howard Friel
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/08/25-0
.
Greenpeace
Millions of Americans at Risk as Chemical Lobby Blocks Legislation
Lobby Includes Former Members of Congress & Senior Obama Supporters
http://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2009/08/25-3
.
DEMOCRACY NOW!
After 6+ Years at Guantanamo, Mohamed Jawad Returns Home
http://www.democracynow.org/2009/8/25/after_6_years_at_guantanamo_mohammed
Afghan Election Marred by Fraud, Intimidation, Violence, Low Turnout
http://www.democracynow.org/2009/8/25/afghan_election_marred_by_fraud_intimidation
“The Safe Haven Myth” – Harvard Prof. Stephen Walt Takes on Obama’s
Justification for Escalating the Afghanistan War
*Certainly some sense made here, but Walt’s perception of US intentions
is pretty divorced from reality, don’t you think?
How the hell can you talk about that and not mention pipelines and
geopolitical strategy?
I don’t think you can, do you?
http://www.democracynow.org/2009/8/25/the_safe_haven_myth_harvard_prof
“One Nation, Two Economies” – As Obama Nominates Bernanke to Second
Term, a Look at Who Benefits from Economic “Recovery”
http://www.democracynow.org/2009/8/25/one_nation_two_economies_as_obama
EPA Fails to Inform Public About Weed Killer in Drinking Water,
Huffington Post Investigation Reveals
*Innocent until proven guilty for dangerous substances, and guilty until
proven innocent for persons not favored by the ruling class
What a country
http://www.democracynow.org/2009/8/25/epa_fails_to_inform_public_about
.
Institute for Public Accuracy
Bernanke at the Fed: Captain of the Titanic?
http://accuracy.org/newsrelease.php?articleId=2058
.
FAIR Blog
The Downside to Murdoch’s Plan to Control Online News
http://www.fair.org/blog/2009/08/25/the-downside-to-murdochs-plan-to-control-online-news/
Take Action for a Real Debate on Afghanistan War
http://www.fair.org/blog/2009/08/25/take-action-for-a-real-debate-on-afghanistan-war/
WaPo Pundit: Mass Transit Good for Others, Not U.S.
http://www.fair.org/blog/2009/08/24/wapo-pundit-mass-transit-good-for-others-not-u-s/
8/24
PepsiCo Chooses to Continue Using GE Ingredients Despite Evidence of
Harm
by Dave Gabriele
Natural News Network
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2009/08/24-5
.
Beetles, Wildfire: Double Threat in Warming World
by Charles J. Hanley
The Associated Press
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2009/08/24-6
.
Israelis Restrict Palestinians’ Water Supply
World Bank report: Israelis have access to four times as much water as
Palestinians due to restrictions
by The Real News Network
http://www.commondreams.org/video/2009/08/24
.
This Isn’t Reform, It’s Robbery
by Chris Hedges
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/08/24-1
.
Want to Stimulate the Economy? Lower the Retirement Age to 55 Now!
by Thom Hartmann
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/08/24-7
.
Institute for Public Accuracy
Cindy Sheehan Traveling to Martha’s Vineyard
http://accuracy.org/newsrelease.php?articleId=2057
.
FAIR Blog
Telecoms’ ‘Fake Grassroots’ Push Net Misinformation
http://www.fair.org/blog/2009/08/24/telecoms-fake-grassroots-push-net-misinformation/
Chuck Todd, Meet Jeremy Scahill
http://www.fair.org/blog/2009/08/24/chuck-todd-meet-jeremy-scahill/
Screening New Embeds in Afghanistan
*Rooting out corpress “journalists” who are critical of the military?
That’s a job in search of a mission, isn’t it?
http://www.fair.org/blog/2009/08/24/screening-new-embeds-in-afghanistan/
.
DEMOCRACY NOW!
Calley Apologizes for 1968 My Lai Massacre
*There are no words for what happened at My Lai, and countless other
places in Vietnam and other countries, including this one, then and now.
There is no relation to “defending the nation”, or to “honor and duty”.
They are simply evil – as are the attempts to conceal them (Colin Powell
played a key role in that with My Lai) and to rationalize them and
justify them once they become known.
I don’t doubt that some of the killers are haunted by their acts. I
don’t know if Calley’s one of them, do you?
http://www.democracynow.org/2009/8/24/calley_apologizes_for_1968_my_lai
Newsweek: Inspector General Report Reveals CIA Conducted Mock Executions
http://www.democracynow.org/2009/8/24/newsweek_inspector_general_report_reveals_cia
Youssef Megahed Freed After Immigration Judge Throws Out Government’s
Deportation Case
http://www.democracynow.org/2009/8/24/youssef_megahed_freed_after_immigration_judge
Imprisoned Native American Activist Leonard Peltier Again Denied Parole
http://www.democracynow.org/2009/8/24/imprisoned_native_american_activist_leonard_peltier
8/23
Native Americans to Join London Climate Camp Protest over Tar Sands
Canadian First Nations seek to highlight UK’s ‘criminal’ role in
CO2-heavy oil schemes
by Terry Macalister
The Guardian/UK
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2009/08/23-2
.
Socialized Medicine? Not Quite
5 Myths About Health Care Around the World
by T.R. Reid
*Not much to root “USA! USA!” about, is there?
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/08/23-7
.
Quittin’ Time in Afghanistan
by Eric Margolis
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/08/23-6
.
Warning: Co-op Kool Aid Is Bad for Your Health
by Wendell Potter
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/08/22
8/21
With Its Record of Rape, Don’t Send the US Military to the Congo to Give
‘Sensitivity’ Training to the Congolese Military!
by Ann Wright
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/08/21-8
.
The US, Canada and Tar Sands: Pollution Without Borders
by Michelle Chen
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/08/21-7
.
Public Citizen
Cash for Clunkers Wind-Down: Taxpayers, Car Buyers Should Not Have to
Pay Twice, Consumer Groups Warn
*The used and their cars
http://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2009/08/21-4
.
DEMOCRACY NOW!
“Astroturf Activism”: Leaked Memo Reveals Oil Industry Effort to Stage
Rallies Against Climate Legislation
http://www.democracynow.org/2009/8/21/astroturf_activism_leaked_memo_reveals_oil
Influential Puerto Rican Activist Group the Young Lords Marks 40th
Anniversary
http://www.democracynow.org/2009/8/21/young_lords
.
FAIR Blog
Fox Stills Leads in Misinforming Viewers
*Comment left at link
http://www.fair.org/blog/2009/08/21/fox-still-leads-in-misinforming-viewers/
8/20
Scientists Uncover New Ocean Threat from Plastics
by Steve Connor
The Independent/UK
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2009/08/20-1
.
Mercury-Tainted Fish Found Widely in US Streams
by Steve Gorman
Reuters
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2009/08/20-0
.
Searching for the Depression – And Finding It!
Economic Stress Is Hidden, But It’s There in a Recovery That Isn’t.
by Danny Schechter
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/08/20-4
.
Boycott Israel
by Neve Gordon
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/08/20-10
.
Physicians for a National Health Program
New Harvard Study Reveals That Taxing Job-Based Health Benefits Would
Hit Working Families Hardest
Income and insurance data show that insured, working-poor families would
be taxed 140 times more than Wall Street execs
http://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2009/08/20-2
.
Institute for Public Accuracy
Iraq Violence and Occupation
http://accuracy.org/newsrelease.php?articleId=2056
.
DEMOCRACY NOW!
CIA Hired Private Military Firm Blackwater for Secret Assassination
Program
http://www.democracynow.org/2009/8/20/reports_private_military_firm_blackwater_was
Amnesty: Honduran Forces Using Arrests, Beatings to Punish Zelaya
Supporters
http://www.democracynow.org/2009/8/20/amnesty_honduran_forces_using_arrests_beatings
Progressive Dems Refuse to Back Healthcare Reform Without Public Option
*Well, regarding the Progressive Caucus, I guess an awfully flexible
backbone’s better than none at all.
http://www.democracynow.org/2009/8/20/progressive_democrats_refuse_to_back_health
Afghanistan Holds National Elections Amidst Violence, Fraud Allegations
and Media Censorship
http://www.democracynow.org/2009/8/20/afghanistan_holds_national_elections_amidst_violence
.
FAIR Blog
Courant Lousy With Bedbugs, Advertiser Influence
*Welcome to Corpress Nation – where folks diligently doing their jobs
get canned by those assiduously avoiding doing theirs.
http://www.fair.org/blog/2009/08/20/connecticut-lousy-with-bedbugs-advertiser-influence/
8/19
Methane Seeps from Arctic Sea-Bed
Scientists say they have evidence that the powerful greenhouse gas
methane is escaping from the Arctic sea-bed.
by Judith Burns
BBC News
*Nothing funny about these farts
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2009/08/19-3
.
‘Terrorist Facebook’ – the New Weapon Against al-Qa’ida
Social networking is not just for the MySpace generation. Intelligence
agencies are adopting a controversial new technique to identify
terrorist masterminds
by Steve Connor
The Independent/UK
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2009/08/19-5
.
Ballots and Bullets for Afghanistan
by Ann Jones
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/08/19-4
.
The Afghan Pipe Dream
by Pepe Escobar
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/08/19-3
.
Oxfam International
A Third of Afghans at Risk of Hunger Shows Need for Urgent Aid Reforms
http://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2009/08/19-9
.
DEMOCRACY NOW!
Supreme Court Orders Evidenciary Hearing for Death Row Prisoner Troy
Anthony Davis; Rare Decision Could Result in New Trial
http://www.democracynow.org/2009/8/19/supreme_court_orders_new_trial_for
Texas Judge on Trial for Refusing to Hear Appeal Hours Before Death Row
Prisoner’s Execution
*Justice never rests – but you damn well better not bother it after five
http://www.democracynow.org/2009/8/19/texas_judge_on_trial_for_refusing
.
FAIR Blog
Wishful Thinking on Latin America Trumps Logic at Newsweek
http://www.fair.org/blog/2009/08/19/wishful-thinking-trumps-logic-at-newsweek/
How ‘Death Panels’ Became a ‘Justifiable Political Claim’
*Comment left at link
http://www.fair.org/blog/2009/08/19/how-death-panels-became-a-justifiable-political-claim/
Healthcare Debate as Lobbyist’s Own ‘Business Interests’
*Comment left at link
http://www.fair.org/blog/2009/08/19/healthcare-debate-as-lobbyists-own-business-interests/
8/18
Why Afghans Have No Hope in This Week’s Vote
by Malalai Joya
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/08/18-10
.
Quiet Slicing of the West Bank Makes Abstract Prayers for Peace Obscene
Condemnation of ‘illegal’ settlements and violence only blurs the
reality of what the Israeli state is sanctioning, day by day
by Slavoj Zizek
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/08/18-0
.
Is Obama Planning to Sign Congress’ Health Care Reform Bill With
Lipstick?
by Wendell Potter
*Chicken salad (to some degree) on the previous menu
Chicken shit on the current plate
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/08/18-8
.
Nonviolent Direct Action, Solidarity and Struggle
by Ramzi Kysia
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/08/18-2
.
Public Citizen
Public Citizen Urges Public Outcry, Launches Web Campaign In Advance of
Pivotal Campaign Finance Case
U.S. Supreme Court May Open Floodgates, Allow Corporate Cash to Swamp
Elections
http://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2009/08/18-4
.
Greenpeace
Millions Living In Chemical Disaster Zones in 16 States
Equivalent Risks Eliminated with Safer Chemicals at 162 Plants in Same
States
http://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2009/08/18-3
.
DEMOCRACY NOW!
Eight Years After Orchestrating Massacre at Dasht-e-Leili, Afghan
Warlord Abdul Rashid Dostum Returns to Afghanistan to Campaign for
Karzai
*Obama’s war, and his warriors
http://www.democracynow.org/2009/8/18/eight_years_after_orchestrating_massacre_at
British Politician Tony Benn Condemns Escalation of War in Afghanistan &
Defends Britain’s Socialized Healthcare System
http://www.democracynow.org/2009/8/18/british_politician_tony_benn_condemns_escalation
Actor Kiefer Sutherland’s Grandfather Tommy Douglas Remembered for
Bringing Universal Healthcare System to Canada
http://www.democracynow.org/2009/8/18/actor_kiefer_sutherlands_grandfather_tommy_douglas
.
Institute for Public Accuracy
Afghan Elections
http://accuracy.org/newsrelease.php?articleId=2054
8/17
A Thousand Little Gitmos
How the federal courts turned into star chambers for terrorism cases -
and why Obama may keep them that way.
by Petra Bartosiewicz
Mother Jones
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2009/08/17-4
.
Congress, President Ready to Legislate More Women’s Health Disparity
by Donna Smith
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/08/17-16
.
Dear President Obama: A Modest Medicare Proposal
by Thom Hartmann
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/08/17
.
How Insurance Firms Drive Debate
by Wendell Potter
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/08/17-13
.
Iraq War’s Winners and Losers
by Sherwood Ross
*The gift that keeps on taking
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/08/17-9
.
Guam Resists Military Colonization
Having No Say When Washington Tries to Increase your Population by 25%
by Ann Wright
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/08/17-6
.
Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER)
Border Agency Denies Sewage, Flooding and Dam Break Dangers
Bush Holdovers Perpetuate Pattern of Abuse and Malfeasance without
Oversight
*The trash in charge of sewage
http://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2009/08/17
.
DEMOCRACY NOW!
BusinessWeek: “The Health Insurers Have Already Won”
*Ensuring insurance profits by any means necessary
http://www.democracynow.org/2009/8/17/business_week_the_health_insurers_have
Human Rights Watch Calls on Israel to Investigate “White Flag” Shootings
of Gaza Civilians
*There’s nothing to say. It speaks for itself, doesn’t it?
http://www.democracynow.org/2009/8/17/human_rights_watch_calls_on_israel
Fixer: The Taking of Ajmal Naqshbandi
http://www.democracynow.org/2009/8/17/fixer_the_taking_of_ajmal_naqshbandi
.
Institute for Public Accuracy
Right-Wing Populism and Health Care Town Halls
*I agree with Berlet that these fools have a right to be heard, but his
advice to the Demorats (no misspelling) is off.
They’ve made more than their fair share of “false and misleading
statements” about healthcare, haven’t they? Obama and others claimed to
be for single payer, and still claim to be working toward “real reform”.
Can’t get much further from the truth than that, can you?
Even the farce of a “public option” may soon be jettisoned in the name
of “pragmatism”.
(Doesn’t “pragmatism” just sound like some sort of debilitating
disease?)
http://accuracy.org/newsrelease.php?articleId=2053
8/16
FAIR Blog
From Lie to Official History, via ‘Simple Repetition’
*Comment(s) left at link
http://www.fair.org/blog/2009/08/16/from-lie-to-official-history-via-simple-repetition/
8/14
Oil Lobby to Fund Campaign Against Obama’s Climate Change Strategy
Email from American Petroleum Institute outlines plan to create
appearance of public opposition to Obama’s climate and energy reform
by Suzanne Goldenberg
The Guardian/UK
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2009/08/14-11
.
Should Water Be Legislated as a Human Right?
by Thalif Deen
Inter Press Service
*Some quite possibly naive notions from Jones about the US’, Connecticut
Water’s and PepsiCo’s commitment, don’t you think?
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2009/08/14-7
.
Indigenous People Troubled by US Military Presence in Colombia
by Gustavo Capdevila
Inter Press Service
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2009/08/14-4
.
Afghanistan Passes ‘Barbaric’ Law Diminishing Women’s RIghts
Rehashed legislation allows husbands to deny wives food if they fail to
obey sexual demands
by Jon Koone
The Guardian/UK
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2009/08/14-9
.
Gaza Under Siege
by Lily Keber and Jordan Flaherty
http://www.commondreams.org/video/2009/08/14
.
US Economic Myths Bite the Dust
by Mark Weisbrot
*Fairy tales don’t come true
They can’t happen to you
(Unless you’re the fairy tale teller)
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/08/14-6
.
Taxing Wealth for the Common Good
by Chuck Collins
*Well, obviously this take on noblesse oblige is better than being a
total selfish prick, but don’t you think a truly just solution to
inequality is to get rid of the noblesse in the first place?
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/08/14-7
.
Townhall Forums Unmask Dark Side of American Culture
The town hall meetings being held across the country by Democrats to
revive Obama’s gasping healthcare plan has opened a door that Americans
from all corners of the political spectrum hoped would stay closed
by Sandy LeonVest
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/08/14-8
.
John Brennan’s Dangerous National Security Advice
by Marcy Wheeler
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/08/14-2
.
If US Health Care’s So Good, Why Do Other People Live Longer?
by Carrie Peyton Dahlberg
McClatchy Newspapers
*Left out of this is just why US lifestyles are so unhealthy – namely,
the healthy profits made by corps from pervasively pushing those habits.
I wonder why that wasn’t mentioned.
Well, not really.
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2009/08/13-1
.
DEMOCRACY NOW!
Exclusive: Youssef Megahed Speaks Out from Prison; Florida Student Was
Acquitted in Jury Trial But Now Faces Deportation on Same Charges
http://www.democracynow.org/2009/8/14/exclusive_youseff_megahed_speaks_out_from
Juror in Megahed’s Federal Trial Joins Voices Speaking Out for His
Release
*DUII – Driving under the influence of Islam
You can’t afford it
http://www.democracynow.org/2009/8/14/juror_in_megaheds_federal_trial_joins
“You Do Not Cut Deals with the System that Has to Be Replaced”: Ralph
Nader on Secret White House Agreements with the Drug Industry
*The Dems run with the devil, and we get trampled
http://www.democracynow.org/2009/8/14/you_dont_cut_deals_with_the
.
Institute for Public Accuracy
White House Deals With PhRMA
*Drug dealing all nice and legal like
http://accuracy.org/newsrelease.php?articleId=2052
8/13
Boycott Whole Foods
by Russell Mokhiber
*Putrid produce
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/08/13-0
.
Afghanistan and the New Great Game
Prized pipeline route could explain West’s stubborn interest in poor,
remote land
by John Foster
*Can you tell me why this is discussed so little in “progressive” media?
I guess the fact that I feel compelled to put quotes around that term
tells you something, doesn’t it?
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/08/13-6
.
Pelosi Is an Expert at ‘Drowning Out Opposing Views’
by Jodie Evans
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/08/13-4
.
The Pursuit of True Security
by Marc Raskin and Megan Cheney
*Included for the intel, not the argument
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/08/13-11
.
Food & Water Watch
Tides Shift Against Nestlé as Company Reports Decline in Bottled Water
Sales
Statement of Food & Water Watch Executive Director Wenonah Hauter
http://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2009/08/13-4
.
DEMOCRACY NOW!
GOP, Right-Wing Pundits’ Misinformation Fuels Hysteria at Democrats’
Public Forums on Healthcare Reform
*This segment was largely a waste of time, don’t you think?
Instead of dealing with the actual failures of Obamacare, it’s pretty
much an endorsement of it, isn’t it? Single payer is mentioned in
passing, while Obama and this healthcare CEO – perhaps better than most,
which ain’t saying much – are praised to high heaven.
Again, this is an “exception to the rulers”?
Is this program becoming more accommodating to the status quo, or am I
just more acutely aware of it?
http://www.democracynow.org/2009/8/13/right_wing_hysteria_misinformation_fuels_anger
8/12
President Karzai’s Supporters ‘Buy’ Votes for Afghanistan Election
by Tom Coghlan
TimesOnline/UK
*The going price of “democracy”
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2009/08/12-4
.
Scientists Explore How the Humble Leaf Could Power the Planet
Researchers at Imperial College London embark on ‘artificial leaf’
project to produce power by mimicking photosynthesis
by Alok Jha
The Guardian/UK
*Turning over a new leaf?
That last sentence, about “becoming commercial products”, is the last
thing we need regarding this technology, isn’t it?
Corporate control over resources has been catastrophic for humankind,
and just as important as new clean sources of energy are new ways of
thinking about how they can benefit everyone, don’t you think?
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2009/08/12-7
.
Who Profits From Israeli Occupation?
Boycotted by activists, the Israeli company AHAVA is backed by one of
Israel’s most powerful families
by The Real News Network
http://www.commondreams.org/video/2009/08/12-0
.
Climate Disobedience: Is a New ‘Seattle’ in the Making?
by Mark Engler
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/08/12
.
The Sheik Down
How the Pentagon bought stability in Iraq by funneling billions of
taxpayer dollars to the country’s next generation of strongmen.
by Shane Bauer
Mother Jones
*Your tax dollars at dirty work
Hey, an empire ain’t cheap
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/08/12-13
.
Why Food Sovereignty Is the New Food Security
by Salena Tramel
*The fight for good eats
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/08/12-14
.
WakeUpWalmart.com
WakeUpWalmart.com Calls on Walmart to Pull Ads, Stop Supporting Hate
Speech
Other companies pull ads from Glen Beck’s show, Walmart continues its
support
http://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2009/08/12-11
.
DEMOCRACY NOW!
Clinton Unveils US Plan to Combat Sexual Violence in Visit to Eastern
Congo
*As Deschryver says, these are promises. Hopefully she’ll be
interviewed again soon to see just what these promises have been worth.
http://www.democracynow.org/2009/8/12/congo
African Development Hindered by Vast US Corporate Interests in
Continent’s Land, Resources
http://www.democracynow.org/2009/8/12/land
Jeff Sharlet on “The Family: The Secret Fundamentalism at the Heart of
American Power”
*This is what DN! should be doing on a regular basis – presenting
conspiracy facts, you can call them.
But they do a piece, then rarely follow up.
It’s hard to connect the dots when you leave the puzzle in the drawer.
http://www.democracynow.org/2009/8/12/sharlet
.
FAIR Blog
Kidnapped Reporters Still Can’t Get Story Covered
http://www.fair.org/blog/2009/08/12/kidnapped-reporters-still-cant-get-story-covered/
Anti-Hate Activists Win S.F. City Media Resolution
http://www.fair.org/blog/2009/08/12/anti-hate-activists-win-s-f-city-media-resolution/
On the Central Political Role of Modern Media
*Comment left at link
http://www.fair.org/blog/2009/08/11/on-the-central-political-role-of-modern-media/
U.S. Media’s ‘Connection’ to Honduras Coup
http://www.fair.org/blog/2009/08/11/u-s-medias-connection-to-honduras-coup/
8/11
Big Powers Faulted for Abuse of Geneva Conventions
by Thalif Deen
Inter Press Service
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2009/08/11-3
.
Enviro Groups Tread Lightly With Endangered Species Act in Appalachia
by Patrick Reis
The New York Times
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2009/08/11-7
.
The Prison Crisis
by GRITtv
http://www.commondreams.org/video/2009/08/11-0
.
Registering for Peace
by Tobin Jacobrown
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/08/11-6
.
Let’s Talk About Tasers
by Digby
*Sadly, and scarily, there’s nothing goddamn shocking about it, is
there?
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/08/11-7
.
Can We Stop Banksters From Killing Financial Reform?
Why Wall Street Is Pleased by the Focus on Debating Healthcare
by Danny Schechter
*I’m confused (nothing unusual there).
Read the end of this piece.
Is Schecter putting any faith whatsoever in the Hope Doper’s bleating
about financial reform? Isn’t the spectrum of allowable opinion on this
among “those that matter” between his deceptive promotion of
pseudo-reform and the banksters’ naysaying of even that pitiful policy?
And aren’t those selfsame banksters the ones who bankrolled this
bastard’s campaign? Don’t they know he won’t do anything meaningful,
and since he and his party have conspired to tamp down public outrage
over their crimes, they feel pretty goddamn confident about telling him
to shove even this dog and pony show?
I’m just asking.
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/08/11-0
.
DEMOCRACY NOW!
Obama Reverses Campaign Pledge to Renegotiate NAFTA
www.democracynow.org/2009/8/11/obama_reverses_campaign_pledge_to_renegotiate
Charles Bowden on Mexico’s Dirty War Against Drugs
http://www.democracynow.org/2009/8/11/charles_bowden_on_mexicos_dirty_war
Former Adviser to Gen. Stanley McChrystal Calls for Moratorium on US
Drone Strikes in Pakistan
*So these are “The exception to the rulers” – putting on an adviser to
murderers to tout his “smarter” way to rule the empire, and not
challenging him in any substantive way?
Yeah – *that’s* “democracy now”.
http://www.democracynow.org/2009/8/11/former_advisor_to_gen_stanley_mcchrystal
.
Institute for Public Accuracy
Soldier Refuses Afghanistan Deployment
http://accuracy.org/newsrelease.php?articleId=2050
.
FAIR Blog
At WaPo, ‘Others Tell Readers What “Populists” Think’
http://www.fair.org/blog/2009/08/10/at-wapo-others-tell-readers-what-populists-think/
8/10
Wish You Weren’t Here: The Devastating Effects of the New Colonialists
A new breed of colonialism is rampaging across the world, with rich
nations buying up the natural resources of developing countries that can
ill afford to sell. Some staggering deals have already been done, says
Paul Vallely, but angry locals are now trying to stop the landgrabs
by Paul Vallely
The Independent/UK
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2009/08/10-3
.
Guatemala’s ‘Femicide’ Crisis
by Teresa Bo
Al-Jazerra English
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2009/08/10-8
.
Climate Camp: Savior of the Environmental Movement?
Hostile police tactics at the Kingsnorth and G20 camps has not put
protesters off as climate camp goes global.
by Tom Levitt
The Guardian/UK
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2009/08/10-0
.
In Defense of Disruption
by Russell Mokhiber
*I’ve got a real problem with the equating of these reactionary protests
with acts by persons of conscience.
Isn’t it one thing to “perform civil disobedience” by blocking access to
an abortion clinic, and another to do so by blocking the gates to the
School of Assassins?
Doesn’t one harm innocents, and the other seek to save them?
And if these town meetings were actually about single payer, don’t you
think these bastards and the ignorants they’ve deluded into joining
their cause would be that much more vehement in their actions?
I wonder if Mokhiber would still defend them if that were the case.
I don’t give a rat’s ass about whether something’s “un-American” – and I
despise Obama, Reid, Pelosi and their ilk – but sometimes
“even-handedness” takes a back seat to humanity, and it’s right for
mensches to do something in a good cause, and wrong for the
vicious-spirited to do it for their own dangerous ends, don’t you think?
Sometimes morality and that form of “fairness” just can’t be reconciled,
can it?
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/08/10-5
.
Echo Platoon: Warehousing Soldiers in the Homeland
by Dahr Jamail and Sarah Lazare
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/08/10
.
Nader Was Right: Liberals are Going Nowhere With Obama
by Chris Hedges
*Pissing into a hurricane
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/08/10-2
.
Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER)
Obscure Border Agency Worst in Federal Government
Chronic Mismanagement Threatens Flooding and Sanitation Catastrophes
http://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2009/08/10-0
.
ACLU
Government Proposes Massive Shift in Online Privacy Policy
Changes Would Pose Serious Threat to Americans’ Personal Information,
Says ACLU
*Beware the cookie monster
http://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2009/08/10-3
.
DEMOCRACY NOW!
Hiroshima and Nagasaki: A Look Back at the US Atomic Bombing 64 Years
Later
http://www.democracynow.org/2009/8/10/hiroshima_and_nagasaki_a_look_back
“For the 64th Time: No More Nuclear War” – A Roundtable Discussion on
Disarmament
*The world may well end with a bang
And there will be no one left to whimper
www.democracynow.org/2009/8/10/for_the_64th_time_no_more
Iranian Dissident Journalist Akbar Ganji Blasts Mass Trial in Iran,
Torture of Prisoners
http://www.democracynow.org/2009/8/10/iranian_dissident_journalist_akbar_ganji_blasts
8/9
FAIR Blog
AP Reports ‘Breached Basic Journalistic Principles’
http://www.fair.org/blog/2009/08/09/ap-reports-breached-basic-journalistic-principles/
,
US ‘Biggest’ Threat Say Pakistanis
by Owen Fay
Al Jazeera English
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2009/08/09-0
.
Is It Now a Crime to Be Poor?
by Barbara Ehrenreich
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/08/09-4
.
Faulty Forecasting
by Ralph Nader
*The touts make out like the bandits they are
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/08/08-0
.
Three Strikes and You’re In
by Christopher Brauchli
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/08/08-3
8/7
Baby Emissions Fuel Global Warming
Estimates of the carbon legacy of bringing a child into the world
suggest that the green choice may be to stop at two kids
by Sam Wong
The Guardian/UK
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2009/08/07
.
Shi’a Unity Deal Explodes US Proxy War Myth
by Gareth Porter
Inter Press Service
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2009/08/07-8
.
Bottled Water Sucks
by Peter Rothberg
The Nation
http://www.commondreams.org/video/2009/08/06-0
.
Seven New US Military Bases in Colombia Is Hardly a Move to the Left
by Moira Birss
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/08/07-6
.
Our Suicide Bombers
by John Feffer
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/08/07-0
.
The Internet: A Recession Lifeline
by Megan Tady
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/08/07
.
Enviromental Groups
Highwood Coal Plant Project Near Great Falls, Montana Officially Dead
State revokes air quality permit
http://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2009/08/07-1
.
FAIR Blog
Breaking 60 Years of Hiroshima, Nagasaki Censorship
http://www.fair.org/blog/2009/08/07/breaking-60-years-of-hiroshima-nagasaki-censorship/
AP Responds to ‘Hit-Us-Over-the-Head Bluntness’
http://www.fair.org/blog/2009/08/07/ap-responds-to-hit-us-over-the-head-bluntness/
.
DEMOCRACY NOW!
Debate on Honduras: Former Clinton Lawyer Lanny Davis, Lobbyist for
Honduras Business Leaders vs. NYU Historian Greg Grandin
*Davis is right on one thing
He *is* a “liberal”
http://www.democracynow.org/2009/8/7/honduras
8/6
DEMOCRACY NOW!
Somali-Canadian Rapper K’naan on Journey from Civil War Refugee to
Global Hip-Hop Artist, and the Devastating Effects of US Policy in
Somalia
http://www.democracynow.org/2009/8/6/somali_canadian_rapper_knaan_on_journey
British Anthropologist Jeremy Keenan on “The Dark Sahara: America’s War
on Terror in Africa”
*Manufactured mirages in the desert
http://www.democracynow.org/2009/8/6/keenan
.
FAIR Extra!
Single-Payer & Interlocking Directorates
The corporate ties between insurers and media companies
by Kate Murphy
*Conflict of disinterest
http://www.fair.org/index.php?page=3845
Public Enemy Number One?
Media’s Welfare Debate Is a War on Poor Women
By Janine Jackson and Laura Flanders
*Ran across this, from ’95, while reading another piece
The more things stay the same, the more things stay the same
http://www.fair.org/index.php?page=1303
.
FAIR Blog
The ‘Center’ of the Health Reform Debate
*Comment left at link
http://www.fair.org/blog/2009/08/06/the-center-of-the-health-reform-debate/
8/5
Cash for Clunkers’ Effect on Pollution? A Blip
by Seth Borenstein
the Associated Press
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2009/08/05-0
.
Toxic Chemical Still Found in ‘BPA-Free’ Bottles
by Sarah Schmidt
by The Vancouver Sun
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2009/08/05-1
.
Where Our Defense Money Goes
by Bob Edgar and Bill Goodfellow
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/08/05-7
.
The Hidden Truth Behind Drug Company Profits
by Johann Hari
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/08/05
.
Obama Need to Take a Stand on Trade
by Jim Goodman
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/08/05-3
.
Organic Consumers Association
Organic Consumers Association Responds to Faulty and Misleading UK
Organic Nutrition Study
http://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2009/08/04-13
.
Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood (CCFC)
Parents to FTC: Don’t Surrender Our Children to G.I. Joe
Thousands sign CCFC petition to stop the marketing of violent PG-13
movies to young children
http://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2009/08/05-1
.
DEMOCRACY NOW!
In Explosive Allegations, Ex-Employees Link Blackwater Founder to
Murder, Threats
http://www.democracynow.org/2009/8/5/in_explosive_allegations_ex_employees_link
Hours Before Court-Martial, Army Resister Victor Agosto Speaks Out on
Why He’s Refusing to Fight in Afghanistan
*If we have to have a military, these are the sort of folks we want in
it, aren’t they?
http://www.democracynow.org/2009/8/5/hours_before_court_martial_army_resister
Camilo Mejia, 1st GI to Publicly Resist Iraq War, Appeals Bad Conduct
Discharge
http://www.democracynow.org/2009/8/5/camilo_mejia_1st_gi_to_publicly
British Lawmaker David Davis Challenges US Threats to Suppress Evidence
of CIA Torture
*Pretty convoluted reasoning on Davis’ part, as you would expect, but
focus on the intel
http://www.democracynow.org/2009/8/5/british_lawmaker_david_davis_challenges_us
.
Institute for Public Accuracy
Challenging Congress on Healthcare
http://accuracy.org/newsrelease.php?articleId=2048
.
FAIR Blog
Obama Has Sweets, but No Questions, for Helen Thomas
*Comment left at link
http://www.fair.org/blog/2009/08/05/obama-has-sweets-but-no-questions-for-helen-thomas/
NPR Debate: ‘False Distortion’ vs. ‘Fact-Based Statement’
*Comment left at link
http://www.fair.org/blog/2009/08/05/npr-debate-false-distortion-vs-fact-based-statement/
Women’s Mags Rife With Phony ‘Body Acceptance’
http://www.fair.org/blog/2009/08/05/womens-mags-rife-with-phony-body-acceptance/
New Bill to Keep Internet Open, Discrimination-Free
http://www.fair.org/blog/2009/08/05/new-bill-to-keep-internet-open-discrimination-free/
WaPo Argues: Censor Blog for Sending Us Readers
http://www.fair.org/blog/2009/08/05/wapo-argues-censor-blog-for-sending-us-readers/
Bonuses vs. Starvation at the New York Times
*Well, the Times has always been a “class” publication, hasn’t it?
http://www.fair.org/blog/2009/08/05/bonuses-vs-starvation-at-the-new-york-times/
8/4
Modified Corn Seeds Sow Doubts
by Martin Mittelstaedt
The Globe and Mail (Canada)
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2009/08/04-5
.
Activists Hold Little Hope for Legal Justice on Agent Orange
A legal victory for Vietnamese Agent Orange victims is highly unlikely
as the US government and chemical companies work only to protect
themselves, several international activists have said.
by An Dien & Jon Dillingham
Thahn Nien News (Vietnam)
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2009/08/04-7
.
Crackdown Against ‘Environmental Criminals’ Follows Greenpeace Report
Shoe Brands Get Tough on Leather Suppliers to Save Amazon Rainforest
by Damian Carrington and Tom Phillips in Rio de Janeiro
The Guardian/UK
*Take this with a couple of mines’ worth of salt, don’t you think?
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2009/08/04-1
.
For the Sixty-Fourth Time: No More Nuclear War
Reflections on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Our World
by Frida Berrigan
*The descriptions of nuclear devastation are heart-rending. I just wish
Berrigan understood that any hope that this administration will do
anything to ensure against history repeating is the very definition of
forlorn.
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/08/04
.
Health Insurance Giants Arrest Children While Senators Arrest Seniors,
Nurses, Doctors
by Donna Smith
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/08/04-8
.
Institute for Public Accuracy
Clinton in Africa
http://accuracy.org/newsrelease.php?articleId=2047
.
FAIR Blog
Race-Baiting on Fox, ‘Over and Over and Over Again’
*Comment left at link
http://www.fair.org/blog/2009/08/03/race-baiting-on-fox-over-and-over-and-over-again/
‘The Truth About Amsterdam’ – Not Found on Fox
http://www.fair.org/blog/2009/08/03/the-truth-about-amsterdam-not-found-on-fox/
8/3
Purloining the People’s Property
by Ralph Nader
*Carving up the commonwealth
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/08/03-9
.
Femicides of Juárez: Violence Against Women in Mexico
by Nidya Sarria
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/08/03-8
.
So Much for the Promised Land
by Chris Hedges
*Vertical black-on-black crime
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/08/03-0
.
Will a Warmer World Make Us Sicker?
Scientists are piecing together how climate impacts disease, strange
patterns are emerging: mosquito outbreaks can follow drought, shorter
migrations can make butterflies sick, and more birds (not fewer) can
ward off West Nile virus.
by Roberta Kwok
The Guardian/UK
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2009/08/03-3
.
The Biggest Shift from North to South: ‘Time to De-Grow’
Q&A: Claudia Ciobanu interviews economist Serge Latouche
by Inter Press Service
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2009/08/03-2
.
Military Killer Robots ‘Could Endanger Civilians’
Action on a global scale must be taken to curb the development of
military killer robots that think for themselves, a leading British
expert said.
by Telegraph/UK
*Robots could hardly be less discriminating than humans, but that’s not
the point, is it?
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2009/08/03-4
.
Carbon Credits: ‘Cure Worse Than the Disease’
by Kevin Dougherty
Canada.com
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2009/08/03-6
.
DEMOCRACY NOW!
Former FDA Commissioner David Kessler: “The End of Overeating: Taking
Control of the Insatiable American Appetite”
“Bacon as a Weapon of Mass Destruction”
*Bringing home the bacon or going out for the bacon – this and other
scientifically-souped up shit makes preconditioned pigs of us, and
obscene profits for Food Inc., with your tax dollars into the bargain.
It’s the full meal deadly deal.
http://www.democracynow.org/2009/8/3/former_fda_commissioner_david_kessler_the
8/2
FAIR Blog
Politico’s ‘New Right-Wing Scare Tactic’ on Healthcare
*Well, this deformed reform will kill old folks … and young folks …
and middle-aged folks … if they don’t happen to be wealthy.
Just not this way.
http://www.fair.org/blog/2009/08/02/politicos-new-right-wing-scare-tactic-on-healthcare/
