-Caveat Lector- RadTimes # 134 January, 2001 An informally produced compendium of vital irregularities. "We're living in rad times!" ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- QUOTE: "In all times and all places, whatever be the name that the government takes, whatever has been its origin or its organization, its essential function is always that of oppressing and exploiting the masses, and of defending the oppressors and exploiters. Its principal characteristic and indispensable instruments are the policeman and the tax collector, the soldier and the prison. " --Errico Malatesta, 'Anarchy', 1891 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- How to assist RadTimes--> (See ** at end.) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Contents: --------------- --AFIC Ready to Serve President-Elect Bush --Election Anger Fuels Inaugural Protesters --January 20th Revolutionary Anti-Authoritarian Bloc Update and Call --Every Protester Counts --How the Republicans Stole the Election --The Kennebunkport Hillbilly Linked stories: *BUSH v. GORE [Supreme Court ruling] *Great printable posters for the Inauguration protests *Bush prepares a government of reaction and militarism *Drug Companies' Tests in Poor Countries Raise Ethical Questions *Canada considers mandatory voting *Judge says illegal phone taps can be used in bomb trial *Micro-broadcasters dealt a blow *Big government invades the Internet *Family ties, political bias linked US Supreme Court justices to Bush camp *J20 INAUGURATION PROTEST ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Begin stories: ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- AFIC Ready to Serve President-Elect Bush By Linda D. Kozaryn American Forces Press Service WASHINGTON, Dec. 15, 2000 -- The Armed Forces Inaugural Committee is standing by, ready to serve President-elect George W. Bush. Nearly 5,000 service members will take part in the nation's 54th presidential inauguration on Jan. 20. A core group of military planners, logisticians and operations officers has been working for months to make military support happen. The AFIC paves the way for two groups responsible for the inauguration. The Joint Inaugural Committee runs the inaugural ceremony on the Capitol grounds. The Presidential Inaugural Committee, a nongovernmental organization from the president-elect's party conducts the inaugural events. The PIC decides whether or not to have a parade, schedules inaugural balls and decides who will attend the inauguration. Once the invitation list is set, the military facilitates the movement of those people, he said. The AFIC has been up and running since January. Working in temporary offices at L'Enfant Plaza in a General Services Administration building, committee members have been readying the stage and coordinating DoD support for the 10- day inaugural period, Jan. 15 to 24. DoD guidelines outline what support the military can provide. The AFIC has a $4.1 million operating budget allocated over two fiscal years. The military identified post-inaugural homes for its big-ticket purchases such as computers and cameras. Tradition is the basis of the military support honoring the new commander in chief, according to Army Brig. Gen. Nick Perkins, committee deputy director. The military has taken part in the inauguration since George Washington took office as the nation's first president. Military participation reaffirms civilian control of the military, lends a sense of patriotism to the inaugural events and showcases the armed forces, Perkins said. The AFIC pulls together transportation, communications and other logistical aspects, he said. Active duty and reserve members from all five services will have a chance to work on the high-visibility, joint operation. The logistics team provides everything from more than 100 drivers for VIPs to command post electrical generators. While the AFIC's focus is on the ceremonial aspects of the inauguration, the team also makes contingency plans that take into account bad weather, civil disturbances, terrorist acts and more. AFIC officials also coordinate the color guards, military bands, ceremonial units and others that will participate in the parade and inaugural ceremony. In addition to the parade units, about 1,800 service members will form an honor cordon from the White House to the Capitol. Service members will also support galas and balls that occur after the inauguration ceremony. This generally consists of a joint-service color guard, as well as musicians. Generally, the Army's Herald Trumpets play ruffles and flourishes and "Hail to the Chief" at functions the president attends. AFIC's Joint Operations Center will be the hub for coordinating and controlling all the military activities. The operations section is also preparing for a gamut of contingencies, everything from a horse going lame to an assassination attempt. For more information on the Armed Forces Inaugural Committee, see: <http://www.afic.army.mil/> ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Election Anger Fuels Inaugural Protesters By David Montgomery and Arthur Santana Washington Post Staff Writers Thursday, December 21, 2000; Page A10 The raw wounds left by the presidential election finale have created enough irritation to unleash one of the largest inauguration protests in years, according to veteran organizers and police officials. "This will be by far the biggest counter-inauguration since the 1973 Nixon counter-inauguration," predicted Brian Becker, co-director of the International Action Center in New York, who has demonstrated at numerous presidential swearing-in events. "We organize protests not infrequently, and we know when something has legs and when it doesn't have legs. This one does." At the second inauguration of President Richard M. Nixon, police estimated there were 25,000 to 100,000 demonstrators, including some who threw fruit and stones at Nixon's car. The total crowd was about 300,000. D.C. police are expecting about 750,000 people on Jan. 20 when President-elect Bush is sworn in, and they said they think many demonstrators will be content to voice their displeasure peacefully. Becker's group, like several others hoping to flood parts of the city on Inauguration Day, had been planning to be in Washington no matter who won the election. But enough people think the outcome was illegitimate, he said, that it has cranked up protest passion. Within hours of the Dec. 12 U.S. Supreme Court decision blocking Vice President Gore's effort to recount votes in Florida, Becker and other organizers said, their Web sites were deluged with inquiries. "There's a tremendous amount of spontaneous organizing going on," said Becker, 48. A rainbow of left-leaning groups had planned to rally on the Mall to vent outrage at a variety of demons, including racism, the death penalty and the corporate influence on politics. But complaints that some Florida votes were not counted, including those of many African Americans, have given demonstrators powerful common issues. Unlike the street protests against the World Bank in April, no civil disobedience has been planned, organizers say. They said the demonstrations will feature signs, chants, giant puppets, skits and a squad of radical stilt walkers being trained in Philadelphia. "We are not planning to shut down the inauguration," Becker said. "We are planning to make it plain that the inaugural route is not the private property of those who support the death penalty, so we're going to be well-represented on that parade route." D.C. police aren't taking any chances with protesters' intentions, according to Executive Assistant Chief Terrance W. Gainer. He said he expects fewer than 5,000 unruly demonstrators might try to disrupt the inauguration, along with thousands of peaceful demonstrators. In addition to the D.C. force, thousands of suburban and federal officers will participate in what officials described as an unprecedented level of security. The Justice Action Movement, an alliance of Washington area protesters, yesterday sent D.C. Police Chief Charles H. Ramsey a letter requesting a meeting to discuss plans for peaceful protests. Cmdr. Michael Radzilowski, who is in charge of special operations, said yesterday that he would be happy to meet with the protesters. Half a dozen groups have requested permits, but none have been granted. A National Park Service spokesman said the agency is waiting for inauguration planners to make final arrangements before it allots space to protesters. The National Organization for Women plans to be there. "It's important for our own spirit to let people know there is a place to plug in, take that anger and use it to fuel some additional activism," NOW President Patricia Ireland said. The Rev. Al Sharpton and the Rev. Walter Fauntroy plan a "shadow inauguration" outside the U.S. Supreme Court to swear in those pledging to uphold the Voting Rights Act. "We feel the act was violated by George Bush," Sharpton said. Fauntroy, pastor of New Bethel Baptist Church in Shaw, said he has witnessed every swearing-in since President Franklin D. Roosevelt's fourth in 1945, and "I know of no inauguration that has been the source of greater controversy than this . . . following a shameful election." Other activists are planning a Voters March to call for election reform and the abolishment of the electoral college. "Our nation has been traumatized by what has happened in this election," said Louis Posner, a New York attorney leading the effort. Another group, the D.C.-based New Black Panther Party, and its allies plan to stage a Day of Outrage march, said spokesman Malik Shabazz. Other local protest efforts are being coordinated by the Justice Action Movement, a coalition of many who protested the World Bank. They have been holding public meetings for several weeks at George Washington University. They scheduled a news conference today to bring together organizers of various protest efforts. On Monday, several dozen people attended a Justice Action Movement meeting. Most were students or young members of progressive organizations and unions, but several were old enough to have protested Nixon's inauguration. Justice Action Movement has dubbed Jan. 20 the "InaugurAuction," a reference to members' belief that the major parties buy the White House with corporate funds. "Because of a corrupt political system, we now have a president who is going to be threatening the lives of many innocent people because of his support for the death penalty, military policies abroad and free trade," said Adam Eidinger, 27, a movement organizer. At the meeting, the group voted not to use violence, vandalism, weapons, alcohol or drugs. They also decided to remain in small groups scattered all over the Mall, employing creative visual effects and stilt walkers to make their points. After the meeting, several organizers said they suspected a police infiltrator was in their midst. A man with a goatee looked just like a plainclothes officer who figured prominently in confrontations with World Bank demonstrators, according to organizers who said they have videotapes. Before ending a brief telephone interview with The Washington Post, the man denied he was an undercover officer. A police spokesman said there is no one on the force with the name the man used at the meeting. Gainer confirmed that the police have infiltrated the protesters, but he didn't identify anyone. "They're looking for excuses to shut us down," Eidinger said. This week, a few members of Justice Action Movement held a practice InaugurAuction in front of the White House, offering to auction the building for $10 to carpenters building bleachers for the parade. "I don't feel this particular election demonstrates ideally what the presidency is for this country," said Elizabeth Croyden, 30, an actress and film producer who participated. "It exposes a lot of flaws in the system, and I'm upset about it. If you don't get involved, how can you make a difference?" International Action Center <http://www.iacenter.org> ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- January 20th Revolutionary Anti-Authoritarian Bloc Update and Call Date: Sun, 24 Dec The Revolutionary Anti-Authoritarian Bloc has been working hard to make the January 20th mobilization a success, and so far it looks like interest is high, as we are currently networking with people from all over the USA who plan to come to Washington and march with us. In order to keep people up to speed on what is being planned we are posting the following information, as well as re-posting the call for those who may not have seen it. We also cannot urge people enough to subscribe to the email list, as it is our most effective method of communication. We strongly encourage people to help spread this information as much as possible, by forwarding it to lists that they may be on (especially city or regional lists) or by printing it and distributing it, in order to help continue to get the word out. If you want to help out or have any questions whatsoever, please do not hesitate to contact us at <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> --- The RAAB plans to take part in a variety of actions during inauguration day. For a variety of reasons, we cannot at this time disclose the details for all the events planned for the course of January 20th. For the moment the initial assembly point is around the large Class War banner that will be at Pennsylvania Avenue and 14th St. NW. However, amongst other things, there is currently talk of a march which will start earlier than the International Action Center March. This is however not yet confirmed. Therefore, for regular updates on this as well as other events please send a request to be subscribed to the Barricada e-mail list to <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Also, we would like to take this opportunity to make it clear that the decision to march at the IAC march does not represent an endorsement of the IAC. We are simply choosing to use the IAC march as the initial assembly point for the bloc because of issues of safety and convenience, as the IAC meeting location will be legal and crowded. We will however be an independent bloc with our own banner and our own revindications. During the course of the march "For Class War, For a Classless, Stateless Society," information about the rest of the days events will be distributed through fliers and word of mouth. Needless to say, Washington on January 20th will be a city swamped with all the branches of the repressive forces of the state, including over 4,000 policemen. Therefore, we are providing some information that we feel it is important for people to have in order to minimize the risk of unwanted run-ins with police and to help those who come to Washington for this day. -There will be what is being termed a "Hub," for meeting during the day, although not necessarily a convergence center. Again, for the address once it is available, contact Barricada. -Groups of 25 people or less do not need a permit to demonstrate along the inaugural parade route. Inaugurauction intends to eventually disperse into groups of 25 or less along the parade route and have a presence by being spread out around the city. The bloc will decide, through consensus decision making when the time comes, what direction to take once the march has ended. However, it is important that people who intend to come in "black bloc" are dressed in a manner that would make it at least to some extent feasible to mix in with the crowd. For example, patches and easily identifiable pieces of clothing are not suggested. This is always the case, but even more so for January 20th. -Banners and flags our obviously suggested and welcome, but they may become a nuisance later in the day if you do not have a place to leave them and they are large and/or heavy. Therefore, think about whether you want to have them with you or not. -A legal team is in place in case it comes to be needed on the 20th. Unfortunately, the exact phone number that people need to have on them in case of an emergency is not yet available. Once more, for information as soon as it becomes available, contact us. -A final note, for those who receive Barricada's monthly magazine: In the January issue there is a text very similar to this one. However since going to press we have decided to no longer work with the Justice Action Movement. They have been showing themselves to be increasingly dominated by centrists and reformists, collaborating with police and welcoming even Democrats who clearly state that they are protesting simply because they feel Bush should not be president in their desperate pandering to the mainstream. There has also been a lot of anti-anarchist, anti-Marxist, and pro-patriotic talk on their discussion list. Therefore, while we wish them the best of luck, we are separating ourselves from them as, while we attempt to be inclusive and non-sectarian, we have to draw the line somewhere. ---- A Call For a United Revolutionary Presence At The Presidential Inauguration WE ALREADY KNOW WHO WON… CAPITALISM AND THE RULING CLASS TAKE TO THE STREETS OF WASHINGTON AGAINST CAPITALISM, AGAINST THE STATE AND AGAINST THE DEATH MACHINE OF GLOBALIZATION CLASS WAR NOW FOR A CLASSLESS, STATELESS SOCIETY SATURDAY, JANUARY 20, 2001. WASHINGTON D.C. 10 A.M, PENNSYLVANIA AVE. AND 14TH ST NW On Saturday, January 20th, 2001 thousands of people from all over the United States will converge on the streets of Washington, D.C to protest against the dictatorship of the corporate class, the circus of US representative "democracy", and the international death machine that is the US government. The demonstration in Washington the day of the presidential inauguration is a great opportunity to demonstrate our opposition, not only to whoever it is that may eventually win the presidency, but to the entire state system, from the dictatorship of capital, to the sham of representative democracy by making Washington ours during inauguration day and disrupting the ceremony of the ruling class. In the spirit of the mobilizations of the past year, from Seattle, to Washington, to Cincinnati, and everywhere in between, we are calling for revolutionaries to stand together as a bloc and refuse to serve as mere numbers for reformist and authoritarian organizations that don't represent our desires, aims, or aspirations. Instead, we propose a demonstration that not only highlights our opposition to the present order, but also puts forth revolutionary anti-authoritarian alternatives. Therefore, we are calling for anti-authoritarian revolutionaries to bring their banners and flags, be they black, red, red and black, black and green, or whatever else and gather in Washington at 10 am on Saturday, January 20th, 2001 at Pennsylvania Ave. and 14th St. NW under the slogan "Class War Now...For a Classless, Stateless Society." We are not calling for any particular tactics, simply for revolutionary anti-authoritarians to come prepared to march on the Presidential Inauguration and for a festival of resistance, struggle, and revolutionary alternatives to the capitalist system. It will take a lot of work to make this mobilization a success and a show of force for the North American revolutionary movement. If you wish to help make the January 20th initiative succeed , spread the word, organize caravans to Washington, copy and distribute this call, make banners and flags, keep in touch as details of the mobilization become available, contact us to endorse the call, and come to Washington on January 20th ready for a festival of resistance. The Barricada Collective Sabate Anarchist Collective (NEFAC) Agitate! (Baltimore) The Onward Collective (Gainesville) ABCF People of Color Caucus Anarchist Black Cross Federation-Houston Radio Sexto Sol (Houston) People Against Racist Terror Anarchist Soccer League (New Brunswick) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Every Protester Counts J20 Gains Momentum And Media Attention By Elijah Crane Dec. 28, 2000, Workers World Scores of activists from all over the country are mobilizing to fill the streets of Washington by the busload on Jan. 20 to protest George W. Bush's inauguration. The all-encompassing issue at hand is the fight against racism. Specific demands of protesters include: ending the racist death penalty and freeing Mumia Abu-Jamal; stopping Plan Colombia and the U.S. bombing of Vieques; supporting the just struggle of the Palestinian people; the disenfranchisement of Black voters and others in Florida; and many others. "The U.S. ruling class has been caught in the act of a fraudulent election," said Monica Moorehead, a leading organizer of the demonstration. "This certainly is not the first time it has happened. Every election that has taken place in the U.S. has been bought or stolen. But this is the first time in recent history that the thievery has been so blatant and overt. "There's no denying that thousands of Black voters in Florida were the targets of a racist attack," Moorehead told Workers World. "Despite the fact that Florida's ballot controversy had been headlining the media since Election Day, neither of the two presidential hopefuls so much as acknowledged the issue of racism. "And no amount of rhetoric on 'healing' and 'bipartisanship' from President-elect Bush and Al Gore, who conceded, can smooth things over now." People are angry--from Texas to Florida, from New York to California--and that is why they will be raising their voices in Washington at the inauguration protest, she added. J20 DRAWS MEDIA ATTENTION Over 400 groups and individuals have already endorsed the call made by the International Action Center to protest in Washington on Jan. 20, or 'J20', as some activists are referring to it. That number continues to grow on a daily basis. As of Dec. 20, there were more than 30 organizing centers in operation in New York, Texas, Massachusetts, Wisconsin, Illinois, North Carolina and elsewhere. Even the mainstream media has been forced to recognize this growing mobilization, resulting in articles and radio interviews with organizers. An article in the Dec. 14 edition of the Washington Times described the way in which the cops are preparing for the upcoming counter-inaugural demonstration. Police Chief Charles Ramsey cited last April's protests against the International Monetary Fund, which shook the city of Washington, as a reason for deploying not only the entire Metropolitan police force, but also adding hundreds of cops from surrounding areas. Brain Becker, co-director of the IAC, was quoted as saying that "Charles Ramsey and the police are doing their usual demonizing of the demonstrators, saying that we will cause mayhem. The truth is that the police is the lawless group." Becker has since given numerous radio interviews, including one to the ABC network. Organizers of the J20 action have also been interviewed by radio stations in Michigan, New York and Washington. The Colorado Daily newspaper was among the media that highlighted the planned J20 action. In that article, Becker explained that the protest was in the works long before the election outcome was known. It was planned to take place regardless of whether Gore or Bush were inaugurated because both are strong supporters of the death penalty and other methods of institutional violence--such as the U.S. sanctions against Iraq and military aid to Colombia, he said. For a complete list of organizing centers, or to sign up as a contact, readers can visit the Web site www.Mumia2000.org or call the IAC at (212) 633-6646. Organizers are also planning and communicating through an e-mail list server called "J20action." Anyone interested in participating in that ongoing discussion can register at www.egroups.com or click on the link at www.Mumia2000.org. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- How the Republicans Stole the Election GOP won by planting seeds of deception December 14, 2000 BY ROGER EBERT Now that the adventure is over, it might be instructive to consider some of the ideas that seeped into the general consciousness. How and why, for example, did it become established in so many minds that Bush was the presumptive winner and Gore the apparent loser? What the Republicans did, cleverly, was to establish effective "memes" in the minds of the public and the pundits. A meme, so named by the British evolutionist Richard Dawkins, is like a gene, except that instead of advancing through organisms, it moves through minds. Memes are simply ideas that demonstrate a high rate of survival and transmission. Bush became the "winner" of a dead heat, in the midst of an incomplete recount, when a premature victory was declared on her own unnecessary deadline by his Florida campaign co-chairwoman, who also held the crucial post of secretary of state. Once this bogus "certification" was final (Ms. Harris signing several copies on TV, including a valuable souvenir for herself), the Republicans referred to it endlessly as a valid event, even though it was clearly a shameless ploy to slam the door before the election escaped. A meme was born. The other effective GOP meme was the mantra, "we counted, and counted again, and then a third time." These words were chanted by Baker and the other Bush spokesmen until many Americans accepted them as a form of truth, even though it is clear that thousands of ballots were never counted at all. Another successful meme was the assault on the honesty of election judges and the courts in general. They were often characterized by the GOP as partisan crooks, unless their findings agreed with the Bush cause, in which case they were patriots. This led finally to the spectacle of the "states rights" party applauding the Supremes' federal coup halting the recount because, in words that will haunt Scalia forever, a recount might cast "a cloud upon what [Bush] claims to be the legitimacy of his election." Think about that. In other words, if Gore ended up with more votes, a cloud would be cast on Bush's claims. Three days later the Supreme Court majority overruled the Florida court's attempt to interpret Florida law. John Paul Stevens' dissent lamented this "lack of confidence in the impartiality and capacity of the state judges who would make the critical decisions if the vote count were to proceed," and added, in words that will long be quoted, "...the identity of the loser is perfectly clear. It is the nation's confidence in the judge as an impartial guardian of the law." The Republicans were not only more effective creators of memes but were also better at raising their voices. The Democrats were on the whole more civil in their public statements. The GOP had no hesitation in making the dangerous charge that Democrats were "stealing" the election. This in the face of plausible evidence that Gore got more votes in Florida, as he did nationally. Right-wing pundits were stirred to a frenzy. Ann Coulter accused the Democrats of being "delusional nutcases," called the Florida Supreme Court "power-mad lunatics," and found that the Democrats had crossed the "fine line" between "typical Democrat lies and demonstrably psychotic behavior." More Americans voted for liars and psychotics than for her candidate? Really? Comments like these are an example not of opinion but of behavior. Have you ever seen Ms. Coulter on television? Even her conservative stablemates look queasy as her ideological flywheel spins. The Democrats were just plain outshouted. And Lady Luck rolled the dice and gave them the butterfly ballot, the Jews for Buchanan, the election boards that took days off, the hired mob to stop the Dade recount, the disenfranchised black voters, the illegally franchised military and absentee voters, the Bush cousin to call the election on TV, the Bush co-chairwoman to rush it through certification, and the Bush brother to mastermind operation fail-safe by the Florida legislature to certify Bush electors no matter who won. Even in Vegas they'd be amazed by luck this rotten; the Miami Herald's statisticians estimated that Gore probably outpolled Bush by about 23,000 votes. That's why it was so important for the Republicans to stop the count. It is important, then, to keep in mind that Bush was not obviously the winner nor Gore obviously the loser. The GOP has captured the election but may have done itself damage in the process, leaving doubts about the fairness of its tactics and the recklessness of its rhetoric. At the end the Democrats were left with one meme that showed promise: That they were the ones who wanted to count the votes, while the Republicans did not. If memes work like genes in the evolution of political opinion in America, this one may be the fittest, and may survive We can only hope. Tell me, Conservatives...what part of all of this don't you understand? ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Kennebunkport Hillbilly (sung to the tune of The Beverly Hillbillies Theme Song) Come and listen to my story 'bout a boy name Bush. His IQ was zero and his head was up his tush. He drank like a fish while he drove all about. But that didn't matter 'cuz his daddy bailed him out. DUI, that is. Criminal record. Cover-up. Well, the first thing you know little Georgie goes to Yale. He can't spell his name but they never let him fail. He spends all his time hangin' out with student folk. And that's when he learns how to snort a line of coke. Blow, that is. White gold. Nose candy. The next thing you know there's a war in Vietnam. Kin folks say, "George, stay at home with Mom." Let the common people get maimed and scarred. We'll buy you a spot in the Texas Air Guard. Cushy, that is. Country clubs. Nose candy. Twenty years later George gets a little bored. He trades in the booze, says that Jesus is his Lord. He said, "Now the White House is the place I wanna be." So he called his daddy's friends and they called the GOP. Gun owners, that is. Falwell. Jesse Helms. Come November 7, the election ran late. Kin folks said "Jeb, give the boy your state!" "Don't let those colored folks get into the polls." So they put up barricades so they couldn't punch their holes. Chads, that is. Duval County. Miami-Dade. Before the votes were counted five Supremes stepped in. Told all the voters "Hey, we want George to win." "Stop counting votes!" was their solemn invocation. And that's how George finally got his coronation. Rigged, that is. Illegitimate. No moral authority. Y'all come vote now. Ya hear? Paid for by the Katherine Harris Foundation for Corrective Plastic Surgery. © 2000 (Year of the Brat) Mike Lambert <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Linked stories: ******************** BUSH v. GORE (12/13/00 - No. 00-949) <http://laws.lp.findlaw.com/us/000/00949.html> The absence of specific uniform standards for manual vote recounts, especially where the evidence shows that vote counting standards varied or changed within counties, violates the Equal Protection Clause. ******************** Great printable posters for the Inauguration protests <http://www.bradkayal.com/i20/> ******************** Bush prepares a government of reaction and militarism <http://www.wsws.org/articles/2000/dec2000/bush-d18.shtml> ******************** Drug Companies' Tests in Poor Countries Raise Ethical Questions <http://tm0.com/IHT/sbct.cgi?s=80180978&i=285713&d=749145> A Washington Post investigation into corporate drug experiments in Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe and Latin America reveals a booming, poorly regulated testing system that is dominated by private interests and that far too often betrays its promises to patients and consumers. ******************** Canada considers mandatory voting <http://www.nationalpost.com/home/story.html?f=/stories/20001219/411083.html> As Canada's voter participation rate continues to plummet, election officials are considering forcing Canadians to the polls. One official comments that "Sometimes, in order to save democracy, you have to do things that might seem to run a little bit against it." (12/19/00) ******************** Judge says illegal phone taps can be used in bomb trial <http://www.cnn.com/2000/US/12/19/embassy.bombings.ap/index.html> A judge has ruled that evidence taken from illegally tapped phones may be used in the trial of a U.S. citizen charged in the 1998 bombings of U.S. embassies in East Africa. This is apparently the "unless it's really important" exception to the Fourth Amendment. (12/20/00) ******************** Micro-broadcasters dealt a blow <http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0,1283,40760,00.html> An omnibus budget bill destined for President Clinton's signature contains a measure gutting the FCC's plan to open the airwaves to low-power, non-profit broadcasters. (12/20/00) ******************** Big government invades the Internet <http://www.antiwar.com/justin/j122000.html> U.S. officials are using fears of cyber-terrorism as an excuse to extend online surveillance and control over Internet activity. (12/21/00) ******************** Family ties, political bias linked US Supreme Court justices to Bush camp <http://www.wsws.org/articles/2000/dec2000/sup-d22.shtml> ******************** J20 INAUGURATION PROTEST <http://headlines.igc.apc.org:8080/pnalerts/977257692/index_html> ******************** ====================================================== "Anarchy doesn't mean out of control. It means out of 'their' control." -Jim Dodge ====================================================== "Communications without intelligence is noise; intelligence without communications is irrelevant." -Gen. Alfred. M. Gray, USMC ====================================================== "It is not a sign of good health to be well adjusted to a sick society." -J. 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