Life, Work Gardens in Havana-Jan 5-NYC
From: NY Transfer News [EMAIL PROTECTED] Via NY Transfer News Collective * All the News That Doesn't Fit Please forward or repost The Brecht Forum and NY Transfer News present Accidental Internationalist REFLECTIONS OF AN AMERICAN WORKER IN THE CUBAN REVOLUTION: WORK, LIFE AND GARDENS IN HAVANA A Talk by Mike Fuller Friday, January 5, 2001 - 7:30 p.m. Brecht Forum - 122 West 27 Street, 10th Floor between 6th and 7th Avenues, New York City Mike Fuller is a United States citizen who has been living and working in Cuba since 1994, despite the U.S. government's blockade of and restrictions on travel to that island. Fuller will offer some insights on living and working in Cuba and being a full-fledged participant in the day-to-day social and economic life of the island. This translator, editor, interpreter and English teacher will reflect upon his jobs, family life and peak experiences over the last six years of massive transformations in Cuba. Tracing his personal history in U.S. and international progressive movements, he will discuss recent activities on that island and search for common spaces with participants. Fuller's talk is not meant to be a highly theoretical analysis, but rather an easy-going conversation about one person's life as a modest melody of resistance and an invitation for others to sing along. In addition to discussing his personal experiences in the Revolution, Fuller will also speak about the new Urban Garden Movement presently taking form in Havana. Since the collapse a decade ago of the Soviet Union, and the subsequent shortages of fuel, fertilizers and pesticides, the Cuban government has gradually made a shift from conventional growing of food crops to organic farming. Cuba is the only country in the world where the use of organic methods is national agricultural policy. As part of this policy, the government has also encouraged the development of a widespread urban gardening movement, to help provide Cuba's city dwellers with a reliable supply of fresh organic produce. Mr. Fuller will speak about this popular activity and will give a slide presentation showing the work being done in some of Havana's varied community gardens. Mike Fuller currently collaborates in Havana with Prensa Latina, a Cuban news agency; the Jose Marti International Journalism Institute; Infomed, the Ministry of Public Health telecommunications system; the National Translation and Interpretation Team; and Cubalinda.com, a travel agency set up by former CIA officer Philip Agee, designed to encourage Americans to resist the blockade and travel to Cuba. Suggested admission to this talk is on a sliding scale of $6-$10. Proceeds will benefit the new Urban Gardening Project at the Jose Marti Journalism Institute in Havana. A wine-and-cheese reception will follow the talk. Learn more about Cuba's Gardens at http://www.blythe.org and click on the Accidental Internationalist link. For more information, call the Brecht Forum: 212-242-4201 or email NY Transfer News: [EMAIL PROTECTED] -30- = NY Transfer News Collective * A Service of Blythe Systems Since 1985 - Information for the Rest of Us 339 Lafayette St., New York, NY 10012 http://www.blythe.org e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] = -- eGroups Sponsor -~-~ eGroups eLerts It's Easy. It's Fun. Best of All, it's Free! http://click.egroups.com/1/9698/0/_/_/_/977896871/ -_- Post comments to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Send an email to subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To unsubscribe from this CubaNews group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] ___ KOMINFORM P.O. Box 66 00841 Helsinki - Finland +358-40-7177941, fax +358-9-7591081 e-mail [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.kominf.pp.fi ___ Kominform list for general information. Subscribe/unsubscribe messages to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Anti-Imperialism list for geopolitics. Subscribe/unsubscribe messages: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [EMAIL PROTECTED] ___
Vietnam News Dec 27
Party leader reaffirms ties with Laos Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) General Secretary Le Kha Phieu has assured Laos's National Assembly Chairman Samane Vignaketh of Vietnam's unceasing efforts to constantly develop its ties with its neighbour. Vietnam always attached importance to further consolidating and developing the Vietnam- Laos relations for the benefit of each nation and for peace, stability, co-operation and development in the region and the world, Mr Phieu said while receiving the Lao National Assembly Chairman in Hanoi on December 26. Mr Phieu praised the result of the working sessions between the two National Assembly delegations, saying they were a positive contribution to developing the special solidarity and comprehensive co-operation between the two countries. He also expressed his belief that the Lao people would continue with new and greater achievements in making Laos a peaceful, independent, democratic, united and prosperous country. Mr Samane Vignaketh, who is on a week-long visit to Vietnam, reaffirmed the Laos's National Assembly's resolve to persistently strengthen and develop the special friendship and multi-faceted co-operation between Laos and Vietnam. He said he believed that the Vietnamese people would continue to record new and bigger successes through renovation and their industrialisation and modernisation programme to create a wealthy people, a prosperous country and an equitable, democratic and civilised society. (VNA) --- - President Luong meets PM Zhu Rongji Vietnam highly appreciated China's experience in socio-economic development and thought it useful to its own national construction and renovation, President Tran Duc Luong told Chinese Prime Minister Zhu Rongji in Beijing on December 26. President Luong, who is making a five-day official visit to China, also spoke highly of the Chinese government's effective help and co-operation with the Vietnam government in economic development, investment, trade and tourism. He believed the results from the comprehensive co-operation between Vietnam and China would continue to develop and in so doing meet the aspirations of the two Parties, governments and peoples, while promoting prosperity and happiness between the two countries and contributing to peace, stability and development in the region and the world. Prime Minister Zhu Rongji welcomed the outcome of the talks between President Jiang Zemin and President Tran Duc Luong, and their shared view about the important orientation for bilateral co-operation between the two countries in the 21st century. Prime Minister Zhu appreciated the joint effort of China and Vietnam to expand economic, commercial, tourism, scientific, technical, educational and training-co-operation. He said that he hoped this co-operation would be effectively expanded for the benefit of the two peoples. (VNA) --- - Vietnam, China to boost legislative co-operation President Tran Duc Luong (left) meets Chinese Chairman of the National People's Congress Li Peng. Both Vietnam and China hoped their legislative co-operation would be increasingly consolidated and expanded in many fields. The hope was expressed by visiting Vietnamese President Tran Duc Luong and Chinese Chairman of the National People's Congress Li Peng during their meeting in Beijing on December 26. The two parties held that the development of bilateral legislative ties would contribute to boosting the friendship and co-operation between the two Parties, States and peoples and meeting the aspirations and interests of both peoples, for peace, stability, co-operation and development in the region and the world at large. President Tran Duc Luong expressed his delight at the fine development of the relationship between the two countries in general and between the two legislative bodies in particular. He said that such relationship has helped each country perfect its own legal system and build a rule of law of the people, by the people and for the people. President Luong also expressed his joy at the great achievements recorded by the Chinese people in their open-door reform and socialism construction which was imbued with Chinese characteristics. He said he hoped that the Chinese people, under the leadership of the Communist Party of China, would successfully build a prosperous country with an increasing role and position in the international arena. Chairman Li Peng, for his part, thanked President Luong for his fine sentiments toward China and its people. He welcomed positive steps of development in the China-Vietnam relations in the recent past, especially since the historic Beijing meeting between Chinese Party General Secretary Jiang Zemin and his Vietnamese counterpart Le Kha Phieu, who defined the guideline of "neighbour friendship, comprehensive co-operation,
Turkey. Lies in the Turkish media about the Death Fast.
From: dhkcbureau [EMAIL PROTECTED] LIES LIE NO.1: "The lie that the Death Fast and the Hunger Strike have ended." "In Edirne 'F' Type Prison, those who wanted to carry out hunger strikes and Death Fasts soon abandoned their attempts." (Akit, December 23) LIE! In Edirne, Sincan, Kocaeli 'F' Type prisons and Bakirkoy prison for women and children, in Usak Prison where the political prisoners have not yet been sent to other prisons, and in all the hospitals where the Death Fast resisters are, THE HUNGER STRIKES AND DEATH FASTS ARE CONTINUING. A note to Akit, which is an Islamist newspaper: in these days of fasting: how can such lies be appropriate? (It is currently Ramadan in the Islamic world.) You can break your fast by drinking the blood of 30 revolutionaries (normally this is done by drinking water). Water does not suit you, the blood of revolutionaries does. LIE NO.2: "Ercan Kartal and Sadi Ozpolat, who were transported to Edirne 'F' Type Prison, have broken off their hunger strike." (Hurriyet and Milliyet, December 23) The resisters Ercan Kartal and Sadi Ozpolat are continuing their hunger strike. Those who create such news, write such news, have such news written and consent to having such news transmitted are COMMON LIARS. They are slanderers who strangers to decency, dignity, honour and respect. Again, the same newspapers write, "The stubborn attitude of the authorities caused them to be subjected to a body search and then be given a Number Zero haircut." This is not a stubborn attitude, this is torture! Look at Lie No. 1 by Akit, and Lie No. 2 by Hurriyet. Islamic Akit and the very secular Hurriyet are united in the way they tell lies. How much they are side by side with the state when it slaughters revolutionaries, how much they labour to defend the slaughter of revolutionaries. Hurriyet is known to be the newspaper of MIT and most of its headlines are saturated with the contra-guerrilla mentality. Everyone remember Hurriyet's photographs at the time of the Ulucanlar massacre, captioned "Five minutes before the riot started." Of the sources given above, Hurriyet has the most previous convictions in this regard. LIE NO. 3: Ecevit said, "In this way, death actions have been removed in the whole of Turkey," (Statement dated December 22). "The Death Fast was fake" (Headline in Milliyet newspaper, and various writers) It is unnecessary to say too much about this. The reply to this comes every day from hospitals where it is declared that "those on the Death Fast are refusing medical treatment". The basic answer will be in the form of our deaths. What will those who say now that "the Death Fast is fake" say when it is shown that they themselves are the FAKERS? In 1996, Sevket Kazan also said, "They are eating," and then they started to die. Twelve prisoners died. Nobody believes what Sevket Kazan says any more. Everyone who is now like Kazan was then will be shown to be contemptible. LIE NO. 4: "The state knew what the situation was in the prisons before it went in. It knew that the prisoners were not on the "death fast". (Aksam, December 23, Emin Pazarci) Finally they are really doing badly. They are dreaming up new lies to cover their old lies. But there are so many lies that they cannot save themselves from the contradictions in them. So the state also knew that there was no Death Fast in the prisons. So why was it stated that the operation was aimed at "returning the prisoners to life"? Because the Health Minister is a member of the MHP and said on TV, "Let them kick the bucket," it cannot be expected that such a person would say something humane. Those people who continue to utter these lies have the same mentality as those who say "let them kick the bucket". LIE NO. 5: "The lie that 'we could not go into the prisons for 10 years'", "Those prisons we could not enter for 10 years." (All the daily newspapers and columnists which support the murderous assault share this same lie). The prison administration protocols, documents on the results of roll calls and search warrants are held by the Justice Ministry. All these documents must be revealed. The statements by protective custody officials, former prosecutors and justice ministers are available. When it became clear that such statements were too far-fetched to be believed, the Justice Minister said, "Actually we went in, carried out searches but it was never completed." This lie that they could not go into the prisons for 10 years had two aims. First, it made a massacre appear justified. Two, this gave the opportunity for the system parties to engage in infighting and blame the DYP-SHP government. WARNING TO THOSE WHO ARE TELLING LIES! What will you do if they stopped telling these lies and proceeded to come up with other explanations? For example, before the December 19 operation it was said to be an "operation to save the lives of the Death Fasters", now they are saying the "state knew there was not a Death Fast". Do not defend this state
Communist Youth Of Greece - Solidiarity With Turkish People
CAN KAYABAL [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Athens, December 21, 2000 Press release of KNE Solidarity with the Turkish people KNE denounces in the most vehement way the murderous attack of the Turkish repression forces that led in the assassination of lots of political prisoners. It denounces the more general authoritarian and anti-democratic decline of the Turkish regime, which receives the all-sided support of the American and European imperialists. These developments constitute the natural evolution of the "European course" of Turkey, that was recently reconfirmed once more, in a period that the construction of the European Union becomes more reactionary day by day. The German - inspired origin of the so-called "white cells", does not leave the smallest doubt on this very fact. The Government of PASOK, the same government that handed over Ochalan and opened the way to NATO in the Balkans, bears serious responsibilities because it supported this "European course" on the name of the false "Greek- Turkish rapprochement". KNE calls upon the youth and its mass structures to express their solidarity with the struggle of the Turkish people and youth ; to demand the freeing of all political prisoners, the restoration of the democratic rights and freedoms. To further strengthen the solidarity and common struggle with the Turkish youth and people against the "new order". KNE invites the youth to participate massively in the demonstration that is going to be held on Friday, December 22 in Athens Athens, December 20, 2000 The press bureau of the CC of KNE KNE Communist Youth of Greece 11, Kotopouli str - Athens 10432 tel: +301-5282523 / fax: +301-5241526 http://www.forthnet.gr/kne-odigitis/ __
PROTEST THE TURKISH STATE.
From: "dhkc bureau" [EMAIL PROTECTED] ATTENTION, ATTENTION! TO THE ENTIRE POPULATION OF HUMAN BEINGS THE STATE IN TURKEY HAS CARRIED OUT A MASSACRE IN PRISONS. MORE THAN 30 POLITICAL PRISONER WERE MASSACRED. THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF INJURED. HUNDREDS OF POLITICAL PRISONERS ARE ON DEATH FAST. MORE THAN 2000 POLITICAL PRISONERS ARE ON HUNGER STRIKE. PROTEST THE TURKISH STATE. OPPOSE THE MASSACRES. SAVE THE LIVES OF THE SURVIVED PRISONERS. CAMPAIGN FOR THE CLOSURE THE F-TYPE ( ISOLATION) PRISONS IN TURKEY NOW. YOU CAN GET PHOTOS, EXTRA DOCUMENTS AND INFORMATION FROM THE FOLLOWING INTERNET WEB SITES: SOME ARE TURKISH SOME ARE BOTH ENGLISH AND TURKISH. FOR CONTACT THE FOLLOWING E-MAIL ADDRESSES, TEL AND FAX NUMBERS ARE AVAILABLE. The addresses of our DHKC Bureaux: DHKC Bureau, England E-mails: [EMAIL PROTECTED] and [EMAIL PROTECTED] Telephone and fax numbers: Telephone: 0044 207 254 1266 Fax: 0044 207 254 1288 Address: BM Box 8253 London WC1N 3XX. DHKC Bureau, Belgium E-mail addresses: [EMAIL PROTECTED] ; [EMAIL PROTECTED] and [EMAIL PROTECTED] Internet site - www.dhkc.org Telephone and fax numbers: Tel: 0032 2 2802228 Tel/Fax: 0032 2 2300866 Fax: 0032 2 2802229 Address: Rue Belliard 197 bte 8 1040 Bruxelles Amsterdam, Holland Press Agency Ozgurluk - [EMAIL PROTECTED] Internet site: www.ozgurluk.org Telephone and fax numbers tel/fax 0031 20 676 1745 Address: Dusartstraat 38 1072 HT Amsterdam Also, in connection with the resistance, there is the Internet site of the prisoners' families in Turkey (TAYAD) as well as the IKM site in Europe (Committee For Struggle Against Torture Through Isolation), and information can also be obtained from these. (TAYAD): www.hucreiskencedir.cjb.net IKM in Turkish - www.hucreiskencedir.de IKM in English - http://www.noisolation.de www.ozgurluk.org To support the resistance and protest against fascism in Turkey's 'F' Type prison policy, faxes can be sent to the following institutions: Republic of Turkey Prime Minister's Office: Tel 0090 312 417 0476, Fax 0090 312 434 2110 Republic of Turkey Justice Ministry: Fax :0090 312 414 6257 Republic of Turkey Interior Ministry: Tel: 0090 312 425 4080, Fax: 0090 312 418 7696 ___ KOMINFORM P.O. Box 66 00841 Helsinki - Finland +358-40-7177941, fax +358-9-7591081 e-mail [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.kominf.pp.fi ___ Kominform list for general information. Subscribe/unsubscribe messages to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Anti-Imperialism list for geopolitics. Subscribe/unsubscribe messages: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [EMAIL PROTECTED] ___
Havana Radio news Dec 26. A Brecht Forum talk
X-Sender: [EMAIL PROTECTED] (Unverified) subject: Havana Radio news Dec 26A Brecht Forum Talk Via NY Transfer News * All the News That Doesn't Fit Radio Havana Cuba - News Update - 26 December 2000 . *NATIONAL ASSEMBLY RECOGNIZES WORK OF CUBANS IN 2000 *CUBA'S TRADE EXCHANGE SURPASSES $5 billion *TORRENTIAL RAINS KILL 2, CAUSE SERIOUS DAMAGE *CUBAN SONG CONTEST BEGINS *CUBAN WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALL TEAM SELECTED BEST TEAM IN 2000 *CUBAN JAZZ ALBUM "INVITATION" PROMOTES CUBAN MUSIC . *NATIONAL ASSEMBLY RECOGNIZES WORK OF CUBANS IN 2000 Havana, December 26 (RHC)--The National Assembly of the People's Power approved a resolution to recognize the Cuban people's struggle during this past year. In an article published in Tuesday's Granma daily, the National Assembly says that with days away from the 42nd anniversary of the triumph of the Cuban Revolution - when the country's independence was finally achieved - the Cuban people over 2000 continued their struggle, in patriotic unity and resistance. The battle for the return of Elian Gonzalez to the custody of his father, when millions of men, women and children expressed their condemnation over the illegal detention of the Cuban child, was a concrete example of the country's unity. The Cuban people, cites the National Assembly resolution, maintained their struggle during 2000 with their continued condemnation of Washington's anti-Cuba policy and demanded an end to the criminal Cuban Adjustment Act. The island's continued economic recovery is also attributed to the Cuban people's efforts in developing the country. This and many other reasons prompted the National Assembly to congratulate its people for the historical victories achieved during the year. The National Assembly Resolution ends by saying that the Cuban Revolution enters a new millennium firm and secure. The Cuban people walk confident towards the future. *CUBA'S TRADE EXCHANGE SURPASSES $5 billion Havana, December 26 (RHC)--Cuba's trade exchange surpassed $5 billion with the involvement of over three thousand firms from 50 countries, according to the President of Cuba's Chamber of Commerce Antonio Luis Carricarte. He added that among some of the sectors that have improved on the island are oil, nickel, gas, steel and electricity. The Cuban official pointed out that there are currently over 4500 economic joint ventures with foreign investment, mainly with Spain, Canada, Italy, Britain and France. Referring to foreign trade the capacity to purchase increased although the figures that the island had in the 1980's still surpass the current situation. He said that ties with Latin America and the Caribbean represent between 25 to 30 per cent of the total exchange although priority is on CARICOM member nations. *TORRENTIAL RAINS KILL 2, CAUSE SERIOUS DAMAGE Havana December 26 (RHC)--The recent torrential rains that hit Cuba over the last four days have provoked the death of two people, injured four, and brought about the collapse of 135 homes rendering over 600 people homeless in Havana alone. In the central province of Villa Clara some 400 homes and multifamily buildings were damaged due to serious leaks. Potato and tobacco plantations were also damaged in the province. According to the island's Meteorological Institute the major rain fell in the town of El Santo in central Ciego de Avila province with 509 millimeters, Cayo Coco with 321 millimeters, Sagua la Grande with 306, and Baracoa Beach with 2477 millimeters. In Havana strong winds registering up to 60 kilometers per hour have also inflicted damage to the city. Experts predict less rain in the coming days. *CUBAN SONG CONTEST BEGINS Havana, December 26 (RHC)--The Adolfo Guzman Song Contest kicked off on Monday at Havana's Karl Marx Theater with the participation of Cuban composers and singers. During the first night of the competition 17 singers performed the songs of Cuban newcomers and professional composers, which were among over 800 pieces that competed to reach the finals. For the Radio and Television Institute, which co-sponsored the national contest along with the Karl Marx Theater, the contest was a complex challenge after having been postponed for a period ten years. This national song contest gives newcomers as well as renowned composers the chance of having their songs first heard among the Cuban people. The Adolfo Guzman Song Contest will resume Tuesday night and the winners will be announced on Wednesday. *CUBAN WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALL TEAM SELECTED BEST TEAM IN 2000 Havana, December 26 (RHC)--Cuba's women's volleyball team, which is three time Olympic champion and Grand Prix winner, was selected as the island's Best Team for the year 2000. Awards also went to volleyball as sports of the year, individual sports with relevant results were boxing, track and field, judo and a special mention to wrestling and taekwondo. The Cuban Sports Institute and Sports Journalists Association also awarded Olympic gold
Indonesia. Police break up hotel strike on Christmas day - protests needed now
X-Sender: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Forward from mart. IMPORTANT. PLEASE DISTRIBUTE WIDELY! *** Subject: [gangbox] Urgent: Police break up hotel strike on Christmas day - protests needed now] LabourStart - http://www.labourstart.org *** Please forward this message to everyone you know; post it to other mailing lists and newsgroups. Thank you! *** Indonesian police have stormed the five-star Shangri-La Hotel in Jakarta in order to break up a peaceful, legitimate strike by hotel workers -- on the morning following Christmas Day. We have received an urgent appeal for worldwide trade union protests and information directly from the hotel workers and will be updating throughout the day at our special full coverage page of the events in Jakarta: http://www.labourstart.org/indonesia/shangrila.shtml Please make sure to visit the page, link to it, send protest emails and faxes urgently. Thanks. Eric Lee GANGBOX: CONSTRUCTION WORKERS NEWS SERVICE GANGBOX homepage:http://www.geocities.com/gangbox/ comments? email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] "UNION NOW, UNION FOREVER" *** Knowledge is Power! Elimination of the exploitation of man by man http://www.egroups.com/group/pttp/ POWER TO THE PEOPLE! Subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Change Delivery Options: http://www.egroups.com/mygroups ___ KOMINFORM P.O. Box 66 00841 Helsinki - Finland +358-40-7177941, fax +358-9-7591081 e-mail [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.kominf.pp.fi ___ Kominform list for general information. Subscribe/unsubscribe messages to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Anti-Imperialism list for geopolitics. Subscribe/unsubscribe messages: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [EMAIL PROTECTED] ___
US Power and 'Democracy' [STOPNATO.ORG.UK]
- Original Message - From: Francisco Javier Bernal [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: Stop NATO! - No Pasarn [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Friday, December 22, 2000 10:52 PM Subject: US Power and 'Democracy' [STOPNATO.ORG.UK] STOP NATO: NO PASARAN! - HTTP://WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK --- ListBot Sponsor -- Start Your Own FREE Email List at http://www.listbot.com/links/joinlb -- Date: Tue, 26 Dec 2000 14:05:08 -0500 From: "Miroslav Antic" [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: US Power and 'Democracy' New Statesman (London) 25 December 2000 US POWER AND 'DEMOCRACY' John Pilger - US foreign policy has not changed since Vietnam and, potentially, it is more dangerous than ever Jakarta The other day, an Indonesian friend took me to his primary school where, in October 1965, his teacher was beaten to death, suspected of being a communist. The murder was typical of the slaughter of more than a million people: teachers, students, civil servants, peasants. Described by the CIA as "one of the worst mass murders of the 20th century", it brought to power the dictator Suharto, the west's man. Within a year of the bloodbath, Indonesia's economy was redesigned in America, giving western capital access to vast mineral wealth, markets and cheap labour. What has since emerged is evidence of the extent to which American officials designed the bloodbath. In 1990, the investigative journalist Kathy Kadane revealed that US officials in Jakarta systematically compiled lists of thousands of communists and other opponents of the Indonesian military and passed them to Suharto's generals, then ticked off the names of those who had been killed. Ralph McGehee, a senior CIA operations officer, has described the massacre as a "model operation". The "model operation" was repeated in Chile in 1972. "Disturbed at the Chilean military's unwillingness to take action against [the elected President] Allende," wrote McGehee, "the CIA forged a document purporting to reveal a leftist plot to murder Chilean military leaders. The discovery of this 'plot' was headlined in the media, and Allende was deposed and murdered. There is a similarity with what happened in Indonesia in 1965." McGehee says the Indonesia massacres were also the model for "Operation Phoenix" in Vietnam, where American-run death squads killed up to 50,000 people. Other "model operations" were conducted in Latin America. The most successful of these was the Contra, based in Honduras, whose death squads waged a "secret war" against the reformist Sandinista government of Nicaragua following its victory in democratic elections. Trained and funded by the CIA, their specialities were slitting the throats of midwives, literacy teachers and anyone else trying to improve the lot of the campesinos. The common strand in these and other interventions all over the world is an undeclared war against democracy and popular movements that resist or limit American strategic and economic influence. Having reported from a number of these front lines, I had them in mind as I watched the relentless television coverage of the presidential election absurdities in the United States. Summing up, a reporter said: "Above all, America is a nation devoted to the rule of law." This was the protective media theme. As an antidote, I recommend Greg Palast's articles on the internet about the Florida state government's use of a private company to "cleanse" names from voter registration lists. A "scrub list" of 173,000 was declared ineligible to vote for reasons ranging from "might be deceased" to "possible felons"; at least 15,000 alleged felons had committed no crime. The majority were non-whites. Florida is not alone; there are other states as corrupt, and the presidential contest is the most corrupt of all. Unless a candidate has tens of millions of dollars and the backing of the great corporate interests, he can forget it. Backing both Bush and Gore were the war industries that dominate the world trade in weapons and have ensured that the Suhartos and Pinochets get the means of repressing their people. There may have been political nuances and trivialities dividing Bush and Gore; on election day, nearly half of all registered voters, to say nothing of millions of US citizens who refuse even to register, failed to spot them and found something better to do than vote. At revealing times such as this, Americans are handed down tablets of pompous mysticism about what august institutions they have and how they invented democracy. "The myths of a democracy are not delusions," wrote David Shipler in the New York Times. "They may be part of the truth, or embellishments of an inner reality in the culture's creed [sic]. But coupled with freedom to expose the country's flaws, the myths have power because they celebrate the
Korean Central News Agency Dec 27
TODAY'S NEWS (December.27.2000 Juche 89) [CONTENTS] * Removal of concrete wall demanded * Successful art exhibition * Plan to hurl police into scene of sit-in strike blasted * Anniversary of Korean Buddhists Federation marked * Reception given at Chinese consulate general * Rodong Sinmun on north-south joint declaration * Papers call for giving full play to advantages of Korean socialism For Spanish-speaking people * comite preparatorio nacional de peru por nacimiento de dirigente kim jong il * periodicos subrayan necesidad de desplegar superioridad de socialismo coreano Removal of concrete wall demanded Pyongyang, December 27 (KCNA) -- The All India Indo-Korean Friendship Association and the Indian Committee for Supporting Korea's Reunification issued a joint statement on December 19 demanding the removal of the concrete wall. The statement said: The Korean nation's desire for reunification is daily mounting after the north-south summit and the publication of the north-south joint declaration, but there still remains the concrete wall built by the South Korean authorities in the area south of the military demarcation line on the Korean peninsula. The concrete wall is a symbol of national division and the confrontation between the north and south and a product of the united states' "two Koreas policy" as it stands as a physical barrier keeping the blood ties of the nation severed and the country divided into two. It is only the Korean nation on our planet that is undergoing all sorts of misfortune and sufferings due to its split caused by outside forces. The All India Indo-Korean Friendship Association and the Indian Committee for Supporting Korea's Reunification strongly demand that the concrete wall built in the 20th century be pulled down as early as possible for the reunification of Korea. Successful art exhibition Pyongyang, December 27 (KCNA) -- An exhibition of art works of Kim Song Min, Kim Il Sung Prize winner, people's artiste and labour hero, is going on at the Pyongyang International House of Culture. He created a portrait of President Kim Il Sung with a sunny smile on his face in July Juche 83 (1994), thus winning the admiration of the world. Displayed at the exhibition are more than 50 works including figure paintings and landscapes, etc. His works draw particular attention of visitors for the depiction of people of diverse character, masterly strokes representative of the spirit of the times, striking contrast in colours, dynamic rhythm and daring conception. Among them is a Korean painting "Smelters In the Past" which was appreciated as the best Korean painting in the 1980s. This was his maiden work that entered the national exhibition. The work truthfully depicts the slave labour of smelters to show how the Korean people were driven hard like beasts of burden under the Japanese imperialists' military occupation. Also on display there are paintings listed as national treasures such as "A Flash Lightning Over Lake Chon On Mt. Paektu," which vividly portrays the majestic and beautiful view of Lake Chon and a strong flash lightning over it. Over the past 25 years he has produced more than 600 Korean paintings, enriching the treasure house of the Juche fine art. At present he is deputy director of the Mansudae Art Studio and chairman of the central committee of the Korean Painters Union. Plan to hurl police into scene of sit-in strike blasted Pyongyang, December 27 (KCNA) -- The Trade Union of Banking Industry of South Korea in an emergency statement on Dec. 23 demanded that the authorities withdraw at once a plan to hurl police into the scene of the sit-in strike called by unionists of the national bank and housing bank, a Seoul-based radio report said. Recalling that among at least 20,000 members of the bank trade unions now on strike are more than 8,000 women, the organization warned that the authorities and the bank management will be held responsible for all the consequences to be entailed by the police crackdown. Anniversary of Korean Buddhists Federation marked Pyongyang, December 27 (KCNA) -- A meeting took place here yesterday to mark the 55th anniversary of the Korean Buddhists Federation. Present there were office-bearers of the central committee and provincial, city and county committees of the federation, chief priests of temples across the country, monks and believers in Pyongyang and guests from different organizations. Pak Thae Hwa, chairman of the c.c, the Korean Buddhists Federation, made a report. He said that they are greeting the anniversary of the federation at a time when all the fellow countrymen are working hard to achieve national unity and the reunification of the country after the Pyongyang meeting and the publication of the June 15 north-south joint declaration. He reviewed the work done by the federation over the last 55 years and proposed
