date:20030328

Further indirect evidence of the British government spinning against 
Rumsfeld.: this morning the BBC correspondent in Washington built a report 
around Rumsfeld's outburst against Syria and Iran, and had a clip of Bush 
going off for the weekend. The commentary was that "he will hope that Mr 
Rumsfeld's interventions solve problems rather than cause them."

(The spinning technique would be a briefing by Alistair Campbell's 
representative in Washington, analysing the situation in an apparently 
dispassionate way, drawing attention subtly to some complications within 
the American position. If I am right, what was successful about this little 
sound bite in shaping the news, is that it has displaced bigger UK 
government anxiety about Rumsfeld allegedly into the mind of Bush. This 
deflects attention away from dilemmas within the UK government, and 
exacerbates dilemmas within the US administration, thereby weakening the 
worst opponents of the UK and if necessary preparing the ground for it to 
be Bush rather than Blair who will be the fall guy for this debacle.

I understand the front page of the (London) Times tilts heavily against 
Rumsfeld. It leads on the potential risks of Rumsfeld enlarging the 
belligerency to Syria and Iran. Beside this it has an item with a mocking 
headline about the US running out of beans, and therefore requiring a delay 
in the attack on Baghdad. I have not read the article in detail and I am 
not suggesting that this is an outright sarcastic attack. But the title 
suggests a tilt of disprespect towards the US military position. Such tilts 
and innuendos signal shifts in the perceived wisdom of the ruling forces in 
society.

Of course it is possible that Rumsfeld deliberately decided to attack Syria 
for allegedly supplying night goggles to deflect attention away from the 
difficulty in the US providing a steady flow of beans, but he is probably 
not that clever in news manipulation. Certainly not on past performance.

Chris Burford
London

Reuters report invasion delay

This morning the BBC confirms the probability of a Reuters report that the 
advance on Baghdad is to be held up for 6-8 days. BBC reporter at HQ in 
Qatar says that is very probable, to bring up supplies: the US Third 
Division nerar Karbala is about where it should be but the progress of the 
marines has been "rather more laborious"  near Nasiriya. However there are 
now airfields inside Iraq helping with the logistics. [perhaps in the 
silent western areas?? Meanwhile there is another report of 12 more US 
troops missing near Nasiriya.]

The BBC interviewed Michael McGinty, defence analyst from the ultra 
respectable Royal United Services Institute and former Royal Navy officer. 
Studiously impartial and reasonable in tone, his report was interesting 
from the point of view of probable dominant official UK perspectives on the 
war.  About the explosion causing over 50 deaths in Baghdad he pointed out 
that over 1000 missiles have been fired. [only?] The worst error rate  for 
Tomahawk missiles going astray was 7%. This was almost certainly a cruise 
missile, so he said, the error rate is obviously better than that. He did 
not project that into a civilian casualty figure per month. [The BBC showed 
footage of the casualties and pointed out that they had been broadcast all 
round the Arab world.] Although an Iraqi missile was technically a possible 
cause there is no evidence of the Iraqi's firing anti-aircraft missiles 
during the air-raids. About effect on morale in Baghdad he said that life 
has to go on, including even football games and there is perhaps some sort 
of blitz spirit in the city "in the way we had in 1940" [thereby subtly 
identifying with the Iraqis]

Concerning the delay in the ground attack on Baghdad, McGinty said this 
sort of delay is very common. Amateurs talk of strategy; professionals talk 
of logistics. True that the guerilla attacks have been more than 
anticipated.  All these things are what Clausewitz called 'friction'.  War 
is a political activity that uses military means.

The possibilities of an Iraqi uprising are very unlikely before Saddam 
goes. With past failures to support Iraqi uprisings the anti-Saddam forces 
will not risk this. He referred to Tony Blair's image last night of there 
being a "membrane" over Iraq preventing the allies getting through to the 
Iraqi people, a membrane consisting of the Republican Guard and the 
fedayeen, as "incredibly naive". This was a throw away remark not a 
polemical attack on the prime minister, whom he conceded is an 
international politician,  but in a way all the more damning for that as a 
serious analysis. McGinty argued that the issues holding Iraqi society 
together involve a much more complex interplay of factors.

This was the amiable informed conversational voice of someone who could 
discuss with the highest levels of British military thinking!

Chris Burford
London

goin' after the protection racket?

2003-03-28 Thread Ian Murray


Perle's Resignation Not a Cure, Group Says
Ethical Dealings of Advisory Boards Government-Wide at Issue, Watchdog
Says

By Christopher Lee
Washington Post Staff Writer
Saturday, March 29, 2003; Page A02


The flap over defense adviser Richard Perle's business dealings is merely
an example of the ethical concerns that plague an influential Pentagon
advisory board, and his resignation as its chairman is not the cure, a
government watchdog group said yesterday.

Perle, a leading conservative who was an early proponent of attacking
Iraqi President Saddam Hussein's government, resigned his unpaid
leadership post on the Defense Policy Board this week after disclosures
that he was representing Global Crossing, a telecommunications company
seeking Defense Department approval to be sold to a firm controlled by
Chinese investors.

Perle is not the only panelist with corporate ties to the Pentagon,
however. Or the only one with a financial stake in the outcome of the
Global Crossing deal.

According to bankruptcy court records, former secretary of state Henry
Kissinger's consulting company, Kissinger-McLarty Associates, has been
paid $30,000 a month since November to represent Global Crossing, and is
scheduled to receive a $200,000 "success fee" if the sale is approved.

Thomas F. "Mack" McLarty, former Clinton White House chief of staff, said
in an interview that Kissinger was not participating in the deal. McLarty
said the fee arrangement is not unusual.

In all, at least nine of the board's 30 members are linked to companies
that won more than $76 billion in contracts with the Defense Department
over the past two years, raising concerns that they might be using their
public office for private gain, according to a report released yesterday
by the Center for Public Integrity.

"It's not a pretty picture," said Charles Lewis, the nonprofit group's
executive director. "It is a picture of what has long been suspected of
the incestuousness between the defense industry and the Pentagon."

For example, the report says, former CIA director R. James Woolsey is a
principal in a firm that is soliciting investment for homeland security
companies. He also is a vice president at Booz-Allen Hamilton, a
consulting firm that had contracts valued at more than $680 million last
year, the report says.

Retired Adm. William Owens, former vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of
Staff, sits on the boards of five companies that won more than $60 million
in defense contracts in 2002, according to the report.

Both men, who, like other members of the board are unpaid for their
service, said there were no ethical conflicts. Defense contracts are just
a small part of the businesses they are involved in, they said, and the
firms' interests do not come up in the advisory board's broad policy
discussions of such matters as North Korea and military alliances. If they
were to, Woolsey and Owens said they would recuse themselves from the
discussions.

"We do this kind of thing because we care about the country," said Owens,
who lives in Seattle. "We do this kind of thing for free. Indeed, I try to
pay for my own travel so the government doesn't have to pay for it. . . .
Most of us try very hard not to milk our connections in Washington."

Woolsey noted that there are many similar advisory panels in agencies
government-wide, drawing on the expertise of outside specialists who draw
no compensation in return.

"Other departments and agencies have these advisory boards, and as far as
I'm aware the [ethics] rules apply similarly to all of them," Woolsey
said. "What this really involves is whether the government wants to change
the way it gets advice from people. And if it wants to have a lot fewer
people and a lot fewer boards, that's fine."

Perle, who remains on the defense board, said this week that he had done
nothing wrong, and that he left the chairman's job only because he was
"dismayed" that the Global Crossing controversy might distract Defense
Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld from the war against Iraq.

"There was no conflict of interest, but it takes time for that to be
sorted out," Perle said in an interview yesterday with Canadian
Broadcasting Corp. "And the ethics officials at the Defense Department are
now looking into all the details of this, and I haven't the slightest
doubt how it will come out."

At the Pentagon and elsewhere, federal advisory board members' potential
conflicts of interest are difficult to determine because the panelists
file confidential annual financial disclosure statements. What's more,
federal law allows agency officials to grant waivers of ethics
restrictions if they certify that the need for a member's service
"outweighs the potential for a conflict of interest."

At a minimum, board members' disclosure forms should be made public, Lewis
said. And, he said, the Defense Department should have to report whatever
sanctions or discipline it hands down to panelists who are found to have
conflicts.

"If you're going to hav

impeaching Bush

2003-03-28 Thread michael perelman

A lurker asked if I would post this.

 Articles of Impeachment

 of

President George W. Bush

and

  Vice President Richard B. Cheney,
  Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld,
and
 Attorney General John David Ashcroft

The President, Vice President and all civil Officers of the United
States, shall be removed from
Office on Impeachment for, and Conviction of, Treason, Bribery, or other
high Crimes and
Misdemeanors. - - ARTICLE II, SECTION 4 OF THE CONSTITUTION OF THE
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

President George W. Bush, Vice President Richard B. Cheney, Secretary of
Defense Donald H.
Rumsfeld, and Attorney General John David Ashcroft have committed
violations and
subversions of the Constitution of the United States of America in an
attempt to carry out with
impunity crimes against peace and humanity and war crimes and
deprivations of the civil rights
of the people of the United States and other nations, by assuming powers
of an imperial
executive unaccountable to law and usurping powers of the Congress, the
Judiciary and those
reserved to the people of the United States, by the following acts:

1) Threatening Iraq with a first-strike war of aggression by
overwhelming and indiscriminate force including specific threats to use
nuclear weapons while engaged in a massive military build-up in
surrounding nations and waters.

2) Authorizing, ordering and condoning direct attacks on civilians,
civilian facilities and
locations where civilian casualties are unavoidable.

3) Threatening the independence and sovereignty of Iraq by belligerently
proclaiming an
intention to change its government by force while preparing to assault
Iraq in a war of aggression.

4) Authorizing, ordering and condoning assassinations, summary
executions, kidnappings, secret
and other illegal detentions of individuals, torture and physical and
psychological coercion of
prisoners to obtain false statements concerning acts and intentions of
governments and
individuals and violating within the United States, and by authorizing
U.S. forces and agents
elsewhere, the rights of individuals under the First, Fourth, Fifth,
Sixth and Eighth Amendments
to the Constitution of the United States, the Universal Declaration of
Human Rights, and the
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

5) Making, ordering and condoning false statements and propaganda about
the conduct of foreign
governments and individuals and acts by U.S. government personnel;
manipulating the media
and foreign governments with false information; concealing information
vital to public
discussion and informed judgment concerning acts, intentions and
possession, or efforts to obtain
weapons of mass destruction in order to falsely create a climate of fear
and destroy opposition to
U.S. wars of aggression and first strike attacks.

6) Violations and subversions of the Charter of the United Nations and
international law, both a
part of the "Supreme Law of the land" under Article VI, paragraph 2, of
the Constitution, in an
attempt to commit with impunity crimes against peace and humanity and
war crimes in wars and
threats of aggression against Afghanistan, Iraq and others and usurping
powers of the United
Nations and the peoples of its nations by bribery, coercion and other
corrupt acts and by rejecting
treaties, committing treaty violations, and frustrating compliance with
treaties in order to destroy
any means by which international law and institutions can prevent,
affect, or adjudicate the
exercise of U.S. military and economic power against the international
community.

7) Acting to strip United States citizens of their constitutional and
human rights, ordering
indefinite detention of citizens, without access to counsel, without
charge, and without
opportunity to appear before a civil judicial officer to challenge the
detention, based solely on the
discretionary designation by the Executive of a citizen as an "enemy
combatant."

8) Ordering indefinite detention of non-citizens in the United States
and elsewhere, and without
charge, at the discretionary designation of the Attorney General or the
Secretary of Defense.

9) Ordering and authorizing the Attorney General to override judicial
orders of release of
detainees under INS jurisdiction, even where the judicial officer after
full hearing determines a
detainee is wrongfully held by the government.

10) Authorizing secret military tribunals and summary execution of
persons who are not citizens
who are designated solely at the discretion of the Executive who acts as
indicting official,
prosecutor and as the only avenue of appellate relief.

11) Refusing to provide public disclosure of the identities and
locations of persons who have
been arrested, detained and imprisoned by

Re: Re: bunkerbusters

2003-03-28 Thread Michael Perelman

Some of them are nuclear.  I just did not know if they had non-nukes.
Thanks.
On Fri, Mar 28, 2003 at 09:44:00PM -0600, k hanly wrote:
> No. They are conventional but with a lot of explosives.
> 

-- 
Michael Perelman
Economics Department
California State University
Chico, CA 95929

Tel. 530-898-5321
E-Mail [EMAIL PROTECTED]

Re: bunkerbusters

2003-03-28 Thread k hanly

No. They are conventional but with a lot of explosives.

http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/smart/gbu-28.htm

Cheers, Ken Hanly

Guided Bomb Unit-28 (GBU-28)
BLU-113 Penetrator
The Guided Bomb Unit-28 (GBU-28) is a special weapon developed for
penetrating hardened Iraqi command centers located deep underground. The
GBU-28 is a 5,000-pound laser-guided conventional munition that uses a
4,400-pound penetrating warhead. The bombs are modified Army artillery
tubes, weigh 4,637 pounds, and contain 630 pounds of high explosives. They
are fitted with GBU-27 LGB kits, 14.5 inches in diameter and almost 19 feet
long. The operator illuminates a target with a laser designator and then the
munition guides to a spot of laser energy reflected from the target.

The GBU 28 "Bunker Buster" was put together in record time to support
targeting of the Iraqi hardened command bunker by adapting existing
materiel. The GBU-28 was not even in the early stages of research when
Kuwait was invaded. The USAF asked industry for ideas in the week after
combat operations started. Work on the bomb was conducted in research
laboratories including the the Air Force Research Laboratory Munitions
Directorate located at Eglin AFB, Florida and the Watervliet Armory in New
York. The bomb was fabricated starting on 1 February, using surplus 8-inch
artillery tubes as bomb casings because of their strength and weight. The
official go-ahead for the project was issued on 14 February, and explosives
for the initial units were hand-loaded by laboratory personnel into a bomb
body that was partially buried upright in the ground. The first two units
were delivered to the USAF on 16 and 17 February, and the first flight to
test the guidance software and fin configuration was conducted on 20
February. These tests were successful and the program proceeded with a
contract let on 22 February. A sled test on 26 February proved that the bomb
could penetrate over 20 feet of concrete, while an earlier flight test had
demonstrated the bomb's ability to penetrate more than 100 feet of earth.
The first two operational bombs were delivered to the theater on 27
February.
- Original Message -
From: "Michael Perelman" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Sent: Friday, March 28, 2003 8:38 PM
Subject: [PEN-L:36252] bunkerbusters


> The US dropped a bunker buster.  Are all of them nuclear?
> --
> Michael Perelman
> Economics Department
> California State University
> Chico, CA 95929
>
> Tel. 530-898-5321
> E-Mail [EMAIL PROTECTED]
>

WTO-deadlock approaching?

2003-03-28 Thread Ian Murray

WTO farm talks near deadlock

Charlotte Denny
Saturday March 29, 2003
The Guardian

The World Trade Organisation was last night facing the prospect of a
repeat of its disastrous Seattle meeting, after talks on agreeing a
framework for cutting farm subsidies ended in deadlock.

Stuart Harbinson, who chairs the farm talks, admitted yesterday that he
had abandoned the end of March deadline for drafting the agreement after
failing to close the divisions between the main trading powers.

"The situation we are now in is very serious," Mr Harbinson told a meeting
of envoys to the 145-member trade body.

He had drafted an ambitious plan which would have phased out export
subsidies over the next 10 years and cut tariffs steeply, but met fierce
opposition from Japan and the European Union. US chief negotiator Allen
Johnson this week claimed the problems were caused by "the European
Union's inability to engage and Japan's unwillingness to engage".

Some trade analysts have accused Mr Harbinson of letting the US off the
hook by ignoring the lavish subsidies it gives its own farmers.

Monday's deadline is the third that negotiators at the WTO's Geneva
headquarters have missed since talks began 14 months ago. Analysts fear
that the September meeting of trade ministers in Cancun, Mexico, could
turn into a repeat of the WTO's meeting in Seattle three years ago, when
negotiations collapsed amid bitter recriminations as protesters battled
police in the streets outside.

Supachai Panitchpakdi, the WTO's director general, warned last month that
agriculture was one of two critical issues which had to be agreed before
September to prevent the Cancun meeting degenerating into a stalemate.

Agriculture is seen as a test of the west's claims that the new round of
global trade talks will cut world poverty. Aid agencies said rich
countries had failed to deliver on the promises they made at the launch of
the talks in Doha.

"It sets the scene for a very rancorous meeting in Cancun," said Duncan
Green, a policy analyst at Catholic aid agency Cafod. "These deadlines
were supposed to be about building confidence for developing countries in
the round, and it has in fact achieved the opposite. Developing countries
are feeling let down and angry."

bunkerbusters

2003-03-28 Thread Michael Perelman

The US dropped a bunker buster.  Are all of them nuclear?
-- 
Michael Perelman
Economics Department
California State University
Chico, CA 95929

Tel. 530-898-5321
E-Mail [EMAIL PROTECTED]

Barron's on the effects of war...

Barron's gives the war 4-8 weeks before we swing into a more serious 
recession. Here's a snippet of what they emailed ALL their subscribers today:

"What's War Good For?
Already, the war is hurting the economy. If it drags on for more than 4-8
weeks, some economists say be prepared for a serious recession that's far
worse than the last one. Barron's takes a closer look at the outlook for the
economy and stocks - and the remaining unknowns."
...full story in tomorrow's edition. Finance capital does NOT like this war.

Joanna

Rumsfeld's enemies are circling - BBC

apart from the latest massacre by the invading forces, the main story on 
the BBC on Friday evening was to amplify the growing questions in the USA 
about the initial Pentagon strategy. This news story is probably being 
helped on a little by UK government off the record briefings.

The tv showed shots of increasingly sceptical faces of US reporters (but no 
actual shift in the editorial content of US papers yet) Rumsfeld's latest 
outburst against Syria and Iran was portrayed as more a sign of weakness 
and instability than a sign that the US will prevail.

The BBC commentator observed of Rumsfeld,  "now his enemies are circling", 
hinting the BBC would be ready to get its share of the carrion.

On the theme of whether the whole strategy of the war was miscalculated by 
the unilateralist, the BBC quoted a senior person in the UK ministry of 
defence saying "We will win, but it won't be quick".

Britain is in for the long haul, and Friday morning the Downing Street 
correspondent suggested presumably after official briefings that the most 
valuable part of Blair's trip was his meeting with Kofi Annan. This lasted 
two hours, and was about the technical details of getting humanitarian aid 
in to Iraq.

Later on Friday Putin was reported as saying Russia was willing to 
contribute to "frank" discussions about humanitarian aid.

Blair does not expect to be the fall guy, and at the moment Rumsfeld could 
be very convenient.

Expect a lightly-armoured tactically-agile diplomatic move from a sincerely 
anguished Tony Blair within the next two weeks at the latest. After all, he 
signalled at his press conference with Bush, when he accepted the idea of 
US administration of a liberated Iraq, there is no point in engaging in 
megaphone diplomacy. But Bush probably did not understand what he meant.

Chris Burford
London

Guardian: more on Perle's fall

I'm all for being cynical but it is important to be able to recognize a 
fall. Yes Perle could still get the same salary on the board, but will he 
get the same commission fees? Will he get the same television exposure? Why 
within a week of what the FT called a victory celebration addressed by him 
hosted by the American Enterprise Institute is he driven from the Chair of 
the Defense Advisory Board  in anger and frustration? If he gets 
invitations to appear on television it will now be as fall guy, to see how 
well he stands up to baiting.

This item from the Guardian gives more financial details and shows how the 
paper stepped in to make it clear that Perle would not only have to fight 
the New Yorker under UK libel laws, but would have to fight the Guardian, 
and it has a proud record of winning even under our adverse libel system. 
ITs action may have contributed to Perle's fall.

But what I find even more remarkable in this piece, is the open opposition 
of the head of the British military in Iraq to a neo-liberal economic 
dispensation for Iraq, and an explicit preference for what would at least 
be the Arab equivalent of Christian Democratic or Social Democratic one.

What we are seeing is a battle between two models of imperialist domination 
of the world, catalysed by the resistance of Saddam Hussein and the Iraqi 
people to the spread of the global Empire.

Chris Burford
London
_

Richard Perle's resignation highlights questions over US economic 
involvement in postwar Iraq, writes Brian Whitaker

Friday March 28, 2003

http://www.guardian.co.uk/Iraq/dailybriefing/story/0,12965,924728,00.html

Amid admissions that Iraq has surprised the invasion forces with the 
strength of its resistance, and official predictions that the conflict will 
last longer than originally expected, there is news from Washington that 
Richard Perle, chief architect of the war, has resigned as chairman of the 
Pentagon's influential Defence Policy Board.

Mr Perle says he resigned to stop allegations about his business interests 
becoming a distraction from the "urgent challenge" of invading Iraq, but he 
apparently intends to stay on in a more minor role.

In 1996 Mr Perle, nicknamed the Prince of Darkness, was the main author of 
a report entitled "Clean Break" whose contents were revealed by the 
Guardian last September (Playing skittles with Saddam, September 3 2002)
http://www.guardian.co.uk/Archive/Article/0,4273,4493638,00.html.

This set out a plan to protect Israel's strategic interests by reshaping 
the Middle East, starting with regime change in Iraq.

Last week, the Guardian disclosed Mr Perle's links to an 
intelligence-related computer firm that stands to profit from war with Iraq 
(Pentagon hawk linked to UK intelligence company, March 21 2003).

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,3604,918742,00.html

Mr Perle has denied separate allegations published earlier this month in 
the New Yorker, and threatened to sue the magazine in Britain, where libel 
cases are much harder to defend than in the US.

According to a report to be published today by the US watchdog Center for 
Public Integrity, at least 10 out of 30 members of the Pentagon committee 
are executives or lobbyists with companies that have tens of billions of 
dollars' worth of contracts with the US defence department and other 
government agencies.

Britain's chief military officer in the Gulf, Air Marshal Brian Burridge, 
yesterday attacked American moves to hand over the running of Iraq's 
largest port to a company which has a history of bad industrial relations 
and has faced accusations of union-busting.

The firm, Stevedoring Services of American, has been awarded a £3m contract 
to manage Umm Qasr by the Bush administration. Britain argues that the port 
should be run by Iraqis once it has been made secure.

Another contract in Umm Qasr - for construction work - has gone to a 
subsidiary of Halliburton, Vice-President Dick Cheney's old firm.

RE: Re: Dixie Chick apologises

Title: RE: [PEN-L:36244] Re: Dixie Chick apologises

what she really said:

Statement from Natalie Maines of the Dixie Chicks
March 14, 2003

"As a concerned American citizen, I apologize to President Bush because my remark was disrespectful. I feel that whoever holds that office should be treated with the utmost respect. We are currently in Europe and witnessing a huge anti-American sentiment as a result of the perceived rush to war. While war may remain a viable option, as a mother, I just want to see every possible alternative exhausted before children and American soldiers' lives are lost. I love my country. I am a proud American." (http://dixiechicks.launch.yahoo.com/news.asp?id=26) 

Jim Devine [EMAIL PROTECTED] &  http://bellarmine.lmu.edu/~jdevine
stop the war now!

> -Original Message-
> From: Doug Henwood [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]
> Sent: Friday, March 28, 2003 3:30 PM
> To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> Subject: [PEN-L:36244] Re: Dixie Chick apologises
> 
> 
> Dan Scanlan wrote:
> 
> >Apology from Natalie Maines of The Dixie Chicks
> 
> This is satire, right?
> 
> Doug
> 
>

Re: Re: Dixie Chick apologises

Sudden thought: Assuming Natalie did write this, as is, why don't you 
invite her for an interview on your radio show?

Joanna

At 06:30 PM 03/28/2003 -0500, you wrote:
Dan Scanlan wrote:

Apology from Natalie Maines of The Dixie Chicks
This is satire, right?

Doug

RE: Re: Dixie Chick apologises

Title: RE: [PEN-L:36244] Re: Dixie Chick apologises

Yup. See http://thespeciousreport.com/2003_dixiechicks.html. Note the source.

Jim Devine [EMAIL PROTECTED] &  http://bellarmine.lmu.edu/~jdevine
stop the war now!

> -Original Message-
> From: Doug Henwood [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]
> Sent: Friday, March 28, 2003 3:30 PM
> To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> Subject: [PEN-L:36244] Re: Dixie Chick apologises
> 
> 
> Dan Scanlan wrote:
> 
> >Apology from Natalie Maines of The Dixie Chicks
> 
> This is satire, right?
> 
> Doug
> 
>

Re: Re: Dixie Chick apologises

A bummmer. Hope not. I thought it was a real "apology."

Joanna

At 06:30 PM 03/28/2003 -0500, you wrote:
Dan Scanlan wrote:

Apology from Natalie Maines of The Dixie Chicks
This is satire, right?

Doug

Re: Dixie Chick apologises

2003-03-28 Thread Doug Henwood

Dan Scanlan wrote:

Apology from Natalie Maines of The Dixie Chicks
This is satire, right?

Doug

RE: Dixie Chick apologises

Title: RE: [PEN-L:36241] Dixie Chick apologises





Steve Earle is pretty good politically (and musically) but is with the general category of "country music." 



Jim Devine [EMAIL PROTECTED] &  http://bellarmine.lmu.edu/~jdevine
stop the war now!




> -Original Message-
> From: Dan Scanlan [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]
> Sent: Friday, March 28, 2003 3:14 PM
> To: Recipient List Suppressed
> Subject: [PEN-L:36241] Dixie Chick apologises
> 
> 
> Apology from Natalie Maines of The Dixie Chicks
> 
> As a concerned American citizen, I apologize to President Bush 
> because my remark was disrespectful. I now realize that whoever holds 
> that office should be treated with the utmost respect.
> 
> I hope everyone understands, I'm just a young girl who grew up in 
> Texas. As far back as I can remember, I heard people say they were 
> ashamed of President Clinton. I saw bumper stickers calling him 
> everything from a pothead to a murderer. I heard people on the radio 
> and tv like Rush Limbaugh, Pat Robertson, Newt Gingrich and Trent 
> Lott bad mouthing the President and ridiculing his wife and daughter 
> at every opportunity. I heard LOTS of people disrespecting the 
> President. So I guess I just assumed it was acceptable behavior.
> 
> But now, thanks to the thousands of angry people who want radio 
> stations to boycott our music because criticizing the President is 
> unpatriotic, I realize it's wrong to have a liberal opinion if you're 
> a country music artist. I guess I should have thought about that 
> before deciding to play music that attracts hypocritical red necks. I 
> also realize now that I'm supposed to just sing and look cute so our 
> fans won't have anything to upset them while they're cheating on 
> their wives or getting in drunken bar fights or driving around in 
> their pickup trucks shooting highway signs and small animals.
> 
> And most important of all, I realize that it's wrong for a celebrity 
> to voice a political opinion, unless they're Charlie Daniels, Clint 
> Black, Merle Haggard, Barbara Mandrell, Loretta Lynn, Ricky Skaggs, 
> Travis Tritt, Hank Williams Jr, Amy Grant, Larry Gatlin, Crystal 
> Gayle, Reba McEntire, Lee Greenwood, Lorrie Morgan, Anita Bryant, 
> Mike Oldfield, Ted Nugent, Wayne Newton, Dick Clark, Jay Leno, Drew 
> Carey, Dixie Carter, Victoria Jackson, Charlton Heston, Fred 
> Thompson, Ben Stein, Bruce Willis, Kevin Costner, Arnold 
> Schwartzenegger, Bo Derek, Rick Schroeder, George Will, Pat Buchanan, 
> Bill O'Reilly, Joe Rogan, Delta Burke, Robert Conrad or Jesse Ventura.
> 
> God Bless America, Natalie
> -- 
> --
> Drop Bush, Not Bombs!
> --
> 
> "During times of universal deceit,
> telling the truth becomes a revolutionary act."
> George Orwell
> 
> -
> 
> END OF THE TRAIL SALOON
> Live music, comedy, call-in radio-oke
> Alternate Sundays, 6am GMT (10pm PDT)
> http://www.kvmr.org
> 
> 
> 
> "I uke, therefore I am." -- Cool Hand Uke
> "I log on, therefore I seem to be." -- Rodd Gnawkin
> 
> Visit Cool Hand Uke's Lava Tube:
>   http://www.oro.net/~dscanlan
> 
>

Come on, now

Catholic Teacher Quits Rather Than Remove Anti-War Button --A 
teacher at a Catholic high school has quit rather than remove an 
anti-war button the principal said violated the dress code. 
[Principal Dr. Joseph S. Fusco's email address, 
[EMAIL PROTECTED], of Bergen Catholic High School in 
Oradell, New Jersey.]


Dear Dr. Fusco,

In 1966 I was teaching English and journalism in an all-girls 
parochial high school run by Dominican nuns. We were in an area of 
Los Angeles bordering Watts that was rapidly becoming darker, thanks, 
in part, to the local Realtors and their "blockbusting" schemes, 
i.e., selling to a black family in order to get the frightened white 
neighbors to sell their homes cheaply. In faculty meetings when we 
talked about how to address the rampant racism surrounding our 
school, I introduced Pope John XXIII's encyclical on racism. That was 
my first sin.

My second sin was speaking out against the war in Vietnam. The local 
John Birch Society, which was led by the local head of the Board of 
Realtors, flooded the school one day with phone calls about my stance 
on racism and the war.

I was called in by the principal who told me, verbatim, "You may be 
ahead of your time, but we can't allow you to teach here now." I was 
fired. My cousin who was a senior at the school at the time told me a 
few months later that all of the teachers were speaking out against 
the war, that I wasn't ten years ahead of my time, only months.

You seem to be years behind, Doctor. Shame on you.

Dan Scanlan
Grass Valley CA 95945

Dixie Chick apologises

Apology from Natalie Maines of The Dixie Chicks

As a concerned American citizen, I apologize to President Bush 
because my remark was disrespectful. I now realize that whoever holds 
that office should be treated with the utmost respect.

I hope everyone understands, I'm just a young girl who grew up in 
Texas. As far back as I can remember, I heard people say they were 
ashamed of President Clinton. I saw bumper stickers calling him 
everything from a pothead to a murderer. I heard people on the radio 
and tv like Rush Limbaugh, Pat Robertson, Newt Gingrich and Trent 
Lott bad mouthing the President and ridiculing his wife and daughter 
at every opportunity. I heard LOTS of people disrespecting the 
President. So I guess I just assumed it was acceptable behavior.

But now, thanks to the thousands of angry people who want radio 
stations to boycott our music because criticizing the President is 
unpatriotic, I realize it's wrong to have a liberal opinion if you're 
a country music artist. I guess I should have thought about that 
before deciding to play music that attracts hypocritical red necks. I 
also realize now that I'm supposed to just sing and look cute so our 
fans won't have anything to upset them while they're cheating on 
their wives or getting in drunken bar fights or driving around in 
their pickup trucks shooting highway signs and small animals.

And most important of all, I realize that it's wrong for a celebrity 
to voice a political opinion, unless they're Charlie Daniels, Clint 
Black, Merle Haggard, Barbara Mandrell, Loretta Lynn, Ricky Skaggs, 
Travis Tritt, Hank Williams Jr, Amy Grant, Larry Gatlin, Crystal 
Gayle, Reba McEntire, Lee Greenwood, Lorrie Morgan, Anita Bryant, 
Mike Oldfield, Ted Nugent, Wayne Newton, Dick Clark, Jay Leno, Drew 
Carey, Dixie Carter, Victoria Jackson, Charlton Heston, Fred 
Thompson, Ben Stein, Bruce Willis, Kevin Costner, Arnold 
Schwartzenegger, Bo Derek, Rick Schroeder, George Will, Pat Buchanan, 
Bill O'Reilly, Joe Rogan, Delta Burke, Robert Conrad or Jesse Ventura.

God Bless America, Natalie
--
--
Drop Bush, Not Bombs!
--
"During times of universal deceit,
telling the truth becomes a revolutionary act."
George Orwell
-

END OF THE TRAIL SALOON
Live music, comedy, call-in radio-oke
Alternate Sundays, 6am GMT (10pm PDT)
http://www.kvmr.org


"I uke, therefore I am." -- Cool Hand Uke
"I log on, therefore I seem to be." -- Rodd Gnawkin
Visit Cool Hand Uke's Lava Tube:
 http://www.oro.net/~dscanlan

Plus, they cook and eat them afterwards

Rumsfeld Calls on Syria to Stop Flow of Military Aid to Iraq
U.S. Forces Consolidate Positions Amid Wide Fighting
By Thomas W. Lippman
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, March 28, 2003; 5:00 PM
(clip)

As U.S. warplanes pounded Iraqi defenders with bombs and missiles, several 
Army and Marine units engaged in close combat with Iraqi paramilitary 
forces and regular army units. Brooks said they "conducted active security 
operations to eliminate identified terrorist death squads," a reference to 
Iraqi cadres who U.S. and British officials say are threatening Iraqi 
civilians to compel the men in their families to fight.

Rumsfeld said these "death squads" take orders directly from Hussein's 
family, and he denounced them in some of the strongest language he has used 
since the war began.

"Their ranks are populated with criminals released from Iraqi prisons," he 
said. "They dress in civilian clothes and operate from private homes 
confiscated from innocent people and try to blend in with the civilian 
population. They conduct sadistic executions on sidewalks and public 
squares, cutting the tongues out of those accused of disloyalty and 
beheading people with swords. They put on American and British uniforms to 
try to fool regular Iraqi soldiers into surrendering to them, and then 
execute them as an example for others who might contemplate defection or 
capitulation."

full: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A41941-2003Mar28.html

Louis Proyect, Marxism mailing list: http://www.marxmail.org

US econ. stability

Title: US econ. stability





for one of my courses, I decided that it would be useful to calculate how the degree of macro-level automatic stabilization due to the Federal budget has changed over time. (That is, it used to be that if the US economy goes into recession, the deficit automatically would rise, moderating the slump.) In my simple calculations based on data supplied by the Congressional Budget Office (http://www.cbo.gov/showdoc.cfm?index=1485&sequence=0, table 2), automatic stabilization disappeared around 1989 and actually became negative.

This helps to explain the steepness of the 2001 recession (until it was stopped by active & monetary fiscal policy) and does not bode well for the next recession. 

Does anyone know of more serious (less back-of-the-envelope) research on this? 


Jim Devine [EMAIL PROTECTED] &  http://bellarmine.lmu.edu/~jdevine

Rightwing media and the war

If you go to the website of WABC radio (http://www.wabcradio.com/), the 
station of Rush Limbaugh, Michael Savage and a host of other rightwing 
scumbags, you will find an invitation to display pro-war posters paid for 
and distributed by the station. This station has millions of listeners.

Clear Channel is another huge media company that has openly enlisted in the 
pro-war movement, as Paul Krugman pointed out in a recent NY Times column:

Channels of Influence
By PAUL KRUGMAN
By and large, recent pro-war rallies haven't drawn nearly as many people as 
antiwar rallies, but they have certainly been vehement. One of the most 
striking took place after Natalie Maines, lead singer for the Dixie Chicks, 
criticized President Bush: a crowd gathered in Louisiana to watch a 
33,000-pound tractor smash a collection of Dixie Chicks CD's, tapes and 
other paraphernalia. To those familiar with 20th-century European history 
it seemed eerily reminiscent of. . . . But as Sinclair Lewis said, it can't 
happen here.

Who has been organizing those pro-war rallies? The answer, it turns out, is 
that they are being promoted by key players in the radio industry  with 
close links to the Bush administration.

The CD-smashing rally was organized by KRMD, part of Cumulus Media, a radio 
chain that has banned the Dixie Chicks from its playlists. Most of the 
pro-war demonstrations around the country have, however, been organized by 
stations owned by Clear Channel Communications, a behemoth based in San 
Antonio that controls more than 1,200 stations and increasingly dominates 
the airwaves.

full: http://www.nytimes.com/2003/03/25/opinion/25KRUG.html

Meanwhile, one of the regulars on the alt.fan.don-imus newsgroup (yes, it's 
true. I hang out there) has been posting bloodcurdling pro-war items 
written by Arnaud de Borchgrave, the Reaganite hack who when editing the 
Moonie Washington Times suppressed a reporters' revolt who resented 
interference from the Unification Church, and who now writes for UPI. After 
a couple of these items, I decided to look a little deeper. Wasn't UPI a 
reputable news wire service? As it turns out, the Moonie connection is 
still there:

Unification Press International?
Rev. Moon Adds United Press International To His Media Empire
 By Bill Berkowitz

A little more than eight years ago, Rev. Pat Robertson was closing in on 
acquiring what would have been the jewel in his media empire. Unfortunately 
for him, at just about the last minute a bankruptcy
judge rejected the bid by the fabulously wealthy religious broadcaster and 
Christian Coalition founder, and instead ruled that United Press 
International (UPI), one of the preeminent news wire services, would be 
sold to a group of Middle Eastern investors.

Fast forward to 2000: the venerable and troubled UPI has been sold yet 
again. News World Communications, the new owner, is the thriving media arm 
of another right-wing charismatic figure, the Rev. Sun Myung Moon and his 
Unification Church. Although News World Communications has
said that it intends to maintain UPI as an independent news organization, 
it all hinges on who's interpreting what "independent news organization" 
means. Media watchers of all political stripes are
wondering what to expect from this new Moon circling the globe.

full: http://www.mediachannel.org/originals/upi-moon.shtml

With this kind of open politicization of the mass media and with the 
assaults on Pacifica, it is very obvious that we are dealing with a crude 
attempt to dictate the terms of the debate. As alarming as this is, it 
indicates the weakness of their position. If there was a powerful base of 
support for the Bush administration, I doubt that it would be necessary to 
turn radio stations and news wires into wings of the Pentagon.

Louis Proyect, Marxism mailing list: http://www.marxmail.org

FW: useful web resources re Iraq

Title: FW: useful web resources re Iraq





my friend Jennifer Olmstead sent me the following.



Jim Devine [EMAIL PROTECTED] &  http://bellarmine.lmu.edu/~jdevine
stop the war now!



Hi all,
As someone who has been studying the Middle East for quite some time, I
feel compelled during this time of war, to send out this E-mail with what I
hope you will find to be some worthwhile links, providing more historical
context, as well as hinting about what the likely aftermath of this war is
likely to be.


Two articles that provide excellent discussions of the recent history of
Iraq and US/Iraqi relations are:


"Why Another War?" available at 


http://www.merip.org/ 


I am providing the above, general link, since this cite has many other
interesting ME articles. From there you can click on the Why another War?
title.  


and 


"Understanding the US-Iraq Crisis"


http://www.ips-dc.org/iraq/primer.pdf


If you are interested in seeing the original document that sparked some
recent discussions of the close links between Bush's current advisors and
Israel, the following may be of interest. 
 
http://www.israeleconomy.org/strat1.htm


In particular, see section titled "Moving to a Traditional Balance of Power
Strategy"


This is the original document upon which much of the current speculation is
based. It's a paper written for Netanyahu in the mid 1990s, by Perle, Feith
and Wurmser, all currently close advisors to Bush, that outlines the need
to get rid of Saddam Hussein (with the suggestion of replacing him with
members of the Hashemite family, who know rule Jordan).


Also of interest might be webpages hinting at increased anger globally and
a potential economic backlash, due to this war.  See, for instance various
webpages now advocating a boycott of US products, either domestically or
internationally:


http://www.bethecause.org  (US based)


http://www.adbusters.org/ (Canadian)


http://www.consumers-against-war.de/ (Germany)


Jennifer

reconstructing Iraq

2003-03-28 Thread Ian Murray

http://www.carlisle.army.mil/ssi/pubs/2003/reconirq/reconirq.htm
RECONSTRUCTING IRAQ:
INSIGHTS, CHALLENGES, AND MISSIONS
FOR MILITARY FORCES IN A POST-CONFLICT SCENARIO
Conrad C. Crane
W. Andrew Terrill
Strategic Studies Institute

February 2003


The views expressed in this report are those of the authors and do not
necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Department of
the Army, the Department of Defense, or the U.S. Government.

SUMMARY
In October 2002, the U.S. Army War College's Strategic Studies Institute,
in coordination with the Office of the Army Deputy Chief of Staff/G-3,
initiated a study to analyze how American and coalition forces can best
address the requirements that will necessarily follow operational victory
in a war with Iraq. The objectives of the project were to determine and
analyze probable missions for military forces in a post-Saddam Iraq;
examine associated challenges; and formulate strategic recommendations for
transferring responsibilities to coalition partners or civilian
organizations, mitigating local animosity, and facilitating overall
mission accomplishment in the war against terrorism. The study has much to
offer planners and executors of operations to occupy and reconstruct Iraq,
but also has many insights that will apply to achieving strategic
objectives in any conflict after hostilities are concluded. The current
war against terrorism has highlighted the danger posed by failed and
struggling states. If this nation and its coalition partners decide to
undertake the mission to remove Saddam Hussein, they will also have to be
prepared to dedicate considerable time, manpower, and money to the effort
to reconstruct Iraq after the fighting is over. Otherwise, the success of
military operations will be ephemeral, and the problems they were designed
to eliminate could return or be replaced by new and more virulent
difficulties.

Re: Re: Re: Falling perles

2003-03-28 Thread Alan Jacobson

... 
> Mr.Perle sounded angry. Asked 
> whether he had resigned, he replied: 'Let me just
> tell you something. If I 
> had, you'd be the last person in the world I'd want
> to talk to.' He then 
> slammed down the phone."
> 

It's ok, he understands the concept of collateral
damage.


Alan J

Spreading the cost, legitimizing aggression

2003-03-28 Thread k hanly



http://www.zmag.org/content/showarticle.cfm?SectionID=15&ItemID=3341


Aid Conundrum

by Phyllis Bennis; March 28, 2003

The UN Security Council is likely to vote tomorrow (28 March) on a
resolution outlining how emergency humanitarian aid will be provided to
Iraqis.

The U.S.-UK are pushing for a new Security Council resolution that would

(1) identify the U.S. as one of the "relevant authorities" in Iraq;

(2) call for use of Iraq's oil-for-food funds to pay for emergency relief
and rehabilitation;

(3) call on the UN to re-start the oil-for-food program and "endorse" the
U.S. aid effort in order to facilitate other countries' participation in
(read: payment for) the aid campaign

The Humanitarian Challenge:

Make sure emergency assistance and general relief reaches desperate Iraqi
civilians AND make sure the U.S. takes responsibility for its obligations
under international law AND make sure the U.S. doesn't get
credit/legitimation for its illegal war AND make sure the United Nations
isn't marginalized but remains at the international center of
decision-making in the Iraq crisis. All at the same time.

The Scenario:

There is a generalized intimidation campaign underway at the UN, and many
countries are too frightened to challenge U.S. demands. Examples of the
pressure include:

U.S. letters -

In a move which may have been used against many other countries as well,
the U.S. ambassador to South Africa sent a letter to the deputy foreign
minister explicitly demanding that South Africa (and perhaps other
countries) not participate in or support any effort to call to convene an
emergency General Assembly meeting on the Iraq war. The language was
harshly threatening: "Given the current highly charged atmosphere, the
United States would regard a General Assembly session on Iraq as unhelpful
and as directed against the United States. Please know that this question
as well as your position on it is important to the U.S."

Attack on Canada -

  In a similar move, the U.S. ambassador attacked Canada for not supporting
the war. Amb. Paul Celluci acknowledged that "Canadian naval vessels,
aircraft and personnel in the Persian Gulf .who are fighting terrorism will
provide more support indirectly to this war in Iraq than most of the 46
countries that are fully [sic] supportive of our efforts there. But he went
on to say "many in the United States are disappointed and upset that Canada
is not fully supporting us now." The ambassador said the damage would be
short-term, but "Canada might face repercussions."

Powell statements -

  In the 26 March congressional hearing, Rep. Vitter challenged Powell
about the potential UN role. "It seems to me it's one thing for there to be
a future UN resolution about a role for the UN, particularly humanitarian.
But it would be another thing for the UN resolution to lay out some road
map for post-war Iraq in such a way that it [the UN] would basically grab
that decision-making and control from the coalition.. Can you give us some
assurance that whatever UN resolutions are in the future will not do that?"
Powell replied "I don't even see a possibility of that right now. . We
would not support .essentially handing everything over to the UN, for
someone designated by the UN to suddenly become in charge of this whole
operation."

The Issues:

Should oil-for-food funds be released and used to pay for emergency
supplies?

  No -- international law, specifically Geneva Conventions, requires
belligerent --and occupying power -- to take responsibility (meaning pay)
for humanitarian needs of civilian population under occupation. Currently
that includes most of Iraq. The oil-for-food money is Iraqi money; it
belongs to the people of Iraq, and should remain in the bank until there is
a functioning government in Iraq to whom it can be turned over.

2) Then how should emergency food, medicine, other needs be paid for? The
U.S., the occupying power and belligerent, should pay all costs for
emergency care and initial rehabilitation efforts, at least during period
while hostilities continue.

3) Why should poor and working people in the U.S. support their tax dollars
being used to pay for rebuilding schools, roads, hospitals destroyed by the
U.S. in Iraq, when those things are also crumbling in U.S. cities? They
shouldn't. The program should be funded through a special 50% Excess
Profit/ Windfall for War tax on all contracts offered to U.S. corporations
(Bechtel, Halliburton, etc.) for rebuilding post-war Iraq.

4) How should the provision of food, medicine, shelter, refugee assistance,
etc. be organized and provided? The UN and UN agencies (WFP, UNICEF, WHO,
UNHCR, etc.) should organize and provide the aid, paying for it with U.S.
funds. The actual work of procurement and distribution should be carried
out, as much as possible, by the Iraqi civil servants who ran the
oil-for-food program until March 2003. There should be a clear demand on
the U.S. (beyond the overall demand to stop the war and wit

casualty figures

2003-03-28 Thread e. ahmet tonak

Can anyone suggest reliable and continuously updated sources for 
military and civilian casualties on both sides --beyond iraqbodycount.net?

Thanks

E. Ahmet Tonak
Professor of Economics
Simon's Rock College of Bard
84 Alford Road
Great Barrington, MA 01230
Tel:  413 528 7488
Fax: 413 528 7365
www.simons-rock.edu/~eatonak

RE: Kathy Kelly report

Title: RE: [PEN-L:36226] Kathy Kelly report





The title is apt. I can imagine that for each Iraqi soldier killed by the US/poodle forces, there's an entire family of Iraqis that's angry, very angry. And then think of the families of civilians...

Jim 


-Original Message-
From: Dan Scanlan
To: Recipient List Suppressed
Sent: 3/28/2003 9:44 AM
Subject: [PEN-L:36226] Kathy Kelly report


Broadcast on Tuesday, March 25, 2003 by CommonDreams.org


Angry, Very Angry


by Kathy Kelly

Re: Re: Falling perles

2003-03-28 Thread Carl Remick

From: joanna bujes <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>

Say what? He just resigned his "chairmanship" -- lowering his profile, 
increasing his ability to influence policy AND rake in the $$. That's all. 
Alas.
Hold the "alas" please.  Perle's not exactly chortling with glee at this 
development.  As the NY Times reports:  "In a brief phone conversation this 
afternoon before the Pentagon's announcement, Mr. Perle sounded angry. Asked 
whether he had resigned, he replied: 'Let me just tell you something. If I 
had, you'd be the last person in the world I'd want to talk to.' He then 
slammed down the phone."



Carl

_

(no subject)

2003-03-28 Thread Michael Hoover

"We hold these truths to be self evident.  That all men are created unequal, and that 
the capitalist class is endowed with ceratin natural rights; that among these rights 
are the right to hoard, exploit, and market life, liberty, pursuit of happiness, air, 
water, food, clothing, shelter, and employment"

The Independent
23 March 2003

Activists rage against global 'water wars'

By Peter Popham in Rome

Campaigners met in Florence this weekend to condemn the notion that 
water is a resource to be bought, sold and monopolised by wealthy 
nations and corporations.

Disgusted with a World Water Forum in Kyoto that they say is "one 
more celebration of market forces, capital and private investment," 
1,000 campaigners and activists streamed into Florence to flesh out 
their vision of water as "the basic common good".

They have descended on the medieval castle in the city centre taken 
over last November by tens of thousands of participants at the 
European Social Forum.

The organisers say the forum showed that, "despite efforts over the 
past decade to discredit and marginalise alternative movements, their 
voices are part of a credible process".

Florence is a symbolic setting for the inauguration of the People's 
World Water Forum. Exactly 500 years ago, during a war between 
Florence and Pisa, Machiavelli and Leonardo da Vinci planned to 
divert the River Arno from Pisa, hastening that city's defeat.

That was an early water war. But speakers at the forum voiced their 
fear that the world is now heading for an endless succession of such 
wars to control access to "blue gold". They believe that participants 
at the official Water Forum in Kyoto, also taking place this week, 
are committed to the control of water by governments and corporations 
- at the permanent expense of the Third World poor.

One speaker at the forum, Riccardo Petrella, a professor of political 
economy at Leuven University in Belgium, defined water as "the basic 
element of solidarity. Sharing water is not something you do for 
others to make yourself feel good - it's something that shows you 
have things in common with that person. You don't assert that 
solidarity until you see yourself as part of the same biological and 
territorial unit."

The oppositional, bipolar perspective of the Cold War, he said, has 
been replaced by a growing sense of the inevitability of war. "They 
say that water will be the next object of conquest by the year 2020, 
when the world's population reaches eight billion," he said. "But 
water is not 'blue gold'. Water is just water, the greatest common 
good. We don't have to believe in the World Bank's scheme of 
permanent belligerency."

The forum's goal is to implant the notion of "a right to water for 
all - a global good - as a principle recognised universally", and to 
fight against "all forms of privatisation and merchandisation of 
water". They want to see the setting up of a World Water Authority 
with judicial, legislative and sanction powers - not the "purely 
technocratic approach of the disputes settlement body of the World 
Trade Organisation".

The forum's goals were unwittingly endorsed by research published 
this week showing that tap water in Italy's major cities is as good 
or better than the mineral water on which millions of euros are spent 
every year.

Teacher Quits Rather Than Remove Anti-War Button

2003-03-28 Thread Michael Hoover

Catholic Teacher Quits Rather Than Remove Anti-War Button --A teacher at a Catholic 
high school has quit rather than remove an anti-war button the principal said violated 
the dress code. [Principal Dr. Joseph S. Fusco's email address, [EMAIL PROTECTED], of 
Bergen Catholic High School in Oradell, New Jersey.]

First Nations view

Title: First Nations view


Here's one that's
been circulating among American Indian and Hawaiian
groups.

Dan

---


BUREAU OF
IRAQI AFFAIRS (BIA)

Dear People of Iraq,

Now that you have
been liberated from your tyrannical oppressors, we at the BIA look
forward to our relationship with you. Below you will find a list of
what to expect from the services of our good offices.

1. Henceforth, English will be the spoken language of all government
and associated offices. If you do not speak English, a translator
fluent in German will be provided.

2. All Iraqi
people will apply for a spot on a citizen roll. Citizenship will be
open to those people who can prove that they are Iraqi back four
generations with documents issued by the United States. Christian
church records may also be given in support.

3. All hospitals
will be issued with a standard emergency aid kit. The kit contains
gauze, Band-Aids, burn cream, iodine, tweezers, and duct
tape.

4. Your oil is to
be held in trust for you. We will appoint your new American approved
government a lawyer with a background in the oil industry. Never mind
that he works for the company that he will eventually cut a deal
with. This close relationship will guarantee you more money for your
oil.

5. Each Citizen
will be allotted one hundred acres of prime Iraqi desert. They will
be issued plows, hoes, seed corn and the King James Bible. All
leftover land will be open to settlement by Israelis.

6. Each Citizen
is entitled to draw a ration of milk, sugar, flour and lard. If you
can not use the rations for health or religious reasons you may file
a complaint with your BIA appointed liaisons, Crisco. Those Iraqis
showing signs of diabetes, heart disease, or glaucoma will be issued
with double rations in place of adequate health care.

7. We will
mismanage your trust monies, allowing any five year old with minimal
computer skills to hack into the system and set up their own account.
Records of your accounts will be kept, but you must receive express
written permission from the head of the BIA to examine
them.

8. In keeping
with the separation of Church and State supported by the US
constitution, Christian missionaries will be sponsored through
government funding. Only Iraqis who convert to Christianity will be
allowed to hold jobs within the government.

9. For the
purposes of treaty making, any single Iraqi will be found competent
to sign on behalf of all other Iraqis.

10. Welcome to the Free World and have a nice day!

The Party Line

2003-03-28 Thread Waistline2

Do you uphold the party line?

"When the party line changed, you changed and are you an agent of the Soviet Union? Are you a communist bent on destroying American democracy?"

These were questions from the 1950's and early 1960's that many in America faced who believe in fair play. The "party line" and the "mass line" in today's world speak of the propaganda campaign of the imperial bourgeoisie and the opposing line of the workers.

"Eliminating weapons of mass destruction," "Liberating the people of Iraq from a terrorist regime," " War against terrorism," "Fighting for Freedom" is the mass line of the Anglo-American imperial bourgeoisie and its leading sector. "The oil and natural resources of Iraq belong to the people of Iraq," is part of the mass line of the imperial bourgeoisie.

The mass line is a strategic line of approach to the current daily social struggle. By definition the mass line has to embrace the manner in which people think things out, what they are experiencing and what they see or perceive. Do the people of Iraq need to be liberated from tyranny and oppression at the hands of their own bourgeoisie?

Look! I oppose USNA military aggression on any basis except what I think and believe. This is of course the reason why one needs a party line and a mass line. Politics cannot come down to what the individual believes or feels.

Imperial capital at this phase of decay has no need to own the oil wells. At the previous stage of industrial development there was no need on the part of our imperialist - American financial industrial capital, to own oil wells and posses direct colonies - generally speaking, if you owned the technology, transportation system, distribution networks and institutions of wealth conversion. The institutions of wealth conversion mean the same thing as "mode of accumulation."

Our current stage in the development of the material power of the productive forces determines the strategy and strategic mass line of the imperialist.

The proletarian party has a strategic party line and a mass line. The problem is that the mass line of the proletarian party has arisen before an organization of revolutionaries on a world scale. That is the mass line has arisen before the formation of a proletarian party.

The spontaneous mass line of the people is "No to War," "No to War for Oil," "Blair is kissing Bush Jr. Ass," "No to imperialism" and a minor section say, "No to Hegemony."

Strange days indeed. The mass line has arisen before the party line of the various sectors of the proletarian party and revolution.

The world party line?

"Workers of the World Unite against foreign and domestic capital." "Put the robot to work for humanity." "Public property relations in the socially necessary means of production." "End all wars of aggression."

Strange days indeed.

Melvin P.

Kathy Kelly report

Title: Kathy Kelly report


Broadcast on Tuesday, March 25, 2003 by CommonDreams.org

Angry, Very Angry

by Kathy Kelly


BAGHDAD -- I'm surrounded by some of the most kindly and gentle
people in the world, coming from many walks of life. Members of our
Iraq Peace Team have 'checked in' on most days of our five month stay
here, some having been here for the full five months, and continually
give expression to sentiments that are sacred in their affirmation of
simplicity, sharing, and commitment to nonviolence. But in the last
several days, feelings of intense anger surface. "I'm
angry," confided Sang Jin Han, of South Korea, a peace activist
who has led South Korea's campaign to ban land mines and who works
closely with the Asian Peace Alliance. "I think this war will
kill thousands of people."

Likewise, Zefira Hourfani, an Algerian woman, says she is very angry,
so much so that she no longer considers herself a Canadian. "Now
I am an Arab," she says, "and I am angry at the western
countries." Lisa Ndjeru, a Rwandan woman, also a Canadian
citizen, took particular umbrage over President Bush's request that
Americans help the US troops by assisting them with home repair and
child care. "What lunacy!" said Lisa. "Young Americans
whose children need care and whose homes are falling apart should
loan themselves to destroy homes and maim children in this country in
order to finally get some help?"

We try not to take our anger out on journalists who contact us.
Neville Watson is normally gracious and entirely rational when he
speaks to media. But he confessed that a few days ago, he "let
him have it with both barrels" when an Australian
"shock-jock" referred to civilian casualties as the
expected collateral damage that comes with war. "How dare you
refer to our friends as 'collateral damage?" asked Neville.
"And who is Mr. Bush kidding when he expects us to believe that
the US wants to secure Iraq's oil fields for the benefit of Iraqi
people?" Neville goes on to recite the sad and sordid history of
economic siege and warfare that has cost the lives, already, of
hundreds of thousands of children under age five.

Yes, we are angry, very angry, and yet we feel deep responsibility to
further the nonviolent antiwar efforts that burgeon in cities and
towns throughout the world. We can direct our anger toward clear
confrontation, controlling it so that we won't explode in reactionary
rage, but rather draw the sympathies of people toward the plight of
innocent people here who never wanted to attack the U.S., who wonder,
even as the bombs terrify them, why they can't live as brothers and
sisters with people in America.

The Bush administration says the war has been successful because so
far there have been only 500 casualties. From our March 24 2003
report on visits to the Yermouk and Al Kindy hospital trauma centers,
where hundreds of wounded and maimed patients have been treated over
the past five days, here are some of the success stories:

Roesio Salem, age 10 is from Hai Risal. She went to the entrance of
her home and told shouted to her father, "Bomb coming!" at
which point she was hit on the first day of the attack. She is 10
years old and has sustained severe chest injuries. We simply couldn't
take our eyes off of her as she gently smiled at us from her hospital
bed.

Fatima 10 years old, from Radwaniya. She suffered multiple fractures
when she and her family ran from their home, in an urban area, on
Friday evening, March 21. A wall fell down and she suffered a
fractured tibia. The family had no means of transport and had to wait
until the next morning to get her to a hospital. Her father, Abu
Mustafa, who works as a farm laborer, said, "We are like
brothers and sisters to people in the United States. We don't attack
American people. Please give this message to American people. This is
an invasion, it has nothing to do with democracy."

Ahmed Sabah, age 18, from the Al Zafrania district, was inside his
home at 9:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 20. He suffered multiple wounds
and a fractured arm and leg from shell injuries. They have used an
external fixator to set his compound fractures.

His father asked us to show people in all countries that love peace
that his son is a victim and not a criminal.

Hamed Kathem, age 20 sustained injury to his leg from shelling and
arterial injury as well. He was in the courtyard of his home in El
Biladiya on March 20. "We haven't gone to the US to hit them.
They came here. Last night children were admitted to this
hospital," said Hamed. And then he simply asked,
"Why?" "God save all the people," said his
father, quietly, "And God save all countries from this
destruction."

Khadem Wadi, age 63, of Saddam City, was shopping for his family on
March 23 at 5:00 p.m. when shrapnel punctured his intestine and
wounded his leg. Two shells were removed from his abdomen.

Hosam Khaf, a 13 year old boy from Baghdad Jeddidah, was injured on
Friday, March 21st at 9:00 p.m. He sustained a shell i

Re: Falling perles

Say what? He just resigned his "chairmanship" -- lowering his profile, 
increasing his ability to influence policy AND rake in the $$. That's all. 
Alas.

Joanna

At 08:23 AM 03/28/2003 +, you wrote:
The stated excuse for Perle's resignation as the guru of arrogant cynical 
US unilateralism, is likely merely to be a relatively face-saving formula 
that allows him to cooperate in his resignation. What we have to see is 
how far he loses in prestige.

Perle lost many televised debates in the UK prior to the outbreak of war 
by his offensive manner and I would guess this resignation will mean he 
will get fewer invitations.

His fall also removes a layer of political safety around Rumsfeld.

Interesting timing in connection with the summit. The Brits are highly 
likely to have been interested in his demise. They could at least have 
suggested a resignation now would be the best way to bury bad news. But it 
is not totally impossible that his fall was one of the hidden conditions 
of the Bush Blair summit. I speculate, but it is within the scope of the 
conflict of political forces at the Camp David meeting.

Rejoice!

Chris Burford
London


At 2003-03-27 22:28 -0500, Paul wrote:
What's this?:

The Guardian, March 28:
...
Richard Perle, one of the key architects of the war on Iraq, has quit as 
chairman of a group which advises Donald Rumsfeld on policy issues.

Perle, a former Pentagon appointee and one of the most high- profile 
proponents of the war, offered to resign in a letter to the US Defence 
Secretary.

His departure follows criticism of his roles as a corporate adviser and 
Defence Department consultant. Perle said: "As I cannot quickly or easily 
quell criticism of me based on errors of fact concerning my activities, 
the least I can do under these circumstances is to ask you to accept my 
resignation as chairman of the Defence Policy Board."

Perle before Swine

Title: Perle before Swine





I read somewhere that Perle was an advisor to the late Senator from Boeing, Henry "Scoop" Jackson. There were a lot of the Cold War liberal/right-wing social democrat/Zionist contingent in Jackson's coterie. Was Perle one of them? 


Jim Devine [EMAIL PROTECTED] &  http://bellarmine.lmu.edu/~jdevine
stop the war now!




> -Original Message-
> From: k hanly [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]
> Sent: Friday, March 28, 2003 8:12 AM
> To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> Subject: [PEN-L:36223] Re: Falling perles
> 
> 
> I dont see how it removes a layer of political safety. Perle 
> is a loose
> cannon. He makes critics' case for them. The fifth estate on 
> CBC had an
> excellent documentary on the origins of the Iraq war and the 
> basic policies
> of the New American Century. Perle was interviewed and 
> confirmed exactly
> many points that the documentary was trying to make. He seems 
> blissfully
> unaware or doesnt care what effect his remarks will have on 
> his audience. He
> needs a spin control minder to censor him all the time.
> 
> Cheers, Ken Hanly
> 
> PS I hope some of you saw the Road to Kandahar last night on CBC. An
> excellent documentary. A brave woman she confronted men who 
> were trying to
> stop her from filming women who took off their burqas in the 
> univesity she
> was visiting. They put them back on when they went outside. She even
> criticised General Dostum to his face.
> - Original Message -
> From: "Chris Burford" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> Sent: Friday, March 28, 2003 2:23 AM
> Subject: [PEN-L:36217] Falling perles
> 
> 
> > The stated excuse for Perle's resignation as the guru of 
> arrogant cynical
> > US unilateralism, is likely merely to be a relatively 
> face-saving formula
> > that allows him to cooperate in his resignation. What we 
> have to see is
> how
> > far he loses in prestige.
> >
> > Perle lost many televised debates in the UK prior to the 
> outbreak of war
> by
> > his offensive manner and I would guess this resignation 
> will mean he will
> > get fewer invitations.
> >
> > His fall also removes a layer of political safety around Rumsfeld.
> >
> > Interesting timing in connection with the summit. The Brits 
> are highly
> > likely to have been interested in his demise. They could at 
> least have
> > suggested a resignation now would be the best way to bury 
> bad news. But it
> > is not totally impossible that his fall was one of the 
> hidden conditions
> of
> > the Bush Blair summit. I speculate, but it is within the 
> scope of the
> > conflict of political forces at the Camp David meeting.
> >
> > Rejoice!
> >
> > Chris Burford
> > London
> >
> >
> >
> > At 2003-03-27 22:28 -0500, Paul wrote:
> > >What's this?:
> > >
> > >The Guardian, March 28:
> > >...
> > >
> > >Richard Perle, one of the key architects of the war on 
> Iraq, has quit as
> > >chairman of a group which advises Donald Rumsfeld on policy issues.
> > >
> > >Perle, a former Pentagon appointee and one of the most 
> high- profile
> > >proponents of the war, offered to resign in a letter to 
> the US Defence
> > >Secretary.
> > >
> > >His departure follows criticism of his roles as a 
> corporate adviser and
> > >Defence Department consultant. Perle said: "As I cannot 
> quickly or easily
> > >quell criticism of me based on errors of fact concerning 
> my activities,
> > >the least I can do under these circumstances is to ask you 
> to accept my
> > >resignation as chairman of the Defence Policy Board."
> > >
> >
> 
>

Re: Falling perles

2003-03-28 Thread k hanly

I dont see how it removes a layer of political safety. Perle is a loose
cannon. He makes critics' case for them. The fifth estate on CBC had an
excellent documentary on the origins of the Iraq war and the basic policies
of the New American Century. Perle was interviewed and confirmed exactly
many points that the documentary was trying to make. He seems blissfully
unaware or doesnt care what effect his remarks will have on his audience. He
needs a spin control minder to censor him all the time.

Cheers, Ken Hanly

PS I hope some of you saw the Road to Kandahar last night on CBC. An
excellent documentary. A brave woman she confronted men who were trying to
stop her from filming women who took off their burqas in the univesity she
was visiting. They put them back on when they went outside. She even
criticised General Dostum to his face.
- Original Message -
From: "Chris Burford" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Sent: Friday, March 28, 2003 2:23 AM
Subject: [PEN-L:36217] Falling perles


> The stated excuse for Perle's resignation as the guru of arrogant cynical
> US unilateralism, is likely merely to be a relatively face-saving formula
> that allows him to cooperate in his resignation. What we have to see is
how
> far he loses in prestige.
>
> Perle lost many televised debates in the UK prior to the outbreak of war
by
> his offensive manner and I would guess this resignation will mean he will
> get fewer invitations.
>
> His fall also removes a layer of political safety around Rumsfeld.
>
> Interesting timing in connection with the summit. The Brits are highly
> likely to have been interested in his demise. They could at least have
> suggested a resignation now would be the best way to bury bad news. But it
> is not totally impossible that his fall was one of the hidden conditions
of
> the Bush Blair summit. I speculate, but it is within the scope of the
> conflict of political forces at the Camp David meeting.
>
> Rejoice!
>
> Chris Burford
> London
>
>
>
> At 2003-03-27 22:28 -0500, Paul wrote:
> >What's this?:
> >
> >The Guardian, March 28:
> >...
> >
> >Richard Perle, one of the key architects of the war on Iraq, has quit as
> >chairman of a group which advises Donald Rumsfeld on policy issues.
> >
> >Perle, a former Pentagon appointee and one of the most high- profile
> >proponents of the war, offered to resign in a letter to the US Defence
> >Secretary.
> >
> >His departure follows criticism of his roles as a corporate adviser and
> >Defence Department consultant. Perle said: "As I cannot quickly or easily
> >quell criticism of me based on errors of fact concerning my activities,
> >the least I can do under these circumstances is to ask you to accept my
> >resignation as chairman of the Defence Policy Board."
> >
>

Re: Bullets, Bibles, and Food

2003-03-28 Thread Waistline2

>Franklin Graham, son of the Rev. Billy Graham and one of the nation's most >outspoken critics of Islam, said Wednesday he has relief workers "poised and >ready" to roll into Iraq to provide for the population's post-war physical and spiritual >needs. <

Here is another indication of why, no matter what the out come of the war against Iraq, the Anglo-American imperialist bourgeoisie is doomed by history. Of course Mr. Franklin Graham is delivering the word of Jesus Christ, as he understands it and preaching why the free enterprise system, Anglo-American style, is the best way of life for humanity.

>"We realize we're in an Arab country and we just can't go out and preach," Graham said in a telephone interview from Samaritan's Purse headquarters in Boone, N.C. However, he added, "I believe as we work, God will always give us opportunities to tell others about his Son. We are there to reach out to love them and to save them, and as a Christian I do this in the name of Jesus Christ."<

Here is an important aspect of the American ideology that has not varied much for the past 300 years. Here is the ideological rationale for the genocide against the Native peoples, for capitalist slavery and an epoch of imperial plunder.

What changes is the form of the two primary aspect of American chauvinism. Chauvinism - not to be confused with the diffuse concept of hegemony, is an outlook or ideological rationale that does away with class outlook and class interest and substitutes the striving of the national capitalist or national sector of imperialist. The other primary aspect is White chauvinism, which in American history superceded the ideology of white supremacy of the old slave oligarchy.

Once the cutting edge of American national chauvinism, the violent white chauvinism has given way to a national chauvinism whose ideological expression is a form of patriotism that obliterates class outlook on the basis of a "national ideology" of "us" versus "them." On the most recent newscast the words "true American" or "real Americans" has been used more often and it is always in connection with Anglo-American soldiers. These "true" or "real Americans" faced the "other" as enemy.

The philosophic "other" has to be fused with the ideology of the "outsider in our midst." Who is the "outsider" and exactly what is he and she "outside of." Invariably the "outsider" exists beyond the threshold or boundary and structures of "freedom." This "freedom" in the last instance is always the relative privilege position of the oppressing people and its ruling class.

Mr. Graham seeks to make Christians of "them" - the philosophic "other," by imposing "his way of life" on the natives, after they are militarily defeated and the imperialists right to "preach" are protected by cruise missiles.

Even the Pope seems radical compared with this extreme form of imperial American ideology. While Mr. Graham is civilizing "the natives" he will also help dollarize Iraqi society. Christian soldiers in the Holy lands are a serious problem and means dollarization of the economy and continuation of the two thousand year war.

Only the proletarian social revolution has no interest in imposing any ideology on the world's people. Our social revolution is a drop of blood, a drop of ink and a drop of common sense. "Liberating the Iraqi people" is taking on huge dimensions. Is Iran and China to also be "liberated?" Is our imperialist to liberate "North Korea" whose sharp ideological and practical stance is a counterweight to the imperialist ideology and aggression?

Everyone is trapped by history - proletarians and bourgeoisie. A sector of our imperialist are attempting to leap over a historical and ideological barrier and have been reformulating the "party line" and the "mass line" to their supporters. Graham is old school imperialist, which means old school Marxist, such as I, must hammer out a doctrine that is the counterweight to the modern imperialist.

Melvin P.

RE: Falling perles

Title: RE: [PEN-L:36217] Falling perles

 I wouldn't rejoice. Rumsfeld allowed P to quit as chair of the committee, but P's still going to be on the cttee, advising the Pentagon. I doubt that this involves a major cut in pay.

Jim

-Original Message-
From: Chris Burford
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Sent: 3/28/2003 12:23 AM
Subject: [PEN-L:36217] Falling perles

The stated excuse for Perle's resignation as the guru of arrogant
cynical 
US unilateralism, is likely merely to be a relatively face-saving
formula 
that allows him to cooperate in his resignation. What we have to see is
how 
far he loses in prestige.

Perle lost many televised debates in the UK prior to the outbreak of war
by 
his offensive manner and I would guess this resignation will mean he
will 
get fewer invitations.

His fall also removes a layer of political safety around Rumsfeld.

Interesting timing in connection with the summit. The Brits are highly 
likely to have been interested in his demise. They could at least have 
suggested a resignation now would be the best way to bury bad news. But
it 
is not totally impossible that his fall was one of the hidden conditions
of 
the Bush Blair summit. I speculate, but it is within the scope of the 
conflict of political forces at the Camp David meeting.

Rejoice!

Chris Burford
London

At 2003-03-27 22:28 -0500, Paul wrote:
>What's this?:
>
>The Guardian, March 28:
>...
>
>Richard Perle, one of the key architects of the war on Iraq, has quit
as 
>chairman of a group which advises Donald Rumsfeld on policy issues.
>
>Perle, a former Pentagon appointee and one of the most high- profile 
>proponents of the war, offered to resign in a letter to the US Defence 
>Secretary.
>
>His departure follows criticism of his roles as a corporate adviser and

>Defence Department consultant. Perle said: "As I cannot quickly or
easily 
>quell criticism of me based on errors of fact concerning my activities,

>the least I can do under these circumstances is to ask you to accept my

>resignation as chairman of the Defence Policy Board."
>

Bus 174

On June 12, 2000 a drugged-out, pistol-brandishing 22 year-old 
Afro-Brazilian named Sandro de Nascimiento hijacked a bus in Rio de 
Janeiro and threatened the passengers with death unless a series of 
incoherent demands were met. As SWAT teams laid siege to the bus, TV 
crews transmitted images of the ghastly scene to viewers throughout the 
country who had a predictable reaction: a madman was committing a mad act.

As young documentary film-maker Jose Padilha told the audience in a Q&A 
at Lincoln Center's Alice Tully Hall following the showing of "Bus 174" 
as part of the annual New Director/New Films series, he was not 
satisfied with this narrative and began his own investigation.

Combining stock footage of the hijacking with background interviews with 
Sandro's family and the street kids he eventually hooked up with, 
Padilha not only provides a coherent social analysis but a gripping 
character study of the sort that has novelistic depth.

The determining event that formed Sandro's character was the stabbing 
murder of his single mom, a shopkeeper, when he was 10 years old. So 
traumatized was he by the event that he ran off to join Rio's countless 
homeless children. When he was 14 years old, he survived a police 
massacre of a large group of homeless children in the Candelaria 
district of Rio. With his gun pointed at the head of one of the captive 
women on the bus, he yelled out at the window, "I was at Candelaria. I 
know what it means to die. This is no action movie. I will begin killing 
at 6PM." On July 24, 1993, the NY Times reported:

"Hooded members of an 'extermination group' killed seven homeless boys 
and wounded two others as they slept before dawn today in the shadows of 
the city's symbols of luxury and power.

"Men cruising Rio's banking district in a taxi and in a private car, who 
survivors later said were police officers, stopped in front of 
Candelaria Church and sprayed a group of 45 sleeping boys and girls with 
pistol fire. Four boys died instantly. A fifth was shot and killed as he 
ran from the front of the church, a gold-encrusted landmark that is a 
regular setting for lavish society weddings.

"Driving through deserted streets, the men shot to death two more boys 
who were sleeping in gardens at the Museum of Modern Art, on Rio's 
showcase Seaside Avenue."

Since homeless children, who are linked with petty crime, begging and 
other "anti-social" acts, powerful businessmen often hire hit squads to 
clean them out of neighborhoods like Candelaria. The social dimensions 
of this ongoing conflict amount to a one-sided civil war. Considering 
that about half of Brazil's 60 million children survive on less than $1 
a day and three-quarters do not finish primary school, it is not 
surprising that the country is swamped by feral youth. Veja, Brazil's 
version of Time Magazine wrote at the time, "It is almost unbelievable 
that a contingent of children equal to the entire population of Colombia 
or Argentina silently live on this miserable slice of the national wealth."

In an interview with an older woman who became Sandro's surrogate mother 
at one point, we discover that he longed to be famous one day, despite 
the fact that he had never worked a day in his life nor had he 
successfully overcome various addictions, from sniffing glue to cocaine. 
His fame did eventually come at the expense of his own life and one of 
his female captives, who are revealed as uncommonly sensitive and 
sympathetic to this pour soul who had taken them captive and threatened 
them at gunpoint.

Sandro's performance on TV camera seems eerily evocative of films like 
"Dog Day Afternoon", in which a hostage taker finally becomes visible in 
the public eye. In the final analysis, this is really Padilha's point. 
It took a desperate act for one of Brazil's invisible people to become 
known. If this powerfully dramatic film ever finds its way into 
commercial distribution, it must be seen. Belonging to a long tradition 
of films such as "Los Olvidados", "Pixote", "City of God", it reaffirms 
our bonds with those who are most powerless.

--

The Marxism list: www.marxmail.org

"Every time we clear guys, more come"

NY Times, Mar. 28, 2003
A FOOTHOLD
A Village Is Bloodied in a Stubborn Battle
By STEVEN LEE MYERS
KIFL, Iraq, March 27 — The concussive force of the tanks' rounds sucked 
everything off the sidewalks and into the middle of this village's 
narrow, dusty main road — "even people," the captain of a tank company 
who fought his way through it said.

The blasts shattered the plate glass window of a small barbershop, next 
to the girls' elementary school, on the roof of which Iraqi troops had 
built a redoubt of sandbags. Inside the barbershop were three chairs and 
pictures of haircuts — most out of style.

On the back wall, incongruously, hung a large poster of lower Manhattan, 
seen from the New Jersey waterfront, with the World Trade Center intact.

It was not one of the kind sold in souks across the Arab world, with a 
glaring Osama bin Laden or the airliners crashing into the twin towers. 
Rather, with palm trees and sand in the foreground, it was a picture of 
paradise — Manhattan on the Euphrates.

The tank captain had five words to describe his company's push through 
this village on Wednesday afternoon, just as the sun set in the middle 
of a sandstorm, turning the sky blood orange: "a little piece of hell."

The captain did not want his name used, only his radio sign, Cobra Six. 
He has a wife home alone in Fort Benning, Ga., and he worries about her.

Army forces seized a toehold here beginning late Monday night. Their 
blocking action was supposed to be a relatively simple one, intended to 
prevent Iraqi reinforcements from reaching Najaf, a city of 100,000 
across the Euphrates River 12 miles away that the Third Infantry 
Division was in the process of encircling.

Seventy-two hours later the division has a foothold, but the fight is 
far from over, tying down an ever-growing number of troops that had been 
preparing for an assault on Baghdad, 75 miles to the north.

The dead now make a trail through town. A sedan, its paint burned off, 
rested where it had lurched to a stop in front of the barbershop. Inside 
were two charred skeletons of Iraqis.

Two more Iraqis died along the alley beside the girls' school. On either 
side of the road were still more burned, bullet-pocked cars and trucks, 
some with bodies inside, one with a soldier who had fallen half out.

The American military's policy is to pack the dead in black bags to be 
taken to makeshift morgues for identification and, someday, 
repatriation. Here, there has been no time for it.

"Every time we clear guys, more come," said Col. William F. Grimsley, 
commander of the division's First Brigade, whose troops are trying to 
hold several miles around Kifl.

The Euphrates here runs gently south toward Najaf, its deep green waters 
lined on either side with marsh grass and groves of palms. It might have 
been a pastoral idyll except for the pop of gunfire today.

Iraqi forces had tried to blow up a bridge here early Tuesday, but the 
plastic explosives packed inside the columns only buckled the structure. 
Iraqis came back under darkness early today to try again, hoping to 
isolate the forces of the Third Division that, for a third day, had been 
steadily crossing it.

Three Iraqis died on the bridge in a firefight that ensued. Today their 
bodies lay in mangled heaps, wrenched by their last steps. One dead man, 
face down, clutched his eyeglasses in front of him.

The village seemed deserted today; its schools, its mosque, its markets, 
its bank empty and eerily silent.

But the Iraqis keep fighting. Their forces are made up of irregulars 
and, today, soldiers from Iraq's Republican Guard, evidently sent to 
bolster Najaf's resistance.

"It sort of depends on how you define enemy," Capt. Darren A. Rapaport, 
commander of Company C of the Second Battalion, 69th Armored, replied 
when asked if enemy forces were in the village.

"He could be right around the corner," Captain Rapaport said, sitting 
atop his tank, its turret scanning the village's mud-brick buildings. 
"He could be up the street. He could be a few kilometers down the road."

In the first week of the war here, most certainties have evaporated.

A few minutes after Captain Rapaport spoke, the deep thuds of explosive 
rounds fired by a Bradley fighting vehicle exploded nearby, bursting 
around some unseen enemy and sending a tuft of black smoke above the 
palms. Another Bradley stopped and turned, grinding steel tracks on the 
asphalt, and headed past the town hall with an old Iraqi flag still 
flying above it.

The American forces controlled the bridge and the main road through the 
village. But officers had little desire to venture into the warren of 
narrow side streets where fighters could appear at any time.

"Son of a bitch is still shooting at us," said Lt. Col. Jeffrey Randall 
Sanderson of Waynesville, N.C., the commander of the Second Battalion, 
69th Armor, said. "I'm not going to clear the village. I'm not going to 
put American soldiers in there. I'll be here a month an

(Fwd) Zapiro on CNN (non-virus .gif file)

2003-03-28 Thread Patrick Bond

<>

Falling perles

The stated excuse for Perle's resignation as the guru of arrogant cynical 
US unilateralism, is likely merely to be a relatively face-saving formula 
that allows him to cooperate in his resignation. What we have to see is how 
far he loses in prestige.

Perle lost many televised debates in the UK prior to the outbreak of war by 
his offensive manner and I would guess this resignation will mean he will 
get fewer invitations.

His fall also removes a layer of political safety around Rumsfeld.

Interesting timing in connection with the summit. The Brits are highly 
likely to have been interested in his demise. They could at least have 
suggested a resignation now would be the best way to bury bad news. But it 
is not totally impossible that his fall was one of the hidden conditions of 
the Bush Blair summit. I speculate, but it is within the scope of the 
conflict of political forces at the Camp David meeting.

Rejoice!

Chris Burford
London


At 2003-03-27 22:28 -0500, Paul wrote:
What's this?:

The Guardian, March 28:
...
Richard Perle, one of the key architects of the war on Iraq, has quit as 
chairman of a group which advises Donald Rumsfeld on policy issues.

Perle, a former Pentagon appointee and one of the most high- profile 
proponents of the war, offered to resign in a letter to the US Defence 
Secretary.

His departure follows criticism of his roles as a corporate adviser and 
Defence Department consultant. Perle said: "As I cannot quickly or easily 
quell criticism of me based on errors of fact concerning my activities, 
the least I can do under these circumstances is to ask you to accept my 
resignation as chairman of the Defence Policy Board."

hegemons lose this war