NOW THAT SCHOOL IS OUT BE SURE TO SEND IN YOUR CHANGE OF ADDRESS!
__________________________________________________________________________
The Internet Anti-Fascist: Tuesday, 9 May 2000
Vol. 4, Number 39 (#420)
__________________________________________________________________________
Book Reviews:
Ida Mae by Delores Thornton
Damages to Holocaust Victims
Reuters, "Non-payers to German Holocaust fund risk sanctions," 8 May 00
Elaine Monaghan (Reuters), "U.S., Germany tackle details on Nazi
victims' fund," 10 May 00
Joan Gralla (Reuters), "Swiss insurers to pay into Holocaust accord," 10
May 00
Rightwing Quote of the Week:
The Million (Marxist) Mom March: Will Jews seize guns from Christians in
America?, "Tripp Henderssen" 6 May 00
-------------------------------------------
BOOK REVIEWS: Ida Mae by Delores Thornton
Marguerite Press Announces the Release of 'Ida Mae' -- a Novel by Delores
Thornton
8 May 00
INDIANAPOLIS -- Ida Mae is the story of a young woman of color who is
adopted at age 7 by a white family in a southern town, after her parents
are deceased. Ida's father was murdered by the Klan before she was born and
her mother died of TB when she was 7 years old.
Her life is shaped by her environment which includes an incident of rape,
and ever present issues of racism, transracial adoption as well as the love
of country music. Ida Mae actually wins a country music contest with a
jingle she wrote. This created quite a stir from the radio station in
Nashville when she showed up to claim her prize. A young woman of color
winning the contest at that time was unthinkable! The story begins in 1948
and ends with Ida Mae's death in 2019. Readers are up close and personal
with Ida Mae because they've known her from the cradle to the grave.
Hear what others have to say:
"Wow! What a different read. I applaud Delores Thornton on a job well done.
Ida Mae is truly a novel for the future." Vanessa Woodward -- Journey's End
"Thornton gives us an endearing character whose sense of self is a model of
inspiration." Black Caucus of The American Library Association
Look for Thornton's next book, Babe, due out this fall. Babe is the story
of an 82 year old African American female who is experiencing headaches and
nightmares. Her daughter, Valeeda has her examined by the family physician,
who determines that she is physically sound. At the doctor's
recommendation, a psychiatrist is called and hypnosis is suggested. Through
this process her whole life unfolds -- all the way back to when she
witnessed a lynching in her native Georgia, at age 5. The supporting
characters in this tale of suspense are Dr. Walker Davis' patients in his
therapy sessions. There's Aloyishus Burns, a recovering alcoholic; Vivian
Delaney, an aspiring author on tour; and Dorian Simmons, a union
representative with the U.S. Postal Service. However, it most definitely
Babe who will tell the cogent story that will never let you forget her.
Thornton is available for interviews at media request. To schedule an
interview please contact Marguerite Press http://margueritepress.8m.com .
CONTACT: Delores Thornton, President of Marguerite Press, 317-298-5317,
317-298-8889 fax, [EMAIL PROTECTED]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
DAMAGES TO HOLOCAUST VICTIMS
Non-payers to German Holocaust fund risk sanctions
Reuters
8 May 00
BERLIN -- German firms that fail to pay into an industry fund set up to
collect five billion marks ($2.3 billion) for Nazi-era slave labourers risk
a global boycott, the government's mediator said on Monday.
"If it really came to that, that we do not receive the payments which were
promised, then there would be major boycotts and sanctions against German
firms, particularly in the United States," mediator Otto Lambsdorff told
Berlin's Inforadio.
Lambsdorff's comments came after the fund threatened on Sunday to "name and
shame" firms that fail to contribute. Only 2.9 billion marks have been
pledged so far.
Lambsdorff, the German government's mediator in often-tense talks that set
up the fund, said a boycott would cost firms much more than the still-
missing two billion marks.
Wolfgang Thierse, the parliament speaker widely seen as Germany's moral
conscience, also called on firms to pay up.
"I appeal to companies' morality, not to be so petty but to fulfil their
duties," he told SWR radio.
The pressure is on German companies -- many of which benefited from
concentration camp labour under Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler -- to meet their
funding target in time for a visit by U.S. President Bill Clinton to
Germany in early June.
Clinton is tentatively expected to attend a ceremony in Berlin on June 2 to
seal a compensation agreement.
Lambsdorff said despite the delay in contributions, payments to victims
should begin at least by the end of the year, later than the earlier target
of this summer.
As part of the deal, the German government has promised to contribute five
billion marks in return for a guarantee barring future class-action suits
on behalf of victims.
Most money in the fund is earmarked to compensate hundreds of thousands of
mainly-Jewish former slave labourers who were meant to be worked to death
and about a million eastern Europeans, many of whom worked on farms under
less severe conditions.
The Welt am Sonntag newspaper had said on Sunday that the fund could be
disbanded if payments did not pick up.
A second option foresees the 16 founding members of the fund -- including
DaimlerChrysler , Siemens , Allianz and Bayer -- topping it up if the final
total falls only just short of five billion marks.
($1 equals 2.173 Mark)
- - - - -
U.S., Germany tackle details on Nazi victims' fund
Elaine Monaghan (Reuters)
10 May 00
WASHINGTON D.C. -- The United States and Germany will have to iron out
legal differences if a 10 billion mark ($4.6 billion) deal compensating
Nazi-era slave and forced labourers is to be ready for President Bill
Clinton's visit to Berlin in June, the German side said on Wednesday.
Negotiators still plan to hold a signing ceremony attended by Clinton and
Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder on June 2 but "there is no certainty yet that
it can be done," said Otto Lambsdorff, Berlin's chief negotiator.
But he was not pessimistic after talks with U.S. negotiator Stuart
Eizenstat on Tuesday and Wednesday. "These were good and sensible
discussions. ... It is perhaps clearer now than ever before that we all
want a final result soon."
Differences remain over the wording of a document supposed to help shield
German firms contributing to the fund from further claims in U.S. courts,
Manfred Gentz, German industry coordinator at the talks, told the news
briefing after meeting the team led by Eizenstat, who is deputy treasury
secretary.
After the discussion, the devil was still in the details, Gentz said, "but
it was fruitful in that we have now defined more clearly where these
difficulties lie."
A U.S. official said it was like the end stages of any negotiation, where
everyone was trying to get back a little of what they gave away earlier,
without giving up anything new.
"The lawyers are worrying about the wording. It's all very frustrating but
it doesn't spell disaster, just a lot of work to be done," he added,
speaking on condition of anonymity.
At the heart of the problem is the separation of state and the judiciary
which means the U.S. government can only commit to issuing a "statement of
interests" urging courts to leave future compensation claims to the German
fund.
A source close to the talks said that such statements had been honoured by
courts in the past. Gentz, speaking for German firms which want as much
reassurance as possible, said the two sides decided to leave the issue to
the next meeting though they could have reached a compromise of words.
"In essence, the American government sees the statement of interest as a
purely political statement about U.S. foreign policy interests," Gentz
said, adding that he still believed an understanding would be reached.
Lambsdorff said a legal working group would meet in coming days to discuss
the issues and that he would attend further talks with Eizenstat in
Washington on May 22.
The U.S. side had submitted a new proposal on the "separation" issue which
he said was definitely worth discussing. Berlin would give an answer next
week, he said.
LAMBSDORFF, EIZENSTAT TO DRAFT GENERAL DECLARATION
Lambsdorff said he and Eizenstat would draft a final declaration this week
which would be sent out to all parties -- lawyers, governments, German
industry and representatives of the surviving 240,000 slave labourers and
about a million forced labourers, about 100,000 of whom are in the United
States.
The pressure is on German firms -- many of which benefited from
concentration camp labour under Adolf Hitler -- which still have to commit
two billion marks ($920,000) to reach their target of five billion ($2.3
billion), with the government paying the other half.
The fund is threatening to name and shame non-contributors. Only about 50
of the country's top 200 firms have signed up.
Lambsdorff said he expected Eizenstat to open up on this issue but it did
not come up. "Not a single word," he said.
Founding members of the fund include DaimlerChrysler , Siemens , Allianz
and Bayer .
Gentz said the fund would step up the pressure and hold a news conference
in the next week or two to remind everyone which firms had contributed and
to embarrass those who had not.
The Nazis made about 12 million people work for them during World War II,
freeing young Germans for the army.
A German paper said on Tuesday the government might top up the fund if
firms failed to cough up themselves but Lambsdorff and Gentz made clear
this was not what they had in mind.
Gentz said the pledge-gathering process was slow but not static and while
they would not quite meet their end-May target for completing it, "With a
bit more pressure, I think we'll make it, because we must."
- - - - -
Swiss insurers to pay into Holocaust accord
Joan Gralla (Reuters)
10 May 00
NEW YORK, May 10 (Reuters) - Several Swiss insurers have agreed to pay $50
million to settle charges that they robbed Holocaust victims by never
honouring prewar policies, a source close to the issues said on Wednesday.
The funds from the Swiss insurers, Baloise , Helvetia Patria ,
Rentenanstalt and Swiss Re, will be added to the landmark $1.25 billion
settlement that Swiss banks reached with Holocaust survivors and heirs in
1998, the source, who declined to be named, said. This will bring the total
amount to $1.3 billion.
Two other big Swiss insurers that were cut out of the bank settlement will
resolve claims that they bilked Holocaust survivors through their
membership in an international panel overseeing payments to families. Those
two firms are Winterthur and Zurich Allied .
Swiss banks agreed to the ground-breaking settlement because Holocaust
survivors and heirs had sued them for billions of dollars. They charged the
banks demanded documents they could not possibly furnish, such as death
certificates for people who perished in Nazi death camps. This made it
impossible for Holocaust families to withdraw the assets they had deposited
in the banks for safekeeping before World War Two.
The Swiss bank settlement has been widely criticised because Holocaust
survivors and heirs have yet to get any money.
Several issues cropped up at a fairness hearing on the accord that was held
by U.S. District Court Judge Edward Korman, who is overseeing the
settlement. How Swiss insurers would be treated was one of the problems.
Elan Steinberg, executive director of the World Jewish Congress, declined
comment on the plan to have several Swiss insurers pay into the Swiss bank
settlement. He said only: "We would back Judge Korman on any proposal he
supports."
Another problem that had to be resolved was whether Holocaust families
still would be able to claim art works that were looted from them by the
Nazis. The source said he expected the settlement would allow survivors and
heirs to win back their heirlooms. "Any claims to art work that crop up
later can be okayed."
Korman has yet to say whether he agrees with a plan proposed last week that
would let the two biggest banks in the pact set up a data base of 2.1
million accounts. The data base could be used to verify Holocaust claims
against the two banks: Credit Suisse and UBS . Smaller Swiss banks have
balked at allowing a data base to be created with their Holocaust-era
accounts.
An independent panel, led by former U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Paul
Volcker, which conducted a lengthy audit of Swiss banks, had recommended
that all 4.1 million bank accounts be entered into the data base.
Once the outstanding issues are settled, a court-appointed official can
then draw up a distribution plan, a process that is expected to take about
one month. That is expected to clear the way for the judge to give his
final approval to the settlement.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
RIGHTWING QUOTE OF THE WEEK:
For those who believe that fascism is only a thing of the past
The Million (Marxist) Mom March: Will Jews seize guns from Christians in
America?
"Tripp Henderssen"
6 May 00
The head of the so-called Million Mom March is another Jewess whose family
had no part in founding America. Yet she and many of her co-religionists
are now attempting to deconstruct our God-Given Rights, including the right
to bear arms. The Bill of Rights does not define man-made laws *guaranteed
by the Constitution*: These rights are guaranteed by a Christian God to his
people.
We European-Christian Americans need to understand that our founding
fathers (and mothers) had fought a hellish civil war -- the American
Revolution --against political tyrants. We won because the colonists were
compelled by British law to be armed with the most up-to-date weaponry.
When the Brits came in to fight the separatist colonists, WE OUTGUNNED
THEM, and prevailed.
The Bill of Rights elucidates our **Christian*** GOD GIVEN RIGHTS. All
colonial politicians swore an oath to their fellow colonists that they were
Christians and believed in Jesus Christ.
Remember the Revolutionary War cry? No King But King Jesus.
The Bill of Rights -- including the 2nd Amendment -- describes our
birthright as Christians. Non-Christians who have chosen to live here
presumably could not secure those rights in their indigenous homelands,
opting for TURN KEY freedom by pouring into the nation European-CHRISTIANs
paid for with our sacrifices.
Our Christ-given rights cannot be taken away except by Jesus Christ.
Period.
That Jews are leading the charge to disarm law-abiding citizens -- with
major resistance coming from European-American Christians, 120 million of
us descended from colonists -- should be interpreted as a RELIGIOUS ASSAULT
ON CHRISTIANS.
We do NOT share Gods with Jews. CHRISTIAN Americans need to point that out
anytime Jewish politicians try to play Christ and demand we give up our
Christ-given rights: i.e., when Charles Schumer, Dianne Feinstein, Barbara
Boxer and other Jews demand our guns be controlled, they are acting as
ANTICHRIST* agents (see below).
After much thought, I support the Judeo-American movement to disarm any
Jews who demand gun control. Perhaps their God demands their disarmament.
Remember, the largest Holocaust was the Russian/Bolshevik Revolution, where
Jews dominated the leadership (Commissars), and Christian Churches were
shut down while synagogues remained open. 100 million souls -- mainly White
Christians -- died after they were disarmed by co-religionists of Schumer,
Feinstein, Boxer, Berman, etc. Never again.
-- Terry Graham - USA
* * * * *
In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. section 107, this material is
distributed without profit or payment to those who have expressed a prior
interest in receiving this information for non-profit research and
educational purposes only.
__________________________________________________________________________
FASCISM:
We have no ethical right to forgive, no historical right to forget.
(No permission required for noncommercial reproduction)
- - - - -
back issues archived via:
<ftp://ftp.nyct.net/pub/users/tallpaul/publish/tinaf/>
------------------------------------------------------------
Interested in firefighting? [EMAIL PROTECTED]
http://www.emergency-world.com/fire-l/
The place on the internet to discuss firefighting.
___________________________________________________________
T O P I C A The Email You Want. http://www.topica.com/t/16
Newsletters, Tips and Discussions on Your Favorite Topics
