John Waters Pays Homage to his Role Models (Book Review) (tags)
John Waters is a Baltimore Icon! He’s a film director, producer, author and a recovering Catholic. The then-Maryland Censor Board panned many of his early flicks, “as pure garbage.” Waters is openly gay. His latest book is “Role Models.” In it, Waters reveals the people who have influenced and have helped to shape his own complex persona. Waters confesses in his tome that he voted for Barack Obama because “he ‘was’ a friend of Bill Ayers!”
Rudacille’s Tome: A Must-Read for Labor Buffs (Review) (tags)
In 1959, Bethlehem’ Sparrows Point plant, outside Baltimore, was “the largest steelworks in the world.” In its heyday, it employed 36,000 workers. Bethlehem went into bankruptcy in 2001, and many of its retirees at the “Point” got screwed out of their benefits. Deborah Rudacille’s book, “Roots of Steel,” recreates, via compelling “oral histories,” the history of the Point; the collapse of Bethlehem, an industrial titan; and the baleful impact that it had on the lives of its union workers and communities that they lived in.
Albert Camus: A Stranger No More (Book Review) (tags)
Two authors, Robert Zaretsky and Elizabeth Hawes, have resurrected Albert Camus, the late French Algerian novelist and philosopher, in their just released books. I’m recommending both of their tomes. I think their efforts contribute, in different ways, to enhancing Camus’ literary legacy. Camus’ courageous moralizing against the excesses of the ideologues of his days is timely. Let’s face it, we too live in an era where crazed warmongers are running amuck.
Labor Fights Back at Goose Island (Book Review) (tags)
Kari Lydersen has penned an absorbing book, “Revolt on Goose Island.” It chronicles how 250 members of the UE, a progressive union, occupied a factory, “Republic Windows,” located in Chicago, IL, rather then just meekly submit to its closing. It’s labor history at its best. This “direct action” came not long after AFL-CIO labor leader Richard L. Trumka denounced the evils of “globalization,” and the predatory schemes of the Wall Street boy-ohs.
“Hail to the Cheat,” a political novel, by Ted Venetoulis - A Review (tags)
Americans need a good laugh. After eight years of Dubya, and one year of President Barack Obama, who prefers to be loved and not feared, a political spoof has arrived to save the day. It’s Ted Venetoulis’ fun-filled novel, “Hail to the Cheat.” President Lance Billingsley gets caught by the First Lady, Jessica Berringer, “doing” her dear friend, Sondra Heatherstone, on the carpet and in the buff in the Oval Office! Fireworks quickly erupt!
“This Dream Called Death,” a novelzine, by Stephen Janis (A Review) (tags)
Stephen Janis builds his tale, “This Dream Called Death,” in one bone-chilling scene after another, with a writing style that suits the genre. His descriptions of the city of Balaise are first rate. As the tension escalates, the character of the narrator evolves, too, into a much more sympathetic figure. Janis takes you for a ride into a history, a nightmare, which I fear, may be only one more 9/11 incident away from becoming our reality!
Maryland’s Marty O’Gov Turns His Back on Fallen Mayor Dixon! (tags)
As a result of a plea deal, Baltimore’s Mayor Sheila Dixon will leave office, on Feb. 4, 2010. She was recently found guilty of stealing $530 worth of gift cards intended “for the poor.” Before the ink was dry on the agreement, however, Dixon’s ex-crony, the former mayor, and now Maryland Governor, Martin O’Malley, was pretending that she no longer existed. Appropriately, the French philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre said, “Hell is other people.”
Neo-Catholics and Neo-Cons: An Unholy Alliance (Satire) (tags)
Betty Clermont’s book is called: “The Neo-Catholics: Implementing Christian Nationalism in America.” She insists that some of the Right Wing Boy-ohs at the Vatican embraced the Neo-Con ideology for the Church. In the U.S., they used the “Family Values” gimmick to sell Reagan/Dubya to the faithful. Meanwhile, they pushed for a Capitalism-Gone-Wild, Daddy-Knows-Best system. A Vatican agent in the U.S. wants to see Clermont’s opus banned!
Jury Gives Mayor Sheila Dixon a “Go to Jail” Card! (tags)
Baltimore’s Mayor Sheila Dixon was convicted on Dec. 1, 2009, by a jury of her peers, of stealing gift cards, worth about $525, intended for the “poor and needy.” As a result, she will forfeit her office, lose her $83,000 a year pension, and could go to jail. Her crime paled in significance to the massive wrongdoings of the Wall Street Mob, but, the State Prosecutor underscored to the jury: The Mayor was stealing “from the children of Baltimore!”
John Allen Muhammad, Death Penalty and the Gulf War Syndrome (tags)
The state of Virginia executed John Allen Muhammad, the Washington area sniper, who killed ten innocent people on a murder spree. Muhammad, like Timothy J. McVeigh, was a Gulf War Vet, who was exposed to deadly toxic chemicals. His lawyers pleaded with Governor Tim Kaine to spare his life, arguing that he was suffering from the “Gulf War Syndrome.” Albert Camus, the author, said the death penalty was really about--“vengeance!”
It’s Baltimore, Hon!: Did Mayor Dixon Steal from the Poor? (tags)
High comedy will hit Baltimore, on Monday, Nov. 9, 2009. Mayor Sheila Dixon’s trial on theft charges begins. She’s accused of stealing about $1,500 of gift cards slated for the poor. The Mayor denies any wrongdoing. There’s an ex-boyfriend, a developer, in the mix. He’s already copped a plea in another City Hall corruption case and plans to testify against the Mayor. Oh, where is the iconic film maker John Waters when we need him the most?
David Swanson’s “Daybreak” is a Wake-Up Call for Patriots (tags)
America is in deep doo doo! It goes beyond the Wall Street-induced financial meltdown. David Swanson’s “Daybreak” book is a wake-up call and a plan for “Citizen Power” action. The Bush-Cheney Gang is gone, but President Obama acts like he is serving out Dubya’s third term. How presidential power was enlarged and the Congress collapsed is good to know. However, how to fight to get our country back from these usurpers, is even more important.
The Smearing of Mary Robinson (tags)
The Israel Worshippers (IWs) are clever! As I write, 1.5 million Gazans are languishing under Israeli occupation. The IDF’s siege of Gaza from Dec. 27, 2008 to Jan. 18, 2009, took about 1,400 innocent lives. To change the subject from Gaza, the IWs orchestrated a campaign against Mary Robinson, whom President Obama had nominated for a “medal of freedom.” The IWs’ campaign failed. Ms. Robinson got her medal and the focus remains on Gaza.
The Coup in Honduras: A Teachable Moment for Obama? (tags)
President Barack Obama‘s main duty under the U.S. Constitution is to see to it that the laws are “faithfully executed.” By a UN Treaty, approved by the Senate, in 1994, torture is against U.S. law. No ifs, ands or buts about it. No exceptions! In Honduras, some apologists for the “de facto” regime, are pretending that they followed the law, when they gave their president the boot. Will Obama play the same “pretend game” on Torture? Stay Tuned. .
Pseudo Theologian Rep. Peter T. King Sounds Off (tags)
Notre Dame U. plans to bestow an honorary degree on President Barack Obama. This caused the ultra Iraq War Hawk, Rep. Peter T. King (R-3-NY), to toss a major hissy fit. He insisted that because of Obama’s support for abortion, that the award would be an insult to “Catholic moral teachings.” Why weren’t these Catholic standards applied to the Bush-Cheney Gang’s War without End, torture policies and the shredding of the U.S. Constitution?
Ronald Reagan: Betrayer of Main Street America! (tags)
William Kleinknecht takes the gloves off in his new book,”The Man Who Sold the World: Ronald Reagan and the Betrayal of Main Street America.” He shows that the so-called “great communicator,” was, in fact, the “great enabler of corporate greed.” The Vulture Capitalists were set loose on the people by “Reaganism.” I say: Take Reagan’s name off that airport in D.C. Let his Fat Cat cronies pay for his memorials, not the taxpayers.
Edgar Allan Poe: A Tragic, but Talented, American Original (tags)
Edgar Allan Poe, poet, novelist and literary critic, died in 1849, age 40, under mysterious circumstances, in Baltimore, MD. The British author, Peter Ackroyd, insightfully captures the trials and tribulations of this great man of letters in his latest tome, “Poe: A Life Cut Short.” Poe invented the modern detective story and his poem, “The Raven,” is a classic in the genre. Ackroyd reveals Poe’s battle with the bottle, and adds a wrinkle: his aversion to sex!
Antiwar Activists “Boot” Dubya Out the Door (tags)
A rally and march was held in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 19, 2009. It’s objective was to give President George W. Bush “the boot” as he exited an office that he has disgraced by his failure to uphold the law. David Swanson, cofounder of afterdowningstreet. org, was one of the speakers at the event. He underscored the importance of appointing a “Special Prosecutor” to look into and hold accountable the culpable members of the Bush-Cheney Gang.
Wall St. and the Fed Get Fatter, While Main St. Suffers (tags)
The greed of some of the Wall St. banksters, and the Fed’s inept policies, like condoning deregulation, are the real causes of the current financial meltdown. Nevertheless, the U.S. Congress has given them a green light to rake in trillions of dollars in taxpayers’ bailout money, with little or no public disclosure. The Fed’s functions should be taken over by the Treasury Dept. Main St. needs to be Congress’ prime concern, not Wall Street.
Priest Demands “Confession” from Some Obama Voters (tags)
Recently, a RC priest in Modesto, CA, got upset about Catholics voting for the Prez-Elect Barack Obama. He said if they did so because of his pro-abortion position, then they needed to go to Confession before receiving Holy Communion. Didn’t the good padre every hear of the “Separation of Church and State” clause? Also, as a result of the priest-pedophile scandal, many feel it’s the wrongdoers in the RC Church who need to do the confessing.
Ronald Reagan: B Film Actor, Ladies’ Man and FBI Snitch (tags)
Ronald Reagan’s persona was crafted from 1937 to 1965, working in B films. The Shadow side of Reagan, however, reveals that he was a snitch for the FBI and ratted out his fellow members of the Screen Actors Guild (SAG), during the days of the “Red Scare.” He also was a notorious womanizer, according to Marc Eliot's expose: “Reagan: The Hollywood Years.” It was Reagan, too, as U.S. President, who ruthlessly busted PATCO in 1981.
Hey, Prez-Elect Obama: Say “Thanks” to Alan Greenspan! (tags)
Sen. John McCain’s presidential candidacy was done in mostly by a Wall Street-Financial Meltdown, in late Sept. 2008. This phenomenon took the issue of “national security,” which favored him, off the table, and replaced it with “the economy,” which was Sen. Obama’s strongest suit. The fact that Dubya is the most unpopular president in history, coupled with having $639 million to spend, all added up to a smashing victory for Prez-Elect Obama.
It’s The Money, Stupid!: Over $1 Billion Raised for Prez Race! (tags)
The candidates for the White House have raised over $1 billion in their quest to win the election on Nov. 4, 2008. The Dems’ Sen. Barack Obama has racked in $639 million, while the GOP’s nominee, John McCain, has taken in $360 million. The four other Third Party candidates for the presidency have brought in about $5.5 million. The only thing we know for sure is this: When big money contributions dominate the electoral process, the people lose!
Leonard Bernstein’s “Mass” Speaks to Today’s World (tags)
Political and religious authority is crumbling in a crisis of faith. The late Leonard Bernstein put those themes, and much more, in his concert triumph, “Mass.” After eight years of Bush-Cheney, the priest/pedophile scandal, coupled with the costly Wall St. Bailout, the loss of trust in our institutions is rampant. If the people want real change, they are going to have to rely on themselves, and on each other to create, in unity, the world that they desire.
Assassinations, Wars and Meltdowns: Who Benefits? (tags)
America has been subjected to the some severe shock therapy over the years. JFK, MLK, Jr. and Bobby Kennedy were all murdered! Then, there was the Vietnam War (1963-75); the “Watergate” scandal; and the horrors of the 9/11 tragedy; followed by the invasion and occupation of Iraq. The latest hit is the Wall Street bailout, to wit: the economic and fiscal meltdowns. They all spell out the sharp decline of America. Is it by accident or by plan?
Sen. Barbara Mikulski: Dubya Made Her Do It! (tags)
Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-MD), on Sept. 22, 2008, charged that the Bush-Cheney Gang, led by Dubya, unduly pressured her into voting for the USA Patriot Act and also creating the “dysfunctional” Homeland Security Department. She said they used “fear” and “bad ideas” and implied that they made her into a “rubber stamp!” Sen. Mikulski whined about the idea of a Wall St. bailout, too, but then she voted to give the parasites the $700 billion.
Pelosi Pushed Book, While Taxpayers Revolted Over Bailout (tags)
When the Congress was debating the $700 billion bailout of the greedy bankers on Wall St., an overconfident Speaker Nancy Pelosi was in Baltimore hawking her book, “Know Your Power.” On Sept. 29, 2008, the House of Representatives, responding to a taxpayers’ revolt, rejected the Bush-Cheney Gang’s bailout scheme. Speaker Peolsi, in her library spiel, conveyed a false sense of security about the grim economic situation facing the nation.
The Fed, AIG, Congress, Third Party Candidates and the Debt (tags)
The Fed,” William Greider said, “decides who shall prosper and who shall fail.” American International Group (AIG), Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and Bear Stearns, all private entities, will be bailed out by the taxpayers. Third Party candidates want an audit and investigation of “The Fed,” an unelected clique. “The Fed,” and the Treasury Dept., are currently submitting a Mother of All Bailout schemes to the Congress. It may cost the public $1 trillion!
The Dems Are Going the Way of the Whig Party (tags)
The 2006 mid-term election was the tipping point marking the decline of the Dems. They had promised that if they won, that they would end the Iraq War. The Peace Movement was both blind sided and outraged by their refusal to keep their word. This is why, too, Cindy Sheehan, has left the Democratic Party. The Dems have morphed into the DemRepublicrats. Soon, they will be going the way of the Whig Party and taking Sen. Barack Obama with them.
Is the “Mega” Spy Case Headed for Hollywood? (tags)
I can see the newspaper advert: “Dustin Hoffman as ‘Mega,’ the Israeli Spy who outwitted U.S. officials for more than 20 years!” In May, 2008, an ex-U.S. military engineer, Ben-Ami Kadish, was indicted for spying for Israel. Supposedly, he has ties to the convicted Israeli spy, Jonathan Pollard. The Feds believe that another Israeli operative, known only as “Mega,” is still on the loose. But, they are closing in on him--fast. What a film “Mega” will make!
Dems, Media Elite Overreacted to Gov. Sarah Palin (tags)
When John McCain picked Gov. Sarah Palin to be his VP running mate, most Americans yawned: “Sarah, Who?” Not the Democrats and the Media Elite. They tossed a first-class hissy fit. One of the worse offenders was the site, “HuffPost.” It even created a special page posting a lot ot negative rumors about the “working mom.” Meanwhile, GOP speakers, like the pro-Iraq War, pro-waterboarding Sen. Joe Lieberman, got off the hook with little criticism.
Sen. Joe Biden (D-DE) was a lousy pick to be Barack Obama’s VP running mate. Delaware only has three electoral votes. Plus, Biden doesn’t represent either the “politics of hope” and/or of change. His record in the U.S. Senate reveals someone who has gone along with the Iraq War, while doing little or nothing to protect the Constitutional Rights of the people from the excesses of the Bush-Cheney Gang. I suspect the Democratic Party has a death wish!
John Edwards Fiddled While America Burned (tags)
John Edwards’ sleazy extramarital affair reminded me of the excesses in the final days of the Roman Empire. In 2006, Edwards began his trysts with his mistress. He stopped lying about the seedy affair on Aug. 8, 2008. Meanwhile, about 1,955 U.S. troops died in the Iraq War. While Edwards was “doing” his paramour, others in Washington, D.C., like House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, have been “doing” the public about ending the war and impeachment.
William Greider Raps Predatory Usury Schemes (tags)
How did the country get into this unholy financial mess? Think usury! Acclaimed author William Greider points the finger at banks, and people of great wealth, “taking advantage of poor people by lending them money on terms that are sure to fail.” He blames others, too, like “The Fed,” under the reign of Alan Greenspan, the U.S. Congress, and Wall Street. Mr. Greider charges that these parties worked to “castrate” the watchdogs.
President John Fitzgerald Kennedy (JFK) was assassinated on Nov. 22, 1963, in Dallas, TX, as the result of a conspiracy. Why did the Shadow Government decide to eliminate him? We now know he wanted to get U.S. troops out of South Vietnam. JFK had also been taking on Wall St. and The Fed. He threatened to disband the CIA and close tax loopholes beneficial to “Big Oil” and the multinationals. JFK made a lot of powerful enemies--one too many!
Is Dubya an Agent of the New World Order? (tags)
Conspiracy is as American as apple pie. Every day in America, in state and federal courts, some defendant faces charges of conspiracy. I submit that since 1891, a conspiracy has existed, forged by British imperialist Cecil Rhodes, and others, to reduce America to a vassal state of the New World Order. It is beyond cavil that the policies of Dubya (George W. Bush) have been an absolute disaster for America. Could Dubya be working for the NWO?
Barack Obama Is Taking On a Lot of Bum Advice (tags)
It’s painful to watch Sen. Barack Obama slide over to the Right on so many important issues, as the presidential election heats up in ‘08. FISA, NAFTA and Israel are a few. He’s also met with Colin Powell and suggested that he might keep Robert Gates on as his Secretary of Defense. What’s next? Irv “Scooter” Libby as head of his Justice Department? If Obama doesn’t want to flop, like Sen. John Kerry did in ‘04, he better ponder changing his ways.
City Hall Scandal Hits Baltimore After “The Wire” Exits (tags)
There is never a dull moment in Baltimore, Maryland. It seems as soon as HBO’s “The Wire” program left town, our Mayor, Sheila Dixon, became the subject of a state corruption probe. It’s all mostly about two fur coats and some travel trips with an ex-boyfriend. At the time, he was a developer doing business with the city. Does it add up to bribery or is it a tempest in a teapot? The Grand Jury holds the answer to that question. Stay tuned.
Obama's Accuser and the Surreal Scene at the NPC (tags)
The fur was flying fast and furiously at the National Press Club on June 18, 2008. Larry Sinclair was in town--the bete noire of U.S. Sen. Barrack Obama (D-IL). After making an opening statement, the media ripped into Sinclair, challenging just about every aspect of his anti-Obama yarn. It wasn’t a good day for the accuser. He was also arrested after his spiel by the DC cops and turned over to two Federal Marshals on an outstanding Delaware warrant.
David McCullough, at Boston College, Sees No Evil (tags)
What is the role of the intellectual in the Age of Bush and Cheney? On May 19, 2008, David McCullough, gave a commencement address at Boston College, a Jesuit institution. He never said one critical word about the Iraq War or the serial lies of the Bush-Cheney Gang that got the U.S. involved in that Neocon-inspired conflict. I believe Mr. McCullough missed an opportunity to speak out and to inspire the students to take their country back.
The Masada Complex: Bush and Olmert are Exhibit A (tags)
President George W. Biush and Israel’s PM, Ehud Olmert, are setting the stage for a U.S. led attack on Iran. Only a mostly spineless Congress can stop Bush from committing yet another War Crime. Recently, the war-loving duo visited Masada, a desert fortress in Israel, where 960 Jewish zealots committed suicide, in 73 A.D., rather than surrender to Rome’s legions. Are Bush and Olmert both suffering from “The Masada Complex?”
Sen. Mikulski’s Warmongering Exposed by Peace Activist (tags)
The Iraq War is crashing our economy! We also now know that it was launched by the Bush-Cheney Gang based on 935 certifiable lies. Yet, Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-MD) continues to vote to fund it to the tune of $514 billion. Her excuse is that she “supports the troops.” Vietnam War veteran, nurse and Peace activist, Ms. Madeleine Mysko, isn’t buying Mikulski’s dubious line. She wants the war ended and the troop brought safely back home, now.
America, Fight Back: Nationalize the Oil Industry! (tags)
Surging oil prices are sinking the U.S. economy, while Big Oil is raking in obscene profits. For example, ExxonMobil recorded profits in 2007 of $40.6 billion. Its CEO’s pay averaged out to $13,700 an hour. Today, gas is selling at $3.50 a gallon with no end in sight. Truckers are paying more for their diesel fuel and as a result food prices are rising. Globally, nationalization of the oil industry is the trend. It’s time for the U.S. to join that club.
Ron Paul Is Right on Peace, Liberty and Ending the U.S. Empire (tags)
Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX) has taken a lot of hits during his campaign for the White House. What scares folks about this guy? I went to hear him speak, on April 14, 2008, at Goucher College, Towson, MD. Unlike some dubious liberals in the Congress, Rep. Paul voted against the USA Patriot Act. He also wants to end the Iraq War and bring the troops home, now; and to dismantle America’s global empire before it bankrupts the country. Sounds like Ralph Nader to me!
AFL-CIO’s John J. Sweeney Fears “an American Nightmare!” (tags)
On April 8, 2008, John J. Sweeney said in Baltimore, MD, that the country is going down the tubes and dragging working class people with it. He’s the head of the national AFL-CIO. He added that in November: “We have an opportunity to reverse these awful trends.” On May 1, 2008, West coast dockworkers are calling a work stoppage to protest the U.S. wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Perhaps, Mr. Sweeney will join them on the picket line. Stay tuned.
Like Dubya: Pelosi, Clinton and Mikulski Deserve Boos, Too! (tags)
In Washington, D.C., President George W. Bush was loudly booed on opening day, March 30, 2008. He tossed out the ceremonial first pitch and the huge baseball crowd gave him an earful. Too bad, the “Gang of Three,” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Sen. Hillary Clinton, and Sen. Barbara Mikulski, weren’t with him on the mound. They have enabled the Iraq conflict by voting to fund it, despite their promise to “end the war.” They deserve boos, too!
Regime Change: An American Addiction (tags)
I would like to blame the Neocons for America’s sordid record of “regime change” around the globe, but I can’t! For Iraq, yes! But, sadly, the U.S. has been in the dirty business of “regime change” for at least 110 years going back to the days that it unlawfully seized Hawaii. Author Stephen Kinzer’s book, “Overthrow: America’s Century of Regime Change,” tells the story of how 14 countries, many in Central America, came under our hegemony.
Alan Greenspan at the Feds: A Disaster for America (tags)
The supposed financial guru, Alan Greenspan, was nominated to head the Federal Reserve, in 1987, by that union-bashing dunce, President Ronald Reagan. At his confirmation hearing, the late Sen. William Proxmire (D-WI), exposed the fact that Greenspan’s economic forecasting record was “dismal” and “wrong” most of the time. In his book: “Greenspan’s Bubbles,” William A. Fleckenstein proves Sen. Proxmire’s instincts were prophetic.
Neocon Jonah Goldberg Praises David Mamet (tags)
How would you feel if that raving Neocon Jonah Goldberg praised you? Well, this is the position that lapsed liberal David Mamet, a knee jerk supporter of Israel, is in. Mamet endorsed a “Free Market” system and bashed NPR, as “National Palestinian Radio.” In a rant for the Village Voice he explains his conversion to Conservatism and underscores how government should “get out of the way.” Goldberg lionized him for rejecting “the pieties of the Left.”
Oh, That Trillion Dollar Financial Bubble, It’s Leaking! (tags)
It’s here! Author Charles R. Morris calls it: “The greatest credit bubble in history!” He insists that the “writedowns and defaults” of credit devices will “come out about $1 trillion.” Problem: President George W. Bush, Jr. is in denial about the crisis. Like that amiable dunce, President Ronald Reagan, he contributed to this horrible mess by turning the country over to the Vulture Capitalists and also by launching the Iraq War with its price tag of $3 trillion!
The Neocons’ Ties to the 9/11 Commission’s Report (tags)
There was little chance that the 9/11 Commission was going to establish the full truth. One reason why: Its Executive Director, the Neocon-loving Philip D. Zelikow, had his own agenda, to wit: protecting the interest of the Bush-Cheney Gang and linking “Al-Qaeda to Iraq.” Zelikow had previously written a book with Condi Rice, authored a paper used to justify the preemptive attack on Iraq and worked on Bush’s presidential transition team in 2000/2001.
Sen. Lieberman Says Waterboarding Won’t Really Hurt You! (tags)
One of the prime enablers of the Bush-Cheney Gang has been Sen. “Turncoat Joe” Lieberman (IND-CT). This guy loves the Iraq War and is foaming at the mouth pushing for the U.S. to attack Iran. Now, he’s come out for waterboarding! Sen. Lieberman insists it isn’t torture. How would he like it if Jonathan Pollard, the Israeli spy, is waterboarded? Torture is inhumane. Would Sen. Lieberman like to have a torture school named after himself?
Civil Resistance In the Age of Bush and Cheney (tags)
Civil Resistance to the wrongdoings of U.S. regimes has a long, and honorable, history. In his well documented tome, “Protesting Power: War, Resistance, and Law,” Professor Francis A. Boyle captures the essence of that story. He explains how “civil resistance” differs from “civil disobedience.” He also cites cases, where he was involved as an attorney and/or expert witness. Professor Boyle's book is, indeed, timely and needed.
Sen. Obama Beat the Political Machine in Maryland (tags)
Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) gave Sen. Hillary Clinton a decisive thrashing in Maryland’s primary election on Feb. 12, 2008. He beat her by about 180,000 votes. Despite Clinton having the state’s senior U.S. Senator, Barbara Mikulski, in her corner, along with its governor, Martin O’Malley, and also the party’s entire political machine, Obama won by a 60% to 37% margin. David Lindorff is right: “Obama...may be creating...a constituency for real change.”
A McCain-Lieberman Ticket in 2008? (tags)
Will the presidential election of 2008 reprise, to some extent, the 2000 event? Don’t be surprised if Sen. “Turncoat Joe” Lieberman (IND-CT) ends up as the V.P. choice of Sen. John McCain on the GOP ticket. At every photo op during this election year, Lieberman’s mug has showed up next to McCain’s. Lieberman helped to drag Al Gore down to defeat in 2000. Will he do the same for McCain or will another Israeli Firster get the nod? Stay tuned.
Bush and Cheney in Hell for 935 Lies - A Satire (tags)
Thanks to the great Dante, we know there is a Hell. President George W. Bush, Jr. is headed there, along with Dick Cheney, for the “935” lies, which they concocted that got the country into the Iraq War. Many politicos, who ignored the “935” lies, and also voted to fund the war, like Nancy Pelosi and Barbara Mikulski, will be suffering, too, in the inferno. The cunning Neocons are set for a “Special Place,” and the implosion of WTC-7 becomes an issue.
William Kristol, Neocon: Never Having to Say You’re Sorry! (tags)
Tommy Tomorrow, the cartoonist, said that William Kristol’s career as a warmonger had “failed upward!” On Aug. 11, 2008, activist Russell Mokhiber picketed the NYT’s office and demanded that Kristol, who was recently named to its Op Ed Page, meet with severely wounded Iraq War veteran, Tomas Young. Young is featured in Phil Donahue’s film, “Body of War.” Being a repulsive Neocon, like Kristol, means you never have to say you’re sorry.
Neocon-Lite Sen. Mikulski Sets Dems’ Cynical Agenda (tags)
The 2008 presidential election is heating up. Neocon-Lite Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-MD), in a spiel in the Baltimore Examiner, blasted President George W. Bush for shortchanging national priorities because of the cost of the Iraq War. She failed to mention, however, that she has been an enabler of that conflict and has done nothing to end it. The cynical Democratic Party strategy is to let the Iraq War continue and to blame Bush for everything.
The Making of an “Exceptional” Monster: Josef Stalin (tags)
His father was a drunk who regularly beat him. His name was Josef Stalin. Born in Russia’s Georgia, in 1878, under the rule of the Romanov Czars, he excelled as a student, while building up a deep resentment towards the cruel occupiers of his Caucasus region. Stalin became a Marxist revolutionist and a master conspirator. The book, “Young Stalin,” by Simon Sebag Montefiore, tells how this merciless, but extremely talented, psychopath was forged.
Voices of the Iraq War Dissenters Ring Out (tags)
The horrific Iraq War, launched by the Bush-Cheney Gang, is now in its fifth year, with no end in sight. Nevertheless, there were some stouthearted souls inside both the governments of the U.S. and the UK, (Denmark and Australia, too), who tried to expose the lies of the wire pullers. In “Dissent: Voices of Conscience,” co-authors Col. (Ret.) Ann Wright and Susan Dixon tell their compelling stories. It’s current history and a great read, too.
O’Malley Hugs Olmert, While USS Liberty Is Forgotten (tags)
Annapolis, MD, on Nov. 27, 2007, was the backdrop for a propaganda ploy concerning the Mideast. Meanwhile, MD’s Gov. Martin O’Malley had lunch with Israel’s Prime Minister, Ehud Olmert, but he failed to invite Palestine’s Mahmoud Abbas. Last summer, O’Malley cheerleaded the Israeli Defense Forces attack on Lebanon. It is highly likely that topics like: Occupied Gaza, Rachel Corrie or the USS Liberty, never came up at his meal with Olmert.
America: No Country for Old Men (tags)
Every once in a while, a movie comes along which captures, as a metaphor, the times that we are living through. That film is “No Country for Old Men.” It’s based on a novel by Cormac McCarthy. The flick is the creation of the Coen brothers, Joel and Ethan. It is a gem of a movie--grim in effect and dark in vision. In it, the villain, a sociopath, (think “Bush-Cheney Gang”) is winning; and the good guy, the Sheriff, (read “The People”), is ready to call it quits!
U.S. Catholic Bishops “See No Evil” in the War Party (tags)
The Bush-Cheney Gang has been running the country into the ground the last seven years, while creating a framework for a fascist police state. It has also slaughtered 1.2 million Iraqis and sent 3,867 of our finest sons and daughters to a early grave in an illegal and immoral war. But, you wouldn’t know it from any of the results of the annual conference of U.S. Catholic Bishops. To them, abortion is the greatest evil facing Mankind! Go figure!
Why Bush Doesn’t Have to Suspend the Constitution! (tags)
President George W. Bush doesn’t have to mimic Pakistan's dictator, Gen. Pervez Musharraf, and suspend the Constitution, since he doesn’t have any opposition. The two major political parties are controlled by the same Wire Pullers. Meanwhile, an “Axis of Zionists,” Michael Mukasey at Justice, Michael Chertoff at Homeland Security and Joshua Bolten at the WH, now have a choke hold on key positions in our government. America is in deep doo-doo!
U.S. Troops Are Dying, So That Bush Can “Save Face!” (tags)
Rep. Bob Filner (D-CA), on Oct. 17, 2007, on Capitol Hill, said: “Thousands of kids are going to come back in caskets, [from the Iraq War], which we are not allowed to see, or with amputations, brain injuries, with traumatic stress.” Why? Rep. Filner answers: “[Because Bush] is going to make the Democrats take responsibility for ‘this thing.’ That is to ‘save his face.’” I say: Let Bush “save face” in prison, with V.P. Dick Cheney, as his cell mate!
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi Gets an "F" Grade (tags)
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) has miserably failed the American people. Instead of standing up to the Bush-Cheney Gang on the illegal Iraq War, and a host of other issues, too, she has caved in. The American people voted for a change of policy on Iraq, in the Nov. 7, 2006 election; Pelosi has failed to deliver on that mandate. When ex-House Speaker Tom Foley let the voters down, they gave him the boot. It’s time to give Speaker Pelosi the boot, too!
The Killing Silence of Alan Greenspan (tags)
The Bush-Cheney Gang lied the country into the Iraq War. Now, Alan Greenspan, the ex-Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserves, has admitted: “’Everyone’ knows the Iraq War was largely about oil!” Greenspan should be forced to testify, under oath, before a Grand Jury and/or the House Judiciary Committee about this amazing disclosure. The American people are entitled to the truth and the liars should be punished.
Rev. Billy Graham: A Prince of War Exposed (tags)
The Rev. Billy Graham, a darling of the Evangelical Right, has never seen a U.S. war that he couldn’t bless. He once advocated that President Richard M. Nixon bomb the “dikes” in the north of Vietnam. He also criticized the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. for speaking out against the war. A new book, “The Prince of War: Billy Graham’s Crusade for a Wholly Christian Empire,” by Cecil Bothwell exposes the camera-mugging preacher as a serial warmonger.
September 15th Rally Is Unnerving Bush-Cheney Gang (tags)
The Bush-Cheney Gang is shaken by the coming massive antiwar rally set for September 15th, in Washington, D.C. On Sept. 6, 2007, it disrupted the ANSWER Coalition’s promotion of that demonstration. A cop-on-horseback interrupted ANSWER’s press conference that day. Three activists were also arrested. Plus, the antiwar activist, the Rev. Lennox Yearwood Jr., was assaulted by six Capitol Hill cops on Sept. 10th.
Is It Time to Rein in AIPAC? (tags)
The American Israel Public Affairs Committee, “AIPAC,” is the nine ton elephant in the room! It is the ultra-engine that drives the Israel Lobby. After the Walt/Mearsheimer Report came out in March, 2006, its cover was blown. Now, Grant F. Smith’s latest book, “Foreign Agents: AIPAC,” is hitting the streets. It is a searing indictment of AIPAC in the Court of Public Opinion and should be read by every American who cares about the fate of the Republic.
The 5:32 AM Train to Washington, D.C. (tags)
A lot has changed since 9/11, mostly all for the worse. When I took the commuter train from Baltimore to Washington, D.C., on the morning of Aug. 7, 2007, “Big Brother” knew I was on it, since an ID is needed to buy a ticket. When I got to D.C., “Big Brother’s’” cameras watched me get on and off the Metrorail. When I tried to videotape a demonstration at the DOE, a security guard threatened to confiscate my camcorder and to put me “in handcuffs!”
The Baltimore Examiner Is Wrong About the Iraqi War (tags)
On July 11, 2007, the Baltimore Examiner published an editorial cheerleading a continuation of the Iraqi War and propping up the conflict’s main instigator, the liar-in-chief, President George W. Bush. The Examiner insisted: “[Bush] is right on Iraq and that he deserves America’s support.” The Examiner is wrong! Bush warrants impeachment for lying the country into the war and a federal prison cell next to his partner-in-crime--V. P. Dick Cheney!
The “Cloud” over Dick Cheney Just Got Darker! (tags)
Lewis “Scooter” Libby is a dark cloud hanging over the head of Dick Cheney. The Special Prosecutor is convinced that Libby lied to protect his boss, the V.P., re: Joe Wilson/Valeri Plame smear. This dark cloud, coupled with the “Nightmare” of impeachment, is Cheney’s new reality. Rep. Dennis J. Kucinich (D-OH), et al, via H Res 333, intend to bring Cheney to Justice. It’s time for Rep. John Conyers of the Judiciary Committee to issue the subpoenas.