From harry.sifton at sympatico.ca  Mon Aug  1 05:26:57 2005
From: harry.sifton at sympatico.ca (harry.sifton@sympatico.ca)
Date: Mon Aug  1 05:29:24 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] IHT.com Article: The tyrant of Belarus
Message-ID: <20050801122657.0FA2AFA1D@dumpty.iht.com>

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From swiggard at comcast.net  Mon Aug  1 06:18:03 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (William Swiggard)
Date: Mon Aug  1 06:22:59 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Saudi Arabia's King Fahd Dies in Riyadh - Washington Post
Message-ID: <42EE210B.1060703@comcast.net>

<>Saudi Arabia's King Fahd Dies in Riyadh
Long-Term De Facto Ruler Crown Prince Abdullah Has Succeeded His 
Half-Brother

By Anthony Shadid and Fred Barbash
Washington Post Staff Writers
Monday, August 1, 2005; 8:54 AM

DAMASCUS, Aug. 1 -- King Fahd ibn Abdulaziz of Saudi Arabia died Monday 
and was quickly succeeded by his half-brother Crown Prince Abdullah, who 
has run the kingdom since Fahd suffered a stroke in 1995.

Saudi officials moved swiftly to assure the world that the strategic 
oil-rich nation would maintain continuity in both economic and political 
policies.

Crude oil prices nevertheless soared to $61 a barrel on the news.

An extraordinary Arab summit due be held Wednesday in the Egyptian 
resort of Sharm al-Sheikh has been postponed because of King Fahd's 
death. Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak scheduled the meeting following 
the terrorist attacks that struck Sharm el-Sheik. He also said the 
summit would deal with the Palestinian-Israeli crisis and Iraq.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/01/AR2005080100138.html?referrer=email

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From swiggard at comcast.net  Mon Aug  1 06:21:36 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (William Swiggard)
Date: Mon Aug  1 06:26:25 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] King Fahd,
	Man of Maddening Contradictions - Washington Post
Message-ID: <42EE21E0.2080209@comcast.net>

King Fahd, Man of Maddening Contradictions

By Thomas W. Lippman
Special to The Washington Post
Monday, August 1, 2005; 6:36 AM

King Fahd ibn Abdulaziz of Saudi Arabia, who died Monday, was a man of 
maddening contradictions who ruled a country of maddening contradictions.

By turns profligate and abstemious, corrupt and correct, energetic and 
lazy, dedicated and indifferent, he demonstrated both voracious 
appetites and undoubted abilities. Fahd, believed to be 83, was admired 
as a forward-looking modernizer and loathed as a corrupt autocrat, 
sometimes by the same analysts.

His greatest accomplishment was to hold his country together and 
preserve his family's rule in an era of immense pressures both domestic 
and external.

<>Slowed by illness in the past several years, he became largely a 
figurehead, appearing on television on ceremonial occasions but leaving 
most key decisions to his younger brothers. After suffering a stroke in 
late 1995, Fahd officially transferred his authority to his half-brother 
and heir apparent, Crown Prince Abdullah. The transfer was ostensibly 
temporary and Fahd officially reclaimed his power several weeks later, 
but he has exerted little direct control over the kingdom's day to day 
affairs. His official title, by which he was always identified in the 
Saudi media -- was "Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques" in Mecca and 
Medina. Fahd adopted that label in 1986, during a time when the kingdom 
was still recovering from its greatest domestic trauma, the 1979 seizure 
by religious fanatics of the Great Mosque at Mecca, the holiest site in 
Islam and Fahd was polishing his credentials as the protector and 
guarantor of the faith.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/01/AR2005080100241.html?nav=hcmodule 

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From hotprojects at nyc.rr.com  Mon Aug  1 06:24:03 2005
From: hotprojects at nyc.rr.com (richard haase)
Date: Mon Aug  1 06:26:38 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Saudi Arabia's King Fahd Dies in Riyadh - Washington
	Post
References: <42EE210B.1060703@comcast.net>
Message-ID: <001601c5969c$4947bd30$6e436c42@hotprojects>

yes i saw
i wonder if any of them have money for shows
?
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: William Swiggard 
  To: mb-civic 
  Sent: Monday, August 01, 2005 9:18 AM
  Subject: [Mb-civic] Saudi Arabia's King Fahd Dies in Riyadh - Washington Post


  <>Saudi Arabia's King Fahd Dies in Riyadh
  Long-Term De Facto Ruler Crown Prince Abdullah Has Succeeded His Half-Brother 

  By Anthony Shadid and Fred Barbash
  Washington Post Staff Writers
  Monday, August 1, 2005; 8:54 AM

  DAMASCUS, Aug. 1 -- King Fahd ibn Abdulaziz of Saudi Arabia died Monday and was quickly succeeded by his half-brother Crown Prince Abdullah, who has run the kingdom since Fahd suffered a stroke in 1995.

  Saudi officials moved swiftly to assure the world that the strategic oil-rich nation would maintain continuity in both economic and political policies.

  Crude oil prices nevertheless soared to $61 a barrel on the news.

  An extraordinary Arab summit due be held Wednesday in the Egyptian resort of Sharm al-Sheikh has been postponed because of King Fahd's death. Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak scheduled the meeting following the terrorist attacks that struck Sharm el-Sheik. He also said the summit would deal with the Palestinian-Israeli crisis and Iraq.

  http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/01/AR2005080100138.html?referrer=email



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From swiggard at comcast.net  Mon Aug  1 06:26:50 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (William Swiggard)
Date: Mon Aug  1 06:31:50 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] A Charter Member of Reagan Vanguard - Washington Post
Message-ID: <42EE231A.3050501@comcast.net>

<>A Charter Member of Reagan Vanguard
Court Nominee Was Part of Legal Team Seeking to Shift Course on Civil 
Rights Laws

By R. Jeffrey Smith, Amy Goldstein and Jo Becker
Washington Post Staff Writers
Monday, August 1, 2005; Page A01

In the early 1980s, a young intellectual lawyer named John G. Roberts 
Jr. was part of the vanguard of a conservative political revolution in 
civil rights, advocating new legal theories and helping enforce the 
Reagan administration's effort to curtail the use of courts to remedy 
racial and sexual discrimination.

Just 26 when he joined the Justice Department as a special assistant to 
Attorney General William French Smith, Roberts was almost immediately 
entrusted to counsel senior department officials on such incendiary 
matters of the day as school desegregation, voting rules and government 
antidotes to bias in housing and hiring.

In prolific missives of a few pages and densely written 30-page legal 
memos, Roberts -- who co-workers recall had primary responsibility for 
civil rights matters in his office -- consistently sought to bolster the 
legal reasoning for the administration's new stances and to burnish its 
presentation of the policies to Congress and the public.

<>Roberts's record is being closely scrutinized, and Democrats on the 
Senate Judiciary Committee say they will rigorously question the Supreme 
Court nominee on his views of civil rights. A review of Roberts's papers 
from his time at the Justice Department and interviews with his 
contemporaries show he was deeply involved with the Reagan 
administration's efforts to recast the way government and the courts 
approached civil rights.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/07/31/AR2005073100696.html?nav=hcmodule 

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From swiggard at comcast.net  Mon Aug  1 06:29:40 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (William Swiggard)
Date: Mon Aug  1 06:34:37 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Who's Paying for Our Patriotism? - Uwe Reinhardt -
	Washington Post
Message-ID: <42EE23C4.8030501@comcast.net>

Who's Paying for Our Patriotism?

By Uwe E. Reinhardt
Monday, August 1, 2005; Page A17

President Bush assures us that the ongoing twin wars in Iraq and 
Afghanistan are worth the sacrifices they entail. Editorialists around 
the nation agree and say that a steadfast American public was willing to 
stay the course.

Should anyone be surprised by this national resolve, given that these 
wars visit no sacrifice of any sort -- neither blood nor angst nor taxes 
-- on well over 95 percent of the American people?

At most, 500,000 American troops are at risk of being deployed to these 
war theaters at some time. Assume that for each of them some 20 members 
of the wider family sweat with fear when they hear that a helicopter 
crashed in Afghanistan or that X number of soldiers or Marines were 
killed or seriously wounded in Iraq. It implies that no more than 10 
million Americans have any real emotional connection to these wars.

<>The administration and Congress have gone to extraordinary lengths to 
insulate voters from the money cost of the wars -- to the point even of 
excluding outlays for them from the regular budget process. Furthermore, 
they have financed the wars not with taxes but by borrowing abroad.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/07/31/AR2005073101080.html?nav=hcmodule 

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From swiggard at comcast.net  Mon Aug  1 06:33:32 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (William Swiggard)
Date: Mon Aug  1 06:38:38 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] A Golden Opportunity Squandered - Jackson Diehl -
	Washington Post
Message-ID: <42EE24AC.4010602@comcast.net>

A Golden Opportunity Squandered

By Jackson Diehl
Monday, August 1, 2005; Page A17

Yasser Arafat's death last November created, it was commonly said, a 
golden opportunity for Palestinians to arrest their society's downward 
spiral into squalor and suicide bombing. It also set up a test for all 
those who believed that Arafat himself was the principal Palestinian 
problem.

The test went like this: Let's say Arafat were abruptly replaced, via a 
fair democratic election, by a civilized moderate with a long record of 
opposing violence and a clear commitment to negotiating a peaceful 
settlement with Israel. Amazingly, that happened six months ago, when 
Mahmoud Abbas became the Palestinian president. Let's further say that 
Israel decided to unilaterally withdraw from all of the Gaza Strip and a 
portion of the West Bank -- as, almost incredibly, it appears ready to 
do just two weeks from now. What difference would we see in Palestinian 
behavior?

Here, so far, are the empirical results: With the Israeli pullout 
looming, the new Palestinian authorities are promising to rein in 
extremists who threaten to attack the withdrawing settlers and soldiers 
-- but so far their efforts have been weak. An experts' study recently 
concluded that Palestinian security forces remain factionalized, 
underarmed and undertrained, and that they are more easily commanded by 
local warlords than their official leaders. Corrupt hacks populate 
Palestinian ministries and dominate the legislature and the ruling Fatah 
party. Democratic elections scheduled for last month were indefinitely 
postponed.

There are fitful negotiations with Israel about coordinating the 
withdrawal and subsequent status of Gaza. But Palestinian leaders appear 
more focused on using U.S. mediators to extract concessions from Israel 
than they are on formalizing agreements with the Jewish state. In the 
end, they may prefer to remain passive and blame Ariel Sharon for a 
unilateral and chaotic withdrawal.

It all sounds, in short, very much like Yasser Arafat's Palestine.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/07/31/AR2005073101034.html

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From hotprojects at nyc.rr.com  Mon Aug  1 06:36:54 2005
From: hotprojects at nyc.rr.com (richard haase)
Date: Mon Aug  1 06:39:31 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Who's Paying for Our Patriotism? - Uwe Reinhardt
	-Washington Post
References: <42EE23C4.8030501@comcast.net>
Message-ID: <001701c5969e$14a56530$6e436c42@hotprojects>

AND WHY CANT SOME OF THAT PATRIOTISM MONEY BE DIVERTED INTO NEW MUSICALS????
THATS WHAT ID LIKE TO KNOW
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: William Swiggard 
  To: mb-civic 
  Sent: Monday, August 01, 2005 9:29 AM
  Subject: [Mb-civic] Who's Paying for Our Patriotism? - Uwe Reinhardt -Washington Post


  Who's Paying for Our Patriotism?


  By Uwe E. Reinhardt
  Monday, August 1, 2005; Page A17

  President Bush assures us that the ongoing twin wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are worth the sacrifices they entail. Editorialists around the nation agree and say that a steadfast American public was willing to stay the course.

  Should anyone be surprised by this national resolve, given that these wars visit no sacrifice of any sort -- neither blood nor angst nor taxes -- on well over 95 percent of the American people?

  At most, 500,000 American troops are at risk of being deployed to these war theaters at some time. Assume that for each of them some 20 members of the wider family sweat with fear when they hear that a helicopter crashed in Afghanistan or that X number of soldiers or Marines were killed or seriously wounded in Iraq. It implies that no more than 10 million Americans have any real emotional connection to these wars.

  <>The administration and Congress have gone to extraordinary lengths to insulate voters from the money cost of the wars -- to the point even of excluding outlays for them from the regular budget process. Furthermore, they have financed the wars not with taxes but by borrowing abroad.

  http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/07/31/AR2005073101080.html?nav=hcmodule 


------------------------------------------------------------------------------


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  Mb-civic@islandlists.com
  http://www.islandlists.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/mb-civic
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From hotprojects at nyc.rr.com  Mon Aug  1 06:37:45 2005
From: hotprojects at nyc.rr.com (richard haase)
Date: Mon Aug  1 06:40:26 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] A Golden Opportunity Squandered - Jackson Diehl
	-Washington Post
References: <42EE24AC.4010602@comcast.net>
Message-ID: <001b01c5969e$333d6d30$6e436c42@hotprojects>

all of these people could have backed shows
it is very very sad
the waste
oh the humanity

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: William Swiggard 
  To: mb-civic 
  Sent: Monday, August 01, 2005 9:33 AM
  Subject: [Mb-civic] A Golden Opportunity Squandered - Jackson Diehl -Washington Post


  A Golden Opportunity Squandered


  By Jackson Diehl
  Monday, August 1, 2005; Page A17

  Yasser Arafat's death last November created, it was commonly said, a golden opportunity for Palestinians to arrest their society's downward spiral into squalor and suicide bombing. It also set up a test for all those who believed that Arafat himself was the principal Palestinian problem.

  The test went like this: Let's say Arafat were abruptly replaced, via a fair democratic election, by a civilized moderate with a long record of opposing violence and a clear commitment to negotiating a peaceful settlement with Israel. Amazingly, that happened six months ago, when Mahmoud Abbas became the Palestinian president. Let's further say that Israel decided to unilaterally withdraw from all of the Gaza Strip and a portion of the West Bank -- as, almost incredibly, it appears ready to do just two weeks from now. What difference would we see in Palestinian behavior?

  Here, so far, are the empirical results: With the Israeli pullout looming, the new Palestinian authorities are promising to rein in extremists who threaten to attack the withdrawing settlers and soldiers -- but so far their efforts have been weak. An experts' study recently concluded that Palestinian security forces remain factionalized, underarmed and undertrained, and that they are more easily commanded by local warlords than their official leaders. Corrupt hacks populate Palestinian ministries and dominate the legislature and the ruling Fatah party. Democratic elections scheduled for last month were indefinitely postponed.

  There are fitful negotiations with Israel about coordinating the withdrawal and subsequent status of Gaza. But Palestinian leaders appear more focused on using U.S. mediators to extract concessions from Israel than they are on formalizing agreements with the Jewish state. In the end, they may prefer to remain passive and blame Ariel Sharon for a unilateral and chaotic withdrawal.

  It all sounds, in short, very much like Yasser Arafat's Palestine.

  http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/07/31/AR2005073101034.html



------------------------------------------------------------------------------


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  Mb-civic@islandlists.com
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From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Mon Aug  1 07:22:43 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (mblaxill@yahoo.com)
Date: Mon Aug  1 07:25:21 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] NYTimes.com: Bush Appoints Bolton as U.N. Envoy,
	Bypassing Senate
Message-ID: <20050801142243.8C29F24AEB0@lax-gw02.mroute.net>

This page was sent to you by: mblaxill@yahoo.com.

WASHINGTON | August 1, 2005
Bush Appoints Bolton as U.N. Envoy, Bypassing Senate
By TIMOTHY WILLIAMS
President Bush today appointed John R. Bolton as ambassador of the United Nations while Congress was in recess.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/01/politics/01cnd-bolton.html?ex=1123560000&en=121afae36179a260&ei=5070&emc=eta1



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From hecate at diamonddragon.com  Mon Aug  1 07:27:09 2005
From: hecate at diamonddragon.com (Hecate)
Date: Mon Aug  1 07:29:46 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] BBC E-mail: Russia plans bird flu slaughter
Message-ID: <20050801_142709_040043.hecate@diamonddragon.com>

Hecate saw this story on BBC News Online and thought you
should see it.



** Russia plans bird flu slaughter **
Russia prepares to slaughter poultry in Siberian villages stricken by bird flu, which can also kill humans.
< http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/fr/-/2/hi/europe/4735579.stm >


** BBC Daily E-mail **
Choose the news and sport headlines you want - when you want them, all
in one daily e-mail
< http://www.bbc.co.uk/dailyemail/ >


** Disclaimer **
The BBC is not responsible for the content of this e-mail, and anything written in this e-mail does not necessarily reflect the BBC's views or opinions. Please note that neither the e-mail address nor name of the sender have?been verified.

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From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Mon Aug  1 07:27:13 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (mblaxill@yahoo.com)
Date: Mon Aug  1 07:29:48 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] NYTimes.com: Triumph of the Machine
Message-ID: <20050801142713.C100D9FBF5@lax-gw05.mroute.net>

This page was sent to you by: mblaxill@yahoo.com.

OPINION | August 1, 2005
Op-Ed Columnist: Triumph of the Machine
By PAUL KRUGMAN
The Bush administration does a bad job at governing in part because its highest priority is always to reward its friends.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/01/opinion/01krugman.html?ex=1123560000&en=4a9ecd3a765d441e&ei=5070&emc=eta1




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Copyright 2005 The New York Times Company
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From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Mon Aug  1 07:29:25 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (mblaxill@yahoo.com)
Date: Mon Aug  1 07:31:57 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] NYTimes.com: More People Turn to the Web to Watch TV
Message-ID: <20050801142925.B5FD33AE379@lax-gw06.mroute.net>

This page was sent to you by: mblaxill@yahoo.com.

TECHNOLOGY | August 1, 2005
More People Turn to the Web to Watch TV
By SAUL HANSELL
More people are taking advantage of high-speed Internet service and new Web video offerings and assembling their own programming to watch on their computers, whenever they want.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/01/technology/01video.html?ex=1123560000&en=cdd67601a751dc59&ei=5070&emc=eta1



----------------- Advertisement --------------------------

The Academy loved these movies enough to name each
one Best Picture.  What did the original New York
Times movie reviews have to say about these Oscar
winning films?  
Go to the Best Pictures review archive:

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From hecate at diamonddragon.com  Mon Aug  1 07:31:21 2005
From: hecate at diamonddragon.com (Hecate)
Date: Mon Aug  1 07:33:53 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] BBC E-mail: Iran will reopen nuclear facility
Message-ID: <20050801_143121_015652.hecate@diamonddragon.com>

Hecate saw this story on BBC News Online and thought you
should see it.



** Iran will reopen nuclear facility **
Iran tells the UN it will resume controversial uranium processing, despite European Union criticism.
< http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/fr/-/2/hi/middle_east/4733557.stm >


** BBC Daily E-mail **
Choose the news and sport headlines you want - when you want them, all
in one daily e-mail
< http://www.bbc.co.uk/dailyemail/ >


** Disclaimer **
The BBC is not responsible for the content of this e-mail, and anything written in this e-mail does not necessarily reflect the BBC's views or opinions. Please note that neither the e-mail address nor name of the sender have?been verified.

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From hecate at diamonddragon.com  Mon Aug  1 07:31:52 2005
From: hecate at diamonddragon.com (Hecate)
Date: Mon Aug  1 07:34:23 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] BBC E-mail: Indian monsoon affects millions
Message-ID: <20050801_143152_021468.hecate@diamonddragon.com>

Hecate saw this story on BBC News Online and thought you
should see it.



** Indian monsoon affects millions **
More than 20m people have their lives disrupted by record rains in Mumbai (Bombay) and its surroundings.
< http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/fr/-/2/hi/south_asia/4733897.stm >


** BBC Daily E-mail **
Choose the news and sport headlines you want - when you want them, all
in one daily e-mail
< http://www.bbc.co.uk/dailyemail/ >


** Disclaimer **
The BBC is not responsible for the content of this e-mail, and anything written in this e-mail does not necessarily reflect the BBC's views or opinions. Please note that neither the e-mail address nor name of the sender have?been verified.

If you do not wish to receive such e-mails in the future or want to know more about the BBC's Email a Friend service, please read our frequently asked questions. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/help/4162471.stm

From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Mon Aug  1 07:33:10 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (mblaxill@yahoo.com)
Date: Mon Aug  1 07:35:44 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] NYTimes.com: New Leftist Coalition Shuffles Political
	Deck in Germany
Message-ID: <20050801143310.120AD249C3B@lax-gw08.mroute.net>

This page was sent to you by: mblaxill@yahoo.com.

INTERNATIONAL / EUROPE | August 1, 2005
New Leftist Coalition Shuffles Political Deck in Germany
By RICHARD BERNSTEIN
The newly formed Linkspartei, or Left Party is made up of former Communists and a larger number of defectors from the party of Chancellor Gerhard Schröder.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/01/international/europe/01germany.ready.html?ex=1123560000&en=e42e2aee7941c20b&ei=5070&emc=eta1



----------------- Advertisement --------------------------

The Academy loved these movies enough to name each
one Best Picture.  What did the original New York
Times movie reviews have to say about these Oscar
winning films?  
Go to the Best Pictures review archive:

http://ads.nyt.com/th.ad/nytnyt-textEmailThisdefault-Center1A/academyawards_text/?_RM_REDIR_=http://www.nytimes.com/ref/movies/oscars/bestpictures.html




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From hecate at diamonddragon.com  Mon Aug  1 07:34:29 2005
From: hecate at diamonddragon.com (hecate@diamonddragon.com)
Date: Mon Aug  1 07:37:13 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Niger Faces Major Food Emergency
Message-ID: <20050801143429.18348.qmail@trinity.democracynow.org>

Hecate  ( hecate@diamonddragon.com )
sent you this story from democracynow.org

More than 25% of Niger's children die before their fifth birthday. Jan Egeland, United Nations undersecretary general for humanitarian affairs and emergency relief coordinator, said the emergency could have been prevented. 



+--------------------------------------------------------------------+
|  Niger Faces Major Food Emergency
|  http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=05/08/01/1359213
+--------------------------------------------------------------------+


The African country of Niger is rarely mentioned in this country. Among the only times you hear Nier mentioned is in relation to the Wilson/Plame/Rove scandal. But today in Niger, 3.3 million people, including almost a million children, are facing starvation after a drought and locusts wiped out last year's harvest. We go to Niamey, Niger for a report from Doctors Without Borders.
This story continues at: 
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=05/08/01/1359213

From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Mon Aug  1 07:37:34 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (mblaxill@yahoo.com)
Date: Mon Aug  1 07:40:05 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] NYTimes.com: Debating the Subtle Sway of the Federalist
	Society
Message-ID: <20050801143734.CB39383CFE@lax-gw03.mroute.net>

This page was sent to you by: mblaxill@yahoo.com.

WASHINGTON / WASHINGTON SPECIAL | August 1, 2005
Debating the Subtle Sway of the Federalist Society
By JASON DePARLE
White House aides have worked hard to put distance between Judge John G. Roberts and the conservative legal group.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/01/politics/politicsspecial1/01federalist.html?ex=1123560000&en=56efac7d0a433e3e&ei=5070&emc=eta1



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From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Mon Aug  1 07:42:19 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (mblaxill@yahoo.com)
Date: Mon Aug  1 07:44:50 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] NYTimes.com: Spy's Notes on Iraqi Aims Were Shelved,
	Suit Says
Message-ID: <20050801144219.4BF3213B72E@lax-gw04.mroute.net>

This page was sent to you by: mblaxill@yahoo.com.

WASHINGTON | August 1, 2005
Spy's Notes on Iraqi Aims Were Shelved, Suit Says
By JAMES RISEN
A former C.I.A. officer said the agency was told by an informant in the spring of 2001 that Iraq's uranium enrichment program had ended years earlier.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/01/politics/01weapons.html?ex=1123560000&en=7827d340de4b0a6b&ei=5070&emc=eta1



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From swiggard at comcast.net  Mon Aug  1 08:44:25 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (William Swiggard)
Date: Mon Aug  1 08:49:28 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Bush Sidesteps Senate,
 Installs Bolton as U.N. Envoy - Breaking News - Washington Post
Message-ID: <42EE4359.4050809@comcast.net>

Bush Sidesteps Senate, Installs Bolton as U.N. Envoy

By Daniela Deane
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, August 1, 2005; 11:33 AM

President Bush sidestepped the U.S. Senate on Monday and installed 
controversial nominee John Bolton as ambassador to the United Nations, 
saying the post was "too important to leave vacant any longer."

Speaking at the White House, Bush said he was sending Bolton, a 
56-year-old lawyer, to the United Nations with his "complete confidence."

The appointment constituted what is known as a recess appointment. It 
ended a five-month impasse with Senate Democrats who had accused the 
conservative Bolton of twisting intelligence to suit a hawkish ideology 
and of abusing subordinates.

Bush has the power to fill vacancies without Senate approval while 
Congress is in recess. Under the Constitution, the recess appointment 
will last until the next session of Congress, which begins in January 2007.

<>Speaking at a White House Roosevelt Room ceremony flanked by the 
mustachioed Bolton and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Bush said 
that "a majority of U.S. senators agree that he is the right man for the 
job. Yet, because of partisan delaying tactics by a handful of senators, 
John was unfairly denied the up or down vote that he deserves."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/01/AR2005080100436.html?referrer=email 

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From barbarasiomos38 at msn.com  Mon Aug  1 10:34:51 2005
From: barbarasiomos38 at msn.com (Barbara Siomos)
Date: Mon Aug  1 10:37:26 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Cuban American letter to Bush - Please Circulate or
	write your own.
Message-ID: <BAY5-DAV206EA785D0A38493BDEB76ABC30@phx.gbl>

Dear Civic Group,

Alberto Jones and Delvis Fernandez are circulating the letter below to the Cuban American community for signatures. Cuban Americans wanting to sign on to the letter should email:  nuevas@earthlink.net

Or IF you prefer write your own letter to Mr. Bush and give him hell... these people need help and he is scrooge.

peace,
barbara
~+~+~+~+~+~+~~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~
President George W. Bush
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20500


Dear President Bush,

Early this month, hurricane Dennis slammed into Cuba, causing disaster in
1/ 6 of the island, the death of 16 people
and the partial or total destruction of over
140,000 homes. Thousands of women, 
children, elderly and physically challenged
people are now lacking food, water and
electricity.

In response to this tragedy, Pastors for
Peace and other people of faith have
shown a compassionate and generous side
of Americans. They have attempted to 
bring much needed assistance to the 
Cuban People, but their efforts are being
met with confiscations of donations at the
hands of Customs and Homeland Security officers.

For us as Cuban Americans, this situation
has been further exacerbated by the
current curtailments on family visits as well
as the severe restrictions on sending
financial and material assistance to our
families on the island.

Mr. President, in the wake of this devastating hurricane, lift the restrictions 
on ending assistance to Cuba and let us be
free to nurture our love for family and 
friends; -it is in America's best interest.


Sincerely,

Alberto N. Jones, President
Caribbean American Children Foundation
Palm Coast, Florida

Delvis Fernandez Levy, President
Cuban American Alliance Education Fund
Washington, DC

From michael at intrafi.com  Mon Aug  1 11:50:13 2005
From: michael at intrafi.com (michael@intrafi.com)
Date: Mon Aug  1 11:52:46 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] FT.com / Comment & analysis / Comment - There can be no
	moderate solutions to extremism
Message-ID: <17554067.1122922213847.JavaMail.tomcat@localhost>



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From michael at intrafi.com  Mon Aug  1 12:41:14 2005
From: michael at intrafi.com (michael@intrafi.com)
Date: Mon Aug  1 12:43:48 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] FT.com / Comment & analysis / Columnists - Amity Shlaes:
	Bush must recalibrate war on terror 
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From michael at intrafi.com  Mon Aug  1 12:42:24 2005
From: michael at intrafi.com (michael@intrafi.com)
Date: Mon Aug  1 12:44:57 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] FT.com / Comment & analysis / Comment - Explode the
	myths of global competition
Message-ID: <22952345.1122925344726.JavaMail.tomcat@localhost>



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From maxfury at granderiver.net  Mon Aug  1 08:55:02 2005
From: maxfury at granderiver.net (Cheeseburger)
Date: Mon Aug  1 13:16:46 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Bush Sidesteps Senate,
	Installs Bolton as U.N. Envoy - Breaking News - Washington Post
Message-ID: <000901c596b1$63131560$9e26b7d8@baby1>

Bush Sidesteps Senate, Installs Bolton as U.N. Envoy - Breaking News -
Washington Post



If you don't realize you live in an absolute democracy by now, you never
will.

As far as Kofi Annan, where did they find that guy, at the bottom of a
Cracker Jacks box..?

His statement on the appointment seems something like a cartoon character
would say.  He should decide where his tongue really belongs, saving various
people etc of the world, or permanently up the posteriors of people he
doesn't want to piss off.  Sometimes you just can't have both.  Apparently
the people of the world that need saving remain expendable in the face of
Reality.  So much for the U.N. .  Sadly they apparently *are* getting oil
kickbacks.

As far as Bolton, this appears to be the closest thing a President could do
if he wanted to put someone like Fatty Arbuckle in charge of the virgins.

Kennedy's statement of "The abuse of power and the cloak of secrecy from the
White House continues," appears to be appropriate.

The entire reign of this administration remains one of the largest
conspiracies and multi-faceted examples of endless treason that America will
ever see.

No, Lyle, don't bother telling your boss about things like the Pentagon and
rockets and etc, you'll just get in trouble for "even just bringing them
up".

You apparently just have to wait for the unquestioning loyal
indoctrinated-beyond-conception Americans who refuse to consider conspiracy
and treason at the highest ranks of our government as a reality to arrive at
their senses when these "Trends" eventually wind up on their personal
doorsteps and they turn to you and cry "What should we do now...?".

At that point, my best advice is to look them in the eye and tell them that
they're on their own, just as they left us so long ago, and to shut the fuck
up about it all just as they told us to shut the fuck up about it all so
long ago.

As by then it will be much too late to do anything about anything and it
won't really matter what one says at that time.

The same government they worshipped in the, for example, 60's, is still in
charge today.  The names and faces have changed, some of them, but they've
had 40 beautiful years to formulate their final thesis of conspiracy and
treason, and to fine-tune their machine that lives only to publicly
discredit those that disagree with them and remove them from influence and
power in society, business, education, government, etc.

By now all of you should firmly know which side you are on.

And by now you should also realize that the Mainstream American Press is no
longer on the side of The People Of The United States Of America.

If this is not *literally* how Nazi Germany began to come to fruition,
please, correct me before I do something rash like stand up for Freedom.





Cheeseburger

.

From harry.sifton at sympatico.ca  Mon Aug  1 15:03:11 2005
From: harry.sifton at sympatico.ca (harry.sifton@sympatico.ca)
Date: Mon Aug  1 15:05:56 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Guardian Unlimited: Bush bypasses Senate to install
	neo-con at UN
Message-ID: <20050801220311.C30B525B1E@mussel.gul3.gnl>

Harry spotted this on the Guardian Unlimited site and thought you should see it.

-------
Note from Harry:

"He's damaged goods", a "recess appointment" will only give a lack of creditability to the UN! As a Neo-con with a known agenda he will only distance the other members of the UN from the USA! Another bad move by Mr Bush.
-------

To see this story with its related links on the Guardian Unlimited site, go to http://www.guardian.co.uk

Bush bypasses Senate to install neo-con at UN
James Sturcke and agencies
Monday August 01 2005
The Guardian


The US president, George Bush, today bypassed the senate and installed the controversial neo-conservative John Bolton as ambassador to the UN.

Mr Bush took advantage of his power to fill vacancies without senate approval while Congress is in recess. Under the constitution, Mr Bolton's recess appointment during the senators' August break will last until the next session of Congress, which begins in January 2007.

"He will provide clear US leadership for reform," Mr Bush said. "He will insist on results. He believes in the goals of the UN, in peace and human rights."

Mr Bush said Mr Bolton would bring two decades of "expertise and wisdom" to the role. He said Mr Bolton, in his current role as undersecretary of state for arms control, had shown "leadership preventing the spread of weapons of mass destruction".

Mr Bolton told a press conference he was "profoundly honoured and humbled" by the appointment.

"I am prepared to work tirelessly to carry out the agenda of the UN," he said. "I seek a stronger and more effective organisation."

When Mr Bolton's nomination was announced in March, critics said it signalled Mr Bush's desire to destroy the scandal-ridden UN. Mr Bolton once said it would not make much difference to its operation if 10 floors of the UN's 38-storey New York headquarters were removed.

Since then, some analysts have suggested Mr Bolton, 56, could prove to be an unlikely ally of the UN secretary general Kofi Annan's reform plan, which calls for the replacement of the UN's often criticised human rights commission, whose members include representatives of the worst torturers, and an agreed definition of terrorism that denies any exemption for "freedom fighters".

However, Democrats said Mr Bolton, the undersecretary of state for arms control, would start his new job on the wrong foot in a recess appointment.

"He's damaged goods," Senator Christopher Dodd of Connecticut, a senior Democrat on the senate foreign relations committee, told Fox News. "This is a person who lacks credibility."

Mr Bolton's appointment ends a five-month impasse between the administration and Senate Democrats. The battle grabbed headlines in April amid accusations that Mr Bolton abused subordinates and twisted intelligence to shape his conservative ideology.

In recent weeks, the controversy faded into the background as the senate prepared to begin a nomination battle over John Roberts, the federal appeals judge whom Mr Bush chose to replace the retiring Justice Sandra Day O'Connor at the supreme court. Mr Bush's determination to force Mr Bolton's appointment may make Democrats less willing to support his supreme court nomination.

At Mr Bolton's April confirmation hearing, Democrats raised additional questions about his demeanour and attitude toward lower-level government officials. Those questions came to dominate Mr Bolton's confirmation battle, growing into numerous allegations that he had abused underlings or tried to browbeat intelligence analysts whose views differed from his own.

Despite lengthy investigations, it was never clear that Mr Bolton had done anything improper. Witnesses told the committee that Mr Bolton lost his temper and otherwise threw his weight around and had tried to engineer the ousting of at least two intelligence analysts with whom he had disagreements. But Democrats were never able to establish that his actions crossed the line into out-and-out harassment or improper intimidation.

Republicans appearing on yesterday's news shows said Mr Bolton was the right person to represent the US at the world body.

Copyright Guardian Newspapers Limited
From harry.sifton at sympatico.ca  Mon Aug  1 15:07:26 2005
From: harry.sifton at sympatico.ca (harry.sifton@sympatico.ca)
Date: Mon Aug  1 15:10:06 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Guardian Unlimited: Plenty of food - yet the poor are
	starving
Message-ID: <20050801220726.974D9105F3@herring.gul3.gnl>

Harry spotted this on the Guardian Unlimited site and thought you should see it.

-------
Note from Harry:

The food is there, they just can not afford to buy it. This is an internal political/economic issue that has to change so that the needy can eat!!
-------

To see this story with its related links on the Guardian Unlimited site, go to http://www.guardian.co.uk

Plenty of food - yet the poor are starving
The two faces of Niger
Jeevan Vasagar  in Tahoua, Niger
Monday August 01 2005
The Guardian


In Tahoua market, there is no sign that times are hard. Instead, there are piles of red onions, bundles of glistening spinach, and pumpkins sliced into orange shards. There are plastic bags of rice, pasta and manioc flour, and the sound of butchers' knives whistling as they are sharpened before hacking apart joints of goat and beef.

A few minutes' drive from the market, along muddy streets filled with puddles of rainwater, there is the more familiar face of Niger. Under canvas tents, aid workers coax babies with spidery limbs to take sips of milk, or the smallest dabs of high-protein paste.

Wasted infants are wrapped in gold foil to keep them warm. There is the sound of children wailing, or coughing in machine-gun bursts.

"I cannot afford to buy millet in the market, so I have no food, and there is no milk to give my baby," says Fatou, a mother cradling her son Alhassan. Though he is 12 months old he weighs just 3.3kg (around 7lbs).

Fatou, a slender, childlike young woman in a blue shawl, ate weeds to survive before her baby was admitted to a treatment centre run by the medical charity MSF.

This is the strange reality of Niger's hunger crisis. There is plenty of food, but children are dying because their parents cannot afford to buy it.

The starvation in Niger is not the inevitable consequence of poverty, or simply the fault of locusts or drought. It is also the result of a belief that the free market can solve the problems of one of the world's poorest countries.

The price of grain has skyrocketed; a 100kg bag of millet, the staple grain, costs around 8,000 to 12,000 West African francs (around &pound;13) last year but now costs more than 22,000 francs (&pound;25). According to Washington-based analysts the Famine Early Warning System Network (Fewsnet), drought and pests have only had a "modest impact" on grain production in Niger.

The last harvest was only 11% below the five-yearly average. Prices have been rising also because traders in Niger have been exporting grain to wealthier neighbouring countries, including Nigeria and Ghana.

Niger, the second-poorest country in the world, relies heavily on donors such as the EU and France, which favour free-market solutions to African poverty. So the Niger government declined to hand out free food to the starving. Instead, it offered millet at subsidised prices. But the poorest could still not afford to buy.

At Tahoua market the traders are reluctant to talk about the hunger crisis affecting their countrymen as they spread their wares under thatched verandas jutting out from mud buildings. Snatches of the Qur'an from tinny tape players compete with Bollywood songs and the growl of lorries bringing sacks of rice and flour.

One man opens his left palm to display half a dozen tiny scorpions, a living advert for the herbal scorpion antidote he is selling in his other hand.

Omar Mahmoud, 18, who helps sell rice at his father's shop, blames the famine on drought: "I know there is hunger. It is because there wasn't enough rain. The price of millet has gone up because there wasn't enough rain last year."

Last month around 2,000 protesters marched through the streets of the capital, Niamey, demanding free food. The government refused. The same month, G8 finance ministers agreed to write off the country's $2bn (&pound;1.3bn) debt.

"The appropriate response would have been to do free food distributions in the worst-affected areas," said Johanne Sekkenes, head of MSF's mission in Niger.

"We are not speaking about free distribution to everybody, but to the most affected areas and the most vulnerable people."

The UN, whose World Food Programme distributes emergency supplies in other hunger-stricken parts of Africa, also declined to distribute free food. The reason given was that interfering with the free market could disrupt Niger's development out of poverty.

"I think an emergency response should have started much earlier," says Ms Sekkenes. "Now we find ourselves in this serious nutritional crisis, with children under five who are suffering."

Three weeks ago the Niger government, its foreign donor countries and the UN did a volte-face, jointly agreeing to allow the distribution of free food. Aid is now being flown in from Europe and trucked from neighbouring countries.

A total of 3.6 million people live in the regions of Niger affected by the food crisis. According to the most reliable estimate, some 874,000 people now need free food to survive.

The food aid will arrive as children weakened by hunger face a new battle against disease. It is the rainy season in Niger, and the water helps spread diseases such as malaria and diarrhoea.

In the MSF treatment centre, a three-year-old girl called Aminata is suffering from a grotesque eye condition. Her eyeball is so swollen with fluid that it has popped out of her skull and bulges from her face. The doctors call it a retinal blastoma, the result of an untreated eye infection.

"The thing in her eye started off very small," said Aminata's mother, Nisbou. "I did not have money for hospital, so I treated it with herbs, traditional medicine."

The hunger crisis has struck communities which depend on a mix of subsistence farming and herding for their livelihoods. The stories told by the women in the treatment centre show that their plight began when locusts ate their crop and cattle fodder, but spiralled when the prices of food in the market shot out of reach.

In desperate times, adults can get by on the poorest of foods, weeds and the stubble of their crops, but mothers cannot make breastmilk on this diet and infants cannot eat weeds.

Amid the anxiety, there are unexpected moments of gaiety in the feeding centre. Asked her age, Nisbou, who is probably about 20, replied: "I am 100 years old." She burst out laughing at her own joke, then looked weary again, and tucked her baby's deformed face under a lace shawl.

Copyright Guardian Newspapers Limited
From olhippie at tampabay.rr.com  Mon Aug  1 15:29:28 2005
From: olhippie at tampabay.rr.com (Robin McNamara)
Date: Mon Aug  1 15:32:01 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Iran & Hizbolla
Message-ID: <000601c596e8$7abe0620$8a03ca44@CowBox>

Hizbolla has recently won some power politically in the Lebanon elections.From day one they have been Iranian sponsered with both having the ultimate goal of annihilating Isreal.  I am sure the outgoing president is just telling their leader that they will be in good hands with the new incoming president.



http://www.irna.ir/en/news/view/line-24/0508010813143918.htm



Peace
Robin





http://lpintop.tripod.com/robinmcnamara


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From olhippie at tampabay.rr.com  Mon Aug  1 15:44:33 2005
From: olhippie at tampabay.rr.com (Robin McNamara)
Date: Mon Aug  1 15:47:20 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] "The Hezbolla Facter" 
Message-ID: <001301c596ea$9b27fd10$8a03ca44@CowBox>

The Iranian & Lebanese along with Hezbolla 


http://www.irna.ir/en/news/view/menu-234/0508011460195218.htm


Peace
Robin






http://lpintop.tripod.com/robinmcnamara
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From michael at intrafi.com  Mon Aug  1 16:09:40 2005
From: michael at intrafi.com (michael@intrafi.com)
Date: Mon Aug  1 16:12:14 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Alternet: Judy Miller: Do We Want To Know Everything or
	Don't We?
Message-ID: <20050801230940.1F221B81A6@alternet.org>


This story has been forwarded to you from
http://www.alternet.org by michael@intrafi.com



-------------------------------------
Judy Miller: Do We Want To Know Everything or Don't We?
http://www.alternet.org/story/23814

Is the jailed Times reporter a heroic martyr or White House stooge?
-------------------------------------

From harry.sifton at sympatico.ca  Mon Aug  1 17:00:54 2005
From: harry.sifton at sympatico.ca (Harold Sifton)
Date: Mon Aug  1 17:03:29 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Jimmy Stewart, FBI agent?
Message-ID: <000801c596f5$430656d0$9a3fe440@Harold>

Stewart spied on his friends, if true, a sad thing, if not, shame on the media!

http://www.contactmusic.com/new/xmlfeed.nsf/mndwebpages/stewart%20was%20secret%20anticommunist%20fbi%20agent

H
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From hecate at diamonddragon.com  Tue Aug  2 00:19:00 2005
From: hecate at diamonddragon.com (Hecate Gould)
Date: Tue Aug  2 00:21:44 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] sent by a friend
Message-ID: <QkFPUDlLOCBgOFlVNCosMzMzNzQ1OQ@Dragon>

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From hecate at diamonddragon.com  Tue Aug  2 00:36:42 2005
From: hecate at diamonddragon.com (Hecate)
Date: Tue Aug  2 00:39:20 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] BBC E-mail: Women heart drug risks 'unknown'
Message-ID: <20050802_073642_092365.hecate@diamonddragon.com>

Hecate saw this story on BBC News Online and thought you
should see it.

** Message **
They say this is because, for many years, heart disease was wrongly seen as a "male" condition. 



** Women heart drug risks 'unknown' **
Too little is known about potential side effects for women taking heart drugs, scientists have claimed.
< http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/fr/-/2/hi/health/4734527.stm >


** BBC Daily E-mail **
Choose the news and sport headlines you want - when you want them, all
in one daily e-mail
< http://www.bbc.co.uk/dailyemail/ >


** Disclaimer **
The BBC is not responsible for the content of this e-mail, and anything written in this e-mail does not necessarily reflect the BBC's views or opinions. Please note that neither the e-mail address nor name of the sender have?been verified.

If you do not wish to receive such e-mails in the future or want to know more about the BBC's Email a Friend service, please read our frequently asked questions. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/help/4162471.stm

From hecate at diamonddragon.com  Tue Aug  2 00:38:19 2005
From: hecate at diamonddragon.com (Hecate)
Date: Tue Aug  2 00:40:54 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] BBC E-mail: Grubs fight parasites with food
Message-ID: <20050802_073819_003618.hecate@diamonddragon.com>

Hecate saw this story on BBC News Online and thought you
should see it.

** Message **
Scientists found the caterpillars' sense of taste actually changed when they became infected with parasites. 

Instead of avoiding certain alkaloid plants, the caterpillars actually developed a fondness for them. 

This change in diet helps to beat the creatures' parasite infection, the researchers report in Nature. 



** Grubs fight parasites with food **
Tiger moth caterpillars are seen medicating themselves to get rid of a nasty load of parasites.
< http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/fr/-/2/hi/science/nature/4722233.stm >


** BBC Daily E-mail **
Choose the news and sport headlines you want - when you want them, all
in one daily e-mail
< http://www.bbc.co.uk/dailyemail/ >


** Disclaimer **
The BBC is not responsible for the content of this e-mail, and anything written in this e-mail does not necessarily reflect the BBC's views or opinions. Please note that neither the e-mail address nor name of the sender have?been verified.

If you do not wish to receive such e-mails in the future or want to know more about the BBC's Email a Friend service, please read our frequently asked questions. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/help/4162471.stm

From barbarasiomos38 at msn.com  Tue Aug  2 04:29:40 2005
From: barbarasiomos38 at msn.com (Barbara Siomos)
Date: Tue Aug  2 04:32:19 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Alternet: Judy Miller: Do We Want To Know Everything
	or Don't We?
Message-ID: <BAY5-DAV98A4C88C5E3677DCF2621ABC20@phx.gbl>

WoW!!!   From Hero to slime ball... there are always two sides to every story.

peace,
barbara

-----Original Message-----
From: michael@intrafi.com
Sent: Mon, 1 Aug 2005 16:09:40 -0700
To: mb-civic@islandlists.com
Subject: [Mb-civic] Alternet: Judy Miller: Do We Want To Know Everything or Don't We?


This story has been forwarded to you from
http://www.alternet.org by michael@intrafi.com



-------------------------------------
Judy Miller: Do We Want To Know Everything or Don't We?
http://www.alternet.org/story/23814

Is the jailed Times reporter a heroic martyr or White House stooge?
-------------------------------------

_______________________________________________
Mb-civic mailing list
Mb-civic@islandlists.com
http://www.islandlists.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/mb-civic


From swiggard at comcast.net  Tue Aug  2 04:42:55 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (William Swiggard)
Date: Tue Aug  2 04:46:36 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Privilege at Stake With Nominees - Washington Post
Message-ID: <42EF5C3F.8010008@comcast.net>

<>Privilege at Stake With Nominees
Bush Aims to Reassert Presidential Power in Debate Over Roberts, Bolton

By Peter Baker
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, August 2, 2005; Page A06

At the heart of battles over President Bush's nominations to the Supreme 
Court and United Nations is a broader -- and largely successful -- 
campaign to reassert executive prerogatives lost under his predecessor 
and limit public access to the internal workings of government.

In the case of both nominations, Democratic senators demanded documents 
from executive branch deliberations to help them evaluate Bush's 
choices, and he refused. The president got around Democratic opposition 
to John R. Bolton yesterday by giving him a 17-month recess appointment 
as ambassador to the United Nations. Now the two sides face a weeks-long 
stare-down over John G. Roberts Jr. heading into confirmation hearings 
after Labor Day.

<>The principle at stake is one that has been a source of friction over 
the limits of presidential power since George Washington. Under 
President Bill Clinton, multiple clashes with Congress, the judiciary 
and independent counsel Kenneth W. Starr chipped away at attorney-client 
and executive privileges on sensitive documents and conversations. But 
since coming to power, Bush has doggedly reclaimed turf that eroded 
under Clinton, asserting the power of his office to shield everything 
from energy policy deliberations to the papers of past presidents.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/01/AR2005080101546.html 

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From swiggard at comcast.net  Tue Aug  2 04:44:41 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (William Swiggard)
Date: Tue Aug  2 04:48:19 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Sioux Want to Clear Land of Bombs - Washington Post
Message-ID: <42EF5CA9.6090902@comcast.net>

<>Sioux Want to Clear Land of Bombs
Unexploded Ordnance Hampers Tribe's Move Into Tourism

By Carson Walker
Associated Press
Tuesday, August 2, 2005; Page A11

RED SHIRT, S.D. -- The bombs were dropped from 1942 to 1963, and the 
Oglala Sioux Tribe leaders hope the removal of unexploded ordnance from 
the Pine Ridge reservation will clear the way for tourists who want to 
visit and learn about Indian culture.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is in charge of removing the bombs, 
which the military dropped at what was then the Badlands Bombing Range.

"Cleaning it up is the priority," said the tribal president, Cecelia 
Fire Thunder.

The tribe envisions using the 534-square-mile parcel for campgrounds, a 
museum, and places where visitors can learn about Lakota history and 
culture. The goal is to train tribal workers as park rangers and have 
them tell the story of the Lakota people, Fire Thunder said.

<>Besides increasing tourism, the Oglala Sioux hope to allow family 
members to return to the land from which tribal members were uprooted 
when the bombing range was built.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/01/AR2005080101288.html?nav=hcmodule 

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From swiggard at comcast.net  Tue Aug  2 04:49:00 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (William Swiggard)
Date: Tue Aug  2 04:52:38 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Why It's Right to Ask About Roberts's Faith - E. J.
 Dionne - Washington Post
Message-ID: <42EF5DAC.5040801@comcast.net>

Why It's Right to Ask About Roberts's Faith

By E. J. Dionne Jr.
Tuesday, August 2, 2005; Page A13

Is it wrong to question Judge John Roberts on how his Catholic faith 
might affect his decisions as a Supreme Court justice? Or is it wrong 
not to?

Few topics arouse more hypocrisy and inconsistency than the relationship 
between religion and politics. Standard practice is to welcome religion 
into politics when it helps your side and to denounce religious voices 
when they help the other side.

Conservatives typically praise religious activism on abortion and 
homosexuality but dismiss liberal clerics who offer theological insights 
on economics or social spending. Liberals love preachers to speak out 
for civil rights and economic justice. But they see "a church-state 
problem" the instant anyone in the clergy speaks out for vouchers or 
against abortion and stem cell research.

<>In the case of Roberts, Republicans appreciate the intense lobbying on 
his behalf by conservative Christian groups and see the nominee's faith 
as part of his appealing personality. But when Sen. Richard Durbin took 
Roberts's religious commitments seriously enough to ask him how they 
might affect the judge's court rulings, the Illinois Democrat was 
accused of . . . dragging religion into politics.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/01/AR2005080101430.html?nav=hcmodule 

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From swiggard at comcast.net  Tue Aug  2 04:46:05 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (William Swiggard)
Date: Tue Aug  2 04:53:09 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Peace Corps Option for Military Recruits Sparks Concerns
 - Washington Post
Message-ID: <42EF5CFD.9000701@comcast.net>

Peace Corps Option for Military Recruits Sparks Concerns

By Alan Cooperman
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, August 2, 2005; Page A11

The U.S. military, struggling to fill its voluntary ranks, is offering 
to allow recruits to meet part of their military obligations by serving 
in the Peace Corps, which has resisted any ties to the Defense 
Department or U.S. intelligence agencies since its founding in 1961.

The recruitment program has sparked debate and rising opposition among 
current and former Peace Corps officials. Some welcome it as a way to 
expand the cadre of idealistic volunteers created by President John F. 
Kennedy. But many say it could lead to suspicions abroad that the Peace 
Corps, which has 7,733 workers in 73 countries, is working together with 
the U.S. armed forces.

"Does this raise red flags for the Peace Corps community? I'd say yes -- 
emphatically so," said Kevin Quigley, president of the National Peace 
Corps Association, an organization of returned volunteers, staff and 
supporters. "We think a real or perceived linkage between the Peace 
Corps and military service could damage the Peace Corps and potentially 
put the safety of Peace Corps volunteers at risk."

<>Congress authorized the recruitment program three years ago in 
legislation that drew little attention at the time but is stirring 
controversy now, for two reasons: The military has begun to promote it, 
and the day is drawing closer when the first batch of about 4,300 
recruits will be eligible to apply to the Peace Corps, after having 
spent 3 1/2 years in the armed forces. That could happen as early as 2007.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/01/AR2005080101310.html?nav=hcmodule 

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From swiggard at comcast.net  Tue Aug  2 04:50:21 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (William Swiggard)
Date: Tue Aug  2 04:54:01 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Judith Miller in Jail: Principle vs. Politics - Richard
 Cohen - Washington Post
Message-ID: <42EF5DFD.3090209@comcast.net>

Judith Miller in Jail: Principle vs. Politics

By Richard Cohen
Tuesday, August 2, 2005; Page A13

Before Judith Miller of the New York Times went to jail for not 
revealing her sources, I offered her my services. I suggested that she 
tell me her source and then, once she was in jail, I would reveal that I 
knew, and the special prosecutor would jail me as well -- but not before 
I told another journalist. After four score and seven of us were in the 
calaboose, the prosecutor would -- like the British facing the 
indomitable Gandhi -- collapse before our moral force and leave us to 
honor our solemn commitments as we have done since time immemorial. I 
now know my plan would have failed. Apres moi , as the late Louis XV 
once said, too much of the press would still be writing about how Miller 
deserves her fate. It is a squalid sight.

<>The most oft-heard and fervent denunciation of Miller amounts to a 
political indictment: She was wrong about the war in Iraq. By that, 
these people mean that Miller wrote stories for the Times that 
buttressed the administration's argument that Iraq possessed fearsome 
weapons of mass destruction -- none of which were ever found. Miller, 
however, was not the only one writing such stories. It seems that much 
of the press, not to mention the Bush administration itself, was relying 
on a clique of ill-informed or outright deceitful sources who maintained 
that Saddam Hussein had these weapons by the barnful. Contradictory 
evidence was ignored.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/01/AR2005080101585.html 

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From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Tue Aug  2 07:21:14 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (mblaxill@yahoo.com)
Date: Tue Aug  2 07:24:00 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] NYTimes.com: Columnist Hints Book Was Source That Led to
	Use of C.I.A. Officer's Name
Message-ID: <20050802142114.B49EF3AE522@lax-gw06.mroute.net>

This page was sent to you by: mblaxill@yahoo.com.

WASHINGTON | August 2, 2005
Columnist Hints Book Was Source That Led to Use of C.I.A. Officer's Name
By ANNE E. KORNBLUT
In drawing renewed attention to the directory "Who's Who in America," Robert D. Novak seemed to suggest that he might well have figured out the officer's name by himself.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/02/politics/02leak.html?ex=1123646400&en=807941de7e7fbc1b&ei=5070&emc=eta1



----------------- Advertisement --------------------------

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one Best Picture.  What did the original New York
Times movie reviews have to say about these Oscar
winning films?  
Go to the Best Pictures review archive:

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Copyright 2005 The New York Times Company
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From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Tue Aug  2 07:25:45 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (mblaxill@yahoo.com)
Date: Tue Aug  2 07:28:34 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] NYTimes.com: Report Adds to Criticism of Colombian
	Disarmament Law
Message-ID: <20050802142545.3A9D423702F@lax-gw01.mroute.net>

This page was sent to you by: mblaxill@yahoo.com.

i marvel at how little context there is in these stories - ahh imperialism


INTERNATIONAL / AMERICAS | August 1, 2005
Report Adds to Criticism of Colombian Disarmament Law
By JUAN FORERO
A new study by the advocacy group Human Rights Watch details what it calls serious flaws in the law governing the demobilization of Colombia's main paramilitary coalition.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/01/international/americas/01colombia.html?ex=1123646400&en=33b74cde19e8ea01&ei=5070&emc=eta1



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one Best Picture.  What did the original New York
Times movie reviews have to say about these Oscar
winning films?  
Go to the Best Pictures review archive:

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This e-mail was sent to you by a friend through NYTimes.com's E-mail This Article service.  For general information about NYTimes.com, write to help@nytimes.com.

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From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Tue Aug  2 07:27:45 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (mblaxill@yahoo.com)
Date: Tue Aug  2 07:30:26 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] NYTimes.com: Art Wants to Be Free
Message-ID: <20050802142745.6ADB411F858@lax-gw07.mroute.net>

This page was sent to you by: mblaxill@yahoo.com.

OPINION | August 2, 2005
Op-Ed Contributor: Art Wants to Be Free
By EDWARD DOLNICK
Turning museums into bunkers will deter art-lovers instead of thwarting determined villains.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/02/opinion/02dolnick.html?ex=1123646400&en=0d12576fedad304b&ei=5070&emc=eta1




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This e-mail was sent to you by a friend through NYTimes.com's E-mail This Article service.  For general information about NYTimes.com, write to help@nytimes.com.

NYTimes.com 500 Seventh Avenue New York, NY 10018

Copyright 2005 The New York Times Company
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From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Tue Aug  2 07:30:58 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (mblaxill@yahoo.com)
Date: Tue Aug  2 07:33:41 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] NYTimes.com: Too Many Planets Numb the Mind
Message-ID: <20050802143058.446653AE4A5@lax-gw06.mroute.net>

This page was sent to you by: mblaxill@yahoo.com.

OPINION | August 2, 2005
Editorial: Too Many Planets Numb the Mind

Scientists should downgrade Pluto to the status of an icy sphere that was once mistakenly deemed a planet.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/02/opinion/02tue4.html?ex=1123646400&en=c9454a70328bc3aa&ei=5070&emc=eta1




----------------------------------------------------------

ABOUT THIS E-MAIL
This e-mail was sent to you by a friend through NYTimes.com's E-mail This Article service.  For general information about NYTimes.com, write to help@nytimes.com.

NYTimes.com 500 Seventh Avenue New York, NY 10018

Copyright 2005 The New York Times Company
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From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Tue Aug  2 07:33:14 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (mblaxill@yahoo.com)
Date: Tue Aug  2 07:35:53 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] NYTimes.com: Democrats Seek Files of Cases Roberts
	Worked On as Deputy Solicitor General
Message-ID: <20050802143314.2211883D24@lax-gw03.mroute.net>

This page was sent to you by: mblaxill@yahoo.com.

WASHINGTON / WASHINGTON SPECIAL | August 2, 2005
Democrats Seek Files of Cases Roberts Worked On as Deputy Solicitor General
By ROBERT PEAR
The cases deal with abortion, civil rights, the First Amendment, child abuse and environmental protection, among other issues.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/02/politics/politicsspecial1/02solicitor.html?ex=1123646400&en=b45ad24681e2515b&ei=5070&emc=eta1



----------------- Advertisement --------------------------

The Academy loved these movies enough to name each
one Best Picture.  What did the original New York
Times movie reviews have to say about these Oscar
winning films?  
Go to the Best Pictures review archive:

http://ads.nyt.com/th.ad/nytnyt-textEmailThisdefault-Center1A/academyawards_text/?_RM_REDIR_=http://www.nytimes.com/ref/movies/oscars/bestpictures.html




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This e-mail was sent to you by a friend through NYTimes.com's E-mail This Article service.  For general information about NYTimes.com, write to help@nytimes.com.

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Copyright 2005 The New York Times Company
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From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Tue Aug  2 07:41:11 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (mblaxill@yahoo.com)
Date: Tue Aug  2 07:43:50 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Wal-Mart's P.R. war
Message-ID: <200508021441.HAA15371@cobrand.salon.com>

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From jameshburns at webtv.net  Tue Aug  2 07:45:04 2005
From: jameshburns at webtv.net (Jim Burns)
Date: Tue Aug  2 07:47:42 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] A Nice Reminder, from G. K. Chesterton
In-Reply-To: mb-civic-request@islandlists.com's message of Tue, 2 Aug 2005
	07:33:47 -0700
Message-ID: <11857-42EF86F0-10237@storefull-3275.bay.webtv.net>



There are two equal and eternal ways of looking at this twilight world
of ours: 

We may see it as the twilight of evening-- 

Or the twilight of morning...... 


G.K. Chesterton 

From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Tue Aug  2 07:56:31 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (Mike Blaxill)
Date: Tue Aug  2 07:59:14 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Yahoo! News Story - U.K.'s top cop blasts ABC over
	leaked bomb photos - Yahoo! News
Message-ID: <20050802145631.027069FD74@lax-gw05.mroute.net>

Mike Blaxill (mblaxill@yahoo.com) has sent you a news article. 
(Email address has not been verified.)
------------------------------------------------------------
Personal message:



U.K.'s top cop blasts ABC over leaked bomb photos - Yahoo! News

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20050801/en_nm/television_abcnews_dc

============================================================
Yahoo! News 
http://news.yahoo.com/

From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Tue Aug  2 08:25:38 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (mblaxill@yahoo.com)
Date: Tue Aug  2 08:28:27 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Headlines for August 2, 2005
Message-ID: <20050802152538.23644.qmail@trinity.democracynow.org>

Mike Blaxill  ( mblaxill@yahoo.com )
sent you this story from democracynow.org



+--------------------------------------------------------------------+
|  Headlines for August 2, 2005
|  http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=05/08/02/1438211
+--------------------------------------------------------------------+


- Bypassing Senate, Bush Appoints Bolton to UN
- U.S. Intelligence Report: Iran 10 Years From Having Nukes
- Up to 42 Die in Sudan Following Death of VP
- U.S. Faced 68 Attacks Per Day in Iraq During July
- UK Official Admits U.S. & UK  "part of the problem" in Iraq
- Study: Global Warming Leading to More Intense Hurricanes 
- Immigration Officials Detain 1,000 "Suspected Gang Members"
This story continues at: 
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=05/08/02/1438211

From ean at sbcglobal.net  Mon Aug  1 22:39:22 2005
From: ean at sbcglobal.net (ean@sbcglobal.net)
Date: Tue Aug  2 09:55:46 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Jimmy Carter blasts Iraq War
Message-ID: <200508021655.j72Gtfre015683@dune.islandtechnologies.net>

http://www.commondreams.org/headlines05/0731-04.htm
Published on Sunday, July 31, 2005 by the Associated Press
Carter Criticizes Iraq War, Detentions at Guantanamo
'Unnecessary and Unjust'
by Cassandra Vinograd
 

BIRMINGHAM, England -- Former President Carter said Saturday the 
detention of terror suspects at the Guantanamo Bay Naval base was 
an embarrassment and had given extremists an excuse to attack the 
United States.

Carter also criticized the U.S.-led war in Iraq as "unnecessary and 
unjust."

"I think what's going on in Guantanamo Bay and other places is a 
disgrace to the U.S.A.," he told a news conference at the Baptist World 
Alliance's centenary conference in Birmingham, England. "I wouldn't 
say it's the cause of terrorism, but it has given impetus and excuses to 
potential terrorists to lash out at our country and justify their despicable 
acts."

Carter said, however, that terrorist acts could not be justified, and that 
while Guantanamo "may be an aggravating factor ... it's not the basis 
of terrorism."

Critics of President Bush's administration have long accused the U.S. 
government of unjustly detaining terror suspects at the Guantanamo 
Bay Naval Base on the southeastern tip of Cuba. Hundreds of men 
have been held indefinitely at the prison, without charge or access to 
lawyers.

"What has happened at Guantanamo Bay ... does not represent the 
will of the American people," Carter said Saturday. "I'm embarrassed 
about it, I think its wrong. I think it does give terrorists an unwarranted 
excuse to use the despicable means to hurt innocent people."

Earlier this month, Carter called for the Guantanamo prison to be shut 
down, saying reports of abuses there were an embarassment to the 
United States. He also said that the United States needs to make sure 
no detainees are held incommunicado and that all are told the charges 
against them.

Carter, who won the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize, has been an outspoken 
critic of the Iraq war.

"I thought then, and I think now, that the invasion of Iraq was 
unnecessary and unjust. And I think the premises on which it was 
launched were false," he said Saturday.

The Baptist World Alliance, comprising more than 200 Baptist unions 
around the world, was formed in London in 1905. The headquarters of 
the alliance, which meets in a different location every five years, 
moved to the United States in 1947.

An estimated 12,700 delegates gathered in the city of Birmingham in 
central England for the conference. Carter, a Sunday school teacher in 
his hometown of Plains, Ga., was due to lead a Bible study lesson 
during the conference.

He praised British police and intelligence services for the swift arrests 
in connection with the July 21 failed bombing attempts on London's 
transit system.

"I'm very proud to be in a nation that stands so stalwart against 
terrorism with us," he said. "The people of my country have united our 
hearts and sympathy for the tragedy that you have suffered from 
terrorism."

? 2005 The Associated Press

###

-- 
You are currently on Mha Atma's Earth Action Network email list, 
option D (up to 3 emails/day).  To be removed, or to switch options 
(option A - 1x/week, option B - 3/wk, option C - up to 1x/day, option D - 
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   ---   George Orwell


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From hecate at diamonddragon.com  Tue Aug  2 10:43:19 2005
From: hecate at diamonddragon.com (Hecate)
Date: Tue Aug  2 10:46:00 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] BBC E-mail: Nanotechnology kills cancer cells
Message-ID: <20050802_174319_019131.hecate@diamonddragon.com>

Hecate saw this story on BBC News Online and thought you
should see it.

** Message **
Dr Dai said: "It's actually quite simple and amazing. We're using an intrinsic property of nanotubes to develop a weapon that kills cancer." 



** Nanotechnology kills cancer cells **
Scientists have developed a laser treatment that kills cancer cells without harming healthy tissue.
< http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/fr/-/2/hi/health/4734507.stm >


** BBC Daily E-mail **
Choose the news and sport headlines you want - when you want them, all
in one daily e-mail
< http://www.bbc.co.uk/dailyemail/ >


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The BBC is not responsible for the content of this e-mail, and anything written in this e-mail does not necessarily reflect the BBC's views or opinions. Please note that neither the e-mail address nor name of the sender have?been verified.

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From michael at intrafi.com  Tue Aug  2 11:00:24 2005
From: michael at intrafi.com (michael@intrafi.com)
Date: Tue Aug  2 11:02:59 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] FT.com / World / Middle East & Africa - Grim outlook for
 peace after Sudan019s VP killed
Message-ID: <5720665.1123005624128.JavaMail.tomcat@localhost>



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From michael at intrafi.com  Tue Aug  2 11:02:34 2005
From: michael at intrafi.com (michael@intrafi.com)
Date: Tue Aug  2 11:05:10 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] FT.com / Comment & analysis / Comment - The key to
 Iran019s nuclear aspirations
Message-ID: <15803730.1123005754447.JavaMail.tomcat@localhost>



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From michael at intrafi.com  Tue Aug  2 11:04:18 2005
From: michael at intrafi.com (michael@intrafi.com)
Date: Tue Aug  2 11:06:57 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] FT.com / Comment & analysis - Observer: Friendly advice
Message-ID: <13207187.1123005858903.JavaMail.tomcat@localhost>



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From michael at intrafi.com  Tue Aug  2 11:05:23 2005
From: michael at intrafi.com (michael@intrafi.com)
Date: Tue Aug  2 11:08:00 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] FT.com / By industry / Energy Utilities Mining - CNOOC
	abandons $18.5bn bid for Unocal
Message-ID: <5058336.1123005923347.JavaMail.tomcat@localhost>



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From hecate at diamonddragon.com  Tue Aug  2 11:29:47 2005
From: hecate at diamonddragon.com (Hecate)
Date: Tue Aug  2 11:32:41 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] BBC E-mail: 'Eternal planes' to watch over us
Message-ID: <20050802_182947_029898.hecate@diamonddragon.com>

Hecate saw this story on BBC News Online and thought you
should see it.

** Message **
"The key technologies are solar cells and batteries. Battery technology is receiving billions worldwide and it is a very rapidly evolving technology," says Dr Rogoyski

** 'Eternal planes' to watch over us **
Unmanned aerial craft are being developed to watch Earth from high in the skies for months at a time.
< http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/fr/-/2/hi/science/nature/4721091.stm >


** BBC Daily E-mail **
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From harry.sifton at sympatico.ca  Tue Aug  2 11:46:22 2005
From: harry.sifton at sympatico.ca (harry.sifton@sympatico.ca)
Date: Tue Aug  2 11:49:15 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Guardian Unlimited: Suspect's tale of travel and torture
Message-ID: <20050802184622.21BC91AE32@mullet.gul3.gnl>

HS spotted this on the Guardian Unlimited site and thought you should see it.

-------
Note from HS:

This only makes it worse!
-------

To see this story with its related links on the Guardian Unlimited site, go to http://www.guardian.co.uk

Suspect's tale of travel and torture
Alleged bomb plotter claims two and a half years of interrogation under US and UK supervision in 'ghost prisons' abroad
Stephen Grey and Ian Cobain
Tuesday August 02 2005
The Guardian


A former London schoolboy accused of being a dedicated al-Qaida terrorist has given the first full account of the interrogation and alleged torture endured by so-called ghost detainees held at secret prisons around the world.

For two and a half years US authorities moved Benyam Mohammed around a series of prisons in Pakistan, Morocco and Afghanistan, before he was sent to Guant&aacute;namo Bay in September last year.

Mohammed, 26, who grew up in Notting Hill in west London, is alleged to be a key figure in terrorist plots intended to cause far greater loss of life than the suicide bombers of 7/7. One allegation, which he denies, is of planning to detonate a "dirty bomb" in a US city; another is that he and an accomplice planned to collapse a number of apartment blocks by renting ground-floor flats to seal, fill with gas from cooking appliances, and blow up with timed detonators.

In an statement given to his newly appointed lawyer, Mohammed has given an account of how he was tortured for more than two years after being questioned by US and British officials who he believes were from the FBI and MI6. As well as being beaten and subjected to loud music for long periods, he claims his genitals were sliced with scalpels.

He alleges that in Morocco he was shown photos of people he knew from a west London mosque, and was asked about information he was told was supplied by MI5. One interrogator, he says, was a woman who said she was Canadian.

Drawing on his notes, Mohammed's lawyer has compiled a 28-page diary of his torture. This has been declassified by the Pentagon, and extracts are published in the Guardian today.

Recruits to some groups connected to al-Qaida are thought to be instructed to make allegations of torture after capture, and most of Mohammed's claims cannot be independently verified. But his description of a prison near Rabat closely resembles the Temara torture centre identified in a report by the US-based Human Rights Watch last October.

Furthermore, this newspaper has obtained flight records showing executive jets operated by the CIA flew in and out of Morocco on July 22 2002 and January 22 2004, the dates he says he was taken to and from the country.

If true, his account adds weight to concerns that the US authorities are torturing by proxy. It also highlights the dilemma of British authorities when they seek information from detainees overseas who they know, or suspect, are tortured.

The lawyer, Clive Stafford Smith, says: "This is outsourcing of torture, plain and simple. America knows torture is wrong but gets others to do its unconscionable dirty work.

"It's clear from the evidence that UK officials knew about this rendition to Morocco before it happened. Our government's responsibility must be to actively prevent the torture of our residents."

Mohammed was born in Ethiopia and came to the UK aged 15 when his father sought asylum. After obtaining five GCSEs and an engineering diploma at the City of Westminster College in Paddington, he decided to stay in Britain when his father returned, and was given indefinite leave to remain. In his late teens he rediscovered Islam, prayed regularly at al-Manaar mosque in Notting Hill, and was a volunteer at its cultural centre. "He is remembered here as a very nice, quiet person, who never caused any trouble," says Abdulkarim Khalil, its director.

He enjoyed football, and was thought good enough for a semi-professional career. "He was a quiet kid, he seemed deep thinking, although that might have been because his language skills weren't great," says Tyrone Forbes, his trainer.

In June 2001 Mohammed left his bedsit off Golborne Road, Notting Hill, and travelled to Afghanistan, via Pakistan. He maintains he wanted to see whether it was "a good Islamic country or not". It appears likely that he spent time in a paramilitary training camp.

He returned to Pakistan sometime after 9/11, and remained at liberty until April 2002 - during which time, US authorities believe, he became involved in the dirty bomb and gas blast plots. His alleged accomplice, a Chicago-born convert to Islam, Jose Padilla, is detained in the US. Mohammed says interrogators repeatedly demanded he give evidence against him.

Mohammed was arrested in Karachi while trying to fly to Zurich - and thus entered a "ghost prison system" in which an unknown number of detainees are held at unregistered detention centres, and whose imprisonment is not admitted to the International Committee of the Red Cross.

His brother and sisters, who live in the US, say the FBI told them of his arrest in summer 2002, but they were unable to find out anything else until last February. In recent days the Bush administration is reported to have lobbied to block legislation, supported by some Republican senators, to prohibit the military engaging in "cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment", and hiding prisoners from the Red Cross.

Mohammed alleges he was held at two prisons in Pakistan over three months, hung from leather straps, beaten, and threatened with a firearm by Pakistanis. In repeated questioning by men he believes were FBI agents, he was told he was to go to an Arab country because "the Pakistanis can't do exactly what we want them to".

The torture stopped after a visit by two bearded Britons; he believes they were MI6 officers. He says they told him he was to be tortured by Arabs. At one point, he says, they gave him a cup of tea and told him to take plenty of sugar because "where you're going you need a lot of sugar".

He says he was flown on what he believes was a US aircraft to Morocco, while shackled, blindfolded and wearing earphones. It was, he says, in a jail near Rabat that his real ordeal began. After a fortnight of questioningand intimidation, his captors tortured him with beatings and noise, on and off, for 18 months. He says his torturers used scalpels to make shallow, inch-long incisions on his chest and genitals.

Throughout, he was accused of being a senior al-Qaida terrorist and accomplice of Padilla. He denies these allegations, though he says that while tortured he would say whatever he thought his captors wanted. He signed a statement about the dirty bomb plot. At one point, he says, interrogators told him his GCSE grades, and asked about named staff at the housing association that owns his bedsit and about a man who taught him kickboxing in Notting Hill.

After 18 months, he says, he was flown to Afghanistan, escorted by masked US soldiers who were visibly shocked by his condition and took photos of his wounds.

During five months in a darkened cell in Kabul, he says he was kept chained, subjected to loud music, and questioned by Americans. Only after he was moved to Bagram air base was he shown to the Red Cross. Four months later he was flown to Guant&aacute;namo.

Mr Stafford Smith was first allowed to see him two months ago. He said there were marks of his injuries, and he is pressing the US to release the photos taken in Morocco and Afghanistan.

Asked about the allegations, the Foreign Office said the UK "unreservedly condemns the use of torture". After consulting with the Home Office, MI5, and MI6, a spokesman said: "The British government, including the security and intelligence services, never uses torture for any purpose. Nor would HMG instigate or condone the use of torture by third parties.

"Specific instructions are issued to all personnel of the UK security and intelligence services who are deployed to interview detainees, which include guidance on what to do if they considered that treatment in any way inappropriate."

The FBI, the US justice department, the Moroccan interior ministry and the Moroccan embassy in London did not return calls. The CIA declined to comment.

Copyright Guardian Newspapers Limited
From nwonline at toronto.cbc.ca  Tue Aug  2 14:54:27 2005
From: nwonline at toronto.cbc.ca (CBC News Online)
Date: Tue Aug  2 14:57:37 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] CBC News - CIBC PAYS $2.4B US  TO SETTLE ENRON LAWSUIT
Message-ID: <20050802215427.C71CE1B69F@nmweb06.nm.cbc.ca>

This email has been sent to you by harry.sifton@sympatico.ca
The following is a news item posted on CBC NEWS ONLINE
at http://www.cbc.ca/news
____________________________________________________
CIBC PAYS $2.4B US  TO SETTLE ENRON LAWSUIT
WebPosted Tue Aug  2 16:29:14 2005

---The Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce has agreed to pay $2.4 billion
US to settle an Enron lawsuit, the company said Tuesday.

That's about $2.9 billion Canadian, significantly more than the $2.2
billion profit the bank made last year.

The lead plaintiff in the class-action suit &#8211; in May CIBC called it
a "purported class action" &#8211; said the settlement is the single-
biggest payment by a financial institution in the Enron litigation.

The University of California said Citigroup paid $2 billion US and J.P.
Morgan Chase $2.2 billion US.

CIBC did not admit any wrongdoing. In a statement, it said it "agreed to
the settlement solely to eliminate the uncertainties, burden and expense
of further protracted litigation. "

The university heads a group of pension funds and investment managers
which claim that "systematic fraud by Enron and its officers led to the
loss of billions and the collapse of the company."

FROM JULY 29, 2003: CIBC aided Enron on financial dealings: report

CIBC had earlier been accused to helping Enron to hide debt. "CIBC aided
and abetted certain Enron officers in breaching their fiduciary duties,"
Enron's court-appointed examiner Neal Batson reported in 2003.

FROM DEC. 22, 2003: CIBC agrees to $80 million US penalty over Enron
accounting fraud


Later that year, the bank agreed to pay $80 million US to settle
allegations it had helped Enron commit the accounting fraud.

At the time, then-president and CEO John Hunkin said the bank had "put a
major portion of the Enron matter behind us," and in May, the bank said
it would fight fight any Enron cases vigorously.

$2.5B charge

The bank said Tuesday that it will take a $2.5 billion after-tax charge
against its profit in the third quarter ended July 31 to cover the
payment and other Enron issues.

It said it will still have the minimum capital required by regulators
after the charge.

It took a $300 million charge last year to cover Enron litigation, and
has insurance coverage.

The payment is equal to about 22 per cent of shareholder's equity the
bank reported on its most recent balance sheet.

"By settling this case and maintaining what we believe are adequate
reserves for our remaining Enron related legal issues, we can better
focus our energies on our other priorities," Gerry McCaughey, president
and CEO, said in a statement.

The university said that with the CIBC payment, the Enron case is now the
largest class action recovery in history. Other defendants are talking
about settlements, it said.

FROM MAY 25, 2005: CIBC profit drops 13% on market timing provision

CIBC has had other problems recently requiring it to make payments. It
took an additional $75-million charge in May relating to allegations it
provided financing and brokerage services for hedge funds that were
engaged in the market timing of mutual funds, which regulators fobid when
it treats unit-holders differently.

Copyright (C) 2005 CBC. All rights reserved.
From sierrapecheur at verizon.net  Tue Aug  2 14:16:30 2005
From: sierrapecheur at verizon.net (Sierra Pecheur)
Date: Tue Aug  2 14:58:23 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] GO TO COST CO
Message-ID: <002e01c597a7$7419fd00$a5636947@xplcp>

CHECK THIS OUT  a friend sent this to me. 

---- Original Message 
> 
>         Take time to read this! it will shock you.
> 
>         Subject: GO COSTCO!!!!!! 
> 
> 
>         ..let's hear it for Costco!! (This is just
> mind-boggling!)
> 
>         make sure you read all the way past the list
> of the drugs
> 
>         The woman who wrote this and signed below,
> Sharon Davis, is a Budget
>         Analyst out of Federal Offices in
> Washington, D.C.
>

>         Did you ever wonder how much it costs a drug
> company for the active
>         ingredient in prescription medications? Some
> people think it must cost a
>         lot, since many drugs sell for more than
> $2.00 per tablet.
> 
>         We did a search of offshore chemical
> synthesizers that supply the active
>         ingredients found in drugs approved by the
> FDA. As we have revealed in
>         past issues of Life Extension, a significant
> percentage of drugs sold in
>         the United States contain active ingredients
> made in other countries.
> 
>         In our independent investigation of how much
> profit drug companies
>         really make, we obtained the actual price of
> active ingredients used in
>         some of the most popular drugs sold in
> America.
> 
>         The chart below speaks for itself.
> 
>         Celebrex 10 0 mg
>         Consumer price (100 tablets): $130.27
>         Cost of general active ingredients: $0.60
>         Percent markup: 21,712%
> 
>         Claritin 10 mg
>         Consumer Price (100 tablets): $215.17
>         Cost of general active ingredients: $0.71
>         Percent markup: 30,306%
> 
>         Keflex 250 mg
>         Consumer Price (100 tablets): $157.39
>         Cost of general active ingredients: $1.88
>         Percent markup: 8,372%
> 
>         Lipitor 20 mg
>         Consumer Price (100 tablets): $272.37
>         Cost of general active ingredients: $5.80
>         Percent markup: 4,696%
> 
>         Norvasec 10 mg
>         Consumer price (100 tablets): $188.29
>         Cost of general active ingredients: $0.14
>         Percent markup: 134,493%
> 
>         Paxil 20 mg
>         Consumer price (100 tablets): $220.27
>         Cost of general active ingredients: $7.60
>         Percent markup: 2,898%
> 
>         prevacid 30 mg
>         Consumer price (100 tablets): $44.77
>         Cost of general active ingredients: $1.01
>         Percent markup: 34,136%
> 
>         Prilosec 20 mg
>         Consumer price (100 tablets): $360.97
>         Cost of general active ingredients $0.52
>         Percent markup: 69,417%
> 
>         Prozac 20 mg
>         Consumer price (100 tablets) : $247.47
>         Cost of general active ingredients: $0.11
>         Percent markup: 224,973%
> 
>         Tenormin 50 mg
>         Consumer price (100 tablets): $104.47
>         Cost of general active ingredients: $0.13
>         Percent markup: 80,362%
> 
>         Vasotec 10 mg
>         Consumer price (100 tablets): $102.37
>         Cost of general active ingredients: $0.20
>         Percent markup: 51,185%
> 
>         xanax 1 mg
>         Consumer price (100 tablets) : $136.79
>         Cost of general active ingredients: $0.024
>         Percent markup: 569,958%
> 
>         Zestril 20 mg
>         Consumer price (100 tablets) $89.89
>         Cost of general active ingredients $3.20
>         Percent markup: 2,809%
> 
>         Zithromax 600 mg
>         Consumer price (100 tablets): $1,48219
>         Cost of general active ingredients: $18.78
>         Percent markup: 7,892%
> 
>         Zocor 40 mg
>         Consumer price (100 tablets): $350.27
>         Cost of general active ingredients: $8.63
>         Percent markup: 4,059%
> 
>         Zoloft 50 mg
>         Consumer price: $206.87
>         Cost of general active ingredients: $1.75
>         Percent markup: 11,821%
> 
>         Since the cost of prescription drugs is so
> outrageous, I thought
>         everyone knew should know about this. Please
> read the following and pass
>         it on.
> 
>         It pays to shop around. This helps to solve
> the mystery as to why they
>         can afford to put a Walgreen's on every
> corner.
> 
>         On Monday night, Steve Wilson, an
> investigative reporter for Channel 7
>         News in Detroit, did a story on generic drug
> price gouging by
>         pharmacies. He found in his investigation,
> that some of these generic
>         drugs were marked up as much as 3,000% or
> more.
> 
>         Yes, that's not a typo.....three thousand
> percent! So often, we blame
>         the drug companies for the high cost of
> drugs, and usually rightfully
>         so.
> 
>         But in this case, the fault clearly lies
> with the pharmacies themselves.
>         For example, if you had to buy a
> prescription drug, and bought the name
>         brand, you might pay $100 for 100 pills.
> 
>         The pharmacist might tell you that if you
> get the generic equivalent,
>         they would only cost $80, making you think
> you are "saving" $20. What
>         the pharmacist is not telling you is that
> those 100 generic pills may
>         have only cost him $10.
> 
>         At the end of the report, one of the anchors
> asked Mr. Wilson whether or
>         not there were any pharmacies that did not
> adhere to this practice, and
>         he said that Costco consistently charged
> little over their cost for the
>         generic drugs.
> 
>         I went to the Costco site, where you can
> look up any drug, and get its
>         online price. It says that the in-store
> prices are consistent with the
>         online prices. I was appalled. Just to give
> you one example from my own
>         experience, I had to use the drug,
> Compazine, which helps prevent nausea
>         in chemo patients.
> 
>         I used the generic equivalent, which cost
> $54.99 for 60 pills at CVS.
> 
>         I checked the price at Costco, and I could
> have bought 100 pills for
>         $19.89.
> 
>         For 145 of my pain pills, I paid $72.57. I
> could have got 150 at Costco
>         for $28.08.
> 
>         I would like to mention, that although
> Costco is a "membership" type
>         store, you do NOT have to be a member to buy
> prescriptions there, as it
>         is a federally regulated substance. You just
> tell them at the door that
>         you wish to use the pharmacy, and they will
> let you in. (this is true, I
>         went there this past Thursday and asked
> them.)
> 
>         I am asking each of you to please help me by
> copying this letter, and
>         passing it into your own email, and send it
> to everyone you know with an
>         email address.
> 
>     -----------------
> 
> 
> > 
> 
>.
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From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Tue Aug  2 14:25:38 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (Mike Blaxill)
Date: Tue Aug  2 14:58:24 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] A disturbing study on Peak Oil commissioned by the U.S.
	Dept. of Energy disappears
Message-ID: <20050802212538.5349.qmail@web53003.mail.yahoo.com>

A disturbing study on Peak Oil commissioned by
the U.S. Dept. of Energy disappears
By Richard Heinberg

Over the past few months controversy has raged
over the timing of Peak Oil ? the moment when
global oil production will reach its all-time
maximum and begin its inevitable descent.

Oil optimists say the event won?t occur for
twenty years or more, and that market forces will
result in an imperceptible transition to
alternative forms of energy. ?The Stone Age
didn?t end for lack of stones,? say the
optimists, ?and the Petroleum Age won?t end
because we run out of oil? ? but because we find
something better and cheaper with which to fuel
our society.

Pessimists point out that global oil discoveries
have been plummeting for decades and that supply
and demand are now closely matched (hence the
run-up in oil prices over the past few months);
moreover, there simply isn?t an alternative
energy source available that can take oil?s place
in the near term. They say we may be at peak now,
and that the consequences will be staggering.

In short, oil pessimists spin out
end-of-civilization scenarios while optimists
insist that there is nothing to worry about.

Evidently the U.S. Department of Energy is
interested enough in the Peak Oil debate to
commission a report on the subject. Released in
February this year by Science Applications
International Corporation (SAIC), and titled
?Peaking of World Oil Production: Impacts,
Mitigation and Risk Management,? the report
examines the likely consequences of the impending
global peak. It was authored principally by
Robert L. Hirsch, and is as remarkable for its
subsequent reception as for its content.

Rest is here
http://www.guerrillanews.com/articles/1572/Where_is_the_Hirsch_Report
From nwonline at toronto.cbc.ca  Tue Aug  2 16:47:18 2005
From: nwonline at toronto.cbc.ca (CBC News Online)
Date: Tue Aug  2 16:50:22 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] CBC News - NO FATALITIES IN TORONTO AIRPLANE FIRE
Message-ID: <20050802234718.8CDDC1B69F@nmweb06.nm.cbc.ca>

This email has been sent to you by harry.sifton@sympatico.ca
The following is a news item posted on CBC NEWS ONLINE
at http://www.cbc.ca/news
____________________________________________________
NO FATALITIES IN TORONTO AIRPLANE FIRE
WebPosted Tue Aug  2 16:25:58 2005

---All 309 people aboard a jet that overshot a runway and burst into
flames at Pearson International Airport Tuesday survived the ordeal,
according to fire officials on the scene.

There were 14 minor injuries, however.

One passenger aboard the Air France Airbus A340, Roel Bramar, told CBC
News that he saw lightning just as the plane landed in a torrential
downpour at about 3:50 p.m.

"I'm sure that the bad weather was responsible," said Bramar, who was not
injured and managed to scramble off the plane by means of an emergency
chute. He was the second person off the plane, he said.

  RELATED STORY:

Everyone was 'running like crazy': passenger


Flight 358 from Paris had been scheduled to arrive at Toronto at 3:35
p.m. EDT. Something went badly wrong, and the plane overshot its intended
     runway by about 200 metres.

The plane skidded off Runway 24 Left, an east-west runway laid out
parallel to one of Toronto's busiest roads, Highway 401. It ended up in
the Etobicoke Creek ravine, a small valley at the far west end of the
airport, the aircraft's fuselage tipped down and its tail in the air.

"We had a hell of a roller-coaster going down the ravine," Bramar said.
"All I could think of was 'Get off!'"

Emergency crews were still on the scene by early evening.

While cleanup efforts continued and the Transportation Safety Board of
Canada prepared to begin its investigation, all incoming flights were
being rerouted to Ottawa's airport.

YOUR SPACE: Send us your eyewitness accounts and photos

 YOUR REACTION:

Letters about the accident

The incident happened as most operations at the airport were grounded
because of severe thunderstorms in the area.

At mid-afternoon Tuesday, a spokesperson with the Greater Toronto
Airports Authority said lightning was causing technical problems with
the airport's lightning-detection system. All aircraft were grounded
for safety reasons as a result, largely to protect crews working on
the ground.

Copyright (C) 2005 CBC. All rights reserved.
From activist at democrats.com  Tue Aug  2 12:31:39 2005
From: activist at democrats.com (Democrats.com)
Date: Tue Aug  2 18:14:15 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Impeach Bush Update: Meetup Tomorrow (Wednesday)
Message-ID: <20050802153139.26128@democrats.com>

MEET WITH CONGRESSMEMBERS THIS MONTH

Rep. Barbara Lee's Resolution of Inquiry on the Downing Street Minutes (H. Res. 375) now has 40 co-sponsors, and we have the month of August in which to raise that total. If passed, Lee's Resolution will require the White House and the State Department to turn over all information related to communication with officials of the UK between January and October of 2002, the period of the Downing Street documents. 

Both progressives and moderates are among the 40 already co-sponsoring. Many more Members will co-sponsor if a group of their constituents schedules a meeting with them at their district office, while they're home for the month of August. All the information you need is here: 
http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/?q=node/902 


ATTEND AUGUST 3rd MEETUPS TO PLAN CONGRESSIONAL MEETINGS

Democracy for America (DFA) has organized its members to schedule at least 67 meetings with congressmembers during August in at least 26 states (AZ, CA, CO, CT, DE, FL, IA, IL, KS, MA, MD, MI, MO, MS, NC, NH, NJ, NY, OH, OK, OR, PA, SC, TX, VT, WI). These meetings will focus on requesting hearings on the Downing Street Memos and whether the President misled us into war. One particular request will be that each congressmember co-sponsor H. Res. 375. 

To get involved with one of these or to organize an additional meeting in your congressional district, attend your local DFA Meetup tomorrow evening, Wednesday, August 3: 
http://dfa.meetup.com/ 

Ven Neralla from Rep. Barbara Lee's office, and David Swanson from AfterDowningStreet.org will be at the Meetup in Washington, D.C., at Ben's Chili Bowl on U Street at 7 p.m. 

Members of the AfterDowningStreet.org coalition, including Progressive Democrats of America (PDA) and Democrats.com, are encouraging their members to take part in these DFA Meetups. 
http://dfa.meetup.com/ 

If you don't find a Meetup in your area, then visit PDA at 
http://www.pdamerica.org 
Choose your state from the dropdown menu in the upper left, and look for a local chapter you can work with on this. 


BUT WHAT WILL YOU WEAR?

New T-shirts, hats, buttons, stickers, mugs, and other gear are available here, and by buying them you support our coalition both financially and by spreading the word: 
http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/?q=node/316 


Watch/Hear July 23 Events
http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/?q=node/314 



HOW MUCH DO YOU WANT IMPEACHMENT HEARINGS?
**DONATE**
We're doing great things, but they all cost money. Please contribute: 
http://elandslide.org/elandslide/edonate.cfm?campaign=ads



BUILD A MOVEMENT: FORWARD THIS EMAIL 


SUBSCRIBE TO GET THESE UPDATES: 
http://elandslide.org/elandslide/subscribe_module.cfm?campaign=ads 


#####

To unsubscribe from AfterDowningStreet Updates, click here:
http://archive.democrats.com/unsub.cfm?email=mb-civic@islandlists.com&fieldname=L16

To unsubscribe from all Democrats.com mailings, click here:
http://archive.democrats.com/unsub.cfm?email=mb-civic@islandlists.com&fieldname=L1

If you received this from a friend, you can subscribe at:
http://afterdowningstreet.org

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From earth_email_list at venusproject.com  Tue Aug  2 12:52:03 2005
From: earth_email_list at venusproject.com (Bahram Maskanian)
Date: Tue Aug  2 18:38:11 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Armageddon Gets No Press - US Plan To Nuke Iran
Message-ID: <200508030138.j731c73X016743@dune.islandtechnologies.net>




      Armageddon Gets No Press - US Plan To Nuke Iran

http://www.venusproject.com/ecs/Armageddon_US_Nuke_Iran.html

- By Paul Craig Roberts - August 2, 2005

What has become of the print and TV media watchdogs who hounded 
President Nixon from office because he lied about when he learned of a 
minor burglary of no consequence in itself?

What became of the watchdog media that bayed after President Reagan 
because some low-level neoconservative officials sold arms to Iran and 
diverted the money to anti-communist insurgents in Latin America?

President Clinton was impeached by the House, though not convicted by 
the Senate, for lying about a sexcapade with a White House intern.

Now that we really need them, the watchdog media has hired out as public 
relations and propaganda shills for the Bush administration and the 
neocon network.

The entire Bush administration--not merely the president--is involved in 
the most extraordinary lies and fabrication of false intelligence claims 
in order to lead America into an unwarranted and illegal invasion of 
Iraq, an invasion that has cost the US taxpayers $300 billion and 
resulted in the deaths and maiming of tens of thousands of people.

The sordid affair has been revealed in leaked top-secret Downing Street 
memos, which were prepared for UK Prime Minister Tony Blair and his 
cabinet. Unlike the Nixon episode, there is no need to search for a 
"smoking gun." Smoking guns have been printed all over the pages of the 
London Times. Yet hardly a peep from the watchdog media.

The August 1 issue of The American Conservative reports that Vice 
President Dick Cheney has instructed the - US Strategic Command - TO 
PREPARE A PLAN TO SPREAD THE WAR BY ATTACKING - IRAN - WITH TACTICAL 
NUCLEAR WEAPONS - in the event of another terrorist attack on the US. 
Appalled US Air Force officers have leaked the story, but you have not 
learned of it from the tamed media.

A federal prosecutor seems to be closing in on Karl Rove, president 
Bush's right-hand man, and on Scooter Libby, vice president Cheney's 
right-hand man. The two are suspected of leaking the identity of a 
covert CIA agent, a felony. Both have had to hire lawyers. But there is 
no demand for accountability from the US media.

American civil liberties have been trounced by the "Patriot" Act. 
Torture of detainees is now a routine practice of the US government and 
defended by the attorney general. Senators and military officers who try 
to place constraints on the inhumane treatment of detainees are 
stonewalled by the White House.

The mainstream media has been co-opted as propaganda organ for the Bush 
administration. How did this come about?

It came about through media concentration. There are no longer 
independent voices in the mainstream media. American news reporting is a 
corporate operation run with a view to advertising profits and the 
accommodation of government in order to protect holdings of valuable 
federal licenses. For reporters and editors, knowing what to say and not 
to say is the main qualification for job security.

A person who wants to find out anything must go online and spend time 
learning the sites that are trustworthy.

The Internet, thought invaluable for spreading news, hasn't the impact 
on the public of a story pounded over and over on TV news or newspaper 
front pages. Exposure on the Internet doesn't have the same 
embarrassment factor as exposure on TV news and the New York Times front 
page.

The public is still socialized into taking its cue from the old TV and 
print media. This media is now heavily controlled, partly through job 
fears of editors and reporters.

This raises the question whether government officials who have broken 
the law and betrayed trust will be held accountable.

Consider the implications if the Bush administration escapes 
accountability:

The executive branch will have established itself as above the law.

The executive, armed with a compliant media, will have war-making power 
subject only to successful PR spin. It means the final end of the 
people's right to declare war via elected representatives in Congress.

The few remaining restraints on the executive's ability to detain people 
indefinitely without charges will be removed. This power will silence 
the Internet.

Spiteful neighbors, employees, former spouses, whomever will gain the 
power to report any disliked person. The anti-terrorist apparatus needs 
victims to demonstrate its effectiveness, and as warrants, hearings, and 
evidence are no longer required, Americans will simply disappear like 
Soviet citizens in the Stalin era.

The "imperial judiciary" will disappear overnight. No checks and 
balances will remain.

Gentle reader, you can continue with this theme in "How the Worst Get on 
Top," a chapter in F.A. Hayek's classic, The Road to Serfdom. You might 
as well learn what it is going to be like as you are already half way 
there.

The worst rise rapidly as the honest depart the corrupt system. Two US 
Military prosecutors, Major Robert Preston and Captain John Carr, 
resigned after denouncing rigged Guantanamo trials of detainees as "a 
severe threat to the reputation of the military justice system and a 
fraud on the American people."

Altogether now, let's yell, "I'm mad as hell and I'm not going to take 
it any longer."

Write To Paul Craig Roberts <mailto:paulcraigroberts@yahoo.com>

Dr. Roberts is John M. Olin Fellow at the Institute for Political 
Economy and Research Fellow at the Independent Institute. He is a former 
associate editor of the Wall Street Journal, former contributing editor 
for National Review, and a former assistant secretary of the U.S. 
Treasury. He is the co-author of The Tyranny of Good Intentions.

* * * * * * * * *


      Dick Cheney's Plan To Nuke Iran

Stand athwart the apocalypse, and shout: "No!" - By Justin Raimondo

A recent poll shows six in ten Americans think a new world war is 
coming: the same poll says about 50 percent approve of the dropping of 
the atomic bomb on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki at the 
end of World War II. Somewhat inexplicably, about two-thirds say nuking 
those two cities was "unavoidable." One can only wonder, then, what 
their reaction will be to this ominous news, revealed in a recent issue 
of The American Conservative by intelligence analyst Philip Giraldi:

"The Pentagon, acting under instructions from Vice President Dick 
Cheney's office, has tasked the United States Strategic Command 
(STRATCOM) with drawing up a contingency plan to be employed in response 
to another 9/11-type terrorist attack on the United States. The plan 
includes a large-scale air assault on Iran employing both conventional 
and tactical nuclear weapons. Within Iran there are more than 450 major 
strategic targets, including numerous suspected nuclear-weapons-program 
development sites. Many of the targets are hardened or are deep 
underground and could not be taken out by conventional weapons, hence 
the nuclear option. As in the case of Iraq, the response is not 
conditional on Iran actually being involved in the act of terrorism 
directed against the United States. Several senior Air Force officers 
involved in the planning are reportedly appalled at the implications of 
what they are doing ? that Iran is being set up for an unprovoked 
nuclear attack ? but no one is prepared to damage his career by posing 
any objections."

Two points leap out at the reader ? or, at least, this reader ? quite 
apart from the moral implications of dropping nukes on Iran. The first 
is the completely skewed logic: if Iran has nothing to do with 9/11-II, 
then why target Tehran? As in Iraq, it's all a pretext: only this time, 
the plan is to use nuclear weapons. We'll wipe out the entire population 
of Iran's capital city because, as Paul Wolfowitz said in another 
context, "it's doable."

The other weird aspect of this "nuke Iran" story is the triggering 
mechanism: a terrorist attack in the U.S. on the scale of 9/11. While it 
is certain that our government has developed a number of scenarios for 
post-attack action, one has to wonder: why develop this plan at this 
particular moment? What aren't they telling us?

I shudder to think about it.

The more I look at it, and the more I think of it, the more I sense a 
monumental evil casting its shadow over the world, and I have to tell 
you, it makes me wonder how much more time I want to spend on this 
earth. In my more pessimistic moments, I doubt whether we can avoid the 
horrific fate that seems to await us just around the next corner, the 
next moment, looming over the globe like a gigantic devil stretching its 
wings and blotting out the sun.

It seems to me that the question of whether life is really worth living 
anymore is inextricably bound up with the question of whether or not 
these madmen can be stopped. If not, then the only alternative is to 
live it up while we can and laugh defiantly in the face of the 
apocalypse. Why write columns, why comment at all, if we can't have any 
effect on the outcome? On the other hand, some ask

"Surely the New York Times and the Washington Post can find a lede here: 
'US has plan to nuke Tehran if another 9/11.' Can we get at least a 
bloody story out of this?"

Might I suggest another lede?: "Armageddon approaches." Or perhaps, for 
the literary-mind secularists among us: "After many a summer dies mankind."

Where oh where is the "mainstream" media on this? That's a laughable 
question, because the answer is heartbreakingly obvious: they are 
nowhere to be found, and for a very good reason. As the Valerie Plame 
case is making all too clear, the MSM has been a weapon in the hands of 
the War Party at every step on the road to World War IV. It's an 
American tradition. As William Randolph Hearst famously put it to an 
employee in the run-up to the Spanish-American conflict of 1898:

"You furnish the pictures, I'll furnish the war."

Any objective examination of the Anglo-American media's role as a 
megaphone for this administration's "talking points" would have to 
conclude that the Hearst school of journalism has been dominant since 
well before the invasion of Iraq. Aside from the post-9/11 hysteria that 
effectively swept away all pretenses of a critical stance, the MSM was 
well acclimated to simply reiterating the U.S. government line on 
matters of war and peace all through the Clinton era, when friendly 
media coverage of the Balkans and numerous other Clintonian 
interventions habituated the press corps to a certain mindset. By the 
time the Bush administration set out on a campaign of deception designed 
to lie us into invading and occupying Iraq, the MSM was largely 
reconciled to playing the role of the government's amen corner.

With the U.S. and British media in the pocket of the Powers That Be, 
what hope is there that the American people ? who don't believe anything 
if they don't see it on television ? will awaken to the danger in time? 
Again, in my more pessimistic moments, there doesn't seem to be any such 
hope: television news seems firmly in the camp of the War Party, and the 
"mainstream" print media also doesn't seem a likely venue for this kind 
of reporting.

On my more optimistic days, however, I almost believe it's possible to 
outflank the War Party on the media front ? because the Internet is a 
mighty weapon that will defeat them in the end. A recent Pew study shows 
that this is not just a technophilic fantasy:

"The Internet continues to grow as a source of news for Americans. 
One-in-four (24%) list the internet as a main source of news. Roughly 
the same number (23%) say they go online for news every day, up from 15% 
in 2000; the percentage checking the Web for news at least once a week 
has grown from 33% to 44% over the same time period.

"While online news consumption is highest among young people (those 
under age 30), it is not an activity that is limited to the very young. 
Three-in-ten Americans ages 30-49 cite the Internet as a main source of 
news.

"The importance of the Web for people in their working years is even 
more apparent when the frequency of use is taken into account. One-third 
of people in their 30s say they get news online every day, as do 27% of 
people in their 40s. Nearly a quarter of people in their 50s get news 
online daily, about the same rate as among people ages 18-29."

What this means is that we can put the news the MSM won't cover ? e.g., 
the story about Cheney's Dr. Strangelove plan to strike Iran ? on the 
front page of Antiwar.com and potentially reach one-in-four Americans. 
Last month we had over 2 million readers; this month is headed toward 
the same range ? and that's in summertime, a traditionally slow time for 
us. Yet we're setting new records.

This, it seems to me, is the only reason for hope: a strategy of doing 
an end run around the mass media. We must mount a last desperate attempt 
to stand athwart the apocalypse shouting "No!" The alternative doesn't 
bear thinking about.

Never for a minute did any of us who founded Antiwar.com imagine we 
would one day be front and center in a twilight struggle to protect the 
country and the world from such a monumental evil, and yet here we are, 
a band of hobbits up against all the dark powers of Mordor. Without 
getting any more melodramatic than is absolutely unavoidable, I can only 
note that we've come a long way on our quest to rid the world of this 
particular Ring of Power, and the battle seems to be reaching some sort 
of dramatic climax. As to whether or not the Cheney-neocon-War Party 
axis of evil will be defeated in the end, no one can confidently predict 
at the moment. Yet one thing does seem clear: as long as Antiwar.com is 
around, we have at least a fighting chance.

I want to thank each and every one of our readers who have supported us 
down through the years, even as I remind them that their future support 
is even more vitally important than ever before. Together we can beat 
the War Party ? but not without constant vigilance. We stand on the 
watchtower just as long as you, our readers and supporters, keep us 
there. I hope and trust we will continue until the end ? whatever that 
end may turn out to be.

- - Justin Raimondo

http://antiwar.com/justin/?articleid=6734


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From michael at intrafi.com  Tue Aug  2 18:50:10 2005
From: michael at intrafi.com (michael)
Date: Tue Aug  2 18:46:04 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Article from Tom Dispatch
Message-ID: <200508030150.j731oAWo028129@thor.thenation.com>

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From michael at intrafi.com  Tue Aug  2 18:50:30 2005
From: michael at intrafi.com (michael@intrafi.com)
Date: Tue Aug  2 18:53:06 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] michael wants you to see this. 
Message-ID: <200508030150.j731oU4O000838@server1.truthout.org>



michael thought you would like this site.

http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/080205Q.shtml

ApplyRefer v2.3



From jefbek at mindspring.com  Wed Aug  3 00:23:15 2005
From: jefbek at mindspring.com (Jef Bek)
Date: Wed Aug  3 00:26:57 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] FW: Opinion Piece -- The Huffington Post
In-Reply-To: <42f06a2c049b2@samharris.org>
Message-ID: <BF15BEF3.CF8%jefbek@mindspring.com>

Here's a great post from Sam Harris.

------ Forwarded Message
From: <sam@samharris.org>
Reply-To: sam@samharris.org
Date: Wed, 3 Aug 2005 02:54:36 -0400
To: jefbek@mindspring.com
Subject: Opinion Piece -- The Huffington Post

I threw in my 2 cents on Arianna Huffington's blog.  Here it is:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/theblog/archive/sam-harris/the-politics-of-ig
norance_5053.html 

Best,
Sam


www.samharris.org


------ End of Forwarded Message

From hotprojects at nyc.rr.com  Wed Aug  3 04:37:45 2005
From: hotprojects at nyc.rr.com (richard haase)
Date: Wed Aug  3 04:40:36 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] FW: Opinion Piece -- The Huffington Post
References: <BF15BEF3.CF8%jefbek@mindspring.com>
Message-ID: <005301c5981f$c4c61090$6e436c42@hotprojects>

is that the same sam harris who sings over the rainbow?
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Jef Bek" <jefbek@mindspring.com>
To: "Civic List" <mb-civic@islandlists.com>
Sent: Wednesday, August 03, 2005 3:23 AM
Subject: [Mb-civic] FW: Opinion Piece -- The Huffington Post


> Here's a great post from Sam Harris.
>
> ------ Forwarded Message
> From: <sam@samharris.org>
> Reply-To: sam@samharris.org
> Date: Wed, 3 Aug 2005 02:54:36 -0400
> To: jefbek@mindspring.com
> Subject: Opinion Piece -- The Huffington Post
>
> I threw in my 2 cents on Arianna Huffington's blog.  Here it is:
>
>
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/theblog/archive/sam-harris/the-politics-of-ig
> norance_5053.html
>
> Best,
> Sam
>
>
> www.samharris.org
>
>
> ------ End of Forwarded Message
>
> _______________________________________________
> Mb-civic mailing list
> Mb-civic@islandlists.com
> http://www.islandlists.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/mb-civic

From swiggard at comcast.net  Wed Aug  3 05:01:20 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (William Swiggard)
Date: Wed Aug  3 05:05:43 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Bush Remarks On 'Intelligent Design' Theory Fuel Debate
 - Washington Post
Message-ID: <42F0B210.8040604@comcast.net>

Bush Remarks On 'Intelligent Design' Theory Fuel Debate

By Peter Baker and Peter Slevin
Washington Post Staff Writers
Wednesday, August 3, 2005; Page A01

President Bush invigorated proponents of teaching alternatives to 
evolution in public schools with remarks saying that schoolchildren 
should be taught about "intelligent design," a view of creation that 
challenges established scientific thinking and promotes the idea that an 
unseen force is behind the development of humanity.

Although he said that curriculum decisions should be made by school 
districts rather than the federal government, Bush told Texas newspaper 
reporters in a group interview at the White House on Monday that he 
believes that intelligent design should be taught alongside evolution as 
competing theories.

"Both sides ought to be properly taught . . . so people can understand 
what the debate is about," he said, according to an official transcript 
of the session. Bush added: "Part of education is to expose people to 
different schools of thought. . . . You're asking me whether or not 
people ought to be exposed to different ideas, and the answer is yes."

These comments drew sharp criticism yesterday from opponents of the 
theory, who said there is no scientific evidence to support it and no 
educational basis for teaching it.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/02/AR2005080201686.html?nav=hcmodule

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From swiggard at comcast.net  Wed Aug  3 05:06:53 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (William Swiggard)
Date: Wed Aug  3 05:12:29 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Documents Tell of Brutal Improvisation by GIs -
	Washington Post
Message-ID: <42F0B35D.2060302@comcast.net>

<>Documents Tell of Brutal Improvisation by GIs
Interrogated General's Sleeping-Bag Death, CIA's Use of Secret Iraqi 
Squad Are Among Details

By Josh White
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, August 3, 2005; Page A01

Iraqi Maj. Gen. Abed Hamed Mowhoush was being stubborn with his American 
captors, and a series of intense beatings and creative interrogation 
tactics were not enough to break his will. On the morning of Nov. 26, 
2003, a U.S. Army interrogator and a military guard grabbed a green 
sleeping bag, stuffed Mowhoush inside, wrapped him in an electrical 
cord, laid him on the floor and began to go to work. Again.

It was inside the sleeping bag that the 56-year-old detainee took his 
last breath through broken ribs, lying on the floor beneath a U.S. 
soldier in Interrogation Room 6 in the western Iraqi desert. Two days 
before, a secret CIA-sponsored group of Iraqi paramilitaries, working 
with Army interrogators, had beaten Mowhoush nearly senseless, using 
fists, a club and a rubber hose, according to classified documents.

The sleeping bag was the idea of a soldier who remembered how his older 
brother used to force him into one, and how scared and vulnerable it 
made him feel. Senior officers in charge of the facility near the Syrian 
border believed that such "claustrophobic techniques" were approved ways 
to gain information from detainees, part of what military regulations 
refer to as a "fear up" tactic, according to military court documents.

The circumstances that led up to Mowhoush's death paint a vivid example 
of how the pressure to produce intelligence for anti-terrorism efforts 
and the war in Iraq led U.S. military interrogators to improvise and 
develop abusive measures, not just at Abu Ghraib but in detention 
centers elsewhere in Iraq, in Afghanistan and at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. 
Mowhoush's ordeal in Qaim, over 16 days in November 2003, also reflects 
U.S. government secrecy surrounding some abuse cases and gives a glimpse 
into a covert CIA unit that was set up to foment rebellion before the 
war and took part in some interrogations during the insurgency.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/02/AR2005080201941.html

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From swiggard at comcast.net  Wed Aug  3 05:09:18 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (William Swiggard)
Date: Wed Aug  3 05:14:31 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] The Discreet Charm of the Terrorist Cause - Anne
 Applebaum - Washington Post
Message-ID: <42F0B3EE.5090303@comcast.net>

The Discreet Charm of the Terrorist Cause

By Anne Applebaum
Wednesday, August 3, 2005; Page A19

Since the bombing attacks in London last month, a welter of columnists, 
writers, talking heads and ordinary people have puzzled over the mystery 
of British Muslims, one in four of whom recently told pollsters that 
they sympathize with the July 7 suicide bombers.

The idea that British Muslims, whose parents received asylum, found 
jobs, and made lives in Britain, could be so deeply affected by the 
"oppression" of Muslims in countries they have never visited seems 
incomprehensible. The notion that events in distant deserts should lead 
the middle-class inhabitants of London or Leeds to admire terrorists 
seems inexplicable. But why should this phenomenon be so 
incomprehensible or inexplicable, at least to Americans? We did, after 
all, once tolerate a similar phenomenon ourselves.

<>I am talking about the sympathy for the Irish Republican Army that 
persisted for decades in some Irish American communities and is only now 
fading away. Like British Muslim support for Muslim extremist terrorism, 
Irish American support for Irish terrorism came in many forms. There 
were Irish Americans who waved the Irish flag once a year on St. 
Patrick's Day and admired the IRA's cause but felt queasy about the 
methods. There were Irish Americans who collected money for Catholic 
charities in Northern Ireland without condoning the IRA at all. There 
were also Irish Americans who, while claiming to be "aiding the families 
of political prisoners," were in fact helping to arm IRA terrorists. 
Throughout the 1970s, until Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher asked 
President Ronald Reagan to stop them, they were the IRA's primary source 
of funding. And even after that they were widely tolerated.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/02/AR2005080201943.html?nav=hcmodule 

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From swiggard at comcast.net  Wed Aug  3 05:13:05 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (William Swiggard)
Date: Wed Aug  3 05:16:51 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] No More Nigers - Desmond Tutu - Washington Post
Message-ID: <42F0B4D1.8090207@comcast.net>

No More Nigers

By Desmond Tutu
Wednesday, August 3, 2005; Page A19

The cameras are rolling on another African disaster: Niger and its 
desperate, starving children have thrust the continent back into the 
global spotlight. And this tragedy has unfolded on the world's 
television screens even as leaders of the industrialized countries at 
the Group of Eight summit pledged a historic amount of debt relief and 
humanitarian aid to African countries.

Welcome tidings of the affluent world's largess have collided with yet 
another outstretched hand -- another cry for help -- from our continent. 
For Niger is not an isolated island of desperation; it lies within a sea 
of problems across Africa -- particularly the "forgotten emergencies" in 
poor countries or regions with little strategic or material appeal. 
Neighboring Mauritania and Mali, south Sudan, southern Africa -- all are 
"Nigers" waiting to happen.

In most cases, war or tyranny cannot be blamed -- just grinding poverty 
that forces half the continent to survive on less than a dollar a day, 
and the lethal overlay of HIV-AIDS that kills about 2 million Africans a 
year.

The U.N. World Food Program warned as long as nine months ago that 
Niger, already one of the world's poorest nations, was veering toward 
catastrophe -- pushed hard by severe drought and the worst plague of 
locusts in 15 years. But donors were attending to higher-profile crises; 
then came the Indian Ocean tsunami, which eclipsed Africa's misery on 
the world scene.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/02/AR2005080201937.html

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From swiggard at comcast.net  Wed Aug  3 05:15:44 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (William Swiggard)
Date: Wed Aug  3 05:19:31 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Meatpacking's Human Toll - Lance Compa and Jamie Fellner
 - Washington Post
Message-ID: <42F0B570.5050603@comcast.net>

Meatpacking's Human Toll

By Lance Compa and Jamie Fellner
Wednesday, August 3, 2005; Page A19

Working conditions in U.S. meat and poultry plants should trouble the 
conscience of every American who eats beef, pork or chicken.

Dispatching the nonstop tide of animals and birds arriving on plant 
"kill floors" and "live hang" areas has always been hazardous and 
exhausting labor. Turning an 800-pound animal (or even a five-pound 
fowl) into products for supermarkets or fast-food restaurants is, by its 
nature, demanding physical labor in bloody, greasy surroundings.

But meatpacking and poultry workers face more than hard work in tough 
settings. They perform the most dangerous factory jobs in the country. 
U.S. meat and poultry employers put workers at predictable risk of 
serious physical injury even though the means to avoid such injury are 
known and feasible. In doing so, they violate the right of workers to a 
safe place of employment.

"Faster, faster, get that product out the door!" is the industry byword. 
The results are cuts, amputations, skin disease, permanent arm and 
shoulder damage, and even death from the force of repeated hard cutting 
motions. When injured employees seek workers' compensation claims for 
their juries, they are told, "You got hurt at home, not on the job."

<>The workers who face these hazards are, increasingly, immigrants, most 
from Mexico and Central America but also from many other parts of the 
world. Companies exploit their vulnerabilities: limited English skills; 
uncertainty about their rights; alarm about their immigration status if 
they are undocumented workers.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/02/AR2005080201936.html 

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From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Wed Aug  3 07:22:17 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (mblaxill@yahoo.com)
Date: Wed Aug  3 07:25:10 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Headlines for August 3, 2005
Message-ID: <20050803142217.14605.qmail@trinity.democracynow.org>

Mike Blaxill  ( mblaxill@yahoo.com )
sent you this story from democracynow.org



+--------------------------------------------------------------------+
|  Headlines for August 3, 2005
|  http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=05/08/03/1419252
+--------------------------------------------------------------------+


- 21 Marines Die in Iraq OverTwo-Day Period
- Coalition Death Toll in Iraq Tops 2,000
- U.S. Journalist Murdered in Basra
- CIA Recruited & Trained Secret Iraqi Paramilitary Group
- Hate Crimes in London Soar by 600% Since Bombings
- Russian Gov't Bars ABC From Operating Inside Nation
- Death Toll From Fighting in Sudan Tops 71
This story continues at: 
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=05/08/03/1419252

From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Wed Aug  3 07:31:10 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (mblaxill@yahoo.com)
Date: Wed Aug  3 07:33:57 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] NYTimes.com: Bush Remarks Roil Debate on Teaching of
	Evolution
Message-ID: <20050803143110.95B1B3AE659@lax-gw06.mroute.net>

This page was sent to you by: mblaxill@yahoo.com.

WASHINGTON | August 3, 2005
Bush Remarks Roil Debate on Teaching of Evolution
By ELISABETH BUMILLER
President Bush on Monday appeared to endorse the push by many conservatives to give intelligent design equal treatment with the theory of evolution in public schools.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/03/politics/03bush.html?ex=1123732800&en=64fde808f47b1247&ei=5070&emc=eta1



----------------- Advertisement --------------------------

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one Best Picture.  What did the original New York
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From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Wed Aug  3 07:30:35 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (mblaxill@yahoo.com)
Date: Wed Aug  3 07:35:15 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] NYTimes.com: Drug Makers to Police Consumer Campaigns
Message-ID: <20050803143035.C37C8249FE4@lax-gw08.mroute.net>

This page was sent to you by: mblaxill@yahoo.com.

big of them


BUSINESS / MEDIA & ADVERTISING | August 3, 2005
Advertising: Drug Makers to Police Consumer Campaigns
By STEPHANIE SAUL
Super Bowl ads promoting drugs for erectile dysfunction are remnants of the past, if the pharmaceutical industry truly follows its own new guidelines.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/03/business/media/03adco.html?ex=1123732800&en=8d73726d06ffef4f&ei=5070&emc=eta1



----------------- Advertisement --------------------------

The Academy loved these movies enough to name each
one Best Picture.  What did the original New York
Times movie reviews have to say about these Oscar
winning films?  
Go to the Best Pictures review archive:

http://ads.nyt.com/th.ad/nytnyt-textEmailThisdefault-Center1A/academyawards_text/?_RM_REDIR_=http://www.nytimes.com/ref/movies/oscars/bestpictures.html




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From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Wed Aug  3 07:34:14 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (mblaxill@yahoo.com)
Date: Wed Aug  3 07:36:53 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] NYTimes.com: Calling All Luddites
Message-ID: <20050803143414.52F1B24AFBE@lax-gw02.mroute.net>

This page was sent to you by: mblaxill@yahoo.com.

Friedman - sometimes he's interesting...


OPINION | August 3, 2005
Op-Ed Columnist: Calling All Luddites
By THOMAS L. FRIEDMAN
The fact that the U.S. has fallen to 16th in the world in broadband connectivity has aroused little interest, but it should.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/03/opinion/03friedman.html?ex=1123732800&en=c7a5ef6c43908f9c&ei=5070&emc=eta1




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This e-mail was sent to you by a friend through NYTimes.com's E-mail This Article service.  For general information about NYTimes.com, write to help@nytimes.com.

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Copyright 2005 The New York Times Company
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From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Wed Aug  3 07:39:10 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (mblaxill@yahoo.com)
Date: Wed Aug  3 07:41:52 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] NYTimes.com: In Germany,
	Jung Biography Includes Family Denial
Message-ID: <20050803143910.51AA89FD7C@lax-gw05.mroute.net>

This page was sent to you by: mblaxill@yahoo.com.

BOOKS | August 3, 2005
In Germany, Jung Biography Includes Family Denial
By DOREEN CARVAJAL
The German publication of Deirdre Bair's biography will include two pages cataloging the Jung family's objections to descriptions and facts in the book.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/03/books/03jung.html?ex=1123732800&en=20c477fe2a090c9b&ei=5070&emc=eta1



----------------- Advertisement --------------------------

The Academy loved these movies enough to name each
one Best Picture.  What did the original New York
Times movie reviews have to say about these Oscar
winning films?  
Go to the Best Pictures review archive:

http://ads.nyt.com/th.ad/nytnyt-textEmailThisdefault-Center1A/academyawards_text/?_RM_REDIR_=http://www.nytimes.com/ref/movies/oscars/bestpictures.html




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From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Wed Aug  3 07:54:12 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (Mike Blaxill)
Date: Wed Aug  3 07:56:57 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Summary of Election Theft Article in Harpers
Message-ID: <20050803145412.5678.qmail@web53001.mail.yahoo.com>

None Dare Call It Stolen - Ohio, the Election,
and America's Servile Press (THIS IS A SUMMARY)
????By Mark Crispin Miller
????The Columbus Free Press

????Sunday 24 July 2005

????While commentators, prompted by Republicans,
claimed Bush won the 2004 election through the
votes of a silent majority concerned with "family
values," Mark Crispin Miller writes that when
voters were asked to state, "in their own words
the most important factor in their vote,"only 14
percent named "moral values." He details how the
press (except for Keith Olbermann on MSNBC)
ignored "the strange details of the
election-except, that is, to ridicule all efforts
to discuss themIt was as if they were reporting
from inside a forest fire without acknowledging
the fire, except to keep insisting that there was
no fire."

REST IS HERE
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/080205F.shtml
From villasudjuan at wanadoo.fr  Wed Aug  3 08:56:33 2005
From: villasudjuan at wanadoo.fr (villasudjuan)
Date: Wed Aug  3 10:20:54 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] FW: Europe's Iran Moment 
In-Reply-To: <0825762C-151E-4E3E-85FD-24EC84D2CE37@thesamiis.com>
Message-ID: <200508031720.j73HKp1V019308@dune.islandtechnologies.net>


------ Forwarded Message
From: Samii Shahla <shahla@thesamiis.com>
Date: Wed, 3 Aug 2005 11:38:38 -0400
Subject: Europe's Iran Moment

I

Wednesday, August 03, 2005

Europe's Iran Moment


August 03, 2005 
The Wall Street Journal
Review & Outlook


The Bush administration has justified its softly-softly approach to the
Iranian nuclear program on grounds it has firm commitments from the
Europeans to get tough should diplomacy fail. Those promises are about to be
put to the test now that Iran has informed the International Atomic Energy
Agency of its intention to resume uranium enrichment.

The suspension agreement was inked last November after what turns out to
have been nearly 20 years of Iranian deception vis-a-vis the IAEA. And it
can be argued that diplomacy has at least bought time, assuming -- and it's
a big assumption given how many times Iran has already been caught lying to
inspectors -- that there has been no clandestine program going on in the
interim. But the desire of the EU-3 (Britain, France and Germany) to find a
negotiated solution seems only to have encouraged Iranian intransigence on
the central issue, which is its repeatedly claimed "right" under the Nuclear
Nonproliferation Treaty to enrich uranium for what it says is a civilian
power program. 

The existence of any such right is debatable, given that the NPT forbids
using a civilian nuclear program as cover for a military one. But to the
extent Iran is able to plausibly make this claim, it only highlights the
problematic moral equivalence at the heart of the U.N. system, of which the
IAEA and NPT are a part. Put simply, Iran is not a democratic country. And
it is patently wrong to treat the ruling mullahs as if they were likely to
observe international law.

This should be all the more clear after June's sham presidential elections,
which were rigged to the extent that Hashemi Rafsanjani -- who has said that
Iran should have the bomb so it can destroy Israel -- came off as the more
moderate of the final two candidates. Most Iranians themselves (as
suppressed poll results indicated) see the nuclear program for exactly what
is -- a means of keeping their oppressors in power.

We were encouraged to see the Europeans talking tough yesterday, saying any
Iranian move to restart enrichment would result in an emergency IAEA meeting
and possible referral to the U.N. Security Council for sanctions. But it's a
fairly open secret that many European diplomats think that the best we can
expect even after such action is further delay, and that the world will
ultimately just have to "get used to" the idea of the mullahs having the
bomb. 

This would be a historic mistake, starting with the fact that it would mean
the permanent discrediting of the multilateral arms control system these
very same diplomats claim to hold dear. North Korea has already gone nuclear
under the IAEA's watch. If Iran follows, the world can be assured the U.S.
will never again look for answers to the IAEA's shiny new Vienna
headquarters. 

The strategic consequences are also hard to overstate. Iranian leaders such
as Mr. Rafsanjani have spoken openly about wanting the bomb to thwart U.S.
"colonialism" in the Middle East. At a minimum, a nuclear umbrella would
remove any inhibition they might still have about using conventional
terrorism in an all-out assault on U.S. democracy-promotion in the region.
World oil supplies could be threatened. And it is not inconceivable they
might hand such a weapon to terrorists, since the further proliferation that
would undoubtedly follow might make such an act plausibly deniable.

We're hardly reassured by yesterday's Washington Post report that Iran might
be 10 years from the bomb, or five years longer than previously thought. It
was reportedly based on information from a still-classified U.S. National
Intelligence Estimate. But as we've argued in the past, leaning too heavily
on NIEs is dangerous because they tend to be lowest-common denominator
assessments that create the illusion of actual knowledge where there is
often much uncertainty. The government would be better off without them.

Exhibit A are the NIEs that said we'd find WMD in Iraq. But the intelligence
consensus also missed by a long shot how close Saddam was to the A-bomb
before the first Gulf War, and it missed again on North Korea. The best
policy practice with countries obviously intent on acquiring a bomb, as Iran
is, is to act as if the prospect is any day now, not to look for reassurance
that the problem can be put off until later.

It's no exaggeration to say that everything we've been trying to achieve in
the Middle East and beyond is at stake here. The mullahs know it, which is
why they risked international censure through sham elections to consolidate
their power and are now risking a confrontation with the Security Council.
The potential consequences of an Iranian nuke for the Western democracies
are an order of magnitude graver than backpack bombs on subways.

---


------ End of Forwarded Message

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From michael at intrafi.com  Wed Aug  3 10:21:30 2005
From: michael at intrafi.com (michael@intrafi.com)
Date: Wed Aug  3 10:24:14 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] FT.com / Comment & analysis / Comment - A reversal in
	Iraq will not protect us from terrorists
Message-ID: <25423538.1123089690848.JavaMail.tomcat@localhost>



*Please note, the sender's email address has not been verified.



You have received the following link from michael@intrafi.com

 
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From michael at intrafi.com  Wed Aug  3 10:22:10 2005
From: michael at intrafi.com (michael@intrafi.com)
Date: Wed Aug  3 10:24:50 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] FT.com / Home UK - World turning its back on Brand
	America
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From michael at intrafi.com  Wed Aug  3 10:24:23 2005
From: michael at intrafi.com (michael@intrafi.com)
Date: Wed Aug  3 10:27:02 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] FT.com / Comment & analysis / Comment - Europe must
	again confront the forces of illiberalism
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From michael at michaelbutler.com  Wed Aug  3 10:29:29 2005
From: michael at michaelbutler.com (Michael Butler)
Date: Wed Aug  3 10:32:11 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] FW: Racial profiling? I don't think so
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To: nemo1043@yahoo.com, michael@michaelbutler.com
Subject: Racial profiling? I don't think so

 


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From harperalexander at mail.com  Wed Aug  3 11:16:56 2005
From: harperalexander at mail.com (Alexander Harper)
Date: Wed Aug  3 11:19:35 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Fisk on Fahd's legacy
Message-ID: <20050803181656.3A418101D8@ws1-3.us4.outblaze.com>

Vintage Fisk - I should have posted it yesterday but was travelling. Noone else seems to have sent it in so here goes.
AlBaraka

Robert Fisk: The terrible legacy of the man who failed the world 
Published: 02 August 2005 

So the old man will be buried this afternoon on the edge of the Saudi capital, Riyadh, in a desert graveyard of no memorials. 

The strict Wahhabi tradition - to which, of course, that far more famous Saudi, Osama bin Laden, belongs - demands no statues, no gravestones, no slabs. So Fahd will be laid in the desert sand, his head touching the earth, covered over and left for the after-life. Not a single stone will mark his place.

Would that some of our own great leaders would suffer such humility - if less ostentatiously so - on their deaths.

King Fahd of Saudi Arabia has died after 22 years on the throne. His successor, Crown Prince Abdullah, will formally take his place tomorrow.

But the old king really died in 1995, when an embolic stroke disabled him, paralysed his mind, befuddled his senses - the 84-year-old Keeper of the Two Holy Places would often ask servants to pour coffee for Muslim guests during Ramadan - when drinking and eating is forbidden in the hours of daylight.

In effect, his half-brother Crown Prince Abdullah has been "king" since then and, now aged 82, is still, as the clich&eacute; goes, "clinging to power". Another half-brother - and all these half-brothers reflect the Bedouin background of the Saudi monarchy - Prince Sultan Abdul Aziz, will be the new crown prince. And he is already 81.

Those who claim the Saudi royal family is led by sclerotic old men have a point - but perhaps they do not go far enough. Like the massive Muslim oil nation to the north, Iran, Saudi Arabia has become a necrocracy: government by, with and for the dead.

For years, we had been saying that Fahd would die - at his massive family palace in Andalusia (he knew, of course, that this was once part of a fine Arab empire) or on his gorgeous, preposterous, jet airliners, their interiors designed to look like Arab tents, or just in that hideously famous swimming pool. He suffered from pneumonia and a high fever, officials would insist. Anything else was "malicious speculation" - which meant that it was all true.

This was the man, however, who had funded the Arab legions against the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979 when, as we know, Bin Laden took the role of "prince" because Fahd's real princes, including 7,000 official and unofficial ones, preferred the bars of Monaco or the whores of Paris to drawing the sword for the religion in whose lands stood their greatest shrines, Mecca and Medina.

And it was this same Fahd who brought down upon the Arab Gulf - and eventually upon the Americans - the wrath of Bin Laden and his al-Qa'ida, by asking the US to send troops to protect the land of the Prophet after Saddam Hussein's 1990 invasion of Kuwait. And his fate might have been to have died in an assassination before; but it's difficult to murder an already dead man.

This was the king who had poured his vast coffers into Saddam Hussein's war chest against Iran, studiously saying nothing about the gassing of up to 60,000 Iranian soldiers and civilians during that conflict, in the hope that the Beast of Baghdad (our friend at the time, needless to say) would overthrow that far more terrible beast, the revolutionary Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.

When Saddam arrived in Kuwait, Fahd wrote him a letter, reminding him of how much the Saudis had contributed to his brutal war against Iraq. "Oh Ruler of Iraq," Fahd wrote, "the Kingdom extended to your country $25,734,469,885. 80 cents." Analysing that sum, I once calculated the figure issued by Fahd courtiers was out by a dollar and a cent. By contrast, Fahd's bankers calculated they spent $27.5bn on paying for America's liberation of Kuwait - slightly more than they paid to Saddam.

It was Fahd and the Pakistanis who had, on America's behalf, helped to arm the militias of Afghanistan against the Soviet Union and - disgusted by the victors' feuding - supported Mullah Omar's Wahhabi army of self-righteous peasant clerics, the Taliban. Under Fahd, the kingdom poured millions into the madrassas in Pakistan which have made the news again following 7 July. The Taliban (like some of the London suicide bombers) were an authentic product of Wahhabism, the strict, pseudo-reformist Islamist state faith of Saudi Arabia founded by the 18th cleric Mohamed Ibn Abdul-Wahab.

Journalists like to claim that Wahhabism is "obscurantist" but it is not true. Abdul-Wahab was not a great thinker or philosopher but, for his followers, he was a near-saint. Waging war on fellow Muslims who had erred was an obligatory part of his philosophy, whether they be the "deviant" Shia Muslims of Basra - whom he vainly attempted to convert to Sunni Islam (they chucked him out) - or Arabians who did not follow his own exclusive interpretation of Muslim unity. But he also proscribed rebellion against rulers. His orthodoxy threatened the modern-day House of Saud because of its corruption, yet secured its future by forbidding revolution. The Saudi ruling family thus embraced the one faith which could protect and destroy it.

Which is why all the talk in modern Saudi Arabia of "cracking down on terror", protecting women's rights, lessening the power of the religious police, is so much hokum.

Saudi Arabia's role - under Fahd's nominal leadership - in the 11 September 2001 crimes against humanity has still not been fully explored. While senior members of the royal family, especially the then Crown Prince Abdullah, who was never as convinced of America's foreign policy wisdom in the Middle East as Fahd, expressed the obligatory shock and horror that was expected of them, no attempt was made to examine the nature of Wahhabism and its inherent contempt for all representation of human activity or death.

The destruction of the two giant Buddhas of Bamian by the Taliban in 2000 - along with the vandalism in the Kabul museum, fit perfectly into the theocratic wisdom. So too, it might be argued did the Twin Towers of the World Trade Centre.

In 1820, the much-worshipped statues of Dhu Khalasa, dating from the 12th century, were destroyed by Wahhabis. Only weeks after the Lebanese Professor Kamal Salibi suggested in the late 1990s that once-Jewish villages in what is now Saudi Arabia might have constituted the location of the Bible, Fahd sent bulldozers to destroy the ancient buildings in these towns.

Saudi religious authorities have destroyed hundreds of historic structures in the name of religion in Mecca and Medina, and former UN officials have condemned the bulldozing of Ottoman buildings in Bosnia by a Saudi aid agency backed by the Fahd government which claimed they were "idolatrous".

So all the talk of "restive" princes, of potential rivalries between the half-brothers now that Fahd is dead has a kind of pseudo-importance to it. Saudi Arabian society is not - and cannot be - a "modern" society in our sense of the word as long as Wahhabism holds its power. But it must be allowed to do so - to protect the king. And since it increasingly becomes a poor country, the Wahhabi authorities and the religious police grow stronger.

And as we depend ever more on the Saudis to pump oil, we are ever more silent about what is wrong in the kingdom. Our policy towards Saudi Arabia is now exactly what it was in Iran before the fall of the Shah in 1979.

When he was governor of Riyadh, Prince Sultan, according to that brilliant American journalist Seymour Hersh, was once heard to say on a US telephone intercept that King Fahd didn't know what was happening during an international flight. "He's a prisoner of the plane," he remarked. "Like all the Saudi royal family."

The Crown Prince who becomes King at last

Crown Prince Abdullah now formally takes on a role that he has served de facto for nearly a decade. The half-brother of King Fahd, Prince Abdullah has become the face of the kingdom.

He served as commander of the National Guard for 30 years before taking over day-to-day affairs of state after his half-brother Saud's strokes in 1995 and 1996.

Diplomats said they did not expect major changes in Saudi foreign or oil policy under Abdullah who talks quietly, with a stutter, but is described as imposing and statesmanlike.

There are 30 surviving sons of the late King Abdul-Aziz, who founded Saudi Arabia in 1932. But with only half-brothers in the royal family, diplomats say the octogenarian Abdullah's power has limits. Fahd has six full brothers who wield great influence and can band together at family meetings.

His crackdown on al-Qa'ida suicide bombers in 2003 who aimed to topple the House of Saud was unprecedented.

Daniel Howden 


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From harperalexander at mail.com  Wed Aug  3 12:14:48 2005
From: harperalexander at mail.com (Alexander Harper)
Date: Wed Aug  3 12:17:29 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Today's British Bobby (FT Notebook)
Message-ID: <20050803191448.0BBB81CE303@ws1-6.us4.outblaze.com>

 

Notebook
>By Jonathan Guthrie
>Published: August 3 2005 20:03 | Last updated: August 3 2005 20:03
>>
An elderly American couple approach a policeman near Leicester Square. 

Woman: Hi there! Can you tell us how to get to the National Picture Gallery?

Policeman: Gnf mnf fnf!

Woman: Excuse me?

Policeman: Bloomin&#8217; respirator. That&#8217;s better. National Gallery? Straight down, then right. Can&#8217;t miss it.

Woman: Is that thing for hay fever? Herb here gets terrible hay fever.

Policeman: (shiftily) That&#8217;s right Madam. Nothing else seems to work.

Woman: Is that vest bullet-proof?

Policeman: It&#8217;s certainly shower-proof. Can&#8217;t be too careful with the British weather.

Man: Jeepers, that&#8217;s a big gun. Is that a Heckler Koch? I could use a thing like that back home for shooting deer.

Policeman: (patting gun) It&#8217;s for reassuring the public, sir.

Man: I&#8217;m sure as hell reassured by it. We thought the Brits didn&#8217;t like guns. Seems you&#8217;re getting more American every day. We hear you cops shot a guy dead on the subway last week.

Policeman: Unfortunate that. Illegal immigrant.

Man: Don&#8217;t worry, son. We shoot those guys back home too.

Woman: We really appreciate the support Britain has given the US in our crusade against Muslim terror.

So few countries were willing to become targets by helping us invade Iraq. That&#8217;s why Herb and me didn&#8217;t cancel our vacation here. Would you like a &#8220;Fight for Freedom&#8221; button?

Policeman: No thanks.

Woman: I could pin it on your shower-proof vest. It might deflect a bullet. Policeman: No, really.

Woman: We were thinking of visiting Notting Hill. We loved the film with Hugh Grant.

Policeman: (doubtfully) They might still have cordons up in Notting Hill.

Man: Cordons?

Policeman: For, er&#8201;.&#8201;.&#8201;.&#8201;growing the fruit! Cause terrible traffic congestion. I&#8217;d avoid Notting Hill.

Man: Is any London neighbourhood too dangerous to visit?

Policeman: Nowhere is more dangerous than anywhere else at the moment. Just try to stay away from unattended luggage and er&#8201;.&#8201;.&#8201;.&#8201;attended luggage. And stations. And trains. And buses.

Man: We&#8217;ll catch a cab. Fight for freedom!

Woman: And have a nice day! Policeman: (To himself, as his radio squawks into life) Some hope, with a 12-hour shift and no break.
 
 
AlBaraka

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From nwonline at toronto.cbc.ca  Wed Aug  3 17:47:48 2005
From: nwonline at toronto.cbc.ca (CBC News Online)
Date: Wed Aug  3 17:51:02 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] CBC News - HATE CRIMES AGAINST U.K. MUSLIMS SOAR
Message-ID: <20050804004748.8E40D1B6A0@nmweb06.nm.cbc.ca>

This email has been sent to you by harry.sifton@sympatico.ca
The following is a news item posted on CBC NEWS ONLINE
at http://www.cbc.ca/news
____________________________________________________
HATE CRIMES AGAINST U.K. MUSLIMS SOAR
WebPosted Wed Aug  3 12:26:01 2005

---The number of hate crimes primarily affecting Muslims in the United
Kingdom soared 600 per cent in the weeks after the London bombings on
July 7, police say.

Crime statistics show there were 269 hate-motivated attacks in the three
weeks following the bombings that killed 56 people. Similar crimes during
the same period last year totalled 40.

Most cases were verbal or minor physical assaults targeting the Muslim
community, although there was property damage and attacks on mosques,
said Metropolitan Police Assistant Commissioner Tarique Ghaffur.

"It can lead to these communities completely retreating and not engaging
at a time when we want their engagement and support," Ghaffur said.

Britain's Home Office on Tuesday began meetings across the country with
local leaders and Muslim communities to try to improve relations and
address concerns of security, education and extremism.

 FROM AUG. 2, 2005:
U.K. police told not to use racial profiling

There are an estimated 1.6 million Muslims in Britain.

A new shoot-to-kill police policy against would-be bombers that claimed
the life of a Brazilian electrician in error has raised fears that racial
profiling permeates police ranks.

Racism among a minority of white youths, whether tied to soccer
hooliganism or race riots in dance clubs, has a history in Britain.

Three of the suicide bombers had family roots in Pakistan, while the
fourth moved to Britain from Jamaica as a youngster. Several of the
suspects in the botched July 21 attacks hailed from east Africa.

There's a concern in some quarters that violence against the Muslim
community could see more of its members, especially young people, to
embrace extremism.

A former mayor of Oldham, a northern industrial town near Manchester that
was the site of race riots four years ago, said that moderate people must
take the lead in reaching out to youth.

"We want to work together to get rid of this evil among us," said Riaz
Ahmed, after meeting with Hazil Blears, a minister in the Home Office.

Another community activist supported the concept. "The right Muslims with
the right thinking and the right mind need to get to the youngsters
before the extremists do," Mohammed Miah said.

Copyright (C) 2005 CBC. All rights reserved.
From Hawaiipolo at cs.com  Wed Aug  3 15:23:26 2005
From: Hawaiipolo at cs.com (Hawaiipolo@cs.com)
Date: Wed Aug  3 19:17:34 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] (no subject)
Message-ID: <200508040217.j742HVmm020263@dune.islandtechnologies.net>

Worth the read..good background info...MD> 
> Special Briefing | Jihad: Who's Joining, and Why? 
> By Dan Murphy and Howard LaFranchi 
> The Christian Science Monitor 
> 
> Wednesday 03 August 2005 
> 
> In Tuesday's edition, a report in this space looked at the origins and goals 
> of Islamist militancy, and of Al Qaeda in particular. This briefing explores 
> how the movement is evolving at a time of concern about terror cells in 
> Western cities such as London. Is the global jihad spreading to Europe? 
> 
> It seems clear that this is happening. Events like the London bombings, as 
> well as online postings by Islamist extremists calling Muslim brethren in 
> Western countries to action, suggest to many counterterrorism experts that the 
> global jihad has entered a new phase. All of the members of the London terror 
> cells were longtime residents of Britain, and some were born there, confirming 
> the view that Islamist extremism has taken root. While attacks appear to 
> have ebbed in places such as Indonesia, they have spread to what experts 
> consider the fertile ground of the "ummah" or Islamic community of Europe. 
> 
> Who is joining the jihad? 
> 
> Experts don't foresee jihadism becoming a mass movement. Still, if the Al 
> Qaeda ideology hooks a few hundred followers in countries with many Muslim 
> immigrants, that is enough to wreak havoc. Recruitment in Europe is fueled by the 
> sense of isolation and disappointment in Western culture. 
> 
> Another factor may be freedom of speech. Hate-filled rhetoric and extremist 
> ideals have been spread in European mosques and over the airwaves, some 
> experts point out, even as the governments of these countries have pressed Muslim 
> nations to curb the freedom and teachings of radical clerics. 
> 
> Is the same thing happening in America? 
> 
> Perhaps not, or at least not as fast. Mainstream Muslim organizations in 
> America note that US Muslims differ from their counterparts in Europe - they are 
> generally more prosperous (often from more prosperous backgrounds in their 
> home countries) and less confined to Muslim ghettos. Still, experts point out 
> that the British Islamist bombers were not living in poverty. The key problem 
> appears to be alienation that opens minds to radical thinking. And in that 
> sense, America may have a problem. Recent cases in Virginia and California 
> involving clerics allegedly recruiting young Muslims for jihad suggest the 
> dissemination of extremist ideals exists in isolated cases. 
> 
> Are new groups emerging as Al Qaeda franchises, such as in Egypt? 
> 
> The word "franchise" can be useful, hinting at how Al Qaeda might inspire or 
> indirectly fund an attack without organizing it. But the word is misleading 
> if it implies that terrorists are organized into neat, understandable groups. 
> For instance, if the "Abdallah Azzam Brigades" were in fact behind last 
> month's resort bombing at Sharm el-Sheik, its surviving members are now on the 
> run. If they manage to evade capture, they may well emerge to strike again, but 
> could do so under a different name. Conversely, the brigades' claim of 
> responsibility could have come from an uninvolved sympathizer. The key question is 
> the overlapping personal relationships of those involved. 
> 
> It's useful, therefore, to think of Al Qaeda as an ideological force that 
> reaches beyond its organizational structure. While groups like Southeast Asia's 
> Jemaah Islamiyah (Islamic Group) and the pan-Islamic Hizb ut-Tahrir (Party 
> of Liberation) have some doctrinal differences with Al Qaeda, they have 
> overlapping interests. 
> 
> Are the goals of jihadists changing? 
> 
> Not much, experts say. The targets and tactics may be influenced by current 
> circumstances - such as the US presence in Iraq - but an unchanging worldview 
> underlies it all: The jihadists see Muslims as locked in a life-or-death 
> struggle with a West that hates Islam. While the goal of an Islamic superstate 
> remains central, the impetus for jihad can shift. Ideologues motivate 
> adherents by citing specific cases of perceived injustice. The Southeast Asian 
> militants behind a deadly October 2002 attack in Bali wanted to undermine the 
> Indonesian state in order to create an Islamic caliphate there. They also 
> subscribed to the broader vision of an eventual caliphate running the whole globe. 
> 
> What's Al Qaeda's view of democracy movements in muslim countries? 
> 
> Al Qaeda is against democracy as most in the West would understand it. What 
> it wants is the replacement of existing authoritarian regimes with religious 
> states. These would impose a rigid view of the Koran on citizens. In Al 
> Qaeda's view, Western democratic ideas stand in the way of God's will on earth. Al 
> Qaeda ideologue Ayman al-Zawahiri and Abu Musab al-Zarqawi - the 
> self-proclaimed mastermind of Al Qaeda in Iraq - have attacked democracy as a "trick" to 
> deny Muslims the full flowering of Islam. 
> 
> In his most recent videotaped statement on June 17, Zawahiri lashed out at 
> Egypt's democracy protestors for playing an American game. It was an attack on 
> the nation's secular democracy and reform movements such as Kifaya. Analysts 
> also saw it as a thrust at Islamist groups like Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood, 
> which favors Islamic law and says it is committed to democratic institutions. 
> To Zawahiri, such groups can only thwart the utopian vision of a vast 
> Islamic state. 
> 
> If the US left the Middle East, would militants focus their attacks on 
> Shiites? 
> 
> The Islamist extremists whose rage the world is feeling today are primarily 
> Sunni Muslims. In Iraq, which was ruled and dominated by a Sunni minority 
> since the British created the country in the early 20th century, Sunni 
> extremists are already targeting the ruling Shiite majority. Those extremists see the 
> Shiites as impure and have no compunction about targeting Shiite civilians. 
> For some scholars of Islam, the US, in replacing a Sunni regime with a 
> Shiite-dominated one, faces unforeseen challenges as the shift in power is worked 
> out. Some see wider dangers as its neighbors jockey for influence: What happens 
> if turmoil in the new Iraq leads to an open confrontation between a 
> Shiite-dominated Iran and the Sunni-ruled Saudi Arabia? 
> 
> Experts also see trouble for the US if its eventual withdrawal from Iraq 
> opens the door to a Shiite-led cleansing of Sunni Muslims - the much-discussed 
> "civil war" that some Iraqis, including former Prime Minister Iyad Allawi, say 
> has already began. 
> 
> "It could be very dangerous if the US pulled out entirely," says Martha 
> Crenshaw, a terrorism expert at Wesleyan University in Connecticut. "The 
> jihadists would say that is what the US wanted all along, the extermination of the 
> Sunnis in Iraq.... It could mean huge new problems for the US." 
> 
> Is a backlash against jihadism building from within Islam? 
> 
> Contrary to the complaints of critics, mainstream Muslim clerics have taken 
> steps to combat terrorism. American Muslim leaders have quickly condemned 
> attacks, and have established programs, notably with the FBI, to assist in 
> rooting out extremism. 
> 
> Such commitments have been amplified since the London bombings. Last week, 
> Muslim scholars in the US and Canada issued a fatwa, or judicial ruling, 
> condemning terrorism and declaring violence against civilians - including suicide 
> bombings - impermissible in Islam. Islamic scholars in Britain have taken 
> similar steps. However, many experts worry that this focus on mainstream clerics 
> is missing the mark, since the radicalized young often do not listen to 
> religious leaders they see as Westernized. 
> 
> At the same time, debate grows about whether more needs to be done. Some 
> experts argue that jihadist violence can be ended only through opposition from 
> within Islam. So far, such opposition hasn't stopped attacks. 
> 
> The reason, some argue, is a chicken-and-egg scenario: The climate within 
> Islam might change if Western policy changes. The establishment of a 
> Palestinian state and the departure of US troops from Iraq could leave extremists with 
> fewer arguments that resonate with Muslims. 
> 
> Thus, both Islam and the West face pressure to change their ways. But both 
> sides confront risks of appearing weak in the process. An apparent retreat by 
> the US and its allies could embolden jihadists. Similarly, mainstream Islamic 
> clerics could lose credibility if a fatwa appears to have come in response 
> to Western demands. 
> 
> -------
> 
>  Jump to today's TO Features:                                                
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From michael at intrafi.com  Wed Aug  3 19:33:10 2005
From: michael at intrafi.com (michael@intrafi.com)
Date: Wed Aug  3 19:35:52 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Alternet: Novak, No Dice
Message-ID: <20050804023310.0698BB8079@alternet.org>


This story has been forwarded to you from
http://www.alternet.org by michael@intrafi.com



-------------------------------------
Novak, No Dice
http://www.alternet.org/story/23866

Still the first person to publicly out Valerie Plame, Bob Novak fires back using ammunition supplied by discredited 'reporter' Jeff 'Gannon' Guckert. 
-------------------------------------

From jefbek at mindspring.com  Wed Aug  3 23:14:36 2005
From: jefbek at mindspring.com (Jef Bek)
Date: Wed Aug  3 23:18:16 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Don't you miss Rovegate news?
Message-ID: <BF17005C.D05%jefbek@mindspring.com>

The New York Times

August 3, 2005

2 Aides to Rove Testify in C.I.A. Leak Inquiry

By DAVID JOHNSTON

WASHINGTON, Aug. 2 - Two aides to Karl Rove, the senior White House adviser,
testified last Friday before a federal grand jury investigating whether
government officials illegally disclosed the identity of an undercover
C.I.A. operative, according to a person who has been officially briefed on
the case.

The aides, Susan B. Ralston and Israel Hernandez, were asked about grand
jury testimony given on July 13 by Matthew Cooper, a reporter for Time
magazine, the person who was briefed said. Mr. Cooper has said that he
testified about a July 11, 2003, conversation with Mr. Rove in which the
C.I.A. officer was discussed.

The aides' grand jury appearances were first reported by ABC News and
provided the first sign that the prosecutor in the case was interested in
following up on Mr. Cooper's testimony with more questions for the White
House about Mr. Rove. A person sympathetic to Mr. Rove said that the
questions seemed typical of those posed by a prosecutor wrapping up the
loose ends of an inquiry.

That person and the one who has been briefed spoke only on the condition of
anonymity because the prosecutor has warned people not to discuss the case.

At one point, the aides were asked why Mr. Cooper's call to Mr. Rove was not
entered in Mr. Rove's office telephone logs. There was no record of the
call, the person who has been briefed said, because Mr. Cooper did not call
Mr. Rove directly, but was transferred to his office from a White House
switchboard.

The aides have worked closely with Mr. Rove, screening his calls and
coordinating his activities with other White House officials. Mr. Hernandez
had been an aide to President Bush since his successful campaign for
governor of Texas in 1994, and Ms. Ralston is known as one of Mr. Rove's
most trusted associates.

Ms. Ralston still works with Mr. Rove, while Mr. Hernandez has moved to the
Commerce Department. Telephone calls to their offices on Tuesday were not
returned.

The telephone conversation between Mr. Rove and Mr. Cooper is one of two
conversations in a one-week period in July 2003 that the prosecutor, Patrick
J. Fitzgerald, has focused on. The second was between Mr. Rove and Robert D.
Novak, the syndicated columnist, as Mr. Novak was preparing a column in
which he named the C.I.A. officer.

Mr. Fitzgerald has focused on whether in the identification of the officer,
Valerie Wilson, there was a deliberate effort to retaliate against her
husband, Joseph C. Wilson IV, for his criticism of the Bush administration's
policy on Iraq. In an Op-Ed article in The New York Times on July 6, 2003,
Mr. Wilson, a former diplomat, wrote that when he traveled to Niger in 2002
as a government emissary, he found little evidence to support a claim made
by Mr. Bush a year later that Iraq had tried to acquire nuclear fuel there.

On July 14, 2003, Mr. Novak wrote that Mr. Wilson had been sent to Africa by
his wife, who worked for the Central Intelligence Agency. Mr. Fitzgerald is
examining whether anyone in the government violated a law making it a crime
to disclose the name of a covert officer deliberately.

In an article in Time last month about his grand jury appearance, Mr. Cooper
wrote that he had telephoned the White House and been transferred to Mr.
Rove's office. 

"I believe a woman answered the phone and said words to the effect that Rove
wasn't there," Mr. Cooper wrote, "or was busy before going on vacation. But
then I recall she said something like 'hang on,' and I was transferred to
him."

Mr. Cooper wrote that Mr. Rove told him that Ms. Wilson had worked at the
C.I.A. and had been responsible for sending her husband to Africa. But Mr.
Cooper added that Mr. Rove did not identify Ms. Wilson by name or suggest
that he knew of her status as a covert officer.


From swiggard at comcast.net  Thu Aug  4 03:01:59 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (William Swiggard)
Date: Thu Aug  4 03:05:53 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] N.Va. Jail's 'Unassuming' Celebrity - Washington Post
Message-ID: <42F1E797.90206@comcast.net>

<>N.Va. Jail's 'Unassuming' Celebrity
N.Y. Times Reporter Is Among Many Notables at Alexandria Facility

By Jerry Markon
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, August 4, 2005; Page B01

She receives more mail than any other inmate at the Alexandria jail. 
Former NBC anchor Tom Brokaw has stopped by to see her, and she 
requested -- and received -- extra visitation time with her husband from 
New York, a courtesy extended to other inmates with out-of-town relatives.

Nearly a month after she was jailed for refusing to cooperate with 
prosecutors in a leak investigation, New York Times reporter Judith 
Miller is adapting to life at the Alexandria Detention Center, jail 
officials and visitors said yesterday. She has praised staff members as 
courteous and professional.

<>Miller, 57, is the latest in a long string of celebrated inmates at 
the Alexandria jail, part of a complex of faded red brick buildings 
along the Capital Beltway near the Woodrow Wilson Bridge. She is housed 
not far from Zacarias Moussaoui, the only person convicted in the United 
States in the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. When Moussaoui arrived, 
convicted FBI spy Robert Hanssen was bumped from his cell to make room 
for the terror suspect.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/03/AR2005080302094.html 

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From swiggard at comcast.net  Thu Aug  4 03:05:54 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (William Swiggard)
Date: Thu Aug  4 03:09:46 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Bush Remarks On 'Intelligent Design' Theory Fuel Debate
 - Washington Post
Message-ID: <42F1E882.8090005@comcast.net>

Bush Remarks On 'Intelligent Design' Theory Fuel Debate

By Peter Baker and Peter Slevin
Washington Post Staff Writers
Wednesday, August 3, 2005; Page A01

President Bush invigorated proponents of teaching alternatives to 
evolution in public schools with remarks saying that schoolchildren 
should be taught about "intelligent design," a view of creation that 
challenges established scientific thinking and promotes the idea that an 
unseen force is behind the development of humanity.

Although he said that curriculum decisions should be made by school 
districts rather than the federal government, Bush told Texas newspaper 
reporters in a group interview at the White House on Monday that he 
believes that intelligent design should be taught alongside evolution as 
competing theories.

"Both sides ought to be properly taught . . . so people can understand 
what the debate is about," he said, according to an official transcript 
of the session. Bush added: "Part of education is to expose people to 
different schools of thought. . . . You're asking me whether or not 
people ought to be exposed to different ideas, and the answer is yes."

These comments drew sharp criticism yesterday from opponents of the 
theory, who said there is no scientific evidence to support it and no 
educational basis for teaching it.

Much of the scientific establishment says that intelligent design is not 
a tested scientific theory but a cleverly marketed effort to introduce 
religious -- especially Christian -- thinking to students. Opponents say 
that church groups and other interest groups are pursuing political 
channels instead of first building support through traditional 
scientific review.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/02/AR2005080201686.html?nav=hcmodule

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From swiggard at comcast.net  Thu Aug  4 03:09:52 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (William Swiggard)
Date: Thu Aug  4 03:13:47 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Share the Facts on The War - David Broder - Washington
	Post
Message-ID: <42F1E970.8000507@comcast.net>

Share the Facts on The War

By David S. Broder
Thursday, August 4, 2005; Page A23

The common theme of the controversies roiling the capital this summer is 
the contest over access to vital information. This is one of the classic 
points of contention between the executive and legislative branches, but 
the conflict is sharper than usual this year.

Senate Democrats blocked the confirmation of John Bolton as ambassador 
to the United Nations over the White House's refusal to supply the names 
of individuals whose security files he had examined in his previous 
State Department position. The impasse was finally broken this week when 
President Bush gave Bolton a recess appointment, allowing him to serve 
for the next 17 months without confirmation.

Now a second storm is blowing up over access to memos Supreme Court 
nominee John Roberts wrote when he was serving in the solicitor 
general's office of the Justice Department in the administration of 
George H.W. Bush. Democrats say those writings would illuminate his 
judicial philosophy, but the administration insists that divulging them 
would infringe on the confidentiality of exchanges between a lawyer and 
his client.

Important as these conflicts are, they may be less significant in the 
long run than the continuing tug of war over measurements of progress -- 
or lack of progress -- in Iraq. The whole country has a stake in this one.

<>As I wrote earlier, Congress, in a little-noted section of the defense 
spending bill passed this spring, had ordered Defense Secretary Donald 
Rumsfeld to deliver a detailed report by July 11 on a long list of 
measures gauging Iraq's economic and political stability, the extent of 
the insurgency, and the capacity of Iraqi forces to provide security for 
their own country.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/03/AR2005080302012.html?nav=hcmodule 

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From swiggard at comcast.net  Thu Aug  4 03:11:59 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (William Swiggard)
Date: Thu Aug  4 03:15:51 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Silliness On Stem Cells - George Will - Washington Post
Message-ID: <42F1E9EF.7000906@comcast.net>

Silliness On Stem Cells

By George F. Will
Thursday, August 4, 2005; Page A23

Scalding criticism directed by some conservatives at Sen. Bill Frist 
concerning his slightly revised position regarding federal funding of 
embryonic stem cell research is symptomatic of the casual cynicism that 
nowadays passes for political realism. Some "social conservatives" 
purporting to speak for "values voters" -- what voters do not intend 
their political choices to advance their values? -- insist, 
simultaneously, that Frist made a gross political blunder and that he 
sacrificed principles to politics. This train wreck of logic makes one's 
head hurt.

The president's firm policy -- he vows to veto House-passed legislation 
that would alter it -- is that the federal government will not fund 
research that involves the destruction of any embryo, so federal funding 
should support research only on the 78 stem cell lines that existed when 
he formulated his policy in August 2001. At that time Frist, who before 
then had proposed a moderately more permissive policy, accepted the 
president's policy.

Now, however, Frist says that only 22 stem cell lines, of uncertain and 
declining quality, remain eligible for federal funding. So he endorses 
the House legislation that would expand federal funding of research. But 
it would encompass only cells from surplus embryos that have been 
created in vitro and frozen for couples who, having completed their 
fertility enhancement, donate them for research. These embryos would 
otherwise remain frozen or be destroyed.

The legislation would not allow funding for research on cells derived 
from embryos created for the purpose of harvesting cells. Nevertheless, 
many thoughtful people fear that the House-passed legislation puts the 
nation's foot on a slippery slope leading to such a commodification of life.

<>Life, however, is lived on a slippery slope: Taxation could become 
confiscation; police could become gestapos. But the benefits from 
taxation and police make us willing to wager that our judgment can stop 
slides down dangerous slopes.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/03/AR2005080302014.html?nav=hcmodule 

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From swiggard at comcast.net  Thu Aug  4 03:16:16 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (William Swiggard)
Date: Thu Aug  4 03:20:09 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] But Is It Intelligent? - Editorial - Washington Post
Message-ID: <42F1EAF0.5060401@comcast.net>

<>But Is It Intelligent?
Thursday, August 4, 2005; Page A22

FOR MORE THAN 30 years, the conservative movement in America has been 
doing battle with the forces of relativism, the "do your own thing" 
philosophy that eschews objective truth and instead sees all beliefs and 
all personal choices as equally valid. Instead, philosophically minded 
American conservatives have argued that there is such a thing as 
objectivity and that some beliefs really are better, truer or more 
accurate than others. Given this history, it seems appropriate to ask: 
Is President Bush really a conservative?

The question arises because earlier this week, while talking to a group 
of Texas newspaper reporters at the White House, the president was asked 
his views on the subject of "intelligent design," the quasi-scientific, 
quasi-religious movement that promotes the idea that an unseen force led 
to the development of the human race, as opposed to the big bang, 
biology, physics and evolution. Mr. Bush said, "Both sides ought to be 
properly taught . . . so people can understand what the debate is 
about." He added, "You're asking me whether or not people ought to be 
exposed to different ideas, and the answer is yes."

Of course the president is right that, in the context of a philosophical 
debate, it would be appropriate to discuss both sides of an issue before 
arriving at a conclusion. In the context of a religious discussion, it 
would also be very interesting to ponder whether the human race exists 
on Earth for a purpose or merely by accident. But the proponents of 
intelligent design are not content with participating in a philosophical 
or religious debate. They want their theory to be accepted as science 
and to be taught in ninth-grade biology classes, alongside the theory of 
evolution. For that, there is no basis whatsoever: The nature of the 
"evidence" for the theory of evolution is so overwhelming, and so 
powerful, that it informs all of modern biology. To pretend that the 
existence of evolution is somehow still an open question, or that it is 
one of several equally valid theories, is to misunderstand the 
intellectual and scientific history of the past century.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/03/AR2005080301817.html?nav=hcmodule

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From jemifer at allanandsons.every1.net  Wed Aug  3 22:13:46 2005
From: jemifer at allanandsons.every1.net (neville chao)
Date: Thu Aug  4 05:35:24 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Choose a better site for quality mediciines made by
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Message-ID: <FF84C4B2.94B2A12@allanandsons.every1.net>

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to think might do very well," and a great deal in the same style 

undertaken a pilgrimage to the grave of Homer. Among the strangers was a
minstrel from the north, the home of the clouds and the brilliant

"but she does sometimes provoke me excessively, by her nonsense 
 



http://VNF.grmn.finestofferexclusive.com/q2i/



I said at first I never could consent to, but was afterwards persuaded 

It was a fair sunshiny day; a crowd of strangers drew near who had

"Mary is good-natured enough in many respects," said she; 
From newsletter at villagevoice.com  Wed Aug  3 22:02:27 2005
From: newsletter at villagevoice.com (Village Voice Newsletter)
Date: Thu Aug  4 05:35:46 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Today's Voice: This Is Your Mom on Drugs
Message-ID: <20050804050227.89817.qmail@www3.villagevoice.com>

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From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Thu Aug  4 07:17:11 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (mblaxill@yahoo.com)
Date: Thu Aug  4 07:20:00 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] NYTimes.com: Housing Boom Echoes in All Corners of the
	City
Message-ID: <20050804141711.091D924AFA3@lax-gw02.mroute.net>

This page was sent to you by: mblaxill@yahoo.com.

NEW YORK REGION | August 4, 2005
Housing Boom Echoes in All Corners of the City
By JENNIFER STEINHAUER
Mushrooming housing development in New York has affected every borough and most neighborhoods, reshaping their physical form and ethnic makeup.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/04/nyregion/04housing.html?ex=1123819200&en=29e7450fac99b991&ei=5070&emc=eta1



----------------- Advertisement --------------------------

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one Best Picture.  What did the original New York
Times movie reviews have to say about these Oscar
winning films?  
Go to the Best Pictures review archive:

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From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Thu Aug  4 07:20:32 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (mblaxill@yahoo.com)
Date: Thu Aug  4 07:23:15 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] NYTimes.com: Beating Hurdles,
	Scientists Clone a Dog for a First
Message-ID: <20050804142032.9634711F8C8@lax-gw07.mroute.net>

This page was sent to you by: mblaxill@yahoo.com.

SCIENCE | August 4, 2005
Beating Hurdles, Scientists Clone a Dog for a First
By GINA KOLATA
South Korean researchers are reporting that they have cloned what scientists deem the most difficult animal, the dog.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/04/science/04clone.html?ex=1123819200&en=32099fdb47125925&ei=5070&emc=eta1



----------------- Advertisement --------------------------

The Academy loved these movies enough to name each
one Best Picture.  What did the original New York
Times movie reviews have to say about these Oscar
winning films?  
Go to the Best Pictures review archive:

http://ads.nyt.com/th.ad/nytnyt-textEmailThisdefault-Center1A/academyawards_text/?_RM_REDIR_=http://www.nytimes.com/ref/movies/oscars/bestpictures.html




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ABOUT THIS E-MAIL
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Copyright 2005 The New York Times Company
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From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Thu Aug  4 07:24:25 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (mblaxill@yahoo.com)
Date: Thu Aug  4 07:27:07 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] NYTimes.com: Roberts Helped to Shape 80's Civil Rights
	Debate
Message-ID: <20050804142425.67AB183DD0@lax-gw03.mroute.net>

This page was sent to you by: mblaxill@yahoo.com.

WASHINGTON / WASHINGTON SPECIAL | August 4, 2005
Roberts Helped to Shape 80's Civil Rights Debate
By ROBIN TONER and JONATHAN D. GLATER
John G. Roberts Jr. was engaged in one of the most divisive struggles of the Reagan revolution, according to documents released by the National Archives.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/04/politics/politicsspecial1/04roberts.html?ex=1123819200&en=f7aeba8cc9bc7632&ei=5070&emc=eta1



----------------- Advertisement --------------------------

The Academy loved these movies enough to name each
one Best Picture.  What did the original New York
Times movie reviews have to say about these Oscar
winning films?  
Go to the Best Pictures review archive:

http://ads.nyt.com/th.ad/nytnyt-textEmailThisdefault-Center1A/academyawards_text/?_RM_REDIR_=http://www.nytimes.com/ref/movies/oscars/bestpictures.html




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ABOUT THIS E-MAIL
This e-mail was sent to you by a friend through NYTimes.com's E-mail This Article service.  For general information about NYTimes.com, write to help@nytimes.com.

NYTimes.com 500 Seventh Avenue New York, NY 10018

Copyright 2005 The New York Times Company
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From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Thu Aug  4 07:26:50 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (mblaxill@yahoo.com)
Date: Thu Aug  4 07:29:33 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] NYTimes.com: Forget the War? Many Can't
Message-ID: <20050804142650.5431F2372C0@lax-gw01.mroute.net>

This page was sent to you by: mblaxill@yahoo.com.

OPINION | August 4, 2005
Op-Ed Columnist: Forget the War? Many Can't
By BOB HERBERT
For most Americans, the thousands of troops who have suffered disabling wounds in Iraq are out of sight and out of mind.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/04/opinion/04herbert.html?ex=1123819200&en=2b0b9d028528b10b&ei=5070&emc=eta1




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ABOUT THIS E-MAIL
This e-mail was sent to you by a friend through NYTimes.com's E-mail This Article service.  For general information about NYTimes.com, write to help@nytimes.com.

NYTimes.com 500 Seventh Avenue New York, NY 10018

Copyright 2005 The New York Times Company
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From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Thu Aug  4 07:28:11 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (mblaxill@yahoo.com)
Date: Thu Aug  4 07:31:01 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Headlines for August 4, 2005
Message-ID: <20050804142811.10263.qmail@trinity.democracynow.org>

Mike Blaxill  ( mblaxill@yahoo.com )
sent you this story from democracynow.org



+--------------------------------------------------------------------+
|  Headlines for August 4, 2005
|  http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=05/08/04/1357241
+--------------------------------------------------------------------+


- U.S. Moves Toward Making New Landmines
- UK Helped Israel Build Nuclear Weapons Program
- 14 Marines Killed in Deadliest Roadside Bombing Of War
- President Bush: No Timetable For Troops to Leave Iraq
- Saddam Hussein’s Lawyers Threaten to Boycott Proceedings
- Two Ex-Detainees Report Being Held in Secret U.S. Jails
- Speaker of House Hastert Allegedly Bribed
- NYCLU To Sue Over Subway Searches
This story continues at: 
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=05/08/04/1357241

From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Thu Aug  4 07:38:02 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (mblaxill@yahoo.com)
Date: Thu Aug  4 07:40:43 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] New Information May Reveal Key Details on Judith
	Miller's Role in the Rove/CIA Scandal
Message-ID: <20050804143802.11351.qmail@trinity.democracynow.org>

Mike Blaxill  ( mblaxill@yahoo.com )
sent you this story from democracynow.org



+--------------------------------------------------------------------+
|  New Information May Reveal Key Details on Judith Miller's Role in the Rove/CIA Scandal
|  http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=05/08/04/1357248
+--------------------------------------------------------------------+


In a rare interview, veteran investigative journalist Murray Waas reveals new information on the federal investigation into the leaking of the identity of undercover CIA operative Valerie Plame and the role of jailed New York Times reporter Judith Miller. We also speak with Plame's husband, Ambassador Joe Wilson about the latest developments in the case.
This story continues at: 
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=05/08/04/1357248

From harperalexander at mail.com  Thu Aug  4 08:09:28 2005
From: harperalexander at mail.com (Alexander Harper)
Date: Thu Aug  4 08:12:12 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Beyond life, beyond death
Message-ID: <20050804150928.E1D0C1CE306@ws1-6.us4.outblaze.com>

I found this article (from the Independent) quite out of the ordinary so I thought I would post it.
Al Baraka


A deadly belief is reborn: Beyond life, beyond death 

When Shradha Shri decided to starve herself to death hundreds came to watch. Fasting to achieve nirvana is one of Jainism's holiest rites and is making a revival, reports Justin Huggler from Vidisha 

Published: 04 August 2005 

In an upstairs room of a nondescript building down a narrow, winding lane, a woman died yesterday. For the past seven weeks she had been starving herself to death, and hundreds of visitors came to watch her slowly die. But it wasn't just morbid curiosity. Those who were allowed into the room knelt before the woman in reverence and touched their heads to the floor. 

Shradha Shri was performing sallekhana, one of the holiest rites of the Jain religion: fasting to death. Jains, who, like Hindus, believe in reincarnation, believe that sallekhana can free a soul from the endless cycle of rebirth and death.

When The Independent visited Shradha Shri a few days before her death, she looked far older than her 60 years. Her cheeks were sunken, her teeth all missing. She was so weak she could not sit up without help, and lay motionless on a thin cloth spread on the floor while people crowded round her.

It was easy to find her. Everyone in Vidisha, a typical dusty Indian town with cows and goats wandering the streets, knew where the Jain woman was starving herself to death.

>From the outside, the building looked like an ordinary house. Upstairs, you had to push your way through the huge crowd of devotees who came to pray with Shradha Shri. From time to time someone called out a religious mantra and the crowd replied in unison. Through the narrow doorway was the fasting woman being held up in a sitting position to pray by women relatives. Beside her a man was sitting, completely naked. And nobody seemed remotely surprised by his nakedness.

He was a Jain monk who had come to pray with Shradha Shri and help her to prepare herself for death. Jain monks forswear all material possessions, even clothes. All he owns in the world is an elaborate brush made of what look like peacock feathers, with which he gently brushes the ground in front of him before he walks on it, to avoid accidentally stepping on any insects.

A man stepped forward from the crowd. "She is my mother," he said, and then he stopped himself. "No, she was my mother. My mother is dead." He gestured to the woman lying on the floor who was his mother. "Now she has given up everything in this world, she is concentrating fully on uplifting her soul towards heaven. She even has a new name." Her name was Asha Jain before. When she died yesterday, there was little mourning. The devotees celebrated. They believed that by starving herself to death she had achieved salvation.

Her son, Tharmesh Jain, was horrified at the suggestion she was committing suicide. Jains insist sallekhana is not suicide. "Suicide is a heinous sin," he said. Jainism is an ancient Indian religion that dates back to the sixth century BC. Today there are around four million Jains in India, as well as communities around the world, including the UK.

Not every Jain is allowed to undertake sallekhana. They must first get permission from a senior monk, and only those who are suffering from some incurable disease, or the ravages of extreme old age, are allowed to take this death fast. And a Jain cannot perform sallekhana if he or she has any worldly responsibilities, such as children to look after.

Shradha Shri was suffering from a terminal illness. Mr Jain refused to say exactly what it was - he said it was not allowed to discuss her past life once she had begun sallekhana. The furthest he was prepared to go was to say she had "some sort of cyst in her stomach"; when questioned further he politely refused to answer. But it is more than just euthanasia. Mr Jain described what his mother was doing as "trying to give a red-carpet welcome to death" - liberating the soul from the cycle of rebirths to reach moksha, or salvation.

Mr Jain said that by undertaking her fast, his mother was "cured by spiritual therapy" of her terminal illness. "She was in great pain before," he said.

"Look at her now. Is she in any pain?" She lay, absolutely still, too weak even to move, it seemed to Western eyes.

Shradha Shri was considered to have no more "worldly responsibilities" when she began her fast. Her husband died of a heart attack four years ago, and her children, of whom Mr Jain is the second oldest, are all grown up and married with children of their own. All the children kept vigil with her, together with reltives from the wider family. Her husband's brother and sister were there with their children. The women sat by Shradha Shri, gently stroking her weak and emaciated body. The room was completely bare of furniture. All she had to lie on was a thin piece of white cloth, with another to cover her body. She had forsworn home, family, all ties with this world, her son said. But the family were all wearing their best clothes, the women in brightly coloured saris. "We call this mirtoi mahotsba," said Mr Jain. It means a "celebration of death".

"I'm happy," Mr Jain said. "Before we were all weeping, but now we're happy one of our relatives is going to salvation, trying to achieve moksha."

But he admits the family was not always so reconciled to his mother's decision. "It was very hard for us to accept at first," he said. "We're an upper middle class family. We had all the resources to pay for her treatment but she decided to leave. But now we have all been inspired by her example. I want to do this myself in the future." After she made her decision, she went to a Jain monk to seek his permission. Once he was satisfied her illness was terminal, and that she was serious about undertaking the death fast, she began.

At first she gave up all solid food. Then, gradually, she gave up fruit juice, milk, medicine. For the last 25 days of her life she took nothing but water. By the end she made no effort to drink at all, just swallowing a few drops of water her children poured on her lips each day.

When she was praying with the monks, she seemed animated. But after they left she appeared completely detached. We sat a few feet from her, discussing her impending death, but she did not register our presence. It was as if her mind was somewhere else. That is because it was, according to Mr Jain, who said she was deep in meditation and detached from this world.

Jainism is often compared to Hinduism, but it is a separate religion with different beliefs. One of its central tenets is ahimsa: absolute non-violence to all living things. Some Jains follow this belief so completely they wear face masks to prevent themselves from accidentally inhaling tiny insects. Mahatma Gandhi expressed great admiration for the Jain devotion to non-violence. Despite the asceticism of their faith, in India Jains have a reputation for hard work and practicality and are one of the country's wealthiest communities.

Mr Jain may believe his mother has been cured of a terminal illness by "spiritual therapy", but he is also very much a man of this world. He is a lecturer on the MBA course at Samrat Ashok Technical Institute, near Vidisha. Today the practice of sallekhana is rare. Which makes Shradha Shri's death just over a week after another Jain woman, Ratan Bai, starved herself to death a few hours' drive from here, all the more remarkable. Two cases in such rapid succession are very rare. It appears there is a mini-revival of the practice taking place in this district. It took Ms Bai, who was 75, much longer. She fasted for six months, living on fruit juice before embarking on the final fast and drinking only water.

There has been some controversy over the practice, with Indian secularists saying it amounts to suicide, and that the authorities should intervene. Even though suicide is illegal under Indian law, the police do not interfere with sallekhana because it is considered a sacred practice by the Jain community. Local authorities fear that to intervene would cause serious strife with Jains.

Because women adherents are covered with a white sheet throughout sallekhana, you do not see their extreme state of starvation clearly. Four years ago, a 72-year-old man, Uttamchand Jain, died by sallekhana in the same district, and the pictures of him in his final days are disturbing. You can see the shape of his rib cage sticking out from his shrunken torso, the skin stretched tight around it. Like Shradha Shri, he was suffering from a disease doctors said was incurable, and he did not have long to live.

In an upstairs room at the Jain centre where the monks were staying in Vidisha, one of the monks, Muni Sri Ajit Sagarji Mahotstav, was completely naked. Talking with a naked monk is a somewhat unsettling experience for a Westerner.

"Everybody has to die," he said, sitting on a raised wooden platform with his legs carefully arranged to shield his modesty. "They die with their wishes, feelings, with something in their mind still to do. Sallekhana means to embrace death without any feelings, without any concern for the world. Feeling happy to embrace death. It is one of the steps to get rid of rebirth. The body is dispersed but the soul remains."

"It is like when water gets muddy," interjected a second monk, Ailak Nirbhay Sagarji Mahotstav, who was wearing a loin-cloth. He is sitting on a slightly lower wooden platform, while we and the devotees sit cross-legged on the floor at their feet. "You have to separate the mud from the water. When you think bad thoughts it is like the mud interacting with the water. It takes perseverance to make them separate." While the monks speak, devotees come in and touch their feet. Monks are held in high regard in Jainism; the devout believe they will receive blessings by touching their feet.

"We do not give permission for anyone to undertake sallekhana," said the first monk. "They are only permitted if they are full of enthusiasm for it, and if they are free from worldly responsibilities. First we get a diagnosis from the doctors. If the doctors say there is no cure for their disease then they can perform sallekhana. Or if they are very old and their body is no longer functioning properly."

Shradha Shri was given the special funeral rites yesterday for those who die by sallekhana. Her body was set on the funeral pyre sitting upright, instead of lying down, which is the more usual practice in India. And she was consigned to the fire still sitting upright, while her family celebrated and devotees revered her for the way she chose to die. 

In an upstairs room of a nondescript building down a narrow, winding lane, a woman died yesterday. For the past seven weeks she had been starving herself to death, and hundreds of visitors came to watch her slowly die. But it wasn't just morbid curiosity. Those who were allowed into the room knelt before the woman in reverence and touched their heads to the floor. 

Shradha Shri was performing sallekhana, one of the holiest rites of the Jain religion: fasting to death. Jains, who, like Hindus, believe in reincarnation, believe that sallekhana can free a soul from the endless cycle of rebirth and death.

When The Independent visited Shradha Shri a few days before her death, she looked far older than her 60 years. Her cheeks were sunken, her teeth all missing. She was so weak she could not sit up without help, and lay motionless on a thin cloth spread on the floor while people crowded round her.

It was easy to find her. Everyone in Vidisha, a typical dusty Indian town with cows and goats wandering the streets, knew where the Jain woman was starving herself to death.

>From the outside, the building looked like an ordinary house. Upstairs, you had to push your way through the huge crowd of devotees who came to pray with Shradha Shri. From time to time someone called out a religious mantra and the crowd replied in unison. Through the narrow doorway was the fasting woman being held up in a sitting position to pray by women relatives. Beside her a man was sitting, completely naked. And nobody seemed remotely surprised by his nakedness.

He was a Jain monk who had come to pray with Shradha Shri and help her to prepare herself for death. Jain monks forswear all material possessions, even clothes. All he owns in the world is an elaborate brush made of what look like peacock feathers, with which he gently brushes the ground in front of him before he walks on it, to avoid accidentally stepping on any insects.

A man stepped forward from the crowd. "She is my mother," he said, and then he stopped himself. "No, she was my mother. My mother is dead." He gestured to the woman lying on the floor who was his mother. "Now she has given up everything in this world, she is concentrating fully on uplifting her soul towards heaven. She even has a new name." Her name was Asha Jain before. When she died yesterday, there was little mourning. The devotees celebrated. They believed that by starving herself to death she had achieved salvation.

Her son, Tharmesh Jain, was horrified at the suggestion she was committing suicide. Jains insist sallekhana is not suicide. "Suicide is a heinous sin," he said. Jainism is an ancient Indian religion that dates back to the sixth century BC. Today there are around four million Jains in India, as well as communities around the world, including the UK.

Not every Jain is allowed to undertake sallekhana. They must first get permission from a senior monk, and only those who are suffering from some incurable disease, or the ravages of extreme old age, are allowed to take this death fast. And a Jain cannot perform sallekhana if he or she has any worldly responsibilities, such as children to look after.

Shradha Shri was suffering from a terminal illness. Mr Jain refused to say exactly what it was - he said it was not allowed to discuss her past life once she had begun sallekhana. The furthest he was prepared to go was to say she had "some sort of cyst in her stomach"; when questioned further he politely refused to answer. But it is more than just euthanasia. Mr Jain described what his mother was doing as "trying to give a red-carpet welcome to death" - liberating the soul from the cycle of rebirths to reach moksha, or salvation.

Mr Jain said that by undertaking her fast, his mother was "cured by spiritual therapy" of her terminal illness. "She was in great pain before," he said.

"Look at her now. Is she in any pain?" She lay, absolutely still, too weak even to move, it seemed to Western eyes.

Shradha Shri was considered to have no more "worldly responsibilities" when she began her fast. Her husband died of a heart attack four years ago, and her children, of whom Mr Jain is the second oldest, are all grown up and married with children of their own. All the children kept vigil with her, together with reltives from the wider family. Her husband's brother and sister were there with their children. The women sat by Shradha Shri, gently stroking her weak and emaciated body. The room was completely bare of furniture. All she had to lie on was a thin piece of white cloth, with another to cover her body. She had forsworn home, family, all ties with this world, her son said. But the family were all wearing their best clothes, the women in brightly coloured saris. "We call this mirtoi mahotsba," said Mr Jain. It means a "celebration of death".

"I'm happy," Mr Jain said. "Before we were all weeping, but now we're happy one of our relatives is going to salvation, trying to achieve moksha."

But he admits the family was not always so reconciled to his mother's decision. "It was very hard for us to accept at first," he said. "We're an upper middle class family. We had all the resources to pay for her treatment but she decided to leave. But now we have all been inspired by her example. I want to do this myself in the future." After she made her decision, she went to a Jain monk to seek his permission. Once he was satisfied her illness was terminal, and that she was serious about undertaking the death fast, she began.
At first she gave up all solid food. Then, gradually, she gave up fruit juice, milk, medicine. For the last 25 days of her life she took nothing but water. By the end she made no effort to drink at all, just swallowing a few drops of water her children poured on her lips each day.

When she was praying with the monks, she seemed animated. But after they left she appeared completely detached. We sat a few feet from her, discussing her impending death, but she did not register our presence. It was as if her mind was somewhere else. That is because it was, according to Mr Jain, who said she was deep in meditation and detached from this world.

Jainism is often compared to Hinduism, but it is a separate religion with different beliefs. One of its central tenets is ahimsa: absolute non-violence to all living things. Some Jains follow this belief so completely they wear face masks to prevent themselves from accidentally inhaling tiny insects. Mahatma Gandhi expressed great admiration for the Jain devotion to non-violence. Despite the asceticism of their faith, in India Jains have a reputation for hard work and practicality and are one of the country's wealthiest communities.

Mr Jain may believe his mother has been cured of a terminal illness by "spiritual therapy", but he is also very much a man of this world. He is a lecturer on the MBA course at Samrat Ashok Technical Institute, near Vidisha. Today the practice of sallekhana is rare. Which makes Shradha Shri's death just over a week after another Jain woman, Ratan Bai, starved herself to death a few hours' drive from here, all the more remarkable. Two cases in such rapid succession are very rare. It appears there is a mini-revival of the practice taking place in this district. It took Ms Bai, who was 75, much longer. She fasted for six months, living on fruit juice before embarking on the final fast and drinking only water.

There has been some controversy over the practice, with Indian secularists saying it amounts to suicide, and that the authorities should intervene. Even though suicide is illegal under Indian law, the police do not interfere with sallekhana because it is considered a sacred practice by the Jain community. Local authorities fear that to intervene would cause serious strife with Jains.

Because women adherents are covered with a white sheet throughout sallekhana, you do not see their extreme state of starvation clearly. Four years ago, a 72-year-old man, Uttamchand Jain, died by sallekhana in the same district, and the pictures of him in his final days are disturbing. You can see the shape of his rib cage sticking out from his shrunken torso, the skin stretched tight around it. Like Shradha Shri, he was suffering from a disease doctors said was incurable, and he did not have long to live.

In an upstairs room at the Jain centre where the monks were staying in Vidisha, one of the monks, Muni Sri Ajit Sagarji Mahotstav, was completely naked. Talking with a naked monk is a somewhat unsettling experience for a Westerner.

"Everybody has to die," he said, sitting on a raised wooden platform with his legs carefully arranged to shield his modesty. "They die with their wishes, feelings, with something in their mind still to do. Sallekhana means to embrace death without any feelings, without any concern for the world. Feeling happy to embrace death. It is one of the steps to get rid of rebirth. The body is dispersed but the soul remains."

"It is like when water gets muddy," interjected a second monk, Ailak Nirbhay Sagarji Mahotstav, who was wearing a loin-cloth. He is sitting on a slightly lower wooden platform, while we and the devotees sit cross-legged on the floor at their feet. "You have to separate the mud from the water. When you think bad thoughts it is like the mud interacting with the water. It takes perseverance to make them separate." While the monks speak, devotees come in and touch their feet. Monks are held in high regard in Jainism; the devout believe they will receive blessings by touching their feet.

"We do not give permission for anyone to undertake sallekhana," said the first monk. "They are only permitted if they are full of enthusiasm for it, and if they are free from worldly responsibilities. First we get a diagnosis from the doctors. If the doctors say there is no cure for their disease then they can perform sallekhana. Or if they are very old and their body is no longer functioning properly."

Shradha Shri was given the special funeral rites yesterday for those who die by sallekhana. Her body was set on the funeral pyre sitting upright, instead of lying down, which is the more usual practice in India. And she was consigned to the fire still sitting upright, while her family celebrated and devotees revered her for the way she chose to die. 


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From harperalexander at mail.com  Thu Aug  4 08:09:33 2005
From: harperalexander at mail.com (Alexander Harper)
Date: Thu Aug  4 08:12:21 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Beyond life, beyond death
Message-ID: <20050804150933.E82831F50B2@ws1-2.us4.outblaze.com>

I found this article (from the Independent) quite out of the ordinary so I thought I would post it.
Al Baraka


A deadly belief is reborn: Beyond life, beyond death 

When Shradha Shri decided to starve herself to death hundreds came to watch. Fasting to achieve nirvana is one of Jainism's holiest rites and is making a revival, reports Justin Huggler from Vidisha 

Published: 04 August 2005 

In an upstairs room of a nondescript building down a narrow, winding lane, a woman died yesterday. For the past seven weeks she had been starving herself to death, and hundreds of visitors came to watch her slowly die. But it wasn't just morbid curiosity. Those who were allowed into the room knelt before the woman in reverence and touched their heads to the floor. 

Shradha Shri was performing sallekhana, one of the holiest rites of the Jain religion: fasting to death. Jains, who, like Hindus, believe in reincarnation, believe that sallekhana can free a soul from the endless cycle of rebirth and death.

When The Independent visited Shradha Shri a few days before her death, she looked far older than her 60 years. Her cheeks were sunken, her teeth all missing. She was so weak she could not sit up without help, and lay motionless on a thin cloth spread on the floor while people crowded round her.

It was easy to find her. Everyone in Vidisha, a typical dusty Indian town with cows and goats wandering the streets, knew where the Jain woman was starving herself to death.

>From the outside, the building looked like an ordinary house. Upstairs, you had to push your way through the huge crowd of devotees who came to pray with Shradha Shri. From time to time someone called out a religious mantra and the crowd replied in unison. Through the narrow doorway was the fasting woman being held up in a sitting position to pray by women relatives. Beside her a man was sitting, completely naked. And nobody seemed remotely surprised by his nakedness.

He was a Jain monk who had come to pray with Shradha Shri and help her to prepare herself for death. Jain monks forswear all material possessions, even clothes. All he owns in the world is an elaborate brush made of what look like peacock feathers, with which he gently brushes the ground in front of him before he walks on it, to avoid accidentally stepping on any insects.

A man stepped forward from the crowd. "She is my mother," he said, and then he stopped himself. "No, she was my mother. My mother is dead." He gestured to the woman lying on the floor who was his mother. "Now she has given up everything in this world, she is concentrating fully on uplifting her soul towards heaven. She even has a new name." Her name was Asha Jain before. When she died yesterday, there was little mourning. The devotees celebrated. They believed that by starving herself to death she had achieved salvation.

Her son, Tharmesh Jain, was horrified at the suggestion she was committing suicide. Jains insist sallekhana is not suicide. "Suicide is a heinous sin," he said. Jainism is an ancient Indian religion that dates back to the sixth century BC. Today there are around four million Jains in India, as well as communities around the world, including the UK.

Not every Jain is allowed to undertake sallekhana. They must first get permission from a senior monk, and only those who are suffering from some incurable disease, or the ravages of extreme old age, are allowed to take this death fast. And a Jain cannot perform sallekhana if he or she has any worldly responsibilities, such as children to look after.

Shradha Shri was suffering from a terminal illness. Mr Jain refused to say exactly what it was - he said it was not allowed to discuss her past life once she had begun sallekhana. The furthest he was prepared to go was to say she had "some sort of cyst in her stomach"; when questioned further he politely refused to answer. But it is more than just euthanasia. Mr Jain described what his mother was doing as "trying to give a red-carpet welcome to death" - liberating the soul from the cycle of rebirths to reach moksha, or salvation.

Mr Jain said that by undertaking her fast, his mother was "cured by spiritual therapy" of her terminal illness. "She was in great pain before," he said.

"Look at her now. Is she in any pain?" She lay, absolutely still, too weak even to move, it seemed to Western eyes.

Shradha Shri was considered to have no more "worldly responsibilities" when she began her fast. Her husband died of a heart attack four years ago, and her children, of whom Mr Jain is the second oldest, are all grown up and married with children of their own. All the children kept vigil with her, together with reltives from the wider family. Her husband's brother and sister were there with their children. The women sat by Shradha Shri, gently stroking her weak and emaciated body. The room was completely bare of furniture. All she had to lie on was a thin piece of white cloth, with another to cover her body. She had forsworn home, family, all ties with this world, her son said. But the family were all wearing their best clothes, the women in brightly coloured saris. "We call this mirtoi mahotsba," said Mr Jain. It means a "celebration of death".

"I'm happy," Mr Jain said. "Before we were all weeping, but now we're happy one of our relatives is going to salvation, trying to achieve moksha."

But he admits the family was not always so reconciled to his mother's decision. "It was very hard for us to accept at first," he said. "We're an upper middle class family. We had all the resources to pay for her treatment but she decided to leave. But now we have all been inspired by her example. I want to do this myself in the future." After she made her decision, she went to a Jain monk to seek his permission. Once he was satisfied her illness was terminal, and that she was serious about undertaking the death fast, she began.

At first she gave up all solid food. Then, gradually, she gave up fruit juice, milk, medicine. For the last 25 days of her life she took nothing but water. By the end she made no effort to drink at all, just swallowing a few drops of water her children poured on her lips each day.

When she was praying with the monks, she seemed animated. But after they left she appeared completely detached. We sat a few feet from her, discussing her impending death, but she did not register our presence. It was as if her mind was somewhere else. That is because it was, according to Mr Jain, who said she was deep in meditation and detached from this world.

Jainism is often compared to Hinduism, but it is a separate religion with different beliefs. One of its central tenets is ahimsa: absolute non-violence to all living things. Some Jains follow this belief so completely they wear face masks to prevent themselves from accidentally inhaling tiny insects. Mahatma Gandhi expressed great admiration for the Jain devotion to non-violence. Despite the asceticism of their faith, in India Jains have a reputation for hard work and practicality and are one of the country's wealthiest communities.

Mr Jain may believe his mother has been cured of a terminal illness by "spiritual therapy", but he is also very much a man of this world. He is a lecturer on the MBA course at Samrat Ashok Technical Institute, near Vidisha. Today the practice of sallekhana is rare. Which makes Shradha Shri's death just over a week after another Jain woman, Ratan Bai, starved herself to death a few hours' drive from here, all the more remarkable. Two cases in such rapid succession are very rare. It appears there is a mini-revival of the practice taking place in this district. It took Ms Bai, who was 75, much longer. She fasted for six months, living on fruit juice before embarking on the final fast and drinking only water.

There has been some controversy over the practice, with Indian secularists saying it amounts to suicide, and that the authorities should intervene. Even though suicide is illegal under Indian law, the police do not interfere with sallekhana because it is considered a sacred practice by the Jain community. Local authorities fear that to intervene would cause serious strife with Jains.

Because women adherents are covered with a white sheet throughout sallekhana, you do not see their extreme state of starvation clearly. Four years ago, a 72-year-old man, Uttamchand Jain, died by sallekhana in the same district, and the pictures of him in his final days are disturbing. You can see the shape of his rib cage sticking out from his shrunken torso, the skin stretched tight around it. Like Shradha Shri, he was suffering from a disease doctors said was incurable, and he did not have long to live.

In an upstairs room at the Jain centre where the monks were staying in Vidisha, one of the monks, Muni Sri Ajit Sagarji Mahotstav, was completely naked. Talking with a naked monk is a somewhat unsettling experience for a Westerner.

"Everybody has to die," he said, sitting on a raised wooden platform with his legs carefully arranged to shield his modesty. "They die with their wishes, feelings, with something in their mind still to do. Sallekhana means to embrace death without any feelings, without any concern for the world. Feeling happy to embrace death. It is one of the steps to get rid of rebirth. The body is dispersed but the soul remains."

"It is like when water gets muddy," interjected a second monk, Ailak Nirbhay Sagarji Mahotstav, who was wearing a loin-cloth. He is sitting on a slightly lower wooden platform, while we and the devotees sit cross-legged on the floor at their feet. "You have to separate the mud from the water. When you think bad thoughts it is like the mud interacting with the water. It takes perseverance to make them separate." While the monks speak, devotees come in and touch their feet. Monks are held in high regard in Jainism; the devout believe they will receive blessings by touching their feet.

"We do not give permission for anyone to undertake sallekhana," said the first monk. "They are only permitted if they are full of enthusiasm for it, and if they are free from worldly responsibilities. First we get a diagnosis from the doctors. If the doctors say there is no cure for their disease then they can perform sallekhana. Or if they are very old and their body is no longer functioning properly."

Shradha Shri was given the special funeral rites yesterday for those who die by sallekhana. Her body was set on the funeral pyre sitting upright, instead of lying down, which is the more usual practice in India. And she was consigned to the fire still sitting upright, while her family celebrated and devotees revered her for the way she chose to die. 

In an upstairs room of a nondescript building down a narrow, winding lane, a woman died yesterday. For the past seven weeks she had been starving herself to death, and hundreds of visitors came to watch her slowly die. But it wasn't just morbid curiosity. Those who were allowed into the room knelt before the woman in reverence and touched their heads to the floor. 

Shradha Shri was performing sallekhana, one of the holiest rites of the Jain religion: fasting to death. Jains, who, like Hindus, believe in reincarnation, believe that sallekhana can free a soul from the endless cycle of rebirth and death.

When The Independent visited Shradha Shri a few days before her death, she looked far older than her 60 years. Her cheeks were sunken, her teeth all missing. She was so weak she could not sit up without help, and lay motionless on a thin cloth spread on the floor while people crowded round her.

It was easy to find her. Everyone in Vidisha, a typical dusty Indian town with cows and goats wandering the streets, knew where the Jain woman was starving herself to death.

>From the outside, the building looked like an ordinary house. Upstairs, you had to push your way through the huge crowd of devotees who came to pray with Shradha Shri. From time to time someone called out a religious mantra and the crowd replied in unison. Through the narrow doorway was the fasting woman being held up in a sitting position to pray by women relatives. Beside her a man was sitting, completely naked. And nobody seemed remotely surprised by his nakedness.

He was a Jain monk who had come to pray with Shradha Shri and help her to prepare herself for death. Jain monks forswear all material possessions, even clothes. All he owns in the world is an elaborate brush made of what look like peacock feathers, with which he gently brushes the ground in front of him before he walks on it, to avoid accidentally stepping on any insects.

A man stepped forward from the crowd. "She is my mother," he said, and then he stopped himself. "No, she was my mother. My mother is dead." He gestured to the woman lying on the floor who was his mother. "Now she has given up everything in this world, she is concentrating fully on uplifting her soul towards heaven. She even has a new name." Her name was Asha Jain before. When she died yesterday, there was little mourning. The devotees celebrated. They believed that by starving herself to death she had achieved salvation.

Her son, Tharmesh Jain, was horrified at the suggestion she was committing suicide. Jains insist sallekhana is not suicide. "Suicide is a heinous sin," he said. Jainism is an ancient Indian religion that dates back to the sixth century BC. Today there are around four million Jains in India, as well as communities around the world, including the UK.

Not every Jain is allowed to undertake sallekhana. They must first get permission from a senior monk, and only those who are suffering from some incurable disease, or the ravages of extreme old age, are allowed to take this death fast. And a Jain cannot perform sallekhana if he or she has any worldly responsibilities, such as children to look after.

Shradha Shri was suffering from a terminal illness. Mr Jain refused to say exactly what it was - he said it was not allowed to discuss her past life once she had begun sallekhana. The furthest he was prepared to go was to say she had "some sort of cyst in her stomach"; when questioned further he politely refused to answer. But it is more than just euthanasia. Mr Jain described what his mother was doing as "trying to give a red-carpet welcome to death" - liberating the soul from the cycle of rebirths to reach moksha, or salvation.

Mr Jain said that by undertaking her fast, his mother was "cured by spiritual therapy" of her terminal illness. "She was in great pain before," he said.

"Look at her now. Is she in any pain?" She lay, absolutely still, too weak even to move, it seemed to Western eyes.

Shradha Shri was considered to have no more "worldly responsibilities" when she began her fast. Her husband died of a heart attack four years ago, and her children, of whom Mr Jain is the second oldest, are all grown up and married with children of their own. All the children kept vigil with her, together with reltives from the wider family. Her husband's brother and sister were there with their children. The women sat by Shradha Shri, gently stroking her weak and emaciated body. The room was completely bare of furniture. All she had to lie on was a thin piece of white cloth, with another to cover her body. She had forsworn home, family, all ties with this world, her son said. But the family were all wearing their best clothes, the women in brightly coloured saris. "We call this mirtoi mahotsba," said Mr Jain. It means a "celebration of death".

"I'm happy," Mr Jain said. "Before we were all weeping, but now we're happy one of our relatives is going to salvation, trying to achieve moksha."

But he admits the family was not always so reconciled to his mother's decision. "It was very hard for us to accept at first," he said. "We're an upper middle class family. We had all the resources to pay for her treatment but she decided to leave. But now we have all been inspired by her example. I want to do this myself in the future." After she made her decision, she went to a Jain monk to seek his permission. Once he was satisfied her illness was terminal, and that she was serious about undertaking the death fast, she began.
At first she gave up all solid food. Then, gradually, she gave up fruit juice, milk, medicine. For the last 25 days of her life she took nothing but water. By the end she made no effort to drink at all, just swallowing a few drops of water her children poured on her lips each day.

When she was praying with the monks, she seemed animated. But after they left she appeared completely detached. We sat a few feet from her, discussing her impending death, but she did not register our presence. It was as if her mind was somewhere else. That is because it was, according to Mr Jain, who said she was deep in meditation and detached from this world.

Jainism is often compared to Hinduism, but it is a separate religion with different beliefs. One of its central tenets is ahimsa: absolute non-violence to all living things. Some Jains follow this belief so completely they wear face masks to prevent themselves from accidentally inhaling tiny insects. Mahatma Gandhi expressed great admiration for the Jain devotion to non-violence. Despite the asceticism of their faith, in India Jains have a reputation for hard work and practicality and are one of the country's wealthiest communities.

Mr Jain may believe his mother has been cured of a terminal illness by "spiritual therapy", but he is also very much a man of this world. He is a lecturer on the MBA course at Samrat Ashok Technical Institute, near Vidisha. Today the practice of sallekhana is rare. Which makes Shradha Shri's death just over a week after another Jain woman, Ratan Bai, starved herself to death a few hours' drive from here, all the more remarkable. Two cases in such rapid succession are very rare. It appears there is a mini-revival of the practice taking place in this district. It took Ms Bai, who was 75, much longer. She fasted for six months, living on fruit juice before embarking on the final fast and drinking only water.

There has been some controversy over the practice, with Indian secularists saying it amounts to suicide, and that the authorities should intervene. Even though suicide is illegal under Indian law, the police do not interfere with sallekhana because it is considered a sacred practice by the Jain community. Local authorities fear that to intervene would cause serious strife with Jains.

Because women adherents are covered with a white sheet throughout sallekhana, you do not see their extreme state of starvation clearly. Four years ago, a 72-year-old man, Uttamchand Jain, died by sallekhana in the same district, and the pictures of him in his final days are disturbing. You can see the shape of his rib cage sticking out from his shrunken torso, the skin stretched tight around it. Like Shradha Shri, he was suffering from a disease doctors said was incurable, and he did not have long to live.

In an upstairs room at the Jain centre where the monks were staying in Vidisha, one of the monks, Muni Sri Ajit Sagarji Mahotstav, was completely naked. Talking with a naked monk is a somewhat unsettling experience for a Westerner.

"Everybody has to die," he said, sitting on a raised wooden platform with his legs carefully arranged to shield his modesty. "They die with their wishes, feelings, with something in their mind still to do. Sallekhana means to embrace death without any feelings, without any concern for the world. Feeling happy to embrace death. It is one of the steps to get rid of rebirth. The body is dispersed but the soul remains."

"It is like when water gets muddy," interjected a second monk, Ailak Nirbhay Sagarji Mahotstav, who was wearing a loin-cloth. He is sitting on a slightly lower wooden platform, while we and the devotees sit cross-legged on the floor at their feet. "You have to separate the mud from the water. When you think bad thoughts it is like the mud interacting with the water. It takes perseverance to make them separate." While the monks speak, devotees come in and touch their feet. Monks are held in high regard in Jainism; the devout believe they will receive blessings by touching their feet.

"We do not give permission for anyone to undertake sallekhana," said the first monk. "They are only permitted if they are full of enthusiasm for it, and if they are free from worldly responsibilities. First we get a diagnosis from the doctors. If the doctors say there is no cure for their disease then they can perform sallekhana. Or if they are very old and their body is no longer functioning properly."

Shradha Shri was given the special funeral rites yesterday for those who die by sallekhana. Her body was set on the funeral pyre sitting upright, instead of lying down, which is the more usual practice in India. And she was consigned to the fire still sitting upright, while her family celebrated and devotees revered her for the way she chose to die. 


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From harperalexander at mail.com  Thu Aug  4 08:22:38 2005
From: harperalexander at mail.com (Alexander Harper)
Date: Thu Aug  4 08:26:03 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Bankers' pay (FT)
Message-ID: <20050804152238.D705D1F50B1@ws1-2.us4.outblaze.com>

Poor things - one's heart bleeds for them. I look forward to seeing Cheeseburger springing to their defence.

Al Baraka

A serious question for all the overpaid bankers 
>By Frank Partnoy
>Published: August 3 2005 20:41 | Last updated: August 3 2005 20:41
August brings the annual running of Wall Street bankers to the Hamptons and southern France. Historians will record how these pillars of society &#8211; just like the Medicis and Morgans of yore &#8211; gathered in happy flocks for recuperative play, and to contemplate the grand questions of our time.

Well, maybe not. At least there will be flocking, and epic play, just as there was when I worked on Wall Street a decade ago. But the grandest topic most bankers will discuss this month &#8211; even as their companies face lay-offs, lawsuits and a less friendly US Federal Reserve &#8211; is how much money they should make this year.

So, in the interest of stimulating at least a few high-minded conversations at the beach, I would like to put a serious question to bankers, one that I frequently asked my former colleagues at Morgan Stanley (but never received a good answer to): why do you make so much money? The most common response might go something like: &#8220;I make so much money because I add so much value. I generated $50m for the bank last year, so I deserve at least $5m. If I didn&#8217;t get it, I&#8217;d quit &#8211; a competitor would pay me even more.&#8221;

Perhaps. But managers in other industries are more sceptical of employees claiming credit for revenue. A scientist who invents a new drug typically does not receive a share of sales. Nor does an oil executive who negotiates a new contract. Of course, many employees are paid commissions, but banking bonuses are different: they are purely discretionary and come from a pool based on the bank&#8217;s revenues.

A more plausible answer is that bankers do so well because they keep money that other companies would give to shareholders. According to the New York Office of the State Deputy Controller, in the past four years, securities firms in the US paid $7bn more in bonuses than they made in profits, $3bn more in 2004 alone. Goldman Sachs paid employees almost $10bn last year. And compensation stays high even when profits are down.

J.P. Morgan last month slashed its net income for the second quarter after admitting to some bad bets. But in the same period, it paid employees more than $4bn, as it has in each of the past four quarters. On average, shareholders got just $1 for every $4 paid to employees.

The battle between shareholders and employees reflects the separation between ownership and control of companies. In general, shareholders, not employees, have the residual claim to a company&#8217;s income. But that notion is reversed in banking: employees decide how much shareholders will receive, and then keep the residual. Although bankers generally are a conservative lot, they actually could be poster boys for the left, as well as for the labour movement. No other industry asks shareholders to take on the bulk of risks, while it gives half of all revenues to employees. Indeed, no other industry serves employees better, at the expense of shareholders.

Ironically, a road map for shareholders seeking better returns might be the recent pay scandal at Morgan Stanley. Most people were irate at Morgan Stanley&#8217;s board for agreeing to pay Philip Purcell, the outgoing chairman, $62m of deferred compensation plus a year&#8217;s pay. And they were even angrier about a deal with Stephen Crawford, the 40-year-old newly anointed president, who secured a contract saying he would be paid $32m even if he quit within a month. (Not surprisingly, he resigned 11 days after signing the deal.)

Was this anger justified? Cosmetically, the numbers seem appalling. No one who does a shoddy job of running a company should be paid $62m. And it could not possibly be worth $32m to pay someone to quit.

Yet as bad as these deals looked, they were good for shareholders. When Morgan Stanley released Mr Purcell&#8217;s resignation letter, its shares rose about $1 each; in the same period, other bank stocks were down. On July 11, when Mr Crawford&#8217;s resignation was announced, shares rose about 50 cents; at the same time, other bank stocks were mixed. Of course, these increases do not reflect well on these men &#8211; the markets obviously thought Morgan Stanley was better off without them. Still, kicking them out increased the value of shares by more than $1bn. If mistakes were made with Mr Purcell or Mr Crawford, it was when they were hired and promoted, not when they were forced out. Their severance deals were in line with Wall Street averages and were scrutinised by top New York lawyers.

The real scandal is not about excessive pay for these two men, but about excessive pay for almost everyone else. Even when banks pay employees in shares, not cash, it dilutes the stakes of non-employee shareholders. If these shareholders thought hard about the business model of banking, they would fight to persuade boards to cut staff or at least pay them less.

Bankers who complained about Mr Purcell might reconsider whether his ouster was part of the problem or part of the solution. They should contemplate what would happen if they were fired and the details made public: would the bank&#8217;s share price go up or down?

At least part of the reason bankers make so much money is that they take it from shareholders, who would be better off without so many overpaid banking employees. Most bankers know they are not pillars of society, with grand thoughts or profound answers. Their next-best job, if any, would pay only a fraction of their current compensation.

Banks soon will face the constraints other industries have confronted for decades. In this holiday season, bankers everywhere also should know that as intimidating as the water might look, the real threat is not from sharks, but from shareholders.

The writer, who is currently on holiday in Cape Cod, is a professor of law at the University of San Diego and a former banker at Morgan Stanley. He is author of Infectious Greed: How Deceit and Risk Corrupted the Financial Markets (Henry Holt/Profile)
 
> 
>


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From hecate at diamonddragon.com  Thu Aug  4 08:40:22 2005
From: hecate at diamonddragon.com (Hecate)
Date: Thu Aug  4 09:13:26 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] BBC E-mail: Shuttle crew see damage on Earth
Message-ID: <20050804_154022_073792.hecate@diamonddragon.com>

Hecate saw this story on BBC News Online and thought you
should see it.



** Shuttle crew see damage on Earth **
Discovery commander Eileen Collins  warned on Thursday that widespread environmental destruction on Earth is highly visible from the shuttle
< http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/fr/-/2/hi/science/nature/4745963.stm >


** BBC Daily E-mail **
Choose the news and sport headlines you want - when you want them, all
in one daily e-mail
< http://www.bbc.co.uk/dailyemail/ >


** Disclaimer **
The BBC is not responsible for the content of this e-mail, and anything written in this e-mail does not necessarily reflect the BBC's views or opinions. Please note that neither the e-mail address nor name of the sender have?been verified.

If you do not wish to receive such e-mails in the future or want to know more about the BBC's Email a Friend service, please read our frequently asked questions. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/help/4162471.stm

From ean at sbcglobal.net  Wed Aug  3 22:28:11 2005
From: ean at sbcglobal.net (ean@sbcglobal.net)
Date: Thu Aug  4 09:30:55 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] None Dare Call It Stolen 
Message-ID: <200508041630.j74GUqwx022011@dune.islandtechnologies.net>

 None Dare Call It Stolen - Ohio, the Election, and 
America's Servile Press
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/080205F.shtml
    By Mark Crispin Miller
    The Columbus Free Press

    Sunday 24 July 2005

    While commentators, prompted by Republicans, claimed Bush won 
the 2004 election through the votes of a silent majority concerned with 
"family values," Mark Crispin Miller writes that when voters were asked 
to state, "in their own words the most important factor in their 
vote,"only 14 percent named "moral values." He details how the press 
(except for Keith Olbermann on MSNBC) ignored "the strange details 
of the election-except, that is, to ridicule all efforts to discuss themIt 
was as if they were reporting from inside a forest fire without 
acknowledging the fire, except to keep insisting that there was no fire."

    Then he lists the copious evidence pointing to a stolen election, 
easily available on the web or in paperback, from Michigan 
Representative John Conyers' report, Preserving Democracy: What 
Went Wrong in Ohio. More than dirty tricks, it covers "the run-up to the 
election, the election itself, and the post-election cover-up," listing 
"specific violations of the U.S. and Ohio constitutions, the Voting 
Rights Act, the Civil Rights Act of 1968, the National Voter Registration 
Act, and the Help America Vote Act."

    The Conyers report details the disenfranchisement of Democrats 
through "intentional misconduct and illegal behavior, much of it 
involving Secretary of State J. Kenneth Blackwell, the co-chair of the 
Bush-Cheney campaign in Ohio."

    There was unequal placement of voting machines. County boards of 
elections were ordered to reject all Ohio voter-registration forms not 
printed on white, uncoated paper of not less than 80 lb. text weight. 
Access was limited to provisional ballots. "Caging"was used to 
challenge 35,000 individuals who did not sign for registered letters sent 
to new voters. There was restriction of media from covering the 
election and conducting exit polls. There was a prearranged FBI 
terrorist attack warning in Warren County which kept reporters from 
observing a post-election ballot-counting. There was restriction of 
foreign monitors from "watching the opening of the polling places, the 
counting of the ballots, and, in some cases, the election itself. 
Numerous statistical anomalies all deducted votes from Kerry. In 
Cuyahoga and Franklin Counties, "the arrows on the absentee ballots 
were not properly aligned with their respective punch holes, so that 
countless votes were miscast." In Mercer County, 4000 votes were 
mysteriously not in the final count. In Lucas County a polling place 
never opened because no one had the key. In Hamilton County, many 
absentee voters could not vote for Kerry because his name was not on 
the ballot. In Mahoning County 25 electronic machines changed Kerry 
votes to Bush. Dirty tricks told voters to go to false polling places; that 
Democrats were to vote on November 3; volunteers offered to take 
absentee ballots to the election office; voters were challenged to prove 
eligibility to vote. The "Texas Strike Force" (25 people registered at a 
Franklin County Holiday Inn, paid by the Republican Party) threatened 
targeted people from a pay phone, if they voted. Secretary of State J. 
Kenneth Blackwell created rules for the Ohio recount (requested by the 
Green and Libertarian Parties) which would prevent "countywide hand 
recounts by any means necessary." The end result was "the Ohio vote 
was never properly recounted, as required by Ohio law." On December 
13, 2004, it was reported by Deputy Director of Hocking County 
Elections Sherole Eaton, that a Triad GSI employee had changed the 
computer that operated the tabulating machine, and had "advised 
election officials how to manipulate voting machinery to ensure that 
[the] preliminary hand recount matched the machine count." This same 
Triad employee said he worked on machines in Lorain, Muskingum, 
Clark, Harrison, and Guernsey counties.

    "Based on the above, including actual admissions and statements 
by Triad employees, it strongly appears that Triad and its employees 
engaged in a course of behavior to provide "cheat sheets" to those 
counting the ballots. The cheat sheets told them how many votes they 
should find for each candidate, and how many over and under votes 
they should calculate to match the machine count. In that way, they 
could avoid doing a full county-wide hand recount mandated by state 
law. If true, this would frustrate the entire purpose of the recount law-to 
randomly ascertain if the vote counting apparatus is operating fairly 
and effectively, and if not to conduct a full hand recount."

    In Union County, Triad replaced the hard drive on one tabulator. In 
Monroe County, "after the 3 percent hand count had twice failed to 
match the machine count, a Triad employee brought in a new machine 
and took away the old one. (That machine's count matched the hand 
count.)" Green and Libertarian volunteers reported that in Allen, 
Clermont, Cuyahoga, Morrow, Hocking, Vinton, Summit, and Medina 
counties, "the precincts for the 3 percent hand recount were 
preselected, not picked at random, as the law requires." Even though 
the 3 percent hand recount in Fairfield County was different than the 
machine count, there was no hand count as required. "In Washington 
and Lucas counties, ballots were marked or altered, apparently to 
ensure that the hand recount would equal the machine count." "In 
Ashland, Portage, and Coshocton counties, ballots were improperly 
unsealed or stored." At great cost, Belmont County had an 
independent programmer change the counting machines so they 
would only count votes for President. "..Democratic and/or Green 
observers were denied access to absentee, and /or provisional ballots, 
or were not allowed to monitor the recount process, in Summit, Huron, 
Putnam, Allen, Holmes, Mahoning, Licking, Stark, Medina, Warren, 
and Morgan counties.

    Miller writes about the January 6, 2005 Electoral challenge from 
Ohio Representative Stephonie Tubbs-Jones and California Senator 
Barbara Boxer. He decries its rejection by the Congress and the press, 
with the Republicans calling the Democrats "troublemakers and cynical 
manipulators", etc., etc.

    According to Miller, "all this commentary was simply wrong" and 
"went unnoticed and/or unreported;" and with Bush's re-inauguration 
"all inquiries were apparently concluded, and the story was officially 
kaput." Miller emphasizes that, even after the National Election Data 
Archive Project, on March 31, 2005, "released its study demonstrating 
that the exit polls had probably been right, it made news only in the 
Akron Beacon-Journal," while "the thesis that the exit polls were flawed 
had been reported by the Associated Press, the Washington Post, the 
Chicago Tribune, USA Today, the San Francisco Chronicle, the 
Columbus Dispatch, CNN.com, MSNBC, and ABC.."

    In conclusion, Mark Crispin Miller does not expect to reverse the 
2004 election, but to make it possible for us to move on, and achieve 
real electoral reform.

    The point of our revisiting the last election.. is to see exactly what 
the damage was so that the people can demand appropriate reforms 
for there has never been a great reform that was not driven by some 
major scandal.

    ...In this nation's epic struggle on behalf of freedom, reason, and 
democracy, the press has unilaterally disarmed-and therefore many 
good Americans, both liberal and conservative, have lost faith in the 
promise of self-government. That vast surrender is demoralizing, 
certainly, but if we face it, and endeavor to reverse it, it will not prove 
fatal. This democracy can survive a plot to hijack an election. What it 
cannot survive is our indifference to, or unawareness of, the evidence 
that such a plot has succeeded.

    -------

    The piece on which this summary is based was originally published 
in Harper's. Mark Crispin Miller is a professor at New York University, a 
political/media commentator, and author of his latest book, Fooled 
Again: How the Right Stole the Election of 2004, and Why They Will 
Keep Doing It Unless We Stop Them, which will be published by Basic 
Books this October.


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From ean at sbcglobal.net  Wed Aug  3 22:28:12 2005
From: ean at sbcglobal.net (ean@sbcglobal.net)
Date: Thu Aug  4 09:34:51 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Robert Fisk on the deceased Saudi King
Message-ID: <200508041634.j74GYmkr022030@dune.islandtechnologies.net>

http://www.selvesandothers.org/article10657.html

  	 The Independent
Death Of A King
The terrible legacy of the man who failed the world
Tuesday, 2nd August 2005, by Robert Fisk



So the old man will be buried this afternoon on the edge of the Saudi 
capital, Riyadh, in a desert graveyard of no memorials.

The strict Wahhabi tradition - to which, of course, that far more famous 
Saudi, Osama bin Laden, belongs - demands no statues, no 
gravestones, no slabs. So Fahd will be laid in the desert sand, his 
head touching the earth, covered over and left for the after-life. Not a 
single stone will mark his place.

Would that some of our own great leaders would suffer such humility - 
if less ostentatiously so - on their deaths.

King Fahd of Saudi Arabia has died after 22 years on the throne. His 
successor, Crown Prince Abdullah, will formally take his place 
tomorrow.

But the old king really died in 1995, when an embolic stroke disabled 
him, paralysed his mind, befuddled his senses - the 84-year-old 
Keeper of the Two Holy Places would often ask servants to pour coffee 
for Muslim guests during Ramadan - when drinking and eating is 
forbidden in the hours of daylight.

In effect, his half-brother Crown Prince Abdullah has been "king" since 
then and, now aged 82, is still, as the clich? goes, "clinging to power". 
Another half-brother - and all these half-brothers reflect the Bedouin 
background of the Saudi monarchy - Prince Sultan Abdul Aziz, will be 
the new crown prince. And he is already 81.

Those who claim the Saudi royal family is led by sclerotic old men 
have a point - but perhaps they do not go far enough. Like the massive 
Muslim oil nation to the north, Iran, Saudi Arabia has become a 
necrocracy: government by, with and for the dead.

For years, we had been saying that Fahd would die - at his massive 
family palace in Andalusia (he knew, of course, that this was once part 
of a fine Arab empire) or on his gorgeous, preposterous, jet airliners, 
their interiors designed to look like Arab tents, or just in that hideously 
famous swimming pool. He suffered from pneumonia and a high fever, 
officials would insist. Anything else was "malicious speculation" - which 
meant that it was all true.

This was the man, however, who had funded the Arab legions against 
the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979 when, as we know, Bin 
Laden took the role of "prince" because Fahd?s real princes, including 
7,000 official and unofficial ones, preferred the bars of Monaco or the 
whores of Paris to drawing the sword for the religion in whose lands 
stood their greatest shrines, Mecca and Medina.

And it was this same Fahd who brought down upon the Arab Gulf - and 
eventually upon the Americans - the wrath of Bin Laden and his al-
Qa?ida, by asking the US to send troops to protect the land of the 
Prophet after Saddam Hussein?s 1990 invasion of Kuwait. And his fate 
might have been to have died in an assassination before; but it?s 
difficult to murder an already dead man.

This was the king who had poured his vast coffers into Saddam 
Hussein?s war chest against Iran, studiously saying nothing about the 
gassing of up to 60,000 Iranian soldiers and civilians during that 
conflict, in the hope that the Beast of Baghdad (our friend at the time, 
needless to say) would overthrow that far more terrible beast, the 
revolutionary Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.

When Saddam arrived in Kuwait, Fahd wrote him a letter, reminding 
him of how much the Saudis had contributed to his brutal war against 
Iraq. "Oh Ruler of Iraq," Fahd wrote, "the Kingdom extended to your 
country $25,734,469,885. 80 cents." Analysing that sum, I once 
calculated the figure issued by Fahd courtiers was out by a dollar and 
a cent. By contrast, Fahd?s bankers calculated they spent $27.5bn on 
paying for America?s liberation of Kuwait - slightly more than they paid 
to Saddam.

It was Fahd and the Pakistanis who had, on America?s behalf, helped 
to arm the militias of Afghanistan against the Soviet Union and - 
disgusted by the victors? feuding - supported Mullah Omar?s Wahhabi 
army of self-righteous peasant clerics, the Taliban. Under Fahd, the 
kingdom poured millions into the madrassas in Pakistan which have 
made the news again following 7 July. The Taliban (like some of the 
London suicide bombers) were an authentic product of Wahhabism, 
the strict, pseudo-reformist Islamist state faith of Saudi Arabia founded 
by the 18th cleric Mohamed Ibn Abdul-Wahab.

Journalists like to claim that Wahhabism is "obscurantist" but it is not 
true. Abdul-Wahab was not a great thinker or philosopher but, for his 
followers, he was a near-saint. Waging war on fellow Muslims who had 
erred was an obligatory part of his philosophy, whether they be the 
"deviant" Shia Muslims of Basra - whom he vainly attempted to convert 
to Sunni Islam (they chucked him out) - or Arabians who did not follow 
his own exclusive interpretation of Muslim unity. But he also proscribed 
rebellion against rulers. His orthodoxy threatened the modern-day 
House of Saud because of its corruption, yet secured its future by 
forbidding revolution. The Saudi ruling family thus embraced the one 
faith which could protect and destroy it.

Which is why all the talk in modern Saudi Arabia of "cracking down on 
terror", protecting women?s rights, lessening the power of the religious 
police, is so much hokum.

Saudi Arabia?s role - under Fahd?s nominal leadership - in the 11 
September 2001 crimes against humanity has still not been fully 
explored. While senior members of the royal family, especially the then 
Crown Prince Abdullah, who was never as convinced of America?s 
foreign policy wisdom in the Middle East as Fahd, expressed the 
obligatory shock and horror that was expected of them, no attempt was 
made to examine the nature of Wahhabism and its inherent contempt 
for all representation of human activity or death.

The destruction of the two giant Buddhas of Bamian by the Taliban in 
2000 - along with the vandalism in the Kabul museum, fit perfectly into 
the theocratic wisdom. So too, it might be argued did the Twin Towers 
of the World Trade Centre.

In 1820, the much-worshipped statues of Dhu Khalasa, dating from the 
12th century, were destroyed by Wahhabis. Only weeks after the 
Lebanese Professor Kamal Salibi suggested in the late 1990s that 
once-Jewish villages in what is now Saudi Arabia might have 
constituted the location of the Bible, Fahd sent bulldozers to destroy 
the ancient buildings in these towns.

Saudi religious authorities have destroyed hundreds of historic 
structures in the name of religion in Mecca and Medina, and former 
UN officials have condemned the bulldozing of Ottoman buildings in 
Bosnia by a Saudi aid agency backed by the Fahd government which 
claimed they were "idolatrous".

So all the talk of "restive" princes, of potential rivalries between the 
half-brothers now that Fahd is dead has a kind of pseudo-importance 
to it. Saudi Arabian society is not - and cannot be - a "modern" society 
in our sense of the word as long as Wahhabism holds its power. But it 
must be allowed to do so - to protect the king. And since it increasingly 
becomes a poor country, the Wahhabi authorities and the religious 
police grow stronger.

And as we depend ever more on the Saudis to pump oil, we are ever 
more silent about what is wrong in the kingdom. Our policy towards 
Saudi Arabia is now exactly what it was in Iran before the fall of the 
Shah in 1979.

When he was governor of Riyadh, Prince Sultan, according to that 
brilliant American journalist Seymour Hersh, was once heard to say on 
a US telephone intercept that King Fahd didn?t know what was 
happening during an international flight. "He?s a prisoner of the plane," 
he remarked. "Like all the Saudi royal family."

The Crown Prince who becomes King at last

Crown Prince Abdullah now formally takes on a role that he has served 
de facto for nearly a decade. The half-brother of King Fahd, Prince 
Abdullah has become the face of the kingdom.

He served as commander of the National Guard for 30 years before 
taking over day-to-day affairs of state after his half-brother Saud?s 
strokes in 1995 and 1996.

Diplomats said they did not expect major changes in Saudi foreign or 
oil policy under Abdullah who talks quietly, with a stutter, but is 
described as imposing and statesmanlike.

There are 30 surviving sons of the late King Abdul-Aziz, who founded 
Saudi Arabia in 1932. But with only half-brothers in the royal family, 
diplomats say the octogenarian Abdullah?s power has limits. Fahd has 
six full brothers who wield great influence and can band together at 
family meetings.

His crackdown on al-Qa?ida suicide bombers in 2003 who aimed to 
topple the House of Saud was unprecedented.

-- 
You are currently on Mha Atma's Earth Action Network email list, 
option D (up to 3 emails/day).  To be removed, or to switch options 
(option A - 1x/week, option B - 3/wk, option C - up to 1x/day, option D - 
up to 3x/day) please reply and let us know!  If someone forwarded you 
this email and you want to be on our list, send an email to 
ean@sbcglobal.net and tell us which option you'd like.


"In times of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act."
   ---   George Orwell


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From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Thu Aug  4 09:37:46 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (Mike Blaxill)
Date: Thu Aug  4 09:40:29 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Yahoo! News Story - Roberts Donated Help to Gay Rights
	Case - Yahoo! News
Message-ID: <20050804163746.EF3269FBB9@lax-gw05.mroute.net>

Mike Blaxill (mblaxill@yahoo.com) has sent you a news article. 
(Email address has not been verified.)
------------------------------------------------------------
Personal message:



Roberts Donated Help to Gay Rights Case - Yahoo! News

http://news.yahoo.com/s/latimests/20050804/ts_latimes/robertsdonatedhelptogayrightscase

============================================================
Yahoo! News 
http://news.yahoo.com/

From michael at intrafi.com  Thu Aug  4 09:59:12 2005
From: michael at intrafi.com (michael@intrafi.com)
Date: Thu Aug  4 10:01:58 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] FT.com / World / Middle East & Africa - Iran calls
 decision on uranium 018irreversible019
Message-ID: <1222043.1123174752503.JavaMail.tomcat@localhost>



*Please note, the sender's email address has not been verified.



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From michael at intrafi.com  Thu Aug  4 09:59:59 2005
From: michael at intrafi.com (michael@intrafi.com)
Date: Thu Aug  4 10:02:45 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] FT.com / World / US - Bush wants alternatives to
	Darwinism taught in school
Message-ID: <9318250.1123174799963.JavaMail.tomcat@localhost>



*Please note, the sender's email address has not been verified.



You have received the following link from michael@intrafi.com

 
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From villasudjuan at wanadoo.fr  Thu Aug  4 08:08:56 2005
From: villasudjuan at wanadoo.fr (villasudjuan)
Date: Thu Aug  4 10:08:26 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] FW: Batebi's story and the 'Youngbloods'
In-Reply-To: <0AC8B5C5-B30D-4130-BFB3-5FA215B6AE0E@thesamiis.com>
Message-ID: <200508041708.j74H8O51022160@dune.islandtechnologies.net>


------ Forwarded Message
From: Samii Shahla <shahla@thesamiis.com>
Date: Wed, 3 Aug 2005 16:29:14 -0400
Subject: Batebi's story and the 'Youngbloods'



National Review
August 03, 2005

Youngbloods
Meet a key to a golden Iranian future.

By Rachel Zabarkes Friedman

You may not know or recognize his name, but you?ve probably seen Ahmad
Batebi?s face. In the picture that made him famous six years ago, Batebi,
then just 21, his longish dark hair held back with a cloth band, is holding
a bloody t-shirt above his head. That picture was taken at a student
demonstration in Tehran in July of 1999, and the t-shirt belonged to a
colleague of Batebi?s, a victim of government-backed violence against the
peaceful protesters.

Soon after that demonstration, The Economist ran Batebi?s photo on its
cover. Unwittingly transformed into a symbol of the Iranian student
movement, a diverse and sizeable pro-liberty force, Batebi was thrown in
jail for tarnishing the Islamic republic?s image. His sentence was
originally death, though it was later reduced to 15 years in prison, 17
months of which Batebi has so far spent in solitary confinement.

He had been a participant in dissident activities long before that July day,
and some say he became one of the student movement?s foremost
representatives thereafter ? but Batebi could do little good from his prison
cell. That?s largely why, about four months ago, he chose not to return to
Evin Prison from a brief furlough he had been granted (as political
prisoners in Iran sometimes are). Now on the run inside his own country, he
is using his newfound semi-freedom to work to combat the regime.

?He?s working around the clock, despite all the difficulty,? says an Iranian
based in California who has been communicating with Batebi and who at times
helps him to secure lodging; she asked that her name not be used in order to
protect her family in Iran. ?Because of the warrant for his arrest, he is
going from city to city. His fans and followers find a place for him to
stay, either with members of their families, or they rent somewhere for him,
but he only stays around a week.? She says authorities raided the home of
Batebi?s father, who spoke truthfully when he told questioners he had no
idea where his son was. Batebi regularly communicates via Internet and cell
phone with colleagues inside Iran and others around the world, but very few
if any know where he is from day to day.

On the Run Toward Freedom
In a recent phone interview with National Review Online, Batebi explained
(through a translator) why he opted to risk his life in hiding rather than
return to prison. Since his escape he has been working to organize the
opposition, in part with direction from dissidents still in prison who
communicate to him through smuggled letters. He also wants to communicate to
the West, and particularly leaders and citizens of the United States, about
conditions inside Iran.
Asked what he hopes to accomplish through his efforts, Batebi says, ?What I
want is international pressure for all the political prisoners who have been
so horribly treated. I want all these human-rights activists, these Amnesty
Internationals, to put their resources together to give more attention to
the political prisoners in Iran.? Batebi and other dissidents are worried
that under new president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who takes office this week,
government crackdowns on peaceful demonstrations will increase, making
Iranians even more fearful of expressing their dissatisfaction with the
regime. Further, with their intellectual and political leaders in jail,
opposition groups are struggling to organize themselves and act effectively.
?The importance of these people, the political prisoners, is that they are
an underground organization for combating this regime,? says Batebi?s
California-based contact. ?Each was the head of a big network and now all
are behind bars, so there is a lack of leaders, a lack of direction.?

Batebi believes the Bush administration has some good instincts when it
comes to supporting Iran?s political prisoners and the aspirations of the
Iranian people generally. ?President Bush has started this positive war,
combating terrorism and theocracy and fanaticism. It is greatly appreciated
by all the people inside the country, because of the repression we face.?
But he also has words of criticism for the administration, suggesting the
U.S. hasn?t been consistent enough in its policy toward Tehran. ?Whenever
the Iranian people or the government hears that the U.S. doesn?t have a plan
or doesn?t have a policy regarding regime change in Iran, this is like fresh
blood in the veins of these mullahs.? Tehran?s support for the violence in
Iraq, enabled by high oil prices, seems to have achieved its aim, he says,
distracting Americans from the problems in Iran. And the ongoing nuclear
negotiations between Europe and the Islamic republic have in his view been a
boon to the mullahs, allowing them to buy time in power.

Batebi also thinks Americans may not understand the level of fear among
ordinary Iranians, partly due to our lack of intelligence. As a result, we
expect the kind of mass demonstration unlikely to take place under current
conditions. ?We were working so hard for the anniversary of the July 9
dormitory events? ? when forces attacked Tehran University students
following a peaceful protest in 1999 ? ?but the rallies didn?t happen,
because even when small groups of people gather innocently, they can be
detained by the anti-riot police, and asked to bring two to three months?
salary for release. This policy has created a lot of fear.?

Demanding that Tehran respect basic rights is therefore not just a matter of
principle. Fred Saberi of Sweden?s Iranian Liberal Network, who has also
been working to help Batebi and other political prisoners, says, ?When human
rights are not so much abused and are respected in Iran, then you will see
how much people will demonstrate. The U.S. should put pressure on the
Europeans to put the issue of human-rights negligence in Iran on the same
level of importance as respecting the laws of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation
Treaty.?

"'Why Are these People Still in Prison?'"
Batebi?s experience is confirmation of the importance of international
attention for prisoners and other dissidents. ?After my solitary
confinement,? he says, ?my case became internationalized, and there were so
many eyes on me, they didn?t treat me as horribly because I was very much in
the spotlight. Compared to a lot of unknowns inside the prison, I was
treated relatively well.?
He also became an internationally recognized figure. Gary Metz, founder and
coauthor of the popular Regime Change Iran blog, which features Batebi?s
picture on its homepage, says Batebi is ?one of the best-known symbols of
the Iranian opposition out there today. He?s an icon to both the Iranian
people and many people in the world community. Simply because of that photo
he was arrested and has been a prisoner ever since. His case is such a
strong example of the injustice of the regime.?

Suzanne Gershowitz, a research assistant at the American Enterprise
Institute and the author of a profile of Batebi in the winter 2005 issue of
the Middle East Quarterly, points out that ?half of Iran?s population is
between 15 and 24. Batebi is now older than 24, but he symbolizes the
dynamism of the student movement, and its commitment to achieving human
rights (and democracy) in Iran.? Gershowitz says the administration has not
taken a strong enough stance on Iranian human rights ? for example, the
State Department has yet to make noise about Batebi. While the official
American support for hunger-striking journalist Akbar Ganji has been
impressive, many others have also suffered for expressing their beliefs.

?Our government has been far too silent on these matters,? says Metz. ?They
will publish a list from time to time, things of that nature, but in terms
of actually asking, 'Why are these people still in prison?', there are major
people in our State Department who ought to be reminding the world of these
individuals and their situations.? Take, for example, Amir Abbas Fakhravar,
a friend of Batebi?s who courageously spoke to the press during his last
furlough from prison. Or Manuchehr Mohammadi, another student activist and
prisoner who reportedly slipped into a coma recently after being on hunger
strike for nearly a month.

Did Ahmad Batebi ever imagine that he would be a fugitive, working to
organize the opposition while hiding from his captors? ?I was very young
when I went to prison,? he says. ?It was a shock for me, because I was so
young and I never expected it. But a lot of other prisoners were like big
brothers to me. They taught me to be patient, and to be more resilient. In
my blood I was a real warrior, so all the things I?ve learned made me more
determined in the cause I was pursuing. That was a turning point in my life,
my experience in prison.?

One Iranian commentator has used the phrase ?Iran?s golden children? to
describe such freedom fighters as Ahmad Batebi, Akbar Ganji, and numerous
others who are all too often unnamed. Many hope to see the day when they are
Iran's ruling class. Until then, Western leaders at least have the power to
consistently call attention to them, and in doing so to help protect them.
It's a power some golden lives may depend on.

? Rachel Zabarkes Friedman is a former associate editor of National Review.

---


------ End of Forwarded Message

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From michael at michaelbutler.com  Thu Aug  4 10:18:46 2005
From: michael at michaelbutler.com (Michael Butler)
Date: Thu Aug  4 10:21:32 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Tom Harper in London
In-Reply-To: <1123071861.42f0b7755b22b@www.lonelyplanet.ekit.com>
Message-ID: <BF179C06.22C90%michael@michaelbutler.com>




Hey there micheal, 
  Sorry to hear about your summer virus, there have been plenty of
strange things floating about on this side of the atlantic too.
 Yes the world appears to be going to hell somewhat in terms of where
our leaders choose to lead us. But, I have been so encouraged
recently by some of the images being played on the news in response
to certain stories, i.e. a racist killing in liverpool prompted 60%
of the city to come together in the centre of the city to share
silent prayers etc side by side, this has never happened before in
Britain as far as I'm aware on such a vast scale over the case of a
one man murder case, especially a black man. Also on the news and on
news night, there have been fascinating debates about a new
spirituality that needs to emerge, communities around britain are
coming together and talking about how our belief systems affect our
behavior, and about how it is time to evolve our religious dogma,
 if 
not clear it away completely. Deborah Orr, a very bright journalist
for the independant wrote a very inspiring article about how
community leaders are more regularly meeting, people of differing
faiths, class and ethnic backgrounds, to disscuss how more tolerance
and love can be encouraged within society from the roots up. I can
not express my shock and delight to have read the words love,
understanding, compassion, humility etc, written within a context of
how we can re-educate and 're-love' ourselves, in a newspaper,
normally associated with just slanting the news at us to feed our
anger and frustration. As it says somewhere, 'To expose your feelings
is to risk exposing your true self, To place your ideas, your dreams
before the crowd is to risk their loss, but risk must be taken,
because the greater hazard in life is to risk nothing'.
 There have been other things, like people smiling and chatting to
each other on the london
  underground! clearly all the result of the
bombings, but people are really opening up, it gives me hope.
 Bugger, the plumbers come round, my cistern has rotted, will catch
up again soon, have you read a book called 'the kite runner' by
khaled hosseini, it's good stuff. Hope you are well recovered, let me
know when you plan a uk trip, I am off to romania for 6 weeks to be a
werewolf, back on 19th sept. Much love to you Micheal, Tom xx







____________________________________________________________________
eKit - the global phonecard with more!

Spend less on overseas calls, receive messages worldwide.
Visit http://www.ekit.com/ for details.




------ End of Forwarded Message

From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Thu Aug  4 10:47:00 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (Mike Blaxill)
Date: Thu Aug  4 10:49:42 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Ohio Redux - More Weirdness with the Voting Machines
Message-ID: <20050804174700.16554.qmail@web53012.mail.yahoo.com>

Some (ahem) perspective on that close Ohio House
race..wake me up when the Dems grow a spine -
from blogger Billmon:

If you followed the [Hackett, Schmidt Ohio
election] returns last night, you may have
noticed that one county in the district --
Clermont -- was extremely late in reporting part
of its returns. Clermont is the second largest
pool of votes in the district and provided
roughly a quarter of all ballots cast yesterday.
It's also a GOP stronghold (in a GOP stronghold
district) and Jean Schmidt's home turf.

That being the case, it's not a big surprise
Schmidt did well there, carrying the county with
58% of the two-party vote -- less than what a GOP
candidate can usually expect, but enough to give
her nearly a 5,000 vote margin in Clermont, and
thus the election.

At about 9:00 PM ET last night, however, things
didn't look nearly as good for Ms. Schmidt.  With
88% of the district's precincts reporting,
including more than half of Clermont's, the count
was almost evenly split -- with Schmidt holding a
lead of less than 900 votes.

At that point, though, the Clermont election
bureau experienced a "technical malfunction" with
its optical scan readers:

The Board of Elections in Clermont County, east
of Cincinnati, says it's optical scanners haven't
counted all the ballots yet because it was so hot
-- and humid -- Tuesday.

Board member Tim Rudd says the ballots pick up
moisture when it gets hot, making it tougher for
the optical scan machines to sort and count.

the rest is here, please read (sigh..)
http://billmon.org/archives/002073.html
From barbarasiomos38 at msn.com  Thu Aug  4 11:30:45 2005
From: barbarasiomos38 at msn.com (barbarasiomos38@msn.com)
Date: Thu Aug  4 11:33:26 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Barbara wants you to see this. 
Message-ID: <200508041830.j74IUjWE026857@server1.truthout.org>



Barbara thought you would like this site.

http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/080405N.shtml

ApplyRefer v2.3



From michael at intrafi.com  Thu Aug  4 12:02:59 2005
From: michael at intrafi.com (michael@intrafi.com)
Date: Thu Aug  4 12:05:39 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] [ HuffingtonPost.com ] Recommendation: The Politics of
	Ignorance
Message-ID: <200508041902.j74J2xZQ023774@s63391.huffingtonpost.com>

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From harperalexander at mail.com  Thu Aug  4 12:10:02 2005
From: harperalexander at mail.com (Alexander Harper)
Date: Thu Aug  4 12:12:45 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Tom Harper in London
Message-ID: <20050804191003.D45164BEAD@ws1-1.us4.outblaze.com>

That's my boy!! Thanks for posting it, Michael. Have you seen him in 'The Upside of Anger' with Kevin Costner and Joan Allen? He plays her son-in-law. His part was much truncated but good to see him at all in a big film. It premieres down here in BsAs next week.
Love Toro
----- Original Message -----
From: "Michael Butler" <michael@michaelbutler.com>
To: Civic <mb-civic@islandlists.com>
Subject: [Mb-civic] Tom Harper in London
Date: Thu, 04 Aug 2005 10:18:46 -0700

> 
> 
> 
> 
> Hey there micheal,
>    Sorry to hear about your summer virus, there have been plenty of
> strange things floating about on this side of the atlantic too.
>   Yes the world appears to be going to hell somewhat in terms of where
> our leaders choose to lead us. But, I have been so encouraged
> recently by some of the images being played on the news in response
> to certain stories, i.e. a racist killing in liverpool prompted 60%
> of the city to come together in the centre of the city to share
> silent prayers etc side by side, this has never happened before in
> Britain as far as I'm aware on such a vast scale over the case of a
> one man murder case, especially a black man. Also on the news and on
> news night, there have been fascinating debates about a new
> spirituality that needs to emerge, communities around britain are
> coming together and talking about how our belief systems affect our
> behavior, and about how it is time to evolve our religious dogma,
>   if
> not clear it away completely. Deborah Orr, a very bright journalist
> for the independant wrote a very inspiring article about how
> community leaders are more regularly meeting, people of differing
> faiths, class and ethnic backgrounds, to disscuss how more tolerance
> and love can be encouraged within society from the roots up. I can
> not express my shock and delight to have read the words love,
> understanding, compassion, humility etc, written within a context of
> how we can re-educate and 're-love' ourselves, in a newspaper,
> normally associated with just slanting the news at us to feed our
> anger and frustration. As it says somewhere, 'To expose your feelings
> is to risk exposing your true self, To place your ideas, your dreams
> before the crowd is to risk their loss, but risk must be taken,
> because the greater hazard in life is to risk nothing'.
>   There have been other things, like people smiling and chatting to
> each other on the london
>    underground! clearly all the result of the
> bombings, but people are really opening up, it gives me hope.
>   Bugger, the plumbers come round, my cistern has rotted, will catch
> up again soon, have you read a book called 'the kite runner' by
> khaled hosseini, it's good stuff. Hope you are well recovered, let me
> know when you plan a uk trip, I am off to romania for 6 weeks to be a
> werewolf, back on 19th sept. Much love to you Micheal, Tom xx
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ____________________________________________________________________
> eKit - the global phonecard with more!
> 
> Spend less on overseas calls, receive messages worldwide.
> Visit http://www.ekit.com/ for details.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ------ End of Forwarded Message
> 
> _______________________________________________
> Mb-civic mailing list
> Mb-civic@islandlists.com
> http://www.islandlists.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/mb-civic


-- 
___________________________________________________________
Sign-up for Ads Free at Mail.com
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From harperalexander at mail.com  Thu Aug  4 12:17:16 2005
From: harperalexander at mail.com (Alexander Harper)
Date: Thu Aug  4 12:20:00 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] (no subject) Hawaii Polo
Message-ID: <20050804191716.90A3B1CE31C@ws1-6.us4.outblaze.com>

That's excellent, Mike - thanks for posting it. Good briefing.

Sandy

  ----- Original Message -----
  From: Hawaiipolo@cs.com
  To: becca@hawaii.rr.com
  Subject: [Mb-civic] (no subject)
  Date: Wed, 3 Aug 2005 18:23:26 EDT

  Worth the read..good background info...MD


    Special Briefing | Jihad: Who's Joining, and Why?
    By Dan Murphy and Howard LaFranchi
    The Christian Science Monitor

    Wednesday 03 August 2005

    In Tuesday's edition, a report in this space looked at the
    origins and goals of Islamist militancy, and of Al Qaeda in
    particular. This briefing explores how the movement is evolving
    at a time of concern about terror cells in Western cities such as
    London. Is the global jihad spreading to Europe?

    It seems clear that this is happening. Events like the London
    bombings, as well as online postings by Islamist extremists
    calling Muslim brethren in Western countries to action, suggest
    to many counterterrorism experts that the global jihad has
    entered a new phase. All of the members of the London terror
    cells were longtime residents of Britain, and some were born
    there, confirming the view that Islamist extremism has taken
    root. While attacks appear to have ebbed in places such as
    Indonesia, they have spread to what experts consider the fertile
    ground of the "ummah" or Islamic community of Europe.

    Who is joining the jihad?

    Experts don't foresee jihadism becoming a mass movement. Still,
    if the Al Qaeda ideology hooks a few hundred followers in
    countries with many Muslim immigrants, that is enough to wreak
    havoc. Recruitment in Europe is fueled by the sense of isolation
    and disappointment in Western culture.

    Another factor may be freedom of speech. Hate-filled rhetoric and
    extremist ideals have been spread in European mosques and over
    the airwaves, some experts point out, even as the governments of
    these countries have pressed Muslim nations to curb the freedom
    and teachings of radical clerics.

    Is the same thing happening in America?

    Perhaps not, or at least not as fast. Mainstream Muslim
    organizations in America note that US Muslims differ from their
    counterparts in Europe - they are generally more prosperous
    (often from more prosperous backgrounds in their home countries)
    and less confined to Muslim ghettos. Still, experts point out
    that the British Islamist bombers were not living in poverty. The
    key problem appears to be alienation that opens minds to radical
    thinking. And in that sense, America may have a problem. Recent
    cases in Virginia and California involving clerics allegedly
    recruiting young Muslims for jihad suggest the dissemination of
    extremist ideals exists in isolated cases.

    Are new groups emerging as Al Qaeda franchises, such as in Egypt?

    The word "franchise" can be useful, hinting at how Al Qaeda might
    inspire or indirectly fund an attack without organizing it. But
    the word is misleading if it implies that terrorists are
    organized into neat, understandable groups. For instance, if the
    "Abdallah Azzam Brigades" were in fact behind last month's resort
    bombing at Sharm el-Sheik, its surviving members are now on the
    run. If they manage to evade capture, they may well emerge to
    strike again, but could do so under a different name. Conversely,
    the brigades' claim of responsibility could have come from an
    uninvolved sympathizer. The key question is the overlapping
    personal relationships of those involved.

    It's useful, therefore, to think of Al Qaeda as an ideological
    force that reaches beyond its organizational structure. While
    groups like Southeast Asia's Jemaah Islamiyah (Islamic Group) and
    the pan-Islamic Hizb ut-Tahrir (Party of Liberation) have some
    doctrinal differences with Al Qaeda, they have overlapping
    interests.

    Are the goals of jihadists changing?

    Not much, experts say. The targets and tactics may be influenced
    by current circumstances - such as the US presence in Iraq - but
    an unchanging worldview underlies it all: The jihadists see
    Muslims as locked in a life-or-death struggle with a West that
    hates Islam. While the goal of an Islamic superstate remains
    central, the impetus for jihad can shift. Ideologues motivate
    adherents by citing specific cases of perceived injustice. The
    Southeast Asian militants behind a deadly October 2002 attack in
    Bali wanted to undermine the Indonesian state in order to create
    an Islamic caliphate there. They also subscribed to the broader
    vision of an eventual caliphate running the whole globe.

    What's Al Qaeda's view of democracy movements in muslim
    countries?

    Al Qaeda is against democracy as most in the West would
    understand it. What it wants is the replacement of existing
    authoritarian regimes with religious states. These would impose a
    rigid view of the Koran on citizens. In Al Qaeda's view, Western
    democratic ideas stand in the way of God's will on earth. Al
    Qaeda ideologue Ayman al-Zawahiri and Abu Musab al-Zarqawi - the
    self-proclaimed mastermind of Al Qaeda in Iraq - have attacked
    democracy as a "trick" to deny Muslims the full flowering of
    Islam.

    In his most recent videotaped statement on June 17, Zawahiri
    lashed out at Egypt's democracy protestors for playing an
    American game. It was an attack on the nation's secular democracy
    and reform movements such as Kifaya. Analysts also saw it as a
    thrust at Islamist groups like Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood, which
    favors Islamic law and says it is committed to democratic
    institutions. To Zawahiri, such groups can only thwart the
    utopian vision of a vast Islamic state.

    If the US left the Middle East, would militants focus their
    attacks on Shiites?

    The Islamist extremists whose rage the world is feeling today are
    primarily Sunni Muslims. In Iraq, which was ruled and dominated
    by a Sunni minority since the British created the country in the
    early 20th century, Sunni extremists are already targeting the
    ruling Shiite majority. Those extremists see the Shiites as
    impure and have no compunction about targeting Shiite civilians.
    For some scholars of Islam, the US, in replacing a Sunni regime
    with a Shiite-dominated one, faces unforeseen challenges as the
    shift in power is worked out. Some see wider dangers as its
    neighbors jockey for influence: What happens if turmoil in the
    new Iraq leads to an open confrontation between a
    Shiite-dominated Iran and the Sunni-ruled Saudi Arabia?

    Experts also see trouble for the US if its eventual withdrawal
    from Iraq opens the door to a Shiite-led cleansing of Sunni
    Muslims - the much-discussed "civil war" that some Iraqis,
    including former Prime Minister Iyad Allawi, say has already
    began.

    "It could be very dangerous if the US pulled out entirely," says
    Martha Crenshaw, a terrorism expert at Wesleyan University in
    Connecticut. "The jihadists would say that is what the US wanted
    all along, the extermination of the Sunnis in Iraq.... It could
    mean huge new problems for the US."

    Is a backlash against jihadism building from within Islam?

    Contrary to the complaints of critics, mainstream Muslim clerics
    have taken steps to combat terrorism. American Muslim leaders
    have quickly condemned attacks, and have established programs,
    notably with the FBI, to assist in rooting out extremism.

    Such commitments have been amplified since the London bombings.
    Last week, Muslim scholars in the US and Canada issued a fatwa,
    or judicial ruling, condemning terrorism and declaring violence
    against civilians - including suicide bombings - impermissible in
    Islam. Islamic scholars in Britain have taken similar steps.
    However, many experts worry that this focus on mainstream clerics
    is missing the mark, since the radicalized young often do not
    listen to religious leaders they see as Westernized.

    At the same time, debate grows about whether more needs to be
    done. Some experts argue that jihadist violence can be ended only
    through opposition from within Islam. So far, such opposition
    hasn't stopped attacks.

    The reason, some argue, is a chicken-and-egg scenario: The
    climate within Islam might change if Western policy changes. The
    establishment of a Palestinian state and the departure of US
    troops from Iraq could leave extremists with fewer arguments that
    resonate with Muslims.

    Thus, both Islam and the West face pressure to change their ways.
    But both sides confront risks of appearing weak in the process.
    An apparent retreat by the US and its allies could embolden
    jihadists. Similarly, mainstream Islamic clerics could lose
    credibility if a fatwa appears to have come in response to
    Western demands.

    -------

    Jump to today's TO Features:

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From harperalexander at mail.com  Thu Aug  4 12:39:39 2005
From: harperalexander at mail.com (Alexander Harper)
Date: Thu Aug  4 12:42:25 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] [ HuffingtonPost.com ] Recommendation: The Politics
	of Ignorance
Message-ID: <20050804193940.AF1E84BEAD@ws1-1.us4.outblaze.com>

The writer is spot on. This muddling together of "Mythos" and "Logos" has
always led to catastrophe, throughout history. Logos can never
adequately explain Mythos and Mythos should never be used to justify
Logos. The two are absolutely necessary for  healthy human existence
but should absolutely be kept separate. It is a source of despair to me
that those in charge of the world's only hyper-power either have no
inkling of this eternal truth or are wilfully choosing to ignore it.

Al Baraka

  ----- Original Message -----
  From: michael@intrafi.com
  To: mb-civic@islandlists.com
  Subject: [Mb-civic] [ HuffingtonPost.com ] Recommendation: The
  Politics of Ignorance
  Date: Thu, 4 Aug 2005 14:02:59 -0500

  The Huffington Post

  michael@intrafi.com has sent you a link!

  Sam Harris: The Politics of Ignorance

  Link:
  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/theblog/archive/sam-harris/the-politics-of-ignorance_5053.html

  President Bush has now endorsed the pseudo-scientific notion of
  "intelligent design" (ID) and declared it to be a legitimate
  alternative to the theory of evolution. This is not surprising, as he
  has always maintained that "the jury is still out" on the question of
  evolution. But the jury is not out -- indeed it was well in before
  President Bush was even born -- and anyone familiar with modern
  biology knows that ID is nothing more than a program of political and
  religious advocacy masquerading as science.

  It is for this reason that the scientific community has been divided
  on just how (or whether) to dignify the spurious claims of ID
  "theorists" with a response. While understandable, I believe that
  such scruples are now misplaced. The Trojan Horse has passed the
  innermost gates of the city, and scary religious imbeciles are now
  spilling out.

  According to several recent polls, 22 percent of Americans are
  certain that Jesus will return to earth sometime in the next fifty
  years. Another 22 percent believe that he will probably do so. This
  is likely the same 44 percent who go to church once a week or more,
  who believe that God literally promised the land of Israel to the
  Jews, and who want to stop teaching our children about the biological
  fact of evolution. As the President is well aware, believers of this
  sort constitute the most cohesive and motivated segment of the
  American electorate. Consequently, their views and prejudices now
  influence almost every decision of national importance. Political
  liberals seem to have drawn the wrong lesson from these developments
  and are now thumbing scripture, wondering how best to ingratiate
  themselves to the legions of men and women in our country who vote
  mainly on the basis of religious dogma. More than 50 percent of
  Americans have a "negative" or "highly negative" view o! f people who
  do not believe in God; 70 percent think it important for presidential
  candidates to be "strongly religious." Because it is taboo to
  criticize a person?s religious beliefs, political debate over
  questions of public policy (stem-cell research, the ethics of
  assisted suicide and euthanasia, obscenity and free speech, gay
  marriage, etc.) generally gets framed in terms appropriate to a
  theocracy. Unreason is now ascendant in the United States -- in our
  schools, in our courts, and in each branch of the federal government.
  Only 28 percent of Americans believe in evolution; 68 percent believe
  in Satan. Ignorance in this degree, concentrated in both the head and
  belly of a lumbering superpower, is now a problem for the entire
  world.

  It is time that scientists and other public intellectuals observed
  that the contest between faith and reason is zero-sum. There is no
  question but that nominally religious scientists like Francis Collins
  and Kenneth R. Miller are doing lasting harm to our discourse by the
  accommodations they have made to religious irrationality. Likewise,
  Stephen Jay Gould's notion of "non-overlapping magisteria" served
  only the religious dogmatists who realize, quite rightly, that there
  is only one magisterium. Whether a person is religious or secular,
  there is nothing more sacred than the facts. Either Jesus was born of
  a virgin, or he wasn't; either there is a God who despises
  homosexuals, or there isn't. It is time that sane human beings agreed
  on the standards of evidence necessary to substantiate truth-claims
  of this sort. The issue is not, as ID advocates allege, whether
  science can "rule out" the existence of the biblical God. There are
  an infinite number of ludicrous ideas that s! cience could not "rule
  out," but which no sensible person would entertain. The issue is
  whether there is any good reason to believe the sorts of things that
  religious dogmatists believe -- that God exists and takes an interest
  in the affairs of human beings; that the soul enters the zygote at
  the moment of conception (and, therefore, that blastocysts are the
  moral equivalents of persons); etc. There simply is no good reason to
  believe such things, and scientists should stop hiding their light
  under a bushel and make this emphatically obvious to everyone.

  Imagine President Bush addressing the National Prayer Breakfast in
  these terms: "Behind all of life and all history there is a
  dedication and a purpose, set by the hand of a just and faithful
  Zeus." Imagine his speech to Congress containing the sentence
  "Freedom and fear, justice and cruelty have always been at war, and
  we know that Apollo is not neutral between them." Clearly, the
  commonplaces of language conceal the vacuity and strangeness of many
  of our beliefs. Our president regularly speaks in phrases appropriate
  to the fourteenth century, and no one seems inclined to find out what
  words like "God" and "crusade" and "wonder-working power" mean to
  him. Not only do we still eat the offal of the ancient world; we are
  positively smug about it. Garry Wills has noted that the Bush White
  House "is currently honeycombed with prayer groups and Bible study
  cells, like a whited monastery." This should trouble us as much as it
  troubles the fanatics of the Muslim world.

  The only thing that permits human beings to collaborate with one
  another in a truly open-ended way is their willingness to have their
  beliefs modified by new facts. Only openness to evidence and argument
  will secure a common world for us. Nothing guarantees that reasonable
  people will agree about everything, of course, but the unreasonable
  are certain to be divided by their dogmas. It is time we recognized
  that this spirit of mutual inquiry, which is the foundation of all
  real science, is the very antithesis of religious faith.

  ? 2005 HuffingtonPost.com, LLC

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From harry.sifton at sympatico.ca  Thu Aug  4 15:55:56 2005
From: harry.sifton at sympatico.ca (Harry)
Date: Thu Aug  4 15:58:43 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] BBC E-mail: Israeli bus killer lynched by mob
Message-ID: <20050804_225556_053019.harry.sifton@sympatico.ca>

Harry saw this story on BBC News Online and thought you
should see it.

** Message **
The Israeli's have dropped to a new low, they are lynching their own!!

This is a sad day for Israel and the Jewish peoples of the world.



** Israeli bus killer lynched by mob **
A teenaged Israeli gunman kills four people on a bus in an Israeli Arab town before a mob lynches him.
< http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/fr/-/2/hi/middle_east/4746591.stm >


** BBC Daily E-mail **
Choose the news and sport headlines you want - when you want them, all
in one daily e-mail
< http://www.bbc.co.uk/dailyemail/ >


** Disclaimer **
The BBC is not responsible for the content of this e-mail, and anything written in this e-mail does not necessarily reflect the BBC's views or opinions. Please note that neither the e-mail address nor name of the sender have?been verified.

If you do not wish to receive such e-mails in the future or want to know more about the BBC's Email a Friend service, please read our frequently asked questions. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/help/4162471.stm

From nwonline at toronto.cbc.ca  Thu Aug  4 16:09:29 2005
From: nwonline at toronto.cbc.ca (CBC News Online)
Date: Thu Aug  4 16:12:43 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] CBC News - MARINE DEATHS PROMPT NEW CALLS FOR U.S. TO
	LEAVE IRAQ
Message-ID: <20050804230929.4BFC769AFB@nmweb08.nm.cbc.ca>

This email has been sent to you by harry.sifton@sympatico.ca
The following is a news item posted on CBC NEWS ONLINE
at http://www.cbc.ca/news
____________________________________________________
MARINE DEATHS PROMPT NEW CALLS FOR U.S. TO LEAVE IRAQ
WebPosted Thu Aug  4 18:13:01 2005

--- At least four more U.S. soldiers and marines have been killed in Iraq
as one of deadliest violent upsurges of the war continues.

        Those killed Thursday include three soldiers killed by a roadside
        bomb in Baghdad and a marine shot in Ramadi. That brings to 24
        the number of marines killed in just three days.

         Nineteen of the marines are from the same unit, the Third
         Battalion, 25th Marines, based in the Cleveland, Ohio suburb of
         Brook Park.

        President George W. Bush has called the deaths a grim reminder
        that the country is still at war. While in Brook Part, the deaths
        are the subject of a growing debate over whether it is time to
        bring the troops home.

        Paul Montgomery had two sons in the U.S. Marine Corps. Both
        signed up in the wake of Sept. 11. Now one is on his way home for
        the funeral of his older brother.

         Lance Cpl. Brian Montgomery, 26, was one of five local marines
         killed in an ambush in Iraq on Monday. Fourteen more dies in an
         attack on Wednesday.

        Paul Montgomery tries to explain why his son died.

        "My son died doing something he believed so deeply in," he said
        through tears and grief. "I can't tell you how proud he was of
        his uniform, and his flag, and his country."

        Montgomery says his son knew what he was doing. "This isn't
        Vietnam. This is a war that we are winning. And we have to
        realize that if we don't fight it there, there will be terrorists
        back here again, doing the same thing they did on Sept. 11."

        But some believe it is time for the U.S. to pull out of Iraq.

        Larry Oldcorn, a Vietnam veteran who carries the scars of his war
        service on his arms and face, says the fighting in Iraq has gone
        on long enough.

        "Bring them home. Let them people fight their own war over there.
        This is turning out to be just another Vietnam," says Oldcorn. He
        calls it 'George's War.'

        Brook Park has become a flashpoint for the debate over American
        involvement in Iraq. When the town's mayor has suggested in
        interviews that so many deaths in one week could have an effect
        on the community's feelings about the war, it drew the ire of
        syndicated national call-in talk shows.

        Paul Montgomery bristles when he hears talk that it's time to get
        out of Iraq. "They're going to have to realize, if we pull out of
        Iraq, if we let those people sort it out on their own, the
        terrorists have won, and soon they're going to be over here."

Copyright (C) 2005 CBC. All rights reserved.
From nwonline at toronto.cbc.ca  Thu Aug  4 16:10:20 2005
From: nwonline at toronto.cbc.ca (CBC News Online)
Date: Thu Aug  4 16:13:26 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] CBC News - AL-QAEDA TOP LIEUTENANT WARNS OF MORE
	DESTRUCTION IN LONDON
Message-ID: <20050804231020.D9D4969AFB@nmweb08.nm.cbc.ca>

This email has been sent to you by harry.sifton@sympatico.ca
The following is a news item posted on CBC NEWS ONLINE
at http://www.cbc.ca/news
____________________________________________________
AL-QAEDA TOP LIEUTENANT WARNS OF MORE DESTRUCTION IN LONDON
WebPosted Thu Aug  4 10:57:37 2005

---Al-Qaeda's deputy leader Ayman al-Zawahri blamed Tony Blair for the
recent bombings in London on a videotape aired Thursday, warning that the
British prime minister would be responsible for more destruction.

The tape was broadcast on the Arab-language network al-Jazeera, airing a
month after the deadly bombings of London's transit system that killed
56 people.

"Blair has brought to you destruction in central London, and he will
bring more of that, God willing," al-Zawahri said in the tape.

He also warned the United States that al-Qaeda will continue to launch
deadly attacks until U.S. troops leave all Muslim countries.

"What you have seen in New York, Washington and Afghanistan, are only the
initial losses," he said, referring to the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks on the
United States.

He said no one will be safe "until you withdraw from our land, stop
stealing our oil and wealth and stop supporting the corrupt rulers."

He pointed out that Osama bin Laden had offered a truce last year for the
withdrawal of troops from Muslim lands.

"Instead (of accepting the truce), you spilled blood like rivers in our
countries and we exploded the volcanoes of wrath in your countries."

The videotape showed al-Zawahri in front of a cloth, wearing a white robe
and a black turban, sitting with a weapon behind his shoulder.

Copyright (C) 2005 CBC. All rights reserved.
From nwonline at toronto.cbc.ca  Thu Aug  4 16:11:59 2005
From: nwonline at toronto.cbc.ca (CBC News Online)
Date: Thu Aug  4 16:14:41 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] CBC News - JEWISH SETTLEMENT EXPANDING WEEKS BEFORE
	PULLOUT
Message-ID: <20050804231159.3515569AFB@nmweb08.nm.cbc.ca>

This email has been sent to you by harry.sifton@sympatico.ca
The following is a news item posted on CBC NEWS ONLINE
at http://www.cbc.ca/news
____________________________________________________
JEWISH SETTLEMENT EXPANDING WEEKS BEFORE PULLOUT
WebPosted Thu Aug  4 11:30:10 2005

---Israel will expand one of its West Bank settlements just weeks before
the planned pullout from several smaller outposts, a move that has
enraged some Palestinians.

Up to 72 housing units will be built in the Beitar Illits settlement near
Jerusalem. The settlement is already home to 20,000 people.

According to Israeli authorities, plans have long been in place to expand
current settlements. So far this year, the Housing Ministry has issued
tenders to build 235 housing units, and has revived a plan to build 3,650
units in Maaleh Adumim, Israel's largest settlement, just outside
Jerusalem.

Palestinian Cabinet Secretary Samir Huleileh warned new construction
could hurt any chances for negotiations of peace. The Gaza pullout is
seen as a way to jump-start negotiations on the "road map" to Middle
East peace.

 INDEPTH: Israeli settlements

"The decision affirms that [Israeli Prime Minister Ariel] Sharon's step
in withdrawing from Gaza doesn't mean coming back to the negotiating
table and implementing the 'road map,'" Huleileh said. "On the contrary,
his strategy is to consolidate settlement construction."

Tensions have been building ahead of the Aug. 17 deadline for the Gaza
and West Bank pullout. Up to 9,000 people will be uprooted from their
homes in 25 settlements, most of them in Gaza. The Israeli government has
said settlers refusing to leave will be forcibly removed.

 FROM JULY 18, 2005: Israeli protesters hold pro-settlement rally despite
 police crackdown


Many Jewish settler groups and their allies oppose the withdrawal,
despite polls showing support by a slim majority of Israeli citizens.

Some settlers, hoping to avoid being branded violent extremists, have
voluntarily begun surrendering weapons issued by the government for
defence against Palestinian militants. The effort did not affect
privately held weapons.



 RELATED STORY: Israeli settler kills 4 in bus shooting

Residents from two settlements, Gan Or and Netzer Hazani, were handing
back M-16 rifles and emptying ammunition from their pouches on Wednesday
and Thursday.

Meanwhile, up to 10,000 Palestinians rallied at the parliament building
in Gaza City to celebrate the upcoming withdrawal.

People hoisted Palestinian flags and danced in the streets in a festival
sponsored by a special committee created by the Palestinian Authority
government.

"After 38 years of ugly occupation, they are leaving and they will never
come back," Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qureia told the crowd.

"The world is watching us to see how we are going to behave," he said.
"We promise to convey a civilized image for our people."

Copyright (C) 2005 CBC. All rights reserved.
From michael at intrafi.com  Thu Aug  4 17:58:48 2005
From: michael at intrafi.com (michael@intrafi.com)
Date: Thu Aug  4 18:01:32 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Alternet: Two Million Imprisoned = Too Many
Message-ID: <20050805005848.95AD0B8098@alternet.org>


This story has been forwarded to you from
http://www.alternet.org by michael@intrafi.com



-------------------------------------
Two Million Imprisoned = Too Many
http://www.alternet.org/story/23889

On August 13, thousands of people are expected to march in D.C. against rising mass imprisonment in the U.S.
-------------------------------------

From michael at intrafi.com  Thu Aug  4 18:03:06 2005
From: michael at intrafi.com (michael@intrafi.com)
Date: Thu Aug  4 18:05:49 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Alternet: Tragic End To a Reporter's Story
Message-ID: <20050805010306.C8999B8094@alternet.org>


This story has been forwarded to you from
http://www.alternet.org by michael@intrafi.com



-------------------------------------
Tragic End To a Reporter's Story
http://www.alternet.org/story/23888

Steven Vincent, the first American journalist killed in Iraq since the U.S. occupation, was 'starting to get worried' for his safety after exposing numerous scary truths about local corruption. 
-------------------------------------

From michael at intrafi.com  Thu Aug  4 18:25:58 2005
From: michael at intrafi.com (michael)
Date: Thu Aug  4 18:21:45 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Article from Tom Dispatch
Message-ID: <200508050125.j751Pw4J001081@thor.thenation.com>

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From activist at democrats.com  Thu Aug  4 15:56:20 2005
From: activist at democrats.com (Democrats.com)
Date: Thu Aug  4 19:19:48 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Help Cindy Sheehan Get Answers from George Bush
Message-ID: <20050804185620.514449@democrats.com>

HTML Message - Help Cindy Sheehan Get Answers from George Bush
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From jefbek at mindspring.com  Fri Aug  5 00:56:30 2005
From: jefbek at mindspring.com (Jef Bek)
Date: Fri Aug  5 01:00:15 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] " We die along with these kids'" 
Message-ID: <BF1869BE.D19%jefbek@mindspring.com>

CLEVELAND.COM

THE PLAIN DEALER


We die along with these kids'

Thursday, August 04, 2005

Connie Schultz
Plain Dealer Columnist

As Jeanette Schroeder rounded the corner

of her front yard with the lawn mower, she spotted two Marines standing at
her brother Paul Schroeder's front door Wednesday.

Immediately, she knew.

"Oh, no!" she sobbed. "Oh, no! Oh, no!"

The two men looked at her, then stepped away from the door and started
walking toward her.

She froze. 

Her hands released the safety bar on her mower. The street went silent.

As they walked closer, she almost told them, "You've got the wrong house."

But she knew. 

Fourteen members of Brook Park's 25th Regiment, 3rd Battalion Marines were
killed Wednesday by a roadside bomb in Iraq.

It was the same battalion that lost five Marines on Monday.

It was the same battalion in which her nephew, Augie, served.

Jeanette just knew.

She nodded when they asked if she knew the family next door in her Cleveland
neighborhood. 

"He's my brother," she said. "They probably didn't hear the doorbell."

She was sure her brother and his wife, Rosemary Palmer, were upstairs,
hovering over their computer as they frantically searched the Internet for
any news about the latest group of Marines who had been killed in Iraq.

Earlier that morning, Rosemary had given Jeanette a printout quoting
skeletal news reports about the attack on Marines in Haditha. After reading
it, Jeanette had a bad feeling. She prayed all the way to her doctor's
appointment. She prayed on her drive to the grocery store, too, and all the
way home. 

Please, God, not Augie.

Now, about 10:30 a.m., two Marines were standing in her yard, asking to
speak to Augie's parents.

Aunt Nettie - that's what Augie always called her - offered to run into her
house to call his parents.

"No," one of the Marines said gently. "We have to talk to them in person."

Jeanette ran through Paul's back door and started to scream.

"Paul! Paul! Get down here. Just get down here now!"

Paul and Rosemary saw the grim faces on the men at their door and they knew,
too. They stood motionless as one of the Marines began to speak.

"We regret to inform you that Edward August Schroeder II . . ."

And they knew. 

Two weeks ago, Augie had called home from Iraq after spending 26 days in the
field. They had not heard from him for five weeks, and their son's voice
seemed to reflect a change in his convictions about this war.

"When he first arrived in Iraq in March, he was full of optimism about what
his good intentions could accomplish," Paul said.

But Augie's enthusiasm eroded over time, and his father said he will never
forget what his son told him.

"The closer we are to departure, the less 'worth it' this has become," Augie
said. 

In a way, Paul was heartened by his son's words.

"When you first get there, you think everything's hunky-dory," he said. "But
after four operations, the insurgents were still there. He didn't think they
were having any effect. I heard him and thought, 'Well, the bloom is off the
rose.' I was opposed to this war before it even started, and my son is a
sharp kid." 

He caught himself. 

"Was," he said, as he started to sob. "My son was a sharp kid.

"Oh, Jesus." 

Augie was 23 years old. He was six weeks from coming home.

While we don't yet have exact numbers, we now know that Ohio has lost about
80 soldiers and Marines to the Iraq war.

And there is no end in sight.

That haunts Paul Schroeder.

In the first hours after he learned that his son was dead, Paul wrote a
short statement. 

"I hope people forgive me for what I have to say," he began. "I just don't
care anymore." 

He listed who he blamed for Augie's death.

"I hold the Bush administration responsible, from the president through the
secretaries of state and defense and all those who have had a hand in
starting this war. 

"I also hold every Democrat in Congress who voted to authorize this
misadventure as accomplices."

His son, he wrote, "died doing his duty. So have some 1,800 other Americans.

"Augie did his duty at every turn, from being an emergency medical
technician while still in high school, a lifeguard, a Boy Scout, an active
church member, and, of course, as a Marine. For all this, we consider him a
hero. 

"To honor him, I no longer can sit still, just keeping quiet and being
politically correct."

In her own way, Augie's mother also issued a statement. She made the call at
8:18 Wednesday morning, about two hours before she learned that Augie was
dead. 

Rosemary had sobbed the day Augie enlisted. She had begged him not to go to
Iraq. On Wednesday, hers was the desperate plea of a mother trying to find
out if her son was still alive.

She left this phone message for Plain Dealer reporter Brian Albrecht, who
has steadfastly chronicled the war's impact here:

"This is Rosemary Palmer," she said. "I'm the mother of one of the many
Marines who are deployed right now. My son is currently in Haditha and we
just heard the news story this morning that 14 Marines in Haditha were
killed. 

"We are all obviously going nuts . . . I know you can't give out the names
of people who haven't been notified, but if you have those names of the ones
who have died, if you could let us know as soon as possible, I would really
appreciate it - because we die along with these kids . . ."

Her voice broke. 

She recited her number.

Then she hung up the phone.

 

To reach this Plain Dealer columnist:

cschultz@plaind.com, 216-999-5087

? 2005?The Plain Dealer
? 2005 cleveland.com All Rights Reserved.


From jefbek at mindspring.com  Thu Aug  4 20:18:04 2005
From: jefbek at mindspring.com (Jef Bek)
Date: Fri Aug  5 05:34:04 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] NOVAK FLIPS OUT LIVE ON CNN!
Message-ID: <BF18287C.D14%jefbek@mindspring.com>

This is a must see!

http://mediamatters.org/items/200508040004


From swiggard at comcast.net  Fri Aug  5 05:55:06 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (William Swiggard)
Date: Fri Aug  5 05:59:07 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Afghanistan Agrees To Accept Detainees - Washington Post
Message-ID: <42F361AA.4010104@comcast.net>

<>Afghanistan Agrees To Accept Detainees
U.S. Negotiating Guantanamo Transfers

By Josh White and Robin Wright
Washington Post Staff Writers
Friday, August 5, 2005; Page A01

The Bush administration is negotiating the transfer of nearly 70 percent 
of the detainees at the U.S. detention facility in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, 
to three countries as part of a plan, officials said, to share the 
burden of keeping suspected terrorists behind bars.

U.S. officials announced yesterday that they have reached an agreement 
with the government of Afghanistan to transfer most of its nationals to 
Kabul's "exclusive" control and custody. There are 110 Afghan detainees 
at Guantanamo and 350 more at the Bagram airfield near Kabul. Their 
transfers could begin in the next six months.

<>Pierre-Richard Prosper, ambassador at large for war crimes, who led a 
U.S. delegation to the Middle East this week, said similar agreements 
are being pursued with Saudi Arabia and Yemen, whose nationals make up a 
significant percentage of the Guantanamo population. Prosper held talks 
in Saudi Arabia on Sunday and Monday, but negotiations were cut off 
after the announcement of King Fahd's death.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/04/AR2005080402125.html?referrer=email 

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From swiggard at comcast.net  Fri Aug  5 05:56:38 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (William Swiggard)
Date: Fri Aug  5 06:00:40 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Al Qaeda's No. 2 Blames Blair,
	Issues Warning - Washington Post
Message-ID: <42F36206.7060900@comcast.net>

<>Al Qaeda's No. 2 Blames Blair, Issues Warning
Security High for London Commuters

By Kevin Sullivan
Washington Post Foreign Service
Friday, August 5, 2005; Page A01

LONDON, Aug. 4 -- Al Qaeda's second-in-command said in a video statement 
Thursday that the London transit bombings were retribution for British 
military intervention in Muslim countries and warned of "more 
destruction" if Britain doesn't withdraw. He also threatened new attacks 
on Americans.

The statement from Ayman Zawahiri was issued on a day in which London 
commuters rode trains and buses amid some of the tightest security since 
World War II, due to fears of a repeat of the attacks of July 7 and 21. 
No attack occurred. Instead, the four-week anniversary of the July 7 
explosions brought the first statement clearly from al Qaeda about the 
violence.

Prime Minister Tony Blair "has brought you destruction in central London 
and, God willing, will bring more destruction," Zawahiri said, 
addressing the "English people" in a statement broadcast on the 
al-Jazeera satellite television channel.

<>"Our message to you is crystal clear: Your salvation will only come in 
your withdrawal from our land, in stopping the robbing of our oil and 
resources, and in stopping your support for the corrupt and corrupting 
leaders."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/04/AR2005080400514.html?referrer=email 

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From swiggard at comcast.net  Fri Aug  5 06:10:24 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (William Swiggard)
Date: Fri Aug  5 06:14:34 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] U.K. Institutes New Deportation Measures - Washington
	Post
Message-ID: <42F36540.9050207@comcast.net>

U.K. Institutes New Deportation Measures

By ED JOHNSON
The Associated Press
Friday, August 5, 2005; 8:37 AM

LONDON -- Foreigners who preach hatred, sponsor violence or belong to 
extremist groups could be deported from Britain under strict new 
measures that Prime Minister Tony Blair announced Friday, nearly a month 
after suicide bombers killed 52 people on London's transit system.

Membership in extremist Islamic groups such as Hizb-ut-Tahrir would 
become a crime under the new measures. The group, which advocates the 
creation of an Islamic state in Central Asia, already is outlawed in 
several countries.

Blair said the government also would compile a list of Web sites, 
bookshops and centers that incite hatred and violence. British nationals 
involved with such organizations could face strict penalties. Foreign 
nationals could be deported, he said.

"They come here and they play by our rules and our way of life," Blair 
said at his monthly news conference. "If they don't, they are going to 
have to go."

<>The government would hold a one-month consultation on new grounds for 
excluding and deporting people from the United Kingdom, he said.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/05/AR2005080500204.html?nav=hcmodule 

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From swiggard at comcast.net  Fri Aug  5 06:16:45 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (William Swiggard)
Date: Fri Aug  5 06:20:50 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] CNN Suspends Novak After He Walks Off Set - Washington
	Post
Message-ID: <42F366BD.2080205@comcast.net>

CNN Suspends Novak After He Walks Off Set

By DAVID BAUDER
The Associated Press
Friday, August 5, 2005; 12:42 AM

NEW YORK -- CNN suspended commentator Robert Novak indefinitely after he 
swore and walked off the set Thursday during a debate with Democratic 
operative James Carville.

The live exchange during CNN's "Inside Politics" came during a 
discussion of Florida's Senate campaign. CNN correspondent Ed Henry 
noted when it was over that he had been about to ask Novak about his 
role in the investigation of the leak of a CIA officer's identity.

A CNN spokeswoman, Edie Emery, called Novak's behavior "inexcusable and 
unacceptable." Novak apologized to CNN, and CNN was apologizing to 
viewers, she said.

"We've asked Mr. Novak to take some time off," she said.

A telephone message at Novak's office was not immediately returned Thursday.

Carville and Novak were both trying to speak while they were 
handicapping the GOP candidacy of Katherine Harris. Novak said the 
opposition of the Republican establishment in Florida might not be fatal 
for her.

"Let me just finish, James, please," Novak continued. "I know you hate 
to hear me, but you have to."

Carville, addressing the camera, said: "He's got to show these right 
wingers that he's got a backbone, you know. It's why the Wall Street 
Journal editorial page is watching you. Show 'em that you're tough."

"Well, I think that's bull---- and I hate that," Novak replied. "Just 
let it go."

As moderator Henry stepped in to ask Carville a question, Novak walked 
off the set.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/04/AR2005080401606.html?nav=hcmodule

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From swiggard at comcast.net  Fri Aug  5 06:19:06 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (William Swiggard)
Date: Fri Aug  5 06:23:12 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Ignorance Is Bliss;
 Sometimes It's Policy - Eugene Robinson - Washington Post
Message-ID: <42F3674A.6000202@comcast.net>

Ignorance Is Bliss; Sometimes It's Policy

By Eugene Robinson
Friday, August 5, 2005; Page A15

The ranch at Crawford hardly compares with the Forbidden City, but 
George W. Bush has something in common with the Ming emperors of China: 
He seems determined to make his great nation less ambitious and more 
ignorant.

He wouldn't see it that way, of course, but the emperors didn't see it 
that way either. And I don't know how else to explain policies and 
pronouncements that make the quest for knowledge conditional on 
politics. That is a prescription for decline.

In the early 1400s the Ming emperor Zhu Di made China into the world's 
leading maritime nation, sending huge fleets on missions of trade and 
exploration as far as the Swahili coast of Africa. It should have been 
just a matter of a few years before Chinese sailors discovered the 
Americas. But Zhu Di's successors, influenced by court politics, called 
home the fleets and forbade them to sail again, forfeiting the riches of 
the New World -- and five centuries of global domination -- to an 
underdeveloped backwater called Europe.

I guess it's a general rule of political dynasties, in China as well as 
in Texas, that the blood thins with successive generations.

<>Examples? Well, there's the way Bush insists on hamstringing American 
scientists who are trying to explore the potential medical benefits of 
therapies involving embryonic stem cells.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/04/AR2005080401824.html 

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From swiggard at comcast.net  Fri Aug  5 06:27:50 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (William Swiggard)
Date: Fri Aug  5 06:32:13 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Still Not Ready in The ER - Arthur Kellerman -
	Washington Post
Message-ID: <42F36956.7030101@comcast.net>

Still Not Ready in The ER

By Arthur Kellerman
Friday, August 5, 2005; Page A15

One of the fundamental responsibilities of government is to coolly and 
dispassionately assess health threats against the populace and take 
decisive action to counter these threats.

Faced with the twin specters of mass casualties from international 
terrorism and emerging biological threats, our government has failed to 
take effective action on either front.

International terrorism's weapon of choice is explosives -- improvised 
and otherwise. The London attacks and the devastating Madrid bombings 
are only some of the more recent examples. Over the past decade 
terrorist bombings have caused many civilian deaths and injuries in 
Israel, Russia, Bali, Colombia, Iraq, Spain, Egypt, Yemen, Kenya, 
Tanzania, Argentina, Afghanistan, the Philippines and other places, 
including two U.S. embassies in Africa.

But unfortunately, rather than strengthen our nation's beleaguered 
emergency and trauma care system to meet this threat, the federal 
government has turned a blind eye to the problem. Across the United 
States, underfunded emergency rooms and trauma centers lack sufficient 
beds to meet their daily mission, much less absorb large numbers of 
victims from a terrorist attack. Few ambulance personnel know how to 
assess a blast scene or properly evaluate multiple casualties from a 
bombing. The tiny amount of federal funding ($3.5 million) devoted to 
trauma systems planning and development is being targeted for 
elimination by the House.

<>One reason we are so ill-prepared is that the bulk of federal 
preparedness funds have been poured into bioterrorism, a frightening but 
less likely threat. Over the past three years, billions in taxpayer 
dollars have been spent to purchase "sniffer stations," mount an 
ill-fated and ultimately unsuccessful vaccination campaign against 
smallpox, and stockpile antibiotics. There are 17 federally funded 
Centers for Public Health Preparedness in the United States that focus 
exclusively on biological and other exotic weapons of mass destruction. 
There is not one focused on civilian injuries from explosives.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/04/AR2005080401826.html 

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From swiggard at comcast.net  Fri Aug  5 07:01:37 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (William Swiggard)
Date: Fri Aug  5 07:05:50 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Exploration on Georges Bank OK'd - Boston Globe
Message-ID: <42F37141.4090202@comcast.net>

Exploration on Georges Bank OK'd
Critics say oil, gas survey could disrupt fishing grounds

<>By Rick Klein, Globe Staff  |  August 5, 2005

WASHINGTON -- A provision tucked into the energy bill approved by 
Congress last week calls on the government to conduct a survey of 
potential oil and gas drilling at sites along the entire US coastline, 
including Georges Bank off the coast of Nantucket.

The measure directs the Department of Interior to conduct an ''inventory 
and analysis of oil and gas resources" beneath the outer continental 
shelf, the relatively shallow areas beginning about 3 miles off the 
nation's coastline. That includes Georges Bank, a vast underwater 
plateau that stretches from Cape Cod to Nova Scotia and has been among 
the world's most fertile fishing grounds.

Energy companies have sought to drill for oil and gas on the bank for 
more than 30 years, prompting protracted legal and congressional 
battles. A ban on drilling has been in place since 1982, and the current 
moratorium runs through 2012. The energy bill, which President Bush is 
expected to sign next week, does not alter the drilling ban but lifts 
the prohibition on exploration, which was added during the 1990s.

Some fishing and environmental groups say that even looking for the 
buried resources could disrupt the fragile ecological environment at 
Georges Bank at a time that authorities are trying to restock declining 
fish populations. The measure specifically authorizes ''3-D seismic 
technology," where the ocean floor is mapped through the use of air guns 
that emit high-intensity sound waves, potentially harming fish.

If the exploration suggests that significant petroleum sits beneath the 
bank, political pressure could mount for the Bush administration or 
Congress to reverse the moratorium that has protected Georges and other 
pristine tracts like it for decades, said Richard Charter, cochairman of 
the National OCS Coalition, an association of environmental and fishing 
groups formed to prevent drilling on the outer continental shelf.

<>''It's more than a foot in the door -- it's the entire camel under the 
tent," Charter said of authorizing oil exploration. ''When you're trying 
to restore a damaged fishery, it's counterintuitive to introduce 
something that will further damage fisheries in a real way. The cost is 
likely to be the survivability of the ecosystem."

http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2005/08/05/exploration_on_georges_bank_okd/ 

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From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Fri Aug  5 07:56:54 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (mblaxill@yahoo.com)
Date: Fri Aug  5 07:59:45 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] NYTimes.com: Shortages Stifle a Boom Time for the Solar
	Industry
Message-ID: <20050805145654.B494B83C92@lax-gw03.mroute.net>

This page was sent to you by: mblaxill@yahoo.com.

NATIONAL | August 5, 2005
Shortages Stifle a Boom Time for the Solar Industry
By CHRIS DIXON
American suppliers for the solar energy industry say that burgeoning demand and shortages of raw material have created back orders on photovoltaic panels.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/05/national/05solar.html?ex=1123905600&en=637066063b300ecd&ei=5070&emc=eta1



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From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Fri Aug  5 07:57:58 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (mblaxill@yahoo.com)
Date: Fri Aug  5 08:00:43 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] NYTimes.com: Design for Confusion
Message-ID: <20050805145758.0583424AE95@lax-gw02.mroute.net>

This page was sent to you by: mblaxill@yahoo.com.

OPINION | August 5, 2005
Op-Ed Columnist: Design for Confusion
By PAUL KRUGMAN
All intelligent design has to do to be effective is create confusion about the validity of evolutionary theory.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/05/opinion/05krugman.html?ex=1123905600&en=f1c7eede740e674f&ei=5070&emc=eta1




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From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Fri Aug  5 07:59:44 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (mblaxill@yahoo.com)
Date: Fri Aug  5 08:02:29 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] NYTimes.com: Less Affordable Housing
Message-ID: <20050805145944.974D73AE548@lax-gw06.mroute.net>

This page was sent to you by: mblaxill@yahoo.com.

OPINION | August 5, 2005
Editorial: Less Affordable Housing

The better part of prudence would be to assume that rising unaffordability of housing was an early warning sign that the market was nearing a top.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/05/opinion/05fri3.html?ex=1123905600&en=0e9e0bcc3619c8fa&ei=5070&emc=eta1




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From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Fri Aug  5 08:01:48 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (mblaxill@yahoo.com)
Date: Fri Aug  5 08:04:34 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] NYTimes.com: Europe Offers Iran Proposal Giving It a
	Nuclear Future
Message-ID: <20050805150148.DD6E83AE48D@lax-gw06.mroute.net>

This page was sent to you by: mblaxill@yahoo.com.

INTERNATIONAL / MIDDLE EAST | August 5, 2005
Europe Offers Iran Proposal Giving It a Nuclear Future
By STEVEN R. WEISMAN
The proposal allows Iran to acquire nuclear reactors and normalize ties with the West if it agrees to end nuclear activities.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/05/international/middleeast/05cnd-iran.html?ex=1123905600&en=f1c1e1eb67fb735e&ei=5070&emc=eta1



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From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Fri Aug  5 08:03:03 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (mblaxill@yahoo.com)
Date: Fri Aug  5 08:05:48 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] NYTimes.com: Toyota Develops Hybrids With an Eye on the
	Future
Message-ID: <20050805150303.315EC83D08@lax-gw03.mroute.net>

This page was sent to you by: mblaxill@yahoo.com.

AUTOMOBILES | August 4, 2005
Toyota Develops Hybrids With an Eye on the Future
By DANNY HAKIM
Toyota expects that a quarter of its sales in the United States will use hybrid electric technology by early in the next decade.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/04/automobiles/04auto.ready.html?ex=1123905600&en=78fc6c5324bb1a41&ei=5070&emc=eta1



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From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Fri Aug  5 09:32:31 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (mblaxill@yahoo.com)
Date: Fri Aug  5 09:35:18 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Headlines for August 5, 2005
Message-ID: <20050805163231.20438.qmail@trinity.democracynow.org>

Mike Blaxill  ( mblaxill@yahoo.com )
sent you this story from democracynow.org



+--------------------------------------------------------------------+
|  Headlines for August 5, 2005
|  http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=05/08/05/1548226
+--------------------------------------------------------------------+


- Al Qaeda's No. 2 Warns of Future Attacks
- London Mayor On Iraq Withdrawal, Galloway Praises Resistance
- Iran's New President Assumes Power
- Two AIPAC Employees Charged in Intel Scandal
- UN Team: New Israel Barrier Violates Int'l Law
- Chevron Pays Nigerian Soldiers Alleged to Have Killed Villagers
- Bob Novak Swears on CNN, Storms Off Set On Live TV
- Hiroshima Anniversary
- 10th Anniversary of 'Single Greatest' Ethnic Cleansing of Yugoslav War

This story continues at: 
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=05/08/05/1548226

From villasudjuan at wanadoo.fr  Fri Aug  5 09:55:58 2005
From: villasudjuan at wanadoo.fr (villasudjuan)
Date: Fri Aug  5 10:08:32 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] FW: Amir Taheri - New Crisis Looms Over Iran's Nuclear
	Program
In-Reply-To: <3D8F163E-F511-44D7-A0A5-F71ACDA87F4C@thesamiis.com>
Message-ID: <200508051708.j75H8SHS024854@dune.islandtechnologies.net>

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From villasudjuan at wanadoo.fr  Fri Aug  5 09:30:55 2005
From: villasudjuan at wanadoo.fr (villasudjuan)
Date: Fri Aug  5 10:12:40 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] FW: US May Deny Visa for Ahmadinejad !!!
In-Reply-To: <6D0E0421-A18F-4E1D-84B2-EBFAD1BB7096@thesamiis.com>
Message-ID: <200508051712.j75HCcMw024873@dune.islandtechnologies.net>

    
------ Forwarded Message
From: Samii Shahla <shahla@thesamiis.com>
Date: Fri, 5 Aug 2005 11:55:34 -0400
Subject: US May Deny Visa for Ahmadinejad !!!

FT

US may deny visa for Iran leader's UN address
>By Guy Dinmore in Washington
>August 5 2005
>>
The Bush administration is considering taking the unprecedented step of
preventing a visting head of state from addressing the United Nations in New
York by denying a visa to Mahmoud Ahmadi-Nejad, Iran's new elected
conservative president.

Officials said a decision rested on investigations into whether Mr
Ahmadi-Nejad was involved in the 1979 US embassy hostage crisis and the
killing of an Iranian-Kurdish dissident leader in Vienna in 1989. Iran
denies his involvement in either event.

A top Iranian official confirmed Thursday that Mr Ahmadi-Nejad, who took
office on Wednesday, planned to address the UN Millennium Summit and its
annual General Assembly next month. His US visa application is expected to
be submitted on Friday.

The trip would be ?mutually beneficial to the US and Iran?, the official
added. The State Department said: ?It is premature to comment until a
request for a visa has been made.?

An official said agencies were examining whether there was sufficient
evidence to deny a visa and how this would be justified under international
law.

Stephane Dujarric, UN spokesman, said: ?The host country agreement calls on
the US not to impose any impediment to the travel to the UN of any
representative of a member state on official business.?

Yasser Arafat, Palestine Liberation Organisation chairman, was denied entry
in 1988. He addressed the UN in Geneva. Mohammad Khatami, Iran's previous
president, spoke at the UN several times, most notably just weeks after the
September 2001 attacks, which he condemned.

Former US diplomats allege they recognise Mr Ahmadi-Nejad as one of their
captors, but the Central Intelligence Agency has found no confirmation of
this.

Additional reporting by Mark Turner at the UN

---

URL:?http://news.ft.com/cms/s/f1dc9ce6-055e-11da-97da-00000e2511c8.html

 <http://iranpetition.org/Vote/Default.asp?ID=1123156708>

---


Vote here:


http://iranpetition.org/Vote/Default.asp?ID=1123156708
<http://iranpetition.org/Vote/Default.asp?ID=1123156708>
?
?


------ End of Forwarded Message

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From michael at intrafi.com  Fri Aug  5 10:35:09 2005
From: michael at intrafi.com (michael@intrafi.com)
Date: Fri Aug  5 10:38:00 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] FT.com / International Economy / Oil - Big Oil warns of
	coming energy crunch
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From michael at intrafi.com  Fri Aug  5 10:36:09 2005
From: michael at intrafi.com (michael@intrafi.com)
Date: Fri Aug  5 10:38:56 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] FT.com / International Economy / Oil - Simulation shows
	US held over a barrel
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From michael at intrafi.com  Fri Aug  5 10:38:36 2005
From: michael at intrafi.com (michael@intrafi.com)
Date: Fri Aug  5 10:41:25 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] FT.com / Comment & analysis / Comment - America has two
	choices in Iraq: exit or success
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From villasudjuan at wanadoo.fr  Fri Aug  5 10:05:36 2005
From: villasudjuan at wanadoo.fr (villasudjuan)
Date: Fri Aug  5 11:22:51 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] FW: Shipment of high explosives intercepted in Iraq 
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From michael at intrafi.com  Fri Aug  5 11:37:58 2005
From: michael at intrafi.com (michael@intrafi.com)
Date: Fri Aug  5 11:41:20 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] An article for you from an Economist.com reader.
Message-ID: <200508051814.OAA25212@stage-web-app.economist.com>

  
- AN ARTICLE FOR YOU, FROM ECONOMIST.COM - 

Dear civic,

Michael Butler (michael@intrafi.com) wants you to see this article on Economist.com.



(Note: the sender's e-mail address above has not been verified.)

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WORLD TRADE ORGANISATION
Aug 4th 2005  

Does the World Trade Organisation promote trade? A reprise

SUPACHAI PANITCHPAKDI, the softly spoken director-general of the World
Trade Organisation (WTO), steps down this month with precious little to
shout about. Not so long ago, he was hoping to announce a breakthrough
in the Doha round of trade talks, which must agree on a template for
cutting tariffs and subsidies at a big ministerial meeting in Hong Kong
this December. But instead of ending on a high, Mr Panitchpakdi's watch
closed with kerfuffles over bananas and ball-bearings.

On August 1st, the WTO rejected the European Union's (EU) proposed
reform of its banana policy, which favours growers in its former
colonies over cheaper plantations in Latin America. On the same day,
Japan, traditionally a pacifist in trade wars, said it would retaliate
against America's abuse of the WTO's anti-dumping rules. Japan will put
an extra 15% duty on 15 American products, including forklift trucks
and ball-bearings. With litigation and retaliation overshadowing
negotiation, the high hopes invested in the Doha round look
increasingly vain.


Were those hopes misplaced from the start? Perhaps so, according to
Andrew Rose, of the University of California, Berkeley. In a
much-debated paper*[1], first circulated in 2002 and published last
year in the AMERICAN ECONOMIC REVIEW, Mr Rose failed to find any
compelling evidence that the WTO or its predecessor, the General
Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), promoted trade. Yes, trade has
bloomed since the GATT was founded in 1948. But it has flowered for the
system's members and non-members alike. By this reckoning, the "hoopla"
and "hype" that surrounds the WTO's successes, failures and admissions
of new members are just that: hoopla and hype.

Needless to say, Mr Rose's results have generated much puzzlement and
discussion, in this column ("Weighing up the WTO[2]", November 23rd
2002) and elsewhere. So which stands up better to scrutiny? Mr Rose's
results, or the WTO's record?

One of the more interesting questions is also the most basic: who is in
and who is out? A recent working paper&#8224;[3] by three political
scientists at Stanford University points out that perhaps as many as 78
countries were members of the post-war GATT in all but name. Counting
these countries as members overturns Mr Rose's damning verdict on the
system, they claim. By contrast, another critique&#8224;&#8224;[4], by
Arvind Subramanian and Shang-Jin Wei of the IMF, argues that many
countries are members of the WTO in name only. Discounting them also
changes Mr Rose's results.

The Stanford authors show that many colonies took on the rights and
responsibilities of GATT membership, even if their names did not appear
on the organisation's roster. For example, all of France's territories,
except Morocco, had the agreement accepted on their behalf by the
"mother country". When they won their independence, many colonies
remained de facto members for a twilight period, while they decided
whether to sign up in their own right. They were joined by another
group of countries, such as Switzerland and Israel, that became
"provisional" GATT members for years before they were accepted as fully
fledged insiders. If all of these dependants, wannabes and hangers-on
are counted as members, the authors find that trade between GATT
insiders is 72% higher than trade between outsiders. 

A POOR SHOWING
Messrs Subramanian and Wei take a different tack. They argue that
poorer countries, even founding members of the GATT such as India, have
not been true protagonists in the system. These countries enjoy
"special and differential treatment", which exempts them from any great
obligation to liberalise. By the late 1980s, for example, developing
countries had agreed to set ceilings on less than a third of their
tariffs. And because the few ceilings they had established were
typically higher than existing tariffs, they were not meaningful.

Exempted from so much, developing countries have had little to offer
fellow members. They have a seat at the negotiations, but nothing much
on the table. As a result, many of the sectors in which they enjoy a
comparative advantage, such as agriculture, textiles and clothing, were
neglected by successive trade rounds.

Messrs Subramanian and Wei hope that this is changing. They show that
developing countries, such as China, which joined the WTO more recently
have been asked to open up much more as the price of entry.
Nonetheless, the WTO and the GATT appear much more successful if
developing countries are left out of the picture. Membership boosts the
imports of rich countries by 175%, the Fund economists reckon. The WTO
and its predecessor have done a "splendid job of promoting trade".

Some of the other differences between their calculations and Mr Rose's
are more subtle and methodological. They look only at a country's
imports, not its exports. They also quarrel with Mr Rose's treatment of
regional trade agreements, such as the North American Free Trade
Agreement. If two countries are members of such a pact, WTO membership
adds little, if anything, to their trade with each other. Mr Rose holds
this against the WTO. The two Fund economists think it is wrong to
expect otherwise. 

But in the end, their disagreement is more apparent than real. Though
they are fans of the WTO, Messrs Subramanian and Wei concede that it
demands too little of its poorer members, is often superseded by
regional trade agreements (where they exist), and has historically
neglected agriculture, textiles and clothing. Aside from that, the two
economists liked the play. Or, as Mr Rose wryly puts it, "if you ignore
its many failures, the GATT/WTO has been successful."

*"Do We Really Know that the WTO Increases Trade?[5]". AMERICAN
ECONOMIC REVIEW, March 2004

&#8224;"Membership has its Privileges[6]", by Michael Tomz, Judith
Goldstein and Douglas Rivers. Working paper, February 2005

&#8224;&#8224;"The WTO Promotes Trade Strongly but Unevenly[7]", CEPR
Discussion Paper 5122. July 2005

-----
[1] http://www.economist.com/#footnote1
[2] http://www.economist.com/displayStory.cfm?story_ID=1454428
[3] http://www.economist.com/#footnote1
[4] http://www.economist.com/#footnote1
 

See this article with graphics and related items at http://www.economist.com/research/articlesBySubject/displayStory.cfm?story_id=4251046&subjectID=682268&fsrc=nwl&emailauth=%2527%252E%2525WL%255F%253C%255B0R%2521%2528%2520%250A

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From jefbek at mindspring.com  Fri Aug  5 11:59:02 2005
From: jefbek at mindspring.com (Jef Bek)
Date: Fri Aug  5 12:02:44 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] The Message Thing
Message-ID: <BF190506.D20%jefbek@mindspring.com>

The New York Times

August 4, 2005

The Message Thing
By JIM WALLIS

SINCE the 2004 election, there has been much soul-searching and
hand-wringing, especially among Democrats, about how to "frame" political
messages. The loss to George W. Bush was painful enough, but the
Republicans' post-election claims of mandate, and their triumphal promises
to relegate the Democrats to permanent minority status, left political
liberals in a state of panic.

 So the minority party has been searching, some would say desperately, for
the right "narrative": the best story line, metaphors, even magic words to
bring back electoral success. The operative term among Democratic
politicians and strategists has become "framing." How to tell the story has
become more important than the story itself. And that could be a bigger
mistake for the Democrats than the ones they made during the election.

Language is clearly important in politics, but the message remains more
important than the messaging. In the interests of full disclosure, let me
note that I have been talking to the Democrats about both. But I believe
that first, you must get your message straight. What are your best ideas,
and what are you for-as opposed to what you're against in the other party's
message? Only when you answer those questions can you figure out how to
present your message to the American people.

 Because the Republicans, with the help of the religious right, have
captured the language of values and religion (narrowly conceived as only
abortion and gay marriage), the Democrats have also been asking how to "take
back the faith." But that means far more than throwing a few Bible verses
into policy discussions, offering candidates some good lines from famous
hymns, or teaching them how to clap at the right times in black churches.
Democrats need to focus on the content of religious convictions and the
values that underlie them.

 The discussion that shapes our political future should be one about moral
values, but the questions to ask are these: Whose values? Which values? And
how broadly and deeply will our political values be defined? Democrats must
offer new ideas and a fresh agenda, rather than linguistic strategies to
sell an old set of ideologies and interest group demands.

To be specific, I offer five areas in which the Democrats should change
their message and then their messaging.

 First, somebody must lead on the issue of poverty, and right now neither
party is doing so. The Democrats assume the poverty issue belongs to them,
but with the exception of John Edwards in his 2004 campaign, they haven't
mustered the gumption to oppose a government that habitually favors the
wealthy over everyone else. Democrats need new policies to offer the 36
million Americans, including 13 million children, who live below the poverty
line, as well as the 9.8 million families one recent study identified as
"working hard but falling short."

 In fact, the Democrats should draw a line in the sand when it comes to
wartime tax cuts for the wealthy, rising deficits, and the slashing of
programs for low-income families and children. They need proposals that
combine to create a "living family income" for wage-earners, as well as a
platform of "fair trade," as opposed to just free trade, in the global
economy. Such proposals would cause a break with many of the Democrats'
powerful corporate sponsors, but they would open the way for a truly
progressive economic agenda. Many Americans, including religious voters who
see poverty as a compelling issue of conscience, desire such a platform.

 Similarly, a growing number of American Christians speak of the environment
as a religious concern - one of stewardship of God's creation. The National
Association of Evangelicals recently called global warming a faith issue.
But Republicans consistently choose oil and gas interests over a cleaner
world. The Democrats need to call for the reversal of these priorities. They
must insist that private interests should never obstruct our country's path
to a cleaner and more efficient energy future, let alone hold our foreign
policy hostage to the dictates of repressive regimes in the Middle East.

On the issues that Republicans have turned into election-winning "wedges,"
Democrats will win back "values voters" only with fresh ideas. Abortion is
one such case. Democrats need to think past catchphrases, like "a woman's
right to choose," or the alternative, "safe, legal and rare." More than 1
million abortions are performed every year in this country. The Democrats
should set forth proposals that aim to reduce that number by at least half.
Such a campaign could emphasize adoption reform, health care, and child
care; combating teenage pregnancy and sexual abuse; improving poor and
working women's incomes; and supporting reasonable restrictions on abortion,
like parental notification for minors (with necessary legal protections
against parental abuse). Such a program could help create some much-needed
common ground.

As for "family values," the Democrats can become the truly pro-family party
by supporting parents in doing the most important and difficult job in
America: raising children. They need to adopt serious pro-family policies,
including some that defend children against Hollywood sleaze and Internet
pornography. That's an issue that has come to be identified with the
religious right. But when I say in public lectures that being a parent is
now a countercultural activity, I've found that liberal and conservative
parents agree. Rather than fighting over gay marriage, the Democrats must
show that it is indeed possible to be "pro-family" and in favor of gay civil
rights at the same time.

Finally, on national security, Democrats should argue that the safety of the
United States depends on the credibility of its international leadership. We
can secure that credibility in Iraq only when we renounce any claim to oil
or future military bases - something Democrats should advocate as the first
step toward bringing other countries to our side. While Republicans have
argued that international institutions are too weak to be relied upon in the
age of terrorism, Democrats should suggest reforming them, creating a real
International Criminal Court with an enforcement body, for example, as well
as an international force capable of intervening in places like Darfur.
Stronger American leadership in reducing global poverty would also go a long
way toward improving the country's image around the world.

Until Democrats are willing to be honest about the need for new social
policy and compelling political vision, they will never get the message
right. Find the vision first, and the language will follow.

 Jim Wallis, the editor of Sojourners magazine, is the author of "God's
Politics: Why the Right Gets It Wrong and the Left Doesn't Get It."

From michael at intrafi.com  Fri Aug  5 12:08:49 2005
From: michael at intrafi.com (michael@intrafi.com)
Date: Fri Aug  5 12:11:35 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Alternet: Lessons Learned, Lessons Not Learned
Message-ID: <20050805190849.B6BB6B81BE@alternet.org>


This story has been forwarded to you from
http://www.alternet.org by michael@intrafi.com



-------------------------------------
Lessons Learned, Lessons Not Learned
http://www.alternet.org/story/23915

Sixty years after Hiroshima, the damage from those nuclear bombs remains, and the threat is ever increasing.
-------------------------------------

From michael at intrafi.com  Fri Aug  5 12:11:46 2005
From: michael at intrafi.com (michael@intrafi.com)
Date: Fri Aug  5 12:14:32 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Alternet: Anonymous Lies From Anonymous Sources
Message-ID: <20050805191146.E02BBB81BE@alternet.org>


This story has been forwarded to you from
http://www.alternet.org by michael@intrafi.com



-------------------------------------
Anonymous Lies From Anonymous Sources
http://www.alternet.org/story/23913

The Valerie Plame affair exposes more than just Karl Rove's dirty tricks -- it exposes the press. 
-------------------------------------

From jefbek at mindspring.com  Fri Aug  5 12:22:24 2005
From: jefbek at mindspring.com (Jef Bek)
Date: Fri Aug  5 12:26:11 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] "What have we done?"
Message-ID: <BF190A80.D24%jefbek@mindspring.com>

http://dahrjamailiraq.com/weblog/archives/dispatches/000271.php

Dahr Jamail's Iraq Dispatches

Iraq Dispatches

Tomgram: Dahr Jamail on the Zarqawi Phenomenon August 05, 2005

"What Have We Done?"

As the blood of US soldiers continues to drain into the hot sands of Iraq
over the last several days with at least 27 US soldiers killed and the
approval rating for his handling of the debacle in Iraq dropping to an
all-time low of 38%, Mr. Bush commented from the comforts of his ranch in
Crawford, Texas today, ?We will stay the course, we will complete the job in
Iraq.?

Just a two hour drive away in Dallas, at the Veterans for Peace National
Convention in Dallas, I?m sitting with a roomful of veterans from the
current quagmire.

When asked what he would say to Mr. Bush if he had the chance to speak to
him, Abdul Henderson, a corporal in the Marines who served in Iraq from
March until May, 2003, took a deep breath and said, ?It would be two hits-me
hitting him and him hitting the floor. I see this guy in the most
prestigious office in the world, and this guy says ?bring it on.? A guy who
ain?t never been shot at, never seen anyone suffering, saying ?bring it on??
He gets to act like a cowboy in a western movie?it?s sickening to me.?

The other vets with him nod in agreement as he speaks somberly?his anger
seething.

One of them, Alex Ryabov, a corporal in an artillery unit which was in Iraq
the first three months of the invasion, asked for some time to formulate his
response to the same question.

?I don?t think Bush will ever realize how many millions of lives he and his
lackeys have ruined on their quest for money, greed and power,? he says, ?To
take the patriotism of the American people for granted?the fact that people
(his administration) are willing to lie and make excuses for you while you
continue to kill and maim the youth of America and ruin countless
families?and still manage to do so with a smile on your face.?

Taking a deep breath to steady himself he continues as if addressing Bush
first-hand; ?You needs to resign, take the billions of dollars you?ve made
off the blood and sweat of US service members?.all the suffering you?ve
caused us, and put those billions of dollars into the VA to take care of the
men and women you sent to be slaughtered. Yet all those billions aren?t
enough to even try to compensate all the people who have been affected by
this.?

These new additions to Veterans for Peace are actively living the statement
of purpose of the organization, having pledged to work with others towards
increasing public awareness of the costs of war, to work to restrain their
government from intervening, overtly and covertly, in the internal affairs
of other nations and to see justice for veterans and victims of war, among
other goals.

I type furiously for three hours, trying to keep up with the stories each of
the men shared?.about the atrocities of what they saw, and committed, while
in Iraq. 

Camilo Mejia, an army staff sergeant who was sentenced to a year in military
prison in May, 2004 for refusing to return to Iraq after being home on
leave, talks openly about what he did there:

?What it all comes down to is redemption for what was done there. I was
turning ambulances away from going to hospitals, I killed civilians, I
tortured guys?and I?m ashamed of that. Once you are there, it has nothing to
do with politics?it has to do with you as an individual being there and
killing people for no reason. There is no purpose, and now I?m sick at
myself for doing these things. I kept telling myself I was there for my
buddies. It was a weak reasoning?because I still shut my mouth and did my
job.?

Mejia then spoke candidly about why he refused to return:

?It wasn?t until I came home that I felt it-how wrong it all was and that I
was a coward for pushing my principles aside. I?m trying to buy my way back
into heaven?and it?s not so much what I did, but what I didn?t do to stop it
when I was there. So now it?s a way of trying to undo the evil that we did
over there. This is why I?m speaking out, and not going back. This is a
painful process and we?re going through it.?

Camilo Mejia was then quick to point towards the success of his organization
and his colleagues. ?When I went back to Iraq in October of 2003, the
Pentagon said there were 22 AWOL?s. Five months later it was 500, and when I
got out of jail that number was 5,000. These are the Pentagons? numbers for
the military. Two things are significant here-the number went from 500-5,000
in 11 months, and these are the numbers from the Pentagon.?

While the military is falling short of its recruitment goals across the
board and the disaster in Iraq spiraling deeper into chaos with each passing
day, these are little consolation for these men who have paid the price
they?ve had to pay to be at this convention. They continue to pay, but at
the same time stand firm in their resolve to bring an end to the occupation
of Iraq and to help their fellow soldiers.

Ryabov then begins to tell of his unit firing the wrong artillery rounds
which hit 5-10 km from their intended target.

?We have no idea where those rounds fell, or what they hit,? he says quietly
while two of the men hold their heads in their hands, ?Now we?ve come to
these realizations and we?re trying to educate people to save them from
going through the same thing.?

After talking of the use of uranium munitions, of which Ryabov stated 300
tons of which were used in the ?91 Gulf War, and 2,200 tons and counting
having been used thus far in the current war, he adds, ?We were put in a
foreign country and fire artillery and kill people?and it shouldn?t have
even happened in the first place. It?s hard to put into words the full
tragedy of it-the death and suffering on both sides. I feel a grave
injustice has been done and I?m trying to correct it. You do all these
things and come back and think, ?what have we done?? We just rolled right by
an Iraqi man with a gunshot in his thigh and two guys near him waving white
flags?.he probably bled to death.?

Harvey Tharp sitting with us served in Kirkuk. His position of being in
charge of some reconstruction projects in northern Iraq allowed him to form
many close friendships with Iraqis?something that prompts him to ask me to
tell more people of the generous culture of the Iraqi people. His
friendships apparently brought the war much closer to home for him.

?What I concluded last summer when I was waiting to transfer to NSA was that
not only were our reasons for being there lies, but we just weren?t there to
help the Iraqis. So in November of ?04 I told my commander I couldn?t take
part in this. I would have been sent into Fallujah, and he was going to
order me in to do my job. I also chose not to go back because the dropping
of bombs in urban areas like Fallujah are a violation of the laws of warfare
because of the near certainty of collateral damage. For me, seeing the full
humanity of Iraqis made me realize I couldn?t participate in these
operations.?

Tharp goes on to say that he believes there are still Vietnam vets who think
that that was a necessary war and adds, ?I think it?s because that keeps the
demons at bay for them to believe it is justified?this is their coping
mechanism. We, as Americans, have to face the total obvious truth that this
was all because of a lie. We are speaking out because we have to speak out.
We want to help other vets tell other vets their story?to keep people from
drinking themselves to death.?

When he is asked what he would say to Mr. Bush if he had a few moments with
him, he too took some time to think about it, then says, ?It is obvious that
middle America is starting to turn against this war and to turn against
you?for good reason. The only thing I could see that would arrest this
inevitable fall that you deserve, is another 9/11 or another war with say,
Iran. There are some very credible indications in the media that we are
already in pre-war with Iran. What I?m trying to do is find a stand
Americans can take against you, but I think people are willing to say ?don?t
you dare do this to us again.? My message to the American people is this-do
you want to go another round with these people? If not-now is the time to
say so.?

The men are using this time to tell more of why they are resisting the
illegal occupation, and it?s difficult to ask new questions as they are
adding to what one another share.

?I didn?t want to kill another soul for no reason. That?s it,? adds
Henderson, ?We were firing into small towns?.you see people just running,
cars going, guys falling off bikes?it was just sad. You just sit there and
look through your binos and see things blowing up, and you think, man they
have no water, living in the third world, and we?re just bombing them to
hell. Blowing up buildings, shrapnel tearing people to shreds.?

Tharp jumps in and adds, ?Most of what we?re talking about is war crimes?war
crimes because they are directed by our government for power projection. My
easy answer for not going is PTSD?but the deeper moral reason is that I
didn?t want to be involved in a crime against humanity.?

Ryabov then adds, ?We were put in a foreign country to fire artillery and
kill people?and it shouldn?t have even happened in the first place. It?s
hard to put into words the full tragedy of it-the death and suffering on
both sides. I feel a grave injustice has been done and I?m trying to correct
it. You do all these things and come back and think, what have we done??

Michael Hoffman served as a Marine Corps corporal who fought in Tikrit and
Baghdad, and has since become a co-founder of Iraq Veterans Against the War.

?Nobody wants to kill another person and think it was because of a lie.
Nobody wants to think their service was in vain,? says Hoffman.

His response to what he would say to Mr. Bush is simple, ?I would look him
straight in the eye and ask him ?why?? And I would hold him there and make
him answer me. He never has to deal with us one on one. I dare him to talk
to any of us like that, one on one, and give us an answer.?

Hoffman then adds, ?What about the 3 year old Iraqi girl who is now an
orphan with diseases and nightmares for the rest of her life for what we
did? And the people who orchestrated this don?t have to pay anything. How
many times are my children going to have to go through this? Our only choice
is to fight this to try to stop it from happening again.?

Earlier this same day Mr. Bush said, ?We cannot leave this task half
finished, we must take it all the way to the end.?

However, Charlie Anderson, another Iraq veteran, had strong words for Bush.
After discussing how the background radiation in Baghdad is now five times
the normal rate-the equivalent of having 3 chest x-rays an hour, he said,
?These are not accidents-the DU [Depleted Uraniaum]-it?s important for
people to understand this-the use of DU and its effects are by design. These
are very carefully engineered and orchestrated incidents.?

While the entire group nods in agreement and two other soldiers stand up to
shake his hand, Anderson says firmly, ?You subverted us, you destroyed our
lives, you owe us. I want your resignation in my hand in the next five
minutes. Get packin? Georgie.?


Posted by Dahr_Jamail at August 5, 2005 07:17 AM



From geomilman at milman.com  Fri Aug  5 09:20:10 2005
From: geomilman at milman.com (George R. Milman)
Date: Fri Aug  5 12:26:45 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] FW: Bush's Speechwriter
Message-ID: <200508051926.j75JQg58025182@dune.islandtechnologies.net>

 

http://www.xroadsfilms.com/batescomedycentral/

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From hecate at diamonddragon.com  Fri Aug  5 12:31:45 2005
From: hecate at diamonddragon.com (Hecate)
Date: Fri Aug  5 12:34:45 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] BBC E-mail: Tension mounts as Iran mulls nuclear plan
Message-ID: <20050805_193145_050792.hecate@diamonddragon.com>

Hecate saw this story on BBC News Online and thought you
should see it.

** Message **
But when it comes to the main disagreement between the two sides, the EU position has not budged an inch from earlier negotiations. 



** Tension mounts as Iran mulls nuclear plan **
The EU's latest nuclear plan for Iran appears unlikely to win favour in Tehran, says the BBC's Bridget Kendall.
< http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/fr/-/2/hi/middle_east/4125624.stm >


** BBC Daily E-mail **
Choose the news and sport headlines you want - when you want them, all
in one daily e-mail
< http://www.bbc.co.uk/dailyemail/ >


** Disclaimer **
The BBC is not responsible for the content of this e-mail, and anything written in this e-mail does not necessarily reflect the BBC's views or opinions. Please note that neither the e-mail address nor name of the sender have?been verified.

If you do not wish to receive such e-mails in the future or want to know more about the BBC's Email a Friend service, please read our frequently asked questions. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/help/4162471.stm

From hecate at diamonddragon.com  Fri Aug  5 12:34:59 2005
From: hecate at diamonddragon.com (Hecate)
Date: Fri Aug  5 12:37:46 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] BBC E-mail: N Korea talks 'near to deadlock'
Message-ID: <20050805_193459_034333.hecate@diamonddragon.com>

Hecate saw this story on BBC News Online and thought you
should see it.

** Message **
"The two sides could not narrow their differences on the peaceful use of nuclear energy," Xinhua quoted a South Korean delegate as saying

** N Korea talks 'near to deadlock' **
North Korea's wish to keep a "peaceful nuclear capacity" appears to deadlock six-nation talks in Beijing.
< http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/fr/-/2/hi/asia-pacific/4748671.stm >


** BBC Daily E-mail **
Choose the news and sport headlines you want - when you want them, all
in one daily e-mail
< http://www.bbc.co.uk/dailyemail/ >


** Disclaimer **
The BBC is not responsible for the content of this e-mail, and anything written in this e-mail does not necessarily reflect the BBC's views or opinions. Please note that neither the e-mail address nor name of the sender have?been verified.

If you do not wish to receive such e-mails in the future or want to know more about the BBC's Email a Friend service, please read our frequently asked questions. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/help/4162471.stm

From hecate at diamonddragon.com  Fri Aug  5 12:35:53 2005
From: hecate at diamonddragon.com (Hecate)
Date: Fri Aug  5 12:38:40 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] BBC E-mail: China charges HK reporter as spy
Message-ID: <20050805_193553_022872.hecate@diamonddragon.com>

Hecate saw this story on BBC News Online and thought you
should see it.

** Message **
Mr Ching, the chief China correspondent for Singapore's Straits Times, had been detained since late April. 

China accuses him of buying information and passing it to Taiwan's intelligence services over a period of five years from 2000 to March 2005. 

If Mr Ching is convicted, he could face the death penalty. 



** China charges HK reporter as spy **
Chinese authorities formally charge a Hong Kong journalist detained since April with spying for Taiwan.
< http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/fr/-/2/hi/asia-pacific/4747613.stm >


** BBC Daily E-mail **
Choose the news and sport headlines you want - when you want them, all
in one daily e-mail
< http://www.bbc.co.uk/dailyemail/ >


** Disclaimer **
The BBC is not responsible for the content of this e-mail, and anything written in this e-mail does not necessarily reflect the BBC's views or opinions. Please note that neither the e-mail address nor name of the sender have?been verified.

If you do not wish to receive such e-mails in the future or want to know more about the BBC's Email a Friend service, please read our frequently asked questions. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/help/4162471.stm

From hecate at diamonddragon.com  Fri Aug  5 14:29:11 2005
From: hecate at diamonddragon.com (Hecate)
Date: Fri Aug  5 14:32:03 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] BBC E-mail: Rural theatre and the London bombs
Message-ID: <20050805_212911_000190.hecate@diamonddragon.com>

Hecate saw this story on BBC News Online and thought you
should see it.

** Message **
Jatra usually consists of four-hour-long, high-energy plays featuring loud music, harsh lighting and extravagant props played out on giant stages under open skies.


But groups like the Digbijoy Opera - one of Calcutta's 55-odd jatra troupes - believe that plays based on "sensational breaking news" are now a bigger draw with rural audiences.



** Rural theatre and the London bombs **
Traditional rural theatre in India's West Bengal state is being treated to current news themes, writes Soutik Biswas.
< http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/fr/-/2/hi/south_asia/4748813.stm >


** BBC Daily E-mail **
Choose the news and sport headlines you want - when you want them, all
in one daily e-mail
< http://www.bbc.co.uk/dailyemail/ >


** Disclaimer **
The BBC is not responsible for the content of this e-mail, and anything written in this e-mail does not necessarily reflect the BBC's views or opinions. Please note that neither the e-mail address nor name of the sender have?been verified.

If you do not wish to receive such e-mails in the future or want to know more about the BBC's Email a Friend service, please read our frequently asked questions. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/help/4162471.stm

From barbarasiomos38 at msn.com  Fri Aug  5 16:25:38 2005
From: barbarasiomos38 at msn.com (Barbara Siomos)
Date: Fri Aug  5 16:28:30 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] From: A. Huffington,
	"The Judy Miller File Expands While W Goes Postmodern"
Message-ID: <BAY5-DAV18EAA55BFFE2EDC4471EA8ABC70@phx.gbl>



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Subject: The Judy Miller File Expands While W Goes Postmodern
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From ean at sbcglobal.net  Fri Aug  5 18:05:42 2005
From: ean at sbcglobal.net (ean@sbcglobal.net)
Date: Fri Aug  5 18:14:29 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] 60 years ago:  The Worst Terror Attacks in History
Message-ID: <200508060114.j761ERMq025753@dune.islandtechnologies.net>

The Worst Terror Attacks in History

By NORM DIXON

CounterPunch  July 30 / 31, 2005
http://www.counterpunch.org/dixon08012005.html

August 6 and August 9 will mark the 60th anniversaries of the US
atomic-bomb attacks on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. In
Hiroshima, an estimated 80,000 people were killed in a split second.

Some 13 square kilometres of the city was obliterated. By December, at
least another 70,000 people had died from radiation and injuries.

Three days after Hiroshima's destruction, the US dropped an A-bomb on
Nagasaki, resulting in the deaths of at least 70,000 people before the
year was out.

Since 1945, tens of thousands more residents of the two cities have
continued to suffer and die from radiation-induced cancers, birth defects
and still births.

A tiny group of US rulers met secretly in Washington and callously ordered
this indiscriminate annihilation of civilian populations. They gave no
explicit warnings. They rejected all alternatives, preferring to inflict
the most extreme human carnage possible. They ordered and had carried out
the two worst terror acts in human history.

The 60th anniversaries will inevitably be marked by countless mass media
commentaries and speeches repeating the 60-year-old mantra that there was
no other choice but to use A-bombs in order to avoid a bitter, prolonged
invasion of Japan.

On July 21, the British New Scientist magazine undermined this chorus when
it reported that two historians had uncovered evidence revealing that
``the US decision to drop atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki ... was
meant to kick-start the Cold War [against the Soviet Union, Washington's
war-time ally] rather than end the Second World War''.

Peter Kuznick, director of the Nuclear Studies Institute at the American
University in Washington stated that US President Harry Truman's decision
to blast the cities "was not just a war crime, it was a crime against
humanity''.

With Mark Selden, a historian from Cornell University in New York, Kuznick
studied the diplomatic archives of the US, Japan and the USSR.

They found that three days before Hiroshima, Truman agreed at a meeting
that Japan was ``looking for peace''. His senior generals and political
advisers told him there was no need to use the A-bomb. But the bombs were
dropped anyway. ``Impressing Russia was more important than ending the
war'', Selden told the New Scientist.

While the media immediately dubbed the historians' ``theory''
``controversial'', it accords with the testimony of many central US
political and military players at the time, including General Dwight
Eisenhower, who stated bluntly in a 1963 Newsweek interview that ``the
Japanese were ready to surrender and it wasn't necessary to hit them with
that awful thing''.

Truman's chief of staff, Admiral William Leahy, stated in his memoirs that
``the use of this barbarous weapon at Hiroshima and Nagasaki was of no
material assistance in our war against Japan. The Japanese were already
defeated and ready to surrender.''

At the time though, Washington cold-bloodedly decided to sweep away the
lives of hundreds of thousands of men, women and children to show off the
terrible power of its new super weapon and underline the US
rulers'ruthless preparedness to use it.

These terrible acts were intended to warn the leaders of the Soviet Union
that their cities would suffer the same fate if the USSR attempted to
stand in the way of Washington's plans to create an ``American Century''
of US global domination. Nuclear scientist Leo Szilard recounted to his
biographers how Truman's secretary of state, James Byrnes, told him before
the Hiroshima attack that ``Russia might be more manageable if impressed
by American military might and that a demonstration of the bomb may
impress Russia''.

Drunk from the success of its nuclear bloodletting in Japan, Washington
planned and threatened the use of nuclear weapons on at least 20 occasions
in the 1950s and 1960s, only being restrained when the USSR developed
enough nuclear-armed rockets to usher in the era of ``mutually assured
destruction'', and the US rulers' fear that their use again of nuclear
weapons would led to a massive anti-US political revolt by ordinary people
around the world.

Washington's policy of nuclear terror remains intact. The US refuses to
rule out the first use of nuclear weapons in a conflict. Its latest
Nuclear Posture Review envisages the use of nuclear weapons against
non-nuclear ``rogue states'' and it is developing a new generation of
``battlefield'' nuclear weapons.

Fear of the political backlash that would be caused in the US and around
the globe by the use of nuclear weapons remains the main restraint upon
the atomaniacs in Washington. On this 60th anniversary year of history's
worst acts of terror, the most effective thing that people around the
world can do to keep that fear alive in the minds of the US rulers is to
recommit ourselves to defeating Washington's current ``local''wars of
terror in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Norm Dixon writes for Green Left Weekly.

-----


-- 
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From ean at sbcglobal.net  Fri Aug  5 18:17:54 2005
From: ean at sbcglobal.net (ean@sbcglobal.net)
Date: Fri Aug  5 18:51:03 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] The Hiroshima Cover-Up
Message-ID: <200508060151.j761p1cs025820@dune.islandtechnologies.net>

Published on Friday, August 5, 2005 by the Baltimore Sun
The Hiroshima Cover-Up
by Amy Goodman and David Goodman
 http://www.commondreams.org/views05/0805-20.htm

A story that the U.S. government hoped would never see the light of 
day finally has been published, 60 years after it was spiked by military 
censors. The discovery of reporter George Weller's firsthand account 
of conditions in post-nuclear Nagasaki sheds light on one of the great 
journalistic betrayals of the last century: the cover-up of the effects of 
the atomic bombing on Japan.

On Aug. 6, 1945, the U.S. dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima; 
three days later, Nagasaki was hit. Gen. Douglas MacArthur promptly 
declared southern Japan off-limits, barring the news media. More than 
200,000 people died in the atomic bombings of the cities, but no 
Western journalist witnessed the aftermath and told the story. Instead, 
the world's media obediently crowded onto the battleship USS Missouri 
off the coast of Japan to cover the Japanese surrender.

A month after the bombings, two reporters defied General MacArthur 
and struck out on their own. Mr. Weller, of the Chicago Daily News, 
took row boats and trains to reach devastated Nagasaki. Independent 
journalist Wilfred Burchett rode a train for 30 hours and walked into the 
charred remains of Hiroshima.

Both men encountered nightmare worlds. Mr. Burchett sat down on a 
chunk of rubble with his Baby Hermes typewriter. His dispatch began: 
"In Hiroshima, 30 days after the first atomic bomb destroyed the city 
and shook the world, people are still dying, mysteriously and horribly - 
people who were uninjured in the cataclysm from an unknown 
something which I can only describe as the atomic plague."

He continued, tapping out the words that still haunt to this day: 
"Hiroshima does not look like a bombed city. It looks as if a monster 
steamroller has passed over it and squashed it out of existence. I write 
these facts as dispassionately as I can in the hope that they will act as 
a warning to the world."

Mr. Burchett's article, headlined "The Atomic Plague," was published 
Sept. 5, 1945, in the London Daily Express. The story caused a 
worldwide sensation and was a public relations fiasco for the U.S. 
military. The official U.S. narrative of the atomic bombings downplayed 
civilian casualties and categorically dismissed as "Japanese 
propaganda" reports of the deadly lingering effects of radiation.

So when Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter George Weller's 25,000-word 
story on the horror that he encountered in Nagasaki was submitted to 
military censors, General MacArthur ordered the story killed, and the 
manuscript was never returned. As Mr. Weller later summarized his 
experience with General MacArthur's censors, "They won."

Recently, Mr. Weller's son, Anthony, discovered a carbon copy of the 
suppressed dispatches among his father's papers (George Weller died 
in 2002). Unable to find an interested American publisher, Anthony 
Weller sold the account to Mainichi Shimbun, a big Japanese 
newspaper. Now, on the 60th anniversary of the atomic bombings, Mr. 
Weller's account can finally be read.

"In swaybacked or flattened skeletons of the Mitsubishi arms plants is 
revealed what the atomic bomb can do to steel and stone, but what the 
riven atom can do against human flesh and bone lies hidden in two 
hospitals of downtown Nagasaki," wrote Mr. Weller. A month after the 
bombs fell, he observed, "The atomic bomb's peculiar 'disease,' 
uncured because it is untreated and untreated because it is not 
diagnosed, is still snatching away lives here."

After killing Mr. Weller's reports, U.S. authorities tried to counter Mr. 
Burchett's articles by attacking the messenger. General MacArthur 
ordered Mr. Burchett expelled from Japan (the order was later 
rescinded), his camera mysteriously vanished while he was in a Tokyo 
hospital and U.S. officials accused him of being influenced by 
Japanese propaganda.

Then the U.S. military unleashed a secret propaganda weapon: It 
deployed its own Times man. It turns out that William L. Laurence, the 
science reporter for The New York Times, was also on the payroll of 
the War Department.

For four months, while still reporting for the Times, Mr. Laurence had 
been writing press releases for the military explaining the atomic 
weapons program; he also wrote statements for President Harry 
Truman and Secretary of War Henry L. Stimson. He was rewarded by 
being given a seat on the plane that dropped the bomb on Nagasaki, 
an experience that he described in the Times with religious awe.

Three days after publication of Mr. Burchett's shocking dispatch, Mr. 
Laurence had a front-page story in the Times disputing the notion that 
radiation sickness was killing people. His news story included this 
remarkable commentary: "The Japanese are still continuing their 
propaganda aimed at creating the impression that we won the war 
unfairly, and thus attempting to create sympathy for themselves and 
milder terms. ... Thus, at the beginning, the Japanese described 
'symptoms' that did not ring true."

Mr. Laurence won a Pulitzer Prize for his reporting on the atomic 
bomb, and his faithful parroting of the government line was crucial in 
launching a half-century of silence about the deadly lingering effects of 
the bomb. It is time for the Pulitzer board to strip Hiroshima's apologist 
and his newspaper of this undeserved prize.

Sixty years late, Mr. Weller's censored account stands as a searing 
indictment not only of the inhumanity of the atomic bomb but also of 
the danger of journalists embedding with the government to deceive 
the world.

Amy Goodman, host of Democracy Now!, and David Goodman, a 
contributing writer for Mother Jones, are co-authors of The Exception 
to the Rulers: Exposing Oily Politicians, War Profiteers, and the Media 
That Love Them.

? 2005 Baltimore Sun

-----


-- 
You are currently on Mha Atma's Earth Action Network email list, 
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(option A - 1x/week, option B - 3/wk, option C - up to 1x/day, option D - 
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From lyve at netzero.com  Fri Aug  5 18:52:48 2005
From: lyve at netzero.com (Lyle K'ang)
Date: Fri Aug  5 18:57:25 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Barbara wants you to see this. 
Message-ID: <20050805.185341.10124.283458@webmail38.nyc.untd.com>


I do not favor conspiracy theories but many of these guys die from bullets from American troops.

There was another article awhile back that explained how several American were targeting these types of journalists.

I'm too sad to shut up...


Lyle K'ang, MBA/IM 


-- barbarasiomos38@msn.com wrote:


Barbara thought you would like this site.

http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/080405N.shtml

ApplyRefer v2.3



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Mb-civic mailing list
Mb-civic@islandlists.com
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From jefbek at mindspring.com  Fri Aug  5 23:27:46 2005
From: jefbek at mindspring.com (Jef Bek)
Date: Fri Aug  5 23:31:33 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Intelligent Design: Why limit equal time to biology
	class? 
Message-ID: <BF19A672.D29%jefbek@mindspring.com>

Intelligent Design: Why limit equal time to biology class?


 Salt Lake Tribune

 President Bush has thrown in with those who think that an idea called
"intelligent design" should be taught alongside evolution in the nation's
schools. 
 ???"I think that part of education is to expose people to different schools
of thought," the president told some visiting newspaper reporters from his
native Texas. 
 ???Evolution, the unifying explanation of all life processes on Earth, is
the approach taken by serious scientists as they examine how everything
works. But it is not a flawless explanation of absolutely everything, and it
is clearly troubling to some who are bothered by the apparent
meaninglessness of it all.
 ???Thus the growing movement to have intelligent design - the idea that it
all had to have had some mindfulness behind it - included, as the president
says, as a different school of thought.
 ???OK. But why stop there?
 ???While the science teacher is at it, he might make the study of astronomy
more poetic by including the theory that the sun is not a frighteningly
impersonal thermonuclear furnace but actually the flaming chariot of Phoebus
Apollo streaking across the sky.
 ???Or he might calm the students' fears of being adrift in a soulless
universe by casting aside all this Copernican nonsense and admitting that,
as any fool can see just by looking up, the Earth stands still and the sun,
moon and stars revolve around us, er, it.
 ???And in civics class, why limit students to an understanding of
representative democracy, checks and balances and the rule of law? What
about equal time for fascism? It's clearly a less complicated, more
efficient system of government, one that dispenses with such bothersome
notions as elections, free speech and minority rights.
 ???Or whatever happened to good old monarchy? It provides better costumes,
pageantry and music, and helps everyone remember to keep their place.
 ???History? Make sure all those open-minded students hear that we never
landed on the moon, President Kennedy was killed by the CIA and the Nazis
couldn't possibly have killed 6 million Jews.
 ???Seriously, are all those alternative ideas to be banned from the public
consciousness? Of course not. They might even be discussed in school, if
there's time. 
 ???But given the limited time and resources of our schools, and the
sometimes minuscule attention span of our students, we need to make sure we
don't lose our focus.
 ???In science class, focus on established science.
 ??? 


From maxfury at granderiver.net  Sat Aug  6 01:35:26 2005
From: maxfury at granderiver.net (Cheeseburger)
Date: Sat Aug  6 01:34:15 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] If I had a date tonight, you wouldn't be reading this.
Message-ID: <000701c59a61$ccaca960$1f26b7d8@baby1>

If I had a date tonight, you wouldn't be reading this.



Re:  Bek's "What Have We Done?"

========
"http://dahrjamailiraq.com/weblog/archives/dispatches/000271.php
Dahr Jamail's Iraq Dispatches
Iraq Dispatches
Tomgram: Dahr Jamail on the Zarqawi Phenomenon August 05, 2005
"What Have We Done?"
=========



Ok, yes, I'm small, unimportant, uneducated, and often quite dense, so,
please, help me understand all this.

So, you're telling me that we've invaded a foreign country for its oil,
locations, profits, and political benefits, all based on lies by our own
people in our own government, cottage industry corporations, Israeli spies
in the Pentagon, and other Interested Parties, probably somewhere near
100,000 Iraqi civilians and U.S. G.I.s are dead and wounded, it's cost us a
few hundred billion dollars so far, our international reputation is in down
the toilet, and we've created the now largest breeding ground for terrorists
that earth has ever seen.

And our Congress, our Media, and half? the nation are still reluctant to
correct the mistake, much less even to admit it when even they know it
exists at this late date, which leaves us somewhere in Limbo between fascism
and national suicide.

And we've even sent our best military fighting men who have a tradition,
duty, and history of protecting America for centuries over there to shoot at
them with radiation shells which burst apart or something and, well, let's
quote it as it's so shucking cool:

"After discussing how the background radiation in Baghdad is now five times
the normal rate-the equivalent of having 3 chest x-rays an hour, he said,
"These are not accidents-the DU [Depleted Uraniaum]-it?s important for
people to understand this-the use of DU and its effects are by design. These
are very carefully engineered and orchestrated incidents."

So, not only all the above, but we have shelled them wherever we have deemed
necessary with radioactive weapons.

Not only do we want all their oil, and to run their country like an airport
lobby for America for eternity, but we wish to radiate them so they, and all
their children, on top of everything else we have done, can, and might do to
them, die slowly from cancer etc and all the other horrific afflictions that
accompany radioactive poisoning.

Purposeful radioactive poisoning.

Heh, yes, you have definitely come a long way, America.

We are indeed Godzilla.

None can conquer us.

We are the shining hope of the world, pledged to our collective duties to
truth, justice, equality, freedom, hope, healing, and all the other good
stuff.

Willfully irradiating civilians in a country we invaded on lies.

They are going to be dying decades from now, slowly, inch by inch, by our
radiation weapons efforts there now, and their relatives will never forget
it, just like we have never forgot such things as Pearl Harbor.

If you do not do something to change America back to "anywhere near the
better aspects possible" before the next election in America, you might as
well take your children out and sell them, as they're sold in advance
already and you are just too stupid to understand it all.

Pick a name for these people.

My names of "Nazi" or "Fascist" might be incorrect in your mind.

So pick a name of your own that you might think more aptly describes "Them".

"They" are certainly in control here for now, and people are dying like
flies.

And freedoms are vanishing around dark corners.

And "movements" are joining hands to sway the breath of reason from your
forefathers' breasts.

And you are just another expendable puppet in the face of chaos, death,
destruction, and self-annihilation created by people you continue to proudly
and excitedly call "Leaders".

They led you into the piss pool, bubba, time to wake up, time to do
something other than sit here and read crap from someone who couldn't get a
date tonight.

Oh, yes, sorry, I forgot that on top of all that and radioactive poison
weapons, we destroyed and let be looted thousands of years of historical
items etc etc etc, like it was nothing.

America is only about 500 years old.

Well, anyway, pick a name for "Them".

And try to decide how you are going to deal with them.

They are among you.

In more ways than one.

Do something great.

Do it soon.

Please, do it soon, I don't really want to release my compassion upon the
nations.

It will free the nations, but "They" will disappear in the instant of a
single thought.

Call it Love, call it Freedom, call it Hope, call it whatever you want.

But you really should get busy coming up with a name for "Them", as they
remain your problem and your destruction, not what people like me think or
don't think....

Whether I live or die, think or do not think, whatever or not whatever, the
world is still dying faster and more horrible because of "Them".

They have so easily been able to manipulate the values of a country and the
manifest of humanitarian thought, that the fact that they got away with it
so easily makes you all look like a basic bunch of morons by comparison.

Perhaps you are not morons though.  Perhaps you are just brainwashed,
indoctrinated and trained beyond your own conception of your own personal,
and even collective, reality.

In either case, hey, you, yes you, you American type people persons out
there.

Wake your asses up, I'm getting tired of holding my finger in the dyke.

Save your country, and this planet, from "Them", or, please, with all due
respect, get the fuck out of my way, I have things to attend to.

And now even our own G.I.s are coming out with statements like the one in
the aforementioned article.

Where the fuck is America....?  Wake up, dammit....  Time to wake up.....


Ring.... ring...  ring....  ring....
Click.  Yes, hello, this is America.
WAKE THE FUCK UP..........................!!!!!
Geez, how rude.
Click.


Uncle Cheeseburger.....!!
Yes, kids....
They hung up again....
Really...
Yeah...
You sure you got the right number...?
Yes, Judi, see, right here, "America"...
Yeah, that's the right number...
Dial it again, Jimi...
Ok...
Ring...  ring...  ring... ring...
Click.  Hello, yes, this is America...
WAKE THE FUCK UP, AMERICA..........!!!!!!
It's the same rude asshole.
Hang it up.
Ok.  Click.  beep beep beep beep beep beep....
They hung up again, Uncle Cheeseburger...
See...  I told you so....
Yeah, you were right...
Yeah, you were, Uncle Cheeseburger...
You're always right, aren't you, Uncle Cheeseburger...?
Yes, yes, I am...   Well, night kids...
Night, Uncle Cheeseburger...
Click.


Is he gone...?
Yeah, he's gone...
Ok, try them again...
I dunno...
Come on, try them again, we'll call them all night...
I dunno, if we keep callin' 'em, we're just gonna get in trouble...
Hey, fuck 'em....
Yeah...  well...  I guess you're right...  fuck 'em.....
Ring...  ring....  ring.... ring....  ring....  ring.....  ring.....
ring......   ring......





Cheeseburger

.

From nwonline at toronto.cbc.ca  Sat Aug  6 05:05:53 2005
From: nwonline at toronto.cbc.ca (CBC News Online)
Date: Sat Aug  6 05:09:19 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] CBC News - DEVILS LAKE WATER BEGINS FLOWING TOWARD RED
	RIVER 
Message-ID: <20050806120553.5488B1B691@nmweb07.nm.cbc.ca>

This email has been sent to you by harry.sifton@sympatico.ca
The following is a news item posted on CBC NEWS ONLINE
at http://www.cbc.ca/news
____________________________________________________
DEVILS LAKE WATER BEGINS FLOWING TOWARD RED RIVER 
WebPosted Sat Aug  6 00:16:16 2005

---Water from the controversial Devils Lake water diversion project in
North Dakota has been pumped into a tributary of the Red River, which
flows north into Manitoba.

The Manitoba government has been fighting for years to keep water from
Devils Lake out of the Red River system, raising concerns that it could
contain pollutants or foreign organisms that could harm the Lake Winnipeg
watershed.

North Dakota officials insist the diversion is necessary to ease flooding
in the area.

However, that water began heading toward Canada &#8211; about 15 million
litres of it &#8211; after the pumps on the Devils Lake diversion were
tested on Thursday and Friday.

"We have been running them off and on," said Dale Frink, state engineer
for North Dakota.

"We have shut down, I believe, for the weekend with both of them. But
we do have water in the canal, and the water is flowing toward the
Sheyenne River."

The Sheyenne River joins the Red River near Fargo, then the Red flows
north through Winnipeg to Lake Winnipeg.

'Sets a bad precedent,' critic warns

Dwight Williamson, a spokesman for Manitoba's Water Stewardship
department, said the province found out two weeks ago that the tests
were going to be conducted, and that Devils Lake water would enter
the Sheyenne.

"We are a bit uneasy with this test water," Williamson told CBC News.

"This is certainly not an ideal situation, for this to move into the
Sheyenne River."

Williamson said the province is taking comfort with a few things. For
one, it's a relatively small amount of water &#8211; about one per cent
of the size of the sewage spill into the Red River from a Winnipeg
treatment plant three years ago.

Also, the State of North Dakota put a $50,000 gravel filter on the outlet
during the week, which will screen out fish, fish eggs and some plants
&#8211; anything larger than two millimetres in diameter.

 FROM AUG> 4, 2005: Filter built to ease Devils Lake concerns



Still, People to Save the Sheyenne, a citizens group that has allied with
Manitoba against the outlet, was dismayed the water was flowing at all.

"Any water is bad. It just sets a bad precedent," said Milton Sauer, the
group's president. "It's just not the thing to do. But I'm afraid that's
what's happening."

Frink said the tests of the outlet had gone well. The diversion project
was expected to begin regular operation next week.

Copyright (C) 2005 CBC. All rights reserved.
From harry.sifton at sympatico.ca  Sat Aug  6 05:27:18 2005
From: harry.sifton at sympatico.ca (HS)
Date: Sat Aug  6 05:30:07 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] BBC E-mail: Hiroshima remembers atomic bomb
Message-ID: <20050806_122718_075192.harry.sifton@sympatico.ca>

HS saw this story on BBC News Online and thought you
should see it.



** Hiroshima remembers atomic bomb **
Hiroshima commemorates the moment an atomic bomb destroyed the Japanese city, 60 years ago.
< http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/fr/-/2/hi/asia-pacific/4748027.stm >


** BBC Daily E-mail **
Choose the news and sport headlines you want - when you want them, all
in one daily e-mail
< http://www.bbc.co.uk/dailyemail/ >


** Disclaimer **
The BBC is not responsible for the content of this e-mail, and anything written in this e-mail does not necessarily reflect the BBC's views or opinions. Please note that neither the e-mail address nor name of the sender have?been verified.

If you do not wish to receive such e-mails in the future or want to know more about the BBC's Email a Friend service, please read our frequently asked questions. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/help/4162471.stm

From swiggard at comcast.net  Sat Aug  6 06:41:20 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (William Swiggard)
Date: Sat Aug  6 06:45:42 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Hiroshima and Nagasaki,
	The Original Ground Zero - Washington Post
Message-ID: <42F4BE00.5060106@comcast.net>

<>Hiroshima and Nagasaki, The Original Ground Zero
Cable Documentary Shows Rare Film of the Days After Aug. 6, 1945

By Neely Tucker
Washington Post Staff Writer
Saturday, August 6, 2005; Page C01

In the National Archives in College Park, the reels are numbered 11002 
and 11003.

Shot by a U.S. Army Air Forces film crew in Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 
the months after the atomic bombs were dropped, the reels go from one 
deformed survivor to the next. Women with scalded faces. A man with 
melted ears. A boy with no skin on his back. A man with such horrific 
wounds his hands appear to be leprous.

The footage was immediately classified as "top secret" by the military 
and hidden for nearly three decades.

Images from "the 11000 series," as archivists refer to the 30 hours of 
footage shot by the crew of Lt. Col. Daniel A. McGovern, make a rare 
public appearance on television tonight, the 60th anniversary of the 
Hiroshima bombing. The footage, shot in hospitals and across Japan, 
forms the bulk of the postwar scenes in "Original Child Bomb," an 
hour-long film on cable's Sundance Channel. The documentary, drawing its 
title and antiwar message from a Thomas Merton poem about the A-bomb, 
debuts at 8 p.m. and repeats throughout the month.

<>"There are still parts of it I don't want to look at," says Holly 
Becker, the show's producer. "Certainly we didn't use the worst of 
what's possible there. . . . But the whole point of the film, of course, 
is to document the human cost of nuclear war."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/05/AR2005080501648.html 

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From swiggard at comcast.net  Sat Aug  6 06:46:11 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (William Swiggard)
Date: Sat Aug  6 06:50:26 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] A Shameful Hypocrisy - Colbert King - Washington Post
Message-ID: <42F4BF23.8010908@comcast.net>

A Shameful Hypocrisy

By Colbert I. King
Saturday, August 6, 2005; Page A19

I am mystified by the conservative commentators who voice their support 
for racial profiling as a way to catch terrorist suspects. These pundits 
support the authorities screening or otherwise keeping a close eye on 
mainly young Muslim men of North African, Middle Eastern or South Asian 
descent, because an overwhelming number of terrorists hail from those 
regions.

But here is where the commentators have me confused. They are well known 
for arguing that:

? The Constitution, specifically the 14th Amendment, bars the government 
from creating and enforcing laws that treat people differently simply 
because of race.

? Individuals should be judged by the same standard regardless of 
national origin, race or religion.

? The government should not have double standards based on race, 
ethnicity or religious beliefs.

Conservatives, so I had been given by them to believe, stand foursquare 
against preferences based on group identity. So how is it that they can 
support law enforcement policies that, if adopted, would allow people to 
be treated unequally; give preferences in screening based on race, 
ethnicity, religion and national origin; and no longer honor the rights 
of individuals but instead judge individuals by the group to which they 
belong?

<>Under racial profiling, as they would have it practiced in subways, 
airports, train stations, etc., individual differences among North 
African, Middle Eastern and South Asian young men would be ignored. 
These people would be labeled and profiled as possible terrorists and be 
reduced to an amalgamated stew closely watched by the state.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/05/AR2005080501437.html?nav=hcmodule 

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From swiggard at comcast.net  Sat Aug  6 06:48:13 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (William Swiggard)
Date: Sat Aug  6 06:52:26 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Blair Acts Against Muslim 'Fringe' - Washington Post
Message-ID: <42F4BF9D.5050004@comcast.net>

<>Blair Acts Against Muslim 'Fringe'
Some See Measures As a Threat to Rights

By Kevin Sullivan and Mary Jordan
Washington Post Foreign Service
Saturday, August 6, 2005; Page A01

LONDON, Aug. 5 -- Prime Minister Tony Blair outlined fundamental changes 
in British policy and law Friday aimed at reining in what he called the 
"fanatical fringe" of the country's 2 million Muslims following last 
month's deadly train and bus bombings.

The measures, some of them effective immediately and others requiring 
approval by Parliament, include deporting people involved with radical 
Web sites, shutting down places of worship seen as "fomenting 
extremism," and criminalizing speech deemed to justify or incite terrorism.

"Let no one be in any doubt," Blair said in a nationally televised news 
conference. "The rules of the game are changing."

His program comes in response to growing public sentiment here that 
Britain has allowed itself to become a breeding ground for extremist 
Muslims from around the world, putting not only Britain at risk, but 
other nations as well.


http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/05/AR2005080500477.html?referrer=email

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From swiggard at comcast.net  Sat Aug  6 07:04:25 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (William Swiggard)
Date: Sat Aug  6 07:08:45 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] When an Embryo Isn't an Embryo - William Raspberry -
	Washington Post
Message-ID: <42F4C369.7030603@comcast.net>

When an Embryo Isn't an Embryo

By William Raspberry
Saturday, August 6, 2005; Page A19

Well, they've nailed Bill Frist. The Senate majority leader let himself 
get caught proclaiming both the sanctity of human life and his opinion 
that maybe we ought to expand embryonic stem cell research.

Whatever else you think of the Tennessean (and physician), doesn't his 
newest position -- that more of the embryos left over from fertility 
treatments should be made available to researchers -- paint him as 
morally inconsistent and perhaps even hypocritical?

For whatever comfort it may be for Frist, I say: me, too. Maybe most of 
us. Life's difficult questions almost always produce a measure of 
inconsistency -- otherwise they wouldn't be so difficult.

I'd like to have $100 for every American who espouses the sanctity of 
human life and still believes in the death penalty. Catch them in their 
little inconsistency and they'll say that embryonic stem cell research 
would destroy innocent life. So go ahead and ask them about their 
support of the war in Iraq, which, whatever its ever-shifting 
justifications, has taken uncounted innocent lives from the moment of 
the very first U.S. bombing raid.

<>Not for nothing did Emerson dismiss (foolish) consistency as "the 
hobgoblin of little minds."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/05/AR2005080501435.html?nav=hcmodule 

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From swiggard at comcast.net  Sat Aug  6 07:07:34 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (William Swiggard)
Date: Sat Aug  6 07:11:45 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Lawmaker Tours Become Part of Guantanamo Life -
	Washington Post
Message-ID: <42F4C426.3@comcast.net>

<>Lawmaker Tours Become Part of Guantanamo Life
Pentagon Responds to Critics With a PR Push

By Mike Allen
Washington Post Staff Writer
Saturday, August 6, 2005; Page A01

GUANTANAMO BAY, Cuba -- As part of a major Pentagon public relations 
offensive, dozens of lawmakers are being flown to the maximum-security 
units here for VIP tours conducted by generals who portray the cells as 
safe and even comfortable places for suspected terrorists to spend their 
days.

The visits, organized by the military in a bid to blunt the impact of 
numerous reports of inhumane treatment and exotic interrogation 
techniques, have become such a routine part of life at this spartan, 
sprawling base that signs on the open doors of two maximum-security 
cells say "Tour Cell."

One aim of the PR offensive is to head off calls from lawmakers of both 
parties for an independent commission -- structured like the commission 
that investigated the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks -- to look into 
the conditions and activities at the Guantanamo Bay prison. The 
administration is also trying to fend off proposed Senate GOP 
legislation to ensure humane treatment of prisoners and to restrict 
interrogation tactics.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/05/AR2005080501568.html

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From swiggard at comcast.net  Sat Aug  6 07:21:51 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (William Swiggard)
Date: Sat Aug  6 07:26:03 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] It's Hiroshima day -- don't look away - Marianna
 Torgovnick - The Boston Globe
Message-ID: <42F4C77F.2080704@comcast.net>

<>It's Hiroshima day -- don't look away
By Marianna Torgovnick  |  August 6, 2005

AMERICANS WILL be reminded today of the 60th anniversary of the dropping 
of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima. Most likely, we will miss once again 
the true impact of this event, not just for the Japanese who experienced 
it, but also on us and on how we now live.

It's not, of course, that we don't know that Americans flew the planes 
that killed at least 60,000 Japanese, most of them civilians, in 
Hiroshima, and, three days later, 40,000 more in Nagasaki (figures from 
the Avalon Project at Yale law School). It's not that Americans don't 
know that the United States remains the only nation ever to have used 
atomic weapons against civilian populations. It's that the events, 
unlike D-Day, say, or the liberation of the concentration camps, place 
Americans in ambiguous, unpleasant, or even guilty roles.

It seems natural that, as a culture, we prefer to look away. It seems 
natural that we prefer to emphasize events that reflect how we like to 
think of ourselves, that show a face we like to show to the world.

So don't expect to see today marked by daylong ceremonies like June 6, 
the 60th anniversary of D-Day. Don't expect to see President Bush fly to 
Hiroshima to make a policy speech there in the way that he and other 
presidents, most notably Ronald Reagan, have flown to Normandy. Don't 
expect to see the crew members of the Enola Gay smiling or saluting into 
the camera, their faces marked, perhaps, by the weightiness of their deeds.

The anniversary is likely to be mentioned, but quickly, almost as a kind 
of stealth event, under the radar screen and under the claim -- always 
controversial and often inflated -- that the bombings prevented an 
invasion and saved, and were designed to save, millions of American and 
Japanese lives.

<>And yet the bombings have marked us strongly as a nation since 1945 
and continue to do so in many ways. The Cold War, the bogeyman of my 
childhood, was driven by the fear that the Soviets would have nuclear 
weapons -- as they did by 1949 -- and would use them. In the book 
''Hiroshima's Shadow: Writings on the Denial of History and the 
Smithsonian Controversy," edited by Kai Bird and Lawrence Lifschultz , 
the theory is raised that fear of the Soviets helped motivate the 
bombings, with our display of atomic power designed as a warning to our 
future enemy as World War II came to an end.

http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2005/08/06/its_hiroshima_day____dont_look_away?mode=PF 

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From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Sat Aug  6 09:07:42 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (mblaxill@yahoo.com)
Date: Sat Aug  6 09:10:32 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] NYTimes.com: F.D.A. Responds to Criticism With New
	Caution
Message-ID: <20050806160742.F16FE11F7EA@lax-gw07.mroute.net>

This page was sent to you by: mblaxill@yahoo.com.

WASHINGTON | August 6, 2005
F.D.A. Responds to Criticism With New Caution
By GARDINER HARRIS
Stung by a series of drug safety scandals, the F.D.A. has issued a blizzard of safety warnings and slowed its approval of drugs.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/06/politics/06fda.html?ex=1123992000&en=b6412e64441c362a&ei=5070&emc=eta1



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From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (mblaxill@yahoo.com)
Date: Sat Aug  6 09:12:00 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] NYTimes.com: Officials Deny a Request for Roberts
	Documents
Message-ID: <20050806160912.37C2983E03@lax-gw03.mroute.net>

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WASHINGTON / WASHINGTON SPECIAL | August 6, 2005
Officials Deny a Request for Roberts Documents
By CARL HULSE and NEIL A. LEWIS
The Bush administration formally rejected a Democratic request for documents from the years Judge John G. Roberts Jr. served as deputy solicitor general.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/06/politics/politicsspecial1/06confirm.html?ex=1123992000&en=b7f79575799077cf&ei=5070&emc=eta1



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From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Sat Aug  6 09:11:01 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (mblaxill@yahoo.com)
Date: Sat Aug  6 09:13:51 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] NYTimes.com: C.I.A. Leak Case Recalls Texas Incident in
	'92 Race
Message-ID: <20050806161101.E2A2A3AE56D@lax-gw06.mroute.net>

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WASHINGTON | August 6, 2005
C.I.A. Leak Case Recalls Texas Incident in '92 Race
By ELISABETH BUMILLER
Karl Rove was fired from the Texas campaign to re-elect the first President Bush on suspicions that Mr. Rove had leaked information to Robert D. Novak.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/06/politics/06novak.html?ex=1123992000&en=dd2d6b9e9cb78ac6&ei=5070&emc=eta1



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From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (mblaxill@yahoo.com)
Date: Sat Aug  6 09:20:36 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] NYTimes.com: American Mining Company Denies Polluting
	Indonesian Bay
Message-ID: <20050806161743.1C5EF83CD8@lax-gw03.mroute.net>

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INTERNATIONAL / ASIA PACIFIC | August 6, 2005
American Mining Company Denies Polluting Indonesian Bay
By JANE PERLEZ
The Indonesian government brought criminal charges of polluting the environment against the American mining company Newmont.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/06/international/asia/06indo.html?ex=1123992000&en=289c2c26e1df680b&ei=5070&emc=eta1



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From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Sat Aug  6 09:19:06 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (mblaxill@yahoo.com)
Date: Sat Aug  6 09:21:57 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] NYTimes.com: Iran Calls E.U. Nuclear Proposal
	'Unacceptable'
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INTERNATIONAL / MIDDLE EAST | August 6, 2005
Iran Calls E.U. Nuclear Proposal 'Unacceptable'
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Iran today rejected Europe's plan for ending the standoff over its suspected nuclear program.
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/international/AP-Iran-Nuclear.html?ex=1123992000&en=2672e85583973a46&ei=5070&emc=eta1



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From nwonline at toronto.cbc.ca  Sat Aug  6 16:47:13 2005
From: nwonline at toronto.cbc.ca (CBC News Online)
Date: Sat Aug  6 16:50:38 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] CBC News - CREWS LOWER RESCUE VESSEL TOWARD TRAPPED
	RUSSIAN SUB
Message-ID: <20050806234713.37B891B691@nmweb07.nm.cbc.ca>

This email has been sent to you by harry.sifton@sympatico.ca
The following is a news item posted on CBC NEWS ONLINE
at http://www.cbc.ca/news
____________________________________________________
CREWS LOWER RESCUE VESSEL TOWARD TRAPPED RUSSIAN SUB
WebPosted Sat Aug  6 18:53:20 2005

---A robotic undersea vehicle is being lowered to a trapped Russian
submarine, in a bid to rescue seven sailors before their oxygen runs out.

The Super Scorpio, sent by the British navy, arrived late Saturday night
at the site off the Kamchatka Peninsula on Russia's Pacific coast.

British and Russian naval crews began lowering the remote-controlled
vessel at about 11:30 p.m. local time, a Russian navy spokesman, Capt.
Igor Dygalo, told Interfax news agency and the Associated Press.

Rescue crews hope the Scorpio will be able to cut through the metal and
cable that has snagged the Russian Priz mini-submarine about 190 metres
below the ocean's surface since Thursday.

It has been caught too deep for the sailors to try to escape or for
divers to try to free it. Russian naval ships have been trying various
methods to get the sub to shallower water, including by attaching cables
in a bid to raise it on Saturday.

But the submariners' best hope seemed to rest with Britain's Scorpio and
others from the U.S. navy that are being ferried by boat to the rescue
site in Beryozovaya Bay, about 16 kilometres off the peninsula's coast.

Sailors okay, Russian navy says

It wasn't clear whether the British vessel would be able to reach the
submariners before their oxygen ran out. Russian naval officials have
given conflicting estimates of how much longer the crew could last,
ranging from Saturday evening to Monday.

Earlier Saturday evening, Russian officials said they had spoken with
the sailors.

They said all seven men were alive and in satisfactory condition.

U.S. and British navies sent planes with the Super Scorpios to the city
of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky on the Kamchatka Peninsula on Friday night.

CBC News learned that two divers from the Canadian subsidiary of
OceanWorks, which specializes in submarine rescue and deep-sea diving
work, had joined the U.S. team.

Glen Viau, of the Vancouver-based office, said the divers had been
training U.S. Navy personnel in San Diego and were asked to help.

Sub stuck on antenna, later reports say

There have been conflicting reports of how the submarine was trapped. The
military initially said the vessel became snarled in a fishing net.

But officials told the Russian news media on Saturday that it was stuck
on an underwater antenna that was part of a coastal monitoring system.

None of the sailors was hurt in Thursday's accident, which occurred while
the 13-metre-long sub, which normally carries only three crew members,
was on a training exercise.

The plight of the mini-sub is evoking memories of a disaster in August
2000, when all 118 people aboard the Russian nuclear submarine Kursk died
after it sank and rescue efforts failed.

Copyright (C) 2005 CBC. All rights reserved.
From nwonline at toronto.cbc.ca  Sat Aug  6 16:48:53 2005
From: nwonline at toronto.cbc.ca (CBC News Online)
Date: Sat Aug  6 16:52:05 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] CBC News - U.K.'S ROBIN COOK DIES
Message-ID: <20050806234853.D28C469AFB@nmweb08.nm.cbc.ca>

This email has been sent to you by harry.sifton@sympatico.ca
The following is a news item posted on CBC NEWS ONLINE
at http://www.cbc.ca/news
____________________________________________________
U.K.'S ROBIN COOK DIES
WebPosted Sat Aug  6 15:30:47 2005

---Former British foreign secretary Robin Cook, a fierce critic of his
government's decision to support the war in Iraq, has died. He was 59.

Police said Cook died Saturday at Raigmore Hospital in Inverness after
collapsing on a mountain in the Scottish Highlands.

He had been walking with his wife Gaynor near the summit of Ben Stack
when he suffered a heart attack, the British Broadcasting Corp. reported.
Cook was then airlifted off the mountain.

Cook, who had been a Labour Party member of parliament since 1983,
resigned from the British cabinet in 2003 in opposition to the Iraq war.

 FROM MARCH 17, 2005: British cabinet minister quits over Iraq FROM MARCH
 17, 2005: Revolt in Blair's cabinet widens Last month, in response to
 the London transit attacks, Cook warned that the invasion of Iraq
 "boosted terrorism" around the world. He told the BBC that Britain had
 handed al-Qaeda an "immense propaganda gift, one that they exploit
 ruthlessly."

Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott, filling in for a vacationing Blair,
said Cook was "the greatest parliamentarian of his generation."

"He also made an enormous contribution to British politics in opposition
and in government," Prescott said.

Copyright (C) 2005 CBC. All rights reserved.
From nwonline at toronto.cbc.ca  Sat Aug  6 16:50:48 2005
From: nwonline at toronto.cbc.ca (CBC News Online)
Date: Sat Aug  6 16:53:39 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] CBC News - DEAL STRUCK ON DEVILS LAKE DIVERSION
Message-ID: <20050806235048.4A4FF69AFB@nmweb08.nm.cbc.ca>

This email has been sent to you by harry.sifton@sympatico.ca
The following is a news item posted on CBC NEWS ONLINE
at http://www.cbc.ca/news
____________________________________________________
DEAL STRUCK ON DEVILS LAKE DIVERSION
WebPosted Sat Aug  6 08:27:32 2005

---Canada and the United States have reached a deal to end a dispute over
the Devils Lake water diversion project. The agreement calls for both
sides to design an advanced filter, if needed, to protect Manitoba
waterways from foreign organisms.

Manitoba has been fighting the flood control project because of
concerns that water from North Dakota could pollute the Red River and
Lake Winnipeg.

As the deal was announced late Friday, water was already flowing north
into a tributary of Manitoba's Red River.

North Dakota began testing the pumps on the flood control project earlier
this week. FROM AUG. 4,
2005: Filter built to ease Devils Lake concerns

"We have been running them off and on," said North Dakota state engineer
Dale Frink. "We have shutdown for the weekend &#8230; but we do have
water in the canal, and the water is flowing toward the Sheyenne River.

Manitoba Premier Gary Doer says he is pleased there's an agreement on a
filtration system. The deal comes more than 18 months after Canada first
called on the U.S. to have the Devils Lake project reviewed.

The state government installed a $50,000 gravel filter over the past week
to screen out organisms larger than two millimeters in diameter, such as
fish, fish eggs and some plants.

A permanent filter to be built over the next year could cost as much
as $20 million &#8211; and may involve Canada picking up a portion
of the cost.

Despite work on the filter, People to Save the Sheyenne, a citizens'
group that has allied with Manitoba against the outlet, is dismayed the
water is flowing at all.

"Any water is bad. It just sets a bad precedent," said Milton Sauer, the
group's president. "It's just not the thing to do. But I'm afraid that's
what's happening."

Copyright (C) 2005 CBC. All rights reserved.
From harry.sifton at sympatico.ca  Sat Aug  6 17:03:38 2005
From: harry.sifton at sympatico.ca (Harold Sifton)
Date: Sat Aug  6 17:06:39 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Devil's Lake issue
Message-ID: <001701c59ae3$7928d520$0727e440@Harold>

Save the Sheyenne, is an American initiative to save the Sheyenne which flows into to the Red River

http://savethesheyenne.org/

It now seems Manitoba has decided it can live with the filtration option, it has always recognised North Dakota's flooding issues, but the Save the Sheyenne does not yet recognize the mutually accepted solution?? 

Life goes on

H
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From harry.sifton at sympatico.ca  Sat Aug  6 17:28:03 2005
From: harry.sifton at sympatico.ca (Harry)
Date: Sat Aug  6 17:30:53 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Yahoo! News Story - Saudis alerted Britain to looming
	London attacks: Sunday papers - Yahoo! News
Message-ID: <20050807002803.A4C9C24AEC2@lax-gw02.mroute.net>

Harry (harry.sifton@sympatico.ca) has sent you a news article. 
(Email address has not been verified.)
------------------------------------------------------------
Personal message:

OOPPSS!!

Saudis alerted Britain to looming London attacks: Sunday papers - Yahoo! News

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20050806/wl_mideast_afp/britainattackssaudi_050806232547

============================================================
Yahoo! News 
http://news.yahoo.com/

From harry.sifton at sympatico.ca  Sat Aug  6 18:28:48 2005
From: harry.sifton at sympatico.ca (Harry)
Date: Sat Aug  6 18:31:40 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] BBC E-mail: Rescuers battle to free sub crew
Message-ID: <20050807_012848_009073.harry.sifton@sympatico.ca>

Harry saw this story on BBC News Online and thought you
should see it.

** Message **
I am having a hard time understanding why the US is taking credit for this rescue attempt when it is being done by the British?? The US media is saying it is a US rescue ??

** Rescuers battle to free sub crew **
A British underwater robot craft begins slicing through fishing nets trapping a Russian sub on the ocean floor.
< http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/fr/-/2/hi/europe/4127586.stm >


** BBC Daily E-mail **
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in one daily e-mail
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From jefbek at mindspring.com  Sat Aug  6 19:08:51 2005
From: jefbek at mindspring.com (Jef Bek)
Date: Sat Aug  6 19:12:39 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Mom Protesting Iraq War Meets Bush Aides 
Message-ID: <BF1ABB43.D32%jefbek@mindspring.com>

Associated Press

Mom Protesting Iraq War Meets Bush Aides

By DEB RIECHMANN, Associated Press Writer

August 6, 2005 

The angry mother of a fallen U.S. soldier staged a protest near President
Bush's ranch Saturday, demanding an accounting from Bush of how he has
conducted the war in Iraq.

Supported by more than 50 demonstrators who chanted, "W. killed her son!"
Cindy Sheehan told reporters: "I want to ask the president, 'Why did you
kill my son? What did my son die for?'" Sheehan, 48, didn't get to see Bush,
but did talk about 45 minutes with national security adviser Steve Hadley
and deputy White House chief of staff Joe Hagin, who went out to hear her
concerns.

Appreciative of their attention, yet undaunted, Sheehan said she planned to
continue her roadside vigil, except for a few breaks, until she gets to talk
to Bush. Her son, Casey, 24, was killed in Sadr City, Iraq, on April 4,
2004. He was an Army specialist, a Humvee mechanic.

"They (the advisers) said we are in Iraq because they believed Saddam
Hussein had weapons of mass destruction, that the world's a better place
with Saddam gone and that we're making the world a safer place with what
we're doing over there," Sheehan said in a telephone interview after the
meeting.

"They were very respectful. They were nice men. I told them Iraq was not a
threat to the United States and that now people are dead for nothing. I told
them I wouldn't leave until I talked to George Bush."

She said Hagin told her, "I want to assure you that he (Bush) really does
care."

"And I said if he does care, why doesn't he come out and talk to me."

Sheehan arrived in Crawford aboard a bus painted red, white and blue and
emblazoned with the words, "Impeachment Tour." Sheehan, from Vacaville,
Calif., had been attending a Veterans for Peace convention in Dallas.

The bus, trailed by about 20 cars of protesters and reporters, drove at
about 15 mph toward Bush's ranch. After several miles, they parked the
vehicles and began to march, in stifling heat, farther down the narrow
country road.

Flanked by miles of pasture, Sheehan spoke with reporters while clutching
two photographs, one of her son in uniform, and the other, a baby picture,
when he was seven months old.

She said she decided to come to Crawford a few days ago after Bush said that
fallen U.S. troops had died for a noble cause and that the mission must be
completed.

"I want to ask the president, `Why did you kill my son? What did my son die
for?" she said, her voice cracking with emotion. "Last week, you said my son
died for a noble cause' and I want to ask him what that noble cause is?"

White House spokesman Trent Duffy said response that Bush also wants the
troops to return home safely.

"Many of the hundreds of families the president has met with know their
loved one died for a noble cause and that the best way to honor their
sacrifice is to complete the mission," Duffy said.

"It is a message the president has heard time and again from those he has
met with and comforted. Like all Americans, he wants the troops home as soon
as possible."

The group marched about a half-mile before local law enforcement officials
stopped them at a bend in the road, still four to five miles from the
ranch's entrance. Capt. Kenneth Vanek of the McLennan County Sheriff's
Office said the group was stopped because some marchers ignored instructions
to walk in the ditch beside the road, not on the road.

"If they won't cooperate, we won't," Vanek said.

From jefbek at mindspring.com  Sat Aug  6 19:20:25 2005
From: jefbek at mindspring.com (Jef Bek)
Date: Sat Aug  6 19:24:14 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] C.I.A. Leak Case Recalls Texas Incident in '92 Race 
Message-ID: <BF1ABDF9.D34%jefbek@mindspring.com>

New York Times 
August 6, 2005

C.I.A. Leak Case Recalls Texas Incident in '92 Race
By ELISABETH BUMILLER

WASHINGTON, Aug. 5 - These hot months here will be remembered as the summer
of the leak, a time when the political class obsessed on a central question:
did Karl Rove, President Bush's powerful adviser, commit a crime when he
spoke about a C.I.A. officer with the columnist Robert D. Novak?

Whatever a federal grand jury investigating the case decides, a small
political subgroup is experiencing the odd sensation that this leak has
sprung before. In 1992 in an incident well known in Texas, Mr. Rove was
fired from the state campaign to re-elect the first President Bush on
suspicions that Mr. Rove had leaked damaging information to Mr. Novak about
Robert Mosbacher Jr., the campaign manager and the son of a former commerce
secretary. 

Since then, Mr. Rove and Mr. Novak have denied that Mr. Rove was the source,
even as Mr. Mosbacher, who no longer talks on the record about the incident,
has never changed his original assertion that Mr. Rove was the culprit.

"It's history," Mr. Mosbacher said last week in a brief telephone interview.
"I commented on it at the time, and I have nothing to add."

But the episode, part of the bad-boy lore of Mr. Rove, is a telling chapter
in the 20-year friendship between the presidential adviser and the
columnist. The story of that relationship, a bond of mutual self-interest of
a kind that is long familiar in Washington, does not answer the question of
who might have leaked the identity of the C.I.A. officer, Valerie Wilson, to
reporters, potentially a crime.

But it does give a clue to Mr. Rove's frequent and complimentary mentions
over the years in Mr. Novak's column, and to the importance of Mr. Rove and
Mr. Novak to each other's ambitions.

"They've known each for a long time, but they are not close friends," said a
person who knows both men and who asked not to be named because of the
investigation into a conversation by Mr. Novak and Mr. Rove in July 2003
about Ms. Wilson, part of a case that has put a reporter for The New York
Times, Judith Miller, in jail for refusing to testify to the grand jury.

The two men share a love of history and policy, as well as reputations as
aggressive partisans and hotheads.

People who have been officially briefed on the case have said Mr. Rove was
the second of two senior administration officials cited by Mr. Novak in his
column of July 14, 2003, that identified Ms. Wilson by her maiden name,
Valerie Plame, and said she was a C.I.A. operative.

The larger question has been whether Mr. Rove might have been using the
columnist to confirm Ms. Plame's identity to punish or undermine her
husband, Joseph C. Wilson IV, who had accused the Bush administration of
leading the nation to war with Iraq on false pretenses.

Mr. Novak, who stalked out of a live program on CNN on Thursday after
uttering a profanity on the air, declined to be interviewed for this
article. 

The anchor of the program, "Inside Politics," Ed Henry, has said he was
preparing later in the broadcast to ask Mr. Novak about his role in the leak
case.

Mr. Rove also declined to be interviewed.

But Mr. Novak, through his office manager, Kathleen Connolly, provided the
information about his first encounter with Mr. Rove. Mr. Novak, by his
recollection, met Mr. Rove in Texas in the mid-80's, when Mr. Novak turned
up to write columns about the state's shifting out of Democrats' hands into
those of Republicans.

In those years, Mr. Rove regularly had dinner with Mr. Novak when the
columnist went to Austin. Mr. Rove, in his mid-30's, was a rising political
operator who in 1981 founded his direct-mail consulting firm, Karl Rove &
Company. Gov. William P. Clements, a Republican, was one of his first
clients.

Mr. Novak, in his mid-50's, was big political game for Mr. Rove. He was the
other half, with Rowland Evans Jr., of a much read and increasingly
conservative column that was syndicated by The Chicago Sun-Times and
published weekly in The Washington Post. Evans and Novak, as it was called -
Mr. Evans retired in 1993 -closely chronicled the Reagan era, and it would
have been a sign of Mr. Rove's arrival on the national scene for Mr. Novak
to mention him in print.

Still, a computer search of Mr. Novak's columns shows that Mr. Rove's name
did not appear under his byline until 1992, when Mr. Novak wrote the words
that got Mr. Rove into such trouble.

"A secret meeting of worried Republican power brokers in Dallas last Sunday
reflected the reality that George Bush is in serious trouble in trying to
carry his adopted state," the column began.

The column said that the campaign run by Mr. Mosbacher was a "bust" and that
he had been stripped of his authority at the "secret meeting" by Senator
Phil Gramm, the top Republican in the state.

Also at the meeting, Mr. Novak reported, was "political consultant Karl
Rove, who had been shoved aside by Mosbacher."

Specifically, Mr. Mosbacher told The Houston Chronicle in 2003 that he had
given a competitor of Mr. Rove the bulk of a $1 million contract for direct
mail work in the campaign.

"I thought another firm was better," Mr. Mosbacher told The Chronicle. "I
had $1 million for direct mail. I gave Rove a contract for $250,000 and
$750,000 to the other firm."

The other firm belonged to Mr. Rove's chief competitor, John Weaver, and Mr.
Rove was so angry, Texas Republicans say, that he retaliated by leaking the
information about Mr. Mosbacher to Mr. Novak.

Mr. Mosbacher fired Mr. Rove. As a result, Mr. Weaver, who later faced off
against Mr. Rove as the political director of Senator John McCain's
presidential campaign in 2000, walked away with Mr. Rove's $250,000, too.

"That's about the only time that a Novak column benefited me," Mr. Weaver
said this week in a telephone interview.

Mr. Rove again turned up in Mr. Novak's columns in 1999, when Gov. George W.
Bush was running for president. Mr. Rove, Mr. Bush's national campaign
strategist, was quoted briefly on the record in at least three columns, even
though Mr. Novak has said on CNN, "I can't tell you anything I ever talked
to Karl Rove about, because I don't think I ever talked to him about any
subject, even the time of day, on the record."

Whether Mr. Novak forgot about the 1999 mentions is unclear. What is clear
is that Mr. Rove has made frequent appearances in Mr. Novak's column in a
positive light, often in paragraphs that imparted information about the
inner workings of Mr. Bush's operation, feeding perceptions here that Mr.
Rove is one of the columnist's most important anonymous sources.

In April 2000, under the headline "Bush Thriving Without Insiders," Mr.
Novak wrote of the fears of the Republican old guard about the triumvirate
of "rookies" in Austin - led by Mr. Rove - who were running Mr. Bush's
"supposedly fading" presidential campaign.

"Actually," Mr. Novak wrote, "the Austin triumvirate has managed the most
effective Republican campaign since Dwight D. Eisenhower's in 1952."

Last December, Mr. Novak wrote that the "retention of John Snow as secretary
of the treasury was viewed in the capital's inner circles as a defeat for
presidential adviser Karl Rove, who wanted a high-profile manager of
President Bush's second-term economic program."

Although Mr. Novak did not directly debunk that view, he did suggest a
different turn of events when he wrote that two Wall Street executives had
said no to the position and that it was "decided at the White House to
relieve Snow from his uncertainty and keep him in office."

These days, friends of the two men say they have not seen Mr. Rove and Mr.
Novak at dinner together and note that there is little the two would have to
celebrate. But in June 2003, The Chicago Sun-Times gave a party for Mr.
Novak at the Army and Navy Club here to salute 40 years of his columns.

The biggest political celebrity guest, to no one's surprise, was Mr. Rove.



From michael at intrafi.com  Sat Aug  6 22:37:03 2005
From: michael at intrafi.com (Michael Butler)
Date: Sat Aug  6 22:40:01 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] BBC E-mail: Russian submarine and crew saved
Message-ID: <20050807_053703_008475.michael@intrafi.com>

Michael Butler saw this story on BBC News Online and thought you
should see it.

** Message **
Best News in A Long Time

** Russian submarine and crew saved **
A Russian mini-sub is brought to the surface after three days underwater, with all seven crew alive.
< http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/fr/-/1/hi/world/europe/4128614.stm >


** BBC Daily E-mail **
Choose the news and sport headlines you want - when you want them, all
in one daily e-mail
< http://www.bbc.co.uk/dailyemail/ >


** Disclaimer **
The BBC is not responsible for the content of this e-mail, and anything written in this e-mail does not necessarily reflect the BBC's views or opinions. Please note that neither the e-mail address nor name of the sender have?been verified.

If you do not wish to receive such e-mails in the future or want to know more about the BBC's Email a Friend service, please read our frequently asked questions. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/help/4162471.stm

From swiggard at comcast.net  Sun Aug  7 02:40:28 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (William Swiggard)
Date: Sun Aug  7 02:44:47 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Terrorists Turn to the Web as Base of Operations -
	Washington Post
Message-ID: <42F5D70C.7020107@comcast.net>

Terrorists Turn to the Web as Base of Operations

By Steve Coll and Susan B. Glasser
Washington Post Staff Writers
Sunday, August 7, 2005; Page A01

In the snow-draped mountains near Jalalabad in November 2001, as the 
Taliban collapsed and al Qaeda lost its Afghan sanctuary, Osama bin 
Laden biographer Hamid Mir watched "every second al Qaeda member 
carrying a laptop computer along with a Kalashnikov" as they prepared to 
scatter into hiding and exile. On the screens were photographs of Sept. 
11 hijacker Mohamed Atta.

Nearly four years later, al Qaeda has become the first guerrilla 
movement in history to migrate from physical space to cyberspace. With 
laptops and DVDs, in secret hideouts and at neighborhood Internet cafes, 
young code-writing jihadists have sought to replicate the training, 
communication, planning and preaching facilities they lost in 
Afghanistan with countless new locations on the Internet.

<>Al Qaeda suicide bombers and ambush units in Iraq routinely depend on 
the Web for training and tactical support, relying on the Internet's 
anonymity and flexibility to operate with near impunity in cyberspace. 
In Qatar, Egypt and Europe, cells affiliated with al Qaeda that have 
recently carried out or seriously planned bombings have relied heavily 
on the Internet.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/05/AR2005080501138.html 

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From swiggard at comcast.net  Sun Aug  7 02:43:46 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (William Swiggard)
Date: Sun Aug  7 02:48:04 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Rich Liberals Vow to Fund Think Tanks - Washington Post
Message-ID: <42F5D7D2.4050400@comcast.net>

<>Rich Liberals Vow to Fund Think Tanks
Aim Is to Compete With Conservatives

By Thomas B. Edsall
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, August 7, 2005; Page A01

At least 80 wealthy liberals have pledged to contribute $1 million or 
more apiece to fund a network of think tanks and advocacy groups to 
compete with the potent conservative infrastructure built up over the 
past three decades.

The money will be channeled through a new partnership called the 
Democracy Alliance, which was founded last spring -- the latest in a 
series of liberal initiatives as the Democratic Party and its allies 
continue to struggle with the loss of the House and the Senate in 1994 
and the presidency in 2000. Many influential Democratic contributors 
were left angry and despairing over the party's poor showing in last 
year's elections, and are looking for what they hope will be more 
effective ways to invest their support.

Financial commitments totaling at least $80 million over the next five 
years generated by the Democracy Alliance in recent months -- at a time 
when some liberal groups, such as the George Soros-backed America Coming 
Together, are floundering -- suggest that the group is becoming a player 
in the long-term effort to reinvigorate the left. The group has a goal 
of raising $200 million -- a sum that would inevitably come in part at 
the expense of more traditional Democratic groups, although alliance 
officials say donors have committed to maintaining past contribution levels.

<>Alliance chairman Steven Gluckstern, a retired investment banker, said 
that President Bush's victory over Sen. John F. Kerry (D-Mass.) last 
year after millions of dollars had been poured into pro-Democratic "527" 
groups caused many contributors to think that a dramatically new 
approach is needed.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/06/AR2005080600848.html 

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From swiggard at comcast.net  Sun Aug  7 02:46:42 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (William Swiggard)
Date: Sun Aug  7 02:50:58 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] The Right Time for An Islamic Reformation - Salman
 Rushdie - Washington Post
Message-ID: <42F5D882.4090404@comcast.net>

The Right Time for An Islamic Reformation

By Salman Rushdie
Sunday, August 7, 2005; Page B07

When Sir Iqbal Sacranie, head of the Muslim Council of Britain, admitted 
that "our own children" had perpetrated the July 7 London bombings, it 
was the first time in my memory that a British Muslim had accepted his 
community's responsibility for outrages committed by its members. 
Instead of blaming U.S. foreign policy or "Islamophobia," Sacranie 
described the bombings as a "profound challenge" for the Muslim 
community. However, this is the same Sacranie who, in 1989, said that 
"Death is perhaps too easy" for the author of "The Satanic Verses." Tony 
Blair's decision to knight him and treat him as the acceptable face of 
"moderate," "traditional" Islam is either a sign of his government's 
penchant for religious appeasement or a demonstration of how limited 
Blair's options really are.

Sacranie is a strong advocate of Blair's much-criticized new 
religious-hatred bill, which will make it harder to criticize religion, 
and he actually expects the new law to outlaw references to Islamic 
terrorism. He said as recently as Jan. 13, "There is no such thing as an 
Islamic terrorist. This is deeply offensive. Saying Muslims are 
terrorists would be covered [i.e., banned] by this provision." Two weeks 
later his organization boycotted a Holocaust remembrance ceremony in 
London commemorating the liberation of Auschwitz 60 years ago. If Sir 
Iqbal Sacranie is the best Blair can offer in the way of a good Muslim, 
we have a problem.

<>The Sacranie case illustrates the weakness of the Blair government's 
strategy of relying on traditional, essentially orthodox Muslims to help 
eradicate Islamist radicalism. Traditional Islam is a broad church that 
certainly includes millions of tolerant, civilized men and women but 
also encompasses many whose views on women's rights are antediluvian, 
who think of homosexuality as ungodly, who have little time for real 
freedom of expression, who routinely express anti-Semitic views and who, 
in the case of the Muslim diaspora, are -- it has to be said -- in many 
ways at odds with the Christian, Hindu, non-believing or Jewish cultures 
among which they live.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/05/AR2005080501483.html?nav=hcmodule 

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From swiggard at comcast.net  Sun Aug  7 02:50:52 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (William Swiggard)
Date: Sun Aug  7 02:55:13 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Ousted From Uzbekistan - Jim Hoagland - Washington Post
Message-ID: <42F5D97C.4040502@comcast.net>

<>Ousted From Uzbekistan
Our Global Strategy Trips Over Cold War Reflexes

By Jim Hoagland
Sunday, August 7, 2005; Page B07

If you can supply energy to world markets, do you really need the United 
States and its conflicting priorities and bureaucracies, along with all 
that yammering about human rights and democracy? For Islam A. Karimov, 
the dictatorial ruler of Uzbekistan, the answer is a big NO.

Karimov's recent order to the United States to cease operations at the 
K2 air base and pull its troops out of his Central Asian republic within 
six months came only after he had reached new understandings on energy 
and other subjects with the leaders of China, Russia and his immediate 
neighbors. Tyrant and butcher Karimov may be; fool he is not.

Karimov received assent or encouragement -- official Washington is not 
sure which -- from Russian President Vladimir Putin and from China's 
collective leadership to stick his thumb in Uncle Sam's eye by closing 
the base, a move that complicates the resupply of U.S. troops in 
Afghanistan.

That makes the U.S-Uzbek rupture more than a diplomatic spat over human 
rights. It becomes a focus for global strategy as well, raising serious 
questions about the Bush administration's ability to sustain an American 
military presence in Central Asia as other major powers reassert their 
perceived interests in the region.

<>Settling on a strategy toward Karimov alone was not that difficult for 
Washington. Superpowers have a history of cutting adrift once-useful 
bloodstained dictators. But charting why Putin is now asking President 
Bush to set a timetable for U.S. withdrawal from military bases in all 
of Central Asia is a far bigger, still unfolding task.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/05/AR2005080501484.html 

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From swiggard at comcast.net  Sun Aug  7 02:58:17 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (William Swiggard)
Date: Sun Aug  7 03:02:34 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] 60 Years After A-Bomb,
 Old Foes Meet Over a Deep Divide - Washington Post
Message-ID: <42F5DB39.7010501@comcast.net>

60 Years After A-Bomb, Old Foes Meet Over a Deep Divide

By Anthony Faiola
Washington Post Foreign Service
Sunday, August 7, 2005; Page A01

TINIAN, Northern Mariana Islands, Aug. 6 -- Sixty years ago today, the 
world went black for Keijiro Matsushima, then a 16-year-old Hiroshima 
schoolboy. He vividly recalled an airplane he now knows was the Enola 
Gay shimmering in the sky like a "flying Popsicle" before the great 
flash from the atomic bomb vaporized tens of thousands and left a 
ghostly parade of "the half-living covered in ash and burns" to die in 
the months ahead.

Since those days, Matsushima said he has felt a "deep if troubled" 
connection to this Pacific island, about the size of Manhattan, that 
housed the runways and staging area for the U.S. atomic strikes. The 
same can be said for Michael Kuryla, 79. He is among the few remaining 
survivors of the USS Indianapolis, sunk on July 30, 1945, by a Japanese 
submarine after delivering parts of the bomb to Tinian. Kuryla spent 
five days adrift before being rescued, watching scores of his fellow 
crewmen drown while others were devoured by sharks.

On opposite sides of the fateful mushroom cloud, Matsushima and Kuryla 
are bound by invisible links that drew them and 200 others this week to 
an extraordinary and controversial commemoration here. Few questions in 
modern history remain more divisive than whether the U.S. bombings of 
Hiroshima and Nagasaki were justified. Six decades after the war, and 
with their countries now the closest of allies, no two groups remain 
more polarized on the issue than U.S. Pacific war veterans and Japanese 
survivors of the attacks.

<>At what most participants described as the last major gathering at 
this historic site for a vanishing generation of World War II vets, the 
local organizers did the once-unthinkable -- they brought the two sides 
together.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/06/AR2005080600850.html 

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From nwonline at toronto.cbc.ca  Sun Aug  7 06:17:19 2005
From: nwonline at toronto.cbc.ca (CBC Arts)
Date: Sun Aug  7 06:21:01 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] CBC Arts - CUBAN SINGER IBRAHIM FERRER DIES
Message-ID: <20050807131719.4D06D69AFB@nmweb08.nm.cbc.ca>

This email has been sent to you by harry.sifton@sympatico.ca
The following is a news item posted on CBC ARTS
at http://www.cbc.ca/arts
____________________________________________________
CUBAN SINGER IBRAHIM FERRER DIES
WebPosted Sat Aug  6 21:51:43 2005

---Ibrahim Ferrer, a Cuban singer who vaulted from obscurity to
international fame when he came out of retirement to perform in the Buena
Vista Social Club, has died.

Ferrer, who was 78, fell ill after returning from a month-long European
tour that took him to the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland, Britain,
Holland, Austria, France and Spain.

He was admitted to a Havana hospital with gastroenteritis and died
Saturday of a heart attack, his wife, Caridad Diaz, told the AFP
news agency.

Ferrer, a wiry man in a trademark cap, was a master of the traditional
Cuban son and bolero styles.

By the early 1990s, however, he had been all but forgotten and was
augmenting his state pension by shining shoes when the U.S. musician Ry
Cooder recruited him.

Along with singer Compay Segundo, pianist Ruben Gonzalez and other
vintage Cuban musicians, Ferrer performed on Cooder's Buena Vista Social
Club album.

The album, which won a Grammy in 1997, became hugely popular and vaulted
the aging musicians into the international limelight.

Their fame grew when they appeared in the 1999 film of the same name by
German director Wim Wenders.

Ferrer released solo records in 1999 and 2003, racking up another Grammy
award and two Latin Grammies.

Ferrer was born during a social club dance in the eastern Cuban city
of Santiago on Feb. 20, 1927, after his mother unexpectedly went
into labour.

He started singing professionally at age 14 and by the 1950s, had won his
place with well-known Cuban bands.

In 1959, he joined the group of the legendary bandleader Pacho Alonso,
where he stayed for more than two decades while making guest appearances
with other stars such as vocalist Benny More.

In the early 1980s, Ferrer set aside his musical career, not taking it
up again until Cooder persuaded him out of retirement more than a
decade later.

Copyright (C) 2005 CBC. All rights reserved.
From harry.sifton at sympatico.ca  Sun Aug  7 06:19:53 2005
From: harry.sifton at sympatico.ca (Harold)
Date: Sun Aug  7 06:31:19 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] (no subject)
Message-ID: <200508071319.j77DJrh00995@develop.nmdg.com>


Harold (harry.sifton@sympatico.ca) wanted you to read the following story:



This story is available online at:


Comments from Harold:
This is just wrong, this man had already severd time, there is no compassion. What point is the judge really making? This judge is just another of many many anal American lawmakers!



> This message is a service of MaineToday.com
> http://www.mainetoday.com

From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Sun Aug  7 08:15:03 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (mblaxill@yahoo.com)
Date: Sun Aug  7 08:18:03 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] NYTimes.com: Death Visits a Marine Unit,
	Once Called Lucky
Message-ID: <20050807151503.1B54723724A@lax-gw01.mroute.net>

This page was sent to you by: mblaxill@yahoo.com.

NATIONAL | August 7, 2005
Death Visits a Marine Unit, Once Called Lucky
By JOHN KIFNER and JAMES DAO
Lima Company's first few weeks in Iraq were uneventful, but when death came, it came in abundance.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/07/national/07marine.html?ex=1124078400&en=b38e3251556bd9d4&ei=5070&emc=eta1



----------------- Advertisement --------------------------

The Academy loved these movies enough to name each
one Best Picture.  What did the original New York
Times movie reviews have to say about these Oscar
winning films?  
Go to the Best Pictures review archive:

http://ads.nyt.com/th.ad/nytnyt-textEmailThisdefault-Center1A/academyawards_text/?_RM_REDIR_=http://www.nytimes.com/ref/movies/oscars/bestpictures.html




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This e-mail was sent to you by a friend through NYTimes.com's E-mail This Article service.  For general information about NYTimes.com, write to help@nytimes.com.

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Copyright 2005 The New York Times Company
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From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Sun Aug  7 08:17:33 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (mblaxill@yahoo.com)
Date: Sun Aug  7 08:20:27 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] NYTimes.com: Mother Takes Protest to Bush's Ranch
Message-ID: <20050807151733.1E3279FBF1@lax-gw05.mroute.net>

This page was sent to you by: mblaxill@yahoo.com.

WASHINGTON | August 7, 2005
Mother Takes Protest to Bush's Ranch
By RICHARD W. STEVENSON
The mother of an American soldier killed in Iraq led a protest march on President Bush's ranch in Crawford, Texas.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/07/politics/07protest.html?ex=1124078400&en=9bfa503762c1c417&ei=5070&emc=eta1



----------------- Advertisement --------------------------

The Academy loved these movies enough to name each
one Best Picture.  What did the original New York
Times movie reviews have to say about these Oscar
winning films?  
Go to the Best Pictures review archive:

http://ads.nyt.com/th.ad/nytnyt-textEmailThisdefault-Center1A/academyawards_text/?_RM_REDIR_=http://www.nytimes.com/ref/movies/oscars/bestpictures.html




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ABOUT THIS E-MAIL
This e-mail was sent to you by a friend through NYTimes.com's E-mail This Article service.  For general information about NYTimes.com, write to help@nytimes.com.

NYTimes.com 500 Seventh Avenue New York, NY 10018

Copyright 2005 The New York Times Company
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From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Sun Aug  7 08:18:32 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (mblaxill@yahoo.com)
Date: Sun Aug  7 08:21:24 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] NYTimes.com: Military Plans Gradual Cuts in Iraq Forces
Message-ID: <20050807151832.29BC513B7D8@lax-gw04.mroute.net>

This page was sent to you by: mblaxill@yahoo.com.

my prediction - Oct 2006


WASHINGTON | August 7, 2005
Military Plans Gradual Cuts in Iraq Forces
By ERIC SCHMITT
If the political process in Iraq remains on track and security improves, perhaps up to 30,000 troops could pull out by next spring.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/07/politics/07military.html?ex=1124078400&en=0de2418ff996041b&ei=5070&emc=eta1



----------------- Advertisement --------------------------

The Academy loved these movies enough to name each
one Best Picture.  What did the original New York
Times movie reviews have to say about these Oscar
winning films?  
Go to the Best Pictures review archive:

http://ads.nyt.com/th.ad/nytnyt-textEmailThisdefault-Center1A/academyawards_text/?_RM_REDIR_=http://www.nytimes.com/ref/movies/oscars/bestpictures.html




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This e-mail was sent to you by a friend through NYTimes.com's E-mail This Article service.  For general information about NYTimes.com, write to help@nytimes.com.

NYTimes.com 500 Seventh Avenue New York, NY 10018

Copyright 2005 The New York Times Company
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From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Sun Aug  7 08:23:56 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (mblaxill@yahoo.com)
Date: Sun Aug  7 08:26:49 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] 
	NYTimes.com: Robin Cook, Former British Foreign Secretary,
	Dead at 59
Message-ID: <20050807152356.8167811F9C1@lax-gw07.mroute.net>

This page was sent to you by: mblaxill@yahoo.com.

tin-foil hats, anyone?


OBITUARIES | August 7, 2005
Robin Cook, Former British Foreign Secretary, Dead at 59
By ALAN COWELL
Robin Cook's decision to quit the government to protest the invasion of Iraq was seen as a rare display of principle at personal and political cost.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/07/obituaries/07cook.html?ex=1124078400&en=99d24e920d3f913b&ei=5070&emc=eta1




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ABOUT THIS E-MAIL
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NYTimes.com 500 Seventh Avenue New York, NY 10018

Copyright 2005 The New York Times Company
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From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Sun Aug  7 08:28:46 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (mblaxill@yahoo.com)
Date: Sun Aug  7 08:31:38 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] NYTimes.com: The Spy Left Out in the Cold
Message-ID: <20050807152846.8D47A3AE5B0@lax-gw06.mroute.net>

This page was sent to you by: mblaxill@yahoo.com.

OPINION | August 7, 2005
Op-Ed Contributor: The Spy Left Out in the Cold
By JOHN H. RICHARDSON
My father was also a C.I.A. officer outed by the press.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/07/opinion/07richardson.html?ex=1124078400&en=e5cfc632eb3dfae3&ei=5070&emc=eta1




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This e-mail was sent to you by a friend through NYTimes.com's E-mail This Article service.  For general information about NYTimes.com, write to help@nytimes.com.

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From harry.sifton at sympatico.ca  Sun Aug  7 08:49:33 2005
From: harry.sifton at sympatico.ca (harry.sifton@sympatico.ca)
Date: Sun Aug  7 08:52:44 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] The Observer: In the southern sun,
	dark secrets are rising
Message-ID: <20050807154933.8E12A1286B@herring.gul3.gnl>

Harry spotted this on the The Observer site and thought you should see it.

To see this story with its related links on the The Observer site, go to http://www.observer.co.uk

In the southern sun, dark secrets are rising
On a hot night in 1946 in Monroe, Georgia, four black people were lynched and all investigators met a wall of fearful silence. But almost 60 years on, justice may finally be served, reports Paul Harris
Paul Harris
Sunday August 07 2005
The Observer


Moore's Ford Bridge sits on a quiet country road, around a sharp bend and surrounded by piney woods. It is an out-of-the-way place, unmarked and unremarkable save for the murders that once took place there. 

The bridge, in Monroe, Georgia, is a killing place. It was here, on a hot summer evening, that the last mass public lynching took place in America. On 25 July, 1946, four young black people, two men and two women, were dragged from a car by a white mob, taken into the woods and murdered. No one was prosecuted for the crime. 

Now, almost 60 years later, a new chapter is being written in the history of Moore's Ford. Local activists are campaigning for the killers - at least two of whom are believed to still live within a few miles of the crossing - to be brought to justice. A re-enactment has been staged, there is a $25,000 reward and calls for a federal intervention. Most importantly of all, there is fresh hope. 

Bobby Howard, a local civil rights worker, says renewed interest is just the beginning. Standing on the bridge, on a humid evening much like that fatal day in 1946, he stared at the muddy Apalachee River below. 'It was broad daylight when they killed 'em. Those men acted like they had nothing to hide. So far they have been right, but what's going on now might change that,' he said. 

There is a wave of fresh prosecutions across the Deep South in some of the most brutal crimes from the days of segregation. Old cases have been reopened and old men have stood trial for their crimes. In June former Ku Klux Klansman Edgar Ray Killen was found guilty of killing three civil rights workers in 1964 in Mississippi. Other cases are being looked at. Proposals have been made for a special federal unit to investigate such crimes. 

The South is finally  re-examining the darkest parts of its soul. There is no spot darker than Moore's Ford, just a few miles from the town of Monroe. To travel back to that day is to step back into a distant world where the now close suburbs of Atlanta, with their strip malls and highways, might as well have been on the other side of the planet. Monroe was then a place of white landowners and poor black tenants. 'Negroes' knew their place and that place was lowly - propertyless, voteless and living at the whims of whites. 

The Moore's Ford story began with a fight. Local black labourer Roger Malcom stabbed the son of a white farmer. He was jailed, and then bailed out by local white landowner and bootlegger Loy Harrison. As Harrison drove Malcom home he was accompanied by another black man, George Dorsey, a war veteran whom some whites saw as being 'uppity'. The two men's common law wives, Dorothy Malcom and Mae Dorsey, were also in the car. Dorothy was seven months pregnant. 

Harrison took a strange way home, eventually taking the road over Moore's Ford Bridge. The mob was waiting. The two black men were hauled out and beaten. A noose was placed over Malcom's neck.  

Then it was the women's turn. They fought and screamed. Their arms were broken. Finally, the mob turned into a firing squad. As its leader counted down 3-2-1, a volley of shots tore the victims apart. The bodies were so peppered with bullet holes, relatives had difficulty recognising the victims. There were up to 25 men in the mob, not one bothered to wear a mask. Yet Harrison told the police he did not recognise any of them. 

This is not just history for people around Monroe. Not for Penny Young, whose mother was Malcom's first wife. She has photographs of the young man still and lays them out on the table of a diner. 'My mother went to her grave thinking nothing would ever be done. Now something is being done,' she said. 

Most shocking of all is the fact that no one was ever caught. A veil of silence greeted the hordes of FBI investigators sent in by a Washington government aggrieved by the lynching of a thrice-decorated war veteran. That same white silence has protected the killers for six decades. Yet campaigners of the Moore's Ford Memorial Committee believe up to five are still alive. One, in particular, has driven his car threateningly around some of the committee's meetings. 

Evidence has trickled out. One man, who claimed to see the killing as a boy hidden in the woods, named several people . A local policeman has said he believes two of his uncles were involved. It seems impossible that Harrison, who is also now dead, was not part of the plot. 

But the veil of silence still exists. The shadow of the killings stretches darkly into the present. Down beneath the bridge the initials KKK have been scrawled in paint. Some black people are still afraid to talk about the case. Some whites in the white community still claim it was just a 'bootlegging' incident. Even proponents of trying to get a prosecution admit it is a long shot as the final witnesses and perpetrators die. 'Time is running out and there's people out there that it suits to just let it run. People must break the code of silence,' said Will Fleming, a former FBI investigator instrumental in recent fresh prosecutions in Alabama. Fleming believes prosecutions can still happen in Moore's Ford.  

'We can't find closure without prosecutions,' added Tyrone Brooks, a local Georgia state senator. 

But there is another dynamic at work. Moore's Ford has focused attention on America's 'dark secret' of lynching. Moore's Ford is just the tip of an iceberg. Within a few dozen miles are the sites of other lynchings. At nearby Watkinsville, where eight black men were dragged from prison and lynched in 1905. At Athens, where former soldier Lemuel Penn was murdered by the Klan in 1964. Similar memorial groups are springing up to confront a violent past that once saw lynchings happen in America at the rate of once a week for almost 80 years.  

These are stories known by blacks, ignored and forgotten by whites. 'Back then a white person wasn't even inconvenienced by killing a black person,' said Howard. 

What happened at Moore's Ford is not the past yet. Atlanta's suburbs may be marching onwards, the cotton fields have nearly all gone and black people can vote as freely as whites. But the twins of fear and silence still exist. The KKK beneath Moore's Ford Bridge is hidden from plain sight, but not rubbed out.  

'The more things change, the more things stay the same,' said Howard as he drove his car in a retracement of the four victims' final journey.  

Copyright Guardian Newspapers Limited
From villasudjuan at wanadoo.fr  Sun Aug  7 06:25:02 2005
From: villasudjuan at wanadoo.fr (villasudjuan)
Date: Sun Aug  7 09:31:20 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] FW: A Canadian Criticizes OUR President Carter: OUR
	Nobel Prize Winner. Right On.
In-Reply-To: <001001c59aac$b9957780$0700000a@Hassan>
Message-ID: <200508071631.j77GVHND030266@dune.islandtechnologies.net>


------ Forwarded Message
From: "Hassan Palizi" <hassan.palizi@btinternet.com>
Reply-To: "Hassan Palizi" <hassan@palizi.com>
Date: Sat, 6 Aug 2005 18:31:48 +0100
To: "villasudjuan" <villasudjuan@wanadoo.fr>
Subject: Fw: A Canadian Criticizes OUR  President Carter: OUR Nobel Prize
Winner. Right On.

 
 
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Saturday, August 06, 2005 8:21 AM
Subject: Fw: A Canadian Criticizes OUR President Carter: OUR Nobel Prize
Winner. Right On.

 
Subject: A Canadian Criticizes OUR President Carter: OUR Nobel Prize Winner.
Right On.




The trouble with Carter


by Klaus Rohrich
Friday, August 5, 2005

Jimmy Carter, the peanut farmer and former U.S. President, has a huge
problem: his mouth. The things emanating from that orifice are bizarre in
the extreme, considering that Carter was arguably the worst president in the
history of the United States. His most recent foot-in-mouth episode involves
his running commentary on George W. Bush?s veracity and the "atrocities"
committed by American soldiers in the war on terrorism. Carter maintains
that had the U.S. not waged war against the Taliban who were sponsors of
Osama bin Laden?s al Qaeda network, or deposed Saddam Hussein, then the
Islamic terrorists would have no excuse for attacking the West.

To say this sentiment is na?ve is charitable, given Carter?s history of
extreme failure as America?s 39th president. For those too young to
remember, under Carter?s tenure in the White House inflation and interest
rates rose to their highest levels since the Second World War. In 1978
interest rates of 20 percent were not unheard of, as Carter dithered with
the U.S. economy. It was also under Carter?s watch that Iranian
fundamentalist Muslims took 66 American diplomats hostage and held them for
444 days, while Carter was powerless to do anything but posture.

It is ironic that this happened, as Carter was directly responsible for the
Ayatollah Khomeini?s takeover of Iran. Carter had decided that Mohammed Reza
Palavi, the Shah of Iran and a committed friend of the United States, wasn?t
democratic enough for Carter?s taste. As a result, Carter insisted the Shah
democratize his regime, the result of which was the takeover of Iran by the
Ayatollah when the Shah left Iran for cancer treatment in the U.S.

More ironically still, the takeover of Iran by the Islamic fundamentalists
emboldened Saddam Hussein, who had just begun his tenure as absolute
dictator of Iraq. Believing that the departure of the Shah and the chilling
of American/Iranian relations would render Iran ripe for an invasion, Saddam
attacked Iran in hopes of securing that country?s oil fields and deposing
the Shia Muslim theocracy there. The result was that over 1,000,000 men died
during that conflict, which remained at a stalemate for years.

Had Carter not been instrumental in deposing the Shah, then Saddam would
likely have remained a bit player in the region, which might have resulted
in greater stability.

In 2002, Carter was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize "for his decades of
untiring effort to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts, to
advance democracy and human rights, and to promote economic and social
development". This sounds to me like it may have been the booby prize, given
that Carter actually never accomplished anything concrete that resulted in
the resolution of international conflicts, the advancement of democracy or
even the promotion of economic and social development. Quite the opposite,
as under Carter?s reign the "misery index", which was Carter?s own invention
(leave it to a Democrat to focus on misery), climbed by over 50 percent! But
then, we have to remember that the Nobel Peace prize also went to Yassar
Arafat, the notorious murderer who is responsible for thousands of deaths,
both among Israelis as well as Palestinians.

It?s so characteristic of Democrats in the U.S. to take total failures,
flunkies who accomplish less than nothing, and elevate them to some mythical
pantheon of liberal heroes because they had good intentions. My grandmother
used to tell me that the road to hell was paved with them.

Rather than trying to score political points with those who are trying to
kill us, Jimmy Carter might be well advised to read some history. I strongly
recommend European history between, say, 1930 and 1945. There are some
wonderful lessons to be learned in the comparison between Neville
Chamberlain and Winston Churchill. The former, Like Jimmy Carter, wanted to
appease the enemy, while the latter, Like George Bush, took steps to defend
his country.


Klaus Rohrich is columnist with Canada Free Press. He can be reached at:
letters@canadafreepress.com.




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From villasudjuan at wanadoo.fr  Sun Aug  7 06:29:22 2005
From: villasudjuan at wanadoo.fr (villasudjuan)
Date: Sun Aug  7 09:38:18 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] FW: Do you remember?
In-Reply-To: <001d01c59aad$6c7e8da0$0700000a@Hassan>
Message-ID: <200508071638.j77GcGOG030289@dune.islandtechnologies.net>


------ Forwarded Message
From: "Hassan Palizi" <hassan.palizi@btinternet.com>
Reply-To: "Hassan Palizi" <hassan@palizi.com>
Date: Sat, 6 Aug 2005 18:36:48 +0100
To: "villasudjuan" <villasudjuan@wanadoo.fr>
Subject: Fw: Do you remember?

 
----- Original Message -----

 
 
 
Subject: Do you remember?

Please pause a moment, reflect back, and take the  following multiple choice
test. The events are actual events from history. They actually happened!



Do you remember? 



   1. 1968 Bobby Kennedy was shot and killed by
   a. Superman
   b. Jay Leno
   c. Harry Potter
   d. a Muslim male extremist between the ages of 17 and 40


2. In 1972 at the Munich Olympics, athletes were  kidnapped and massacred by
   a. Olga Corbett
   b. Sitting Bull
   c. Arnold Schwarzenegger
   d. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40


3. In 1979, the US embassy in Iran was taken over by:
   a. Lost Norwegians
   b. Elvis
   c. A tour bus full of 80-year-old women
   d. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40


4. During the 1980's a number of Americans were kidnapped in Lebanon by:
   a. John Dillinger
   b. The King of Sweden
   c. The Boy Scouts
   d. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40


5. In 1983, the US Marine barracks in Beirut was blown up by:
   a. A pizza delivery boy
   b. Pee Wee Herman
   c. Geraldo Rivera
   d. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40


6. In 1985 the cruise ship Achille Lauro was hijacked and a 70 year old
American passenger was murdered and thrown overboard in his wheelchair by:
   a. The Smurfs
   b. Davy Jones
   c. The Little Mermaid
   d. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40

7. In 1985 TWA flight 847 was hijacked at Athens, and a US Navy diver trying
to rescue passengers was murdered by:
   a. Captain Kidd
   b. Charles Lindberg
   c. Mother Teresa
   d. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40


8. In 1988, Pan Am Flight 103 was bombed by:
   a. Scooby Doo
   b. The Tooth Fairy
   c. Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid
   d. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40


9. In 1993 the World Trade Center was bombed the first time by:
   a. Richard Simmons
   b. Grandma Moses
   c. Michael Jordan
   d. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40


10. In 1998, the US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania were bombed by:
   a. Mr. Rogers
   b. Hillary Clinton, to distract attention from Wild Bill's women problems
   c. The World Wrestling Federation
   d. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40


11. On 9/11/01, four airliners were hijacked; two were used as missiles to
take out the World Trade Centers and of the remaining two, one crashed into
the US Pentagon and the other was diverted and crashed by the passengers.
Thousands of people were killed by:
   a. Bugs Bunny, Wiley E. Coyote, Daffy Duck and Elmer  Fudd
   b. The Supreme Court of Florida
   c. Mr. Bean
   d. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40


12. In 2002 the United States fought a war in  Afghanistan against:
   a. Enron
   b. The Lutheran Church
   c. The NFL
   d. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40


13. In 2002 reporter Daniel Pearl was kidnapped and murdered by:
   a. Bonnie and Clyde
   b. Captain Kangaroo
   c. Billy Graham
   d. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40



Nope, I really don't see a pattern here to justify  profiling, do you?  So,
to ensure we Americans never offend anyone, particularly fanatics intent on
killing us, airport security screeners will no longer be allowed to profile
certain people.   They must conduct  random searches of 80-year-old women,
little kids, airline pilots with proper identification, secret agents who
are members of the President's security detail, 85-year old Congressmen with
metal hips, and Medal of Honour winning and former Governor Joe Foss, but
leave Muslim Males between the ages 17 and 40  alone lest they be guilty of
profiling.

Let's send this to as many people as we can so that the Gloria Aldreds and
other dunder-headed attorneys along with Federal Justices that want to
thwart common  sense, feel doubly ashamed of themselves -- if they
have any such sense. As the writer of the award  winning story "Forrest
Gump" so aptly put it, "Stupid is as stupid does."



Come on people wake up!!!  Keep this going. Pass it on  to everyone in your
address book. Our Country and our
troops need our support.

Who tried to attack the US Warship "the Sullivan Brothers", and then did
attack "the Cole"?

Who attacked the commuter trains in Madrid?

Who attacked the Moscow Subway?


And guess who just bombed London?????????

 


------ End of Forwarded Message

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From barbarasiomos38 at msn.com  Sun Aug  7 10:59:31 2005
From: barbarasiomos38 at msn.com (Barbara Siomos)
Date: Sun Aug  7 11:02:24 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] CBC Arts - CUBAN SINGER IBRAHIM FERRER DIES
Message-ID: <BAY5-DAV18073F756F28F30840D62AABB90@phx.gbl>

Harry thank you so much for sending this... This guy was the greatest. In the film Buena Vista Social Club he was such a ham and so devoted to his wife, and did they L-O-V-E New York City and Carnegie Hall... :-)

Thanks again.
peace,
barbar

-----Original Message-----
From: CBC Arts
Sent: Sun, 7 Aug 2005 06:17:19 -0700
To: mb-civic@islandlists.com
Subject: [Mb-civic] CBC Arts - CUBAN SINGER IBRAHIM FERRER DIES

This email has been sent to you by harry.sifton@sympatico.ca
The following is a news item posted on CBC ARTS
at http://www.cbc.ca/arts
____________________________________________________
CUBAN SINGER IBRAHIM FERRER DIES
WebPosted Sat Aug  6 21:51:43 2005

---Ibrahim Ferrer, a Cuban singer who vaulted from obscurity to
international fame when he came out of retirement to perform in the Buena
Vista Social Club, has died.

Ferrer, who was 78, fell ill after returning from a month-long European
tour that took him to the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland, Britain,
Holland, Austria, France and Spain.

He was admitted to a Havana hospital with gastroenteritis and died
Saturday of a heart attack, his wife, Caridad Diaz, told the AFP
news agency.

Ferrer, a wiry man in a trademark cap, was a master of the traditional
Cuban son and bolero styles.

By the early 1990s, however, he had been all but forgotten and was
augmenting his state pension by shining shoes when the U.S. musician Ry
Cooder recruited him.

Along with singer Compay Segundo, pianist Ruben Gonzalez and other
vintage Cuban musicians, Ferrer performed on Cooder's Buena Vista Social
Club album.

The album, which won a Grammy in 1997, became hugely popular and vaulted
the aging musicians into the international limelight.

Their fame grew when they appeared in the 1999 film of the same name by
German director Wim Wenders.

Ferrer released solo records in 1999 and 2003, racking up another Grammy
award and two Latin Grammies.

Ferrer was born during a social club dance in the eastern Cuban city
of Santiago on Feb. 20, 1927, after his mother unexpectedly went
into labour.

He started singing professionally at age 14 and by the 1950s, had won his
place with well-known Cuban bands.

In 1959, he joined the group of the legendary bandleader Pacho Alonso,
where he stayed for more than two decades while making guest appearances
with other stars such as vocalist Benny More.

In the early 1980s, Ferrer set aside his musical career, not taking it
up again until Cooder persuaded him out of retirement more than a
decade later.

Copyright (C) 2005 CBC. All rights reserved.
_______________________________________________
Mb-civic mailing list
Mb-civic@islandlists.com
http://www.islandlists.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/mb-civic


From barbarasiomos38 at msn.com  Sun Aug  7 11:32:13 2005
From: barbarasiomos38 at msn.com (Barbara Siomos)
Date: Sun Aug  7 11:35:07 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] 
	http://www.vwspringsessions.be/pers/Ibrahim%20Ferrer%20-%20photo%20by%20Eniac%20.jpg
Message-ID: <BAY5-DAV77E5BF8B1002F24AEFA59ABB90@phx.gbl>

In honor of Ibrahim Ferrer who passed away..... This is one Snazzy Dude.. :-)

Barbara Siomos <barbarasiomos38@msn.com> has sent you the following web link:

http://www.vwspringsessions.be/pers/Ibrahim%20Ferrer%20-%20photo%20by%20Eniac%20.jpg



From hecate at diamonddragon.com  Sun Aug  7 11:59:36 2005
From: hecate at diamonddragon.com (Hecate)
Date: Sun Aug  7 12:02:36 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] BBC E-mail: Alaskan people tell of climate change
Message-ID: <20050807_185936_096160.hecate@diamonddragon.com>

Hecate saw this story on BBC News Online and thought you
should see it.

** Message **
"Nowadays ice conditions are thinner than in the 1970s and 80s. The ice used to be 20 to 30 feet thick but now it is more like 10 feet thick. But what can we do? Sometimes I feel sad but we just have to go with what we have got. 

"Up here in the Arctic we are definitely warming up, the polar pack ice has all but gone." 


** Alaskan people tell of climate change **
Scientists have found a rich new record of climate change, stretching back decades - the native people of Alaska.
< http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/fr/-/2/hi/science/nature/4748287.stm >


** BBC Daily E-mail **
Choose the news and sport headlines you want - when you want them, all
in one daily e-mail
< http://www.bbc.co.uk/dailyemail/ >


** Disclaimer **
The BBC is not responsible for the content of this e-mail, and anything written in this e-mail does not necessarily reflect the BBC's views or opinions. Please note that neither the e-mail address nor name of the sender have?been verified.

If you do not wish to receive such e-mails in the future or want to know more about the BBC's Email a Friend service, please read our frequently asked questions. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/help/4162471.stm

From hecate at diamonddragon.com  Sun Aug  7 12:05:24 2005
From: hecate at diamonddragon.com (Hecate)
Date: Sun Aug  7 12:08:35 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] BBC E-mail: 'Thoughts read' via brain scans
Message-ID: <20050807_190524_041763.hecate@diamonddragon.com>

Hecate saw this story on BBC News Online and thought you
should see it.

** Message **
Teams at University College London and University of California in LA could tell what images people were looking at or what sounds they were listening to. 



** 'Thoughts read' via brain scans **
UK and US scientists say they have been able to read people's thoughts by using brain scans.
< http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/fr/-/2/hi/health/4715327.stm >


** BBC Daily E-mail **
Choose the news and sport headlines you want - when you want them, all
in one daily e-mail
< http://www.bbc.co.uk/dailyemail/ >


** Disclaimer **
The BBC is not responsible for the content of this e-mail, and anything written in this e-mail does not necessarily reflect the BBC's views or opinions. Please note that neither the e-mail address nor name of the sender have?been verified.

If you do not wish to receive such e-mails in the future or want to know more about the BBC's Email a Friend service, please read our frequently asked questions. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/help/4162471.stm

From hecate at diamonddragon.com  Sun Aug  7 12:07:20 2005
From: hecate at diamonddragon.com (Hecate)
Date: Sun Aug  7 12:10:14 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] BBC E-mail: Iran turns down EU nuclear offer
Message-ID: <20050807_190720_085783.hecate@diamonddragon.com>

Hecate saw this story on BBC News Online and thought you
should see it.

** Message **
Tehran has threatened to resume nuclear activities next week that have been suspended since November 2004. 

Its rejection of the EU proposals came as the new hardline President, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, was sworn in. 

Iran says its nuclear programme is peaceful, but Western countries suspect it is a front hiding efforts to build atomic bombs. 



** Iran turns down EU nuclear offer **
An Iranian spokesman rejects the latest EU proposals for resolving concerns over Iran's nuclear programme.
< http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/fr/-/2/hi/middle_east/4126572.stm >


** BBC Daily E-mail **
Choose the news and sport headlines you want - when you want them, all
in one daily e-mail
< http://www.bbc.co.uk/dailyemail/ >


** Disclaimer **
The BBC is not responsible for the content of this e-mail, and anything written in this e-mail does not necessarily reflect the BBC's views or opinions. Please note that neither the e-mail address nor name of the sender have?been verified.

If you do not wish to receive such e-mails in the future or want to know more about the BBC's Email a Friend service, please read our frequently asked questions. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/help/4162471.stm

From hecate at diamonddragon.com  Sun Aug  7 12:08:55 2005
From: hecate at diamonddragon.com (Hecate)
Date: Sun Aug  7 12:11:50 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] BBC E-mail: North Korea talks go into recess
Message-ID: <20050807_190855_012805.hecate@diamonddragon.com>

Hecate saw this story on BBC News Online and thought you
should see it.

** Message **
North Korea has blamed the deadlock on the US. "We had to produce nuclear weapons because the US is threatening us with nuclear weapons," it said. 

The US said North Korea's demand to use light-water reactors was the obstacle. 



** North Korea talks go into recess **
China announces that six-nation talks on North Korea's nuclear plans are going into recess for three weeks.
< http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/fr/-/2/hi/asia-pacific/4127432.stm >


** BBC Daily E-mail **
Choose the news and sport headlines you want - when you want them, all
in one daily e-mail
< http://www.bbc.co.uk/dailyemail/ >


** Disclaimer **
The BBC is not responsible for the content of this e-mail, and anything written in this e-mail does not necessarily reflect the BBC's views or opinions. Please note that neither the e-mail address nor name of the sender have?been verified.

If you do not wish to receive such e-mails in the future or want to know more about the BBC's Email a Friend service, please read our frequently asked questions. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/help/4162471.stm

From michael at michaelbutler.com  Sun Aug  7 12:13:04 2005
From: michael at michaelbutler.com (Michael Butler)
Date: Sun Aug  7 12:19:22 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] IRAN AND US-AT THE ABYSS
Message-ID: <BF1BAB50.22ED6%michael@michaelbutler.com>


Michael Butler's Blog

http://www.michaelbutler.com/mbblog.html


From nwonline at toronto.cbc.ca  Sun Aug  7 17:27:15 2005
From: nwonline at toronto.cbc.ca (CBC News Online)
Date: Sun Aug  7 17:30:43 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] CBC News - BRITAIN THANKED FOR SAVING 7 TRAPPED RUSSIANS
Message-ID: <20050808002715.228811B691@nmweb07.nm.cbc.ca>

This email has been sent to you by harry.sifton@sympatico.ca
The following is a news item posted on CBC NEWS ONLINE
at http://www.cbc.ca/news
____________________________________________________
BRITAIN THANKED FOR SAVING 7 TRAPPED RUSSIANS
WebPosted Sun Aug  7 13:02:39 2005

---Russian military officials have thanked their British counterparts for
coming to the rescue of seven men who had been trapped underwater in the
north Pacific for three days, their air supply slowly running out.

All seven men appeared to be in good health as they emerged from their
mini-submarine at 4:26 p.m. local time Sunday.

"We have seen in deeds, not in words, what the brotherhood of the sea
means," Russian Defence Minister Sergei Ivanov said after the rescue.

"I can only thank our English colleagues for their joint work and the
help they gave in order to complete this operation within the time we had
available &#8211; that is, before the oxygen reserves ran out," said Rear
Adm. Vladimir Pepelyayev, deputy head of the navy's general staff.

The United States, Japan and Britain all rushed rescue equipment to the
scene off Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula after hearing of the underwater
drama involving six crew members and a representative of the company that
had built the AS-28 vessel.

It was a remote-controlled British diving apparatus named the Super
Scorpio that eventually freed the vessel, allowing it to be brought to
the surface.

The head of the British rescue team, Commander Ian Riches, told Reuters
that the men had less than six hours of air remaining at that point.

The small Priz vessel became entangled in metal debris and fishing nets
on the ocean floor during a training exercise Thursday, launching a
desperate race against time to save those on board.

As time wore on, those on board donned thermal suits to cope with
temperatures of 4 degrees Celsius as the vessel's electrical systems
were shut down to conserve energy and oxygen 190 metres below the
ocean's surface.

Naval officers had given varying estimates of how long the men could
survive, ranging from Saturday night to Monday local time.

At home, their families awaited word of their condition, fearing a repeat
of the August 2000 disaster in which all 118 people aboard the disabled
Russian nuclear submarine Kursk died after rescue efforts failed.

Yelena Milashevsky, the wife of the sub's commander, Lt. Vyacheslav
Milashevsky, said she "jumped for joy" when she got word he had
been rescued.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has promised an investigation into
the mishap.

Copyright (C) 2005 CBC. All rights reserved.
From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Sun Aug  7 17:31:30 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (Mike Blaxill)
Date: Sun Aug  7 17:34:25 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Murray Waas: Judy Miller met w/Scooter Libby on July 8
	2003
Message-ID: <20050808003131.13578.qmail@web53002.mail.yahoo.com>

The Meeting:
Scooter Libby and Judy Miller met on July 8,
2003, two days after Joe Wilson published his
column. And Patrick Fitzgerald is very
interested.

By Murray Waas
Web Exclusive: 08.06.05

I. Lewis ?Scooter? Libby, the chief of staff to
Vice President Dick Cheney, has told federal
investigators that he met with New York Times
reporter Judith Miller on July 8, 2003, and
discussed CIA operative Valerie Plame, according
to legal sources familiar with Libby's account. 

http://www.prospect.org/web/page.ww?section=root&name=ViewWeb&articleId=10077
From nwonline at toronto.cbc.ca  Sun Aug  7 17:33:26 2005
From: nwonline at toronto.cbc.ca (CBC News Online)
Date: Sun Aug  7 17:36:51 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] CBC News - CANADIANS SURVEY KANDAHAR FOR NEW MISSION
Message-ID: <20050808003326.42F161B691@nmweb07.nm.cbc.ca>

This email has been sent to you by harry.sifton@sympatico.ca
The following is a news item posted on CBC NEWS ONLINE
at http://www.cbc.ca/news
____________________________________________________
CANADIANS SURVEY KANDAHAR FOR NEW MISSION
WebPosted Sun Aug  7 11:39:07 2005

---Canadian soldiers have begun patrolling the streets of Kandahar,
getting to know the Afghan city before taking on their new mission in the
southern provinces.

Some of the soldiers travelled through the streets on Saturday, in a
convoy led by American soldiers, who know the area well. Soon, the
Canadians, now riding as passengers, will be on their own.

"It's a bit overwhelming at first when you have a look out there and see
the potential for danger everywhere," said Pvt. Steve Price.

At one point during the trek, a riderless mule cart crossed in front of
them and the convoy veered away at high speed, fearing it could be
carrying a bomb.

The 250-member provincial reconstruction team, or PRT, arrived in the
country late last month.

Gen. Rick Hiller, Canada's chief of defence staff, has said the mission
could involve combat for the 150 soldiers on the team.

They'll work with soldiers from other NATO countries on security and
reconstruction efforts in southern Afghanistan.

"This is a long-term commitment and Canadians must understand that," said
their commander, Col. Steve Bowes.

"It doesn't mean it's a long-term military commitment, but what it means
is it's a long-term international engagement to put Afghanistan back on
the right foot.

Security is so poor that the region will likely need outside military
help for many years to come, Bowes said.

Copyright (C) 2005 CBC. All rights reserved.
From michael at intrafi.com  Sun Aug  7 17:57:08 2005
From: michael at intrafi.com (michael)
Date: Sun Aug  7 17:52:46 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Article from Tom Dispatch
Message-ID: <200508080057.j780v8jC017618@thor.thenation.com>

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From harry.sifton at sympatico.ca  Sun Aug  7 17:56:31 2005
From: harry.sifton at sympatico.ca (Harold Sifton)
Date: Sun Aug  7 18:00:04 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Saudi's to bring back 360 billion $
Message-ID: <001001c59bb4$076dc4a0$3e27e440@Harold>

This is interesting, Saudi's to bring back 360 Billion 

http://www.sciencedaily.com/upi/?feed=TopNews&article=UPI-1-20050807-09573600-bc-saudi-funds.xml

At the end of the day, if and when the Saudi's buy everything, they will control everything!

It's all about the oil dude!!

H
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From olhippie at tampabay.rr.com  Sun Aug  7 18:04:28 2005
From: olhippie at tampabay.rr.com (Robin McNamara)
Date: Sun Aug  7 18:07:17 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Re: [Mb-hair] IRAN AND US-AT THE ABYSS
References: <BF1BAB50.22ED6%michael@michaelbutler.com>
Message-ID: <001d01c59bb5$20aaaf90$8a03ca44@CowBox>

Michael

What wonderful reading & history on the Shah of Iran, you have lived a 
fascinating life & I could not agree more with your analysis of the of the 
Middle East, & how the "turn around" in Iran happened with the leaving of 
the Shah. I have said this before "the mother  all battles" is just in it's 
embryo stage with Iran it will make Iraq look like a cartoon. Once we attack 
Iran not only will they fight us but they  will start throwing stones at 
Israel & then all hell breaks loose & all 3 countries have nuclear weapons, 
and not to forget what the rest of the world think of our actions i.e. 
Russia ,China.

Love forever
Robin



----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Michael Butler" <michael@michaelbutler.com>
To: "SPECIAL from Michael Butler" <michael@michaelbutler.com>
Sent: Sunday, August 07, 2005 3:13 PM
Subject: [Mb-hair] IRAN AND US-AT THE ABYSS


>
> Michael Butler's Blog
>
> http://www.michaelbutler.com/mbblog.html
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Mb-hair mailing list
> Mb-hair@islandlists.com
> http://www.islandlists.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/mb-hair 

From harry.sifton at sympatico.ca  Sun Aug  7 18:07:44 2005
From: harry.sifton at sympatico.ca (harry.sifton@sympatico.ca)
Date: Sun Aug  7 18:10:41 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] I thought you would be interested to read this article
	from The Times
Message-ID: <200508080107.j7817ig10160@php-web3.wpng.newsint.co.uk.>



http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,22989-1725413,00.html
                 Focus: Undercover in the academy of hatred While London reeled under attack, the teachers of extremism were celebrating &#151; and a Sunday Times reporter was recording every word
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From ean at sbcglobal.net  Sun Aug  7 20:28:38 2005
From: ean at sbcglobal.net (ean@sbcglobal.net)
Date: Sun Aug  7 21:08:22 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] more on CAFTA
Message-ID: <200508080408.j7848D88031798@dune.islandtechnologies.net>

The following is from a friend of Marty's who works for Public Citizen:

Dear Friends, Family, All,

I don't usually like to write about big defeats, but last week's
217-215 CAFTA vote deserves some attention.  

Please read the below email and our Public Citizen statement on the
vote.  I've also included a longer and more in-depth piece by Deborah
James from Global Exchange that gives what I think is the best 
summary of the  final vote and the issues at play.

The bottom line is that while there is now no escaping the impending
CAFTA-exacerbated crisis to farmers in Central America and to 
indigenous and environmental groups trying to curb massive resource 
extraction schemes, here in the United States CAFTA is a pyhrric 
victory for President Bush.

The overwhelming message in the post-vote press (and there has 
been an avalanche of it around the country--try doing a Google News 
Search!), is that the difficulty that President Bush had with this vote 
spells trouble for his plan (always a good thing!).

The San Franciscans receiving this email should be very proud of San
Francisco Congresswoman and Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi for 
playing a critical role in rounding up an overwhelming Democratic 
opposition to the agreement.  This was not only the right, moral, San 
Franciscan thing to do, but also the most strategic possible move for 
the Democratic Party. 

MoveOn PAC and the DCCC are already using the CAFTA vote to 
target a mass of Republicans who voted against the interests of their 
districts, and I am confident that this vote will be a big part of why we'll 
see a shift toward the Democrats in the 2006 midterm elections.  

Your emails to listservs, blogs, dinner table conversations, and calls to
thank or spank your congressional representatives will determine 
whether in the long run this very close vote is remembered as a defeat 
or a victory.

All the best,

David Edeli
Public Citizen
(202) 454-5111
dedeli@citizen.org

--
Email from the Public Citizen Global Trade Watch Field Team:

Dear global justice activists,

We all knew one thing last night at midnight when procedural tricks 
and arm-twisting led to a 217-215 vote to approve CAFTA:  Despite 
the two vote margin in favor of CAFTA, the reality is that we won.  We 
won the debates, we won on the merits, we won unprecedented party 
unity by the Democrats and a significant block of votes from the 
Republican side.

The Administration that thinks it can get whatever it wants, that
believes that it can roll the American public without blinking an eye,
spent the last year postponing a vote they knew they couldn't win. They
sent down the President with his entire cabinet to troll the halls of
Congress in what was his first visit to the Capitol in over two years.  
We did more than make them sweat -- we made them quake in their 
boots.

The broad and growing chorus of grassroots voices demonstrated that 
we can split a corporate two party consensus and significantly tip the 
debate to focus on workers' rights, fair trade and global justice.

We are honored to have been in the trenches of this fight with you and
with our brothers and sisters in Central America.  The CAFTA 
campaign was an inspiring "globalization from below" of citizens' 
movements and working people uniting across borders to change the 
rules of the global economy and bring us one step closer to the better 
world we all know is possible.

What happened last night?  As Republican leadership promised,
Members' arms were twisted until they were "broken into a
thousand pieces."   Threats to unseat GOP committee chairs who
didn't go with the party on this vote were rampant. Representatives
who went wrong from both sides of the aisle were allegedly promised
corporate funding for their election campaigns and pork barrel deals
to be included in the upcoming energy and transportation bills.

If they had to work this hard to pass a trade agreement that pundits
agreed was a primarily symbolic showdown, how will they ever 
manage to push forward the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) 
against the rising tide of public opinion and opposition in the U.S. and 
Latin America?


The answer is:  They won't.

We have undermined their corporate NAFTA and WTO expansion 
agenda. The dogma of free market fundamentalism has been 
irrevocably weakened and the political boundaries in Congress 
permanently altered.  Last night we witnessed a political sea change. 
We urge you to find time today or tomorrow to take one last action in 
the CAFTA fight:  Thank those courageous Representatives who voted 
with us and demand accountability of those who turned their back on 
their communities by letting them know that our anger does not go 
away the day after the vote.

The late Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. said, "The arc of the moral
universe is long, but it bends toward justice."

Your work in the CAFTA fight moves us along this path towards global
justice.  We here at Public Citizen look forward to walking with you
on this journey.

Adelante,

Timi, Ra?l, David and Susan
The Global Trade Watch field team

P.S. Below is a link for a Washington Post article that tells the
story of what happened last night and the statement of Global Trade 
Watch Director Lori Wallach on the vote.

**************************************************************************
***

Washington Post article on CAFTA passage
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-
dyn/content/article/2005/07/27/AR20050727
01195.html


**************************************************************************
*** Statement by Public Citizen's Global Trade Watch Director Lori 
Wallach

For Immediate Release:  Contact: Chris Slevin (202) 454-5140
July 28, 2005

Statement of Lori Wallach on CAFTA Final Vote in the House of
Representatives

The CAFTA vote became a highly politicized referendum on whether
President Bush would be made a lame duck, but the CAFTA debate 
makes clear that a dramatic shift in U.S. trade politics has occurred 
and the  NAFTA trade model is dead.

After losing the debate on the merits months ago, passing CAFTA
required last minute procedural stunts even after weeks of the
President's personal attention, a rare Presidential visit to Congress,
months of GOP leadership threats and goodies and an army of 
corporate lobbyists to push the economically modest CAFTA NAFTA 
expansion through by a narrow margin after trying for a year.

That CAFTA NAFTA expansion, a trade deal of small economic
significance, barely passed the House of Representatives shows that
any economically significant attempts to expand the NAFTA model, 
such as the  proposed Free Trade Agreement of the America, would 
be dead on arrival.


With only 15 Democrats supporting CAFTA, the Bush administration 
and Republican Party has now officially adopted NAFTA's record of an
unsustainable deficit, downward pressure on wages and economic
instability as their own.  How U.S. trade politics has shifted was
demonstrated by the CAFTA no votes of traditional free trade 
Democrats Jim Davis (D-FL) and Harold Ford (D-TN) who are both 
seeking statewide office in their states.

With a 214-211 vote, the GOP leadership held open the vote because 
all of the  remaining GOP votes (Jo Ann Davis, Boustany, Capito, 
Fitzpatrick, Simmons, LaTourette, Jindal, and Taylor) were committed 
to oppose CAFTA - which would have brought opposition to a winning 
219. The promised breaking of arms "into one-thousand pieces," as 
Rep. Jim Kolbe (R-AZ) stated, ensued with brokered final vote 
switching and threats which ended the vote at 217-215.



-- 
You are currently on Mha Atma's Earth Action Network email list, 
option D (up to 3 emails/day).  To be removed, or to switch options 
(option A - 1x/week, option B - 3/wk, option C - up to 1x/day, option D - 
up to 3x/day) please reply and let us know!  If someone forwarded you 
this email and you want to be on our list, send an email to 
ean@sbcglobal.net and tell us which option you'd like.


"In times of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act."
   ---   George Orwell


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From ean at sbcglobal.net  Sun Aug  7 20:28:40 2005
From: ean at sbcglobal.net (ean@sbcglobal.net)
Date: Sun Aug  7 21:08:35 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] The Myths of Hiroshima
Message-ID: <200508080408.j7848Wn0031817@dune.islandtechnologies.net>


The Myths of Hiroshima
LA Times Op-Ed
August 5, 2005

By Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin, KAI BIRD and MARTIN J. SHERWIN are
coauthors of "American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert
Oppenheimer," published earlier this year by Knopf.


SIXTY YEARS ago tomorrow, an atomic bomb was dropped without warning on
the center of the Japanese city of Hiroshima. One hundred and forty
thousand people were killed, more than 95% of them women and children and
other noncombatants. At least half of the victims died of radiation
poisoning over the next few months. Three days after Hiroshima was
obliterated, the city of Nagasaki suffered a similar fate.

The magnitude of death was enormous, but on Aug. 14, 1945 - just five days
after the Nagasaki bombing - Radio Tokyo announced that the Japanese
emperor had accepted the U.S. terms for surrender. To many Americans at
the time, and still for many today, it seemed clear that the bomb had
ended the war, even "saving" a million lives that might have been lost if
the U.S. had been required to invade mainland Japan.


This powerful narrative took root quickly and is now deeply embedded in
our historical sense of who we are as a nation. A decade ago, on the 50th
anniversary, this narrative was reinforced in an exhibit at the
Smithsonian Institution on the Enola Gay, the plane that dropped the first
bomb. The exhibit, which had been the subject of a bruising political
battle, presented nearly 4 million Americans with an officially sanctioned
view of the atomic bombings that again portrayed them as a necessary act
in a just war.

But although patriotically correct, the exhibit and the narrative on which
it was based were historically inaccurate. For one thing, the Smithsonian
downplayed the casualties, saying only that the bombs "caused many tens of
thousands of deaths" and that Hiroshima was "a definite military target."

Americans were also told that use of the bombs "led to the immediate
surrender of Japan and made unnecessary the planned invasion of the
Japanese home islands." But it's not that straightforward. As Tsuyoshi
Hasegawa has shown definitively in his new book, "Racing the Enemy" - and
many other historians have long argued - it was the Soviet Union's entry
into the Pacific war on Aug. 8, two days after the Hiroshima bombing, that
provided the final "shock" that led to Japan's capitulation.

The Enola Gay exhibit also repeated such outright lies as the assertion
that "special leaflets were dropped on Japanese cities" warning civilians
to evacuate. The fact is that atomic bomb warning leaflets were dropped on
Japanese cities, but only after Hiroshima and Nagasaki had been destroyed.

The hard truth is that the atomic bombings were unnecessary. A million
lives were not saved. Indeed, McGeorge Bundy, the man who first
popularized this figure, later confessed that he had pulled it out of thin
air in order to justify the bombings in a 1947 Harper's magazine essay he
had ghostwritten for Secretary of War Henry L. Stimson.

The bomb was dropped, as J. Robert Oppenheimer, scientific director of the
Manhattan Project, said in November 1945, on "an essentially defeated
enemy." President Truman and his closest advisor, Secretary of State James
Byrnes, quite plainly used it primarily to prevent the Soviets from
sharing in the occupation of Japan. And they used it on Aug. 6 even though
they had agreed among themselves as they returned home from the Potsdam
Conference on Aug. 3 that the Japanese were looking for peace.

These unpleasant historical facts were censored from the 1995 Smithsonian
exhibit, an action that should trouble every American. When a government
substitutes an officially sanctioned view for publicly debated history,
democracy is diminished.

Today, in the post-9/11 era, it is critically important that the U.S. face
the truth about the atomic bomb. For one thing, the myths surrounding
Hiroshima have made it possible for our defense establishment to argue
that atomic bombs are legitimate weapons that belong in a democracy's
arsenal. But if, as Oppenheimer said, "they are weapons of aggression, of
surprise and of terror," how can a democracy rely on such weapons?

Oppenheimer understood very soon after Hiroshima that these weapons would
ultimately threaten our very survival.

Presciently, he even warned us against what is now our worst national
nightmare - and Osama bin Laden's frequently voiced dream - an atomic
suitcase bomb smuggled into an American city: "Of course it could be
done," Oppenheimer told a Senate committee, "and people could destroy New
York."

Ironically, Hiroshima's myths are now motivating our enemies to attack us
with the very weapon we invented. Bin Laden repeatedly refers to Hiroshima
in his rambling speeches. It was, he believes, the atomic bombings that
shocked the Japanese imperial government into an early surrender - and, he
says, he is planning an atomic attack on the U.S. that will similarly
shock us into retreating from the Mideast.

Finally, Hiroshima's myths have gradually given rise to an American
unilateralism born of atomic arrogance.

Oppenheimer warned against this "sleazy sense of omnipotence." He observed
that "if you approach the problem and say, 'We know what is right and we
would like to use the atomic bomb to persuade you to agree with us,' then
you are in a very weak position and you will not succeed.. You will find
yourselves attempting by force of arms to prevent a disaster."


-- 
You are currently on Mha Atma's Earth Action Network email list, option D (up 
to 3 emails/day).  To be removed, or to switch options (option A - 1x/week, 
option B - 3/wk, option C - up to 1x/day, option D - up to 3x/day) please reply 
and let us know!  If someone forwarded you this email and you want to be on 
our list, send an email to ean@sbcglobal.net and tell us which option you'd 
like.


"In times of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act."
   ---   George Orwell


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From barbarasiomos38 at msn.com  Sun Aug  7 22:03:18 2005
From: barbarasiomos38 at msn.com (Barbara Siomos)
Date: Sun Aug  7 22:06:12 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] ABC News anchor Peter Jennings dies at 67 - TV NEWS AND
	INFORMATION - MSNBC.com
Message-ID: <BAY5-DAV186C1C9806E07B4AFF10E6ABB80@phx.gbl>

Peter Jennings has died.... RIP Peter.

peace,
barbara

Barbara Siomos <barbarasiomos38@msn.com> has sent you the following web link:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8864210/



From barbarasiomos38 at msn.com  Sun Aug  7 22:06:03 2005
From: barbarasiomos38 at msn.com (Barbara Siomos)
Date: Sun Aug  7 22:08:57 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Peter Jennings dies at 67 - TV NEWS AND INFORMATION -
	MSNBC.com
Message-ID: <BAY5-DAV10177F4FFFD3E71E2C409CABB80@phx.gbl>

RIP Peter..

peace,
barbara

Barbara Siomos <barbarasiomos38@msn.com> has sent you the following web link:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8864210/



From jefbek at mindspring.com  Sun Aug  7 23:46:20 2005
From: jefbek at mindspring.com (Jef Bek)
Date: Sun Aug  7 23:50:12 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] CIA Commander: "We Let bin Laden Slip Away"
Message-ID: <BF1C4DCC.D4D%jefbek@mindspring.com>

A Newsweek exclusive gives us yet another instance of "Kerry Was Right." In
an new book by Gary Berntsen, a CIA field commander for the agency's
Jawbreaker team at Tora Bora, Berntsen discloses that the CIA did know where
bin Laden was. Contrary to the Bush administration's assertions that they
did not, Kerry the "worst-kind of Monday-morning quarterback" as Bush called
him, obviously knew the plays better than Bush...

Exclusive: CIA Commander: We Let bin Laden Slip Away
Newsweek


Aug. 15, 2005 issue - During the 2004 presidential campaign, George W. Bush
and John Kerry battled about whether Osama bin Laden had escaped from Tora
Bora in the final days of the war in Afghanistan. Bush, Kerry charged,
"didn't choose to use American forces to hunt down and kill" the leader of
Al Qaeda. The president called his opponent's allegation "the worst kind of
Monday-morning quarterbacking." Bush asserted that U.S. commanders on the
ground did not know if bin Laden was at the mountain hideaway along the
Afghan border.

But in a forthcoming book, the CIA field commander for the agency's
Jawbreaker team at Tora Bora, Gary Berntsen, says he and other U.S.
commanders did know that bin Laden was among the hundreds of fleeing Qaeda
and Taliban members. Berntsen says he had definitive intelligence that bin
Laden was holed up at Tora Bora?intelligence operatives had tracked him?and
could have been caught. "He was there," Berntsen tells NEWSWEEK. Asked to
comment on Berntsen's remarks, National Security Council spokesman Frederick
Jones passed on 2004 statements from former CENTCOM commander Gen. Tommy
Franks. "We don't know to this day whether Mr. bin Laden was at Tora Bora in
December 2001," Franks wrote in an Oct. 19 New York Times op-ed. "Bin Laden
was never within our grasp." Berntsen says Franks is "a great American. But
he was not on the ground out there. I was."

In his book?titled "Jawbreaker"?the decorated career CIA officer criticizes
Donald Rumsfeld's Defense Department for not providing enough support to the
CIA and the Pentagon's own Special Forces teams in the final hours of Tora
Bora, says Berntsen's lawyer, Roy Krieger. (Berntsen would not divulge the
book's specifics, saying he's awaiting CIA clearance.) That backs up other
recent accounts, including that of military author Sean Naylor, who calls
Tora Bora a "strategic disaster" because the Pentagon refused to deploy a
cordon of conventional forces to cut off escaping Qaeda and Taliban members.
Maj. Todd Vician, a Defense Department spokesman, says the problem at Tora
Bora "was not necessarily just the number of troops."

Berntsen's book gives, by contrast, a heroic portrayal of CIA activities at
Tora Bora and in the war on terror. Ironically, he has sued the agency over
what he calls unacceptable delays in approving his book?a standard process
for ex-agency employees describing classified matters. "They're just holding
the book," which is scheduled for October release, he says. "CIA officers,
Special Forces and U.S. air power drove the Taliban out in 70 days. The CIA
has taken roughly 80 days to clear my book." Jennifer Millerwise, a CIA
spokeswoman, says Berntsen's "timeline is not accurate," adding that he
submitted his book as an ex-employee only in mid-June. "We take seriously
our goal of responding quickly."

?Michael Hirsh
? 2005 Newsweek, Inc.

? 2005 MSNBC.com

URL: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8853000/site/newsweek/


From marylouiseparis at hotmail.com  Mon Aug  8 00:22:03 2005
From: marylouiseparis at hotmail.com (Mary Louise smn)
Date: Mon Aug  8 00:24:58 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Your Blog   IRAN
Message-ID: <BAY107-F356FAC3D960A71894DAF91B8B80@phx.gbl>



           Michael


           Robins phrase  "throw stones at Israel "  is apt.   The fury of 
the Muslim towards the Unbeliever is well known.....the retaliation of 
Israel, also.   To read about this hostility is frightening, to have been 
the object of stone throwing is  terrifying.     4 years ago, I went as a 
volunteer to  PALESTINE  to serve in an Arabic Handicap Childrens Hospital.  
I seldom left the hospital, as on one occasion, walking in the old city of 
Jerusalem, I was stoned by a gang of Jewish youths.        To avoid problems 
as an American,  I was completely covered by Arabic womens robe and 
head/hair veil.

           I fear that when the Iran battle is launched, the "stone 
throwing" will occur beyond the Middle East region.             Marylouise

_________________________________________________________________
FREE pop-up blocking with the new MSN Toolbar - get it now! 
http://toolbar.msn.click-url.com/go/onm00200415ave/direct/01/

From maxfury at granderiver.net  Mon Aug  8 02:57:21 2005
From: maxfury at granderiver.net (Cheeseburger)
Date: Mon Aug  8 03:17:57 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] IRAN AND US-AT THE ABYSS
Message-ID: <000701c59bff$935df020$2e26b7d8@baby1>

Re:  IRAN AND US-AT THE ABYSS




=======
What would I have done? After exhausting every possible negotiation and
maneuver and as opposed to war as I am, I would have invaded Iran instead of
Iraq. If we are going to follow our strategic interests that would have been
the most pragmatic action.

A Bush-like administration will probably do it anyway... if we are
doubtfully capable after the debacles of Afghanistan and Iraq.
=========



CheeseComment:


Yes, "we" are capable.  Although our Top now knows it is political suicide
to push further into Iran, they don't care, they're The Top, and whether
they have to spread our military 20 miles between each G.I., we are probably
going in anyway, to the detriment of the world, and to the sweet march music
to "The End" of life as we even barely imagine it if they do go into Iran.

Just my personal dismal premonition of the results.  Yeah, sure, they're
developing nukes, and they're wacko ruthless theocratic extremist etc, but
if go in there, it's going to explode "the situation" that is so exploded
already all around the world like it was Christmas for "Terrorist Acts".

*That* is scarier to think about than what is going on in Iraq, at least to
me.

It's like the world is mad already, but if we go into Iran, it is going to
get really pissed off on top of its insanity.

That makes me shudder and not want to hope anymore about several things.

Kind of like so many people in Iran are doing today as you describe how it
is there.

Beautiful writing, the entire thoughts, straight from your personal
experiences.

I feel tragic ahead of time for the 10's or 100's of thousands of Iranian
civilians that will be snuffed out like it was nothing though, just like I
feel for those that it happened to in Iraq.

Are my feelings relevant to anything...?  I do not know.

I do know madness when I see it though, at least sometimes, and nuclear
weapons in the current Iranian regime is not a good thing, and killing a few
100 thousand Iranian civilians in the process of removing the nuclear
capability from them does not seem like a good thing either, neither does
exploding the new "Terrorist Breeding Ground" in Iraq to Iran, and thus
easily seen, to the world, seem like a good thing either.

If one could only remove the nuclear capability of the Iranians without
having to invade their country, that seems like a good thing.

The alternative is introducing the world to what a *really* bad "Terrorist
Situation" is actually like, which so far they haven't really experienced
yet.

The "situation", on all sides, appears to be one of this world's worst
nightmares.

But to others, it appears it is their dreams come true at last.  Lots of
others, from many nations.

If one could only find a way to reduce the appeal of exacerbating the
situation to those people who are enjoying and promoting this nightmare,
that seems like a good thing.

Yet, madness and the lust for power, death, destruction, and control appear
to rule them, all of them, endlessly.

I really enjoyed learning from the "history lesson" you wrote.  I love
learning things I don't know about.  They seem to help me understand the
world I live in more clearly it seems.  And sometimes that seems like a good
thing.

After reviewing everyone's positions on the various matters involved in this
situation, I can only say I picture myself standing inbetween all of them
and all their weapons disappearing in an instant.

But then I realize I am just dreaming, and wake back up to this nightmare in
reality.

Oh well, my ramblings are through.  I look for a diplomat with the skills of
Solomon to the Nth power with balls of steel, and all I see is businessmen
in heat, and more people who want more weapons, and more dead people sitting
in the streets holding their dead childrens' heads in their laps, and I
wonder where sanity has gone.

Is there no end to such things........?

So far America hasn't even blinked at 100,000 dead Iraqi civlians.  Since
Iran is so close, they will simply not blink twice.  What a great tragedy it
all is.

It would be such a good thing if someone on earth just woke up one day and
realized they had the power to stop all wars on earth.

The fact that they had it all the time but just never exercised it will
probably never cross their minds.

They just couldn't find what it took to stand up for innocent people being
slaughtered in vast numbers far away in their own names and behest by The
Top of their own country.

If it was in the next block, they would be going crazy, coming out of their
houses half dressed with sirens and lights and guns a blazing to stop death
and injustice.

Indeed, how to wake up the people of the nations so they can take back their
world from people who appear to exhibit no remorse whatsoever for
slaughtering innocents globally in the name of anything or anyone they want
to stick on it as The Good Reason.

While I certainly don't want to see Iranian religio fruitcakes getting
nuclear weapons, I mourn ahead of time for the innocents that will be
slaughtered if "we" go in there to remove their capacity to create them, and
for the excacerbation of a "situation" which, again, is just the first
segment of one of the worst nightmares I have ever imagined happening.

That it all seems to (sometimes and somehow) fit into a "biblical end
story", such as Armageddon etc, does not thrill nor scare me as much as so
many millions and millions and millions of people all over the world for
various reasons, as I see that is has actually been engineered, by several
parties, and is the farthest thing from a "prophecy coming true" that I've
seen in a long time.

The prowess with which all interested parties have done it remains
remarkable to me however.

One can only wish them as much misery as the Innocents of this world will
endlessly endure from them.

True, again, we can't let Iranian religio nuts develop nuclear warheads, but
the devastation and loss of so many regular citizens there and the spreading
of "breeding grounds for terrorism" to your local corner, as a direct
result, doesn't seem like a great tradeoff.

Stuck between Iran and a hard place.  There aren't really any words it
seems.  I've become too complacent about commenting on vast amounts of
people's deaths for this or that reason or this or that justification etc,
that it has become uncomfortable to even think in such terms.

Makes me think of terms like "statistical losses".  I guess I will add that
to the chapter that has "collateral damage".

Oh, look, hon, a 100,000 Iranian civilian statistical loss.
Great, now they don't have nukes, pass the coffee, what's on the tube....

I feel so cold sometimes when I hear of such horrors that happen and will
happen.

I read somewhere once that Americans have about a 2 week retention of
news-related items in their brains.  And then it just becomes secondary or
something in importance to "new data constantly being inputted", or
something like that.

I suppose that answers my previous question of "is there no end to this".

Oh well, I'm through rambling, there appears to be so much collective shame
to go around and so many tears to cry that my tears have just turned to
icecubes.  How many tears can you cry for someone a million miles away that
you don't know and weren't there to watch them get their head blown off....
The remote reaction to death "far away from us" is so chilling and scary to
me still.

And the longer our own American Media refuses to show what happens when we
"invade another place" for whatever reasons, the longer a huge proportion of
Americans will just yawn at things they can't even see unfolding on their
television sets.

And the longer we will continue to invade "other places".  War is so
profitable, there never seem to be enough of them.  And there never seems to
be a shortage of Leaders at The Top who endorse them, no matter what the
reasons or repercussions.

Surely invading Iran is not The Answer so many people seek.

No, leaving nuclear capability in Iranian religio-nuts is not The Answer
either.

But invading Iran is definitely not going to work to the advantage of people
like America, in both the long and short run.

Nukes or no nukes.

They'll just make smaller ones and smuggle them into here or build them
here.  You know *that* is going to be a Direct Result of Invading Iran.

If you didn't, well, now you do.

A simple mathematical continuation of The Engineering of the entire
Situation.

Even a child can see it.  Especially a dead one with its head blown off as a
result.

I can only hope again that somewhere in some dingy bar is a drunk forgotten
miserable diplomat with the skills of a god that will sober up at least just
long enough to come save all our asses from these *ssholes that have brought
us to such a culimination of tragedy and death.

Godspeed all you who hold the light looking for him.

(Hint:  You're probably not going to find him by sitting on your couch
watching reruns of Oprah.)





Cheeseburger

.

From swiggard at comcast.net  Mon Aug  8 03:57:38 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (William Swiggard)
Date: Mon Aug  8 04:02:02 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] ABC News Anchor Was a Voice of the World - Washington
	Post
Message-ID: <42F73AA2.1030408@comcast.net>

ABC News Anchor Was a Voice of the World

By Patricia Sullivan
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, August 8, 2005; Page A01

Peter Jennings, 67, the urbane anchorman of ABC's evening newscast for 
the past 22 years, died yesterday at his home in New York, his network 
announced.

Jennings had not been on the air since April 5, when he revealed he had 
lung cancer. He had been conspicuously absent from the coverage of Pope 
John Paul II's funeral in Rome. A smoker until about 20 years ago, he 
said he relapsed under the pressure of Sept. 11, 2001, but later quit again.

The Canadian-born Jennings was a familiar face in millions of households 
for more than 40 years. His well-rounded tones, world-savvy air and 
matter-of-fact delivery led "World News Tonight" to the top of the 
ratings for 11 of the past 20 years, even as all the networks lost huge 
numbers of viewers to cable television, to the Internet and to the 
longer workdays and busier lives of those who used to watch the news 
over the family dinner.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/07/AR2005080701146.html

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From swiggard at comcast.net  Mon Aug  8 03:59:41 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (William Swiggard)
Date: Mon Aug  8 04:04:03 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] War Plans Drafted To Counter Terror Attacks in U.S. -
 Washington Post
Message-ID: <42F73B1D.7040001@comcast.net>

<>War Plans Drafted To Counter Terror Attacks in U.S.
Domestic Effort Is Big Shift for Military

By Bradley Graham
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, August 8, 2005; Page A01

COLORADO SPRINGS -- The U.S. military has devised its first-ever war 
plans for guarding against and responding to terrorist attacks in the 
United States, envisioning 15 potential crisis scenarios and 
anticipating several simultaneous strikes around the country, according 
to officers who drafted the plans.

The classified plans, developed here at Northern Command headquarters, 
outline a variety of possible roles for quick-reaction forces estimated 
at as many as 3,000 ground troops per attack, a number that could easily 
grow depending on the extent of the damage and the abilities of civilian 
response teams.

The possible scenarios range from "low end," relatively modest 
crowd-control missions to "high-end," full-scale disaster management 
after catastrophic attacks such as the release of a deadly biological 
agent or the explosion of a radiological device, several officers said.

<>Some of the worst-case scenarios involve three attacks at the same 
time, in keeping with a Pentagon directive earlier this year ordering 
Northcom, as the command is called, to plan for multiple simultaneous 
attacks.              a

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/07/AR2005080700843.html?nav=hcmodule 

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From swiggard at comcast.net  Mon Aug  8 04:02:04 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (William Swiggard)
Date: Mon Aug  8 04:06:26 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Briton Used Internet As His Bully Pulpit - Washington
	Post
Message-ID: <42F73BAC.6080601@comcast.net>

Briton Used Internet As His Bully Pulpit

By Craig Whitlock
Washington Post Foreign Service
Monday, August 8, 2005; Page A01

Second of three articles

LONDON -- Babar Ahmad, a 31-year-old computer whiz and mechanical 
engineer, was hailed as a big catch by U.S. law enforcement officials 
when he was arrested here one year ago on charges that he ran a network 
of Web sites that served as a propaganda and fundraising front for 
Islamic extremists, including Chechen rebels, the Taliban militia and al 
Qaeda affiliates.

Since then, Ahmad has been locked up inside British prisons as he fights 
extradition to the United States. But the imprisonment has done little 
to silence the British native of Pakistani descent. Rather, it has given 
him an even bigger megaphone as he continues to churn out anti-American 
manifestos and post them on the Web, turning him into a minor celebrity 
in Britain.

<>His case shows how a well-educated engineer operating in London could 
allegedly use the Web to project a message of Islamic extremism to a 
global audience. While an earlier generation of radicals might have led 
protest rallies, Ahmad found a way to make the Internet his bully 
pulpit, magnifying al Qaeda's reach far beyond the handful of radical 
mosques that had previously propagated Osama bin Laden's message.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/07/AR2005080700890.html 

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From swiggard at comcast.net  Mon Aug  8 04:05:50 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (William Swiggard)
Date: Mon Aug  8 04:10:13 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] The Next Chinese Threat - Sebastian Mallaby - Washington
	Post
Message-ID: <42F73C8E.7080503@comcast.net>

The Next Chinese Threat

By Sebastian Mallaby
Monday, August 8, 2005; Page A15

Last week congressional bullying drove China to abandon its bid for 
Unocal, a small California-based oil company. Anyone inclined to 
celebrate should focus on the likely sequel: China will redouble its 
efforts to buy energy and other resources in shaky developing countries. 
This will undermine Western efforts to promote transparency and fight 
corruption there, damaging U.S. interests and values far more than a 
Unocal takeover.

To see why this is so, begin with China's motives. China wants to 
control supplies of oil and other commodities because it's scared of 
price shocks; owning oil or other mineral reserves provides anti-shock 
insurance. As Chinese economists argue, their economy is extremely 
vulnerable to external shocks because it's extremely open. The Unocal 
defeat is not going to stanch China's drive to buy foreign resources.

China has two ways to do that. It can buy Western resource companies: 
That was the Unocal strategy. Or it can do deals in resource-rich 
developing countries, which tend to be plagued with corruption, human 
rights abuses and other unsavory practices. To cite just two of many 
examples, China has invested in Sudan and Zimbabwe, propping up both 
countries' unspeakable dictatorships.

<>As far as Western interests are concerned, these Chinese resource 
investments may sound like a marginal threat. But they go to the heart 
of the most promising growth area in development policy. Old development 
was based on aid and trade, but there's a limit to how much aid poor 
countries can absorb, and trade isn't a panacea. New development adds a 
third tool: a focus on governance and transparency in poor countries and 
also, crucially, among the outside governments and firms that deal with 
them.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/07/AR2005080700884.html?nav=hcmodule 

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From swiggard at comcast.net  Mon Aug  8 04:08:59 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (William Swiggard)
Date: Mon Aug  8 04:13:23 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Educating Against Extremism - Washington Post
Message-ID: <42F73D4B.90904@comcast.net>

<>Educating Against Extremism
Muslims Reach Out to Youths Who Could Be Susceptible to Radicalism

By Mary Beth Sheridan
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, August 8, 2005; Page B01

Alarmed by the London subway bombings, U.S. Muslim activists are taking 
a series of steps aimed at preventing young people here from embracing 
extremist ideas -- including producing a pamphlet on how to spot 
susceptible youth.

The projects, which involve many Muslims in the Washington area, are in 
the planning stages. But they reflect the soul-searching in mosques and 
in Muslim groups since the July 7 attacks, which left 56 people dead, 
including the four British suicide bombers.

"This is really the battle of the future. The ideological war should be 
won with the young," said Maher Hathout, a leader of the Muslim Public 
Affairs Council, a Los Angeles-based group involved in the new efforts.

U.S. Muslim groups have roundly condemned the British subway attack and 
a subsequent failed bombing attempt. They said they have no evidence of 
a similar threat in this country. Muslims here are generally more 
educated and better off economically than those in Europe, and in many 
cases they are more assimilated.

But the fact that several of the terror suspects in the London incidents 
were British-born -- including the 18-year-old son of moderate Pakistani 
immigrants -- has raised concern about the Muslims growing up here.

"Obviously this kid in the U.K. didn't come from extremist parents. He 
didn't live in an extremist neighborhood. But somebody was able to get 
to him and persuade him it was correct to strap a bomb to himself," said 
Mahdi Bray, a senior figure in the Washington-based Muslim American Society.

"We don't want to give the opportunity to extremists to get ahold of our 
kids."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/07/AR2005080700844.html?nav=hcmodule

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From swiggard at comcast.net  Mon Aug  8 04:15:20 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (William Swiggard)
Date: Mon Aug  8 04:19:42 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Antibiotic abuse - Editorial - The Boston Globe
Message-ID: <42F73EC8.7020907@comcast.net>

<>Antibiotic abuse

<>

<>Boston Globe Editorial
August 8, 2005

THE GREAT, life-saving medical advance of the 20th century was the 
discovery of antibiotics. Now, in the 21st century, the effectiveness of 
these miracle drugs is being undercut by their misuse in both people and 
animals.

The fight to end overuse of the drugs in animals had two recent 
victories: a decision last month by the Food and Drug Administration to 
ban the use of two antibiotics in poultry and an announcement Tuesday by 
a major food services company, Compass Group, that its pork suppliers 
would no longer use antibiotics to promote growth. As welcome as these 
steps are, the best route to stop agricultural misuse of these drugs is 
legislation pending in Congress.

According to the Union of Concerned Scientists, 70 percent of all 
antibiotics used in the United States are put in the feed of poultry and 
livestock. This is done not to treat infections but to speed growth or 
prevent disease in the unhygienic quarters of the animals. One effect of 
this indiscriminate use of the drugs is to breed strains of bacteria 
that are resistant to them, eroding their ability to cure infections in 
humans. The risk is greatest with germs that pass from animals to 
humans, such as salmonella.

In 2000, the FDA started the process of banning two antibiotics in 
poultry farming after a study showed that 17.6 percent of humans who 
were treated with these drugs in 1999 had resistant bacteria strains. In 
1995, when the drugs were first approved for use in poultry, just 1 
percent of humans had resistant strains. One maker of poultry 
antibiotics, Abbott Laboratories, quickly agreed to withdraw its drug 
from the market, but the Bayer Corp. chose to contest the ban. Because 
of the FDA's cumbersome procedures, it has taken five years to get a 
final ruling against Bayer.

That timeline is an argument in favor of a Senate bill, whose sponsors 
include Senators Olympia Snowe of Maine and Edward Kennedy, that would 
ban the nontherapeutic uses of antibiotics in animals. The ban would go 
into effect two years after enactment of the law, with provisions for 
financial aid to farmers. The National Academy of Sciences estimates 
that the ban would raise a person's annual meat bill by $5 to $10. The 
American Medical Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and 
the American Public Health Association all favor an end to this use of 
antibiotics.

<>Resistant bacteria are also the result of doctors prescribing the 
drugs for conditions not caused by bacteria and of patients prematurely 
breaking off a course of antibiotic doses. Efforts to curb resistance 
have to address these as well. But banning the nontherapeutic use of 
antibiotics in animals is a sensible step to make sure medicine doesn't 
lose these potent weapons against infection.

http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/editorials/articles/2005/08/08/antibiotic_abuse/ 

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From harry.sifton at sympatico.ca  Mon Aug  8 05:40:52 2005
From: harry.sifton at sympatico.ca (harry.sifton@sympatico.ca)
Date: Mon Aug  8 05:44:06 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] IHT.com Article: Bush\'s political capital ebbs away
Message-ID: <20050808124052.319ABFA1E@dumpty.iht.com>

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From olhippie at tampabay.rr.com  Mon Aug  8 05:45:50 2005
From: olhippie at tampabay.rr.com (Robin McNamara)
Date: Mon Aug  8 05:48:41 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Iran & Syria
Message-ID: <000f01c59c17$1b7bdb90$8a03ca44@CowBox>


Iranian & Syrian presidents meet.



http://www.irna.ir/en/news/view/line-24/0508071083195523.htm


Peace
Robin
 









http://lpintop.tripod.com/robinmcnamara
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From harry.sifton at sympatico.ca  Mon Aug  8 06:15:40 2005
From: harry.sifton at sympatico.ca (harry.sifton@sympatico.ca)
Date: Mon Aug  8 06:18:49 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Man Kills Another in Dispute Over War -- Press Calls It
	a First
Message-ID: <1077981.1123506940511.JavaMail.tomcat@localhost>



*Please note, the sender's email address has not been verified.



So if you back the war and shoot someone you get off by saying it was selfdefense??



 
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From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Mon Aug  8 07:49:14 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (mblaxill@yahoo.com)
Date: Mon Aug  8 07:52:19 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Headlines for August 8, 2005
Message-ID: <20050808144914.26582.qmail@trinity.democracynow.org>

Mike Blaxill  ( mblaxill@yahoo.com )
sent you this story from democracynow.org



+--------------------------------------------------------------------+
|  Headlines for August 8, 2005
|  http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=05/08/08/1420213
+--------------------------------------------------------------------+


- 39 Die in Iraq As Debate Over Constitution Continues
- President Bush's Approval Rating Reaches New Low
- Mother of Soldier Killed in Iraq Protests Near Bush's Ranch
- CIA Commander: Pentagon Blew Chance to Catch Bin Laden
- Netanyahu Quits Israeli Cabinet to Protest Gaza Withdrawal
- Zapatista Leader Marcos Reemerges to Speak Publicly
- ABC News Anchor Peter Jennings Dies
- Valley Free Radio Launches in Northampton Massachusetts
This story continues at: 
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=05/08/08/1420213

From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Mon Aug  8 07:54:16 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (mblaxill@yahoo.com)
Date: Mon Aug  8 07:57:16 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] NYTimes.com: That Hissing Sound
Message-ID: <20050808145416.C5066249E8C@lax-gw08.mroute.net>

This page was sent to you by: mblaxill@yahoo.com.

OPINION | August 8, 2005
Op-Ed Columnist: That Hissing Sound
By PAUL KRUGMAN
This is the way the bubble ends: not with a pop, but with a hiss.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/08/opinion/08krugman.html?ex=1124164800&en=cc85744ba23dc384&ei=5070&emc=eta1




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Copyright 2005 The New York Times Company
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From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Mon Aug  8 07:57:25 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (mblaxill@yahoo.com)
Date: Mon Aug  8 08:00:23 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] NYTimes.com: The Boom Spreads: This House Is Valued at
Message-ID: <20050808145725.D24A483DED@lax-gw03.mroute.net>

This page was sent to you by: mblaxill@yahoo.com.

ha ha!


REAL ESTATE | August 7, 2005
The Boom Spreads: This House Is Valued at
By DENNIS HEVESI
East New York, a Brooklyn neighborhood once ravaged by blight and crime, has seen rising house prices and lots of new construction.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/07/realestate/07cov.html?ex=1124164800&en=d9fff91ac5810dcc&ei=5070&emc=eta1



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From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Mon Aug  8 08:02:00 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (mblaxill@yahoo.com)
Date: Mon Aug  8 08:04:59 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] NYTimes.com: Of the Many Deaths in Iraq,
	One Mother's Loss Becomes a Problem for the President
Message-ID: <20050808150200.40E9713B82A@lax-gw04.mroute.net>

This page was sent to you by: mblaxill@yahoo.com.

WASHINGTON | August 8, 2005
Of the Many Deaths in Iraq, One Mother's Loss Becomes a Problem for the President
By RICHARD W. STEVENSON
Few antiwar protesters generate the kind of attention that Cindy Sheehan has since she arrived at President Bush's ranch in Crawford, Tex.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/08/politics/08crawford.html?ex=1124164800&en=24bb7d5e4b87ed3f&ei=5070&emc=eta1



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From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Mon Aug  8 08:06:06 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (mblaxill@yahoo.com)
Date: Mon Aug  8 08:09:03 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] NYTimes.com: Yoga May Help Minimize Weight Gain in
	Middle Age
Message-ID: <20050808150606.6460383CD4@lax-gw03.mroute.net>

This page was sent to you by: mblaxill@yahoo.com.

SCIENCE | August 2, 2005
Yoga May Help Minimize Weight Gain in Middle Age
By NICHOLAS BAKALAR
According to a new study, yoga practitioners may be able to avoid the one-pound-a-year of gained weight that most people endure between the ages of 45 and 55.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/02/science/02yoga.html?ex=1124164800&en=082e26c942635a2b&ei=5070&emc=eta1



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From michael at intrafi.com  Mon Aug  8 10:12:38 2005
From: michael at intrafi.com (Michael Butler)
Date: Mon Aug  8 10:16:04 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] BBC E-mail: Iran restarts nuclear programme
Message-ID: <20050808_171238_067454.michael@intrafi.com>

Michael Butler saw this story on BBC News Online and thought you
should see it.



** Iran restarts nuclear programme **
Iran resumes work at its uranium conversion plant - a move that risks the imposition of UN sanctions.
< http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/fr/-/1/hi/world/middle_east/4131706.stm >


** BBC Daily E-mail **
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From michael at intrafi.com  Mon Aug  8 10:50:57 2005
From: michael at intrafi.com (michael@intrafi.com)
Date: Mon Aug  8 10:53:58 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] FT.com / Comment & analysis / Comment - In-fighting
	threatens Palestinian democracy
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From michael at intrafi.com  Mon Aug  8 10:53:13 2005
From: michael at intrafi.com (michael@intrafi.com)
Date: Mon Aug  8 10:56:12 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] FT.com / Arts & Weekend - Sacred freedom
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From michael at intrafi.com  Mon Aug  8 10:53:59 2005
From: michael at intrafi.com (michael@intrafi.com)
Date: Mon Aug  8 10:57:01 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] FT.com / Comment & analysis - Why Federal Reserve must
	raise interest rates
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From villasudjuan at wanadoo.fr  Mon Aug  8 06:26:16 2005
From: villasudjuan at wanadoo.fr (villasudjuan)
Date: Mon Aug  8 11:36:40 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] FW: Spector in MEQ: "Washington and Cairo - Near the
	Breaking Point?"
In-Reply-To: <BF1C6551.73E3%kzii@swbell.net>
Message-ID: <200508081836.j78IaaaL001190@dune.islandtechnologies.net>


------ Forwarded Message
From: Kay Zafar <kzii@swbell.net>
Date: Mon, 08 Aug 2005 01:26:41 -0500
To: R Golsorkhi <grgolsorkhi@earthlink.net>, Eli Golsorkhi
<egolsorkhi@yahoo.com>, Kiddie ZAFAR <kiddie@zafar.co.uk>, Keu Zafar
<keuzafar@yahoo.com>, Amir-Teymour Golsorkhi <atgolsorkhi@yahoo.com>,
"Khozeimeh, Issa" <Issa.Khozeimeh@MWAA.com>, Parvis Khozeimeh-Alam
<apkaintl@hotmail.com>, Edward <ecma2@earthlink.net>, Roozbeh Payevand
<Iranconsult@aol.com>, Reza Pezechkpour <reza@rezahome.com>,
"arrastegar@aol.com" <arrastegar@aol.com>, Goodarz Haydarzadeh
<goodarzh@aol.com>, Laddan Mina <MINATIGERLILY@aol.com>, Jon Simmons
<joneric.simmons@verizon.net>, Wanda  Lemon <leejoe1@juno.com>, Dari Ansari
<daria@freshbrewgroup.com>
Subject: FW: Spector in MEQ: "Washington and Cairo - Near the Breaking
Point?"


-- 


> ------ Forwarded Message
> From: MEF News <mefnews@meforum.org>
> Reply-To: MEF News <mefnews@meforum.org>
> Date: Mon, 8 Aug 2005 02:04:15 -0400
> To: <kzii@swbell.net>
> Subject: Spector in MEQ: "Washington and Cairo - Near the Breaking Point?"
> 

> Washington and Cairo - Near the Breaking Point?
> by Samuel J. Spector
> Middle East Quarterly
> Summer 2005
> http://www.meforum.org/article/740
> 
> Where goes the U.S.-Egyptian alliance? Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice's
> decision to bypass Cairo in her recent travels to Europe and the Middle East
> has highlighted official Washington's annoyance with Egyptian president Hosni
> Mubarak's regime. The immediate cause of dispute was the Egyptian government's
> arrest of opposition leader Ayman Nour. (See "Dissident Watch," this issue).
> But bilateral strains extend beyond this single incident.
> 
> At the root of tension is an exaggerated Egyptian sense of self-importance,
> coupled with the Mubarak government's inability to adjust to new realities.
> Egypt's world-view is based on its historical claim to Arab leadership. Cairo
> views any U.S. attempt to bolster Washington's relationship with other Arab
> states or to expand the United States' strategic partnership with Turkey and
> Israel as a threat to Egypt's traditional role as the linchpin of regional
> security.
> 
> As U.S. foreign policy has grown more reliant on Jordan, the new Iraqi
> government, and the Persian Gulf emirates, the Egyptian government has
> struggled to reassert its strategic relevance. But its attempt to regain its
> former influence has come at a time when the Bush administration has begun to
> challenge the Middle East's traditional authoritarian order. Whether Mubarak
> can adjust to the new reality is an open question.
> Roots of Egyptian Identity
> Modern Egypt's claim to leadership in the Middle East extends back to the
> early nineteenth century when the Ottoman military commander Muhammad ?Ali (r.
> 1805-48) battled Wahhabis in Arabia, conquered Sudan, and sent Egyptian troops
> into Syria, at one point even threatening to invade the Ottoman homeland in
> Anatolia. Any pretense that Egypt was just another Ottoman province
> evaporated. She had exerted herself as a dominant regional power. With the
> Ottoman sultan's acquiescence, Muhammad ?Ali's family assumed hereditary rule,
> holding the mantle of leadership in Cairo until Gamal Abdel Nasser's 1952
> revolution ended the monarchy.
> 
> Egypt's claim to leadership also rested on cultural self-identity. Until the
> early twentieth century, Egyptian identity was distinct from that of the
> Arabs.[1] <#_ftn1>  "Arabness" was then defined ethnically; only those who
> traced their roots back to the Arabian Peninsula called themselves Arabs. The
> Egyptians, with a civilization stretching back millennia, embraced a unique
> identity. Only in the 1930s, did the linguistic definition of an Arab begin to
> take hold; Arabs were those who spoke Arabic. At the same time, Egyptian
> intellectuals embraced Egypt-centered pan-Arabism. Muhammad ?Ali ?Alluba
> (1875-1956), a prominent Egyptian intellectual of that period, spoke of
> Egypt's destiny "to bear the crown of all-Arab leadership" as well as "to
> fulfill its pan-Arab mission."[2] <#_ftn2>
> 
> The Arab League?of which Egypt was a charter member?viewed the Arabic language
> as a force capable of unifying as diverse a cultural, ethnic, and religious
> community as spanned the geographic expanse from Morocco to Somalia to Iraq.
> Such an attitude mirrored that of Sati' al-Husri (1880-1968), the Syrian
> ideologue of Arab nationalism, who contended that "every person who speaks
> Arabic is an Arab. Everyone who is affiliated with these people is an
> Arab."[3] <#_ftn3>  Almost overnight, the Arab world expanded from the Arabian
> Peninsula and Fertile Crescent to encompass all of North Africa, the Sudan,
> the Horn of Africa, and even distant Mauritania. Egypt became the fulcrum of
> the Arab world and Cairo its crossroads.
> 
> Max Rodenbeck, the chief Middle East correspondent for The Economist and a
> Cairo resident for much of his life, related the Cairene sense of cultural
> leadership in his 1999 book, Cairo: A City Victorious:
>> 
>> To 250 million Arabic-speakers and one billion Muslims, Cairo retains a
>> mystique, a stature, a reassuring gravity that no other city can match ? It
>> projects its own rhythms and language far and wide. The cassette-tape call to
>> prayer wafting over a Javanese village was most likely recorded by one of the
>> honey-tongued Koran reciters of Cairo. The music pulsing through the heat of
>> a Moroccan Kasbah came from here, too, as did the satellite-borne soap opera
>> enthralling a Kuwaiti financier's air-conditioned harem ? When Arabs think of
>> Cairo, they think of it as a repository of Arabness: the seat of the greatest
>> universities, the largest libraries, the biggest-circulation newspapers, the
>> most vibrant pop culture.[4] <#_ftn4>
> 
> Army colonel Gamal Abdel Nasser subscribed to the idea of Egyptian centrality,
> which he saw as both a political and military responsibility. Nasser not only
> sent Egyptian troops to combat Israel, but he also intervened in the Yemeni
> civil war. Like Muhammad ?Ali more than a century before, Nasser sought not
> only to lead but also dominate other Arab states. "We, and only we, are
> impelled by our environment and are capable of performing this [leadership]
> role,"[5] <#_ftn5>  he wrote. Accordingly, Nasser disparaged the 1955
> Turco-Iraqi pact, the core of the Cold War security arrangement that would
> grow into the Baghdad pact, which he labeled a plot to "destroy Egypt's
> prestige and position in [the] Arab world."[6] <#_ftn6>
> 
> The pattern continued through subsequent decades. For much of this period,
> Egypt placed itself at the forefront of the Arab world's confrontation with
> Israel. Egypt's early battlefield victories in the 1973 Yom Kippur War against
> Israel enabled Egypt to reassert the prestige it feared had been damaged
> following the crushing defeat of 1967. With the 1978 Camp David accords and a
> peace treaty between Israel and Egypt the following year, President Anwar
> al-Sadat bolstered Egypt's position within the United States governments'
> Middle Eastern strategic framework, elevating his country to become
> Washington's principal ally in the Arab world, as well as the key to Arab
> normalization of ties with Israel.
> 
> But with the end of the Cold War, and especially events of more recent years,
> the situation has changed. Iran is on the verge of going nuclear. Yasir Arafat
> is dead, and Saddam Hussein in prison. More than 100,000 U.S. troops are in
> Iraq. The U.S. military maintains bases in Bahrain, Qatar, and the United Arab
> Emirates. Despite such changes, the Egyptian leadership still sees itself as
> the most important state in the Arab world, if not in the entire Middle East.
> Speaking at the inauguration of the Council on Egyptian-American Relations in
> March 2000, Egyptian foreign minister Amr Moussa stated that "historically,
> America's recognition of Egypt's centrality in Middle East politics and
> developments lies at the heart of our partnership," adding that "for the last
> two decades, it [the U.S.-Egyptian relationship] has been the driving force
> behind regional peace, stability, and prosperity."[7] <#_ftn7>  This
> assessment changed very little over the five years that followed. In March
> 2005, the current Egyptian foreign minister, Ahmed Aboul Gheit, asserted that
> "Egypt is a lighthouse for the Middle East," while adding that he was certain
> that the U.S. government fully appreciated everything that Egypt brought to
> the bilateral relationship.[8] <#_ftn8>
> 
> The U.S. commitment to Egypt has amounted in financial terms to approximately
> US$50 billion in military and economic assistance since the signing of an
> Israeli-Egyptian peace treaty in 1979?second only to the aid to Israel. Since
> that time, successive U.S. administrations have viewed Egypt as a key promoter
> of regional stability and moderation. David Welch, U.S. ambassador to Egypt
> between 2001 and 2005, in the weeks prior to the 9-11 attacks described
> Washington's ties to Cairo as "the centerpiece of our foreign policy in the
> Arab world."[9] <#_ftn9>
> 
> Bilateral ties have been both political and military. Soon after the Camp
> David accords, Egypt and the United States inaugurated the "Bright Star" joint
> military exercise, conducted every two years. Ten years later, Cairo played a
> key role in persuading Arab states to join the international coalition to
> liberate Kuwait.[10] <#_ftn10>  During that conflict, Egypt acceded to U.S.
> requests to permit the transit of a U.S. nuclear carrier task force through
> the Suez Canal.[11] <#_ftn11>  An Egyptian reinforced infantry division of
> 30,000 troops?the second-largest military contingent involved in the allied
> campaign?entered western Kuwait in February 1991 during operations to liberate
> that country.[12] <#_ftn12>  As a reward for Egypt's cooperation with the
> Desert Shield military operations, in November 1990, President George H.W.
> Bush signed into law Section 592 of the Iraq Sanctions Act (Public Law
> 101-513), which provided for the cancellation of Egypt's $6.7 billion military
> debt. In the decade that followed, Egyptian consumption of American arms
> increased, and Egypt implemented a number of joint U.S.-Egyptian military
> partnerships, co-producing components for the Abrams (M1A1) tank and repairing
> aging U.S. military equipment.[13] <#_ftn13>
> 
> Mubarak publicly opposed the liberation of Iraq but nevertheless granted U.S.
> Central Command transit rights for troops and material through the Suez
> Canal,[14] <#_ftn14>  a passage that became far more important after the
> Turkish parliament refused the Pentagon permission to open a northern front
> against Iraq. While the Suez Canal remains the quickest transit point for U.S.
> military assets bound for the Persian Gulf region, it also serves as a major
> international oil route,[15] <#_ftn15>  thus guaranteeing Egypt's heightened
> strategic relevance into the twenty-first century.
> 
> These factors?along with the fact that with a population of over 75 million,
> one out of every three Arabs is Egyptian?have only heightened the Egyptian
> government's perception of itself as a pivotal state, indispensable, if not an
> "equal partner" with Washington in the Arab world.[16] <#_ftn16>  Events,
> however, have undercut the basis for Egypt's self-perception, causing the gap
> between the Egyptian political elites' static policy and Washington to grow.
> Is Egypt Relevant?
> While U.S. policymakers have long viewed both Egypt and Turkey as linchpins of
> regional security, the emergence of an Israeli-Turkish entente heightened
> Egyptian fears that its leadership was under assault.[17] <#_ftn17>  Ankara's
> efforts to assert its strategic relevance to the West have been troubling to
> the Arab world in general[18] <#_ftn18>  and Egypt in particular. The
> Jordanian government's willingness to act independently of pan-Arab pressures
> and enter into a trilateral military partnership with Turkey and Israel only
> exacerbated Egyptian anxiety, leading one veteran Egyptian diplomat to label
> the 1990s a period of great "fragmentation" in the Arab world.[19] <#_ftn19>
> Egyptian columnist Abdel-Azim Hammad asserted that the Israeli-Turkish
> strategic partnership "jeopardizes peace and stability and contravenes Egypt's
> plans for a collective regional security scheme."[20] <#_ftn20>  Indeed, while
> U.S. shipping might still rely on the Suez Canal, Ankara's agreement to allow
> the U.S. Air Force to use the Incirlik Air Force Base in Turkey obviated any
> need for Egyptian overflight permission for U.S. pilots en route to the
> Persian Gulf. Egypt might still be important, but throughout the 1990s, it was
> no longer an indispensable strategic ally.
> 
> In the aftermath of 9-11, Egyptian support for the global war on terrorism has
> at best been lukewarm. While the Egyptian government did allow some
> intelligence sharing with U.S. agencies, it failed to send Egyptian troops to
> join the U.S.-led military coalition in Afghanistan,[21] <#_ftn21>  something
> the Turkish government did despite its own political squabbles with
> Washington. While official frustration with the degree of Egyptian support for
> the war on terrorism has been muted, disagreements arising from the U.S.
> invasion of Iraq have been much more difficult to contain.
> 
> For many years, the Mubarak regime was at the forefront of Arab countries
> seeking rapprochement with Iraq and a softening of United Nations
> sanctions.[22] <#_ftn22>  A month after 9-11, Egyptian minister of foreign
> affairs Ahmed Maher told an audience at the American University of Cairo that
> the Egyptian government was "against any [U.S.] attack against any Arab
> country."[23] <#_ftn23>  A year later, as preparations for war were underway,
> Mubarak told students in Alexandria, "If you strike Iraq and kill the people
> of Iraq while Palestinians are being killed by Israel ? not one Arab leader
> will be able to control the angry outbursts of the masses."[24] <#_ftn24>
> Shortly before the fall of Baghdad unleashed a burst of euphoria in the Iraqi
> street, Mubarak warned that the war in Iraq would produce 100 bin Ladens.[25]
> <#_ftn25> 
> 
> As the Iraq campaign progressed, the Egyptian political elite remained firm in
> their conviction that their pivotal role remained unscathed. Abdel Moneim
> Sa?id ?Aly, head of the Al-Ahram Center for Political and Strategic Studies in
> Cairo, for example, said, "I don't think that Bahrain and Qatar can take the
> place of Egypt and Saudi Arabia. America will realize that in major crises it
> needs Saudi Arabia and Egypt."[26] <#_ftn26>  Many Egyptian policymakers and
> analysts urged Cairo to take a dominant role in Iraq's postwar
> reconstruction.[27] <#_ftn27>  Mubarak's decision to host the November 2004
> Sharm el-Sheikh summit of foreign ministers of Iraq's neighbors was a tacit
> admission that, having failed to prevent the United States from going to war,
> his best chance of influencing events was by positioning Egypt to be part of
> the solution.[28] <#_ftn28>
> 
> Just as Egypt flirted with obstructionism in regard to U.S. efforts to address
> the regional threat posed by Saddam Hussein and the slow erosion of United
> Nations sanctions, throughout the 1990s, Mubarak has also sought to bolster
> Egypt's regional importance at the expense of Arab-Israeli peace. If it could
> not be at the center of the peace process, then it would undermine it. In 1994
> and 1995, Cairo used international forums and regional meetings to isolate and
> weaken Israel.[29] <#_ftn29>  Having been excluded from the process leading to
> the 1994 establishment of diplomatic relations between Israel and Jordan,
> Mubarak criticized the agreement.[30] <#_ftn30>  Rather than use Egyptian
> offices to make a positive contribution to peace elsewhere, Mubarak's pressure
> contributed to the scuttling of Moroccan and Qatari plans to establish full
> diplomatic ties with Israel in the mid-1990s.[31] <#_ftn31>
> 
> While taking a mildly rejectionist line toward Arab-Israeli rapprochement, the
> Egyptian government has sought to position itself as the mediator for disputes
> within the Arab and Muslim world. In 1998, Mubarak personally shuttled between
> Damascus and Ankara to defuse the threat of military confrontation over Syrian
> backing for the Kurdistan Worker's Party (Partiya Karkerana Kurdistan, or
> PKK).[32] <#_ftn32>  Then-Egyptian foreign minister Amr Moussa likewise worked
> to ease tension between Algeria and Morocco and also between Syria and the
> Palestinian Authority. However, the Egyptian government has taken an unhelpful
> stance with regard to Syrian occupation of Lebanon, failing even to support
> U.N. Security Council Resolution 1559. During a surprise visit to Damascus in
> September 2004, Mubarak and Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad reportedly adopted a
> joint stance rejecting any outside interference in matters of Lebanese
> sovereignty and internal affairs while linking any progress on the matter to
> Israeli withdrawal from all Syrian and Lebanese territory.[33] <#_ftn33>  By
> trying to broaden the discussion of Lebanese sovereignty to other Arab
> territories held by Israel, Egypt's stance was pan-Arab in both scope and
> tone. The Egyptian government's push for annual Arab summit meetings was
> Cairo's attempt to cement its leadership position.[34] <#_ftn34>
> 
> Yet rather than strengthen its position as the United States' indispensable
> ally, Mubarak's attempt to revive pan-Arabism antagonized Washington. Former
> assistant secretary of state Martin Indyk, for example, observed that Cairo
> tended to reinforce Arafat's stubborn tendencies, thereby obstructing progress
> in talks with Israel.[35] <#_ftn35>  As in the Taba meeting in the final days
> of the Clinton presidency, or in the Sharm el-Sheikh summit in June 2003, the
> Egyptian government only worked to advance the peace process when it could
> host summits and show itself at the center of the process.
> 
> The pattern continues. In the aftermath of Iraq's liberation, Mubarak has
> redoubled his efforts to position Egypt as the key to regional settlement by
> trying to link resolution of the Iraqi insurgency to the Israeli-Palestinian
> conflict. At the end of an April 2004 summit with President Bush in Crawford,
> Texas, Mubarak declared, "Egypt has pioneered the path of peace in the region
> for over twenty-five years and will continue to assume its responsibilities
> for peace today."[36] <#_ftn36>
> 
> Has Egypt's strategy worked? The peace process is again active. At first
> glance, Cairo has regained some relevance by assuming a more constructive role
> in the renewed Israeli-Palestinian peace process. Egyptian foreign minister
> Ahmed Aboul Gheit visited Israel in late 2004, and Mubarak's uncharacteristic
> remark in December 2004 that if the Palestinians "can't achieve progress in
> the time of the current prime minister [Ariel Sharon], it will be difficult to
> make any progress in peace," raised hopes that Cairo would no longer encourage
> Palestinian intransigence. Western diplomats have welcomed Egypt's subsequent
> engagement with both Israel and Palestinian leaders.[37] <#_ftn37>
> 
> But recent Egyptian moves may have less to do with a sincere desire for peace
> than for averting outcomes harmful to Egyptian interests, such as the
> emergence of a Palestinian mini-state in Gaza controlled by Hamas or Islamic
> Jihad in the political and security vacuum following disengagement.[38]
> <#_ftn38>  Egypt's short-term cooperation with Israel over post-Gaza
> withdrawal security may have less to do with Egyptian altruism and more to do
> with Cairo's fear of either political turmoil in Gaza or the empowerment of
> Islamists there.[39] <#_ftn39>
> Is Egypt out of Step with the New Middle East?
> While the Egyptian government has reversed course from the obstructionism of
> the 1990s, a shifting milieu has prevented Cairo from assuming the domineering
> position it seeks. Egypt's lofty regional ambitions stand quite in contrast to
> the sad reality of its economic circumstances. Although Egypt, with the
> largest population of any Arab country, ranked only behind Saudi Arabia and
> the United Arab Emirates in gross domestic product in 2003, it ranks near the
> bottom of the Arab League states in terms of its per capita income.[40]
> <#_ftn40>  Since the brief period of economic growth in the middle and
> late-1990s, regional challenges compounded by uncertainty in the government's
> economic management have undermined business and consumer confidence and
> slowed growth.[41] <#_ftn41>  Economic growth has fallen to an average of just
> 2.2 percent in 2002-3 and 2003-4.[42] <#_ftn42>  While official figures placed
> Egyptian unemployment at 9.9 percent in 2002-3, the true figure is probably
> double that.[43] <#_ftn43>  Additionally, Egypt has possessed an external
> trade deficit, almost without interruption, for more than half a century.[44]
> <#_ftn44>  Cairo may have ambitions of regional political domination, but its
> economy undermines such pretensions.
> 
> The tension between ambition and reality contributes to the tense relationship
> between Mubarak's regime and an increasingly cynical Egyptian public. At a
> time when Washington feared Cairo's vulnerability to Islamist insurgency, the
> White House was willing to forgive Mubarak's domestic oppression. But with
> both the Jama?at al-Islamiya and Egyptian Islamic Jihad deflated, at least
> since the apex of the 1980s and 1990s, U.S. diplomats need not treat their
> Egyptian counterparts with kid gloves. With the establishment of relations
> between Israel and Jordan, the formalization of the Palestinian Authority, and
> the general amelioration of Arab rejectionism elsewhere, a number of different
> Arab officials are willing to talk directly to their Israeli counterparts. As
> a result, Egypt has become less essential to U.S. diplomacy. Finally, whereas
> before the 1990s, Egypt and, perhaps to some extent Oman, were the only Arab
> military partners upon which the United States could depend in the Cold War's
> uncertainty, today the Cold War is over, and U.S. Central Command has at its
> disposal naval bases in Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates, a recently
> completed base in Qatar, and perhaps a dozen new installations in Iraq. Even
> Egypt's geographical importance has been marginalized by shifting threats and
> a new U.S. base in Djibouti from which is accessible all of southern Arabia,
> the Sudan, and the Horn of Africa.
> 
> With Washington less reliant on Mubarak for its diplomacy, the Cold War over,
> and subsequent fears of an Islamist takeover receded, the U.S. government has
> much more maneuverability to press for internal reform and the long-term
> stability which representative government can bring. Mubarak had a rude
> awakening in 2002 after Egyptian security forces imprisoned dual U.S.-Egyptian
> citizen and civil society advocate Saad Eddin Ibrahim. Perhaps in the past,
> Washington would have been content to express diplomatic displeasure but not
> to withhold carrots or wield sticks. But, in a letter to Mubarak, Bush
> threatened to stop new aid to Egypt.[45] <#_ftn45>  While he did not mention
> the nearly $2 billion in U.S. assistance Egypt receives annually, the very
> precedent of withholding aid carried with it an implied threat. U.S. pressure
> clearly paid off. Several months later, Egyptian authorities released Ibrahim
> and dropped all charges against him.[46] <#_ftn46>
> 
> If Egyptian policymakers thought the Ibrahim incident was a one-time
> occurrence, perhaps brought to the fore only by Ibrahim's U.S. citizenship,
> they were wrong. In the aftermath of 9-11, the Bush administration calculated
> that the dangers of alienation of the Arab street outweighed the benefits of
> nurturing friendly dictatorships. In December 2002, the State Department
> unveiled its Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI) that emphasized civil
> society, economic reforms, political participation, and development as part of
> a broader U.S. public diplomacy effort in the Middle East.[47] <#_ftn47>
> 
> The Egyptian government was dismissive of the program. Foreign Minister Ahmed
> Maher questioned the timing of the initiative and expressed bewilderment that
> Washington would prioritize MEPI over resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian
> conflict, an entanglement over which Cairo could wield its influence and which
> did not threaten the interests of the Egyptian autocracy.[48] <#_ftn48>
> 
> Was Washington, through its promotion of democracy, undermining the
> foundations of Mubarak's legitimacy and weakening Egypt's regional standing?
> Pro-government journalists among Al-Ahram Weekly's staff leveled such charges
> at a 2003 roundtable with the U.S. ambassador. In response to a record of U.S.
> statements on democratization in the past, as well as denials from both
> countries that their relationship was embroiled in crisis, Al-Ahram Weekly
> staff member, Gamal Essam el-Din alleged, "You said you are not interfering,
> but by making these statements you are exerting some kind of psychological
> pressure on the people here, and they think this is part of the crisis in the
> relationship."[49] <#_ftn49>
> 
> Ambassador Welch retorted,
>> 
>> Maybe you find that particularly uncomfortable if it [these statements on
>> democracy] comes from foreign political leaders ? sometimes those views, even
>> if they are meant to be positive and encouraging, may get dismissed because
>> of where they came from. If you interpret that as psychological pressure, I'm
>> sorry, but your interpretation is not our intention. Our intention is to
>> encourage, and yes, to promote change.[50] <#_ftn50>
> 
> Egyptian policymakers had been turning a deaf ear to hints of growing White
> House displeasure with Mubarak. In November 2003, Bush spoke about freedom and
> democracy after Iraq to the National Endowment for Democracy. He called on
> Egypt to play a leadership role in the democratization of the region.[51]
> <#_ftn51>  The speech signaled a new reality. While the Egyptian government
> sought to maneuver itself into a position of predominance using 1980s-style
> Realpolitik, the Middle East had moved on.
> 
> The disconnect between U.S. and Egyptian goals has only widened since. The
> democratic wave of early 2005 in Ukraine, Iraq, and Lebanon has alarmed the
> Egyptian elite. Influencing diplomacy abroad is one thing, but enacting
> internal reform quite another. The quasi-official Egyptian media made no
> secret of Cairo's disdain for democratization in Iraq and, by implication,
> elsewhere. Al-Ahram, for example, suggested that elections would only
> "exacerbate the sectarian and ethnic fissures that are already threatening to
> tear Iraq apart."[52] <#_ftn52>  Two weeks later, its editors suggested that
> empowerment of Iraqi Shi?ites and Kurds might lead "the disgruntled Sunnis of
> Iraq [to] step up their resistance to the new status quo in Iraq."[53]
> <#_ftn53> 
> 
> The drive to democratize has heightened awareness of Egypt's political
> stagnation, at home and abroad. Politically, Cairo is frozen in time by its
> authoritarian regime. Egyptian officials and opinion leaders, many dependent
> upon the patronage of Mubarak, have responded to Bush's democracy initiatives
> as if the very foundations of their country's legitimacy were under assault.
> When an early proposal for the Broader Middle East and North Africa democracy
> initiative was leaked to the press prior to the June 2004 Group of Eight
> summit in Sea Island, Georgia, Mubarak said he was "furious" about being
> dictated to by others.[54] <#_ftn54>
> 
> Expression of the Mubarak regime's pique has not been a one-time occurrence.
> In March 2005, Foreign Minister Aboul Gheit slammed a Bush speech extolling
> democratizing trends in the Middle East, insisting that for the "so-called
> democratic endeavor, the pace will be set by Egypt and the Egyptian people and
> only the Egyptian people. The Egyptian people will not accept what we call
> trusteeship."[55] <#_ftn55>  Indicating the growing gulf in U.S.-Egyptian
> relations was that fact that Aboul Gheit's comments were not too different
> from those expressed by Hezbollah leader Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah himself
> during the large March 8 pro-Syrian demonstration in Beirut. Responding to
> Bush's dual calls for democratic reform and the implementation of U.N.
> Security Council resolutions binding on Syria, Nasrallah asked tauntingly,
> "Isn't this Western democracy? The majority is rejecting Resolution 1559,"
> while adding, "I want to tell Americans, do not interfere in our internal
> affairs. Let your ambassador relax in his embassy and leave us alone."[56]
> <#_ftn56> 
> 
> Demonstrating Egypt's inflated sense of its own indispensability, Aboul Gheit
> added that "the need for Egypt to be a friend of the United States is
> something I'm sure people in Washington value very much."[57] <#_ftn57>
> Increasingly, though, he is wrong. The State Department will seldom speak ill
> of any relationship, but the Congress has been less sanguine. Senator Mitch
> McConnell, a senior member of the Senate Republican leadership and chairman of
> the appropriations subcommittee on foreign operation, expressed his deep
> frustration with Egypt in an April 2004 editorial in The Washington Post,
> declaring that "it is past time President Mubarak demonstrated the courage and
> commitment to lead Egypt into a new era of freedom and prosperity. To do
> anything less will only strengthen the hands of extremists."[58] <#_ftn58>
> 
> There is little reason for optimism for real political reform. A report by the
> Carnegie Endowment for International Peace's Democracy and Rule of Law Project
> concluded that, despite Mubarak's rhetoric, the Egyptian government continues
> to consolidate its power. Among the obstacles cited by its author, Amr
> Hamzawy, were the regime's undemocratic nature and the structural weakness and
> laws obstructing the functioning of opposition parties and movements.[59]
> <#_ftn59> 
> 
> Rather than prepare for a democratic future, Mubarak appears to be grooming
> his son Gamal for power.[60] <#_ftn60>  Mubarak's arrest of opposition leader
> Ayman Nour in January 2005 only reinforced doubts. Many commentators saw it as
> a preemptive strike against political dissent.[61] <#_ftn61>  Secretary of
> State Condoleezza Rice's decision to cancel an expected February 2005 visit to
> Egypt was attributed to a lack of reform initiatives in that country, a
> shortcoming highlighted by Nour's imprisonment.[62] <#_ftn62>
> 
> In the immediate wake of Rice's cancellation, Mubarak proposed unprecedented
> changes to Egypt's electoral laws, "giving the chance for political parties to
> run for the presidential elections and providing guarantees that allow more
> than one candidate for the people to choose among them with their own
> will."[63] <#_ftn63>  While Nour was eventually freed on bail, it is unclear
> whether Mubarak's call for a constitutional amendment permitting
> multi-candidate presidential elections arose out of a "full conviction of the
> need to consolidate efforts for more freedom and democracy,"[64] <#_ftn64>  as
> he claimed, and whether Mubarak's newfound democratic conviction will overcome
> his desire to stay in power. As long as the ruling National Democratic Party
> retains a virtual monopoly on the exercise of both executive and legislative
> powers, the chance for a democratic breakthrough remains slim.
> Conclusions
> For more than two decades, U.S. policymakers have viewed Egypt as an
> invaluable ally in Washington's effort to ensure regional stability and
> moderation. Yet, with faithfulness to Cairo's historical mission as the heart
> and soul of the Arab world guiding its behavior for the past half-century,
> Egypt has consistently sought to quash any challenge to its role as the Arab
> world's paramount broker of moderation and stability. To Cairo's
> decisionmakers, such goals take a back seat to preventing the emergence of any
> new order?including democratization?that Egypt cannot dominate. As long as
> democracy promotion remains a major component of U.S. policy, diplomatic
> conflagrations between Cairo and Washington are likely to become not the
> exception, but the rule. A change at the top will likely not soothe relations.
> Democratic reforms notwithstanding, any successor to Mubarak is unlikely to
> shift Egyptian national priorities away from its claim to be the regional
> power broker. To do so would betray the attitude of Egyptian exceptionalism
> that has driven successive leaders to perpetuate a sometimes deleterious sense
> of national glory.
> 
> In March 2000, then-Egyptian foreign minister Amr Moussa stated that
> differences between the United States and Egypt on certain issues are to be
> expected. "After all, America is a global power with international interests,"
> he said. "Egypt, meanwhile, is a regional power whose interests are closely
> linked to the heart of the Arab and Muslim worlds, the African continent, and
> the Mediterranean. So, it is only normal that our perspectives on certain
> issues be different."[65] <#_ftn65>
> 
> Moussa's words are just as true today as they were five years ago when they
> were uttered. Egyptian and U.S. national interests may overlap, but they need
> not be identical to enable a fruitful partnership to exist. Yet, the critical
> question now is whether their differences have grown to such a degree that
> they overrule the possibility of a mutually-beneficial U.S.-Egyptian bilateral
> relationship continuing into the future.
>> 
>> Samuel J. Spector is a research analyst at the Long-Term Strategy Project in
>> Cambridge, Massachusetts.
> 
> [1] <#_ftnref1>  Martin Kramer, "Arab Nationalism: Mistaken Identity,"
> Daedalus, Summer 1993, pp. 171-206; Israel Gershoni and James P. Jankowski,
> Egypt, Islam, and the Arabs: The Search for Egyptian Nationhood (New York:
> Oxford University Press, 1986), pp. 3-20.
> [2] <#_ftnref2>  Elie Podeh, The Quest for Hegemony in the Arab World: The
> Struggle over the Baghdad Pact, (Leiden: E.J. Brill, 1995), p. 31.
> [3] <#_ftnref3>  Quoted in William L. Cleveland, The Making of an Arab
> Nationalist: Ottomanism and Arabism in the Life and Thought of Sati' al-Husri
> (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1971), p. 127.
> [4] <#_ftnref4>  Max Rodenbeck, Cairo: The City Victorious (New York: Alfred
> A. Knopf, 1999), p. 18. For an Egyptian study of their identity, see Jamal
> ad-Din Mahmud Hamdan, Shakhsiyat Misr: Dirasah fi ?abqariyat al-makan (Cairo:
> Maktabat an-Nahdah al-Misriyah, 1970), pp. 471-514.
> [5] <#_ftnref5>  Gamal Abdel Nasser, The Philosophy of the Revolution
> (Buffalo: Smith, Keynes and Marshall, 1959), p. 78.
> [6] <#_ftnref6>  Podeh, The Quest for Hegemony, p. 196.
> [7] <#_ftnref7>  Amr Moussa, "The Egyptian-American Partnership: An Investment
> in the Future Stability and Prosperity of the Middle East
> <http://www.sis.gov.eg/online/html2/o260320d.htm> ," inauguration of the
> Council on Egyptian-American Relations, Washington, D.C., Mar. 26, 2000.
> [8] <#_ftnref8>  The Washington Post, Mar. 10, 2005.
> [9] <#_ftnref9>  Al-Ahram Weekly (Cairo), Aug. 16-22, 2001.
> [10] <#_ftnref10>  Abdel Moneim Said Aly and Robert H. Pelletreau,
> "U.S.-Egyptian Relations," Middle East Policy, June 2001, p. 49.
> [11] <#_ftnref11>  Ibid.
> [12] <#_ftnref12>  Clyde R. Mark, "Egypt-United States Relations,"
> Congressional Research Service (IB93087), Apr. 2, 2003, p. 10.
> [13] <#_ftnref13>  Ibid., pp. 10-1.
> [14] <#_ftnref14>  The Washington Post, Apr. 1, 2003.
> [15] <#_ftnref15>  Mohamed Kadry Said, "Potential Egyptian Contribution to a
> Security Framework in the Gulf," Middle East Policy, Fall 2004, p. 66.
> [16] <#_ftnref16>  Al-Ahram Weekly, June 24-30, 1999.
> [17] <#_ftnref17>  Alan Makovsky, "Turkish-Israeli Cooperation, the Peace
> Process, and the Region
> <http://www.washingtoninstitute.org/templateC05.php?CID=1074> ," Policywatch,
> no. 195, The Washington Institute for Near East Policy, Apr. 26, 1996.
> [18] <#_ftnref18>  Michel Naufal, ed., Al-'Arab wa al-Atrak fi'-l-?Alam
> al-Mutahayir (Beirut: Markaz ad-Dirasat as-Strategiya wa Bahooth wa
> at-Towthiq, 1993), p. 9.
> [19] <#_ftnref19>  Salah Bassiouni, "Misr wa't-Turkiya: Hisabat Siyasiya wa
> Aqa?iya," Auraq ash-Sharq al-Awsat (Cairo), Nov. 1998-Mar. 1999, p. 54.
> [20] <#_ftnref20>  Abdel-Azim Hammad, "Egypt and Turkey Restore Equilibrium,"
> Al-Ahram Weekly, Dec. 17-23, 1998.
> [21] <#_ftnref21>  Al-Ahram Weekly, Oct. 11-17, 2001.
> [22] <#_ftnref22>  Steven A. Cook, "Egypt?Still America's Partner?
> <http://www.meforum.org/article/58> " Middle East Quarterly, June 2000, pp.
> 3-13.
> [23] <#_ftnref23>  Al-Ahram Weekly, Oct. 11-17, 2001.
> [24] <#_ftnref24>  The Times (London), Aug. 28, 2002.
> [25] <#_ftnref25>  The Washington Post, Apr. 1, 2003.
> [26] <#_ftnref26>  Financial Times (London), Oct. 22, 2003.
> [27] <#_ftnref27>  Said, "Potential Egyptian Contribution to a Security
> Framework in the Gulf," p. 70.
> [28] <#_ftnref28>  The New York Times, Nov. 23, 2004.
> [29] <#_ftnref29>  Gerald Steinberg, "Cairo's Anti-Israel Campaign," The
> Jerusalem Post, Nov. 25, 1994.
> [30] <#_ftnref30>  The Jerusalem Post, Nov. 25, 1994.
> [31] <#_ftnref31>  The Jerusalem Report, Sept. 24, 2001.
> [32] <#_ftnref32>  Al-Ahram Weekly, Dec. 3-9, 1998.
> [33] <#_ftnref33>  The Daily Star (Beirut), Sept. 16, 2004.
> [34] <#_ftnref34>  Al-Ahram Weekly, Feb. 24-Mar. 1, 2000.
> [35] <#_ftnref35>  Martin Indyk, "Back to the Bazaar," Foreign Affairs,
> Jan./Feb. 2002, pp. 75-88.
> [36] <#_ftnref36>  White House, news release
> <http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2004/04/20040412-3.html> , Crawford,
> Texas, Apr. 12, 2004.
> [37] <#_ftnref37>  Ben Fishman, "Analyzing the Thaw in Egyptian-Israeli
> Relations <http://www.washingtoninstitute.org/templateC05.php?CID=2208> ,"
> Policy Watch, no. 931, The Washington Institute for Near East Policy, Dec. 20,
> 2004.
> [38] <#_ftnref38>  Ha'aretz (Tel Aviv), June 6, 2004.
> [39] <#_ftnref39>  Ibid.
> [40] <#_ftnref40>  "Egypt: Country Profile 2004," The Economist Intelligence
> Unit (London: The Economist Group, 2004), in "Comparative Economic Indicators,
> 2003," bar charts, "Gross Domestic Product (US$ bn)" and "Gross Domestic
> Product per Head (US$ ?000)," front matter.
> [41] <#_ftnref41>  Ibid., p. 35.
> [42] <#_ftnref42>  Ibid.
> [43] <#_ftnref43>  Ibid., p. 37.
> [44] <#_ftnref44>  Ibid., p. 51.
> [45] <#_ftnref45>  The New York Times, Aug. 16, 2002.
> [46] <#_ftnref46>  Ibid., Mar. 19, 2003.
> [47] <#_ftnref47>  "Middle East Partnership Initiative: Building Hope for the
> Years Ahead <http://mepi.state.gov/mepi/> ," U.S. Department of State, Dec.
> 12, 2002.
> [48] <#_ftnref48>  Edward S. Walker, "Gloomy Mood in Egypt and Saudi Arabia:
> Fear that America's Standing in the Region May Not Survive Current U.S.
> Policies toward Iraq, Terrorism, and the Peace Process," Middle East Institute
> Policy Brief, Dec. 12-19, 2002.
> [49] <#_ftnref49>  Al-Ahram Weekly, Dec. 18-24, 2003.
> [50] <#_ftnref50>  Ibid.
> [51] <#_ftnref51>  Remarks
> <http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2003/11/20031106-2.html>  at the
> twentieth anniversary of the National Endowment for Democracy, United States
> Chamber of Commerce, Washington, D.C., Nov. 6, 2003.
> [52] <#_ftnref52>  Al-Ahram Weekly, Feb. 3-9, 2005.
> [53] <#_ftnref53>  Ibid., Feb. 17-23, 2005.
> [54] <#_ftnref54>  The New York Times, June 6, 2004.
> [55] <#_ftnref55>  The Washington Post, Mar. 10, 2005.
> [56] <#_ftnref56>  Ibid; CNN.com, Mar. 8, 2005.
> [57] <#_ftnref57>  The Washington Post, Mar. 10, 2005.
> [58] <#_ftnref58>  Mitch McConnell, "? Needs a U.S. Push," The Washington
> Post, Apr. 7, 2004.
> [59] <#_ftnref59>  Amr Hamzawy, "The Continued Cost of Political Stagnation in
> Egypt," Policy Outlook, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Feb. 2005,
> p. 1.
> [60] <#_ftnref60>  Daniel Sobelman, "Gamal Mubarak, President of Egypt?
> <http://www.meforum.org/article/27> " Middle East Quarterly, Spring 2001, pp.
> 31-40.
> [61] <#_ftnref61>  The Washington Post, Mar. 15, 2005.
> [62] <#_ftnref62>  Ibid., Feb. 27, 2005.
> [63] <#_ftnref63>  Ibid.
> [64] <#_ftnref64>  Ibid.
> [65] <#_ftnref65>  Moussa, "The Egyptian-American Partnership
> <http://www.sis.gov.eg/online/html2/o260320d.htm> ."
> 
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From harperalexander at mail.com  Mon Aug  8 13:20:22 2005
From: harperalexander at mail.com (Alexander Harper)
Date: Mon Aug  8 13:23:22 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Tibet - the ugly truth.
Message-ID: <20050808202022.2FAD716415B@ws1-4.us4.outblaze.com>

You are probably all well up on what is going on in Tibet but just the same I found this article in today's Independent quite informative.
Al Baraka

Fear on the roof of the world: How China haunts Tibet 
China is showing a smiling face to the world while brutally crushing Tibet - a police state where supporters of the Dalai Lama can be beaten to death. Leonard Doyle reports from Lhasa 

Published: 08 August 2005 

"Look here, here is where they shot at His Holiness." The Tibetan monk, pointed to two bullet holes in the ornate brass hinges on the front door of the exiled Dalai Lama's summer palace. 

On Chairman Mao's orders, the Chinese People's Liberation Army stormed the place 46 years ago. With bombs and bullets flying, the youthful Dalai Lama disguised himself as a Tibetan soldier, slipped outside and headed over the Himalayas into a life of peripatetic exile. His path was cleared by Mao, who ordered his army "not to obstruct the way".

"The holes are a secret they don't know about," added the monk, pointing in the direction of a cluster of CCTV cameras behind which the Chinese State Security Bureau police were watching and listening.

Hidden from view by the heavy wooden door, the monk pulled out a pair of scapular medals. One contained the banned image of the Dalai Lama, the other the equally seditious photo of the Panchen Lama, the 16-year-old boy who most Tibetans see as second in line to the Dalai Lama. Today he is the world's youngest political prisoner.

"If you see His Holiness," he said, "tell him all Tibetans support him and the Panchen Lama. And tell the world how we hate the black hand of the Chinese."

Then he was gone. Despite carefully financed restoration, the bullet holes remain, silent witnesses to the harsh reality of China's rule over Tibet. Hopes that political freedom would blossom alongside China's new affluence have proven illusory. Dissidents are still clubbed to death, executed or given long prison sentences.

When a European Union delegation visited the notorious prison of Drabchi some years ago, they encountered a demonstration by inmates. A group of Buddhist nuns shouted "Free Tibet" and "Long live the Dalai Lama" instead of the required patriotic songs at a flag-raising ceremony convened by the prison. The police beat the prisoners so severely afterwards that in the words of a survivor, "it looked like an abattoir. They beat us with their belts until their belts broke. Then they used electric batons." After more torture including electric shocks, and sexual humiliation, four nuns died, reportedly after stuffing their mouths with their Buddhist katak scarves.

The four, Choekyi Wangmo and Tashi Lhamo, both aged 24, Dekyi Yangzom, 21, and Khedron Yonten, all died on the same day, more than a month after the demonstrations. Another nun reportedly hanged herself.

Although many Chinese and Tibetans now own mobile phones, three months passed before information about the protests reached the outside world. Prison officers and released prisoners were threatened with severe reprisals if they spoke about it. Today, the Chinese authorities still deny that anything happened.

Despite the obvious need, the European Union cannot even agree to appoint a special rapporteur to investigate human rights abuses in Tibet. Tibet is a place where truth disappears. Recently some of the worst and most obvious aspects of Communist repression have fallen away as China shows a smiling face to the world and gears up to host the next Olympics.

It is starting to win the international respectability it craves. But during a five-day visit to the "Roof of the World" I found ample evidence that, if anything, China's iron grip on Tibet is tightening. China is becoming a consumer paradise, but as the Communist ideology falls away, the Tibetans find themselves confronted by equally blind and aggressive Chinese nationalism. It is a creed that views Tibet's dream of self-rule as a deadly threat to China's integrity.

In reality, with its tiny population of some 2.6 million native Tibetans, Tibet poses no threat to China's one billion people. But the vast Tibetan Plateau, an eighth of China's land mass, is seen by Beijing as a strategic buffer to the West and as a potential El Dorado in terms of unexploited mineral and energy resources.

The propaganda machine relentlessly pumps out the message that the Tibetan people are delighted to be part of the greater Chinese family. It is a sinister but successful policy, so much so that a series of man-in-the-street interviews produces nothing but platitudes in praise of China.

Take Lhobsang Chupel, the director of scripture at Lhasa's famed Sera monastery, a hotbed of pro-Dalai Lama feeling. In the course of a long interview with The Independent, observed by Chinese Communist Party officials, he could not remember anything about the day when 30 monks marched through central Lhasa shouting "Free Tibet" and similar slogans.

Witnesses say the police fired on the monks, and up to 70 monks of the Sera monastery were arrested. Another seven monks disappeared after the protest and it is feared Chinese security officials killed them.

Afterwards, the Chinese authorities instituted "reform through re-education classes" for the monks which included a handbook called What the Masses of Sera Monastery Must Know for the Education Session.

It went on: "To all the monks of Sera monastery: The time has arrived for patriotic education to take place by means of Comprehensive Propaganda Education. The purpose of this education session is to implement the party's policy on religion totally and correctly."

The monks were ordered to attend classes, lectures and tutorials on Tibetan history, opposing splittism, legal knowledge and religious policy. "No one must leave early or make any noise. No one must cause any disruption in the classroom," it warned.

Visibly uncomfortable at being questioned about these events in front of party officials, Monk Lhobsang said: "I never heard of these events, I am a loyal follower of Buddhism, I worship God, study scripture and practise my religious beliefs, that is all."

Most visitors to Tibet these days are newly affluent Chinese, with no independent knowledge of Tibet's unequal struggle with China. They see only the billions of dollars of investment being pumped into modernising the country. They read only official Chinese media - all independent websites and books about Tibet are censored - and they would be astonished to learn how much most Tibetans loathe their Chinese masters.

Out in the wilds of a Tibetan mountainside, I watched local Communist Party officials supervising preparations for an annual nomad horse festival. The nomads gathered under vast and colourful billowing tents as party officials talked of their miserable lives in the days of the Dalai Lama. The nomads sounded grateful and said that economic progress had helped them trade in their ponies for powerful motorbikes.

But away from the party officials, a young nomad said "hello" in perfect English. "This is all a charade for Chinese tourists," she whispered. "Why can we not have our leader the Dalai Lama back among us?"

As some officials wandered over, she clammed up. Then she was gone.

But such forthright voices are hard to come by. And in the West, the movement for a free Tibet, so active in the 1990s, is running out of steam. So are the hopes for Tibetan democracy, enjoying genuine autonomy within China. There is little prospect of the Dalai Lama returning to Tibet. Anyone found supporting the Dalai Lama can expect instant and harsh retribution in the shape of a lengthy spell in jail or worse.

While the world beats a path to China's door seeking profits in its booming economy, the hopes of Tibet's people are being lost in the rush. With all the predictable bad taste of a one-party state, China is rapidly modernising Tibet, building gleaming airports, highways and soon the highest railway in the world. On a tour of the country, Communist Party apparatchiks burst with pride that Tibetans - with all their ancient beliefs in reincarnation, sky burials and strange deities - are being offered the trappings of a modern state. Billions of dollars have been invested to raise the standard of living in Lhasa and elsewhere, and they believe the Tibetans are grateful.

Despite the money gushing into Lhasa and major infrastructure projects across Tibet, a land the same size as Western Europe, there is evidence that ordinary Tibetans are not benefiting. Some 85 per cent live in rural areas or in the Lhasa ghetto, where they are largely excluded from a Chinese-run economic boom.

Britain, perceived to have lost out in the first phase of economic expansion on the Chinese coast, is desperate not to alienate Beijing. As president of the European Union, Britain is showing little enthusiasm for the appointment of a special EU rapporteur on Tibet. And while Beijing spends billions of pounds in its "develop the West" programme, targeting the vast and inhospitable Tibetan plateau along with its untold reserves of unexploited minerals and energy, British businesses are lining up for a piece of the action.

Standing in the way of Beijing's ultimate quest for international respectability (and the West's desire to do business) is the uncertain fate of the missing teenage Panchen Lama and along with him the flickering hopes of millions of Tibetans for true autonomy.

Ten years ago, shortly after the Dalai Lama named the six-year-old Choekyi Nyima as the reincarnate 11th Panchen Lama, both the boy and his parents were locked up by the Chinese. Nothing has been heard from them since. The boy may be lying in a shallow grave or in a Chinese gulag. More likely, it is thought by Tibet watchers, he is being comfortably raised as an atheist by his Communist Party hosts and will emerge in due course as a puppet of the regime denouncing Tibetan Buddhism as so much hocus pocus.

On the rare occasions that British and European officials meet their Chinese counterparts to discuss human rights, bland assurances are given about the Panchen Lama's fate. The same assurances about the living boy-Buddha were given to The Independent during an interview with Jagre Danizen, a self-declared reincarnated Buddha himself and senior official of the local Tibetan autonomous government.

"As for the boy's whereabouts, I cannot give any information; the child is getting education and living a happy life," reassured the lapsed Tibetan Buddha. He denied that the boy's disappearance from the face of the earth was of any international significance or that it would cast a shadow over the forthcoming Olympics.

"The Chinese people have the right to decide what to do and the Olympics has nothing to do with this boy. The fate of one boy has little to do with the reputation of China."

China fervently hopes that Gyaltsen Norbu, its own hand-picked pretender for the title of Panchen Lama, currently living in Beijing, will be recognised by Tibetans as a spiritual leader when the Dalai Lama, now aged 70, passes away.

And that is where Beijing's well-made plans may fall apart.

Chinese officials are increasingly frustrated with the Tibetans' lacklustre reception of Norbu on his infrequent visits. Earlier this year senior army, police and intelligence officials summoned religious leaders and warned them of punishment if they did not persuade Tibetans to accept Norbu.

But Buddhist clergy continue to reject him as a fake or pay only lip service to Beijing's demands to recognise him. Significantly China now only produces him on ceremonial occasions such as a recent presentation of a Katak scarf to the Chinese leader Hu Jintau in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. As propaganda gestures go, the presentation was never going to win over Tibetans who remember that Mr Hu imposed martial law in the 1990s when he was Communist Party chief of Tibet. It was Mr Hu who ordered the crackdown on monks, whom the Chinese officials are today trying to cajole into supporting the regime and the puppet Panchen Lama. 

"Look here, here is where they shot at His Holiness." The Tibetan monk, pointed to two bullet holes in the ornate brass hinges on the front door of the exiled Dalai Lama's summer palace. 

On Chairman Mao's orders, the Chinese People's Liberation Army stormed the place 46 years ago. With bombs and bullets flying, the youthful Dalai Lama disguised himself as a Tibetan soldier, slipped outside and headed over the Himalayas into a life of peripatetic exile. His path was cleared by Mao, who ordered his army "not to obstruct the way".

"The holes are a secret they don't know about," added the monk, pointing in the direction of a cluster of CCTV cameras behind which the Chinese State Security Bureau police were watching and listening.

Hidden from view by the heavy wooden door, the monk pulled out a pair of scapular medals. One contained the banned image of the Dalai Lama, the other the equally seditious photo of the Panchen Lama, the 16-year-old boy who most Tibetans see as second in line to the Dalai Lama. Today he is the world's youngest political prisoner.

"If you see His Holiness," he said, "tell him all Tibetans support him and the Panchen Lama. And tell the world how we hate the black hand of the Chinese."

Then he was gone. Despite carefully financed restoration, the bullet holes remain, silent witnesses to the harsh reality of China's rule over Tibet. Hopes that political freedom would blossom alongside China's new affluence have proven illusory. Dissidents are still clubbed to death, executed or given long prison sentences.

When a European Union delegation visited the notorious prison of Drabchi some years ago, they encountered a demonstration by inmates. A group of Buddhist nuns shouted "Free Tibet" and "Long live the Dalai Lama" instead of the required patriotic songs at a flag-raising ceremony convened by the prison. The police beat the prisoners so severely afterwards that in the words of a survivor, "it looked like an abattoir. They beat us with their belts until their belts broke. Then they used electric batons." After more torture including electric shocks, and sexual humiliation, four nuns died, reportedly after stuffing their mouths with their Buddhist katak scarves.

The four, Choekyi Wangmo and Tashi Lhamo, both aged 24, Dekyi Yangzom, 21, and Khedron Yonten, all died on the same day, more than a month after the demonstrations. Another nun reportedly hanged herself.

Although many Chinese and Tibetans now own mobile phones, three months passed before information about the protests reached the outside world. Prison officers and released prisoners were threatened with severe reprisals if they spoke about it. Today, the Chinese authorities still deny that anything happened.

Despite the obvious need, the European Union cannot even agree to appoint a special rapporteur to investigate human rights abuses in Tibet. Tibet is a place where truth disappears. Recently some of the worst and most obvious aspects of Communist repression have fallen away as China shows a smiling face to the world and gears up to host the next Olympics.

It is starting to win the international respectability it craves. But during a five-day visit to the "Roof of the World" I found ample evidence that, if anything, China's iron grip on Tibet is tightening. China is becoming a consumer paradise, but as the Communist ideology falls away, the Tibetans find themselves confronted by equally blind and aggressive Chinese nationalism. It is a creed that views Tibet's dream of self-rule as a deadly threat to China's integrity.

In reality, with its tiny population of some 2.6 million native Tibetans, Tibet poses no threat to China's one billion people. But the vast Tibetan Plateau, an eighth of China's land mass, is seen by Beijing as a strategic buffer to the West and as a potential El Dorado in terms of unexploited mineral and energy resources.

The propaganda machine relentlessly pumps out the message that the Tibetan people are delighted to be part of the greater Chinese family. It is a sinister but successful policy, so much so that a series of man-in-the-street interviews produces nothing but platitudes in praise of China.

Take Lhobsang Chupel, the director of scripture at Lhasa's famed Sera monastery, a hotbed of pro-Dalai Lama feeling. In the course of a long interview with The Independent, observed by Chinese Communist Party officials, he could not remember anything about the day when 30 monks marched through central Lhasa shouting "Free Tibet" and similar slogans.

Witnesses say the police fired on the monks, and up to 70 monks of the Sera monastery were arrested. Another seven monks disappeared after the protest and it is feared Chinese security officials killed them.

Afterwards, the Chinese authorities instituted "reform through re-education classes" for the monks which included a handbook called What the Masses of Sera Monastery Must Know for the Education Session.

It went on: "To all the monks of Sera monastery: The time has arrived for patriotic education to take place by means of Comprehensive Propaganda Education. The purpose of this education session is to implement the party's policy on religion totally and correctly."

The monks were ordered to attend classes, lectures and tutorials on Tibetan history, opposing splittism, legal knowledge and religious policy. "No one must leave early or make any noise. No one must cause any disruption in the classroom," it warned.

Visibly uncomfortable at being questioned about these events in front of party officials, Monk Lhobsang said: "I never heard of these events, I am a loyal follower of Buddhism, I worship God, study scripture and practise my religious beliefs, that is all."
Most visitors to Tibet these days are newly affluent Chinese, with no independent knowledge of Tibet's unequal struggle with China. They see only the billions of dollars of investment being pumped into modernising the country. They read only official Chinese media - all independent websites and books about Tibet are censored - and they would be astonished to learn how much most Tibetans loathe their Chinese masters.

Out in the wilds of a Tibetan mountainside, I watched local Communist Party officials supervising preparations for an annual nomad horse festival. The nomads gathered under vast and colourful billowing tents as party officials talked of their miserable lives in the days of the Dalai Lama. The nomads sounded grateful and said that economic progress had helped them trade in their ponies for powerful motorbikes.

But away from the party officials, a young nomad said "hello" in perfect English. "This is all a charade for Chinese tourists," she whispered. "Why can we not have our leader the Dalai Lama back among us?"

As some officials wandered over, she clammed up. Then she was gone.

But such forthright voices are hard to come by. And in the West, the movement for a free Tibet, so active in the 1990s, is running out of steam. So are the hopes for Tibetan democracy, enjoying genuine autonomy within China. There is little prospect of the Dalai Lama returning to Tibet. Anyone found supporting the Dalai Lama can expect instant and harsh retribution in the shape of a lengthy spell in jail or worse.

While the world beats a path to China's door seeking profits in its booming economy, the hopes of Tibet's people are being lost in the rush. With all the predictable bad taste of a one-party state, China is rapidly modernising Tibet, building gleaming airports, highways and soon the highest railway in the world. On a tour of the country, Communist Party apparatchiks burst with pride that Tibetans - with all their ancient beliefs in reincarnation, sky burials and strange deities - are being offered the trappings of a modern state. Billions of dollars have been invested to raise the standard of living in Lhasa and elsewhere, and they believe the Tibetans are grateful.

Despite the money gushing into Lhasa and major infrastructure projects across Tibet, a land the same size as Western Europe, there is evidence that ordinary Tibetans are not benefiting. Some 85 per cent live in rural areas or in the Lhasa ghetto, where they are largely excluded from a Chinese-run economic boom.

Britain, perceived to have lost out in the first phase of economic expansion on the Chinese coast, is desperate not to alienate Beijing. As president of the European Union, Britain is showing little enthusiasm for the appointment of a special EU rapporteur on Tibet. And while Beijing spends billions of pounds in its "develop the West" programme, targeting the vast and inhospitable Tibetan plateau along with its untold reserves of unexploited minerals and energy, British businesses are lining up for a piece of the action.

Standing in the way of Beijing's ultimate quest for international respectability (and the West's desire to do business) is the uncertain fate of the missing teenage Panchen Lama and along with him the flickering hopes of millions of Tibetans for true autonomy.

Ten years ago, shortly after the Dalai Lama named the six-year-old Choekyi Nyima as the reincarnate 11th Panchen Lama, both the boy and his parents were locked up by the Chinese. Nothing has been heard from them since. The boy may be lying in a shallow grave or in a Chinese gulag. More likely, it is thought by Tibet watchers, he is being comfortably raised as an atheist by his Communist Party hosts and will emerge in due course as a puppet of the regime denouncing Tibetan Buddhism as so much hocus pocus.

On the rare occasions that British and European officials meet their Chinese counterparts to discuss human rights, bland assurances are given about the Panchen Lama's fate. The same assurances about the living boy-Buddha were given to The Independent during an interview with Jagre Danizen, a self-declared reincarnated Buddha himself and senior official of the local Tibetan autonomous government.

"As for the boy's whereabouts, I cannot give any information; the child is getting education and living a happy life," reassured the lapsed Tibetan Buddha. He denied that the boy's disappearance from the face of the earth was of any international significance or that it would cast a shadow over the forthcoming Olympics.

"The Chinese people have the right to decide what to do and the Olympics has nothing to do with this boy. The fate of one boy has little to do with the reputation of China."

China fervently hopes that Gyaltsen Norbu, its own hand-picked pretender for the title of Panchen Lama, currently living in Beijing, will be recognised by Tibetans as a spiritual leader when the Dalai Lama, now aged 70, passes away.

And that is where Beijing's well-made plans may fall apart.

Chinese officials are increasingly frustrated with the Tibetans' lacklustre reception of Norbu on his infrequent visits. Earlier this year senior army, police and intelligence officials summoned religious leaders and warned them of punishment if they did not persuade Tibetans to accept Norbu.

But Buddhist clergy continue to reject him as a fake or pay only lip service to Beijing's demands to recognise him. Significantly China now only produces him on ceremonial occasions such as a recent presentation of a Katak scarf to the Chinese leader Hu Jintau in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. As propaganda gestures go, the presentation was never going to win over Tibetans who remember that Mr Hu imposed martial law in the 1990s when he was Communist Party chief of Tibet. It was Mr Hu who ordered the crackdown on monks, whom the Chinese officials are today trying to cajole into supporting the regime and the puppet Panchen Lama. 


-- 
___________________________________________________________
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From barbarasiomos38 at msn.com  Mon Aug  8 14:00:19 2005
From: barbarasiomos38 at msn.com (Barbara Siomos)
Date: Mon Aug  8 14:03:29 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Tibet - the ugly truth.
Message-ID: <BAY5-DAV21F18F64BD9E9F0ED1CE9EABB80@phx.gbl>

This is sad but also V-E-R-Y true. Thank you for sending...

peace,
barbara

-----Original Message-----
From: Alexander Harper
Sent: Mon, 8 Aug 2005 13:20:22 -0700
To: MB-Civic@islandlists.com
Subject: [Mb-civic] Tibet - the ugly truth.

You are probably all well up on what is going on in Tibet but just the same I found this article in today's Independent quite informative.
Al Baraka

Fear on the roof of the world: How China haunts Tibet 
China is showing a smiling face to the world while brutally crushing Tibet - a police state where supporters of the Dalai Lama can be beaten to death. Leonard Doyle reports from Lhasa 

Published: 08 August 2005 

"Look here, here is where they shot at His Holiness." The Tibetan monk, pointed to two bullet holes in the ornate brass hinges on the front door of the exiled Dalai Lama's summer palace. 

On Chairman Mao's orders, the Chinese People's Liberation Army stormed the place 46 years ago. With bombs and bullets flying, the youthful Dalai Lama disguised himself as a Tibetan soldier, slipped outside and headed over the Himalayas into a life of peripatetic exile. His path was cleared by Mao, who ordered his army "not to obstruct the way".

"The holes are a secret they don't know about," added the monk, pointing in the direction of a cluster of CCTV cameras behind which the Chinese State Security Bureau police were watching and listening.

Hidden from view by the heavy wooden door, the monk pulled out a pair of scapular medals. One contained the banned image of the Dalai Lama, the other the equally seditious photo of the Panchen Lama, the 16-year-old boy who most Tibetans see as second in line to the Dalai Lama. Today he is the world's youngest political prisoner.

"If you see His Holiness," he said, "tell him all Tibetans support him and the Panchen Lama. And tell the world how we hate the black hand of the Chinese."

Then he was gone. Despite carefully financed restoration, the bullet holes remain, silent witnesses to the harsh reality of China's rule over Tibet. Hopes that political freedom would blossom alongside China's new affluence have proven illusory. Dissidents are still clubbed to death, executed or given long prison sentences.

When a European Union delegation visited the notorious prison of Drabchi some years ago, they encountered a demonstration by inmates. A group of Buddhist nuns shouted "Free Tibet" and "Long live the Dalai Lama" instead of the required patriotic songs at a flag-raising ceremony convened by the prison. The police beat the prisoners so severely afterwards that in the words of a survivor, "it looked like an abattoir. They beat us with their belts until their belts broke. Then they used electric batons." After more torture including electric shocks, and sexual humiliation, four nuns died, reportedly after stuffing their mouths with their Buddhist katak scarves.

The four, Choekyi Wangmo and Tashi Lhamo, both aged 24, Dekyi Yangzom, 21, and Khedron Yonten, all died on the same day, more than a month after the demonstrations. Another nun reportedly hanged herself.

Although many Chinese and Tibetans now own mobile phones, three months passed before information about the protests reached the outside world. Prison officers and released prisoners were threatened with severe reprisals if they spoke about it. Today, the Chinese authorities still deny that anything happened.

Despite the obvious need, the European Union cannot even agree to appoint a special rapporteur to investigate human rights abuses in Tibet. Tibet is a place where truth disappears. Recently some of the worst and most obvious aspects of Communist repression have fallen away as China shows a smiling face to the world and gears up to host the next Olympics.

It is starting to win the international respectability it craves. But during a five-day visit to the "Roof of the World" I found ample evidence that, if anything, China's iron grip on Tibet is tightening. China is becoming a consumer paradise, but as the Communist ideology falls away, the Tibetans find themselves confronted by equally blind and aggressive Chinese nationalism. It is a creed that views Tibet's dream of self-rule as a deadly threat to China's integrity.

In reality, with its tiny population of some 2.6 million native Tibetans, Tibet poses no threat to China's one billion people. But the vast Tibetan Plateau, an eighth of China's land mass, is seen by Beijing as a strategic buffer to the West and as a potential El Dorado in terms of unexploited mineral and energy resources.

The propaganda machine relentlessly pumps out the message that the Tibetan people are delighted to be part of the greater Chinese family. It is a sinister but successful policy, so much so that a series of man-in-the-street interviews produces nothing but platitudes in praise of China.

Take Lhobsang Chupel, the director of scripture at Lhasa's famed Sera monastery, a hotbed of pro-Dalai Lama feeling. In the course of a long interview with The Independent, observed by Chinese Communist Party officials, he could not remember anything about the day when 30 monks marched through central Lhasa shouting "Free Tibet" and similar slogans.

Witnesses say the police fired on the monks, and up to 70 monks of the Sera monastery were arrested. Another seven monks disappeared after the protest and it is feared Chinese security officials killed them.

Afterwards, the Chinese authorities instituted "reform through re-education classes" for the monks which included a handbook called What the Masses of Sera Monastery Must Know for the Education Session.

It went on: "To all the monks of Sera monastery: The time has arrived for patriotic education to take place by means of Comprehensive Propaganda Education. The purpose of this education session is to implement the party's policy on religion totally and correctly."

The monks were ordered to attend classes, lectures and tutorials on Tibetan history, opposing splittism, legal knowledge and religious policy. "No one must leave early or make any noise. No one must cause any disruption in the classroom," it warned.

Visibly uncomfortable at being questioned about these events in front of party officials, Monk Lhobsang said: "I never heard of these events, I am a loyal follower of Buddhism, I worship God, study scripture and practise my religious beliefs, that is all."

Most visitors to Tibet these days are newly affluent Chinese, with no independent knowledge of Tibet's unequal struggle with China. They see only the billions of dollars of investment being pumped into modernising the country. They read only official Chinese media - all independent websites and books about Tibet are censored - and they would be astonished to learn how much most Tibetans loathe their Chinese masters.

Out in the wilds of a Tibetan mountainside, I watched local Communist Party officials supervising preparations for an annual nomad horse festival. The nomads gathered under vast and colourful billowing tents as party officials talked of their miserable lives in the days of the Dalai Lama. The nomads sounded grateful and said that economic progress had helped them trade in their ponies for powerful motorbikes.

But away from the party officials, a young nomad said "hello" in perfect English. "This is all a charade for Chinese tourists," she whispered. "Why can we not have our leader the Dalai Lama back among us?"

As some officials wandered over, she clammed up. Then she was gone.

But such forthright voices are hard to come by. And in the West, the movement for a free Tibet, so active in the 1990s, is running out of steam. So are the hopes for Tibetan democracy, enjoying genuine autonomy within China. There is little prospect of the Dalai Lama returning to Tibet. Anyone found supporting the Dalai Lama can expect instant and harsh retribution in the shape of a lengthy spell in jail or worse.

While the world beats a path to China's door seeking profits in its booming economy, the hopes of Tibet's people are being lost in the rush. With all the predictable bad taste of a one-party state, China is rapidly modernising Tibet, building gleaming airports, highways and soon the highest railway in the world. On a tour of the country, Communist Party apparatchiks burst with pride that Tibetans - with all their ancient beliefs in reincarnation, sky burials and strange deities - are being offered the trappings of a modern state. Billions of dollars have been invested to raise the standard of living in Lhasa and elsewhere, and they believe the Tibetans are grateful.

Despite the money gushing into Lhasa and major infrastructure projects across Tibet, a land the same size as Western Europe, there is evidence that ordinary Tibetans are not benefiting. Some 85 per cent live in rural areas or in the Lhasa ghetto, where they are largely excluded from a Chinese-run economic boom.

Britain, perceived to have lost out in the first phase of economic expansion on the Chinese coast, is desperate not to alienate Beijing. As president of the European Union, Britain is showing little enthusiasm for the appointment of a special EU rapporteur on Tibet. And while Beijing spends billions of pounds in its "develop the West" programme, targeting the vast and inhospitable Tibetan plateau along with its untold reserves of unexploited minerals and energy, British businesses are lining up for a piece of the action.

Standing in the way of Beijing's ultimate quest for international respectability (and the West's desire to do business) is the uncertain fate of the missing teenage Panchen Lama and along with him the flickering hopes of millions of Tibetans for true autonomy.

Ten years ago, shortly after the Dalai Lama named the six-year-old Choekyi Nyima as the reincarnate 11th Panchen Lama, both the boy and his parents were locked up by the Chinese. Nothing has been heard from them since. The boy may be lying in a shallow grave or in a Chinese gulag. More likely, it is thought by Tibet watchers, he is being comfortably raised as an atheist by his Communist Party hosts and will emerge in due course as a puppet of the regime denouncing Tibetan Buddhism as so much hocus pocus.

On the rare occasions that British and European officials meet their Chinese counterparts to discuss human rights, bland assurances are given about the Panchen Lama's fate. The same assurances about the living boy-Buddha were given to The Independent during an interview with Jagre Danizen, a self-declared reincarnated Buddha himself and senior official of the local Tibetan autonomous government.

"As for the boy's whereabouts, I cannot give any information; the child is getting education and living a happy life," reassured the lapsed Tibetan Buddha. He denied that the boy's disappearance from the face of the earth was of any international significance or that it would cast a shadow over the forthcoming Olympics.

"The Chinese people have the right to decide what to do and the Olympics has nothing to do with this boy. The fate of one boy has little to do with the reputation of China."

China fervently hopes that Gyaltsen Norbu, its own hand-picked pretender for the title of Panchen Lama, currently living in Beijing, will be recognised by Tibetans as a spiritual leader when the Dalai Lama, now aged 70, passes away.

And that is where Beijing's well-made plans may fall apart.

Chinese officials are increasingly frustrated with the Tibetans' lacklustre reception of Norbu on his infrequent visits. Earlier this year senior army, police and intelligence officials summoned religious leaders and warned them of punishment if they did not persuade Tibetans to accept Norbu

But Buddhist clergy continue to reject him as a fake or pay only lip service to Beijing's demands to recognise him. Significantly China now only produces him on ceremonial occasions such as a recent presentation of a Katak scarf to the Chinese leader Hu Jintau in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. As propaganda gestures go, the presentation was never going to win over Tibetans who remember that Mr Hu imposed martial law in the 1990s when he was Communist Party chief of Tibet. It was Mr Hu who ordered the crackdown on monks, whom the Chinese officials are today trying to cajole into supporting the regime and the puppet Panchen Lama. 

"Look here, here is where they shot at His Holiness." The Tibetan monk, pointed to two bullet holes in the ornate brass hinges on the front door of the exiled Dalai Lama's summer palace. 

On Chairman Mao's orders, the Chinese People's Liberation Army stormed the place 46 years ago. With bombs and bullets flying, the youthful Dalai Lama disguised himself as a Tibetan soldier, slipped outside and headed over the Himalayas into a life of peripatetic exile. His path was cleared by Mao, who ordered his army "not to obstruct the way".

"The holes are a secret they don't know about," added the monk, pointing in the direction of a cluster of CCTV cameras behind which the Chinese State Security Bureau police were watching and listening.

Hidden from view by the heavy wooden door, the monk pulled out a pair of scapular medals. One contained the banned image of the Dalai Lama, the other the equally seditious photo of the Panchen Lama, the 16-year-old boy who most Tibetans see as second in line to the Dalai Lama. Today he is the world's youngest political prisoner.

"If you see His Holiness," he said, "tell him all Tibetans support him and the Panchen Lama. And tell the world how we hate the black hand of the Chinese."

Then he was gone. Despite carefully financed restoration, the bullet holes remain, silent witnesses to the harsh reality of China's rule over Tibet. Hopes that political freedom would blossom alongside China's new affluence have proven illusory. Dissidents are still clubbed to death, executed or given long prison sentences.

When a European Union delegation visited the notorious prison of Drabchi some years ago, they encountered a demonstration by inmates. A group of Buddhist nuns shouted "Free Tibet" and "Long live the Dalai Lama" instead of the required patriotic songs at a flag-raising ceremony convened by the prison. The police beat the prisoners so severely afterwards that in the words of a survivor, "it looked like an abattoir. They beat us with their belts until their belts broke. Then they used electric batons." After more torture including electric shocks, and sexual humiliation, four nuns died, reportedly after stuffing their mouths with their Buddhist katak scarves.

The four, Choekyi Wangmo and Tashi Lhamo, both aged 24, Dekyi Yangzom, 21, and Khedron Yonten, all died on the same day, more than a month after the demonstrations. Another nun reportedly hanged herself.

Although many Chinese and Tibetans now own mobile phones, three months passed before information about the protests reached the outside world. Prison officers and released prisoners were threatened with severe reprisals if they spoke about it. Today, the Chinese authorities still deny that anything happened.

Despite the obvious need, the European Union cannot even agree to appoint a special rapporteur to investigate human rights abuses in Tibet. Tibet is a place where truth disappears. Recently some of the worst and most obvious aspects of Communist repression have fallen away as China shows a smiling face to the world and gears up to host the next Olympics.

It is starting to win the international respectability it craves. But during a five-day visit to the "Roof of the World" I found ample evidence that, if anything, China's iron grip on Tibet is tightening. China is becoming a consumer paradise, but as the Communist ideology falls away, the Tibetans find themselves confronted by equally blind and aggressive Chinese nationalism. It is a creed that views Tibet's dream of self-rule as a deadly threat to China's integrity.

In reality, with its tiny population of some 2.6 million native Tibetans, Tibet poses no threat to China's one billion people. But the vast Tibetan Plateau, an eighth of China's land mass, is seen by Beijing as a strategic buffer to the West and as a potential El Dorado in terms of unexploited mineral and energy resources.

The propaganda machine relentlessly pumps out the message that the Tibetan people are delighted to be part of the greater Chinese family. It is a sinister but successful policy, so much so that a series of man-in-the-street interviews produces nothing but platitudes in praise of China.

Take Lhobsang Chupel, the director of scripture at Lhasa's famed Sera monastery, a hotbed of pro-Dalai Lama feeling. In the course of a long interview with The Independent, observed by Chinese Communist Party officials, he could not remember anything about the day when 30 monks marched through central Lhasa shouting "Free Tibet" and similar slogans.

Witnesses say the police fired on the monks, and up to 70 monks of the Sera monastery were arrested. Another seven monks disappeared after the protest and it is feared Chinese security officials killed them.

Afterwards, the Chinese authorities instituted "reform through re-education classes" for the monks which included a handbook called What the Masses of Sera Monastery Must Know for the Education Session.

It went on: "To all the monks of Sera monastery: The time has arrived for patriotic education to take place by means of Comprehensive Propaganda Education. The purpose of this education session is to implement the party's policy on religion totally and correctly."

The monks were ordered to attend classes, lectures and tutorials on Tibetan history, opposing splittism, legal knowledge and religious policy. "No one must leave early or make any noise. No one must cause any disruption in the classroom," it warned.

Visibly uncomfortable at being questioned about these events in front of party officials, Monk Lhobsang said: "I never heard of these events, I am a loyal follower of Buddhism, I worship God, study scripture and practise my religious beliefs, that is all."
Most visitors to Tibet these days are newly affluent Chinese, with no independent knowledge of Tibet's unequal struggle with China. They see only the billions of dollars of investment being pumped into modernising the country. They read only official Chinese media - all independent websites and books about Tibet are censored - and they would be astonished to learn how much most Tibetans loathe their Chinese masters.

Out in the wilds of a Tibetan mountainside, I watched local Communist Party officials supervising preparations for an annual nomad horse festival. The nomads gathered under vast and colourful billowing tents as party officials talked of their miserable lives in the days of the Dalai Lama. The nomads sounded grateful and said that economic progress had helped them trade in their ponies for powerful motorbikes.

But away from the party officials, a young nomad said "hello" in perfect English. "This is all a charade for Chinese tourists," she whispered. "Why can we not have our leader the Dalai Lama back among us?"

As some officials wandered over, she clammed up. Then she was gone.

But such forthright voices are hard to come by. And in the West, the movement for a free Tibet, so active in the 1990s, is running out of steam. So are the hopes for Tibetan democracy, enjoying genuine autonomy within China. There is little prospect of the Dalai Lama returning to Tibet. Anyone found supporting the Dalai Lama can expect instant and harsh retribution in the shape of a lengthy spell in jail or worse.

While the world beats a path to China's door seeking profits in its booming economy, the hopes of Tibet's people are being lost in the rush. With all the predictable bad taste of a one-party state, China is rapidly modernising Tibet, building gleaming airports, highways and soon the highest railway in the world. On a tour of the country, Communist Party apparatchiks burst with pride that Tibetans - with all their ancient beliefs in reincarnation, sky burials and strange deities - are being offered the trappings of a modern state. Billions of dollars have been invested to raise the standard of living in Lhasa and elsewhere, and they believe the Tibetans are grateful.

Despite the money gushing into Lhasa and major infrastructure projects across Tibet, a land the same size as Western Europe, there is evidence that ordinary Tibetans are not benefiting. Some 85 per cent live in rural areas or in the Lhasa ghetto, where they are largely excluded from a Chinese-run economic boom.

Britain, perceived to have lost out in the first phase of economic expansion on the Chinese coast, is desperate not to alienate Beijing. As president of the European Union, Britain is showing little enthusiasm for the appointment of a special EU rapporteur on Tibet. And while Beijing spends billions of pounds in its "develop the West" programme, targeting the vast and inhospitable Tibetan plateau along with its untold reserves of unexploited minerals and energy, British businesses are lining up for a piece of the action.

Standing in the way of Beijing's ultimate quest for international respectability (and the West's desire to do business) is the uncertain fate of the missing teenage Panchen Lama and along with him the flickering hopes of millions of Tibetans for true autonomy.

Ten years ago, shortly after the Dalai Lama named the six-year-old Choekyi Nyima as the reincarnate 11th Panchen Lama, both the boy and his parents were locked up by the Chinese. Nothing has been heard from them since. The boy may be lying in a shallow grave or in a Chinese gulag. More likely, it is thought by Tibet watchers, he is being comfortably raised as an atheist by his Communist Party hosts and will emerge in due course as a puppet of the regime denouncing Tibetan Buddhism as so much hocus pocus.

On the rare occasions that British and European officials meet their Chinese counterparts to discuss human rights, bland assurances are given about the Panchen Lama's fate. The same assurances about the living boy-Buddha were given to The Independent during an interview with Jagre Danizen, a self-declared reincarnated Buddha himself and senior official of the local Tibetan autonomous government.

"As for the boy's whereabouts, I cannot give any information; the child is getting education and living a happy life," reassured the lapsed Tibetan Buddha. He denied that the boy's disappearance from the face of the earth was of any international significance or that it would cast a shadow over the forthcoming Olympics.

"The Chinese people have the right to decide what to do and the Olympics has nothing to do with this boy. The fate of one boy has little to do with the reputation of China."

China fervently hopes that Gyaltsen Norbu, its own hand-picked pretender for the title of Panchen Lama, currently living in Beijing, will be recognised by Tibetans as a spiritual leader when the Dalai Lama, now aged 70, passes away.

And that is where Beijing's well-made plans may fall apart.

Chinese officials are increasingly frustrated with the Tibetans' lacklustre reception of Norbu on his infrequent visits. Earlier this year senior army, police and intelligence officials summoned religious leaders and warned them of punishment if they did not persuade Tibetans to accept Norbu

But Buddhist clergy continue to reject him as a fake or pay only lip service to Beijing's demands to recognise him. Significantly China now only produces him on ceremonial occasions such as a recent presentation of a Katak scarf to the Chinese leader Hu Jintau in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. As propaganda gestures go, the presentation was never going to win over Tibetans who remember that Mr Hu imposed martial law in the 1990s when he was Communist Party chief of Tibet. It was Mr Hu who ordered the crackdown on monks, whom the Chinese officials are today trying to cajole into supporting the regime and the puppet Panchen Lama. 


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From tips at bellinghamherald.com  Mon Aug  8 12:47:14 2005
From: tips at bellinghamherald.com (bellinghamherald.com)
Date: Mon Aug  8 15:50:14 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Border - Minuteman group plans Canadian border action
Message-ID: <20050808224715.5B7D79FCEA@lax-gw05.mroute.net>

Harry (harry.sifton@sympatico.ca) would like to bring the article below to your attention. It has been published at The Bellingham Herald's web site:

Border - Minuteman group plans Canadian border action

http://www.bellinghamherald.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2005508070352

Comments from Harry: This ignorance just creates more distance between Canada and the US. Canada does not just take everybody. Canadian immigration policies are just as strict as the US, just more multi-cultural and tolerant to international issues.
If certain Americans want to pursue a islolation policy based on fear and ignorance, go a head, their loss not 
the worlds. I really do not care, America is not that important anymore!

PS sorry about some spelling, no spell check here.
From nwonline at toronto.cbc.ca  Mon Aug  8 15:56:29 2005
From: nwonline at toronto.cbc.ca (CBC News Online)
Date: Mon Aug  8 16:00:01 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] CBC News - GENERAL WARNS OF 20-YEAR MISSION IN
	AFGHANISTAN
Message-ID: <20050808225629.8F6B61B691@nmweb07.nm.cbc.ca>

This email has been sent to you by harry.sifton@sympatico.ca
The following is a news item posted on CBC NEWS ONLINE
at http://www.cbc.ca/news
____________________________________________________
GENERAL WARNS OF 20-YEAR MISSION IN AFGHANISTAN
WebPosted Mon Aug  8 06:18:51 2005

---One of Canada's top generals says Canadian troops could end up serving
for a generation in Afghanistan, a prediction that comes as more soldiers
prepare to head to the region.

Maj.-Gen. Andrew Leslie says the lengthy stay may be necessary to help
that country break out of "a cycle of warlords and tribalism."

Leslie made the remarks on Sunday at the Couchiching Summer Conference in
Orillia, Ont., north of Toronto.

"Afghanistan is a 20-year venture," he said.

But, he said, the commitment is a necessary one.

"There are things worth fighting for. There are things worth dying for.
There are things worth killing for," Leslie said, in remarks reported in
Monday's Toronto Star newspaper.

Meanwhile, Canada's efforts in Afghanistan get another boost Monday with
the departure of more soldiers from Fredericton.

Another 43 soldiers from the 2nd Battalion, Royal Canadian Regiment are
heading to join military efforts in the region.

As many as 1,250 Canadian soldiers will be serving in Afghanistan by
February 2006.



 FROM AUG. 7, 2005: Canadians survey Kandahar for new mission


But, as the soldiers leave, Leslie warns Canadians should be prepared for
a long mission, that could cost lives.

"Every time you kill an angry young man overseas, you're creating 15 more
who will come after you," he said.

His remarks echo comments made this summer by Chief of Defence Staff Gen.
Rick Hillier.

He, too, warned that Canadians should prepare for military casualties.


By sending troops to Afghanistan, Canada is actually protecting itself in
the long run, he said in July.

Copyright (C) 2005 CBC. All rights reserved.
From harry.sifton at sympatico.ca  Mon Aug  8 16:19:34 2005
From: harry.sifton at sympatico.ca (Harold Sifton)
Date: Mon Aug  8 16:22:42 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Thank you America, Oil $64 usd
Message-ID: <000a01c59c6f$a6b611a0$483fe440@Harold>

Thank you America, for you fear and consumption of fossil fuel.

It is just not India and China's so called new consumption, it is America on going ............

http://www.cbc.ca/story/business/national/2005/08/08/oil-050808.html

America's irresponsible consumption and attitude has lead to record prices and more important war under the guise of terrorism which really only happened because of Americas need to control/exploit  Oil resources in Foreign countries for National interests.

I know that the above is a naive statement, but Americas interests/greed are screwing the world.

Thank you so very, very much!!

I just paid $1.00 cdn for a litre of regular gas. 3 years ago it was .48  to .52 cents and 6 yrs ago .38 to .42 !!

Please, just get it together !!

Later H

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From michael at michaelbutler.com  Mon Aug  8 17:29:19 2005
From: michael at michaelbutler.com (Michael Butler)
Date: Mon Aug  8 17:32:18 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Detainee Files Lawsuit against Rumsfeld Human Rights
	Watch
Message-ID: <BF1D46EF.22FFC%michael@michaelbutler.com>

    Go to Original

    Detainee Files Lawsuit against Rumsfeld
    Human Rights Watch

    Monday 08 August 2005

    Complaint provides first look at isolation and abuse.

    A lawsuit filed today against U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld
reveals the gratuitous cruelty inflicted on a foreign student held without
charges for more than two years as an "enemy combatant" in a South Carolina
naval brig, Human Rights Watch said. Although three men have been confined
in the United States after being designated "enemy combatants" by President
George Bush, the complaint by Ali Saleh Kahlah al-Marri provides the first
look into the treatment of any of them in military custody.

    Ali Saleh Kahlah al-Marri, a citizen of Qatar who had been studying in
Peoria, Illinois, before his arrest, asked the federal district court in
South Carolina to declare unconstitutional the severe and unnecessary
deprivations and restrictions to which he has been subjected since he was
placed in military custody in June 2003. Al-Marri had already initiated
habeas proceedings challenging the legality of his detention as an enemy
combatant. That case continues.

    "It is bad enough that al-Marri has been held indefinitely without
charges and incommunicado," said Jamie Fellner, director of Human Rights
Watch's U.S. Program. "Now we learn that his life in the brig has also been
one of cruelty and petty vindictiveness. Whatever the Bush administration
believes he has done or wanted to do, there's no excuse for how they are
treating him."

    Al-Marri's complaint describes virtually complete isolation from the
world. He has been confined round the clock in a small cell with an opaque
window covered with plastic. He has not been allowed to speak to his wife or
five children. He is allowed no newspapers, magazines, books (other than the
Koran), radio or television. He is allowed no personal property. His cell
contains a steel bed, a sink and a toilet. During the day, the mattress on
his bed has been removed.

    Out-of-cell time has been limited to three showers and three short
periods of solitary recreation a week - but al-Marri has frequently been
denied that out-of-cell time. Once he went 60 days without being permitted
to leave his cell at all. When bad weather prevents him from going outside,
he must remain in hand cuffs and leg irons during his indoor recreation. Leg
irons and handcuffs are placed on him when he goes to the shower.

    Al-Marri alleges that on occasion he has been denied basic hygiene
products such as a toothbrush, toothpaste, soap and toilet paper. When not
provided with toilet paper, he has had to use his hands to clean himself
after he defecates, and it has taken more than an hour before soap was
brought to him so that he could wash his hands. The water in his cell has
frequently been turned off. He has been denied socks or footwear for months
at a time, including during the winter months. Officers at the brig often
lower the temperature in his cell until it becomes exceedingly cold, but
they do not give him extra clothes or blankets to keep warm.

    According to al-Marri's complaint, he has not been formally interrogated
for almost one year. He states, however, that when he was interrogated,
government officials threatened he would be sent to Egypt or Saudi Arabia,
where they told him he would be tortured and sodomized and his wife would be
raped in front of him.

    For more than a year, al-Marri was not allowed to speak with any
non-governmental personnel other than representatives of the International
Committee of the Red Cross. Military personnel guarding him would not talk
to him other than to give him orders. In October 2004, the government
finally agreed to let him have access to counsel.

    Al-Marri is a devout Muslim. According to his complaint, military
officials have not permitted him to meet with a Muslim cleric, do not let
him have a prayer mat and punish him if he follows his religion's
requirement to cover his head while he prays (he uses a shirt for this
purpose). They do not tell him which way Mecca lies, so he does not know in
which direction to pray; nor do they provide him with a clock, so he does
not know when to pray.

    "It's the combination of restrictions imposed on al-Marri that offends
basic norms of decency," said Fellner. "There is no security justification
for them. The Pentagon apparently believes it can hold him under any
conditions they choose for as long as they choose."

    Al-Marri also claims he has been denied appropriate care for medical and
mental health symptoms he has developed while in the brig. Prolonged
solitary confinement pushes the boundary of what humans can psychologically
tolerate. It can cause serious mental damage.

    Al-Marri is a citizen of Qatar who lawfully resided in the United
States, having come with his wife and children to obtain a graduate degree
at Bradley University in Peoria, Illinois, the same university from which he
had earned a bachelor's degree 10 years earlier. The Federal Bureau of
Investigation arrested al-Marri at his home in December 2001 as a material
witness in the investigation of the September 11 attacks, and he was
subsequently indicted on federal charges of credit card fraud and lying to
the FBI.

    In 2003, President Bush designated al-Marri an enemy combatant, and
shortly before his criminal trial was to begin, the criminal charges against
him were dismissed, and he was sent to the Consolidated Naval Brig in North
Charleston, South Carolina. Lawyers for al-Marri immediately challenged the
President's actions in federal district court in Illinois, where his
criminal case had been pending, but the courts ultimately held that this
challenge had to be brought in the district where al-Marri was presently
confined. On July 7, 2004, counsel for al-Marri filed a writ of habeas
corpus in federal district court in South Carolina, challenging the
lawfulness of his detention. On July 8, 2005, the court ruled that President
Bush has the authority to detain non-citizens who had been residing in the
United States as enemy combatants.

    Human Rights Watch condemns the designation by presidential order of any
civilian as an "enemy combatant" when the individual was detained far from
any battlefield. Holding someone in military custody without charges because
of such a designation constitutes a violation of the prohibition against
arbitrary detention under international law. By treating al-Marri as an
"enemy combatant," the Bush administration made an end-run around the due
process and other constitutional guarantees of the U.S. criminal justice
system.

    Human Rights Watch disputes the government's contention that the laws of
war permit holding al-Marri indefinitely and without charges. Those laws are
not applicable outside areas of armed conflict and where there is no direct
connection to an armed conflict. In the case of a civilian detained within
the United States - whether or not affiliated with any terrorist
organization - international human rights and constitutional law require
that he be formally charged and given a fair trial before a civilian court.

    Al-Marri is one of three men whom President Bush has designated as enemy
combatants in the U.S. campaign against terrorism and who have been confined
within the territorial United States. Lawyers for all three went to court
challenging the lawfulness of their detentions. The government in each case
insisted the president has the authority to decide unilaterally who is an
enemy combatant and that anyone so designated is not entitled to a judicial
hearing.

    The first case was that of Yassir Hamdi, a U.S. citizen turned over to
U.S. forces during the fighting in Afghanistan. In June 2004, the Supreme
Court ruled that he was entitled to his day in court; the United States
chose not to proceed with a hearing and allowed Hamdi to go to Saudi Arabia,
where he also held citizenship.

    The second designated enemy combatant was Jose Padilla, a U.S. citizen
detained at Chicago's O'Hare Airport upon his return from the Middle East.
According to the Bush Administration, Padilla had plotted with al-Qaeda to
commit terrorist acts in the United States. In June 2004, the Supreme Court
ruled he had to bring his case before the federal district court in South
Carolina, where he is being confined in the same navy brig as al-Marri. On
February 28, 2005, the federal district court in South Carolina ruled that
President Bush had "no power, neither express nor implied, neither
constitutional nor statutory" to hold Padilla as an enemy combatant.

 

From Hawaiipolo at cs.com  Mon Aug  8 15:24:10 2005
From: Hawaiipolo at cs.com (Hawaiipolo@cs.com)
Date: Mon Aug  8 17:43:08 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Trial by Constitution
Message-ID: <200508090043.j790h60m001829@dune.islandtechnologies.net>


 The momentum continues to build.....keep those fingers crossed..MD 
By Stirling Newberry 
t r u t h o u t | Perspective 

Saturday 06 August 2005 

Thirty-one years ago, on August 8th, Richard Nixon addressed the American 
public for the 37th time from the Oval Office. His message was that he was 
resigning the Presidency "effective noon tomorrow." It was the fall of a man who had 
risen in public life under a cloud, and had participated in five national 
elections on a major party ticket, more than any one else except Franklin Delano 
Roosevelt. For many who had been opposed to him from the beginning, it was a 
great weight lifted from the country. GB Trudeau had a metaphorical brick wall 
removed from in front of Doonesbury's White House. 

In his speech Nixon acknowledged what had come to be recognized as the 
reality of impeachment: that it was a constitutional and deliberative process, and, 
at its root, a means for the American people to determine the destiny of the 
Executive. There have been four serious attempts at impeachment: Clinton and 
Nixon are both within living memory, and the impeachment of Andrew Johnson has 
entered into legend, both because of its metaphorical significance, and because 
the outcome was so decisive for politics in America. But the fourth serious 
attempt is almost forgotten, though it was the model for the Andrew Johnson 
impeachment: John Tyler. 

Tyler is a historical oddity. He was the first President to come to office 
through the death of the President. He was also the first President to be voted 
out of his own party when the Whigs in Congress expelled him, and all but one 
member of his cabinet resigned. This made him, arguably, the only independent 
to occupy the Oval Office. The Whig Party, formed in response to what was 
perceived as Andrew Jackson's monarchical ways, found itself with a man as 
hard-willed as Jackson. When Tyler vetoed the Bank of the United States, which was 
the most important policy to the Whig Party, it precipitated a crisis within 
American governance. 

After expelling Tyler, the Whigs attempted to introduce an amendment that 
would have made a simple majority of Congress capable of over-riding a veto. When 
this failed, and when they lost control of Congress, they turned to 
impeachment, hoping that enough Democrats would join the motion. The articles accused 
Tyler of using the veto wrongly, and of lying to the American public, for 
abusing his power as President. As later scholars would determine, "high crimes and 
misdemeanors" is constitutional language for "abuse of power." 

The articles of impeachment failed, but they would leave behind a model which 
would be adopted in Johnson's case. History wasn't quite finished with Tyler 
though: he would also become the first President to have a Veto over-ridden by 
Congress, and would end his life by being elected to the Confederate 
Congress. The man who decided the South was more important than his party also decided 
it was more important than the Union. 

Tyler's impeachment was a civil war within the Whig Party. While Johnson's 
impeachment is often cast as the Republicans in Congress against a Democratic 
President, the parallel to Tyler is closer than people realize. Lincoln ran in 
his second term as a "Unionist," as did many members of Congress. William Henry 
Harrison of Ohio picked John Tyler, who was a Virginian, to balance the 
ticket. Twenty years later, the same would be the case with Lincoln of Illinois 
choosing Andrew Johnson of Tennessee: a Northwesterner at the top of the ticket, 
with a Southerner on the bottom to balance it. Lincoln was hoping to revive 
the Whig coalition. 

Johnson's battle, like Tyler's, was not merely a conflict of parties, but of 
the very shape of party politics. Each man had been the hope to bind at least 
some of the South to a national and progressive ticket, rather than a regional 
one. Each man faced a hostile Congress when that coalition failed. 





In the four major attempts at impeachment, the conflict has been over the 
mandate of an Executive against the mandate of Congress. Each one was the result 
of a "broken election," where conflicting mandates were created by the 
electorate. Under the Constitution the President or the Congress can be the center of 
power, but it is not possible for both to be dominant at the same time. There 
have been nine attempts at impeachment all together; in each case a Congress 
attempted to hold an Executive who had, rightly or wrongly, lost the faith of 
the electorate. 

Looking at those who have faced such charges, one thing unifies all of them: 
they were all headstrong Presidents who collided with legislatures that had a 
very different vision of the public good and the public trust. 

In his book Warrior King, John Bonifaz lays out what he feels to be a legal 
case for impeachment of the President. His case argues for particular 
constitutional boundaries to Presidential action. Like any legal case, it is phrased in 
ringing language and argues for deep principles. It argues eloquently and 
passionately for a Presidency that must report truthfully to the public, and a 
Congress that has limits on what it can delegate to the Executive. 

The problem is not finding a legal case, but a finding a political one. 
Impeachment and Declaration of War are the two most extreme powers in the arsenal 
of Congress. Both have been used sparingly, because in both cases successive 
generations of politicians have found better and less drastic ways of attaining 
the same end. 

The political case for impeachment rests on the nature of impeachment itself. 
Looking back at every serious attempt to impeach a sitting President, certain 
historical features leap out: the Presidential party has lost the next 
election in 8 of the 9 times that impeachment articles have been filed, and the 
Congressional party has only lost Congress in the next election twice. In short, 
the political meaning of impeachment is as the culmination of conflict. In the 
case of Tyler and Johnson, it would involve the disintegration of parties and 
the invocation of amending the constitution itself. In the case of Nixon and 
Clinton, it would involve the entrenched Congressional Party attempting to 
restrain what they saw as an imperial Presidency. 

There are those who would argue that unless and until the Democrats win the 
elections in 2006, there is no impeachment process. However, the reality is 
that the movement toward impeachment has already begun, because it is not 
impeachment which is the objective: the bar to actual removal of the Executive is so 
high that either impeachment of the President is dead letter, or it has 
another meaning. 

That other meaning has been a trial by Constitution over the limits of 
executive power. John Bonifaz's case is not a question of whether the law was 
broken, but whether there is any law all. Impeachment has been the recourse of 
lawless Congress, and it has been the tool to restrain a lawless Executive. But 
which is which is only decided in retrospect. By testing the limits of 
Constitutional procedure, and forcing the public to face whether an Executive has exceed 
the bounds of the power granted him by the public, it settles the matter. We 
hold impeachments, in short, for the same reason we hold Superbowls: because 
there is no other way. 





One way to tell that the movement toward impeachment has already begun, and 
that it has members in the most unlikely of places, and indeed members who will 
publicly deny they are moving in that direction at all, is the introduction 
of the language of Constitutional conflict. The current slogan of the Democrats 
in both House and Senate is that the Republicans are guilty of "Abuse of 
Power." It is a phrase that should be familiar: it is the title of Article II of 
the Impeachment Articles passed by the House Judiciary Committee on July 29th, 
1974. 

Frank Lautenberg has also brought forth the language of impeachment: by using 
the word "Treason" to describe the breach of national security by Karl Rove. 
The word "impeachment" has, itself, surfaced in connection with Rove, floated 
by John Conyers, who wrote the introduction for John Bonifaz's book. The 
language of impeachment has not just surfaced in rhetorical ways, but in an even 
more portentious place: in the proceedings of the Grand Jury that has been 
empanelled to investigate whether crimes were committed in connection with the 
outing of Valerie Wilson a.k.a. Valerie Plame. 

It should be remembered that one of the killing blows against Nixon was that 
he was named as an "unindicted co-conspirator." It was not Congress that began 
the real inquiry into Nixon, it was the judicial process. Just as revelations 
discovered by a grand jury in 1973 and 1974 placed the scandal "inside the 
White House," so too have revelations in 2004 and 2005 placed the scandal inside 
the Oval Office: with Karl Rove and Scooter Libby, two top aids to the 
President and Vice President respectively. 

This is a stark change from standing "shoulder to shoulder" with the 
President. It should be noted that the Congressional leaders who said this, Tom 
Daschle and Dick Gephardt, along with DNC Chair Terry McAuliffe, are now all in 
private life. The new leadership is both more liberal and more aggressive than the 
old. The public has also soured on Iraq, and on George Bush. No President has 
ever been less popular with an economy that is not in recession. One has to 
look back to the pit of 1982 to find Reagan's numbers as bad for as long as 
George Bush's are now. 

But the most important sign of the movement toward impeachment is a growing 
demand for answers. Once upon a time, Dick Cheney could have snarled at the 
cameras that the public had "moved on," now he cannot. Inquiry is the seed of 
impeachment, and resolutions of inquiry are being pressed on the floor of the 
House. It is true that these resolutions will be tabled, and left for dead. But 
they then give the Democrats something to run on: a demand for answers. The 
results from Ohio's Second District show that while the public may not accept a 
case for impeachment based entirely on how we went to war in Iraq, it is more 
than willing to listen to charges that Iraq has been mishandled. 

This is an important, if subtle, distinction. To make a case solely on how 
America went to war is to ask the public to face its own complicity in the rush 
to Iraq. However, to make a case that Bush has abused the trust that War 
creates, that lies were told before, during and after the invasion, allows the 
public to set aside, rather than take, responsibility for Iraq. They can tell 
themselves that Bush mishandled the trust they gave him, and that he lied to cover 
up his failures. And it is almost always the cover up, more than the crime, 
that angers people. 

Impeachment, remember, is when a Congress attempts to hold a stiff-necked 
Executive to account. The very trait that makes a stubborn man capable of playing 
a weak hand against an opposition Congress is the trait that becomes a 
liability once inquiry and impeachment are invoked. The march to impeachment gives a 
President chance after chance to prove that he neither learns, nor listens. 
With each denial, with each attempt to change the subject, with each imperious 
declaration that he is right, the Executive builds the case against himself in 
the public mind. He is on the stand in a trial, each and every day, and is, 
in the end, the most devastating witness against himself. 

In this particular moment, the struggle that ends with regime change in 
America has already begun. One of the possible roads to the climax of that struggle 
lies through inquiry, and if necessary, invocation of power of impeachment, 
which, like the power to declare war, is in the hands of the Congress alone. 



Stirling Newberry is an internet business and strategy consultant, with 
experience in international telecom, consumer marketing, e-commerce and forensic 
database analysis. He has acted as an advisor to Democratic political campaigns 
and organizations and is the co-founder, along with Christopher Lydon, Jay 
Rosen and Matt Stoller, of BopNews, as well as the military affairs editor of The 
Agonist. -------

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From harry.sifton at sympatico.ca  Mon Aug  8 17:43:45 2005
From: harry.sifton at sympatico.ca (Harold Sifton)
Date: Mon Aug  8 17:46:52 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] From praise to damnation, Mother changes tune........
Message-ID: <000801c59c7b$6917b900$483fe440@Harold>

>From praise to damnation !!

Mother said Bush treated meeting like a party.

http://www.drudgereport.com/flash4.htm

It is a party for him and sadly/tragically he just does not get it, he is to busy into being who he is! 
(He is out of his league as a president and as human being. He is a selfish little asshole, a puppet for national and international interests/managers/owners of industry/commerce and whatever)



Later H
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From harry.sifton at sympatico.ca  Mon Aug  8 17:49:31 2005
From: harry.sifton at sympatico.ca (harry.sifton@sympatico.ca)
Date: Mon Aug  8 17:52:29 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Crosswalk.com - "Bush,
	GOP Labeled 'Thieves' Who 'Need to be Locked Up'"
Message-ID: <02b801c59c7c$3417f430$3998b342@oneplace.com>

Harry, has sent you an article titled "Bush, GOP Labeled 'Thieves' Who 'Need to be Locked Up'" .

Personal message:
"Bush, GOP Labeled 'Thieves' Who 'Need to be Locked Up'" from Crosswalk.com
To see the article, please click on the URL listed below 

http://www.crosswalk.com/news/1344556.html
============================================================
Crosswalk.com   http://www.crosswalk.com/


From harry.sifton at sympatico.ca  Mon Aug  8 17:56:27 2005
From: harry.sifton at sympatico.ca (Harold Sifton)
Date: Mon Aug  8 17:59:27 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] More troops to Iraq, not less
Message-ID: <001101c59c7d$2fc45c10$483fe440@Harold>

The Pentagon says more troops to go, not less, no pull out/reduction in the near future.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/08/AR2005080800558_pf.html

Goes against the so-called White House pullout next year !

It is like Abbot and Costello's "Whose on first"

White House says one thing, Pentagon another........

So who is really in charge?

Not the American people.

Later H
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From haydenwayne at hotmail.com  Mon Aug  8 12:39:45 2005
From: haydenwayne at hotmail.com (hayden wayne)
Date: Mon Aug  8 18:45:04 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] (no subject)
In-Reply-To: <BF1BAB50.22ED6%michael@michaelbutler.com>
Message-ID: <200508090145.j791j2oE002018@dune.islandtechnologies.net>

This really helped me sort things out.  I hope it does the same for you.

XOXOXO

Hayden

Ethics Test for Photographers

This test only has one question, but it's a very important one. By
giving an honest answer, you will discover where you stand morally. The
test features an unlikely, completely fictional situation in which you
will have to make a decision.
Remember that your answer needs to be honest, yet spontaneous. Please
scroll down slowly and give due consideration to each line.
You are in Florida, Miami to be specific. There is chaos all around you
caused by a hurricane with severe flooding. This is a flood of biblical
proportions. You are a photojournalist working for a major newspaper,
and you're caught in the middle of this epic disaster. The situation is
nearly hopeless.
You're trying to shoot career-making photos. There are houses and people
swirling around you, some disappearing under the water. Nature is
unleashing all of its destructive fury.
Suddenly you see a man floundering in the water. He is fighting for his
life, trying not to be taken down with the debris. You move close. . .
somehow the man looks familiar. You suddenly realize who it is. It's
George W. Bush!
At the same time you notice that the raging waters are about to pull him
under.
You have two options--you can save the life of G.W. Bush or you can
shoot a dramatic Pulitzer Prize winning photo, documenting the death of
one of the world's most powerful men.


So here's the question, and please give an honest answer:
Would you select high contrast color film, or would you go with the
classic simplicity of black and white?


From swiggard at comcast.net  Tue Aug  9 04:37:12 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (William Swiggard)
Date: Tue Aug  9 04:41:47 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] The Web as Weapon - Washington Post
Message-ID: <42F89568.5040902@comcast.net>

<>The Web as Weapon
Zarqawi Intertwines Acts on Ground in Iraq With Propaganda Campaign on 
the Internet

By Susan B. Glasser and Steve Coll
Washington Post Staff Writers
Tuesday, August 9, 2005; Page A01

Last of three parts

The jihadist bulletin boards were buzzing. Soon, promised the spokesman 
for al Qaeda in the Land of the Two Rivers, a new video would be posted 
with the latest in mayhem from Iraq's best-known insurgent group.

On June 29, the new release hit the Internet. "All Religion Will Be for 
Allah" is 46 minutes of live-action war in Iraq, a slickly produced 
video with professional-quality graphics and the feel of a 
blood-and-guts annual report. In one chilling scene, the video cuts to a 
brigade of smiling young men. They are the only fighters shown unmasked, 
and the video explains why: They are a corps of suicide bombers-in-training.

As notable as the video was the way Abu Musab Zarqawi's "information 
wing" distributed it to the world: a specially designed Web page, with 
dozens of links to the video, so users could choose which version to 
download. There were large-file editions that consumed 150 megabytes for 
viewers with high-speed Internet and a scaled-down four-megabyte version 
for those limited to dial-up access. Viewers could choose Windows Media 
or RealPlayer. They could even download "All Religion Will Be for Allah" 
to play on a cell phone.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/08/AR2005080801018.html?referrer=email

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From swiggard at comcast.net  Tue Aug  9 04:38:53 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (William Swiggard)
Date: Tue Aug  9 04:43:25 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] It's No Holiday for Bush - E. J. Dionne - Washington Post
Message-ID: <42F895CD.2040002@comcast.net>

It's No Holiday for Bush

By E. J. Dionne Jr.
Tuesday, August 9, 2005; Page A17

President Bush has survived summers of discontent before. But this 
season's doldrums -- reflected in dismal poll numbers and a surprisingly 
weak Republican showing in a special Ohio congressional election -- will 
be harder to surmount. They are the culmination of doubts about Bush 
that have germinated below the surface of public opinion for much of his 
presidency.

Typical of the polls was a Newsweek survey released over the weekend. It 
showed Bush with a 42 percent approval rating, matching the lowest of 
his presidency. Only 34 percent approved of his handling of the war in 
Iraq. A remarkable 61 percent disapproved.

The race in Ohio, where Democrat Paul Hackett, an Iraq war veteran, 
managed 48 percent of the vote in a district Bush carried with 64 
percent last year, has Republicans scrambling for alibis. Many in the 
party are ascribing the narrowness of former state representative Jean 
Schmidt's victory to flaws in her campaign and her candidacy. The search 
for a scapegoat is the surest sign that the GOP knows something is badly 
wrong.

<>Bush's obvious problem is Iraq. The sharp rise in casualties over the 
past fortnight has pushed the war back onto the television news and 
aggravated opposition. Less noticed is that from its inception, this war 
was never broadly popular. The president also had a difficult summer in 
2002 when he began selling the war. One Republican politician after 
another returned from that summer's recess reporting, in the popular 
phrase of the time, that the president had not yet "made the case" for war.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/08/AR2005080801145.html?nav=hcmodule 

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From swiggard at comcast.net  Tue Aug  9 04:41:16 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (William Swiggard)
Date: Tue Aug  9 04:45:47 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] The Real Roberts? - Richard Cohen - Washington Post
Message-ID: <42F8965C.2060905@comcast.net>

The Real Roberts?

By Richard Cohen
Tuesday, August 9, 2005; Page A17

John G. Roberts Jr. is out of the closet.

President Bush's nominee for the Supreme Court, on the basis of the 
available evidence and all we know about human behavior, is not -- and I 
emphasize not ! -- a bigot. Specifically, he seems to harbor no 
prejudice against gay men and lesbians, who are, as we all know, 
anathema to social conservatives, who are anti-gay and pro-Bush, in 
about equal measures. Roberts, amazingly and inexplicably, seems to be a 
man of tolerance.

The evidence for this was the revelation by the Los Angles Times last 
week that Roberts volunteered his time on behalf of gay rights. As a 
partner in the prestigious Washington law firm of Hogan & Hartson, 
Roberts helped prepare lawyers who were challenging a Colorado law that 
specifically exempted gays from state anti-discrimination measures. In 
other words, a landlord or employer in Colorado could not have 
discriminated against blacks or Muslims or Asians or Jews or whites or 
greens or penguins, but could against gays. This odious exception to the 
law was eventually struck down by the Supreme Court, 6 to 3, in 1996. 
Roberts played a role.

According to the Times and others, Roberts helped develop the winning 
legal strategy and prepared Jean Dubofsky, the lead lawyer for the gay 
rights groups, for the tough questioning that might come her way -- 
especially from Justice Antonin Scalia. "Roberts was just terrifically 
helpful in meeting with me and spending some time on the issue," 
Dubofsky said. "He seemed to be very fair-minded and very astute."

<>He may even have endorsed her cause. Who knows? After all, Roberts was 
not compelled to volunteer his time. Hogan & Hartson encourages pro bono 
work, but it hardly compels its lawyers to take cases that they might 
find morally or politically repugnant. Clearly, a lawyer who, say, 
agreed with the likes of the Rev. Pat Robertson or Rep. Tom DeLay (Rev., 
Rep., it's all the same nowadays) would not have taken the case. What's 
more, there's evidence to suggest that Roberts knew what he was doing. 
He made no mention of the case in the 83 pages he submitted to the 
Senate outlining his finances, pro bono work and other matters of 
interest. He knows the political peril of tolerance.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/08/AR2005080801146.html?nav=hcmodule 

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From swiggard at comcast.net  Tue Aug  9 04:44:17 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (William Swiggard)
Date: Tue Aug  9 04:48:48 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Iran Resumes Uranium Work,
	Ignores Warning - Washington Post
Message-ID: <42F89711.4010801@comcast.net>

Iran Resumes Uranium Work, Ignores Warning

By Dafna Linzer
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, August 9, 2005; Page A10

Iran resumed uranium work at a key nuclear facility yesterday, ignoring 
warnings from Washington and European capitals that such a move could 
land the issue of Tehran's nuclear efforts in the U.N. Security Council, 
which has the authority to impose economic sanctions or an oil embargo.

In a strongly worded letter to the governments of Britain, France and 
Germany, Iranian officials also formally rejected a European offer that 
held out promises of better relations with the West in exchange for 
Iran's decision to dismantle much of its nuclear program.

The letter and the decision to restart a uranium conversion facility in 
the town of Isfahan came ahead of an emergency meeting of the 35-member 
board of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) today in Vienna 
to discuss Iran's program. It also threw into turmoil more than two 
years of negotiations between Tehran and the three European countries 
aimed at resolving suspicions about Iran's nuclear energy program, which 
includes technologies that could be diverted to atomic weapons work.

<>The Europeans have said the negotiations would be terminated if Iran 
resumed any part of its nuclear program that had been on hold. Diplomats 
met in Vienna yesterday to draft a resolution urging Iran to shut down 
the conversion facility and return to talks with the Europeans.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/08/AR2005080800342.html 

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From swiggard at comcast.net  Tue Aug  9 04:47:25 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (William Swiggard)
Date: Tue Aug  9 04:51:55 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Jazz Master's Final Chord - Eugene Robinson on Keter
 Betts - Washington Post
Message-ID: <42F897CD.5080808@comcast.net>

Jazz Master's Final Chord

By Eugene Robinson
Tuesday, August 9, 2005; Page A17

A great jazz number doesn't fade out like a mere pop song or rock 
anthem. A great jazz number has an ending -- often abrupt, sometimes 
even in a different key, but always an ending that fits what has come 
before. So it was on Saturday with one of the great careers in the 
history of this surpassing American art form.

If you've never heard of Keter Betts, who was found dead at 77 in his 
apartment near Washington, you're not alone. Betts played upright bass, 
not one of the glamorous solo instruments. But you've heard of some of 
the people he toured, jammed and recorded with: Dinah Washington. Ella 
Fitzgerald. Oscar Peterson. Nat Adderley. Stan Getz. Charlie Byrd.

No fade-out: Betts was working at his craft until the very end. He was 
scheduled to play at the Kennedy Center next month; later this week he 
was supposed to participate in a jam session with local musicians.

<>I mark the passing of this man who never achieved the fame he deserved 
because the story of his life and work is so quintessentially American. 
Born William Thomas Betts in Port Chester, N.Y., to a single mother -- 
that's two strikes already, black and poor -- he bootstrapped his way to 
the top of his profession through talent, persistence and luck. He 
haunted stage doors until the musicians he idolized would come out to 
talk and offer advice, maybe even listen to him play. He took advantage 
of every opportunity and never came to a gig with anything other than 
his best.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/08/AR2005080801149.html 

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From harry.sifton at sympatico.ca  Tue Aug  9 05:51:28 2005
From: harry.sifton at sympatico.ca (Harold Sifton)
Date: Tue Aug  9 05:54:31 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Saudi House Rules
Message-ID: <000801c59ce1$12351310$6c27e440@Harold>

Saudi House Rules where if one says/speaks of reform they will get 9 yrs in jail.

http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1123365012343&call_pageid=970599109774&col=Columnist1016110013469

If there ever was a country that needed democracy it is Saudi Arabia, that is the country the US should have invaded!
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From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Tue Aug  9 07:54:08 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (mblaxill@yahoo.com)
Date: Tue Aug  9 07:57:24 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Headlines for August 9, 2005
Message-ID: <20050809145408.22044.qmail@trinity.democracynow.org>

Mike Blaxill  ( mblaxill@yahoo.com )
sent you this story from democracynow.org



+--------------------------------------------------------------------+
|  Headlines for August 9, 2005
|  http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=05/08/09/142256
+--------------------------------------------------------------------+


- Thousands Mark Anniversary of Atomic Bombing Of Nagasaki
- U.S. Prepares to Send More Troops To Iraq
- Oil-For-Food Chief Accused to Taking $150K in Kickbacks
- Chavez Accuses US Drug Agents of Spying
- FCC Hires Christian Activist As Advisor on Indecency Issues
- White House Backs N.H. Parental Notification Abortion Law
- Family of Killed Toddler Seeks Probe in LAPD Shooting
This story continues at: 
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=05/08/09/142256

From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Tue Aug  9 07:59:18 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (mblaxill@yahoo.com)
Date: Tue Aug  9 08:02:32 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] NYTimes.com: Atomic Activity Resumes in Iran Amid
	Warnings
Message-ID: <20050809145918.2493B23728D@lax-gw01.mroute.net>

This page was sent to you by: mblaxill@yahoo.com.

INTERNATIONAL / MIDDLE EAST | August 9, 2005
Atomic Activity Resumes in Iran Amid Warnings
By NAZILA FATHI and JOEL BRINKLEY
Iran acted despite European threats to refer the case to the United Nations Security Council for punitive action.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/09/international/middleeast/09iran.html?ex=1124251200&en=011c64680645f1e4&ei=5070&emc=eta1



----------------- Advertisement --------------------------

The Academy loved these movies enough to name each
one Best Picture.  What did the original New York
Times movie reviews have to say about these Oscar
winning films?  
Go to the Best Pictures review archive:

http://ads.nyt.com/th.ad/nytnyt-textEmailThisdefault-Center1A/academyawards_text/?_RM_REDIR_=http://www.nytimes.com/ref/movies/oscars/bestpictures.html




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ABOUT THIS E-MAIL
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Copyright 2005 The New York Times Company
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From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Tue Aug  9 08:02:26 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (mblaxill@yahoo.com)
Date: Tue Aug  9 08:05:35 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] NYTimes.com: Film Echoes the Present in Atrocities of
	the Past
Message-ID: <20050809150226.B76C113B6DA@lax-gw04.mroute.net>

This page was sent to you by: mblaxill@yahoo.com.

MOVIES | August 9, 2005
Film Echoes the Present in Atrocities of the Past
By DAVID M. HALBFINGER
The 34-year-old antiwar documentary "Winter Soldier" is about to get its first significant theatrical release in the United States.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/09/movies/09wint.html?ex=1124251200&en=21aa84ff50a7dce8&ei=5070&emc=eta1



----------------- Advertisement --------------------------

The Academy loved these movies enough to name each
one Best Picture.  What did the original New York
Times movie reviews have to say about these Oscar
winning films?  
Go to the Best Pictures review archive:

http://ads.nyt.com/th.ad/nytnyt-textEmailThisdefault-Center1A/academyawards_text/?_RM_REDIR_=http://www.nytimes.com/ref/movies/oscars/bestpictures.html




----------------- Advertisement --------------------------

0


----------------------------------------------------------

ABOUT THIS E-MAIL
This e-mail was sent to you by a friend through NYTimes.com's E-mail This Article service.  For general information about NYTimes.com, write to help@nytimes.com.

NYTimes.com 500 Seventh Avenue New York, NY 10018

Copyright 2005 The New York Times Company
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From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Tue Aug  9 08:06:51 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (mblaxill@yahoo.com)
Date: Tue Aug  9 08:09:58 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] NYTimes.com: Debunking the Drug War
Message-ID: <20050809150651.ADD5611F8BC@lax-gw07.mroute.net>

This page was sent to you by: mblaxill@yahoo.com.

OPINION | August 9, 2005
Op-Ed Columnist: Debunking the Drug War
By JOHN TIERNEY
Why are we spending so much time and money to stop people from taking drugs that are less addictive and harmful than alcohol?
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/09/opinion/09tierney.html?ex=1124251200&en=c4fa57da5064b461&ei=5070&emc=eta1




----------------------------------------------------------

ABOUT THIS E-MAIL
This e-mail was sent to you by a friend through NYTimes.com's E-mail This Article service.  For general information about NYTimes.com, write to help@nytimes.com.

NYTimes.com 500 Seventh Avenue New York, NY 10018

Copyright 2005 The New York Times Company
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From ean at sbcglobal.net  Mon Aug  8 21:51:51 2005
From: ean at sbcglobal.net (ean@sbcglobal.net)
Date: Tue Aug  9 08:15:24 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Why the Corporate Rich Oppose Environmentalism
Message-ID: <200508091515.j79FFIcX003507@dune.islandtechnologies.net>

Today's commentary:
http://www.zmag.org/sustainers/content/2005-08/04parenti.cfm

==================================

ZNet Commentary
Why the Corporate Rich Oppose Environmentalism August 08, 2005
By Michael Parenti 

In 1876, Marx's collaborator, Frederich Engels, offered a prophetic
caveat: "Let us not . . . flatter ourselves overmuch on account of our
human conquest over nature. For each such conquest takes its revenge on
us. . . . At every step we are reminded that we by no means rule over
nature like a conqueror over a foreign people, like someone standing
outside of nature--but that we, with flesh, blood, and brain, belong to
nature, and exist in its midst. . . ."	With its never-ending emphasis on
production and profit, and its indifference to environment, transnational
corporate capitalism appears determined to stand outside nature. The
driving goal of the giant investment firms is to convert natural materials
into commodities and commodities into profits, transforming living nature
into vast accumulations of dead capital. 

This capital accumulation process treats the planet's life-sustaining
resources (arable land, groundwater, wetlands, forests, fisheries, ocean
beds, rivers, air quality) as dispensable ingredients of limitless supply,
to be consumed or toxified at will. Consequently, the support systems of
the entire ecosphere--the Earth's thin skin of fresh air, water, and top
soil--are at risk, threatened by global warming, massive erosion, and
ozone depletion.  An ever-expanding capitalism and a fragile finite
ecology are on a calamitous collision course. 

It is not true that the ruling politico-economic interests are in a state
of denial about this. Far worse than denial, they have shown utter
antagonism toward those who think the planet is more important than
corporate profits. So they defame environmentalists as "eco-terrorists,"
"EPA gestapo," "Earth Day alarmists," "tree huggers," and purveyors of
"Green hysteria" and "liberal claptrap."  

The plutocracy's position was summed up by that dangerous fool, erstwhile
Senator Steve Symms (R-Idaho), who once said that if he had to choose
between capitalism and ecology, he would choose capitalism. Symms seemed
not to grasp that, absent a viable ecology, there will be no capitalism or
any other ism. 

In July 2005, President Bush finally muttered a grudging acknowledgment:
"I recognize that the surface of the Earth is warmer and that an increase
in greenhouse gases caused by humans is contributing to the problem."  But
this belated admission of a "problem" hardly makes up for Bush's many
attacks against the environment. 

In recent years, Bushite reactionaries within the White House and
Congress, fueled by corporate lobbyists, have supported measures to 

(1)	allow unregulated toxic fill into lakes and harbors, 

(2)	eliminate most of the wetland acreage that was to be set aside for a
reserve, 

(3)	completely deregulate the production of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)
that deplete the ozone layer, 

(4)	eviscerate clean water and clean air standards, 

(5)	open the unspoiled Arctic wildlife refuge in Alaska to oil and gas
drilling,

(6)	defund efforts to keep raw sewage out of rivers and away from 
beaches,


(7)	privatize and open national parks to commercial development, 

(8)	give the remaining ancient forests over to unrestrained logging, 

(9)	repeal the Endangered Species Act,

(10)	and allow mountain-top removal in mining that has transformed
thousands of miles of streams and vast amounts of natural acreage into
toxic wastelands.

Why do rich and powerful interests take this seemingly suicidal
anti-environmental route?  We can understand why they might want to
destroy public housing, public education, Social Security, and Medicaid.
They and their children will not thereby be deprived of a thing, having
more than sufficient private means to procure whatever services they need
for themselves. 

But the environment is a different story. Do not wealthy reactionaries and
their corporate lobbyists inhabit the same polluted planet as everyone
else, eat the same chemicalized food, and breathe the same toxified air? 

In fact, they do not live exactly as everyone else. They experience a
different class reality, often residing in places where the air is
somewhat better than in low and middle income areas. They have access to
food that is organically raised and specially prepared. The nation's toxic
dumps and freeways usually are not situated in or near their swanky
neighborhoods. The pesticide sprays are not poured over their trees and
gardens. Clearcutting does not desolate their ranches, estates, and
vacation spots. 

Even when they or their children succumb to a dread disease like cancer,
they do not link the tragedy to environmental factors---though scientists
now believe that present-day cancer epidemics stem largely from human-made
causes. The plutocrats deny there is a serious problem because they
themselves have created that problem and owe so much of their wealth to
it.

But how can they deny the threat of an ecological apocalypse brought on by
ozone depletion, global warming, disappearing top soil, and dying oceans?
Do the corporate plutocrats want to see life on Earth---including their
own lives---destroyed?

In the long run they indeed will be sealing their own doom, along with
everyone else's. However, like us all, they live not in the long run but
in the here and now.  What is at stake for them is something more
immediate and than global ecology. It is global capital accumulation. The
fate of the biosphere seems a far-off abstraction compared to the fate of
one's immediate investments. 	

Furthermore, pollution pays, while ecology costs. Every dollar a company
spends on environmental protections is one less dollar in earnings. It is
more profitable to treat the environment like a septic tank, to
externalize corporate diseconomies by dumping raw industrial effluent into
the atmosphere, rivers, and bays, turning waterways into open sewers. 

Moving away from fossil fuels and toward solar, wind, and tidal energy 
could help avert ecological disaster, but six of the world's ten top
industrial corporations are involved primarily in the production of oil,
gasoline, and motor vehicles. Fossil fuel pollution means billions in
profits. Ecologically sustainable forms of production directly threaten
those profits.	Immense and imminent gain for oneself is a far more
compelling consideration than a diffuse loss shared by the general public.
The social cost of turning a forest into a wasteland weighs little against
the personal profit  that comes from harvesting the timber. 

This conflict between immediate personal gain on the one hand and
seemingly remote public benefit on the other operates even at the
individual consumer level. Thus, it is in one's long term interest not to
operate an automobile that contributes more to environmental devastation
than any other single consumer item (even if it's a hybrid). But again, we
don't live in the long run, we live in the here and now, and we have an
immediate everyday need for transportation, so most of us have no choice
except to own and use automobiles. 

Mind you, we did not choose this "car culture." Ecologically efficient and
less costly mass transit systems and rail systems were deliberately bought
out, privatized and torn up, beginning in the 1930s in campaigns waged
across the country by the automotive, oil, and tire industries. These
industries put "America on wheels," in order to maximize profits for
themselves, and to hell with the environment.

Sober business heads refuse to get caught up in doomsayer "hysteria" about
ecology. Besides, there can always be found a few stray experts who will
obligingly argue that the jury is still out, that there is no conclusive
proof to support the alarmists. Conclusive proof in this case would come
only when the eco-apocalypse is upon us. 	Ecology is profoundly 
subversive
of capitalism. It needs planned, environmentally sustainable production
rather than the rapacious unregulated free-market kind. It requires
economical consumption rather than an artificially stimulated,
ever-expanding, wasteful consumerism. It calls for natural, relatively
clean and low cost energy systems rather than high cost, high profit,
polluting ones. Ecology's implications for capitalism are too challenging
for the capitalist to contemplate. 

The plutocrats are more wedded to their wealth than to the Earth upon
which they live, more concerned with the fate of their fortunes than with
the fate of humanity. 

The struggle over environmentalism is part of the class struggle itself, a
fact that seems to have escaped many environmentalists. The present
ecological crisis has been created by the few at the expense of the many.
This time the plutocratic drive to "accumulate, accumulate, accumulate"
may take all of us down, once and forever.

Michael Parenti's recent books include Superpatriotism (City Lights) and
The Assassination of Julius Caesar  (New Press), both available in
paperback.  For more information, visit his website: 
www.michaelparenti.org. 


-- 
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From ean at sbcglobal.net  Mon Aug  8 21:55:11 2005
From: ean at sbcglobal.net (ean@sbcglobal.net)
Date: Tue Aug  9 08:16:19 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Chomsky: We Must Act Now to Prevent Another Hiroshima -
	or Worse
Message-ID: <200508091516.j79FGFT2003517@dune.islandtechnologies.net>

Published on Saturday, August 6, 2005 by the lndependent/UK 

We Must Act Now to Prevent Another Hiroshima - or Worse 
The explosions in London are a reminder of how the cycle of attack 
and response could escalate 

by Noam Chomsky 

http://www.commondreams.org/views05/0806-25.htm  

This month's anniversary of the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki 
prompts only the most somber reflection and most fervent hope that 
the horror may never be repeated.  

In the subsequent 60 years, those bombings have haunted the world's 
imagination but not so much as to curb the development and spread of 
infinitely more lethal weapons of mass destruction.

A related concern, discussed in technical literature well before 11 
September 2001, is that nuclear weapons may sooner or later fall into 
the hands of terrorist groups.

The recent explosions and casualties in London are yet another 
reminder of how the cycle of attack and response could escalate, 
unpredictably, even to a point horrifically worse than Hiroshima or 
Nagasaki.

The world's reigning power accords itself the right to wage war at will, 
under a doctrine of "anticipatory self-defense" that covers any 
contingency it chooses. The means of destruction are to be unlimited.

US military expenditures approximate those of the rest of the world 
combined, while arms sales by 38 North American companies (one in 
Canada) account for more than 60 per cent of the world total (which 
has risen 25 per cent since 2002).

There have been efforts to strengthen the thin thread on which survival 
hangs. The most important is the nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty 
(NPT), which came into force in 1970. The regular five-year review 
conference of the NPT took place at the United Nations in May.

The NPT has been facing collapse, primarily because of the failure of 
the nuclear states to live up to their obligation under Article VI to 
pursue "good faith" efforts to eliminate nuclear weapons. The United 
States has led the way in refusal to abide by the Article VI obligations. 
Mohamed ElBaradei, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, 
emphasizes that "reluctance by one party to fulfill its obligations breeds 
reluctance in others".

President Jimmy Carter blasted the United States as "the major culprit 
in this erosion of the NPT. While claiming to be protecting the world 
from proliferation threats in Iraq, Libya, Iran and North Korea, 
American leaders not only have abandoned existing treaty restraints 
but also have asserted plans to test and develop new weapons, 
including Anti-Ballistic missiles, the earth-penetrating 'bunker buster' 
and perhaps some new 'small' bombs. They also have abandoned 
past pledges and now threaten first use of nuclear weapons against 
non-nuclear states".

The thread has almost snapped in the years since Hiroshima, 
repeatedly. The best known case was the Cuban missile crisis of 
October 1962, "the most dangerous moment in human history", as 
Arthur Schlesinger, historian and former adviser to President John F 
Kennedy, observed in October 2002 at a retrospective conference in 
Havana.

The world "came within a hair's breadth of nuclear disaster", recalls 
Robert McNamara, Kennedy's defense secretary, who also attended 
the retrospective. In the May-June issue of the magazine Foreign 
Policy, he accompanies this reminder with a renewed warning of 
"apocalypse soon".

McNamara regards "current US nuclear weapons policy as immoral, 
illegal, militarily unnecessary and dreadfully dangerous", creating 
"unacceptable risks to other nations and to our own", both the risk of 
"accidental or inadvertent nuclear launch", which is "unacceptably 
high", and of nuclear attack by terrorists. McNamara endorses the 
judgment of William Perry, President Bill Clinton's defense secretary, 
that "there is a greater than 50 per cent probability of a nuclear strike 
on US targets within a decade".

Similar judgments are commonly expressed by prominent strategic 
analysts. In his book Nuclear Terrorism, the Harvard international 
relations specialist Graham Allison reports the "consensus in the 
national security community" (of which he has been a part) that a "dirty 
bomb" attack is "inevitable", and an attack with a nuclear weapon 
highly likely, if fissionable materials - the essential ingredient - are not 
retrieved and secured.

Allison reviews the partial success of efforts to do so since the early 
1990s, under the initiatives of Senator Sam Nunn and Senator Richard 
Lugar, and the setback to these programs from the first days of the 
Bush administration, paralyzed by what Senator Joseph Biden called 
"ideological idiocy".

The Washington leadership has put aside non-proliferation programs 
and devoted its energies and resources to driving the country to war by 
extraordinary deceit, then trying to manage the catastrophe it created 
in Iraq.

The threat and use of violence is stimulating nuclear proliferation along 
with jihadi terrorism.

A high-level review of the "war on terror" two years after the invasion 
"focused on how to deal with the rise of a new generation of terrorists, 
schooled in Iraq over the past couple of years", Susan B Glasser 
reported in The Washington Post.

"Top government officials are increasingly turning their attention to 
anticipate what one called 'the bleed out' of hundreds or thousands of 
Iraq-trained jihadists back to their home countries throughout the 
Middle East and Western Europe. 'It's a new piece of a new equation,' 
a former senior Bush administration official said. 'If you don't know who 
they are in Iraq, how are you going to locate them in Istanbul or 
London?'"

Peter Bergen, a US terrorism specialist, says in The Boston Globe that 
"the President is right that Iraq is a main front in the war on terrorism, 
but this is a front we created".

Shortly after the London bombing, Chatham House, Britain's premier 
foreign affairs institution, released a study drawing the obvious 
conclusion - denied with outrage by the Government - that "the UK is at 
particular risk because it is the closest ally of the United States, has 
deployed armed forces in the military campaigns to topple the Taliban 
regime in Afghanistan and in Iraq ... [and is] a pillion passenger" of 
American policy, sitting behind the driver of the motorcycle.

The probability of apocalypse soon cannot be realistically estimated, 
but it is surely too high for any sane person to contemplate with 
equanimity. While speculation is pointless, reaction to the threat of 
another Hiroshima is definitely not.

On the contrary, it is urgent, particularly in the United States, because 
of Washington's primary role in accelerating the race to destruction by 
extending its historically unique military dominance, and in the UK, 
which goes along with it as its closest ally.

The author is a professor of linguistics at the Massachusetts Institute 
of Technology and the author, most recently, of Hegemony or Survival: 
America's Quest for Global Dominance

? Copyright 2005 Independent News & Media (UK) Ltd.


-- 
You are currently on Mha Atma's Earth Action Network email list, 
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From olhippie at tampabay.rr.com  Tue Aug  9 08:23:11 2005
From: olhippie at tampabay.rr.com (Robin McNamara)
Date: Tue Aug  9 08:26:20 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Jagger & Bush
Message-ID: <000801c59cf6$41037280$8a03ca44@CowBox>

How very cool is this, in the 60's music was our main 'weapon' it has more power than all the army is in the world to "cause change". Rock on Mick light a fire underneath this apathatic country.

Peace
Robin



http://www.drudgereport.com/flash3rs.htm






 
http://lpintop.tripod.com/robinmcnamara
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From michael at intrafi.com  Tue Aug  9 09:09:25 2005
From: michael at intrafi.com (michael@intrafi.com)
Date: Tue Aug  9 09:12:33 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] FT.com / Comment & analysis / Comment - Iraq loses its
	gloss for Bush in polls
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From michael at intrafi.com  Tue Aug  9 09:11:18 2005
From: michael at intrafi.com (michael@intrafi.com)
Date: Tue Aug  9 09:14:20 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] FT.com / Comment & analysis / Comment - A contemporary
	dilemma haunted by history
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From michael at intrafi.com  Tue Aug  9 09:40:40 2005
From: michael at intrafi.com (michael@intrafi.com)
Date: Tue Aug  9 09:43:44 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] FT.com / Comment & analysis - Observer - USA
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From michael at intrafi.com  Tue Aug  9 09:41:51 2005
From: michael at intrafi.com (michael@intrafi.com)
Date: Tue Aug  9 09:44:53 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] FT.com / Comment & analysis - Unorthodox 
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From villasudjuan at wanadoo.fr  Tue Aug  9 07:57:02 2005
From: villasudjuan at wanadoo.fr (villasudjuan)
Date: Tue Aug  9 09:47:45 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] FW: M. Rubin in NY Sun on "The Price of Compromise"
In-Reply-To: <BF1CF76D.7411%kzii@swbell.net>
Message-ID: <200508091647.j79Glg3s003775@dune.islandtechnologies.net>


------ Forwarded Message
From: Kay Zafar <kzii@swbell.net>
Date: Mon, 08 Aug 2005 11:50:05 -0500
To: R Golsorkhi <grgolsorkhi@earthlink.net>, Eli Golsorkhi
<egolsorkhi@yahoo.com>, Kiddie ZAFAR <kiddie@zafar.co.uk>, Keu Zafar
<keuzafar@yahoo.com>, Amir-Teymour Golsorkhi <atgolsorkhi@yahoo.com>,
"Khozeimeh, Issa" <Issa.Khozeimeh@MWAA.com>, Parvis Khozeimeh-Alam
<apkaintl@hotmail.com>, Edward <ecma2@earthlink.net>, Roozbeh Payevand
<Iranconsult@aol.com>, Reza Pezechkpour <reza@rezahome.com>,
"arrastegar@aol.com" <arrastegar@aol.com>, Goodarz Haydarzadeh
<goodarzh@aol.com>, Laddan Mina <MINATIGERLILY@aol.com>, Jon Simmons
<joneric.simmons@verizon.net>, Wanda  Lemon <leejoe1@juno.com>, Dari Ansari
<daria@freshbrewgroup.com>, G-2 <kzii@swbell.net>
Subject: FW: M. Rubin in NY Sun on "The Price of Compromise"


> -- 

> The Price of Compromise
> by Michael Rubin
> New York Sun
> August 8, 2005
> http://www.meforum.org/article/741
> http://www.nysun.com/article/18221
> 
> Insurgent violence has taken a heavy toll on the U.S. in Iraq. A series of
> attacks earlier this month pushed the total of American fatalities past 1,800.
> The mounting casualties have shaken American confidence. Terrorism has hit
> Iraqis even harder. On Capitol Hill, there are bipartisan calls for the White
> House to establish a timeline for withdrawal. Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld
> has been floating trial balloons. Senior military officials and diplomats,
> meanwhile, seek to deflate the insurgency. They urge Iraqis to embrace and
> engage former Baathists, Islamists, and Arab Sunni rejectionists. If the
> Sunnis can be brought into the fold, the conventional wisdom goes, peace and
> reconciliation will prevail.
> 
> But the conventional wisdom is wrong. The insurgency has gained momentum as a
> result of failed U.S. policy and well-meaning but wrong-headed assumptions.
> 
> The coalition's ouster of Saddam Hussein was popular among the vast majority
> of Iraqis. They greeted American troops warmly. There were flowers and
> candies. Iraqis danced as Saddam's statues fell. But the honeymoon faltered
> and collapsed amid looting and confusion about American intentions.
> 
> Throughout the 35-year Baathist dictatorship, survival depended upon
> maintaining a low profile and divining the leader's wishes. Iraqis would note
> with whom the leader met as a sign of favor. Officials would parse televised
> speeches to fine-tune their sycophancy.
> 
> Generations of Iraqis continued their Kremlinology when Jay Garner arrived as
> the director of the Office of Reconstruction and Humanitarian Assistance. They
> watched as he repeatedly met with Saad al-Janabi, a former Baathist
> businessman and a close associate of Saddam's late son-in-law, Hussein Kamal.
> Iraqis interpreted Garner's outreach to an agent of influence of the former
> regime as a sign that the White House might restore the former regime to
> power. The fear had precedent. In 1991, President George H.W. Bush called upon
> Iraqis to rise up in rebellion against Saddam Hussein. They did. But the White
> House did not come to their aid. According to the Iraqi narrative, Washington
> shared responsibility for the subsequent massacres by releasing Republican
> Guard prisoners-of-war in time for their redeployment against the civilians.
> Garner's choice of dinner guests might have been innocuous to American
> diplomats and military officers eager to catalyze reconciliation, but it
> created a chill of distrust among ordinary Iraqis. More importantly, it
> convinced high-level Baathists that they need fear no justice.
> 
> A faulty belief in reconciliation is largely responsible for the
> disintegration of security in Mosul. Rather than confront Baathists and
> Islamists, General David Petraeus empowered them. Discussing his strategy at
> the Washington Institute for Near East Policy on April 7, 2004, Petraeus
> explained, "The coalition must reconcile with a number of the thousands of
> former Ba'ath officials ... giving them a direct stake in the success of the
> new Iraq." Good in theory, but the result was Potemkin calm.
> 
> Petraeus assigned former Baathist General Mahmud Muhammad al-Maris, for
> example, to lead Iraqi Border Police units guarding the Syrian border.
> Al-Maris handpicked allies and poked holes in an already porous border.
> Petraeus allowed another former Baathist, General Muhammad Kha'iri Barhawi, to
> be Mosul's police chief. Not only did such a choice demoralize Iraqis who
> suffered under the former regime, but it undercut security.
> 
> On July 26, 2004, Brigadier General Andrew MacKay, head of the Coalition
> Police Assistance Training Team, told Pentagon officials. "We are seeing an
> increasing confidence within the Iraqi Police Service as they realize they are
> more than a match for the terrorists - even more so when they are led by
> officers of Major General Barhawi's ability." Unfortunately, the confidence
> was misinterpreted. After the November 2004 uprising in Mosul, Coalition
> officials learned that Barhawi had organized insurgent cells and enabled
> Islamists and former Baathists to briefly seize the city. Barhawi is now in
> prison. And both Iraqis and Americans are dead because of misplaced confidence
> and baseless theories.
> 
> Under Saddam Hussein, Baathists survived by ingratiating themselves to power.
> Too often, U.S. officials would base judgments on their own conversations,
> unaware of what former regime officials said behind their backs. The loyalty
> former regime elements and Islamists show is illusionary. In January 2004, for
> example, a delegation from the Ninewah provincial council visited Makhmur, a
> town in the Erbil governorate but tied administratively to Mosul. When an
> accompanying diplomat excused herself briefly, a translator - a former student
> of mine - said that councilmen berated the mayor for collaborating with the
> Americans. In Mosul, Petraeus created not placidity, but rather a safe-haven
> for terror.
> 
> Engagement and reconciliation may be the bread-and-butter of diplomacy, but in
> Iraq they are a prescription for failure. There is a correlation between
> re-Baathification and violence. Baghdad's security situation deteriorated
> sharply after Coalition Provisional Administration head L. Paul Bremer on
> April 23, 2004 declared, "Many Iraqis have complained to me that
> de-Baathification policy has been applied unevenly and unjustly. I have looked
> into these complaints and they are legitimate."
> 
> While Bremer argued that only implementation - not policy - changed, Iraqis
> felt otherwise. Their perception was validated one week later when Coalition
> forces lifted the siege of Fallujah and empowered former Baathists and
> insurgents in the name of reconciliation. Within a month, car bombings across
> Iraqi had increased 600%.
> 
> A belief persists in Foggy Bottom, Langley, and the White House that extensive
> de-Baathification is unpopular and destabilizing. Facts suggest otherwise. The
> Embassy embraced politicians like Interim Prime Minister Iyad Allawi and
> former Governing Council member Adnan Pachachi because they favored Baathist
> reintegration. Given a choice at the ballot box, however, Iraqis rewarded
> candidates who promised tough implementation of de-Baathification. Pachachi,
> once the shining star of the State Department, failed to win a single seat.
> Incumbent Allawi mustered only 15% of the vote.
> 
> Engagement has a price. In June 2005, word leaked that U.S. officials had
> engaged Iraqi insurgents in order to encourage them to join the political
> process. A National Security Council senior director rationalized the approach
> by differentiating between "talking to" and "negotiating with" insurgents. The
> Arab world drew no such distinction. A June 28, 2005 ash-Sharq al-Awsat
> cartoon depicted Uncle Sam, surrounded by barbed wire, with an insurgent
> blocking his path to escape. The lesson drawn was that the U.S. was weak, not
> magnanimous. Violence spiked soon after.
> 
> Political compromises sometimes carry a high price. As a consequence of adding
> 15 Sunni Arab members to the Constitutional Commission, women may lose their
> rights across Iraqi society. Contrary to popular wisdom, Iraq's Sunni
> political leaders are more Islamist than many of their Shi'ite counterparts.
> Blatant sectarian pandering backfires.
> 
> American strategy in Iraq is fatally flawed. Not just policy implementation
> has gone awry, but rather the assumptions upon which policy is based. Iraq is
> neither an academic problem nor a template upon which to impose theories
> imported from Bosnia and Kosovo. It is a unique society with a very vocal
> population. Blinded by a false conventional wisdom, we refuse to listen. The
> cost has been bitterness among natural allies, emboldening of terrorists, and
> unnecessary American and Iraqi casualties.
>> 
>> Mr. Rubin, a resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, is editor
>> of the Middle East Quarterly.
> 
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> date, and source.
> 


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From villasudjuan at wanadoo.fr  Tue Aug  9 08:01:24 2005
From: villasudjuan at wanadoo.fr (villasudjuan)
Date: Tue Aug  9 09:48:45 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] FW: The Atlantic Online May 2003 The Fall of the House
	of Saud Robert Baer
In-Reply-To: <001201c59c6f$871db0a0$6501a8c0@2r6cx01>
Message-ID: <200508091648.j79GmhCS003785@dune.islandtechnologies.net>

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From michael at intrafi.com  Tue Aug  9 10:18:22 2005
From: michael at intrafi.com (michael@intrafi.com)
Date: Tue Aug  9 10:21:32 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Alternet: Bad Medicine?
Message-ID: <20050809171822.60EC0B80A6@alternet.org>


This story has been forwarded to you from
http://www.alternet.org by michael@intrafi.com



-------------------------------------
Bad Medicine?
http://www.alternet.org/story/23806

Cannabis is proven to be a fairly harmless drug -- so why is the American right still waging a massive war on weed? 
-------------------------------------

From jefbek at mindspring.com  Tue Aug  9 13:01:06 2005
From: jefbek at mindspring.com (Jef Bek)
Date: Tue Aug  9 13:05:06 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] A Message From Cindy Sheehan, Crawford, TX
Message-ID: <BF1E5992.D6F%jefbek@mindspring.com>

"Security Threat"
Tuesday, August 9th, 2005

A Message From Cindy Sheehan, Crawford, TX

Where do I begin? 

Today was a highly eventful day. This entry won?t be artful, but
utilitarian. 

I conservatively got 3 to 5 phone calls a minute. I did about 25 phone
interviews and several TV interviews. I did several right-wing radio
interviews. I was supposed to do: The Today Show, MSNBC live interview,
Connected Coast to Coast (MSNBC) and Hardball (MSNBC). The Today Show just
never showed up and the other 3 MSNBC shows cancelled for no reason.

Another big story that was going on today was about my first meeting with
Bush in June of 2004. For you all I would like to clarify a few things.
First of all, I did meet with George, and that is not a secret. I have
written about it and been interviewed about it. I will stand by my
recounting of the meeting. His behavior was rude and inappropriate. My
behavior in June of 2004 is irrelevant to what is going on in 2005. I was in
deep shock and deep grief. The grief is still there, but the shock has worn
off and the deep anger has set in. And to remind everybody, a few things
have happened since June of 2004: The 9/11 commission report; the Senate
Intelligence report; the Duelfer WMD report; and most damaging and criminal:
the Downing Street Memos. The VERY LAST THING I HAVE TO SAY ABOUT THIS IS:
Why do the right wing media so assiduously scrutinize the words of a grief
filled mother and ignore the words of a lying president?

In the early afternoon, we got word that if we were still there by Thursday,
we were going to be deemed a "security threat" to the president. Condi and
Rummy are coming in on Thursday for a "policy" meeting. I just don?t
understand why we will be a security threat on Thursday when we aren?t now?
If we don?t leave on Thursday, we could be arrested. Well, I am not leaving.
There are only three things that would make me leave: if George comes out
and talks to me; if August comes to an end, or if I am arrested.

People are heading here from all over the country. I have some more Gold
Star Families for Peace members coming tomorrow. We are amazed by the
outpouring of love and support we are getting. 62% of the American public
are against this war and want our troops home. We need to show the media
that we are in the majority. We need to show George Bush and his cabal of
neo-cons that when we say "bring the troops home, now" we mean "bring the
troops home, now!!!"

In the late afternoon, many of us left to go back to the peace house in
Crawford because there was going to be a major lightning storm. While most
of us were gone, the Sheriff came and told us that what we were told was
county property really was private property and we would have to remove our
stuff to a tiny place, or get it confiscated. I find it interesting that the
county sheriff did not know that roads in his county that lead up to the
presidential vacation home are private roads. I find it very hard to
believe. They think that they are pushing us off, but we will not leave
there voluntarily or without handcuffs on. My only hope is, there will be
tons of media there when they carry me to the squad car.

Today was so bizarre for me. I got phone calls from famous people pledging
their support, and phone calls from mothers with sons in Iraq who are
overcome with emotion when they talk to me. And it is so brave for them to
call me, because I am their worst fear. We had a young man who is in the US
Army at Ft. Hood come this morning and spend hours with us. He has been
there [Iraq] and his unit is scheduled to go back in October. How much
courage did that take for him to come within earshot of his commander in
chief?s home and spend time with some old hippy protestors???

We have a lawyer working on getting us closer to the ranch and working on
magically turning the private property back into county property again. I
have some awesome young ladies from CodePink answering my phone and taking
phone calls. We have Veterans for Peace out there putting up banners (our
tiny campsite looks real nice). We have concerned citizens from all over
America starting to come in. IT IS FREAKIN AMAZING, FOLKS!!!

Come and join us and let your voices be joined with ours.

AMEN!!!


From michael at intrafi.com  Tue Aug  9 18:25:22 2005
From: michael at intrafi.com (michael)
Date: Tue Aug  9 18:20:58 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Article from Tom Dispatch
Message-ID: <200508100125.j7A1PMqL024057@thor.thenation.com>

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From geomilman at milman.com  Tue Aug  9 17:46:52 2005
From: geomilman at milman.com (George R. Milman)
Date: Tue Aug  9 18:56:46 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] [Mb-hair] Montana Supreme Court justice warns Orwell's
	1984 has arrived.
In-Reply-To: <42F8093E.1000709@well.com>
Message-ID: <200508100156.j7A1uhQG004868@dune.islandtechnologies.net>

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_______________________________________________
Mb-hair mailing list
Mb-hair@islandlists.com
http://www.islandlists.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/mb-hair
From ean at sbcglobal.net  Tue Aug  9 19:58:40 2005
From: ean at sbcglobal.net (ean@sbcglobal.net)
Date: Tue Aug  9 20:17:13 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Very thought-provoking Interview on understanding
	suicide bombers
Message-ID: <200508100316.j7A3Gtun005029@dune.islandtechnologies.net>


Interview with  Professor Richard Pape

Australian Broadcasting Corporation           Broadcast: 20/07/2005

TV PROGRAM TRANSCRIPT

LOCATION: http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/content/2005/s1418817.htm

Broadcast: 20/07/2005
US 'misread motivation' of suicide bombers

Reporter: Kerry O'Brien


KERRY O'BRIEN: Not everyone accepts the stereotype of suicide bombers
recruited by the Al Qaeda network, as religiously-inspired haters of
Western values, intent of destroying Western civilisation. One American
analyst has conducted a comprehensive study of every act of suicide
terrorism over the past 25 years to understand what drives suicide bombers
and why suicide terrorism is on the rise around the world. He says it's
too simplistic to assume Islamic fundamentalism in the central cause.

Associate Professor Richard Pape, from the University of Chicago, has
produced a book on that study called Dying to Win - The Strategic Logic of
Suicide Terrorism. And he says America has misread the primary motivation
of suicide bombers. I spoke with Robert Pape earlier today.

Robert Pape, after all of your studies, all of your trawling over hundreds
of cases of suicide terrorism over decades, how did you react to the
London bombings?

ROBERT PAPE, SUICIDE TERRORISM EXPERT: The London attacks 
were part of Al
Qaeda's strategic logic, which they have been pursuing with increasing
vigour since 9/11. Since 2002 Al Qaeda has carried out over 15 suicide and
other terrorist attacks killing nearly 700 people, more than all of the
years before 9/11 combined. Although many have hoped that our
counter-terrorism efforts would have weakened Al Qaeda by the measure that
counts the ability of the group to kill us, Al Qaeda is stronger today
than before 9/11.

KERRY O'BRIEN: You say America and its allies continue to make 
fundamental
errors in the way they read the strategic logic behind Al-Qaeda and
associated terrorists. In what way?

ROBERT PAPE: There's a faulty premise in the current strategy on the war
on terrorism. That faulty premise is that suicide terrorism and Al Qaeda
suicide terrorism in particular is mainly driven by an evil ideology
Islamic fundamentalism independent of other circumstances. However, the
facts are that since 1980, suicide terrorist attacks from around the world
over half have been secular. What over 95 per cent of suicide attacks
around the world [are about] is not religion, but a specific strategic
purpose - to compel modern democracies to withdraw military forces from
the territory that the terrorists view as their homeland or prize greatly
and this is in fact a centrepiece of Al Qaeda's strategic logic, which is
to compel the United States and Western countries to abandon military
commitments on the Arabian Peninsula.

KERRY O'BRIEN: You say that September 11, Bali, Madrid and now the 
London
bombings are not part of an Islamic fundamentalist attack on Western
civilisation, Western decadence, yet the kind of hate literature that
comes from Islamic extremists say exactly that, an attack on Western
civilisation, Western democracy.

ROBERT PAPE: We have strong evidence to the contrary. The British Home
Office just released a four-volume report that they conducted in 2004 -
and you can find it on the London Times web site - that four-volume report
is about attitudes in the British Muslim community.

There are 1.6 million Muslims in Britain. The Home Office found that 13
per cent of those Muslims believed that suicide attacks against the West
were justified. They further found that the central reason for why those
13 per cent believed those suicide attacks were justified was anger over
British military policies on the Arabian Peninsula. The link between anger
over American, British and Western military forces stationed on the
Arabian Peninsula and Al Qaeda's ability to recruit suicide terrorists to
kill us couldn't be tighter.

KERRY O'BRIEN: So how should America have responded to the September 
11
attacks?

ROBERT PAPE: Afghanistan was absolutely the right thing to do. After all,
it's crucial to deny terrorists a sanctuary where they can plan and train
for terrorist operations against us. Unfortunately, all of the gains we
made against Al Qaeda by going into Afghanistan were lost and we lost even
more when we went in to Iraq.

KERRY O'BRIEN: So how do you explain the strategic logic of the 
insurgents
in Iraq attacking Iraqis as well as Americans?

ROBERT PAPE: Al-Zarqawi himself has explained this strategic logic in his
famous letter to Osama bin Laden in January 2004. In that letter he said
that he intended to focus suicide attacks on security organs of the Iraqi
Government and Western agents in Iraq, which in fact he has done in the
last two years, and he said he was doing that because they were the eyes,
ears and hands of the American occupier.

KERRY O'BRIEN: When you look at the motivation of Osama bin Laden and
other extreme fundamentalists, isn't it their ultimate goal to establish
their particular brand of fundamentalism right through the Middle East?

ROBERT PAPE: There's no question that Osama bin Laden himself appears 
to
have goals beyond simply ejecting Western combat forces from the Arabian
Peninsula. The real question is whether he would be able to use suicide
attack to achieve those goals. We've seen in the case of Lebanon that
other suicide terrorist groups, also with such goals, such as Hezbollah in
Lebanon, which also had the goal to create an Islamic state, and also used
suicide terrorist attack to eject foreign combat forces from its
territory. What we've seen is once those combat forces left, the terrorist
group was not able to continue a suicide terrorist campaign. Once American
forces left Lebanon, Hezbollah attackers did not follow us to New York.
Once Israeli forces left Lebanon, Hezbollah suicide attackers did not
follow Israel into Tel Aviv. Instead, what's happened over time is,
Hezbollah has abandoned suicide attack and virtually abandoned terrorism
itself and become, since the early 1990s, more or less a mainstream
political party. It still has its goal of trying to pursue an Islamic
fundamentalist state but it's not using suicide attack or really violence
at all to achieve that end.

KERRY O'BRIEN: So what scope is there for growth in the recruitment of
potential suicide terrorists and who are these people being recruited
anyway?

ROBERT PAPE: Suicide terrorists are not mainly depressed, lonely
individuals on the margins of society. I've studied 462 suicide terrorists
from around the world since 1980. Few fit the standard stereotype of a
depressed, lonely individual on the margins of society. Half of those 462
are secular and therefore not religious fanatics.

In fact, most suicide terrorists are socially integrated, productive
members of their community like the London bombers. Most suicide
terrorists, and this is true including those in Lebanon and Palestine, are
working-class and middle-class like the London bombers. Most suicide
terrorists are walk-in volunteers who are not long-time members of the
terrorist organisation and, therefore, easy for intelligence services to
track for years. Most suicide terrorists join the suicide terrorist group
just a few months or even just a few weeks in order to do their very first
act of violence - their own suicide terrorist attack.

For most suicide terrorists, they don't have evidence as the London
bombers don't, that they hate Western values or that they hate being
immersed in Western society. What we have evidence for time and again
across the spectrum is that they are deeply angered by military policies,
especially foreign combat troops on territory that they prize and that
they believe they have no other means to change those policies.

KERRY O'BRIEN: Robert Pape, thanks for talking with us.

ROBERT PAPE: Thank you for having me.

http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/content/2005/s1418817.htm


-- 
You are currently on Mha Atma's Earth Action Network email list, 
option D (up to 3 emails/day).  To be removed, or to switch options 
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   ---   George Orwell


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From ean at sbcglobal.net  Tue Aug  9 20:04:01 2005
From: ean at sbcglobal.net (ean@sbcglobal.net)
Date: Tue Aug  9 20:17:24 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Depleted Uranium is WMD
Message-ID: <200508100317.j7A3HFV1005050@dune.islandtechnologies.net>

http://www.commondreams.org/views05/0809-33.htm

Published on Tuesday, August 9, 2005 
by the Battle Creek Enquirer (Michigan)
Depleted Uranium is WMD
by Leuren Moret
 
My grandfather, U.S. Army Col. Edwin Joseph McAllister, was born in 
Battle Creek in 1895. He does not know that his first grandchild is an 
international expert on depleted uranium. I have worked in two U.S. 
nuclear weapons laboratories, and in 1991 I became a whistleblower at 
the Livermore lab. Depleted uranium is very, very, very nasty stuff:

# Depleted uranium (DU) weaponry meets the definition of weapon of 
mass destruction in two out of three categories under U.S. Federal 
Code Title 50 Chapter 40 Section 2302.

# DU weaponry violates all international treaties and agreements, 
Hague and Geneva war conventions, the 1925 Geneva gas protocol, 
U.S. laws and U.S. military law.

# Since 1991, the U.S. has released the radioactive atomicity 
equivalent of at least 400,000 Nagasaki bombs into the global 
atmosphere. That is 10 times the amount released during atmospheric 
testing which was the equivalent of 40,000 Hiroshima bombs. The U.S. 
has permanently contaminated the global atmosphere with radioactive 
pollution having a half-life of 2.5 billion years.

# The U.S. has illegally conducted four nuclear wars in Yugoslavia, 
Afghanistan and twice in Iraq since 1991, calling DU "conventional" 
weapons when in fact they are nuclear weapons.

# DU on the battlefield has three effects on living systems: it is a heavy 
metal "chemical" poison, a "radioactive" poison and has a "particulate" 
effect due to the very tiny size of the particles that are 0.1 microns and 
smaller.

# The blueprint for DU weaponry is a 1943 Manhattan Project memo to 
Gen. L. Groves that recommended development of radioactive 
materials as poison gas weapons - dirty bombs, dirty missiles and dirty 
bullets.

# DU weapons are very effective kinetic energy penetrators, but even 
more effective bioweapons since uranium has a strong chemical 
affinity for phosphate structures concentrated in DNA.

# DU is the Trojan Horse of nuclear war - it keeps giving and keeps 
killing. There is no way to clean it up, and no way to turn it off because 
it continues to decay into other radioactive isotopes in over 20 steps.

# Terry Jemison at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs stated in 
August 2004 that over 518,000 Gulf-era veterans (14-year period) are 
now on medical disability, and that 7,039 were wounded on the 
battlefield in that same period. Over 500,000 U.S. veterans are 
homeless.

# In some studies of soldiers who had normal babies before the war, 
67 percent of the post-war babies are born with severe birth defects - 
missing brains, eyes, organs, legs and arms, and blood diseases.

# In southern Iraq, scientists are reporting five times higher levels of 
gamma radiation in the air, which increases the radioactive body 
burden daily of inhabitants. In fact, Iraq, Yugoslavia and Afghanistan 
are uninhabitable.

# Cancer starts with one alpha particle under the right conditions. One 
gram of DU is the size of a period in this sentence and releases 12,000 
alpha particles per second.

Before my grandfather died, he told me that his generation had made a 
mess of this planet. I wonder what he would say to me now I would tell 
him to see "Beyond Treason" (www.beyondtreason.com), a new 
documentary about the history of treason by the U.S. government 
against our own troops: Atomic veterans, MK-Ultra, Agent Orange and 
DU. After Vietnam, Henry Kissinger said, "Military men are just dumb, 
stupid animals to be used as pawns in foreign policy. . ." (from Chapter 
5 in the "Final Days" by Woodward and Bernstein).

Leuren Moret is an international radiation specialist, with a B.S. degree 
in geology from University of California at Davis, a M.A. degree in Near 
Eastern studies from University of California at Berkeley and has done 
post-graduate work in the geosciences at UC-Davis. She is 
environmental commissioner for the City of Berkeley, Calif.

? 2005 Battle Creek Enquirer
-- 
You are currently on Mha Atma's Earth Action Network email list, 
option D (up to 3 emails/day).  To be removed, or to switch options 
(option A - 1x/week, option B - 3/wk, option C - up to 1x/day, option D - 
up to 3x/day) please reply and let us know!  If someone forwarded you 
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"In times of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act."
   ---   George Orwell


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From peterfleming at earthlink.net  Tue Aug  9 20:21:55 2005
From: peterfleming at earthlink.net (Peter Fleming)
Date: Tue Aug  9 21:55:30 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Please distribute  !!!
Message-ID: <200508100455.j7A4tLb1005203@dune.islandtechnologies.net>

I know this may interest health persons
   who are not necessarily religious persons   
        or maybe they are          
  and they should have included home schools
      pf
 
-----

http://news.yahoo.com/s/huffpost/005316
Robert F Kennedy Jr., Vaccines and Autism : Looking for the Truth? Study
the Amish
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From ean at sbcglobal.net  Tue Aug  9 20:43:47 2005
From: ean at sbcglobal.net (ean@sbcglobal.net)
Date: Tue Aug  9 21:56:13 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] John Roberts:  A Chill Hearth
Message-ID: <200508100456.j7A4u72n005213@dune.islandtechnologies.net>

Roberts' Chill Heart
The Nation, August 16th
by Bruce Shpiro

http://www.thenation.com/docprem.mhtml?i=20050815&s=shapiro

      Is Judge John Roberts worth a fight? That's the question Senate
Democrats and civil rights lobbyists were asking as the amiable nominee
made his let's-get-acquainted rounds on Capitol Hill. To put it bluntly:
With Judge Roberts's reputation as a skilled and unimpeachable Supreme
Court litigator, with his long bipartisan list of Washington friends, with
George W. Bush sure to appoint another conservative if he's defeated, why
bother?

      Call as witness Ansche Hedgepeth, a 12-year-old girl who in 2000
      made
the mistake of eating a french fry on the Washington Metro while police
were in the midst of a quality-of-life crackdown. Officers arrested
Ansche, handcuffed her, threw her in the back of a squad car and kept her
in lockup for three hours. This big-government approach to childrearing
offended Ansche's mother as well as the conservative Rutherford Institute
of Virginia, which sued on her behalf. The case ended up before Judge
Roberts, who refused to expunge her record. Why? Arresting Ansche, he
wrote, advanced "the legitimate goal of promoting parental awareness and
involvement with children who commit delinquent acts."

      How will this judge, who endorses the manacling of a youngster over
      a
snack, rule when confronted with the profound civil liberties challenges
of the "war on terror"? We don't need to speculate. The day after his
interview with Bush, Roberts and two other Reagan/Bush appointees on the
DC Circuit reinstated military tribunals at Guant?namo--ruling that courts
have no authority to review the White House's determination to deny those
prisoners Geneva Convention protections.


Together these two very different cases give the lie to any suggestion
that Judge Roberts lacks a track rec?ord. Enthusiastic expansion of the
power of the executive branch, whether in the guise of policing or the
presidency, is the most consistent thread of Roberts's career. In this
sense he's no conservative; he's an apostle of big and often unreviewable
government--the perfect nominee for a White House that excluded military
lawyers, the State Department and even John Ashcroft's top aides from the
inner circles of post-9/11 justice policy. The Guant?namo ruling was a
stunning embrace of the Administration's expansive view of presidential
power, placing the Guant?namo tribunals beyond reach of Congress or
courts. It is a refutation, as well, of international law, stripping
courts of the ability to enforce a treaty, with backwash over other key
cases destined for the Supreme Court. Detainees in Guant?namo held without
charge have cases coming before the DC circuit in a few weeks, and Jos?
Padilla, the American held in the brig as an "enemy combatant," is not far
behind. No wonder Roberts--wired for life into the GOP patronage
network--became the Administration's top choice.

Another lie about Roberts's nomination is the notion that his most
contentious statements should be written off as a lawyer's responsibility
to his clients, not reflections of personal conviction. Exhibit A in this
argument is Roberts's now-famous footnote in Rust v. Sullivan, the 1991
health clinic "gag rule" case in which he argued as deputy solicitor
general that Roe v. Wade was "wrongly decided and should be overruled."
Just doing my job, just reflecting Administration policy, Roberts said in
his 2003 confirmation hearing as an appellate judge--a line repeated by
Republicans and Democrats alike in recent days. In fact, the Rust v.
Sullivan footnote went so far and so enthusiastically outside any argument
relevant to the case that Roberts might fairly be accused of politicizing
his briefs. But leave that aside. The real issue is that Roberts was
hardly a passive receptacle, a mouthpiece without conviction. At the time
of Rust v. Sullivan Roberts had been designated by Ken Starr as his
"political" deputy--running interference on sensitive policy issues that
otherwise would have been left to career officials. It was a job that
didn't exist in either the Carter or Clinton administrations. The White
House and Starr trusted Roberts not just to reflect legal policy but to
make it.

Which gets us to another lie. At this writing the White House has agreed
to release some historical documents from the Reagan years, but it claims
that Roberts's memos as deputy solicitor general are a matter of
attorney-client privilege. But attorney-client privilege ends where
policy-making begins. The Judiciary Committee has every reason to wonder
about the role of the political deputy. Senators have every reason to
inquire about the language Roberts used when crafting that argument
against Roe. The reasoning a Supreme Court nominee brought to fighting
against strong Voting Rights Act enforcement, to ending school
desegregation and to stripping Congress of oversight of federal
environmental enforcement are all matters of public concern.

Roberts's professional biography suggests that every political choice he
has made has been partisan and often rigidly ideological, from his
clerkship with William Rehnquist through his role as a Republican adviser
in Bush v. Gore. (Memo to Judiciary Committee: There's nothing out of
bounds in asking Roberts's view of that case and whether he thinks the
Supreme Court majority's ruling amounted to judicial activism.) Vigorous
opposition to Roberts offers a powerful lesson on the intersection of
politics and law in Bush's Washington. Bush may not have had a "litmus
test" on Roe v. Wade, but he was precise about the political chemistry of
his nominees. It's revealing that virtually all those floated as Supreme
Court finalists were members of the Federalist Society. Roberts may
not--or may--have been a member (at this writing the White House uses the
deniable "no recollection" to explain why his name shows up in the group's
confidential leadership directory for 1997-98), but between 1999 and 2003
his main professional association was with the fiercely antiregulatory
National Legal Center for the Public Interest. As a judge he's written
that the Endangered Species Act should not apply to a California toad
because it doesn't cross state lines--a view of federal authority so
extreme it would prohibit the EPA from getting involved in purely local
landfills or chemical dumps.

Is Roberts's confirmation a foregone conclusion? There are still several
weeks before hearings and a likely Senate vote, and his would not be the
first nomination to take an unexpected turn. At this point in 1991 the
Clarence Thomas nomination seemed unassailable, and in 1986 few seriously
believed that Robert Bork would go down to defeat. Roberts's record and
his biography may yet reveal additional troubling details.

Is it worth expending energy, emotion and money to oppose Roberts? Let's
return to Ansche Hedgepeth and her french fry arrest. It may seem absurd
to suggest that such a trivial case disqualifies a judge from a seat on
the Supreme Court. Yet Roberts, in that case as in others, embraces a
quietly authoritarian vision of social control that should raise alarm
bells on both the right and the left. Managing to wring out of the law any
vestige of sensible, pragmatic humanity, Roberts saw instead only the
imperative to maintain ideological consistency. This is not "compassionate
conservatism." If "advise and consent" means anything, it is that senators
and the constituencies that agitate behind them have every reason to
oppose a lifetime Supreme Court appointment for that kind of chill heart.


-- 
You are currently on Mha Atma's Earth Action Network email list, 
option D (up to 3 emails/day).  To be removed, or to switch options 
(option A - 1x/week, option B - 3/wk, option C - up to 1x/day, option D - 
up to 3x/day) please reply and let us know!  If someone forwarded you 
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From jefbek at mindspring.com  Wed Aug 10 00:41:21 2005
From: jefbek at mindspring.com (Jef Bek)
Date: Wed Aug 10 00:45:28 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] The Peaceful Occupation of Camp Crawford (Day 4)
Message-ID: <BF1EFDB1.D7B%jefbek@mindspring.com>

The Peaceful Occupation of Camp Crawford (Day 4)
Wednesday, August 10th, 2005

-- a message from Cindy Sheehan, Crawford, TX

Today started at 4am when I had to get up and get ready to be on Good
Morning America. It was pouring down rain at Camp Casey. The wind was
blowing and there was thunder and lightening. It was pretty exciting. The
interview went very well. I haven?t seen it or read a transcript. Since it
was taped, I am just wondering if they showed it when I said Bush doesn't
want to see me because he likes to surround himself with "sycophants." I
also interviewed with Randi Rhodes, Ed Schultz, Greta Van Susteren, and many
others, and closed out the day with my pal, Mike Malloy.

The "first meeting" controversy died down a little today when my town's
newspaper printed an op-ed that contradicted Matt Drudge?s cherry-picked
account of my first meeting with George.

But since they don't have that controversy, they apparently have been lying
about other things. Bill O'Reilly said that I am doing this because I have
been bought out by, "The Arab Anti-Discrimination League." He was telling
his viewers that I am a tool for the liberals and that I am a tool for the
anti-war movement. Right now, what we are doing right here in Crawford is
the anti-war movement. We have such a strong coalition of groups. GSFP, Code
Pink, Veterans for Peace, Military Families Speak Out and the Crawford Peace
House. 

I talked with John Conyers today and he wrote a letter to George signed by
about 18 other Congress members to request that he meet with me. I also
talked to Maxine Waters tonight and she is probably going to be here
tomorrow. I am so overwhelmed by the support.

I did non-stop interviews today. 100 people came through today to visit with
us. About 25 people are staying the night. More food, water, flowers, and
money came through today. One father brought his 2 and 4 year old sons out
to meet me and thank me for trying to save his boys from the same fate Casey
suffered. 

Celeste and Dante Zappala from Philadelphia and Bill Mitchell from
Atascadero, Ca., all members of GSFP, came out today to support me and help
me do interviews and greet all of the people who are arriving.

There is a huge action tomorrow in Aurora, Il. George Bush is leaving the
ranch tomorrow to go to Aurora, Il to sign a part of the energy bill at the
Caterpillar factory. True Majority has raised money to dog George Bush when
he leaves the ranch. Every time he leaves, there will be a GSFP member, MFSO
members, VFP members, and Code Pink members who will protest him and say
"Meet with Cindy." We will not let him have a 5 week nice vacation when
there are millions of people in harm's way in Iraq due to his careless
policies. The people of Iraq and our soldiers are suffering. Why should
George have a nice vacation?

Thank you for all your support and interest.

We are making a difference.

Keep up the good work.

?




From maxfury at granderiver.net  Wed Aug 10 02:43:55 2005
From: maxfury at granderiver.net (Cheeseburger)
Date: Wed Aug 10 02:51:41 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] The Peaceful Occupation of Camp Crawford (Day 4)
Message-ID: <000901c59d90$0799d260$1926b7d8@baby1>

Re:  The Peaceful Occupation of Camp Crawford (Day 4)



CheeseComment:



Dear Ms. Sheehan,


I am sorry about your son.  I am sorry about the war.  I am sorry for
c*cksuckers like Bush etc etc and what they do.

I am glad to see you are doing something positive where you are, and it's
good to hear about all the great interviews, excepting the loser propaganda
from people like O'Reilly.

I hope you do some good there.  If he ever *does* meet with you, will that
be the end of *that*....?  Will everyone there then just go home....?  Seems
to me you are broadcasting much louder if you *never* meet with that
monster.

If he ever *does* meet with you, the guy is a basic imbecile, he would not
be able to talk coherently to you unless thoroughly coached, using someone
like Cheney to answer for him, or reading from a teleprompter, please try to
remember that.

Also please try to remember that Crawford is only about 20 miles away from
where they burned the 78 Branch Davidian men women and children to death in
their own home, which is most likely why they did it in the first place.

Location location location..........

Anyway, I don't *really* have that much to say, this is your journey, and
you're overobviously doing a great job, keep on broadcasting.




Cheeseburger

(One of millions and millions of other Texans who have lived in Texas for so
long that we no longer have the guts to do what you are doing because we
have known for far too long how murderous etc all these fine c*cksuckers can
be at the drop of a hat, whether you're holding a baby in your arms or not,
while the rest of the nation lamely looks at us and sees only smiling cowboy
hats and line dancing.  The Texan Republicans have given America things like
George Bush, Karl Rove, and a Disaster in The Middle East and At Home, and
you have given Texas a grieving mother standing on a dirt road down from the
President's ranch holding up a sign.  In Texas Republicans' eyes that makes
them even with everyone forever for everything.  Try to remember that also
as they're making their next move.)

.

From maxfury at granderiver.net  Wed Aug 10 02:56:31 2005
From: maxfury at granderiver.net (Cheeseburger)
Date: Wed Aug 10 03:04:13 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Montana Supreme Court justice warns Orwell's 1984 has
	arrived.
Message-ID: <000f01c59d91$ca5f7740$1926b7d8@baby1>

Re:  Montana Supreme Court justice warns Orwell's 1984 has arrived.



I didn't see any website printed on my screen for the original post of the
same title, so I went and found it and here it is if you're interested.  A
rather refreshing read from a State Supreme Court Justice somewhat
describing The Future which is already on us like a state leech in heat:


http://news.com.com/2061-10796_3-5820618.html



Cheeseburger

.

From jameshburns at webtv.net  Wed Aug 10 03:04:55 2005
From: jameshburns at webtv.net (Jim Burns)
Date: Wed Aug 10 03:08:01 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Rupert Murdoch Never Gives You His Number...
In-Reply-To: mb-civic-request@islandlists.com's message of Tue, 9 Aug 2005
	12:00:12 -0700
Message-ID: <5802-42F9D147-145@storefull-3273.bay.webtv.net>


"Rupert Murdoch's Fox Fix"
New York Daily News Editorial
August 10, 2005 

While most media companies are trying to determine with accuracy how
many people are watching, reading and surfing their wares, News Corp.,
Rupert Murdoch's entertainment and publishing empire, is trying to buy
and bully its way into burying new TV ratings that could cost it
millions of dollars in revenue. 

News Corp. has fielded an army of Washington lobbyists and is throwing
campaign gifts at both Republicans and Democrats in a naked effort to
protect its bottom line. Responding to the mogul's money and muscle,
pliant lawmakers have rewarded him with what is essentially his own
private bill now pending before Congress. 

Murdoch's target is Nielsen Media Research, the firm that produces the
Nielsen ratings that are used to set advertising rates. A couple of
years back, Nielsen decided to change the way it counted viewers in
local markets like New York and Los Angeles. Instead of having people
fill out diaries of what they watched, Nielsen began hooking televisions
to electronic "people meters" that track channel flipping. 

While Nielsen had long used the system nationally, local results showed
that viewers were switching from broadcast to cable in larger numbers
than realized, and that some Murdoch programs had fewer viewers than
believed. 

Pardon the pun, but he went off the dial. First, News Corp. ginned up
specious charges that Nielsen's people meters undercounted
African-American viewers. That got the attention of black leaders, who
at first complained, but then stood down when the facts came out and
Nielsen began to work with an independent task force to ensure the best
possible count of minorities. 

Having played the race card and failed, Murdoch turned to the GOP
Congress, where his bill would give a private broadcast industry panel
the power to bar any new ratings system. In other words, he would strip
Nielsen of the independence that's so crucial to advertisers, which
explains why the ad industry strenuously opposes the measure. 

Four Republican senators and Rep. Vito Fossella of Staten Island, are
behind this Fox fix. And make no mistake, it is a fix. Roll Call, the
Capitol Hill newspaper, found that a Murdoch lobbyist wrote an early
draft of the bill for lead sponsor Sen. Conrad Burns of Montana. 

There are many outrages here. When Nielsen finds that Fox News has
beaten CNN, News Corp. blows the trumpets. But when the ratings signal
less money for Murdoch's TV stations, Nielsen numbers are not just
untrustworthy, they're racially suspect. When Murdoch's New York Post,
our dear rival, senses advantage, the paper demands stringent
circulation auditing. But when the figures go south in Murdoch's TV
realm, News Corp. tries to force Washington into squelching the count.
When the Post senses a government intrusion into private enterprise, the
paper screams bloody murder. Except when Murdoch twists arms and buys
favors. Then anything goes. 


? 2005 Daily News, L.P. 


From maxfury at granderiver.net  Wed Aug 10 03:16:08 2005
From: maxfury at granderiver.net (Cheeseburger)
Date: Wed Aug 10 03:23:49 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Depleted Uranium is WMD
Message-ID: <001501c59d94$86efa4a0$1926b7d8@baby1>

Re:  Depleted Uranium is WMD



CheeseComment:


Am I supposed to sleep, eat, walk, talk, work, play after that post without
feeling my being disintigrating every millisecond by one of the agents that
was described...?

Really....?     I am........?

Am I supposed to walk around with a geiger counter tied to my dick for the
rest of my life....?

Will I ever look at or think about anything again ever the same in my
life....?

I'm really just supposed to play the game, pretend it's not actually
happening, and continue walking around in the mass delusion of death
game.....?

Out of all the insanely horrible subjects that have, are, and will be put
here, among a zillion other places on perhaps The Internet, this post was
one of the most scariest things I have ever read.

On some level, somewhere, it almost makes everything else seem insignificant
by comparison.

For all I know, after reading that post, perhaps it *is* true that so many
of "Earth's Leaders" have either sold their souls to The Devil for power on
this planet, or made a deal with Aliens or some kind of dimensional
creatures for power on this planet, and all of those Insanos favorite
environment, besides Death Itself (as surely The Destruction Of Everything
On Earth now seems a reasonable assumption-guess of Ultimate Goals for
either Devils, Aliens, Dimensional Creatures, or just Human Leaders at this
late date of Global Observation), may very well be one composed of
Radiation, which, of course, is lethal to every living thing known to exist.

What a perfect plan they have.

It is working perfectly so far.

When you find out, please let me know where to file the global lawsuit.

Thank you.

And if you did *not* read the post that I am replying to, please, do your
mind a favor, read it so you will never sleep again like me.

If this is not really Hell, or some level thereof, they have certainly
created where we live in its image.

Perhaps they were just homesick.

Be it that or not, I can still find no sympathy for them, especially in the
light of the ongoing global annihilation they have so gleefully created.

If everything that lady said in that article is True, then, really, compared
to that, and the Facts contained therein, what a farce everything else seems
to be as we are doing it.

Our descendants are doomed to either perish completely, or be some *really*
deformed freaks in The Future, straight out of your worst sci-fi movie
nightmares.

Except in Reality.

Oh well, so anyway, take all the stuff you see here daily, monthly, yearly,
add it all up, it starts to *really* resemble something like HELL ITSELF, or
at least a really excellent manmade fascimile of it, and then add to all
that This Article I am responding to, and if you don't come up with
something like "We Are Totally Screwed No Matter Which Direction We Go", you
are probably just like the person sitting next to you picking their nose
counting the hairs on their fingers wondering if they should have pizza or
popsicles.

Regardless, let me know when they begin making penis-sized geiger counters.
If I'm going down, I at least want to know how fast.




Cheeseburger

.

From swiggard at comcast.net  Wed Aug 10 04:21:39 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (William Swiggard)
Date: Wed Aug 10 04:26:22 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] For Democrats, a Troubling Culture Gap - Washington Post
Message-ID: <42F9E343.6060605@comcast.net>

For Democrats, a Troubling Culture Gap

By Dan Balz
Wednesday, August 10, 2005; Page A08

Dissatisfaction over the war in Iraq, the economy and rising health care 
costs might spell trouble for Republicans, but a study by Democratic 
strategists warns that their party's failure to connect with voters on 
cultural issues could prevent Democratic candidates from reaping gains 
in upcoming national elections.

Democrats have expressed bewilderment over Republican gains among 
lower-income, less-educated voters, saying they are voting against their 
economic self-interest by supporting Republican candidates. But the new 
Democracy Corps study concludes that cultural issues trump economic 
issues by a wide margin for many of these voters -- giving the GOP a 
significant electoral advantage.

The study is based on focus groups of rural voters in Wisconsin and 
Arkansas and disaffected supporters of President Bush in Colorado and 
Kentucky. The good news for Democrats: All the groups expressed 
dissatisfaction with the direction of the country and with the 
leadership of the president and the GOP-controlled Congress.

Then came the bad news: "As powerful as the concern over these issues 
is, the introduction of cultural themes -- specifically gay marriage, 
abortion, the importance of the traditional family unit and the role of 
religion in public life -- quickly renders them almost irrelevant in 
terms of electoral politics at the national level," the study said.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/09/AR2005080901334.html

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From swiggard at comcast.net  Wed Aug 10 04:23:28 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (William Swiggard)
Date: Wed Aug 10 04:28:06 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Dana Reeve Gets Diagnosis of Lung Cancer - Washington
	Post
Message-ID: <42F9E3B0.5020909@comcast.net>

Dana Reeve Gets Diagnosis of Lung Cancer

By Chip Crews
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, August 10, 2005; Page C01

Dana Reeve, who won nationwide admiration as she cared for her husband, 
Christopher, through nine years of paralysis that ended with his death 
last year, announced yesterday that she has lung cancer.

"I have an excellent team of physicians, and we are optimistic about my 
prognosis," Reeve, 44, said in a statement.

Reeve, an actress and a singer, said she was making the announcement 
"based on the imminent release of a tabloid article regarding my 
personal health."

Hers is the second lung cancer case to make headlines this week. 
Longtime ABC News anchor Peter Jennings died of the disease Sunday night.

In May 1995, three years into Christopher and Dana Reeve's marriage, 
their lives changed forever when he fell from a horse during a 
cross-country race in Culpeper, Va., shattering his first cervical 
vertebra and breaking the second. He emerged as a quadriplegic and 
quickly transformed himself into the nation's highest-profile advocate 
for the funding of research into spinal-cord injuries. His wife stood at 
his side, taking a much-noted role as caregiver, speechmaker and fellow 
activist.

<>At the time of the accident, Christopher Reeve had been a popular 
movie actor for the better part of two decades, but his unflinching 
response to paralysis won him admiration on a far wider scale. Dana 
Reeve also received her share of plaudits.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/09/AR2005080901542.html?nav=hcmodule 

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From swiggard at comcast.net  Wed Aug 10 04:26:31 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (William Swiggard)
Date: Wed Aug 10 04:31:10 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] It's Not a Science Gap (Yet) - Robert J. Samuelson -
	Washington Post
Message-ID: <42F9E467.2020700@comcast.net>

It's Not a Science Gap (Yet)

By Robert J. Samuelson
Wednesday, August 10, 2005; Page A17

A nation's economic power could once be judged by tons of steel or 
megawatts of electricity. But we have moved beyond these simple 
indicators or even updated versions, such as computer chips. All 
advanced societies now depend so completely on technology that their 
economic might is often measured by their number of scientists and 
engineers. By that indicator, America's economic power is waning. We're 
producing a shrinking share of the world's technological talent. China 
and India are only the newest competitors to erode our position. We need 
to consider the implications, because they're more complicated than they 
seem.

As late as 1975, the United States graduated more engineering and 
scientific PhDs than Europe and more than three times as many as all of 
Asia, reports Harvard University economist Richard Freeman in a recent 
paper. No more. The European Union now graduates about 50 percent more, 
and Asia is slightly ahead of us. By Freeman's estimates, China has 
reached almost half the U.S. total and will easily overtake us by 2010. 
Among engineers with bachelor's degrees, the gaps are already huge. In 
2001 China graduated 220,000 engineers, against about 60,000 for the 
United States, the National Science Foundation reports.

Freeman also documents a second worrisome reality: U.S. scientists and 
engineers aren't well paid, considering their skills and -- especially 
for PhDs -- the required time for a degree. This means, Freeman says, 
that "the job market . . . is too weak to attract increasing numbers of 
U.S. students." Consider some pay comparisons. From 1990 to 2000, 
average incomes for engineering PhDs increased from $65,000 to $91,000, 
up 41 percent; PhDs in natural sciences (physics, chemistry) rose from 
$56,000 to $73,000, up 30 percent. Meanwhile, average doctors' incomes 
increased from $99,000 to $156,000, up 58 percent; and lawyers went from 
$77,000 to $115,000, up 49 percent.

The true situation may be worse. Next to other elites, scientific and 
engineering PhDs fare poorly. Look at the 891 MBA recipients of the 
Harvard Business School's class of 2005. At an average age of 27, they 
command a median starting salary of $100,000. It's true that the 
two-year cost of a Harvard MBA is steep ($120,000 and up), and 
four-fifths of the students are left with debts averaging $81,000. But 
these new Harvard MBAs also got huge one-time bonuses; the median was 
$43,000. As for scientific and engineering PhDs, they typically require 
seven to eight years to finish their degrees, notes Freeman.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/09/AR2005080901164.html?nav=hcmodule

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From swiggard at comcast.net  Wed Aug 10 04:31:21 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (William Swiggard)
Date: Wed Aug 10 04:36:01 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Shoot to Kill - Editorial - Washington Post
Message-ID: <42F9E589.3060100@comcast.net>

<>Shoot to Kill
Wednesday, August 10, 2005; Page A16

THE HORRIFIC shooting last month in London of an innocent Brazilian man, 
Jean Charles de Menezes, gives a chilling edge to guidance issued only 
days earlier by the International Association of Chiefs of Police about 
confronting suicide bombers. The guidance adopts a looser attitude 
toward the use of deadly force: In suicide bombing cases, officers 
should use force not only when the threat of someone's death is imminent 
but when they have a "reasonable basis to believe that the suspect has 
the capability to detonate a bomb." And when they need to shoot, 
officers should aim "at the bomber's head." British police, who chased 
Mr. Menezes into a subway car, jumped on him and then shot him 
repeatedly in the head, behaved much as the guidance suggests, under a 
similar British order -- the result being the death of a bystander.

A London-like disaster here, much as Americans might hope otherwise, is 
no longer unthinkable. For possible suicide bombing cases, U.S. Capitol 
Police officers have been retrained to shoot at the head as well. The 
idea is that when bombers have explosives strapped to their chests, a 
disabling shot to the torso is not a viable option. It can detonate 
volatile explosives or it can leave the bomber alive and capable of 
detonating them himself. Tasers can also set off the bomb. So if lethal 
force is necessary to stop a suicide bomber, it has to be a killing shot 
away from the torso -- that is, a shot to the head.

But as the London tragedy shows, accurately identifying a suicide bomber 
with split-second timing is difficult. And shoot-to-kill mistakes are 
irreversible. The guidance from the police chiefs organization, citing a 
number of characteristics, profiles a likely suicide bomber as someone 
wearing "heavy clothing no matter what the season," walking robotically 
with the appearance of drug use, carrying a backpack and making evasive 
movements, or "keeping a hand in the pocket." Washingtonians frequently 
see homeless or mentally ill people who meet this description. And like 
Mr. Menezes, such people might run from police rather than stop.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/09/AR2005080901220.html

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From swiggard at comcast.net  Wed Aug 10 04:34:37 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (William Swiggard)
Date: Wed Aug 10 04:39:15 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Big Tobacco's toll - Derrick Z. Jackson - The Boston
	Globe
Message-ID: <42F9E64D.8090305@comcast.net>

<>Big Tobacco's toll
By Derrick Z. Jackson, Globe Columnist  |  August 10, 2005

IN 1996, Peter Jennings led off an ABC News special by saying, ''Tonight 
we're going to show you how the tobacco companies continue to prosper 
despite the damage these things do and despite the increased pressure 
the companies are under from lawsuits and proposed government 
regulation. This is a very, very smart industry that has been turning 
adversity into opportunity for the last 30 years."

Last year Jennings anchored another special about Big Tobacco. After a 
public health professor led off by saying, ''Congress, which is 
essentially bought by the tobacco industry, isn't willing to act to save 
literally tens of millions of American lives," Jennings added, ''This is 
also a program about the failure of the country's public health leaders. 
They squandered an opportunity to save millions of lives."

Jennings lost his own life this week from lung cancer from smoking. His 
struggle in some ways mirrors the nation's entanglement with cigarettes. 
Jennings smoked for about 30 years beginning in the 1950s at age 13. He 
quit for 20 years, then resumed smoking after the terrorist attacks of 
9/11. The nation began warning Americans about the dangers of smoking in 
the 1960s. In the four decades since, smoking rates in the United States 
and the public places where smoking is allowed have declined dramatically.

But the industry is alive and well, littering the planet with illness 
and death. Despite the drop in the last half century, 22 percent of US 
high school students smoke. The Centers for Disease Control predicts 
that 6.4 million of US children alive today will die of a 
smoking-related disease. Globally, the World Health Organization 
predicts that deaths due to smoking will grow from a current 5 million 
people a year to 10 million a year by 2020. About 650 million people 
alive today will die from smoking.

Jennings noted that he resumed smoking because ''I was weak." He said he 
would try to resume his duties on ''good days." The good days never 
came. He prematurely relinquished his anchor spot in a nation where 5.5 
million years of potential life and $92 billion of productivity are lost 
every year to smoking and where smoking-related health costs amount to 
$75.5 billion, according to the CDC.

http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2005/08/10/big_tobaccos_toll/

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From hecate at diamonddragon.com  Wed Aug 10 09:20:39 2005
From: hecate at diamonddragon.com (Hecate)
Date: Wed Aug 10 09:23:45 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] BBC E-mail: Race against time on 'Killer Mountain'
Message-ID: <20050810_162039_058986.hecate@diamonddragon.com>

Hecate saw this story on BBC News Online and thought you
should see it.



** Race against time on 'Killer Mountain' **
Pakistani rescuers describe their race against time to save a mountaineer trapped on a peak known as Killer Mountain.
< http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/fr/-/2/hi/south_asia/4139002.stm >


** BBC Daily E-mail **
Choose the news and sport headlines you want - when you want them, all
in one daily e-mail
< http://www.bbc.co.uk/dailyemail/ >


** Disclaimer **
The BBC is not responsible for the content of this e-mail, and anything written in this e-mail does not necessarily reflect the BBC's views or opinions. Please note that neither the e-mail address nor name of the sender have?been verified.

If you do not wish to receive such e-mails in the future or want to know more about the BBC's Email a Friend service, please read our frequently asked questions. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/help/4162471.stm

From michael at intrafi.com  Wed Aug 10 09:54:21 2005
From: michael at intrafi.com (michael@intrafi.com)
Date: Wed Aug 10 09:57:29 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] FT.com / Comment & analysis / Comment - America must
	show wisdom in relations with China
Message-ID: <13075544.1123692861839.JavaMail.tomcat@localhost>



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From michael at intrafi.com  Wed Aug 10 09:56:04 2005
From: michael at intrafi.com (michael@intrafi.com)
Date: Wed Aug 10 09:59:10 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] FT.com / Comment & analysis / Comment - To stay in the
	game, Hamas has to play by the rules
Message-ID: <18912963.1123692964554.JavaMail.tomcat@localhost>



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From villasudjuan at wanadoo.fr  Wed Aug 10 07:23:36 2005
From: villasudjuan at wanadoo.fr (villasudjuan)
Date: Wed Aug 10 10:10:53 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] FW: Ahmadinejad damns 'insult' but wants to negotiate !
In-Reply-To: <6F994BFB-AE3B-4B9A-8F71-3DA8623BB507@thesamiis.com>
Message-ID: <200508101710.j7AHApV4006691@dune.islandtechnologies.net>


------ Forwarded Message
From: Samii Shahla <shahla@thesamiis.com>
Date: Tue, 9 Aug 2005 17:24:16 -0400
Subject: Ahmadinejad damns 'insult' but wants to negotiate !

Yahoo News

Iran defiant on nuclear as Ahmadinejad damns 'insult'

Tue Aug 9,12:26 PM ET
Iran expressed defiance in the face of an emergency meeting on its nuclear
programme, with President Mahmood Ahmadinejad dismissing a European Union
offer of nuclear cooperation as an "insult".

Accusing Europe of "living in the last century", Ahmadinejad said he still
wanted talks that are teetering on collapse following Tehran's decision to
resume uranium conversion activities to continue, but with different
proposals.

"We are ready to continue the negotiations with the Europeans. I have
initiatives and new propositions that I am going to announce after my
government is formed," the student agency ISNA quoted the new president as
telling UN chief Kofi Annan in a telephone conversation on Monday.

But he described an offer of nuclear, commercial and political cooperation
made on Friday by the Europeans in exchange for Iran renouncing
ultra-sensitive nuclear activities as an "insult to the Iranian people".

"The Europeans talk as though the Iranian people were a backward people, as
if they were still in the last century when they dominated our country," he
said.

Ahmadinejad's tough rhetoric appears to confirm fears that he will adopt a
tougher stance on the nuclear issue than his reformist predecessor,
especially after the appointment of hardliner Ali Larijani on Monday as
atomic supremo.

News of his comments came as the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
met in emergency session following the resumption on Monday of uranium
conversion -- the precursor to enrichment -- at a plant on the outskirts of
the central city of Isfahan.

In a crucial symbolic act, seals placed by the IAEA on the facility back in
November were to be removed on Wednesday after the UN agency finished
putting in place surveillance cameras, officials said.

"Resuming conversion in Isfahan is the will of the people and in no way
constitutes an illegal and unilateral action," said Ahmadinejad.

The vehemence of Ahmadinejad's defence of Iran's right to the nuclear fuel
cycle was echoed by Defence Minister Ali Shamkhani, who said Iran should not
worry about the possibility it will now be referred to the UN Security
Council.

"Should we accept humiliation, the sanctions, see ourselves be punished, or
should we resist? I think that we should resist," Shamkhani told
journalists.

"What are they going to do at the Security Council, impose sanctions on us?
Sanctions have already been imposed on us," he added.

Although Shamkhani judged it "probable" that Iran would be sent to the UN
Security Council over its nuclear programme, he predicted that this would
not be happening in the immediate aftermath of Tuesday's IAEA meeting.

"It is not as though they are going to send us tomorrow to the Security
Council.

"I think that they will adopt a resolution against Iran which will ask why
it has stopped applying the Paris agreement" concluded in November with the
Europeans under which Iran suspended uranium enrichment and conversion
activities.

The Islamic republic's defiance won approval in the hardline press with
Jomhuri Eslami saying that the "next step is Natanz", referring to Iran's
nuclear enrichment plant. "We have won," it said.

For Ressalat, the "only possibility of an understanding with the Europeans
is that they acknowledge our right".

Copyright ? 2005 Agence France Presse. All rights reserved.
---
URL:?http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20050809/wl_mideast_afp/irannucleariaea_050
809161821;_ylt=AopVHCNG16OfD4P5Aj3nmyNSw60A;_ylu=X3oDMTBiMW04NW9mBHNlYwMlJVR
PUCUl


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From geomilman at milman.com  Wed Aug 10 10:43:02 2005
From: geomilman at milman.com (George R. Milman)
Date: Wed Aug 10 10:46:15 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Support Our Troops: Call a Truce in America's Drug War -
	Arianna Huffington
Message-ID: <200508101743.j7AHh0g6003114@cerberus.companyv.com>

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/theblog/archive/arianna-huffington/support-our
-troops-call_5382.html

 

 

 

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From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Wed Aug 10 10:54:03 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (mblaxill@yahoo.com)
Date: Wed Aug 10 10:57:17 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Headlines for August 10, 2005
Message-ID: <20050810175403.3946.qmail@trinity.democracynow.org>

Mike Blaxill  ( mblaxill@yahoo.com )
sent you this story from democracynow.org



+--------------------------------------------------------------------+
|  Headlines for August 10, 2005
|  http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=05/08/10/1346242
+--------------------------------------------------------------------+


- White House Delays Release of Roberts Documents
- Conservative Group Withdraws Support For Roberts
- Federal Court Overturns Convictions of the Cuba 5
- Poll: 57% of U.S. Says Iraq War Has Made Nation Less Safe
- Bush Looks to Cut State Dept. Arms Control Offices
- 5 Die in Taser Police Shootings
- NCAA Cracks Down on Native American Mascots
This story continues at: 
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=05/08/10/1346242

From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Wed Aug 10 10:56:16 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (mblaxill@yahoo.com)
Date: Wed Aug 10 10:59:21 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] NYTimes.com: Mayor of Baghdad Is Deposed;
	Insurgents Kill 4 U.S. Troops
Message-ID: <20050810175616.8DA4E83D3A@lax-gw03.mroute.net>

This page was sent to you by: mblaxill@yahoo.com.

INTERNATIONAL | August 10, 2005
Mayor of Baghdad Is Deposed; Insurgents Kill 4 U.S. Troops
By JAMES GLANZ
Armed men installed a member of Iraq's top Shiite militia as mayor a day before insurgents ambushed the U.S. in the north.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/10/international/10cnd-iraq.html?ex=1124337600&en=36166a6a8ab93d6b&ei=5070&emc=eta1




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Copyright 2005 The New York Times Company
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From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Wed Aug 10 10:56:51 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (mblaxill@yahoo.com)
Date: Wed Aug 10 10:59:55 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] NYTimes.com: 9/11 Panel Seeks Inquiry on New Atta Report
Message-ID: <20050810175651.798A411F8AA@lax-gw07.mroute.net>

This page was sent to you by: mblaxill@yahoo.com.

WASHINGTON | August 10, 2005
9/11 Panel Seeks Inquiry on New Atta Report
By PHILIP SHENON and DOUGLAS JEHL
Former commission members said the information could rewrite a chapter of the history of pre-9/11 intelligence failures.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/10/politics/10intel.html?ex=1124337600&en=f0b8265731e8319c&ei=5070&emc=eta1



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From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Wed Aug 10 11:02:05 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (mblaxill@yahoo.com)
Date: Wed Aug 10 11:05:09 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] NYTimes.com: Big Brother and the Bureaucrats
Message-ID: <20050810180205.3708A3AE555@lax-gw06.mroute.net>

This page was sent to you by: mblaxill@yahoo.com.

OPINION | August 10, 2005
Op-Ed Contributor: Big Brother and the Bureaucrats
By PATRICK RADDEN KEEFE
John Bolton's hearings are over. The spying scandal isn't.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/10/opinion/10keefe.html?ex=1124337600&en=3e183a2f2ec3e7d0&ei=5070&emc=eta1




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From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Wed Aug 10 11:05:04 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (mblaxill@yahoo.com)
Date: Wed Aug 10 11:08:11 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] NYTimes.com: Colombia Unearthing Plight of Its
	'Disappeared'
Message-ID: <20050810180504.21A40249D2B@lax-gw08.mroute.net>

This page was sent to you by: mblaxill@yahoo.com.

INTERNATIONAL / AMERICAS | August 10, 2005
Colombia Unearthing Plight of Its 'Disappeared'
By JUAN FORERO
The families of the victims of right-wing paramilitary groups have finally begun speaking out, despite lingering dangers.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/10/international/americas/10colombia.html?ex=1124337600&en=5db50c5707ab9a95&ei=5070&emc=eta1




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From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Wed Aug 10 11:08:54 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (mblaxill@yahoo.com)
Date: Wed Aug 10 11:11:59 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] NYTimes.com: Ohio Critics of G.O.P. Start Battle to
	Change Election Process
Message-ID: <20050810180854.D675D11F85F@lax-gw07.mroute.net>

This page was sent to you by: mblaxill@yahoo.com.

NATIONAL | August 10, 2005
Ohio Critics of G.O.P. Start Battle to Change Election Process
By DEAN E. MURPHY
Critics of the state's powerful Republicans are seeking a vote on three constitutional amendments that would overturn the way elections are run.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/10/national/10ohio.html?ex=1124337600&en=c1c8ddab5e467daa&ei=5070&emc=eta1



----------------- Advertisement --------------------------

The Academy loved these movies enough to name each
one Best Picture.  What did the original New York
Times movie reviews have to say about these Oscar
winning films?  
Go to the Best Pictures review archive:

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From harperalexander at mail.com  Wed Aug 10 12:24:37 2005
From: harperalexander at mail.com (Alexander Harper)
Date: Wed Aug 10 12:27:45 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] On the proposed extension of UK licensing (drinking)
	hours.
Message-ID: <20050810192437.CD4901CE539@ws1-6.us4.outblaze.com>

There are worries in the UK that the extension of licensing hours will lead to increased alcohol fuelled thuggery, violence, vandalism etc

Herewith a thought from the FT.



Bar room philosophy 

A tattooed thug enters a pub and greets a friend:

Thug 1: How goes it, mon vieux?

Thug 2: Alas, I have ennui.

Thug 1: I am desolated. Is it that your studies of Sartre have deprived your life of meaning?

Thug 2: The knowledge that my existence is essentially pointless has indeed alloyed the quotidian pleasure I once derived from stealing cars and following The Millwall. But beyond that, I have been devastated by the comments of the judges. A Gauloise? 

Thug 1: Thanks. What do those fascists say?

Thug 2: They say government plans to create a continental-style caf&eacute; culture in the UK by extending licensing hours will fuel binge drinking and anti-social behaviour. 

Thug 1: Salauds! Those judges get tipsy on digestifs and dress in women&#8217;s stockings like that nincompoop Michel Foucault. What do they know of the pleasures of the proletariat?

Thug 2: Nothing, naturally.

Thug 1: Besides, it is too late, mon brave. The new laws, they are already in place. Patron! Two cognacs if you please! A toast! To the liberation of licensing hours! Salut!

Thug 1: Salut! And now it is Happy Hour, when lager costs 79p per pint.

Thug 2: So, my friend, there is nothing to stop us getting bladdered and starting a punch-up?

Thug 1: Formidable! What better way to &eacute;pater those bourgeois judges!


AlBaraka


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From harperalexander at mail.com  Wed Aug 10 12:36:23 2005
From: harperalexander at mail.com (Alexander Harper)
Date: Wed Aug 10 12:39:31 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] The clamour for an eccentric Europe
Message-ID: <20050810193624.146244BEC6@ws1-1.us4.outblaze.com>

Excellent, must-read, thumbnail sketch of the present state of Europe by Tom Kremer (FT).

Al Baraka



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Main page content:
The clamour for an eccentric Europe
By Tom Kremer 
Published: August 9 2005 20:35 | Last updated: August 9 2005 20:35

The leaders of France, Germany and the European Union are in denial. They have offered wonderful explanations of why the French and Dutch referendums had nothing to do with the proposed EU constitution, EU integration, the unpopularity of Jacques Chirac, the French president, the menacing Turk, the spectre of the Polish plumber navigating the Paris drains and the euro-betrayal of the Dutch citizen.
 
The last EU summit was, as usual, preoccupied with current crises: the EU budget, the British rebate and whether the constitution should be buried, held frozen in a morgue or transferred to an intensive care unit. What the governing class failed to hear was the authentic voice of the people of France and the Netherlands, asserting their prime allegiance to their countries. The Dutch apparently prefer to stay Dutch. The French, now that they no longer control an enlarged Union, are unwilling to relinquish their way of life. The Germans, if permitted, would vote not just against the constitution but for the return of their cherished Deutschmark.

The engineers of the EU are deaf to the rising clamour of national identities as they are blind to the continent&#8217;s diversity of economic and political cultures. The fatal assumption has been that member states are similar, that national diversity does not matter and can be over-ridden by negotiations in a closed political circle. But it is this diversity that determines how far, how fast and how deep integration can be.

Europe&#8217;s faultline does not lie in the middle of the English Channel. Across the continent it separates those countries with an eccentric heritage, where power emanates from the grass roots and authority is vested in the individual, from those with a concentric tradition, where power is centralised and the corporate state predominates. The confrontation between France and Britain is not about &#8364;3bn or integration, or the visceral dislike of two leaders or about reigniting historical rivalries. It is more profound than that.

What makes Britain eccentric is the organic development of its parliamentary democracy; its trade-based maritime expansion; a rich, flexible and near grammar-less language; a pragmatic approach to life and philosophy; the common law; an anti-authoritarian spirit; an irreverent humour; an unwritten constitution; reliance on individual initiative; commercial enterprise and an attitude of carelessness. 

What makes France concentric is almost the exact opposite. It moved from absolutist rule to an uneasy democracy by episodic revolutions; the grammar of its language is sophisticated with a vocabulary jealously guarded by an august academic body; its philosophy is steeped in great ideals with logic preferred to common sense; its monarchies, empires and republics are distinguished by a rich tapestry of often rewritten constitutions; it draws heavily on formal, written procedures inherent in Roman law rather than live evidence and courtroom drama; its people defer, if with some resentment, to the authority of the state; a reliance on state-supported enterprises and a bureaucracy that governs life through manifold regulations that its citizens have learnt to circumvent.

In critical respects the Nordic countries, the Netherlands, the Czech Republic and Britain are eccentric while Germany, Spain and France form the concentric core of the continent. The significance of the French Non lies in the fact that the populations of the &#8220;core&#8221; countries are beginning to understand that the EU is not delivering. The people of the continent are now being asked to pay the price of an elusive Greater Europe.

The damage inflicted by a premature, politically inspired euro demonstrates the limitations of closer economic union. The havoc in the wake of the attempted imposition of an ill-conceived European constitution demonstrates the futility of constructing a political union. For a union to be successful the members have to be close enough in character and intent to act as one. This is not the case with Europe. Persisting with a concentric integration results not in a stronger Europe but in its fragmentation. 

For the next decade the struggle between a concentric and an eccentric future will dominate the politics of Europe. France and Britain, as chief protagonists of this polarity, will be engaged in a cold war. Globalisation, the emergence of competitive Asian economies and the preponderance of US power make an eccentric resolution inevitable. A French-inspired, protected geographic entity cannot withstand the forces of the 21st century.

What is needed, and what the constitution signally failed to provide, is a clear demarcation between a competitive economic bloc, generally considered desirable, and a political union, the pet project of the political class. We need the downsizing of Brussels, the repatriation of decision-making powers, the transformation of the euro from a political currency to one that serves trade and travel and a political language free of grandiose claims and untenable promises. Even the political classes will have to admit eventually that a cocktail of enlargement, integration and national sovereignty is undrinkable. It is in the interests of Britain, and it is singularly well placed, to take the lead in driving this agenda.


The writer is the author of The Missing Heart of Europe (June Press) 
 


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From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Wed Aug 10 16:21:13 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (mblaxill@yahoo.com)
Date: Wed Aug 10 16:24:29 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Did Speaker Hastert Accept Turkish Bribes to Deny
	Armenian Genocide and Approve Weapons Sales?
Message-ID: <20050810232113.8000.qmail@trinity.democracynow.org>

Mike Blaxill  ( mblaxill@yahoo.com )
sent you this story from democracynow.org



+--------------------------------------------------------------------+
|  Did Speaker Hastert Accept Turkish Bribes to Deny Armenian Genocide and Approve Weapons Sales?
|  http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=05/08/10/1346254
+--------------------------------------------------------------------+


Former FBI translator Sibel Edmonds is accusing the FBI of covering up improper contacts and financial dealings between certain Turkish nationals and the office of House Speaker Dennis Hastert. We speak with Sibel Edmonds and Vanity Fair journalist David Rose. [includes rush transcript]
This story continues at: 
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=05/08/10/1346254

From michael at michaelbutler.com  Wed Aug 10 17:23:32 2005
From: michael at michaelbutler.com (Michael Butler)
Date: Wed Aug 10 17:26:37 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Tell your friends: Support Cindy Sheehan
Message-ID: <BF1FE894.2316C%michael@michaelbutler.com>

MoveOn is taking out an ad in President Bush's local newspaper in support of
Cindy Sheehan, the mother of a soldier killed in Iraq who is camped outside
Bush's ranch in Texas asking for a meeting with the president. They'll
publish the number of signers and the best comments in a full two-page
spread in the newspaper nearest to Crawford (The Waco Tribune Herald) while
Cindy holds her vigil. Can you sign and spread the word before the 3:00 PM
Friday print deadline?

http://political.moveon.org/meetwithcindy/



From harry.sifton at sympatico.ca  Wed Aug 10 17:45:58 2005
From: harry.sifton at sympatico.ca (Harold Sifton)
Date: Wed Aug 10 17:49:10 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] He is not even in the ground yet!
Message-ID: <000d01c59e0e$0d5fcc80$493fe440@Harold>

Sick America, Peter Jennings memorabilia already up for auction on e-bay

http://search.ebay.com/peter-jennings_W0QQfkrZ1QQfromZR8

Some American's conduct for pursuit of money is just so pathetic.........

Not good!!

H

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From geomilman at milman.com  Wed Aug 10 08:56:52 2005
From: geomilman at milman.com (George R. Milman)
Date: Wed Aug 10 18:12:56 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] FW: Incredible Hands
Message-ID: <200508101611.j7AGBGaI006540@dune.islandtechnologies.net>

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From cararobindesign at hotmail.com  Wed Aug 10 15:42:58 2005
From: cararobindesign at hotmail.com (Cara Robin)
Date: Wed Aug 10 18:13:02 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] This is a Valid Virus/Hacker Warning from Cara Robin
Message-ID: <BAY103-F13CA24D62B3457575AEA66B4BA0@phx.gbl>

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From ean at sbcglobal.net  Wed Aug 10 21:57:32 2005
From: ean at sbcglobal.net (ean@sbcglobal.net)
Date: Wed Aug 10 22:00:44 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Re: Re:  Depleted Uranium is WMD
In-Reply-To: <200508101126.j7ABQR8s005851@dune.islandtechnologies.net>
Message-ID: <42FA784C.5942.375538@localhost>

Hey Mr. Cheese, as the poster of this article I'm sorry it sent you into a 
tailspin.  Reality in this world is pretty harsh.  Sometimes I feel the 
same way---like a hobbit who just stared into the crystal ball and saw 
the Dork Lord in all his awful and unstoppable glory (apologize to you 
and all who may not be lordoftherings readers).  Other times despite 
knowing about this and much other nasty reality i feel guarded but 
bubbling optimism.  Dunno why.  Is it pure denial?  Or is life and hope 
inexorably intertwined?  Billions of people on this planet, and while 
some are acting despicably and many are clueless, there are many 
others whose brave and dedicated lives inspire me and give me hope.  
I guess I feel that as long as they are stubbornly refusing to give up, I 
won't either.  Too much at stake, even if it feels impossible.

love, mha atma


On 10 Aug 2005 at 4:26, mb-civic-request@islandlists.com wrote:

> Re:  Depleted Uranium is WMD
> 
> 
> 
> CheeseComment:
> 
> 
> Am I supposed to sleep, eat, walk, talk, work, play after that post
> without feeling my being disintigrating every millisecond by one of the
> agents that was described...?
> 
> Really....?     I am........?
> 
> Am I supposed to walk around with a geiger counter tied to my dick for the
> rest of my life....?
> 
> Will I ever look at or think about anything again ever the same in my
> life....?
> 
> I'm really just supposed to play the game, pretend it's not actually
> happening, and continue walking around in the mass delusion of death
> game.....?
> 
> Out of all the insanely horrible subjects that have, are, and will be put
> here, among a zillion other places on perhaps The Internet, this post was
> one of the most scariest things I have ever read.
> 
> On some level, somewhere, it almost makes everything else seem
> insignificant by comparison.
> 
> For all I know, after reading that post, perhaps it *is* true that so many
> of "Earth's Leaders" have either sold their souls to The Devil for power
> on this planet, or made a deal with Aliens or some kind of dimensional
> creatures for power on this planet, and all of those Insanos favorite
> environment, besides Death Itself (as surely The Destruction Of Everything
> On Earth now seems a reasonable assumption-guess of Ultimate Goals for
> either Devils, Aliens, Dimensional Creatures, or just Human Leaders at
> this late date of Global Observation), may very well be one composed of
> Radiation, which, of course, is lethal to every living thing known to
> exist.
> 
> What a perfect plan they have.
> 
> It is working perfectly so far.
> 
> When you find out, please let me know where to file the global lawsuit.
> 
> Thank you.
> 
> And if you did *not* read the post that I am replying to, please, do your
> mind a favor, read it so you will never sleep again like me.
> 
> If this is not really Hell, or some level thereof, they have certainly
> created where we live in its image.
> 
> Perhaps they were just homesick.
> 
> Be it that or not, I can still find no sympathy for them, especially in
> the light of the ongoing global annihilation they have so gleefully
> created.
> 
> If everything that lady said in that article is True, then, really,
> compared to that, and the Facts contained therein, what a farce everything
> else seems to be as we are doing it.
> 
> Our descendants are doomed to either perish completely, or be some
> *really* deformed freaks in The Future, straight out of your worst sci-fi
> movie nightmares.
> 
> Except in Reality.
> 
> Oh well, so anyway, take all the stuff you see here daily, monthly,
> yearly, add it all up, it starts to *really* resemble something like HELL
> ITSELF, or at least a really excellent manmade fascimile of it, and then
> add to all that This Article I am responding to, and if you don't come up
> with something like "We Are Totally Screwed No Matter Which Direction We
> Go", you are probably just like the person sitting next to you picking
> their nose counting the hairs on their fingers wondering if they should
> have pizza or popsicles.
> 
> Regardless, let me know when they begin making penis-sized geiger
> counters. If I'm going down, I at least want to know how fast.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Cheeseburger
> 
> .


From ean at sbcglobal.net  Wed Aug 10 21:43:08 2005
From: ean at sbcglobal.net (ean@sbcglobal.net)
Date: Wed Aug 10 22:01:09 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Big Tobacco's toll
Message-ID: <200508110501.j7B5165r008086@dune.islandtechnologies.net>

http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2005
/08/10/big_tobaccos_toll/

Boston.com 	The Boston Globe
DERRICK Z. JACKSON
Big Tobacco's toll


By Derrick Z. Jackson, Globe Columnist  |  August 10, 2005

IN 1996, Peter Jennings led off an ABC News special by saying, 
''Tonight we're going to show you how the tobacco companies continue 
to prosper despite the damage these things do and despite the 
increased pressure the companies are under from lawsuits and 
proposed government regulation. This is a very, very smart industry 
that has been turning adversity into opportunity for the last 30 years."

Last year Jennings anchored another special about Big Tobacco. After 
a public health professor led off by saying, ''Congress, which is 
essentially bought by the tobacco industry, isn't willing to act to save 
literally tens of millions of American lives," Jennings added, ''This is 
also a program about the failure of the country's public health leaders. 
They squandered an opportunity to save millions of lives."

Jennings lost his own life this week from lung cancer from smoking. 
His struggle in some ways mirrors the nation's entanglement with 
cigarettes. Jennings smoked for about 30 years beginning in the 1950s 
at age 13. He quit for 20 years, then resumed smoking after the 
terrorist attacks of 9/11. The nation began warning Americans about 
the dangers of smoking in the 1960s. In the four decades since, 
smoking rates in the United States and the public places where 
smoking is allowed have declined dramatically.

But the industry is alive and well, littering the planet with illness and 
death. Despite the drop in the last half century, 22 percent of US high 
school students smoke. The Centers for Disease Control predicts that 
6.4 million of US children alive today will die of a smoking-related 
disease. Globally, the World Health Organization predicts that deaths 
due to smoking will grow from a current 5 million people a year to 10 
million a year by 2020. About 650 million people alive today will die 
from smoking.

Jennings noted that he resumed smoking because ''I was weak." He 
said he would try to resume his duties on ''good days." The good days 
never came. He prematurely relinquished his anchor spot in a nation 
where 5.5 million years of potential life and $92 billion of productivity 
are lost every year to smoking and where smoking-related health costs 
amount to $75.5 billion, according to the CDC.

Cigarettes remain strong precisely because tobacco CEOs 
shamelessly prey on the weak while landmark tobacco settlements in 
several states that were supposed to funnel money into prevention 
have been gutted by budget woes. Last month, Altria, the parent 
company of Philip Morris USA, proudly announced that operating 
income from cigarettes increased 4 percent to $1.3 billion for the 
second quarter of this year. The international division of Philip Morris 
zoomed 38 percent to $2 billion for the quarter. Referring to sales of 
Marlboro in Japan, Dinny Devitre, Altria's senior vice president and 
chief financial officer, said, ''consumer pull is strong."

Similarly, Lorillard CEO Marty Orlowsky boasted an 11 percent 
increase in cigarette profits for the first half of this year over last year. 
Lorillard makes Newports, the nation's top-selling menthol cigarette. 
Newport rose to an all-time share of the domestic market. ''Lorillard 
outperformed the industry in terms of its shipment performance," 
Orlowsky said.

Over at Reynolds American, which acquired Brown & Williamson last 
year to merge the nation's second- and third-largest tobacco 
companies, CFO Dianne Neal reported a 66 percent increase in 
second-quarter profits from $151 million in the same period last year to 
$251 million this time around. ''We have achieved all of our critical 
one-year milestones and importantly, we are moving ahead with 
confidence in our vision and our road map," she said.

British American Tobacco, maker of Lucky Strike and Kent and which 
has a 42 percent stake in Reynolds, boasted a 37 percent increase in 
quarterly profits. BAT chairman Jan du Pleiss called the profits ''an 
excellent set of results . . . we have achieved organic growth."

The ''critical milestones" and ''road map" for Camel and Kool cigarettes 
are critical-care units and tombstones for everyone else. Global 
organic growth for du Pleiss is a funeral organ at your local church. 
Consumer pull is strong all right, pulling Jennings off the airwaves and 
millions of people away from their loved ones forever. While prevention 
funds are drying up, campaign contributions by cigarette makers 
continue to mount, to nearly $55 million since 1990.

Jennings tried to show us that Big Tobacco was a very smart industry 
in a nation that squanders many opportunities to regulate it. His death 
should lead to our own road map to Capitol Hill, to force Congress to 
act to save millions of lives.

Derrick Z. Jackson's e-mail address is jackson@globe.com.  
? Copyright 2005 The New York Times Company
 

-- 
You are currently on Mha Atma's Earth Action Network email list, 
option D (up to 3 emails/day).  To be removed, or to switch options 
(option A - 1x/week, option B - 3/wk, option C - up to 1x/day, option D - 
up to 3x/day) please reply and let us know!  If someone forwarded you 
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"In times of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act."
   ---   George Orwell


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From ean at sbcglobal.net  Wed Aug 10 21:44:06 2005
From: ean at sbcglobal.net (ean@sbcglobal.net)
Date: Wed Aug 10 22:01:42 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] The Real AIPAC Spy Ring Story--it Was All About Iran
Message-ID: <200508110501.j7B51elM008096@dune.islandtechnologies.net>

http://www.zmag.org/content/print_article.cfm?itemID=8464&sectionID=107

ZNet | Israel/Palestine
The Real AIPAC Spy Ring Story--it Was All About Iran

by Doug Ireland ; Direland ; August 07, 2005

  Here's what the stories in today's Washington Post and New York Times on
the new indictments of the two AIPAC spies aren't telling you: their
espionage was principally about helping to prepare an attack by Israel on
Iran. And one of the Israeli embassy officials who knows all about AIPAC's
role in helping plan the attack on Iran has been whisked out of the
country and out of the reach of U.S. prosecutors, the Israeli daily
Ha'aretz reports this morning.

  The neo-cons in the Pentagon had long been arguing for an attack on Iran
to take out its nuclear facilities that had the potential to be converted
for development of nuclear weapons. Wolfie's man Doug Feith had been
particularly assiduous in pressing the case for a "forward strategy"
against Iran. Feith's views are madly extremist, and Jim Zogby collected
them in an April profile of Feith that should scare the pants off of
anyone rational. (Feith's been a major activist for years with the
viciously anti-Arab crazies of the ZOA, the Zionist Organization of
America).

  When, for purely electoral reasons with the Iraq occupation going so
disastrously, the White House decided against a direct attack by the U.S.
on Iran, the neo-cons went to Plan B -- an attack on Iran by proxy, from
Israel. The principal classified documents leaked to Israel through AIPAC
-- the leaks that that began the investigation of the AIPAC spy ring,
which has been going on now for over a year -- concerned Iran. They were
leaked by Feith's deputy, Larry Franklin, also now under a five-count
indictment for spying.

  The plan for an Israeli attack on Iran has been long envisioned -- both
  in
Washington and by Sharon's government -- but this attack is now in a highy
advanced state of planning and could come as quickly as Sharon snaps his
fingers to order it. Back on March 13, the London Times -- in a report
that was largely ignored in the U.S. -- reported that: "The inner cabinet
of Ariel Sharon, the Israeli prime minister, gave 'initial authorisation'
for an attack at a private meeting last month on his ranch in the Negev
desert,"

  The London Times went on to describe how:

  "Israeli forces have used a mock-up of Iran's Natanz uranium enrichment
plant in the desert to practise destroying it. Their tactics include raids
by Israel's elite Shaldag (Kingfisher) commando unit and airstrikes by
F-15 jets from 69 Squadron, using bunker-busting bombs to penetrate
underground facilities. The plans have been discussed with American
officials who are said to have indicated provisionally that they would not
stand in Israel??Ts way if all international efforts to halt Iranian
nuclear projects failed...." And, the Times added, "US officials warned
last week that a military strike on Iranian nuclear facilities by Israeli
or American forces had not been ruled out should the issue become
deadlocked at the United Nations."

Just weeks before that revelation of the concretization of Israeli plans
for the Iran attack, Bush let the cat out of the bag in an off-the-cuff
remark captured by London's Daily Telegraph, in a February 18 article
headlined, "AMERICA WOULD BACK ISRAEL ATTACK ON IRAN." The Telegraph
reported that Bush said: "Clearly, if I was the leader of Israel and I'd
listened to some of the statements by the Iranian ayatollahs that regarded
the security of my country, I'd be concerned about Iran having a nuclear
weapon as well. And in that Israel is our ally, and in that we've made a
very strong commitment to support Israel, we will support Israel if her
security is threatened."

  Noting that Bush had gone off the reservations and failed to follow his
handlers' brefing to stick to the agreed-on script, the Telegraph dryly
noted: "His comments appeared to be a departure from the administration's
line that there are no plans to attack at present and that Washington
backs European diplomatic efforts. The remarks may have reflected Mr
Bush's personal thinking on an issue causing deep concern in
Washington...." Bush's slip-of-the-tongue that revealed his real
intentions was front-page news in Le Monde and other European dailies --
but got no attention in the Stateside major media.

  At the time Feith's deputy Franklin (and, today's indictments say, two
other as yet unidentified Pentagon officials) were passing the classified
documents on Iran to AIPAC for transmission to Israel, the White House had
not yet given the green light to Sharon -- indeed, the Iran attack was in
a holding pattern pending the outcome of negotiations over Teheran's nuke
capacity being led by the European powers which, unlike the U.S., have
diplomatic relations with the Islamic Republic of Iran.

  Even so, U.S. fingerprints were all over the Israelis' Iran attack,
  which
had long been envisioned by U.S. policy-makers. The respected Israeli
daily Ha'aretz spelled it out last September 13, reporting: "The Clinton
administration laid the foundation for that option [of attacking Iran] by
giving the Rabin government the okay to purchase, with coupons, the F-15I
(dubbed "Thunder" in Israel). The Bush administration will complete the
task by agreeing to give Israel air-to-surface munitions that will breach
the mysteries of the nuclear network in the depths of Isfahan and other
sites, far more concealed than the reactor that is on worldwide display at
Bushehr.


  What the Americans are unable to do, because of European, United Nations
and Congressional pressure, Israel will do. "The indictment of the two
senior AIPAC staffers follows the indictment in may of Feith's footpad
Larry Franklin. Franklin worked in the Office of Special Plans, run by
then-Undersecretary of Defense for Policy Douglas Feith, who reported to
then-Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz. The OSP functioned as a
"shadow" intelligence service on Iraq, and provided much of the
information to the White House that was used to justify the American
invasion of Iraq. Some wags have called it "Feith-based intelligence",
since much of that intelligence and information has now been proven to be
utterly false. At the beginning of May, Franklin was arrested by the FBI
for the passing of classified documents to two AIPAC staffers, who were
then to pass them to Israel. The documents in question concerned Iran.

  One of the two newly-indicted AIPACers isn't just anybody. Steve Rosen,
63, is the man who built AIPAC into the $40 million dollar Capitol Hill
powerhouse it is today. Buried in a Washington Post profile of AIPAC from
May 19 is the skinny on Rosen as the power behind the scenes at AIPAC.

Said the Post:

  "For more than two decades, Rosen has been a mainstay of AIPAC and the
architect of the group's ever-increasing clout. Though Rosen was listed
below Executive Director Howard Kohr on AIPAC's organizational chart,
people familiar with AIPAC's history say that Kohr is a protege of Rosen's
and got that job with his help. Kohr declined to be interviewed about
Rosen. 'He [Rosen] is a quiet guy,' said M.J. Rosenberg, director of
policy analysis for the Israel Policy Forum, another pro-Israel group, and
a former AIPAC employee. 'But everyone knows he's the brains behind the
outfit.'"

  Now, just what is AIPAC, you may well ask? AIPAC is the enforcer of the
knee-jerk support for the Israeli government which characterizes the
political and governing classes in this country, -- Israel is the real
third rail of American politics: touch it with criticism, no matter how
carefully couched, and you die. Both the Democratic and Republican parties
fall all over themselves to kiss AIPAC's boots -- because AIPAC and its
well-filled war-chest helps make sure they toe the line on Israel, and has
been responsible for the defeat of a significant number of politicians
over the years who dared to criticize Israeli policies. Earlier this year,
AIPAC played a major role in destroying the candidacy of Tim Roemer for
chairman of the DNC. There's an in-depth, critical profile of AIPAC by
RightWeb's Michael Flynn that gives an in-depth look at AIPAC's
arm-and-leg-breaking political style. And the newly indicted Rosen is The
Man Behind the Curtain. Even though he formally resigned from AIPAC, the
organization is paying his legal bills, and Rosen is still pulling the
strings.

  The reason for putting some daylight between Rosen and AIPAC is that the
puissant political arm-twister is deathly afraid it will be forced to
register as a foreign lobby, as the Jewish weeily The Forward reported
earlier this year. Americans don't like the sight of their elected
officials pocketing campaign cash from foreign governments, and AIPAC
fears being forced to register formally as a lobbyist for Israel would
thus diminish their clout on Capitol Hill. Bush won't make AIPAC register,
and the spinless Democratic Congressional leadership won't lead the charge
to make them do so either. But today's indictments of string-puller Rosen
and his AIPAC colleague for spying on the U.S. gives progressives who want
to see a peaceful, two-state, land-for-peace solution between Israel and
Palestine a strategic opening to press loudly for AIPAC's formal shil
registration as a shil for the government that built the Israeli Wall of
Shame. It's a measure long past due.

  One of the Israeli diplomats the feds want to question about the
activities of the AIPAC spy ring has been quietly spirited out of the
country, Ha'aretz reports this morning. "The Israeli diplomat in
Washington who met several times with Franklin has been identified as Naor
Gilon head of the political department at the Israeli Embassy in
Washington and a specialist on proliferation issues. Gilon returned to
Israel a few days ago as part of a long-scheduled rotation according to an
Israeli official in Washington. U.S. investigators want to question Gilon
and other Israeli diplomats about their contacts with Franklin officials
said.," according to the Israeli daily.

***


-- 
You are currently on Mha Atma's Earth Action Network email list, option D (up to 3 
emails/day).  To be removed, or to switch options (option A - 1x/week, option B - 3/wk, 
option C - up to 1x/day, option D - up to 3x/day) please reply and let us know!  If 
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From jefbek at mindspring.com  Wed Aug 10 23:25:00 2005
From: jefbek at mindspring.com (Jef Bek)
Date: Wed Aug 10 23:29:09 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Grieving Mother's War Protest Draws Notice     
Message-ID: <BF203D4C.D8A%jefbek@mindspring.com>

Grieving Mother's War Protest Draws Notice

By ANGELA K. BROWN, Associated Press Writer
Wed Aug 10, 7:32 PM ET

The mother of a fallen U.S. soldier who started a quiet roadside peace vigil
near President Bush's ranch last weekend is drawing supporters from across
the nation.

Dozens of people have joined her and others have sent flowers and food. One
activist called her "the Rosa Parks of the anti-war movement."

Cindy Sheehan, 48, of Vacaville, Calif., says she was surprised at the
response.

"Before my son was killed, I used to think that one person could not make a
difference," she said Wednesday under a tent where she has slept since
Saturday. "But one person that is surrounded and supported by millions of
people can be heard."

Although a few residents have complained about the protesters, no one has
been arrested because the group has been on the public right-of-way, said
Capt. Kenneth Vanek of the McLennan County Sheriff's Office.

On Saturday, two high-level Bush administration officials, the national
security adviser and deputy White House chief of staff, talked to Sheehan
for about 20 minutes.

Sheehan called the brief meeting "pointless" and still wants to talk to the
president.

Her 24-year-old son, Casey, was killed in Sadr City, Iraq, in April 2004
just five days after he arrived. Two months later, Sheehan was among
grieving military family members who met with Bush at Fort Lewis, near
Seattle, Wash.

Since then, she said, various government and independent commission reports
have disputed the Bush administration's claims that Saddam Hussein had
mass-killing chemical and biological weapons ? a main justification for the
March 2003 invasion.

On Wednesday, a coalition of anti-war groups in Washington called on Bush to
speak with Sheehan, who they say has helped to unify the peace movement.

"Cindy Sheehan has become the Rosa Parks of the anti-war movement," said
Rev. Lennox Yearwood, leader of the Hip Hop Caucus, an activist group.
"She's tired, fed up and she's not going to take it anymore, and so now we
stand with her."

Some veterans and relatives of those killed have called Sheehan's vigil a
distraction and continue to support the U.S. military action in Iraq.

At her makeshift camp in muddy ditches off the two-lane, winding road
leading to Bush's ranch, Sheehan has spent the past several days talking to
reporters, hugging fellow protesters and taking brief breaks to eat
sandwiches and fruit brought by supporters. Her vigil has also become a hot
topic on the Internet and blogs.

Although she doesn't expect Bush to meet with her in Crawford, she says if
he did she would ask him whether he has encouraged his twin daughters to
enlist.

"I want him to quit using my son's death to justify more killing," she said.
"The only way he can honor my son's death is to bring the troops home."


From jefbek at mindspring.com  Wed Aug 10 23:31:51 2005
From: jefbek at mindspring.com (Jef Bek)
Date: Wed Aug 10 23:35:55 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Why No Tea and Sympathy? 
Message-ID: <BF203EE7.D8C%jefbek@mindspring.com>

New York Times
August 10, 2005

Why No Tea and Sympathy?
By MAUREEN DOWD

WASHINGTON

W. can't get no satisfaction on Iraq.

There's an angry mother of a dead soldier camping outside his Crawford
ranch, demanding to see a president who prefers his sympathy to be carefully
choreographed.

A new CNN-USA Today-Gallup poll shows that a majority of Americans now think
that going to war was a mistake and that the war has made the U.S. more
vulnerable to terrorism. So fighting them there means it's more likely we'll
have to fight them here?

Donald Rumsfeld acknowledged yesterday that sophisticated bombs were
streaming over the border from Iran to Iraq.

And the Rolling Stones have taken a rare break from sex odes to record an
antiwar song called "Sweet Neo Con," chiding Condi Rice and Mr. Bush. "You
call yourself a Christian; I call you a hypocrite," Mick Jagger sings.

The N.F.L. put out a press release on Monday announcing that it's teaming up
with the Stones and ABC to promote "Monday Night Football." The flag-waving
N.F.L. could still back out if there's pressure, but the mood seems to have
shifted since Madonna chickened out of showing an antiwar music video in
2003. The White House used to be able to tamp down criticism by saying it
hurt our troops, but more people are asking the White House to explain how
it plans to stop our troops from getting hurt.

Cindy Sheehan, a 48-year-old Californian with a knack for P.R., says she
will camp out in the dusty heat near the ranch until she gets to tell Mr.
Bush face to face that he must pull all U.S. troops out of Iraq. Her son,
Casey, a 24-year-old Army specialist, was killed in a Sadr City ambush last
year.

The president met with her family two months after Casey's death. Capturing
W.'s awkwardness in traversing the line between somber and joking, and his
love of generic labels, Ms. Sheehan said that W. had referred to her as
"Mom" throughout the meeting, and given her the sense that he did not know
who her son was. 

The Bush team tried to discredit "Mom" by pointing reporters to an old
article in which she sounded kinder to W. If only her husband were an
undercover C.I.A. operative, the Bushies could out him. But even if they
send out a squad of Swift Boat Moms for Truth, there will be a countering
Falluja Moms for Truth.

It's amazing that the White House does not have the elementary shrewdness to
have Mr. Bush simply walk down the driveway and hear the woman out, or
invite her in for a cup of tea. But W., who has spent nearly 20 percent of
his presidency at his ranch, is burrowed into his five-week vacation and
two-hour daily workouts. He may be in great shape, but Iraq sure isn't.

It's hard to think of another president who lived in such meta-insulation.
His rigidly controlled environment allows no chance encounters with anyone
who disagrees. He never has to defend himself to anyone, and that is
cognitively injurious. He's a populist who never meets people - an ordinary
guy who clears brush, and brush is the only thing he talks to. Mr. Bush
hails Texas as a place where he can return to his roots. But is he mixing it
up there with anyone besides Vulcans, Pioneers and Rangers?

W.'s idea of consolation was to dispatch Stephen Hadley, the national
security adviser, to talk to Ms. Sheehan, underscoring the inhumane
humanitarianism of his foreign policy. Mr. Hadley is just a suit, one of the
hard-line Unsweet Neo Cons who helped hype America into this war.

It's getting harder for the president to hide from the human consequences of
his actions and to control human sentiment about the war by pulling a
curtain over the 1,835 troops killed in Iraq; the more than 13,000 wounded,
many shorn of limbs; and the number of slain Iraqi civilians - perhaps
25,000, or perhaps double or triple that. More people with impeccable
credentials are coming forward to serve as a countervailing moral authority
to challenge Mr. Bush.

Paul Hackett, a Marine major who served in Iraq and criticized the president
on his conduct of the war, narrowly lost last week when he ran for Congress
as a Democrat in a Republican stronghold in Cincinnati. Newt Gingrich warned
that the race should "serve as a wake-up call to Republicans" about 2006.

Selectively humane, Mr. Bush justified his Iraq war by stressing the 9/11
losses. He emphasized the humanity of the Iraqis who desire freedom when his
W.M.D. rationale vaporized.

But his humanitarianism will remain inhumane as long as he fails to
understand that the moral authority of parents who bury children killed in
Iraq is absolute. 

From harperalexander at mail.com  Wed Aug 10 12:13:59 2005
From: harperalexander at mail.com (Alexander Harper)
Date: Thu Aug 11 01:01:05 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Hanoi (Pyongyang) Janes
Message-ID: <20050810191359.C03988457C@ws1-5.us4.outblaze.com>

I culled this valuable scrap of information from the FT today.


Quote
Forget six-party talks. South Koreans have found a better way to engage North Korea. According to a survey conducted by a Seoul-based matchmaking agency, seven in 10 South Korean bachelors would happily marry a North Korean woman.

Their reasons? Almost half said northern women are not as sophisticated as their southern counterparts, one-third cited their &#8220;natural beauty&#8221; while 15 per cent said they would be more obedient. The US will be hoping the latter applied to the regime as well as the ladies. 
Unquote

Al Baraka



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From swiggard at comcast.net  Thu Aug 11 04:37:10 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (William Swiggard)
Date: Thu Aug 11 04:41:59 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Side Issue in the Plame Case: Who Sent Her Spouse to
 Africa? - Washington Post
Message-ID: <42FB3866.8020705@comcast.net>

Side Issue in the Plame Case: Who Sent Her Spouse to Africa?

By Walter Pincus
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, August 11, 2005; Page A08

The origin of Ambassador Joseph C. Wilson IV's trip to Niger in 2002 to 
check out intelligence reports that Saddam Hussein was attempting to 
purchase uranium has become a contentious side issue to the inquiry by 
special counsel Patrick J. Fitzgerald, who is looking into whether a 
crime was committed with the exposure of Valerie Plame, Wilson's wife, 
as a covert CIA employee.

After he went public in 2003 about the trip, senior Bush administration 
officials, trying to discredit Wilson's findings, told reporters that 
Wilson's wife, who worked at the CIA, was the one who suggested the 
Niger mission for her husband. Days later, Plame was named as an "agency 
operative" by syndicated columnist Robert D. Novak, who has said he did 
not realize he was, in effect, exposing a covert officer. A Senate 
committee report would later say evidence indicated Plame suggested 
Wilson for the trip.

Over the past months, however, the CIA has maintained that Wilson was 
chosen for the trip by senior officials in the Directorate of Operations 
counterproliferation division (CPD) -- not by his wife -- largely 
because he had handled a similar agency inquiry in Niger in 1999. On 
that trip, Plame, who worked in that division, had suggested him because 
he was planning to go there, according to Wilson and the Senate 
committee report.

The 2002 mission grew out of a request by Vice President Cheney on Feb. 
12 for more information about a Defense Intelligence Agency report he 
had received that day, according to a 2004 report of the Senate Select 
Committee on Intelligence. An aide to Cheney would later say he did not 
realize at the time that this request would generate such a trip.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/10/AR2005081001918.html?referrer=email

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From swiggard at comcast.net  Thu Aug 11 04:38:34 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (William Swiggard)
Date: Thu Aug 11 04:43:21 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Road Bill Reflects The Power Of Pork - Washington Post
Message-ID: <42FB38BA.8050900@comcast.net>

Road Bill Reflects The Power Of Pork

White House Drops Effort to Rein In Hill

By Jonathan Weisman and Jim VandeHei
Washington Post Staff Writers
Thursday, August 11, 2005; Page A01

Three years ago, President Bush went to war against congressional pork. 
His official 2003 budget even featured a color photo of a wind-powered 
ice sled -- an example of the pet projects and alleged boondoggles he 
said he would no longer tolerate.

Yesterday, Bush effectively signed a cease-fire -- critics called it 
more like a surrender -- in his war on pork. He signed into law a $286 
billion transportation measure that contains a record 6,371 pet projects 
inserted by members of Congress from both parties.

At a short bill-signing event in Montgomery, Ill., Bush said the new law 
will allow the United States to modernize highways and roads in a 
fiscally responsible manner. "I'm proud to be here to sign this 
transportation bill, because our economy depends on us having the most 
efficient, reliable transportation system in the world," Bush said at a 
Caterpillar Inc. manufacturing plant.

Bush brushed aside pleas from taxpayer groups to veto the bill, which 
exceeded the $284 billion limit that he had vowed not to cross. The vast 
majority of the measure is geared toward road construction and public 
transit projects, with the money doled out over five years according to 
formulas designed to provide state and local governments considerable 
flexibility, Transportation Department officials said.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/10/AR2005081000223.html?nav=hcmodule

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From swiggard at comcast.net  Thu Aug 11 04:40:41 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (William Swiggard)
Date: Thu Aug 11 04:45:28 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] An Army Affair - Editorial - Washington Post
Message-ID: <42FB3939.9000208@comcast.net>

An Army Affair

Thursday, August 11, 2005; Page A22

DESPITE MYRIAD hearings, investigations and prominent trials of privates 
and specialists, no commissioned officer has received serious punishment 
for any of the many confirmed cases of prisoner mistreatment in Iraq, 
Afghanistan or Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Two of those involved in the Abu 
Ghraib scandal have received letters of reprimand. One was demoted. None 
has been court-martialed.

By contrast, Gen. Kevin P. Byrnes, 55, a four-star general who served 36 
years in the Army, was abruptly relieved of his command on Tuesday. 
According to his attorney, Gen. Byrnes, who is now divorced, stands 
accused of having had an extramarital affair with a civilian who is not 
his colleague, is not his subordinate and has no connection to the 
military. An officer familiar with the case told The Post that despite 
the apparent irrelevance of the affair, the harsh verdict -- apparently 
the only such demotion of a four-star general in modern times -- was 
justified: "We all swear to serve by the highest ideals, and no matter 
what rank, when you violate them, you are dealt with appropriately."

<>From this incident, it is possible to draw only one conclusion: It's 
okay for officers to oversee units that torture civilians and thereby 
damage the reputation of the United States around the world, do terrible 
harm to the ideological war on terrorism and inspire more Iraqis to 
become insurgents. Having an affair with a civilian, on the other hand, 
is completely unacceptable and will end your career.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/10/AR2005081001814.html?nav=hcmodule 

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From swiggard at comcast.net  Thu Aug 11 04:43:17 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (William Swiggard)
Date: Thu Aug 11 04:48:04 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Fathers,
	Sons and Questions - Jim Hoagland - Washington Post
Message-ID: <42FB39D5.6060505@comcast.net>

Fathers, Sons and Questions

By Jim Hoagland
Thursday, August 11, 2005; Page A23

Texas and Saudi Arabia have much in common. Oil. Vast tracts of 
scrubland. And political dynasties. No wonder King Abdullah is the only 
foreign leader to have two bilateral meetings with George Bush at the 
president's sun-baked Crawford ranch.

If conversation about OPEC or Middle East peace lags, they can always 
turn to what it is like to follow Dad's footsteps to the top. They 
belong to what historian Wolfgang Schivelbusch labels the "postheroic 
generation" of victors' sons -- leaders who are called on to "preserve 
their fathers' achievements" and to "produce great deeds of their own."

Actually, I would be amazed if they did talk about that; sons of famous 
fathers usually hate the subject. But they should talk about it. More to 
the point, their citizens need to talk about and weigh the pluses and 
minuses that political nepotism creates.

Americans turned to a father-son combination for two of their past three 
presidents, and now flirt with moving the Clinton family back into the 
White House. Somehow, American presidential politics is all in the 
family at the moment. That has happened before, with the Adamses, the 
Kennedys and others. But the willingness to go with brand names is more 
pronounced today, and it occurs in more challenging times.

Abdullah's ascension to the throne two weeks ago also raises fresh 
questions about the durability of Saudi Arabia's unusual succession 
system, which keeps power in the family but away from the next generation.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/10/AR2005081001799.html

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From swiggard at comcast.net  Thu Aug 11 04:44:52 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (William Swiggard)
Date: Thu Aug 11 04:49:37 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] What Mideast Reform Will Require - David Broder -
	Washington Post
Message-ID: <42FB3A34.60508@comcast.net>

What Mideast Reform Will Require

By David S. Broder
Thursday, August 11, 2005; Page A23

As Monday's deadline approaches for drafting the constitution for the 
new government of Iraq, more than the future of that war-torn country is 
at stake. In a real sense, this is the first crucial test for the 
ambitious project of bringing democracy to the Middle East and Persian 
Gulf that President Bush has made a centerpiece of his second-term 
foreign policy.

Certainly the new monarch in Saudi Arabia and the leaders of Egypt and 
the nations of the Arab world across North Africa and into the Gulf are 
all watching closely how this experiment works. And so are the people 
and organizations within those countries who hope the United States is 
serious about pressing the cause of political reform in that part of the 
world.

One lesson from Iraq is already clear. It takes more than a free 
election to create a functioning democracy. Iraq had a remarkably 
successful popular vote to create an interim government in January, and 
yet it has been a struggle to develop the framework for a structure in 
which a permanent government -- yet to be chosen -- can function.

We should not be surprised. Our own history was marked by protracted and 
faltering efforts before the Constitution was adopted in Philadelphia. 
The system of federalism -- of shared sovereignty between national and 
state governments -- that was the key to our Constitutional Convention 
is one of the major stumbling blocks in Iraq.

The United States, through its embassy, military presence and aid 
programs, has more influence on the struggle for democracy in Iraq than 
in any other country in the region.

<>But even there, our cards must be played with subtlety and discretion. 
And, as a timely report from the Council on Foreign Relations, "In 
Support of Arab Democracy: Why and How," reminds us, the United States 
must be "mindful that democracy cannot be imposed from the outside."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/10/AR2005081001800.html?nav=hcmodule 

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From swiggard at comcast.net  Thu Aug 11 04:47:08 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (William Swiggard)
Date: Thu Aug 11 04:51:54 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] A survivor's drive fulfills MIA mission - Boston Globe
Message-ID: <42FB3ABC.1080104@comcast.net>

A survivor's drive fulfills MIA mission

By Bryan Bender and Charlie Savage, Globe Staff  |  August 11, 2005

WASHINGTON -- On Mother's Day weekend in 1968, a few dozen Marines and 
special forces stationed at a jungle outpost near the border between 
Vietnam and Laos were overrun by the surging North Vietnamese Army.

After a 10-hour battle, the handful of surviving Americans withdrew 
under fire, unable to take fallen comrades with them.

But a Marine vows to leave no fellow Marine behind. After the war, Tim 
Brown, a lance corporal who survived the fight, began lobbying the 
Pentagon to remember the men who had died on that battlefield.

Brown made three trips to Vietnam himself, starting in 1993, to gather 
evidence in support of excavating the battlefield. There would be three 
digs at the site, the most recent in 1999.

<>This week, the Pentagon announced that forensic scientists had 
identified the remains of a dozen servicemen.

http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2005/08/11/a_survivors_drive_fulfills_mia_mission/ 

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From ialterman at nyc.rr.com  Wed Aug 10 19:33:03 2005
From: ialterman at nyc.rr.com (Ian)
Date: Thu Aug 11 05:17:46 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] This is a Valid Virus/Hacker Warning from Cara Robin
References: <BAY103-F13CA24D62B3457575AEA66B4BA0@phx.gbl>
Message-ID: <003c01c59e1d$067ca780$99ca6c42@iancn2ccrvzt0j>

Robin et al:

Please see the following from Hoaxbusters:

http://hoaxbusters.ciac.org/HBMalCode.shtml#binladen

As a matter of course, one should always check with Hoaxbusters before sending a "blanket" e-mail.

Thanks.

Peace.
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Cara Robin 
  To: mb-hair@islandlists.com ; mb-civic@islandlists.com ; RAdanto@xrds.org ; amiacheb@hotmail.com ; cbacon@betseyjohnson.com ; bbarrow@grey.com ; casey@globalpossibilities.org ; susan.cope@adelphia.net ; brandocrespi@katamail.com ; ananda96@onebox.com ; SCrespi1@earthlink.net ; ckudren@mybizz.net ; dcarrillo@angelides.com ; eephriam@xrds.org ; mfinell@TheCustomGroup.com ; cgatthebeach@hotmail.com ; robertgertz@hotmail.com ; gertzrider@aol.com ; aaagill@earthlink.net ; jglick6986@aol.com ; grant_gordon@yahoo.com ; LHamada1@aol.com ; lindahassler@sbcglobal.net ; SharDan14@aol.com ; janebali@yahoo.com ; polygondesign@iolfree.ie ; anniepainter@adelphia.net ; jmorgan@silcom.com ; katie.c@travelstoreusa.com ; pelegenesis@hotmail.com ; gary@wolfheaddigital.com ; DLakritz@lbimedia.com ; charlesleone2005@yahool.com ; Grundstein@aol.com ; marinamartin32@hotmail.com ; vizart@earthlink.net ; felicia_mihich@hotmail.com ; victorialillian@earthlink.net ; mike.murase@mail.house.gov ; mirandafairy@hotmail.com ; garymobsby@hotmail.com ; munshcom@hotmail.com ; freedom113@aliceposta.it ; gomalley@xrds.org ; olivej@phl.wpro.who.int ; kidalley@yahoo.com ; epatzak@hotmail.com ; Fabi@vibecontrol.net ; porteraia@earthlink.net 
  Sent: Wednesday, August 10, 2005 6:42 PM
  Subject: [Mb-civic] This is a Valid Virus/Hacker Warning from Cara Robin












  Hi All!  I received this message this morning.  It checks out on Snopes.com. If you get the
  message this talks about don't be tempted to click on the link to the
  pictures of Bin Laden being hanged.

  Cara Robin
  Democracy is NOT a spectator sport!
  Be Informed, Be Passionate and Be Involved!


  Subject: SNOPES CONFIRMED VIRUS WARNING.

  Emails with pictures of Osama Bin-Laden hanged are being sent and the
  moment that you open these emails your computer will crash and you will
  not be able to fix it!!!

  This e-mail is being distributed through countries around the globe, but
  mainly in the US and Israel.
    ?
    Don't be inconsiderate; send this warning to whomever you know.
    ?
    Confirmed at: http://www.snopes.com/computer/virus/osama.asp

  Origins: There are few headlines that would grab the attention of more
  computer users around the world than "Osama bin Laden Captured," and
  that's exactly what whoever created this lure was counting on to snare
  unsuspecting victims who use Microsoft platforms.<BR>?<BR>"Osama bin
  Laden Captured" isn't a virus in itself;? it's the text of a message
  that includes a link to a file called EXPLOIT.E! XE.? When a message
  recipient clicks on this link to view what he thinks are pictures of
  Osama bin Laden's capture, he can end up downloading an executable
  Trojan known as Backdoor-AZU, BKDR_LARSLP.A, Download.Trojan,
  TrojanProxy.Win32.Small.b,or Win32.Slarp.< BR>
    ?
    Clicking the embedded link in the "Osama bin Laden Captured" message
  auto-executes a file called "EXPLOIT.EXE," which exploits a known
  security hole to download the Trojan.? According to McAfee Security:
    ?
    The Trojan opens a random port on the victim's machine.? It sends the
  Port information to a webpage at IP address 66.139.77.145.? The Trojan
  listens on the open port for instructions and redirects traffic to other
  IP addresses.
    Spammers and hackers can take advantage of compromised systems by using
  the infected computer as a middleman, allowing them to pass information
  through it and remain anonymous.
    ?










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From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Thu Aug 11 07:39:40 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (mblaxill@yahoo.com)
Date: Thu Aug 11 07:42:53 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Headlines for August 11, 2005
Message-ID: <20050811143940.10288.qmail@trinity.democracynow.org>

Mike Blaxill  ( mblaxill@yahoo.com )
sent you this story from democracynow.org



+--------------------------------------------------------------------+
|  Headlines for August 11, 2005
|  http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=05/08/11/1335209
+--------------------------------------------------------------------+


- Iran Breaks UN Nuclear Seals to ‘Protect Nation’s Right’
- Four-Star General Demoted For Extramarital Affair
- Gen. Myers Says 3rd Tour of Duty Possible for Soldiers
- Pakistan Launches 1st Cruise Missile for Musharraf’s Birthday
- Rumsfeld Planning 9-11 Party/Country Music Concert
- Cindy Sheehan Vigil Gains Support From Congress
- Pinochet Wife and Son Arrested
- 40th Anniversary of Watts
This story continues at: 
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=05/08/11/1335209

From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Thu Aug 11 07:50:16 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (mblaxill@yahoo.com)
Date: Thu Aug 11 07:53:27 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] NYTimes.com: Europeans Lobby for New Nuclear Deadline
	for Iran
Message-ID: <20050811145016.BA9ED13B749@lax-gw04.mroute.net>

This page was sent to you by: mblaxill@yahoo.com.

INTERNATIONAL / MIDDLE EAST | August 11, 2005
Europeans Lobby for New Nuclear Deadline for Iran
By THOMAS FULLER International Herald Tribune
A resolution would place a September deadline for Iran to resume suspension of its nuclear program, diplomats said today.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/11/international/middleeast/12irancnd.html?ex=1124424000&en=969c8d70c1378e74&ei=5070&emc=eta1



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one Best Picture.  What did the original New York
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From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Thu Aug 11 08:27:23 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (mblaxill@yahoo.com)
Date: Thu Aug 11 08:30:31 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] NYTimes.com: TV Ad Attacking Court Nominee Provokes Furor
Message-ID: <20050811152723.7712324AEBC@lax-gw02.mroute.net>

This page was sent to you by: mblaxill@yahoo.com.

WASHINGTON | August 11, 2005
TV Ad Attacking Court Nominee Provokes Furor
By LINDA GREENHOUSE
The ad focuses on an argument in an abortion-related case that John G. Roberts Jr. made to the High Court in the 1990's.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/11/politics/11abort.final.html?ex=1124424000&en=c98fd534e2d44e11&ei=5070&emc=eta1



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one Best Picture.  What did the original New York
Times movie reviews have to say about these Oscar
winning films?  
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From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Thu Aug 11 08:31:34 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (mblaxill@yahoo.com)
Date: Thu Aug 11 08:34:44 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] NYTimes.com: Entrenched Epidemic: Wife-Beatings in Africa
Message-ID: <20050811153134.DC72411F8A8@lax-gw07.mroute.net>

This page was sent to you by: mblaxill@yahoo.com.

INTERNATIONAL / AFRICA | August 11, 2005
Entrenched Epidemic: Wife-Beatings in Africa
By SHARON LaFRANIERE
In few places is the abuse of women by a male partner more entrenched, and accepted, than in sub-Saharan Africa.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/11/international/africa/11women.html?ex=1124424000&en=63e17e87700590fb&ei=5070&emc=eta1




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This e-mail was sent to you by a friend through NYTimes.com's E-mail This Article service.  For general information about NYTimes.com, write to help@nytimes.com.

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From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Thu Aug 11 08:34:36 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (mblaxill@yahoo.com)
Date: Thu Aug 11 08:37:44 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] =?iso-8859-1?q?NYTimes=2Ecom=3A_Just_When_You_Thought?=
	=?iso-8859-1?q?_Schr=F6der_Was_History=2E=2E=2E?=
Message-ID: <20050811153436.4D7949FCDB@lax-gw05.mroute.net>

This page was sent to you by: mblaxill@yahoo.com.

INTERNATIONAL / EUROPE | August 11, 2005
Letter From Europe: Just When You Thought Schröder Was History...
By RICHARD BERNSTEIN
Germany's presumed sure loser in the country's elections, Chancellor Gerhard Schröder, is suddenly no longer being decreed a loser at all.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/11/international/europe/11letter.html?ex=1124424000&en=2c2a907be5a76dd7&ei=5070&emc=eta1



----------------- Advertisement --------------------------

The Academy loved these movies enough to name each
one Best Picture.  What did the original New York
Times movie reviews have to say about these Oscar
winning films?  
Go to the Best Pictures review archive:

http://ads.nyt.com/th.ad/nytnyt-textEmailThisdefault-Center1A/academyawards_text/?_RM_REDIR_=http://www.nytimes.com/ref/movies/oscars/bestpictures.html




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From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Thu Aug 11 08:40:15 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (mblaxill@yahoo.com)
Date: Thu Aug 11 08:43:25 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] NYTimes.com: No End in Sight in Iraq
Message-ID: <20050811154015.7AD8E249D0C@lax-gw08.mroute.net>

This page was sent to you by: mblaxill@yahoo.com.

OPINION | August 10, 2005
Op-Ed Columnist: No End in Sight in Iraq
By BOB HERBERT
We're stuck in a murderous quagmire without even the suggestion of an end in sight.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/10/opinion/11herbert.done.html?ex=1124424000&en=0f2aff5169054f8e&ei=5070&emc=eta1




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This e-mail was sent to you by a friend through NYTimes.com's E-mail This Article service.  For general information about NYTimes.com, write to help@nytimes.com.

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From michael at intrafi.com  Thu Aug 11 08:45:05 2005
From: michael at intrafi.com (michael@intrafi.com)
Date: Thu Aug 11 08:48:17 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] FT.com / World / Middle East & Africa - UN nuclear
	watchdog debates Iran deadline 
Message-ID: <13091092.1123775105805.JavaMail.tomcat@localhost>



*Please note, the sender's email address has not been verified.



You have received the following link from michael@intrafi.com

 
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Title: FT.com / World / Middle East & Africa - UN nuclear watchdog debates Iran deadline 
 
  
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From michael at intrafi.com  Thu Aug 11 08:47:16 2005
From: michael at intrafi.com (michael@intrafi.com)
Date: Thu Aug 11 08:50:41 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] FT.com / By industry / Financial services - Fannie
	restatement could cost $420m 
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From michael at intrafi.com  Thu Aug 11 08:55:38 2005
From: michael at intrafi.com (michael@intrafi.com)
Date: Thu Aug 11 08:58:49 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] FT.com / Comment & analysis / Analysis - Hollywood is
	facing a journey into the unknown
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From michael at intrafi.com  Thu Aug 11 08:56:47 2005
From: michael at intrafi.com (michael@intrafi.com)
Date: Thu Aug 11 08:59:57 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] FT.com / Comment & analysis / Comment - Why free trade
	has costs for developing countries
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From michael at intrafi.com  Thu Aug 11 08:57:31 2005
From: michael at intrafi.com (michael@intrafi.com)
Date: Thu Aug 11 09:00:41 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] FT.com / Comment & analysis / Comment - Raids on western
	companies are more than a fad
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From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Thu Aug 11 12:43:15 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (Mike Blaxill)
Date: Thu Aug 11 12:46:25 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Daily Mail Article Questioning Official 9/11 Story
Message-ID: <20050811194315.83569.qmail@web53013.mail.yahoo.com>

This is an article printed in UK's Daily Mail -
it's not available on it's website but is posted
at the link below - here's the beginning:

The plot by America?s military bosses was
devilish in both design and intent ? to fabricate
an outrage against innocent civilians, fool the
world and provide a pretext for war. In the
pentagon, a top secret team drew up a plan to
simultaneously send up two airliners painted and
numbered exactly the same, one from a civil
airport in America, the other from a secret
military airbase nearby.

The one from the airport would have military
personnel on board who had checked in as ordinary
passengers under false names. The one from the
airbase would be an empty drone, a
remote-controlled unmanned aircraft.

Somewhere along their joint flight paths, the
passenger-carrying plane would drop below radar
height, and disappear, landing back at the
airbase and unloading its occupants in secret.

Meanwhile, the drone would have taken up the
other plane?s designated course. High over the
island of Cuba, it would be exploded in mid-air
after broadcasting an international distress call
that it was under attack from enemy fighters.

The world would be told that a plane load of
blameless American holidaymakers had been
deliberately shot down by Fidel Castro?s
Communists ? and that the US had no choice but to
declare war and topple his regime.

This ?agent provocateur? plan ? code named
OPERATION NORTHWOODS and revealed in official
archives ? dates from 1962 when the Cold War was
at its height. 

Four decades later, there are a growing number of
people who look back at this proto-conspiracy and
then to the events of 9/11 and see uncanny and
frightening modern parallels.

Rest is here 
http://bulldogpolitics.blogspot.com/2005/08/finally-mainstream-media-outlet-is.html
From michael at intrafi.com  Thu Aug 11 13:29:48 2005
From: michael at intrafi.com (michael@intrafi.com)
Date: Thu Aug 11 13:32:57 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Alternet: Speaking With the Enemy
Message-ID: <20050811202948.28D2EB8099@alternet.org>


This story has been forwarded to you from
http://www.alternet.org by michael@intrafi.com



-------------------------------------
Speaking With the Enemy
http://www.alternet.org/story/23970

The Nightline interview with Chechen warlord Shamil Basayev is consistent with the Pentagon's 'accidental' bombings of three Al Jazeera bureaus -- and proof that U.S. government uses the media for foreign policy.
-------------------------------------

From michael at intrafi.com  Thu Aug 11 13:30:57 2005
From: michael at intrafi.com (michael@intrafi.com)
Date: Thu Aug 11 13:34:05 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Alternet: Weird Science on the Religious Right
Message-ID: <20050811203057.091C4B8099@alternet.org>


This story has been forwarded to you from
http://www.alternet.org by michael@intrafi.com



-------------------------------------
Weird Science on the Religious Right
http://www.alternet.org/story/24000

Seven of the greatest hits (or misses) of conservative Christian 'science' show just how little fact goes into these beliefs, and how much damage they can cause.
-------------------------------------

From michael at intrafi.com  Thu Aug 11 13:32:34 2005
From: michael at intrafi.com (michael@intrafi.com)
Date: Thu Aug 11 13:35:45 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Alternet: Bush's Energy Disaster
Message-ID: <20050811203234.6EB31B8099@alternet.org>


This story has been forwarded to you from
http://www.alternet.org by michael@intrafi.com



-------------------------------------
Bush's Energy Disaster
http://www.alternet.org/story/23999

The long-delayed energy bill signed into law last week will wreak havoc on the planet while padding the pockets of the oil industry.
-------------------------------------

From hecate at diamonddragon.com  Thu Aug 11 13:33:24 2005
From: hecate at diamonddragon.com (Hecate)
Date: Thu Aug 11 13:36:33 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] BBC E-mail: Pakistan fires new cruise missile
Message-ID: <20050811_203323_041038.hecate@diamonddragon.com>

Hecate saw this story on BBC News Online and thought you
should see it.



** Pakistan fires new cruise missile **
Pakistan says it has fired its first cruise missile, describing the launch as a "milestone" in its history.
< http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/fr/-/2/hi/south_asia/4140692.stm >


** BBC Daily E-mail **
Choose the news and sport headlines you want - when you want them, all
in one daily e-mail
< http://www.bbc.co.uk/dailyemail/ >


** Disclaimer **
The BBC is not responsible for the content of this e-mail, and anything written in this e-mail does not necessarily reflect the BBC's views or opinions. Please note that neither the e-mail address nor name of the sender have?been verified.

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From michael at intrafi.com  Thu Aug 11 13:34:11 2005
From: michael at intrafi.com (michael@intrafi.com)
Date: Thu Aug 11 13:37:18 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Alternet: Anonymous Lies From Anonymous Sources
Message-ID: <20050811203411.CDAAEB8099@alternet.org>


This story has been forwarded to you from
http://www.alternet.org by michael@intrafi.com



-------------------------------------
Anonymous Lies From Anonymous Sources
http://www.alternet.org/story/23913

The Valerie Plame affair exposes more than just Karl Rove's dirty tricks -- it exposes the press. 
-------------------------------------

From hecate at diamonddragon.com  Thu Aug 11 13:34:45 2005
From: hecate at diamonddragon.com (Hecate)
Date: Thu Aug 11 13:37:54 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] BBC E-mail: Malaysia haze triggers emergency
Message-ID: <20050811_203445_093182.hecate@diamonddragon.com>

Hecate saw this story on BBC News Online and thought you
should see it.



** Malaysia haze triggers emergency **
Malaysia declares a state of emergency in two towns hit by pollution caused by Indonesian fires.
< http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/fr/-/2/hi/asia-pacific/4140660.stm >


** BBC Daily E-mail **
Choose the news and sport headlines you want - when you want them, all
in one daily e-mail
< http://www.bbc.co.uk/dailyemail/ >


** Disclaimer **
The BBC is not responsible for the content of this e-mail, and anything written in this e-mail does not necessarily reflect the BBC's views or opinions. Please note that neither the e-mail address nor name of the sender have?been verified.

If you do not wish to receive such e-mails in the future or want to know more about the BBC's Email a Friend service, please read our frequently asked questions. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/help/4162471.stm

From michael at intrafi.com  Thu Aug 11 13:35:14 2005
From: michael at intrafi.com (michael@intrafi.com)
Date: Thu Aug 11 13:38:23 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Alternet: The Passing Icon
Message-ID: <20050811203514.52B77B8099@alternet.org>


This story has been forwarded to you from
http://www.alternet.org by michael@intrafi.com



-------------------------------------
The Passing Icon
http://www.alternet.org/story/24002

As we mourn the death of Peter Jennings we must also remember the tragic legacy of the 'big three'  anchors who presided over our nation's decline.
-------------------------------------

From nwonline at toronto.cbc.ca  Thu Aug 11 17:18:53 2005
From: nwonline at toronto.cbc.ca (CBC News Online)
Date: Thu Aug 11 17:22:34 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] 
	CBC News - SPRING WITHDRAWAL FROM IRAQ JUST 'SPECULATION,
	' BUSH SAYS
Message-ID: <20050812001853.6CE701B69E@nmweb06.nm.cbc.ca>

This email has been sent to you by harry.sifton@sympatico.ca
The following is a news item posted on CBC NEWS ONLINE
at http://www.cbc.ca/news
____________________________________________________
SPRING WITHDRAWAL FROM IRAQ JUST 'SPECULATION,' BUSH SAYS
WebPosted Thu Aug 11 15:39:41 2005

---U.S. President George W. Bush on Wednesday described recent reports
that American troops would begin withdrawing from Iraq next spring as
"speculation."

He would give no timetable for an eventual pullout, saying only, "as
Iraqis stand up, we will stand down."

"Withdrawing before the mission is complete would send the signal that
the U.S. is weak and that all they have to do is terrorize and we will
leave," Bush said.

The president also said the International Atomic Energy Agency had made
"a positive first step" in calling for Iran to halt its nuclear program.


But he suggested the country's new president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, would
not be barred from getting a U.S. visa to attend the United Nations in
New York next month, despite being investigated by U.S. intelligence for
alleged ties to the 1979 seizure of U.S. hostages by extremists in Iran.



                             INDEPTH: Iran's
                             nuclear program

Bush made the comments to reporters at his Crawford, Texas, ranch after
meeting with Vice-President Dick Cheney, Secretary of State Condoleezza
Rice and Secretary of Defence Donald Rumsfeld.

The president said military and political developments in Iraq dominated
the discussion. Cheney, Rice and Rumsfeld did not address reporters.


A surge in violence in Iraq this month has killed 36 U.S. troops,
including 20 marines based in Ohio towns.

Iraqi officials are aiming to complete a draft constitution by Monday.


"I'm working on the assumption that [the constitution] will be agreed on
by Aug. 15," Bush said, noting that there had been some obstacles such as
federalism &#8211; referring to demands by the Kurdish north for more
autonomy &#8211; and granting women equal status.

U.S. commanders in Iraq had suggested two weeks ago that an American
troop withdrawal might begin next spring.

"I suspect what you were hearing was speculation based on progress we're
seeing in Iraq," said Bush when asked a question on the point.



 FROM AUG. 10, 2005: Car bomb attack on Iraqi police patrol kills 7


Bush acknowledged anti-war activists camped outside the ranch, saying he
had thought about their "cries to pull out of Iraq &#8230; But I strongly
disagree."

Cindy Sheehan, a mother from California who lost her 24-year-old son
Casey in Iraq, has stayed several days outside the ranch in a peaceful
protest of the 2½-year conflict.

"I sympathize with Mrs. Sheehan," Bush said. "I thought long and hard
about her position &#8230; But it would be a mistake for this country."

The president continued to link the war in Iraq to global terrorism
dating back to Sept. 11, 2001, saying insurgents were striving to turn
the Middle East into a "launching pad for attacks against free people."


There is concern that the recent violence will persist over the next
several months while Iraqis finalize their new constitution and prepare
for elections scheduled for December.

Preparing Iraqi soldiers to take over from U.S. troops is another hurdle
facing the anti-insurgency fighters.

Bush put an upbeat tone on the training. "More and more units are
becoming more and more capable." But he acknowledged that few could stand
on their own without being accompanied by U.S. soldiers in their ranks.

The president said the U.S. army had surpassed its recruitment goals for
July, the first time it had done so this year. Other services continued
to be on track for their recruitment drives, he said.

Copyright (C) 2005 CBC. All rights reserved.
From nwonline at toronto.cbc.ca  Thu Aug 11 17:46:45 2005
From: nwonline at toronto.cbc.ca (CBC News Online)
Date: Thu Aug 11 17:50:29 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] CBC News - CRYSTAL METH MAKERS NOW FACE LIFE IN PRISON
Message-ID: <20050812004645.A7ABD1B69E@nmweb06.nm.cbc.ca>

This email has been sent to you by harry.sifton@sympatico.ca
The following is a news item posted on CBC NEWS ONLINE
at http://www.cbc.ca/news
____________________________________________________
CRYSTAL METH MAKERS NOW FACE LIFE IN PRISON
WebPosted Thu Aug 11 11:27:15 2005

---People who make, import, sell or possess the super-addictive drug
commonly known as crystal meth now face stiffer sentences, the federal
government said Thursday.

"The maximum penalty for production and distribution of methamphetamine
has increased from 10 years to life in prison," three federal ministers
said in a news release.

"Methamphetamine has been moved to Schedule I of the Controlled Drugs and
Substances Act, which provides access to the highest maximum penalties."

The change puts crystal meth on par with cocaine and heroin when judges
sentence offenders.

The news release, issued by the ministers of Health, Justice and Public
Safety and Emergency Preparedness, cited the "significant health, social
and economic harms" caused by addiction to the synthetic drug, which can
be made with ingredients that are readily available to the public.

 FROM CBC'S THE FIFTH ESTATE: Dark Crystal

Meeting with Canada's other premiers in Banff, Alta., Saskatchewan
Premier Lorne Calvert welcomed the news.

His province has been dealing with a spiralling crystal meth addiction
rate in recent years, as have British Columbia and other western
provinces.

"This is not just a western problem," Calvert said. "You will see this
become a nationwide issue."

Waving a copy of the U.S. magazine Newsweek, which contained a story
calling crystal meth "America's Most Dangerous Drug," the Saskatchewan
premier said, "I don't ever want to see that kind of headline on the
cover of Macleans."

Federal Justice Minister Irwin Cotler says his government is heading
the call from communities trying to cope with the ruined lives of
young people.

"And we're sending a clear and unambiguous message as to the gravity of
the offence by ratcheting up the nature of the sentence to life
imprisonment."



 FROM FEB. 15, 2005: MLA's daughter survives crystal meth nightmare

Some studies have suggested that people who become addicted to the street
drug will live for an average of only seven years, slowly starving
themselves as the addiction takes hold.

Calling the crystal meth problem a "scourge," B.C. Premier Gordon
Campbell congratulated the federal government on toughening the
sentences.

He said the heartbreak caused by the drug is "going to touch everyone in
Canada if we don't act together on it."

YOUR SPACE: Send us your thoughts

Kerry Jackson, whose 26-year-old son Ryan died after a reaction to the
drug applauded the changes to the law.

But she said the do-it-yourself nature of creating the drug means there
will always be a new supplier to fill the demand.

"There's lots of recipes on the internet, and they can do this with a
minimum of supplies and equipment that can fit into a box, and basically
travel with it. This is how it mushroomed in the States."

An addictions expert in British Columbia said she isn't sure the threat
of life sentences will be the deterrent the politicians predict.

"What we know about human beings is that they've always used psychoactive
drugs in one form or another," said Sherrie Mumford.

"They attempted to take down huge quantities of heroin in the past, for
example, and they thought that this would decrease the drug use. Well, it
has put a dent in the heroin use, but we saw huge increases in drug use
like cocaine."

Copyright (C) 2005 CBC. All rights reserved.
From ean at sbcglobal.net  Thu Aug 11 17:33:09 2005
From: ean at sbcglobal.net (ean@sbcglobal.net)
Date: Thu Aug 11 18:22:12 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Bush and the Bomb
Message-ID: <200508120122.j7C1MAek010752@dune.islandtechnologies.net>

I reckon it's up to the citizens of this world to demand genuine nuclear 
disarmament cause our leaders are dragging on us on a suicide path....

Bush and the Bomb
    By Marjorie Cohn
    t r u t h o u t | Perspective
    Wednesday 10 August 2005
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/081005Y.shtml

    The 1945 nuclear bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki resulted in the
deaths of more than 200,000 people, mostly civilians. Many tens of
thousands more have been afflicted with radiation-induced cancers,
immunologic disorders, birth defects, and lasting psychological trauma.

    For years, the United States government engaged in a massive cover-up
    of
the devastation wreaked by its use of the atom bomb in Japan. (See
Hiroshima Cover-Up Exposed.) The claim has persisted that the use of the
bomb ended the war and saved lives. Yet, historians have now put the lie
to the assertion that the Japanese would not have surrendered but for the
nuclear attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. (See Hiroshima after Sixty
Years: The Debate Continues.)

    The United States dropped the A-bomb to test it on live targets, and
    to
demonstrate the overwhelming superiority of America. Thus, under the
definition set by the World Court, these weapons are incapable of
distinguishing between civilian and military targets, and are therefore
prohibited.

    General Dwight D. Eisenhower said, "It wasn't necessary to hit them
    with
that awful thing." General Curtis LeMay declared that the atomic bomb had
nothing to do with Japan's surrender. And Admiral William D. Leahy stated
angrily that the "use of this barbarous weapon at Hiroshima and Nagasaki
was of no material assistance in our war against Japan. The Japanese were
already defeated and ready to surrender ... in being the first to use it,
we ... adopted an ethical standard common to the barbarians of the Dark
Ages."

    The Charter of the Nuremberg Tribunal defines ill-treatment of a
civilian population as a war crime, and inhumane acts committed against a
civilian population as crimes against humanity.

    The US atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki were war crimes and
crimes against humanity. Former Defense Secretary Robert McNamara 
admitted
in the film Fog of War that if we had lost the war, he and LeMay would
have been war criminals. Since only the vanquished Nazis and Japanese were
tried and punished, the US officials who ordered these crimes were never
brought to justice.

    After World War II, the new enemy of the United States became the
    Soviet
Union, and there ensued a nuclear arms race unprecedented in human
history.

    Concern about the possibility of another, more devastating Hiroshima
    led
to the 1970 Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. When the United States
ratified this treaty, it became part of the supreme law of the land under
the Supremacy Clause of the Constitution. The treaty commits the countries
that possess nuclear weapons (Britain, China, France, Russia and the US)
to negotiate their elimination. By ratifying this treaty, the US pledged
it would not use nuclear weapons against countries that did not possess
nuclear weapons.

    The Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM) Treaty was concluded between the
    United
States and the Soviet Union in 1972. This treaty was supposed to maintain
the credibility of retaliatory deterrence based on the threat of a
successful second strike, known as the policy of Mutually Assured
Destruction (MAD). It also put limits on future technological development
in order to preserve the "strategic balance" between the US and the USSR.

    In 1995, a commitment was made to complete negotiations on the
Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty by 1996. It bans all nuclear explosions, for
any purpose, warlike or peaceful.

    In 1996, in response to a request by the United Nations General
Assembly, the International Court of Justice (the World Court) issued an
advisory opinion on the legality of the threat or use of nuclear weapons.

    The World Court said that under humanitarian law, countries must
    "never
use weapons that are incapable of distinguishing between civilian and
military targets." It held that the threat or use of nuclear weapons was
"generally" contrary to international law. Although the divided Court was
unable to reach a definitive conclusion regarding threat or use in extreme
circumstances of self-defense where the survival of a nation was at stake,
the overall thrust of the decision was toward categorical illegality. It
strongly implied that the doctrine of deterrence is illegal. The Court
said that the radioactive effects of nuclear explosions cannot be
contained in space and time. Thus, the use of nuclear weapons can never
conform to the requirements of the law.

    The World Court also held, unanimously, that Article VI of the Nuclear
Non-Proliferation Treaty obligates all countries to "bring to a conclusion
negotiations leading to nuclear disarmament in all its aspects."

    So what has the United States done to fulfill its obligations under
    this
treaty?

    In 1999, the US Senate rejected the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty.

    The United States has tried to negotiate a more flexible nuclear
doctrine that would include missile defenses far beyond the very limited
defenses allowed by the ABM Treaty. But Bush didn't like the treaty at
all.

    Thus, in December 2001, the United States notified Russia of its
    intent
to withdraw from the ABM Treaty in 6 months, based on a treaty provision
that permitted withdrawal if there existed extraordinary events
jeopardizing the withdrawing country's supreme interests.

    The US withdrawal from the ABM Treaty is the first formal unilateral
withdrawal of a major power from a nuclear arms control treaty once it has
taken effect. It also spurred Russia to announce its withdrawal from its
commitments under the START II arms reduction treaty.

    And the US withdrawal jeopardizes the most important treaty that aims
    to
prevent the spread of nuclear weapons and nuclear materials, the Nuclear
Non-Proliferation Treaty.

    In 2002, the Department of Defense presented the Nuclear Posture
    Review
to Congress, which actually expands the range of circumstances in which
the US could use nuclear weapons. This document explicitly allows the
option of using nuclear weapons against non-nuclear nations. It permits
pre-emptive attacks against biological and chemical weapons capabilities,
and in response to "surprising military developments." It provides for the
development of nuclear warheads, including earth penetrators.

    Alarmingly, classified portions of the document obtained by the Los
Angeles Times and the New York Times call for contingency planning for the
use of nuclear weapons against Russia, China, North Korea, Iraq, Iran,
Syria and Libya.

    The Nuclear Posture Review sets forth policies that explicitly violate
the legal obligations the US undertook when it ratified the Nuclear
Non-Proliferation Treaty - the prohibition on the use of nuclear weapons
against non-nuclear countries, and the obligation to negotiate the
cessation of the arms race at an early date.

    When the Nuclear Posture Review was presented in 2002, the New York
Times said: "Where the Pentagon review goes very wrong is in lowering the
threshold for using nuclear weapons and in undermining the effectiveness
of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty ... Nuclear weapons are not just
another part of the military arsenal. They are different, and lowering the
threshold for their use is reckless folly."

    Yet today the United States stands ready to rapidly launch 2,000
strategic warheads with land- and submarine-based missiles. Each warhead
would inflict vast heat, blast and radiation 7 to 30 times that of the
Hiroshima bomb.

    Although less spectacular and obvious than a mushroom cloud, the Bush
administration has used nuclear weapons - depleted uranium warheads - in
Yugoslavia, Afghanistan and Iraq. Reporters from the Christian Science
Monitor have measured radiation levels in downtown Baghdad that are 1,000
to 1,900 times higher than normal background radiation levels.

    The US Nuclear Defense Agency condemned depleted uranium weapons as 
a
"serious health threat." Whipped up by sandstorms and carried by trade
winds, they can cause cancer, leukemia, brain damage, kidney failure and
extreme birth defects for 4,500,000,000 years (See Horror of USA's
Depleted Uranium in Iraq Threatens World.
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/051105K.shtml)
    The United States is committing ongoing crimes against humanity by its
use of depleted uranium.

    The effects of the strategic warheads and depleted uranium "cannot be
contained in space or time ... would affect health, agriculture, natural
resources and demography over a very wide area ... and would be a serious
danger to future generations." Thus, under the definition set by the World
Court, these weapons are incapable of distinguishing between civilian and
military targets.

    By using nuclear weapons against Japan, the United States became a
dangerous role model. The Bush administration persists in the use of
depleted uranium, and it has announced its intention to enlarge the use of
the extraordinary strategic warheads.

    Bush targets countries like North Korea and Iran that may seek to
develop their nuclear capabilities. Yet all the while, Bush and his
administration continue to commit war crimes and crimes against humanity
in Iraq and threaten to commit even greater crimes in the future with
their horrific new weapons.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------
------
    Marjorie Cohn, a contributing editor to t r u t h o u t, is a
    professor at Thomas Jefferson School of Law, executive vice president of 
the National Lawyers Guild, and the US representative to the executive
committee of the American Association of Jurists.


-- 
You are currently on Mha Atma's Earth Action Network email list, option 
D (up to 3 emails/day).  To be removed, or to switch options (option A - 
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From harry.sifton at sympatico.ca  Thu Aug 11 18:20:26 2005
From: harry.sifton at sympatico.ca (Harold Sifton)
Date: Thu Aug 11 18:23:46 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Crystal Meth
Message-ID: <000d01c59edc$08661a30$9c27e440@Harold>

Crystal Meth is a deadly drug, the makers and distributors should be drawn a quartered, and their guts pulled out while they are still alive.

I'm sorry to sound medieval, but the criminal scourge/gangs in our society must be dealt with ruthlessly, no more tolerance/excuses or partial jail time, just put the dealers down, like a sick mad dog. 

This comment is a follow up on my pervious posting of the CBC article on life sentences.

Criminal gangs run freely in America because they have no fear, jail time is a holiday. 1 in 142 Americans are in jail as of 2002.

http://usgovinfo.about.com/cs/censusstatistic/a/aaprisonpop.htm

Not a good stat.

That is over 2 million people, and those are only the ones that have been caught!!

What does that tell you about American society. I would hate to have a pollster give a real ratio on the real % of criminals in America. Their math tends to be very correct. (within 1 or 2 %)

Point being, America has the most/greatest internal crime ratio than any other county in the world, WHY?

Later H


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From cararobindesign at hotmail.com  Thu Aug 11 10:18:48 2005
From: cararobindesign at hotmail.com (Cara Robin)
Date: Thu Aug 11 18:33:46 2005
Subject: [Mb-hair] Re: [Mb-civic] This is a Valid Virus/Hacker Warning
	fromCara Robin
In-Reply-To: <003c01c59e1d$067ca780$99ca6c42@iancn2ccrvzt0j>
Message-ID: <BAY103-F266F515B597E5530B2B597B4BD0@phx.gbl>

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From cararobindesign at hotmail.com  Thu Aug 11 10:28:57 2005
From: cararobindesign at hotmail.com (Cara Robin)
Date: Thu Aug 11 18:33:51 2005
Subject: [Mb-hair] Re: [Mb-civic] This is a Valid Virus/Hacker Warning
	fromCara Robin
In-Reply-To: <003c01c59e1d$067ca780$99ca6c42@iancn2ccrvzt0j>
Message-ID: <BAY103-F2CAE66C24503D66E520C6B4BD0@phx.gbl>

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From ean at sbcglobal.net  Thu Aug 11 18:02:56 2005
From: ean at sbcglobal.net (ean@sbcglobal.net)
Date: Thu Aug 11 18:39:37 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Walter Mosley:  What we forget about Watts
Message-ID: <200508120139.j7C1dYkA010836@dune.islandtechnologies.net>

If you are not familiar with Walter Mosley, he is an African-American man 
who is a great writer of detective novels  (I don't read those type of books but 
I read one of his and it was really good) and a man with powerful 
political/social insight...

http://www.commondreams.org/views05/0810-25.htm

Los Angeles Times

What we forget about Watts
The riot was spontaneous, leaderless and fueled by a long-smoldering rage
that is still burning.

By Walter Mosley

WALTER MOSLEY is the author, most recently, of "Little Scarlet" (Little,
Brown, 2005), a mystery featuring Easy Rawlins and set five days after the
Watts riots.

August 9, 2005

WHAT WE remember about Watts and its environs that hot summer is not
nearly as important as what we forget. Many of us remember a young man
arrested for a crime he may or may not have committed, and the way the
streets of Los Angeles became a war zone. Whole blocks went up in flames.
Dozens died. The National Guard was called out. Five days of violence
blazed and the whole nation, the whole world, took notice.

What we don't remember, what many of us never really considered, was that
this was a mass political action that had no leaders, no apologists, no
internal critics. The Watts riot was a spontaneous act of a people who had
been oppressed, emasculated and impoverished for too long. It didn't
matter if the man being arrested was guilty or not. It didn't matter if
the police stood out in the street and said to go home. Who cared what
they said or what their laws said? Who cared about property that would
never be ours?

The riot was a rebellion, a naturally formed revolution, an unconscious
expression of a people who had lived entire lives, many generations, in a
state of enforced unconsciousness. It was about people who were poor and
undereducated, people who had no motherland or mother tongue or even a
history as far as most of them knew.

I was 12 years old that summer. My parents had moved west by then, over
near Fairfax and Pico. But on the third night of the riot, I found myself
being driven through parts of town that were rife with burning, looting
and violence. One might think that this would provide me with an
interesting memory of that time. But I don't find it particularly
enlightening. Violence is merely a symptom of a deeper malady.

The citizens of Watts understood that if a black son was arrested, he was
likely to get brutalized, railroaded, blindsided, humiliated. And that it
didn't have much to do with whether he was innocent or guilty.

And so young people (and some old) poured gasoline into beer bottles,
added a rag and flicker and made a statement that had lain fallow in their
hearts for more years than they had been living, a statement that had been
whispered by ancestors so far back that its first utterance had been the
murmur of slaves.

The Watts riot was unity without direction, agreement without
understanding.

This was not the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. This was not
the NAACP. This was not Paul Robeson or Jesse Owens or any other
identifiable group, movement or personality.

The Watts riot was a deep-seated anger at injustice that had gone on
unchallenged, that was intended to go on forever. There would be no true
power for black people. They did not deserve a history or a worldview or
even a place at most tables. The Watts riot was the product of an
intelligence that was unaware of itself. It was an action that was
artless, unstructured and unplanned.

So, what's so important about this? What lesson could we possibly learn
today from that 40-year-old expression of unrest?

Maybe some people reading these words already have an answer. Maybe they
know about the million black men and women languishing in prison -
overcrowded, bored and hopeless; they know about the millions more who are
soon to return to the penal system with its punitive rules and
representatives.

They know about the gangs that form in the vacuum of hope. They know 
about
the innocents and soldiers hung out to dry on foreign soil. They know
about the shrinking pot and the empty promises and the intentions of those
in power to keep the status quo.

The immediate and mostly unconscious result of the Watts riot was that
some people got a sense of bitter satisfaction while others learned to
fear. But this is not knowledge, not learning. The lesson, for black and
white, was taught but not learned.

People all over the world - in Darfur and Cleveland, Paris and Jakarta -
are suffering. They're angry and disaffected, lost and staring at TV
screens or podiums dominated by religious zealots. There's a thought
somewhere in their unconsciousness, a word waiting to be spoken.

This is what I am remembering when I think about that hot summer. I am
remembering a future that will be forgotten before we know it has
happened.
***

Los Angeles Times

What we forget about Watts
The riot was spontaneous, leaderless and fueled by a long-smoldering rage
that is still burning.

By Walter Mosley

WALTER MOSLEY is the author, most recently, of "Little Scarlet" (Little,
Brown, 2005), a mystery featuring Easy Rawlins and set five days after the
Watts riots.

August 9, 2005

WHAT WE remember about Watts and its environs that hot summer is not
nearly as important as what we forget. Many of us remember a young man
arrested for a crime he may or may not have committed, and the way the
streets of Los Angeles became a war zone. Whole blocks went up in flames.
Dozens died. The National Guard was called out. Five days of violence
blazed and the whole nation, the whole world, took notice.

What we don't remember, what many of us never really considered, was that
this was a mass political action that had no leaders, no apologists, no
internal critics. The Watts riot was a spontaneous act of a people who had
been oppressed, emasculated and impoverished for too long. It didn't
matter if the man being arrested was guilty or not. It didn't matter if
the police stood out in the street and said to go home. Who cared what
they said or what their laws said? Who cared about property that would
never be ours?

The riot was a rebellion, a naturally formed revolution, an unconscious
expression of a people who had lived entire lives, many generations, in a
state of enforced unconsciousness. It was about people who were poor and
undereducated, people who had no motherland or mother tongue or even a
history as far as most of them knew.

I was 12 years old that summer. My parents had moved west by then, over
near Fairfax and Pico. But on the third night of the riot, I found myself
being driven through parts of town that were rife with burning, looting
and violence. One might think that this would provide me with an
interesting memory of that time. But I don't find it particularly
enlightening. Violence is merely a symptom of a deeper malady.

The citizens of Watts understood that if a black son was arrested, he was
likely to get brutalized, railroaded, blindsided, humiliated. And that it
didn't have much to do with whether he was innocent or guilty.

And so young people (and some old) poured gasoline into beer bottles,
added a rag and flicker and made a statement that had lain fallow in their
hearts for more years than they had been living, a statement that had been
whispered by ancestors so far back that its first utterance had been the
murmur of slaves.

The Watts riot was unity without direction, agreement without
understanding.

This was not the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. This was not
the NAACP. This was not Paul Robeson or Jesse Owens or any other
identifiable group, movement or personality.

The Watts riot was a deep-seated anger at injustice that had gone on
unchallenged, that was intended to go on forever. There would be no true
power for black people. They did not deserve a history or a worldview or
even a place at most tables. The Watts riot was the product of an
intelligence that was unaware of itself. It was an action that was
artless, unstructured and unplanned.

So, what's so important about this? What lesson could we possibly learn
today from that 40-year-old expression of unrest?

Maybe some people reading these words already have an answer. Maybe they
know about the million black men and women languishing in prison -
overcrowded, bored and hopeless; they know about the millions more who are
soon to return to the penal system with its punitive rules and
representatives.

They know about the gangs that form in the vacuum of hope. They know 
about
the innocents and soldiers hung out to dry on foreign soil. They know
about the shrinking pot and the empty promises and the intentions of those
in power to keep the status quo.

The immediate and mostly unconscious result of the Watts riot was that
some people got a sense of bitter satisfaction while others learned to
fear. But this is not knowledge, not learning. The lesson, for black and
white, was taught but not learned.

People all over the world - in Darfur and Cleveland, Paris and Jakarta -
are suffering. They're angry and disaffected, lost and staring at TV
screens or podiums dominated by religious zealots. There's a thought
somewhere in their unconsciousness, a word waiting to be spoken.

This is what I am remembering when I think about that hot summer. I am
remembering a future that will be forgotten before we know it has
happened.


-- 
You are currently on Mha Atma's Earth Action Network email list, 
option D (up to 3 emails/day).  To be removed, or to switch options 
(option A - 1x/week, option B - 3/wk, option C - up to 1x/day, option D - 
up to 3x/day) please reply and let us know!  If someone forwarded you 
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ean@sbcglobal.net and tell us which option you'd like.


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   ---   George Orwell


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From maxfury at granderiver.net  Thu Aug 11 20:26:27 2005
From: maxfury at granderiver.net (Cheeseburger)
Date: Thu Aug 11 20:28:52 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Crystal Meth
Message-ID: <000701c59eed$a33dc7e0$fd26b7d8@baby1>

Re:  Crystal Meth



Harold wrote:

========
Crystal Meth is a deadly drug, the makers and distributors should be drawn a
quartered, and their guts pulled out while they are still alive.  I'm sorry
to sound medieval, but the criminal scourge/gangs in our society must be
dealt with ruthlessly, no more tolerance/excuses or partial jail time, just
put the dealers down, like a sick mad dog.
This comment is a follow up on my pervious posting of the CBC article on
life sentences.
Criminal gangs run freely in America because they have no fear, jail time is
a holiday. 1 in 142 Americans are in jail as of 2002.
http://usgovinfo.about.com/cs/censusstatistic/a/aaprisonpop.htm
Not a good stat.  That is over 2 million people, and those are only the ones
that have been caught!!  What does that tell you about American society. I
would hate to have a pollster give a real ratio on the real % of criminals
in America. Their math tends to be very correct. (within 1 or 2 %)  Point
being, America has the most/greatest internal crime ratio than any other
county in the world, WHY?

Later H
=============



CheeseComment:


That's a lot of questions there.  Next time start at The Top, from whence
all the "criminal gang" activity sprang from originally, then work your way
down to The Bottom.

You need to come and live in an apartment in Harlem or somewhere for about
10 to 20 years and then re-write your post there.

You need to move to America to live for a while.  People "outside America"
and outside the actual realm of all these "American Happenings" are doing
just that, looking at it all from the outside and then commenting, just like
a lot of Americans themselves continue to do.

They can't imagine why or how anyone would ever want to or be forced into a
gang or criminal activity in America the Beautiful.  Not for a second.

They've never heard of Robber Barons, or if they have, they have forgotten
them just like they have forgotten most of "American History" if they ever
even knew it.

I'm not saying that things like crystal meth or gangs are great things, just
that people don't understand how things happen and then comment on them.

All this crap is "Trickle Down" from The Top of America.

People are always saying stuff like "don't blame society or one's
environment for criminal behaviour etc etc etc", when in Actual Reality,
Society, Government, "One's Environment" that has been so thoughtfully
engineered, have either created the conditions under which things like
crystal meth and criminal activity become natural reactions, or sat on their
asses and simply watched it all occur and did nothing whatsoever to neither
prevent it nor fix it.

If you yell loud enough perhaps you can get Americans in an uproar over
Crystal Meth, like they are in an uproar over Marijuana.

Yet, no matter how loudly you yell you will never get them to even blink at
things like 100,000 dead civilians murdered in the name of America.

Drugs and The Bad Guys.  Bad stuff, sure.  Nothing compared to what The Top
has engineered.

I put it to you again, how on Earth do you think things like "Drugs and The
Bad Guys" came to be if the creme de la creme of The Top of America did not
either create it or sit by and watch as it was created......?

People like robber barons etc etc etc plundered America from sea to shining
sea for centuries.

One of the great results has been drugs and the bad guys, gangs and criminal
activity.

The poor American's answer to terrorism and starvation and you fucking name
it.

The guy has 6 kids to feed, they lay him off at the plant, nobody will hire
him but McDonalds, he turns to crime.

You blame him....?    Really...?    Him and his "inadequacies" etc and
nobody else....?

You need to spend several years in America in some of the inner city
ratholes that robber barons etc created over centuries here, or now, it has
reached all the rural areas, you can just go to those and live for a while
to get the same picture almost.

It, in all cases, wasn't "Oh, let's invent criminal activities, gangs, and
drug dealing because we want to", but rather "What are our options that The
Systems Of America have left us....?"

They turned around, and there were very little options, unless they wanted
to go on food stamps and welfare.

Jobs are decreasing and being shipped overseas.

The economy is a piece of crap, unless of course one already has a piece of
the Wall Street etc pie and can sit comfortably back and spit on the vermin
at the bottom, all those nasty criminals.

I'm not saying that all criminals are *not* nasty ruthless murderous people,
in one way or another, but that rather there are TONS of people who in their
limited education perhaps, their limited perspectives, their limited
environments, their engineered lives, their limited options, turned to a
life of crime, just to be able to feed and house their fucking family.

But it is those people who are to blame, not The Top, the creme de la creme,
of America, who REALLY helped to literally create, engineer, foster, and
promote such "crime breeding environments" to this very fucking day.

Bullshit.

And The Top will continue to do so far into the future.

The American prison system remains one of the most lucratively profitable
systems in this entire country.

It is not run strictly to put bad people in there for rehabilitation etc
purposes.

But rather to make sure their rooms will always be full.

>From whence springs their paychecks.

The more people in prison in America, the richer these people get, "bad
people" or no "bad people".

I could ramble on for quite a time on this subject, but I'm rather sure
there are several other people who could ramble on about it much more
intelligently and informatively than myself.

I did, however, notice a missing statistic in your post about how many
people, mothers, grandmothers, etc, those nasty criminal ruthless types, are
In American Prisons for simple Marijuana, or just for being in the same room
when a bust went down.

It's a huge number.

Oh well, regardless, my rambling is over, come live in America for a half
century and get a real feel for it.

You will probably finally figure out how all The Systems at The Top of
America are specifically engineered to make The Bottom break its balls just
to survive, in many instances, and at about just the same time that we
finally elect a black person to the Presidency.

Sentenced to live a few decades in America, really taking a look around
personally, and writing it all down, should at the very least give anyone
from other countries something really neat to take back with them when they
leave to show to their neighbors.

Other than just the same old dribble of look at all the ruthless horrible
Americans.

All us ruthless horrible Americans, at least here at The Bottom, have had
lots and lots and LOTS of help from the really neat cool kind people at The
Top of America to just be able to hold our heads up from this slime and
smile our toothless smiles.

For Centuries.

But everyone has basically forgotten how "all this bad stuff" got here in
the first place, and perhaps it should just all be forgotten just like how
we got into Iraq.

Just like "Iraq", they don't really want to talk about it and play "The
Blame Game".

There wouldn't be enough prisons in America to hold the people at The Top
after they got through playing it.

Therefore, we at The Bottom, regardless of our inclinations toward crime
etc, will remain the butt of their finger pointings until the end of America
itself, and under the current Systems, Laws, Etc's of Our Beautiful America,
we will continue to fill the prisons of this land rather than those who
continue to create the environments that breed such things.  You remember
them, they're at their ranches right about now sucking up the good life
trying to get rid of food stamps, welfare, social security, and all
ecological life on earth and indoctrinate future generations here as to the
benefits of remaining obedient brainwashed lemmings bred for consuming an
endless stream of witless products as we're out trying to get Marijuana to
cancer and AIDS patients.

Unless of course, the Canadians come and save us.

:)

But wait a second, they're in Iraq fighting for Freedom and God too.



Nevermind..........


p.s.:  This was not an endorsement of either crystal meth or crime (which
remains rampant at The Top of America), but rather just a stab at trying to
get people to think of how it all came to be, rather than just pointing
their fingers, as people are endlessly wont to do, and exclaiming "Oh look,
the bad people", and never asking "How did this all happen....?  Who created
it....?"  Crime, drugs, and gangs have been around for Centuries.  So have
the Fat Cats at The Top who have merrily bred and purposely engineered it
into Society itself.  One never seems to hear anything about those people
though.  Just the people in prison who have fallen prey, for one reason or
another, to the Systems these assholes have carefully built.  A "discussion"
nobody will ever hear on the floor of The Congress Of The United States Of
America.  Inbetween them shooting the finger at America Itself, there is no
time left for such folly.




Cheeseburger

.

From hotprojects at nyc.rr.com  Thu Aug 11 20:28:24 2005
From: hotprojects at nyc.rr.com (richard haase)
Date: Thu Aug 11 20:31:42 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Crystal Meth
References: <000701c59eed$a33dc7e0$fd26b7d8@baby1>
Message-ID: <045c01c59eed$e60bd4e0$6e436c42@hotprojects>

hard drugs are the scourge of society
in my subjective opinion we need to smoke all the marijuana we can
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Cheeseburger" <maxfury@granderiver.net>
To: "mb-civic" <mb-civic@islandlists.com>
Sent: Thursday, August 11, 2005 11:26 PM
Subject: [Mb-civic] Crystal Meth


> Re:  Crystal Meth
>
>
>
> Harold wrote:
>
> ========
> Crystal Meth is a deadly drug, the makers and distributors should be drawn
a
> quartered, and their guts pulled out while they are still alive.  I'm
sorry
> to sound medieval, but the criminal scourge/gangs in our society must be
> dealt with ruthlessly, no more tolerance/excuses or partial jail time,
just
> put the dealers down, like a sick mad dog.
> This comment is a follow up on my pervious posting of the CBC article on
> life sentences.
> Criminal gangs run freely in America because they have no fear, jail time
is
> a holiday. 1 in 142 Americans are in jail as of 2002.
> http://usgovinfo.about.com/cs/censusstatistic/a/aaprisonpop.htm
> Not a good stat.  That is over 2 million people, and those are only the
ones
> that have been caught!!  What does that tell you about American society. I
> would hate to have a pollster give a real ratio on the real % of criminals
> in America. Their math tends to be very correct. (within 1 or 2 %)  Point
> being, America has the most/greatest internal crime ratio than any other
> county in the world, WHY?
>
> Later H
> =============
>
>
>
> CheeseComment:
>
>
> That's a lot of questions there.  Next time start at The Top, from whence
> all the "criminal gang" activity sprang from originally, then work your
way
> down to The Bottom.
>
> You need to come and live in an apartment in Harlem or somewhere for about
> 10 to 20 years and then re-write your post there.
>
> You need to move to America to live for a while.  People "outside America"
> and outside the actual realm of all these "American Happenings" are doing
> just that, looking at it all from the outside and then commenting, just
like
> a lot of Americans themselves continue to do.
>
> They can't imagine why or how anyone would ever want to or be forced into
a
> gang or criminal activity in America the Beautiful.  Not for a second.
>
> They've never heard of Robber Barons, or if they have, they have forgotten
> them just like they have forgotten most of "American History" if they ever
> even knew it.
>
> I'm not saying that things like crystal meth or gangs are great things,
just
> that people don't understand how things happen and then comment on them.
>
> All this crap is "Trickle Down" from The Top of America.
>
> People are always saying stuff like "don't blame society or one's
> environment for criminal behaviour etc etc etc", when in Actual Reality,
> Society, Government, "One's Environment" that has been so thoughtfully
> engineered, have either created the conditions under which things like
> crystal meth and criminal activity become natural reactions, or sat on
their
> asses and simply watched it all occur and did nothing whatsoever to
neither
> prevent it nor fix it.
>
> If you yell loud enough perhaps you can get Americans in an uproar over
> Crystal Meth, like they are in an uproar over Marijuana.
>
> Yet, no matter how loudly you yell you will never get them to even blink
at
> things like 100,000 dead civilians murdered in the name of America.
>
> Drugs and The Bad Guys.  Bad stuff, sure.  Nothing compared to what The
Top
> has engineered.
>
> I put it to you again, how on Earth do you think things like "Drugs and
The
> Bad Guys" came to be if the creme de la creme of The Top of America did
not
> either create it or sit by and watch as it was created......?
>
> People like robber barons etc etc etc plundered America from sea to
shining
> sea for centuries.
>
> One of the great results has been drugs and the bad guys, gangs and
criminal
> activity.
>
> The poor American's answer to terrorism and starvation and you fucking
name
> it.
>
> The guy has 6 kids to feed, they lay him off at the plant, nobody will
hire
> him but McDonalds, he turns to crime.
>
> You blame him....?    Really...?    Him and his "inadequacies" etc and
> nobody else....?
>
> You need to spend several years in America in some of the inner city
> ratholes that robber barons etc created over centuries here, or now, it
has
> reached all the rural areas, you can just go to those and live for a while
> to get the same picture almost.
>
> It, in all cases, wasn't "Oh, let's invent criminal activities, gangs, and
> drug dealing because we want to", but rather "What are our options that
The
> Systems Of America have left us....?"
>
> They turned around, and there were very little options, unless they wanted
> to go on food stamps and welfare.
>
> Jobs are decreasing and being shipped overseas.
>
> The economy is a piece of crap, unless of course one already has a piece
of
> the Wall Street etc pie and can sit comfortably back and spit on the
vermin
> at the bottom, all those nasty criminals.
>
> I'm not saying that all criminals are *not* nasty ruthless murderous
people,
> in one way or another, but that rather there are TONS of people who in
their
> limited education perhaps, their limited perspectives, their limited
> environments, their engineered lives, their limited options, turned to a
> life of crime, just to be able to feed and house their fucking family.
>
> But it is those people who are to blame, not The Top, the creme de la
creme,
> of America, who REALLY helped to literally create, engineer, foster, and
> promote such "crime breeding environments" to this very fucking day.
>
> Bullshit.
>
> And The Top will continue to do so far into the future.
>
> The American prison system remains one of the most lucratively profitable
> systems in this entire country.
>
> It is not run strictly to put bad people in there for rehabilitation etc
> purposes.
>
> But rather to make sure their rooms will always be full.
>
> >From whence springs their paychecks.
>
> The more people in prison in America, the richer these people get, "bad
> people" or no "bad people".
>
> I could ramble on for quite a time on this subject, but I'm rather sure
> there are several other people who could ramble on about it much more
> intelligently and informatively than myself.
>
> I did, however, notice a missing statistic in your post about how many
> people, mothers, grandmothers, etc, those nasty criminal ruthless types,
are
> In American Prisons for simple Marijuana, or just for being in the same
room
> when a bust went down.
>
> It's a huge number.
>
> Oh well, regardless, my rambling is over, come live in America for a half
> century and get a real feel for it.
>
> You will probably finally figure out how all The Systems at The Top of
> America are specifically engineered to make The Bottom break its balls
just
> to survive, in many instances, and at about just the same time that we
> finally elect a black person to the Presidency.
>
> Sentenced to live a few decades in America, really taking a look around
> personally, and writing it all down, should at the very least give anyone
> from other countries something really neat to take back with them when
they
> leave to show to their neighbors.
>
> Other than just the same old dribble of look at all the ruthless horrible
> Americans.
>
> All us ruthless horrible Americans, at least here at The Bottom, have had
> lots and lots and LOTS of help from the really neat cool kind people at
The
> Top of America to just be able to hold our heads up from this slime and
> smile our toothless smiles.
>
> For Centuries.
>
> But everyone has basically forgotten how "all this bad stuff" got here in
> the first place, and perhaps it should just all be forgotten just like how
> we got into Iraq.
>
> Just like "Iraq", they don't really want to talk about it and play "The
> Blame Game".
>
> There wouldn't be enough prisons in America to hold the people at The Top
> after they got through playing it.
>
> Therefore, we at The Bottom, regardless of our inclinations toward crime
> etc, will remain the butt of their finger pointings until the end of
America
> itself, and under the current Systems, Laws, Etc's of Our Beautiful
America,
> we will continue to fill the prisons of this land rather than those who
> continue to create the environments that breed such things.  You remember
> them, they're at their ranches right about now sucking up the good life
> trying to get rid of food stamps, welfare, social security, and all
> ecological life on earth and indoctrinate future generations here as to
the
> benefits of remaining obedient brainwashed lemmings bred for consuming an
> endless stream of witless products as we're out trying to get Marijuana to
> cancer and AIDS patients.
>
> Unless of course, the Canadians come and save us.
>
> :)
>
> But wait a second, they're in Iraq fighting for Freedom and God too.
>
>
>
> Nevermind..........
>
>
> p.s.:  This was not an endorsement of either crystal meth or crime (which
> remains rampant at The Top of America), but rather just a stab at trying
to
> get people to think of how it all came to be, rather than just pointing
> their fingers, as people are endlessly wont to do, and exclaiming "Oh
look,
> the bad people", and never asking "How did this all happen....?  Who
created
> it....?"  Crime, drugs, and gangs have been around for Centuries.  So have
> the Fat Cats at The Top who have merrily bred and purposely engineered it
> into Society itself.  One never seems to hear anything about those people
> though.  Just the people in prison who have fallen prey, for one reason or
> another, to the Systems these assholes have carefully built.  A
"discussion"
> nobody will ever hear on the floor of The Congress Of The United States Of
> America.  Inbetween them shooting the finger at America Itself, there is
no
> time left for such folly.
>
>
>
>
> Cheeseburger
>
> .
>
> _______________________________________________
> Mb-civic mailing list
> Mb-civic@islandlists.com
> http://www.islandlists.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/mb-civic

From lyve at netzero.com  Thu Aug 11 22:26:59 2005
From: lyve at netzero.com (Lyle K'ang)
Date: Thu Aug 11 22:30:40 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Crystal Meth
Message-ID: <20050811.222701.13621.367409@webmail06.nyc.untd.com>

I agree with your analysis Cheese. 
Right to the point, especially about the many Moms, Grandmother's being in jail for a simple joint.

Our criminal system is in shambles and so are our people. Look at Watts near Los Angeles-it's becoming a hot bed again-no jobs...what are people to do?

Where are all the jobs...

The right is trying to convince Americans about history that has never happened by rewriting history; they are saying that the 'robber barons' never happened. That the Civil War was blah. blah, blah...

Sorry, it happened and is happening again!

Get bacjk to basics...Cindy is starting the movement-get going...Karl Rove's time will come up again...New evidence showing that bombing of Iraq started in September before Bush went to the Congress...

This is our lying America...take a look at our prisons and who is in there...

As much as I love Canada (I do), why do you guys continue to fuck around with purchasing American beef that has the very real potential of MAD COW!!!

Why did you go along with supporting the BUSH on the Iraq invasion!!

As a matter of fact, why did you guys or your doctor's go in to the indigenous tribe's arena (4 to 5 decades ago) and neuter them so they could not have babies??? Are you guy's for real!!!! You are no better than the bums here in America!!


Lyle K'ang, MBA/IM 


-- "Cheeseburger"  wrote:
Re:  Crystal Meth



Harold wrote:

========
Crystal Meth is a deadly drug, the makers and distributors should be drawn a
quartered, and their guts pulled out while they are still alive.  I'm sorry
to sound medieval, but the criminal scourge/gangs in our society must be
dealt with ruthlessly, no more tolerance/excuses or partial jail time, just
put the dealers down, like a sick mad dog.
This comment is a follow up on my pervious posting of the CBC article on
life sentences.
Criminal gangs run freely in America because they have no fear, jail time is
a holiday. 1 in 142 Americans are in jail as of 2002.
http://usgovinfo.about.com/cs/censusstatistic/a/aaprisonpop.htm
Not a good stat.  That is over 2 million people, and those are only the ones
that have been caught!!  What does that tell you about American society. I
would hate to have a pollster give a real ratio on the real % of criminals
in America. Their math tends to be very correct. (within 1 or 2 %)  Point
being, America has the most/greatest internal crime ratio than any other
county in the world, WHY?

Later H
=============



CheeseComment:


That's a lot of questions there.  Next time start at The Top, from whence
all the "criminal gang" activity sprang from originally, then work your way
down to The Bottom.

You need to come and live in an apartment in Harlem or somewhere for about
10 to 20 years and then re-write your post there.

You need to move to America to live for a while.  People "outside America"
and outside the actual realm of all these "American Happenings" are doing
just that, looking at it all from the outside and then commenting, just like
a lot of Americans themselves continue to do.

They can't imagine why or how anyone would ever want to or be forced into a
gang or criminal activity in America the Beautiful.  Not for a second.

They've never heard of Robber Barons, or if they have, they have forgotten
them just like they have forgotten most of "American History" if they ever
even knew it.

I'm not saying that things like crystal meth or gangs are great things, just
that people don't understand how things happen and then comment on them.

All this crap is "Trickle Down" from The Top of America.

People are always saying stuff like "don't blame society or one's
environment for criminal behaviour etc etc etc", when in Actual Reality,
Society, Government, "One's Environment" that has been so thoughtfully
engineered, have either created the conditions under which things like
crystal meth and criminal activity become natural reactions, or sat on their
asses and simply watched it all occur and did nothing whatsoever to neither
prevent it nor fix it.

If you yell loud enough perhaps you can get Americans in an uproar over
Crystal Meth, like they are in an uproar over Marijuana.

Yet, no matter how loudly you yell you will never get them to even blink at
things like 100,000 dead civilians murdered in the name of America.

Drugs and The Bad Guys.  Bad stuff, sure.  Nothing compared to what The Top
has engineered.

I put it to you again, how on Earth do you think things like "Drugs and The
Bad Guys" came to be if the creme de la creme of The Top of America did not
either create it or sit by and watch as it was created......?

People like robber barons etc etc etc plundered America from sea to shining
sea for centuries.

One of the great results has been drugs and the bad guys, gangs and criminal
activity.

The poor American's answer to terrorism and starvation and you fucking name
it.

The guy has 6 kids to feed, they lay him off at the plant, nobody will hire
him but McDonalds, he turns to crime.

You blame him....?    Really...?    Him and his "inadequacies" etc and
nobody else....?

You need to spend several years in America in some of the inner city
ratholes that robber barons etc created over centuries here, or now, it has
reached all the rural areas, you can just go to those and live for a while
to get the same picture almost.

It, in all cases, wasn't "Oh, let's invent criminal activities, gangs, and
drug dealing because we want to", but rather "What are our options that The
Systems Of America have left us....?"

They turned around, and there were very little options, unless they wanted
to go on food stamps and welfare.

Jobs are decreasing and being shipped overseas.

The economy is a piece of crap, unless of course one already has a piece of
the Wall Street etc pie and can sit comfortably back and spit on the vermin
at the bottom, all those nasty criminals.

I'm not saying that all criminals are *not* nasty ruthless murderous people,
in one way or another, but that rather there are TONS of people who in their
limited education perhaps, their limited perspectives, their limited
environments, their engineered lives, their limited options, turned to a
life of crime, just to be able to feed and house their fucking family.

But it is those people who are to blame, not The Top, the creme de la creme,
of America, who REALLY helped to literally create, engineer, foster, and
promote such "crime breeding environments" to this very fucking day.

Bullshit.

And The Top will continue to do so far into the future.

The American prison system remains one of the most lucratively profitable
systems in this entire country.

It is not run strictly to put bad people in there for rehabilitation etc
purposes.

But rather to make sure their rooms will always be full.

>From whence springs their paychecks.

The more people in prison in America, the richer these people get, "bad
people" or no "bad people".

I could ramble on for quite a time on this subject, but I'm rather sure
there are several other people who could ramble on about it much more
intelligently and informatively than myself.

I did, however, notice a missing statistic in your post about how many
people, mothers, grandmothers, etc, those nasty criminal ruthless types, are
In American Prisons for simple Marijuana, or just for being in the same room
when a bust went down.

It's a huge number.

Oh well, regardless, my rambling is over, come live in America for a half
century and get a real feel for it.

You will probably finally figure out how all The Systems at The Top of
America are specifically engineered to make The Bottom break its balls just
to survive, in many instances, and at about just the same time that we
finally elect a black person to the Presidency.

Sentenced to live a few decades in America, really taking a look around
personally, and writing it all down, should at the very least give anyone
from other countries something really neat to take back with them when they
leave to show to their neighbors.

Other than just the same old dribble of look at all the ruthless horrible
Americans.

All us ruthless horrible Americans, at least here at The Bottom, have had
lots and lots and LOTS of help from the really neat cool kind people at The
Top of America to just be able to hold our heads up from this slime and
smile our toothless smiles.

For Centuries.

But everyone has basically forgotten how "all this bad stuff" got here in
the first place, and perhaps it should just all be forgotten just like how
we got into Iraq.

Just like "Iraq", they don't really want to talk about it and play "The
Blame Game".

There wouldn't be enough prisons in America to hold the people at The Top
after they got through playing it.

Therefore, we at The Bottom, regardless of our inclinations toward crime
etc, will remain the butt of their finger pointings until the end of America
itself, and under the current Systems, Laws, Etc's of Our Beautiful America,
we will continue to fill the prisons of this land rather than those who
continue to create the environments that breed such things.  You remember
them, they're at their ranches right about now sucking up the good life
trying to get rid of food stamps, welfare, social security, and all
ecological life on earth and indoctrinate future generations here as to the
benefits of remaining obedient brainwashed lemmings bred for consuming an
endless stream of witless products as we're out trying to get Marijuana to
cancer and AIDS patients.

Unless of course, the Canadians come and save us.

:)

But wait a second, they're in Iraq fighting for Freedom and God too.



Nevermind..........


p.s.:  This was not an endorsement of either crystal meth or crime (which
remains rampant at The Top of America), but rather just a stab at trying to
get people to think of how it all came to be, rather than just pointing
their fingers, as people are endlessly wont to do, and exclaiming "Oh look,
the bad people", and never asking "How did this all happen....?  Who created
it....?"  Crime, drugs, and gangs have been around for Centuries.  So have
the Fat Cats at The Top who have merrily bred and purposely engineered it
into Society itself.  One never seems to hear anything about those people
though.  Just the people in prison who have fallen prey, for one reason or
another, to the Systems these assholes have carefully built.  A "discussion"
nobody will ever hear on the floor of The Congress Of The United States Of
America.  Inbetween them shooting the finger at America Itself, there is no
time left for such folly.




Cheeseburger

.

_______________________________________________
Mb-civic mailing list
Mb-civic@islandlists.com
http://www.islandlists.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/mb-civic
 
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From jefbek at mindspring.com  Fri Aug 12 01:20:28 2005
From: jefbek at mindspring.com (Jef Bek)
Date: Fri Aug 12 01:24:39 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Noble cause
Message-ID: <BF21A9DC.D99%jefbek@mindspring.com>

http://www.mfso.org/
http://www.veteransforpeace.org/
http://gsfp.org/
http://www.codepink4peace.org/
http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/
http://www.meetwithcindy.org/
http://www.crawfordpeacehouse.org/

GANDHI ON GOVERNMENT
 ????????? Government control gives rise to fraud, suppression of Truth,
intensification of the black market and artificial scarcity.? Above all, it
unmans the people and deprives them of initiative, it undoes the teaching of
self-help...I look upon an increase in the power of the State with the
greatest fear because, although while apparently doing good by minimizing
exploitation, it does the greatest harm to mankind by destroying
individuality which lies at the heart of all progress...


From swiggard at comcast.net  Fri Aug 12 04:41:05 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (William Swiggard)
Date: Fri Aug 12 04:46:01 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] The New Ernie Pyles: Sgtlizzie and 67cshdocs -
	Washington Post
Message-ID: <42FC8AD1.3090401@comcast.net>

The New Ernie Pyles: Sgtlizzie and 67cshdocs

On Internet Blogs, Soldiers in Iraq Offer Up Inside Story on the War

By Jonathan Finer
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, August 12, 2005; Page A01

BAGHDAD -- There were no reporters riding shotgun on the highway north 
of Baghdad when a roadside bomb sent Sgt. Elizabeth Le Bel's Humvee 
lurching into a concrete barrier. The Army released a three-sentence 
statement about the incident in which her driver, a fellow soldier, was 
killed. Most news stories that day noted it briefly.

But a vivid account of the attack appeared on the Internet within hours 
of the Dec. 4 crash. Unable to sleep after arriving at the hospital, Le 
Bel hobbled to a computer and typed 1,000 words of what she called "my 
little war story" into her Web log, or blog, titled "Life in this Girl's 
Army," at http://www.sgtlizzie.blogspot.com .

"I started to scream bloody murder, and one of the other females on the 
convoy came over, grabbed my hand and started to calm me down. She held 
onto me, allowing me to place my leg on her shoulder as it was hanging 
free," Le Bel wrote. "I thought that my face had been blown off, so I 
made the remark that I wouldn't be pretty again LOL. Of course the 
medics all rushed with reassurance which was quite amusing as I know 
what I look like now and I don't even want to think about what I looked 
like then."

Since the 1850s, when a London Times reporter was sent to chronicle the 
Crimean War, journalists have generally provided the most immediate 
first-hand depictions of major conflicts. But in Iraq, service members 
themselves are delivering real-time dispatches -- in their own words -- 
often to an audience of thousands through postings to their blogs.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/11/AR2005081102168.html?nav=hcmodule

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From swiggard at comcast.net  Fri Aug 12 04:41:57 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (William Swiggard)
Date: Fri Aug 12 04:46:52 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Setting Limits on Tolerance - Charles Krauthammer -
	Washington Post
Message-ID: <42FC8B05.3040902@comcast.net>

Setting Limits on Tolerance

By Charles Krauthammer
Friday, August 12, 2005; Page A19

In 1977, when a bunch of neo-Nazis decided to march through Skokie, a 
suburb of Chicago heavily populated with Holocaust survivors, there was 
controversy as to whether they should be allowed. I thought they should. 
Why? Because neo-Nazis are utterly powerless.

Had they not been -- had they been a party on the rise, as in late-1920s 
Germany -- I would have been for not only banning the march but also for 
practically every measure of harassment and persecution from deportation 
to imprisonment. A tolerant society has an obligation to be tolerant. 
Except to those so intolerant that they themselves would abolish tolerance.

Call it situational libertarianism: Liberties should be as unlimited as 
possible -- unless and until there arises a real threat to the open 
society. Neo-Nazis are pathetic losers. Why curtail civil liberties to 
stop them? But when a real threat -- such as jihadism -- arises, a 
liberal democratic society must deploy every resource, including the 
repressive powers of the state, to deter and defeat those who would 
abolish liberal democracy.

Civil libertarians go crazy when you make this argument. Beware the 
slippery slope, they warn. You start with a snoop in a library, and you 
end up with Big Brother in your living room.

<>The problem with this argument is that it is refuted by American 
history. There is no slippery slope, only a shifting line between 
liberty and security that responds to existential threats.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/11/AR2005081101757.html
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From swiggard at comcast.net  Fri Aug 12 04:45:49 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (William Swiggard)
Date: Fri Aug 12 04:50:49 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Man's Best Terror Deterrent Still Somewhat-Reliable Dog
 - Washington Post
Message-ID: <42FC8BED.50404@comcast.net>

Man's Best Terror Deterrent Still Somewhat-Reliable Dog

By Sari Horwitz
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, August 12, 2005; Page A01

Deep underneath downtown Washington on a recent morning, law enforcement 
officers from four agencies were "sweeping" Metro stations, moving from 
trash cans and orange cones to Farecard machines and trains, looking for 
dynamite, C4, triacetone triperoxide and other explosives. They were 
using what is believed to be the most powerful defense against the type 
of terrorist attacks that killed 56 people last month in London: dogs.

The ability of dogs to detect 19,000 types of explosives makes them more 
effective at catching potential suicide bombers than security cameras or 
random passenger searches, officials said. Homeland Security Secretary 
Michael Chertoff yesterday visited a Virginia training facility for 
police dogs, calling them a "state-of-the-art anti-terrorist tool."

Still, terrorism experts and the police officers who work with the dogs 
caution that the canine units can offer, at best, spotty protection on 
mass transit.

Local and federal agencies have too few dogs to cover the nation's 
transit systems, which carry 14 million people daily. Many of the dogs 
can work for only about a half-hour before they need a break. And their 
ability to find explosives depends on the quantity and proximity of the 
material, the strength of the odor, the temperature and direction of the 
wind.

Private companies, laboratories and government research centers are 
working to develop technologies to replace or help the dogs. The Defense 
Department is conducting experiments with rats, wasps, honeybees and 
yeast to find other ways to detect explosives. Marines in Iraq have 
experimented with a $28,000 hand-held device called Fido that some of 
them believe can find explosives as well as a trained dog.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/11/AR2005081102148.html

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From hecate at diamonddragon.com  Fri Aug 12 06:03:55 2005
From: hecate at diamonddragon.com (Hecate)
Date: Fri Aug 12 06:07:20 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] BBC E-mail: Experts 'decipher' Inca strings
Message-ID: <20050812_130355_068932.hecate@diamonddragon.com>

Hecate saw this story on BBC News Online and thought you
should see it.



** Experts 'decipher' Inca strings **
Researchers in the United States believe they have deciphered mysterious strings used by ancient Incas.
< http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/fr/-/2/hi/americas/4143968.stm >


** BBC Daily E-mail **
Choose the news and sport headlines you want - when you want them, all
in one daily e-mail
< http://www.bbc.co.uk/dailyemail/ >


** Disclaimer **
The BBC is not responsible for the content of this e-mail, and anything written in this e-mail does not necessarily reflect the BBC's views or opinions. Please note that neither the e-mail address nor name of the sender have?been verified.

If you do not wish to receive such e-mails in the future or want to know more about the BBC's Email a Friend service, please read our frequently asked questions. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/help/4162471.stm

From hecate at diamonddragon.com  Fri Aug 12 06:08:05 2005
From: hecate at diamonddragon.com (Hecate)
Date: Fri Aug 12 06:11:33 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] BBC E-mail: Peru president sacks government
Message-ID: <20050812_130805_049791.hecate@diamonddragon.com>

Hecate saw this story on BBC News Online and thought you
should see it.



** Peru president sacks government **
Peru's President Alejandro Toledo asks his cabinet to step down after a row over his appointment of a coca growth backer.
< http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/fr/-/2/hi/americas/4143828.stm >


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From hecate at diamonddragon.com  Fri Aug 12 06:20:40 2005
From: hecate at diamonddragon.com (hecate@diamonddragon.com)
Date: Fri Aug 12 06:24:01 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Psychological Warfare? A Debate on the Role of Mental
	Health Professionals in Military Interrogations at Guantanamo,
	Abu Ghraib and Beyond
Message-ID: <20050812132040.568.qmail@trinity.democracynow.org>

Hecate  ( hecate@diamonddragon.com )
sent you this story from democracynow.org


each person, each detainee has had kind of a psychological assessment and a plan kind of created for interrogating him, depending on his weaknesses and vulnerabilities

+--------------------------------------------------------------------+
|  Psychological Warfare? A Debate on the Role of Mental Health Professionals in Military Interrogations at Guantanamo, Abu Ghraib and Beyond
|  http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=05/08/11/1335217
+--------------------------------------------------------------------+


As the American Psychological Association kicks off its national convention, a debate is raging in the mental health community over the role of psychologists in military interrogations. We host a debate with the director of ethics at the APA Stephen Behnke, British medical ethicist Michael Wilks, and renowned psychiatrist Robert Jay Lifton. [includes rush transcript]
This story continues at: 
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=05/08/11/1335217

From hecate at diamonddragon.com  Fri Aug 12 06:23:33 2005
From: hecate at diamonddragon.com (hecate@diamonddragon.com)
Date: Fri Aug 12 06:26:46 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Energy Bill: Fueling Corporations/Depleting Native Lands
Message-ID: <20050812132333.598.qmail@trinity.democracynow.org>

Hecate  ( hecate@diamonddragon.com )
sent you this story from democracynow.org


leaders and activists denounce the law for allowing further exploitation of Native energy resources through provisions for sending nuclear waste to reservations and renewing uranium mining on Indian land. 

+--------------------------------------------------------------------+
|   Energy Bill: Fueling Corporations/Depleting Native Lands
|  http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=05/08/09/143202
+--------------------------------------------------------------------+


The recently signed energy bill means more benefits for energy companies and a revival for the nuclear power industry.  Also included is a provision changing how energy development decisions are made on Native American lands.  We speak with Karen Wayland with the Natural Resources Defense Council and Clayton Thomas-Muller with the Indigenous Environmental Network. [includes rush transcript]
This story continues at: 
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=05/08/09/143202

From harry.sifton at sympatico.ca  Fri Aug 12 06:54:01 2005
From: harry.sifton at sympatico.ca (harry.sifton@sympatico.ca)
Date: Fri Aug 12 06:57:34 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] NYTimes.com: Baghdad Mayor Is Ousted by a Shiite Group
	and Replaced
Message-ID: <20050812135401.1952B83DBE@lax-gw03.mroute.net>

This page was sent to you by: harry.sifton@sympatico.ca.

So much for Democracy


INTERNATIONAL / MIDDLE EAST | August 10, 2005
Baghdad Mayor Is Ousted by a Shiite Group and Replaced
By JAMES GLANZ
Armed men entered Baghdad's municipal building on Monday, deposed the city's mayor and installed a member of Iraq's most powerful Shiite militia.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/10/international/middleeast/10iraq.html?ex=1124510400&en=9a04b3dacdf59131&ei=5070&emc=eta1



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From hecate at diamonddragon.com  Fri Aug 12 06:58:12 2005
From: hecate at diamonddragon.com (Hecate)
Date: Fri Aug 12 07:01:29 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] BBC E-mail: US trade gap widens as oil soars
Message-ID: <20050812_135812_001832.hecate@diamonddragon.com>

Hecate saw this story on BBC News Online and thought you
should see it.



** US trade gap widens as oil soars **
The US trade deficit widens by 6.1% in June to $58.8bn, as the soaring oil costs boost imports to the world's biggest economy.
< http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/fr/-/2/hi/business/4145850.stm >


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From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Fri Aug 12 07:38:37 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (mblaxill@yahoo.com)
Date: Fri Aug 12 07:41:52 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Headlines for August 12, 2005
Message-ID: <20050812143837.9201.qmail@trinity.democracynow.org>

Mike Blaxill  ( mblaxill@yahoo.com )
sent you this story from democracynow.org



+--------------------------------------------------------------------+
|  Headlines for August 12, 2005
|  http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=05/08/12/1422237
+--------------------------------------------------------------------+


- US Intel: New Iran Pres Not Hostage Taker
- Bush Denies Iraq Withdrawal ‘Rumors’
- Israeli Soldier Sentenced for Killing British Activist
- Tens of Thousands Rally in Tel Aviv
- Top DeLay Ally, Abramoff, Indicted
- Lori Berenson Final Appeal Denied
- Saddam may Be Executed After First Trial
- Audit Shows More Fraud in Iraq
- Texas is Majority People of Color
This story continues at: 
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=05/08/12/1422237

From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Fri Aug 12 07:43:22 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (mblaxill@yahoo.com)
Date: Fri Aug 12 07:46:34 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] NYTimes.com: Safe as Houses
Message-ID: <20050812144322.A130C3AE33C@lax-gw06.mroute.net>

This page was sent to you by: mblaxill@yahoo.com.

OPINION | August 12, 2005
Op-Ed Columnist: Safe as Houses
By PAUL KRUGMAN
When that housing bubble begins to deflate, so will housing-related employment.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/12/opinion/12krugman.html?ex=1124510400&en=5b44d2e4f482379e&ei=5070&emc=eta1




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From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Fri Aug 12 07:45:10 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (mblaxill@yahoo.com)
Date: Fri Aug 12 07:48:25 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] NYTimes.com: Racial and Ethnic Minorities Gain in the
	Nation as a Whole
Message-ID: <20050812144510.DBC90249E7D@lax-gw08.mroute.net>

This page was sent to you by: mblaxill@yahoo.com.

NATIONAL | August 12, 2005
Racial and Ethnic Minorities Gain in the Nation as a Whole
By ROBERT PEAR
The nation as a whole is moving in the direction of California and Texas, where members of racial and ethnic minorities account for more than half the population.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/12/national/12census.html?ex=1124510400&en=941b768233b9d9d0&ei=5070&emc=eta1



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From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Fri Aug 12 07:46:47 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (mblaxill@yahoo.com)
Date: Fri Aug 12 07:49:58 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] NYTimes.com: Officials See Risk in the Release of Images
	of Iraq Prisoner Abuse
Message-ID: <20050812144647.90A70249C9C@lax-gw08.mroute.net>

This page was sent to you by: mblaxill@yahoo.com.

WASHINGTON | August 12, 2005
Officials See Risk in the Release of Images of Iraq Prisoner Abuse
By JULIA PRESTON
Pentagon officials argued that releasing the images would incite public opinion in the Muslim world and put the lives of American soldiers at risk.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/12/politics/12photos.html?ex=1124510400&en=c543c6b8d4f80260&ei=5070&emc=eta1



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Go to the Best Pictures review archive:

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From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Fri Aug 12 07:48:32 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (mblaxill@yahoo.com)
Date: Fri Aug 12 07:51:44 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] NYTimes.com: Uruguay Acknowledges Role in Argentina's
	'Disappeared'
Message-ID: <20050812144832.927979FBF5@lax-gw05.mroute.net>

This page was sent to you by: mblaxill@yahoo.com.

INTERNATIONAL / AMERICAS | August 11, 2005
Uruguay Acknowledges Role in Argentina's 'Disappeared'
By LARRY ROHTER
The Uruguay Air Force has acknowledged that it operated flights from Argentina that transported political prisoners who were killed during the 1973-85 military dictatorship.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/11/international/americas/12uruguay-brief.html?ex=1124510400&en=6dc6ce935fc8fc57&ei=5070&emc=eta1



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one Best Picture.  What did the original New York
Times movie reviews have to say about these Oscar
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Go to the Best Pictures review archive:

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From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Fri Aug 12 07:51:02 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (mblaxill@yahoo.com)
Date: Fri Aug 12 07:54:13 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] NYTimes.com: The Claim: Fight Off a Shark by Punching It
	in the Nose
Message-ID: <20050812145102.0028983DDA@lax-gw03.mroute.net>

This page was sent to you by: mblaxill@yahoo.com.

SCIENCE | August 9, 2005
Really?: The Claim: Fight Off a Shark by Punching It in the Nose
By ANAHAD O'CONNOR
Punching a shark in the nose is not considered a good way to fight it off.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/09/science/09real.html?ex=1124510400&en=c409a8ae8a4c9d26&ei=5070&emc=eta1



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From nwonline at toronto.cbc.ca  Fri Aug 12 09:05:36 2005
From: nwonline at toronto.cbc.ca (CBC News Online)
Date: Fri Aug 12 09:09:22 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] CBC News - FLYERS PASSING THROUGH U.S. HAVE FEW RIGHTS,
	ARAR JUDGE TOLD
Message-ID: <20050812160536.205B91B69F@nmweb06.nm.cbc.ca>

This email has been sent to you by harry.sifton@sympatico.ca
The following is a news item posted on CBC NEWS ONLINE
at http://www.cbc.ca/news
____________________________________________________
FLYERS PASSING THROUGH U.S. HAVE FEW RIGHTS, ARAR JUDGE TOLD
WebPosted Thu Aug 11 08:24:59 2005

---A senior lawyer for the U.S. government has told a judge hearing a
lawsuit over Maher Arar's deportation to Syria that foreign citizens
passing through American airports have almost no rights.

At most, Mary Mason told a hearing in Brooklyn, N.Y., passengers would
have the right not to be subjected to "gross physical abuse."

The policy has implications for Canadians who head for international
destinations via big American airports in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles
and other major centres.

Mason said the U.S. government is interpreting its powers in such a way
that passengers never intending to enter the U.S. connecting to
international flights at U.S. airports must prove they are no threat and
could be allowed to enter the country.

If passengers are deemed to be inadmissible, they have no constitutional
rights even if later taken to an American prison. Mason told Judge David
Trager that's because they are deemed to be still outside the U.S., from
a legal point of view.

"Someone who's inadmissible is in the same category as the people that
the CIA snatches and grabs from other countries," said Barbara Olshansky,
a lawyer for the U.S.-based Center for Constitutional Rights, which is
suing a number of U.S. officials on Arar's behalf.

"You are fair game for however executive branch wants to treat you."

 FROM JAN. 22, 2004: Arar launches lawsuit against U.S. to 'clear my
 name'

Mason said the interpretation means travellers can be detained without
charge, denied the right to consult a lawyer, and even refused
necessities such as food and sleep.

That's what happened to Arar, a Canadian-Syrian citizen who was stopped
while trying to board a connecting flight in New York in 2002 and accused
of having terrorist connections.

The Ottawa engineer was detained, not allowed to speak to a lawyer or the
Canadian consul, and eventually deported through Jordan to Syria, where
he claimed he was tortured while being held in prison for a year.

At most, Mason told the judge, a foreign passenger detained while
travelling through a U.S. airport might have a limited right to
protection from "gross physical abuse."

But in a motion filed this week, the U.S. Justice Department argues that
even if torture does occur, U.S. officials can't be sued under the
Torture Victims Protection Act because it only applies to foreign
individuals committing or allowing torture.

The department wants the Arar lawsuit dismissed on that basis.

The U.S. Department of Justice declined to discuss the case or what the
new interpretation could mean for Canadians travelling through the
United States.

However, department spokeswoman Cynthia Magnuson issued this short
statement: "The United States does not practise torture, export torture
or condone torture."

In legal briefs written by U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, the
Justice Department has defined torture to mean "pain consistent with
major organ failure or death."

Copyright (C) 2005 CBC. All rights reserved.
From harry.sifton at sympatico.ca  Fri Aug 12 09:52:28 2005
From: harry.sifton at sympatico.ca (Harold Sifton)
Date: Fri Aug 12 09:55:54 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] crytal meth, my apologies
Message-ID: <000f01c59f5e$3c698e20$9f3fe440@Harold>

I should have said North America has issues, not just America. Since the CBC article was about Canadian issues with Crystal Meth.

But when I came across the 2002 incarceration stats in America and the growth of gangs and I just got going, my apologies.

Cheeseburger, I will work harder at/with my thinking and writings.

Gangs are not just in the slums and urban centres, they are in corporations, political circles and governments, small towns, pretty much everywhere and the trickle down effect is devastating to all communities. (The republican party is being run by a gang of neo-cons)

There has been a rash of shootings and deaths (turf wars) in Toronto, and the community workers are saying it is the lack of jobs and the fact that the kids who are expelled from school have no where to go except the street..........The problem is universal ......... not just American.

Now Lyle, Canada did "not" support or participate the invasion of Iraq and Canada has paid dearly for it. (trade sanctions, abuse by American Medias, i.e. Fox Network, etc)  ( Canada is now helping only in the training of Iraqi Police Cadets at an academy in Jordon )

Canada however did get involved in Afghanistan and is still there.

The Mad Cow thing is a mess, every one is pointing fingers. Canada exports more cattle than it imports and the one Mad Cow found in Canada has all but destroyed the industry. Very little "American" USDA beef, processed or not is imported into Canada so it is minimal the risk of importing Mad cow from America. I do not know the stats on live cattle trade for breeding. The Canadian Department of Agriculture and Canada Health have implemented new rules and testing procedures that are now the strictest in the world.

As`far as the neutering thing, I have no knowledge, please forward me some history, for that kind of behaviour is repugnant.

Later, Harry

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From michael at michaelbutler.com  Fri Aug 12 10:25:59 2005
From: michael at michaelbutler.com (Michael Butler)
Date: Fri Aug 12 10:29:13 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] New era for the age of Aquarius - Music - Times Online
Message-ID: <BF2229B7.23292%michael@michaelbutler.com>

http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,14932-1732511,00.html

From harry.sifton at sympatico.ca  Fri Aug 12 10:40:56 2005
From: harry.sifton at sympatico.ca (Harold Sifton)
Date: Fri Aug 12 10:44:20 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] US poised for trade war!
Message-ID: <000901c59f65$02841110$9f3fe440@Harold>



"U.S. poised for trade war"

http://www.canada.com/national/nationalpost/news/story.html?id=bf63bb07-df95-4f39-8118-514e41b91fdf

Washington refuses to obey NAFTA ruling and refund $5 Billion in illegal 
duties collected from Canadian softwood lumber companies.



_______________________________________
This is a free service courtesy of
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From michael at intrafi.com  Fri Aug 12 10:41:25 2005
From: michael at intrafi.com (michael@intrafi.com)
Date: Fri Aug 12 10:44:41 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] FT.com / Comment & analysis / Columnists - Notebook
Message-ID: <9041890.1123868485679.JavaMail.tomcat@localhost>



*Please note, the sender's email address has not been verified.



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From michael at intrafi.com  Fri Aug 12 10:42:26 2005
From: michael at intrafi.com (michael@intrafi.com)
Date: Fri Aug 12 10:45:39 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] FT.com / Your money / Your home - House prices fall for
	fifth month
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From michael at intrafi.com  Fri Aug 12 10:50:31 2005
From: michael at intrafi.com (michael@intrafi.com)
Date: Fri Aug 12 10:54:14 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] An article for you from an Economist.com reader.
Message-ID: <200508121726.NAA29868@stage-web-app.economist.com>

  
- AN ARTICLE FOR YOU, FROM ECONOMIST.COM - 

Dear civic,

Michael Butler (michael@intrafi.com) wants you to see this article on Economist.com.



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OURS TO REASON WHY
Aug 11th 2005  


THIS could have been a very good book: a searing attack on the glib
endorsements of globalisation and facile analyses of history and
culture offered, in Mark LeVine's un-humble opinion, by Thomas
Friedman, Francis Fukuyama and Samuel Huntington--three bestselling
luminaries who together form an "axis of arrogance and ignorance".
Instead, the book is over-long, over-ambitious and, given the expertise
of Mr LeVine, an Arabic-speaking professor on the Irvine campus of the
University of California, strangely naive. 

But have patience (and forget the misleading title with its allusion to
George Bush's suggestion that Islamist terrorists "hate us for our
freedoms"): much of what Mr LeVine writes is worth reading. His
underlying thesis is that globalisation is a form of corporate
imperialism that, far from benefiting developing countries with extra
wealth through extra trade, perversely widens their social and economic
disparities. So when Mr Friedman and others bemoan the failure of the
Middle East and North Africa to increase economic growth by jumping on
the globalisation bandwagon, they miss the point, says Mr LeVine: "Lack
of growth in the region has been an important, if not primary reason
for the relative lack of poverty."

Whether the unemployed of Algiers, dreaming of illegal entry into
France, see it that way is doubtful, but Mr LeVine supports his thesis
with such a wealth of statistical detail that even the most gung-ho
advocate of IMF and World Bank programmes must pause for thought. When
the region's painful history of colonialism is added, along with the
plight of the Palestinians and the chaos of Iraq, the Arab world's
mistrust of the West becomes much more reasonable.

The trouble is that Mr LeVine gets carried away by his own enthusiasms.
Conventional analysis is bad, and so he castigates the Arab authors of
the UN's Arab Human Development Report for noting that as many books
are translated into Spanish each year as have been translated into
Arabic in recorded history--but he does so on the basis that educated
Arabs often read books in their original English, French or Spanish. So
what? The point he glosses over is that there are far too many
uneducated, indeed illiterate, Arabs. 

Mr LeVine's pet enthusiasm is the notion that all can be resolved by
what he calls "culture jamming" between scholars, activists and
artists. That may work for music (the professor is an accomplished
guitarist who has "jammed" with fellow musicians throughout the region)
but does he really believe that this might hold back the forces of
globalisation?

 It would be wrong to say that the anti-globalisation movement (witness
the Seattle demonstrations and the "anti-Davos" World Social Forum) has
had no impact, but the effect has been not nearly as great as Mr LeVine
imagines. The wise reader will forget the jamming and skip over the
history of "the global peace and justice movement". Instead,
concentrate on what Mr LeVine says about the region's culture--and read
the informative footnotes.
 By Mark LeVine. Oneworld Publications; 456 pages; $27.50 and GBP16.99 
 

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From michael at intrafi.com  Fri Aug 12 10:51:51 2005
From: michael at intrafi.com (michael@intrafi.com)
Date: Fri Aug 12 10:55:21 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] An article for you from an Economist.com reader.
Message-ID: <200508121727.NAA29895@stage-web-app.economist.com>

  
- AN ARTICLE FOR YOU, FROM ECONOMIST.COM - 

Dear civic,

Michael Butler (michael@intrafi.com) wants you to see this article on Economist.com.



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ARIEL SHARON
Aug 12th 2005  

The Israeli army is about to start evicting Jewish residents of the
Gaza strip. The row over Israel's biggest evacuation of settlers in
over two decades presages a growing clash over what makes the Jewish
state Jewish

IT IS the last Sabbath eve in July, a night of stillness and velvet
warmth after the heat of the day. The villa-lined, traffic-free streets
of Neve Dekalim are dotted with people strolling home from family
dinners or chatting softly to neighbours. Then a loudspeaker breaks the
calm. "Residents, good evening and good Sabbath. Please go into
protected buildings immediately."

The people respond to the warning as they did to the dull crack of the
mortar shell that fell an hour or so earlier. They pay not the
slightest attention.

Miracles in Neve Dekalim are a part of everyday life. According to the
settlers' count, some 6,000 mortars and Qassam rockets fired from the
Palestinian towns in Gaza have fallen on them since the second INTIFADA
erupted five years ago--nearly one for every settler. Yet only one
settler has been killed. Clumsy weapons, a statistician might say, and
a thinly spread population, in detached houses and large gardens. But
in the words of Ruth Cohen, of nearby Ganei Tal, "Every time a mortar
comes over, God bats it away with a MATKA."

The belief that the Almighty amuses Himself by playing Israel's
national beach sport with explosive shells is also why many have not
even started packing, deciding where to live or applying for
compensation. On Monday August 15th the army is due to start evicting
the Gaza settlers, as well as those in four isolated West Bank
communities. But some will wait and see. God may mean them to leave
Gaza--temporarily. If not, He will somehow stop it from happening. 

Most Israelis cannot grasp this thinking. Nor can they grasp why anyone
would live in a hot, sandy, bombarded enclave, surrounded by barbed
wire and watchtowers, much less put their children in such danger. It
must be out of religious fanaticism, or else a twisted urge to make
life hell for the 1.3m Palestinians squeezed into the rest of the Gaza
strip.

"Look beyond the ideology," urges Gideon Aran, a sociologist at the
Hebrew University in Jerusalem. The answer "quality of life" seems a
bad joke, but everybody in Gush Katif, religious (the majority) and
secular, gives it. It is not just the big houses and quiet streets.
Insulated from the rest of Israel as much as from the Palestinians, the
place evokes an older, more innocent time. Doors are left unlocked.
Parents do not worry where their children are at night. Many
inhabitants, former residents of poor, charmless towns, also find a
sense of community, of building something new. The phrase "Garden of
Eden" is even heard.

But whereas Adam and Eve knew why they must leave, the settlers cannot
understand their original sin. The government encouraged them to move
there--some after being evacuated from Yamit, the settlement strip at
the north of the Sinai, when Israel gave it back to Egypt in 1982.
Relations with the Palestinians used to be just great. Even the more
secular settlers invoke historical ties to the land going back to
biblical times. They thought they were broadening the borders of the
state. Instead they have found themselves on a sort of spacewalk
outside it, kept alive by a barrage of protective technologies that
ordinary Israelis are sick of paying for, and by miracles, which they
don't believe in.

The fall from grace will be a hard one. To leave is not just to throw
away the years or decades invested in building houses, businesses,
farms and communities and to search, perhaps fruitlessly, for new jobs.
It is to return to an Israel that has grown alien: to being, as Mr Aran
puts it, "rank-and-file citizens in a stinking political and civic
reality". And for what? Like many in Israel itself, they are sceptical
that the "disengagement" will bring any benefits; rather, they fear
that Palestinian extremists will take it as a sign that terrorism works.

Nearly half a million Israelis live on Palestinian land occupied in the
1967 war. The vast majority are in settlements not far over the pre-war
boundary (the Green Line), where living standards are higher or prices
cheaper; they do not even consider themselves settlers, though most
international bodies do. The "ideological" ones in the more distant
colonies, on the far side of Israel's "separation barrier", number
fewer than 100,000. In Gaza, 8,000 or so are being evacuated. And Gaza
matters far less economically, strategically and biblically than the
West Bank. 

Yet much more is at stake than Gaza itself. The settler movement as a
whole sees disengagement as the thin edge of a wedge that will
eventually lever Israel out of the West Bank and parts of Jerusalem as
well. The argument over Gaza has also become a bitter trial of strength
between Israel's so-called "mainstream", the mostly secular Jews who
say they would gladly give up land for peace, and the
national-religious settler movement. That movement has grown ever more
powerful since the war of 1967, and seemed until Ariel Sharon's
"betrayal" to have imposed an unbreakable armlock on the state itself.
The outcome of this struggle may determine whether Israel is ever
capable of making peace.

HASTENING THE MESSIAH
The existence of religious Zionism, let alone its present strength, is
an oddity, since the original Zionism was areligious, even
counter-religious. Its founders, secular Jews inspired by the
nation-state enthusiasm sweeping 19th-century Europe, saw emigration to
Palestine as a way to escape not just the squalor and persecution, but
also the stifling insularity and religious orthodoxy of SHTETL life. It
took the first chief rabbi of British Mandate Palestine, Abraham
HaCohen Kook, to argue that a Jewish return to the land could hasten
the coming of the Messiah and the final redemption.

At first, says Yedidia Stern, a scholar at the Israel Democracy
Institute, this was an underground movement. But Israel's
lightning-swift capture of territory in 1967 from Syria, Jordan and
Egypt seemed to prove, to Kook's followers, that the Jewish state was
indeed part of the messianic plan. Suddenly the promise in the book of
Deuteronomy had a new ring: "You will dispossess nations larger and
stronger than you. Every place where you set your foot will be yours."

The almost-defeat of the 1973 war only strengthened the religious
Zionists' resolve. They set up a movement, Gush Emunim, "the block of
the faithful", which took on settlement in the territories as a holy
task. And religious Zionism became the mainstream ideology for
observant Israeli--or "national-religious"--Jews.

They had willing allies. The secular Zionism of those days was no less
messianic, says Mr Stern, with settling land as one of its key values.
The Labour Party produced a modest settlement plan, mostly for a
strategic presence to secure the new eastern border. After the
right-wing Likud defeated Labour in 1977, Mr Sharon, the new minister
of agriculture, was more ambitious. His plan added a series of
industrial towns along the hills near the Green Line, and a strategic
ring of Jewish suburbs around occupied East Jerusalem. He promised his
fellow ministers 2m Jews in the occupied territories by the end of the
century. The calculation, say Akiva Eldar, a journalist, and Idith
Zertal, a historian, in "Lords of the Land", a recent book on the
settlements, was to make the settlements command the territory and
overlook it. "The unconcealed goal", they add, "was to thwart any
future possibility of setting up a viable Palestinian state with
reasonable territorial contiguity."

But to avoid international criticism that settlement in occupied
territory is illegal, it was often done in roundabout ways. Young
zealots would start, for instance, by taking on construction work at an
army base in the territories. At first they would commute. Then they
would try to set up a camp. Often they would be thrown out, and try
again. Eventually, thanks to a sympathetic or neglectful official, they
would be allowed to stay "temporarily". A generator would follow, then
families, permanent homes--"facts on the ground", in the phrase that
has become a bitter national joke--and only then, official permission.

As the settlers' influence grew, the subterfuges multiplied. A 1983
state auditor's report complained, in vain, that most building in the
territories was without local or regional planning, and that settlers
themselves were essentially deciding budgets. To this day, "settlement
outposts" continue to crop up in seeming contradiction to official
policy, thanks to friends in the right places.

All the while, however, the breach between the religious and secular
was growing. Israel's left and even much of its right has lost faith in
"Greater Israel" thanks to military setbacks, Palestinian INTIFADAS,
and, not least, demographics. The Palestinians between the
Mediterranean and the Jordan river will soon outnumber Jews. Keeping
the occupied land will force on Israel the impossible choice of being
either an apartheid state, or a binational one with Jews as a minority.

Today many mainstream Israelis, both secular and religious, resent the
settlers for the state benefits they have enjoyed, for exacerbating the
conflict with the Palestinians--and not least for expropriating the
colour orange, as in Ukraine, for their rebellion, thus forcing untold
numbers of summer outfits to stay in closets. Most would happily give
up the farther-flung settlements so that Israel can be both Jewish and
a democracy. So would even many religious Zionists, now about a fifth
of Israel's population, says Otniel Schneller, a former chairman of the
Yesha Council, the umbrella group of settlement mayors.

SHARON'S BETRAYAL
It was in this atmosphere, with the second INTIFADA already raging,
that Mr Sharon was elected prime minister in 2001. His opponent,
Labour's Amram Mitzna, had promised to disengage from Gaza. Mr Sharon
promised not to. But in December 2003 he announced a plan to do so. 

Why? The kindest theory is that he simply, suddenly, grasped the
demographic reality. (Israel will, in any case, reserve the right to
send the army back in to Gaza if necessary; in effect, it will remain
occupied.) But the move is not inconsistent for Mr Sharon, argues Mr
Eldar, because "Gaza was never part of his vision." Withdrawing might
even strengthen Israel's case for keeping control of the West Bank if,
as looks likely, the Palestinian Authority (PA) turns out to have no
authority in Gaza. Some, in fact, think that that was Mr Sharon's
calculation.

Yet the plan has alienated not just the Gaza settlers, but a large part
of the religious-Zionist mainstream that could have been supportive.
Partly it is because Mr Sharon, the settlers' godfather, is the one
pulling them out. His heavy-handed tactics did not help. He ignored a
vote in his own Likud party against the plan; fired ministers who
refused to back it; rejected calls to hold a national referendum on it
(opinion polls showed a majority favouring the pull-out, but settlers
believe that polls undercount the religious vote and that a referendum
campaign would have swung the balance); and finally scheduled the
pull-out during the three weeks leading up to the fast-day of Tisha
B'Av, when religious Jews do not move house. (It was later shifted.)

Moreover, the preparation was hasty and slapdash. The government
started surveying new sites and building temporary homes just a few
months ago. (Yamit's residents had three years to get ready; they moved
to farms that they had already started planting.) And the benefits are
dubious. There is no peace deal, as there was with the Sinai
withdrawal. Qassam- and mortar-launchers will now be able to come
closer to the Gaza-strip border and reach more targets in Israel.

A WIDENING SCHISM
The withdrawal itself may pass off more smoothly than expected. Aside
from a few extremists, the settlers will leave their homes sadly but
without resistance. But it has turned into a much bigger conflict,
widening existing splits in the political parties, in the
religious-Zionist movement and between religious and secular Israelis.

Mr Sharon's adoption of the withdrawal plan emasculated the Labour
Party, which was forced to support its arch-enemy. But it split the
Likud. A third of the party's members in the Knesset, Israel's
parliament, opposed it; this week Binyamin Netanyahu, the finance
minister, resigned, saying he could not back it. His is an
opportunistic gamble. If the withdrawal is seen as a failure--if it
leads, for instance, to more terrorism from Gaza--he will be in a
stronger position to challenge Mr Sharon for the Likud leadership ahead
of general elections, which must be held by November 2006. 

Among the religious, people are becoming both more moderate and more
radical, says Netty Kupfer, a co-founder of Realistic Religious
Zionism, a group that is trying to find common ground. A minority of
hardliners are taking the state's disengagement from Gaza as a cue to
disengage from the state. One YESHIVA in Gush Katif refused to
celebrate Israeli independence day this year. At the Neve Dekalim
synagogue, a man keeps his mouth shut during the prayer for the state
of Israel and is berated by his neighbour: "Sing! You want to go back
to the diaspora?"

Others, more optimistically, have begun to see the expulsion as a sign
from God to reconnect with Israel as a whole, by setting up the nuclei
of religious neighbourhoods in the cities they had shunned. "To settle
in hearts instead of on hilltops," in the words of Rabbi Yoel Bin-Nun,
a Gush Emunim founder who laments that the movement didn't do enough of
it earlier.

But mainstream religious Zionism has also come out of the conflict
emboldened. It is a movement without a political wing: the National
Religious Party in the Knesset is tiny, and other religious parties
were happy to back the disengagement in return for concessions on
matters such as religious education. But it has shown that it can
mobilise people in a way the left can only dream of. A "blue"
pro-disengagement campaign has fizzled miserably; orange ribbons
outnumber blue on Israel's cars by at least ten to one.

And while there were protesters of all ages, the young predominated. A
poll in the YEDIOT AHRONOT newspaper at the end of July found that
while most Israelis still backed the disengagement, most under-35s were
against. Part of a generation, in other words, has been politicised by
the Gaza pull-out--and it is right-wing. Comparisons are drawn with the
1968 protests in Europe and the Americas, which marked a generation of
future leaders. "Except that there, it was an anarchic protest against
state authority," says Mr Stern. "Here they are challenging state
authority with a different kind of Authority."

All this further drives in the wedge between secular and religious
Israeli Jews. "The debate is about what the Jewish component of the
state of Israel means," says Rabbi Michael Melchior, a government
minister and founder of a moderate religious party, Meimad. "The
settlers have succeeded in making [the withdrawal] a story of Judaism
versus emptiness. They have turned it into a KULTURKAMPF."

That conflict will find expression in many ways in the years to come.
The most obvious is over future withdrawals. The West Bank barrier that
Israel is building, on "security" grounds, to enclose the main
settlement blocks is clearly meant to complete an annexation of the
land they are on. Most Israelis support keeping them. (So does George
Bush, who has spoken of recognising "facts on the ground".) And most
would give up the small, distant settlements in the Jordan Valley if
there was something to show in return.

It is the ideological settlements just beyond the barrier that will
cause the most conflict. A majority might support abandoning them for a
true peace deal between Israel and the PA. But that looks a long way
off. Mr Sharon is in no hurry to reach one. And another unilateral
withdrawal, with no obvious benefits attached, may be impossible. If
the settlers' resistance movement remains strong, the claim that the
Gaza pull-out has set a precedent for future withdrawals looks
extremely shaky.

Withdrawals aside, says Mr Kupfer, the next crisis could be over other
aspects of the state's Jewish character. Should there be civil
marriages, rather than just rabbinical ones? Should there be public
transport on the Sabbath? Should the state continue to support Jewish
religious education? Over the years, pressure from the left has eroded
such vestiges of religious interference in civil affairs.

 

See this article with graphics and related items at http://www.economist.com/agenda/displaystory.cfm?story_id=4288196&fsrc=nwl

Go to http://www.economist.com for more global news, views and analysis from the Economist Group.

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From villasudjuan at wanadoo.fr  Fri Aug 12 09:11:31 2005
From: villasudjuan at wanadoo.fr (villasudjuan)
Date: Fri Aug 12 10:59:45 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] FW: SIR-PRISE: FROST WANTS JAZEERA GIG
In-Reply-To: <2C2D518D-9A97-48AE-BE2A-53A620114A8D@thesamiis.com>
Message-ID: <200508121759.j7CHxhvW013103@dune.islandtechnologies.net>


------ Forwarded Message
From: Samii Shahla <shahla@thesamiis.com>
Date: Fri, 12 Aug 2005 09:46:50 -0400
Subject: SIR-PRISE: FROST WANTS JAZEERA GIG

?NY Post
 -8/12/05

SIR-PRISE: FROST WANTS JAZEERA GIG
By TOM TOPOUSIS

Veteran broadcast journalist Sir David Frost is in talks to become the new
face of al-Jazeera's satellite TV network, The Guardian newspaper is
reporting.

Frost would play a key role in the Arab-language network's bid to launch a
global news service broadcasting in English beginning next year.

But Frost, knighted in Britain, would be appearing on a network that has
been accused of being a house organ for al Qaeda and that has run exclusive
interviews at length from the terror organization's leaders.

Al-Jazeera International, based in the Persian Gulf state of Qatar, is
intent on gaining access to big-name U.S. and British officials, and Frost
could play a major role in that effort because of his track record of
landing some of the biggest TV interviews.

Frost, 66, has interviewed the last seven U.S presidents and the last six
British prime ministers. His interviews of Richard Nixon were broadcast
worldwide.

Al -Jazeera has been staffing its new London office with hires from the
major British networks, including the BBC, The Guardian reported. Frost's
BBC Sunday show was dropped by the network earlier this year.

The networks' fortunes have risen by covering the wars in Afghanistan and
Iraq as well as unrest in the Middle East.

Coverage by al-Jazeera has often been criticized as anti-American and for
its graphic and inflammatory images of war.

Some al-Jazeera staffers, however, told The Guardian that they fear the
network will become more Western and that it "will be a huge disappointment
to millions of English-speaking Muslims."

---
http://www.nypost.com/news/worldnews/51788.htm


------ End of Forwarded Message

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From nwonline at toronto.cbc.ca  Fri Aug 12 10:59:53 2005
From: nwonline at toronto.cbc.ca (CBC Arts)
Date: Fri Aug 12 11:03:43 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] CBC Arts - WASHINGTON TO HOST PRO-MILITARY,
	ANTI-WAR CONCERTS
Message-ID: <20050812175953.6483169AFB@nmweb08.nm.cbc.ca>

This email has been sent to you by harry.sifton@sympatico.ca
The following is a news item posted on CBC ARTS
at http://www.cbc.ca/arts
____________________________________________________
WASHINGTON TO HOST PRO-MILITARY, ANTI-WAR CONCERTS
WebPosted Thu Aug 11 17:01:45 2005

---Two concerts with very different aims will be held next month in
Washington, D.C.

The aim of the first, dubbed America Supports You, is to send a message
of support to the U.S. military. The second, called Operation Ceasefire,
is an anti-war event intended to help end the U.S. presence in Iraq.

Sponsored by the Department of Defence, America Supports You will take
place on Sept. 11, the fourth anniversary of the al-Qaeda attacks on the
Pentagon and the World Trade Center.

It is being headlined by country singer Clint Black, known for songs like
Killing Time , Where Are You Now and Nobody's Home .

The show will be preceded by a "Freedom Walk." Members of the public will
travel on foot from the Pentagon to Arlington National Cemetery, past
several national memorials and wind up at the National Mall.

According to an announcement from Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld,
participants will be invited "to remember the victims of Sept. 11,
2001, to honour U.S. troops and veterans, and to highlight the value
of freedom."

Operation Ceasefire, meanwhile, will take place Sept. 24. It will be a
weekend-long series of events, including a 10-hour festival of music
headlined by country singer Steve Earle.

Earle is perhaps best known for the song Copperhead Road , about a
Vietnam War veteran.

Jello Biafra, the former Dead Kennedy, will serve as master of
ceremonies at the event. Other confirmed acts include Thievery
Corporation and the Coup.

The protest will kick off with a rally at the Washington Monument,
followed by a march through the city's downtown that will be capped off
by the concert.

"I'm American and I love this country, too. I just feel a moral
imperative as a human being who happens to be a musician" to try to help
end the war, said Thievery Corporation's Eric Hilton, one of the
organizers.

Both events are free.

Copyright (C) 2005 CBC. All rights reserved.
From harry.sifton at sympatico.ca  Fri Aug 12 11:21:15 2005
From: harry.sifton at sympatico.ca (Harold Sifton)
Date: Fri Aug 12 11:24:40 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Israeli hawks circle Iran
Message-ID: <000801c59f6a$a38417e0$9f3fe440@Harold>

Israeli hawks circle Iran's nuclear plants

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2005/08/12/wiran12.xml&sSheet=/portal/2005/08/12/ixportaltop.html

This is scary !!

I'm going to hide under the bed again !

Peace, Harry

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From jefbek at mindspring.com  Fri Aug 12 11:34:18 2005
From: jefbek at mindspring.com (Jef Bek)
Date: Fri Aug 12 11:38:31 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] 'Vanity Fair' Rips Media 'Conspiracy' in Covering Up
	Role in Plame Scandal
Message-ID: <BF2239BA.DA3%jefbek@mindspring.com>

Editor & Publisher

'Vanity Fair' Rips Media 'Conspiracy' in Covering Up Role in Plame Scandal

By Greg Mitchell

 Published: August 11, 2005 9:00 PM ET


NEW YORKIn an article in the September issue of Vanity Fair (not yet
online), Michael Wolff, in probing the Plame/CIA leak scandal, rips those in
the news media -- principally Time magazine and The New York Times -- who
knew that Karl Rove was one of the leakers but refused to expose what would
have been ?one of the biggest stories of the Bush years.? Not only that,
?they helped cover it up.? You might say, he adds, they ?became part of a
conspiracy.?

 If they had burned this unworthy source and exposed his ?crime,? he adds,
it would have been ?of such consequences that it might, reasonably, have
presaged the defeat of the president, might have even -- to be slightly
melodramatic -- altered the course of the war in Iraq.? In doing so they
showed they owed their greatest allegiance to the source, not their readers.

And their source was no Deep Throat, not someone with dirt on the government
-- the source ?was the government.?

 So in the end, he concludes, ?the greatest news organizations in the land
had a story about a potential crime that reached as close as you can get to
the president himself and they punted, they swallowed it, they self-dealt.?
And why did they do it? Well, ?a source is a source who, unrevealed, will
continue to be a source.?

 Even after the news first emerged last month that Rove had leaked to
Cooper, the media still waited days to even ask the White House press
secretary about it. It was a story, "in full view, the media just ignored."

 The title of the Wolff article is "All Roads Lead to Rove."

 Wolff mocks Time?s Matt Cooper and Norman Pearlstine and can?t seem to make
heads or tails of ?genuinely spooky? Robert Novak. He holds off full
judgment on the Times? jailed reporter Judith Miller, while noting the
"baloney" she retailed for the White House. But he pointedly notes,
concerning Miller, that reporters are born ?blabbermouths? and even when
they don?t write or print a certain story they are prone to ?serve it up to
everybody they know.?

 He closes with a frontal blast at the media, many members of which will
soon be exposed, he predicts, for having ?lined up for these lies? spun by
the White House.



From karenback at mindspring.com  Thu Aug 11 22:33:19 2005
From: karenback at mindspring.com (Karen Back)
Date: Fri Aug 12 11:40:53 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] this is interesting
In-Reply-To: <BF0998C8.2254C%michael@michaelbutler.com>
References: <BF0998C8.2254C%michael@michaelbutler.com>
Message-ID: <200508121840.j7CIepZ8013257@dune.islandtechnologies.net>

local updates re: Cindy Sheehan

http://www.iconoclast-texas.com/News/2005/31-40/31news02.htm

From jefbek at mindspring.com  Fri Aug 12 11:42:00 2005
From: jefbek at mindspring.com (Jef Bek)
Date: Fri Aug 12 11:46:12 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Coming Out Against Religious Mania
Message-ID: <BF223B88.DA5%jefbek@mindspring.com>

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/theblog/archive/richard-dawkins/coming-out-aga
inst-religi_5137.html

THE HUFFINGTON POST
8/12/05


08.04.2005 Richard Dawkins

 Coming Out Against Religious Mania

Congratulations to Sam Harris on a characteristically brilliant broadside.
His book, The End of Faith is one of those books that deserves to replace
the Gideon Bible in every hotel room in the land.

Articles like Harris's are valuable, not because they will change the minds
of religious idiots like Bush or those who voted for him, but because they
will have a 'consciousness-raising' effect upon the intelligent. There are
millions of intelligent atheists out there who are too frightened to come
out and admit it, because American society has allowed itself to drift into
a state where religious mania has become the respectable norm. But every
time a Sam Harris raises his voice in public, it will give courage to other
intelligent people to come out. Maybe there are some ? intelligent but not
well educated ? who didn't even realise atheism is a respectable option.

I know, I agree, it is easy for me, living in Britain where religion has no
power and it is religious people who feel the need to apologise (despite the
paradoxical existence of an established church with the queen as its head).
But America will change only when a critical mass of people is prepared to
'come out'. The more that do, the more that will.

I really don't mean to sound presumptuous or condescending, but my appeal to
my American friends is this. When you read something like this Sam Harris
article, don't just nod in silent agreement and go on keeping quiet
yourself. Start shouting, to encourage the others. I am hard at work on my
own book, The God Delusion, for precisely this reason.


From olhippie at tampabay.rr.com  Fri Aug 12 11:48:04 2005
From: olhippie at tampabay.rr.com (Robin McNamara)
Date: Fri Aug 12 11:51:13 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Israeli hawks circle Iran
References: <000801c59f6a$a38417e0$9f3fe440@Harold>
Message-ID: <001001c59f6e$5fce4620$8a03ca44@CowBox>

Hey Harry right on Brother :), The chess match is in play, just for openers Iran does not want our influence next door in Iraq & controlling Iraqi airspace,  we are the "Great Saten" along with Isreal, so both sides are already physically set up for the ground & air war, let alone what might happen nuclear.

" The Mother Of All Battles".................


Peace
Robin
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Harold Sifton 
  To: MB Civic 
  Sent: Friday, August 12, 2005 2:21 PM
  Subject: [Mb-civic] Israeli hawks circle Iran


  Israeli hawks circle Iran's nuclear plants

  http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2005/08/12/wiran12.xml&sSheet=/portal/2005/08/12/ixportaltop.html

  This is scary !!

  I'm going to hide under the bed again !

  Peace, Harry




------------------------------------------------------------------------------


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From michael at intrafi.com  Fri Aug 12 11:50:05 2005
From: michael at intrafi.com (michael@intrafi.com)
Date: Fri Aug 12 11:53:19 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Alternet: The Scandal is Bigger Than AIPAC
Message-ID: <20050812185005.4B75DB809E@alternet.org>


This story has been forwarded to you from
http://www.alternet.org by michael@intrafi.com



-------------------------------------
The Scandal is Bigger Than AIPAC
http://www.alternet.org/story/24011

The indictment of four men charged with spying on the U.S. for Israel may eventually implicate the conservatives who thumped the drums for war in Iraq.
-------------------------------------

From jefbek at mindspring.com  Fri Aug 12 11:52:37 2005
From: jefbek at mindspring.com (Jef Bek)
Date: Fri Aug 12 11:56:48 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] The Peaceful Occupation of Iraq (Day 6)
Message-ID: <BF223E05.DA7%jefbek@mindspring.com>

The Peaceful Occupation of Iraq (Day 6)
Friday, August 12th, 2005

-- a message from Cindy Sheehan, Crawford, TX

Day 6 of the Peaceful Occupation of Iraq began early this morning when
people in cars drove by our camp a few times and blasted on their horns. I
just assume they were blaring their approval of us.

Before we get to the less than negative things that are happening out at
Camp Casey and in the world at large today, over 700 people showed up at the
Camp today. There were more people, flowers, cards, mail, interviews,
laughter, heartache, camaraderie, excitement, and just sheer work.

We had the first birthday party tonight at our little event. Alicia from
Austin turned 17 today and they came to Crawford to celebrate with a cake.
Alicia said that she wanted to be out here for her birthday. So many great
people from so many parts of the country and our world are here.

Today is kind of a blur to me. From running around from interview to
interview, to getting a visit from Viggo Mortensen, today was a whirlwind of
activity. I have discovered that the White House press corps is always
looking for something to do and someone to cover. We have been happy to
oblige them. We had a press conference today with Gold Star Families for
Peace and Military Families Speak Out members. It was very effective when
people who actually have skin in the game ask the president to be held
accountable for the words he has actually said.

Still putting out the O'Reilly fires of me being a traitor and using Casey's
name dishonorably, my in-laws sent out a press conference disagreeing with
me in strong terms; which is totally okay with me, because they barely knew
Casey. We have always been on separate sides of the fence politically and I
have not spoken to them since the elections when they supported the man who
is responsible for Casey's death. The thing that matters to me is that my
family: Casey's dad and my other 3 kids are on the same side of the fence
that I am. 

Since Congress is not holding George Bush accountable and the media is not
doing their jobs and holding George Bush accountable, we the American people
need to hold him accountable for lying to us to get us into a disastrous
war. November 2, 2004 was not his accountability moment: today is. We are
finished allowing him to get away with deceiving the American public and
abusing his power. 

We are mad as hell and we're not taking it anymore.

From jefbek at mindspring.com  Fri Aug 12 11:57:55 2005
From: jefbek at mindspring.com (Jef Bek)
Date: Fri Aug 12 12:02:06 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Bush gets first look at anti-war protest near ranch
Message-ID: <BF223F43.DA9%jefbek@mindspring.com>

REUTERS

Bush gets first look at anti-war protest near ranch

By Patricia Wilson
8/12/05
1 hour, 40 minutes ago

President Bush got his first look at an anti-war vigil near his ranch on
Friday as his motorcade took him by the protest site lined with small white
crosses representing fallen American soldiers in Iraq.

When Bush's black sport utility vehicle carried him past the site to a
Republican fund-raiser, the protest leader, Cindy Sheehan, whose son was one
of the nearly 1,850 U.S. soldiers killed in Iraq, held up a sign that said:
"Why do you make time for donors and not for me?"

Other signs said: "Iraq is Arabic for Vietnam" and "Bring Them Home Now."
Some protesters held up white crosses as well.

The protest vigil began last Saturday and is being led by Sheehan, who has
been demanding a meeting with Bush to discuss her opposition to the Iraq
war.

Two rows of police officers faced the estimated 50 roadside protesters as
Bush's 15-vehicle motorcade cruised by without slowing down.

He was headed to Stan and Kathy Hickey's Broken Spoke Ranch for a barbecue
and ribs lunch to raise more than $2 million for the Republican National
Committee. The 230 people attending were among the party's biggest donors.

Hundreds of small white crosses had been erected along the side of Prairie
Chapel Road, each hand-painted with the name of a fallen soldier.

Sheehan's son, Casey, was killed in combat in Iraq in April 2004 and she met
with Bush in June 2004, but she wants another meeting. The White House has
refused.

With Americans increasingly questioning the U.S. involvement in Iraq, Bush
tried to address Sheehan's concerns on Thursday.

"Listen, I sympathize with Mrs. Sheehan," Bush told reporters. "She feels
strongly about her position. And she has every right in the world to say
what she believes. This is America."

He said he has thought "long and hard" about her demand to "get out of Iraq
now" and strongly disagreed, saying a premature withdrawal would betray the
Iraqis just as they are being trained to defend themselves and allow for a
U.S. pullout.

Sheehan's group, Gold Star Families for Peace, released a protest ad that
the organization said would run on cable television channels near Bush's
ranch during August.

"Mr. President, I want to tell you face to face how much this hurts. I love
my country, but how many more of our loved ones need to die in this
senseless war? How many more soldiers have to die before we say enough?" she
said in the ad.

The total ad buy was put at $15,000.

From geomilman at milman.com  Thu Aug 11 23:27:33 2005
From: geomilman at milman.com (George R. Milman)
Date: Fri Aug 12 12:09:03 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] FW: Ocean Dome in Tokyo,
	Japan. Only Indoor Beach in the World
Message-ID: <200508121802.j7CI2HMK013138@dune.islandtechnologies.net>

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From michael at intrafi.com  Fri Aug 12 16:26:13 2005
From: michael at intrafi.com (michael@intrafi.com)
Date: Fri Aug 12 16:29:34 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] michael wants you to see this. 
Message-ID: <200508122326.j7CNQDDj028850@server1.truthout.org>



michael thought you would like this site.

http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/081205C.shtml

ApplyRefer v2.3



From nwonline at toronto.cbc.ca  Fri Aug 12 16:50:10 2005
From: nwonline at toronto.cbc.ca (CBC News Online)
Date: Fri Aug 12 16:53:57 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] CBC News - TOUGHER METH SENTENCES NOT ENOUGH: ADDICTION
	COUSELLORS 
Message-ID: <20050812235010.7DFE21B691@nmweb07.nm.cbc.ca>

This email has been sent to you by harry.sifton@sympatico.ca
The following is a news item posted on CBC NEWS ONLINE
at http://www.cbc.ca/news
____________________________________________________
TOUGHER METH SENTENCES NOT ENOUGH: ADDICTION COUSELLORS  
WebPosted Fri Aug 12 13:42:53 2005

---A day after Ottawa hiked prison terms for crystal meth cookers and
dealers, people working with addicts say tougher sentences aren't enough
to solve the drug problem.

 INDEPTH: Crystal meth FAQs



"It's not so much locking the people up who are doing it," said Phil
Gross of Winnipeg, a former user who now counsels other addicts. "It's
making the chemicals that produce the drug unavailable. Whoever makes it,
they've got to stop making it available."



  FROM AUGUST 11, 2005: Crystal meth makers now face life in prison


Many of the ingredients that are cooked together to produce crystal meth
are available in pharmacies and in hardware stores. It's a volatile mix
of cold remedies, iodine, drain cleaner, batteries, paint thinner,
acetone and rubbing alcohol.

 Manitoba to restrict ingredients

Manitoba Justice Minister Gord Mackintosh is looking at measures
already in place in some U.S. states that limit access to the raw
materials. The province intends to introduce its own strategy to fight
the drug this fall.

"Everything is on the table in terms of putting in place restrictions on
access to the key ingredient, pseudoephedrine," Mackintosh said. "The
cold remedies will very soon not be as accessible."

In North Dakota, cold medications that can be used to create crystal meth
can only be bought one box at a time and in Oregon, people need a
doctor's prescription to buy cold medications that contain ephedrine.


John Borody of the Addictions Foundation of Manitoba said getting rid of
crystal meth is not that easy.

"The problem is there's numerous ways of making this drug. The cold
medications, the cold remedies, are just one way," Borody said. "So, if
they stop that and the people really want to make it, there are other
ways of making it."

Causes need attention too

Addiction counsellors in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside welcomed the
government focus on the issue, but said the most important thing was
tackling the root causes of drug use.

"It's not about the stuff or the crystal meth," said Mark Townsend, a
worker with the Portland Hotel Society that helps house addicts. "It's
about the pain and suffering and complex issues that you are still going
to be dealing with."

Health Canada telephone surveys suggest about 200,000 Canadians have used
a form of crystal meth in the past year. But the agency said the number
is actually probably much higher because information on hard-core users
such as street youth is difficult to obtain.

Copyright (C) 2005 CBC. All rights reserved.
From nwonline at toronto.cbc.ca  Fri Aug 12 16:53:08 2005
From: nwonline at toronto.cbc.ca (CBC News Online)
Date: Fri Aug 12 16:56:42 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] CBC News - GREENPEACE SAYS VIDEO CAPTURES DRAGGERS IN
	ACTION
Message-ID: <20050812235308.2A03169AFB@nmweb09.nm.cbc.ca>

This email has been sent to you by harry.sifton@sympatico.ca
The following is a news item posted on CBC NEWS ONLINE
at http://www.cbc.ca/news
____________________________________________________
GREENPEACE SAYS VIDEO CAPTURES DRAGGERS IN ACTION
WebPosted Fri Aug 12 13:17:01 2005

---Greenpeace says video it made of international fishing vessels off
Canada proves that bottom-dragging nets are destroying fish stocks.

Members of the environmental group and their vessel, the
Esperanza, returned to Halifax Friday with images of several
vessels that use the nets.

During the two-week mission on the Grand Banks and Flemish Cap, at
points beyond Canada's 200-mile limit, they were allowed to board five
of the ships.

"We saw about 20 boats while we were out there from a whole range of
countries, Estonia, Portugal, Latvia and Lituania," said Bunny McDiarmid
of Greenpeace, who wants an international ban on dragnet fishing.

She told reporters images of the huge nets, complete with heavy chains
and other gear attached, will impress Canadians.

"If you show the public the kind of gear that's being used and you
explain how the fishing is being done, people get this really easily.
This is not a sustainable way to do it," she said.

McDiarmid said proof that this kind of fishing cannot continue comes
from fishermen who say their nets aren't scooping up a lot of unwanted
species any more.

"Some of the skippers that we spoke to said that they're not seeing a lot
of it now because they think they've trawled the Earth for so long that
there isn't a lot more to get."

She said Greenpeace is using the release of the video to criticize the
federal fisheries minister, Geoff Regan, for comments he made recently
about dragging.

The minister said his focus is not on banning gear, but identifying
habitats that are most sensitive and protecting those areas.

Regan also said any fishing gear that's used improperly causes damage, a
statement Greenpeace has dismissed.

The group said these bottom dragger nets are being used as intended and
they're doing damage that may be irreversible.

Copyright (C) 2005 CBC. All rights reserved.
From nwonline at toronto.cbc.ca  Fri Aug 12 16:55:44 2005
From: nwonline at toronto.cbc.ca (CBC News Online)
Date: Fri Aug 12 16:59:35 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] CBC News - SOLDIER'S MOTHER KEEPS VIGIL OUTSIDE BUSH
	RANCH
Message-ID: <20050812235544.9B5E81B691@nmweb07.nm.cbc.ca>

This email has been sent to you by harry.sifton@sympatico.ca
The following is a news item posted on CBC NEWS ONLINE
at http://www.cbc.ca/news
____________________________________________________
SOLDIER'S MOTHER KEEPS VIGIL OUTSIDE BUSH RANCH
WebPosted Fri Aug 12 08:47:05 2005

---The mother of a U.S. soldier slain in Iraq continued to stand vigil
Friday outside U.S. President George W. Bush's ranch in Texas, waiting
&#8211; with a growing number of anti-war protesters &#8211; for a face-to-
face meeting to air her grievances.

Cindy Sheehan has been camped out on the road outside Bush's ranch in
Crawford, Texas, since last Saturday.

Her son, Casey, was killed last year in Iraq just five days after
arriving for duty there. He was 24 years old.

Sheehan, who's from California, wants the U.S. to pull out of Iraq.

"All we're asking is that he sacrifice an hour out of his five-week
vacation to talk to us, before the next mother loses her son in Iraq,"
she told reporters.

"The president says he feels compassion for me, but the best way to show
that compassion is by meeting with me and the other mothers and families
who are here."

Other parents join

Sheehan's protest has attracted at least three other parents whose
children have died while on U.S. duty in Iraq. Dozens of other protesters
are also taking part.

But, so far, Bush has declined to meet with her.



 FROM AUG. 11, 2005: Spring withdrawal from Iraq just
 'speculation,' Bush says

On Wednesday, Bush acknowledged the activists camped outside his ranch,
saying he had thought about their "cries to pull out of Iraq. &#8230; But
I strongly disagree."

"I sympathize with Mrs. Sheehan," Bush said. "I thought long and hard
about her position. &#8230; But it would be a mistake for this country."

The president said the U.S. army had surpassed its recruitment goals for
July, the first time it had done so this year. Other services continued
to be on track for their recruitment drives, he said.

Bush also said recent reports that American troops would begin
withdrawing from Iraq next spring were simply "speculation."

At least 32 U.S. soldiers died in the first 10 days of August alone, U.S.
defence officials say.

And on Friday, a roadside bomb killed a U.S. soldier in Tikrit, in the
central part of Iraq.

Copyright (C) 2005 CBC. All rights reserved.
From nwonline at toronto.cbc.ca  Fri Aug 12 16:57:08 2005
From: nwonline at toronto.cbc.ca (CBC News Online)
Date: Fri Aug 12 17:00:22 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] CBC News - OIL PRICES RISE AGAIN
Message-ID: <20050812235708.8BBC01B691@nmweb07.nm.cbc.ca>

This email has been sent to you by harry.sifton@sympatico.ca
The following is a news item posted on CBC NEWS ONLINE
at http://www.cbc.ca/news
____________________________________________________
OIL PRICES RISE AGAIN
WebPosted Fri Aug 12 13:58:43 2005

---Oil prices continued their ascent on Friday briefly topping $67 US per
barrel amid ongoing supply concerns.

Light sweet crude for September delivery settled at $66.86 US per barrel
on the New York Mercantile Exchange, up $1.06 from the previous day.
Prices hit an intraday high of $67.10 US before pulling back.

The price of crude oil hit new closing highs every day this week except
Tuesday as it gained $4.55 US a barrel on the week. Since the first
trading day of 2005, the price of light sweet crude has gone up more than
57 per cent.

Once again, fears over refineries were cited for the rise in oil prices
on Friday. The latest worries came as a power interruption at a Premcor
refinery in Memphis, Tenn., shut down production at the 175,000-barrel-per-
day facility.

Several refineries across the United States have been hit by production
outages, which has helped push oil to several new highs this week.

Copyright (C) 2005 CBC. All rights reserved.
From harry.sifton at sympatico.ca  Fri Aug 12 17:04:47 2005
From: harry.sifton at sympatico.ca (harry.sifton@sympatico.ca)
Date: Fri Aug 12 17:08:02 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] canada.com Story
Message-ID: <0d95bd88c0df4e4f83cdd644ae207e02@sympatico.ca>

Dear mb-civic@islandlists.com,

Your friend harry.sifton@sympatico.ca thought you might be interested in this canada.com story:

"Manure spill threatens Lake Ontario"

http://www.canada.com/national/nationalpost/news/toronto/story.html?id=7824b3c7-b763-4b81-b222-fa0fd558065f

Why do they not try harder to clean it up before it hits Lake Ontario? 



_______________________________________
This is a free service courtesy of 
canada.com (http://www.canada.com)


From lyve at netzero.com  Fri Aug 12 19:58:30 2005
From: lyve at netzero.com (Lyle K'ang)
Date: Fri Aug 12 20:02:47 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] crytal meth, my apologies
Message-ID: <20050812.195850.23005.379205@webmail29.nyc.untd.com>

Harold, 
Thanks for your replies to both Cheese and myself. I was piggy-backing  on Cheese's dialog. 
I believe Japan has the best inspection in place today in the free World for Cow inspections. I just wanted to make myself clear about supporting Bush's administrative war. I stand corrected.
Book store-look up indigenous people in Canada and their treatment on the islands west of Vancouver and North. Doctor's (Canadian) were sent in to sterilize the women. I read a book about it (don't remember the title) when I performed HAIR in Toronto, Calgary, Ottawa, & Vancouver-picked it up in Vancouver. I know it is repugnant.


Lyle K'ang, MBA/IM 


-- \"Harold Sifton\"  wrote:

I should have said North America has issues, not just America. Since the CBC article was about Canadian issues with Crystal Meth. But when I came across the 2002 incarceration stats in America and the growth of gangs and I just got going, my apologies. Cheeseburger, I will work harder at/with my thinking and writings. Gangs are not just in the slums and urban centres, they are in corporations, political circles and governments, small towns, pretty much everywhere and the trickle down effect is devastating to all communities. (The republican party is being run by a gang of neo-cons) There has been a rash of shootings and deaths (turf wars) in Toronto, and the community workers are saying it is the lack of jobs and the fact that the kids who are expelled from school have no where to go except the street..........The problem is universal ......... not just American. Now Lyle, Canada did "not" support or participate the invasion of Iraq and Canada has paid dearly for it. (trade s
 anctions, abuse by American Medias, i.e. Fox Network, etc)  ( Canada is now helping only in the training of Iraqi Police Cadets at an academy in Jordon ) Canada however did get involved in Afghanistan and is still there. The Mad Cow thing is a mess, every one is pointing fingers. Canada exports more cattle than it imports and the one Mad Cow found in Canada has all but destroyed the industry. Very little "American" USDA beef, processed or not is imported into Canada so it is minimal the risk of importing Mad cow from America. I do not know the stats on live cattle trade for breeding. The Canadian Department of Agriculture and Canada Health have implemented new rules and testing procedures that are now the strictest in the world. As`far as the neutering thing, I have no knowledge, please forward me some history, for that kind of behaviour is repugnant. Later, Harry  
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From lyve at netzero.com  Fri Aug 12 20:20:19 2005
From: lyve at netzero.com (Lyle K'ang)
Date: Fri Aug 12 20:25:15 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] New era for the age of Aquarius - Music - Times Online
Message-ID: <20050812.202100.23005.379421@webmail29.nyc.untd.com>


Wonderful-so many good memories. Like the time the theater was partly empty in Oklahoma. That evening I was invited and attended an Indian gathering in their Long House. I invited them all to come to the show the next evening-that night our tribe met 20-35 indegionous ancestors. Of course, management freaked because I promised everyone of MY guests complimentary passes.
"Why not!" was my reply to Mr. Grayson. "Half the theater was empty." Grayson looked at Light Brown as he nodded in the affirmative.
Try doing HAIR for people that have gone through so much-made my hair on the back of my neck stand straight up. Both tribes met spiritually that night on stage and soared to the fifth demension.  

Lyle K'ang, MBA/IM 


-- Michael Butler  wrote:
http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,14932-1732511,00.html

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From barbarasiomos38 at msn.com  Fri Aug 12 20:29:26 2005
From: barbarasiomos38 at msn.com (Barbara Siomos)
Date: Fri Aug 12 20:32:49 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] New era for the age of Aquarius - Music - Times Online
Message-ID: <BAY5-DAV200D2BA98F1EC2814D4E55ABBF0@phx.gbl>

Love your spirit Lyle... :-)

peace,
barbara

-----Original Message-----
From: Lyle K'ang
Sent: Fri, 12 Aug 2005 20:20:19 -0700
To: mb-civic@islandlists.com
Cc: mb-hair@islandlists.com, mb-civic@islandlists.com, michael@michaelbutler.com
Subject: Re: [Mb-civic] New era for the age of Aquarius - Music - Times Online


Wonderful-so many good memories. Like the time the theater was partly empty in Oklahoma. That evening I was invited and attended an Indian gathering in their Long House. I invited them all to come to the show the next evening-that night our tribe met 20-35 indegionous ancestors. Of course, management freaked because I promised everyone of MY guests complimentary passes.
"Why not!" was my reply to Mr. Grayson. "Half the theater was empty." Grayson looked at Light Brown as he nodded in the affirmative.
Try doing HAIR for people that have gone through so much-made my hair on the back of my neck stand straight up. Both tribes met spiritually that night on stage and soared to the fifth demension.  

Lyle K'ang, MBA/IM 


-- Michael Butler  wrote:
http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,14932-1732511,00.html

_______________________________________________
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Mb-civic@islandlists.com
http://www.islandlists.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/mb-civic


From lyve at netzero.com  Fri Aug 12 20:50:11 2005
From: lyve at netzero.com (Lyle K'ang)
Date: Fri Aug 12 20:55:43 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] NO EXIT STRATEGY!  get it!!??
Message-ID: <20050812.205107.23005.379644@webmail29.nyc.untd.com>

SOMETHING YOU MAY FIND INTERESTING FROM MY SIDE-KICK TO A FRIEND:

Thoughts on Iraq for Linda

Here are some things you might want to include:

1. Since the mid 90's a group of people now called neo-conservatives devised a plan to use America's military power to dominate the middle east. They published that plan, prepared numerous reports, wrote letters to President Clinton, testified in front of congress throughout the 90's. That plan is available on the internet and has not changed much since they wrote it. Their plan is called "Project for the New American Century" (PNAC) and can be found on the web. The end plan has not changed and they still maintain the website, are not apologetic at all about it...rather they are pretty proud of it...

If one only reads some of the letters and reports of the mid 90's to 2000 one will see that they had every intention of attacking Iraq prior to 9/11 and they currently have absolutely NO INTENTION of exiting from Iraq. That is why they HAVE NO EXIT STRATEGY! THEY DO NOT INTEND TO EXIT! 

If one looks at the signatures on their letters you will find that the signators are embedded in the Bush Administration and are quite powerful policy setters for this administration. You will also understand why when we were attacked on 9/11 Rumsfeld immediately wanted to attack Iraq and also why we pulled out of the search for Osama Bin Laden.

If one reads the Downey Street Memos you will find that PRIOR to going to congress and PRIOR to going to the UN to make the case for invading Iraq the intelligence was being manipulated. This is not a fake document it has been admitted to as being a government document by the Brits. Another revelation in the series of Downing Street memos was that we were attacking Iraq by air PRIOR to even going to congress for permission to invade Iraq and PRIOR to going to the UN.

An interview I heard today involved a member of the U.S. Air Force who was a member of the crew of a U.S. surveillance plane that was charged with the responsibility of taking information from special forces operations within Iraq, coordinating target zones within Iraq....these were not target zones in the NO Fly zone areas...they were throughout Iraq and were targeting infrastructure, military installations and looking for Saddam's "air force"...They also coordinated and looked for air planes in the sky from Iraq while the bombings were going on. These bombing raids (44,000 tons of bombs) in Iraq took place in August, Sept and October of 2002.....6 months prior to the invasion and PRIOR to the presentation to Congress and later to the UN the administration's case for going to war!. 

Of course they did not find any Iraqi air force...because most of it was destroyed in the 1st gulf war and the rest he sent to Iran and they said thank you very much now we will keep them.....The purpose of the bombing attacks was to soften up the Iraqi military capability and to coincidentally to entice Saddam to attack the American plans with anti-aircraft artillery...a few American deaths would add fuel to the American psyche and make it easier to make the case for going to war with Iraq...but the fact is Saddam did not bite, just as he didn't later bite and NOT refuse to allow inspectors in...he allowed them in, cooperated with them and they only left because BUSH told the inspectors that they had better for their own safety get out because we were going to attack.

The bombing of Iraq...ie going to war with Iraq without either the consent of congress or the recommendation of the UN was just that an ACT of War...and a violation of International Law as well as our own constitutional law. No nation is allowed under international law to attack another unless in self-defense....there was no argument being made for self defense at the time we were bombing the H out of the Iraqi countryside and infrastructure in the 6 months prior to our invasion.

These facts are corroborated in the Downing Street Memos and the British were involved in the aerial attacks as well.
If one needs more proof that there is NO EXIT STRATEGY BECAUSE THEY DO NOT INTEND TO EXIT, then answer these questions:

If we intend to exit at some point in time...the administration itself has said anywhere from 2-10 years...maybe, then why are we currently at this time doing the following:

1. Building the largest most expensive U.S. Embassey in the world in Iraq...which will have a between 3500 and 4000 staff?

2. Rebuilding, expanding 4 IRAQI military bases, for use as U.S. Military bases?

3. Building 14 NEW and quite large and state of the art U.S. MILITARY BASES in Iraq.

4. Why have we not been able to rebuild Iraq's infrastructure to at least the point where there is a modicum of a source of clean water, electricity and why can't we secure 17 miles of road to the Baghdad Airport...given the fact that Halliburton and its various subsidiaries etc. have been given billions and billions of dollars to "reconstruct" Iraq? By the way Halliburton's last quarter financials show that they, in that quarter alone, have accumulated a 200% increase in profits!! Really lucrative building those bases.

5. When the CPA was in charge in Iraq under Paul Bremer 8.9 billion dollars in Iraq Oil For Food monies came up missing. (Once we occupied Iraq the UN turned over the administration of the Iraq OIL for Food Program to the CPA..the occupying force) The CPA has never given either Congress or the UN an accurate and complete financial reporting of the OIL FOR FOOD Program after the CPA took over its administration. Which makes it all too clear why the Bush Administration has so vehemently taken the opportunity to castigate. rant and rave etc. about the UN Oil For Food Program...appointed an investigator etc....and yes there were problems with the UN program...but why haven't we appointed the same kind of investigator for the 8.9 Billion dollars missing under Bremmer's Watch!

So in summary there is an ideological...American Domination of the Middle East and the OIL...and a financial reason for what this administration has done...the financial is pure and simple...war profiteering and the use and abuse of Iraqi resources as well as the American Treasury to line the pockets of munition suppliers, the military industrial complex and Bush and Cheney's pockets. 

Ah! yes..WAR PROFITEERING has a long history with the Bush family going back to World War I. Why do we have a WAR ON TERROR? Because Bush likes being a War Time President, because it is Profitable to be at war in perpetuity...and because it means that we can have an American Empire...control the oil in the middle east...control the world's economy. But all empires fall...just ask the British.

Just a few thoughts... remember...THERE IS NO EXIT STRATEGY BECAUSE THEY DO NOT INTEND TO EXIT....EVER!

I will believe Bush and the current administration when they say the "honor the lives" of our troops, that the causes that they are fighting for are Noble ones when they send their own children, their own daughters, sons etc. to fight what they call the "good fight"...but that will be a cold day in hell...since none of them ever fought in a war during their lifetime and instead "opted out"...

For the Republicans who support this war and their president, I say..time to walk the talk...march yourselves on down to the nearest recruiting office. Our troops need your help. 

A little magnet on your car is not supporting the troops...just do it!
Versa


Lyle K'ang, MBA/IM 
 

From lyve at netzero.com  Fri Aug 12 21:08:51 2005
From: lyve at netzero.com (Lyle K'ang)
Date: Fri Aug 12 21:13:47 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Noble cause
Message-ID: <20050812.210938.23005.379737@webmail29.nyc.untd.com>

Thank you for the links------


Lyle K'ang, MBA/IM 


-- Jef Bek <jefbek@mindspring.com> wrote:
http://www.mfso.org/
http://www.veteransforpeace.org/
http://gsfp.org/
http://www.codepink4peace.org/
http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/
http://www.meetwithcindy.org/
http://www.crawfordpeacehouse.org/

GANDHI ON GOVERNMENT
           Government control gives rise to fraud, suppression of Truth,
intensification of the black market and artificial scarcity.  Above all, it
unmans the people and deprives them of initiative, it undoes the teaching of
self-help...I look upon an increase in the power of the State with the
greatest fear because, although while apparently doing good by minimizing
exploitation, it does the greatest harm to mankind by destroying
individuality which lies at the heart of all progress...


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From ean at sbcglobal.net  Fri Aug 12 21:29:57 2005
From: ean at sbcglobal.net (ean@sbcglobal.net)
Date: Fri Aug 12 22:02:57 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] William Rivers Pitt talks about media and activism and
	taking back america
Message-ID: <200508130502.j7D52rLA014497@dune.islandtechnologies.net>

    "Never forget this: One of the main reason Nazi Germany's extreme
military and nationalistic build-up in the 1930s went almost unnoticed in
the wider world was because the European news media at that time was owned
by chemical and steel companies, which were profiting from Germany's
build-up. They didn't report it, and so it did not gain notice until it
was too late. The moral is simple: A news media owned by companies more
interested in profit than fact is a cancer. That is exactly what we have
now, and we are seeing the ramifications all over the world."


Marc Ash | My Chat with Will Pitt
    By Marc Ash
    t r u t h o u t | Interview
    Tuesday 09 August 2005
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/080905A.shtml

    With all that's on the radar screen at this point I decided to have a
chat with long time TO contributor  William Rivers Pitt.  We talked about
the state of the country, his new work with Progressive Democrats of
America and a September full of mobilization.  My interview with Will:

    MA: Will your voice has become one of the most prominent voices of
opposition to the Bush administration. No one should be surprised - your
name William Rivers Pitt draws from the legacy of the legendary English
seditionist William of Pitt, of whom you are in fact a descendent, no?

    WP: Yes, I am a direct descendant of Pitt the Elder on my father's
    side.
His father, my grandfather, became a genealogist after he retired from
medicine, and traced our family all the way back to the 1600s. There are a
pile of people named "William Pitt" in that line, including the Earl. My
favorite quote from that relative has always been, "Necessity is the plea
for every infringement of human freedom. It is the argument of tyrants; it
is the creed of slaves."

    MA: Follow up: Before you rose to prominence as a writer, prior to
George W. Bush's rise to power, you were a school teacher. Is the job of
reforming a democracy best done by professionals, or is it work best done
by ordinary citizens, teachers, bus drivers, bakers, etc?

    WP: The "professionals" in politics and the mainstream are not
interested in reform, by and large. They are interested in maintaining
their position and paycheck and power. This is how the status quo is
established and held, and more often than not, you will see the
"professionals" rally against any substantive change because it would
require them to dance faster. It has always been the little guys, the
grassroots, the workers, who have brought change to this country.

    MA: You first broke on the literary scene as a journalist for
grass-roots publications, truthout and others. You rose to national
prominence with your book War in Iraq - What Team Bush Doesn't Want
You to Know, when it became ranked as a New York Times bestseller.
You've made a decision to forgo journalism in favor of activism, is that
right?

    WP: For a long time I felt that journalism was activism. It was and
still is. The manner in which the mainstream corporate news media delivers
tainted, altered, watered-down information to the public is a large part
of the reason we are in such a sorry state here in America. I wrote War in
Iraq because the basic information in that book, information about the
non-existent state of Iraq's WMD program and Iraq's non-ties to al Qaeda,
were getting buried under an avalanche of rah-rah nonsense in the
corporate news world.

    Punching through the noise, the infotainment and the flat-out
disinformation by practicing real journalism within the alternate media is
activism in its own right. But I began to feel after a while like it was a
passive form; I felt like a quarterback chucking hail-mary passes into the
sky, hoping someone would catch the ball and run with it. Too often, the
balls just hit the ground. Take a look at that Iraq book I wrote. It was
right three years ago, and it is still right today, but the occupation is
almost 900 days old and nearly 2,000 American soldiers are dead. That
hail-mary hit the ground.

    So doing straight-up activism lets me run with the damned ball myself.

    MA: Okay, but if the "corporate news media delivers tainted, altered,
watered-down information to the public" as you say, can't they argue as
you argue that it's all in the name of cutting through the nonsense to get
to the truth?

    WP: Professional journalism standards are not what they once were, and
the days of the "egghead journalist" are long gone. What we have now on
television are a lot of models reading from scripts written by the boys in
the newsroom, and the aforementioned boys are drawing paychecks from major
corporations that have interests to look out for that more often than not
cut against the requirements of objective journalism.

    Check out the Columbia Journalism Review's list of who owns what in
    the corporate news realm: http://www.cjr.org/owners

    You will see, for example, that NBC, MSNBC and CNBC are owned by
General Electric, one of the largest defense contractors in America.
General Electric does very well by war, and yet we are expected to trust
their "news" organizations to report objectively on Iraq and Afghanistan,
two wars that GE is making money off of.

    Look at CNN, and their owners AOL/TimeWarner. Look specifically at all
the subsidiaries of that parent company, all the subsidiaries of those
subsidiaries, and remember all the advertisers associated with all of
them. It is almost impossible for CNN to report objectively on something
without that report affecting its parent company, a subsidiary or an
advertiser.

    The print media isn't immune from this. Judy Miller of the New York
Times is cooling her heels in a prison cell right now, in no small part
because she became the most helpful reporter Bush and friends had in their
push for war in Iraq. Miller took the verbatim words of Ahmad Chalabi as
gospel and published stories about how Iraq was riddled with WMD. Once she
said it in the Times, the rest of the media felt safe in following in the
footsteps of that august paper. So of course, Karl Rove felt entirely
comfortable calling her up about Valerie Plame. Her tainted, poor
reporting before the invasion is the reason she was on Rove's speed-dial.

    Once upon a time about 20 years ago, the NBC Nightly News brought in
    54% of that station's parent company's profits for the year. Now that General
Electric owns them, the Nightly News brings in 4% of the profit. There is
no money in good journalism anymore, and so there isn't much good
journalism in the corporate mainstream world.

    Never forget this: One of the main reason Nazi Germany's extreme
military and nationalistic build-up in the 1930s went almost unnoticed in
the wider world was because the European news media at that time was owned
by chemical and steel companies, which were profiting from Germany's
build-up. They didn't report it, and so it did not gain notice until it
was too late. The moral is simple: A news media owned by companies more
interested in profit than fact is a cancer. That is exactly what we have
now, and we are seeing the ramifications all over the world.

    MA: You've thrown your hat in with Progressive Democrats of America.
    Why PDA?

    PDA is doing a lot of the things I've been wanting to do for years
    now. They are creating an effective amalgam between liberals who want to work
within the Democratic Party and progressives who operate outside the
party. Too often, those two groups have been at loggerheads, and this has
led to division and disaster. PDA trains activists and organizers to join
local Democratic caucuses all over the country, to take over the party
from the bottom up, the way the hard-right evangelicals did with the GOP.
See my article "The Dawn of a New Democratic Party," which I wrote back in
2001 before joining up with truthout, to see what I mean.

    At the same time, PDA is working with excellent Green Party activists
like David Cobb and Medea Benjamin to create a political big tent. They
call this their "Inside/Outside Strategy." It means activists working
within the Democratic Party to bring it back to where it belongs, and
activists working outside the Party to push the Party in the proper
direction.

    PDA is also masterful at coalition-building and working with
    progressive members of Congress. The AfterDowningStreet.org coalition is an 
example of this. They are taking the ball and running with it.

    MA: PDA has some events on the calendar. Can you tell us a little
    about those events?

    WP: The biggest thing on the calendar is the massive protest that is
happening in Washington DC over the weekend of September 24th. PDA will
have a significant presence at the protest itself on Saturday, but the
really interesting stuff will take place on Sunday and Monday.

    On Sunday, PDA is running a wide-ranging convention at the David A.
Clarke School of Law. PDA activists from all over the country will come
together to game out progressive electoral and legislative strategies for
the 2006 midterms. On Monday the 26th, PDA will be heading up to Capitol
Hill with activists from United for Peace and Justice to lobby
Congresspeople for legislation demanding a withdrawal from Iraq. All in
all, this will be a big weekend.

    The rest of the issues we are working on can be found at the PDA
website.

    MA: What's the aim of these events - if all goes well, what will you
accomplish?

    The aim of the protest is straightforward: To put as many people as
possible onto the DC streets. Bush's approval ratings in general, and
regarding Iraq specifically, are abysmal and dropping like a brick. A
quarter million, a half a million, a million people protesting in
Washington DC will serve to show beyond doubt that this country is
rejecting Mr. Bush and his plans for this country and the world.

    The Sunday event is geared towards helping people take the fight home  to
their local caucuses, districts and towns. The House of Representatives
and the Senate are up for grabs in 2006, and the grassroots need to get
working now to make sure Bush and his friends don't continue getting
rubber-stamp approval from Congress.

    Monday will see activists in every office of every Democrat, and more
than a few Republicans, demanding that Congress work to get us out of
Iraq. We will remind them that we are not going away, we will remind them
that we are watching, and we will remind them that there will be a price
to be paid for their failure to take responsibility for the messes they
have helped to create.

    MA: It's going on five years now since five members of the US Supreme
Court interceded dramatically in Florida's electoral process - in
America's electoral process. You along with many other Americans have
dedicated yourself to opposing their will and the administration they
created. Where are we - what is the state of American Democracy today?

    WP: The state of our democracy is poor. I wrote an essay recently for
truthout called "Bush's Soviet State."

    In that essay, I said "Bush and his people have managed to walk  through
the raindrops since 2001, managed to pull off more than a few impeachable
crimes, for no other reason than that they are accountable to no one in
government ... or, more properly, no one in government who has the power
to call them to account has done so. Congress is run by Bush allies, the
Justice Department is run by his longest-standing hatchet man, and all of
them prefer to maintain the pleasant fictions over any attempt to fix what
has gone so drastically and demonstrably wrong. We watched the Soviets
smash themselves to pieces because they refused to deal with what ailed
them, because lies made life easier on the powerful, because actually
attempting to address a problem might expose the powerful to censure or
even removal, because no one had the power to stop them. It is happening
again, right before our eyes."

    One of the central problems facing our democracy has to do with simple
accountability. Our system was based on checks and balances, and since
2000 those checks and balances have been erased. The administration can do
and has done whatever it wants because no one in the Justice Department or
Congress has the power or the will to stop them.

    That is why the 2006 midterms are so important. Accountability could
come awfully late, especially for the dead, but if we take back Congress,
we can begin the process. It is past time.

    MA: William Rivers Pitt, thank you for taking time to visit with the
folks that read truthout.

    WP: Any time, hoss.
-- 
You are currently on Mha Atma's Earth Action Network email list, option D 
(up to 3 emails/day).  To be removed, or to switch options (option A - 
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"In times of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act."
   ---   George Orwell


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From ean at sbcglobal.net  Fri Aug 12 20:59:09 2005
From: ean at sbcglobal.net (ean@sbcglobal.net)
Date: Fri Aug 12 22:06:26 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Cindy Sheehan and George W Bush
Message-ID: <200508130506.j7D56OP8014520@dune.islandtechnologies.net>

Here are three articles about Cindy and George---the first from media 
critic Norman Solomon, the 2nd and editorial from the mainstream 
hometown newspaper of Houston, TX, and the 3rd from the L.A. 
Times.......

Rage Against the Killing of the Light 

By Norman Solomon 
t r u t h o u t | Perspective 
Wednesday 10 August 2005 
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/081005B.shtml

Mid-August 2005 may be remembered as a moment in US history 
when the president could no longer get away with the media trick of 
solemnly patting death on its head. 

Unreality is a hallmark of media coverage for war. Yet - most of all - 
war is about death and suffering. War makers thrive on abstractions. 
Their media successes depend on evasion. 

President Bush has tried to keep the loved ones of America's war 
dead at middle distance, bathed in soft fuzzy light: close enough to 
exploit for media purposes, distant enough to insulate the commander 
in chief's persona from the intrusion of wartime mourning in America. 

What's going on this week, outside the perimeter of the ranch-style 
White House in Crawford, is some reclamation of reality in public life. 
Cindy Sheehan has disrupted the media-scripted shadow play of 
falsity. And some other relatives of the ultimately sacrificed have been 
en route to the vigil in the dry hot Texas ditches now being subjected to 
enormous media attention a few miles from the vacationing president's 
accommodations. 

At this point, Bush's spinners are desperate to divert the media 
spotlight from Sheehan. But other bereft mothers arriving in Crawford 
will hardly be more compatible with war-making myths. 

Consider the perspective of Celeste Zappala, whose oldest son 
Sherwood Baker was a sergeant in the Pennsylvania National Guard 
when he died 16 months ago in Baghdad. She is a co-founder of Gold 
Star Families for Peace, and what she has to say is gut-wrenching and 
infuriating: "George Bush talks about caring about the troops who get 
killed in Iraq. Sherwood was killed protecting the people looking for 
weapons of mass destruction on April 26, 2004. This was one month 
after Bush was joking [at the Radio and Television Correspondents 
Dinner, on March 24] about looking for weapons of mass destruction. 
And then my Sherwood is dead trying to protect people looking for 
them because Bush said it was so important to the safety of our 
country." 

Disregarding the tacit conventions of jingoistic newspeak, Zappala 
adds: "I don't want anyone else to go through this, not an American, 
not an Iraqi, no one. As a person of faith, I firmly believe we have the 
ability to provide better answers on how to resolve conflict than what 
Bush is offering us. I've tried to meet with Rumsfeld at the Pentagon, I 
was turned away by armed guards. It's incumbent upon everybody to 
take responsibility about what is happening in our country. I have no 
recourse but to go to Crawford to do what I can to change the 
disastrous course we are currently on and to bear witness to the true 
costs of this war." 

The true costs. Not the lies of omission. 

War PR and war grief have collided at the Crawford crossroads at a 
time when the Bush administration is in the midst of launching its scam 
about supposed plans to begin withdrawing US troops from Iraq. On 
Tuesday, the Associated Press reported that a spokesman for 
Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld "said he did not know how many 
extra troops might be needed during the referendum and election 
period" through the end of this year. The AP dispatch added: "Other 
officials have said that once the election period has passed and the 
troop total recedes to the 138,000 level, a further reduction in the 
range of 20,000 to 30,000 is possible next spring and summer. That 
could change, however, if the insurgency intensifies or an insufficient 
number of US-trained Iraqi security forces prove themselves battle-
ready." 

When a mass killer is at the helm of the ship of state, taking a bow 
now and again while "Hail to the Chief" booms from big brass bands, a 
significant portion of the country's population feels revulsion. And 
often, a sense of powerlessness - a triumph for media manipulation. 
Passivity is the health of the manipulative media state. 

Cindy Sheehan and Celeste Zappala have joined with others in 
Crawford to insist that death is not a message for more death - that we 
can understand death as a profound reality check, imploring us to 
affirm and defend life. 

"Rage, rage against the dying of the light," Dylan Thomas wrote. The 
unavoidable dying of life is bad enough. The killing is unacceptable. 

Norman Solomon is author of the new book War Made Easy: How 
Presidents and Pundits Keep Spinning Us to Death. Excerpts are 
posted at WarMadeEasy.com http://www.WarMadeEasy.com. 

***

http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/editorial/3307239

Houston Chronicle

Editorial

Aug. 11, 2005, 7:37PM

PEACE MOM
Mother of soldier killed in Iraq symbolizes 
nation's desire for justification of war

Copyright 2005 Houston Chronicle

Nothingis more emblematic of American democracy than the idea of 
one person standing up for his beliefs and in the process becoming the 
catalyst for a national debate. In the arena of civil rights, Rosa Parks' 
refusal to sit in the back of a Montgomery, Ala., bus was such an act. 
During the Vietnam War, Daniel Ellsberg's decision to give the media 
the Pentagon Papers detailing the secret history of U.S. involvement in 
Southeast Asia was another.

Now Californian Cindy Sheehan's August vigil on a sweltering roadway 
near President Bush's Crawford ranch has given a human voice and 
face to the revulsion of the carnage in Iraq. Sheehan, the mother of a 
24-year-old Army specialist killed in Iraq last year, wants a face to face 
meeting with Bush to ask him what mission was worth her son Casey's 
life.

In a previous meeting a few months after his death, Sheehan says, the 
president seemed unaware of who her son was, addressed her as 
"mom" during the encounter and acted almost lighthearted. Now she 
wants a deadly serious discussion of why America invaded Iraq and 
how long the bloodshed will continue.

Those are questions on the minds of millions of Americans, who see 
the list of dead and injured American personnel growing along with the 
expenditure of billions of U.S. tax dollars, with no end in sight. Polls 
reflect the growing unease of the country with the president's handling 
of the war. 

Approval of the Bush war policy has fallen below 40 percent. As 
Sheehan questions the war, she is voicing the concerns of a majority 
of Americans.

In a way, the White House set the stage for Sheehan's vigil by saying 
Bush's five-week hiatus at the ranch was really a working vacation to 
allow him to talk to everyday folks about the issues that concern them. 
The likes of Cindy Sheehan don't come along every day, but she wants 
to discuss an issue that concerns millions of Americans who want to 
hear answers that go beyond the familiar "stay the course."

Even Richard Nixon, often described as paranoid about critics, visited 
antiwar protesters at the Lincoln Memorial in 1970.

Yet Bush has not yet found it in himself to meet a grieving mother or 
invite her to the ranch to discuss his policies. Thursday Bush told 
reporters he sympathized with Sheehan but that pulling out of Iraq 
"would be a mistake for the security of this country and the ability to lay 
the foundations for peace." Sheehan responded that the best way to 
show compassion would be to meet with her and other parents of 
soldiers killed in action.

Bush previously dispatched his national security adviser and an aide to 
meet with Sheehan's group, but that only increased the perception that 
Bush cannot bring himself to face his critics. Until the president 
addresses the doubts about the conduct of the war that Cindy 
Sheehan now symbolizes, the voices of the opposition will only grow 
louder. 

-------

 Mother's Protest at Bush's Doorstep Raises 
the Stakes
    By Edwin Chen and Dana Calvo
    The Los Angeles Times

    Thursday 11 August 2005

    Crawford, Texas - For more than a year, a modest bungalow known 
as "Peace House," located a few miles from President Bush's ranch, 
has served as a headquarters for antiwar activists. It is lonely work, 
with little more than a skeleton crew on hand much of the time.

    But then Cindy Sheehan hit town.

    The 48-year-old mother of Army Spc. Casey Sheehan, who was 
killed in an ambush in Baghdad last year, is consumed by the kind of 
grief that turns into a furious determination to do something - in her 
case, to confront the president and force him to explain why her son 
died.

    Now, in the space of just a few days, what started out as a 
seemingly quixotic personal mission has become something of a 
phenomenon - with media swarming around Sheehan, leading liberal 
and antiwar activists parachuting in to try to make her their long-sought 
voice, and political experts in both parties working to assess what role 
she may have in galvanizing the public's gathering unhappiness with 
the increasing American casualties in Iraq.

    Antiwar leaders hope that putting the spotlight on Sheehan will 
motivate Americans who oppose the war, creating a political force 
strong enough to compel the Bush administration to change course.

    MoveOn.org and other liberal groups have rushed to provide 
support, offering media expertise and attempting to assemble a corps 
of others who have lost relatives in Iraq or have family members 
serving there.

    Liberal voices have swung into action on the Internet as well. On 
Wednesday, Democratic media consultant Joe Trippi organized a 
conference call with Sheehan for bloggers, aiming to garner more 
publicity. By Wednesday afternoon, "Cindy Sheehan" was the top-
ranked search term on Technorati.com, the search engine for blog 
postings.

    The White House, meanwhile, has sought to cope with Sheehan's 
vigil without abandoning its strategy for dealing with the families of 
troops who have died. On a number of occasions, Bush has met with 
bereaved relatives - including some who have challenged him sharply 
on the war - but he has done so privately, away from news cameras 
and reporters.

    Sheehan, a Vacaville, Calif., resident who opposed the war even 
before her son's death, was a member of one such group in June 
2004. She came away from that meeting dissatisfied and angry.

    "We wanted [the president] to look at pictures of Casey, we wanted 
him to hear stories about Casey, and he wouldn't. He changed the 
subject every time we tried," Sheehan said. "He wouldn't say Casey's 
name, called him: 'your loved one.' "

    Sheehan, a co-founder of the antiwar group Gold Star Families for 
Peace, has said she would remain in Crawford until she got to see 
Bush face to face.

    Until a cloudburst forced her to move to Peace House early 
Wednesday morning, Sheehan had been camping in a tent along a 
road about two miles from Bush's Prairie Chapel Ranch. On Saturday, 
the day she arrived in Crawford, two senior White House aides - 
national security advisor Stephen Hadley and deputy chief of staff Joe 
Hagin - left the ranch to meet with her on a dusty road for 45 minutes.

    That, she said, was not satisfactory.

    By Wednesday night, Sheehan had given so many interviews that 
she was sucking on lozenges to soothe an inflamed throat. Her ears 
were sore from cradling a telephone. Her media advisor, newly arrived 
from San Francisco, said Sheehan had developed a fever.

    None of that stopped her. Whether talking to newspaper reporters, 
People magazine or radio and television interviewers - some from as 
far away as Japan - she was relentlessly on message.

    "I don't believe his phony excuses for the war," she said of Bush in 
an interview with a CBS reporter for the network's Northern California 
affiliates. "I want him to tell me why my son died.

    "If he gave the real answer, people in this country would be outraged 
- if he told people it was to make his buddies rich, that it was about oil."

    Sheehan is certainly not the first to denounce the president over the 
war. From the beginning, activists have been outspoken in criticizing 
Bush's policy and his stated reasons for sending U.S. troops into Iraq.

    For the moment however, the personal nature of Sheehan's protest 
- with its edge of raw emotion - and the concentration of news media 
staked out in Crawford, where Bush is spending much of August, have 
combined to raise her voice above the crowd.

    "Anything that focuses media and public attention on Iraq war 
casualties day after day - particularly [something] that is a good visual 
for television, like a weeping Gold Star mother - is a really bad thing for 
President Bush and his administration," said independent political 
analyst Charlie Cook.

    "Americans get a little numb by the numbers of war casualties, but 
when faces, names and families are added, it has a much greater 
effect," he said.

    "Cindy Sheehan has tapped into a latent but fervent feeling among 
some in this country who would prefer that we not engage our troops in 
Iraq," said Republican strategist Kellyanne Conway, president of the 
Polling Company, based in Washington.

    "She can tap into what has been an astonishingly silent minority 
since the end of last year's presidential contest. It will capture 
attention."

    But other analysts predicted that Sheehan would soon fade from the 
scene.

    "The president has an Iraq problem, but I don't think it's much 
worsened by Mrs. Sheehan," said professor Stephen Hess of George 
Washington University. "One Gold Star mother is a sympathetic figure, 
but collectively - as Gold Star Families for Peace - she is a movement 
and, as such, can be countered by a countermovement.

    "I think the president might have defused the situation if he had 
invited her in instantly," Hess said, predicting that GOP strategists 
would soon mount a counterattack.

    Already, there were signs of just that.

    Some have suggested that Sheehan is disloyal to criticize the 
president in time of war. Even in Vacaville, Sheehan said, some people 
say she is shaming her son's memory. Conservative blogger Michelle 
Malkin disdainfully called the activists promoting Sheehan "grief 
pimps."

    The antiwar activists who have rushed to Sheehan's side are all too 
well aware of the danger that her moment in the spotlight could 
become just another partisan shouting match.

    Said Tom Matzzie of MoveOn.org: "Cindy reached out to us. We're 
e-mailing our members about her story today, running a print ad in 
Waco [Texas]. Cindy is a morally pure voice on the war, so we're trying 
to keep the focus on her and not jump in and turn it into a political 
fight."

    Since Sheehan arrived in Crawford, Peace House has been 
transformed into a beehive.

    On the porch, bottles of water - and a huge box of collapsible pink 
umbrellas - were waiting Wednesday to be ferried out to "Camp 
Casey," the muddy staging area along Prairie Chapel Road where 
Sheehan and about 100 of her supporters were gathered.

    On a table in the living room were stacks of white T-shirts that read 
"BUSH 
 Talk to Cindy! Moms and Vets Will Stop the War!"

    In the tiny kitchen, two women busily chopped carrots and celery as 
they prepared to feed a growing cadre of activists. Other volunteers 
talked on their cellphones, coordinating with supporters around the 
country.

    There was much speculation about "other moms" and parents of 
troops serving in the war coming to join Sheehan, although no one 
seemed to know for certain. "A busload is coming from Seattle," one 
woman called out.

    Stephanie Frizzell, 30, said she drove from Dallas with her son, 
Julian, 4, "to provide support for Cindy." They met last weekend at a 
Dallas convention of veterans for peace.

    According to Ann Wright, who identified herself as a former U.S. 
diplomat who resigned to protest the war, Sheehan seemed to make a 
spontaneous decision to come to Crawford while she was addressing 
the convention Friday.

    Wright said many hands were raised, offering to join her mission.

    As Sheehan put it Wednesday: "I just had the right idea in the right 
place at the right time."

    ------

    Times staff writers Ronald Brownstein, Joel Havemann and 
Johanna Neuman in Washington contributed to this report.
-- 
You are currently on Mha Atma's Earth Action Network email list, 
option D (up to 3 emails/day).  To be removed, or to switch options 
(option A - 1x/week, option B - 3/wk, option C - up to 1x/day, option D - 
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"In times of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act."
   ---   George Orwell


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From michael at michaelbutler.com  Fri Aug 12 22:04:28 2005
From: michael at michaelbutler.com (Michael Butler)
Date: Fri Aug 12 22:07:42 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] New era for the age of Aquarius - Music - Times Online
In-Reply-To: <20050812.202100.23005.379421@webmail29.nyc.untd.com>
Message-ID: <BF22CD6C.23312%michael@michaelbutler.com>

Cool
Peace and Love
Michael

> 
> Wonderful-so many good memories. Like the time the theater was partly empty in
> Oklahoma. That evening I was invited and attended an Indian gathering in their
> Long House. I invited them all to come to the show the next evening-that night
> our tribe met 20-35 indegionous ancestors. Of course, management freaked
> because I promised everyone of MY guests complimentary passes.
> "Why not!" was my reply to Mr. Grayson. "Half the theater was empty." Grayson
> looked at Light Brown as he nodded in the affirmative.
> Try doing HAIR for people that have gone through so much-made my hair on the
> back of my neck stand straight up. Both tribes met spiritually that night on
> stage and soared to the fifth demension.
> 
> Lyle K'ang, MBA/IM
> 
> 
> -- Michael Butler  wrote:
> http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,14932-1732511,00.html
> 
> _______________________________________________
> Mb-civic mailing list
> Mb-civic@islandlists.com
> http://www.islandlists.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/mb-civic
> 
> 

From lyve at netzero.com  Fri Aug 12 22:05:39 2005
From: lyve at netzero.com (Lyle K'ang)
Date: Fri Aug 12 22:10:35 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Begin stocking water and canned goods....
Message-ID: <20050812.220612.23005.380048@webmail29.nyc.untd.com>

Hi Folks,

FIRST OFF-VERSA AND I LOVE YOU ALL!! I APOLOGIZE FOR THESE PEOPLE AND WISH BUSH AND CHENEY COULD BE IMPEACHED---BUT, I ASK-

IS LIFE TO GO ON, AS WE KNOW IT?!!

Remember hearing about the United States Northern Command (NORTHCOM)...well read on-THIS IS IT!!!!!
LYLE


Four Star General Fired For Organizing Coup Against Neo-Cons?

Reporter suggests Brynes discovered plan to turn nuke exercise into staged terror attack

Paul Joseph Watson & Alex Jones | August 10 2005

The head of Fort Monroe's Training and Doctrine Command, four star general Kevin P. Byrnes, was fired Tuesday apparently for sexual misconduct according to official sources.

Other sources however have offered a different explanation for Byrnes' dismissal which ties in with the Bush administration's unpopular plan to attack Iran and the staged nuclear attack in the US which would provide the pretext to do so.

According to reporter Greg Szymanski, anonymous military sources said that Brynes was the leader of a faction that was preparing to instigate a coup against the neo-con hawks in an attempt to prevent further global conflict.

Indications are that, much like popular opinion amongst the general public, half the military oppose the neo-con's agenda and half support it.

Further revelations were imparted by journalist Leland Lehrman who appeared today on The Alex Jones Show.

Lehrman's army sources, including a former Captain in intelligence, became outraged when they learned that the official story behind 9/11 was impossible.

They told Lehrman that the imminent Northcom nuclear terror exercise based in Charleston, S.C, where a nuclear warhead is smuggled off a ship and detonated, was originally intended to 'go live' - as in the drill would be used as the cover for a real false flag staged attack.

This website has relentlessly discussed similar style drills which took place on the morning of 9/11 and on the morning of 7/7 in London.

"Speculation exists that he had potentially discovered the fact that it was gonna go live and that he was trying to put a stop to it or also speculation indicates that he may be part of a military coup designed to prevent the ridiculous idea of doing a nuclear war with Iran, " said Lehrman.

Lehrman said that other sources had told him all army leave had been cancelled from September 7th onwards, opening the possibility for war to be declared within that time frame.

Northcom officials also admitted to Lehrman that CNN had been using its situation room as a studio.

Earlier this week, Washington Post reported that the Pentagon has developed its first ever war plans for operations within the continental United States, in which terrorist attacks would be used as the justification for imposing martial law on cities, regions or the entire country.

American Conservative Magazine recently reported that Dick Cheney had given orders to immediately invade Iran after the next terror attack in the US, even if there was no evidence Iran was involved.

Government and media mouthpieces have been fearmongering for weeks about how a nuclear attack within the US is imminent.

Now would be the most opportune time for the Globalists to stage a major attack, as it would head off any potential indictments against the Bush administration for their involvement in illegally outing CIA agent Valerie Plame.

While rumors circulating about indictments having already taken place against Bush and Cheney should rightly be treated very carefully, the fact that there is an ongoing criminal investigation into the matter is something that's admitted and shouldn't be viewed as speculation.

Nuclear Terror Drill to Go Live? Let's Hope Not

Mother Media | August 10, 2005
by R. Leland Lehrman

August 10, 2005 12:56PM Santa Fe, New Mexico (Mother Media) - On June 29th, United States Northern Command (NORTHCOM) posted news of a nuclear terrorism drill on its website:: "Here’s the scenario…A seafaring vessel transporting a 10-kiloton nuclear warhead makes its way into a port off the coast of Charleston, S.C. Terrorists aboard the ship attempt to smuggle the warhead off the ship to detonate it." It went on to say that "Sudden Response 05 will take place this August on Fort Monroe and will be carried out as an internal command post exercise. The exercise is intended to train the JTF-CS staff to plan and execute Consequence Management operations in support of Federal Emergency Management Agency Region IV’s response to a nuclear detonation." As Alex Jones of infowars.com and others have pointed out, terror "drills" are now known to be the favorite "cover story" for New World Order terrorist operations, as evidenced by the eerily accurate terrorism drills happening on both
  9/11 and 7/7.

Recently, former CIA/DIA analyst Philip Giraldi has informed us that "Vice-President Cheney has tasked STRATCOM with "drawing up a contingency plan to be employed in response to another 9/11- type terrorist attack on the United States" and that "the plan includes a large-scale air assault on Iran employing both conventional and tactical nuclear weapons." Investigators and counter-intelligence specialists are concerned that this upcoming August nuclear terror scenario might go live to create the pretext for tactical nuclear war against Iran.

Mother Media contacted NORTHCOM Public Affairs this morning and learned that the Fort Monroe drill may begin tomorrow, 8/11. Mother Media hopes that mass awareness of New World Order methods could prevent the attacks, whether tomorrow, next week or next year.

In the course of the conversation with NORTHCOM Public Affairs, Mother Media also learned that CNN recently launched their military operations news special "Situation Room" from inside the NORTHCOM situation room in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Wolf Blitzer is the show's famously hawkish and pro-Israel host. Imagine that - a new CNN "Situation Room" military focus news program debuts in NORTHCOM headquarters days prior to a nuclear terror drill. They're not even bothering to pretend there's separation between the press and the government anymore. CNN here makes it obvious that they are now the New World Order's propaganda mouthpiece. At the war crimes trials, let's not forget it.

Adding to the drama, the four-star commander of the Army's Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) at the Fort Monroe base where the nuclear terror drill is to occur, Kevin P. Byrnes was just relieved of his command amidst allegations of sexual misconduct. Veteran investigator Greg Szymanski has uncovered another plausible motive: "Sources close to the military who remain anonymous said Byrnes was part of a U.S. military faction discontented with the Bush administration war policies in Iraq and the potential for a nuclear disaster in Iran.

In an effort to stop the Bush administration in its tracks, sources say Byrnes was about to lead a coup against the hawks in the military and executive branch determined to lead America into a global conflict, leading to devastating ramifications for the country, as well as financial and social chaos.

Rumors inside the military say that a growing faction of discontented high-ranking officers are attempting internally to try and stop the Bush administration’s imminent plans for war with Iran in an effort to avert global war.

Although the exact number of high-ranking military involved is undetermined, sources have disclosed it appears to be evenly split between pro Bush and anti Bush factions.

Even though speculation abounds about an attempted coup relating to the Byrnes firing, no one would question the strange rumblings of war against Iran and warnings of terrorist threats on the homeland that are beginning to circulate from administration officials and media talking heads almost on a daily basis.

Further, ominous reports are even coming from the Washington Post this week that the Pentagon has developed its first ever war plans for operations within the United States, plans justifying and making necessary preparations for martial law in case of a homeland terrorist attack."

If you look at NORTHCOM's website, you will find a discussion of the situations under which Posse Comitatus, the restriction against military policing in America, can legally be suspended. One of those conditions is an attack by a nuclear or other weapon of mass destruction. Another is "insurrection."

Diabolically standing over all of these scenarios is Global Cleanse 2000 or just Global 2000, a population control methodology developed by the New World Order which includes triggered natural disasters, wars and diseases designed to reduce the world population by two thirds. Rene Welch, who had access to the Global Cleanse 2000 database in the late eighties, recently appeared on Mother Media's radio program to discuss her findings.

In response to this author's article, Israel, Iran and a Nuclear False Flag Attack, reports have been flowing into Mother Media's office confirming and buttressing this story. One former Air Force member writes that all military leaves have been cancelled after September 7th and that Homeland Security is beefing up security at local Draft Board Offices. Writing as TeaParty2Come, this source paints an ominous picture:

"About 3 weeks ago I was surfing some of the sites I enjoy posting on, when someone posted in all caps that they had just heard from an officer friend in the military that all leaves had been cancelled for the month of September. Obviously aware of the false flags our government is famous for, this person sounded desperate, asking for help in confirming or denying this "rumor" from anyone who had connections in the military.

I happened to ask a co-worker friend of mine whose son in-law is in the Army (82nd) about checking out the "rumor". Well guess what, they've had to move up their leave to this coming week to come home because his unit has to be back by September 7th where upon all leaves are cancelled! They have seen a steady build up of heavy materials just sitting in storage facilities. He also commented that they were rushed through a training course on new weapons systems they just rolled out. He thought this very odd and a first.

This sent shivers all through me.

Not to push any panic buttons I spoke with a dear woman with whom I work whose son is in the Army in an artillery unit. She is a former Captain, her husband is a former Colonel and Vietnam vet and successful attorney here in our area who also happens to be dying from the effects of Agent Orange. Lo and behold their son was told all leaves are cancelled for September and in December they may get leave, but can travel no further than 17 kilometers from their base.

My niece is married to a young man in the Army stationed on the East Coast he is also 82nd, his leave has also been cancelled. Their first baby is due in December.

...I'm not prone to fits of paranoia but I have to tell you, I have begun stocking water and canned goods. I am ex Air Force, I was on three ring standby most of my enlistment and was in a constant training mode. I know how this works and it doesn't sound good.

The draft board offices are in place with staff waiting for the word to go. I read an article from a guy who works in one of those offices, he said Homeland Security came in there early last month and put up bullet proof glass on the windows and iron bars, they installed blast proof glass on the doors, and removed the mail drop box slots on the outside of the building. When he asked what was going on they identified themselves as Homeland Security and said don't worry about the rest and left.

It's coming no doubt about it. Sorry I can't be more positive, but this is what I have heard with my own ears from three independent military member sources in different parts of the country."

A source in New Mexico passed this on to Mother Media a couple weeks ago:

"A friend came by today. His relative is fairly high-level in regional counter-terrorism. My friend says his relative told him they are preparing for the strong possibility that there will be 7 U.S. cities attacked with small, backpack-held nuclear devices by 'al-Qaida types.' It sounds like the propaganda -- the cover stories for PNAC or whomever these bad guys are -- has begun."

The sheer number of warnings and events, subtle hints and overt threats is now too much to ignore. More background and warning signs, especially as regards Israel and Iran can be found in my article at physics911.net entitled Israel, Iran, Mossad and a Nuclear False Flag Attack. Americans should alert friends and family members and active citizens should inform their neighbors and local authorities. Mother Media has contacted FBI counterintelligence director David Szady, who is in charge of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee spying investigation, with some this information and plans to distribute it widely throughout the local, national and international media. 

An FBI investigation directed by Szady caught AIPAC using Pentagon analyst Larry Franklin to spy on America's Iran policy and more. Given that AIPAC is committed to war with Iran, we can imagine why they were interested in official American policy on Iran. 

It is still possible to stop this insanity, but it will require serious citizen initiative. Good Luck, Fellow Citizens, and God Bless You.

http://www.infowars.com/articles/terror/nuclear_terror.htm

Lyle K'ang, MBA/IM 


From swiggard at comcast.net  Sat Aug 13 05:29:28 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (William Swiggard)
Date: Sat Aug 13 05:34:38 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Airline Security Changes Planned - Washington Post
Message-ID: <42FDE7A8.1040002@comcast.net>

<>Airline Security Changes Planned
Threats Reassessed To Make Travel Easier for Public

By Sara Kehaulani Goo
Washington Post Staff Writer
Saturday, August 13, 2005; Page A01

The new head of the Transportation Security Administration has called 
for a broad review of the nation's air security system to update the 
agency's approach to threats and reduce checkpoint hassles for passengers.

Edmund S. "Kip" Hawley, an assistant secretary of homeland security, 
directed his staff to propose changes in how the agency screens 2 
million passengers a day. The staff's first set of recommendations, 
detailed in an Aug. 5 document, includes proposals to lift the ban on 
various carry-on items such as scissors, razor blades and knives less 
than five inches long. It also proposes that passengers no longer 
routinely be required to remove their shoes at security checkpoints.

Agency officials plan to meet this month to consider the proposals, 
which would require Hawley's approval to go into effect.

Since his confirmation in June, Hawley has told his staff that he would 
reevaluate security measures put in place since the terrorist attacks in 
2001 and ensure that they make sense, given today's threats. The TSA is 
struggling with new cuts in the screener workforce imposed by Congress 
while its new leaders hope to improve the agency's poor reputation among 
air travelers by introducing more customer-friendly measures. Homeland 
Security Secretary Michael Chertoff signaled the effort when he 
announced that the agency would eliminate a requirement that forced 
passengers to remain in their seats during the first and last 30 minutes 
of flights using Reagan National Airport.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/12/AR2005081201557.html?referrer=email

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From swiggard at comcast.net  Sat Aug 13 05:31:53 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (William Swiggard)
Date: Sat Aug 13 05:36:57 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Democrats Conflicted on Playing Rough - Washington Post
Message-ID: <42FDE839.4060000@comcast.net>

<>Democrats Conflicted on Playing Rough
Lack of Support for Roberts Ad Raises Question of Tactics

By Dana Milbank
Washington Post Staff Writer
Saturday, August 13, 2005; Page A04

The decision by the abortion rights group NARAL Pro-Choice America to 
pull an incendiary ad attacking President Bush's nominee to the Supreme 
Court has produced a fresh round of recriminations within the Democratic 
Party and a return to a nagging question: Has the opposition lost its nerve?

When conservatives complained about the ad -- which suggested that 
nominee John G. Roberts Jr. condoned violence against abortion clinics 
-- a number of prominent liberals joined in the criticism and elected 
Democrats ran for cover rather than defend the ad, which was dropped.

Amid similar criticism against another controversial ad, most 
Republicans brushed aside demands to repudiate Swift Boat Veterans for 
Truth, a group that had taken aim at John F. Kerry's war record. Some 
Democrats said the difference revealed on their side an ambivalence 
about modern political combat that helps explain why their party is out 
of power.

"Republicans don't mind running an ad that's entirely false, but 
Democrats have never learned, and I'm not sure many of them want to 
learn, how to play that kind of politics," said Robert Shrum, an adviser 
to several Democratic presidential campaigns. NARAL had to pull the ad, 
he said, because "they weren't getting support from any substantial 
quarter."

Democratic strategist Chris Lehane, who like Shrum favors hardball 
politics, protested that "we Democrats bring a well-thumbed copy of 
Marquess of Queensberry Rules while the other side unsheaths their 
bloody knives, with a predictable outcome." Lehane said the NARAL ad 
"was great, and exactly the type of offensive that breaks through in the 
modern age."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/12/AR2005081201596.html

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From swiggard at comcast.net  Sat Aug 13 05:33:42 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (William Swiggard)
Date: Sat Aug 13 05:38:43 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Cindy Sheehan's Pitched Battle - Washington Post
Message-ID: <42FDE8A6.6090409@comcast.net>

<>Cindy Sheehan's Pitched Battle
In a Tent Near Bush's Ranch, Antiwar Mother of Dead Soldier Gains 
Visibility

By Michael A. Fletcher
Washington Post Staff Writer
Saturday, August 13, 2005; Page A01

CRAWFORD, Tex., Aug. 12 -- Cindy Sheehan vaulted into national 
consciousness this month on the power of her story as the grieving 
mother of a fallen soldier.

But what began as a solitary campaign to force a meeting with President 
Bush by setting up camp along the road to his ranch has quickly taken on 
the full trappings of a political campaign. Sheehan is working with a 
political consultant and a team of public relations professionals, and 
now she is featured in a television ad.

Sheehan began her protest here last Saturday after crisscrossing the 
country for more than a year demanding answers on why Bush continues to 
wage what she calls an unjust war in Iraq. After her son Casey Sheehan, 
24, was killed in Baghdad last year, she founded Gold Star Families for 
Peace, an antiwar organization that labored largely in obscurity -- 
until now.

In part, Sheehan's case has echoed as her grievances merged with what 
polls show is growing dissatisfaction with the war. But her cause has 
also been aided by political organizers who swiftly mobilized around her 
-- recognizing an opportunity to cause acute discomfort for a 
vacationing president and put a powerful emotional frame around the 
antiwar movement.

No one watching cable television news this week, dominated by coverage 
of Sheehan's crusade, could doubt that they largely achieved their aim.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/12/AR2005081201816.html

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From swiggard at comcast.net  Sat Aug 13 05:36:51 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (William Swiggard)
Date: Sat Aug 13 05:41:53 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Keep Your Eyes On Egypt - Mona Eltahawy - Washington Post
Message-ID: <42FDE963.3080204@comcast.net>

Keep Your Eyes On Egypt

By Mona Eltahawy
Saturday, August 13, 2005; Page A21

My summer vacations in Cairo usually have been mock exercises in public 
diplomacy, with yours truly playing a reluctant Karen Hughes. I am not a 
Republican or even a U.S. citizen, but I'd find myself dodging 
conspiracy theories or lending a sympathetic ear to a cousin who proudly 
remembers memorizing the names of every U.S. state but who hates America 
so much now that she never wants to see those states herself.

But not this summer.

There were no arguments over the United States, Israel, Palestine, Iraq 
or any of the other "hot spots" that used to dominate every meal and 
spill over into tea, coffee and dessert. This time, all conversations 
were about a small but active opposition movement in Egypt that since 
December has focused on ending the dictatorship of President Hosni Mubarak.

I have never heard so many relatives and friends take such an interest 
in Egyptian politics or -- more important -- feel that they had a stake 
in them. This opposition movement holds almost weekly demonstrations. It 
draws Egyptians from across the political spectrum: leftists, liberals 
and Islamists. And, more worrisome for Mubarak, it has solid roots in 
the country's middle class: Journalists, lawyers, judges and university 
professors have all thrown their hats in.

It is brimming with Egyptian youths who have known no leader other than 
Mubarak but are all too familiar with the legacy of his 24-year 
dictatorship: corruption, unemployment and fear. There isn't much that 
Egyptians can do about corruption and unemployment; those who turn out 
for the demonstrations are fearless. Several times during my visit I 
heard "we have broken the barrier of fear" -- the sweetest words of my 
trip. The demonstrators risk beatings, arrest and intimidation of their 
families.

Protests are banned under emergency laws that have been in place since 
Mubarak took over in 1981 after Muslim militants assassinated Anwar 
Sadat. The Egyptian regime says the laws are essential to fight 
terrorism. The Sharm el-Sheikh bombings on July 23 showed the sad 
fallacy of thinking that laws alone can stop terrorism. And the vicious 
beatings of anti-Mubarak demonstrators on May 25 and July 30 showed how 
those emergency laws are too often used to quell anti-government activity.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/12/AR2005081201387.html?nav=hcmodule

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From swiggard at comcast.net  Sat Aug 13 05:40:59 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (William Swiggard)
Date: Sat Aug 13 05:46:02 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] No Fish Story - Editorial - Washington Post
Message-ID: <42FDEA5B.4010000@comcast.net>

No Fish Story

Saturday, August 13, 2005; Page A20

THE DIRE ECOLOGICAL condition of the world's oceans -- and the role that 
overfishing plays in their degradation -- has been the subject of 
numerous studies and blue-ribbon commissions. The message is clear: The 
oceans are far more fragile ecosystems than people have believed, and 
only dramatic changes in human interaction with them can prevent 
irreversible degradation. A recent study of big-fish diversity worldwide 
is the latest to reinforce this depressing conclusion.

<>The study, released recently by Science magazine, examined the 
diversity of big predator fish species caught by Japanese fishing boats 
over the past five decades. An international team of scientists led by 
biologists Boris Worm and Ransom A. Myers at Dalhousie University in 
Nova Scotia studied records of the Japanese catch on what are called 
long lines -- that is, fishing lines stretching many miles and baited 
with multiple hooks. They corroborated these records with other sources, 
and they show that certain areas of the oceans -- generally temperate 
regions -- form particular "hot spots" of marine life. Yet as industrial 
fishing ramped up in the second half of the 20th century, these hot 
spots became much cooler, barely hotter, in fact, than the rest of the 
oceans. As the total catch of tuna, billfish and other big predator fish 
exploded over the past few decades, the diversity of species caught in 
any given area -- that is, the number of species caught on a given 
number of hooks -- plummeted by as much as 50 percent. While climate and 
other factors play a role, the authors wrote that they "could not 
identify a factor other than fishing that may plausibly explain 
long-term, global-scale declines."

These results are particularly disturbing because they deal with the 
open ocean, not with coastal waters, where depletion of fish species was 
already well established. A decline of species diversity could make 
oceanic ecosystems more vulnerable to climate change and other 
environmental shifts.

The good news in the study is that a few hot spots remain -- though they 
are dramatically less vibrant than they were. One of these is off the 
southeastern coast of the United States. Another is south of Hawaii. 
These areas desperately need protection. More broadly, commercial 
fishing needs to be brought down to levels that will be, in the 
long-term, sustainable and will permit whatever recovery of species 
diversity is still possible.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/12/AR2005081201448.html?nav=hcmodule

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From swiggard at comcast.net  Sat Aug 13 05:46:07 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (William Swiggard)
Date: Sat Aug 13 05:51:11 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] 9/11 tapes reveal panic, heroism - The Boston Globe
Message-ID: <42FDEB8F.3020703@comcast.net>

<>9/11 tapes reveal panic, heroism
Oral histories also released

By Tatsha Robertson, Globe Staff  |  August 13, 2005

NEW YORK -- Under court order, the New York City Fire Department 
yesterday released hours of chilling radio communications with rescue 
workers on Sept. 11, 2001, along with thousands of pages of oral 
histories collected from emergency personnel who rushed to the fiery 
scene at the World Trade Center.

Firefighters described in 12,000 pages of oral history how some did not 
hear or disobeyed orders to evacuate, and how they rushed inside to save 
fleeing civilians before the towers collapsed into massive clouds of 
debris and dust.

''I was watching every person coming down, looked at their face, just to 
make them happy that they were getting out and we were going in, and 
everything was OK," said Kirk Long, a firefighter who went up the stairs 
of the north tower with his colleagues.

Firefighter Maureen McArdle-Schulman recalled in her account the 
horrible realization that some of the victims in the World Trade Center 
were jumping to their deaths.

''The jumpers started coming. We didn't know what it was at first, but 
then the first body hit and then we knew what it was. . . . I was 
getting sick. I felt like I was intruding on a sacrament," she said. 
''They were choosing to die, and I was watching them and shouldn't have 
been. So me and another guy turned away and looked at a wall and we 
could still hear them hit."

The 15 hours of radio transmissions revealed a patchwork of emotions 
from rescue workers, who at turns sounded frustrated, angry, confused, 
or calm during the earliest moments after the attacks.

The exchanges started at 8:46 a.m. with a calm message: ''The World 
Trade Center tower Number One is on fire!"

http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2005/08/13/911_tapes_reveal_panic_heroism/

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From harry.sifton at sympatico.ca  Sat Aug 13 06:20:21 2005
From: harry.sifton at sympatico.ca (harry.sifton@sympatico.ca)
Date: Sat Aug 13 06:25:36 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] canada.com Story
Message-ID: <5de50ab4481c4ace9d288510073781b4@sympatico.ca>

Dear mb-civic@islandlists.com,

Your friend harry.sifton@sympatico.ca thought you might be interested in this canada.com story:

"Bush sending VP to Alberta"

http://www.canada.com/calgary/calgaryherald/news/story.html?id=041ec50b-3316-43d7-af88-894d14b8c787

Cheney coming to Canada in the fall, has interest in Alberta oilsands. 



_______________________________________
This is a free service courtesy of 
canada.com (http://www.canada.com)


From harry.sifton at sympatico.ca  Sat Aug 13 06:30:50 2005
From: harry.sifton at sympatico.ca (Harold Sifton)
Date: Sat Aug 13 06:34:26 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Cannabis culture
Message-ID: <000801c5a00b$3ba39d70$1827e440@Harold>

The American neo-cons want Canadian Marc Emery extradited to the US and charged for selling marijuana seeds (BC bud) on/through the internet.

Here is one professors reasoning as to why a Canadian Justice is allowing it to possibly happen.

http://www.cannabisculture.com/forums/showthreaded.php?Cat=&Number=1128543&page=&view=&sb=5&o=

Later H
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From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Sat Aug 13 09:38:29 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (mblaxill@yahoo.com)
Date: Sat Aug 13 09:41:49 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] NYTimes.com: At the Pumps and on the Web,
	Drivers Check for Lowest Prices
Message-ID: <20050813163829.C65039FC64@lax-gw05.mroute.net>

This page was sent to you by: mblaxill@yahoo.com.

NATIONAL | August 13, 2005
At the Pumps and on the Web, Drivers Check for Lowest Prices
By KIRK JOHNSON
For millions of Americans, filling up the tank has become an eye-popping experience as prices reached levels not seen in decades.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/13/national/13gas.html?ex=1124596800&en=32a40d4391e35edf&ei=5070&emc=eta1



----------------- Advertisement --------------------------

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one Best Picture.  What did the original New York
Times movie reviews have to say about these Oscar
winning films?  
Go to the Best Pictures review archive:

http://ads.nyt.com/th.ad/nytnyt-textEmailThisdefault-Center1A/academyawards_text/?_RM_REDIR_=http://www.nytimes.com/ref/movies/oscars/bestpictures.html




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ABOUT THIS E-MAIL
This e-mail was sent to you by a friend through NYTimes.com's E-mail This Article service.  For general information about NYTimes.com, write to help@nytimes.com.

NYTimes.com 500 Seventh Avenue New York, NY 10018

Copyright 2005 The New York Times Company
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From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Sat Aug 13 09:39:51 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (mblaxill@yahoo.com)
Date: Sat Aug 13 09:43:10 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] NYTimes.com: A Nation in Blood and Ink
Message-ID: <20050813163951.556F5237232@lax-gw01.mroute.net>

This page was sent to you by: mblaxill@yahoo.com.

WEEK IN REVIEW | August 14, 2005
A Nation in Blood and Ink
By DEXTER FILKINS
In this third summer of war, the American project in Iraq has never seemed so wilted and sapped of life.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/14/weekinreview/14filkins.html?ex=1124596800&en=a3cffc365deda00a&ei=5070&emc=eta1



----------------- Advertisement --------------------------

The Academy loved these movies enough to name each
one Best Picture.  What did the original New York
Times movie reviews have to say about these Oscar
winning films?  
Go to the Best Pictures review archive:

http://ads.nyt.com/th.ad/nytnyt-textEmailThisdefault-Center1A/academyawards_text/?_RM_REDIR_=http://www.nytimes.com/ref/movies/oscars/bestpictures.html




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ABOUT THIS E-MAIL
This e-mail was sent to you by a friend through NYTimes.com's E-mail This Article service.  For general information about NYTimes.com, write to help@nytimes.com.

NYTimes.com 500 Seventh Avenue New York, NY 10018

Copyright 2005 The New York Times Company
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From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Sat Aug 13 09:44:17 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (mblaxill@yahoo.com)
Date: Sat Aug 13 09:47:33 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] NYTimes.com: General Disobeyed Orders to End Affair,
	Officials Say
Message-ID: <20050813164417.5F491A0FF4@lax-gw09.mroute.net>

This page was sent to you by: mblaxill@yahoo.com.

Maybe this dude should go on Democracy Now and start telling his story - when did you say that nuke drill was? time for a vacation????


WASHINGTON | August 13, 2005
General Disobeyed Orders to End Affair, Officials Say
By DAVID S. CLOUD
A four-star general relieved of his command for adultery was ordered last January to break off the affair, two senior Army officials said.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/13/politics/13general.html?ex=1124596800&en=174e8caa2844bbba&ei=5070&emc=eta1



----------------- Advertisement --------------------------

The Academy loved these movies enough to name each
one Best Picture.  What did the original New York
Times movie reviews have to say about these Oscar
winning films?  
Go to the Best Pictures review archive:

http://ads.nyt.com/th.ad/nytnyt-textEmailThisdefault-Center1A/academyawards_text/?_RM_REDIR_=http://www.nytimes.com/ref/movies/oscars/bestpictures.html




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0


----------------------------------------------------------

ABOUT THIS E-MAIL
This e-mail was sent to you by a friend through NYTimes.com's E-mail This Article service.  For general information about NYTimes.com, write to help@nytimes.com.

NYTimes.com 500 Seventh Avenue New York, NY 10018

Copyright 2005 The New York Times Company
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From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Sat Aug 13 09:46:37 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (mblaxill@yahoo.com)
Date: Sat Aug 13 09:49:53 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] NYTimes.com: U.S. Revokes Visas for 3 Top-Ranking
	Venezuelan Officers Suspected of Drug Trafficking
Message-ID: <20050813164637.B91E111F96A@lax-gw07.mroute.net>

This page was sent to you by: mblaxill@yahoo.com.

first Iran, then Venezuala, then Syria, then Somalia, then...


INTERNATIONAL / AMERICAS | August 13, 2005
U.S. Revokes Visas for 3 Top-Ranking Venezuelan Officers Suspected of Drug Trafficking
By JUAN FORERO
The action prompted President Hugo Chávez's government to promise to withdraw diplomatic immunity for U.S. narcotics agents in Venezuela.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/13/international/americas/13venez.html?ex=1124596800&en=45842a738616b427&ei=5070&emc=eta1



----------------- Advertisement --------------------------

The Academy loved these movies enough to name each
one Best Picture.  What did the original New York
Times movie reviews have to say about these Oscar
winning films?  
Go to the Best Pictures review archive:

http://ads.nyt.com/th.ad/nytnyt-textEmailThisdefault-Center1A/academyawards_text/?_RM_REDIR_=http://www.nytimes.com/ref/movies/oscars/bestpictures.html




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----------------------------------------------------------

ABOUT THIS E-MAIL
This e-mail was sent to you by a friend through NYTimes.com's E-mail This Article service.  For general information about NYTimes.com, write to help@nytimes.com.

NYTimes.com 500 Seventh Avenue New York, NY 10018

Copyright 2005 The New York Times Company
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From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Sat Aug 13 09:48:44 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (mblaxill@yahoo.com)
Date: Sat Aug 13 09:52:02 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] NYTimes.com: Exploring One Man's Fate in the Alaskan
	Wilderness
Message-ID: <20050813164844.CCDE0249E52@lax-gw08.mroute.net>

This page was sent to you by: mblaxill@yahoo.com.

MOVIES | August 12, 2005
Movie Review | 'Grizzly Man': Exploring One Man's Fate in the Alaskan Wilderness
By MANOHLA DARGIS
Werner Herzog's enthralling documentary tells the strange story of a Long Island native who went to Alaska to live among grizzly bears.
http://movies2.nytimes.com/2005/08/12/movies/12griz.html?ex=1124596800&en=48e8980e0a25133d&ei=5070&emc=eta1



----------------- Advertisement --------------------------

The Academy loved these movies enough to name each
one Best Picture.  What did the original New York
Times movie reviews have to say about these Oscar
winning films?  
Go to the Best Pictures review archive:

http://ads.nyt.com/th.ad/nytnyt-textEmailThisdefault-Center1A/academyawards_text/?_RM_REDIR_=http://www.nytimes.com/ref/movies/oscars/bestpictures.html




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ABOUT THIS E-MAIL
This e-mail was sent to you by a friend through NYTimes.com's E-mail This Article service.  For general information about NYTimes.com, write to help@nytimes.com.

NYTimes.com 500 Seventh Avenue New York, NY 10018

Copyright 2005 The New York Times Company
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From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Sat Aug 13 10:31:16 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (Mike Blaxill)
Date: Sat Aug 13 10:34:33 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Sunday, September 11, 2005: March for Truth in NYC
Message-ID: <20050813173116.19618.qmail@web53006.mail.yahoo.com>

Announcement from NY 9/11 Truth and the
L.E.S./WTC Truth Movement

On Sunday September 11, 2005 we will march from
the offices of the New York Times (near Times
Square), passing other major media headquarters
on the way to a rally and concert at the United
Nations. We will demand that the International
Criminal Court (ICC) open an immediate
investigation into the unsolved crimes of 9/11.

Please mark your calendars if you can make it to
NYC that weekend.

http://www.911truth.org/article.php?story=20050811235833758
From goodhairdays at yahoo.com  Sat Aug 13 10:10:01 2005
From: goodhairdays at yahoo.com (Jonathon Johnson)
Date: Sat Aug 13 10:55:13 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] [Mb-hair] Norman Lear: An American Mother Loses Her Son
In-Reply-To: <BF2229B7.23292%michael@michaelbutler.com>
Message-ID: <200508131755.j7DHtBZu015930@dune.islandtechnologies.net>

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Mb-hair@islandlists.com
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From olhippie at tampabay.rr.com  Sat Aug 13 12:31:13 2005
From: olhippie at tampabay.rr.com (Robin McNamara)
Date: Sat Aug 13 12:34:32 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] "Force In Iran"
Message-ID: <000601c5a03d$9102b490$8a03ca44@CowBox>

Bush speaks



http://reuters.myway.com/article/20050813/2005-08-13T092731Z_01_SPI329552_RTRIDST_0_NEWS-IRAN-BUSH-DC.html



Peace
Robin


http://lpintop.tripod.com/robinmcnamara
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From hecate at diamonddragon.com  Sat Aug 13 12:37:20 2005
From: hecate at diamonddragon.com (Hecate)
Date: Sat Aug 13 12:40:38 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] BBC E-mail: Germany attacks US on Iran threat
Message-ID: <20050813_193720_091286.hecate@diamonddragon.com>

Hecate saw this story on BBC News Online and thought you
should see it.

** Message **
Mr Schroeder directly challenged Mr Bush's comment that "all options are on the table" over the Iran crisis. 

"Let's take the military option off the table. We have seen it doesn't work," Mr Schroeder told Social Democrats at the rally in Hanover, to rapturous applause from the crowd. 



** Germany attacks US on Iran threat **
Germany's chancellor warns the US to withdraw the threat of force against Iran over its nuclear programme.
< http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/fr/-/2/hi/middle_east/4149090.stm >


** BBC Daily E-mail **
Choose the news and sport headlines you want - when you want them, all
in one daily e-mail
< http://www.bbc.co.uk/dailyemail/ >


** Disclaimer **
The BBC is not responsible for the content of this e-mail, and anything written in this e-mail does not necessarily reflect the BBC's views or opinions. Please note that neither the e-mail address nor name of the sender have?been verified.

If you do not wish to receive such e-mails in the future or want to know more about the BBC's Email a Friend service, please read our frequently asked questions. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/help/4162471.stm

From hecate at diamonddragon.com  Sat Aug 13 12:39:24 2005
From: hecate at diamonddragon.com (Hecate)
Date: Sat Aug 13 12:42:39 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] BBC E-mail: Mummy smugglers jailed for life
Message-ID: <20050813_193924_063827.hecate@diamonddragon.com>

Hecate saw this story on BBC News Online and thought you
should see it.

** Message **
Officials estimated the smuggling gang exported some 57,000 pieces worth about $55m (?30m), including human and animal mummies, coins, statues and wooden sarcophagi. 



** Mummy smugglers jailed for life **
Three men get life imprisonment over a scam to smuggle artefacts worth more than $50m out of Egypt.
< http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/fr/-/2/hi/middle_east/4149204.stm >


** BBC Daily E-mail **
Choose the news and sport headlines you want - when you want them, all
in one daily e-mail
< http://www.bbc.co.uk/dailyemail/ >


** Disclaimer **
The BBC is not responsible for the content of this e-mail, and anything written in this e-mail does not necessarily reflect the BBC's views or opinions. Please note that neither the e-mail address nor name of the sender have?been verified.

If you do not wish to receive such e-mails in the future or want to know more about the BBC's Email a Friend service, please read our frequently asked questions. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/help/4162471.stm

From hecate at diamonddragon.com  Sat Aug 13 12:41:07 2005
From: hecate at diamonddragon.com (Hecate)
Date: Sat Aug 13 12:44:23 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] BBC E-mail: Scientists aim for lab-grown meat
Message-ID: <20050813_194107_047082.hecate@diamonddragon.com>

Hecate saw this story on BBC News Online and thought you
should see it.

** Message **
"With a single cell, you could theoretically produce the world's annual meat supply. And you could do it in a way that's better for the environment and human health. 

** Scientists aim for lab-grown meat **
New techniques could lead to the mass production of meat in the laboratory, researchers say.
< http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/fr/-/2/hi/science/nature/4148164.stm >


** BBC Daily E-mail **
Choose the news and sport headlines you want - when you want them, all
in one daily e-mail
< http://www.bbc.co.uk/dailyemail/ >


** Disclaimer **
The BBC is not responsible for the content of this e-mail, and anything written in this e-mail does not necessarily reflect the BBC's views or opinions. Please note that neither the e-mail address nor name of the sender have?been verified.

If you do not wish to receive such e-mails in the future or want to know more about the BBC's Email a Friend service, please read our frequently asked questions. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/help/4162471.stm

From ean at sbcglobal.net  Sat Aug 13 14:46:30 2005
From: ean at sbcglobal.net (ean@sbcglobal.net)
Date: Sat Aug 13 15:14:52 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] enviroheadlines this week
Message-ID: <200508132214.j7DMEnjn016428@dune.islandtechnologies.net>

NUKONOMICS 101
Efficiency much cheaper than nuke power as way to curb carbon emissions

The market economics of nuclear power don't add up to a climate-change
solution, particularly when compared to simple, proven energy-efficiency
techniques, argues Mark Hertsgaard in the San Francisco Chronicle. But you
wouldn't know it from listening to the current public debate. "Collapse"
author Jared Diamond is the latest prominent eco-advocate to join the
fission pushers in promoting nuclear power for its alleged ability to curb
carbon emissions. But when you factor in the $2 billion-plus cost of
building each plant, nuclear electricity turns out to be a lot more
expensive than juice from fossil fuels, wind, or simple conservation.
Studies from the Rocky Mountain Institute suggest that investing those
billions in easy, cheap, available conservation methods would be seven
times more economically effective at curbing carbon emissions. Sadly for
taxpayers and the warming planet (but happily for the nuclear industry),
the energy bill that President Bush is signing today devotes billions in
subsidies, tax breaks, and loan guarantees to the nuclear-power industry. 

straight to the source: San Francisco Chronicle, Mark Hertsgaard, 07 Aug
2005 <http://grist.org/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=5524>


WE HEAR HELSINKI IS BEAUTIFUL THIS TIME OF YEAR
The desertification of southern Europe may be under way

With 2003's deadly European heat wave still lingering in memory, this
summer's spiking temperatures, rampant forest fires, and record droughts
along the Mediterranean are increasingly being seen not as freaky
aberrations, but signs of global warming. Dozens of fires have burned from
Greece to Portugal. Some Spanish water reservoirs are 80 percent below
capacity, and provincial governments are sparring over alleged water theft
and illegal wells. The whole of Portugal is gripped by a major drought. In
France, this year's extreme aridity spawned an invasion of rapacious
locusts in the southern Aveyron region. The European Space Agency's Desert
Watch project estimates that about 116,000 square miles of Europe's
historically verdant Mediterranean coast, home to 16.5 million people, is
threatened by desertification -- becoming so hot and dry that it could be
useless for agriculture and, needless to say, less appealing to tourists.
Says a U.N. sustainable development expert, "Everything is linked to the
changing climate." 

straight to the source: Newsweek, Eric Pape, 08 Aug 2005
<http://grist.org/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=5497>

HUSTLE AND FLOW
Montana and mining companies to fund massive river cleanup, restoration

An historic financial settlement between the state of Montana and two
mining firms has opened the door to a project of ecological scope
virtually unprecedented in the U.S.: the removal of Montana's Milltown
dam, located at the confluence of the Clark Fork and Blackfoot rivers, and
the restoration of those rivers to their natural, free-flowing states. The
$100 million deal resulted from three years of closed-door negotiations;
the consent decree will now be available for public comment. Work could
begin this fall and be completed by late 2009. Tons of contaminated mud, a
toxic legacy of the region's mining industry, will need to be dredged from
behind the dam, which is located in the center of one of the nation's
largest Superfund sites. Pressure from the public was key to getting all
the parties to negotiate and create a big-picture solution, said local
rivers advocate Tracy Stone-Manning. 

straight to the source: The Missoulian, Perry Backus, 03 Aug 2005
<http://grist.org/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=5498>

straight to the source: The Mercury News, Associated Press, Susan
Gallagher, 03 Aug 2005
<http://grist.org/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=5500>


 ORGANIC WINS IN THE LONG TERM 

A 22-year comparison of organic and conventional farming has 
concluded that "organic farming produces the same yields of corn 
and soybeans as does conventional farming, but uses 30 percent 
less energy, less water and no pesticides." David Pimentel of 
Cornell University reviewed the results of the Rodale Institute 
Farming Systems Trial, the longest running comparison of organic 
vs.  conventional farming in the United States.  In the early years of the
trial, organic corn yields were about one-third lower than conventional
yields, but this effect disappeared over time, because "wind and water
erosion degraded the soil on the conventional farm while the soil on the
organic farms steadily improved in organic matter, moisture, microbial
activity and other soil quality indicators." The results of the study are
published in the July issue of the journal Bioscience.

For more information, see: 
http://www.organicconsumers.org/organic/norm071805.cfm 


DON'T IT MAKE MY BLUE EARTH BROWN
Astronauts see widespread ecological destruction from space

Environmental damage on Earth is clearly visible from space, reports the
crew of the shuttle Discovery. Chatting from an orbit of 220 miles up with
Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and other Japanese officials, Commander
Eileen Collins said on Thursday that the astronauts could see widespread
erosion and deforestation below. She described the Earth's atmosphere as
"an eggshell on an egg, it's so very thin," and suggested folks could
maybe get a little more serious about saving the planet. "We would like to
see, from the astronauts' point of view, people take good care of the
Earth and replace the resources that have been used," she said. Koizumi,
said to be distracted by a fierce political battle over privatizing
Japan's postal system, asked Japanese astronaut Soichi Noguchi about ...
space noodles. Specifically, noodles prepared in a jellified soup
especially for slurping in zero gravity. Reports indicate that the
astro-pasta was delicious -- even if the view left a disturbing
aftertaste.

straight to the source: Reuters, Jeff Franks, 04 Aug 2005
<http://grist.org/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=5517>

straight to the source: Reuters, 04 Aug 2005
<http://grist.org/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=5518>

NEIN LIVES
Germany says auf Wiedersehen to nuclear power, guten Tag to renewables

When fans of nuclear energy in the U.S. get all het up about the promise
of atomics, they tend to point to Europe. "Hey," they say, "look how well
it works over there!" But across the sea, Germany has decided it's time to
shut its entire nuclear-power industry down. As nuke plants begin going
off-line, the government is spurring a massive effort to boost renewable
energy and efficientize the whole darn country. Will it work? Michael
Levitin investigates.

new in Main Dish: Nein Lives
<http://grist.org/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=5571>

DOUBTER DARKNESS
Another climate-skeptic argument bites the dust

Another argument treasured by climate-change skeptics may be headed the
way of the dinosaurs. For years, doubters have made much of the fact that
the troposphere (the lower part of the earth's atmosphere) didn't seem to
be warming as fast as the earth's surface, as climate models had predicted
it would. But three new studies in the journal Science -- on
weather-satellite data, weather-balloon data, and climate models --
together call into question the calculations by which past temperature
measurements of the troposphere were produced, and show that accurate
calculations reveal a warming trend. Of particular chagrin to the naysayer
community is the new study debunking work on satellite data done by John
Christy and Roy Spencer, which has a venerable place in the dwindling
skeptical arsenal; Christy and Spencer now acknowledge their errors.
Perhaps it's time for skeptics to start advocating for "Intelligent
Warming Theory" to be taught side-by-side with global warming in science
classrooms.

straight to the source: The New York Times, Andrew C. Revkin, 12 Aug 2005
<http://grist.org/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=5569>

straight to the source: Nature.com, Jenny Hogan, 11 Aug 2005
<http://grist.org/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=5570>

BALKED ALASKA
House GOPers oppose legislative maneuver to open Arctic Refuge

Two dozen House Republicans have publicly criticized the GOP leadership's
plan to open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to drilling by attaching
language to a filibuster-proof budget measure. In a letter to Speaker
Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) and other House leaders, the rebel GOPers --
including three committee chairs -- wrote that the budget process "is an
inappropriate venue to be debating this important environmental issue."
While the House has repeatedly approved plans to drill in the Arctic
Refuge in recent years, the threat of a filibuster in the Senate has
always stymied such efforts. Drilling proponents believe that attaching
refuge-drilling language to budget-reconciliation legislation that can't
be filibustered would give them their best chance yet. That move, expected
in mid-September, is generating feverish activity among drilling
opponents. "We're organizing like we have never before," said Athan
Emanuel of the U.S. Public Interest Research Group. 

straight to the source: CNN.com, Associated Press, 10 Aug 2005
<http://grist.org/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=5564>

straight to the source: CNN.com, Associated Press, 08 Aug 2005
<http://grist.org/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=5565> 


PRIUS-TORIC
Team achieves 110 mpg in Toyota Prius

If you thought fuel efficiency was cool, wait 'til you meet ... Xtreme
fuel efficiency! Rawk! Ahem. A team of five oddly obsessive middle-aged
American men, seeking to break the unofficial mileage record set in Japan,
recently drove a factory Toyota Prius 1,397 miles on one tank of gas,
spending two days circling around one 15-mile stretch of highway near
Pittsburgh, Penn. By the end they were tired and sweaty but exultant at
achieving a mind-boggling 110 miles per gallon. The key was expert
application of the "pulse and glide" hybrid-driving technique -- "like
playing a video game," said Dave Bassage, the group's avowed tree-hugger.
Hey, it's not the size of the car -- it's how far you can drive it.

straight to the source: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Jacqueline Shoyeb and
Moustafa Ayad, 08 Aug 2005
<http://grist.org/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=5538>


-- 
You are currently on Mha Atma's Earth Action Network email list, 
option D (up to 3 emails/day).  To be removed, or to switch options 
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   ---   George Orwell


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From ean at sbcglobal.net  Sat Aug 13 14:49:34 2005
From: ean at sbcglobal.net (ean@sbcglobal.net)
Date: Sat Aug 13 15:16:17 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Howard Zinn: Occupied Territories: Iraq, America
Message-ID: <200508132216.j7DMGCWK016439@dune.islandtechnologies.net>

http://www.commondreams.org/views05/0812-27.htm

Published on Friday, August 12, 2005 by the Guardian / UK
Occupied Territories: Iraq, America
My country is in the grip of a president surrounded by thugs in suits
By Howard Zinn
 
It has quickly become clear that Iraq is not a liberated country, but an 
occupied country. We became familiar with that term during the 
second world war. We talked of German-occupied France, German-
occupied Europe. And after the war we spoke of Soviet-occupied 
Hungary, Czechoslovakia, eastern Europe. It was the Nazis, the 
Soviets, who occupied countries. The United States liberated them 
from occupation.

Now we are the occupiers. True, we liberated Iraq from Saddam 
Hussein, but not from us. Just as in 1898 we liberated Cuba from 
Spain, but not from us. Spanish tyranny was overthrown, but the US 
established a military base in Cuba, as we are doing in Iraq. US 
corporations moved into Cuba, just as Bechtel and Halliburton and the 
oil corporations are moving into Iraq. The US framed and imposed, 
with support from local accomplices, the constitution that would govern 
Cuba, just as it has drawn up, with help from local political groups, a 
constitution for Iraq. Not a liberation. An occupation.

And it is an ugly occupation. On August 7 2003 the New York Times 
reported that General Sanchez in Baghdad was worried about the Iraqi 
reaction to occupation. Pro-US Iraqi leaders were giving him a 
message, as he put it: "When you take a father in front of his family 
and put a bag over his head and put him on the ground, you have had 
a significant adverse effect on his dignity and respect in the eyes of his 
family." (That's very perceptive.)

We know that fighting during the US offensive in November 2004 
destroyed three-quarters of the town of Falluja (population 360,000), 
killing hundreds of its inhabitants. The objective of the operation was to 
cleanse the town of the terrorist bands acting as part of a "Ba'athist 
conspiracy".

But we should recall that on June 16 2003, barely six weeks after 
President Bush had claimed victory in Iraq, two reporters for the Knight 
Ridder newspaper group wrote this about the Falluja area: "In dozens 
of interviews during the past five days, most residents across the area 
said there was no Ba'athist or Sunni conspiracy against US soldiers, 
there were only people ready to fight because their relatives had been 
hurt or killed, or they themselves had been humiliated by home 
searches and road stops ... One woman said, after her husband was 
taken from their home because of empty wooden crates which they 
had bought for firewood, that the US is guilty of terrorism."

Soldiers who are set down in a country where they were told they 
would be welcomed as liberators and find they are surrounded by a 
hostile population become fearful and trigger-happy. On March 4 
nervous, frightened GIs manning a roadblock fired on the Italian 
journalist Giuliana Sgrena, just released by kidnappers, and an 
intelligence service officer, Nicola Calipari, whom they killed.

We have all read reports of US soldiers angry at being kept in Iraq. 
Such sentiments are becoming known to the US public, as are the 
feelings of many deserters who are refusing to return to Iraq after 
home leave. In May 2003 a Gallup poll reported that only 13% of the 
US public thought the war was going badly. According to a poll 
published by the New York Times and CBS News on June 17, 51% 
now think the US should not have invaded Iraq or become involved in 
the war. Some 59% disapprove of Bush's handling of the situation.

But more ominous, perhaps, than the occupation of Iraq is the 
occupation of the US. I wake up in the morning, read the newspaper, 
and feel that we are an occupied country, that some alien group has 
taken over. I wake up thinking: the US is in the grip of a president 
surrounded by thugs in suits who care nothing about human life abroad 
or here, who care nothing about freedom abroad or here, who care 
nothing about what happens to the earth, the water or the air, or what 
kind of world will be inherited by our children and grandchildren.

More Americans are beginning to feel, like the soldiers in Iraq, that 
something is terribly wrong. More and more every day the lies are 
being exposed. And then there is the largest lie, that everything the US 
does is to be pardoned because we are engaged in a "war on 
terrorism", ignoring the fact that war is itself terrorism, that barging into 
homes and taking away people and subjecting them to torture is 
terrorism, that invading and bombing other countries does not give us 
more security but less.

The Bush administration, unable to capture the perpetrators of the 
September 11 attacks, invaded Afghanistan, killing thousands of 
people and driving hundreds of thousands from their homes. Yet it still 
does not know where the criminals are. Not knowing what weapons 
Saddam Hussein was hiding, it invaded and bombed Iraq in March 
2003, disregarding the UN, killing thousands of civilians and soldiers 
and terrorising the population; and not knowing who was and was not a 
terrorist, the US government confined hundreds of people in 
Guant?namo under such conditions that 18 have tried to commit 
suicide.

The Amnesty International Report 2005 notes: "Guant?namo Bay has 
become the gulag of our times ... When the most powerful country in 
the world thumbs its nose at the rule of law and human rights, it grants 
a licence to others to commit abuse with impunity".

The "war on terrorism" is not only a war on innocent people in other 
countries; it is a war on the people of the US: on our liberties, on our 
standard of living. The country's wealth is being stolen from the people 
and handed over to the super-rich. The lives of the young are being 
stolen.

The Iraq war will undoubtedly claim many more victims, not only 
abroad but also on US territory. The Bush administration maintains 
that, unlike the Vietnam war, this conflict is not causing many 
casualties. True enough, fewer than 2,000 service men and women 
have lost their lives in the fighting. But when the war finally ends, the 
number of its indirect victims, through disease or mental disorders, will 
increase steadily. After the Vietnam war, veterans reported congenital 
malformations in their children, caused by Agent Orange.

Officially there were only a few hundred losses in the Gulf war of 1991, 
but the US Gulf War Veterans Association has reported 8,000 deaths 
in the past 10 years. Some 200,000 veterans, out of 600,000 who took 
part, have registered a range of complaints due to the weapons and 
munitions used in combat. We have yet to see the long-term effects of 
depleted uranium on those currently stationed in Iraq.

Our faith is that human beings only support violence and terror when 
they have been lied to. And when they learn the truth, as happened in 
the course of the Vietnam war, they will turn against the government. 
We have the support of the rest of the world. The US cannot 
indefinitely ignore the 10 million people who protested around the world 
on February 15 2003.

There is no act too small, no act too bold. The history of social change 
is the history of millions of actions, small and large, coming together at 
points in history and creating a power that governments cannot 
suppress.

Howard Zinn is professor emeritus of political science at Boston 
University; his books include A People's History of the United States.

Guardian Unlimited ? 2005 Guardian Newspapers Ltd. UK

###

-- 
You are currently on Mha Atma's Earth Action Network email list, 
option D (up to 3 emails/day).  To be removed, or to switch options 
(option A - 1x/week, option B - 3/wk, option C - up to 1x/day, option D - 
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   ---   George Orwell


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From harry.sifton at sympatico.ca  Sat Aug 13 15:25:35 2005
From: harry.sifton at sympatico.ca (Harold Sifton)
Date: Sat Aug 13 15:28:58 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Tinkers modify hybrid cars
Message-ID: <000c01c5a055$eff14d00$633fe440@Harold>

Tinkers modify hybrid cars, great story.

http://www.recorder.ca/cp/World/050813/w081337A.html

H
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From arianna at huffingtonpost.com  Sat Aug 13 15:27:13 2005
From: arianna at huffingtonpost.com (Arianna Huffington)
Date: Sat Aug 13 15:44:59 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Cindy, Rummy, and Judy: the Latest
Message-ID: <200508132244.j7DMivA6016523@dune.islandtechnologies.net>

This week, the Huffington Post devoted itself to covering Cindy Sheehan and her standoff with the president. I'm sending you one of my posts on Cindy, as well my latest on Judy Miller, and the unprecedented -- and surrealistic -- firing of a four-star general. Keep checking huffingtonpost.com for updates on these developing stories.

--

Cindy Sheehan Steps Into the Leadership Void
Posted August 11, 2005 at 5:00 p.m. EDT

During my many years as a writer, I've interviewed hundreds of people. But talking with Cindy Sheehan this morning was unlike any conversation I've ever had. Even though we were talking via cell phone -- and had a crummy, staticky connection at that -- her authenticity and passion reached through the receiver and both touched my heart and punched me in the gut.

She spoke with a combination of utter determination, unassailable integrity, fearlessness, and the peace of someone who knows that their cause is just. Her commitment was palpable -- and infectious. It reminded me an old quote about the great Greek orators: "When Pericles spoke, the people said, 'How well he speaks.' But when Demosthenes spoke, they said, 'Let us march!'"

That's the feeling I got from this former Catholic youth minister. She of the floppy hat and the six foot frame (though she's standing even taller than that these days). A woman driven by faith and conviction who used to think that one person couldn't make a difference and is learning otherwise. Her humanity stands in stark contrast to the inhumanity of those who refuse to admit their mistakes and continue to send our young men and women to die in Iraq.

She may not be the kind of media figure the cable news channels would order up from newsmaker central, a la Natalee Holloway. But she is the kind of unexpected leader I've been writing about for years. One who springs not from the corridors of power, but from among the people. One who may come from Vacaville, California, but who makes nonsense of red state/blue state distinctions.

The time has passed when we can stand around waiting for a knight on a white horse to ride to our rescue. We've got to look to ourselves -- to the leader in the mirror. Our elected officials have woefully failed to provide the leadership needed on this most vital issue of our time. And stepping into that void is Cindy Sheehan. Inspiring us. Touching our conscience. Calling forth our courage and our commitment. Focusing our outrage. And acting as a catalyst for the tens of millions of Americans who know that the war in Iraq is a disgrace.

Who knows, her example might even be just the thing to give Hillary and Harry and the rest of the Democratic leaders the spine transplant they so desperately need. But don't hold your breath. Instead, use it to show your support for Cindy Sheehan -- and for our troops.

<http://www.huffingtonpost.com/theblog/archive/arianna-huffington/cindy-sheehan-steps-into-_5480.html>

--

At Rummy's Bizarro Pentagon, Torture is Rewarded While Sex is a Firing Offense
Posted August 10, 2005 at 8:22 p.m. EDT

Here's all the proof you need that the lunatics have taken over the Pentagon and DoD asylums (that is, if the lunacy of their Iraq policies hadn't already convinced you):

Four-star General Kevin Byrnes, the third most senior of the Army's 11 four-star generals, was sacked over allegations that he had an extramarital affair. Meanwhile, Lt. General Ricardo Sanchez, the senior commander in Iraq during the Abu Ghraib torture and abuse scandal, is being considered for promotion to, yep, four-star general.

Talk about your utterly perverted priorities.

Now, it long ago became clear that the Bushies inhabit a bizarro, topsy-turvy universe -- a place where being utterly wrong about slam-dunk WMD earns you a Medal of Freedom, dismissing a "Bin Ladin Determined to Strike in U.S." memo earns you a promotion to Secretary of State, signing off on torture makes you AG material, another 123 American soldiers being blown up is the mark of an enemy in its "last throes," and outing an undercover CIA agent (and then lying about it) merits a vote of confidence instead of a pink slip.

Nevertheless, the Byrnes firing is still stunning. Consider: in modern times, no four-star general has ever been relieved of duty for disciplinary reasons; prior to this incident Byrne had a spotless military record; he has been separated from his wife since May 2004; the allegations do not involve anyone under his command or connected to the DoD; and he was already set to retire in November.

Something doesn't add up. Would the Army really can a four-star General with 36 years of service, three months shy of his retirement, because he screwed someone other than his wife... in the middle of a war? We are at war, right? No wonder speculation is mounting that there has to be more -- much more -- to this story than is being told.

Was the affair with a man? Was the man underage? Did he not only ask, but also tell? Was, say, one of the Bush twins involved? Did the illicit liaison entail incredibly kinky behavior... something involving a dog leash, women's panties, fake blood, a Koran, and a Lynndie England mask?

Or was Gen. Byrnes busted for engaging in straight, vanilla, missionary, once-a-week-with-the-lights-off boffing with the slightly overweight neighbor lady down the street?

Is this what it takes for Rummy and company to continue seeing themselves as paragons of virtue who will do whatever is necessary to hold people accountable for their private conduct...while turning a blind eye to the wanton assault on decency and morality that has marked our handling of Abu Ghraib, Guantanamo Bay, and Bagram?

In other words, it's the s-e-x, stupid! The GOP base will eat it up. A little unnerved that Roberts gave a freebie to the gays? Don't sweat it. The Bush administration demonstrates it will not stand for a leader who breaks his vows (other than vows to fire anyone involved in the Plame leak, that is).

My only question is: was Rummy given photos of Gen. Byrnes en flagrante delicto? Must have been. If you'll recall, Rumsfeld told Congress that it took him months to look into the reports of abuse at Abu Ghraib because, even though he'd been alerted that U.S. soldiers were humiliating and torturing naked Iraqi prisoners, "It is the photographs that give one the vivid realization of what actually took place. Words don't do it."

Of course, once Rummy and the White House did see the photos from Abu Ghraib, they didn't leap into action, they leapt into damage control -- treating the worst American military scandal since My Lai not as an international land mine that could flatten our country's moral high ground but as a PR problem that could be spun, manipulated, stonewalled and, ultimately, swept under the rug.

And they were right. At least as far as the American electorate was concerned. The feelings of the Arab world are a whole other matter.

Here is the vile and pathetic scorecard from the Abu Ghraib/Guantanamo outrages: Only one high ranking officer involved has been demoted (Gen. Janis Karpinski, the former head officer at the prison). One! Indeed, many of the others involved have been promoted, including two senior officers who oversaw or advised on detention and interrogations operations in Iraq -- former deputy commander Maj. Gen. Walter Wodjakowski and Col. Marc Warren, formerly the U.S.'s top military lawyer in Baghdad. And the former top intelligence officer in Iraq, Maj. Gen. Barbara Fast, was also given a promotion. Meanwhile Maj. General Geoffrey Miller, who had a hand in both Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo, and who new evidence strongly suggests instigated some of the worst interrogation tactics, has yet to be held accountable... The same, of course, goes for Rumsfeld.

The message is clear: overseeing a system that led to prisoners being buggered with chemical lights and having electrodes attached to their genitals will get you a leg up in Bush's military; giving the high, hard one to someone other than your wife will get you booted out the door.

Gee, it looks like David Brooks is right -- we really have become a more virtuous country.

<http://www.huffingtonpost.com/theblog/archive/arianna-huffington/at-rummys-bizarro-pentag_5427.html>

--

The Expanding Judy File
Posted August 7, 2005 at 10:15 a.m. EDT

The Judy File expands. A well-connected media source e-mailed to say that the most interesting development on the Miller story is coming from inside the Times: "I gather that Doug Jehl, who is a dogged and respected reporter, has been assigned to do an in-house investigative report for the Times and that he is already cutting pretty close to the bone. Several editors he has spoken to are now asking themselves why there wasn't more questioning of whether Miller's silence reflects a fear of incriminating herself rather than betraying a source. I predict this will start to unravel in the next couple of weeks -- if only because the Times is afraid of getting scooped again by outside rivals." A different source within the Times confirmed that Jehl is indeed on the story, having been given the assignment not from New York but from the paper's Washington bureau. And the Plamegate story he filed last week shows that he isn't afraid to step on the toes of his bosses. Stay tuned.

Speaking of the Times' Washington bureau, according to another source within the Times, the DC office has put in a dedicated phone line specifically for the purpose of receiving Judy's collect calls from prison -- which are then forwarded to whoever it is she wants to talk to. It's been dubbed "the Judy Line." No word on whether the number is 1-800-4-MARTYR.

One of the more intriguing tips directed me to Miller's lawyers' motion seeking home detention -- and to Fitzgerald's response. The question was whether Miller might have opened the door to more trouble with Fitzgerald by invoking the ill health of her 76-year-old husband, Jason Epstein, when trying to convince Judge Hogan to let her serve her time at home. The fact that after Judy was sent to jail Epstein headed off on a Mediterranean cruise led my e-mailer to suggest: "When Fitzgerald and Hogan find out about the cruise, Miller could get hit with a separate contempt charge for misleading the court -- judges and prosecutors do not take that kind of thing lightly." It's hard to say whether Miller was misleading the court since the parts of her motion relating to her husband's health have been marked "confidential" and filed under seal. However, the non-confidential part says: "Also relevant to consider is the health of Ms. Miller's 76-year-old husband." Why would it be relevant if it wasn't being used to stop the judge from sending Judy to jail? And glean what you will from Fitzgerald's acid response: "We do not dispute the accuracy of the sealed filings concerning Miller's health conditions, nor those concerning her husband. Suffice it to say, however, that...one who can handle the desert in wartime is far better equipped than the average person jailed in a federal facility.... Miller could avoid even a minute of separation from her husband if she would do no more than just follow the law like every other citizen in America is required to do."

During a conversation with Gore Vidal we talked about the fact that we had both heard from different people that Judy was planning to start writing a book about her experiences in the Plame case while in jail. "De Profundis it's not going to be," Vidal said, referring to Oscar Wilde's jailhouse classic. "More like De Shallow-undis."

Gore also made the point that Miller had continued to carry water for her neocon chums right up until her incarceration. The last articles she wrote before going to jail -- about Kofi Annan and that neocon bugaboo, the UN -- stand as an example of sloppy and slanted journalism that required two Times corrections, one of them an entire article.

Then there is the e-mail I received from a Judy File-ophile regarding "the truly burning question" about Miller. It too involved her husband and his Mediterranean vacation. "Here's what I want to know," my e-mailer wrote: "Who is taking care of the cockapoodle that Judy gave Jason so that he would have company when she went to jail?"

Fear not: we'll leave no stone -- or kennel receipt -- unturned to bring you the answer.

<http://www.huffingtonpost.com/theblog/archive/arianna-huffington/the-expanding-judy-file_5248.html>

Copyright (c) 2005 TheHuffingtonPost.com, LLC


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From Staggben at aol.com  Sat Aug 13 16:28:40 2005
From: Staggben at aol.com (Staggben@aol.com)
Date: Sat Aug 13 16:49:59 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Panademic Galacteria
Message-ID: <200508132349.j7DNnvto016608@dune.islandtechnologies.net>


It is widely agreed that The Earth's tilt and has caused our  atmosphere to 
become more humid over the last 18,000 years. This, allied  to a build-up of 
salt in the World's Oceans over a much longer period  (sodium chloride being 
more reactive to hot and cold than just pure H2O)  has speeded up the ocean's 
flow and made the climate warmer, and  temperatures much less extreme between the 
poles than it was in times  before. 
 
The unanswered question is, 'When does The Earth start to tilt back  again'?
 
Our contribution to Global Warming rests upon the answer.
 
The jury is out, but the overall take on our species is  clear.
 
We are 'Pandemic Galacteria'.
 
 
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From nemo1043 at yahoo.com  Sat Aug 13 15:58:49 2005
From: nemo1043 at yahoo.com (Allison Burnett)
Date: Sat Aug 13 16:52:17 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] FW: The Wrong General
In-Reply-To: <64.5ae727b6.302f9bdc@aol.com>
Message-ID: <200508132352.j7DNqEJ9016628@dune.islandtechnologies.net>

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Subject: The Wrong General
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From jefbek at mindspring.com  Sat Aug 13 21:47:12 2005
From: jefbek at mindspring.com (Jef Bek)
Date: Sat Aug 13 21:51:34 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Video: Mother of fallen soldier asks questions of
	President Bush
Message-ID: <BF241AE0.DB6%jefbek@mindspring.com>

http://rawstory.com/news/2005/Video_Mother_of_fallen_soldier_asks_questions_
of_Presiden_0812.html

From jefbek at mindspring.com  Sat Aug 13 21:59:35 2005
From: jefbek at mindspring.com (Jef Bek)
Date: Sat Aug 13 22:03:52 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Remember this Jack-Ass?
Message-ID: <BF241DC7.DB8%jefbek@mindspring.com>

washingtonpost.com

FEC Faults Accounting at DeLay's PAC

By Jeffrey H. Birnbaum
Washington Post Staff Writers
Friday, August 12, 2005; A02

The Federal Election Commission criticized a political fund chaired by House
Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Tex.) for misstating accounts and failing to
report debts worth hundreds of thousands of dollars.

The watchdog agency issued its findings after auditing DeLay's Americans for
a Republican Majority PAC (ARMPAC) for 2001 and 2002. ARMPAC is one of a
growing number of "leadership" PACs, through which members of Congress
provide financing and electoral assistance to other candidates for office.

The agency did not take disciplinary action against DeLay or ARMPAC. But its
report said that the commission might in the future penalize the fund, an
act that usually involves a fine.

Campaign finance experts said that the findings, although not insignificant,
do not appear to involve flagrant breaches of law.

"There's certainly a lack of attention to detail and poor accounting
practices here, but these sorts of things are common in political accounts,"
said Kent Cooper, co-founder of PoliticalMoneyLine, a campaign finance
research Web site.

ARMPAC's accounting problems came during the 2002 election cycle, when it
raised and spent more than $3.6 million. Since 1999, several thousand
individual and corporate contributors have given more than $13 million to
ARMPAC and it, in turn, has spent millions to help Republicans win
elections.

A lawyer for ARMPAC, Donald F. McGahn II, played down the importance of the
audit.

"It didn't disclose any substantive violations of election laws; instead,
it's essentially accounting issues of a technical nature based on FEC
accounting minutiae," McGahn said.

He characterized the report as "relatively clean" and predicted that if
ARMPAC is fined, "it's not going to be a significant penalty."

Democrats and liberal groups lambasted DeLay for the infractions. "When it
comes to federal elections law, Tom DeLay and his special-interest friends
live by one set of rules, and everyone else lives by a very different set,"
said Rep. Rahm Emanuel (Ill.), chairman of the Democratic Congressional
Campaign Committee.

The audit said that ARMPAC made "material" misstatements about its
donations, cash on hand and disbursements. The discrepancies, which have
been corrected, totaled more than $100,000.

Auditors also said they had trouble examining the accounts because about 28
percent of contributor checks and a third of expense paperwork such as
invoices were missing.

ARMPAC failed to properly disclose debts totaling $322,306 that it owed to
25 vendors, the report said. McGahn said that the vendors were paid on time
and that the fund amended disclosure documents to comply with the auditors'
criticisms.

DeLay's fund also spent $203,483 from a non-federal account -- which
contained money relatively easy to raise in large chunks -- that should have
come from an account governed by tighter federal laws, which make the money
harder to collect in such sizable amounts.

ARMPAC has been repaying the non-federal account with the harder-to-raise
funds and has amended disclosure statements to reflect the changes, the
audit said.

The political action committee used the "soft money" to pay for fundraising
events in California, Florida and Puerto Rico, as well as for administrative
expenses and voter-mobilization drives, the audit said.

A separate fund created by DeLay and some aides, Texans for a Republican
Majority, is facing strong scrutiny in Texas.

Staff writer R. Jeffrey Smith contributed to this report.

From lyve at netzero.com  Sat Aug 13 22:14:09 2005
From: lyve at netzero.com (Lyle K'ang)
Date: Sat Aug 13 22:18:37 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Video: Mother of fallen soldier asks questions of Presi
	dent Bush
Message-ID: <20050813.221415.24254.387156@webmail21.nyc.untd.com>

IF YOU CANNOT PLAY OR CLICK THE LINK-COPY THE FULL LINK AND PASTE TO BROWSER.
 
http://rawstory.com/news/2005/Video_Mother_of_fallen_soldier_asks_questions_of_Presiden_0812.html


Lyle K'ang, MBA/IM 


-- Jef Bek  wrote:
http://rawstory.com/news/2005/Video_Mother_of_fallen_soldier_asks_questions_
of_Presiden_0812.html

_______________________________________________
Mb-civic mailing list
Mb-civic@islandlists.com
http://www.islandlists.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/mb-civic

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From jefbek at mindspring.com  Sat Aug 13 23:59:58 2005
From: jefbek at mindspring.com (Jef Bek)
Date: Sun Aug 14 00:04:15 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Videos by Truthout - Camp Casey
Message-ID: <BF2439FE.DBC%jefbek@mindspring.com>

Please take the time to watch these videos. Cindy Sheehan is leading a
brave, inspired and growing coalition of fed up citizens determined to hold
George Bush accountable for his murderous lies. Her message is pure and
simple. Please listen to these people speak.

http://www.truthout.org/multimedia.htm

From sierrapecheur at verizon.net  Sun Aug 14 05:41:39 2005
From: sierrapecheur at verizon.net (Sierra Pecheur)
Date: Sun Aug 14 05:45:06 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] a visitor to the Crawford site
Message-ID: <002201c5a0cd$84c88200$93626947@xplcp>

This was forwarded to me. Sierra

A message from a good friend of mine in NYC, Suzanne
Sent: Saturday, August 13, 2005 5:39 AM
Subject: Crawford Texas

> Thought you might be interested in reading about last week's experience 
> from
> a radio reporter's perspective.
> From a reporter at KPFT News

 hello all,

 lee taylor and i just got back from crawford a few hours ago and i
 want to try to convey a little of the feeling of what is going on
 there with cindy sheehan's courageous stand outside of the bush ranch.
 we drove up yesterday and arrived about 10 pm into downtown crawford
 where we easily found the Crawford Peace House, purchased in 2003 by a
 group of people who decided rather than driving to crawford every
couple of weeks to demonstrate, they would just buy a property
 there...to balance out the energy in the area due to w's purchase
 shortly before just down the road.  it was night and it was raining.
 we had heard of the ditches and the fireants, and, anyway, we
 didn't know where the actual camp site was, so the warm welcome we
 received when we walked in the door was almost overwhelming.  Food and
 water were abundant, a delicious vegetarian soup was available to
 everyone, volunteers in the house were fielding phone calls for cindy
 from all over the u.s. and all over the world, directing parking
 places, assigning floor space for anyone wanting to sleep there.  an
 entire table was full of gorgeous flower arrangements that
 had been sent to cindy and to the other gold star families who were
 joining the vigil.

 after only 15 minutes, who should walk in the door but cindy sheehan
 herself. as lee and i were standing near the front door, she came to
 each of us and hugged us and thanked us for coming.  she had some soup
 and made sure she was back at the campsite for 12:01 am when it had
 been rumoured that they would arrest her.  she didn't want to
 disappoint them by not being there.

 intimidated by the rain, the fireants and a tent i had never set up
 before, we sensibly opted to drive 7 miles into macgregor and rent a
 motel room.  we were rested and fresh and back at the peace house just
 after 8 am today. volunteers were offering to shuttle people the 5
 miles or so back and forth to the camp site, since the law enforcement
 agencies were restricting all kinds of no trespassing zones and
 parking was limited.

 i had my trusty little handycam with me and started filming as soon as
 we got near the camp...a colorful cluster of banners, tents, people,
 cars up ahead. i was able to kneel in front of the many, many media
 people documenting the press conference, so i got close ups of each of
 the people who spoke...in front of the main tent with a peace sign
 embroidered/painted on it, bouquets of flowers everywhere, a cross
 with casey sheehan's name on it, crosses with all the other fallen
 soldiers' names on it stretching out in both directions, 3 rows deep,
 between the ditches and the road.

 cindy spoke first, simply and gently, saying she would not leave until
 she saw bush and asked him why her son had died, what was the noble
 cause that he had died for.  she said if he would not see her and if
 she were not arrested, then after august 31 she would go camp out in
 d.c. until he would speak with her.  she spoke of her son, of her
 family's devastation and of their support for her taking this stand,
 even casey, she was sure.  she said the decision to come to crawford
 had come to her while she was typing to her email list about some
 event she was going to in austin...and that she just sort of saw her
 fingers typing..."and then from austin, i am going to crawford to ask
 to talk to bush".

 after cindy, bill mitchell spoke.  he lost his only son, the baby of
 the family, on the same day as cindy's son, in the same battle.
 cindy's son had only been in iraq 5 days when he was killed.  bill's
 son, michael, was scheduled to return home just a few days later.
 bill said he had been against the war in the beginning and had
 protested on the first anniversary, carrying a sign saying bring our
 boys home now.  he said that 4 days later his son was killed and
 2 weeks later his boy did come home, in a coffin, in one of the
 coffins in the photo that caused that woman to loose her job.

 after bill, celeste spoke.  her younger son stood beside her.  her
 older son was killed in iraq.  then, a young woman named jean, in a
 green shirt, spoke. her son had been killed also.  next a couple spoke
 who had 3 sons and 2 grandsons in iraq, none of whom have yet been
 killed, but they explained the anxiety they live with every day.
 later in the day, a woman named barbara from arkansas arrived who had
 lost her only child.  she was interviewed later.  a number of veterans
 for peace and even one young guy eligible for being called back in
 were all there, making signs, participating in whatever was going on.

 i felt honored to be able to just be in the presence and lend the
 little support i could to these brave parents who stand straight and
 talk to the cameras about their losses and their grief, thru their
 tears, or remaining calm, just that they can keep on going.  it was
 evident that they gave each other tremendous support...lots of hugs,
 and sitting around talking with each other later, sharing photos of
 their sons.

 i was able to speak with and film ann wright, the woman who resigned
 from her 16 year position in the state department because of her
 disagreement with the iraq war.  no one, not even the gold star
 families, minded being filmed or interviewed by me.  i hope i can edit
 it all and get it onto a dvd to make available for anyone who wants to
 see it.  there was a fantastic folk singer from oklahoma named peggy
 who sang her own political songs, accompanied by some congos (our very
 own heather, at times) and other instruments.

 a woman named diane (not diane wilson, who was in her 5th day of a
 hunger strike and who i missed seeing somehow), a minister from
 dallas, was walking around having people sign a guest book.  there
 were 250 names in it just from today.  people came and went all day.
 cindy and a few others slept in tents (or tried to) during the nite.
 heather and katie said it got pretty scarey about 4 am with large cars
 driving by really fast, just beside the tents, and honking.

 but, our experience spending the day at the campsite and back at the
 peace house, was uneventful with police.  the few sheriffs at either
 place were friendly and easy to speak with. about mid afternoon, 3
 helicopters flew over us, apparently condi and donald and maybe bush
 on their way to a fund raiser on the other side of us from the
 ranch.

 there was a great feeling of solidarity, compassion, vulnerability,
 thoughtfulness, hopefulness, sorrow, joy, gratitude, devastation, but,
 above all...connectedness.  we all had a feeling that this was
 something really important happening and that maybe now there was
 going to be the shift we so desperately need in stopping this horrible
 and wrong war.   we overheard at the camp someone saying that john
 conyers and maxine waters were on their way there.

 our hitched ride back to the peace house was with the san francisco
 chronicle reporter, joe garofoli.  he said his piece was on the front
 page today in san francisco (as another reporter's article was on the
 front page of the houston chronicle) and to look for the next one
 tomorrow.  i'm sure we can find it online.  he was intrigued with some
 of our texas bush stories and hearing a little of what's going on
 politically in texas.

at the peace house, as we said our goodbyes and packed up for houston,
 david van oz and his wife rachel arrived, on their way out to the camp.
 i believe cindy arrived to camp out on either saturday or sunday and
 the idea and event has kept growing.  it seems people come and go from
 all over (we met people from montana, illinois, georgia, ecuador and
 more) and stay as long as they can.  then it seems like more people
 come to take their place and even multiply.  they were pretty
 desperate for donations of food, money, medical supplies, but i think
 they have had a generous response.  the crawford peace house is making
 it all possible and i think they could use some financial help.

 but, most of all, i encourage all of you who are able to, to go join
 these brave and tender people.  go for the day or for longer.  cindy
 plans to stay til aug. 31 unless???  take whatever you can to share.
 help the numbers swell until bush cannot possible continue ignoring
 this mother's request for an answer to her question of just exactly
 why her son died.

 sorry, i feel i've rambled and still not said what i wanted to say.
 it's late and i'll leave it at this.  there are lots of places you
 will be able to get more precise and timely news, but maybe some of
 you will be able to get a little of the feeling from this.

 let's keep on....
 with all hopes for an end to this war, 

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From harry.sifton at sympatico.ca  Sun Aug 14 05:59:36 2005
From: harry.sifton at sympatico.ca (harry.sifton@sympatico.ca)
Date: Sun Aug 14 06:03:32 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] The Observer: New York's heart loses its beat
Message-ID: <20050814125936.49CAC1DF72@mullet.gul3.gnl>

Harry spotted this on the The Observer site and thought you should see it.

To see this story with its related links on the The Observer site, go to http://www.observer.co.uk

New York's heart loses its beat
It was the spiritual home of Dylan, Kerouac and boho culture. But now even the local bible, the Greenwich Village Voice, admits that America's hippest enclave has lost its soul
Paul Harris in New York
Sunday August 14 2005
The Observer


For decades the streets of Greenwich Village beat as the counterculture heart of American life. From Bob Dylan and Jack Kerouac to the anonymous thousands fresh off the bus from Middle America, it has provided a sanctuary for the alternative and outcast or those simply fleeing a suburban childhood.

No longer. America's bohemian pulse has faded. Assailed by sky-high rents, chain stores and hyper-expensive eateries, Greenwich Village is starting to look more Wall Street than Beat Street. Last week a headline in the Village Voice, New York's venerable alternative newspaper, said simply: 'The Village is Dying'.

Another Voice column was more brutal. It called the remnants of the Village's bohemian lifestyle 'threadbare' and concluded that poor poets, struggling artists and wannabe actors had been forced out by a simple new reality: 'One must be rich to live here.'

For many New Yorkers that comes as no surprise. The Village has been remorselessly gentrified since the 1980s. Neighbourhood coffee shops have become Starbucks, local diners have become chic restaurants booked up weeks in advance or have been turned into a McDonald's. Now the Voice's strident tone and a documentary called The Ballad of Greenwich Village have shown how the final nails have been driven into the coffin of a neighbourhood whose artistic contribution to American cultural life is unmatched.

'The Village has changed absolutely,' said Karen Kramer, who laboured for 13 years to film The Ballad of Greenwich Village. Kramer is a 30-year veteran of the area who arrived from the suburbs in search of excitement. 'The Village has become very homogenised now. It is a terrible loss.'

Certainly The Ballad of Greenwich Village shows how much the area has contributed to world culture. The roll-call of famous names who once made their homes in the neighbourhood spans poetry, music and literature. They include Bob Dylan, Edward Albee, Henry James, Allen Ginsberg, Norman Mailer, Woody Allen, Edgar Allan Poe and Dylan Thomas. The Village played host to literary greats, alternative newspapers, modern art, the Beat poets, radical plays, underground jazz and the folk revolution of the 1960s. Its coffee shops, bars and theatres have helped to change the world.

The neighbourhood has been eulogised many times, but The Ballad of Greenwich Village is perhaps the most affecting. Kramer tracked down Mailer, actor Tim Robbins, Ginsberg, the folk trio Peter, Paul and Mary, Woody Allen, writer Maya Angelou and many others to record their memories of the Village when they were struggling artists and not household names. Sitting in his old drinking haunt, the White Horse (where Dylan Thomas had his final drink before his death), Mailer was blunt about the appeals of loose Greenwich Village women. 'It was a mecca [for sex],' he told Kramer.

But the film shows how different it is now. The White Horse may hang a huge painting of Thomas on its wall, but it is far from a seedy literary boozer. It is popular with lawyers, financial workers and wealthy students. It is certainly not a smoky haunt - as, in all of New York, smoking is now banned. Many other once-famous cafes, bars and theatres have closed their doors. Tiny family-run stores are on the retreat before a wave of big name brands. On the main thoroughfare of Bleecker Street there are no fewer than three Marc Jacobs stores. Another Village block has three Ralph Lauren outlets.

In 1964, Paul Simon wrote a song, 'Bleecker Street', as a paean to the days of the hard-living and poor Beat poets. 'A poet reads his crooked rhyme/ Holy, holy is his sacrament, /Thirty dollars pays your rent,/ On Bleecker Street,' the lyric ran.

Those days are long gone. Thirty dollars won't even buy you much of a meal on Bleecker Street any more, let anyone pay for an apartment. Rocketing rents have been the main factor behind the transformation of the Village. Its winding streets, low rise 'brownstone' apartment buildings and artistic reputation have attracted money like nowhere else in New York. As rent controls were relaxed in the city, unscrupulous landlords forced out old residents in favour of high-paying business executives.

'It is all about rental prices. No one but the rich can afford to come here any more,' said Kramer. Mailer echoes her thoughts in the film, noting the irony that the neighbourhood once seen as anti-bourgeoisie is now home to the wealthy. 'It is one of the great ironies of today that unless you are high up in that bourgeoisie world you can't afford an apartment in the Village,' he said.

But what has happened in the Village has been mirrored elsewhere in New York as once-gritty urban neighbourhoods have grown wealthy. Despite a still-fearsome reputation, New York is one of the safest cities in America, boasting a similar crime rate to Boise, Idaho. The most recent former crime hot spot to become gentrified is the Bowery, once famed as the original Skid Row. Now fresh apartment blocks and boutique hotels are springing up. One 21-storey tower on the Bowery boasts a penthouse apartment for sale at $12 million and the Bowery punk club CBGB, which launched the careers of the Ramones, Television and Blondie, is threatened with closure. As the money has flowed into the Village, the artists have left. They have set up studios in such far-flung neighbourhoods as Long Island City and Williamsburg. 'It is the rental prices, pure and simple,' said David Altmejd, a leading Canadian artist who has a studio in Long Island City and will be exhibiting in London next year. 'I 
 don't know any artists in the Village. I can't even be nostalgic for it as it just does not have any contemporary relevance,' Altmejd added.

The Village is now primarily as a tourist destination and nightspot for out-of-towners. It plays host to a Sex and the City bus tour which brings in hundreds each day to look at sights made famous by the eponymous racy TV series, not the neighbourhood's glorious cultural past. The Village's meatpacking district, once a tough grid of streets known equally for meat warehouses and transvestites, is now a busy nightclubbing zone.

Even Washington Square, where folk singers once rioted after being banned from jamming in the park, is facing a redevelopment scheme, complete with iron fences to keep people off the grass.

That scheme has outraged many Village residents, who attended one meeting with city officials bearing placards accusing the scheme's designer of being a 'rapist' of the park. But the truth is that the Village is not known for protests any more. From being a place where folk singers, gay rights activists and Vietnam protesters have all fought the police, it is now a middle-class enclave where the Iraq war causes concerned dinner party conversation and little else.

Some believe the Village could re-emerge. In Kramer's film, Peter, Paul and Mary express a belief that the Village historically goes through periods of quiet before bubbling up again. But Kramer thinks, sadly, they are wrong. 'It is never going to happen again,' she said.

Copyright Guardian Newspapers Limited
From harry.sifton at sympatico.ca  Sun Aug 14 06:03:17 2005
From: harry.sifton at sympatico.ca (harry.sifton@sympatico.ca)
Date: Sun Aug 14 06:06:45 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] The Observer: Tragedy of US drugs craze orphans
Message-ID: <20050814130317.4F7D2305A7@mussel.gul3.gnl>

Harry spotted this on the The Observer site and thought you should see it.

To see this story with its related links on the The Observer site, go to http://www.observer.co.uk

Tragedy of US drugs craze orphans
Crystal meth hits rural areas
Paul Harris in Crossville, Tennessee
Sunday August 14 2005
The Observer


The House of Hope stands on land cleared by a tornado that roared through the woods a few years ago near this little town. But the vulnerable children inside are more concerned with man-made dangers. In this corner of rural America something out there is much worse than a twister: it is called crystal meth.

Known as crank or ice, meth is the latest drug epidemic to hit America. Following hard on such scourges as heroin and crack, meth has taken a stranglehold on large swathes of the US. Unlike its predecessors, it is not found in inner-city ghettos but in the mostly white rural heartland of states such as Iowa, Missouri and Tennessee, devastating such places as Cumberland County, a picturesque place of rolling forests overshadowed by the Smoky Mountains.

The House of Hope, near Crossville, looks after some of the innocent victims. Dubbed 'meth orphans', they are children taken into care when their parents are arrested and jailed. They have usually grown up in 'meth labs', home factories for making the drug, and have suffered terrible mental and physical abuse. The House provides temporary refuge until foster parents can be found.

The need is great. In the last six months more than 60 meth orphans have come through the doors. All are from Cumberland County, whose population is just 50,000. 'We are at the epidemic stage in Tennessee. It is terrible,' said Mike Steinmann, head of the orphanage, standing in a room full of toys donated by local people.

Across rural America, meth is reaping a terrible toll. In the past five years Tennessee, West Virginia, Kentucky and North Carolina have seen the number of meth labs grow tenfold, and 58 per cent of US sheriffs' departments now say meth is their biggest drug problem, compared to 19 per cent who name cocaine and 3 per cent who say heroin. More than 80 per cent of prison inmates in one county of Indiana are there for meth-related crime.

The drug has changed the nature of some states' jail populations. Arkansas, which used to have a black majority, now finds most inmates are white. There are also signs that meth is spreading from rural areas, entering the suburbs and continuing its onslaught as America's number one drug crisis.

Cumberland is a typical county at the centre of the storm. Its burly sheriff, Eucle 'Butch' Burgess, reeled off huge increases in crime since meth appeared in 1999. Violent offences have jumped by 500 per cent, petty crime by 600 per cent and domestic violence by 500 per cent. The county jail is full to bursting and a new wing is being planned. Female prisoners, once a rarity, are now common. 'One man was so addicted he begged me not to let him out of jail because he knew he would go straight back to it,' Burgess said.

This has stretched the county's finances to breaking point, and the sheriff believes the effects of the epidemic will last for a generation or more: 'If you could push a button and stop producing meth right now, we would still be dealing with the aftermath for the next 20 years or more.'

Meth is powerfully addictive, instantly hooking users who smoke or inject it and turning them into paranoid delusional wrecks with scabs from constant scratching and dramatic weight loss. One of the worst symptoms is 'meth mouth' which causes users to lose all their teeth, sometimes in a few months.

Yet it gives a huge high and enough energy to stay awake for several days. More important, it is made from ingredients found in cough medicines and matches, allowing it to be made in 'mom and pop' home operations with supplies bought from supermarkets. Dubbed the 'poor man's cocaine', it is cheap, at just $50 (&pound;27.50) a gram.

For Burgess, the real victims are the meth orphans who come through the doors of the House of Hope. Their parents, obsessed with making and taking the drug, ignore their children, often forgetting to feed or clothe them. In one case children in a home meth lab were so hungry they ate the plaster from the walls. Even more horrifying, the drug gives sex drives a powerful boost, making sexual abuse common in meth addicts' homes.

Faced with such horrors, Sheriff Burgess and his wife have fostered more than 30 of Cumberland's meth orphans in their own home. 'It is the hardest but best thing I have ever done,' he said.

The couple are now trying to adopt one boy . The sheriff showed photographs of the boy. In the first he looks terrified, pale and thin with a sore on his face. Later pictures show him at his fifth birthday party, filling out, with a broad smile on his face.

'I just wanted something positive out of this terrible situation, and there he is,' Burgess said.

The hard facts

Crystal meth is a colourless, odourless form of d-methamphetamine, a powerful and highly addictive stimulant. It's typically smoked using a glass pipe, but may be injected. It's also known as Tina, hot ice, LA glass or LA ice, shards and shabu.

It typically resembles small fragments of glass or shiny white-blue 'rocks' of varying sizes, but is also available in powderform.

Smoking or injecting it produces an immediate high which may last 12 hours or more.

Nearly 5 per cent of US high school seniors say they have used it at least once

Although it can be produced easily with household chemicals, it is illegal both in the US and the UK. In Canada, the penalty for making it was raised last week to life imprisonment.

Copyright Guardian Newspapers Limited
From swiggard at comcast.net  Sun Aug 14 07:34:58 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (William Swiggard)
Date: Sun Aug 14 07:40:15 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Lifestyle May Be Key to Slowing Brain's Aging -
	Washington Post
Message-ID: <42FF5692.4000305@comcast.net>

<>Lifestyle May Be Key to Slowing Brain's Aging
Scientists Test Simple Ways to Keep One's Wits

By Rob Stein
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, August 14, 2005; Page A01

Like many Americans sliding into middle age, Kimberly McClain started 
worrying that her memory was beginning to slip.

"It was little things. I couldn't remember what I had for dinner the 
night before. I had to check to make sure I'd paid the insurance that 
month. I'd walk into a room and realize I had no idea why I was there," 
said the Los Angeles marriage counselor, who is 44.

So McClain started a program designed to help -- a detailed regimen that 
includes daily memory exercises.

"I'm much clearer now," McClain said. "I have no problem finding my 
keys. I can tell you what I had for dinner last night. I'm not walking 
into a room thinking, 'Why did I come in here?' "

McClain is among the increasing number of Americans who are performing 
mental calisthenics, taking Italian classes, deciphering crossword 
puzzles and hunting for other ways to try to keep their minds from fading.

A large body of evidence indicates that people who are mentally active 
throughout their lives are significantly less likely to suffer senility, 
and a handful of studies have found that mental exercises can boost 
brain function. Elderly people who go through training to sharpen their 
wits, for example, score much better on thinking tests for years 
afterward. The minds of younger people who drill their memories seem to 
work more efficiently.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/13/AR2005081300855.html?referrer=email

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From swiggard at comcast.net  Sun Aug 14 07:37:30 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (William Swiggard)
Date: Sun Aug 14 07:42:40 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] 
	In Texas, A Time to Circle the Minivans - Washington Post
Message-ID: <42FF572A.8040602@comcast.net>

<>In Texas, A Time to Circle the Minivans
Activists Protest the War, Or Protest the Protesters

By Michael A. Fletcher
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, August 14, 2005; Page D01

CRAWFORD, Tex., Aug. 13 -- Barbara Cummings was home in San Diego 
Monday, listening to an Air America radio broadcast, when she heard the 
tale of a woman who was coming here to join Cindy Sheehan in her growing 
protest against the war in Iraq.

The woman on the radio had a son who had signed on for a second tour of 
duty in the Army after losing his job. In two weeks, he is scheduled to 
ship out to Iraq. Cummings jumped on the phone and called her friend, 
Gloria Polk. "I asked her, 'Are you following the Cindy Sheehan story?' 
And she was."

The next day, the two retirees hopped in a rented minivan for the 
22-hour drive to the heart of Texas.

Today, Cummings found herself in front of the Crawford Peace House, a 
gathering place for protesters, holding a hand-lettered sign. She was 
directing a stream of cars descending on this normally sleepy town to a 
dirt parking lot adjacent to a nearby high school football field.

Polk, meanwhile, was at the wheel of her blue Dodge Caravan, shuttling 
protesters up to the roadside campsite near President Bush's 1,600-acre 
ranch where Sheehan has been holding her defiant vigil for more than a week.

"We're both here because of our grandchildren," Cummings explained. "It 
feels like a word-of-mouth thing. Everybody I meet is saying they had to 
be here."

While the antiwar activists buzzed around the Peace House preparing for 
a scheduled rally, more than 150 flag-waving marchers made their way 
toward Sheehan's camp to show their support for the war. Also, a lone 
demonstrator drove a pickup truck blaring country music with a large 
American flag flying from its bed. A sign on his door read: "Texas Is 
Bush Country."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/13/AR2005081301306.html

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From swiggard at comcast.net  Sun Aug 14 07:39:11 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (William Swiggard)
Date: Sun Aug 14 07:44:37 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] U.S. Lowers Sights On What Can Be Achieved in Iraq -
	Washington Post
Message-ID: <42FF578F.6020101@comcast.net>

<>U.S. Lowers Sights On What Can Be Achieved in Iraq
Administration Is Shedding 'Unreality' That Dominated Invasion, Official 
Says

By Robin Wright and Ellen Knickmeyer
Washington Post Staff Writers
Sunday, August 14, 2005; Page A01

The Bush administration is significantly lowering expectations of what 
can be achieved in Iraq, recognizing that the United States will have to 
settle for far less progress than originally envisioned during the 
transition due to end in four months, according to U.S. officials in 
Washington and Baghdad.

The United States no longer expects to see a model new democracy, a 
self-supporting oil industry or a society in which the majority of 
people are free from serious security or economic challenges, U.S. 
officials say.

"What we expected to achieve was never realistic given the timetable or 
what unfolded on the ground," said a senior official involved in policy 
since the 2003 invasion. "We are in a process of absorbing the factors 
of the situation we're in and shedding the unreality that dominated at 
the beginning."

Administration officials still emphasize how much they have achieved 
despite the chaos that followed the invasion and the escalating 
insurgency. "Iraqis are taking control of their country, building a free 
nation that can govern itself, sustain itself and defend itself. And 
we're helping Iraqis succeed," President Bush said yesterday in his 
radio address.

Iraqi officials yesterday struggled to agree on a draft constitution by 
a deadline of tomorrow so the document can be submitted to a vote in 
October. The political transition would be completed in December by 
elections for a permanent government.

But the realities of daily life are a constant reminder of how the 
initial U.S. ambitions have not been fulfilled in ways that Americans 
and Iraqis once anticipated. Many of Baghdad's 6 million people go 
without electricity for days in 120-degree heat. Parents fearful of 
kidnapping are keeping children indoors.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/13/AR2005081300853.html

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From swiggard at comcast.net  Sun Aug 14 07:43:18 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (William Swiggard)
Date: Sun Aug 14 07:48:32 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Diplomats for Tough Duty - Tom Brokaw - Washington Post
Message-ID: <42FF5886.7060706@comcast.net>

Diplomats for Tough Duty

By Tom Brokaw
Sunday, August 14, 2005; Page B07

With Karen Hughes moving into the post of assistant secretary of state 
for public diplomacy, perhaps there will be more attention from the 
administration, Congress and the public to the difficult mission she is 
taking on. It has been on the back burner too long.

Defenders and critics of President Bush's war on terrorism agree on very 
little except this: There is a critical need for a more energetic, 
imaginative and effective campaign to promote the American ideals of 
democracy, tolerance, compassion and economic opportunity in the Islamic 
world.

It is a large and complex challenge requiring some fundamental changes. 
One possibility came to me during reporting trips to remote reaches of 
Afghanistan, where I spent time with U.S. Special Forces and units of 
the 10th Mountain Division.

Both outfits were stationed in hostile territory doing double duty: 
fighting the Taliban and trying to hold the hearts and minds of Afghan 
locals by building schools, medical clinics and roads in their isolated 
villages.

After my first trip, to a 10th Mountain Division base along the border 
with Pakistan, I worried that the two missions of the military would at 
some point become incompatible, even incendiary. When the young American 
warriors went on patrol in their Humvees, local farmers were forced to 
give way on the primitive roads. The 10th Mountain troops were always 
dressed in flak jackets, helmets and sunglasses as they moved into 
villages to confiscate guns, question locals about suspicious activity 
and inspect trucks and pickups before meeting with the village elders to 
work on health and education projects.

What image lingered, I wondered. The good cop or the bad cop?

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/12/AR2005081201411.html?nav=hcmodule

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From swiggard at comcast.net  Sun Aug 14 07:45:26 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (William Swiggard)
Date: Sun Aug 14 07:50:38 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] A Mideast Crossroads - Editorial - Washington Post
Message-ID: <42FF5906.6060906@comcast.net>

A Mideast Crossroads

Sunday, August 14, 2005; Page B06

AMOMENTOUS event is about to unfold in the Middle East. Twenty months 
after Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon stunned his countrymen and the 
world by urging the evacuation of Jewish settlers and troops from the 
Gaza Strip, Israeli forces are about to execute his plan. Starting 
tomorrow, more than 40,000 Israeli soldiers and police will begin 
clearing some 8,500 settlers from all 21 Gaza settlements, plus four 
more small outposts in the northern West Bank. The withdrawal itself, 
and how it proceeds over the coming weeks and months, is a crucial test 
for Israelis, Palestinians and the Bush administration, containing the 
seeds of hope for a durable peace but also risks and pitfalls for both 
sides.

<>Mr. Sharon, by dint of his formidable will, has driven his policy from 
conception to reality, surmounting the emotional opposition of his own 
Likud Party members as well as that of Israeli extremists and militants, 
some of whom are likely to do their utmost to sabotage the evacuation. 
Many or most Israelis, even some in the majority that supports Mr. 
Sharon's policy, believe he is risking the country's security; 
certainly, given the passions his move has provoked, he is risking his 
own life. It is therefore crucial that the Bush administration, which 
until recently paid too little heed to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, 
focus on it now, and on the need to support Mr. Sharon both through this 
withdrawal and on to the next phase of Mideast peacemaking.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/13/AR2005081300902.html?nav=hcmodule 

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From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Sun Aug 14 08:26:52 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (mblaxill@yahoo.com)
Date: Sun Aug 14 08:30:13 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] NYTimes.com: Someone Tell the President the War Is Over
Message-ID: <20050814152652.6549883D26@lax-gw03.mroute.net>

This page was sent to you by: mblaxill@yahoo.com.

OPINION | August 14, 2005
Op-Ed Columnist: Someone Tell the President the War Is Over
By FRANK RICH
The battle to keep the Iraq war afloat with the American public is lost.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/14/opinion/14rich.html?ex=1124683200&en=4bcd44283d71655c&ei=5070&emc=eta1




----------------------------------------------------------

ABOUT THIS E-MAIL
This e-mail was sent to you by a friend through NYTimes.com's E-mail This Article service.  For general information about NYTimes.com, write to help@nytimes.com.

NYTimes.com 500 Seventh Avenue New York, NY 10018

Copyright 2005 The New York Times Company
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From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Sun Aug 14 08:28:29 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (mblaxill@yahoo.com)
Date: Sun Aug 14 08:31:49 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] =?iso-8859-1?q?NYTimes=2Ecom=3A_Schr=F6der_Rejects_Mi?=
	=?iso-8859-1?q?litary_Force_to_Stop_Iran=27s_Nuclear_Work?=
Message-ID: <20050814152829.1A6FB13B80A@lax-gw04.mroute.net>

This page was sent to you by: mblaxill@yahoo.com.

INTERNATIONAL / EUROPE | August 14, 2005
Schröder Rejects Military Force to Stop Iran's Nuclear Work
By REUTERS
Chancellor Gerhard Schröder responded to President Bush's statement that he could not rule out the use of force to press Iran to give up its nuclear program.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/14/international/europe/14bush.html?ex=1124683200&en=68b751b1096f6ea2&ei=5070&emc=eta1



----------------- Advertisement --------------------------

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one Best Picture.  What did the original New York
Times movie reviews have to say about these Oscar
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ABOUT THIS E-MAIL
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Copyright 2005 The New York Times Company
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From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Sun Aug 14 08:29:25 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (mblaxill@yahoo.com)
Date: Sun Aug 14 08:32:49 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] NYTimes.com: U.S. Struggling to Get Soldiers Updated
	Armor
Message-ID: <20050814152925.C7DE6249D23@lax-gw08.mroute.net>

This page was sent to you by: mblaxill@yahoo.com.

INTERNATIONAL / MIDDLE EAST | August 14, 2005
U.S. Struggling to Get Soldiers Updated Armor
By MICHAEL MOSS
Tens of thousands of soldiers are still without the stronger protection because of delays in the Pentagon procurement system.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/14/international/middleeast/14armor.html?ex=1124683200&en=a6dcf0f41b05952e&ei=5070&emc=eta1



----------------- Advertisement --------------------------

The Academy loved these movies enough to name each
one Best Picture.  What did the original New York
Times movie reviews have to say about these Oscar
winning films?  
Go to the Best Pictures review archive:

http://ads.nyt.com/th.ad/nytnyt-textEmailThisdefault-Center1A/academyawards_text/?_RM_REDIR_=http://www.nytimes.com/ref/movies/oscars/bestpictures.html




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----------------------------------------------------------

ABOUT THIS E-MAIL
This e-mail was sent to you by a friend through NYTimes.com's E-mail This Article service.  For general information about NYTimes.com, write to help@nytimes.com.

NYTimes.com 500 Seventh Avenue New York, NY 10018

Copyright 2005 The New York Times Company
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From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Sun Aug 14 08:31:50 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (mblaxill@yahoo.com)
Date: Sun Aug 14 08:35:08 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] NYTimes.com: Antiabortion Effort in Europe,
	With U.S. Money, Widens Its Conservative Agenda
Message-ID: <20050814153150.9F7579FCF2@lax-gw05.mroute.net>

This page was sent to you by: mblaxill@yahoo.com.

INTERNATIONAL / EUROPE | August 14, 2005
Antiabortion Effort in Europe, With U.S. Money, Widens Its Conservative Agenda
By ELISABETH ROSENTHAL
A growing conservative movement across Europe is opposing not only abortion but often other things related to sex, like sex education and contraception.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/14/international/europe/14abortion.html?ex=1124683200&en=8de5425f435cc48a&ei=5070&emc=eta1



----------------- Advertisement --------------------------

The Academy loved these movies enough to name each
one Best Picture.  What did the original New York
Times movie reviews have to say about these Oscar
winning films?  
Go to the Best Pictures review archive:

http://ads.nyt.com/th.ad/nytnyt-textEmailThisdefault-Center1A/academyawards_text/?_RM_REDIR_=http://www.nytimes.com/ref/movies/oscars/bestpictures.html




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----------------------------------------------------------

ABOUT THIS E-MAIL
This e-mail was sent to you by a friend through NYTimes.com's E-mail This Article service.  For general information about NYTimes.com, write to help@nytimes.com.

NYTimes.com 500 Seventh Avenue New York, NY 10018

Copyright 2005 The New York Times Company
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From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Sun Aug 14 08:41:47 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (mblaxill@yahoo.com)
Date: Sun Aug 14 08:45:10 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] NYTimes.com: Eco-Friendly Burial Sites Give a Chance to
	Be Green Forever
Message-ID: <20050814154147.8C474237197@lax-gw01.mroute.net>

This page was sent to you by: mblaxill@yahoo.com.

See a few paragraphs down for more HAiR inspiration, enemy of the funeral business!!


NATIONAL | August 13, 2005
Eco-Friendly Burial Sites Give a Chance to Be Green Forever
By PATRICIA LEIGH BROWN
"Green" cemeteries try to simplify an inevitable aspect of life while competing in America's roughly $15 billion funeral industry.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/13/national/13cemetery.html?ex=1124683200&en=d44a7ce99850826d&ei=5070&emc=eta1



----------------- Advertisement --------------------------

The Academy loved these movies enough to name each
one Best Picture.  What did the original New York
Times movie reviews have to say about these Oscar
winning films?  
Go to the Best Pictures review archive:

http://ads.nyt.com/th.ad/nytnyt-textEmailThisdefault-Center1A/academyawards_text/?_RM_REDIR_=http://www.nytimes.com/ref/movies/oscars/bestpictures.html




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0


----------------------------------------------------------

ABOUT THIS E-MAIL
This e-mail was sent to you by a friend through NYTimes.com's E-mail This Article service.  For general information about NYTimes.com, write to help@nytimes.com.

NYTimes.com 500 Seventh Avenue New York, NY 10018

Copyright 2005 The New York Times Company
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From harry.sifton at sympatico.ca  Sun Aug 14 08:59:44 2005
From: harry.sifton at sympatico.ca (Harold Sifton)
Date: Sun Aug 14 09:03:17 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Cannon Street All Stars
Message-ID: <000b01c5a0e9$339d2d10$6b27e440@Harold>

Caught part of this story on Nightline, about racism and the Little League Baseball in 1955 , 

"Let Them Play" was shouted out by the fans!

Could not find the full ABC version (below), but found another from Sports Illustrated.

ABC, store

http://www.abcnewsstore.com/store/index.cfm?fuseaction=customer.product&product_code=N050811%2001&category_code=HOME


SI.online, 

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2005/baseball/mlb/wires/08/06/2010.ap.bbo.dixie.youth.baseball.bjt.0907/

History,

Harry





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From villasudjuan at wanadoo.fr  Sun Aug 14 08:00:06 2005
From: villasudjuan at wanadoo.fr (villasudjuan)
Date: Sun Aug 14 09:55:30 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] FW: "The New Islamic Superpower" - theTrumpet.com
In-Reply-To: <000901c5a02b$ce32c9c0$6501a8c0@2r6cx01>
Message-ID: <200508141655.j7EGtRju018568@dune.islandtechnologies.net>

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From hecate at diamonddragon.com  Sun Aug 14 11:11:40 2005
From: hecate at diamonddragon.com (Hecate)
Date: Sun Aug 14 11:15:16 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] BBC E-mail: Icy Greenland turns green
Message-ID: <20050814_181140_002375.hecate@diamonddragon.com>

Hecate saw this story on BBC News Online and thought you
should see it.

** Message **
tagging along with a group of eminent scientists, funded through the foundation of a billionaire philanthropist, Gary Comer. He has devoted his retirement to the science of global warming. 


** Icy Greenland turns green **
Richard Hollingham sees the effects of climate change for himself, as Greenland's glaciers retreat.
< http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/fr/-/2/hi/programmes/from_our_own_correspondent/4145034.stm >


** BBC Daily E-mail **
Choose the news and sport headlines you want - when you want them, all
in one daily e-mail
< http://www.bbc.co.uk/dailyemail/ >


** Disclaimer **
The BBC is not responsible for the content of this e-mail, and anything written in this e-mail does not necessarily reflect the BBC's views or opinions. Please note that neither the e-mail address nor name of the sender have?been verified.

If you do not wish to receive such e-mails in the future or want to know more about the BBC's Email a Friend service, please read our frequently asked questions. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/help/4162471.stm

From michael at intrafi.com  Sun Aug 14 13:04:43 2005
From: michael at intrafi.com (michael@intrafi.com)
Date: Sun Aug 14 13:08:08 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Mortgaged to the House of Saud
Message-ID: <23975373.1124049883774.JavaMail.turbine@s79>

This story was sent to you by: michael butler

--------------------
Mortgaged to the House of Saud 
--------------------

Robert Scheer

August 9 2005

THE ONLY EVIDENCE you need that President Bush is losing the "war on terror" is this: On Sunday, the foreign minister of Saudi Arabia said that relations with the United States "couldn't be better." 

The complete article can be viewed at:
http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-oe-scheer9aug09,1,1658058.column?coll=la-news-columns 

Visit latimes.com at http://www.latimes.com
From michael at intrafi.com  Sun Aug 14 14:10:58 2005
From: michael at intrafi.com (michael@intrafi.com)
Date: Sun Aug 14 14:14:17 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] The left's eyeing your home
Message-ID: <19462539.1124053858923.JavaMail.turbine@s74>

This story was sent to you by: michael butler

--------------------
The left's eyeing your home 
--------------------

Matt Welch
Matt Welch is an associate editor for Reason magazine.

August 14 2005

WHEN THE Supreme Court decided seven weeks ago in Kelo vs. New London to loosen constitutional restraints on local governments taking your house and selling it to Wal-Mart, it triggered a wave of public revulsion from New England to South Los Angeles. Ninety-three percent of Granite State residents in a University of New Hampshire poll opposed using eminent domain for private development. Legislators in 28 states have made at least preliminary noises about restricting the practice, with Alabama being first to enact a new law. 

The complete article can be viewed at:
http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-op-takings14aug14,0,5697356.story?coll=la-news-comment-opinions 

Visit latimes.com at http://www.latimes.com
From michael at intrafi.com  Sun Aug 14 15:57:07 2005
From: michael at intrafi.com (michael)
Date: Sun Aug 14 15:52:18 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Article from Tom Dispatch
Message-ID: <200508142257.j7EMv7TO025711@thor.thenation.com>

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From barbarasiomos38 at msn.com  Sun Aug 14 16:22:16 2005
From: barbarasiomos38 at msn.com (barbarasiomos38@msn.com)
Date: Sun Aug 14 16:25:40 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] TIME.com: The 25 Most Influential Hispanics in America
	-- Page 1
Message-ID: <15466853.1124061736088.JavaMail.tomcat@localhost>



*Please note, the sender's email address has not been verified.



Interesting article....

peace,
barbara



 
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From barbarasiomos38 at msn.com  Sun Aug 14 16:24:44 2005
From: barbarasiomos38 at msn.com (barbarasiomos38@msn.com)
Date: Sun Aug 14 16:28:04 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Inside America&#39;s Largest Minority
Message-ID: <23955803.1124061884310.JavaMail.tomcat@localhost>



*Please note, the sender's email address has not been verified.



You have received the following link from barbarasiomos38@msn.com

 
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From barbarasiomos38 at msn.com  Sun Aug 14 16:27:33 2005
From: barbarasiomos38 at msn.com (barbarasiomos38@msn.com)
Date: Sun Aug 14 16:30:53 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Inside Iran's Secret War for Iraq
Message-ID: <26506987.1124062053020.JavaMail.tomcat@localhost>



*Please note, the sender's email address has not been verified.



As Robin has been saying, Iran is the one to watch...

peace,
barbara




 
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From olhippie at tampabay.rr.com  Sun Aug 14 16:52:39 2005
From: olhippie at tampabay.rr.com (Robin McNamara)
Date: Sun Aug 14 16:55:55 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Inside Iran's Secret War for Iraq
References: <26506987.1124062053020.JavaMail.tomcat@localhost>
Message-ID: <000e01c5a12b$41046580$8a03ca44@CowBox>

EMAIL THIS Email"The Mother Of All Battles" has only just begun.

Peace
Robin
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: barbarasiomos38@msn.com 
  To: mb-civic@islandlists.com 
  Sent: Sunday, August 14, 2005 7:27 PM
  Subject: [Mb-civic] Inside Iran's Secret War for Iraq


     
                  
                          Powered by   
                   
             
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                As Robin has been saying, Iran is the one to watch...

                    peace,
                    barbara


                     
             
                  
             
                  
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                 Inside Iran's Secret War for Iraq*  
                          
                        
                      
                        
                    
                        
                    
                        
             
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              http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1093747,00.html 

             
       



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From swiggard at comcast.net  Mon Aug 15 04:16:14 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (William Swiggard)
Date: Mon Aug 15 04:21:35 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Gaza Withdrawal Begins With Confrontations - Washington
	Post
Message-ID: <4300797E.9020102@comcast.net>

<>Gaza Withdrawal Begins With Confrontations
Three-Week Operation to Clear Settlements Will Have Little Tolerance for 
Obstruction

By Scott Wilson
Washington Post Foreign Service
Monday, August 15, 2005; 7:03 AM

NEVE DEKALIM, Gaza Strip Aug. 15-- Thousands of Israeli army troops 
moved into Gaza Monday morning to serve eviction notices on settlers and 
confronted hundreds of opponents blocking their way into communities 
across the coastal strip.

Soldiers had intended to enter 21 Jewish settlements to give residents 
who live in them 48 hours to leave. But in at least five communities 
they were prevented from doing so by young settlers who oppose the 
evacuation.

The confrontations over Israel's disengagement from Gaza were mostly 
peaceful except for scattered scuffles between young men and soldiers. 
In some cases, Army jeeps and police cars were vandalized by mobs of 
opponents, who punctured tires, tore out radios and poured dishwater 
detergent on the vehicles.

Israeli military officials said the resistance was not unexpected but 
warned that starting Wednesday, there would be little tolerance for 
obstruction of the operation designed to clear the settlements over the 
next three weeks.

<>The military is scheduled to evacuate 8,500 Jewish settlers from Gaza, 
which was captured from Egypt in the 1967 war. It is the first 
evacuation of Jewish settlements since the Sinai pullout in 1982.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/15/AR2005081500201.html 

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From swiggard at comcast.net  Mon Aug 15 04:21:36 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (William Swiggard)
Date: Mon Aug 15 04:26:55 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] America's Muslim Ghettos- Salam Al-Marayati - Washington
	Post
Message-ID: <43007AC0.30202@comcast.net>

America's Muslim Ghettos

By Salam Al-Marayati
Monday, August 15, 2005; Page A15

Reports that the culprits in the London terrorist attacks were in fact 
homegrown British Muslim lads are reverberating throughout the U.S. 
Muslim community. They are forcing Muslims to focus on how to prevent 
such incidents in this country. The way to do this, it is clear, is to 
combat the Muslim-ghetto mentality that is proliferating in Western 
countries these days. This has so far been mostly a European phenomenon, 
but it could easily take root here.

The word "ghetto" comes from the name of the island near Venice where 
Italian Jews were made to live in the 16th century. A ghetto is a 
section of a city occupied by a minority group whose people live there 
largely because of social, economic or legal pressure. Make no mistake: 
British Muslims are by and large living under such conditions. And it 
should come as no surprise that residents living in isolated, homogenous 
pockets -- such as Leeds, where the suspects resided -- do not feel a 
sense of belonging to their nation or the West. Social and economic 
isolation of minority communities makes them more prone to political and 
religious radicalization.

Throughout Europe, cultural barriers separate Muslim ghettos from 
mainstream society. In general, European Muslims belong to the 
underclass. British Muslims are mostly Indo-Pakistani; French Muslims 
are largely Algerian, Belgian Muslims are immigrants from Morocco, etc. 
In many of these countries where Muslim populations are largely 
homogenous, the forces of isolation are stronger than the forces of 
integration, partly because of the socioeconomic status of Muslim 
communities throughout Europe and partly because of self-imposed isolation.

In the United States, it has been a different picture and a different 
reality. Because American Muslims are relatively more educated and 
affluent than European Muslims, they are typically far more interested 
in integrating into mainstream society. That American Muslims do not 
have a "ghetto problem" may be one reason U.S. officials consider al 
Qaeda more of a threat in Europe than within the United States.

But that doesn't mean some American Muslims don't find themselves on the 
fringes of society. While social forces in Europe may alienate Muslims, 
it is political forces in the United States that repel many. Although 
the vast majority of American Muslims do not live in economically 
depressed physical ghettos, many live in a psychological ghetto caused 
by the lack of acceptance they feel from their neighbors and colleagues, 
especially in the post-Sept. 11 era. This psychological ghetto may prove 
the largest challenge in the war on terrorism.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/14/AR2005081401038.html

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From swiggard at comcast.net  Mon Aug 15 04:23:54 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (William Swiggard)
Date: Mon Aug 15 04:29:12 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] A Bad Shift for the Court - William Raspberry -
	Washington Post
Message-ID: <43007B4A.4040807@comcast.net>

A Bad Shift for the Court

By William Raspberry
Monday, August 15, 2005; Page A15

If you're concerned about the rightward drift of the U.S. Supreme Court, 
you may be hoping -- as I am -- for a smoking-gun revelation that would 
disqualify John G. Roberts Jr.

Sometimes we even imagine we've found the damning evidence. For 
instance, despite his careful attempts to shield his private views -- 
either by declining to put them in writing or by making it appear that 
the positions he took were merely those of his clients -- we are 
learning some things about the nominee that confirm our suspicions. He 
has been, virtually since his arrival in government, not just a counsel 
but an advocate of positions that, to civil rights partisans, for 
instance, seem well out of the settled mainstream.

He wanted, his memos confirm, to limit the reach of the Voting Rights 
Act, to do away with such race-conscious approaches as school busing and 
affirmative action, to curtail the application of Title IX to equalize 
opportunity for women, and to strip the Supreme Court of its ability to 
hear certain classes of civil rights cases.

And we wonder why none of it seems to matter. Don't the American people 
understand the danger of letting the Supreme Court become, in essence, a 
partisan of one side in a closely divided nation?

In a word, no. I've just looked at something I wrote on the subject more 
than a dozen years ago, and I'm not sure I'd change a word of it now:

<>"Certainly it is within the prerogatives of presidents to name to the 
federal judiciary men and women whose views are more or less consistent 
with their own. But it is also within the bounds of good government to 
keep the courts -- and the Supreme Court in particular -- generally 
reflective of the populace. It's just another way of legitimizing the 
judiciary.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/14/AR2005081401035.html?nav=hcmodule 

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From swiggard at comcast.net  Mon Aug 15 04:26:03 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (William Swiggard)
Date: Mon Aug 15 04:31:22 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Online Lessons on Unprotected Sex - Andrew J. McClurg -
 Washington Post
Message-ID: <43007BCB.1070801@comcast.net>

Online Lessons on Unprotected Sex

By Andrew J. McClurg
Monday, August 15, 2005; Page A15

Kiss-and-tell is as old as love itself. Fortunately, most indiscreet 
paramours limit their blabbing to a few confidants. Not Jessica Cutler. 
In May 2004, she spilled out the graphic details of her sexual exploits 
on Capitol Hill on a blog accessible to hundreds of millions of Internet 
users.

Now a federal lawsuit by one of her past lovers has set up a potentially 
high-stakes battle between privacy and speech rights and could give new 
meaning to the idea of safe sex in a wired world.

Cutler's blog, written under the pseudonym Washingtonienne, was a daily 
diary of her sex life while working as a staffer for Sen. Mike DeWine 
(R-Ohio). It recounted, entertainingly and in considerable -- sometimes 
embarrassing -- detail, her ongoing relationships with six men, 
including plaintiff Robert Steinbuch, a lawyer who also worked for 
DeWine. Although Cutler never used his full name, and usually referred 
to the plaintiff by his initials, Steinbuch alleges the blog revealed 
sufficient information, including his first name, physical description 
and where he worked, to identify him.

The Internet gossip site Wonkette published excerpts from Cutler's blog, 
touching off a media "feeding frenzy" in which Steinbuch was repeatedly 
identified by his full name. Cutler capitalized on the publicity. She 
gave print, broadcast and online interviews, posed nude for Playboy and 
reportedly received a $300,000 advance for her just-published book, a 
veiled fictional account of a Senate staffer's sexual adventures on 
Capitol Hill.

Steinbuch's argument is compelling. By any normative standard, he 
suffered a genuine wrong. As he asserts in his complaint, "It is one 
thing to be manipulated and used by a lover, it is another thing to be 
cruelly exposed to the world."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/14/AR2005081401034.html?nav=hcmodule

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From harry.sifton at sympatico.ca  Mon Aug 15 05:49:07 2005
From: harry.sifton at sympatico.ca (harry.sifton@sympatico.ca)
Date: Mon Aug 15 05:58:47 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] IHT.com Article: Frank Rich: Someone tell the president
	the war is over
Message-ID: <20050815124907.CF718FA17@dumpty.iht.com>

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From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Mon Aug 15 07:21:59 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (mblaxill@yahoo.com)
Date: Mon Aug 15 07:25:34 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Headlines for August 15, 2005
Message-ID: <20050815142159.476.qmail@trinity.democracynow.org>

Mike Blaxill  ( mblaxill@yahoo.com )
sent you this story from democracynow.org



+--------------------------------------------------------------------+
|  Headlines for August 15, 2005
|  http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=05/08/15/143248
+--------------------------------------------------------------------+


- Israeli Pullout of Gaza Begins
- Cindy Sheehan Begins Day Nine of Her Protest in Texas
- Bush Administration Lowers Expectations in Iraq
- Bush Warns Iran "All Options Are On The Table"
- Conyers Calls For Investigation Into Ascroft's Role In CIA Leak Case
- Report: Rove Failed to Tell FBI About Conversation w/ Time Reporter
- KKK Leader Convicted of 1964 Killings Released on Bail
- Washington Rally Calls For Mass Prison Reform
This story continues at: 
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=05/08/15/143248

From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Mon Aug 15 07:31:24 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (mblaxill@yahoo.com)
Date: Mon Aug 15 07:34:52 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] NYTimes.com: Settlers Who Refused to Leave Gaza Receive
	Eviction Notices
Message-ID: <20050815143124.0E6253AE548@lax-gw06.mroute.net>

This page was sent to you by: mblaxill@yahoo.com.

INTERNATIONAL / MIDDLE EAST | August 15, 2005
Settlers Who Refused to Leave Gaza Receive Eviction Notices
By GREG MYRE
Israeli troops began distributing eviction notices today, as thousands of settlers defied an order to leave Gaza by Sunday.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/15/international/middleeast/15cnd-gaza.html?ex=1124769600&en=a403c4b902daf6c1&ei=5070&emc=eta1



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From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Mon Aug 15 07:40:58 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (mblaxill@yahoo.com)
Date: Mon Aug 15 07:44:29 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] NYTimes.com: Social Security Lessons
Message-ID: <20050815144058.BFDD224AFD8@lax-gw02.mroute.net>

This page was sent to you by: mblaxill@yahoo.com.

OPINION | August 15, 2005
Op-Ed Columnist: Social Security Lessons
By PAUL KRUGMAN
The Bush administration sells its policies by misrepresenting its goals, lying about the facts and abusing its control of government agencies.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/15/opinion/15krugman.html?ex=1124769600&en=a5ad07def9967d0f&ei=5070&emc=eta1




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This e-mail was sent to you by a friend through NYTimes.com's E-mail This Article service.  For general information about NYTimes.com, write to help@nytimes.com.

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From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Mon Aug 15 07:48:01 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (mblaxill@yahoo.com)
Date: Mon Aug 15 07:51:26 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] NYTimes.com: Brazil's Opposition Shelters President From
	Scandal, for Now
Message-ID: <20050815144801.581A69FC73@lax-gw05.mroute.net>

This page was sent to you by: mblaxill@yahoo.com.

hard to tell what's going on here - or who to believe


INTERNATIONAL / AMERICAS | August 14, 2005
Brazil's Opposition Shelters President From Scandal, for Now
By LARRY ROHTER
Opponents of the Brazilian president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, are working to keep him in office to protect a robust economy.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/14/international/americas/14brazil.html?ex=1124769600&en=a83c3230c94f22b6&ei=5070&emc=eta1



----------------- Advertisement --------------------------

The Academy loved these movies enough to name each
one Best Picture.  What did the original New York
Times movie reviews have to say about these Oscar
winning films?  
Go to the Best Pictures review archive:

http://ads.nyt.com/th.ad/nytnyt-textEmailThisdefault-Center1A/academyawards_text/?_RM_REDIR_=http://www.nytimes.com/ref/movies/oscars/bestpictures.html




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Copyright 2005 The New York Times Company
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From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Mon Aug 15 07:49:45 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (mblaxill@yahoo.com)
Date: Mon Aug 15 07:53:06 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] NYTimes.com: Lives Blown Apart
Message-ID: <20050815144945.3FE1624AEF6@lax-gw02.mroute.net>

This page was sent to you by: mblaxill@yahoo.com.

OPINION | August 15, 2005
Op-Ed Columnist: Lives Blown Apart
By BOB HERBERT
While families of those who have been wounded in the war are losing almost everything, most of us are making no sacrifice at all.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/15/opinion/15herbert.html?ex=1124769600&en=288f96239716f095&ei=5070&emc=eta1




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ABOUT THIS E-MAIL
This e-mail was sent to you by a friend through NYTimes.com's E-mail This Article service.  For general information about NYTimes.com, write to help@nytimes.com.

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Copyright 2005 The New York Times Company
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From harry.sifton at sympatico.ca  Mon Aug 15 08:22:29 2005
From: harry.sifton at sympatico.ca (harry)
Date: Mon Aug 15 08:26:08 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] BBC E-mail: Gang wars plague Mexican drugs hub
Message-ID: <20050815_152229_065164.harry.sifton@sympatico.ca>

harry saw this story on BBC News Online and thought you
should see it.

** Message **
Mexico, caught betwwen the American consumers and Columbian producers!

** Gang wars plague Mexican drugs hub **
The Mexican city of Nuevo Laredo is trapped in a bloody war between rival drug gangs, seeking to control routes into the US, reports Claire Marshall.
< http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/fr/-/1/hi/world/americas/4144686.stm >


** BBC Daily E-mail **
Choose the news and sport headlines you want - when you want them, all
in one daily e-mail
< http://www.bbc.co.uk/dailyemail/ >


** Disclaimer **
The BBC is not responsible for the content of this e-mail, and anything written in this e-mail does not necessarily reflect the BBC's views or opinions. Please note that neither the e-mail address nor name of the sender have?been verified.

If you do not wish to receive such e-mails in the future or want to know more about the BBC's Email a Friend service, please read our frequently asked questions. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/help/4162471.stm

From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Mon Aug 15 08:35:36 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (Mike Blaxill)
Date: Mon Aug 15 08:38:58 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Waas: Rove and Ashcroft face new allegations in the
	Valerie Plame affair
Message-ID: <20050815153536.70259.qmail@web53015.mail.yahoo.com>

 Rove and Ashcroft face new allegations in the
Valerie Plame affair
by Murray Waas
August 13th, 2005 2:39 PM

Justice Department officials made the crucial
decision in late 2003 to appoint a special
prosecutor to investigate the leak of the
identity of undercover CIA officer Valerie Plame
in large part because investigators had begun to
specifically question the veracity of accounts
provided to them by White House deputy chief of
staff Karl Rove, according to senior law
enforcement officials.

Several of the federal investigators were also
deeply concerned that then attorney general John
Ashcroft was personally briefed regarding the
details of at least one FBI interview with Rove,
despite Ashcroft's own longstanding personal and
political ties to Rove, the Voice has also
learned. The same sources said Ashcroft was also
told that investigators firmly believed that Rove
had withheld important information from them
during that FBI interview.

http://villagevoice.com/news/0533,waasweb1,66861,2.html
From michael at michaelbutler.com  Mon Aug 15 09:13:02 2005
From: michael at michaelbutler.com (Michael Butler)
Date: Mon Aug 15 09:16:24 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] A MAJOR DAY
Message-ID: <BF260D1E.23445%michael@michaelbutler.com>

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!
DEAR NINA
KEEPER OF THE FLAME
POSSESOR OF THE GRAIL
COORDINATOR OF ALL
MANY MORE HAPPY DAYS
DEAR WWNE
LOVE MICHAEL

From hotprojects at nyc.rr.com  Mon Aug 15 09:15:16 2005
From: hotprojects at nyc.rr.com (richard haase)
Date: Mon Aug 15 09:18:42 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] A MAJOR DAY
References: <BF260D1E.23445%michael@michaelbutler.com>
Message-ID: <000801c5a1b4$864940a0$6e436c42@hotprojects>

happy birthday nina
cine dane ( italian toast; colloquially a hundred years of happiness )
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Michael Butler" <michael@michaelbutler.com>
To: "HAIR List" <mb-hair@islandlists.com>; "Civic"
<mb-civic@islandlists.com>
Sent: Monday, August 15, 2005 12:13 PM
Subject: [Mb-civic] A MAJOR DAY


> HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!
> DEAR NINA
> KEEPER OF THE FLAME
> POSSESOR OF THE GRAIL
> COORDINATOR OF ALL
> MANY MORE HAPPY DAYS
> DEAR WWNE
> LOVE MICHAEL
>
> _______________________________________________
> Mb-civic mailing list
> Mb-civic@islandlists.com
> http://www.islandlists.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/mb-civic

From michael at intrafi.com  Mon Aug 15 09:57:39 2005
From: michael at intrafi.com (michael@intrafi.com)
Date: Mon Aug 15 10:01:06 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] FT.com / Comment & analysis / Comment - How to address
	the goals beyond Gaza 
Message-ID: <7617743.1124125059730.JavaMail.tomcat@localhost>



*Please note, the sender's email address has not been verified.



You have received the following link from michael@intrafi.com

 
********************
 
If you are having trouble with any of the links in this message, or if the URL's are not appearing as links, please follow the instructions at the bottom of this email.
 
Title: FT.com / Comment & analysis / Comment - How to address the goals beyond Gaza 
 
  
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From michael at intrafi.com  Mon Aug 15 09:59:42 2005
From: michael at intrafi.com (michael@intrafi.com)
Date: Mon Aug 15 10:03:09 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] FT.com / Arts & Weekend - The road to ruin
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From michael at intrafi.com  Mon Aug 15 10:00:40 2005
From: michael at intrafi.com (michael@intrafi.com)
Date: Mon Aug 15 10:04:10 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] FT.com / Comment & analysis / Analysis - The Caribbean
	faces prospect of a life without sugar
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From earth_email_list at venusproject.com  Mon Aug 15 09:06:06 2005
From: earth_email_list at venusproject.com (Bahram Maskanian)
Date: Mon Aug 15 10:08:06 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Who's Wagging Whom?
Message-ID: <200508151708.j7FH83FK021239@dune.islandtechnologies.net>




    Who's Wagging Whom?

This growing notion senses a more authentic line of demarcation that 
identifies rich vs. poor as the more appropriate label between sides in 
this new war, which is also the old war, and the endless war.

Further, it suspects, through repeated analyses of the events of recent 
history, that somehow a single entity manages to bankroll BOTH sides in 
each conflict, employs deceptive operatives who pretend to be working 
for one side when they're really working for the other (if they're not 
openly working for both), and generally fans the flames of violent 
hatred whenever it can for one purpose only, to make sure war breaks out 
and continues - - because that is where the real money is, and always 
has been.

Perhaps the clearest recent example of this was the eight-year war 
between Iraq and Iran, during which the Western axis of evil - - the 
U.S., Britain and Israel - - did everything it could to fund BOTH sides 
in the conflict, hoping that the two nations would destroy each other. 
Then these usurious vultures could walk in and pick up the profitable 
pieces. When that didn't happen, the Western axis of evil decided it had 
to start its own war there, which it did. This eviscerating wound to not 
only the Iraqi people but to all the peoples of the world, including 
Americans, has reached the point where we are now on the verge of World 
War Three as this policy swaggers on toward its depraved conclusion.


Read More...

http://www.venusproject.com/ethics_in_action/Who_Is_Wagging_Whom.html


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From hecate at diamonddragon.com  Mon Aug 15 12:21:43 2005
From: hecate at diamonddragon.com (Hecate)
Date: Mon Aug 15 12:25:08 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] BBC E-mail: Calcutta plans ban on rickshaws
Message-ID: <20050815_192143_074572.hecate@diamonddragon.com>

Hecate saw this story on BBC News Online and thought you
should see it.



** Calcutta plans ban on rickshaws **
Calcutta's hand-pulled rickshaw will soon be banned, the chief minister of India's West Bengal state says.
< http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/fr/-/2/hi/south_asia/4152316.stm >


** BBC Daily E-mail **
Choose the news and sport headlines you want - when you want them, all
in one daily e-mail
< http://www.bbc.co.uk/dailyemail/ >


** Disclaimer **
The BBC is not responsible for the content of this e-mail, and anything written in this e-mail does not necessarily reflect the BBC's views or opinions. Please note that neither the e-mail address nor name of the sender have?been verified.

If you do not wish to receive such e-mails in the future or want to know more about the BBC's Email a Friend service, please read our frequently asked questions. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/help/4162471.stm

From hecate at diamonddragon.com  Mon Aug 15 12:22:29 2005
From: hecate at diamonddragon.com (Hecate)
Date: Mon Aug 15 12:25:53 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] BBC E-mail: Bird flu reaches Russia's Urals
Message-ID: <20050815_192229_038539.hecate@diamonddragon.com>

Hecate saw this story on BBC News Online and thought you
should see it.



** Bird flu reaches Russia's Urals **
Bird flu spreads west to the Urals region of Russia, triggering the slaughter of hundreds more birds.
< http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/fr/-/2/hi/europe/4152828.stm >


** BBC Daily E-mail **
Choose the news and sport headlines you want - when you want them, all
in one daily e-mail
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From activist at democrats.com  Mon Aug 15 15:01:43 2005
From: activist at democrats.com (Democrats.com)
Date: Mon Aug 15 19:16:58 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Cindy Sheehan and a Grass Roots Movement
Message-ID: <20050815180143.37440@democrats.com>

Cindy Sheehan and other military families, veterans, and concerned citizens have brought the issue of the lies that launched this war to Crawford, Texas, and to the corporate media. 

Cindy's New Site With a Video Message: 
http://www.meetwithcindy.org 

Latest News from Crawford (354 articles posted): 
http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/?q=taxonomy/term/13 

Here are some things that you can do to help: 

Candlelight Vigils
Join with MoveOn, True Majority, and Democracy for America in organizing or attending a Vigil for Cindy Sheehan in your town on Wednesday, August 17, 2005, at 7:30 p.m. 
http://www.moveonpac.org/event/cindyvigils/ 

Other Meet-With-Cindy Events
Plan your own event at a time and place and description of your choosing using this new MeetWithCindy.org events system. 
Create an Event: 
http://tinyurl.com/9otjy
Search Existing Events: 
http://tinyurl.com/7f73z
Some groups around the country have already held press conferences or rallies, or staged send-offs for people headed to Crawford, or set up Camp Caseys in solidarity with the one in Crawford, or held protests at media outlets to demand coverage. Send us a report on what you do, and we'll post it on the website. 
david@davidswanson.org 

Send Cindy Your Message With a Pink Rose
http://www.codepink4peace.org/ 


Meet With Your Congress Member About Barbara Lee's Resolution of Inquiry on the Downing Street Memos
Can you spare a half an hour to meet with your congress member, together with some of your friends and allies, and ask him or her to co-sponsor Barbara Lee's Resolution of Inquiry on the Downing Street Memos (H. Res 375)? Democracy for America has set up this events system to help you do so. 
http://democracyforamerica.com/congressionalmeetings
There are now 44 co-sponsors of the Resolution: 
http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/?q=node/902 

Don't Hold an Event Without Telling the Media! 
Call, don't just write, your local media to alert them to your local events. The media love events that give a local angle on a national story. Help them out. Also call your local politicians and state legislators and congressional offices to urge them to attend or send a representative. 

Here are general resources for events, including information on working the media: 
http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/?q=node/526 

Here is a guide to working your local media: 
http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/?q=node/748 

The kits above are focused on the Downing Street Memos, but the same techniques apply for events focused on demanding that Bush meet with Cindy. 

Support AfterDowningStreet: 
http://elandslide.org/elandslide/edonate.cfm?campaign=ads 

FORWARD THIS EMAIL 

SUBSCRIBE TO GET THESE UPDATES: 
http://elandslide.org/elandslide/subscribe_module.cfm?campaign=ads 


#####

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From michael at michaelbutler.com  Mon Aug 15 18:44:51 2005
From: michael at michaelbutler.com (Michael Butler)
Date: Mon Aug 15 19:17:05 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] "God said it. I believe it. That settles it"
Message-ID: <BF269323.234B7%michael@michaelbutler.com>


Michael Butler's Blog

http://www.michaelbutler.com/mbblog.html


From Hawaiipolo at cs.com  Mon Aug 15 18:04:58 2005
From: Hawaiipolo at cs.com (Hawaiipolo@cs.com)
Date: Mon Aug 15 19:32:37 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] (no subject)
Message-ID: <E1E4rCN-0001fL-A3@smtpauth05.mail.atl.earthlink.net>

 

>  Cindy's Victory 
> By William Rivers Pitt 
> t r u t h o u t | Perspective 
> 
> Monday 15 August 2005 
> 
> 
> >> This thing, the wheels are coming off it. 
>> - Gen. Barry McCaffrey, after returning from an inspection of Iraq, 
>> 08/12/2005.
>  
> They are sunburned and storm-lashed. They sleep in tents that sit along the 
> muddy earth of drainage ditches by the side of the road. They have been 
> heckled by "counter-demonstrators" who chanted "We don't care!" during a rendition 
> of "God Bless America." They have been attacked by fire ants and hassled by 
> local health inspectors. On Thursday morning, at about 5:30am, they were 
> blasted awake by a fourteen-car convoy of Secret Service SUVs which roared 
> through the camp at high speed while leaning on their horns the whole time. 
> They have been jolted with fear when a local resident fired his weapon into 
> the air several times to make them go away. When the shooter, one Larry 
> Mattlage, was asked why he was firing his gun, he said, "We're going to start 
> doing our war and it's going to be underneath the law. We're going to do whatever 
> it takes." It is safe to say, therefore, that their lives have been 
> threatened. 
> The thing is, they've already won. 
> Cindy Sheehan and her ever-growing band of supporters intend to stay in 
> those ditches outside Bush's Crawford "ranch" until he comes out to talk or until 
> August 31st, whichever comes first. If he does not come out by the end of 
> the month, she intends to follow him to Washington and camp out in front of the 
> White House. She and the others have been there for more than a week now, 
> garnering more and more attention from the national and international press. 
> Yes, they are tired. Yes, they are uncomfortable. Yes, they have already won. 
> The nearly 2,000 crosses, crescents and Stars of David that make up the 
> Arlington West cemetery, erected by the demonstrators a few days ago to represent 
> all the fallen American soldiers in Iraq, stretch almost a mile down the 
> country road. Bush had to drive past that on Friday when he went to his 
> fundraising shindig at the Broken Spoke Ranch. 54 crosses have been added to the 
> cemetery since he first showed up for his vacation at the beginning of August. It 
> takes a while to drive past them all. This man, who cannot abide hearing or 
> seeing anything in the way of dissent or disagreement, saw those crosses 
> whistle past his window. That is a victory. 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> August 10, 2005 | A portion of Arlington West in Crawford. 
> (Photo: Will Pitt / t r u t h o u t) 
> 
> 
> Over the weekend, as the camp prepared for the arrival of the 
> counter-demonstrators, a huge diesel pickup truck rumbled into camp with its nose 
> menacingly pointed towards the tents. It sat for a while, and everyone waited to see 
> what would happen. Ann Wright, the main organizer of camp activities, finally 
> approached the truck and met the driver. He was a father, Wright discovered, 
> and his son had been killed in Iraq. 
> He did not agree with this protest, he said, but wanted to know if his son's 
> name was on one of the crosses in the Arlington West cemetery. Ann Wright 
> invited the man to walk the rows of crosses and find his son's name. They found 
> it. Ann and the man from the truck sat down in front of the cross, wrapped 
> their arms around each other, and wept. Later, the man shared a beer with 
> Cindy Sheehan and told her he loved her. That is a victory, one that surpasses 
> any sort of mean politics. 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> August 10, 2005 | The grave of Casey Sheehan, who died in Iraq, from the 
> Arlington West cemetery. 
> (Photo: Will Pitt / t r u t h o u t) 
> 
> 
> For three years now, both before the invasion of Iraq began and then after 
> it was unleashed, millions of people have marched and screamed and stomped in 
> order to try to put a stop to this disaster. The Bush administration was not 
> pushed off its tracks even an inch in all this time. Discussions and debates 
> on why we are there and whether or not we should leave have been bunted 
> aside. 
> Half a dozen reasons for the invasion and occupation have been put forth - 
> weapons of mass destruction, ties to al Qaeda terrorism, the building of a 
> democracy, Hussein was a bad man - but in the end, the debate is halted by the 
> kind of brainless thinking that left us in Vietnam for far too long: "We are 
> there, so we have to stay." This was the accepted wisdom. 
> Not anymore. 
> All the protests, all the articles, all the books, all the whistleblowers, 
> all the criticism combined have not packed the kind of punch that one mother 
> in a ditch has delivered to this administration's carefully crafted fantasy 
> vision of what is happening in Iraq. Suddenly, Bush has been forced to go 
> before cameras and try to explain why staying in Iraq is the only option 
> available. Suddenly, the accepted wisdom isn't so accepted anymore. A majority of 
> Americans, according to every available poll, agree with the lady in the ditch 
> and not with the president. 
> Bush isn't doing a very good job of explaining his side of things, and his 
> people seem unable to keep their stories straight. After the fourteen Marines 
> from Ohio were killed in Iraq, Bush got up and stated that it would be 
> unreasonable for him to lay down a timetable for withdrawal. Yet at the same time, 
> his generals were bent over maps and logistics notebooks, trying to do 
> exactly that. 
> The Los Angeles Times on Saturday took a look at the mixed messages coming 
> from the war party. "Are the president and the Pentagon on the same page over 
> the war in Iraq?" asked the Times. "That question is percolating in 
> Washington after President Bush twice in the last 10 days tried to clarify a message 
> sent by Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld and military leaders. After 
> Rumsfeld and other Pentagon officials indicated their desire to shift away from 
> discussing the struggle against terrorism as a 'war' - saying it placed too 
> much emphasis on military solutions to terrorism - Bush repeatedly used the word 
> 'war' in an Aug. 3 speech to conservative state legislators." 
> "Then," continued the Times article, "on Thursday, Bush dismissed as 
> 'rumors' and 'speculation' reports that U.S. commanders were contemplating 
> significant withdrawals of American troops from Iraq next year. His comments came 
> after Army Gen. George W. Casey, the top U.S. military official in Iraq, and Army 
> Lt. Gen. John R. Vines, the top ground commander, had publicly raised 
> exactly that possibility." 
> Hm. 
> On Sunday, out of nowhere, the Washington Post published a page-one story 
> titled "US Lowers Sights on What Can Be Achieved in Iraq." The story stated, 
> "The Bush administration is significantly lowering expectations of what can be 
> achieved in Iraq, recognizing that the United States will have to settle for 
> far less progress than originally envisioned during the transition due to end 
> in four months. The United States no longer expects to see a model new 
> democracy, a self-supporting oil industry or a society in which the majority of 
> people are free from serious security or economic challenges." 
> The article goes on to describe how any "democracy" will have to bend itself 
> around the laws of Islam, a fact that chucks the secular-government talking 
> points into the round file. Iraqi women, should not get their hopes up about 
> being granted significant rights of any kind. The kicker came in the third 
> paragraph, which quotes an unnamed US official saying, "What we expected to 
> achieve was never realistic given the timetable or what unfolded on the ground. 
> We are in a process of absorbing the factors of the situation we're in and 
> shedding the unreality that dominated at the beginning." 
> In other words, the whole thing was a Charlie Foxtrot from soup to nuts. 
> There are no weapons of mass destruction, the terrorists connected to 9/11 were 
> not there (though there are plenty there now learning how best to kill 
> Americans with bombs), and democracy is not to be found anywhere on the menu. The 
> hearts and flowers we were promised have not come, and are not coming. Sure, 
> Hussein is still a bad man, but that rationale for this war is an outright 
> laugher when compared to the cost of getting rid of him. Though Bush clings 
> desperately to his canned lines to defend his actions, the facts speak for 
> themselves. This whole bloody enterprise has been a colossal, expensive, murderous 
> failure. 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> August 10, 2005 | Wearing a hat with supporting messages from friends, Cindy 
> Sheehan of Vacaville, California, takes a moment's rest in the ditch on 
> Wednesday. On Friday afternoon, she was contacted by Coretta Scott King and Rosa 
> Parks. 
> (Photo: Will Pitt / t r u t h o u t) 
> 
> 
> The funny part is that Bush almost certainly could have maintained the 
> public fantasy with one simple act. He could have jumped into his pickup truck 
> last Saturday, when Cindy Sheehan was alone except for her sister in that ditch, 
> and driven down to see her. He could have invited her into the shotgun seat 
> and driven her around the neighborhood for a few minutes. He could have then 
> gone back up to the "ranch" and told the press corps that he met with her, 
> and that they had looked into each other's hearts. That would have been the end 
> of it. 
> He did not do that. Now, his generals are at loggerheads with the public 
> line coming from the White House about getting out of Iraq. Unnamed officials 
> are going on the record to state that the whole plan was hare-brained from the 
> word "go," and that the entire deal sits now in the ashes of its own utterly 
> ruined failure. Bush has to keep explaining why we have to stay, why 
> rearranging the deck chairs on this Titanic is a noble and worthwhile process. 
> Meanwhile, the whole world mocks him for hiding from one woman and her broken 
> heart. 
> Cindy Sheehan has done this with one act of conscience. She has managed to 
> do what no other protest or action or statement has been able to do. She has 
> knocked the wheels right off this absurd applecart. She has called the man to 
> account. She can hang her own "Mission Accomplished" banner above her tent in 
> that ditch. She has already won. 
> Her son would be very, very proud. 
> William Rivers Pitt is a New York Times and internationally bestselling 
> author of two books: War on Iraq: What Team Bush Doesn't Want You to Know and The 
> Greatest Sedition Is Silence. 
> 
> ------- 
> Jump to today's TO Features:                                                 
>                                                                              
>                                          Print This Story E-mail This Story
> 
    
    
        
    
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From lyve at netzero.com  Mon Aug 15 20:00:33 2005
From: lyve at netzero.com (Lyle K'ang)
Date: Mon Aug 15 20:05:31 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] "God said it. I believe it. That settles it"
Message-ID: <20050815.200045.6056.6131@webmail27.nyc.untd.com>

Thank you Michael!

I feel the thoughts banging around in the back of your head, ricocheting in that deep, fibrous, cavernous mind of yours, while gracefully layering words upon words. We mortals have the power to comprehend, which by the way, is shocking to many of those that are offended by human thought, because their process is the lack of individual reflection, and consequently do not understand what happens after human feelings and critical thinking come together.
ID has a different meaning within these types of religions vs. scientific and the melding of ID.
Let me explain: Carl Sagan took mathematics as far as it could go. When the equations and analysis were done-he commented that there is a God beyond our mathematics because what exists after the equations, which have taken us to the very depths of a galaxy beyond our own, only proves that a God does indeed exist. (Paraphrasing of course)
Frogs, insects, ducks, sharks, turtles, monkeys and humans have two eyes and a nose. This is what I believe to be a product of intelligent design. A design manifested by a higher being, a creator if you will-a Master! Nothing else that purports to be ID is the true ID, unless we can acknowledge where science ends and God provides the answers until we collectively grow in spiritually to understand more of our wonderment..
Religion is corrupt.
God came before religion.
God has always existed, even before religion. Religion is not of God-God is and will always be!
God would never be so arrogant to short-change his or her creations with dribble and/or trickery by playing with dialog and harming people’s faith.
Trickery and dribble are man made.
God is spiritual and speaks to the least of us through our hearts, dreams and through nature.
No one can say God said this and hope to sell it to the masses unless the entity is a Church, a corrupt political official or dictator.
I do not believe what God said unless it moves my spirit through benevolence, kindness for another, compassion with doable deliverables, and by living examples which practice patience and love.
Lyle K'ang


Lyle K\'ang, MBA/IM 


-- Michael Butler  wrote:


Michael Butler's Blog

http://www.michaelbutler.com/mbblog.html


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From ialterman at nyc.rr.com  Mon Aug 15 21:04:07 2005
From: ialterman at nyc.rr.com (Ian)
Date: Mon Aug 15 21:07:39 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] "God said it.  I believe it.  That settles it."
Message-ID: <001301c5a217$8e2bf480$99ca6c42@iancn2ccrvzt0j>

Michael:

 

You can't imagine that I would not respond to this?  LOL.

 

While I cannot speak for others (i.e., those who support ID simply as an attempt to introduce creationism into the curriculum), I must take issue with many of your statements.

 

First, promotion of ID in no way "bridges the separation of church and state."  The Constitution only speaks to the issue of government "establishing" religion - and, more specifically, establishing a particular religion as opposed to others.  So your argument fails on two grounds.  First, simply teaching something in a classroom does not "establish" it as religion: i.e., no child is required to believe the concept of ID, but only to "hear it out."  Second, even if ID were nothing but "creationism in sheep's clothing" (more in a moment), and even if children were "required" to learn it, it would not be an attempt to establish a "particular" religion, since both Judaism and Christianity (and, to a lesser degree, Islam) have similar beliefs in this regard - despite the fact that only the "Christian Right" seems to be pushing it.



You then say, "We are asked to believe in the existence of a serious debate within the scientific community between Evolution and Intelligent Design when there is no basis for debate.  The scientific leaders and intellects recognize ID as dependent on nothing but faith.  Because there is no scientific evidence."



You could not be more wrong.  Have you ever read "Darwin's Black Box" by Michael Behe?  Behe is a Ph.D. in biochemistry, and a professor of biological sciences at Lehigh University.  Have you ever read any of William Dembski's half dozen books on the subject?  Dembski has a double Ph.D. in mathematics and philosophy, and serves as both professor of theology and science at Southern Baptist University, and associate research professor in Conceptual Foundations of Science at Baylor University.  Have you ever read "Darwin's God" by Cornelius Hunter?  Hunter is a Ph.D. in biophysics, and among the most respected evolutionary biologists in the world.  Have you ever read anything by Ernst Mayr?  Mayr (who died this year) was a Ph.D. in ornithology, and Emeritus Professor of Zoology at Harvard.



And I could give you at least a dozen more names of heavily credentialed, heavily published, highly respected scientists in a variety of fields directly related to evolution, all of whom challenge various aspects of Darwin's work.  And those who are still alive are actively involved in the ID movement.  Nor are all of them Christian - or even believers.  They are scientists who believe that Darwin did not get everything right, and that evolution is not the be-all and end-all of the discussion on human origins.



As I have pointed out before, Darwin himself was not an atheist who set out to disprove the existence of God.  Darwin was a life-long Christian whose only earned degree was in theology.  And although his faith admittedly wavered at times, he became a deacon of his church and was buried in Westminster Abbey.



Rather, what Darwin set out to prove was that not every species came about by an act of "special creation," but that species "evolved" through the process of "natural selection."  However, Darwin credited that process to God - which is largely what the scientists and those with a true understanding of ID are doing.



Indeed, Darwin's own words make him perhaps the first proponent of ID.  The following is from his final thesis in the "Summary and Recapitulation" of "The Origin of Species":



"Authors of the highest eminence seem to be fully satisfied with the view that each species has been independently created.  To my mind it accords better with what we know of the laws impressed upon matter by the Creator, that the production and extinction of the past and present inhabitants of the world should have been due to secondary causes...There is grandeur in this view of life...having been originally breathed into a few forms or into one." (Emphases mine.)



There is no question as to the interpretation of this ultimate statement: God initially created "life" ("breathed into a few forms or into one") and then let "evolution" - a "law" that God set in motion - do the rest.  There can be no other reasonable, logical interpretation.  And note that this was no "tacked-on" ending: it was the end result of 5 years of field research, and ten years of additional study, research and writing.



Darwin's final statement is the true core of ID - whatever other less-than-honorable goals the Christian Right may have.  And Darwin's statement, combined with post-Darwinian scientific knowledge and discovery - including much that undermines some or many of Darwin's hypotheses, all such discovery done by credentialed, published, respected scientist - proves that ID is not just "creationism in wolf's clothing," but is a legitimate field of scientific study and theorizing.



As for your comment about God always being referred to in the male gender, this is a red herring if ever there was one.  Firstly, it is a cultural matter: many faiths and religions worship Gaia or other female Creator/nurturer figures.  Secondly, at least in Christianity (and perhaps in Judaism and Islam), the use of the male gender is for simplification purposes only: God had to be referred to in some way, and, the Judeo-Christian God having "come through" a patriarchal society, referring to God in the male gender was simply a "device."



I leave you with a few choice quotes about Darwin and evolution from a few highly respected philosophers and scientists, in chronological order:



"This most beautiful system of the sun, planets, and comets could only proceed from the counsel and dominion of an intelligent and powerful Being."  Sir Isaac Newton



"In the absence of any other proof, the thumb alone would convince me of God's existence."  Sir Isaac Newton



"Man will believe anything, as long as it's not in the Bible."  Napoleon



"If it could be demonstrated that any complex organ existed which could not possibly have been formed by numerous, successive, slight modifications, my theory would absolutely break down."  Charles Darwin



"To suppose that the eye could have been formed by natural selection seems, I freely confess, absurd in the highest degree."  Charles Darwin



"I was a young man with unformed ideas.  I threw out queries, suggestions, wondering all the time over everything; and to my astonishment the ideas took like wildfire.  People have made a religion out of them!"  Charles Darwin



"A little science estranges men from God; but much science leads them back to Him."  Louis Pasteur



"Evolution is unproved and unprovable.  We believe in it only because the alternative is special creation - and that is unthinkable."  Sir Arthur Keith, who wrote the forward to the 100th edition of "The Origin of Species."



"The evolutionists seem to know everything about the 'missing link' - except the fact that it is missing."  G.K. Chesterton



"Everyone who is seriously interested in the pursuit of science becomes convinced that a spirit is manifest in the laws of the universe - a spirit vastly superior to man, and one in the face of which our modest powers must feel humble."  Albert Einstein



"Either we see everything in life as a miracle, or we see nothing in life as a miracle."  Albert Einstein



"Religion without science is blind; science without religion is lame."  Albert Einstein



"In the view of such harmony in the cosmos which I, with my limited human mind, am able to recognize, there are yet people who say there is no God.  But what makes me really angry is that they quote me for support of such views...I want to know how God created this world.  I am not interested in this or that phenomenon, in the spectrum of this or that element.  I want to know His thoughts.  The rest are details."  Albert Einstein



"In fact, evolution became in a sense a scientific religion; almost all scientists have accepted it, and many are prepared to 'bend' their observations to fit in with it."  H.S. Lipson, Professor of Physics, University of Manchester



"The chance that higher life forms might have emerged [via evolution] is comparable to the chance that a tornado sweeping through a junkyard might assemble a Boeing 747 from the materials therein...The likelihood of the formation of life from inanimate matter is one out of 10 to the 40,000th power.  It is big enough to bury Darwin and the whole theory of evolution."  Sir Fred Hoyle



"The evolutionary trees that adorn our textbooks have data only at the tips and nodes of their branches; the rest is inference, however reasonable, and not the evidence of fossils."  Stephen Jay Gould, Professor of Geology and Paleontology, Harvard University



"It would be very difficult to explain why the universe should have begun in just this way, except as the act of a God who intended to create beings like us."  Stephen Hawking



And a couple from the "other" ("religious") side:



"Darwin admitted that millions of 'missing links' - transitional life forms - would have to be discovered in the fossil record to prove the accuracy of his theory that all species gradually evolved by chance mutation into new species.  Unfortunately for his theory, despite hundreds of millions spent on searching for fossils worldwide for more than a century, the scientists have failed to locate a single missing link out of the millions that must exist if their theory of evolution is to be vindicated."  Grant Jeffrey, Christian minister and author



"Dogs have puppies, not kittens.  Cats have kittens, not chicks.  Horses have foals, not calves.  It doesn't matter how many thousands of years pass, elephants don't have giraffes, nor do monkeys have men...It is interesting to note that pig heart valves have been used as replacements for human heart valves.  Pig skin has even been grafted in humans to deal with severe burns.  In fact, pig tissues are the nearest in chemical composition to those of humans.  Perhaps wishful evolutionists should spend more time around the pigsty."  Ray Comfort, Christian minister and author.



"As the statistical probability of series' of coincidences rises to extreme - and in some cases, absurd - levels, even the most confirmed atheist must begin to sense the existence of a higher power, whether or not they call it 'God'."  Ian Alterman, Christian minister
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From lyve at netzero.com  Mon Aug 15 21:31:43 2005
From: lyve at netzero.com (Lyle K'ang)
Date: Mon Aug 15 21:37:55 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] A MAJOR DAY
Message-ID: <20050815.213230.6056.7173@webmail27.nyc.untd.com>

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!
A BIT BELATED-ENJOY!!


Lyle K\'ang, MBA/IM 


-- \"richard haase\"  wrote:
happy birthday nina
cine dane ( italian toast; colloquially a hundred years of happiness )
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Michael Butler" 
To: "HAIR List" ; "Civic"

Sent: Monday, August 15, 2005 12:13 PM
Subject: [Mb-civic] A MAJOR DAY


> HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!
> DEAR NINA
> KEEPER OF THE FLAME
> POSSESOR OF THE GRAIL
> COORDINATOR OF ALL
> MANY MORE HAPPY DAYS
> DEAR WWNE
> LOVE MICHAEL
>
> _______________________________________________
> Mb-civic mailing list
> Mb-civic@islandlists.com
> http://www.islandlists.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/mb-civic

_______________________________________________
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From lyve at netzero.com  Mon Aug 15 21:50:28 2005
From: lyve at netzero.com (Lyle K'ang)
Date: Mon Aug 15 21:55:49 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] "God said it.  I believe it.  That settles it."
Message-ID: <20050815.215110.6056.7317@webmail27.nyc.untd.com>

"As the statistical probability of series' of coincidences rises to extreme - and in some cases, absurd - levels, even the most confirmed atheist must begin to sense the existence of a higher power, whether or not they call it 'God'."  Ian Alterman, Christian minister



Lyle K'ang, MBA/IM 


-- \"Ian\"  wrote:
Michael:<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />
 
You can't imagine that I would not respond to this?  LOL.
 
While I cannot speak for others (i.e., those who support ID simply as an attempt to introduce creationism into the curriculum), I must take issue with many of your statements.
 
First, promotion of ID in no way "bridges the separation of church and state."  The Constitution only speaks to the issue of government "establishing" religion - and, more specifically, establishing a particular religion as opposed to others.  So your argument fails on two grounds.  First, simply teaching something in a classroom does not "establish" it as religion: i.e., no child is required to believe the concept of ID, but only to "hear it out."  Second, even if ID were nothing but "creationism in sheep's clothing" (more in a moment), and even if children were "required" to learn it, it would not be an attempt to establish a "particular" religion, since both Judaism and Christianity (and, to a lesser degree, Islam) have similar beliefs in this regard - despite the fact that only the "Christian Right" seems to be pushing it.
 
You then say, "We are asked to believe in the existence of a serious debate within the scientific community between Evolution and Intelligent Design when there is no basis for debate.  The scientific leaders and intellects recognize ID as dependent on nothing but faith.  Because there is no scientific evidence."
 
You could not be more wrong.  Have you ever read "Darwin's Black Box" by Michael Behe?  Behe is a Ph.D. in biochemistry, and a professor of biological sciences at Lehigh University.  Have you ever read any of William Dembski's half dozen books on the subject?  Dembski has a double Ph.D. in mathematics and philosophy, and serves as both professor of theology and science at Southern Baptist University, and associate research professor in Conceptual Foundations of Science at Baylor University.  Have you ever read "Darwin's God" by Cornelius Hunter?  Hunter is a Ph.D. in biophysics, and among the most respected evolutionary biologists in the world.  Have you ever read anything by Ernst Mayr?  Mayr (who died this year) was a Ph.D. in ornithology, and Emeritus Professor of Zoology at Harvard.
 
And I could give you at least a dozen more names of heavily credentialed, heavily published, highly respected scientists in a variety of fields directly related to evolution, all of whom challenge various aspects of Darwin's work.  And those who are still alive are actively involved in the ID movement.  Nor are all of them Christian - or even believers.  They are scientists who believe that Darwin did not get everything right, and that evolution is not the be-all and end-all of the discussion on human origins.
 
As I have pointed out before, Darwin himself was not an atheist who set out to disprove the existence of God.  Darwin was a life-long Christian whose only earned degree was in theology.  And although his faith admittedly wavered at times, he became a deacon of his church and was buried in Westminster Abbey.
 
Rather, what Darwin set out to prove was that not every species came about by an act of "special creation," but that species "evolved" through the process of "natural selection."  However, Darwin credited that process to God - which is largely what the scientists and those with a true understanding of ID are doing.
 
Indeed, Darwin's own words make him perhaps the first proponent of ID.  The following is from his final thesis in the "Summary and Recapitulation" of "The Origin of Species":
 
"Authors of the highest eminence seem to be fully satisfied with the view that each species has been independently created.  To my mind it accords better with what we know of the laws impressed upon matter by the Creator, that the production and extinction of the past and present inhabitants of the world should have been due to secondary causes...There is grandeur in this view of life...having been originally breathed into a few forms or into one." (Emphases mine.)
 
There is no question as to the interpretation of this ultimate statement: God initially created "life" ("breathed into a few forms or into one") and then let "evolution" - a "law" that God set in motion - do the rest.  There can be no other reasonable, logical interpretation.  And note that this was no "tacked-on" ending: it was the end result of 5 years of field research, and ten years of additional study, research and writing.
 
Darwin's final statement is the true core of ID - whatever other less-than-honorable goals the Christian Right may have.  And Darwin's statement, combined with post-Darwinian scientific knowledge and discovery - including much that undermines some or many of Darwin's hypotheses, all such discovery done by credentialed, published, respected scientist - proves that ID is not just "creationism in wolf's clothing," but is a legitimate field of scientific study and theorizing.
 
As for your comment about God always being referred to in the male gender, this is a red herring if ever there was one.  Firstly, it is a cultural matter: many faiths and religions worship Gaia or other female Creator/nurturer figures.  Secondly, at least in Christianity (and perhaps in Judaism and Islam), the use of the male gender is for simplification purposes only: God had to be referred to in some way, and, the Judeo-Christian God having "come through" a patriarchal society, referring to God in the male gender was simply a "device."
 
I leave you with a few choice quotes about Darwin and evolution from a few highly respected philosophers and scientists, in chronological order:
 
"This most beautiful system of the sun, planets, and comets could only proceed from the counsel and dominion of an intelligent and powerful Being."  Sir Isaac Newton
 
"In the absence of any other proof, the thumb alone would convince me of God's existence."  Sir Isaac Newton
 
"Man will believe anything, as long as it's not in the Bible."  Napoleon
 
"If it could be demonstrated that any complex organ existed which could not possibly have been formed by numerous, successive, slight modifications, my theory would absolutely break down."  Charles Darwin
 
"To suppose that the eye could have been formed by natural selection seems, I freely confess, absurd in the highest degree."  Charles Darwin
 
"I was a young man with unformed ideas.  I threw out queries, suggestions, wondering all the time over everything; and to my astonishment the ideas took like wildfire.  People have made a religion out of them!"  Charles Darwin
 
"A little science estranges men from God; but much science leads them back to Him."  Louis Pasteur
 
"Evolution is unproved and unprovable.  We believe in it only because the alternative is special creation - and that is unthinkable."  Sir Arthur Keith, who wrote the forward to the 100th edition of "The Origin of Species."
 
"The evolutionists seem to know everything about the 'missing link' - except the fact that it is missing."  G.K. Chesterton
 
"Everyone who is seriously interested in the pursuit of science becomes convinced that a spirit is manifest in the laws of the universe - a spirit vastly superior to man, and one in the face of which our modest powers must feel humble."  Albert Einstein
 
"Either we see everything in life as a miracle, or we see nothing in life as a miracle."  Albert Einstein
 
"Religion without science is blind; science without religion is lame."  Albert Einstein
 
"In the view of such harmony in the cosmos which I, with my limited human mind, am able to recognize, there are yet people who say there is no God.  But what makes me really angry is that they quote me for support of such views...I want to know how God created this world.  I am not interested in this or that phenomenon, in the spectrum of this or that element.  I want to know His thoughts.  The rest are details."  Albert Einstein
 
"In fact, evolution became in a sense a scientific religion; almost all scientists have accepted it, and many are prepared to 'bend' their observations to fit in with it."  H.S. Lipson, Professor of Physics, University of Manchester
 
"The chance that higher life forms might have emerged [via evolution] is comparable to the chance that a tornado sweeping through a junkyard might assemble a Boeing 747 from the materials therein...The likelihood of the formation of life from inanimate matter is one out of 10 to the 40,000th power.  It is big enough to bury Darwin and the whole theory of evolution."  Sir Fred Hoyle
 
"The evolutionary trees that adorn our textbooks have data only at the tips and nodes of their branches; the rest is inference, however reasonable, and not the evidence of fossils."  Stephen Jay Gould, Professor of Geology and Paleontology, Harvard University
 
"It would be very difficult to explain why the universe should have begun in just this way, except as the act of a God who intended to create beings like us."  Stephen Hawking
 
And a couple from the "other" ("religious") side:
 
"Darwin admitted that millions of 'missing links' - transitional life forms - would have to be discovered in the fossil record to prove the accuracy of his theory that all species gradually evolved by chance mutation into new species.  Unfortunately for his theory, despite hundreds of millions spent on searching for fossils worldwide for more than a century, the scientists have failed to locate a single missing link out of the millions that must exist if their theory of evolution is to be vindicated."  Grant Jeffrey, Christian minister and author
 
"Dogs have puppies, not kittens.  Cats have kittens, not chicks.  Horses have foals, not calves.  It doesn't matter how many thousands of years pass, elephants don't have giraffes, nor do monkeys have men...It is interesting to note that pig heart valves have been used as replacements for human heart valves.  Pig skin has even been grafted in humans to deal with severe burns.  In fact, pig tissues are the nearest in chemical composition to those of humans.  Perhaps wishful evolutionists should spend more time around the pigsty."  Ray Comfort, Christian minister and author.
 
"As the statistical probability of series' of coincidences rises to extreme - and in some cases, absurd - levels, even the most confirmed atheist must begin to sense the existence of a higher power, whether or not they call it 'God'."  Ian Alterman, Christian minister
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From lyve at netzero.com  Mon Aug 15 22:45:12 2005
From: lyve at netzero.com (Lyle K'ang)
Date: Mon Aug 15 22:50:43 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Getting ready for the next fiasco 
Message-ID: <20050815.224556.6056.7586@webmail27.nyc.untd.com>

Personal Message: 
 Getting ready for the next fiasco while admitting the present one
 
 U.S. Lowers Sights On What Can Be Achieved in Iraq
 
 By Robin Wright  and Ellen Knickmeyer, Washington Post
 
  The Bush administration is significantly lowering expectations of what can be 
achieved in Iraq, recognizing that the United States will have to settle for far 
less progress than originally envisioned during the transition due to end in 
four months, according to U.S. officials in Washington and Baghdad.
 
 The United States no longer expects to see a model new democracy, a 
self-supporting oil industry or a society in which the majority of people are 
free from serious security or economic challenges, U.S. officials say.
 
 "What we expected to achieve was never realistic given the timetable or 
what unfolded on the ground," said a senior official involved in policy 
since the 2003 invasion. "We are in a process of absorbing the factors of 
the situation we're in and shedding the unreality that dominated at the 
beginning."
 
 Administration officials still emphasize how much they have achieved despite 
the chaos that followed the invasion and the escalating insurgency. "Iraqis 
are taking control of their country, building a free nation that can govern 
itself, sustain itself and defend itself. And we're helping Iraqis 
succeed," President Bush said yesterday in his radio address.
 
 Iraqi officials yesterday struggled to agree on a draft constitution by a 
deadline of tomorrow so the document can be submitted to a vote in October. The 
political transition would be completed in December by elections for a permanent 
government.
 
 But the realities of daily life are a constant reminder of how the initial U.S. 
ambitions have not been fulfilled in ways that Americans and Iraqis once 
anticipated. Many of Baghdad's 6 million people go without electricity for days 
in 120-degree heat. Parents fearful of kidnapping are keeping children indoors.
 
 Barbers post signs saying they do not shave men, after months of barbers being 
killed by religious extremists. Ethnic or religious-based militias police the 
northern and southern portions of Iraq. Analysts estimate that in the whole of 
Iraq, unemployment is 50 percent to 65 percent.
 
 U.S. officials say no turning point forced a reassessment. "It happened 
rather gradually," said the senior official, triggered by everything from 
the insurgency to shifting budgets to U.S. personnel changes in Baghdad.
 
 The ferocious debate over a new constitution has particularly driven home the 
gap between the original U.S. goals and the realities after almost 28 months. 
The U.S. decision to invade Iraq was justified in part by the goal of 
establishing a secular and modern Iraq that honors human rights and unites 
disparate ethnic and religious communities.
 
 But whatever the outcome on specific disputes, the document on which Iraq's 
future is to be built will require laws to be compliant with Islam. Kurds and 
Shiites are expecting de facto long-term political privileges. And women's 
rights will not be as firmly entrenched as Washington has tried to insist, U.S. 
officials and Iraq analysts say.
 
 "We set out to establish a democracy, but we're slowly realizing we will 
have some form of Islamic republic," said another U.S. official familiar 
with policymaking from the beginning, who like some others interviewed would 
speak candidly only on the condition of anonymity. "That process is being 
repeated all over."
 
 U.S. officials now acknowledge that they misread the strength of the sentiment 
among Kurds and Shiites to create a special status. The Shiites' request this 
month for autonomy to be guaranteed in the constitution stunned the Bush 
administration, even after more than two years of intense intervention in Iraq's 
political process, they said.
 
 "We didn't calculate the depths of feeling in both the Kurdish and Shiite 
communities for a winner-take-all attitude," said Judith S. Yaphe, a former 
CIA Iraq analyst at the National Defense University.
 
 In the race to meet a sequence of fall deadlines, the process of forging 
national unity behind the constitution is largely being scrapped, current and 
former officials involved in the transition said.
 
 "We are definitely cutting corners and lowering our ambitions in democracy 
building," said Larry Diamond, a Stanford University democracy expert who 
worked with the U.S. occupation government and wrote the book "Squandered 
Victory: The American Occupation and the Bungled Effort to Bring Democracy to 
Iraq."
 
 "Under pressure to get a constitution done, they've lowered their own 
ambitions in terms of getting a document that is going to be very far-reaching 
and democratic. We also don't have the time to go through the process we 
envisioned when we wrote the interim constitution -- to build a democratic 
culture and consensus through debate over a permanent constitution," he 
said.
 
 The goal now is to ensure a constitution that can be easily amended later so 
Iraq can grow into a democracy, U.S. officials say.
 
 On security, the administration originally expected the U.S.-led coalition to 
be welcomed with rice and rosewater, traditional Arab greetings, with only a 
limited reaction from loyalists of ousted Iraqi president Saddam Hussein. The 
surprising scope of the insurgency and influx of foreign fighters has forced 
Washington to repeatedly lower expectations -- about the time-frame for quelling 
the insurgency and creating an effective and cohesive Iraqi force capable of 
stepping in, U.S. officials said.
 
 Killings of members of the Iraqi security force have tripled since January. 
Iraq's ministry of health estimates that bombings and other attacks have killed 
4,000 civilians in Baghdad since Prime Minister Ibrahim Jafari's interim 
government took office April 28.
 
 Last week was the fourth-worst week of the whole war for U.S. military deaths 
in combat, and August already is the worst month for deaths of members of the 
National Guard and Reserve.
 
 Attacks on U.S. convoys by insurgents using roadside bombs have doubled over 
the past year, Army Brig. Gen. Yves Fontaine said Friday. Convoys ferrying food, 
fuel, water, arms and equipment from Kuwait, Jordan and Turkey are attacked 
about 30 times a week, Fontaine said.
 
 "There has been a realistic reassessment of what it is possible to achieve 
in the short term and fashion a partial exit strategy," Yaphe said. 
"This change is dictated not just by events on the ground but by 
unrealistic expectations at the start."
 
 Washington now does not expect to fully defeat the insurgency before departing, 
but instead to diminish it, officials and analysts said. There is also growing 
talk of turning over security responsibilities to the Iraqi forces even if they 
are not fully up to original U.S. expectations, in part because they have local 
legitimacy that U.S. troops often do not.
 
 "We've said we won't leave a day before it's necessary. But necessary is 
the key word -- necessary for them or for us? When we finally depart, it will 
probably be for us," a U.S. official said.
 
 Pressed by the cost of fighting an escalating insurgency, U.S. expectations for 
rebuilding Iraq -- and its $20 billion investment -- have fallen the farthest, 
current and former officials say.
 
 Pentagon officials originally envisioned Iraq's oil revenue paying many 
post-invasion expenses. But Iraq, ranked among world leaders behind Saudi Arabia 
in proven oil reserves, is incapable of producing enough refined fuel amid a 
car-buying boom that has put an estimated 1 million more vehicles on the road 
after the invasion. Lines for subsidized cheap gas stretch for miles every day 
in Baghdad.
 
 Oil production is estimated at 2.22 million barrels a day, short of the goal of 
2.5 million. Iraq's pre-war high was 2.67 million barrels a day.
 
 The United States had high hopes of quick, big-budget fixes for the electrical 
power system that would show Iraqis tangible benefits from the ouster of 
Hussein. But inadequate training for Iraqi staff, regional rivalries restricting 
the power flow to Baghdad, inadequate fuel for electrical generators and attacks 
on the infrastructure have contributed to the worst summer of electrical 
shortages in the capital.
 
 Water is also a "tough, tough" situation in a desert country, said a 
U.S. official in Baghdad familiar with reconstruction issues. Pumping stations 
depend on electricity, and engineers now say the system has hundreds of 
thousands of leaks.
 
 "The most thoroughly dashed expectation was the ability to build a robust 
self-sustaining economy. We're nowhere near that. State industries, electricity 
are all below what they were before we got there," said Wayne White, former 
head of the State Department's Iraq intelligence team who is now at the Middle 
East Institute. "The administration says Saddam ran down the country. But 
most damage was from looting [after the invasion], which took down state 
industries, large private manufacturing, the national electric" system.
 
 Ironically, White said, the initial ambitions may have complicated the U.S. 
mission: "In order to get out earlier, expectations are going to have to be 
lower, even much lower. The higher your expectation, the longer you have to 
stay. Getting out is going to be a more important consideration than the 
original goals were. They were unrealistic."
 
 Knickmeyer reported from Baghdad.



Lyle K'ang, MBA/IM 
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From jefbek at mindspring.com  Mon Aug 15 23:04:51 2005
From: jefbek at mindspring.com (Jef Bek)
Date: Mon Aug 15 23:09:20 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Beyond belief
Message-ID: <BF26D013.DDB%jefbek@mindspring.com>

Commentary
Beyond belief

Justin Cartwright on religion's vain quest for the meaning of life

Justin Cartwright 
Saturday August 13, 2005

The Guardian

Near the end of his life, Isaiah Berlin wrote these words to a correspondent
who had asked the great imponderable:

"As for the meaning of life, I do not believe that it has any. I do not at
all ask what it is, but I suspect that it has none and this is a source of
great comfort to me. We make of it what we can and that is all there is
about it. Those who seek for some cosmic all-embracing libretto or God are,
believe me, pathetically mistaken."

It's time that we acknowledged honestly what most people believe, that
religion is at bottom nonsense. I do not deny the good work of religious
people, nor the cultural effects of religion, nor its deep penetration into
our consciousness, but what I think we should acknowledge is that religion
contains a massive falsehood, namely that there is a God who determines our
actions and responds to our plight. As AJ Ayer said, if God has constituted
the world in such a way that he cannot resolve the phenomenon of evil,
logically it makes no difference whether we are believers or unbelievers.
The hypocritical respect now being accorded to Muslim "scholars", people who
believe that the Qur'an was dictated word for word by God, is just one
example of the mess we have got ourselves into by pretending to take
religion seriously. Disagreements about society can only be resolved in the
here and now on liberal principles of discussion and compromise. You cannot
have a sensible discussion with fundamentalists, be they Christian, Jewish
or Muslim, because they start from a different point.

What preoccupied Berlin as a philosopher and historian of ideas was the very
prevalent belief that somehow life is other than the one we live. "Things
are what they are," he was fond of saying, paraphrasing Bishop Joseph
Butler, "why should we wish to deceive ourselves?" He regarded the
essentially religious belief that we could forgo our freedom now for some
future society - Marxism was his particular bugbear - as ludicrous and
against all the tenets of common sense. Freedom was, in his view, the
freedom to conduct our own lives in our own way with as little interference
as possible. He had no time at all for the idea that we are living with a
false consciousness, which needs to be changed either by the religiously or
the ideologically enlightened. In an age when fascism and communism were
battling for the soul of Europe, he saw that they were essentially the same
thing, offering a sort of heaven for those who gave up their personal
freedom.

He had even less patience with the idea that life is politics. Instead, he
acknowledged that people could have conflicting aims, and he concluded that
politics was not the end of life, but the unavoidable activity to resolve
these aims. This is the liberal way for which Britain has - rightly - been
highly regarded. It is not some wishy-washy alternative to a more active set
of beliefs, but the starting point of a liberal and secular society. It
pre-supposes a rejection of explanations that involve miraculous events, and
unprovable explanations of existence and death. As a comfort or as a
delusion or as a moral guide, these views are unexceptionable in a modern
society, but when they assume a higher authority they have no value at all.

When South Africa was struggling to achieve a resolution after apartheid,
neither side was, at that stage, truly committed to democracy. The ANC was
at heart centralist, and the outgoing Nationalists wanted separate
provisions for whites. In the end, the ANC and the National Party could only
agree on a liberal democratic constitution; the unassailable logic of a
liberal democratic constitution had prevailed. It is the very fact that a
liberal democracy is not prescriptive, but values the processes above the
ideology, which has stood the test of time.

It follows that I believe we have to acknowledge happily that ethics has no
rational content, that we behave morally and responsibly not because God
commands us to do so, but because it is in our nature and because it makes
profound common sense to do so. I am not in any sense advocating active
hostility to religion, merely that we should as a nation distance ourselves
from religious explanations.

There is absolutely no reason for the Church of England to be represented in
the House of Lords nor for the Queen to be the Defender of Faith, (or -
fatuously - faiths), nor is there any reason to take the Muslim Parliament
or the Board of Deputies seriously if they claim to have special knowledge.
Their role, like every other group's in the country, should be to lobby and
persuade. We must eliminate any suggestion of a religious agenda: I have no
doubt that a substantial proportion of Muslims in this country believes that
western society is anti-Muslim and that the Iraq war was directed against
their religion. Not so long ago I interviewed the head of Palestinian
Broadcasting and asked him why his television station glorified suicide
bombing. His reply was interesting, perhaps even frightening: the TV station
had to reflect all strands of Palestinian thought. It may be
incomprehensible to true believers, but a secular state does not pursue
religious crusades, even if US president George W Bush sometimes appears to
believe that he has a divine sanction.

So the measures the government is taking against mullahs and against
religious incitement seem to me to be misguided. By pandering to the
credulous while cracking down on "extremists", we are trying to maintain the
fiction that we are semi-religious in a harmless, Hobbity sort of fashion.
Interestingly, Berlin, while himself absolutely against any "vaporous clouds
of nonsense" as guiding principles for society, believed that religions lost
their meaning when they compromised their beliefs. Muslims - and indeed any
other religious group - should be treated in a secular fashion: if they
stray into crime, that is what it is, crime, nothing else. We should make it
absolutely clear that there are no special political or religious crimes,
and we should make it clear that we do not tacitly promote religion in
government or in schools. What we have to promote above all else is the
liberal society, and this is best done by observing scrupulously the
principles of that society.

And that demands that we acknowledge that religion is, at base, nonsense.
The sooner we eliminate the idea that life has "some cosmic, all-embracing
libretto", the better. 

From swiggard at comcast.net  Tue Aug 16 04:39:50 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (William Swiggard)
Date: Tue Aug 16 04:45:18 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Iraqis Fail To Meet Constitution Deadline - Washington
	Post
Message-ID: <4301D086.5000207@comcast.net>

<>Iraqis Fail To Meet Constitution Deadline
Lawmakers Approve Seven-Day Extension

By Ellen Knickmeyer and Omar Fekeiki
Washington Post Foreign Service
Tuesday, August 16, 2005; Page A01

BAGHDAD, Aug. 15 -- Iraqi factional leaders failed to meet Monday's 
deadline for drafting a constitution in an often-rancorous debate that 
appeared to have widened rifts among Shiite, Sunni, Kurdish and secular 
groups.

Unable to resolve differences on such major issues as the role of 
religion by the midnight deadline, political leaders turned to Iraq's 
transitional parliament for a one-week extension, winning unanimous 
agreement with just 23 minutes to spare. The United States had pushed 
the deadline hard as it eyed troop withdrawals.

Iraqi officials presented the extension as a success. They smiled and 
shook hands among themselves and with U.S. Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad, 
who strolled on the floor of parliament ahead of the late-night vote.

"This to my mind is real democracy, and proves to the world that Iraq is 
writing its own constitution," Hachim Hasani, Chairman of the National 
Assembly, told members of parliament.

<>"Efforts have been made to reach agreements, but this is a historic 
issue that needs more study," President Jalal Talabani told lawmakers. 
"We need more time."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/15/AR2005081500169.html?referrer=email 

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From swiggard at comcast.net  Tue Aug 16 04:41:40 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (William Swiggard)
Date: Tue Aug 16 04:47:07 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Kremlin Not Amused By Life of This Party - Washington
	Post
Message-ID: <4301D0F4.2050102@comcast.net>

<>Kremlin Not Amused By Life of This Party
Political Antics Put Members on Trial

By Peter Finn
Washington Post Foreign Service
Tuesday, August 16, 2005; Page A08

MOSCOW -- The 39 defendants sat in cages lined up against the wall of a 
Moscow courtroom one day this month. The prisoners, most of them 
students in their teens and early twenties, were members of the National 
Bolshevik Party, a radical opposition group with a penchant for tossing 
eggs at officials, gate-crashing government buildings and generally 
thumbing their noses at authority.

They are accused of creating a "mass disturbance" in December after they 
burst into a reception room at the public offices of President Vladimir 
Putin outside the Kremlin and waved a banner out the window that read, 
"Putin Quit Your Job!"

But the prosecution of the political activists is part of a wider 
government crackdown on the National Bolsheviks, a party with 
ultranationalist roots that claims to have fashioned itself into a force 
for democratic change and economic justice, including redistribution of 
wealth.

The National Bolsheviks, whose name harkens back to the revolutionaries 
led by Vladimir I. Lenin who founded the Soviet Union, were banned in 
June by a Moscow court. Party lawyers said that was the first time a 
political party had been outlawed in Russia since the fall of the Soviet 
Union in 1991. The court held that the National Bolsheviks were intent 
on "a forceful change of the foundations of the constitutional regime."

The Russian Supreme Court was scheduled to rule on the party's appeal of 
that decision on Tuesday. "We are the most courageous party, we are the 
most uncontrolled," said the group's leader, Eduard Limonov, 62, an 
iconoclastic Russian writer who twirls his gray, Dali-esque moustache as 
he speaks. "We want to create a climate of political freedom and so we 
are very irritating to the Kremlin. We make the government crazy."

Occasionally, they even infuriate the lawyers trying to keep them out of 
prison.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/15/AR2005081501434.html?nav=hcmodule

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From swiggard at comcast.net  Tue Aug 16 04:43:24 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (William Swiggard)
Date: Tue Aug 16 04:48:49 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Roberts Unlikely To Face Big Fight - Washington Post
Message-ID: <4301D15C.5060004@comcast.net>

<>Roberts Unlikely To Face Big Fight
Many Democrats See Battle as Futile

By Mike Allen and Dana Milbank
Washington Post Staff Writers
Tuesday, August 16, 2005; Page A01

Democrats have decided that unless there is an unexpected development in 
the weeks ahead, they will not launch a major fight to block the Supreme 
Court nomination of John G. Roberts Jr., according to legislators, 
Senate aides and party strategists.

In a series of interviews in recent days, more than a dozen Democratic 
senators and aides who are intimately involved in deliberations about 
strategy said that they see no evidence that most Democratic senators 
are prepared to expend political capital in what is widely seen as a 
futile effort to derail the nomination.

Although they expect to subject President Bush's nominee to tough 
questioning at confirmation hearings next month, members of the minority 
party said they do not plan to marshal any concerted campaign against 
Roberts because they have concluded that he is likely to get at least 70 
votes -- enough to overrule parliamentary tactics such as a filibuster 
that could block the nominee.

"No one's planning all-out warfare," said a Senate Democratic aide 
closely involved in caucus strategy on Roberts. For now, the aide said, 
Democratic strategy is to make it clear Roberts is subject to fair 
scrutiny while avoiding a pointless conflagration that could backfire on 
the party. "We're going to come out of this looking dignified and will 
show we took the constitutional process seriously," the aide said.

"This was a smart political choice from the White House," said one 
prominent Democratic lawmaker, who like several others interviewed for 
this article requested anonymity because they were departing from the 
Democrats' public position. "I don't think people see a close vote here."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/15/AR2005081501433.html

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From swiggard at comcast.net  Tue Aug 16 04:45:37 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (William Swiggard)
Date: Tue Aug 16 04:51:05 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] More Than Minority Blues - E. J. Dionne - Washington Post
Message-ID: <4301D1E1.7000904@comcast.net>

More Than Minority Blues

By E. J. Dionne Jr.
Tuesday, August 16, 2005; Page A13

Recently I ran across a small book, a collection of essays called "A 
House of Ill Repute," that should strike fear in the heart of today's 
Republican majority in Congress. Its critique of the status quo is 
devastating.

Are you amazed at how little power the minority has, especially in the 
authoritarian House of Representatives? One shrewd contributor thundered 
against "the tyranny of the majority." He declared that "millions of 
Americans" were deprived of "their fair representation in the 
formulation of public policy" and that "the majority in the House has 
many ways to pass its pet legislation or stall other bills without due 
regard for proper debate and deliberation."

Are you astonished at the eagerness of this supposedly small-government 
Congress to lavish huge sums on a transportation bill and a slew of tax 
breaks for oil and gas interests? "In their effort to spend more money, 
spendaholics will use three basic defenses for their votes," says 
another writer. "First, it's the wrong time and the wrong place. Second, 
however bad this waste is, there is other waste that is worse. Third, 
whatever cuts you want to make are clearly extremism."

Another representative lamented: "I sense arrogance on the part of many 
of my colleagues. It is easy to see how much arrogance can take hold 
when members of Congress seem to be unaccountable for their actions."

The author of the introductory essay summed up the case by referring to 
the homeowner who realizes one day that his "entire house is shabby and 
needs major attention."

Perhaps you have already guessed that these attacks are not the work of 
frustrated, bloody-minded Democrats weary of their current minority 
status in Congress. They come from a book published in 1987 by a group 
of Republican House members. The authors of the above quotations are, in 
order, former representatives Vin Weber, Newt Gingrich, Barbara 
Vucanovich and Joseph J. DioGuardi.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/15/AR2005081501151.html?nav=hcmodule

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From swiggard at comcast.net  Tue Aug 16 04:47:58 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (William Swiggard)
Date: Tue Aug 16 04:53:25 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Gaza: Tomorrow's Iraq - Richard Cohen - Washington Post
Message-ID: <4301D26E.5090303@comcast.net>

Gaza: Tomorrow's Iraq

By Richard Cohen
Tuesday, August 16, 2005; Page A13

It is the solemn obligation of a columnist to connect the dots. So let's 
call one dot Iraq and another the Gaza Strip, and note that while they 
are far different in history and circumstance, they are both places 
where Western democracies, the United States and Israel, are being 
defeated by a common enemy, terrorism. What is happening in Gaza today 
will happen in Iraq tomorrow.

In both cases politicians will assert that it is not terrorism that has 
forced their hands. President Bush says this over and over again: 
denunciations of evil, vows to get the job done, fulsome praise for 
Iraq's remarkably brave democrats. But the fact remains that Iraq is 
coming apart -- the Kurds into their own state (with their own flag), 
the Sunnis into their own armed camps, and the dominant Shiites forming 
an Islamic republic that will in due course become our declared enemy.

Similarly, Israeli politicians assert that it is not terrorism that has 
chased Israel from Gaza but the realization that a minority of Jews 
(about 8,500) cannot manage a majority of Arabs (more than 1 million), 
and this is surely the case. But it was terrorism that made that point 
so powerfully. After all, Israel took Gaza from Egypt in the 1967 war. 
It took 20 years for the Palestinians there to launch their first 
uprising. Without the violence, Israelis would still be farming in Gaza.

<>Israel in Gaza, like America in Iraq, underestimated its enemy. 
Palestinians have been tenacious, not merely fighting but doing so in 
ways that elude our understanding. Since the 1993 Oslo accords, there 
have been more than 90 suicide bombings. Israel has responded wisely by 
erecting a security fence. It has not responded by pulling out of the 
West Bank. But what's true in Gaza is also true in the West Bank. For 
Israel, the numbers are all wrong -- too many Palestinians, too few 
Jews. Ultimately demographics will trump Zionism.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/15/AR2005081501149.html?nav=hcmodule 

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From swiggard at comcast.net  Tue Aug 16 04:54:59 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (William Swiggard)
Date: Tue Aug 16 05:00:27 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Religious right bashes the courts - Derrick Z. Jackson -
 The Boston Globe
Message-ID: <4301D413.6020300@comcast.net>

<>Religious right bashes the courts
By Derrick Z. Jackson, Globe Columnist  |  August 16, 2005

We glibly call out religious fanaticism from abroad. President Bush 
warns us how ''small groups of fanatics or failing states could gain the 
power to threaten great nations, threaten the world peace. America and 
the entire civilized world will face this threat for decades to come.'' 
Bush is of course silent on the religious fanatics he is indebted to, 
who are on the verge of helping him change America for decades to come.

Last weekend, leaders of the Christian right held ''Justice Sunday II,'' 
a mega-church telecast. Speaker after speaker attacked the Supreme 
Court. It is not enough for them that Bush's conservative choices for 
lower courts are being approved. It is not enough that the high court, 
under Chief Justice William Rehnquist, has generally become more 
conservative over the last quarter century and played a key final role 
in Bush gaining office in the disputed 2000 election.

No, even with a court that can hardly be described as liberal, Justice 
Sunday was a crazed attack on the court. House majority leader Tom DeLay 
of Texas said the Supreme Court had usurped the power of Congress to 
make laws. He said the high court was guilty of ''judicial supremacy, 
judicial autocracy.''

William Donohue, president of the Catholic League for Religious and 
Civil Rights, said the high court is so out of control, it needs a 
constitutional amendment to say that ''unless a judicial vote is 
unanimous, you cannot overturn a law created by Congress.'' In a story 
in Newsday, Donohue said, ''I'm going to try to do my job to intimidate 
the Senate Judiciary Committee so they do their job more carefully.'' 
Asked by Newsday if he really meant to use the word intimidate, he 
answered, ''Absolutely.''

 From the way Robert Bork talked at Justice Sunday, you would have 
thought he was talking about Margaret Marshall and the Massachusetts 
Supreme Judicial Court that legalized gay marriage. Even though the 
Supreme Court has issued mixed rulings concerning the rights of gay and 
lesbian people -- striking down a criminal statute on sodomy on one hand 
but upholding the right of private groups to ban gay leaders and 
participants on the other -- Bork, the famously rejected high court 
nominee, said that body has made homosexuality ''a constitutional 
right.'' He moaned that ''once homosexuality is defined as a 
constitutional right, there is nothing the states can do about it, 
nothing the people can do about it.''

James Dobson, founder of Focus on the Family, who blasts moderate, 
prochoice, progay-rights Republicans, calls the court an ''oligarchy.'' 
The organizer of Justice Sunday, Tony Perkins, president of the Family 
Research Council, railed that the high court legalized the killing of 
unborn children and ''homosexual sodomy."


http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2005/08/16/religious_right_bashes_the_courts/

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From ialterman at nyc.rr.com  Tue Aug 16 05:15:24 2005
From: ialterman at nyc.rr.com (Ian)
Date: Tue Aug 16 05:18:55 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Beyond belief
References: <BF26D013.DDB%jefbek@mindspring.com>
Message-ID: <001f01c5a25c$2ec7bca0$99ca6c42@iancn2ccrvzt0j>

"As AJ Ayer said, if God has constituted
the world in such a way that he cannot resolve the phenomenon of evil, 
logically it makes no difference whether we are believers or unbelievers."

Well....

Actually, within the "Christian construct," God most certainly HAS a way of 
"resolving" the "phenomenon of evil": however, if one does not believe in 
that construct, then obviously one would not see this, much less understand 
or accept it.  And in the constructs of Judaism and Islam, there is also a 
"mechanism" by which evil is "controlled" (during one's temporal life) and 
"vanquished" (at "the end").  But again, if one does not believe in those 
constructs, then one is not going to see,  understand or accept this.

However, even were this not the case, once one even posits the POSSIBLE idea 
of the existence of God, it is the height of human arrogance to suggest that 
the human mind or spirit would see or understand the "mind of God" vis-a-vis 
how He does or does not, or will or will not, "resolve" the "phenomenon of 
evil."

Either there is no God, or there is a God - in which case we (being simple, 
mortal humans) could not possibly fathom His (or Her) mind, methods, etc. 
with regard to ANY facet of human existence.

Peace.

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Jef Bek" <jefbek@mindspring.com>
To: "Civic List" <mb-civic@islandlists.com>
Sent: Tuesday, August 16, 2005 2:04 AM
Subject: [Mb-civic] Beyond belief


> Commentary
> Beyond belief
>
> Justin Cartwright on religion's vain quest for the meaning of life
>
> Justin Cartwright
> Saturday August 13, 2005
>
> The Guardian
>
> Near the end of his life, Isaiah Berlin wrote these words to a 
> correspondent
> who had asked the great imponderable:
>
> "As for the meaning of life, I do not believe that it has any. I do not at
> all ask what it is, but I suspect that it has none and this is a source of
> great comfort to me. We make of it what we can and that is all there is
> about it. Those who seek for some cosmic all-embracing libretto or God 
> are,
> believe me, pathetically mistaken."
>
> It's time that we acknowledged honestly what most people believe, that
> religion is at bottom nonsense. I do not deny the good work of religious
> people, nor the cultural effects of religion, nor its deep penetration 
> into
> our consciousness, but what I think we should acknowledge is that religion
> contains a massive falsehood, namely that there is a God who determines 
> our
> actions and responds to our plight. As AJ Ayer said, if God has 
> constituted
> the world in such a way that he cannot resolve the phenomenon of evil,
> logically it makes no difference whether we are believers or unbelievers.
> The hypocritical respect now being accorded to Muslim "scholars", people 
> who
> believe that the Qur'an was dictated word for word by God, is just one
> example of the mess we have got ourselves into by pretending to take
> religion seriously. Disagreements about society can only be resolved in 
> the
> here and now on liberal principles of discussion and compromise. You 
> cannot
> have a sensible discussion with fundamentalists, be they Christian, Jewish
> or Muslim, because they start from a different point.
>
> What preoccupied Berlin as a philosopher and historian of ideas was the 
> very
> prevalent belief that somehow life is other than the one we live. "Things
> are what they are," he was fond of saying, paraphrasing Bishop Joseph
> Butler, "why should we wish to deceive ourselves?" He regarded the
> essentially religious belief that we could forgo our freedom now for some
> future society - Marxism was his particular bugbear - as ludicrous and
> against all the tenets of common sense. Freedom was, in his view, the
> freedom to conduct our own lives in our own way with as little 
> interference
> as possible. He had no time at all for the idea that we are living with a
> false consciousness, which needs to be changed either by the religiously 
> or
> the ideologically enlightened. In an age when fascism and communism were
> battling for the soul of Europe, he saw that they were essentially the 
> same
> thing, offering a sort of heaven for those who gave up their personal
> freedom.
>
> He had even less patience with the idea that life is politics. Instead, he
> acknowledged that people could have conflicting aims, and he concluded 
> that
> politics was not the end of life, but the unavoidable activity to resolve
> these aims. This is the liberal way for which Britain has - rightly - been
> highly regarded. It is not some wishy-washy alternative to a more active 
> set
> of beliefs, but the starting point of a liberal and secular society. It
> pre-supposes a rejection of explanations that involve miraculous events, 
> and
> unprovable explanations of existence and death. As a comfort or as a
> delusion or as a moral guide, these views are unexceptionable in a modern
> society, but when they assume a higher authority they have no value at 
> all.
>
> When South Africa was struggling to achieve a resolution after apartheid,
> neither side was, at that stage, truly committed to democracy. The ANC was
> at heart centralist, and the outgoing Nationalists wanted separate
> provisions for whites. In the end, the ANC and the National Party could 
> only
> agree on a liberal democratic constitution; the unassailable logic of a
> liberal democratic constitution had prevailed. It is the very fact that a
> liberal democracy is not prescriptive, but values the processes above the
> ideology, which has stood the test of time.
>
> It follows that I believe we have to acknowledge happily that ethics has 
> no
> rational content, that we behave morally and responsibly not because God
> commands us to do so, but because it is in our nature and because it makes
> profound common sense to do so. I am not in any sense advocating active
> hostility to religion, merely that we should as a nation distance 
> ourselves
> from religious explanations.
>
> There is absolutely no reason for the Church of England to be represented 
> in
> the House of Lords nor for the Queen to be the Defender of Faith, (or -
> fatuously - faiths), nor is there any reason to take the Muslim Parliament
> or the Board of Deputies seriously if they claim to have special 
> knowledge.
> Their role, like every other group's in the country, should be to lobby 
> and
> persuade. We must eliminate any suggestion of a religious agenda: I have 
> no
> doubt that a substantial proportion of Muslims in this country believes 
> that
> western society is anti-Muslim and that the Iraq war was directed against
> their religion. Not so long ago I interviewed the head of Palestinian
> Broadcasting and asked him why his television station glorified suicide
> bombing. His reply was interesting, perhaps even frightening: the TV 
> station
> had to reflect all strands of Palestinian thought. It may be
> incomprehensible to true believers, but a secular state does not pursue
> religious crusades, even if US president George W Bush sometimes appears 
> to
> believe that he has a divine sanction.
>
> So the measures the government is taking against mullahs and against
> religious incitement seem to me to be misguided. By pandering to the
> credulous while cracking down on "extremists", we are trying to maintain 
> the
> fiction that we are semi-religious in a harmless, Hobbity sort of fashion.
> Interestingly, Berlin, while himself absolutely against any "vaporous 
> clouds
> of nonsense" as guiding principles for society, believed that religions 
> lost
> their meaning when they compromised their beliefs. Muslims - and indeed 
> any
> other religious group - should be treated in a secular fashion: if they
> stray into crime, that is what it is, crime, nothing else. We should make 
> it
> absolutely clear that there are no special political or religious crimes,
> and we should make it clear that we do not tacitly promote religion in
> government or in schools. What we have to promote above all else is the
> liberal society, and this is best done by observing scrupulously the
> principles of that society.
>
> And that demands that we acknowledge that religion is, at base, nonsense.
> The sooner we eliminate the idea that life has "some cosmic, all-embracing
> libretto", the better.
>
> _______________________________________________
> Mb-civic mailing list
> Mb-civic@islandlists.com
> http://www.islandlists.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/mb-civic
> 


From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Tue Aug 16 07:28:15 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (mblaxill@yahoo.com)
Date: Tue Aug 16 07:31:51 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Headlines for August 16, 2005
Message-ID: <20050816142815.28077.qmail@trinity.democracynow.org>

Mike Blaxill  ( mblaxill@yahoo.com )
sent you this story from democracynow.org



+--------------------------------------------------------------------+
|  Headlines for August 16, 2005
|  http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=05/08/16/1326201
+--------------------------------------------------------------------+


- Fighting Breaks Out in Gaza Between Israeli Troops & Settlers
- Iraq Lawmakers Fail To Agree on Constitution
- Papers Show John Roberts to be "Forceful Conservative" 
- Marine of the Year' Faces Attempted Murder Charges
- Atlanta Moves to Ban Homeless People From Downtown
- Reward Offered for Info on 1951 Civil Rights Activist Killings
This story continues at: 
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=05/08/16/1326201

From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Tue Aug 16 07:32:47 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (mblaxill@yahoo.com)
Date: Tue Aug 16 07:36:26 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] NYTimes.com: Roberts's Files From 80's Recall Big
	Debates of Era
Message-ID: <20050816143247.974CE3AE425@lax-gw06.mroute.net>

This page was sent to you by: mblaxill@yahoo.com.

WASHINGTON / WASHINGTON SPECIAL | August 16, 2005
Roberts's Files From 80's Recall Big Debates of Era
By LINDA GREENHOUSE
There was nothing "squishy" about his response to an employment discrimination theory known as "comparable worth."
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/16/politics/politicsspecial1/16documents.html?ex=1124856000&en=a8739957b21f0260&ei=5070&emc=eta1



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From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Tue Aug 16 07:33:32 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (mblaxill@yahoo.com)
Date: Tue Aug 16 07:36:59 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] =?iso-8859-1?q?NYTimes=2Ecom=3A_Schr=F6der=2C_the_Und?=
	=?iso-8859-1?q?erdog=2C_Plays_an_Old_Card_With_a_New_Face=3A_Iran?=
Message-ID: <20050816143332.343AC11F9C5@lax-gw07.mroute.net>

This page was sent to you by: mblaxill@yahoo.com.

INTERNATIONAL / EUROPE | August 16, 2005
Schröder, the Underdog, Plays an Old Card With a New Face: Iran
By RICHARD BERNSTEIN
Chancellor Gerhard Schröder introduced Iran into the current German campaign, saying he would not allow German troops to be used in any military campaign there.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/16/international/europe/16germany.html?ex=1124856000&en=41e12112ab8859d5&ei=5070&emc=eta1



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winning films?  
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From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Tue Aug 16 07:40:08 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (mblaxill@yahoo.com)
Date: Tue Aug 16 07:43:48 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] NYTimes.com: Trying to Put Jesus in Every Mailbox
Message-ID: <20050816144008.113B6236FCF@lax-gw01.mroute.net>

This page was sent to you by: mblaxill@yahoo.com.

these people used to be cute...used to be


NATIONAL | August 16, 2005
Trying to Put Jesus in Every Mailbox
By SHAILA DEWAN
However dated its production values, the movie "Jesus" has come to be viewed by many evangelical Christians as a singularly modern tool for spreading the Gospel.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/16/national/16video.html?ex=1124856000&en=77c1a367fe43fdf8&ei=5070&emc=eta1



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From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Tue Aug 16 07:42:19 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (mblaxill@yahoo.com)
Date: Tue Aug 16 07:45:50 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] NYTimes.com: In the Hospital,
	a Degrading Shift From Person to Patient
Message-ID: <20050816144219.7D632A1027@lax-gw09.mroute.net>

This page was sent to you by: mblaxill@yahoo.com.

HEALTH | August 16, 2005
Being a Patient: In the Hospital, a Degrading Shift From Person to Patient
By BENEDICT CAREY
Within the medical system, the small courtesies of life are often neglected precisely when they are needed most.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/16/health/16dignity.html?ex=1124856000&en=7ba0a89498dce3ba&ei=5070&emc=eta1



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From sierrapecheur at verizon.net  Tue Aug 16 08:11:40 2005
From: sierrapecheur at verizon.net (Sierra Pecheur)
Date: Tue Aug 16 08:17:15 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Harry Bingham
Message-ID: <004101c5a274$ce5a7d30$9e676947@xplcp>






    Harry Bingham

    Just a little more evidence of the behavior of the Roosevelt administration
    toward the Jews during WWII --- 
    Sometime ago, the (then) Secretary of State, Colin Powell, gave a posthumous
    award for "constructive dissent" to Hiram (or Harry) Bingham, IV.
    For over fifty years, the State Department resisted any attempt to honor
    Bingham. For them, he was an insubordinate member of the US diplomatic
    service, a dangerous maverick who was eventually demoted.
    Now, after his death, he has been officially recognized as a hero. Bingham
    came from an illustrious family. His father (on whom the fictional character
    Indiana Jones was based) was the archeologist who unearthed the Inca City of
    Machu Picchu, Peru in 1911.

    Harry entered the US diplomatic service and, in 1939, was posted to
    Marseilles, France as American vice-consul.
    The USA was then neutral and, not wishing to annoy Marshal Petain's puppet
    Vichy regime, President Roosevelt's government ordered its representatives
    in Marseilles not to grant visas to any Jews.
    Bingham found this policy immoral and, risking his career, did all in his
    power to undermine it. - In defiance of his bosses in Washington, he granted
    over 2,500 USA visas to Jewish and other refugees, including the artists
    Marc Chagall and Max Ernst and the family of the writer, Thomas Mann.
    He also sheltered Jews In his Marseilles home, and obtained forged identity
    papers to help Jews In their dangerous journeys across Europe. He worked
    with the French underground to smuggle Jews out of France into Franco's Spain or
    across the Mediterranean, and even contributed to their expenses out of his
    own pocket.

    In 1941, Washington lost patience with him. He was sent to Argentina, where,
    later, he continued to annoy his superiors by reporting on the movements of
    Nazi war criminals. Eventually, he was forced out of the American diplomatic
    service completely.

    Bingham died almost penniless in 1988. Little was known of his extraordinary
    activities until his son found some letters in his belongings after his
    death. He has now been honored by many groups and organizations including the
    United Nations and the State of Israel.

    PLEASE honor his memory and resend this.






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From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Tue Aug 16 08:13:48 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (Mike Blaxill)
Date: Tue Aug 16 08:17:34 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Is Bush Out of Control?
Message-ID: <20050816151349.41401.qmail@web53002.mail.yahoo.com>

>From Capitol Hill Blue - a little tabloidy, but a
fun read none the less

Is Bush Out of Control?
By DOUG THOMPSON
Aug 15, 2005, 05:46

Buy beleaguered, overworked White House aides
enough drinks and they tell a sordid tale of an
administration under siege, beset by bitter staff
infighting and led by a man whose mood swings
suggest paranoia bordering on schizophrenia.

They describe a President whose public persona
masks an angry, obscenity-spouting man who
berates staff, unleashes tirades against those
who disagree with him and ends meetings in the
Oval Office with ?get out of here!?

In fact, George W. Bush?s mood swings have become
so drastic that White House emails often contain
?weather reports? to warn of the President?s
demeanor. ?Calm seas? means Bush is calm while
?tornado alert? is a warning that he is pissed at
the world.

Decreasing job approval ratings and increased
criticism within his own party drives the
President?s paranoia even higher. Bush, in a
meeting with senior advisors, called Senator
Majority Leader Bill Frist a ?god-damned traitor?
for opposing him on stem-cell research.

?There?s real concern in the West Wing that the
President is losing it,? a high-level aide told
me recently.

A year ago, this web site discovered the White
House physician prescribed anti-depressants for
Bush. The news came after revelations that the
President?s wide mood swings led some
administration staffers to doubt his sanity.

http://www.capitolhillblue.com/artman/publish/printer_7218.shtml
From michael at intrafi.com  Tue Aug 16 08:52:48 2005
From: michael at intrafi.com (michael@intrafi.com)
Date: Tue Aug 16 08:56:25 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] NYTimes.com: Age of Aquarius Returns in Shakespearean
	Romp
Message-ID: <20050816155248.B057E237050@lax-gw01.mroute.net>

This page was sent to you by: michael@intrafi.com.

THEATER / NEWS & FEATURES | August 16, 2005
Age of Aquarius Returns in Shakespearean Romp
By DINITIA SMITH
A boisterous musical version of Shakespeare's "Two Gentlemen of Verona" is being performed commercially in New York for the first time in more than 30 years.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/16/theater/newsandfeatures/16vero.html?ex=1124856000&en=5952dba864e079de&ei=5070&emc=eta1



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From ean at sbcglobal.net  Mon Aug 15 21:11:53 2005
From: ean at sbcglobal.net (ean@sbcglobal.net)
Date: Tue Aug 16 09:06:37 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Why Rove could be convicted under Intelligence
	Identities Protection Act
Message-ID: <E1E53tz-00079k-9O@smtpauth08.mail.atl.earthlink.net>

http://www.motherjones.com/commentary/columns/2005/08/plame_prosecuti
on.html

Plame in the Courtroom
Is the Intelligence Identities Protection Act really 
impossible to prove?
By Elizabeth de la Vega 

Pundits right, left, and center have reached a rare 
unanimous verdict about one aspect of the grand jury 
investigation into the Valerie Plame leak: They've 
decided that no charges can be brought under the 
Intelligence Identities Protection Act of 1982, 
because it imposes an impossibly high standard for 
proof of intent. Typically, writing for Slate on July 
19th, Christopher Hitchens described the 1982 Act as 
a "silly law" that requires that "you knowingly wish 
to expose the cover of a CIA officer who you 
understand may be harmed as a result." Similarly, 
columnist Richard Cohen, in the July 14 Washington 
Post, said he thought Rove was a "political 
opportunist, not a traitor" and that he didn't think 
Rove "specifically intended to blow the cover of a 
CIA agent." Such examples could be multiplied many 
times over. 

Shocking as it may seem, however, the pundits are 
wrong; and their casual summaries of the requirements 
of the 1982 statute betray a fundamental 
misunderstanding regarding proof of criminal intent. 

Do you have to intend to harm a CIA agent or 
jeopardize national security in order to violate the 
Intelligence Identities Protection Act? The answer is 
no. 

Before presenting any case, a prosecutor like Special 
Counsel Patrick Fitzgerald in the Plame case has to 
figure out "the elements of the crime"; in other 
words, the factors he has to prove under whatever 
statute he is considering. If a grand jury finds 
probable cause to believe that each element has been 
proved, it may then return an indictment. At trial, 
the judge instructs the jury about these same 
elements. Parties can argue about whether the 
elements have been proved beyond a reasonable doubt, 
but neither side can add, delete, or modify the 
elements even slightly to suit their arguments. 

Why can't you change the elements? Because they come 
from the exact wording of the statute. This then is 
what the Intelligence Identities Protection Act of 
1982 says: 


"Whoever, having or having had authorized access to 
classified information that identifies a covert 
agent, intentionally discloses any information 
identifying such covert agent to any individual not 
authorized to received classified information, 
knowing that the information disclosed so identifies 
such covert agent and that the U.S. is taking 
affirmative measures to conceal such covert agent?s 
intelligence relationship to the U.S. [shall be 
guilty of a crime]."

To figure out the elements that must be proved, you 
simply break this run-on sentence into subparts in 
the following manner: 

A defendant must: 

(1) have authorized access to classified information 
that identifies a covert agent; 

(2) "intentionally disclose" the information; 

(3) disclose it to one not authorized to receive 
classified information; 

(4) know the information he is disclosing identifies 
the covert agent; and 

(5) know that the U.S. is taking affirmative measures 
to conceal the covert agent's intelligence 
relationship to the United States. 

Proof of these five elements -- and no others -- is 
what's required under the 1982 legislation. 

So what, exactly, does the prosecutor have to prove 
about the defendant's state of mind under this law? 
Element 2 says the defendant must "intentionally 
disclose" the information. To determine 
what "intentionally disclose" means, you must follow 
some basic rules of statutory construction. First, 
you look to see if the word is specifically defined 
within the statute itself. For example, the 
term "disclosed" is defined in the Act to 
mean "communicate, provide, impart, transmit, 
transfer, convey, publish or otherwise make 
available." 

The word "intentionally" is not defined in the 
statute, so you have to turn to the second rule of 
statutory construction, which is to see if it is 
defined or interpreted in applicable case law. There 
is little case law on the statute itself. But there's 
a wealth of case law interpreting the 
term "intentionally," because it is a term of art 
found in nearly every criminal statute. Its meaning 
is well-established and straightforward. It simply 
means "on purpose, not by mistake or accident." So If 
someone runs off the bus and accidentally leaves 
behind papers that expose an undercover CIA agent's 
identity, no crime has been committed because Element 
2 can't be proven. On the other hand, if someone were 
speaking purposefully, as opposed to, say, drunkenly 
popping off at a bar, Element 2 would be satisfied. 

Nowhere does this statute require proof that the 
defendant "wished to harm" an undercover agent or 
jeopardize national security. Why someone disclosed 
the information -- whether to prevent the publication 
of a story or to harm the U.S. -- is an issue of 
motive, not intent. 

Merely semantics, you say? In criminal law, it's 
nonetheless a key distinction. Motive is why someone 
acts; intent is the person's purposefulness while 
doing so. If you accidentally take home your 
neighbor's Gucci bag from the block party, there?s no 
crime because you didn?t act intentionally. (You do 
have to give it back, though.) If you grab your 
neighbor?s bag on purpose, you?ve acted intentionally 
and you could be guilty of theft. It matters not a 
whit whether your motive was to get revenge on your 
neighbor for making too much noise or to get extra 
cash to hand out to the poor. Evidence of a bad 
motive is usually admitted as background in the proof 
of a criminal case, but it is almost never an element 
of the crime; and evidence of a good motive is 
usually not a defense once the intent specified in 
the statute is proven. 

The other elements that relate to state of mind are 
Elements 4 and 5. To prove a violation of the 
Intelligence Identities Protection Act, the 
prosecutor has to prove that the defendant knew the 
information he or she was disclosing "identifies" the 
covert agent and that the government was taking 
affirmative measures to conceal that agent's 
intelligence relationship to the U.S. Both of these 
elements relate only to what the leaker knows; they 
don't require that he convey all of this knowledge to 
the unauthorized leakee. 

What then does "identify" mean in this statute? Well, 
there is no specific definition and no case law to 
look to. So you turn to the third rule of statutory 
construction, which simply says that you apply the 
everyday meaning of the word. Perhaps in a through-
the-looking-glass world someone could decree that to 
identify means to "name" and nothing else, but the 
statute doesn't say that; nor is that how ordinary 
people would use the word. There are obviously myriad 
ways to identify a person besides naming them, but 
unless a man were a polygamist, a reference to his 
wife -- as in Karl Rove's identification of "Wilson's 
wife" in his conversation with Time reporter Matt 
Cooper -- would certainly suffice to direct the 
listener to a single, specific person. 

How does all of this play out in the context of the 
ongoing grand jury investigation into the Valerie 
Plame leak? 

None of us can presume to know the universe of facts 
so far uncovered in the investigation. On the 
contrary, at the risk of sounding like Donald 
Rumsfeld, we can be quite sure that there is much 
that we do not know, and that some of what we think 
we know is surely wrong; nor can we presume to know 
the workings of Special Prosecutor Patrick 
Fitzgerald's mind. It would then be presumptuous to 
declare that the Intelligence Identities Protection 
Act is definitely still under consideration in the 
grand jury proceeding. But it would be no less 
presumptuous -- and illogical -- to declare that it 
is not under consideration, especially since that 
judgment is based on mistaken assumptions about the 
requirements of the law. (Interestingly, with each 
new commentary in the press or on TV, the statute 
only seems to get harder to prove.) 

It is also worth remembering that prosecutors analyze 
evidence with a view towards presenting it in a 
trial, and even in the post 9-11 world, trials are 
not like talk shows. The parties at a trial do not 
hurl scattershot attacks as if they were partisan 
guests in the drive-by shoutings that have become the 
stuff of so many news programs. In a trial, both 
sides present evidence according to established rules 
that are meant to weed out rumor and opinion. Almost 
inevitably, over the weeks if not months of a trial, 
evidence that may appear persuasive on a TV show, but 
is actually false or misleading, loses sway when 
viewed in the context of the larger picture. 

In painting that picture, the prosecution is not 
required to present its evidence so narrowly as to 
lose the context of the alleged crime. Right now, 
it's as if, when it comes to the Plame case, most of 
us are in the front rows of a movie theater and have 
no way of fully seeing what's on screen. Away from 
the daily drumbeat of news, rumor, and self-
interested leaks, however, the picture may make a lot 
more (and different) sense. Within limits, the law 
allows the prosecution to prove its case with the 
wide screen that's necessary for a clearer view. 

If the prosecution were attempting to prove that Karl 
Rove's July 11, 2003 conversation with Time's Matt 
Cooper violated the Intelligence Identities 
Protection Act, for example, it would obviously 
present Cooper's testimony about the conversation, 
and possibly the notes and e-mails that documented 
it. Since criminal law allows a jury to use common 
sense to draw reasonable inferences from the facts 
presented, a prosecutor could then argue that 
Cooper's testimony goes a long way towards proving 
all of the elements of the crime. (A prerequisite for 
any violation would, of course, be proof that Joseph 
Wilson's wife Valerie Plame was indeed a covert 
agent, but as former State Department 
counterterrorism expert Larry Johnson's July 22 
congressional testimony makes clear, there is 
abundant proof of that fact.) 

When it comes to the Cooper-Rove conversation, a 
prosecutor would assumedly argue, first, that there's 
no doubt Karl Rove provided information to Cooper 
intentionally; that is, not by mistake or accident. 
It strains credulity to suggest that a seasoned 
political operator like Rove ever says anything to a 
reporter that is not calculated, and Rove's 
purposefulness can also be seen in the details of the 
call. Rove knew he was talking to a reporter, not a 
person authorized to receive classified information. 
Since Cooper called Rove and was put through only 
after the call was screened by a secretary, we can 
infer that Rove made a conscious choice to speak with 
him. Cooper also began the call by identifying 
himself. Finally, Rove provided information on "deep 
background," a term of art which, to a reporter, 
means that the information can be used but the source 
cannot be identified. This fact alone precludes a 
finding that Rove was speaking accidentally or by 
mistake. 

In addition, the prosecution would likely argue that 
there's no real issue on the question of whether 
Rove "disclosed" information. Cooper says that Rove 
told him Wilson's wife was a CIA agent who worked on 
weapons of mass destruction and that it was she, not 
George Tenet or Dick Cheney who was responsible for 
sending Wilson on his mission to Niger. He also says 
that Rove told him the information about Wilson's 
wife was "going to be declassified soon." 
Affirmatively providing information obviously 
constitutes "disclosing" it, as the term is defined 
in the statute. So if the jury accepts Cooper's 
testimony, the issue of whether Rove "intentionally 
disclosed" information is settled. But it could also 
be settled even if the version provided by 
the "sources close to Rove" -- that he simply 
confirmed information Cooper provided -- was accepted 
as accurate. As Rove would certainly know, a 
confirmation by a senior administration official 
conveys information to a reporter and makes it 
available to him for use, even if under slightly 
limited circumstances. Both "conveying" and "making 
available" are terms used to define "disclose" in the 
Intelligence Identities Protection Act. 

Common sense precludes any serious argument that a 
reference to "Joseph Wilson's wife" does not 
constitute an identification, so the jury could 
reasonably infer Rove's knowledge from the nature of 
the information he disclosed. In other words, a jury 
could infer that Rove knew Wilson's wife's status was 
covert and that the CIA was taking affirmative 
measures to conceal her intelligence relationship to 
the government, because he said it was going to be 
declassified soon. Obviously, information does not 
need to be declassified if it is not currently 
classified. That the information is classified means 
that the government has been taking affirmative 
measures to conceal it. 

Rove's revelations about Valerie Plame's specific 
work on weapons of mass destruction, as well as the 
claim that she was responsible for sending her 
husband to Niger, also give rise to the reasonable 
and necessary inference that he had access to 
detailed classified information about her work at the 
CIA. The only commonsense interpretation of the 
comment Cooper imputes to Rove -- "I've already said 
too much" -- is, finally, that he knew he was 
imparting classified information he was not supposed 
to impart. 

Why believe Cooper? As a start, because most of what 
he says about the conversation is not in dispute. He 
is also clearly a man of principle who was willing to 
go to jail to protect his source. He has no motive to 
falsely incriminate anyone, least of all Karl Rove or 
Vice President Cheney's aide Lewis "Scooter" Libby. 
He has clearly been careful to include all the 
details he can recall regardless of their 
implications for either side -- and his account is 
corroborated by writings he made at the time. Perhaps 
most important, Cooper's version of the July 11, 2003 
conversation with Rove makes sense when viewed 
against what we already know of the background of the 
entire case. That context not only supports Cooper's 
testimony, but also strengthens the case that Karl 
Rove had access to and knew that Valerie Wilson was a 
covert agent whose status was classified. 

That is why the jury would likely hear, among other 
things, that Wilson's July 6, 2003 op-ed piece in the 
New York Times, which contradicted the 
administration's story about Saddam Hussein's search 
for yellowcake uranium ore in Niger, catapulted the 
administration into a frenzy of activity which 
appeared to have two overlapping goals. The first was 
the preparation of a CIA response to Wilson's 
revelations; the second, the undermining of Wilson's 
credibility. As New York Times columnist Frank Rich 
has so aptly described it, the eight days between the 
July 6 op-ed and Robert Novak's July 14 column outing 
Valerie Plame were characterized by "mounting 
desperation" on the part of the administration. 

It is likely that only a fraction of what happened 
during that time has been made public, but the 
credible evidence that has been reported indicates 
that senior administration officials Rove and Libby 
were in close contact with each other, as well as 
with the State Department and the CIA, in order to 
carry out their two-pronged attack. The jury would 
likely hear evidence about their e-mail 
communications. The jury would also probably hear 
that, within 24 hours of publication of the Wilson 
piece, Secretary of State Colin Powell and White 
House Press Spokesman Ari Fleischer were seen holding 
a State Department memo requested by Deputy Secretary 
of State Richard Armitage on the day the Wilson op-ed 
appeared; that, when seen with the memo, Powell and 
Fleischer were on Air Force One with President Bush 
and National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice on the 
way to Africa; that the State Department memo 
contained a paragraph about Valerie Wilson's work at 
the CIA marked "secret"; that on July 8th, Karl Rove 
talked about Valerie Wilson's work at the CIA with 
Robert Novak; that, at about the same time, another 
senior administration official told Robert Novak 
about Valerie Wilson's work at the CIA; that, on July 
12, the day after Rove talked with Cooper, Lewis 
Libby, speaking "on background," told Cooper he "had 
heard" the information about Valerie Wilson's CIA 
status and possible involvement in sending Wilson to 
Niger; that, on the same day, a "senior 
administration official who was not Libby" told 
Washington Post reporter Walter Pincus that "Wilson's 
trip to Niger was set up as a boondoggle by his CIA-
employed wife"; and that, just the day before on July 
11, CIA Director George Tenet had taken the fall for 
the inclusion of the infamous 16 words that, inserted 
in the State of the Union Address, had started the 
whole ball rolling. So once Robert Novak published 
his story outing Valerie Plame and undermining Joseph 
Wilson on July 14, 2003, it would appear that the 
administration had achieved both of its goals. Hardly 
the work of "senior administration officials" who 
know not what they do. 

If charges were brought, it would certainly be in 
light of this background evidence, and more (as they 
say on the infomercials) that a jury would be asked 
to decide whether a violation of the Intelligence 
Identities Protection Act had been proved. That jury 
would, of course, be free to draw whatever reasonable 
inferences it found appropriate based on this chain 
of circumstances. 

Circumstantial evidence? Yes, contrary to popular 
belief, direct and circumstantial evidence have equal 
weight under federal criminal law. So one very strong 
permissible inference from the evidence of the 
administration's post-July 6, 2003 conduct could be 
that, given the damaging nature of the Joseph Wilson 
story and the urgency with which the State Department 
memo had been requested, it is impossible to believe 
that Powell simply tucked it into his briefcase and 
began watching an in-flight movie. Precisely who saw 
it or heard about its contents is not publicly known, 
but it is known that Lewis Libby and Karl Rove had 
been tasked to work with CIA Director George Tenet to 
craft the mea culpa Tenet would deliver on July 11 
taking responsibility for those sixteen words in the 
State of the Union. As has been widely reported, 
their involvement can be proven by evidence of an 
intense exchange of e-mails between the two. It would 
be difficult to work on Tenet's statement without 
knowing about the information in the July 7 memo, as 
well as much other classified information about the 
Wilson trip, so it would not be unreasonable to infer 
that they too had been recipients of the information 
in that memo. 

Whether charges will be brought under the 
Intelligence Identities Protection Act or, if they 
were, what a jury would decide, we cannot possibly 
know. But we do know that it is not a law under which 
guilt is nearly impossible to prove -- as the 
pundits, citing each other, have led us to believe. 
It also bears mentioning that experienced prosecutors 
never underestimate juries. Most juries are like the 
special grand jury described by Matt Cooper: 
thorough, highly-engaged people who are absolutely 
committed to applying the law only to the evidence 
they have heard in court as they are instructed to 
do. They are not easily fooled. They have common 
sense. And they are firmly rooted in the reality-
based community. 



Elizabeth de la Vega has recently retired after 
serving more than 20 years as a federal prosecutor in 
Minneapolis and San Jose. During her tenure, she was 
a member of the Organized Crime Strike Force and 
Chief of the San Jose Branch of the U.S. Attorney's 
Office for the Northern District of California.

This piece first appeared on TomDispatch.com 




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From ean at sbcglobal.net  Mon Aug 15 21:11:53 2005
From: ean at sbcglobal.net (ean@sbcglobal.net)
Date: Tue Aug 16 09:07:06 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Jefferson Would Have Stood With Cindy Sheehan 
Message-ID: <E1E53uT-0007cO-9t@smtpauth08.mail.atl.earthlink.net>

Jefferson Would Have Stood With Cindy 
Sheehan 
by Thom Hartmann 
Nationally, it was clearly a phenomenon when several truckers called 
into my radio show on Sirius Satellite to say that they were interrupting 
trips through central parts of the USA to head to Crawford, Texas. One 
even reported live as he experienced a (friendly) reception by the local 
sheriff, who helped him find a place to park his rig. Locally here in 
Oregon, it's not unusual to see cars with signs taped to their rear 
windows - printed in inch-high letters on an 8 1/2" x 11" piece of paper 
- that say variations on: "We're With Cindy!" or "Answer Her 
Questions!" 
Ambassador Joe Wilson represented a political threat to Bush by 
credibly exposing part of Bush's lie and its methodology, and so Wilson 
had to be taken out by destroying his wife's career. Cindy Sheehan 
now represents a similar political threat, and for this job right-wing hate 
radio, Drudge, and extremist bloggers have zeroed in on her. 
Meanwhile, thousands of patriotic Americans, tired of being lied to by 
the Bush regime, are heading to Crawford, or visiting 
www.meetwithcindy.comor www.crawfordpeacehouse.org . 
Often history tells us how the future may turn out: Bush Junior isn't the 
first president to have lied to us about foreign affairs and war, or to use 
lies to justify eviscerating the Constitution. For example, Lyndon 
Johnson lied about a non-existent attack on the US warship Maddox in 
the Vietnamese Gulf of Tonkin. William McKinley (the presidency after 
which Karl Rove has said he's modeling the Bush presidency) lied 
about an attack on the USS Maine to get us into the Spanish-American 
war in The Philippines and Cuba. 
But most relevant to today's situation were John Adams' version of 
Bush's Saddam stories when Adams sent three emissaries to France 
and criminals soliciting bribes approached them late one evening. 
Adams referred to these three unidentified Frenchmen as "Mr. X, Mr. 
Y, and Mr. Z," and made them out to represent such an insult and a 
threat against America that it may presage war. 
Adams' use of "The XYZ Affair" to gain political capital nearly led us to 
war with France and helped him carve a large (although temporary) 
hole in the Constitution. Similarly, much like Bush's corralling of 
protesters at gunpoint into so-called "Free Speech Zones," and saying 
he has the power to lock up Americans (like Jose Padilla) without 
charges and without access to a lawyer, John Adams jailed newspaper 
editors and average citizens alike who spoke out against him and his 
policies. 
At that time in the late 1790s, Adams was President and Jefferson was 
Vice President. Adams led the Federalist Party (which today could be 
said to have reincarnated as the Republican Party - thus the attempts 
by Republican historians to rehabilitate Adams' legacy and trash 
Jefferson), and Jefferson had just brought together two Anti-Federalist 
parties - the Democrats and the Republicans - into one party called 
The Democratic Republicans. (Today they're known as the Democratic 
Party, the longest-lasting political party in history. They dropped 
"Republican" from their name in the 1820-1830 era). 
Adams and his Federalist cronies, using war hysteria with France as a 
wedge issue, were pushing the Alien & Sedition Acts through 
Congress, and even threw into prison Democratic Congressman 
Matthew Lyon of Vermont for speaking out against the Federalists on 
the floor of the House of Representatives. Adams was leading the 
United States in the direction of a fascistic state with a spectacularly 
successful strategy of vilifying Jefferson and his Party as anti- 
American and pro-French. Adams rhetoric was described as "manly" 
by the Federalist newspapers, which admiringly published dozens of 
his threatening rants against France, suggesting that Jefferson's 
Democratic Republicans were less than patriots and perhaps even 
traitors because of their opposition to the unnecessary war with France 
that Adams was simultaneously trying to gin up and saying he was 
working to avoid. 
On June 1, 1798 - two weeks before the Alien & Sedition Acts passed 
Congress by a single vote - Jefferson wrote a thoughtful letter to his 
old friend John Taylor. 
"This is not new," Jefferson said. "It is the old practice of despots; to 
use a part of the people to keep the rest in order. And those who have 
once got an ascendancy and possessed themselves of all the 
resources of the nation, their revenues and offices, have immense 
means for retaining their advantage. 
"But," he added, "our present situation is not a natural one." Jefferson 
knew that Adams' Federalists did not represent the true heart and soul 
of America, and commented to Taylor about how Adams had been 
using divide-and-conquer politics, and fear-mongering about war with 
France (the "XYZ Affair") with some success. 
"But still I repeat it," he wrote again to Taylor, "this is not the natural 
state." 
Jefferson did everything he could to stop that generation's version of 
the PATRIOT Act, but Adams had the Federalists in control of both the 
House of Representatives and the Senate, and pushed through the 
Alien and Sedition Acts. Jefferson left town the day they were signed in 
protest. 
Jefferson later wrote in his diary, "Their usurpations and violations of 
the Constitution at that period, and their majority in both Houses of 
Congress, were so great, so decided, and so daring, that after 
combating their aggressions, inch by inch, without being able in the 
least to check their career, the [Democratic] Republican leaders 
thought it would be best for them to give up their useless efforts there, 
go home, get into their respective legislatures, embody whatever of 
resistance they could be formed into, and if ineffectual, to perish there 
as in the last ditch." 
Democratic Republican Congressman Albert Gallatin submitted 
legislation that would repeal the Alien & Sedition Acts, and the 
Federalist majority in the House refused to even consider the motion, 
while informing Gallatin that he would be the next to be imprisoned if 
he kept speaking out against "the national security." 
But a new force arose. 
When Adams shut down the Democratic Republican newspapers, 
pamphleteers - like those who had helped stir up the American 
Revolution - went to work, papering towns from New Hampshire to 
Georgia with posters and leaflets decrying Adams' power grab and 
encouraging people to stand tall with Thomas Jefferson. One of the 
best was a short screed by George Nicholas of Kentucky, "Justifying 
the Kentucky Resolution against the Alien & Sedition Laws" and " 
Correcting Certain False Statements, Which Have Been Made in the 
Different States" by Adams' Federalists. 
On February 13, 1799, then-Vice President Jefferson sent a copy of 
Nicholas' pamphlet to his old friend Archibald Stuart (a Virginia 
legislator, fighter in the War of Independence, and leader of 
Jefferson's Democratic Republicans). 
"I avoid writing to my friends because the fidelity of the post office is 
very much doubted," he opened his letter to Stuart, concerned that 
Adams was having his mail inspected because of his anti-war 
activities. Jefferson pointed out that "France is sincerely anxious for 
reconciliation, willing to give us a liberal treaty," and that even with the 
Democratic newspapers shut down by Adams and the Federalist- 
controlled media being unwilling to speak of Adams' war lies, word was 
getting out to the people. 
Jefferson noted, "All these things are working on the public mind. They 
are getting back to the point where they were when the X. Y. Z. story 
was passed off on them. A wonderful and rapid change is taking place 
in Pennsylvania, Jersey, and New York. Congress is daily plied with 
petitions against the alien and sedition laws and standing armies." 
Jefferson then turned to the need for the pamphleteers' materials to be 
widely distributed. "The materials now bearing on the public mind will 
infallibly restore it to its republican soundness in the course of the 
present summer," he wrote, "if the knowledge of facts can only be 
disseminated among the people. Under separate cover you will receive 
some pamphlets written by George Nicholas on the acts of the last 
session. These I would wish you to distribute...." 
The pamphleteer - today he would have been called a blogger - was 
James Bradford, and he reprinted tens of thousands of copies of 
Nicholas' pamphlet and distributed it far and wide. Hand to hand, as 
Jefferson did with his by-courier letter to Stuart - was how what would 
be today's postings to progressive websites were distributed. 
In the face of the pamphleteering and protests, the Federalists fought 
back with startling venom. Vicious personal attacks were launched in 
the Federalist press against Jefferson, Madison, and others, and 
President Adams and Vice President Jefferson were scarcely on 
speaking terms. Adams' goal was nothing short of the complete 
destruction of Jefferson's Democratic Party, and he had scared many 
of them into silence or submission. 
"All [Democratic Republicans], therefore, retired," Jefferson wrote in 
his diary, "leaving Mr. Gallatin alone in the House of Representatives, 
and myself in the Senate, where I then presided as Vice-President. 
Remaining at our posts, and bidding defiance to the brow-beatings and 
insults by which they endeavored to drive us off also, we kept the mass 
of [Democratic] Republicans in phalanx together, until the legislature 
could be brought up to the charge; and nothing on earth is more 
certain, than that if myself particularly, placed by my office of Vice- 
President at the head of the [Democratic] Republicans, had given way 
and withdrawn from my post, the [Democratic] Republicans throughout 
the Union would have given up in despair; and the cause would have 
been lost forever." 
But Jefferson and Gallatin held their posts, and fought back fiercely 
against Adams, thus saving - quite literally - American democracy. 
Jefferson and Madison also secretly helped legislators in Virginia and 
Kentucky submit resolutions in those states' legislatures decrying the 
Alien & Sedition Acts. The bill in Virginia, in particular, gained traction. 
As Jefferson noted in his diary, "By holding on, we obtained time for 
the legislatures to come up with their weight; and those of Virginia and 
Kentucky particularly, but more especially the former, by their 
celebrated resolutions, saved the Constitution at its last gasp. No 
person who was not a witness of the scenes of that gloomy period, can 
form any idea of the afflicting persecutions and personal indignities we 
had to brook. They saved our country however. The spirits of the 
people were so much subdued and reduced to despair by the X Y Z 
imposture, and other stratagems and machinations, that they would 
have sunk into apathy and monarchy, as the only form of government 
which could maintain itself." 
The efforts of average people like that century's Cindy Sheehans, and 
fearless politicians like today's Howard Dean, John Conyers, and 
Bernie Sanders, made great gains. As Jefferson noted in a February 
14, 1799 letter to Virginia's Edmund Pendleton, "The violations of the 
Constitution, propensities to war, to expense, and to a particular 
foreign connection, which we have lately seen, are becoming evident 
to the people, and are dispelling that mist which X. Y. Z. had spread 
before their eyes. This State is coming forward with a boldness not yet 
seen. Even the German counties of York and Lancaster, hitherto the 
most devoted [to Adams], have come about, and by petitions with four 
thousand signers remonstrate against the alien and sedition laws, 
standing armies, and discretionary powers in the President." 
Americans were so angry with Adams, Jefferson noted, that the 
challenge was to prevent people from taking up arms against Adams' 
Federalists. 
"New York and Jersey are also getting into great agitation. In this State 
[of Pennsylvania], we fear that the ill-designing may produce 
insurrection. Nothing could be so fatal. Anything like force would check 
the progress of the public opinion and rally them round the 
government. This is not the kind of opposition the American people will 
permit." 
Like Cindy Sheehan, Jefferson knew that peaceful protests had 
greater power than violence or threats. 
"But keep away all show of force," he wrote to Pendleton, "and they will 
bear down the evil propensities of the government, by the 
constitutional means of election and petition. If we can keep quiet, 
therefore, the tide now turning will take a steady and proper direction." 
A week later, February 21, 1799, Jefferson wrote to the great Polish 
general who had fought in the American Revolution, Thaddeus 
Kosciusko, a close friend who was then living in Russia. War was the 
great enemy of democracy, Jefferson noted, and peace was its 
champion. And the American people were increasingly siding with 
peace and rejecting Adams' call for war. 
"The wonderful irritation produced in the minds of our citizens by the X. 
Y. Z. story, has in a great measure subsided," he noted. "They begin to 
suspect and to see it coolly in its true light." 
But Adams was still President, and for him and his Federalist Party war 
would have helped tremendously with the upcoming election of 1800. 
In France some leaders wanted war with America for similar reasons. 
Jefferson continued, "What course the government will pursue, I know 
not. But if we are left in peace, I have no doubt the wonderful turn in 
the public opinion now manifestly taking place and rapidly increasing, 
will, in the course of this' summer, become so universal and so 
weighty, that friendship abroad and freedom at home will be firmly 
established by the influence and constitutional powers of the people at 
large." 
And if Adams' rhetoric led to an attack on America by France? "If we 
are forced into war," Jefferson noted, "we must give up political 
differences of opinion, and unite as one man to defend our country. 
But whether at the close of such a war, we should be as free as we are 
now, God knows." 
The tide was turned, to use Jefferson's phrase, by the election of 1800. 
The abuses of the Federalists were so burned into the people's minds 
when Jefferson's party came to power, and he freed the imprisoned 
newspaper editors so reform-minded newspapers were started back 
up again, that the Federalists disintegrated altogether as a party over 
the next two decades. 
All because average citizens and pamphleteers stood up and 
challenged the lies of a war-mongering president, and politicians of 
principle were willing to lead. Cindy Sheehan is the George Nicholas or 
Rusticus of our age. Jefferson would have stood with her. 
America has been burdened by lying presidents before, and even one 
who tried to destroy our Constitution. But in our era - like in Jefferson's 
- we are fortunate to have radical truth-tellers like Cindy Sheehan and 
Joseph Wilson to warn us of treasonous acts for political gain, and 
bloggers and progressive websites to carry the truth. 
If we stand in solidarity with today's truth-tellers, and politicians step 
forward to take a leadership role, then its entirely possible that with the 
elections of 2006 and 2008 American democracy can once again 
prevail. 

Thom Hartmann (thom at thomhartmann.com) is a Project Censored 
Award-winning best-selling author, and host of a nationally syndicated 
daily progressive talk show and a morning progressive talk show on 
KPOJ  in Portland, Oregon. www.thomhartmann.com  His most recent 
books are " The Last Hours of Ancient Sunlight ," " Unequal Protection 
," " We The People ," " The Edison Gene ", and " What Would 
Jefferson Do? "



-- 
You are currently on Mha Atma's Earth Action Network email list, 
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"In times of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act."
   ---   George Orwell


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From michael at intrafi.com  Tue Aug 16 09:04:47 2005
From: michael at intrafi.com (michael@intrafi.com)
Date: Tue Aug 16 09:08:18 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] FT.com / Middle East & Africa / Iraq - Iraqi leaders
	fail to reach deal on constitution 
Message-ID: <28150305.1124208287558.JavaMail.tomcat@localhost>



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From michael at intrafi.com  Tue Aug 16 09:05:56 2005
From: michael at intrafi.com (michael@intrafi.com)
Date: Tue Aug 16 09:09:27 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] FT.com / Comment & analysis / Comment - Why Kurdistan
	insists on Kirkuk
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From villasudjuan at wanadoo.fr  Tue Aug 16 06:29:54 2005
From: villasudjuan at wanadoo.fr (villasudjuan)
Date: Tue Aug 16 09:36:28 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] FW: Emailing: 4312547
In-Reply-To: <000701c5a0ec$84be7ed0$6401a8c0@DF2ZTG61>
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From villasudjuan at wanadoo.fr  Tue Aug 16 06:33:31 2005
From: villasudjuan at wanadoo.fr (villasudjuan)
Date: Tue Aug 16 09:39:36 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] FW: Emailing: npp
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From michael at intrafi.com  Tue Aug 16 09:56:50 2005
From: michael at intrafi.com (michael@intrafi.com)
Date: Tue Aug 16 10:00:16 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Alternet: Terror's Greatest Recruitment Tool
Message-ID: <20050816165650.981BAB808F@alternet.org>


This story has been forwarded to you from
http://www.alternet.org by michael@intrafi.com



-------------------------------------
Terror's Greatest Recruitment Tool
http://www.alternet.org/story/24046

The words of one of the alleged July 21 bombers in London reveal that the war on Iraq is exactly the opposite of what Bush predicted -- and exactly what progressives feared.
-------------------------------------

From harry.sifton at sympatico.ca  Tue Aug 16 10:55:33 2005
From: harry.sifton at sympatico.ca (Harold Sifton)
Date: Tue Aug 16 10:59:04 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Whitehouse for sale
Message-ID: <003b01c5a28b$b6080560$713fe440@Harold>

New ambassador to Canada backed Bush with $$$

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/ArticleNews/TPStory/LAC/20050816/AMBASSADOR16/International/Idx

Apparently a lot of backers have received plum appointments.

A car dealer is now Ambassador to the Court of St James, London!

I would prefer that an Ambassador earned their post through talent and not purchased $$ !

Later H
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From michael at michaelbutler.com  Tue Aug 16 11:22:41 2005
From: michael at michaelbutler.com (Michael Butler)
Date: Tue Aug 16 11:26:22 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] "Intelligent Design"
Message-ID: <BF277D01.23544%michael@michaelbutler.com>

Lyle,
Thanks so much for your comments. I respect your thoughts and always enjoy
the introspection shown.
Peace and Love to you and Versa
Michael

From michael at michaelbutler.com  Tue Aug 16 12:01:21 2005
From: michael at michaelbutler.com (Michael Butler)
Date: Tue Aug 16 12:04:48 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Intelligent Design
Message-ID: <BF278611.23550%michael@michaelbutler.com>

Ian,
Thanks for your serious and in depth rebuttal to my remarks. I have great
respect for your positions. That is what makes our world go around.
In appreciation Michael

From harperalexander at mail.com  Tue Aug 16 13:58:08 2005
From: harperalexander at mail.com (Alexander Harper)
Date: Tue Aug 16 14:02:50 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Britain's shared history with its immigrants - Mihir Bose
Message-ID: <20050816205808.C0A6C16415C@ws1-4.us4.outblaze.com>

>From the Daily Telegraph

Britain has a shared history with its immigrants - unlike America
By Mihir Bose
(Filed: 16/08/2005)

In the early 1980s, when London Weekend Television was about to launch its first programme aimed at ethnic minorities, I was interviewed for the job of presenter. The interview was the most unusual I have ever had. It turned into a ferocious argument between me and the white interviewer about the relevance of the American experience of dealing with immigration. I tried to argue that Britain's experience was, historically, very different to that of America, and that blindly following their example would not be very useful. He disagreed and, needless to say, I did not get the job.

  
 
I have been reminded of that episode as, following the bombs in London, there have been many references to how American-born Muslims have not taken to the bomb - apparently proving the superiority of the American way of integrating minorities. The problem with this analysis is that it ignores historical differences between the countries. 

Unlike America, Britain is not a country that has tended to import people. Indeed, it continued to export people until well into the post-war period. One of the iconic British movies of those years, Brief Encounter, ends with Trevor Howard telling Celia Johnson that he is emigrating to southern Africa. The arrival of immigrants in large numbers, and of a darker skin colour, changed things dramatically, but we are still not a country of immigrants.

Nor has the British experience of colour been remotely similar to that of America, as the examples of Ranji and Jackie Robinson illustrate. Ranji, an Indian prince, played cricket for England in 1896, scoring a century on his debut against Australia at Old Trafford. It was more than half a century later, in 1947, that Robinson became the first black man to play major league baseball.

The British Empire certainly had a racial curtain, inspired by a belief in white supremacy, but the curtain had gaps through which other races could creep. When the Bengal Club in Calcutta refused to let the viceroy hold a dinner to honour Lord Sinha, the first Indian member of the House of Lords, he joined Indians in setting up the Calcutta Club, which had both Indian and European members.

The Americans had a racial wall, first erected by the US constitution, decreeing that a black man was to be considered equal to four fifths of a white man. The wall has now been smashed, but the idea of an irreconcilable difference between citizen and alien has survived. Whereas Britain, in her complicated way, recognised dual identities - the native retaining his culture but loyal to the Queen, the expat thinking of England but honouring his hosts - the US forces people to choose between place of origin and place of settling. 

The difference is simple but profound: America can impose a coherent historical narrative on immigrants because the countries they come from had no previous involvement with America. Settlers are able and encouraged to discard their native histories and accept the American version.

But the vast majority of non-white immigrants to Britain have come from our former colonies, and bring not only their own cultures but also their own versions of our shared history. So, in trying to construct a single coherent narrative for this island, we are faced with trying to marry two historical streams: the "home" version and the "export" version. 

It can be done. The Australians and Irish like to mock, and even rail against, the British, inspired by historical memories that are often antagonistic. The Australians remember Gallipoli with bitterness - not towards the Turks, but towards British generals they hold responsible for the slaughter (so strong is the symbolism of Gallipoli that before the last Ashes series in this country, Steve Waugh, the then Australian captain, took his team there in order to inspire them for the coming battle). The Irish sat out Britain's gravest threat in the Second World War, and many sympathised openly with the Nazis. Yet both nations see themselves, and are seen by us, as part of the same family - the arguments are held within the walls of the same house.

Relations with the Indian subcontinent and with her people - especially those who have come to live here - are very different. Indians, Pakistanis, Nepalis and Sri Lankans have, if anything, an even more loyal record towards Britain than Ireland and Australia, but both white Britons and immigrant communities here often do not think of themselves as part of the same family. 

Soldiers from the subcontinent have fought for Britain for more than 200 years in many lands. At the splendid fort at Jodhpur recently, I saw a gun won by the Rajputs in putting down the Boxer rebellion in China. The Second World War saw 2.8 million Indians fight for the British, the largest volunteer army in the war. India also suffered terrible civilian losses during the war, with 3.5 million Bengalis dying of famine. 

The Gurkhas are citizens of a country whose last war was fought against the British in 1816. Since then, Nepal has been neutral in all other conflicts, but its citizens have proved to be Britain's best fighters. 

The problem is that this history is largely unknown to the majority white community. As the great Trinidadian writer C L R James put it, what do the people of Britain know of what was done in their name in far-flung places? And, sadly, the history is increasingly unknown to immigrants and their descendants, too. Indians do not want to be reminded that they collaborated in such large numbers with colonial masters. We might add to James's question: what do Pakistani and Indian Britons know of what their grandfathers did in the name of Britain? 

We will only succeed in constructing a proper narrative of this island, which appeals to all communities, when these stories are told and widely heard. America has no "export" version of its history; integration is simpler there. But the people of Britain and of her imperial offspring are already related to each other: the challenge for us is to recognise the relationship and restore it on terms which, if sometimes antagonistic, are at least familial.

Some 16,000 European prisoners of war died at the hands of the Japanese on the Burma railway; more than 100,000 Tamils died in the same project. In the week we celebrate VJ day, we should remember those allies of ours who paid the highest price.



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From hecate at diamonddragon.com  Tue Aug 16 14:25:36 2005
From: hecate at diamonddragon.com (Hecate)
Date: Tue Aug 16 14:29:21 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] BBC E-mail: Scientists make nerve stem cells
Message-ID: <20050816_212536_084109.hecate@diamonddragon.com>

Hecate saw this story on BBC News Online and thought you
should see it.



** Scientists make nerve stem cells **
The world's first pure nerve stem cells made from human embryonic stem cells are created by scientists.
< http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/fr/-/2/hi/science/nature/4155016.stm >


** BBC Daily E-mail **
Choose the news and sport headlines you want - when you want them, all
in one daily e-mail
< http://www.bbc.co.uk/dailyemail/ >


** Disclaimer **
The BBC is not responsible for the content of this e-mail, and anything written in this e-mail does not necessarily reflect the BBC's views or opinions. Please note that neither the e-mail address nor name of the sender have?been verified.

If you do not wish to receive such e-mails in the future or want to know more about the BBC's Email a Friend service, please read our frequently asked questions. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/help/4162471.stm

From harperalexander at mail.com  Tue Aug 16 14:33:05 2005
From: harperalexander at mail.com (Alexander Harper)
Date: Tue Aug 16 14:36:31 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] United in greed, divided it falls.
Message-ID: <20050816213305.6C2661F50B1@ws1-2.us4.outblaze.com>

Mark Steyn - the Daily Telegraph writer, who penned the attached, has been pro-Iraq war ever since the beginning. Well, at least he has been consistent, even if it is impossible, hard though one might (not) try, to agree with him.
In this article he argues that a beneficial side effect of the war has been to bust open the scams at the UN. It's an ill wind etc..
Al Baraka

 
United in greed, divided it falls
By Mark Steyn
(Filed: 16/08/2005)

How many Annans does it take to change a light bulb? Well, if the replacement light bulb's being shipped to Uday Hussein's Iraqi Olympic Committee recreational basement as part of the UN Oil-for-Food programme, there's no telling how many Annans you'll need.

  
 
You'll recall that Kofi Annan's son Kojo - who had a $30,000-a-year job but managed to find a spare quarter-million dollars sitting around to invest in a Swiss football club - has been under investigation for some time for his alleged ties to the Oil-for-Food programme. But the investigators have now broadened their sights to include Kofi's brother Kobina Annan, the Ghanaian ambassador to Morocco, who has ties to a businessman behind several of the entities involved in the scandal - one Michael Wilson, the son of the former Ghanaian ambassador to Switzerland and a childhood friend of young Kojo. Mr Wilson is currently being investigated for suspected bribery over a $50 million contract to renovate the Geneva offices of the UN World Intellectual Property Organisation.

The actual head of the Oil-for-Food racket, Kofi sidekick Benon Sevan, has resigned, having hitherto insisted that a mysterious six-figure sum in his bank account was a gift from his elderly aunt, a lady of modest means who lived in a two-room flat back in Cyprus. Paul Volcker's investigators had planned to confirm with auntie her nephew's version of events, but unfortunately she fell down an elevator shaft and died. It now seems likely that the windfall had less to do with Mr Sevan's late aunt and more to do with his soliciting of oil allocations for another company.

Meanwhile, Alexander Yakovlev, a senior procurement officer for UN "peacekeeping" missions - and, if you're on a UN mission in Africa, no, he can't fix you up with a hot-looking eight-year-old from the local village; Mr Yakovlev apparently dealt with the non-child-sex aspects of UN procuring - anyway, Mr Yakovlev salted away just shy of a million bucks in kickbacks in his account in Antigua. He's just been arrested in New York and pleaded guilty to money laundering, wire fraud, etc.

Despite the current investigations into his brother, his son, his son's best friend, his former chief of staff, his procurement officer and the executive director of the UN's biggest ever programme, the Secretary-General insists he remains committed to staying on and tackling the important work of "reforming" the UN.

Unfortunately, his Executive Co-Ordinator for United Nations Reform has also had to resign. Officially, Maurice Strong, Under-Secretary-General, godfather of the Kyoto treaty and chief UN negotiator on North Korea, resigned because he'd put his step-daughter on the payroll - she's also quit - and because of his ties to Tongsun Park, a Korean businessman charged by the US Attorney's office with taking millions of dollars from Saddam to act as an unregistered foreign agent for Iraq. Mr Park allegedly invested a million of those Saddamite greenbacks in a business of Under-Secretary-General Strong's son - a now bankrupt Canadian petroleum company.

By happy coincidence, Under-Secretary-General Strong and Kojo Annan were both appointed, on the same day, to the board of a company called Air Harbour Technologies, a business registered in the Isle of Man and whose directors also included Michael Wilson, the guy under investigation for the UN office renovation contract in Geneva. It's a small world, at least at the UN. AHT was wholly owned by the son of Sheikh Yamani, the former Saudi oil minister. Yamani Jnr was putting together a $60 million oil deal with Saddam, and seemed to think the presence of UN officials and offspring on his board might help him.

But not to worry. To demonstrate his ongoing commitment to "reform", Kofi Annan has now put his Deputy- Secretary-General, Louise Frechette, another Canadian, in charge of the "reform agenda". In a February report by Mr Volcker's committee, Mme Frechette is said to have helped Mr Sevan block efforts to bring details of the Oil-for-Food boondoggle before the Security Council.

How do we know all the above? We only know because the US invaded Iraq and the Baathists skedaddled out of town leaving copious amounts of paperwork relating to the Baghdad end of Oil-for-Fraud, since when Claudia Rosett and a few other dogged journalists have been systematically unstitching the intricate web of family and business relationships around the UN's operations.

You'd think that by now respect for the UN would be plummeting faster than Benon Sevan's auntie down that lift shaft. After all, these aren't peripheral figures or minor departments. They reach right into the heart of UN policy on two of the critical issues of the day - Iraq and North Korea - or four, if you're one of those Guardian types who's hot for Kyoto and peacekeeping. Most of the Ghanaian diplomatic corps and their progeny seem to have directorships at companies with UN contracts and/or Saddamite oil options. I had no idea being a Ghanaian ambassador's son opened so many doors, and nor did they till Kofi ascended to his present eminence.

The other day I sat behind a car from Massachusetts bearing the bumper-sticker "War is Never the Answer". Well, it depends on the question. In this case, without the war, we wouldn't even be asking the questions. Without the paper trail in Baghdad, who would have mustered the will to look into Oil-for-Food and see it through to the point where it's brought down a clutch of career UN bigwigs? They're no great loss to humanity: Mr Strong's "legacy", the Kyoto treaty, is already seen as a joke that's likely to crash the economies of those few countries who've made the mistake of taking it seriously (New Zealand), and, as for his North Korean outreach, we should be grateful it ended before a full-fledged Kim Jong-Il Nukes-for-Food programme was up and running.

But this is how the transnational jet set works, and those sensitive flowers who don't have the stomach to look under the rock could at least do us the favour of ceasing to bleat about, in Clare Short's marvellously loopy phrase, the UN's "moral authority". In The Times the other day, Matthew Parris demanded to know whether I could now admit the Iraq war had been a mistake. No. I'm still in favour of it 100 per cent - and these rare shafts of light on the sewers of transnationalism are merely one more benefit.
 
 


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From ean at sbcglobal.net  Tue Aug 16 15:49:09 2005
From: ean at sbcglobal.net (ean@sbcglobal.net)
Date: Tue Aug 16 16:49:45 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Iraq must reject a constitution that enslaves women
Message-ID: <E1E5B8K-0002TA-Em@smtpauth03.mail.atl.earthlink.net>

The Independent - 15 August 2005
http://comment.independent.co.uk/commentators/article305879.ece

Iraq must reject a constitution that enslaves women

Islamic terrorism is killing and injuring Iraqi women daily,
employing, among other weapons, acid attacks

by Houzan Mahmoud

Today is the deadline for Iraq's ruling political classes to agree a
brand new "constitution" for the country - but don't be deceived, this is
likely to be nothing but another false dawn for Iraq's women. Much of the
debate over the constitution's main articles has centred on the degree to
which Islam will be the source for future laws in Iraq. This spells
disaster for Iraq's women, and represents a cave-in to the terrorist
Islamist groups who are "committing crimes against humanity" on an almost
daily basis, in the words of Amnesty International.

The constitution's drafting committee, like Iraq's legislative assembly,
is dominated by religious, ethnic and tribal figures. Committee members
have been pushing for Islamic Sharia law to be the sole source of the
constitution and there is strong resistance to the incorporation of any
human rights standards that are seen as usurping Islamic legal supremacy.

By all accounts, the finished document is going to reflect the growing
forced Islamisization of Iraqi life, as the poison of Islamic groups
spreads into the mainstream. Supposedly moderate politicians are
disastrously disinclined to challenge the increasingly powerful Islamist
factions that now hold sway in almost every quarter of post-occupation
Iraq.

Whether Sunni or Shia; in the current government or in opposition;
affiliated directly to al-Qa'ida or to the Jordanian fanatic Abu Musab
al-Zarqawi, or are former Baathists who "freelance" as so-called
"resistance fighters", what unites Iraq's armed Islamists is a fierce
hatred of women that rivals their hatred for US and British "invaders",
foreign "infidels" and other assorted enemies.

Across the country, a steady clampdown on women's rights has been going
unreported and unchecked by the government. Islamic terrorism is killing
and injuring Iraqi women daily, employing among other weapons, acid
attacks.

My women's rights group, the Organisation of Women's Freedom in Iraq, has
been documenting part of the upsurge in violence against women. In March
this year, for example, followers of the Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr
targeted an outing of students from Basra University. Playing football and
listening to music, the mixed group was attacked in Basra Public Park. One
male student was killed trying to defend his female friends against
Islamists who literally tore the women's clothes off their bodies. Sadr's
men photographed the dishevelled, half-dressed women, and told them that
their parents would receive the photos if they didn't refrain in future
from "immoral" behaviour.

More widely, professional women have been deliberately targeted and
killed - notably in the city of Mosul - and, recently, anti-women
Islamists in Baghdad have taken to throwing acid in women's faces and on
to their uncovered legs.

So-called "honour killings" are rife, as is the kidnapping and rape of
women. Beheadings have occurred and women have been sold into sexual
servitude. When I was in Baghdad a few months ago, I couldn't go anywhere
without a bodyguard. The sense of danger and threat was tangible.

Islamist repression against women is a campaign of "moral" terror.
Leaflets, graffiti and verbal warnings in their thousands warn women
against going out unveiled, against putting on make-up, and against
shaking hands or mixing with men. Female doctors have been prevented
from treating male patients, and male doctors warned not to attend to
women.

This is a recipe for future gender enslavement, second-class citizenship
and ignorance. Thousands of female university students have now given up
their studies to protect themselves against Islamist threats.

Islamist hostility is contagious and echoed daily in high-level
political debate. Currently there is a drive over the "right" of men to
have four wives, to make divorce a male preserve and for custody of
children to be given to men only. Even women on Iraq's National Assembly -
the country's parliament - have been calling for resolutions to allow for
the beating of women by their guardians (males relatives, such as husbands
or fathers).

This is all the outcome of the occupation of Iraq. This has been pursued
under the name of liberation, but what we actually see is women
increasingly losing their freedom, while political Islamists feel free to
terrorise them. The Islamicists pour into this invaded, so-called Muslim
land in order, they say, to liberate it; but in reality, neither the US
nor the Islamists are our liberators. They both really fight for power and
influence in Iraq and in the region.

The January so-called election and today's constitution are all part of
the same procedure, which is to legitimate the current installed
government in Iraq. It is only in an atmosphere of occupation and terror,
they can push their reactionary ideas forward.

The constitution is set to add to a growing fearfulness among Iraqi
women, as their rights are passed over or signed away to Islamists
hostile to Iraq's entire female population. Women in Iraq face being
dragged back into the dark ages. We need to stop this tragedy before
it's too late. A constitution based on enslaving women, religious
sectarianism, and tribalism must be rejected.

[The writer is the UK Head of the Organisation of Women's Freedom in Iraq
and co-founder of the Iraq Freedom Congress.]


-- 
You are currently on Mha Atma's Earth Action Network email list, 
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From ean at sbcglobal.net  Tue Aug 16 15:49:10 2005
From: ean at sbcglobal.net (ean@sbcglobal.net)
Date: Tue Aug 16 16:50:18 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Petition to get out of Iraq + latest from Crawford +
	corporations rule Iraq
Message-ID: <E1E5B8p-0002rE-8b@smtpauth03.mail.atl.earthlink.net>

 Folks, there are 3 parts to this email, the 1st two very short, and the last a 
little longer:  1) Brief description of Tom Hayden's new petition inititative 
demanding speedy US withdrawl from Iraq, which you can sign and forward; 
2) Very brief update from Cindy Sheehan in Crawford TX; and 3) An article 
explaining how the US has set up law in Iraq, near the beginning of our 
occupation, which will allow our multinational corporations to utterly exploit 
the Iraqi people for years and decades to come.....
---------------------
Dear Friends,
Like millions of other Americans, Progressive Democrats 
of America is convinced that the U.S. must withdraw its 
troops from the ill-considered and disastrous mission in 
Iraq and that the deceit, delusions, and unnecessary 
deaths must be stopped now. 
While President Bush and his advisors are in deep denial 
about the war in Iraq, popular support for the idea that 
the U.S. must get out of Iraq as soon as possible is 
clear and overwhelming. The only real question is how 
to do so most safely. Because the Administration has 
consistently failed to answer these questions, PDA is 
now advancing a plan for Congressional hearings that 
we believe will provide a reasoned strategy to end the 
disaster. 
Like the public hearings held by Senator Fulbright 
during the Vietnam War, Congressional hearings on the 
Iraq War will be turning points in public dialogue. The 
Petition for an Iraq Peace Process is a realistic, well-
reasoned, and rational plan to stop the bleeding. Please 
read the petition and then send it to all of your friends 
and allies and ask them to sign it as well. Members of 
Congress will respond to a broad public demand that 
the present military course in Iraq must be ended. 
Together we can make a difference.

Click here for the petition: 
http://www.pdamerica.org/petition/iraq-withdraw-
petition.php
In solidarity and hope,
Tim Carpenter
PDA Executive Director 



http://www.michaelmoore.com/mustread/index.php
Tuesday, August 16th, 2005
The Peaceful Occupation of Crawford (Day 10); Misses and Miracles

-- a message from Cindy Sheehan, Crawford, TX

We still have so many great things happening at Camp Casey. In spite 
of all the smears and lies, people are still coming.

The most amazing thing today was learning that Camp Caseys are 
opening and spreading all over the country. They have been set up in 
Boston, Portland, Seattle, and elsewhere. If you can't make it to Camp 
Casey, set up your own version. Camp Caseys are amazing places full 
of love and hope. I am so gratified that the movement is spreading.

There is a meeting tomorrow at the County Commissioner's meeting to 
vote on closing Prairie Chapel Road and then evicting us. We were all 
worried about that and planning on being arrested when we got the 
best news yet. The property owner who owns property near Bush's 
ranch and right across the street from Bush's church will let us move 
Camp Casey there!! He has property on both sides of the road ... a full 
acre for us to camp! We are so excited!!! We can fit more people and 
we will be closer to the ranch. Miracles, miracles.

Mike Rogers from Tokyo showed up today and a dear woman from 
Australia who was a human shield in Iraq and knows that the Iraqi 
people are not jumping for joy that the policies of Bush destroyed their 
country.

This is an extremely short post today ... I am exhausted.

 ------------------

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,1072-1731547,00.html

Michael Meacher

The US transnational companies are taking over - and they'll 
benefit for years to come

The Times                 August 12, 2005

IF DEMOCRACY is the goal of American policy in Iraq, as President Bush
repeatedly says it is - not eliminating WMD, not controlling Middle East
oil, not removing a dictator guilty of genocide - then with the Sunni
walkout from government and Kurdish intransigence over federalism and
Kirkuk, that policy is nearing breakdown. But democracy was always only an
after-thought, and anyway never really on offer in the first place.

Before the US proconsul Paul Bremer left Baghdad, he enacted 100 orders as
chief of the occupation authority in Iraq. Perhaps the most infamous was
Order 39 which decreed that 200 Iraqi state companies would be privatised,
that foreign companies could have complete control of Iraqi banks,
factories and mines, and that these companies could transfer all of their
profits out of Iraq. The "reconstruction" of the country amounts in effect
to wholesale privatisation of the economy and is little short of economic
colonisation.

These laws will not be reversed while 140,000 US troops remain in the
country, or a network of US military bases planned to be retained in Iraq
for a much longer period. Aid for rebuilding the electricity and water
services, the oil industry, and the legal and security systems will reside
with the US Embassy for many years to come.

If all 100 orders are taken together, they set the overall legal framework
for overriding foreign exploitation of Iraq's domestic market. They cover
almost all facets of the economy, including Iraq's trading regime, the
mandate of the Central Bank, and regulations governing trade union
activities. Collectively, they lay down the foundations for the real US
objective in Iraq, apart from keeping control of the oil supply, namely
the imposition of a neoliberal capitalist economy controlled and run by US
transnational corporations.

But what is remarkable about these laws is not only their overall degree
of control, but their far-reaching application. Order 81, for example, has
the status of binding law over "patent industrial design, undisclosed
information, integrated circuits and plant variety" - a degree of detailed
supervision normally associated with a Soviet command-and-control 
economy.
While historically the Iraqi Constitution prohibited private ownership of
biological resources, the new US-imposed patent law introduces a system of
monopoly rights over seeds. This is virtually a takeover of Iraqi
agriculture.

The rights granted to US plant breeding companies under this order include
the exclusive right to produce, reproduce, sell, export, import and store
the plant varieties covered by intellectual property right for the next
20-25 years. During this extended period nobody can plant or otherwise use
plants, trees or vines without compensating the breeder.

In the name of agricultural reconstruction this new law deprives Iraqi
farmers of their inherent right, exercised for the past 10,000 years in
the fertile Mesopotamian arc, to save and replant seeds. It enables the
penetration of Iraqi agriculture by Monsanto, Syngenta, Bayer, Dow
Chemical and other corporate giants that control the global seed trade.
Food sovereignty for the Iraqi people has therefore already been made
near-impossible by these new regulations.

This is merely one example of the pervasiveness of the orders left behind
by Bremer. But their impact is largely concentrated in the
near-monopolisation by US corporations of the economic contracts awarded
by the US-dominated Coalition Provisional Authority. Overwhelmingly they
have been allocated to big US companies, notably Bechtel and Halliburton,
which happens to be Vice-President Dick Cheney's former company, 
sometimes
on a secret no-bid basis - such as the contract to repair and operate oil
wells awarded to the Halliburton subsidiary Kellogg, Brown and Root.

Almost no contracts have gone to UK companies, apart from one to repair
and rebuild the Baghdad sewage system. For oilfield repairs over a
two-year period the contracts have been worth some $7 billion. For the
little known and disarmingly entitled Logistics Civil Augmentation
Programme, the contracts value is far greater.

The funding of these massive contracts has largely come from the Iraqi oil
revenues expropriated for US corporate use. The oil money is held in the
US Federal Reserve, and the US Government is determined to keep control of
it under an international board. The US has already spent around half the
revenue, mainly on these long-term contracts with their construction
companies. Of course John Negroponte, who was then the American 
Ambassador
to Iraq, made clear that these enormous funds will be managed in
consultation with the Iraqi Government, but there can be little doubt
where the decision-making power will lie.

Whether this enforced takeover of the economy and imposed privatisation
across the board of all the main economic sectors is in accordance with
international law is now much disputed. But whether it can be reversed
when America holds all the military, political and economic cards is
another matter. The only way for the US authorities to sidestep the
potential conflict is to ensure that the new Iraqi Government is pliant
enough not to press for full sovereignty. Paul Bremer thought of that too.

His Transitional Administrative Law (TAL) effectively gives the Kurds, the
most pro-American section of the population, a veto over the new
constitution because the TAL itself states that it can only be amended by
a 75 per cent vote in parliament. The Kurds hold more that 25 per cent of
the seats.


-- 
You are currently on Mha Atma's Earth Action Network email list, 
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From ialterman at nyc.rr.com  Tue Aug 16 16:54:01 2005
From: ialterman at nyc.rr.com (ialterman@nyc.rr.com)
Date: Tue Aug 16 16:57:30 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] NYTimes.com: Well, Wouldn't It Be Pretty to Think So?
Message-ID: <20050816235401.9FEA411F9D4@lax-gw07.mroute.net>

This page was sent to you by: ialterman@nyc.rr.com.

I wasn't sure if this was sent to Civic yet. If so, please excuse the duplication. Peace.


ARTS | August 15, 2005
Connections: Well, Wouldn't It Be Pretty to Think So?
By EDWARD ROTHSTEIN
In his new book, Russell Jacoby tries — and fails — to rescue utopianism and to resurrect its ambitions.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/15/arts/15conn.html?ex=1124856000&en=80d4e40de59de423&ei=5070&emc=eta1



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From harry.sifton at sympatico.ca  Tue Aug 16 17:07:09 2005
From: harry.sifton at sympatico.ca (Harold Sifton)
Date: Tue Aug 16 17:10:45 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Oil has tripled in price since Bush came into power.
Message-ID: <000a01c5a2bf$a02e76a0$713fe440@Harold>

Until the American people temper their habit/need for gas, the rest of the world will suffer. (I'm aware of the growth in India and China)

Most western countries have responsible consumption behaviour, but US consumption has "increased" by 2 % in the first 5 months of 2005 ??

Canadians are exporters of oil, yet we are penalized $$ by US consumption!

The below is a Canadian hurt/thing.

http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Canada/2005/08/16/1175831-cp.html

It is all about the Oil Dude, and since Bush has been in power, Oil has tripled in price. Geez, what a coincidence!

Later, H

I am not being naive/imaginative, but there is a terrible game afoot, and I'm guessing that this is only the start, and it is not just about oil, it is about a whole re org of the economic system by those who are losing to the new emergences of financial power, and the oil is the fuse, the kicker. These are people who play countries, who through a new world war can re-establish their financial powers like they did after WWII and WWI !

Just thinkin' or have I lost it?

H

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From michael at intrafi.com  Tue Aug 16 17:07:35 2005
From: michael at intrafi.com (michael@intrafi.com)
Date: Tue Aug 16 17:11:11 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Alternet: Women of the New Iraq
Message-ID: <20050817000735.10711B81AA@alternet.org>


This story has been forwarded to you from
http://www.alternet.org by michael@intrafi.com



-------------------------------------
Women of the New Iraq
http://www.alternet.org/story/24063

The war on Iraq has not only made the country and world less safe, it has erased the social and political rights of women who were the most liberated in the Middle East.
-------------------------------------

From michael at intrafi.com  Tue Aug 16 19:50:50 2005
From: michael at intrafi.com (michael)
Date: Tue Aug 16 19:54:28 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Article from Tom Dispatch
Message-ID: <200508170250.j7H2ooGk011426@thor.thenation.com>

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From jefbek at mindspring.com  Tue Aug 16 21:19:53 2005
From: jefbek at mindspring.com (Jef Bek)
Date: Tue Aug 16 21:24:34 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Jefferson Would Have Stood With Cindy Sheehan 
Message-ID: <BF2808F9.DE7%jefbek@mindspring.com>

Published on Monday, August 15, 2005 by CommonDreams.org

Jefferson Would Have Stood With Cindy Sheehan
by Thom Hartmann
?
Nationally, it was clearly a phenomenon when several truckers called into a
radio show on Sirius Satellite to say that they were interrupting trips
through central parts of the USA to head to Crawford, Texas. One even
reported live as he experienced a (friendly) reception by the local sheriff,
who helped him find a place to park his rig. Locally here in Oregon, it's
not unusual to see cars with signs taped to their rear windows - printed in
inch-high letters on an 8 1/2" x 11" piece of paper - that say variations
on: "We're With Cindy!" or "Answer Her Questions!"
Ambassador Joe Wilson represented a political threat to Bush by credibly
exposing part of Bush's lie and its methodology, and so Wilson had to be
taken out by destroying his wife's career. Cindy Sheehan now represents a
similar political threat, and for this job right-wing hate radio, Drudge,
and extremist bloggers have zeroed in on her. Meanwhile, thousands of
patriotic Americans, tired of being lied to by the Bush regime, are heading
to Crawford, or visiting www.meetwithcindy.com or
www.crawfordpeacehouse.org.

Often history tells us how the future may turn out: Bush Junior isn't the
first president to have lied to us about foreign affairs and war, or to use
lies to justify eviscerating the Constitution. For example, Lyndon Johnson
lied about a non-existent attack on the US warship Maddox in the Vietnamese
Gulf of Tonkin. William McKinley (the presidency after which Karl Rove has
said he's modeling the Bush presidency) lied about an attack on the USS
Maine to get us into the Spanish-American war in The Philippines and Cuba.

But most relevant to today's situation were John Adams' version of Bush's
Saddam stories when Adams sent three emissaries to France and criminals
soliciting bribes approached them late one evening. Adams referred to these
three unidentified Frenchmen as "Mr. X, Mr. Y, and Mr. Z," and made them out
to represent such an insult and a threat against America that it may presage
war. 

Adams' use of "The XYZ Affair" to gain political capital nearly led us to
war with France and helped him carve a large (although temporary) hole in
the Constitution. Similarly, much like Bush's corralling of protesters at
gunpoint into so-called "Free Speech Zones," and saying he has the power to
lock up Americans (like Jose Padilla) without charges and without access to
a lawyer, John Adams jailed newspaper editors and average citizens alike who
spoke out against him and his policies.

At that time in the late 1790s, Adams was President and Jefferson was Vice
President. Adams led the Federalist Party (which today could be said to have
reincarnated as the Republican Party - thus the attempts by Republican
historians to rehabilitate Adams' legacy and trash Jefferson), and Jefferson
had just brought together two Anti-Federalist parties - the Democrats and
the Republicans - into one party called The Democratic Republicans. (Today
they're known as the Democratic Party, the longest-lasting political party
in history. They dropped "Republican" from their name in the 1820-1830 era).

Adams and his Federalist cronies, using war hysteria with France as a wedge
issue, were pushing the Alien & Sedition Acts through Congress, and even
threw into prison Democratic Congressman Matthew Lyon of Vermont for
speaking out against the Federalists on the floor of the House of
Representatives. Adams was leading the United States in the direction of a
fascistic state with a spectacularly successful strategy of vilifying
Jefferson and his Party as anti-American and pro-French. Adams rhetoric was
described as "manly" by the Federalist newspapers, which admiringly
published dozens of his threatening rants against France, suggesting that
Jefferson's Democratic Republicans were less than patriots and perhaps even
traitors because of their opposition to the unnecessary war with France that
Adams was simultaneously trying to gin up and saying he was working to
avoid. 

On June 1, 1798 - two weeks before the Alien & Sedition Acts passed Congress
by a single vote - Jefferson wrote a thoughtful letter to his old friend
John Taylor. 

"This is not new," Jefferson said. "It is the old practice of despots; to
use a part of the people to keep the rest in order. And those who have once
got an ascendancy and possessed themselves of all the resources of the
nation, their revenues and offices, have immense means for retaining their
advantage. 

"But," he added, "our present situation is not a natural one." Jefferson
knew that Adams' Federalists did not represent the true heart and soul of
America, and commented to Taylor about how Adams had been using
divide-and-conquer politics, and fear-mongering about war with France (the
"XYZ Affair") with some success.

"But still I repeat it," he wrote again to Taylor, "this is not the natural
state." 

Jefferson did everything he could to stop that generation's version of the
PATRIOT Act, but Adams had the Federalists in control of both the House of
Representatives and the Senate, and pushed through the Alien and Sedition
Acts. Jefferson left town the day they were signed in protest.

Jefferson later wrote in his diary, "Their usurpations and violations of the
Constitution at that period, and their majority in both Houses of Congress,
were so great, so decided, and so daring, that after combating their
aggressions, inch by inch, without being able in the least to check their
career, the [Democratic] Republican leaders thought it would be best for
them to give up their useless efforts there, go home, get into their
respective legislatures, embody whatever of resistance they could be formed
into, and if ineffectual, to perish there as in the last ditch."

Democratic Republican Congressman Albert Gallatin submitted legislation that
would repeal the Alien & Sedition Acts, and the Federalist majority in the
House refused to even consider the motion, while informing Gallatin that he
would be the next to be imprisoned if he kept speaking out against "the
national security."

But a new force arose.

When Adams shut down the Democratic Republican newspapers, pamphleteers -
like those who had helped stir up the American Revolution - went to work,
papering towns from New Hampshire to Georgia with posters and leaflets
decrying Adams' power grab and encouraging people to stand tall with Thomas
Jefferson. One of the best was a short screed by George Nicholas of
Kentucky, "Justifying the Kentucky Resolution against the Alien & Sedition
Laws" and " Correcting Certain False Statements, Which Have Been Made in the
Different States" by Adams' Federalists.

On February 13, 1799, then-Vice President Jefferson sent a copy of Nicholas'
pamphlet to his old friend Archibald Stuart (a Virginia legislator, fighter
in the War of Independence, and leader of Jefferson's Democratic
Republicans). 

"I avoid writing to my friends because the fidelity of the post office is
very much doubted," he opened his letter to Stuart, concerned that Adams was
having his mail inspected because of his anti-war activities. Jefferson
pointed out that "France is sincerely anxious for reconciliation, willing to
give us a liberal treaty," and that even with the Democratic newspapers shut
down by Adams and the Federalist-controlled media being unwilling to speak
of Adams' war lies, word was getting out to the people.

Jefferson noted, "All these things are working on the public mind. They are
getting back to the point where they were when the X. Y. Z. story was passed
off on them. A wonderful and rapid change is taking place in Pennsylvania,
Jersey, and New York. Congress is daily plied with petitions against the
alien and sedition laws and standing armies."

Jefferson then turned to the need for the pamphleteers' materials to be
widely distributed. "The materials now bearing on the public mind will
infallibly restore it to its republican soundness in the course of the
present summer," he wrote, "if the knowledge of facts can only be
disseminated among the people. Under separate cover you will receive some
pamphlets written by George Nicholas on the acts of the last session. These
I would wish you to distribute...."

The pamphleteer - today he would have been called a blogger - was James
Bradford, and he reprinted tens of thousands of copies of Nicholas' pamphlet
and distributed it far and wide. Hand to hand, as Jefferson did with his
by-courier letter to Stuart - was how what would be today's postings to
progressive websites were distributed.

In the face of the pamphleteering and protests, the Federalists fought back
with startling venom. Vicious personal attacks were launched in the
Federalist press against Jefferson, Madison, and others, and President Adams
and Vice President Jefferson were scarcely on speaking terms. Adams' goal
was nothing short of the complete destruction of Jefferson's Democratic
Party, and he had scared many of them into silence or submission.

"All [Democratic Republicans], therefore, retired," Jefferson wrote in his
diary, "leaving Mr. Gallatin alone in the House of Representatives, and
myself in the Senate, where I then presided as Vice-President. Remaining at
our posts, and bidding defiance to the brow-beatings and insults by which
they endeavored to drive us off also, we kept the mass of [Democratic]
Republicans in phalanx together, until the legislature could be brought up
to the charge; and nothing on earth is more certain, than that if myself
particularly, placed by my office of Vice-President at the head of the
[Democratic] Republicans, had given way and withdrawn from my post, the
[Democratic] Republicans throughout the Union would have given up in
despair; and the cause would have been lost forever."

But Jefferson and Gallatin held their posts, and fought back fiercely
against Adams, thus saving - quite literally - American democracy. Jefferson
and Madison also secretly helped legislators in Virginia and Kentucky submit
resolutions in those states' legislatures decrying the Alien & Sedition
Acts. The bill in Virginia, in particular, gained traction.

As Jefferson noted in his diary, "By holding on, we obtained time for the
legislatures to come up with their weight; and those of Virginia and
Kentucky particularly, but more especially the former, by their celebrated
resolutions, saved the Constitution at its last gasp. No person who was not
a witness of the scenes of that gloomy period, can form any idea of the
afflicting persecutions and personal indignities we had to brook. They saved
our country however. The spirits of the people were so much subdued and
reduced to despair by the X Y Z imposture, and other stratagems and
machinations, that they would have sunk into apathy and monarchy, as the
only form of government which could maintain itself."

The efforts of average people like that century's Cindy Sheehans, and
fearless politicians like today's Howard Dean, John Conyers, and Bernie
Sanders, made great gains. As Jefferson noted in a February 14, 1799 letter
to Virginia's Edmund Pendleton, "The violations of the Constitution,
propensities to war, to expense, and to a particular foreign connection,
which we have lately seen, are becoming evident to the people, and are
dispelling that mist which X. Y. Z. had spread before their eyes. This State
is coming forward with a boldness not yet seen. Even the German counties of
York and Lancaster, hitherto the most devoted [to Adams], have come about,
and by petitions with four thousand signers remonstrate against the alien
and sedition laws, standing armies, and discretionary powers in the
President." 

Americans were so angry with Adams, Jefferson noted, that the challenge was
to prevent people from taking up arms against Adams' Federalists.

"New York and Jersey are also getting into great agitation. In this State
[of Pennsylvania], we fear that the ill-designing may produce insurrection.
Nothing could be so fatal. Anything like force would check the progress of
the public opinion and rally them round the government. This is not the kind
of opposition the American people will permit."

Like Cindy Sheehan, Jefferson knew that peaceful protests had greater power
than violence or threats.

"But keep away all show of force," he wrote to Pendleton, "and they will
bear down the evil propensities of the government, by the constitutional
means of election and petition. If we can keep quiet, therefore, the tide
now turning will take a steady and proper direction."

A week later, February 21, 1799, Jefferson wrote to the great Polish general
who had fought in the American Revolution, Thaddeus Kosciusko, a close
friend who was then living in Russia. War was the great enemy of democracy,
Jefferson noted, and peace was its champion. And the American people were
increasingly siding with peace and rejecting Adams' call for war.

"The wonderful irritation produced in the minds of our citizens by the X. Y.
Z. story, has in a great measure subsided," he noted. "They begin to suspect
and to see it coolly in its true light."

But Adams was still President, and for him and his Federalist Party war
would have helped tremendously with the upcoming election of 1800. In France
some leaders wanted war with America for similar reasons.

Jefferson continued, "What course the government will pursue, I know not.
But if we are left in peace, I have no doubt the wonderful turn in the
public opinion now manifestly taking place and rapidly increasing, will, in
the course of this' summer, become so universal and so weighty, that
friendship abroad and freedom at home will be firmly established by the
influence and constitutional powers of the people at large."

And if Adams' rhetoric led to an attack on America by France? "If we are
forced into war," Jefferson noted, "we must give up political differences of
opinion, and unite as one man to defend our country. But whether at the
close of such a war, we should be as free as we are now, God knows."

The tide was turned, to use Jefferson's phrase, by the election of 1800. The
abuses of the Federalists were so burned into the people's minds when
Jefferson's party came to power, and he freed the imprisoned newspaper
editors so reform-minded newspapers were started back up again, that the
Federalists disintegrated altogether as a party over the next two decades.

All because average citizens and pamphleteers stood up and challenged the
lies of a war-mongering president, and politicians of principle were willing
to lead. Cindy Sheehan is the George Nicholas or Rusticus of our age.
Jefferson would have stood with her.

America has been burdened by lying presidents before, and even one who tried
to destroy our Constitution. But in our era - like in Jefferson's - we are
fortunate to have radical truth-tellers like Cindy Sheehan and Joseph Wilson
to warn us of treasonous acts for political gain, and bloggers and
progressive websites to carry the truth.

If we stand in solidarity with today's truth-tellers, and politicians step
forward to take a leadership role, then its entirely possible that with the
elections of 2006 and 2008 American democracy can once again prevail. 


From jefbek at mindspring.com  Tue Aug 16 21:31:47 2005
From: jefbek at mindspring.com (Jef Bek)
Date: Tue Aug 16 21:36:24 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] ANTI-AMERICAN ASSHAT MOWS DOWN CROSSES AT CAMP CASEY 
Message-ID: <BF280BC3.DE9%jefbek@mindspring.com>

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2005/8/15/233811/409

From jefbek at mindspring.com  Tue Aug 16 21:46:58 2005
From: jefbek at mindspring.com (Jef Bek)
Date: Tue Aug 16 21:51:36 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] why?
Message-ID: <BF280F52.DEE%jefbek@mindspring.com>

http://edition.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2003/iraq/forces/casualties/index.html

From swiggard at comcast.net  Wed Aug 17 04:28:52 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (William Swiggard)
Date: Wed Aug 17 04:34:30 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Democrats Feel Heat From Left On Roberts - Washington
	Post
Message-ID: <43031F74.5040501@comcast.net>

<>Democrats Feel Heat From Left On Roberts
Groups Say Fight Should Be Stronger

By Charles Babington and Dan Balz
Washington Post Staff Writers
Wednesday, August 17, 2005; Page A01

Major liberal groups accused Democratic senators yesterday of showing 
too little stomach for opposing John G. Roberts Jr.'s Supreme Court 
nomination, saying newly released documents indicate he is much more 
conservative than many people first thought.

The response was quick and pointed, as two key senators unleashed their 
sharpest criticisms yet of Roberts and sought to assure activists that 
the battle is far from over.

<>Sen. Patrick J. Leahy of Vermont, the Judiciary Committee's ranking 
Democrat, said in a statement: "Those papers that we have received paint 
a picture of John Roberts as an eager and aggressive advocate of 
policies that are deeply tinged with the ideology of the far right wing 
of his party then, and now. In influential White House and Department of 
Justice positions, John Roberts expressed views that were among the most 
radical being offered by a cadre intent on reversing decades of policies 
on civil rights, voting rights, women's rights, privacy, and access to 
justice."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/16/AR2005081601919.html?referrer=email 

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From swiggard at comcast.net  Wed Aug 17 04:31:53 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (William Swiggard)
Date: Wed Aug 17 04:37:26 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Sheehan Feeling the Glare of the Spotlight - Washington
	Post
Message-ID: <43032029.1020604@comcast.net>

<>Sheehan Feeling the Glare of the Spotlight
Some Are Focusing Anger on Protester

By Michael A. Fletcher
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, August 17, 2005; Page A03

CRAWFORD, Tex., Aug. 16 -- Cindy Sheehan rode into town 10 days ago, a 
forlorn mother with a question for her president: Why did my son die in 
Iraq?

But now the same wave of publicity and political anger that she rode to 
become a nationally known symbol of the antiwar movement threatens to 
crash down on Sheehan herself.

Conservative commentators and Web sites are taking aim at Sheehan with 
the same ferocity she has aimed at President Bush. In part, they are 
using her own words against her -- reciting such controversial comments 
as her vow to refuse to pay taxes to a government waging an "illegal" 
war and her desire to see Bush impeached.

The backlash is becoming a new object lesson in how saturation media 
coverage and the instinct for personal attack are shaping political 
debate. Some independent commentators said the pushback on the right has 
succeeded at scuffing the public sympathy and deference she had earned 
as the mother of a fallen soldier, and has shown how virtually any 
subject relating to the Iraq war and Bush's presidency is viewed through 
a partisan lens.

"Cindy Sheehan has emboldened the progressives who oppose the war and 
caused the conservative diehards who are behind the war to go into a 
defensive mode," said Michael Harrison, publisher of Talkers magazine, a 
trade publication for talk radio. "Cindy Sheehan is going to be a 
target, and they'll probably go through her past to find what they can 
to discredit her."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/16/AR2005081601713.html?nav=hcmodule

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From swiggard at comcast.net  Wed Aug 17 04:35:07 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (William Swiggard)
Date: Wed Aug 17 04:40:42 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Iraq on the Brink - Harold Meyerson - Washington Post
Message-ID: <430320EB.2010209@comcast.net>

Iraq on the Brink

By Harold Meyerson
Wednesday, August 17, 2005; Page A13

It looks increasingly as if President Bush may have been off by 74 years 
in his assessment of Iraq. By deposing the dictatorship of Saddam 
Hussein, Bush assumed he would bring Iraq to its 1787 moment -- the 
crafting of a democratic constitution, the birth of a unified republic. 
Instead, he seems to have brought Iraq to the brink of its own 1861 -- 
the moment of national dissolution.

No, I don't mean that Iraq is on the verge of all-out civil war, though 
that's a possibility that can't be dismissed. But the nation does appear 
on the verge of a catastrophic failure to cohere. The more the National 
Assembly deliberates on the fundamentals of a new order, the larger the 
differences that divide the nation's three sub-groups appear to be.

It's not the small stuff that they're sweating in Baghdad. They can't 
agree on whether the new Iraq should be a federation, with a largely 
autonomous Shiite south and Kurdish north, or a more unified state, 
which the Sunnis prefer. They can't agree on just how Islamic the new 
republic should be, and whether the leading Shiite clergy should be 
above the dictates of mere national law. They can't agree on whether 
religious or state courts should hold sway in Shiite-dominated regions, 
or even the nation as a whole; they can't agree on the rights of women. 
They can't agree on the division of oil revenue among the three groups. 
They can't agree on whether there should be a Kurdish right to secede 
enshrined in the constitution.

In short, they can't agree on the fundamentals of what their new nation 
should be. And the more they deliberate, the less they agree on.

These are not unanticipated disagreements. Before the war began, many 
critics of Bush's rush to war, including some in the State Department 
and the CIA, argued that while overthrowing Hussein would be relatively 
easy, building a post-Hussein Iraq would be devilishly difficult. Bush's 
defenders argued that Iraq was a largely secular land in which many 
Shiites, Sunnis and Kurds lived together amicably and frequently 
intermarried. They weren't entirely wrong, but one could have made the 
same argument about Tito's Yugoslavia before it dissolved into genocidal 
violence. They missed the deep resentments and the growing 
fundamentalism that Hussein's thugocracy smothered, and that exploded 
once he was removed.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/16/AR2005081601182.html?nav=hcmodule

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From swiggard at comcast.net  Wed Aug 17 04:37:17 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (William Swiggard)
Date: Wed Aug 17 04:42:50 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Questions For John Roberts - Deborah Ellis - Washington
	Post
Message-ID: <4303216D.6060508@comcast.net>

Questions For John Roberts

By Deborah Ellis
Wednesday, August 17, 2005; Page A13

The furor over the recent NARAL Pro-Choice America ad about John Roberts 
and abortion clinics is unfortunate in that it obscures an important 
issue that raises serious questions: John Roberts's role as deputy 
solicitor general in the court case Bray v. Alexandria Women's Health 
Clinic. In that case, Roberts argued on the side of Operation Rescue for 
a narrow interpretation of one of our nation's civil rights laws.

The case was not about clinic bombings, lawful protest outside abortion 
clinics or even abortion rights. As Justice John Paul Stevens said in 
his 1993 dissenting opinion, the case was "about the exercise of Federal 
power to control an interstate conspiracy to commit illegal acts."

Why were these cases necessary? For a decade leading up to 1993, 
Operation Rescue and other national groups organized massive human 
blockades to forcibly prevent women from entering abortion clinics. This 
was a strategy designed to overwhelm small police forces so the 
blockaders could not be arrested. I argued in the Supreme Court on 
behalf of women's health clinics and female patients in the Bray case. 
We used a Reconstruction-era civil rights law to obtain protection from 
federal marshals so women could safely enter abortion clinics. The 1871 
law was enacted for exactly this purpose: to prevent mobs from 
conspiring to take away the civil rights of newly freed slaves.

In the summer of 1991, during a particularly large blockade in Wichita, 
John Roberts went on national television to defend the government's 
decision under President George H.W. Bush to file a friend-of-the-court 
brief on the side of Operation Rescue. That brief asked a federal court 
to stay implementation of an injunction against the blockades that had 
already been issued. In contrast to Little Rock in 1957, when federal 
marshals protected African American children trying to integrate 
schools, Roberts argued that women should be left to whatever protection 
the states could provide, however inadequate.

To be fair, in Roberts's Supreme Court argument he pointed out that the 
Justice Department was defending the proper interpretation of the 1871 
law, not Operation Rescue's unlawful conduct. But no courtroom caveat 
can erase the impact of the federal government's lending its weight on 
the side of the mob intent on stopping women from exercising a 
constitutional right. It was a devastating blow.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/16/AR2005081601178.html?nav=hcmodule

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From swiggard at comcast.net  Wed Aug 17 04:39:51 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (William Swiggard)
Date: Wed Aug 17 04:45:24 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] 1 in 20 - Editorial - Washington Post
Message-ID: <43032207.6040803@comcast.net>

<>1 in 20

Wednesday, August 17, 2005; Page A12

IN THE UNITED STATES, approximately three out of every 1,000 people are 
HIV-positive. In the nation's capital, it's closer to 50 out of 1,000. 
That's a whopping 5 percent of D.C. residents: 1 in 20. Based on CIA 
statistics, if the District were a country, it would rank 11th in the 
world in HIV prevalence, between Mozambique (1 in 14) and Tanzania (1 in 
23).

How did this happen?

An exhaustive report released last week by the DC Appleseed Center for 
Law and Justice points to a failure of leadership, one key result of 
which is that there are no statistics available on the number of HIV 
cases in the District. That's right, the 1-in-20 figure is an estimate 
-- widely accepted as accurate -- calculated using a formula based on 
national trends. The city's HIV/AIDS Administration (HAA) does report 
AIDS cases, but it has not yet published information about HIV 
infections and how they were transmitted -- information that is vital 
for effective targeting of services for prevention, testing and treatment.

Why should the District rely on estimates to track this deadly virus, 
especially when major cities including Baltimore and New York manage to 
publish quarterly reports on new HIV cases? The HAA ought to have at 
least three years' worth of HIV data. Why not release it? Part of the 
problem reportedly is severe staffing shortages. More than half of the 
positions in the HAA's surveillance division, which is responsible for 
compiling the statistics, are vacant. The money to fill these positions 
has already been allocated -- the agency should have started hiring long 
ago. There is one vacancy, however, that requires much more thoughtful 
consideration. Lydia L. Watts, head of the HAA, was fired yesterday. Now 
Mayor Anthony A. Williams has an opportunity to find someone who is 
competent, dedicated (it is rare for an HAA chief to last more than a 
year) and willing to fix the problems plaguing this poorly managed agency.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/16/AR2005081601429.html?nav=hcmodule

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From swiggard at comcast.net  Wed Aug 17 04:42:22 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (William Swiggard)
Date: Wed Aug 17 04:48:13 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Guzzle gas,
	and pretend - Derrick Z. Jackson - The Boston Globe
Message-ID: <4303229E.3070900@comcast.net>

<>Guzzle gas, and pretend
By Derrick Z. Jackson, Globe Columnist  |  August 17, 2005

GASOLINE IS over $2.50 a gallon, the death toll of American soldiers in 
Iraq is over 1,850, and what patriotic, heroic displays of sacrifice can 
we find on the American landscape?

Bigger garages. Bigger houses. New fuel economy standards that will omit 
the biggest cars. Hoo-aah.

Brave Marines we are. From the halls of McMansions to the steps of our 
SUVs, we fight our exurban battles, ripping up every living tree.

Next month will mark four years since the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11. 
Four years is a time period often associated with sending children off 
to institutions of higher learning in the assumption they will become 
members of an enlightened citizenry.

But the four years since 9/11 have come and gone with no sign that the 
United States sees the light. As soldiers pay the ultimate price in 
Afghanistan and Iraq, we continue to be toy soldiers, the invulnerable 
warriors of consumption. No report of a real soldier dying from a 
roadside bomb, no administration assertion that fades into falsehood, 
not even fill-ups that hit $40 and $50 a tank has spurred us to question 
our schizophrenic nature.

For four years, Americans have waved flags and stuck ''Support the 
Troops" magnets on the backs of their cars. Such acts, of course, stem 
from sincere sentiments we all share for their safety. But we can no 
longer escape our responsibility in one of the most insincere wars in 
the nation's history.

We have allowed a president to send off the sons and daughters of the 
working class and the poor to invade Iraq, killing thousands of innocent 
Iraqi working class and poor along the way. As each day passes, the fact 
that no Osama has been flushed out, the fact that no weapons of mass 
destruction have been found, and the fact that there was never a tie 
between Saddam Hussein and 9/11 becomes not just Bush's responsibility 
but ours as well.

http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2005/08/17/guzzle_gas_and_pretend/

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From harry.sifton at sympatico.ca  Wed Aug 17 06:11:06 2005
From: harry.sifton at sympatico.ca (Harry)
Date: Wed Aug 17 06:14:45 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] BBC E-mail: Leak disputes Menezes death story
Message-ID: <20050817_131106_040675.harry.sifton@sympatico.ca>

Harry saw this story on BBC News Online and thought you
should see it.

** Message **

The story just becomes more tragic!

** Leak disputes Menezes death story **
Leaked documents from an inquiry into how a Brazilian man was shot dead on the Tube seem to contradict the police version.
< http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/fr/-/2/hi/uk_news/4157892.stm >


** BBC Daily E-mail **
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< http://www.bbc.co.uk/dailyemail/ >


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From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Wed Aug 17 07:33:18 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (mblaxill@yahoo.com)
Date: Wed Aug 17 07:36:52 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Headlines for August 17, 2005
Message-ID: <20050817143318.22835.qmail@trinity.democracynow.org>

Mike Blaxill  ( mblaxill@yahoo.com )
sent you this story from democracynow.org



+--------------------------------------------------------------------+
|  Headlines for August 17, 2005
|  http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=05/08/17/1343247
+--------------------------------------------------------------------+


- Israeli Troops Begin Forced Evacuation of Gaza
- At Least 43 Died in Morning Bombings in Baghdad 
- Anti-War Camp in Crawford Texas Vandalized
- Report: UK Police Lied About Shooting of Innocent Man
- Pentagon Analyst & AIPAC Lobbyists Plead Innocent in Spy Case
- Haitian Priest Gerard Jean-Juste Collapses in Jail
- Bush Administration Attempts To Remove Judge in Indian Case 
This story continues at: 
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=05/08/17/1343247

From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Wed Aug 17 07:36:41 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (mblaxill@yahoo.com)
Date: Wed Aug 17 07:40:15 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] NYTimes.com: Economy Shows Signs of Strain From Oil
	Prices
Message-ID: <20050817143641.9859D249D63@lax-gw08.mroute.net>

This page was sent to you by: mblaxill@yahoo.com.

BUSINESS | August 17, 2005
Economy Shows Signs of Strain From Oil Prices
By JAD MOUAWAD and DAVID LEONHARDT
Inflation surged last month, as the long rise in energy prices finally seemed to be pinching the American economy.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/17/business/17oil.html?ex=1124942400&en=9a202f0059f9ec9a&ei=5070&emc=eta1



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From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Wed Aug 17 07:39:52 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (mblaxill@yahoo.com)
Date: Wed Aug 17 07:43:21 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] NYTimes.com: Biking Toward Nowhere
Message-ID: <20050817143952.72D90237158@lax-gw01.mroute.net>

This page was sent to you by: mblaxill@yahoo.com.

OPINION | August 17, 2005
Op-Ed Columnist: Biking Toward Nowhere
By MAUREEN DOWD
The president's pedaling as fast as he can, but he's going nowhere.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/17/opinion/17dowd.html?ex=1124942400&en=849e271e711cb0b7&ei=5070&emc=eta1




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From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Wed Aug 17 07:45:14 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (mblaxill@yahoo.com)
Date: Wed Aug 17 07:48:43 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] NYTimes.com: Officer Says Military Blocked Sharing of
	Files on Terrorists
Message-ID: <20050817144514.940C33AE40A@lax-gw06.mroute.net>

This page was sent to you by: mblaxill@yahoo.com.

WASHINGTON | August 17, 2005
Officer Says Military Blocked Sharing of Files on Terrorists
By PHILIP SHENON
A military intelligence team tried to warn the F.B.I. in 2000 about a terrorist cell that included the ringleader of the Sept. 11 attacks, according to the Army officer.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/17/politics/17intel.html?ex=1124942400&en=2aeff6fb10ecbed3&ei=5070&emc=eta1



----------------- Advertisement --------------------------

The Academy loved these movies enough to name each
one Best Picture.  What did the original New York
Times movie reviews have to say about these Oscar
winning films?  
Go to the Best Pictures review archive:

http://ads.nyt.com/th.ad/nytnyt-textEmailThisdefault-Center1A/academyawards_text/?_RM_REDIR_=http://www.nytimes.com/ref/movies/oscars/bestpictures.html




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From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Wed Aug 17 07:49:33 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (mblaxill@yahoo.com)
Date: Wed Aug 17 07:53:02 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] NYTimes.com: Meese's Influence Looms in Today's Judicial
	Wars
Message-ID: <20050817144933.94FC124AF0B@lax-gw02.mroute.net>

This page was sent to you by: mblaxill@yahoo.com.

WASHINGTON | August 17, 2005
Meese's Influence Looms in Today's Judicial Wars
By LYNETTE CLEMETSON
Vilified by liberals as an ideologue, Edwin Meese III is now lionized by conservatives for his role in reshaping the judiciary.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/17/politics/17meese.html?ex=1124942400&en=dbb0846b94130a5e&ei=5070&emc=eta1



----------------- Advertisement --------------------------

The Academy loved these movies enough to name each
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Times movie reviews have to say about these Oscar
winning films?  
Go to the Best Pictures review archive:

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NYTimes.com 500 Seventh Avenue New York, NY 10018

Copyright 2005 The New York Times Company
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From hecate at diamonddragon.com  Wed Aug 17 08:49:01 2005
From: hecate at diamonddragon.com (Hecate)
Date: Wed Aug 17 08:52:37 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] BBC E-mail: JP Morgan pays $1bn in Enron deal
Message-ID: <20050817_154901_020109.hecate@diamonddragon.com>

Hecate saw this story on BBC News Online and thought you
should see it.



** JP Morgan pays $1bn in Enron deal **
JP Morgan Chase pays $1bn to settle claims it aided in the collapse of former energy firm Enron four years ago.
< http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/fr/-/2/hi/business/4158666.stm >


** BBC Daily E-mail **
Choose the news and sport headlines you want - when you want them, all
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From michael at intrafi.com  Wed Aug 17 09:09:55 2005
From: michael at intrafi.com (michael@intrafi.com)
Date: Wed Aug 17 09:13:39 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] FT.com / Middle East & Africa / Iraq - Iraqi leaders
	fail to reach deal on constitution 
Message-ID: <27019213.1124294995016.JavaMail.tomcat@localhost>



*Please note, the sender's email address has not been verified.



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From michael at intrafi.com  Wed Aug 17 09:11:02 2005
From: michael at intrafi.com (michael@intrafi.com)
Date: Wed Aug 17 09:14:39 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] FT.com / Comment & analysis / Comment - World is heading
	for oil price shock
Message-ID: <26578847.1124295062224.JavaMail.tomcat@localhost>



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From michael at intrafi.com  Wed Aug 17 09:12:58 2005
From: michael at intrafi.com (michael@intrafi.com)
Date: Wed Aug 17 09:16:28 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] FT.com / Comment & analysis / Comment - Oil,
	the Middle East and the Middle Kingdom 
Message-ID: <26557988.1124295178548.JavaMail.tomcat@localhost>



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From michael at intrafi.com  Wed Aug 17 09:14:12 2005
From: michael at intrafi.com (michael@intrafi.com)
Date: Wed Aug 17 09:17:43 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] FT.com / Markets - Short View: The truths about inflation
Message-ID: <9463778.1124295252369.JavaMail.tomcat@localhost>



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From michael at intrafi.com  Wed Aug 17 09:19:37 2005
From: michael at intrafi.com (michael@intrafi.com)
Date: Wed Aug 17 09:23:06 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Alternet: A New Frame: Honesty
Message-ID: <20050817161937.9CED4B81B2@alternet.org>


This story has been forwarded to you from
http://www.alternet.org by michael@intrafi.com



-------------------------------------
A New Frame: Honesty
http://www.alternet.org/story/24060

If we're stuck on the losing side of Washington, why not try to broaden the range of political debate to include our real vision for the future, rather than pitch a mushy, centrist vision for the country?
-------------------------------------

From michael at intrafi.com  Wed Aug 17 09:20:37 2005
From: michael at intrafi.com (michael@intrafi.com)
Date: Wed Aug 17 09:24:05 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Alternet: New Plan for Progressives
Message-ID: <20050817162037.0F54FB81A4@alternet.org>


This story has been forwarded to you from
http://www.alternet.org by michael@intrafi.com



-------------------------------------
New Plan for Progressives
http://www.alternet.org/story/24165

Taking the political fight to the states -- which are not yet entirely corrupted by money politics -- is the best way to change the country.
-------------------------------------

From jefbek at mindspring.com  Wed Aug 17 10:41:59 2005
From: jefbek at mindspring.com (Jef Bek)
Date: Wed Aug 17 10:46:36 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] The man who doesn't mind that his son was used in Iraq
Message-ID: <BF28C4F7.DF7%jefbek@mindspring.com>

I was just watching MSNBC's connected. I like Ron Regan's views. They were
interviewing a man who has lost his son in Iraq, but he was on as a rebuttal
to Cindy Sheehan. He thinks his son died for a noble cause. I was so
frustrated with his comments I wrote the following letter to MSNBC:

Regarding the father who lost his son in Iraq: To me, he represents what is
painfully wrong with America. When it comes to war, a lot of Americans have
a sentimental, blind acceptance and a sort of glazed pride when it comes to
killing foreigners. The key points of this mans comments ?Bush said that we
will go after those who harbor terrorist? the fact is 15 of the 19 suicide
hijackers on 9/11 were from Saudi Arabia the rest were from Egypt. None of
them were from Iraq! Not ONE! Yet most Americans, like this man, have no
problem with Bush holding hands with and mouth kissing Saudi Arabian
leaders! Ron Regan asked this man, ?If it turns out that we went to Iraq on
false pretences, would that bother you?? the mans response; ?No, we?re in a
fight, it doesn?t matter why!? Can you imagine how dense this way of
thinking is? If you see a man on the street pounding someone, you ask him
why, he says ?he looks like some one who reminds me of someone who killed my
friend 40 years ago. It doesn?t matter why I?m hitting him, I?m just hitting
him, ok??  It would be easy to conclude that this guy is a lunatic. The sad
thing to me is, America is heavily populated with morons like this who see
war as a glorious United States tradition. The Bush administration saw this
as a reliable marketing base and is playing right into it, to Hell with The
Downing Street Memo (the facts were FIXED around the policy!), to Hell with
the 9/11 commission findings (There is no credible evidence connecting Iraq
to 9/11), they know that even given the facts about Bush?s corruption and
murderous policies, the bible thumping morons of this country will acquiesce
to what ever propaganda this administration wants to catapult at them.

Thank you,
Jef Bek
Concerned global citizen


From hecate at diamonddragon.com  Wed Aug 17 11:44:29 2005
From: hecate at diamonddragon.com (Hecate)
Date: Wed Aug 17 11:48:00 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] BBC E-mail: Vigils to support Sheehan protest
Message-ID: <20050817_184429_095318.hecate@diamonddragon.com>

Hecate saw this story on BBC News Online and thought you
should see it.



** Vigils to support Sheehan protest **
About 1,000 vigils are set to take place around the US in support of a bereaved mother protesting at President Bush's ranch.
< http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/fr/-/2/hi/americas/4160032.stm >


** BBC Daily E-mail **
Choose the news and sport headlines you want - when you want them, all
in one daily e-mail
< http://www.bbc.co.uk/dailyemail/ >


** Disclaimer **
The BBC is not responsible for the content of this e-mail, and anything written in this e-mail does not necessarily reflect the BBC's views or opinions. Please note that neither the e-mail address nor name of the sender have?been verified.

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From ialterman at nyc.rr.com  Wed Aug 17 12:34:51 2005
From: ialterman at nyc.rr.com (Ian)
Date: Wed Aug 17 12:38:39 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] The man who doesn't mind that his son was used in Iraq
References: <BF28C4F7.DF7%jefbek@mindspring.com>
Message-ID: <001901c5a362$bd7c4e50$99ca6c42@iancn2ccrvzt0j>

Jef:

I was with you until "bible-thumping morons."  What makes you think people 
like this man are all necessarily believers - of ANY faith?  And even if 
THIS man IS a "believer," what makes you think there are not plenty who 
"think like him" but are atheists?  Or Jews?  Or any other faith?

This makes your "bible-thumper" comment a gratuitous and unnecessarily 
insult to Christians.

Peace.

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Jef Bek" <jefbek@mindspring.com>
To: "Civic List" <mb-civic@islandlists.com>
Sent: Wednesday, August 17, 2005 1:41 PM
Subject: [Mb-civic] The man who doesn't mind that his son was used in Iraq


>I was just watching MSNBC's connected. I like Ron Regan's views. They were
> interviewing a man who has lost his son in Iraq, but he was on as a 
> rebuttal
> to Cindy Sheehan. He thinks his son died for a noble cause. I was so
> frustrated with his comments I wrote the following letter to MSNBC:
>
> Regarding the father who lost his son in Iraq: To me, he represents what 
> is
> painfully wrong with America. When it comes to war, a lot of Americans 
> have
> a sentimental, blind acceptance and a sort of glazed pride when it comes 
> to
> killing foreigners. The key points of this mans comments ?Bush said that 
> we
> will go after those who harbor terrorist? the fact is 15 of the 19 suicide
> hijackers on 9/11 were from Saudi Arabia the rest were from Egypt. None of
> them were from Iraq! Not ONE! Yet most Americans, like this man, have no
> problem with Bush holding hands with and mouth kissing Saudi Arabian
> leaders! Ron Regan asked this man, ?If it turns out that we went to Iraq 
> on
> false pretences, would that bother you?? the mans response; ?No, we?re in 
> a
> fight, it doesn?t matter why!? Can you imagine how dense this way of
> thinking is? If you see a man on the street pounding someone, you ask him
> why, he says ?he looks like some one who reminds me of someone who killed 
> my
> friend 40 years ago. It doesn?t matter why I?m hitting him, I?m just 
> hitting
> him, ok??  It would be easy to conclude that this guy is a lunatic. The 
> sad
> thing to me is, America is heavily populated with morons like this who see
> war as a glorious United States tradition. The Bush administration saw 
> this
> as a reliable marketing base and is playing right into it, to Hell with 
> The
> Downing Street Memo (the facts were FIXED around the policy!), to Hell 
> with
> the 9/11 commission findings (There is no credible evidence connecting 
> Iraq
> to 9/11), they know that even given the facts about Bush?s corruption and
> murderous policies, the bible thumping morons of this country will 
> acquiesce
> to what ever propaganda this administration wants to catapult at them.
>
> Thank you,
> Jef Bek
> Concerned global citizen
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Mb-civic mailing list
> Mb-civic@islandlists.com
> http://www.islandlists.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/mb-civic
> 


From harperalexander at mail.com  Wed Aug 17 12:44:31 2005
From: harperalexander at mail.com (Alexander Harper)
Date: Wed Aug 17 12:48:02 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Baghdad's Body Count - Fisk and Cornwell
Message-ID: <20050817194431.B26464BEAD@ws1-1.us4.outblaze.com>

Those lucky Iraqis! They must be thanking their lucky stars that Bush and Blair liberated them in order to introduce them to the joys of civil unrest, blood and bombs. I hope you all feel jolly proud of your Dear Leader and his band of stalwarts. I feel so wretched about not having voted for Blair at the UK election - I was in Argentina at the time.
Al Baraka

Secrets of the morgue: Baghdad's body count 

Bodies of 1,100 civilians brought to mortuary in July
Pre-invasion, July figure was typically less than 200
Last Sunday alone, the mortuary received 36 bodies
Up to 20 per cent of the bodies are never identified
Many of the dead have been tortured or disfigured 

By Robert Fisk 
Published: 17 August 2005 
The Baghdad morgue is a fearful place of heat and stench and mourning, the cries of relatives echoing down the narrow, foetid laneway behind the pale-yellow brick medical centre where the authorities keep their computerised records. So many corpses are being brought to the mortuary that human remains are stacked on top of each other. Unidentified bodies must be buried within days for lack of space - but the municipality is so overwhelmed by the number of killings that it can no longer provide the vehicles and personnel to take the remains to cemeteries. 

July was the bloodiest month in Baghdad's modern history - in all, 1,100 bodies were brought to the city's mortuary; executed for the most part, eviscerated, stabbed, bludgeoned, tortured to death. The figure is secret.

We are not supposed to know that the Iraqi capital's death toll last month was only 700 short of the total American fatalities in Iraq since April of 2003. Of the dead, 963 were men - many with their hands bound, their eyes taped and bullets in their heads - and 137 women. The statistics are as shameful as they are horrifying. For these are the men and women we supposedly came to "liberate" - and about whose fate we do not care.

The figures for this month cannot, of course, yet be calculated. But last Sunday, the mortuary received the bodies of 36 men and women, all killed by violence. By 8am on Monday, nine more human remains had been received. By midday, the figure had reached 25.

"I consider this a quiet day," one of the mortuary officials said to me as we stood close to the dead. So in just 36 hours - from dawn on Sunday to midday on Monday, 62 Baghdad civilians had been killed. No Western official, no Iraqi government minister, no civil servant, no press release from the authorities, no newspaper, mentioned this terrible statistic. The dead of Iraq - as they have from the beginning of our illegal invasion - were simply written out of the script. Officially they do not exist.

Thus there has been no disclosure of the fact that in July 2003 - three months after the invasion - 700 corpses were brought to the mortuary in Baghdad. In July of 2004, this rose to around 800. The mortuary records the violent death toll for June of this year as 879 - 764 of them male, 115 female. Of the men, 480 had been killed by firearms, along with 25 of the women. By comparison, equivalent figures for July 1997, 1998 and 1999 were all below 200.

Between 10 and 20 per cent of all bodies are never identified - the medical authorities have had to bury 500 of them since January of this year, unidentified and unclaimed. In many cases, the remains have been shattered by explosions - possibly by suicide bombers - or by deliberate disfigurement by their killers.

Mortuary officials have been appalled at the sadism visited on the victims. "We have many who have obviously been tortured - mostly men," one said. "They have terrible burn marks on hands and feet and other parts of their bodies. Many have their hands fastened behind their backs with handcuffs and their eyes have been bound with Sellotape. Then they have been shot in the head - in the back of the head, the face, the eyes. These are executions."

While Saddam's regime visited death by official execution upon its opponents, the scale of anarchy now existing in Baghdad, Mosul, Basra and other cities is unprecedented. "The July figures are the largest ever recorded in the history of the Baghdad Medical Institute," a senior member of the management told The Independent.

It is clear that death squads are roaming the streets of a city which is supposed to be under the control of the US military and the American-supported, elected government of Ibrahim al-Jaafari. Never in recent history has such anarchy been let loose on the civilians of this city - yet the Western and Iraqi authorities show no interest in disclosing the details. The writing of the new constitution - or the failure to complete it - now occupies the time of Western diplomats and journalists. The dead, it seems, do not count.

But they should. Most are between 15 and 44 - the youth of Iraq - and, if extrapolated across the country, Baghdad's 1,100 dead of last month must bring Iraq's minimum monthly casualty toll in July alone to 3,000 - perhaps 4,000. Over a year, this must reach a minimum of 36,000, a figure which puts the supposedly controversial statistic of 100,000 dead since the invasion into a much more realistic perspective.

There is no way of distinguishing the reasons for these thousands of violent deaths. Some men and women were shot at US checkpoints, others murdered, no doubt, by insurgents or thieves. A few listed as killed by "blunt instruments" might have been the dead of traffic accidents. Some of the women were probably the victims of "honour" killings - because male relatives suspected them of having illicit relations with the wrong man. Still others may have been murdered as collaborators. Doctors have been told that bodies brought to the mortuary by US forces should not be given post-mortem examinations (on the odd ground that the Americans will have already performed this function).

So many civilians are dying that the morgue has had to rely on volunteers from the holy city of Najaf to transport unidentified Shia Muslim dead to the central city's large graveyard for burial, their plots donated by religious institutions. "In some of the bodies, we find American bullets," a mortuary attendant told me. "But these could be American bullets fired by Iraqis. We don't know who's killing who - it's not our job to find out, but civilians are killing each other.

"We had a body here the other day and the relatives said he had been murdered because he had been a Baathist in the old regime. Then they said that his brother had been killed three or four weeks back because he was a member of the religious Shia Dawa party which was the enemy of Saddam. But this is the real story - the killing of the people. I don't want to die under a new constitution. I want security."

One of the problems in cataloguing the daily death toll is that the official radio often declines to report explosions. On Monday, the thump of a bomb in the Karada district was never officially explained. Only yesterday was it discovered that a suicide bomber had walked into a popular caf&eacute;, the Emir, and blown himself up, killing two policemen. Another explosion, officially said to be caused by a mortar, turned out to be a mine set off beneath a pile of watermelons as a US patrol was passing. A civilian died.

Again, there was no official account of these deaths. They were not recorded by the government nor by the occupying armies nor, of course, by the Western press. Like the bodies in the Baghdad city mortuary, they did not exist.

Debate rages over number of civilians killed in conflict

The number of Iraqis killed since March 2003 has long been a matter of fierce debate, in the absence of any figures from American and British military or civilian officials on the spot.

"We don't do body counts," was the terse comment of General Tommy Franks, commander of the US-led invasion - though it has been claimed that the Pentagon does in fact keep a running total, which it refuses to make public, for fear of increasing public doubts about the war. Undoubtedly however the figure for Iraqi civilians dwarfs the toll of US and British troops, which is meticulously recorded. Some 1,850 American and almost 100 British soldiers have been killed. In addition at least 12,000 US soldiers have been wounded. But according to the Iraq Body Count (IBC), a non-profit project regarded as the most authoritative independent source on Iraqi casualties, the civilian toll as of yesterday was a minimum of 23,589, and a maximum of 26,705. But even IBC admits that its data is incomplete. Nor is it clear how many insurgents are included.

In October 2004, a report in the medical journal The Lancet concluded that at least 100,000 civilians had lost their lives in the first 18 months after the invasion - more than half of them women and children killed in air strikes. The figures were based on a survey of 1,000 households across Iraq.

In November 2004, the Foreign Secretary, Jack Straw, supported an estimate from Iraq's ministry of health that 3,853 civilians were killed and 15,517 injured between April and October. This gives an annual death rate of 7,700, a third of the IBC estimate.

Rupert Cornwell 


-- 
___________________________________________________________
Sign-up for Ads Free at Mail.com
http://promo.mail.com/adsfreejump.htm


From jefbek at mindspring.com  Wed Aug 17 13:05:20 2005
From: jefbek at mindspring.com (Jef Bek)
Date: Wed Aug 17 13:09:52 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Rush Limbaugh about Cindy Sheehan "There is nothing
	about it that is real"!
Message-ID: <BF28E690.E02%jefbek@mindspring.com>

http://mediamatters.org/items/200508160009

It's one thing to disagree politically, but for Rush Limbaugh, a mouth piece
for the Right Wing, to say about Cindy Sheehan that:

"Her story is nothing more than forged documents. There's nothing about it
that's real, including the mainstream media's glomming onto it. It's not
real. It's nothing more than an attempt. It's the latest effort made by the
coordinated left."

He's crossed the line! Tell Mr. OxyContin how you feel! SPEAK UP AMERICA!

I wrote a very nasty letter to Mr. Hillbilly Heroin Addict!

rush@eibnet.com
1-800-282-2882 
fax: 212-563-9166 

The Rush Limbaugh Show
1270 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY 10020









From maxfury at granderiver.net  Wed Aug 17 14:55:53 2005
From: maxfury at granderiver.net (Cheeseburger)
Date: Wed Aug 17 15:04:48 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] The man who doesn't mind that his son was used in Iraq
Message-ID: <000701c5a376$70ed5e80$3026b7d8@baby1>

Re:  The man who doesn't mind that his son was used in Iraq




Ian wrote:


=======
I was with you until "bible-thumping morons."  What makes you think people
like this man are all necessarily believers - of ANY faith?  And even if
THIS man IS a "believer," what makes you think there are not plenty who
"think like him" but are atheists?  Or Jews?  Or any other faith?

This makes your "bible-thumper" comment a gratuitous and unnecessarily
insult to Christians.
=======




CheeseComment:



Jef,

Please try to leave any gratuitous and unnecessary insults to Christians to
me.

In such a day and age and circumstances, I am both better equipped to make
them, better equipped to deal with the repercussions of making them, and
obviously enjoy making them more than almost anyone else on planet Earth.

If necessary I will also make them toward athiests, jews, or other religions
as well if the flagrant mood of whatever strikes me as they are collectively
dismantling whatever miniscule sanity, integrity and true morality that is
even left in places like America while pointing their fingers and calling
those who disagree with them liberal left wing tree hugging unpatriotic
athiest pig fuckers or somesuch.

For some odd reason, I don't really think you understand how this planet and
God works.

Here is the basic diagram of the logistics of Earth for your future
reference:


1.  There is God

2.  Then there is everyone who professes to know God, hear from God daily,
talk to God daily and get a response, officially represent God and his Word
daily on this planet, are in an official position of interpreting God's Word
to everyone else, and you get the picture.

3.  Then there is me, and millions and millions and millions of other
people, including all other Life on Earth who are not in a position to argue
with all those sitting between me and God.


They might be wacked out Christians, they might be wacked out Zionist Jews,
they might be wacked out Other Religions, or, heck, they might even be
wacked out Athiests for all I know or care.

The problem is that they continue to stand between God and me, in one manner
or another, and continue to make this world literally Miserable beyond
comparison.

And they will continue to defend their divine right to do so as we are
slaughtered over the ages and they stand triumphant in the collective pool
of our bloods, finally mingling in Peace on the ground beneath their feet.

Mission accomplished...!!  Huzzah...!!

While the compassionate thing remains not to completely eliminate them, I
have therefore decided to simply remove all their power, over everything,
for the rest of Eternity.

Any more questions about what is going on on Earth, what is happening, and
what is going to happen, just let me know.




Cheeseburger

.

From ialterman at nyc.rr.com  Wed Aug 17 15:31:17 2005
From: ialterman at nyc.rr.com (Ian)
Date: Wed Aug 17 15:34:51 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] The man who doesn't mind that his son was used in Iraq
References: <000701c5a376$70ed5e80$3026b7d8@baby1>
Message-ID: <003301c5a37b$63263380$99ca6c42@iancn2ccrvzt0j>

Cheeseburger:

Actually, the proper chart would look like this:

                                   God
                                       /
                                       /
       --------------------------------------------
       /                                                                /
Those who                                              Those who
believe in God                                don't believe in God

That many of those on the left side of the chart (no political meaning 
intended) seem to BELIEVE that they are "better" than those on the right 
side of the chart does not change the fact that everyone is equal.

Peace.


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Cheeseburger" <maxfury@granderiver.net>
To: "mb-civic" <mb-civic@islandlists.com>
Sent: Wednesday, August 17, 2005 5:55 PM
Subject: [Mb-civic] The man who doesn't mind that his son was used in Iraq


> Re:  The man who doesn't mind that his son was used in Iraq
>
>
>
>
> Ian wrote:
>
>
> =======
> I was with you until "bible-thumping morons."  What makes you think people
> like this man are all necessarily believers - of ANY faith?  And even if
> THIS man IS a "believer," what makes you think there are not plenty who
> "think like him" but are atheists?  Or Jews?  Or any other faith?
>
> This makes your "bible-thumper" comment a gratuitous and unnecessarily
> insult to Christians.
> =======
>
>
>
>
> CheeseComment:
>
>
>
> Jef,
>
> Please try to leave any gratuitous and unnecessary insults to Christians 
> to
> me.
>
> In such a day and age and circumstances, I am both better equipped to make
> them, better equipped to deal with the repercussions of making them, and
> obviously enjoy making them more than almost anyone else on planet Earth.
>
> If necessary I will also make them toward athiests, jews, or other 
> religions
> as well if the flagrant mood of whatever strikes me as they are 
> collectively
> dismantling whatever miniscule sanity, integrity and true morality that is
> even left in places like America while pointing their fingers and calling
> those who disagree with them liberal left wing tree hugging unpatriotic
> athiest pig fuckers or somesuch.
>
> For some odd reason, I don't really think you understand how this planet 
> and
> God works.
>
> Here is the basic diagram of the logistics of Earth for your future
> reference:
>
>
> 1.  There is God
>
> 2.  Then there is everyone who professes to know God, hear from God daily,
> talk to God daily and get a response, officially represent God and his 
> Word
> daily on this planet, are in an official position of interpreting God's 
> Word
> to everyone else, and you get the picture.
>
> 3.  Then there is me, and millions and millions and millions of other
> people, including all other Life on Earth who are not in a position to 
> argue
> with all those sitting between me and God.
>
>
> They might be wacked out Christians, they might be wacked out Zionist 
> Jews,
> they might be wacked out Other Religions, or, heck, they might even be
> wacked out Athiests for all I know or care.
>
> The problem is that they continue to stand between God and me, in one 
> manner
> or another, and continue to make this world literally Miserable beyond
> comparison.
>
> And they will continue to defend their divine right to do so as we are
> slaughtered over the ages and they stand triumphant in the collective pool
> of our bloods, finally mingling in Peace on the ground beneath their feet.
>
> Mission accomplished...!!  Huzzah...!!
>
> While the compassionate thing remains not to completely eliminate them, I
> have therefore decided to simply remove all their power, over everything,
> for the rest of Eternity.
>
> Any more questions about what is going on on Earth, what is happening, and
> what is going to happen, just let me know.
>
>
>
>
> Cheeseburger
>
> .
>
> _______________________________________________
> Mb-civic mailing list
> Mb-civic@islandlists.com
> http://www.islandlists.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/mb-civic
> 


From fotoblue at flash.net  Wed Aug 17 14:50:57 2005
From: fotoblue at flash.net (fotoblue@flash.net)
Date: Wed Aug 17 17:06:47 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Re: [Mb-hair] God said it. - WHEN? - I believe it. DO I?
	That settles it - WHAT?
Message-ID: <E1E5XsK-0007jy-Eu@smtpauth01.mail.atl.earthlink.net>

Hi Jim, 
unfortunately I must agree with you, it is just a BOOK, written by people 
and most (all?) religions are just instruments of control of the mass of
humans, 
wielded by a few more clever ones...

God is mostly silent these days.  I cannot believe he idly tosses a tsunami
around!
And he has said none of the things in the bible. That's a fact. 

Dead? Maybe. Or maybe he is a great concentration of spirit that surrounds
us?
and what we do with it creates/triggers  the results?
 
Or could it be that  god/gods seem to have  either given up on his/their
creations 
and is/are  occupied with other issues (?) 
or do they just not care and watch to see what we will do with what we have
been 
given?

The outlook is not bright at all.

 Dagmar
(on a more serious note than usually)

Original Message:
-----------------
From: James Pappaconstantine georgeberger69@yahoo.com
Date: Mon, 15 Aug 2005 19:35:14 -0700 (PDT)
To: mb-hair@islandlists.com
Subject: Re: [Mb-hair] "God said it. I believe it. That settles it"



GOD is dead. 

Years ago profits wrote a book to help us live a better life, but who is to
say what's 
better for an individual. I think a lot of what the Bible preaches is or
could be good for 
society. But too many people take stock in that book like it was a road map
for their 
lives.. Wake up people! It's a fu*king book! Indians pray on many Gods.
Some pray to 
Buddha, others to Ala.. but while they are all praying to their Gods.. The
appointed 
governments are preying on them. I am so tired of Governments screwing
people, 
killing people in the name of Peace and Religion. GOD is dead.. If he were
not.. he 
would not let such evil take control.. The meek shall inherit... Inherit
what? The only 
thing that'll be left when they get through are the cock roaches... maybe
that's what 
they want.. seeing how they are the biggest cock roaches of them all.. 

A very Cynical JIM


Michael Butler <michael@michaelbutler.com> wrote:

Michael Butler's Blog

http://www.michaelbutler.com/mbblog.html



--------------------------------------------------------------------
mail2web - Check your email from the web at
http://mail2web.com/ .



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From lyve at netzero.com  Wed Aug 17 19:55:23 2005
From: lyve at netzero.com (Lyle K'ang)
Date: Wed Aug 17 20:00:24 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] The exodus of grief and anger to Crawford
Message-ID: <20050817.195553.17266.39359@webmail34.nyc.untd.com>

The last paragraph is especially poignant.

The exodus of grief and anger to Crawford
Tuesday, August 16, 2005

When the three Army officers finally tracked Michelle DeFord down at her Colton home last September, she didn't believe their story: "I kept thinking to myself, while the soldiers were talking to me, 'They're going to straighten this out, I know it's a mistake, David calls home every Monday.' "

And his message was always the same. "He kept telling me he wasn't doing anything dangerous," DeFord said. "He kept telling me he was safe." That gunfire in the background? "That was just Iraqis celebrating another soccer victory."

Thus, when the Army said she had 24 hours to notify her family before her son's death became public, DeFord didn't reach for the phone: "I just kept thinking that I don't want to get everyone upset, because I know this is wrong."

Almost a year after Spc. David W. Johnson, a 37-year-old cook turned machine gunner, was killed by a roadside bomb on a supply run to Taji, Michelle DeFord still thinks something is irrevocably wrong. That's why she and Lynn Bradach will fly to Texas on Wednesday, drive to "Camp Casey" and join Cindy Sheehan's vigil outside the Crawford ranch of President George W. Bush.

The nation is at war, the president is on an extended vacation, and DeFord and Bradach are the mothers of dead soldiers. Bradach's son, Marine Cpl. Travis J. Bradach-Nall, 21, of Portland, died in July 2003 while clearing a Karbala minefield.

In the months following her son's death, DeFord was too numb to wrestle with her pain in public. "I didn't speak out for a while," she said, "because I felt I'd be viewed as a grieving mother who was misguided."

But she has been inspired by Sheehan and her ability to energize the anti-war movement from a dusty outpost outside the president's 1,600-acre ranch. Sheehan has pledged to maintain her vigil in Crawford until Bush sits down to speak with her directly about the death of her son, Casey, a 24-year-old Army specialist who died in an Iraqi rocket attack.

DeFord first met Sheehan in Florida last October when both worked on a get-out-the-vote campaign. Since Sheehan formed Gold Star Families for Peace, the two women have grown quite close, staying in each other's homes when DeFord travels to the Bay Area or Sheehan journeys to the Pacific Northwest.

"I have never met anyone so determined, so calm, so rational and so well-spoken under these circumstances," DeFord said.

Sheehan makes no bones about her anger that Bush describes the death of her son as "noble." Her determination to keep that outrage and her anguished opposition to the war in public view, even as the president enjoys mountain biking and fundraising on his five-week August recess, has been particularly cathartic to other parents who count their sons and daughters among the 1,850 Americans who have died in Iraq.

"I'm so proud of Cindy," Lynn Bradach said. "I've had a really tough time this spring. I got to the point where I couldn't handle the news anymore." She was fleeing media coverage of the deaths of 19 Marine reservists from the same Cleveland battalion when she was swept away by the story of Sheehan's arrival in Crawford.

"The minute I read the article, I said I should be there to support her," Bradach said. "There should be many more mothers there."

This pair will tote backpacks and a tent into the sauna of summer in Texas and onto the firing range of those who scream these families aren't "supporting the troops."

"We're in Bush country," Bradach said. "There will be a lot of detractors, people saying we aren't patriots. I'd like to know what they've given up.

"There is no way our children died in vain, not if we pay attention, not if we learn. I'm proud of my son. I love the Marines. And I'm very much against this war and always have been.

"I guess our children went and were sacrificed for us to take a look at what we let happen. We let this war happen. If nothing else, this is a huge lesson. Watch who you vote for. Watch what they're telling you. Don't be so afraid."

Steve Duin: 503-221-8597; Steveduin@aol.com; 1320 S.W. Broadway, Portland, OR 97201



Lyle K'ang, MBA/IM 


From jefbek at mindspring.com  Wed Aug 17 20:16:50 2005
From: jefbek at mindspring.com (Jef Bek)
Date: Wed Aug 17 20:21:32 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Why did they hate America?
Message-ID: <BF294BB2.E05%jefbek@mindspring.com>

The NATO led war in Kosovo lasted about 3 months in 1999. President Clinton
and NATO forces wanted to stop Milosevic?s ethnic cleansing. It's
fascinating to read the comments from the right-wing during that time!

"President Clinton is once again releasing American military might on a
foreign country with an ill-defined objective and no exit strategy. He has
yet to tell the Congress how much this operation will cost. And he has not
informed our nation's armed forces about how long they will be away from
home. These strikes do not make for a sound foreign policy."

-Senator Rick Santorum (R-PA)

"No goal, no objective, not until we have those things and a compelling case
is made, then I say, back out of it, because innocent people are going to
die for nothing. That's why I'm against it."

-Sean Hannity, Fox News, 4/5/99

"American foreign policy is now one huge big mystery. ?Simply put, the
administration is trying to lead the world with a feel-good foreign policy."

 -Representative Tom Delay (R-TX)

"If we are going to commit American troops, we must be certain they have a
clear mission, an achievable goal and an exit strategy."

 -Karen Hughes, speaking on behalf of presidential candidate George W. Bush

Why did they demoralize our brave men and women in uniform?

"I had doubts about the bombing campaign from the beginning...I didn't think
we had done enough in the diplomatic area."

 -Senator Trent Lott (R-MS)

"You think Vietnam was bad? Vietnam is nothing next to Kosovo."

 -Tony Snow, Fox News 3/24/99

"Well, I just think it's a bad idea. What's going to happen is they're going
to be over there for 10, 15, maybe 20 years"

 -Joe Scarborough (R-FL)

"I'm on the Senate Intelligence Committee, so you can trust me and believe
me when I say we're running out of cruise missles. I can't tell you exactly
how many we have left, for security reasons, but we're almost out of cruise
missles."

 -Senator Inhofe (R-OK)

"I cannot support a failed foreign policy. History teaches us that it is
often easier to make war than peace. This administration is just learning
that lesson right now. The President began this mission with very vague
objectives and lots of unanswered questions. A month later, these questions
are still unanswered. There are no clarified rules of engagement. There is
no timetable. There is no legitimate definition of victory. There is no
contingency plan for mission creep. There is no clear funding program. There
is no agenda to bolster our overextended military. There is no explanation
defining what vital national interests are at stake. There was no strategic
plan for war when the President started this thing, and there still is no
plan today"

 -Representative Tom Delay (R-TX)

"I don't know that Milosevic will ever raise a white flag"

 -Senator Don Nickles (R-OK)

"Explain to the mothers and fathers of American servicemen that may come
home in body bags why their son or daughter have to give up their life?"

 -Sean Hannity, Fox News, 4/6/99

Why didn't they support our president in a time of war?

"Victory means exit strategy, and it's important for the President to
explain to us what the exit strategy is."

 -Governor George W. Bush (R-TX)

"This is President Clinton's war, and when he falls flat on his face, that's
his problem."

 -Senator Richard Lugar (R-IN)

"The two powers that have ICBMs that can reach the United States are Russia
and China. Here we go in. We're taking on not just Milosevic. We can't just
say, 'that little guy, we can whip him.' We have these two other powers that
have missiles that can reach us, and we have zero defense thanks to this
president."

 -Senator James Inhofe (R-OK)

"You can support the troops but not the president"

 -Representative Tom Delay (R-TX)

"My job as majority leader is be supportive of our troops, try to have input
as decisions are made and to look at those decisions after they're made ...
not to march in lock step with everything the president decides to do."

 -Senator Trent Lott (R-MS)

For us to call this a victory and to commend the President of the United
States as the Commander in Chief showing great leadership in Operation
Allied Force is a farce"

 -Representative Tom Delay (R-TX)

Why did they blame America first?

Bombing a sovereign nation for ill-defined reasons with vague objectives
undermines the American stature in the world. ?The international respect and
trust for America has diminished every time we casually let the bombs fly."

 -Representative Tom Delay (R-TX)

"Once the bombing commenced, I think then Milosevic unleashed his forces,
and then that's when the slaughtering and the massive ethnic cleansing
really started"

 -Senator Don Nickles (R-OK)

"Clinton's bombing campaign has caused all of these problems to explode"

 -Representative Tom Delay (R-TX)

"America has no vital interest in whose flag flies over Kosovo's capital,
and no right to attack and kill Serb soldiers fighting on their own soil to
preserve the territorial integrity of their own country"

 -Pat Buchanan (R)

"These international war criminals were led by Gen. Wesley Clark ... who
clicked his shiny heels for the commander-in-grief, Bill Clinton."

 -Michael Savage

"This has been an unmitigated disaster ... Ask the Chinese embassy. Ask all
the people in Belgrade that we've killed. Ask the refugees that we've
killed. Ask the people in nursing homes. Ask the people in hospitals."

 -Representative Joe Scarborough (R-FL)

"It is a remarkable spectacle to see the Clinton Administration and NATO
taking over from the Soviet Union the role of sponsoring "wars of national
liberation."

 -Representative Helen Chenoweth (R-ID)

"America has no vital interest in whose flag flies over Kosovo's capital,
and no right to attack and kill Serb soldiers fighting on their own soil to
preserve the territorial integrity of their own country"

 -Pat Buchanan (R)

"By the order to launch air strikes against Serbia, NATO and President
Clinton have entered uncharted territory in mankind's history. Not even
Hitler's grab of the Sudetenland in the 1930s, which eventually led to WW
II, ranks as a comparable travesty. For, there are no American interests
whatsoever that the NATO bombing will either help, or protect; only needless
risks to which it exposes the American soldiers and assets, not to mention
the victims on the ground in Serbia."

 -Bob Djurdjevic, founder of Truth in Media
-------------- next part --------------
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From lyve at netzero.com  Wed Aug 17 20:43:44 2005
From: lyve at netzero.com (Lyle K'ang)
Date: Wed Aug 17 20:49:23 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] RE: God said it. - WHEN? - I believe it. DO I? That
	settles it - WHAT?
Message-ID: <20050817.204443.17266.39927@webmail34.nyc.untd.com>

One can also believe that we have not grown up enough, yet to understand the true mind of man. We have cutoff our growth spurt by relaxing our vigil, by damning our souls and attaching shortcoming's on everything else.

We don't understand ourselves, let alone a 'God'. We pretend to know about him and of him. With this type of logic-we can't imagine nor comprehend that the Bible is not correct. If we understand the Bible's limitations because of translations and truths; we are most vunerable and many go to the extremes of thought. Extremists in religious thought can be somewhat confusing-just look at what our world has produced with the extreme left and right for any country.

How about the fact that we have yet to experience...experience. 
I don't understand GOD and do not ever profess to know HIM.
I don't understand HIS powers nor HIS opposite, who is also extreme yet most powerful. IS GOD extreme? IS SATAN extreme?

Some accept the knowledge that the Earth has changed from its conception and is basically OUR HELL here on Earth...We don't have enough knowledge to understand the duality or do we want too. Yet, some try to understand and that is GOOD.

Trying to understand and accept that there in a whole, produces two identical halves with different makeup and plans. One has an agenda  which most arrogant people seem to know deeply. The other, almost a brother, has an agenda likened to the first and a few know of him and profess to know HIM also-this can be equated also to arrognace.

So what do these two beings (material formed of particulate matter-a.k.a. cosmic void? Or do they exist in another material form or entity? Who knows-can we see them? Who touches us? Did the finger of GOD touch me or was it my departed Grandmother?

Clearly, this has an end; one must acknowledge the other half in all faiths, beliefs and thought. Never mind what you call them or however close you may feel to either side, you still don't know-no matter who you are...we are thrown ( many say they chose to come, others say its destiny) here together, to normalize, to standardize, to conjecture and actually earnestly endevor to make sense out of it all.

Whether there is or there isn't, is not the question nor answer. The point of this discussion was to show myself and you, the reader, that we have yet to evolve in understanding. Many of us have been blessed through history, especially the '60's-which actually gives us several points more than those that try to negate that era as wasteful and essentially non-growth (spiritual). What's with the point system?

In earnest, you and I are trying, but we stumble along the way, however noble. That is GOOD!


Lyle K'ang, MBA/IM 


-- "fotoblue@flash.net" <fotoblue@flash.net> wrote:
Hi Jim, 
unfortunately I must agree with you, it is just a BOOK, written by people 
and most (all?) religions are just instruments of control of the mass of
humans, 
wielded by a few more clever ones...

God is mostly silent these days.  I cannot believe he idly tosses a tsunami
around!
And he has said none of the things in the bible. That's a fact. 

Dead? Maybe. Or maybe he is a great concentration of spirit that surrounds
us?
and what we do with it creates/triggers  the results?
 
Or could it be that  god/gods seem to have  either given up on his/their
creations 
and is/are  occupied with other issues (?) 
or do they just not care and watch to see what we will do with what we have
been 
given?

The outlook is not bright at all.

 Dagmar
(on a more serious note than usually)

Original Message:
-----------------
From: James Pappaconstantine georgeberger69@yahoo.com
Date: Mon, 15 Aug 2005 19:35:14 -0700 (PDT)
To: mb-hair@islandlists.com
Subject: Re: [Mb-hair] "God said it. I believe it. That settles it"



GOD is dead. 

Years ago profits wrote a book to help us live a better life, but who is to
say what's 
better for an individual. I think a lot of what the Bible preaches is or
could be good for 
society. But too many people take stock in that book like it was a road map
for their 
lives.. Wake up people! It's a fu*king book! Indians pray on many Gods.
Some pray to 
Buddha, others to Ala.. but while they are all praying to their Gods.. The
appointed 
governments are preying on them. I am so tired of Governments screwing
people, 
killing people in the name of Peace and Religion. GOD is dead.. If he were
not.. he 
would not let such evil take control.. The meek shall inherit... Inherit
what? The only 
thing that'll be left when they get through are the cock roaches... maybe
that's what 
they want.. seeing how they are the biggest cock roaches of them all.. 

A very Cynical JIM


Michael Butler <michael@michaelbutler.com> wrote:

Michael Butler's Blog

http://www.michaelbutler.com/mbblog.html



--------------------------------------------------------------------
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http://mail2web.com/ .



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From lyve at netzero.com  Wed Aug 17 20:52:50 2005
From: lyve at netzero.com (Lyle K'ang)
Date: Wed Aug 17 20:57:14 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Psychopathic Behavior
Message-ID: <20050817.205308.17266.40012@webmail34.nyc.untd.com>

Of Course He Is a Psychopath ...

A BUZZFLASH READER CONTRIBUTION
by Elizabeth

... or a sociopath -- the distinction here is insignificant.

I'm a mental health professional and psychopaths are a professional interest of mine. There is little doubt that Bush's is a psychopathic character structure.

Another, and I think very appropriate term to describe psychopathy is emotional retardation -- an inability to experience higher emotions expressive of the highest human values (such as empathy and guilt, sympathy, compassion, devotion to common human ideals such as peace, for example, etc.).

A psychopath is a person who uses his often considerable intelligence in the service of his primitive drives (think sex, aggression, power). Being fairly bright, he learns, imperfectly, to mimic emotional expressions suggestive of some higher emotions (compassion, for example), but his reactions hardly fool anyone because they ring hollow as there is no truth and authenticity in them. He can use lofty words when needed -- an easy thing for a fairly intelligent psychopath -- but there is no emotional content to them.

Just look at Bush's responses whenever he is asked, unscripted, about anything that would require him to express either empathy, or caring and compassion for others, including his own family members. He stammers and stumbles, tries some platitudes or inappropriate jokes, and eventually makes a fool of himself. It is always painful to watch and it clearly demonstrates his emotional retardation.

Even most recently, when asked about Cindy Sheehan, he responded by saying "And I think it's important for me to be thoughtful and sensitive to those who have got something to say." He followed it with "I think it's also important for me to go on with my life, to keep a balanced life."

This statement in itself is very revealing. First, it sounds like something Bush has just learned to say on advice of his handlers who reminded him to pretend to be human (he *thinks* it is *important* for him to be thoughtful and sensitive ...). Not that he knows what this means, or that any of it resonates emotionally for him, as evidenced by how quickly he closed this statement with a glib reference to, what else, his own need for a "balanced life," a reference that sounds so incredibly insensitive in this context that it completely invalidates the message intended in his previous sentence.

I have no doubt that this emotionally flat and highly inappropriate statement came from the desk of one of his advisors -- which only shows that psychopathic leaders surround themselves with psychopathic handlers who are equally clueless about what it means to be a feeling human being. It's nothing new or surprising -- we have seen it before in the history of the world. But it's horrendously painful to witness.

Bush's fumblings with statements that are supposed to express higher human emotions are not a proof that he is unintelligent in the conventional sense (i.e. intellectually impaired). His intelligence appears normal (= average at least) -- but it is the emotional sphere that is so dangerously underdeveloped in him.

Notice that typically he does not encounter similar troubles when he talks about what is really close to his proverbial heart (not that he possesses a real one): power. All those swagger-filled threats, gestures of intimidation, and displays of bravado -- often in the most inappropriate contexts ("Shock and Awe," "Mission Accomplished," etc.) -- are further proof that we are dealing with intelligence in the service of primitive drives, combined with emotional hollowness. A.k.a. psychopathy.

And while you're right that playing an armchair diagnostician is a task of dubious value sometimes, in case of G.W. Bush the evidence to support the diagnosis of psychopathy (or sociopathy) is just overwhelming and in plain sight for anyone to see. So if the shoe fits ...

E.L. Doctorow's essay sums up the core of Bush's psychopathic character so well -- and so painfully for all of us who have retained humanity in our souls.

The intelligence in the service of primitive instincts that Bush's actions and words represent; the raw aggressive power, unmitigated by thought or higher feeling; and the surge of compensatory confidence it engenders, are what appeals to a great segment of this -- or any other -- society, especially to its powerless and emotionally underdeveloped members. They rally around their leader, seeing in him both a reflection of themselves and a promise of a "victory" that would release their fears and frustrations, and avenge their sorry, hopeless fate. Of course what they do not realize is that their leader couldn't care less about their fate. To him, his minions are an echo chamber for his words and cannon fodder for his missions.

Tragically, as a nation, we will remain in the dark ages as long as we keep choosing psychopaths as our leaders and pretend this is a good thing. And no matter how hard we will try to convince ourselves that what we yearn for are freedom and democracy for all (and whatever other ideals we choose to endorse by our words), our actions -- the choices we make, including our choice of the leader -- will keep telling the rest of the world otherwise. As shameful as it is, the psychopathic Bush represents America to the world.

A BUZZFLASH READER CONTRIBUTION 


Lyle K'ang, MBA/IM 


From lyve at netzero.com  Wed Aug 17 20:56:59 2005
From: lyve at netzero.com (Lyle K'ang)
Date: Wed Aug 17 21:02:00 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Why did they hate America?
Message-ID: <20050817.205721.17266.40054@webmail34.nyc.untd.com>

Jeff,

Those quotes come at such a good time-especially now when all the asses are now blaming President Clinton for Iraq.

I'm sending these quotes to all my fringe friends-perhaps they'll leave me alone after this )-:


Lyle K'ang, MBA/IM 


Please note: message attached


-------------- next part --------------
Skipped content of type multipart/alternative
From lindahassler at sbcglobal.net  Wed Aug 17 21:05:22 2005
From: lindahassler at sbcglobal.net (Linda Hassler)
Date: Wed Aug 17 21:08:58 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Keep dreaming the ideal
Message-ID: <6d3f7c0b7401fbb7645b901661c07db6@sbcglobal.net>

Dear CIVIC folks,

Michael asked me to post something I wrote to him recently on CIVIC. 
It's how I cope with the heaving and shoving of the human race at this 
present time as it resists the death of a way of being that no longer 
works. To whit:

"Don't despair about these times. That spreads the sickness. This 
breakdown is all predictable. Our East Indian relatives have gods who 
represent the Destroyers... Kali, the female goddess, is a destroyer. 
Indian wisdom knows things have to be destroyed in order for newness to 
find a foothold, for rebuilding.

Institutions have to break down before new non-institutions can grow up 
in their place. So all we are seeing is the death of the long-running 
paradigm of greed, inhumanity, people driven mad for and with power and 
excess. These had to go if we're to have a new in-coming age of 
aquarius or call it what you will.  And knowing what we now know about 
the amazing speed of thought - if indeed it even HAS to travel anywhere 
to have an effect hundreds of thousands of miles away - each thought 
has an effect on the whole, a whole that includes our Universe.

Therefore, even though it's difficult, I am working on not letting 
despair get its hold on me, but to hold the dream of the new paradigm, 
one where people recognize each other as brothers and sisters, 
regardless of what the person HAS. The age in which more and more 
people realize we are all connected by this one universal mind that 
allows some people to recognize each other's thoughts before they are 
expressed, even know the thoughts of animals. This is the great mind 
that allows some people to know other people's illnesses or problems 
whether or not they've ever met, that allows some people to know what's 
going to happen before it happens."

From hotprojects at nyc.rr.com  Wed Aug 17 21:07:01 2005
From: hotprojects at nyc.rr.com (richard haase)
Date: Wed Aug 17 21:10:36 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Psychopathic Behavior
References: <20050817.205308.17266.40012@webmail34.nyc.untd.com>
Message-ID: <001c01c5a3aa$48f041c0$6e436c42@hotprojects>

bush is not a psychopath
bush is the spokesperson for the psychopaths
and if you havent noticed hes abusing again
i dont think he knows where he is
but bush is not a psychopath
he is a ninny being used for a front by the psychopaths
similar to regean
?
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Lyle K'ang" <lyve@netzero.com>
To: <mb-civic@islandlists.com>
Sent: Wednesday, August 17, 2005 11:52 PM
Subject: [Mb-civic] Psychopathic Behavior


> Of Course He Is a Psychopath ...
>
> A BUZZFLASH READER CONTRIBUTION
> by Elizabeth
>
> ... or a sociopath -- the distinction here is insignificant.
>
> I'm a mental health professional and psychopaths are a professional
interest of mine. There is little doubt that Bush's is a psychopathic
character structure.
>
> Another, and I think very appropriate term to describe psychopathy is
emotional retardation -- an inability to experience higher emotions
expressive of the highest human values (such as empathy and guilt, sympathy,
compassion, devotion to common human ideals such as peace, for example,
etc.).
>
> A psychopath is a person who uses his often considerable intelligence in
the service of his primitive drives (think sex, aggression, power). Being
fairly bright, he learns, imperfectly, to mimic emotional expressions
suggestive of some higher emotions (compassion, for example), but his
reactions hardly fool anyone because they ring hollow as there is no truth
and authenticity in them. He can use lofty words when needed -- an easy
thing for a fairly intelligent psychopath -- but there is no emotional
content to them.
>
> Just look at Bush's responses whenever he is asked, unscripted, about
anything that would require him to express either empathy, or caring and
compassion for others, including his own family members. He stammers and
stumbles, tries some platitudes or inappropriate jokes, and eventually makes
a fool of himself. It is always painful to watch and it clearly demonstrates
his emotional retardation.
>
> Even most recently, when asked about Cindy Sheehan, he responded by saying
"And I think it's important for me to be thoughtful and sensitive to those
who have got something to say." He followed it with "I think it's also
important for me to go on with my life, to keep a balanced life."
>
> This statement in itself is very revealing. First, it sounds like
something Bush has just learned to say on advice of his handlers who
reminded him to pretend to be human (he *thinks* it is *important* for him
to be thoughtful and sensitive ...). Not that he knows what this means, or
that any of it resonates emotionally for him, as evidenced by how quickly he
closed this statement with a glib reference to, what else, his own need for
a "balanced life," a reference that sounds so incredibly insensitive in this
context that it completely invalidates the message intended in his previous
sentence.
>
> I have no doubt that this emotionally flat and highly inappropriate
statement came from the desk of one of his advisors -- which only shows that
psychopathic leaders surround themselves with psychopathic handlers who are
equally clueless about what it means to be a feeling human being. It's
nothing new or surprising -- we have seen it before in the history of the
world. But it's horrendously painful to witness.
>
> Bush's fumblings with statements that are supposed to express higher human
emotions are not a proof that he is unintelligent in the conventional sense
(i.e. intellectually impaired). His intelligence appears normal (= average
at least) -- but it is the emotional sphere that is so dangerously
underdeveloped in him.
>
> Notice that typically he does not encounter similar troubles when he talks
about what is really close to his proverbial heart (not that he possesses a
real one): power. All those swagger-filled threats, gestures of
intimidation, and displays of bravado -- often in the most inappropriate
contexts ("Shock and Awe," "Mission Accomplished," etc.) -- are further
proof that we are dealing with intelligence in the service of primitive
drives, combined with emotional hollowness. A.k.a. psychopathy.
>
> And while you're right that playing an armchair diagnostician is a task of
dubious value sometimes, in case of G.W. Bush the evidence to support the
diagnosis of psychopathy (or sociopathy) is just overwhelming and in plain
sight for anyone to see. So if the shoe fits ...
>
> E.L. Doctorow's essay sums up the core of Bush's psychopathic character so
well -- and so painfully for all of us who have retained humanity in our
souls.
>
> The intelligence in the service of primitive instincts that Bush's actions
and words represent; the raw aggressive power, unmitigated by thought or
higher feeling; and the surge of compensatory confidence it engenders, are
what appeals to a great segment of this -- or any other -- society,
especially to its powerless and emotionally underdeveloped members. They
rally around their leader, seeing in him both a reflection of themselves and
a promise of a "victory" that would release their fears and frustrations,
and avenge their sorry, hopeless fate. Of course what they do not realize is
that their leader couldn't care less about their fate. To him, his minions
are an echo chamber for his words and cannon fodder for his missions.
>
> Tragically, as a nation, we will remain in the dark ages as long as we
keep choosing psychopaths as our leaders and pretend this is a good thing.
And no matter how hard we will try to convince ourselves that what we yearn
for are freedom and democracy for all (and whatever other ideals we choose
to endorse by our words), our actions -- the choices we make, including our
choice of the leader -- will keep telling the rest of the world otherwise.
As shameful as it is, the psychopathic Bush represents America to the world.
>
> A BUZZFLASH READER CONTRIBUTION
>
>
> Lyle K'ang, MBA/IM
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Mb-civic mailing list
> Mb-civic@islandlists.com
> http://www.islandlists.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/mb-civic

From hotprojects at nyc.rr.com  Wed Aug 17 21:08:19 2005
From: hotprojects at nyc.rr.com (richard haase)
Date: Wed Aug 17 21:11:54 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Keep dreaming the ideal
References: <6d3f7c0b7401fbb7645b901661c07db6@sbcglobal.net>
Message-ID: <000801c5a3aa$77c368b0$6e436c42@hotprojects>

its a nice thought linda
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Linda Hassler" <lindahassler@sbcglobal.net>
To: "CIVIC" <MB-Civic@islandlists.com>
Sent: Thursday, August 18, 2005 12:05 AM
Subject: [Mb-civic] Keep dreaming the ideal


> Dear CIVIC folks,
> 
> Michael asked me to post something I wrote to him recently on CIVIC. 
> It's how I cope with the heaving and shoving of the human race at this 
> present time as it resists the death of a way of being that no longer 
> works. To whit:
> 
> "Don't despair about these times. That spreads the sickness. This 
> breakdown is all predictable. Our East Indian relatives have gods who 
> represent the Destroyers... Kali, the female goddess, is a destroyer. 
> Indian wisdom knows things have to be destroyed in order for newness to 
> find a foothold, for rebuilding.
> 
> Institutions have to break down before new non-institutions can grow up 
> in their place. So all we are seeing is the death of the long-running 
> paradigm of greed, inhumanity, people driven mad for and with power and 
> excess. These had to go if we're to have a new in-coming age of 
> aquarius or call it what you will.  And knowing what we now know about 
> the amazing speed of thought - if indeed it even HAS to travel anywhere 
> to have an effect hundreds of thousands of miles away - each thought 
> has an effect on the whole, a whole that includes our Universe.
> 
> Therefore, even though it's difficult, I am working on not letting 
> despair get its hold on me, but to hold the dream of the new paradigm, 
> one where people recognize each other as brothers and sisters, 
> regardless of what the person HAS. The age in which more and more 
> people realize we are all connected by this one universal mind that 
> allows some people to recognize each other's thoughts before they are 
> expressed, even know the thoughts of animals. This is the great mind 
> that allows some people to know other people's illnesses or problems 
> whether or not they've ever met, that allows some people to know what's 
> going to happen before it happens."
> 
> _______________________________________________
> Mb-civic mailing list
> Mb-civic@islandlists.com
> http://www.islandlists.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/mb-civic
From lyve at netzero.com  Wed Aug 17 21:24:11 2005
From: lyve at netzero.com (Lyle K'ang)
Date: Wed Aug 17 21:28:58 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Psychopathic Behavior
Message-ID: <20050817.212446.17266.40342@webmail34.nyc.untd.com>

He's a psychopath being used by others showing advanced psychopathic tendencies...how's that???


Lyle K'ang, MBA/IM 


-- "richard haase" <hotprojects@nyc.rr.com> wrote:
bush is not a psychopath
bush is the spokesperson for the psychopaths
and if you havent noticed hes abusing again
i dont think he knows where he is
but bush is not a psychopath
he is a ninny being used for a front by the psychopaths
similar to regean
?
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Lyle K'ang" <lyve@netzero.com>
To: <mb-civic@islandlists.com>
Sent: Wednesday, August 17, 2005 11:52 PM
Subject: [Mb-civic] Psychopathic Behavior


> Of Course He Is a Psychopath ...
>
> A BUZZFLASH READER CONTRIBUTION
> by Elizabeth
>
> ... or a sociopath -- the distinction here is insignificant.
>
> I'm a mental health professional and psychopaths are a professional
interest of mine. There is little doubt that Bush's is a psychopathic
character structure.
>
> Another, and I think very appropriate term to describe psychopathy is
emotional retardation -- an inability to experience higher emotions
expressive of the highest human values (such as empathy and guilt, sympathy,
compassion, devotion to common human ideals such as peace, for example,
etc.).
>
> A psychopath is a person who uses his often considerable intelligence in
the service of his primitive drives (think sex, aggression, power). Being
fairly bright, he learns, imperfectly, to mimic emotional expressions
suggestive of some higher emotions (compassion, for example), but his
reactions hardly fool anyone because they ring hollow as there is no truth
and authenticity in them. He can use lofty words when needed -- an easy
thing for a fairly intelligent psychopath -- but there is no emotional
content to them.
>
> Just look at Bush's responses whenever he is asked, unscripted, about
anything that would require him to express either empathy, or caring and
compassion for others, including his own family members. He stammers and
stumbles, tries some platitudes or inappropriate jokes, and eventually makes
a fool of himself. It is always painful to watch and it clearly demonstrates
his emotional retardation.
>
> Even most recently, when asked about Cindy Sheehan, he responded by saying
"And I think it's important for me to be thoughtful and sensitive to those
who have got something to say." He followed it with "I think it's also
important for me to go on with my life, to keep a balanced life."
>
> This statement in itself is very revealing. First, it sounds like
something Bush has just learned to say on advice of his handlers who
reminded him to pretend to be human (he *thinks* it is *important* for him
to be thoughtful and sensitive ...). Not that he knows what this means, or
that any of it resonates emotionally for him, as evidenced by how quickly he
closed this statement with a glib reference to, what else, his own need for
a "balanced life," a reference that sounds so incredibly insensitive in this
context that it completely invalidates the message intended in his previous
sentence.
>
> I have no doubt that this emotionally flat and highly inappropriate
statement came from the desk of one of his advisors -- which only shows that
psychopathic leaders surround themselves with psychopathic handlers who are
equally clueless about what it means to be a feeling human being. It's
nothing new or surprising -- we have seen it before in the history of the
world. But it's horrendously painful to witness.
>
> Bush's fumblings with statements that are supposed to express higher human
emotions are not a proof that he is unintelligent in the conventional sense
(i.e. intellectually impaired). His intelligence appears normal (= average
at least) -- but it is the emotional sphere that is so dangerously
underdeveloped in him.
>
> Notice that typically he does not encounter similar troubles when he talks
about what is really close to his proverbial heart (not that he possesses a
real one): power. All those swagger-filled threats, gestures of
intimidation, and displays of bravado -- often in the most inappropriate
contexts ("Shock and Awe," "Mission Accomplished," etc.) -- are further
proof that we are dealing with intelligence in the service of primitive
drives, combined with emotional hollowness. A.k.a. psychopathy.
>
> And while you're right that playing an armchair diagnostician is a task of
dubious value sometimes, in case of G.W. Bush the evidence to support the
diagnosis of psychopathy (or sociopathy) is just overwhelming and in plain
sight for anyone to see. So if the shoe fits ...
>
> E.L. Doctorow's essay sums up the core of Bush's psychopathic character so
well -- and so painfully for all of us who have retained humanity in our
souls.
>
> The intelligence in the service of primitive instincts that Bush's actions
and words represent; the raw aggressive power, unmitigated by thought or
higher feeling; and the surge of compensatory confidence it engenders, are
what appeals to a great segment of this -- or any other -- society,
especially to its powerless and emotionally underdeveloped members. They
rally around their leader, seeing in him both a reflection of themselves and
a promise of a "victory" that would release their fears and frustrations,
and avenge their sorry, hopeless fate. Of course what they do not realize is
that their leader couldn't care less about their fate. To him, his minions
are an echo chamber for his words and cannon fodder for his missions.
>
> Tragically, as a nation, we will remain in the dark ages as long as we
keep choosing psychopaths as our leaders and pretend this is a good thing.
And no matter how hard we will try to convince ourselves that what we yearn
for are freedom and democracy for all (and whatever other ideals we choose
to endorse by our words), our actions -- the choices we make, including our
choice of the leader -- will keep telling the rest of the world otherwise.
As shameful as it is, the psychopathic Bush represents America to the world.
>
> A BUZZFLASH READER CONTRIBUTION
>
>
> Lyle K'ang, MBA/IM
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Mb-civic mailing list
> Mb-civic@islandlists.com
> http://www.islandlists.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/mb-civic

_______________________________________________
Mb-civic mailing list
Mb-civic@islandlists.com
http://www.islandlists.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/mb-civic


From lyve at netzero.com  Wed Aug 17 21:34:04 2005
From: lyve at netzero.com (Lyle K'ang)
Date: Wed Aug 17 21:39:08 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Keep dreaming the ideal
Message-ID: <20050817.213414.17266.40438@webmail34.nyc.untd.com>

yes, a cocoon of hopeful evil people and another of hopeful good people. I wish I understood who setup the rules for this game...it's a bad game in my estimation-some things I have now altered in my previous beliefs.

Youth had a way of stabilizing idealism but youthful impression is still upon me...so we can still learn, you know.

I give it a 100% Why not? Who am I to burn faith at the stake...


Lyle K'ang, MBA/IM 


-- Linda Hassler <lindahassler@sbcglobal.net> wrote:
Dear CIVIC folks,

Michael asked me to post something I wrote to him recently on CIVIC. 
It's how I cope with the heaving and shoving of the human race at this 
present time as it resists the death of a way of being that no longer 
works. To whit:

"Don't despair about these times. That spreads the sickness. This 
breakdown is all predictable. Our East Indian relatives have gods who 
represent the Destroyers... Kali, the female goddess, is a destroyer. 
Indian wisdom knows things have to be destroyed in order for newness to 
find a foothold, for rebuilding.

Institutions have to break down before new non-institutions can grow up 
in their place. So all we are seeing is the death of the long-running 
paradigm of greed, inhumanity, people driven mad for and with power and 
excess. These had to go if we're to have a new in-coming age of 
aquarius or call it what you will.  And knowing what we now know about 
the amazing speed of thought - if indeed it even HAS to travel anywhere 
to have an effect hundreds of thousands of miles away - each thought 
has an effect on the whole, a whole that includes our Universe.

Therefore, even though it's difficult, I am working on not letting 
despair get its hold on me, but to hold the dream of the new paradigm, 
one where people recognize each other as brothers and sisters, 
regardless of what the person HAS. The age in which more and more 
people realize we are all connected by this one universal mind that 
allows some people to recognize each other's thoughts before they are 
expressed, even know the thoughts of animals. This is the great mind 
that allows some people to know other people's illnesses or problems 
whether or not they've ever met, that allows some people to know what's 
going to happen before it happens."

_______________________________________________
Mb-civic mailing list
Mb-civic@islandlists.com
http://www.islandlists.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/mb-civic


From hotprojects at nyc.rr.com  Wed Aug 17 21:41:02 2005
From: hotprojects at nyc.rr.com (richard haase)
Date: Wed Aug 17 21:44:37 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Psychopathic Behavior
References: <20050817.212446.17266.40342@webmail34.nyc.untd.com>
Message-ID: <000a01c5a3af$09e19470$6e436c42@hotprojects>

but hes not
hes a spokesperson
hes a doofus
the evil ones are the remnants of the nixon crew who are really running that
camp


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Lyle K'ang" <lyve@netzero.com>
To: <mb-civic@islandlists.com>
Sent: Thursday, August 18, 2005 12:24 AM
Subject: Re: [Mb-civic] Psychopathic Behavior


> He's a psychopath being used by others showing advanced psychopathic
tendencies...how's that???
>
>
> Lyle K'ang, MBA/IM
>
>
> -- "richard haase" <hotprojects@nyc.rr.com> wrote:
> bush is not a psychopath
> bush is the spokesperson for the psychopaths
> and if you havent noticed hes abusing again
> i dont think he knows where he is
> but bush is not a psychopath
> he is a ninny being used for a front by the psychopaths
> similar to regean
> ?
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Lyle K'ang" <lyve@netzero.com>
> To: <mb-civic@islandlists.com>
> Sent: Wednesday, August 17, 2005 11:52 PM
> Subject: [Mb-civic] Psychopathic Behavior
>
>
> > Of Course He Is a Psychopath ...
> >
> > A BUZZFLASH READER CONTRIBUTION
> > by Elizabeth
> >
> > ... or a sociopath -- the distinction here is insignificant.
> >
> > I'm a mental health professional and psychopaths are a professional
> interest of mine. There is little doubt that Bush's is a psychopathic
> character structure.
> >
> > Another, and I think very appropriate term to describe psychopathy is
> emotional retardation -- an inability to experience higher emotions
> expressive of the highest human values (such as empathy and guilt,
sympathy,
> compassion, devotion to common human ideals such as peace, for example,
> etc.).
> >
> > A psychopath is a person who uses his often considerable intelligence in
> the service of his primitive drives (think sex, aggression, power). Being
> fairly bright, he learns, imperfectly, to mimic emotional expressions
> suggestive of some higher emotions (compassion, for example), but his
> reactions hardly fool anyone because they ring hollow as there is no truth
> and authenticity in them. He can use lofty words when needed -- an easy
> thing for a fairly intelligent psychopath -- but there is no emotional
> content to them.
> >
> > Just look at Bush's responses whenever he is asked, unscripted, about
> anything that would require him to express either empathy, or caring and
> compassion for others, including his own family members. He stammers and
> stumbles, tries some platitudes or inappropriate jokes, and eventually
makes
> a fool of himself. It is always painful to watch and it clearly
demonstrates
> his emotional retardation.
> >
> > Even most recently, when asked about Cindy Sheehan, he responded by
saying
> "And I think it's important for me to be thoughtful and sensitive to those
> who have got something to say." He followed it with "I think it's also
> important for me to go on with my life, to keep a balanced life."
> >
> > This statement in itself is very revealing. First, it sounds like
> something Bush has just learned to say on advice of his handlers who
> reminded him to pretend to be human (he *thinks* it is *important* for him
> to be thoughtful and sensitive ...). Not that he knows what this means, or
> that any of it resonates emotionally for him, as evidenced by how quickly
he
> closed this statement with a glib reference to, what else, his own need
for
> a "balanced life," a reference that sounds so incredibly insensitive in
this
> context that it completely invalidates the message intended in his
previous
> sentence.
> >
> > I have no doubt that this emotionally flat and highly inappropriate
> statement came from the desk of one of his advisors -- which only shows
that
> psychopathic leaders surround themselves with psychopathic handlers who
are
> equally clueless about what it means to be a feeling human being. It's
> nothing new or surprising -- we have seen it before in the history of the
> world. But it's horrendously painful to witness.
> >
> > Bush's fumblings with statements that are supposed to express higher
human
> emotions are not a proof that he is unintelligent in the conventional
sense
> (i.e. intellectually impaired). His intelligence appears normal (= average
> at least) -- but it is the emotional sphere that is so dangerously
> underdeveloped in him.
> >
> > Notice that typically he does not encounter similar troubles when he
talks
> about what is really close to his proverbial heart (not that he possesses
a
> real one): power. All those swagger-filled threats, gestures of
> intimidation, and displays of bravado -- often in the most inappropriate
> contexts ("Shock and Awe," "Mission Accomplished," etc.) -- are further
> proof that we are dealing with intelligence in the service of primitive
> drives, combined with emotional hollowness. A.k.a. psychopathy.
> >
> > And while you're right that playing an armchair diagnostician is a task
of
> dubious value sometimes, in case of G.W. Bush the evidence to support the
> diagnosis of psychopathy (or sociopathy) is just overwhelming and in plain
> sight for anyone to see. So if the shoe fits ...
> >
> > E.L. Doctorow's essay sums up the core of Bush's psychopathic character
so
> well -- and so painfully for all of us who have retained humanity in our
> souls.
> >
> > The intelligence in the service of primitive instincts that Bush's
actions
> and words represent; the raw aggressive power, unmitigated by thought or
> higher feeling; and the surge of compensatory confidence it engenders, are
> what appeals to a great segment of this -- or any other -- society,
> especially to its powerless and emotionally underdeveloped members. They
> rally around their leader, seeing in him both a reflection of themselves
and
> a promise of a "victory" that would release their fears and frustrations,
> and avenge their sorry, hopeless fate. Of course what they do not realize
is
> that their leader couldn't care less about their fate. To him, his minions
> are an echo chamber for his words and cannon fodder for his missions.
> >
> > Tragically, as a nation, we will remain in the dark ages as long as we
> keep choosing psychopaths as our leaders and pretend this is a good thing.
> And no matter how hard we will try to convince ourselves that what we
yearn
> for are freedom and democracy for all (and whatever other ideals we choose
> to endorse by our words), our actions -- the choices we make, including
our
> choice of the leader -- will keep telling the rest of the world otherwise.
> As shameful as it is, the psychopathic Bush represents America to the
world.
> >
> > A BUZZFLASH READER CONTRIBUTION
> >
> >
> > Lyle K'ang, MBA/IM
> >
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > Mb-civic mailing list
> > Mb-civic@islandlists.com
> > http://www.islandlists.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/mb-civic
>
> _______________________________________________
> Mb-civic mailing list
> Mb-civic@islandlists.com
> http://www.islandlists.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/mb-civic
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Mb-civic mailing list
> Mb-civic@islandlists.com
> http://www.islandlists.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/mb-civic

From jefbek at mindspring.com  Wed Aug 17 22:46:57 2005
From: jefbek at mindspring.com (Jef Bek)
Date: Wed Aug 17 22:51:33 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] When you're pushed you either run away or you push back
Message-ID: <BF296EE1.E09%jefbek@mindspring.com>

Ian,

Ian, I'm glad you were with me that long. Whether you want to claim
Democrats started it or Republicans started it, the current climate of
political debate in this country involves name-calling. Cheeseburger is
correct, when you disagree with some righties they call you ?liberal left
wing tree hugging unpatriotic atheist pig fuckers?. When the Karl Rove?s
and Rush Limbaugh?s of this country want to lower the quality of the debate
they know that most lefties, in their mind, wont be able to stomach it. If
politics is the game and they want to play tackle and we want to play touch
we?re gonna get our asses kicked. So I DON?T take back my ?Bible-thumping
? comment because they have been the ?squeaky wheels? in this country
responsible for taking our attention away from important things like THE
LIES THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION CONCOCTED and on to wedge issues like God or
Darwin?, gay marriage, flag burning and prayer in school! I don?t think all
Christians are Bible thumpers. But when a Christian starts beating you over
the head with it, when we have a Christian President who claims God told him
to bomb Iraq and God wants him to spread peace throughout the middle east
and people continue to support this theocratic psycho then Bible thumper is
actually quite tame.

p.s. I have yet to come across an Atheist who supports Bush.



Jef:

I was with you until "bible-thumping morons."  What makes you think people
like this man are all necessarily believers - of ANY faith?  And even if
THIS man IS a "believer," what makes you think there are not plenty who
"think like him" but are atheists?  Or Jews?  Or any other faith?

This makes your "bible-thumper" comment a gratuitous and unnecessarily
insult to Christians.

Peace.

----- Original Message -----
From: "Jef Bek" <jefbek@mindspring.com>
To: "Civic List" <mb-civic@islandlists.com>
Sent: Wednesday, August 17, 2005 1:41 PM
Subject: [Mb-civic] The man who doesn't mind that his son was used in Iraq


>I was just watching MSNBC's connected. I like Ron Regan's views. They were
> interviewing a man who has lost his son in Iraq, but he was on as a
> rebuttal
> to Cindy Sheehan. He thinks his son died for a noble cause. I was so
> frustrated with his comments I wrote the following letter to MSNBC:
>
> Regarding the father who lost his son in Iraq: To me, he represents what
> is
> painfully wrong with America. When it comes to war, a lot of Americans
> have
> a sentimental, blind acceptance and a sort of glazed pride when it comes
> to
> killing foreigners. The key points of this mans comments ?Bush said that
> we
> will go after those who harbor terrorist? the fact is 15 of the 19 suicide
> hijackers on 9/11 were from Saudi Arabia the rest were from Egypt. None of
> them were from Iraq! Not ONE! Yet most Americans, like this man, have no
> problem with Bush holding hands with and mouth kissing Saudi Arabian
> leaders! Ron Regan asked this man, ?If it turns out that we went to Iraq
> on
> false pretences, would that bother you?? the mans response; ?No, we?re in
> a
> fight, it doesn?t matter why!? Can you imagine how dense this way of
> thinking is? If you see a man on the street pounding someone, you ask him
> why, he says ?he looks like some one who reminds me of someone who killed
> my
> friend 40 years ago. It doesn?t matter why I?m hitting him, I?m just
> hitting
> him, ok??  It would be easy to conclude that this guy is a lunatic. The
> sad
> thing to me is, America is heavily populated with morons like this who see
> war as a glorious United States tradition. The Bush administration saw
> this
> as a reliable marketing base and is playing right into it, to Hell with
> The
> Downing Street Memo (the facts were FIXED around the policy!), to Hell
> with
> the 9/11 commission findings (There is no credible evidence connecting
> Iraq
> to 9/11), they know that even given the facts about Bush?s corruption and
> murderous policies, the bible thumping morons of this country will
> acquiesce
> to what ever propaganda this administration wants to catapult at them.
>
> Thank you,
> Jef Bek
> Concerned global citizen


From maxfury at granderiver.net  Wed Aug 17 22:58:42 2005
From: maxfury at granderiver.net (Cheeseburger)
Date: Wed Aug 17 23:07:33 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Keep dreaming the ideal
Message-ID: <001201c5a3b9$e4892e80$4226b7d8@baby1>

Re:  Keep dreaming the ideal



*snip*

======
The age in which more and more people realize we are all connected by this
one universal mind that allows some people to recognize each other's
thoughts before they are
expressed, even know the thoughts of animals. This is the great mind that
allows some people to know other people's illnesses or problems whether or
not they've ever met, that allows some people to know what's going to happen
before it happens."
=======

*snip*



CheeseComment:


Ok, now, "the awaited day of institutions breaking down into glorious
non-institutions".

Ok, if office workers, number crunchers, university professors, strippers,
etc and other people don't mind walking 5 miles to the stream to bring back
buckets of water for dinner as one of their possible roles in the new
non-instutionalized world, for surely if the institutions (poorly run,
ludicrously deadly often, etc or not) break down, so will society, and its
little quirks such as running water, electricity, etc, will break down as
well.

While I personally will continue to wear what little hope I possess or
emanate on my brow or my sleeve and easily defeat all those who might scoff
at it etc, I would, at some point, like to see how for example America's
institutions are not only going to break down and all chaos ensue, but how
the non-instutions are going to ease in and take over in the aftermath of
Kali and her pals getting it on, thus leading almost effortlessly to the new
promised Utopia.

My MAIN question, however, remains:  In this "group mind" thing, if I
connect into it, are people going to know my mind etc when I am in the
shower...?  Or having sex...?  (p.s.:  I like the "healing" *aspects*
though)

If so, I will have to insist that although a "group mind" does sound
promising on certain levels, and surely quite possibly even useful in an
almost myriad amount of instances, I will simply hang on to my
Individuality, and Privacy (what's left of it), as the Group Mind goes
groping next door to my neighbors who are much more interesting than me to
begin with.

:|

Things *like* "A Group Mind" will continue to scare me, especially when
realizing that often those that might choose to participate in one, or be
dragged or duped into participating in one, the odds of pure logic dicate
that most likely they have a collective IQ of a nutshell compared to
whomever Created it in the first place.

Translation:  Not all of them are going to make it through The Experience in
one piece.

And even in a "Group Mind", just like this manmade Hell that has been
created here on this once free and beautiful planet, there is sure to be a
pecking order.

Oh well, regardless, please don't ogle my pecker in the shower on your
journeys.

I wouldn't want anyone to faint from overwhelmment in the middle of group
thought.


:|




Cheeseburger

.

From maxfury at granderiver.net  Thu Aug 18 00:15:44 2005
From: maxfury at granderiver.net (Cheeseburger)
Date: Thu Aug 18 00:24:34 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] A Texas Apology To Cindy Sheehan
Message-ID: <000b01c5a3c4$a70ea700$1a26b7d8@baby1>

A Texas Apology To Cindy Sheehan




Dear Cindy,



Sorry.

Sorry about the person who ran down the crosses there on that little dirt
road with all the names of the soldiers who have died in Iraq so far.

Sorry about the 150 people who marched "against Cindy Sheehan" etc.  Their
Pride in certain things continues to supercede their Logic and/or Common
Sense.  They remain, even in their ignorant or willful actions, the kind of
people who are depended upon each time our Government decides to go to War
on the basis of shoelace dust.

Sorry about the guy who drove by in a pickup truck with a big American flag
on it with "Texas Is Bush Country" on the side of the truck.

I have a pickup truck with a big American flag on it (mine is much bigger
than that asshole's), and there is nothing on the side of it.  If there
*was* something on the side of it, it wouldn't be a political slogan for
mass murderers, nor implicating my State of Texas in such horrors, nor would
I be smiling as I rode past with it.

You'll have to forgive (you forgive them, I still consider them cocksuckers)
some Texans for being up in arms against a mother who has lost her son in a
now well-documented illegal war.

Due to their collective IQ's, that is the greatest cause they could come up
with in Texas to "protest" and "be against".

A grieving mother who has lost her son in a war holding up a sign on a dirt
road.

Not *all* Texans are assholes, Cindy.

Please try to remember that when you go back to California and Texans forget
that you ever even existed.

Many of their memories are only as long as the ATM machine, the dinner
table, and a nice cold 12 pack of beer from the fridge.

Again, their "Pride" in "all things military" will continue to supercede
their even brief concern for grieving mothers holding up signs on dirt roads
or even the children they have lost in illegal and illegitimate wars.

They are trained monkeys.

Just like a huge portion of Americans have been thoroughly indoctrinated
from birth to have "Blind Obedience To All Things Authoritarian".

Their respect for "political parties", "political agendas", "all things
authoritarian", or "all things military" will continue to supercede their
humanity, their logic, and their common sense, regardless if you are
standing on the side of a dirt road holding up a sign and grieving your son
or not.

They will always consider themselves as being "Right", in all matters, in
all instances.

And people like me, you, and your son, will remain "The Enemy" to them for
as long as they live.

I again apologize for such a concentration of them in Texas, but Texas has
been a breeding ground for such things since it Statehood in the mid 1800's.

Their main concern is money, power, duty, and military might.

Dead sons and grieving mothers simply do not enter into their picture.

I again apologize for some of those in my State giving you a hard time,
including the shitheels down the road in Crawford.

As you are never going to receive any apologies, nor even just mild
Understanding from any of the Right Wing in America or the Right Wing Media,
one can only hope you receive more apologies from people in other States.

Although we are becoming sparser and sparser, there are still some Real
people left in Texas who do not owe their allegiance to blind faith in mass
murderers nor their Systems.

Those of us Texans who are thusly, extend our warmest welcome to you in your
time of mourning and protest against those who have caused it.

You're always welcome on our front porches, and on our dirt roads, signs and
all.




Best wishes,

Cheeseburger

.

From swiggard at comcast.net  Thu Aug 18 04:24:48 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (William Swiggard)
Date: Thu Aug 18 04:30:31 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Roberts Battle Adds to Democrats' Divide - Washington
	Post
Message-ID: <43047000.4090706@comcast.net>

Roberts Battle Adds to Democrats' Divide

By Dan Balz
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, August 18, 2005; Page A04

The public tug of war among Democrats this week over the Supreme Court 
nomination of Judge John G. Roberts Jr. underscores the conflicting 
pressures facing Democratic leaders as they try to satisfy a growing 
cadre of activists anxious to battle President Bush while avoiding the 
appearance of being captives of their most vocal constituencies.

The debate over what to do about Roberts is the latest in a series of 
disagreements over the past three years pitting the party's 
Washington-based leaders against traditional liberal advocacy groups or 
the newer world of grass-roots activists stitched together through 
e-mail and Web logs.

The disputes reflect the frustration and uncertainty of a party that has 
been routed from power in all three branches of government during the 
Bush years. There have been disagreements over policy, with widespread 
anger among activists at Democrats who backed Bush's tax cuts and voted 
for the war in Iraq.

There are also abiding tensions over what political strategy might be 
most effective in carrying the party back to power. Some elected 
officials, according to critics, have been slow to appreciate how the 
power balance in the Democratic coalition has shifted -- away from 
established interests and toward citizen activists who tend toward a 
more aggressive brand of politics.

Party leaders in Washington trying to manage this unruly alliance as 
they prepare for Roberts's confirmation hearings face a delicate choice, 
according to party strategists and other analysts. They can risk heading 
into the 2006 midterm elections with a demoralized base. Or they could 
potentially turn off swing voters, who may view Bush's nominee in less 
ideological terms and could recoil at a party they perceive as driven by 
die-hard activists.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/17/AR2005081701937.html

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From swiggard at comcast.net  Thu Aug 18 04:27:21 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (William Swiggard)
Date: Thu Aug 18 04:33:03 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Race Gap Persists In Health Care,
 Three Studies Say - Washington Post
Message-ID: <43047099.1090000@comcast.net>

<>Race Gap Persists In Health Care, Three Studies Say
Blacks Get Fewer Tests, Less Therapy and Medicine

By Rob Stein
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, August 18, 2005; Page A01

Black Americans still get far fewer operations, tests, medications and 
other life-saving treatments than whites, despite years of efforts to 
erase racial disparities in health care and help African Americans live 
equally long and healthy lives, according to three major studies being 
published today.

Blacks' health care has started to catch up to whites' in some ways, but 
blacks remain much less likely to undergo heart bypasses, appendectomies 
and other common procedures. They receive fewer mammograms and basic 
tests and drugs for heart disease and diabetes, and they have fallen 
even further behind whites in controlling those two major killers, 
according to the first attempts to measure the last decade's efforts to 
improve equality of care.

Together, the research paints a discouraging picture of the nation's 
progress in closing the gap for one of the fundamental factors that 
affect well-being -- health care -- during a period when blacks have 
made progress in areas such as income and education.

"We have known for 20 years that we have a problem in our health care 
system: that blacks and whites do not receive equal care. We had hoped 
all the attention paid to this topic would result in some improvement. 
What we found is we have not made much progress," said Ashish K. Jha of 
the Harvard School of Public Health, who led one of the studies 
published in the New England Journal of Medicine. "This should be a call 
to action to make the changes needed to make sure people get equal care."

Despite the sobering findings, experts said they were encouraged that 
some care did improve for blacks when the government put pressure on 
health plans and doctors by requiring them to report whether they were 
meeting certain minimum standards.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/17/AR2005081701437.html

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From swiggard at comcast.net  Thu Aug 18 04:29:35 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (William Swiggard)
Date: Thu Aug 18 04:35:17 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] When the War Won't Stay at Bay - Peter Beinart -
	Washington Post
Message-ID: <4304711F.9060704@comcast.net>

<>When the War Won't Stay at Bay
With Bush and the public insulated from Iraq, Cindy Sheehan has moral 
authority.

By Peter Beinart
Thursday, August 18, 2005; Page A21

Why has Cindy Sheehan -- the bereaved mother camped outside President 
Bush's Crawford ranch -- transfixed the nation?

Partly because she captures something profound about the war in Iraq. 
Vietnam was a mass-participation war: Nearly 3 million Americans fought; 
more than 58,000 died. And it provoked a mass antiwar movement: Year 
after year in the late 1960s, hundreds of thousands of Americans 
traveled to Washington to protest. The assumption was that everyone 
would serve. It was that assumption, and the fear it created, that drew 
so many demonstrators into the streets. And it was the betrayal of that 
assumption -- as children of the elite evaded service -- that ripped 
America apart.

In Iraq, by contrast, the government never assumed mass participation. 
In this era of the professional military, the war has affected many 
fewer people. And it is exposing cultural fissures not because Americans 
were asked to serve and refused, but because this time few Americans 
were even asked.

So a surrogate war has produced a surrogate antiwar movement. This time, 
mass protests would only cloud the issue. As the parent of a dead 
soldier, Sheehan has so much moral authority precisely because so few 
Americans (including so few of us who supported the war) risk sharing 
her plight.

But if Sheehan's vigil says something important about Iraq, it also says 
something important about President Bush. Sheehan, after all, has only 
one demand: She wants to confront the president face to face. The demand 
is so provocative because one of George W. Bush's defining qualities is 
his aversion to exactly this sort of challenge. Former administration 
officials portray a president carefully shielded from unpleasant or 
dissonant information. According to former Environmental Protection 
Agency administrator Christine Todd Whitman, "There is a palace guard, 
and they want to run interference for him." Former Treasury secretary 
Paul O'Neill described Bush as "caught in an echo chamber of his own 
making, cut off from everyone other than a circle around him that's tiny 
and getting smaller and in concert on everything."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/17/AR2005081701847.html

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From swiggard at comcast.net  Thu Aug 18 04:31:37 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (William Swiggard)
Date: Thu Aug 18 04:37:19 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Politics as Theater - Jim Hoagland - Washington Post
Message-ID: <43047199.4080306@comcast.net>

Politics as Theater

By Jim Hoagland
Thursday, August 18, 2005; Page A21

As metaphor, Cindy Sheehan's peaceful siege of George W. Bush's Texas 
ranch is pitch perfect. Like Iraq, the ranch was easy to go into. But 
the president pays a price either for staying or exiting while Sheehan 
and television cameras perch on the road outside.

Once at the ranch, Bush can hide, but he can't run.

Unfortunately, Sheehan's personal tragedy is degenerating into farce or 
worse. She has become a celebrity whose divorce proceedings hit the 
wires this week to reverberate in the great national echo chamber. That 
"news" was quickly topped by a barbarian driving a pickup truck through 
a makeshift memorial of white crosses honoring fallen soldiers in Iraq.

Sheehan may have anticipated that her family's quarrels over the meaning 
of her son's death in Iraq, her angry statements blaming Israel for 
pushing the United States into Iraq and her vituperative Web postings 
would become grist for the celebrity mills. If she didn't, we should 
feel her pain even more.

But her vigil risks becoming political theater disconnected from its 
larger purpose. This is an increasingly unsettling phenomenon in the 
Internet age, as political parties, lobby groups, the media and other 
institutions concentrate on spin more often than substance in politics.

Sheehan says she wants to see the president again to demand answers -- 
answers that she says he did not provide in their previous meeting and 
that she suggests, in advance, that she knows he does not have.

On that she is right: If Bush had answers on Iraq, he would shower her 
with them. The insufficient or partial statements he would make at this 
point would certainly not satisfy a woman who has already said that Bush 
is "spewing . . . lying filth" about Iraq to cover up a strategy of 
personal enrichment.

It is not so disturbing that the national political discourse has become 
detached from civility. That has been true, and not fatal, at other 
periods in American history. Moreover, this case involves a grieving mom 
who is entitled to vent, to petition her president publicly for redress 
or both.

<>What is disturbing is that the national political discourse is 
increasingly detached from reality. The emotionalism and character 
assassination practiced by both sides -- the clamor in the echo chamber 
around Sheehan is only one example -- is mistaken for "politics."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/17/AR2005081701843.html?nav=hcmodule 

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From swiggard at comcast.net  Thu Aug 18 04:33:46 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (William Swiggard)
Date: Thu Aug 18 04:39:28 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Criminalizing Speech - Richard Cohen - Washington Post
Message-ID: <4304721A.7090504@comcast.net>

Criminalizing Speech

By Richard Cohen
Thursday, August 18, 2005; Page A21

NEW YORK -- New York is a blue state. New York City is a very blue city, 
the unofficial capital of liberalism, civil liberties and civil rights. 
So it may surprise you to learn that in New York a person can be 
prosecuted for a political crime. That is happening right now in two 
different cases. They both involve attacks on black men by -- how shall 
we say this? -- non-black men. The suspects are charged with hate crimes.

One of the suspects is named Nicolas Morse. He is reportedly a one-man 
melting pot -- half-Chinese, half-white with a sister who's half-black. 
A neighbor tells the press, "He's not racist." Maybe not. But because 
Morse was allegedly one of a group of men who set upon a black man with 
baseball bats and iron pipes while uttering racial epithets, he and the 
others have been charged with a hate crime. That means he can spend even 
more time in jail than if he merely used sticks and stones to beat 
someone and failed to call him a name, as we used to say. In 45 states 
and Washington, D.C., the "name" is now a crime.

I hold no brief for Morse, if he is guilty. But as with a previous hate 
crime incident in June, the police hurried to apply the designation 
before all the facts were in. Suffice it to say that in both cases, what 
seemed a simple bias attack may have been more complicated -- by 
previous run-ins, for instance. No matter. The police chief, Ray Kelly, 
stuck to his guns. "We know that racial epithets were used," he said 
after Morse was arrested.

Kelly's remark was, to say the least, politically astute. There is a 
mayoral election coming up, and everyone in this town recognizes the 
political influence of the Rev. Al Sharpton. He has emerged as a power 
broker, so much so that in this week's mayoral debate, all the 
Democratic candidates said they would seek his endorsement. It was 
Sharpton who, in 1986, led a protest march through the Howard Beach 
section of Queens after three black men were attacked there -- and one 
of them was killed after running into traffic. No one wanted a repeat of 
that -- not the ugliness of the reception the march received, not the 
heightening of racial tension that followed. Hate crimes were charged 
all around.

I do not find it hard to believe that the accused in both cases may be 
first-class bigots. I just find it beside the point. Beating someone 
with baseball bats and iron pipes has long been against the law. Assault 
is a crime. Battery is a crime. Murder in all its gradations is a crime. 
What does it matter what words are spoken in the course of the crime? Is 
the injury to the victim greater?

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/17/AR2005081701845.html?nav=hcmodule

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From swiggard at comcast.net  Thu Aug 18 04:35:46 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (William Swiggard)
Date: Thu Aug 18 04:41:31 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Vigils across state,
 nation back mother of dead soldier - The Boston Globe
Message-ID: <43047292.6090806@comcast.net>

<>Vigils across state, nation back mother of dead soldier
Thousands support woman at Bush ranch

By Ralph Ranalli, Globe Staff  |  August 18, 2005

With twilight and candlelight playing across solemn faces, thousands of 
antiwar protesters gathered at more than 50 vigils at sites from 
Northampton to Quincy last night, in solidarity with a mother of four 
from California who has camped outside President Bush's ranch in Texas 
for 10 days and who vows to remain until he explains why her soldier son 
had to die.

The number of hastily organized protests across the state and the 
country -- more than 50,000 registered for 1,627 vigils across the 
United States, the political action group Moveon.org said on its website 
-- showed a new depth of feeling against the war that has coalesced 
around Cindy Sheehan and her protest in Crawford, Texas, organizers said.

In Cambridge alone, five separate vigils were scheduled for last night. 
In some cases, the gatherings were intimate, no more than extended 
groups of friends gathering outside an apartment, but many were large 
and were held in public spaces.

In Somerville, about 250 people attended a gathering called ''Davis 
Square Supports Cindy Sheehan," the 48-year-old mother of Army 
Specialist Casey Sheehan, who died last year in Sadr City, Iraq. Many 
held candles, and one protester held a sign that read: ''Honk if the War 
Makes You Sick."

At least 10 passing motorists honked their horns, but one man leaned out 
of his car window and yelled, ''The terrorists are going to get you next!"

Protesters said the rapid and enthusiastic response to the call for 
vigils this week indicated that Sheehan's protest at Bush's ranch has 
struck a chord with opponents of the Iraq war.

''I think she has really inspired people with the idea that one person 
can make a difference," said Rose Gonzalez, 30, of Somerville, who 
attended the Davis Square protest with her 2-month-old son, Marcos, in a 
baby sling across her chest and her 2-year-old daughter, Talia, alongside.

''People think, 'Wow, it is OK to speak up about this,' " she said.

http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2005/08/18/vigils_across_state_nation_back_mother_of_dead_soldier/

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From swiggard at comcast.net  Thu Aug 18 04:37:56 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (William Swiggard)
Date: Thu Aug 18 04:43:37 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] The real Muslim moderates - Jeff Jacoby - The Boston
	Globe
Message-ID: <43047314.9050403@comcast.net>

<>The real Muslim moderates
By Jeff Jacoby, Globe Columnist  |  August 18, 2005

Last of two parts
FOR YEARS, Muslims have been criticized for their seeming complacency 
about Islamic terrorism. Time and again, Islamist radicals have 
committed some savagery, and time and again non-Muslims have wondered 
why there was no outcry of condemnation from the Islamic world. Let a 
fictional TV show depict Muslims unflatteringly, and Muslim spokesmen 
thunder in outrage. Where is that outrage when real atrocities are being 
carried out by killers professing Islam?

Good news: Since 9/11 a growing number of Muslim moderates have been 
speaking out. They have denounced the jihadis' ideology as a perversion 
of Islam and a disgrace to Muslims everywhere. More important, they have 
emphasized that decent Muslims have an obligation to enlist in the war 
on terror -- not merely to denounce the fanatics from afar, but to 
delegitimize and defeat them at home.

As Anouar Boukhars, a Moroccan graduate student at Old Dominion 
University, has written, this war is ultimately ''not a clash between 
Islam and the West. The real battle is taking place within a Muslim 
civilization in severe internal crisis, and the stakes of that battle 
are high indeed."

Another moderate is Zuhdi Jasser, a doctor and US Navy veteran who 
launched the American Islamic Forum for Democracy in 2003. The forum's 
stated purpose: ''to take back the faith of Islam from the demagoguery 
of the Islamo-fascists." Writing after the London bombings last month, 
Jasser argued forcefully that it is not enough for well-meaning Muslims 
to issue ''empty condemnations" of the extremists.


http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2005/08/18/the_real_muslim_moderates/

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From hecate at diamonddragon.com  Thu Aug 18 04:49:28 2005
From: hecate at diamonddragon.com (Hecate)
Date: Thu Aug 18 04:53:06 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] BBC E-mail: China-Russia war games under way
Message-ID: <20050818_114928_070069.hecate@diamonddragon.com>

Hecate saw this story on BBC News Online and thought you
should see it.

** Message **
Analysts say the two sides are signalling they are prepared to counter US dominance in international affairs. 



** China-Russia war games under way **
Russian and Chinese armed forces have begun their first joint exercises, involving some 10,000 personnel.
< http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/fr/-/2/hi/asia-pacific/4162054.stm >


** BBC Daily E-mail **
Choose the news and sport headlines you want - when you want them, all
in one daily e-mail
< http://www.bbc.co.uk/dailyemail/ >


** Disclaimer **
The BBC is not responsible for the content of this e-mail, and anything written in this e-mail does not necessarily reflect the BBC's views or opinions. Please note that neither the e-mail address nor name of the sender have?been verified.

If you do not wish to receive such e-mails in the future or want to know more about the BBC's Email a Friend service, please read our frequently asked questions. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/help/4162471.stm

From hotprojects at nyc.rr.com  Thu Aug 18 05:12:33 2005
From: hotprojects at nyc.rr.com (richard haase)
Date: Thu Aug 18 05:16:10 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] When you're pushed you either run away or you push back
References: <BF296EE1.E09%jefbek@mindspring.com>
Message-ID: <00eb01c5a3ee$1d6995d0$6e436c42@hotprojects>

very true jeff
on the other hand ian loses his rush limbaugness
when you meet him and he looks exactly like woody allen
( eg ian is the most jewish christian you ever saw in your life; i think im
the runner up )
you know i love you ian and this is all in good fun?
( before i am declared the anti christ and the people come with torches )
i love everyone and its a joke
okay???????
( i am like ian a jew and a christian; in my case both by blood and belief )
peace everybody
i must go back to writing rock operas
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Jef Bek" <jefbek@mindspring.com>
To: "Civic List" <mb-civic@islandlists.com>
Sent: Thursday, August 18, 2005 1:46 AM
Subject: [Mb-civic] When you're pushed you either run away or you push back


> Ian,
>
> Ian, I'm glad you were with me that long. Whether you want to claim
> Democrats started it or Republicans started it, the current climate of
> political debate in this country involves name-calling. Cheeseburger is
> correct, when you disagree with some righties they call you ?liberal left
> wing tree hugging unpatriotic atheist pig fuckers?. When the Karl Rove?s
> and Rush Limbaugh?s of this country want to lower the quality of the
debate
> they know that most lefties, in their mind, wont be able to stomach it. If
> politics is the game and they want to play tackle and we want to play
touch
> we?re gonna get our asses kicked. So I DON?T take back my
?Bible-thumping
> ? comment because they have been the ?squeaky wheels? in this country
> responsible for taking our attention away from important things like THE
> LIES THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION CONCOCTED and on to wedge issues like God or
> Darwin?, gay marriage, flag burning and prayer in school! I don?t think
all
> Christians are Bible thumpers. But when a Christian starts beating you
over
> the head with it, when we have a Christian President who claims God told
him
> to bomb Iraq and God wants him to spread peace throughout the middle east
> and people continue to support this theocratic psycho then Bible thumper
is
> actually quite tame.
>
> p.s. I have yet to come across an Atheist who supports Bush.
>
>
>
> Jef:
>
> I was with you until "bible-thumping morons."  What makes you think people
> like this man are all necessarily believers - of ANY faith?  And even if
> THIS man IS a "believer," what makes you think there are not plenty who
> "think like him" but are atheists?  Or Jews?  Or any other faith?
>
> This makes your "bible-thumper" comment a gratuitous and unnecessarily
> insult to Christians.
>
> Peace.
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Jef Bek" <jefbek@mindspring.com>
> To: "Civic List" <mb-civic@islandlists.com>
> Sent: Wednesday, August 17, 2005 1:41 PM
> Subject: [Mb-civic] The man who doesn't mind that his son was used in Iraq
>
>
> >I was just watching MSNBC's connected. I like Ron Regan's views. They
were
> > interviewing a man who has lost his son in Iraq, but he was on as a
> > rebuttal
> > to Cindy Sheehan. He thinks his son died for a noble cause. I was so
> > frustrated with his comments I wrote the following letter to MSNBC:
> >
> > Regarding the father who lost his son in Iraq: To me, he represents what
> > is
> > painfully wrong with America. When it comes to war, a lot of Americans
> > have
> > a sentimental, blind acceptance and a sort of glazed pride when it comes
> > to
> > killing foreigners. The key points of this mans comments ?Bush said
that
> > we
> > will go after those who harbor terrorist? the fact is 15 of the 19
suicide
> > hijackers on 9/11 were from Saudi Arabia the rest were from Egypt. None
of
> > them were from Iraq! Not ONE! Yet most Americans, like this man, have no
> > problem with Bush holding hands with and mouth kissing Saudi Arabian
> > leaders! Ron Regan asked this man, ?If it turns out that we went to
Iraq
> > on
> > false pretences, would that bother you?? the mans response; ?No,
we?re in
> > a
> > fight, it doesn?t matter why!? Can you imagine how dense this way of
> > thinking is? If you see a man on the street pounding someone, you ask
him
> > why, he says ?he looks like some one who reminds me of someone who
killed
> > my
> > friend 40 years ago. It doesn?t matter why I?m hitting him, I?m just
> > hitting
> > him, ok??  It would be easy to conclude that this guy is a lunatic. The
> > sad
> > thing to me is, America is heavily populated with morons like this who
see
> > war as a glorious United States tradition. The Bush administration saw
> > this
> > as a reliable marketing base and is playing right into it, to Hell with
> > The
> > Downing Street Memo (the facts were FIXED around the policy!), to Hell
> > with
> > the 9/11 commission findings (There is no credible evidence connecting
> > Iraq
> > to 9/11), they know that even given the facts about Bush?s corruption
and
> > murderous policies, the bible thumping morons of this country will
> > acquiesce
> > to what ever propaganda this administration wants to catapult at them.
> >
> > Thank you,
> > Jef Bek
> > Concerned global citizen
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Mb-civic mailing list
> Mb-civic@islandlists.com
> http://www.islandlists.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/mb-civic

From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Thu Aug 18 07:56:01 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (mblaxill@yahoo.com)
Date: Thu Aug 18 07:59:41 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Headlines for August 18, 2005
Message-ID: <20050818145601.19224.qmail@trinity.democracynow.org>

Mike Blaxill  ( mblaxill@yahoo.com )
sent you this story from democracynow.org



+--------------------------------------------------------------------+
|  Headlines for August 18, 2005
|  http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=05/08/18/1331246
+--------------------------------------------------------------------+


- More Than 1,500 Antiwar Vigils Held Across the US
- Gaza Withdrawal Continues
- Bangladesh Hunts for Bombers
- Roberts Docs Missing from Archives
- Ohio Governor Faces Criminal Charges
- Pope's Lawyers Ask Bush for Immunity in Molestation Case
- Studies: Blacks Have Less Access to Health Care Than Whites
- Court Hears Details of Killing of Afghan Prisoner by US Soldier
This story continues at: 
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=05/08/18/1331246

From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Thu Aug 18 08:04:12 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (mblaxill@yahoo.com)
Date: Thu Aug 18 08:07:46 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] NYTimes.com: Israeli Soldiers Move Into 2 Synagogues to
	Evacuate Settlers
Message-ID: <20050818150412.BDD9A11F99C@lax-gw07.mroute.net>

This page was sent to you by: mblaxill@yahoo.com.

INTERNATIONAL / MIDDLE EAST | August 18, 2005
Israeli Soldiers Move Into 2 Synagogues to Evacuate Settlers
By STEVEN ERLANGER br / and DINA KRAFT
After being given a 10-minute warning, boys were pulled out one by one, chanting, "Jews do not expel Jews!"
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/18/international/middleeast/18cnd-gaza.html?ex=1125028800&en=9132fe16795fbee9&ei=5070&emc=eta1



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From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Thu Aug 18 08:05:50 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (mblaxill@yahoo.com)
Date: Thu Aug 18 08:09:29 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] NYTimes.com: Archives Investigates Loss of Roberts File
Message-ID: <20050818150550.9464523721C@lax-gw01.mroute.net>

This page was sent to you by: mblaxill@yahoo.com.

WASHINGTON | August 18, 2005
Archives Investigates Loss of Roberts File
By THE NEW YORK TIMES
The National Archives started a formal investigation into the loss of a file of Judge John G. Roberts Jr.'s papers on affirmative action.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/18/politics/18roberts.html?ex=1125028800&en=6e286cee9a8abf8e&ei=5070&emc=eta1



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one Best Picture.  What did the original New York
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From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Thu Aug 18 08:06:19 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (mblaxill@yahoo.com)
Date: Thu Aug 18 08:09:55 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] NYTimes.com: Bad Iraq News Worries Some in G.O.P. on '06
Message-ID: <20050818150619.6355A3AE596@lax-gw06.mroute.net>

This page was sent to you by: mblaxill@yahoo.com.

WASHINGTON | August 18, 2005
Bad Iraq News Worries Some in G.O.P. on '06
By ADAM NAGOURNEY and DAVID D. KIRKPATRICK
Some Republicans said the perception that the war in Iraq was faltering was providing a rallying point for dispirited Democrats.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/18/politics/18repubs.html?ex=1125028800&en=ce4fd56c0103c92c&ei=5070&emc=eta1



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one Best Picture.  What did the original New York
Times movie reviews have to say about these Oscar
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From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Thu Aug 18 08:07:18 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (mblaxill@yahoo.com)
Date: Thu Aug 18 08:10:50 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] NYTimes.com: 9/11 Panel's Leader Requests Quick
	Assessment of Officers
Message-ID: <20050818150718.9195C24AF04@lax-gw02.mroute.net>

This page was sent to you by: mblaxill@yahoo.com.

WASHINGTON | August 18, 2005
9/11 Panel's Leader Requests Quick Assessment of Officers
By PHILIP SHENON
Military officers have said that a highly classified intelligence program managed to identify the Sept. 11 ringleader more than a year before the 2001 attacks.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/18/politics/18intel.html?ex=1125028800&en=e28bc8e59f14a85a&ei=5070&emc=eta1



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one Best Picture.  What did the original New York
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From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Thu Aug 18 08:09:37 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (mblaxill@yahoo.com)
Date: Thu Aug 18 08:13:10 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] NYTimes.com: Reports of Police Inquiry Into Subway
	Killing Stir Outrage in Britain
Message-ID: <20050818150937.B11D483D1B@lax-gw03.mroute.net>

This page was sent to you by: mblaxill@yahoo.com.

INTERNATIONAL / EUROPE | August 18, 2005
Reports of Police Inquiry Into Subway Killing Stir Outrage in Britain
By GRAHAM BOWLEY
The British press, lawyers and campaigners reacted with outrage over an investigation that contradicted police accounts of the death of a suicide bomber suspect.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/18/international/europe/18britain.html?ex=1125028800&en=2e3aae755f060317&ei=5070&emc=eta1



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From harperalexander at mail.com  Thu Aug 18 08:42:48 2005
From: harperalexander at mail.com (Alexander Harper)
Date: Thu Aug 18 08:46:22 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Exam Passing
Message-ID: <20050818154248.7916A16415C@ws1-4.us4.outblaze.com>

This article appears in todays Daily Telegraph apropos of the current furore in the UK over the dumbing down of our A levels (the school leaving/university entrance exams). The politicians want better results every year to justify the money that is being thrown at education and just about every independent education specialist in the UK now agrees that the A levels have become irredeemably devalued. Read on..
AlBaraka
 
It's a miracle the young pass any exams 
By Andrew O'Hagan
(Filed: 18/08/2005)

Britain has always loved a moron. We loved Norman Wisdom before he was fashionable, we loved Benny Hill long after he was acceptable, and we made a hero of Eddie the Eagle when other nations were busy collecting medals. I think there might be some charming appreciation of failure lurking beneath the common veneer of national ambition, and yet, whatever the reasons for it, in this country we are comforted by idiocy to the exact same degree that we are almost repulsed by intellectuals.

  
 
Perhaps that's why this year's school exam results - arriving in brown envelopes up and down the country today - will create a fuss only if they show an improvement in the tendency towards success.

There can't be many countries on the planet where moronic behaviour is so rewarded, or where morons have occasion to have such pride in what they don't know. 

In the past week alone, the nation's youth voted a certain Anthony Hutton, a "1970s dancer" from Newcastle (maybe his brown envelope got lost in the post), as not only the most admirable person on Channel 4's Big Brother, but also as this year's overall winner. 

I watched Hutton in action: if he knows his three-times table, he's keeping it well hidden, but that didn't stop people from falling over themselves to declare him the latest national hero and the best British thing since bottled beer.

Meanwhile, Victoria Beckham, whom many of us might have considered the last bastion of penetrating female wit and original thinking, announced, with a very great and proud sense of herself, that she had never read a book in her life. The nation applauded. 

Never having read a book in your life - especially when you are alleged to have written one - might cause most people to combust with shame. Mrs Beckham showed no such embarrassment, which, if nothing else, might demonstrate that, for all her well developed know-nothingness, she knows that the British public nowadays saves a special place in its heart for the shameless and the super-dim.

With these gargoyles fixed around the turrets of national achievement, it is a miracle that young people have an interest in passing anything.

It would be more in keeping if the majority of pupils had spent the spring avoiding maths and physics and limbering up to appear on the new series of The X Factor, the talent show screening again from Saturday, in which the gullible and the desperate get to engage in a modern form of gladiatorial combat for the edification of the British public.

In this context, the fact that so many young people seem to have passed their exams, and passed so well, is a cause for hope as much as celebration.

In respect of achievement, there's a strange alliance in Britain now between the working and the middle class: the former saying they can't be bothered and the latter saying, "Why bother?" 

The alliance, where it existed in the past, used to work the opposite way: each of those classes distinctly believing in the value of effort for its own sake, and seeking to do well so far as they could through the business of facing down difficulties. Different difficulties, mind you, and different priorities. 

But that was how it was in a workaday Britain generally addicted to merit, rather than one increasingly enslaved to notions of entitlement. In the deepest part of themselves, all classes now are devoted to leisure, as if proper and difficult occupation has become one of the enemies of modern selfhood. "The secret of being miserable," wrote George Bernard Shaw, "is to have leisure to bother whether you are happy or not."

Difficulty has become a problem. Nobody much likes difficulty any more and nobody believes in it. Difficult history and difficult philosophy? Gone, so far as the common reader goes. The difficulties of religion? Gone, to be replaced by a happy-clappy brigade of people motivated by "personal growth" and self-healing. 

We live in a society where everything has to be watered down in order to be made palatable for those who dread, more than anything, the deplorable, old-fashioned tasks of having to wait or having to think.

Instant gratification is the poisoning of endeavour, and we live in a society that is either in thrall to the sparkle of know-nothing success - the Beckham creed - or is titillated by the deadpan amiability of failure. When young people consistently believe in those things, above all else, the world goes crooked beneath their feet, and it means we have failed to engage them with a system of values that highlights the forward-thinking and rewards perseverance.

When I was at school, there was always a healthy disrespect for the respectable, an honest instinct to get away with murder, but in the long run no one with ability doubted where the exit was. And those without ability did not, in those days, pretend to themselves that the world was built for their greater ease.

Maybe that's the difference: I didn't grow up and go to school in a Britain that placed such a high virtue on personal fantasy, and any young person now who avoids that very thing has done incredibly well.

I have a feeling that people who say the exams have become too easy are really announcing that they have no faith in difficulty itself. Effort has become sullied at the same time as luck has become glorified: a lottery mentality is threatening to oust the dignity of application and denounce the value of decent effort and the rewards that might result from it. 

Yet the young people smiling as they open their envelopes today have earned their smiles, and only the new-style cynicism can seek to deny them their moment. 

These exam-passers have resisted the temper of the times more effectively than the people who would seek to shout them down.
 
 


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From eyster at verizon.net  Wed Aug 17 21:19:19 2005
From: eyster at verizon.net (Bruce Eyster)
Date: Thu Aug 18 08:49:19 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Re: Re: [Mb-hair] God said it. - WHEN? - I believe it.
	DO I? That settlesit - WH
Message-ID: <E1E5maP-0007E3-2D@smtpauth05.mail.atl.earthlink.net>

Dear Jonathon:
  No fire and brimstine here. I pretty much agree . The Bibles and philosphies 
are all like arrows pointing to a destination . Unfortunately people tend to 
grab the arrows and miss the target . 
  Religion's are a little like sitting in a resturant , reading a menu and 
never getting the food . It's second hand information , gossip really , based 
on someone's experience that met someone who changed their lives . 
  The basic idea is to look for the ( fill in the blank ) within inside . 
Everyone knows this and yet ........ we trade in our own experience for a 
bunch of dead words . 
   Maybe everything IS perfect and running on schedule , perhaps it's our 
little , human scope that just ain't big enough to see it . The mind will 
never be able to grasp the infinate but fortunately we have a heart that CAN 
experience it . 

                        Love and Blessings - Bruce  
   



>From: Jonathon Johnson <goodhairdays@yahoo.com>
>Date: Wed Aug 17 19:07:53 CDT 2005
>To: mb-hair@islandlists.com
>Subject: Re: [Mb-hair] God said it. - WHEN? - I believe it. DO I? That	
settlesit - WHAT?

>Thanks Richard. Too many people confuse the Divine with what man has made. 
All organized religions, for better or for worse,&nbsp;are creations of man. 
Nothing man creates is perfect or ever will be.&nbsp;Man can only strive for 
perfection while&nbsp;God is perfect and gives free will for man to choose 
what to believe. Even though the Bible, Torah, Koran and other religious books 
have much good to offer, although inspired by God,&nbsp;their words are not 
God's words, they are man's. Now, having shared my thoughts on this subject, I 
will calmly wait for any fire and brimstone to follow ;).&nbsp;Peace and 
Blessings ~ Jonathon
>
>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Good HAIR 
Days: A Personal Journey with the American Tribal Love-Rock Musical HAIR, by 
Jonathon Johnson. For more information on the book and how to order it, visit 
www.goodhairdays.net. 
>__________________________________________________
>Do You Yahoo!?
>Tired of spam?  Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around 
>http://mail.yahoo.com 
>
>_______________________________________________
>Mb-hair mailing list
>Mb-hair@islandlists.com
>http://www.islandlists.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/mb-hair

_______________________________________________
Mb-hair mailing list
Mb-hair@islandlists.com
http://www.islandlists.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/mb-hair
From hotprojects at nyc.rr.com  Wed Aug 17 21:42:01 2005
From: hotprojects at nyc.rr.com (richard haase)
Date: Thu Aug 18 08:50:01 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Re: Re: [Mb-hair] God said it. - WHEN? - I believe it.
	DO I? Thatsettlesit - WH
References: <4597603.1124338759212.JavaMail.root@vms076.mailsrvcs.net>
Message-ID: <E1E5mb2-0007jO-CN@smtpauth05.mail.atl.earthlink.net>

also remember the bible like freud
is not nearly so simple or inaccurate as those who
interpret it
in my opinion
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Bruce Eyster" <eyster@verizon.net>
To: <mb-hair@islandlists.com>
Sent: Thursday, August 18, 2005 12:19 AM
Subject: Re: Re: [Mb-hair] God said it. - WHEN? - I believe it. DO I?
Thatsettlesit - WH


> Dear Jonathon:
>   No fire and brimstine here. I pretty much agree . The Bibles and
philosphies
> are all like arrows pointing to a destination . Unfortunately people tend
to
> grab the arrows and miss the target .
>   Religion's are a little like sitting in a resturant , reading a menu and
> never getting the food . It's second hand information , gossip really ,
based
> on someone's experience that met someone who changed their lives .
>   The basic idea is to look for the ( fill in the blank ) within inside .
> Everyone knows this and yet ........ we trade in our own experience for a
> bunch of dead words .
>    Maybe everything IS perfect and running on schedule , perhaps it's our
> little , human scope that just ain't big enough to see it . The mind will
> never be able to grasp the infinate but fortunately we have a heart that
CAN
> experience it .
>
>                         Love and Blessings - Bruce
>
>
>
>
> >From: Jonathon Johnson <goodhairdays@yahoo.com>
> >Date: Wed Aug 17 19:07:53 CDT 2005
> >To: mb-hair@islandlists.com
> >Subject: Re: [Mb-hair] God said it. - WHEN? - I believe it. DO I? That
> settlesit - WHAT?
>
> >Thanks Richard. Too many people confuse the Divine with what man has
made.
> All organized religions, for better or for worse,&nbsp;are creations of
man.
> Nothing man creates is perfect or ever will be.&nbsp;Man can only strive
for
> perfection while&nbsp;God is perfect and gives free will for man to choose
> what to believe. Even though the Bible, Torah, Koran and other religious
books
> have much good to offer, although inspired by God,&nbsp;their words are
not
> God's words, they are man's. Now, having shared my thoughts on this
subject, I
> will calmly wait for any fire and brimstone to follow ;).&nbsp;Peace and
> Blessings ~ Jonathon
> >
> >~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Good HAIR
> Days: A Personal Journey with the American Tribal Love-Rock Musical HAIR,
by
> Jonathon Johnson. For more information on the book and how to order it,
visit
> www.goodhairdays.net.
> >__________________________________________________
> >Do You Yahoo!?
> >Tired of spam?  Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around
> >http://mail.yahoo.com
> >
> >_______________________________________________
> >Mb-hair mailing list
> >Mb-hair@islandlists.com
> >http://www.islandlists.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/mb-hair
>
> _______________________________________________
> Mb-hair mailing list
> Mb-hair@islandlists.com
> http://www.islandlists.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/mb-hair

_______________________________________________
Mb-hair mailing list
Mb-hair@islandlists.com
http://www.islandlists.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/mb-hair
From ean at sbcglobal.net  Wed Aug 17 21:42:52 2005
From: ean at sbcglobal.net (ean@sbcglobal.net)
Date: Thu Aug 18 08:50:27 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Secrets of the morgue: Baghdad's body count 
Message-ID: <E1E5mbR-00087c-Ol@smtpauth05.mail.atl.earthlink.net>

http://news.independent.co.uk/world/fisk/article306436.ece
Secrets of the morgue: Baghdad's body count 

Bodies of 1,100 civilians brought to mortuary in July
Pre-invasion, July figure was typically less than 200
Last Sunday alone, the mortuary received 36 bodies
Up to 20 per cent of the bodies are never identified
Many of the dead have been tortured or disfigured 

By Robert Fisk 
Published: 17 August 2005 
The Baghdad morgue is a fearful place of heat and stench and mourning, the
cries of relatives echoing down the narrow, foetid laneway behind the
pale-yellow brick medical centre where the authorities keep their
computerised records. So many corpses are being brought to the mortuary
that human remains are stacked on top of each other. Unidentified bodies
must be buried within days for lack of space - but the municipality is so
overwhelmed by the number of killings that it can no longer provide the
vehicles and personnel to take the remains to cemeteries. 

July was the bloodiest month in Baghdad's modern history - in all, 1,100
bodies were brought to the city's mortuary; executed for the most part,
eviscerated, stabbed, bludgeoned, tortured to death. The figure is secret.

We are not supposed to know that the Iraqi capital's death toll last month
was only 700 short of the total American fatalities in Iraq since April of
2003. Of the dead, 963 were men - many with their hands bound, their eyes
taped and bullets in their heads - and 137 women. The statistics are as
shameful as they are horrifying. For these are the men and women we
supposedly came to "liberate" - and about whose fate we do not care.

The figures for this month cannot, of course, yet be calculated. But last
Sunday, the mortuary received the bodies of 36 men and women, all killed
by violence. By 8am on Monday, nine more human remains had been 
received.
By midday, the figure had reached 25.

"I consider this a quiet day," one of the mortuary officials said to me as
we stood close to the dead. So in just 36 hours - from dawn on Sunday to
midday on Monday, 62 Baghdad civilians had been killed. No Western
official, no Iraqi government minister, no civil servant, no press release
from the authorities, no newspaper, mentioned this terrible statistic. The
dead of Iraq - as they have from the beginning of our illegal invasion -
were simply written out of the script. Officially they do not exist.

Thus there has been no disclosure of the fact that in July 2003 - three
months after the invasion - 700 corpses were brought to the mortuary in
Baghdad. In July of 2004, this rose to around 800. The mortuary records
the violent death toll for June of this year as 879 - 764 of them male,
115 female. Of the men, 480 had been killed by firearms, along with 25 of
the women. By comparison, equivalent figures for July 1997, 1998 and 1999
were all below 200.

Between 10 and 20 per cent of all bodies are never identified - the
medical authorities have had to bury 500 of them since January of this
year, unidentified and unclaimed. In many cases, the remains have been
shattered by explosions - possibly by suicide bombers - or by deliberate
disfigurement by their killers.

Mortuary officials have been appalled at the sadism visited on the
victims. "We have many who have obviously been tortured - mostly men," 
one
said. "They have terrible burn marks on hands and feet and other parts of
their bodies. Many have their hands fastened behind their backs with
handcuffs and their eyes have been bound with Sellotape. Then they have
been shot in the head - in the back of the head, the face, the eyes. These
are executions."

While Saddam's regime visited death by official execution upon its
opponents, the scale of anarchy now existing in Baghdad, Mosul, Basra and
other cities is unprecedented. "The July figures are the largest ever
recorded in the history of the Baghdad Medical Institute," a senior member
of the management told The Independent.

It is clear that death squads are roaming the streets of a city which is
supposed to be under the control of the US military and the
American-supported, elected government of Ibrahim al-Jaafari. Never in
recent history has such anarchy been let loose on the civilians of this
city - yet the Western and Iraqi authorities show no interest in
disclosing the details. The writing of the new constitution - or the
failure to complete it - now occupies the time of Western diplomats and
journalists. The dead, it seems, do not count.

But they should. Most are between 15 and 44 - the youth of Iraq - and, if
extrapolated across the country, Baghdad's 1,100 dead of last month must
bring Iraq's minimum monthly casualty toll in July alone to 3,000 -
perhaps 4,000. Over a year, this must reach a minimum of 36,000, a figure
which puts the supposedly controversial statistic of 100,000 dead since
the invasion into a much more realistic perspective.

There is no way of distinguishing the reasons for these thousands of
violent deaths. Some men and women were shot at US checkpoints, others
murdered, no doubt, by insurgents or thieves. A few listed as killed by
"blunt instruments" might have been the dead of traffic accidents. Some of
the women were probably the victims of "honour" killings - because male
relatives suspected them of having illicit relations with the wrong man.
Still others may have been murdered as collaborators. Doctors have been
told that bodies brought to the mortuary by US forces should not be given
post-mortem examinations (on the odd ground that the Americans will have
already performed this function).

So many civilians are dying that the morgue has had to rely on volunteers
from the holy city of Najaf to transport unidentified Shia Muslim dead to
the central city's large graveyard for burial, their plots donated by
religious institutions. "In some of the bodies, we find American bullets,"
a mortuary attendant told me. "But these could be American bullets fired
by Iraqis. We don't know who's killing who - it's not our job to find out,
but civilians are killing each other.

"We had a body here the other day and the relatives said he had been
murdered because he had been a Baathist in the old regime. Then they said
that his brother had been killed three or four weeks back because he was a
member of the religious Shia Dawa party which was the enemy of Saddam. 
But
this is the real story - the killing of the people. I don't want to die
under a new constitution. I want security."

One of the problems in cataloguing the daily death toll is that the
official radio often declines to report explosions. On Monday, the thump
of a bomb in the Karada district was never officially explained. Only
yesterday was it discovered that a suicide bomber had walked into a
popular caf&eacute;, the Emir, and blown himself up, killing two
policemen. Another explosion, officially said to be caused by a mortar,
turned out to be a mine set off beneath a pile of watermelons as a US
patrol was passing. A civilian died.

Again, there was no official account of these deaths. They were not
recorded by the government nor by the occupying armies nor, of course, by
the Western press. Like the bodies in the Baghdad city mortuary, they did
not exist.

Debate rages over number of civilians killed in conflict

The number of Iraqis killed since March 2003 has long been a matter of
fierce debate, in the absence of any figures from American and British
military or civilian officials on the spot.

"We don't do body counts," was the terse comment of General Tommy 
Franks,
commander of the US-led invasion - though it has been claimed that the
Pentagon does in fact keep a running total, which it refuses to make
public, for fear of increasing public doubts about the war. Undoubtedly
however the figure for Iraqi civilians dwarfs the toll of US and British
troops, which is meticulously recorded. Some 1,850 American and almost 100
British soldiers have been killed. In addition at least 12,000 US soldiers
have been wounded. But according to the Iraq Body Count (IBC), a
non-profit project regarded as the most authoritative independent source
on Iraqi casualties, the civilian toll as of yesterday was a minimum of
23,589, and a maximum of 26,705. But even IBC admits that its data is
incomplete. Nor is it clear how many insurgents are included.

In October 2004, a report in the medical journal The Lancet concluded that
at least 100,000 civilians had lost their lives in the first 18 months
after the invasion - more than half of them women and children killed in
air strikes. The figures were based on a survey of 1,000 households across
Iraq.

In November 2004, the Foreign Secretary, Jack Straw, supported an estimate
from Iraq's ministry of health that 3,853 civilians were killed and 15,517
injured between April and October. This gives an annual death rate of
7,700, a third of the IBC estimate.

-- 
You are currently on Mha Atma's Earth Action Network email list, 
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From harperalexander at mail.com  Thu Aug 18 08:46:56 2005
From: harperalexander at mail.com (Alexander Harper)
Date: Thu Aug 18 08:50:34 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] A Texas Apology To Cindy Sheehan
Message-ID: <20050818154657.60C0A1F50B1@ws1-2.us4.outblaze.com>

Good on you, Cheeseburger.
AlBaraka
----- Original Message -----
From: Cheeseburger <maxfury@granderiver.net>
To: "mb-civic" <mb-civic@islandlists.com>
Subject: [Mb-civic] A Texas Apology To Cindy Sheehan
Date: Thu, 18 Aug 2005 02:15:44 -0500

> 
> A Texas Apology To Cindy Sheehan
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Dear Cindy,
> 
> 
> 
> Sorry.
> 
> Sorry about the person who ran down the crosses there on that little dirt
> road with all the names of the soldiers who have died in Iraq so far.
> 
> Sorry about the 150 people who marched "against Cindy Sheehan" etc.  Their
> Pride in certain things continues to supercede their Logic and/or Common
> Sense.  They remain, even in their ignorant or willful actions, the kind of
> people who are depended upon each time our Government decides to go to War
> on the basis of shoelace dust.
> 
> Sorry about the guy who drove by in a pickup truck with a big American flag
> on it with "Texas Is Bush Country" on the side of the truck.
> 
> I have a pickup truck with a big American flag on it (mine is much bigger
> than that asshole's), and there is nothing on the side of it.  If there
> *was* something on the side of it, it wouldn't be a political slogan for
> mass murderers, nor implicating my State of Texas in such horrors, nor would
> I be smiling as I rode past with it.
> 
> You'll have to forgive (you forgive them, I still consider them cocksuckers)
> some Texans for being up in arms against a mother who has lost her son in a
> now well-documented illegal war.
> 
> Due to their collective IQ's, that is the greatest cause they could come up
> with in Texas to "protest" and "be against".
> 
> A grieving mother who has lost her son in a war holding up a sign on a dirt
> road.
> 
> Not *all* Texans are assholes, Cindy.
> 
> Please try to remember that when you go back to California and Texans forget
> that you ever even existed.
> 
> Many of their memories are only as long as the ATM machine, the dinner
> table, and a nice cold 12 pack of beer from the fridge.
> 
> Again, their "Pride" in "all things military" will continue to supercede
> their even brief concern for grieving mothers holding up signs on dirt roads
> or even the children they have lost in illegal and illegitimate wars.
> 
> They are trained monkeys.
> 
> Just like a huge portion of Americans have been thoroughly indoctrinated
> from birth to have "Blind Obedience To All Things Authoritarian".
> 
> Their respect for "political parties", "political agendas", "all things
> authoritarian", or "all things military" will continue to supercede their
> humanity, their logic, and their common sense, regardless if you are
> standing on the side of a dirt road holding up a sign and grieving your son
> or not.
> 
> They will always consider themselves as being "Right", in all matters, in
> all instances.
> 
> And people like me, you, and your son, will remain "The Enemy" to them for
> as long as they live.
> 
> I again apologize for such a concentration of them in Texas, but Texas has
> been a breeding ground for such things since it Statehood in the mid 1800's.
> 
> Their main concern is money, power, duty, and military might.
> 
> Dead sons and grieving mothers simply do not enter into their picture.
> 
> I again apologize for some of those in my State giving you a hard time,
> including the shitheels down the road in Crawford.
> 
> As you are never going to receive any apologies, nor even just mild
> Understanding from any of the Right Wing in America or the Right Wing Media,
> one can only hope you receive more apologies from people in other States.
> 
> Although we are becoming sparser and sparser, there are still some Real
> people left in Texas who do not owe their allegiance to blind faith in mass
> murderers nor their Systems.
> 
> Those of us Texans who are thusly, extend our warmest welcome to you in your
> time of mourning and protest against those who have caused it.
> 
> You're always welcome on our front porches, and on our dirt roads, signs and
> all.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Best wishes,
> 
> Cheeseburger
> 
> .
> 
> _______________________________________________
> Mb-civic mailing list
> Mb-civic@islandlists.com
> http://www.islandlists.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/mb-civic


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From ean at sbcglobal.net  Wed Aug 17 21:48:01 2005
From: ean at sbcglobal.net (ean@sbcglobal.net)
Date: Thu Aug 18 08:51:10 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] John Pilger: FASCISM THEN AND NOW
Message-ID: <E1E5mc9-0000GI-RE@smtpauth05.mail.atl.earthlink.net>

http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/071705Y.shtml

FASCISM THEN AND NOW
by John Pilger

We gathered, the other day, at the International Brigades' Memorial in
Jubilee Park beside the Thames in London. It was warm with no breeze, "a
Spanish day", one of the Brigaders said. Like the others, all in their
eighties and older, he took shelter in the shade and rested on his walking
stick. He wore his red beret. Twenty yards away, tourists waiting to board
the London Eye looked bemused at the elderly men in their berets, and the
rest of us, without knowing who we were, what the men had done and why we
were celebrating them.

Between 1936 and 1939, the International Brigade fought in Spain on the
side of the republican government against the fascist forces of General
Franco. They were British and other Europeans, Americans and Australians.
They were very young and volunteers, determined to stop fascism in its
tracks. Although the republican government eventually fell, in February
1937 the 600-strong British Battalion of the XVth International Brigade
stopped Franco's advance on Madrid. Four hundred were killed, wounded or
captured in four days' bloody battle.

There were many battles like that. Sam Russell, a Brigader, described
eloquently how on the Sierra del Pandols, "there was not enough soil to
bury the dead, so we covered them with stones". The poet Martin Green,
whose father, George Green, was killed when Martin was four years old,
stood at the edge of the crowd. For his father, he had written:

You had no funeral nor hearse
No grave except the place you fell
. . . I was a boy too young
To take the blow that felled 
The tree that was your man.

Now, 67 years on, we sang, to the tune of "Red River Valley", the
rousing song of the Battle of Madrid. Jack Jones, the president of the
International Brigade Memorial Trust, read out the names of his comrades
who had died since their last reunion a year ago: Charlie Matthews (who
had been reported killed on the battlefield in 1939 and whose obituary had
appeared in his local paper) and Cyril Sexton, who was wounded at Jarama
and went on to fight at Aragon, Belchite, Gandesa and Ebro where he was
wounded again. Last April, he died in Tenerife at the age of 91.

A Brigader and poet, David Campbell, had nominated me for the honour of
describing the meaning of their heroism today. This is what I said:

I first understood the importance of the struggle in Spain from Martha
Gellhorn. Martha, who was one of my oldest friends, is remembered as one
of the greatest war correspondents and especially for her dispatches from
Spain during the Civil War. In November 1938, she wrote this:

"In Barcelona, it was perfect bombing weather. The cafes along the
Ramblas were crowded. There was nothing much to drink: a sweet fizzy
poison called orangeade and a horrible liquid supposed to be sherry.
There was, of course, nothing to eat. Everyone was out, enjoying the
cold afternoon sunlight. No bombers had come for at least two hours. The
flower stalls look bright and pretty along the promenade. 'The flowers are
all sold, Senores. For the funerals of those killed in the eleven o'clock
bombing, poor souls'. It had been a clear and cold day all yesterday ...
'What beautiful weather', a woman said, and she stood, holding her shawl
around her, staring at the sky. A catastrophe,' she said. Eeryone listened
for the sirens all the time, and when we saw the bombers, they were like
tiny silver bullets, moving forever up, across the sky."

How familiar that sounds. Barcelona. Guernica. Hiroshima. Vietnam.
Cambodia. Palestine. Afghanistan. Iraq. All those "tiny silver bullets"
moving across the sky and bombing to death tens of thousands of men, 
women
and children. Martha Gellhorn wrote of the International Brigade:
"Whatever their nationality, whether they were Communists, anarchists,
socialists, poets, plumbers, middle-class professional men, or the one
Abyssinian prince . . . they were fighting for us all in Spain."

The enemy then was fascism, out-and-out fascism. Armband wearing,
strutting, ranting fascism.

The enemy then was a great world power, adventurous, rapacious, with
plans of domination, of capturing the world's natural resources: the oil
fields of the Caspian and the Middle East, the mineral riches of Africa.
They seemed invincible.

The enemy then was also lies. Deceit. News dressed up as propaganda.
Appeasement. A large section of the British establishment saw fascism as
its friend. Their voice was heard in a section of the British press: the
Times, the Daily Mail.

To the propagandists, the real threat was from ordinary people, who were
dreamers, many of them, who imagined a new world in which the dignity of
ordinary life was respected and celebrated. Some were wise dreamers and
some were foolish dreamers, but they understood the nature of fascism, and
they saw through the lies and appeasement.

They knew that the true enemy did not always wear armbands, and strut, and
command great rallies, but were impeccable English gentlemen, who sold out
their country to rampant power behind a smokescreen of propaganda that
appropriated noble concepts like "democracy", "freedom" and "human rights"
and "our way of life" and "our values". Their words were echoed by
courtier journalists and justified by pseudo-historians, who feared the
public's ability to reason why.

Does all this sound familiar?

I ask that question, because when I read the aims of the International
Brigade Memorial Trust, I was struck by a reference to "the historical
legacy of the men and women who fought with the International Brigades
against fascism ..."

The "historical legacy" of the International Brigade, as Martha Gellhorn
wrote, is that they were fighting for us all. That means, for me, a legacy
of truth - a way of seeing through the illusions and lies and deceit,
notably the propaganda of our own governments. It means confronting
murderous power in whatever form it appears.

That legacy is needed today more than ever. Impeccable gentlemen now
invade defenceless countries in our name, destroying hospitals, shooting
doctors, rounding up thousands and writing a number on their forehead or
forearm, then imprisoning and torturing them. They speak of freedom and
democracy, and our way of life and our values, and they deride those who
reason why. They do not wear armbands and they do not strut. They are
different from fascists. But their goals are not different: conquest,
domination, the theft and control of vital resources.

When the judges at Nuremberg laid down the ground rules of international
law following the Second World War, they described an unprovoked invasion
of a defenceless country as "the paramount crime against humanity ... from
which all other war crimes follow". The judges also pointed out the
obvious: that violent invasion would beckon violent reaction, which
compounded the original crime. 

The world is a very different place from the Sierra del Pandols, and the
Valley of Jarama in 1937, where the best of men lie beneath the stones,
but the legacy of those who understood and confronted fascism then endures
as a warning to us all today. 

It is a warning about sinister ambitions behind democratic facades:
about messianic politicians, apparently touched by God, and their denial
of the consequences of their violence, and it is a warning about those who
shout down the reasons why in the name of a fake patriotism. It is also
about moral courage: about speaking out, breaking a silence. I salute
those of you International Brigaders who are here today, who did more than
speak out. I thank you and your fallen comrades for what you did for us
all, and for your legacy of truth and moral courage. La Lucha continua.


You can support the International Brigade Memorial Trust by e-mailing
marlenesidaway@hotmail.com


-- 
You are currently on Mha Atma's Earth Action Network email list, 
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(option A - 1x/week, option B - 3/wk, option C - up to 1x/day, option D - 
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From harperalexander at mail.com  Thu Aug 18 09:07:38 2005
From: harperalexander at mail.com (Alexander Harper)
Date: Thu Aug 18 09:11:12 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Psychopathic Behavior
Message-ID: <20050818160738.962D51F50B1@ws1-2.us4.outblaze.com>

Thanks, Lyle - that is really interesting and seems spot on. He is not the only world leader, who is basically a frightened psycopath, who has never properly emerged from adolescence. Unfortunately though he leads the world's only hyper-power. Clearly many voters vote for what they recognise in themselves.
AlBaraka

From: "Lyle K'ang" <lyve@netzero.com>
To: mb-civic@islandlists.com
Subject: [Mb-civic] Psychopathic Behavior
Date: Thu, 18 Aug 2005 03:52:50 GMT

> 
> Of Course He Is a Psychopath ...
> 
> A BUZZFLASH READER CONTRIBUTION
> by Elizabeth
> 
> ... or a sociopath -- the distinction here is insignificant.
> 
> I'm a mental health professional and psychopaths are a professional 
> interest of mine. There is little doubt that Bush's is a 
> psychopathic character structure.
> 
> Another, and I think very appropriate term to describe psychopathy 
> is emotional retardation -- an inability to experience higher 
> emotions expressive of the highest human values (such as empathy 
> and guilt, sympathy, compassion, devotion to common human ideals 
> such as peace, for example, etc.).
> 
> A psychopath is a person who uses his often considerable 
> intelligence in the service of his primitive drives (think sex, 
> aggression, power). Being fairly bright, he learns, imperfectly, to 
> mimic emotional expressions suggestive of some higher emotions 
> (compassion, for example), but his reactions hardly fool anyone 
> because they ring hollow as there is no truth and authenticity in 
> them. He can use lofty words when needed -- an easy thing for a 
> fairly intelligent psychopath -- but there is no emotional content 
> to them.
> 
> Just look at Bush's responses whenever he is asked, unscripted, 
> about anything that would require him to express either empathy, or 
> caring and compassion for others, including his own family members. 
> He stammers and stumbles, tries some platitudes or inappropriate 
> jokes, and eventually makes a fool of himself. It is always painful 
> to watch and it clearly demonstrates his emotional retardation.
> 
> Even most recently, when asked about Cindy Sheehan, he responded by 
> saying "And I think it's important for me to be thoughtful and 
> sensitive to those who have got something to say." He followed it 
> with "I think it's also important for me to go on with my life, to 
> keep a balanced life."
> 
> This statement in itself is very revealing. First, it sounds like 
> something Bush has just learned to say on advice of his handlers 
> who reminded him to pretend to be human (he *thinks* it is 
> *important* for him to be thoughtful and sensitive ...). Not that 
> he knows what this means, or that any of it resonates emotionally 
> for him, as evidenced by how quickly he closed this statement with 
> a glib reference to, what else, his own need for a "balanced life," 
> a reference that sounds so incredibly insensitive in this context 
> that it completely invalidates the message intended in his previous 
> sentence.
> 
> I have no doubt that this emotionally flat and highly inappropriate 
> statement came from the desk of one of his advisors -- which only 
> shows that psychopathic leaders surround themselves with 
> psychopathic handlers who are equally clueless about what it means 
> to be a feeling human being. It's nothing new or surprising -- we 
> have seen it before in the history of the world. But it's 
> horrendously painful to witness.
> 
> Bush's fumblings with statements that are supposed to express 
> higher human emotions are not a proof that he is unintelligent in 
> the conventional sense (i.e. intellectually impaired). His 
> intelligence appears normal (= average at least) -- but it is the 
> emotional sphere that is so dangerously underdeveloped in him.
> 
> Notice that typically he does not encounter similar troubles when 
> he talks about what is really close to his proverbial heart (not 
> that he possesses a real one): power. All those swagger-filled 
> threats, gestures of intimidation, and displays of bravado -- often 
> in the most inappropriate contexts ("Shock and Awe," "Mission 
> Accomplished," etc.) -- are further proof that we are dealing with 
> intelligence in the service of primitive drives, combined with 
> emotional hollowness. A.k.a. psychopathy.
> 
> And while you're right that playing an armchair diagnostician is a 
> task of dubious value sometimes, in case of G.W. Bush the evidence 
> to support the diagnosis of psychopathy (or sociopathy) is just 
> overwhelming and in plain sight for anyone to see. So if the shoe 
> fits ...
> 
> E.L. Doctorow's essay sums up the core of Bush's psychopathic 
> character so well -- and so painfully for all of us who have 
> retained humanity in our souls.
> 
> The intelligence in the service of primitive instincts that Bush's 
> actions and words represent; the raw aggressive power, unmitigated 
> by thought or higher feeling; and the surge of compensatory 
> confidence it engenders, are what appeals to a great segment of 
> this -- or any other -- society, especially to its powerless and 
> emotionally underdeveloped members. They rally around their leader, 
> seeing in him both a reflection of themselves and a promise of a 
> "victory" that would release their fears and frustrations, and 
> avenge their sorry, hopeless fate. Of course what they do not 
> realize is that their leader couldn't care less about their fate. 
> To him, his minions are an echo chamber for his words and cannon 
> fodder for his missions.
> 
> Tragically, as a nation, we will remain in the dark ages as long as 
> we keep choosing psychopaths as our leaders and pretend this is a 
> good thing. And no matter how hard we will try to convince 
> ourselves that what we yearn for are freedom and democracy for all 
> (and whatever other ideals we choose to endorse by our words), our 
> actions -- the choices we make, including our choice of the leader 
> -- will keep telling the rest of the world otherwise. As shameful 
> as it is, the psychopathic Bush represents America to the world.
> 
> A BUZZFLASH READER CONTRIBUTION
> 
> 
> Lyle K'ang, MBA/IM
> 
> 
> _______________________________________________
> Mb-civic mailing list
> Mb-civic@islandlists.com
> http://www.islandlists.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/mb-civic


-- 
___________________________________________________________
Sign-up for Ads Free at Mail.com
http://promo.mail.com/adsfreejump.htm


From hotprojects at nyc.rr.com  Thu Aug 18 09:15:42 2005
From: hotprojects at nyc.rr.com (richard haase)
Date: Thu Aug 18 09:19:22 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Psychopathic Behavior
References: <20050818160738.962D51F50B1@ws1-2.us4.outblaze.com>
Message-ID: <003401c5a410$14fe9db0$6e436c42@hotprojects>

i dont agree al
i think he is a front man
pure and simple
obviously from that neck of the woods etc
the right wing
but i think hes got habits etc
and they give him his shit and whatever else he wants
and hes happy
and could care less
now maybe that is sociopathic
but i think the active monsters are the ones pulling the strings behind him
a la shaw and eliza dolittle on the album cover of my fair lady
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Alexander Harper" <harperalexander@mail.com>
To: <mb-civic@islandlists.com>
Sent: Thursday, August 18, 2005 12:07 PM
Subject: Re: [Mb-civic] Psychopathic Behavior


> Thanks, Lyle - that is really interesting and seems spot on. He is not the
only world leader, who is basically a frightened psycopath, who has never
properly emerged from adolescence. Unfortunately though he leads the world's
only hyper-power. Clearly many voters vote for what they recognise in
themselves.
> AlBaraka
>
> From: "Lyle K'ang" <lyve@netzero.com>
> To: mb-civic@islandlists.com
> Subject: [Mb-civic] Psychopathic Behavior
> Date: Thu, 18 Aug 2005 03:52:50 GMT
>
> >
> > Of Course He Is a Psychopath ...
> >
> > A BUZZFLASH READER CONTRIBUTION
> > by Elizabeth
> >
> > ... or a sociopath -- the distinction here is insignificant.
> >
> > I'm a mental health professional and psychopaths are a professional
> > interest of mine. There is little doubt that Bush's is a
> > psychopathic character structure.
> >
> > Another, and I think very appropriate term to describe psychopathy
> > is emotional retardation -- an inability to experience higher
> > emotions expressive of the highest human values (such as empathy
> > and guilt, sympathy, compassion, devotion to common human ideals
> > such as peace, for example, etc.).
> >
> > A psychopath is a person who uses his often considerable
> > intelligence in the service of his primitive drives (think sex,
> > aggression, power). Being fairly bright, he learns, imperfectly, to
> > mimic emotional expressions suggestive of some higher emotions
> > (compassion, for example), but his reactions hardly fool anyone
> > because they ring hollow as there is no truth and authenticity in
> > them. He can use lofty words when needed -- an easy thing for a
> > fairly intelligent psychopath -- but there is no emotional content
> > to them.
> >
> > Just look at Bush's responses whenever he is asked, unscripted,
> > about anything that would require him to express either empathy, or
> > caring and compassion for others, including his own family members.
> > He stammers and stumbles, tries some platitudes or inappropriate
> > jokes, and eventually makes a fool of himself. It is always painful
> > to watch and it clearly demonstrates his emotional retardation.
> >
> > Even most recently, when asked about Cindy Sheehan, he responded by
> > saying "And I think it's important for me to be thoughtful and
> > sensitive to those who have got something to say." He followed it
> > with "I think it's also important for me to go on with my life, to
> > keep a balanced life."
> >
> > This statement in itself is very revealing. First, it sounds like
> > something Bush has just learned to say on advice of his handlers
> > who reminded him to pretend to be human (he *thinks* it is
> > *important* for him to be thoughtful and sensitive ...). Not that
> > he knows what this means, or that any of it resonates emotionally
> > for him, as evidenced by how quickly he closed this statement with
> > a glib reference to, what else, his own need for a "balanced life,"
> > a reference that sounds so incredibly insensitive in this context
> > that it completely invalidates the message intended in his previous
> > sentence.
> >
> > I have no doubt that this emotionally flat and highly inappropriate
> > statement came from the desk of one of his advisors -- which only
> > shows that psychopathic leaders surround themselves with
> > psychopathic handlers who are equally clueless about what it means
> > to be a feeling human being. It's nothing new or surprising -- we
> > have seen it before in the history of the world. But it's
> > horrendously painful to witness.
> >
> > Bush's fumblings with statements that are supposed to express
> > higher human emotions are not a proof that he is unintelligent in
> > the conventional sense (i.e. intellectually impaired). His
> > intelligence appears normal (= average at least) -- but it is the
> > emotional sphere that is so dangerously underdeveloped in him.
> >
> > Notice that typically he does not encounter similar troubles when
> > he talks about what is really close to his proverbial heart (not
> > that he possesses a real one): power. All those swagger-filled
> > threats, gestures of intimidation, and displays of bravado -- often
> > in the most inappropriate contexts ("Shock and Awe," "Mission
> > Accomplished," etc.) -- are further proof that we are dealing with
> > intelligence in the service of primitive drives, combined with
> > emotional hollowness. A.k.a. psychopathy.
> >
> > And while you're right that playing an armchair diagnostician is a
> > task of dubious value sometimes, in case of G.W. Bush the evidence
> > to support the diagnosis of psychopathy (or sociopathy) is just
> > overwhelming and in plain sight for anyone to see. So if the shoe
> > fits ...
> >
> > E.L. Doctorow's essay sums up the core of Bush's psychopathic
> > character so well -- and so painfully for all of us who have
> > retained humanity in our souls.
> >
> > The intelligence in the service of primitive instincts that Bush's
> > actions and words represent; the raw aggressive power, unmitigated
> > by thought or higher feeling; and the surge of compensatory
> > confidence it engenders, are what appeals to a great segment of
> > this -- or any other -- society, especially to its powerless and
> > emotionally underdeveloped members. They rally around their leader,
> > seeing in him both a reflection of themselves and a promise of a
> > "victory" that would release their fears and frustrations, and
> > avenge their sorry, hopeless fate. Of course what they do not
> > realize is that their leader couldn't care less about their fate.
> > To him, his minions are an echo chamber for his words and cannon
> > fodder for his missions.
> >
> > Tragically, as a nation, we will remain in the dark ages as long as
> > we keep choosing psychopaths as our leaders and pretend this is a
> > good thing. And no matter how hard we will try to convince
> > ourselves that what we yearn for are freedom and democracy for all
> > (and whatever other ideals we choose to endorse by our words), our
> > actions -- the choices we make, including our choice of the leader
> > -- will keep telling the rest of the world otherwise. As shameful
> > as it is, the psychopathic Bush represents America to the world.
> >
> > A BUZZFLASH READER CONTRIBUTION
> >
> >
> > Lyle K'ang, MBA/IM
> >
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > Mb-civic mailing list
> > Mb-civic@islandlists.com
> > http://www.islandlists.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/mb-civic
>
>
> -- 
> ___________________________________________________________
> Sign-up for Ads Free at Mail.com
> http://promo.mail.com/adsfreejump.htm
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Mb-civic mailing list
> Mb-civic@islandlists.com
> http://www.islandlists.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/mb-civic

From michael at intrafi.com  Thu Aug 18 09:22:38 2005
From: michael at intrafi.com (michael@intrafi.com)
Date: Thu Aug 18 09:26:15 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] FT.com / Comment & analysis / Comment - What Watergate
	could teach the White House
Message-ID: <314954.1124382158642.JavaMail.tomcat@localhost>



*Please note, the sender's email address has not been verified.



You have received the following link from michael@intrafi.com

 
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From harperalexander at mail.com  Thu Aug 18 10:38:13 2005
From: harperalexander at mail.com (Alexander Harper)
Date: Thu Aug 18 10:41:47 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Psychopathic Behavior
Message-ID: <20050818173813.B97431CE305@ws1-6.us4.outblaze.com>

We don't disagree, actually. Of course he is being used by smarter psycopaths. There is no conceivable way that someone of his manifest (in)ablity could have reached where he has without a massive leg-up and massive, continuing back-up. These guys have much in common with those, who ran the 3rd Reich - obviously not the anti-semitism!
AB
----- Original Message -----
From: "richard haase" <hotprojects@nyc.rr.com>
To: mb-civic@islandlists.com
Subject: Re: [Mb-civic] Psychopathic Behavior
Date: Thu, 18 Aug 2005 12:15:42 -0400

> 
> i dont agree al
> i think he is a front man
> pure and simple
> obviously from that neck of the woods etc
> the right wing
> but i think hes got habits etc
> and they give him his shit and whatever else he wants
> and hes happy
> and could care less
> now maybe that is sociopathic
> but i think the active monsters are the ones pulling the strings behind him
> a la shaw and eliza dolittle on the album cover of my fair lady
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Alexander Harper" <harperalexander@mail.com>
> To: <mb-civic@islandlists.com>
> Sent: Thursday, August 18, 2005 12:07 PM
> Subject: Re: [Mb-civic] Psychopathic Behavior
> 
> 
> > Thanks, Lyle - that is really interesting and seems spot on. He is not the
> only world leader, who is basically a frightened psycopath, who has never
> properly emerged from adolescence. Unfortunately though he leads the world's
> only hyper-power. Clearly many voters vote for what they recognise in
> themselves.
> > AlBaraka
> >
> > From: "Lyle K'ang" <lyve@netzero.com>
> > To: mb-civic@islandlists.com
> > Subject: [Mb-civic] Psychopathic Behavior
> > Date: Thu, 18 Aug 2005 03:52:50 GMT
> >
> > >
> > > Of Course He Is a Psychopath ...
> > >
> > > A BUZZFLASH READER CONTRIBUTION
> > > by Elizabeth
> > >
> > > ... or a sociopath -- the distinction here is insignificant.
> > >
> > > I'm a mental health professional and psychopaths are a professional
> > > interest of mine. There is little doubt that Bush's is a
> > > psychopathic character structure.
> > >
> > > Another, and I think very appropriate term to describe psychopathy
> > > is emotional retardation -- an inability to experience higher
> > > emotions expressive of the highest human values (such as empathy
> > > and guilt, sympathy, compassion, devotion to common human ideals
> > > such as peace, for example, etc.).
> > >
> > > A psychopath is a person who uses his often considerable
> > > intelligence in the service of his primitive drives (think sex,
> > > aggression, power). Being fairly bright, he learns, imperfectly, to
> > > mimic emotional expressions suggestive of some higher emotions
> > > (compassion, for example), but his reactions hardly fool anyone
> > > because they ring hollow as there is no truth and authenticity in
> > > them. He can use lofty words when needed -- an easy thing for a
> > > fairly intelligent psychopath -- but there is no emotional content
> > > to them.
> > >
> > > Just look at Bush's responses whenever he is asked, unscripted,
> > > about anything that would require him to express either empathy, or
> > > caring and compassion for others, including his own family members.
> > > He stammers and stumbles, tries some platitudes or inappropriate
> > > jokes, and eventually makes a fool of himself. It is always painful
> > > to watch and it clearly demonstrates his emotional retardation.
> > >
> > > Even most recently, when asked about Cindy Sheehan, he responded by
> > > saying "And I think it's important for me to be thoughtful and
> > > sensitive to those who have got something to say." He followed it
> > > with "I think it's also important for me to go on with my life, to
> > > keep a balanced life."
> > >
> > > This statement in itself is very revealing. First, it sounds like
> > > something Bush has just learned to say on advice of his handlers
> > > who reminded him to pretend to be human (he *thinks* it is
> > > *important* for him to be thoughtful and sensitive ...). Not that
> > > he knows what this means, or that any of it resonates emotionally
> > > for him, as evidenced by how quickly he closed this statement with
> > > a glib reference to, what else, his own need for a "balanced life,"
> > > a reference that sounds so incredibly insensitive in this context
> > > that it completely invalidates the message intended in his previous
> > > sentence.
> > >
> > > I have no doubt that this emotionally flat and highly inappropriate
> > > statement came from the desk of one of his advisors -- which only
> > > shows that psychopathic leaders surround themselves with
> > > psychopathic handlers who are equally clueless about what it means
> > > to be a feeling human being. It's nothing new or surprising -- we
> > > have seen it before in the history of the world. But it's
> > > horrendously painful to witness.
> > >
> > > Bush's fumblings with statements that are supposed to express
> > > higher human emotions are not a proof that he is unintelligent in
> > > the conventional sense (i.e. intellectually impaired). His
> > > intelligence appears normal (= average at least) -- but it is the
> > > emotional sphere that is so dangerously underdeveloped in him.
> > >
> > > Notice that typically he does not encounter similar troubles when
> > > he talks about what is really close to his proverbial heart (not
> > > that he possesses a real one): power. All those swagger-filled
> > > threats, gestures of intimidation, and displays of bravado -- often
> > > in the most inappropriate contexts ("Shock and Awe," "Mission
> > > Accomplished," etc.) -- are further proof that we are dealing with
> > > intelligence in the service of primitive drives, combined with
> > > emotional hollowness. A.k.a. psychopathy.
> > >
> > > And while you're right that playing an armchair diagnostician is a
> > > task of dubious value sometimes, in case of G.W. Bush the evidence
> > > to support the diagnosis of psychopathy (or sociopathy) is just
> > > overwhelming and in plain sight for anyone to see. So if the shoe
> > > fits ...
> > >
> > > E.L. Doctorow's essay sums up the core of Bush's psychopathic
> > > character so well -- and so painfully for all of us who have
> > > retained humanity in our souls.
> > >
> > > The intelligence in the service of primitive instincts that Bush's
> > > actions and words represent; the raw aggressive power, unmitigated
> > > by thought or higher feeling; and the surge of compensatory
> > > confidence it engenders, are what appeals to a great segment of
> > > this -- or any other -- society, especially to its powerless and
> > > emotionally underdeveloped members. They rally around their leader,
> > > seeing in him both a reflection of themselves and a promise of a
> > > "victory" that would release their fears and frustrations, and
> > > avenge their sorry, hopeless fate. Of course what they do not
> > > realize is that their leader couldn't care less about their fate.
> > > To him, his minions are an echo chamber for his words and cannon
> > > fodder for his missions.
> > >
> > > Tragically, as a nation, we will remain in the dark ages as long as
> > > we keep choosing psychopaths as our leaders and pretend this is a
> > > good thing. And no matter how hard we will try to convince
> > > ourselves that what we yearn for are freedom and democracy for all
> > > (and whatever other ideals we choose to endorse by our words), our
> > > actions -- the choices we make, including our choice of the leader
> > > -- will keep telling the rest of the world otherwise. As shameful
> > > as it is, the psychopathic Bush represents America to the world.
> > >
> > > A BUZZFLASH READER CONTRIBUTION
> > >
> > >
> > > Lyle K'ang, MBA/IM
> > >
> > >
> > > _______________________________________________
> > > Mb-civic mailing list
> > > Mb-civic@islandlists.com
> > > http://www.islandlists.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/mb-civic
> >
> >
> > -- ___________________________________________________________
> > Sign-up for Ads Free at Mail.com
> > http://promo.mail.com/adsfreejump.htm
> >
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > Mb-civic mailing list
> > Mb-civic@islandlists.com
> > http://www.islandlists.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/mb-civic
> 
> _______________________________________________
> Mb-civic mailing list
> Mb-civic@islandlists.com
> http://www.islandlists.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/mb-civic


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From hotprojects at nyc.rr.com  Thu Aug 18 10:49:01 2005
From: hotprojects at nyc.rr.com (richard haase)
Date: Thu Aug 18 10:52:39 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Psychopathic Behavior
References: <20050818173813.B97431CE305@ws1-6.us4.outblaze.com>
Message-ID: <006901c5a41d$1e1e8290$6e436c42@hotprojects>

including the anti semetism harper
this was the faction in the us broadly speaking
that backed hitler etc
they are only using isreal for their own purposes
i am a jew in america
these people hate jews like rat poison
would absolutely stick us back into the ovens if they could
oh no this segment is broadly speaking same as the third reich etc

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Alexander Harper" <harperalexander@mail.com>
To: <mb-civic@islandlists.com>
Sent: Thursday, August 18, 2005 1:38 PM
Subject: Re: [Mb-civic] Psychopathic Behavior


> We don't disagree, actually. Of course he is being used by smarter
psycopaths. There is no conceivable way that someone of his manifest
(in)ablity could have reached where he has without a massive leg-up and
massive, continuing back-up. These guys have much in common with those, who
ran the 3rd Reich - obviously not the anti-semitism!
> AB
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "richard haase" <hotprojects@nyc.rr.com>
> To: mb-civic@islandlists.com
> Subject: Re: [Mb-civic] Psychopathic Behavior
> Date: Thu, 18 Aug 2005 12:15:42 -0400
>
> >
> > i dont agree al
> > i think he is a front man
> > pure and simple
> > obviously from that neck of the woods etc
> > the right wing
> > but i think hes got habits etc
> > and they give him his shit and whatever else he wants
> > and hes happy
> > and could care less
> > now maybe that is sociopathic
> > but i think the active monsters are the ones pulling the strings behind
him
> > a la shaw and eliza dolittle on the album cover of my fair lady
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "Alexander Harper" <harperalexander@mail.com>
> > To: <mb-civic@islandlists.com>
> > Sent: Thursday, August 18, 2005 12:07 PM
> > Subject: Re: [Mb-civic] Psychopathic Behavior
> >
> >
> > > Thanks, Lyle - that is really interesting and seems spot on. He is not
the
> > only world leader, who is basically a frightened psycopath, who has
never
> > properly emerged from adolescence. Unfortunately though he leads the
world's
> > only hyper-power. Clearly many voters vote for what they recognise in
> > themselves.
> > > AlBaraka
> > >
> > > From: "Lyle K'ang" <lyve@netzero.com>
> > > To: mb-civic@islandlists.com
> > > Subject: [Mb-civic] Psychopathic Behavior
> > > Date: Thu, 18 Aug 2005 03:52:50 GMT
> > >
> > > >
> > > > Of Course He Is a Psychopath ...
> > > >
> > > > A BUZZFLASH READER CONTRIBUTION
> > > > by Elizabeth
> > > >
> > > > ... or a sociopath -- the distinction here is insignificant.
> > > >
> > > > I'm a mental health professional and psychopaths are a professional
> > > > interest of mine. There is little doubt that Bush's is a
> > > > psychopathic character structure.
> > > >
> > > > Another, and I think very appropriate term to describe psychopathy
> > > > is emotional retardation -- an inability to experience higher
> > > > emotions expressive of the highest human values (such as empathy
> > > > and guilt, sympathy, compassion, devotion to common human ideals
> > > > such as peace, for example, etc.).
> > > >
> > > > A psychopath is a person who uses his often considerable
> > > > intelligence in the service of his primitive drives (think sex,
> > > > aggression, power). Being fairly bright, he learns, imperfectly, to
> > > > mimic emotional expressions suggestive of some higher emotions
> > > > (compassion, for example), but his reactions hardly fool anyone
> > > > because they ring hollow as there is no truth and authenticity in
> > > > them. He can use lofty words when needed -- an easy thing for a
> > > > fairly intelligent psychopath -- but there is no emotional content
> > > > to them.
> > > >
> > > > Just look at Bush's responses whenever he is asked, unscripted,
> > > > about anything that would require him to express either empathy, or
> > > > caring and compassion for others, including his own family members.
> > > > He stammers and stumbles, tries some platitudes or inappropriate
> > > > jokes, and eventually makes a fool of himself. It is always painful
> > > > to watch and it clearly demonstrates his emotional retardation.
> > > >
> > > > Even most recently, when asked about Cindy Sheehan, he responded by
> > > > saying "And I think it's important for me to be thoughtful and
> > > > sensitive to those who have got something to say." He followed it
> > > > with "I think it's also important for me to go on with my life, to
> > > > keep a balanced life."
> > > >
> > > > This statement in itself is very revealing. First, it sounds like
> > > > something Bush has just learned to say on advice of his handlers
> > > > who reminded him to pretend to be human (he *thinks* it is
> > > > *important* for him to be thoughtful and sensitive ...). Not that
> > > > he knows what this means, or that any of it resonates emotionally
> > > > for him, as evidenced by how quickly he closed this statement with
> > > > a glib reference to, what else, his own need for a "balanced life,"
> > > > a reference that sounds so incredibly insensitive in this context
> > > > that it completely invalidates the message intended in his previous
> > > > sentence.
> > > >
> > > > I have no doubt that this emotionally flat and highly inappropriate
> > > > statement came from the desk of one of his advisors -- which only
> > > > shows that psychopathic leaders surround themselves with
> > > > psychopathic handlers who are equally clueless about what it means
> > > > to be a feeling human being. It's nothing new or surprising -- we
> > > > have seen it before in the history of the world. But it's
> > > > horrendously painful to witness.
> > > >
> > > > Bush's fumblings with statements that are supposed to express
> > > > higher human emotions are not a proof that he is unintelligent in
> > > > the conventional sense (i.e. intellectually impaired). His
> > > > intelligence appears normal (= average at least) -- but it is the
> > > > emotional sphere that is so dangerously underdeveloped in him.
> > > >
> > > > Notice that typically he does not encounter similar troubles when
> > > > he talks about what is really close to his proverbial heart (not
> > > > that he possesses a real one): power. All those swagger-filled
> > > > threats, gestures of intimidation, and displays of bravado -- often
> > > > in the most inappropriate contexts ("Shock and Awe," "Mission
> > > > Accomplished," etc.) -- are further proof that we are dealing with
> > > > intelligence in the service of primitive drives, combined with
> > > > emotional hollowness. A.k.a. psychopathy.
> > > >
> > > > And while you're right that playing an armchair diagnostician is a
> > > > task of dubious value sometimes, in case of G.W. Bush the evidence
> > > > to support the diagnosis of psychopathy (or sociopathy) is just
> > > > overwhelming and in plain sight for anyone to see. So if the shoe
> > > > fits ...
> > > >
> > > > E.L. Doctorow's essay sums up the core of Bush's psychopathic
> > > > character so well -- and so painfully for all of us who have
> > > > retained humanity in our souls.
> > > >
> > > > The intelligence in the service of primitive instincts that Bush's
> > > > actions and words represent; the raw aggressive power, unmitigated
> > > > by thought or higher feeling; and the surge of compensatory
> > > > confidence it engenders, are what appeals to a great segment of
> > > > this -- or any other -- society, especially to its powerless and
> > > > emotionally underdeveloped members. They rally around their leader,
> > > > seeing in him both a reflection of themselves and a promise of a
> > > > "victory" that would release their fears and frustrations, and
> > > > avenge their sorry, hopeless fate. Of course what they do not
> > > > realize is that their leader couldn't care less about their fate.
> > > > To him, his minions are an echo chamber for his words and cannon
> > > > fodder for his missions.
> > > >
> > > > Tragically, as a nation, we will remain in the dark ages as long as
> > > > we keep choosing psychopaths as our leaders and pretend this is a
> > > > good thing. And no matter how hard we will try to convince
> > > > ourselves that what we yearn for are freedom and democracy for all
> > > > (and whatever other ideals we choose to endorse by our words), our
> > > > actions -- the choices we make, including our choice of the leader
> > > > -- will keep telling the rest of the world otherwise. As shameful
> > > > as it is, the psychopathic Bush represents America to the world.
> > > >
> > > > A BUZZFLASH READER CONTRIBUTION
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > Lyle K'ang, MBA/IM
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > _______________________________________________
> > > > Mb-civic mailing list
> > > > Mb-civic@islandlists.com
> > > > http://www.islandlists.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/mb-civic
> > >
> > >
> > > -- ___________________________________________________________
> > > Sign-up for Ads Free at Mail.com
> > > http://promo.mail.com/adsfreejump.htm
> > >
> > >
> > > _______________________________________________
> > > Mb-civic mailing list
> > > Mb-civic@islandlists.com
> > > http://www.islandlists.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/mb-civic
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > Mb-civic mailing list
> > Mb-civic@islandlists.com
> > http://www.islandlists.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/mb-civic
>
>
> -- 
> ___________________________________________________________
> Sign-up for Ads Free at Mail.com
> http://promo.mail.com/adsfreejump.htm
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Mb-civic mailing list
> Mb-civic@islandlists.com
> http://www.islandlists.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/mb-civic

From hotprojects at nyc.rr.com  Thu Aug 18 10:49:57 2005
From: hotprojects at nyc.rr.com (richard haase)
Date: Thu Aug 18 10:53:34 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] al these people beat up jews on the streets of america
Message-ID: <007201c5a41d$3fcbb9d0$6e436c42@hotprojects>

right here in nyc
where obviously we have a sizeable jewish population
oh no
they hate jews blacks
any kind of foreigners etc
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From georgeberger69 at yahoo.com  Wed Aug 17 17:00:11 2005
From: georgeberger69 at yahoo.com (James Pappaconstantine)
Date: Thu Aug 18 11:20:52 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Re: [Mb-hair] God said it. - WHEN? - I believe it. DO I?
	That settlesit - WHAT?
In-Reply-To: <001f01c5a385$10779f20$6e436c42@hotprojects>
Message-ID: <E1E5ox1-0008Hs-6K@smtpauth05.mail.atl.earthlink.net>

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From earth_email_list at venusproject.com  Thu Aug 18 09:54:14 2005
From: earth_email_list at venusproject.com (Bahram Maskanian)
Date: Thu Aug 18 11:35:23 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Civilized indifference
Message-ID: <E1E5pB5-0003vU-SD@smtpauth05.mail.atl.earthlink.net>



Civilized indifference
Akbar Ganji could have been in Istanbul and receive more public sympathy

Augut 18, 2005
iranian.com

Mr. Akbar Ganji's hunger strike has left a deep wound in the Iranian 
psyche inside and outside of the country. We certainly have read a lot 
of articles about the values that Mr. Ganji stands for and how he has 
sacrificed everything so far in the name of freedom of expression. But 
that freedom is not among the articles of the Islamic Constitution that 
is being used in Iran.

We have to take the view from the balcony -- why has the Iranian regime 
been so callous and hardheaded about this issue and why the corrupt 
regime is not afraid or concerned about the echo of Mr. Ganji's cause 
all around the world? Let's set aside all the other reasons and focus on 
the most important one.

The Islamic Regime is in fact supporting and promoting Ganji's hunger 
strike for one important fact -- to prove to the Iranians inside the 
country and most importantly to show to the thousands of Iranians abroad 
that "you have no voice and power." The British have proved to us 
repeatedly that we can only mourn our heroes and we never get a chance 
to raise them to the pedestal of leadership, because first they get 
assassinated and most importantly we prefer shedding tears for a 
disaster than the elation of success. This is the doctrine of the 
Iranian version of Islam.

Read More...

http://www.iranian.com/Ashtiani/2005/August/Ganji/index.html
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From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Thu Aug 18 11:44:22 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (Mike Blaxill)
Date: Thu Aug 18 11:47:55 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Arianna's latest on Judy Miller w/inside info on
	Sulzberger
Message-ID: <20050818184422.37937.qmail@web53015.mail.yahoo.com>

Arianna's Judy dispatches keep getting better -
here's the latest

Howell Raines Redux

As the New York Times? full-throated defense of
Judith Miller hits new lows (Bob Dole brought in
as a friend of the court?) the $64,000 question
remains: Why is the paper linking itself so
completely to Miller?s fate?

?The thing you?ve got to understand,? a source
familiar with both Judy and the inner workings of
the Times told me, ?is that every big decision
that comes out of the Times comes directly from
the top. Nobody does anything there without
Arthur Sulzberger?s approval. It?s the larger,
untold story in all of this -- that he now runs
the newsroom.?

Sulzberger, who succeeded his father as publisher
in 1992 and chairman of the New York Times Co. in
1997, has been friends with Miller for a long
time. But that doesn?t seem to be the reason
behind the unequivocal stance on Miller. ?You
have to understand something about Arthur,? my
source explained. ?He?s always unequivocal. He
doesn?t have another setting. You?re either his
friend or his enemy. He either supports you in an
extreme, almost childish, way or he won?t speak
to you.?

Sulzberger has clearly chosen the extreme support
path when it comes to Miller. ?There are times
when the greater good of our democracy demands an
act of conscience,? he said after Miller was
taken to jail. ?Judy has chosen such an act in
honoring her promise of confidentiality to her
sources.?

Directly contradicting this position is a former
Timesman with impeccable journalistic
credentials. Bill Kovach, the former Times
Washington bureau chief, former curator of the
Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard, and
founding director of the Committee of Concerned
Journalists, has publicly voiced what many in and
around the paper are saying privately. 

?When I was chief of the bureau in Washington,?
he told Sidney Blumenthal, ?we laid down a rule
to the reporters that when they wanted to
establish anonymity they had to lay out ground
rules that if anything the source said was
damaging, false or damaged the credibility of the
newspaper we would identify them. If a man
damages your credibility, why not lay the blame
where it belongs? Whoever was leaking that
information to Novak, Cooper or Judy Miller was
doing it with malice aforethought, trying to set
up a deceptive circumstance. That would
invalidate any promise of confidentiality. You
wouldn't protect a source for telling lies or
using you to mislead your audience. That changes
everything. Any reporter that puts themselves or
a news organization in that position is making a
big mistake.?

Apparently, Sulzberger is furious with Kovach for
these remarks.
(ha ha!)

rest is here
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/arianna-huffington/howell-raines-redux_b_5822.html
From barbarasiomos38 at msn.com  Thu Aug 18 12:43:11 2005
From: barbarasiomos38 at msn.com (Barbara Siomos)
Date: Thu Aug 18 12:46:45 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] A Texas Apology To Cindy Sheehan
Message-ID: <BAY5-DAV176E8AE6D81BC2E25082E3ABB20@phx.gbl>

Nice going Cheeseburger.....  :-))

peace,
barbara

-----Original Message-----
From: Cheeseburger
Sent: Thu, 18 Aug 2005 00:15:44 -0700
To: mb-civic
Subject: [Mb-civic] A Texas Apology To Cindy Sheehan

A Texas Apology To Cindy Sheehan




Dear Cindy,



Sorry.

Sorry about the person who ran down the crosses there on that little dirt
road with all the names of the soldiers who have died in Iraq so far.

Sorry about the 150 people who marched "against Cindy Sheehan" etc.  Their
Pride in certain things continues to supercede their Logic and/or Common
Sense.  They remain, even in their ignorant or willful actions, the kind of
people who are depended upon each time our Government decides to go to War
on the basis of shoelace dust.

Sorry about the guy who drove by in a pickup truck with a big American flag
on it with "Texas Is Bush Country" on the side of the truck.

I have a pickup truck with a big American flag on it (mine is much bigger
than that asshole's), and there is nothing on the side of it.  If there
*was* something on the side of it, it wouldn't be a political slogan for
mass murderers, nor implicating my State of Texas in such horrors, nor would
I be smiling as I rode past with it.

You'll have to forgive (you forgive them, I still consider them cocksuckers)
some Texans for being up in arms against a mother who has lost her son in a
now well-documented illegal war.

Due to their collective IQ's, that is the greatest cause they could come up
with in Texas to "protest" and "be against".

A grieving mother who has lost her son in a war holding up a sign on a dirt
road.

Not *all* Texans are assholes, Cindy.

Please try to remember that when you go back to California and Texans forget
that you ever even existed.

Many of their memories are only as long as the ATM machine, the dinner
table, and a nice cold 12 pack of beer from the fridge.

Again, their "Pride" in "all things military" will continue to supercede
their even brief concern for grieving mothers holding up signs on dirt roads
or even the children they have lost in illegal and illegitimate wars.

They are trained monkeys.

Just like a huge portion of Americans have been thoroughly indoctrinated
from birth to have "Blind Obedience To All Things Authoritarian".

Their respect for "political parties", "political agendas", "all things
authoritarian", or "all things military" will continue to supercede their
humanity, their logic, and their common sense, regardless if you are
standing on the side of a dirt road holding up a sign and grieving your son
or not.

They will always consider themselves as being "Right", in all matters, in
all instances.

And people like me, you, and your son, will remain "The Enemy" to them for
as long as they live.

I again apologize for such a concentration of them in Texas, but Texas has
been a breeding ground for such things since it Statehood in the mid 1800's.

Their main concern is money, power, duty, and military might.

Dead sons and grieving mothers simply do not enter into their picture.

I again apologize for some of those in my State giving you a hard time,
including the shitheels down the road in Crawford.

As you are never going to receive any apologies, nor even just mild
Understanding from any of the Right Wing in America or the Right Wing Media,
one can only hope you receive more apologies from people in other States.

Although we are becoming sparser and sparser, there are still some Real
people left in Texas who do not owe their allegiance to blind faith in mass
murderers nor their Systems.

Those of us Texans who are thusly, extend our warmest welcome to you in your
time of mourning and protest against those who have caused it.

You're always welcome on our front porches, and on our dirt roads, signs and
all.




Best wishes,

Cheeseburger



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From barbarasiomos38 at msn.com  Thu Aug 18 12:47:56 2005
From: barbarasiomos38 at msn.com (Barbara Siomos)
Date: Thu Aug 18 12:51:29 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] BBC E-mail: China-Russia war games under way
Message-ID: <BAY5-DAV9970C59D4081D15978865ABB20@phx.gbl>

Whew!    hope this is not a unity that forms against us.... a bit scary to me.

peace,
barbara

-----Original Message-----
From: Hecate
Sent: Thu, 18 Aug 2005 04:49:28 -0700
To: mb-civic@islandlists.com
Subject: [Mb-civic] BBC E-mail: China-Russia war games under way

Hecate saw this story on BBC News Online and thought you
should see it.

** Message **
Analysts say the two sides are signalling they are prepared to counter US dominance in international affairs. 



** China-Russia war games under way **
Russian and Chinese armed forces have begun their first joint exercises, involving some 10,000 personnel.
< http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/fr/-/2/hi/asia-pacific/4162054.stm >


** BBC Daily E-mail **
Choose the news and sport headlines you want - when you want them, all
in one daily e-mail
< http://www.bbc.co.uk/dailyemail/ >


** Disclaimer **
The BBC is not responsible for the content of this e-mail, and anything written in this e-mail does not necessarily reflect the BBC's views or opinions. Please note that neither the e-mail address nor name of the sender havebeen verified.

If you do not wish to receive such e-mails in the future or want to know more about the BBC's Email a Friend service, please read our frequently asked questions. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/help/4162471.stm

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From ean at sbcglobal.net  Thu Aug 18 12:39:15 2005
From: ean at sbcglobal.net (ean@sbcglobal.net)
Date: Thu Aug 18 12:54:48 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Terror's Greatest Recruitment Tool
Message-ID: <E1E5qPb-0006i3-Fv@smtpauth05.mail.atl.earthlink.net>

Published on Friday, August 12, 2005 by The Nation
Terror's Greatest Recruitment Tool
by Naomi Klein
 http://www.commondreams.org/views05/0812-21.htm

Hussain Osman, one of the men alleged to have participated in 
London's failed bombings on July 21, recently told Italian investigators 
that they prepared for the attacks by watching "films on the war in 
Iraq," La Repubblica reported. "Especially those where women and 
children were being killed and exterminated by British and American 
soldiers...of widows, mothers and daughters that cry."

It has become an article of faith that Britain was vulnerable to terror 
because of its politically correct antiracism. Yet Osman's comments 
suggest that what propelled at least some of the bombers was rage at 
what they saw as extreme racism. And what else can we call the 
belief--so prevalent we barely notice it--that American and European 
lives are worth more than the lives of Arabs and Muslims, so much 
more that their deaths in Iraq are not even counted?

It's not the first time that this kind of raw inequality has bred extremism. 
Sayyid Qutb, the Egyptian writer generally viewed as the intellectual 
architect of radical political Islam, had his ideological epiphany while 
studying in the United States. The puritanical scholar was shocked by 
Colorado's licentious women, it's true, but more significant was Qutb's 
encounter with what he later described as America's "evil and fanatic 
racial discrimination." By coincidence, Qutb arrived in the United States 
in 1948, the year of the creation of the State of Israel. He witnessed an 
America blind to the thousands of Palestinians being made permanent 
refugees by the Zionist project. For Qutb, it wasn't politics, it was an 
assault on his identity: Clearly Americans believed that Arab lives were 
worth far less than those of European Jews. According to Yvonne 
Haddad, a professor of history at Georgetown University, this 
experience "left Qutb with a bitterness he was never able to shake."

When Qutb returned to Egypt he joined the Muslim Brotherhood, 
leading to his next life-changing event: He was arrested, severely 
tortured and convicted of antigovernment conspiracy in an absurd 
show trial. Qutb's political theory was profoundly shaped by torture. Not 
only did he regard his torturers as sub-human, he stretched that 
categorization to include the entire state that ordered this brutality, 
including the practicing Muslims who passively lent their support to 
Nasser's regime.

Qutb's vast category of subhumans allowed his disciples to justify the 
killing of "infidels"--now practically everyone--in the name of Islam. A 
movement for an Islamic state was transformed into a violent ideology 
that would lay the intellectual groundwork for Al Qaeda. In other words, 
so-called Islamist terrorism was "home grown" in the West long before 
the July 7 attacks--from its inception it was the quintessentially modern 
progeny of Colorado's casual racism and Cairo's concentration camps.

Why is it worth digging up this history now? Because the twin sparks 
that ignited Qutb's world-changing rage are currently being doused 
with gasoline: Arabs and Muslims are being debased in torture 
chambers around the world and their deaths are being discounted in 
simultaneous colonial wars, at the same time that graphic digital 
evidence of these losses and humiliations is available to anyone with a 
computer. And once again, this lethal cocktail of racism and torture is 
burning through the veins of angry young men. As Qutb's past and 
Osman's present reveal, it's not our tolerance for multiculturalism that 
fuels terrorism; it's our tolerance for the barbarism committed in our 
name.

Into this explosive environment has stepped Tony Blair, determined to 
sell two of the main causes of terror as its cure. He intends to deport 
more Muslims to countries where they will likely face torture. And he 
will keep fighting wars in which soldiers don't know the names of the 
towns they are leveling. (According to an August 5 Knight Ridder 
report, a Marine sergeant in Iraq recently pumped up his squad by 
telling them that "these will be the good old days, when you 
brought...death and destruction to--what the fuck is this place called?" 
Someone piped in helpfully, "Haqlaniyah.")

Meanwhile, in Britain, there is no shortage of the "evil and fanatic racial 
discrimination" that Qutb denounced. "Of course too there have been 
isolated and unacceptable acts of a racial or religious hatred," Blair 
said before unveiling his terror-fighting plan. "But they have been 
isolated." Isolated? The Islamic Human Rights Commission received 
320 complaints of racist attacks in the wake of the bombings; the 
Monitoring Group has received eighty-three emergency calls; Scotland 
Yard says hate crimes are up 600 percent from this time last year. Not 
that pre-July 7 was anything to brag about: "One in five of Britain's 
ethnic minority voters say that they considered leaving Britain because 
of racial intolerance," according to a Guardian poll in March.

This last statistic shows that the brand of multiculturalism practiced in 
Britain (and France, Germany, Canada...) has little to do with genuine 
equality. It is instead a Faustian bargain, struck between vote-seeking 
politicians and self-appointed community leaders, one that keeps 
ethnic minorities tucked away in state-funded peripheral ghettos while 
the centers of public life remain largely unaffected by the seismic shifts 
in the national ethnic makeup. Nothing exposes the shallowness of this 
alleged tolerance more than the speed with which Muslim communities 
are now being told to "get out" (to quote Tory MP Gerald Howarth) in 
the name of core national values.

The real problem is not too much multiculturalism but too little. If the 
diversity now ghettoized on the margins of Western societies--
geographically and psychologically--were truly allowed to migrate to the 
centers, it might infuse public life in the West with a powerful new 
humanism. If we had deeply multi-ethnic societies, rather than shallow 
multicultural ones, it would be much more difficult for politicians to sign 
deportation orders sending Algerian asylum-seekers to torture, or to 
wage wars in which only the invaders' dead are counted. A society that 
truly lived its values of equality and human rights, at home and abroad, 
would have another benefit too. It would rob terrorists of what has 
always been their greatest recruitment tool: our racism.

? 2005 The Nation


-- 
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From olhippie at tampabay.rr.com  Thu Aug 18 15:24:29 2005
From: olhippie at tampabay.rr.com (Robin McNamara)
Date: Thu Aug 18 15:28:02 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Iran 
Message-ID: <000601c5a443$9a059b70$8a03ca44@CowBox>

New Iranian hardline cabinet.

http://www.voanews.com/english/2005-08-18-voa40.cfm

Peace
Robin






http://lpintop.tripod.com/robinmcnamara
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From harry.sifton at sympatico.ca  Thu Aug 18 17:11:02 2005
From: harry.sifton at sympatico.ca (harry.sifton@sympatico.ca)
Date: Thu Aug 18 17:14:41 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Recommended: "A US CEO makes a bid to run Haiti"
Message-ID: <200508190011.j7J0B2n02858@csm-web01-nbr.emcweb.com>

harry.sifton@sympatico.ca recommends this article from The Christian Science Monitor

FYI

Canada's new Governor General is Haitian.

======================= ADVERTISEMENT ==============================

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and critically endangered species like gorillas and pandas are in
peril. The longer we wait, the more grave the consequences become.
Urge the Senate to address global warming by pasing the Climate
Stewardship act: http://www.care2.com/go/z/23509

==================================================================== 

Click here to read this story online:
http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/0818/p01s02-woam.html

Headline:  A US CEO makes a bid to run Haiti
Byline:  Danna Harman Staff writer of The Christian Science Monitor
Date: 08/18/2005

Dumarsais Simeus, the most successful Haitian-American businessman in 
the US today, is going home to run for president of Haiti.

"I wanted my fellow native sons and daughters of the Artibonite Valley 
to hear it from me first.... I am a candidate for president of Haiti," 
Mr. Simeus, the son of illiterate peasants, announced Wednesday in his 
rural hometown of Pont-Sonde. "Today marks the start of a new beginning 
for our country ... in a time of crisis."

After months of speculation, the CEO of one of the largest black-owned 
businesses in the US told supporters he will start campaigning for the 
November election, the first since Jean-Bertrand Aristide was ousted 
following a violent rebellion in February 2004.

"What a contender!" says James Morrell, director of the Haiti Democracy 
Project in Washington. "Here is the richest and most successful Haitian 
around - running to lead a country where nothing works. This has to 
look awfully good. Here is evidence of someone who can get things done."

But the hurdles ahead are many. Simeus has no political experience, no 
name recognition, and no party in Haiti. Then, there are the worsening 
problems of the hemisphere's poorest nation: The gang violence, 
kidnappings, and other crime now are such that it is unclear whether 
the elections will take place this fall.

Even if the vote goes ahead, under the current interpretation of the 
Constitution, Simeus would be ineligible to run.

Article 135 of the Haitian Constitution states a presidential candidate 
must "be a native-born Haitian and never have renounced Haitian 
nationality," and have resided in the country for five consecutive 
years before the election. Simeus, 65, has taken US citizenship, and 
has been living in the US for 44 years.

But in a phone interview Wednesday, Simeus disagreed: "I don't have 
anything to overcome in terms of the Constitution or getting on the 
ballot. I never renounced my citizenship....My residence has been 
listed here ever since I was born. I have been fortunate to have other 
homes and other citizenships, but I never gave up my Haitian ones."

Simeus, a father of three, is a Howard University graduate with an MBA 
from the University of Chicago, and has held key management positions 
in companies such as Atari, Inc., Rockwell International, Bendix 
Corporation, and PromoCapital, the first investment banking firm in 
Haiti. He served as CEO of TLC Beatrice Foods, a $2 billion 
multinational conglomerate.

Today, he is CEO of Simeus Foods International, Inc. based in 
Mansfield, Texas, the largest minority-owned businesses in that state, 
according to Black Enterprise magazine. It does some $160 million in 
yearly sales to such customers as Denny's, T.G.I. Friday's and Burger 
King. He runs his own foundation, sending money to help poor 
communities in Haiti, and he sits on Florida Gov. Jeb Bush's Haiti Task 
Force. His parents, who once sold a plot of land so as to be able to 
send their eldest of 12 children to college in the US, still live in 
Haiti.

Emmanuel Francois, head of the Washington-based Alliance for Overseas 
Haitians, and a friend of the candidate, says Simeus will challenge the 
current interpretation of the constitution in Haiti's Supreme Court and 
set a precedent for other Haitian-Americans with political ambitions. 
"The Alliance has encouraged him to run. He has the name, the power, 
stamina, desire. He is a man who made a fortune but never forgot his 
roots," says Mr. Francois.

Others note that Haiti is far from a close reader of its own 
Constitution lately. "There is no parliament," says Morrell, "...and a 
permanent electoral commission has not been constituted," he adds. 
"With so many provisions of the constitution already breached, what 
logic would it make to suddenly be a stickler?"

There are an estimated 2 million Haitians living in the US, but 
significantly, they cannot vote in Haiti. "There is a tendency in 
Haiti, to look askance at members of diaspora who come back and 
seemingly throw their weight around," says Robert Maguire, a Haiti 
specialist at Trinity University in Washington. "Mr. Simeus would have 
to find a way around this and build trust."

Moreover, says Mr. Maguire, the country is filled with "political 
wannabes" who see Simeus as a threat and would "do everything they can 
to derail his candidacy." There are already at least half a dozen 
Haitians who have indicated they will run for the presidency in the 
elections.

But it's not certain there will be elections in November. "Adequate 
security, public understanding of the elections, and broad 
participation by those who want to register and vote are essential if 
there are to be fair and free elections," says Alain Deletroz at the 
International Crisis Group (ICG), a Washington think tank. 
"Unfortunately, there is little sign any of these are possible right 
now."

In a report released earlier this month, the ICG suggested that 
elections be postponed. "Empty elections that produce a government with 
little legitimacy could drive Haiti into permanent failed-state status, 
run by drug and criminal networks," it said.

Other observers differ. "Anytime is a good time to hold elections. 
There is no bad time, because whenever you do it - its going to be 
messy," says Simon Fass, author of "Political Economy in Haiti: The 
Drama of Survival." "Everyone is saying you have to have peace before 
you can hold elections - but you need a real government to make peace, 
and to have a government you need elections."

Haiti is one of the poorest nations in the world. It is chronically 
dependent on international aid, along with an estimated $800 million 
sent home annually by Haitians working abroad. An interim government 
and a 7,400-member multinational UN force has been trying to keep order 
in Haiti since Aristide fled the country in 2004 and lawlessness 
engulfed the capital.

But Simeus is undeterred "Running a country like Haiti, which is broke 
and in bankruptcy," he admits, "takes many of the same skills as a 
successful businessman: leadership, knowing how to pick the right 
people to work for you, knowing how to create jobs for people."

He vows to create a "country that can function properly and an 
environment for investment.... I want to be realistic about how long 
this turn around will take. It will take at least a generation, but 
within the first year change will start taking off. We will start the 
rebuilding process."

* Ms. Harman is Latin America bureau chief for the Monitor and USA 
Today.





(c) Copyright 2005 The Christian Science Monitor.  All rights reserved. 

Click here to email this story to a friend: 
http://www.csmonitor.com/cgi-bin/send-story?2005/0818/p01s02-woam.txt

The Christian Science Monitor-- an independent daily newspaper providing context and clarity on national and international news, peoples and cultures, and social trends.  Online at http://www.csmonitor.com

Click here to order a free sample copy of the print edition of the Monitor: 
http://www.csmonitor.com/aboutus/sample_issue.html


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====================================================================

From maxfury at granderiver.net  Fri Aug 19 04:04:40 2005
From: maxfury at granderiver.net (Cheeseburger)
Date: Fri Aug 19 04:06:34 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Cindy Sheehan Leaves Crawford etc.......
Message-ID: <000d01c5a4ad$d07d57a0$4926b7d8@baby1>

Cindy Sheehan Leaves Crawford etc.......



You've by now heard that Cindy Sheehan has left Crawford to go back to
California to be with her mother who has had a stroke.

I won't get into all my conspiracy stuff of CIA, psychic-remote viewing,
telekinesis, or any of the other methods they have of disabling or killing
anyone on the planet almost, but the thought did briefly enter my mind as
the only alternative for removing her presence that the governing psychos of
the most powerful nation on Earth could collectively come up with.

Never underestimate bad people.

:|


On another note, I'd like to certainly know more about the British police
now being exposed along with their story that the Brazilian plumber was
running whatever, the post that blaxill recently put up here.

To even think that someone like the London police etc would catch a profiled
guy walking, subdue him, and =then= shoot him 7 or 8 times in the head
wherever *after* they had him subdued, and *then* make up a cover story,
continues to be nothing short of Indicative of the entire crisis that Earth
continues to face at the hands of Lunatical Mass Murderers posing in the
roles of Leadership and smiling for the cameras of Democracy and Other
incidental theories of order.

Other than that, hey, it's Friday, party hardy........

Cindy Sheehan has left Texas, a Brazilian plumber was just murdered by
London's Finest, and the world is a pile of crap (other than the good
parts).

:|

The problem remains of how to make the good parts stronger than the crappy
parts.

The problem remains also that the people standing in the way of that
happening with all the money, guns, law etc at their command appear to have
been spawned from the devil's anus.

The problem also remains that The People who are governed by, seduced by,
indoctrinated by, manipulated by, and mass murdered by such anus dwellers
still do not have the stomach to retake their own world.

But rather remain in such things as "Democracies" mainly in Their Minds as
The Real World crumbles at their and their childrens' feet.

Concepts are surely powerful.

Never underestimate the cowardice of those too afraid to face the Realities
of their own imprisonment.

They, and the price of oil, continue to keep the state of affairs of this
planet at a constant level of death and destruction.

They are apparently waiting for Mighty Mouse, Underdog, Inspector Gadget, or
Lassie to come to their rescue.

No, stop, Children, don't touch that dial, do not attempt to change the
channel, we want you to grow up just like your parents.

Remember we are all the salt of the earth.

Whatever that means anymore.......

Oh well, regardless of rambilingisticalizationisms, Cindy, thanks for
stopping by in Texas.

Ya'll come back, ya hear........

Bring your little Brazilian friend with you.

:|





Cheeseburger

.

From swiggard at comcast.net  Fri Aug 19 04:29:19 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (William Swiggard)
Date: Fri Aug 19 04:35:09 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Roberts Resisted Women's Rights - Washington Post
Message-ID: <4305C28F.8070809@comcast.net>

<>Roberts Resisted Women's Rights
1982-86 Memos Detail Skepticism

By Amy Goldstein, R. Jeffrey Smith and Jo Becker
Washington Post Staff Writers
Friday, August 19, 2005; Page A01

Supreme Court nominee John G. Roberts Jr. consistently opposed legal and 
legislative attempts to strengthen women's rights during his years as a 
legal adviser in the Reagan White House, disparaging what he called "the 
purported gender gap" and, at one point, questioning "whether 
encouraging homemakers to become lawyers contributes to the common good."

In internal memos, Roberts urged President Ronald Reagan to refrain from 
embracing any form of the proposed Equal Rights Amendment pending in 
Congress; he concluded that some state initiatives to curb workplace 
discrimination against women relied on legal tools that were "highly 
objectionable"; and he said that a controversial legal theory then in 
vogue -- of directing employers to pay women the same as men for jobs of 
"comparable worth" -- was "staggeringly pernicious" and "anti-capitalist."

Roberts's thoughts on what he called "perceived problems" of gender bias 
are contained in a vast batch of documents, released yesterday, that 
provide the clearest, most detailed mosaic so far of his political views 
on dozens of social and legal issues. Senators have said they plan to 
mine his past views on such topics, which could come before the high 
court, when his confirmation hearings begin the day after Labor Day.

Covering a period from 1982 to 1986 -- during his tenure as associate 
counsel to Reagan -- the memos, letters and other writings show that 
Roberts endorsed a speech attacking "four decades of misguided" Supreme 
Court decisions on the role of religion in public life, urged the 
president to hold off saying AIDS could not be transmitted through 
casual contact until more research was done, and argued that promotions 
and firings in the workplace should be based entirely on merit, not 
affirmative action programs.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/18/AR2005081802041.html

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From swiggard at comcast.net  Fri Aug 19 04:31:21 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (William Swiggard)
Date: Fri Aug 19 04:37:10 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] What Democrats Should Be Saying - David Ignatius -
	Washington Post
Message-ID: <4305C309.7000509@comcast.net>

What Democrats Should Be Saying

By David Ignatius
Friday, August 19, 2005; Page A21

This should be the Democrats' moment: The Bush administration is caught 
in an increasingly unpopular war; its plan to revamp Social Security is 
fading into oblivion; its deputy chief of staff is facing a grand jury 
probe. Though the Republicans control both houses of Congress as well as 
the White House, they seem to be suffering from political and 
intellectual exhaustion. They are better at slash-and-burn campaigning 
than governing.

So where are the Democrats amid this GOP disarray? Frankly, they are 
nowhere. They are failing utterly in the role of an opposition party, 
which is to provide a coherent alternative account of how the nation 
might solve its problems. Rather than lead a responsible examination of 
America's strategy for Iraq, they have handed off the debate to a 
distraught mother who is grieving for her lost son. Rather than address 
the nation's long-term fiscal problems, they have decided to play 
politics and let President Bush squirm on the hook of his unpopular plan 
to create private Social Security accounts.

Because they lack coherent plans for how to govern the country, the 
Democrats have become captive of the most shrill voices in the party, 
who seem motivated these days mainly by visceral dislike of George W. 
Bush. Sorry, folks, but loathing is not a strategy -- especially when 
much of the country finds the object of your loathing a likable guy.

The Democrats' problem is partly a lack of strong leadership. Its main 
spokesman on foreign policy has become Sen. Joseph Biden, a man who -- 
how to put this politely? -- seems more impressed with the force of his 
own intellect than an objective evaluation would warrant. Listening to 
Biden, you sense how hungry he is to be president, but you have little 
idea what he would do, other than talk . . . and talk.

The same failing is evident among Democratic spokesmen on economic 
issues. Name a tough problem -- such as energy independence or reform of 
Medicare and Social Security -- and the Democrats are ducking the hard 
choices. That may be understandable as a short-term political strategy: 
Why screw up your chances in the 2006 congressional elections by telling 
people they must make sacrifices? But this approach keeps the Democrats 
part of politics-as-usual, a game the GOP plays better.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/18/AR2005081801645.html?nav=hcmodule

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From swiggard at comcast.net  Fri Aug 19 04:32:57 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (William Swiggard)
Date: Fri Aug 19 04:38:47 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Why Roberts's Views Matter - Edward M. Kennedy -
	Washington Post
Message-ID: <4305C369.8080207@comcast.net>

Why Roberts's Views Matter

By Edward M. Kennedy
Friday, August 19, 2005; Page A21

Before entrusting Judge John G. Roberts with a lifetime position on the 
Supreme Court, the Senate must be able to determine whether he will 
uphold the fundamental principles of our Constitution and laws to 
continue our nation's march of progress or whether he will adopt a 
cramped and contorted view of our Constitution that will turn back the 
clock.

To help us perform our constitutional duty, the Democrats on the Senate 
Judiciary Committee have requested information on 16 of the cases that 
Roberts handled as deputy solicitor general from 1989 to 1993. The 
information in those cases relates directly to his personal views on -- 
and his views on the courts' role in enforcing -- civil rights, 
disability rights, women's rights and other fundamental rights 
guaranteed by laws and the Constitution.

As deputy solicitor general -- the No. 2 job in the office that 
represents the United States in Supreme Court and other federal cases -- 
Roberts represented all the people of the United States, and the people 
are entitled to access his records from that time. The White House knows 
his positions, yet it continues to withhold documents that would help us 
understand his views of key fundamental rights and freedoms.

In an attempt to justify its refusal, the administration relies on a 
letter written by previous solicitors general in a different context 
concerning the public release of memoranda written by career lawyers in 
that office. On its face, the letter does not apply to memoranda written 
by Roberts. Indeed, as Walter Dellinger, a former acting solicitor 
general and one of the signatories of that letter, recently stated, 
"Roberts was writing memos not as a civil service lawyer but as a senior 
political appointee in a policymaking position, and the judgeship at 
stake isn't any federal judgeship but the Supreme Court itself."

<>The records of these 16 cases have become all the more important 
because of publicly released information about Roberts's policy views 
during an earlier time. As a young but high-ranking political appointee 
in the Reagan administration, Roberts was involved in, among other 
things, setting policy on issues of civil rights -- including those as 
fundamental as the right to vote and to be free from discrimination 
based on race, gender, national origin and disability. If Roberts 
continues to hold the views he appears to have expressed in the early 
1980s, then his views on civil rights are out of the mainstream, and the 
people have the right to know that.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/18/AR2005081801641.html?nav=hcmodule 

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From swiggard at comcast.net  Fri Aug 19 04:35:58 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (William Swiggard)
Date: Fri Aug 19 04:41:50 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Settling In for a Long Wait - Charles Krauthammer -
	Washington Post
Message-ID: <4305C41E.5060501@comcast.net>

Settling In for a Long Wait

By Charles Krauthammer
Friday, August 19, 2005; Page A21

The Israeli abandonment of Gaza is a withdrawal of despair. Unlike the 
Oslo concessions of 1993, there is not even the pretense of getting 
anything in return from the Palestinians. Nonetheless, unilateralism is 
both correct and necessary. Israel has no peace partner -- Mahmoud Abbas 
has nothing to offer and has offered nothing -- and in the absence of a 
partner, there is only one logical policy: Rationalize your defensive 
lines and prepare for a long wait.

Gaza was simply a bridge too far: settlements too far-flung and small to 
justify the huge psychological and material cost of defending them. 
Pulling out of Gaza leaves behind the first truly independent 
Palestinian state -- uncontrolled and highly militant, but one from 
which Israel is fenced off.

If Israel can complete its West Bank fence, it will have established a 
stable equilibrium and essentially abolished terrorism as a regular and 
reliable means of attack -- i.e., as a usable strategic weapon. That 
will leave the Palestinians a stark choice: Remain in their state of 
miserable militancy with no prospects of victory or finally accept the 
Jewish state and make a deal.

That is Israel's strategy. There are two problems with it: What about 
the rockets? What about the world?

The first problem is that while the fences do prevent terrorist 
infiltration, they do nothing about rockets. For months Palestinians 
have been firing rockets from Gaza into towns within Israel proper. The 
attacks are momentarily in suspension, but with the enhanced ability to 
smuggle in weapons from Egypt, and with no Israeli patrols looking for 
them, the attacks will resume and get far worse.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/18/AR2005081801646.html?nav=hcmodule

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From swiggard at comcast.net  Fri Aug 19 04:38:11 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (William Swiggard)
Date: Fri Aug 19 04:44:01 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Betrayed in Gaza -  Eugene Robinson - Washington Post
Message-ID: <4305C4A3.3090507@comcast.net>

Betrayed in Gaza

By Eugene Robinson
Friday, August 19, 2005; Page A21

On television, the tumult in the Gaza Strip looks like nothing less than 
a pogrom -- soldiers dragging Jews out of their homes and synagogues for 
immediate, involuntary, permanent relocation. Does it matter that the 
soldiers are Jewish, too? Not to the Jews being hauled away. Does it 
matter that some of the most vociferous protesters don't even live in 
Gaza and are just there to make a point? Not if you remember all the 
Freedom Riders of the civil rights era who came from Massachusetts or 
Michigan, not Mississippi.

What's happening in Gaza is geopolitically and historically correct, and 
when seen from the proper altitude -- high enough that individuals blur 
into groups -- it's morally correct as well. I agree with a succession 
of U.S. presidents that the Israeli settlements in Gaza and the West 
Bank are a roadblock to peace. I'm pleased that the Palestinians are 
joyously reclaiming land that was taken from them in 1967, and I hope 
this is a step toward the viable Palestinian state they deserve. I 
believe the evacuation makes Israel more secure, not less.

In other words, I adhere to the orthodox liberal position on the 
Israeli-Palestinian conflict. It's not a great position, I realize, just 
far better than all the others.

But I can't watch those images from Gaza and ignore the low-altitude 
personal tragedy that's unfolding. Histrionics and political theater 
aside, children are being turned out of their homes. Prime Minister 
Ariel Sharon told the settlers they should blame him, not the soldiers. 
And they should.

They should also blame every one of the many Israeli politicians who 
used them like pawns all those years and now are forsaking them for the 
greater good. They should blame the hawks who encouraged them to move to 
the occupied territories as a way of staking a claim to Greater Israel. 
They should blame the doves who disingenuously allowed them to stay in 
Gaza so that one day they could be used as a bargaining chip.

Yes, they should blame Ariel Sharon and the other leaders who planted 
the dream in their minds, nurtured it, encouraged it to take root and 
grow and blossom -- and then killed it. It was an overzealous dream, a 
foolish dream, a dream so single-minded and devoid of empathy -- this 
land is ours, although we have just arrived; you are usurpers, although 
your great-grandfathers turned this soil -- that it was always 
precarious, a castle made of Gaza sand. Imagine living amid such hatred 
and resentment that you have to sling a loaded Uzi over your shoulder to 
take your family to the beach.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/18/AR2005081801642.html?nav=hcmodule

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From swiggard at comcast.net  Fri Aug 19 04:42:13 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (William Swiggard)
Date: Fri Aug 19 04:48:03 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] What Makes People Gay? - The Boston Globe
Message-ID: <4305C595.3050900@comcast.net>

What Makes People Gay?
The debate has always been that it was either all in the child's 
upbringing or all in the genes. But what if it's something else?

<>By Neil Swidey  |  August 14, 2005 - The Boston Globe

With crystal-blue eyes, wavy hair, and freshly scrubbed faces, the boys 
look as though they stepped out of a Pottery Barn Kids catalog. They are 
7-year-old twins. I'll call them Thomas and Patrick; their parents 
agreed to let me meet the boys as long as I didn't use their real names.

Spend five seconds with them, and there can be no doubt that they are 
identical twins - so identical even they can't tell each other apart in 
photographs. Spend five minutes with them, and their profound 
differences begin to emerge.

Patrick is social, thoughtful, attentive. He repeatedly addresses me by 
name. Thomas is physical, spontaneous, a bit distracted. Just minutes 
after meeting me outside a coffee shop, he punches me in the upper arm, 
yells, "Gray punch buggy!" and then points to a Volkswagen Beetle 
cruising past us. It's a hard punch. They horse around like typical 
brothers, but Patrick's punches are less forceful and his voice is 
higher. Thomas charges at his brother, arms flexed in front of him like 
a mini-bodybuilder. The differences are subtle - they're 7-year-old 
boys, after all - but they are there.

When the twins were 2, Patrick found his mother's shoes. He liked 
wearing them. Thomas tried on his father's once but didn't see the point.

When they were 3, Thomas blurted out that toy guns were his favorite 
things. Patrick piped up that his were the Barbie dolls he discovered at 
day care.

When the twins were 5, Thomas announced he was going to be a monster for 
Halloween. Patrick said he was going to be a princess. Thomas said he 
couldn't do that, because other kids would laugh at him. Patrick seemed 
puzzled. "Then I'll be Batman," he said.

Their mother - intelligent, warm, and open-minded - found herself 
conflicted. She wanted Patrick - whose playmates have always been girls, 
never boys - to be himself, but she worried his feminine behavior would 
expose him to ridicule and pain. She decided to allow him free 
expression at home while setting some limits in public.


http://www.boston.com/news/globe/magazine/articles/2005/08/14/what_makes_people_gay/

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From swiggard at comcast.net  Fri Aug 19 04:45:04 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (William Swiggard)
Date: Fri Aug 19 04:50:53 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Why obesity is winning - Derrick Z. Jackson - The Boston
	Globe
Message-ID: <4305C640.7050201@comcast.net>

<>Why obesity is winning

By Derrick Z. Jackson  |  August 19, 2005 - The Boston Globe

NATIONAL PUBLIC Radio, which Republicans love to flog for ''liberal 
bias," began a discussion this week about gasoline conservation with: 
''When you go to McDonald's or Wendy's, park the car, get out, go in and 
buy your hamburger instead of sitting at the window, letting it idle."

How American. Get out of the car to save gas. I figure if that happened 
on the ''liberal airwaves," it demonstrates how junk-food marketeers 
have conquered the national psyche. This is ironic because the majority 
of major fast-food chains, including McDonald's, Wendy's, Burger King, 
Coca-Cola, Pizza Hut, Domino's, KFC, Taco Bell, and their lobbying arms, 
the National Restaurant Association and the American Beverage 
Association, give the vast majority of their political contributions to 
GOP causes. They are the very causes that keep trying to deep-six NPR 
and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Since 1990, the food and 
beverage industry and its executives have given $247 million to 
Republicans and $110 million to Democrats.

More important, the politicians do the industy's bidding to enact bans 
on obesity lawsuits, defeat or water down attempts to provide healthier 
meals and drinks in schools, and decry any limitations to marketing. The 
National Restaurant Association, with GOP Senators Mitch McConnell of 
Kentucky, Rick Santorum and Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania, and John 
Cornyn of Texas in its pocket, held a press conference in June at which 
NRA president Steven Anderson said food establishments ''should not be 
blamed for issues of personal responsibility and freedom of choice."

The rhetoric of ''choice" is meant to obscure obesity's 112,000 deaths a 
year, according to the Centers for Disease Control. That is nearly three 
times more than the toll from drugs and alcohol. The toll is sure to 
worsen as adult obesity has doubled since 1980 to 30 percent. The direct 
heathcare costs of obesity have zoomed from $52 billion in 1995 to $75 
billion in 2003. The healthcare costs are half that of those attributed 
to smoking, and the gap is closing.

http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2005/08/19/why_obesity_is_winning/

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From activist at democrats.com  Thu Aug 18 16:30:45 2005
From: activist at democrats.com (Democrats.com)
Date: Fri Aug 19 05:51:49 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Vigils for Cindy Sheehan Light up the Nation
Message-ID: <20050818193045.165286@democrats.com>

Report from Camp Casey Vigil

One Mother's Stand by Scott Galindez
http://www.truthout.org/cindy.shtml

Iraq Veteran Aidan Delgado opened the vigil with a heartfelt message: "In victory or defeat the price is the same... A price that can not be measured in dollars or votes but can only be measured in pain... We must make sure it is never paid again until all other means have failed." In the foreground as Aidan spoke was a flag-draped coffin. On the left side of the coffin, Iraq Veteran Hart Viges stood at attention. On the right side, Charlie Anderson in full uniform did the same. 

Iraq Veteran Charlie Anderson then read a poem about his fallen comrades saying that he "sees their faces at least once a day, smiling, laughing, alive." 

Cindy then lit the candles in front of some of the crosses, she lit the one in front of Evan Ashcroft's, Mike Mitchell's, and Casey's along with a few others. Cindy was escorted by Hart Viges, who she said she tried to imagine as being Casey. 

The names of the soldiers who have died since Camp Casey was started were read including Rusty, who was 21 and was a pen pal of a volunteer at Camp Casey. People were then allowed to come and call out a name of someone they knew that died in Iraq. While the names were being read, people lay roses on the flag-draped coffin. 

Cindy then gave a tearful plea to make sure that the rest of the troops come home to cheerful greetings at the airport. She then read the poem written by her daughter: 

A Nation Rocked to Sleep 
By Carly Sheehan 
Sister of Casey KIA 04/04/04 
Sadr City, Baghdad 

Have you ever heard the sound of a mother screaming for her son? 
The torrential rains of a mother's weeping will never be done 
They call him a hero, you should be glad that he's one, but 
Have you ever heard the sound of a mother screaming for her son? 

Have you ever heard the sound of a father holding back his cries? 
He must be brave because his boy died for another man's lies 
The only grief he allows himself are long, deep sighs 
Have you ever heard the sound of a father holding back his cries? 

Have you ever heard the sound of taps played at your brother's grave? 
They say that he died so that the flag will continue to wave 
But I believe he died because they had oil to save 
Have you ever heard the sound of taps played at your brother's grave? 

Have you ever heard the sound of a nation being rocked to sleep? 
The leaders want to keep you numb so the pain won't be so deep 
But if we the people let them continue another mother will weep

Everyone sang Amazing Grace and Aidan Delgado closed by calling for us to "not just mourn ... to live as if we have nothing left to lose and do something to help stop this war."

Did You Go to a Vigil for Cindy Sheehan Last Night? 
Read reports and see photos from around the country, and post your own: 
http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/?q=node/1816 

Do You Remember When Network Anchors Reported Stories on Location? 
Ask them to go to Crawford to witness Cindy making history: 
http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/?q=node/1813 

Urge Bush to Meet with Cindy
http://elandslide.org/elandslide/petition.cfm?campaign=cindy

Urge Congress to Support Barbara Lee's Resolution of Inquiry on the Downing Street Memos
There are now 44 co-sponsors of Barbara Lee's Resolution of Inquiry (H Res 375) on the Downing Street Memos to force Bush to answer Cindy Sheehan's question - why did her son Casey die in Iraq?
http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/?q=node/902 

Email your Congress Member
http://www.democrats.com/peoplesemailnetwork/50 

Meet with your Congress Member
http://democracyforamerica.com/congressionalmeetings 

Urge Congress to Support Rush Holt's Resolution of Inquiry on the Outing of Valerie Plame
There are 76 co-sponsors on Rush Holt's Resolution of Inquiry on the Outing of Valerie Plame. This was a treasonous act by Karl Rove, Scooter Libby, and other top administration officials. After two years of lies, it's time for the administration to tell the truth!
http://www.democrats.com/peoplesemailnetwork/55 

View co-sponsors:
http://tinyurl.com/c3a6b


Contribute to AfterDowningStreet: 
http://elandslide.org/elandslide/edonate.cfm?campaign=ads 

FORWARD THIS EMAIL 

SUBSCRIBE TO GET THESE UPDATES: 
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From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Fri Aug 19 07:44:30 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (mblaxill@yahoo.com)
Date: Fri Aug 19 07:48:15 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] NYTimes.com: What They Did Last Fall
Message-ID: <20050819144430.B1CCE13B748@lax-gw04.mroute.net>

This page was sent to you by: mblaxill@yahoo.com.

OPINION | August 19, 2005
Op-Ed Columnist: What They Did Last Fall
By PAUL KRUGMAN
There was at least as much electoral malfeasance in 2004 as there was in 2000, and the next election may be worse.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/19/opinion/19krugman.html?ex=1125115200&en=9f805ce70e005ff0&ei=5070&emc=eta1




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Copyright 2005 The New York Times Company
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From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Fri Aug 19 07:45:20 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (mblaxill@yahoo.com)
Date: Fri Aug 19 07:48:57 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] NYTimes.com: Rocket Fired at 2 U.S. Navy Ships at Port
	in Jordan
Message-ID: <20050819144520.1C98124AEAD@lax-gw02.mroute.net>

This page was sent to you by: mblaxill@yahoo.com.

INTERNATIONAL / MIDDLE EAST | August 19, 2005
Rocket Fired at 2 U.S. Navy Ships at Port in Jordan
By EDWARD WONG
The first attack on U.S. military ships in the Middle East since 2000 missed, but a Jordanian soldier was killed.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/19/international/middleeast/19cnd-jordan.html?ex=1125115200&en=850434206bad8b00&ei=5070&emc=eta1



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From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Fri Aug 19 07:54:14 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (mblaxill@yahoo.com)
Date: Fri Aug 19 07:57:51 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] NYTimes.com: Like Old Times: U.S. Warns Latin Americans
	Against Leftists
Message-ID: <20050819145414.6EB389FC31@lax-gw05.mroute.net>

This page was sent to you by: mblaxill@yahoo.com.

[Rumsfeld subtext: we don't want democracy in South America if it means Socialism]


INTERNATIONAL / AMERICAS | August 19, 2005
News Analysis: Like Old Times: U.S. Warns Latin Americans Against Leftists
By DAVID S. CLOUD
During stops in Paraguay and Peru, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld warned of what he considered to be troublemaking by President Hugo Chávez of Venezuela and President Fidel Castro of Cuba.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/19/international/americas/19rumsfeld.html?ex=1125115200&en=79f61d06e5508570&ei=5070&emc=eta1



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Times movie reviews have to say about these Oscar
winning films?  
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From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Fri Aug 19 07:58:04 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (mblaxill@yahoo.com)
Date: Fri Aug 19 08:01:41 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] NYTimes.com: Report by E.P.A. Offers Heartening News on
	Summertime Air
Message-ID: <20050819145804.088FE11F8A8@lax-gw07.mroute.net>

This page was sent to you by: mblaxill@yahoo.com.

Pravda? NYC air sure didn't seem cleaner the past few weeks


WASHINGTON | August 19, 2005
Report by E.P.A. Offers Heartening News on Summertime Air
By MICHAEL JANOFSKY
A new report by the Environmental Protection Agency says ozone levels are falling in 19 Eastern states where bad air is common in the summer.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/19/politics/19enviro.html?ex=1125115200&en=dbee7640269760d5&ei=5070&emc=eta1



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one Best Picture.  What did the original New York
Times movie reviews have to say about these Oscar
winning films?  
Go to the Best Pictures review archive:

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From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Fri Aug 19 08:01:56 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (mblaxill@yahoo.com)
Date: Fri Aug 19 08:05:33 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] NYTimes.com: Humanity and the President (6 Letters)
Message-ID: <20050819150156.0C30D13B7ED@lax-gw04.mroute.net>

This page was sent to you by: mblaxill@yahoo.com.

OPINION | August 19, 2005
Humanity and the President (6 Letters)

To the Editor:.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/19/opinion/l19iraq.html?ex=1125115200&en=d195aa4eb0b229a4&ei=5070&emc=eta1




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From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Fri Aug 19 08:08:37 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (mblaxill@yahoo.com)
Date: Fri Aug 19 08:12:21 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Headlines for August 19, 2005
Message-ID: <20050819150837.15753.qmail@trinity.democracynow.org>

Mike Blaxill  ( mblaxill@yahoo.com )
sent you this story from democracynow.org



+--------------------------------------------------------------------+
|  Headlines for August 19, 2005
|  http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=05/08/19/1441247
+--------------------------------------------------------------------+


- Israel Says Withdrawal Nearly Complete
- Settler That Killed 4 Palestinians Calls for Sharon’s Murder
- Republicans Join Calls for Iraq Withdrawal
- Putin Calls for Iraq Withdrawal Timetable
- US Building New Prison in Iraq
- Activists Target Disney for Child, Sweatshop Labor
- Rumsfeld Attacks Hugo Chavez
This story continues at: 
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=05/08/19/1441247

From barbarasiomos38 at msn.com  Fri Aug 19 08:35:12 2005
From: barbarasiomos38 at msn.com (Barbara Siomos)
Date: Fri Aug 19 08:38:49 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Cindy Sheehan Leaves Crawford etc.......
Message-ID: <BAY5-DAV952DE9BCE7B5EE764FD1FABB50@phx.gbl>

Hey Cheese...

I am with you... there very well could be some voodoo going on with the cia etc and Cindys Mom... It would not be the first time something like that happened...

peace and Love to Cindy,
barbara

-----Original Message-----
From: Cheeseburger
Sent: Fri, 19 Aug 2005 04:04:40 -0700
To: mb-civic
Subject: [Mb-civic] Cindy Sheehan Leaves Crawford etc.......

Cindy Sheehan Leaves Crawford etc.......



You've by now heard that Cindy Sheehan has left Crawford to go back to
California to be with her mother who has had a stroke.

I won't get into all my conspiracy stuff of CIA, psychic-remote viewing,
telekinesis, or any of the other methods they have of disabling or killing
anyone on the planet almost, but the thought did briefly enter my mind as
the only alternative for removing her presence that the governing psychos of
the most powerful nation on Earth could collectively come up with.

Never underestimate bad people.

:|


On another note, I'd like to certainly know more about the British police
now being exposed along with their story that the Brazilian plumber was
running whatever, the post that blaxill recently put up here.

To even think that someone like the London police etc would catch a profiled
guy walking, subdue him, and =then= shoot him 7 or 8 times in the head
wherever *after* they had him subdued, and *then* make up a cover story,
continues to be nothing short of Indicative of the entire crisis that Earth
continues to face at the hands of Lunatical Mass Murderers posing in the
roles of Leadership and smiling for the cameras of Democracy and Other
incidental theories of order.

Other than that, hey, it's Friday, party hardy........

Cindy Sheehan has left Texas, a Brazilian plumber was just murdered by
London's Finest, and the world is a pile of crap (other than the good
parts).

:|

The problem remains of how to make the good parts stronger than the crappy
parts.

The problem remains also that the people standing in the way of that
happening with all the money, guns, law etc at their command appear to have
been spawned from the devil's anus.

The problem also remains that The People who are governed by, seduced by,
indoctrinated by, manipulated by, and mass murdered by such anus dwellers
still do not have the stomach to retake their own world.

But rather remain in such things as "Democracies" mainly in Their Minds as
The Real World crumbles at their and their childrens' feet.

Concepts are surely powerful.

Never underestimate the cowardice of those too afraid to face the Realities
of their own imprisonment.

They, and the price of oil, continue to keep the state of affairs of this
planet at a constant level of death and destruction.

They are apparently waiting for Mighty Mouse, Underdog, Inspector Gadget, or
Lassie to come to their rescue.

No, stop, Children, don't touch that dial, do not attempt to change the
channel, we want you to grow up just like your parents.

Remember we are all the salt of the earth.

Whatever that means anymore.......

Oh well, regardless of rambilingisticalizationisms, Cindy, thanks for
stopping by in Texas.

Ya'll come back, ya hear........

Bring your little Brazilian friend with you.

:|





Cheeseburger



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Mb-civic@islandlists.com
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From hecate at diamonddragon.com  Fri Aug 19 10:15:03 2005
From: hecate at diamonddragon.com (Hecate Gould)
Date: Fri Aug 19 10:18:49 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] saturn singing
Message-ID: <QkJYSE5ZVCRaMj48NCosMzM1ODA4OA@Dragon>

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From harperalexander at mail.com  Fri Aug 19 11:09:29 2005
From: harperalexander at mail.com (Alexander Harper)
Date: Fri Aug 19 11:13:07 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Important advice for those of us,
 who realize that we will eventually die
Message-ID: <20050819180930.49F4D4BEAD@ws1-1.us4.outblaze.com>

Good advice from Miles Kington in today's Independent
AB

Miles Kington: Tell them I said something interesting... 

Do not leave your last words to the last moment. Every impromptu should be scripted well in advance 

Published: 19 August 2005 

People often write to ask me how to make sure that their dying words are remembered, and I usually advise them to speak clearly and not mumble. But of course there is more to it than that, so today I am going to explain what you have to do to enter the famous last words league; for heaven's sake pay attention, and try not to die in the middle of the article, in which case it will all be wasted. 

General

It will not have escaped your attention that almost all famous last words were said by people who died a long time ago. Does anyone know what Robin Cook's last words were? Or the last Pope's last words? Can you give me the last words of anyone who died within living memory? I doubt it.

This does not mean that modern people are less witty or pithy. It means either that they are being kept alive in a fog of drugs by officious doctors and gave up the power of speech weeks ago, or that they did say something witty a few weeks ago, and have refused to speak since, hoping those will be their dying words.

Wrong

That is the wrong way to do it. In this age of high-speed communications and obsequious lawyers, there are far more efficient ways of devising good last words and getting them recorded.

Planning

Do not leave everything till the last moment. Do not improvise or busk. In the immortal words of Frankie Howerd, every ad lib and impromptu should be put in the script well in advance. Nevertheless, nobody knows what Frankie Howerd's dying words were. It makes you think, doesn't it, missus ?

Very occasionally people have made a final ad lib which is remembered. Voltaire, on his deathbed, was asked (by a priest, I presume) if he rejected Satan and all his works, and had the wit to say: "This is no time to be making new enemies." He also had the wit to say nothing afterwards, because if he had later said something like "No, not the red pills - the yellow pills!", those would have become his last words, which is what happened to Tallulah Bankhead (whose last words were "Codeine ... bourbon ...")

Registration

What you have to do is decide on your last words and get them witnessed by a solicitor. He will give you a form which starts: "This is the last and final utterance of etc etc ..." Having registered your last words, you are not legally obliged to say them when you are dying; they are now registered as your dying words. Just as you can decide what music you want at your funeral, or who you want your money to go to, you can quite legally choose your last words.

If you wish to ease your doubts by making a tape of you saying the words and having it played at your deathbed, this is also possible, though not necessary.

What to say

Best be pithy. Lord Beaverbrook's last recorded statement was as follows: "This is my final word. It is time for me to become an apprentice once more. I have not settled in which direction. But somewhere, sometime soon." It is sonorous, but total waffle, and far too long. You'd think an old journalist would have subbed it harder. Humphrey Bogart's was better: "I should never have switched from Scotch to Martinis." Pancho Villa's was even better. As the old Mexican leader lay dying and they bent over him to hear a final message, he said: "Tell them I said something interesting."

Back-up

One final thought. It is quite possible that your chosen last words have already been chosen by someone else (the lawyer will do a search for you) so do remember to take along an alternative choice. Perhaps this is what Oscar Wilde did, and that is why he is credited with at least two separate final witticisms: "I shall die as I have lived - beyond my means" and "Either that wallpaper goes or I do."

Final thought

Do not imitate the exquisite timing of the American Civil War soldier, General Sedgwick, whose last words in 1864 were: "They couldn't hit an elephant at this dist ..." 


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From harperalexander at mail.com  Fri Aug 19 13:08:06 2005
From: harperalexander at mail.com (Alexander Harper)
Date: Fri Aug 19 13:11:47 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] US anti-terrorist 'measures'
Message-ID: <20050819200806.B58C08401C@ws1-5.us4.outblaze.com>

I saw this in a Daily Telegraph blog.
AB

Please tick box if you know how to make a bomb
(Filed: 18/08/2005) 

Before Euan Blair took up his job this summer as an intern working for the House of Representatives in Washington, he had to fill out aDS-157 visa form from the American Embassy in Grosvenor Square. 

   
Saddam Hussein: too old for the American anti-terrorist form 

The DS-157 is a special extra anti-terrorist form that asks Euan to give honest answers to questions like "Do you have any specialised skills or training, including firearms, explosives, nuclear, biological or chemical experience?" 

It's a pretty pointless form. If Osama bin Laden or Saddam Hussein were applying for a visa, they'd hardly tick the box marked "Yes - please explain." 

But, in any case, they wouldn't have to. 

The form is only for men aged 16-45 wanting an American visa. Saddam Hussein (b. 1937, Iraq) and Osama (b. 1957, Saudi Arabia) don't have to go through this extra level of American security. Euan Blair (b. 1984, England) and I (b. 1971, England) do. 

This farcical situation - high levels of security for the law-abiding, with zero effect on the obvious suspects - is the norm in America now. 

Critical as the American papers have been of Londonistan and the fact that our suicide bombers were home-grown, where America had to import theirs, the picture isn't too rosy over here either. 

Since September 11, over $15 billion has been spent on homeland security. All that means is that $15 billion worth of bureaucracy has been piled onto day-to-day life, and America remains as open to terrorism as it ever was. 

Every day, a banal new bit of heavy-handed security makes some everyday job unbearable. 

   
Want to post a cuddly toy to your godson in Kent for his birthday? Two days later, back comes the cuddly toy with a picture of an aeroplane and a red cross across it, saying "Surface transportation only - Because of heightened security, the following types of mail may not be sent by air: all domestic mail weighing 16 ounces or more that bears stamps. Please take this mail, in person, to a retail clerk in a post office." 

Suicide bombers in the Gaza Strip? Get all bus-drivers to ask anyone who looks at all bulky round the waist to get off the bus. 

Want to see your accountant in his humdrum office off Times Square? Photo ID please. 

And so it goes on and on. 

The domestic war on terror is entirely unfocussed. It's a flabby, old, moth-eaten security blanket that clogs up the machinery of day-to-day life but does nothing to stop determined bad guys from sashaying through the holes. 

And, precisely because the blanket brings such inconvenience to the innocent, the Homeland Security Department can comfort themselves that they've pulled off a real clampdown. 

Each time another bomb goes off, the innocent cling to the blanket even more. Well, it seems churlish to complain about standing for an hour in queue in a post office to send a cuddly toy to your godson, when others have to go through much worse - like being torn to pieces on the Tube. 

Issuing precise, catch-all prohibitions on the sort of post you're allowed to send, or precise age ranges for extra visas, just means that terrorists work out ways of getting round the restrictions. They develop 15-ounce letter bombs that you are allowed to send by plane. They train adolescents and geriatrics to become suicide bombers. 

   
If security is tightened in one area, terrorists will target another 
It's an extension of the Bolted Windows policy. That is, if you get extra bolts, alarms and shutters for your windows, you don't cut the amount of burglary nationwide; you cut the amount of burglary on your house. Burglars just start to look for the next-door neighbour who leaves his window open. 

There'll always be an open window somewhere in a country as vast as America. If there's a security crackdown on the subway, someone will stick a bomb on a train. And when there's then a security crackdown on trains, they'll start bombing churches. 

You don't stop burglars by bolting windows. You stop burglars by arresting them, or killing them. 

If your burglars are terrorists, you catch them by going to war with them abroad, or by using intelligence to track them down in your own country. You do not catch them or kill them by restricting what they send through the post or what diplomatic forms they fill out. 

When Osama bin Laden drew up the principles of al-Qa'eda in 1988, he envisaged it as "a pioneering vanguard, the spearhead of Islam". 

And its targets have been spearpoints, aimed at targets with different and precise profiles - the World Trade Centre in 1993 and 2001, embassy buildings in Tanzania and Kenya in 1998, the USS Cole in 2000, a nightclub in Bali in 2002, the Madrid overland trains in 2004, the London underground in 2005. 

And spears go through blankets rather easily.

Do you agree/disagree with any of Harry's comments? Let us know at blogfeedback@telegraph.co.uk

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From harperalexander at mail.com  Fri Aug 19 13:14:28 2005
From: harperalexander at mail.com (Alexander Harper)
Date: Fri Aug 19 13:18:06 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Psychopathic Behavior
Message-ID: <20050819201428.4CB6C1F50B1@ws1-2.us4.outblaze.com>

Isn't Wolwowicz polish/jewish or is he polish goy? If he is jewish I suppose you would class him as a 'trusty'.
AB
----- Original Message -----
From: "richard haase" <hotprojects@nyc.rr.com>
To: mb-civic@islandlists.com
Subject: Re: [Mb-civic] Psychopathic Behavior
Date: Thu, 18 Aug 2005 13:49:01 -0400

> 
> including the anti semetism harper
> this was the faction in the us broadly speaking
> that backed hitler etc
> they are only using isreal for their own purposes
> i am a jew in america
> these people hate jews like rat poison
> would absolutely stick us back into the ovens if they could
> oh no this segment is broadly speaking same as the third reich etc
> 
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Alexander Harper" <harperalexander@mail.com>
> To: <mb-civic@islandlists.com>
> Sent: Thursday, August 18, 2005 1:38 PM
> Subject: Re: [Mb-civic] Psychopathic Behavior
> 
> 
> > We don't disagree, actually. Of course he is being used by smarter
> psycopaths. There is no conceivable way that someone of his manifest
> (in)ablity could have reached where he has without a massive leg-up and
> massive, continuing back-up. These guys have much in common with those, who
> ran the 3rd Reich - obviously not the anti-semitism!
> > AB
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "richard haase" <hotprojects@nyc.rr.com>
> > To: mb-civic@islandlists.com
> > Subject: Re: [Mb-civic] Psychopathic Behavior
> > Date: Thu, 18 Aug 2005 12:15:42 -0400
> >
> > >
> > > i dont agree al
> > > i think he is a front man
> > > pure and simple
> > > obviously from that neck of the woods etc
> > > the right wing
> > > but i think hes got habits etc
> > > and they give him his shit and whatever else he wants
> > > and hes happy
> > > and could care less
> > > now maybe that is sociopathic
> > > but i think the active monsters are the ones pulling the strings behind
> him
> > > a la shaw and eliza dolittle on the album cover of my fair lady
> > > ----- Original Message -----
> > > From: "Alexander Harper" <harperalexander@mail.com>
> > > To: <mb-civic@islandlists.com>
> > > Sent: Thursday, August 18, 2005 12:07 PM
> > > Subject: Re: [Mb-civic] Psychopathic Behavior
> > >
> > >
> > > > Thanks, Lyle - that is really interesting and seems spot on. He is not
> the
> > > only world leader, who is basically a frightened psycopath, who has
> never
> > > properly emerged from adolescence. Unfortunately though he leads the
> world's
> > > only hyper-power. Clearly many voters vote for what they recognise in
> > > themselves.
> > > > AlBaraka
> > > >
> > > > From: "Lyle K'ang" <lyve@netzero.com>
> > > > To: mb-civic@islandlists.com
> > > > Subject: [Mb-civic] Psychopathic Behavior
> > > > Date: Thu, 18 Aug 2005 03:52:50 GMT
> > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > Of Course He Is a Psychopath ...
> > > > >
> > > > > A BUZZFLASH READER CONTRIBUTION
> > > > > by Elizabeth
> > > > >
> > > > > ... or a sociopath -- the distinction here is insignificant.
> > > > >
> > > > > I'm a mental health professional and psychopaths are a professional
> > > > > interest of mine. There is little doubt that Bush's is a
> > > > > psychopathic character structure.
> > > > >
> > > > > Another, and I think very appropriate term to describe psychopathy
> > > > > is emotional retardation -- an inability to experience higher
> > > > > emotions expressive of the highest human values (such as empathy
> > > > > and guilt, sympathy, compassion, devotion to common human ideals
> > > > > such as peace, for example, etc.).
> > > > >
> > > > > A psychopath is a person who uses his often considerable
> > > > > intelligence in the service of his primitive drives (think sex,
> > > > > aggression, power). Being fairly bright, he learns, imperfectly, to
> > > > > mimic emotional expressions suggestive of some higher emotions
> > > > > (compassion, for example), but his reactions hardly fool anyone
> > > > > because they ring hollow as there is no truth and authenticity in
> > > > > them. He can use lofty words when needed -- an easy thing for a
> > > > > fairly intelligent psychopath -- but there is no emotional content
> > > > > to them.
> > > > >
> > > > > Just look at Bush's responses whenever he is asked, unscripted,
> > > > > about anything that would require him to express either empathy, or
> > > > > caring and compassion for others, including his own family members.
> > > > > He stammers and stumbles, tries some platitudes or inappropriate
> > > > > jokes, and eventually makes a fool of himself. It is always painful
> > > > > to watch and it clearly demonstrates his emotional retardation.
> > > > >
> > > > > Even most recently, when asked about Cindy Sheehan, he responded by
> > > > > saying "And I think it's important for me to be thoughtful and
> > > > > sensitive to those who have got something to say." He followed it
> > > > > with "I think it's also important for me to go on with my life, to
> > > > > keep a balanced life."
> > > > >
> > > > > This statement in itself is very revealing. First, it sounds like
> > > > > something Bush has just learned to say on advice of his handlers
> > > > > who reminded him to pretend to be human (he *thinks* it is
> > > > > *important* for him to be thoughtful and sensitive ...). Not that
> > > > > he knows what this means, or that any of it resonates emotionally
> > > > > for him, as evidenced by how quickly he closed this statement with
> > > > > a glib reference to, what else, his own need for a "balanced life,"
> > > > > a reference that sounds so incredibly insensitive in this context
> > > > > that it completely invalidates the message intended in his previous
> > > > > sentence.
> > > > >
> > > > > I have no doubt that this emotionally flat and highly inappropriate
> > > > > statement came from the desk of one of his advisors -- which only
> > > > > shows that psychopathic leaders surround themselves with
> > > > > psychopathic handlers who are equally clueless about what it means
> > > > > to be a feeling human being. It's nothing new or surprising -- we
> > > > > have seen it before in the history of the world. But it's
> > > > > horrendously painful to witness.
> > > > >
> > > > > Bush's fumblings with statements that are supposed to express
> > > > > higher human emotions are not a proof that he is unintelligent in
> > > > > the conventional sense (i.e. intellectually impaired). His
> > > > > intelligence appears normal (= average at least) -- but it is the
> > > > > emotional sphere that is so dangerously underdeveloped in him.
> > > > >
> > > > > Notice that typically he does not encounter similar troubles when
> > > > > he talks about what is really close to his proverbial heart (not
> > > > > that he possesses a real one): power. All those swagger-filled
> > > > > threats, gestures of intimidation, and displays of bravado -- often
> > > > > in the most inappropriate contexts ("Shock and Awe," "Mission
> > > > > Accomplished," etc.) -- are further proof that we are dealing with
> > > > > intelligence in the service of primitive drives, combined with
> > > > > emotional hollowness. A.k.a. psychopathy.
> > > > >
> > > > > And while you're right that playing an armchair diagnostician is a
> > > > > task of dubious value sometimes, in case of G.W. Bush the evidence
> > > > > to support the diagnosis of psychopathy (or sociopathy) is just
> > > > > overwhelming and in plain sight for anyone to see. So if the shoe
> > > > > fits ...
> > > > >
> > > > > E.L. Doctorow's essay sums up the core of Bush's psychopathic
> > > > > character so well -- and so painfully for all of us who have
> > > > > retained humanity in our souls.
> > > > >
> > > > > The intelligence in the service of primitive instincts that Bush's
> > > > > actions and words represent; the raw aggressive power, unmitigated
> > > > > by thought or higher feeling; and the surge of compensatory
> > > > > confidence it engenders, are what appeals to a great segment of
> > > > > this -- or any other -- society, especially to its powerless and
> > > > > emotionally underdeveloped members. They rally around their leader,
> > > > > seeing in him both a reflection of themselves and a promise of a
> > > > > "victory" that would release their fears and frustrations, and
> > > > > avenge their sorry, hopeless fate. Of course what they do not
> > > > > realize is that their leader couldn't care less about their fate.
> > > > > To him, his minions are an echo chamber for his words and cannon
> > > > > fodder for his missions.
> > > > >
> > > > > Tragically, as a nation, we will remain in the dark ages as long as
> > > > > we keep choosing psychopaths as our leaders and pretend this is a
> > > > > good thing. And no matter how hard we will try to convince
> > > > > ourselves that what we yearn for are freedom and democracy for all
> > > > > (and whatever other ideals we choose to endorse by our words), our
> > > > > actions -- the choices we make, including our choice of the leader
> > > > > -- will keep telling the rest of the world otherwise. As shameful
> > > > > as it is, the psychopathic Bush represents America to the world.
> > > > >
> > > > > A BUZZFLASH READER CONTRIBUTION
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > Lyle K'ang, MBA/IM
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > _______________________________________________
> > > > > Mb-civic mailing list
> > > > > Mb-civic@islandlists.com
> > > > > http://www.islandlists.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/mb-civic
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > -- ___________________________________________________________
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> > > >
> > > > _______________________________________________
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> > > > Mb-civic@islandlists.com
> > > > http://www.islandlists.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/mb-civic
> > >
> > > _______________________________________________
> > > Mb-civic mailing list
> > > Mb-civic@islandlists.com
> > > http://www.islandlists.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/mb-civic
> >
> >
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> 
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From harperalexander at mail.com  Fri Aug 19 13:36:27 2005
From: harperalexander at mail.com (Alexander Harper)
Date: Fri Aug 19 13:40:05 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Talking to strangers on the London Underground
Message-ID: <20050819203627.64F841F50B3@ws1-2.us4.outblaze.com>

This was penned yesterday by Sathnam Sanghera, a Sikh, who writes for the FT.
AB


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Main page content:
Sathnam Sanghera: Be a devil, say &#8216;hello&#8217;
By Sathnam Sanghera 
Published: August 18 2005 19:31 | Last updated: August 18 2005 19:31

I&#8217;ve found myself doing some pretty embarrassing things in the course of writing this column &#8211; walking around the office in a gorilla suit, for example, hiring an escort for an evening, eating cat food on toast. But last week I did something so cringe-making that the thought of it, even seven days later, turns me puce.

In short, I went up to a complete stranger on the London Underground and wished them a good morning.

Non-Londoners, I realise, may require some context. And this is it: people travelling on public transport in Britain&#8217;s capital don&#8217;t communicate. There&#8217;s no chit-chat. No eye contact. Nothing. As someone (probably on the Evening Standard) once put it, if God wanted people to talk on the Tube, He wouldn&#8217;t have invented the Evening Standard.

So what, you may ask, led me to break this taboo last Friday morning? Well, it all began a few weeks ago, on the first Thursday morning after the failed London bombings, when I woke up, felt a bit frightened and thought: &#8220;Actually, I&#8217;ll cycle to work today,&#8221; and then: &#8220;Actually, I&#8217;ll get the Tube,&#8221; and then: &#8220;Actually, I&#8217;ll cycle.&#8221;

In the end, sheer laziness triumphed and I padded off to my local Underground station. On the train my anxiety turned into something more intense when a nervous-looking man of Asian descent took a seat next to me. He was demonstrating so many of the well-publicised characteristics of the average suicide bomber &#8211; dark complexion, aged 20-35, sweaty, bulky bag &#8211; that at the next station I got off, walked down the platform and joined a carriage at the other end.

Still feeling jittery in my new compartment, I noticed that, standing opposite me now was a City worker looking as anxious as I felt. I thought about smiling at him, but being a Londoner, I didn&#8217;t. But when he got off at the next station, walked down the platform and joined the train at the other end, the strange reality of the situation dawned on me: I was in fact demonstrating many of the well-publicised characteristics of the average suicide bomber and he was terrified of me.

Afterwards, I was briefly furious with him, and then briefly furious with myself, and then curious about what Asian men such as me could do, in this era of fear-inspired carriage- hopping, to stop giving fellow passengers the willies. Obviously, not carrying a large briefcase would help. But would it convince Tube users that we were fully paid-up members of the decadent west if we wore our work passes on our jackets, or carried a copy of Pride and Prejudice, or played the new Foo Fighters album very loudly on our iPods?

In recent weeks I have tried all these things, sometimes in combination, but the suspicious glances have continued. Meanwhile, comments from Asian professionals feeling similarly paranoid haven&#8217;t suggested better solutions: one man admitted on a website that he now lugs his luggage around in a transparent polythene bag; another that he now carries a bottle of wine around, even though he is a teetotaller; and another that he now sports a sticker declaring &#8220;Don&#8217;t freak &#8211; I&#8217;m a Sikh&#8221;.

But it struck me last week, as I read an article in a local newspaper about Dominic Nelder, a 34-year-old teacher running a campaign to improve the atmosphere on the Tube, that I hadn&#8217;t tried an obvious strategy: chat. This is what Dominic has been trying to encourage by spending every day this month travelling on trains, greeting passengers. I caught up with him last Thursday on the Jubilee line. Dressed in a comedy pinstripe suit and sporting a bowler hat inscribed with the message &#8220;Say hello, wave goodbye&#8221;, he wasn&#8217;t hard to miss. &#8220;So far I have received 7,190 responses!&#8221; he declared as he shook my hand. &#8220;I am aiming for 31,000 by August 31!&#8221;

That sounds like a lot, I said. How much time does he spend on the Tube? &#8220;I start at 7am and finish at 8pm.&#8221; Five days a week?! &#8220;No, seven.&#8221; Gosh. And is someone paying him? &#8220;No. I&#8217;m paying for the tickets myself. I wanted to help after the bombs. It would make such a difference to the atmosphere if people said hello.&#8221;

I said I agreed with him, but at the same time the idea of chatting to strangers terrified me. We all know that the only people who try to talk to strangers on the Tube are either drunk, foreign or mad. Even Tony Blair, who in 1999 famously tried to strike up a conversation with a Tube traveller, was rebuffed and left to shuffle awkwardly through his papers.

Dominic replied that he understood the apprehension, but chatting wasn&#8217;t so hard once you started. In fact, he added, as he turned to a stranger, he could demonstrate how easy it was.

At this point Dominic caught the eye of the man next to him and remarked: &#8220;Good afternoon!&#8221;

As I held my breath, never having witnessed such a scene in seven years of Tube travel, the stranger, incredibly, smiled back. It was a lovely moment.

Indeed, Dominic made chat look so easy, and the man in the suit responded so warmly, that I tried it myself the next day. Sidling up to the woman next to me, who, I could tell, had me down as someone fishy, I trilled: &#8220;A very good morning to you!&#8221;

Unfortunately, her reaction wasn&#8217;t quite as generous as Dominic&#8217;s 7,191st response. In fact, she glanced back as if I had just asked her to hold down a baby seal while I clubbed it to death. And then, at the next stop, she got off without comment. I didn&#8217;t see if she joined a carriage at the other end, but cycling to work suddenly felt like an appetising prospect.
 


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From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Fri Aug 19 14:51:29 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (Mike Blaxill)
Date: Fri Aug 19 14:55:08 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Ray McGovern: Can't Make it to Crawford?
Message-ID: <20050819215129.36610.qmail@web53004.mail.yahoo.com>

http://www.tompaine.com/articles/20050819/cant_make_it_to_crawford.php

Can't Make It To Crawford?
Ray McGovern
August 19, 2005


Ray McGovern works for Tell the Word, the
publishing arm of the ecumenical Church of the
Saviour in Washington, DC, and is co-founder of
Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity.?
On Wednesday, he arrived home in Arlington, Va.,
after five days in Crawford, and shared these
remarks with 300 neighbors at the close of a
candlelight observance in honor of Cindy Sheehan
that evening.


President Bush still refuses to meet with Cindy
Sheehan, the Rosa Parks of Crawford, Texas, but
there is some good news.? While Crawford?s Camp
Casey (named after Cindy?s son killed in Iraq on
April 4, 2004) continues to be short on
amenities, a sympathetic neighbor has given the
hundred or so friends I left there on Wednesday a
field in which they can pitch their tents.? No
longer will they have to try to sleep in the
seven-foot wide ditch alongside the road, with
local pick-up trucks and Secret Service SUVs
whizzing by honking reveille at 5:00 a.m.? In
addition, newly donated tarps are providing some
protection from fire ants by night and the
105-degree sun by day.


A rumor ran through the camp that Karl Rove set
loose the fire ants into the ditches in the same
way he has loosed the rabid talk-show-dogs that
have been barking at Cindy.? But it turns out the
ants are indigenous?like other local pests.


Folks ask me what I think Cindy Sheehan and her
devoted supporters need most at Camp Casey.? In
my view, the answer is simple: They have built
it; will you come?? Your bodies are needed on
site to help petition our government for redress
of the grievance of reckless endangerment of the
bodies and the souls of the young men and women
sent off to wage an unnecessary war.


At Riverside Church? in 1967, Dr. Martin Luther
King, Jr. began by quoting a statement by Clergy
and Laymen Concerned About Vietnam: ?A time comes
when silence is betrayal.? Dr. King added, ?That
time has come for us in relation to Vietnam.?


And that time has come for us in relation to
Iraq.? But where are the "Clergy and Laymen
Concerned About Iraq"?? Where are the successors
to Dr. King?? ?There is only us,? says Annie
Dillard, and she is right of course.? We are the
ones we?ve been waiting for.


Dr. King was typically direct: ?We must speak
with all the humility that is appropriate to our
limited vision, but we must speak....there is
such a thing as being too late....Life often
leaves us standing bare, naked, and dejected with
lost opportunity....Over the bleached bones of
numerous civilizations are written the pathetic
words: ?Too late.?


I believe Cindy Sheehan provides prophetic
example for us all.? She let herself be guided by
the spirit within.? President George W. Bush had
said that the sacrifice of our dead soldiers,
including Casey, was ?worth it.?? And earlier
this month he added that it was all in a ?noble
cause.?? Cindy, while giving a talk at a
conference in Dallas, spontaneously asked if
someone would come with her to Crawford, because
she needed to ask the president what it was that
he was describing as a ?noble cause.?? You know
the rest of the story.? The point I would make
here is simply that she was open to the spirit
within, decided to follow its prompting, and did
not hesitate to claim the help she needed.


Cindy used her conference speech to speak out
clearly, as she has been doing for these past
several months, and then she acted.


Is it not time for us?each of us?to be open to
such prompting.? Is it not time for us, amid the
carnage in Iraq, amid a presidentially
promulgated policy permitting torture ?consistent
with military necessity,? amid growing signs of
an attack by Israel and/or the U.S. on Iran?is it
not high time for us to speak...and to act.? How,
in God?s name, can we not act?


Dr. King enjoined his listeners at Riverside
Church to ?seek out every creative means of
protest possible,? in matching actions with our
words.


Not all of us can go to Crawford.? So let?s be
creative.


I wear a T-shirt with a representation of
Arlington West on the front.? At 7:30 AM every
Sunday, Veterans for Peace in the area of Los
Angeles bring white crosses, stars of David and
crescents down to Santa Monica beach as a
poignant reminder of those troops killed in
Iraq.? The crosses, stars and crescents are
arrayed respectfully in lines as hauntingly
straight as those here in our own Arlington
Cemetery.


When, a few months ago, I had the privilege of
helping my veteran colleagues set up Arlington
West, there were 1,600 crosses, stars, crescents
and it took three hours to set them in place.? We
are fast approaching 1,900; I don?t know how long
it takes to emplace them now.? When the veterans
of Arlington West heard of Cindy Sheehan?s
courageous witness in Crawford, they packed up
800 and drove all night to ensure that a large
slice of Arlington West could be emplaced in
newly created Arlington Crawford at Camp Casey.


That?s creative, no?


Here we already have ?Arlington East? to honor
the dead.? But what about the thousands and
thousands of wounded?? Can we be imaginative
enough to discern visually creative ways to
witness to and honor our wounded??? And what
about all those dead Iraqi civilians??collateral
damage,? in military parlance?who, absent the
war,? would be alive today?? The number of
civilian dead was put as high as 100,000 a year
ago.? Our government does not consider Iraqi
casualties worth counting.? Is this a way of
saying that, in our country?s view, Iraqis don?t
count?? Have we become so callous as to ignore,
and thus acquiesce in that?


These are some spontaneous thoughts...the only
suggestions that occur to me this evening
regarding things we might consider doing to walk
the talk.? No doubt, you will have more
imaginative, more creative ideas.? Don?t wait.?
Remember: There is such a thing as being too
late.


The fire ants were not the only pests in
Crawford.?There were a few unfriendly folks who
kept telling us to go to hell.? That brought to
mind the dictum of the 18th century English
statesman and philosopher Edmund Burke: ?The
hottest places in hell are reserved for those
who, in times of crisis, remain neutral.?


Let?s not oblige the pests; I understand that
hell is even hotter than Crawford.
From harry.sifton at sympatico.ca  Fri Aug 19 18:03:57 2005
From: harry.sifton at sympatico.ca (Harold Sifton)
Date: Fri Aug 19 18:07:41 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Australia, torture proofing their men!
Message-ID: <000801c5a523$0defb9a0$5527e440@Harold>

Australia, where men are men, torture proofing their soldiers ! 

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,16320916%255E601,00.html

There is a serious S&M thing going on here!

Join the Australian Military and we will hurt you so much that you can not be hurt by an enemy. We will torture you so much that you are torture proof! 

Ok, that's it, there are monsters in the closet, which side they are on I do not know anymore, but fear is now mankind's demise!

Later, I'm laughing too hard at the idea of watching Australia's military enrolment program.



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From maxfury at granderiver.net  Fri Aug 19 21:02:29 2005
From: maxfury at granderiver.net (Cheeseburger)
Date: Fri Aug 19 21:04:10 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Cindy Sheehan Leaves Crawford etc.......
Message-ID: <001401c5a53b$fcc2b740$2926b7d8@baby1>

Re:  Cindy Sheehan Leaves Crawford etc.......



======
Hey Cheese...
I am with you... there very well could be some voodoo going on with the cia
etc and Cindys Mom... It would not be the first time something like that
happened...
peace and Love to Cindy,
barbara
=========



CheeseComment:


Well, hmmm, it, at least to me, certainly would be a little far-fetched if
the fact that Coretta Scott King just *also* had a stroke as well like
yesterday wasn't staring me in the face.

I just keep seeing Nancy Reagan and her consulting a psychic on
international matters for her hubby the president of "the most powerful
nation on earth" flashing before my eyes.

I'm sure people like Karl Rove have much more interesting friends these
days.

Oh well, no biggie, just another thought amidst coincidences colliding and
psychotic superpowers cowering before womanhood.




Cheeseburger

.

From maxfury at granderiver.net  Fri Aug 19 23:59:54 2005
From: maxfury at granderiver.net (Cheeseburger)
Date: Sat Aug 20 00:45:55 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Cindy Sheehan Leaves Crawford etc.......
Message-ID: <003101c5a554$c558e360$5326b7d8@baby1>

Re:  Cindy Sheehan Leaves Crawford etc.......



I just wanted to add the passing thought that if an Iraqi woman was standing
on a dirt road somewhere in Baghdad somewhere near the "president whatever"
protesting her dead son that had been murdered in this war and people were
beginning to gather to her and camp out, they would have most certainly
beyond any doubt in my mind already been killed by a mortar grenade or
somesuch, the attack attributed to "insurgency", and been listed as so much
more nameless "collateral damage".

And no one in America would have blinked an eye.

Knowing about Texas, about Bush's, about pickup trucks running down crosses
of dead soldiers, about Republicana, and, again, about Texas, I am literally
surprised no one shot her and that she escaped back to California in one
piece, for whatever reason she left.

Other than that, I was just trying to make a sub-point that if something,
anything, bad had happened to Cindy Sheehan out on that dirt road, it would
have been instant international hot news.

But that if it had happened to her equal in Iraq, again, nobody in America
would have blinked an eye.

Even for just a second.


Such glory America has wrought in the dead eyes of innocence.

And still America sits staring straight ahead pretending not to notice.

100,000 dead Iraqi civilian men women and children and counting.

Means absolutely nothing to anyone here.

That should give you an idea of where all this is going no matter how many
Cindy Sheehans show up.

I wish I was wrong more often, it would almost please me especially since
"the news" remains so horrific, but it appears the continued apathy, and
even total support, of America has doomed this play to a tragic ending no
matter what happens.

I'm just repeating, often, things you've perhaps already read somewhere
else, but the determination of this regime to take on more than it can
swallow at the expense of anyone else other than themselves, appears
limitless.

That is sad.  Beyond emotion.

I might have to get my wand out of the closet and dust it off if it keeps
going like this.


Oh well, rambling again, what was I talking about.....?


Oh, yes, that's right, dead Iraqi women and children.


Nevermind....................

It's a futile argument unless Jesus comes back walking on water, and knowing
America, they would have him killed the moment they found him begging door
to door for food and a place to sleep.


Did such people have to learn how to do such things in America, or were they
just born that way.......?

The dead are not talking, and the living have lost interest.

Seek the light for the darkness is everywhere and seeks your soul.

Time to awaken the gods.

Let loose the Kraken................

And there comes Jason riding to the rescue on Pegasus....

Hehe.... oh my, rambling again, where was I.....?

Oh yes, dead Iraqi men women and children almost nobody in all of America
gives a flying fuck about.


Nevermind........


Your childrens' weather for Tomorrow:

---      It's a hard rain's a gonna fall.


Trust no one.





Cheeseburger

.

From activist at democrats.com  Fri Aug 19 20:06:32 2005
From: activist at democrats.com (Democrats.com)
Date: Sat Aug 20 06:21:51 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Families Fill Cindy's Shoes
Message-ID: <20050819230632.103598@democrats.com>

Families Fill Cindy's Shoes

While Cindy cares for her mom in Los Angeles, the military parents who joined Cindy in Crawford held their own press conference today to tell George Bush that they want answers, too.

"Mr. President, we are here outside your ranch, and we are staying here. We Gold Star Families, MFSO and Iraq vets will remain encamped here until you meet with us - because we all deserve answers. Tell us - what exactly is this noble cause?"
- Mimi Evans, whose son is deploying to Iraq within days

Read Crawford Updates here: http://crawfordupdate.blogspot.com/


Urge Bush to Meet with Cindy (and the other parents!)
Bush hopes the American people (and the media!) will lose interest in Cindy. Let's keep the pressure on Bush!
http://elandslide.org/elandslide/petition.cfm?campaign=cindy

Do You Remember When Network Anchors Reported Stories on Location? 
Ask them to go to Crawford to witness Cindy making history:
http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/?q=node/1813 


Tell Us Where Your Representative Stands on Barbara Lee's Resolution of Inquiry

In the past month, many of you have asked your Representative to co-sponsor Barbara Lee's Resolution of Inquiry (H.Res 375) for Congress to investigate the Downing Street Memos.
http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/?q=node/902 

Thanks to your hard work, there are now 44 co-sponsors. 
http://www.house.gov/lee/roi/roi.htm

But what about all the other Representatives? Why haven't they signed on as co-sponsors? Please call your Representative's Washington Office (ask for him/her by name at 202-224-3121, or search by your address on the right side of http://usalone.com ) and ask for the Legislative Aide who handles international issues. Take good notes on your conversation and report back to us here: 

http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/?q=node/1887 


Urge Congress to Support Rush Holt's Resolution of Inquiry on the Outing of Valerie Plame

There are 76 co-sponsors on Rush Holt's Resolution of Inquiry on the Outing of Valerie Plame. This was a treasonous act by Karl Rove, Scooter Libby, and other top administration officials. After two years of lies, it's time for the administration to tell the truth!
http://www.democrats.com/peoplesemailnetwork/55 

View co-sponsors:
http://tinyurl.com/c3a6b


Sign a People's Petition for an Iraq Peace Process

Like Cindy Sheehan, we are tired of waiting for our troops to come home. We are tired of the bloodshed, tired of tax dollar waste, tired of torture cover-ups, tired of contractor scandals, tired of deceit and fabrication.

It is dishonest to admit there were no weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, only to invent new reasons for inflicting mass destruction on that country.

It is dishonorable to fix the facts around the policy.

It is unacceptable to admit that going to war was a mistake, only to claim that the mistake must be perpetuated.

Sign a petition that will be delivered to Congress on September 15, 2005:
http://www.pdamerica.org/


Plan for Massive Anti-War Mobilization in September
September 24-26: End the War on Iraq!
Three Days of Mass Action in Washington, D.C.
www.unitedforpeace.org/fallmobe


Contribute to AfterDowningStreet: 
http://elandslide.org/elandslide/edonate.cfm?campaign=ads 

SUBSCRIBE TO GET THESE UPDATES: 
http://elandslide.org/elandslide/subscribe_module.cfm?campaign=ads 

FORWARD THIS EMAIL 


#####

To unsubscribe from AfterDowningStreet Updates, click here:
http://archive.democrats.com/unsub.cfm?email=mb-civic@islandlists.com&fieldname=L16

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From swiggard at comcast.net  Sat Aug 20 07:59:22 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (William Swiggard)
Date: Sat Aug 20 08:04:37 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Merck Found Liable in Vioxx Case - Washington Post
Message-ID: <4307454A.1070201@comcast.net>

<>Merck Found Liable in Vioxx Case
Texas Jury Awards Widow $253 Million

<>By Marc Kaufman, Washington Post Staff Writer
Saturday, August 20, 2005; Page A01<>

After less than 11 hours of deliberation, a Texas jury yesterday found 
Merck & Co. responsible for the death of a 59-year-old triathlete who 
was taking the company's once-popular painkiller, Vioxx.

The jury hearing the first Vioxx case to go to trial awarded the man's 
widow $253.4 million in punitive and compensatory damages -- a sharp 
rebuke to an industry leader that enjoyed an unusually favorable public 
image before the Vioxx debacle began to unfold one year ago.<>
Plaintiff Carol Ernst, center and her attorneys RandyMoore,left, Ben 
Morelli and Mark Lanier react to the jruy's verdict in her favor in her 
case against Vioxx maker Merck Co. Friday, Aug. 19, 2005, in Angleton, 
Texas. (AP Photo/Pat Sullivan)<>Plaintiff Carol Ernst, center and her 
attorneys RandyMoore,left, Ben Morelli and Mark Lanier react to the 
jruy's verdict in her favor in her case against Vioxx maker Merck Co. 
Friday, Aug. 19, 2005, in Angleton, Texas. (AP Photo/Pat Sullivan) (Pat 
Sullivan - AP)

The quick and punishing jury decision portends a difficult road ahead 
for a company that faces more than 7,500 lawsuits from customers who say 
they have been harmed by the painkiller once widely used by arthritis 
patients. The verdict also comes as the industry and the Food and Drug 
Administration that regulates it are struggling to respond to broad 
criticism that they have not put enough emphasis on the safety of 
prescription drugs.
<>Merck and the FDA have defended their actions in evaluating the 
benefits and risks of Vioxx from before it went on the market in 1999 
until it was withdrawn last September. But a 10 to 2 majority of the 
jury of seven men and five women in a small town south of Houston did 
not agree and rejected Merck's argument that Robert Ernst died of 
clogged arteries rather than a Vioxx-induced heart attack that led to a 
fatal heart rhythm irregularity.

"They know truth, and they know justice," said Mark Lanier, an attorney 
for Ernst's widow, Carol. "Anyone who said they are too 'small-town' or 
won't understand -- they are crazy."
<>Attorneys for Merck said the company will appeal and continue to fight 
other pending suits. As a result of yesterday's jury decision, many more 
are expected to be filed.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/19/AR2005081900256.html?referrer=email 

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From swiggard at comcast.net  Sat Aug 20 08:00:46 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (William Swiggard)
Date: Sat Aug 20 08:05:57 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Soviet Germ Factories Pose New Threat
Message-ID: <4307459E.2080102@comcast.net>

Soviet Germ Factories Pose New Threat
Once Mined for Pathogens in Bioweapons Program, Labs Lack Security

By Joby Warrick, Washington Post Staff Writer
Saturday, August 20, 2005; Page A01

ODESSA, Ukraine -- For 50 years under Soviet rule, nearly everything 
about the Odessa Antiplague Station was a state secret, down to the 
names of the deadly microbes its white-coated workers collected and 
stored in a pair of ordinary freezers.

Cloistered in a squat, gray building at the tip of a rusting shipping 
dock, the station's biologists churned out reports on grave illnesses 
that were mentioned only in code. Anthrax was Disease No. 123, and 
plague, which killed thousands here in the 19th century, was No. 127. 
Each year, researchers added new specimens to their frozen collection 
and shared test results with sister institutes along a network 
controlled by Moscow.
   

Today, the Soviets are gone but the lab is still here, in this Black Sea 
port notorious for its criminal gangs and black markets. It is just one 
of more than 80 similar "antiplague" labs scattered across the former 
Soviet Union, from the turbulent Caucasus to Central Asian republics 
that share borders with Iran and Afghanistan. Each is a repository of 
knowledge, equipment and lethal pathogens that weapons experts have said 
could be useful to bioterrorists.

After decades of operating in the shadows, the labs are beginning to 
shed light on another secret: How the Soviet military co-opted obscure 
civilian institutes into a powerful biological warfare program that 
built weapons for spreading plague and anthrax spores. As they ramped up 
preparations for germ warfare in the 1970s and 1980s, Soviet generals 
mined the labs for raw materials, including highly lethal strains of 
viruses and bacteria that were intended for use in bombs and missiles.

The facilities' hidden role is described in a draft report of a major 
investigation by scholars from the Center for Nonproliferation Studies 
at the Monterey Institute of International Studies. The main conclusions 
of the report, which was provided to The Washington Post, were echoed in 
interviews with current and former U.S. officials familiar with the 
labs. Most scientists who worked in antiplague stations in Soviet times 
knew nothing of their contributions to the weapons program, the report says.


http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/19/AR2005081901507.html
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From swiggard at comcast.net  Sat Aug 20 08:02:30 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (William Swiggard)
Date: Sat Aug 20 08:07:36 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Friend of 9/11 Hijackers Convicted in Germany -
	Washington Post
Message-ID: <43074605.4080805@comcast.net>

Friend of 9/11 Hijackers Convicted in Germany
Moroccan Guilty of Joining Al Qaeda Cell

By Craig Whitlock, Washington Post Foreign Service
Saturday, August 20, 2005; Page A12

BERLIN, Aug. 19 -- A German court on Friday convicted a Moroccan man and 
sentenced him to seven years in prison as a member of the Hamburg cell 
that planned the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the World Trade Center and 
the Pentagon.

But the court found Mounir Motassadeq, 31, not guilty of more than 3,000 
counts of accessory to murder in the attack, ruling that he did not play 
a direct role in the plot.

Mounir Motassadeq was acquitted of helping to plan the 9/11 attacks.

The judge overseeing the Motassadeq retrial, Ernst-Rainer Schudt, 
criticized the U.S. government for refusing to allow the court to 
interview or have access to several captured al Qaeda leaders who could 
have shed light on the inner workings of the Hamburg cell. He also 
accused U.S. authorities of stonewalling requests for information and of 
being uncooperative during the trial.

"The point is, we would have liked to have questioned them ourselves," 
Schudt said of the imprisoned al Qaeda leaders.

The U.S. Justice Department provided the German court with written 
summaries of interrogations of some al Qaeda leaders, including chief 
plotters Ramzi Binalshibh and Khalid Sheik Mohammed. But U.S. officials 
said it would pose a risk to national security to allow the captives, 
who are being held at undisclosed locations, to be cross-examined or 
questioned in greater detail.

German government officials, who have faced criticism for their 
inability to win convictions in other terrorism cases, praised the 
verdict. "A clear signal has been sent of the determination of the state 
in the fight against terrorism," Interior Minister Otto Schily said in a 
statement.


http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/19/AR2005081901557.html?nav=hcmodule
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From swiggard at comcast.net  Sat Aug 20 08:04:18 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (William Swiggard)
Date: Sat Aug 20 08:09:21 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Muslim Converts,
	Meet the FBI - Colbert  King - Washington Post
Message-ID: <43074672.5080408@comcast.net>

Muslim Converts, Meet the FBI

By Colbert I. King
Saturday, August 20, 2005; Page A17

Shortly after the London bombings, it became fashionable for some 
American commentators to cite the alienation of British Muslims as an 
example of a massive failure of assimilation -- a state of affairs, they 
asserted, that is inconceivable in the United States.

Americanization, went their argument, has virtually eliminated teeming 
groups of disaffected Islamic immigrants within our shores.
   
Well, that may be true but it's not the whole truth concerning American 
Muslims.

Islam in the United States is not solely the province of immigrants from 
North Africa, the Middle East and South Asia. The largest and 
fastest-growing ethnic group of American Muslims is African Americans, 
whose estimated numbers range between 1.3 million and 2 million. Most, 
by the way, are Sunni Muslims and not followers of Minister Louis 
Farrakhan's racially exclusive Nation of Islam.

What's more, the group within the African American Muslim community that 
is experiencing the most explosive growth is probably the least 
assimilated: black inmates. Good statistics are hard to come by, but one 
estimate places the number of Muslim converts in prison above 250,000. 
What brings them to Islam? Survival? Acceptance? Rejection of 
Christianity? Spiritual transformation?

One thing for sure: It's not Americanization.

Which gets us to the FBI, converts to Islam and a possible terrorist 
plot in California.

When FBI director Robert S. Mueller III joined us at The Post for lunch 
in June 2002, Muslim converts in prison seemed to be the last folks on 
his mind. At the time, Mueller was preoccupied with discussing the 
bureau's new post-9/11 mandate to detect and foil terrorist actions 
against American targets before they happened.

Not so today.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/19/AR2005081901460.html
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From swiggard at comcast.net  Sat Aug 20 08:06:24 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (William Swiggard)
Date: Sat Aug 20 08:11:32 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Beyond Guantanamo -  Matthew Waxman - Washington Post
Message-ID: <430746F0.8070007@comcast.net>

Beyond Guantanamo

By Matthew Waxman
Saturday, August 20, 2005; Page A17

This month the United States and the government of Afghanistan reached 
an understanding that will allow for the gradual transfer of Afghan 
detainees now held by the Defense Department at Guantanamo Bay and in 
Afghanistan to the control of Afghan authorities. This is not only a 
significant step forward in the U.S.-Afghan security relationship but 
the latest example of how the United States and its coalition partners 
can share the burdens in mitigating the dangers terrorist fighters pose.

Terrorists must be captured and prevented from returning to the global 
battlefield. But it need not -- nor in many cases should it -- be the 
United States that detains them for the long term. All nations that have 
joined forces in the global war on terrorism share responsibility for 
keeping captured terrorists from returning to violence.

American armed forces will continue to capture and detain terrorist 
fighters like the approximately 510 enemy combatants currently at 
Guantanamo. The principle that a state is legally entitled to detain 
enemy fighters until the enemy -- in this case, al Qaeda and its 
affiliates, including the Taliban -- is defeated is not a new one; it is 
deeply rooted in international law. The Geneva Convention, for example, 
reflects the well-established notion that captured enemy fighters can be 
kept off the battlefield until the war is over.

But at the same time, the United States has no interest in holding 
anyone unnecessarily. Besides the moral cost, unnecessary detentions 
would undermine our message of freedom and democracy, which is essential 
to combating violent extremism. And beyond these humanitarian and 
political reasons, detaining anyone unnecessarily would divert valuable 
military resources in the war on terrorism.

To balance these demands, the United States has taken the extraordinary 
step during an ongoing war of instituting individual review processes to 
release detainees assessed as no longer constituting a significant 
threat, and to transfer other detainees to their home countries or other 
countries for possible detention, investigation or prosecution as 
appropriate.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/19/AR2005081901461.html
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From swiggard at comcast.net  Sat Aug 20 08:41:34 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (William Swiggard)
Date: Sat Aug 20 08:46:42 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Un-American about animals - Peter Singer - The Boston
	Globe
Message-ID: <43074F2E.9060903@comcast.net>

Un-American about animals

By Peter Singer  |  August 20, 2005 - The Boston Globe

WHAT COUNTRY has the most advanced animal protection legislation in the 
world? If you guessed the United States, go to the bottom of the class. 
The United States lags far behind all 25 nations of the European Union, 
and most other developed nations as well, such as Switzerland, 
Australia, New Zealand and Canada. To gauge just how far behind the 
United States is, consider these three facts:

Around 10 billion farm animals are killed every year by US meat, egg, 
and dairy industries; the estimated number of animals killed for 
research every year is 20 million to 30 million, a mere 0.3 of that number.

In the United States, there is no federal law governing the welfare of 
animals on the farm. Federal law begins only at the slaughterhouse.

Most states with major animal industries have written into their 
anticruelty laws exemptions for ''common farming practices." If 
something is a common farming practice, it is, according to these 
states, not cruel, and you can't prosecute anyone for doing it.

Together these last two points mean that any common farming practice is 
legal. If you hear farm industry lobbyists trying to tell you that there 
is no problem in the United States because unhappy animals would not be 
productive, ask them how it can be good for a hen to be kept with four 
or five other hens in a cage so small she couldn't stretch her wings 
even if she had the whole cage to herself.

To measure how far ahead other countries are, we can first look at 
British animal protection legislation. British law makes it illegal to 
keep breeding sows in crates that prevent them from walking or turning 
around -- the way in which about four out of every five US sows are 
kept. In Britain, law does not allow veal calves to be denied adequate 
roughage and iron, as is common in the United States to help produce the 
gourmet veal often served in restaurants.

Nevertheless, it is not Britain but Austria that has the most advanced 
animal protection legislation. In May 2004, a proposed law banning the 
chicken ''battery cage" was put to a vote in the Austrian Parliament. It 
passed -- without a single member of Parliament opposing it. Austria has 
banned fur farming and prohibited the use of wild animals in circuses. 
It has also made it illegal to trade in living cats and dogs in stores 
and deems killing an animal for no good reason a criminal offense. Most 
important, every Austrian province must appoint an ''animal lawyer" who 
can initiate court procedures on behalf of animals.

Why are Europeans so far ahead of Americans in protecting animal 
welfare? I doubt that it is because Americans are more tolerant of 
cruelty. In 2002, when the citizens of Florida were given a chance to 
vote on whether sows should be confined for months without ever having 
room to turn around, they voted, by a clear majority, to ban sow crates. 
Most Americans, though, have never had the chance to cast that vote. The 
animal movement in the United States has not succeeded in turning animal 
rights into electoral issues about which voters seek their candidates' 
views.
http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2005/08/20/un_american_about_animals/
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From hecate at diamonddragon.com  Sat Aug 20 09:39:44 2005
From: hecate at diamonddragon.com (hecate@diamonddragon.com)
Date: Sat Aug 20 09:43:25 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Hecate wants you to see this. 
Message-ID: <200508201639.j7KGdiqT019903@server1.truthout.org>



Hecate thought you would like this site.

http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/082005Y.shtml

ApplyRefer v2.3



From hecate at diamonddragon.com  Sat Aug 20 09:44:10 2005
From: hecate at diamonddragon.com (Hecate)
Date: Sat Aug 20 09:47:55 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] BBC E-mail: Secret film of Zimbabwe 'squalor'
Message-ID: <20050820_164410_055253.hecate@diamonddragon.com>

Hecate saw this story on BBC News Online and thought you
should see it.



** Secret film of Zimbabwe 'squalor' **
A secretly-shot film shows the plight of people hit by the slum clearances in Zimbabwe, Amnesty International says.
< http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/fr/-/2/hi/africa/4169386.stm >


** BBC Daily E-mail **
Choose the news and sport headlines you want - when you want them, all
in one daily e-mail
< http://www.bbc.co.uk/dailyemail/ >


** Disclaimer **
The BBC is not responsible for the content of this e-mail, and anything written in this e-mail does not necessarily reflect the BBC's views or opinions. Please note that neither the e-mail address nor name of the sender have?been verified.

If you do not wish to receive such e-mails in the future or want to know more about the BBC's Email a Friend service, please read our frequently asked questions. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/help/4162471.stm

From hecate at diamonddragon.com  Sat Aug 20 09:51:03 2005
From: hecate at diamonddragon.com (Hecate)
Date: Sat Aug 20 09:54:45 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] BBC E-mail: Ecuador's army tackles protesters
Message-ID: <20050820_165103_038042.hecate@diamonddragon.com>

Hecate saw this story on BBC News Online and thought you
should see it.

** Message **
Not all sections of Ecuadorian society have benefited equally from oil revenues. 

The traditionally dominant Spanish-descended elite gained far more than the indigenous peoples, who make up a large proportion of those who live in poverty. 

(Sounds like the USA doesn't it ?)

** Ecuador's army tackles protesters **
Ecuador's army steps up efforts to quell protests that have left dozens injured and slashed oil production.
< http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/fr/-/2/hi/americas/4168070.stm >


** BBC Daily E-mail **
Choose the news and sport headlines you want - when you want them, all
in one daily e-mail
< http://www.bbc.co.uk/dailyemail/ >


** Disclaimer **
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From hecate at diamonddragon.com  Sat Aug 20 09:52:55 2005
From: hecate at diamonddragon.com (Hecate)
Date: Sat Aug 20 09:56:53 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] BBC E-mail: Annan urges Iran to free reporter
Message-ID: <20050820_165255_097598.hecate@diamonddragon.com>

Hecate saw this story on BBC News Online and thought you
should see it.

** Message **
Ganji was jailed in 2000 for a series of reports linking Iranian officials to the murders of dissidents. 



** Annan urges Iran to free reporter **
UN Secretary General Kofi Annan calls on Iran to free a jailed reporter who has been on hunger strike.
< http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/fr/-/2/hi/middle_east/4169182.stm >


** BBC Daily E-mail **
Choose the news and sport headlines you want - when you want them, all
in one daily e-mail
< http://www.bbc.co.uk/dailyemail/ >


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From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Sat Aug 20 10:36:33 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (mblaxill@yahoo.com)
Date: Sat Aug 20 10:40:15 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] NYTimes.com: Debtors in Rush to Bankruptcy as Change
	Nears
Message-ID: <20050820173633.E4C8B9FCAB@lax-gw05.mroute.net>

This page was sent to you by: mblaxill@yahoo.com.

NATIONAL | August 21, 2005
Debtors in Rush to Bankruptcy as Change Nears
By TIMOTHY EGAN
Rushing to beat an October deadline when the biggest overhaul of the bankruptcy law in a quarter century goes into effect, rising numbers of Americans have filed for protection.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/21/national/21bankruptcy.html?ex=1125201600&en=05e6f9377694d7a7&ei=5070&emc=eta1



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From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Sat Aug 20 10:37:49 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (mblaxill@yahoo.com)
Date: Sat Aug 20 10:41:32 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] NYTimes.com: Strike Is Called by Mechanics for Northwest
Message-ID: <20050820173749.903A7249DB8@lax-gw08.mroute.net>

This page was sent to you by: mblaxill@yahoo.com.

BUSINESS | August 20, 2005
Strike Is Called by Mechanics for Northwest
By MICHELINE MAYNARD and JEREMY W. PETERS
Northwest said it would replace any worker who participated in the strike, and vowed to keep flying a full schedule of flights.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/20/business/20northwest.html?ex=1125201600&en=c8184c656e20d063&ei=5070&emc=eta1



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From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Sat Aug 20 10:38:25 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (mblaxill@yahoo.com)
Date: Sat Aug 20 10:42:06 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] NYTimes.com: 18 Tornadoes Hit Wisconsin In One Night
Message-ID: <20050820173825.8795713B6D1@lax-gw04.mroute.net>

This page was sent to you by: mblaxill@yahoo.com.

NATIONAL | August 21, 2005
18 Tornadoes Hit Wisconsin In One Night

Meteorologists believe that 18 tornadoes touched down Thursday night in an area almost 100 miles long.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/21/national/21tornado.html?ex=1125201600&en=17821123345c94ef&ei=5070&emc=eta1



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From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Sat Aug 20 10:52:40 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (mblaxill@yahoo.com)
Date: Sat Aug 20 10:56:20 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] NYTimes.com: Demonstrations Cut Oil Output From Ecuador
Message-ID: <20050820175240.318979FC7B@lax-gw05.mroute.net>

This page was sent to you by: mblaxill@yahoo.com.

INTERNATIONAL / AMERICAS | August 20, 2005
Demonstrations Cut Oil Output From Ecuador
By JUAN FORERO
Days of protests in two provinces of Ecuador have virtually halted state oil production, handing President Alfredo Palacio's government its first major crisis.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/20/international/americas/20ecuador.html?ex=1125201600&en=0b499f565fd997fa&ei=5070&emc=eta1



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From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Sat Aug 20 10:57:03 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (mblaxill@yahoo.com)
Date: Sat Aug 20 11:00:43 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] NYTimes.com: The Oil Effect
Message-ID: <20050820175703.F1C6411F8CB@lax-gw07.mroute.net>

This page was sent to you by: mblaxill@yahoo.com.

more good news


OPINION | August 20, 2005
Editorial: The Oil Effect

With most other prices relatively tame, consumers could weather the energy squeeze if they had a cushion. They don't.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/20/opinion/20sat2.html?ex=1125201600&en=5e321fd7534b1c21&ei=5070&emc=eta1




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From geomilman at milman.com  Sat Aug 20 11:41:35 2005
From: geomilman at milman.com (George R. Milman)
Date: Sat Aug 20 11:45:20 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] U.S. concedes ground to Islamists on Iraqi law - Reuters
Message-ID: <200508201841.j7KIfYhE017656@cerberus.companyv.com>

http://olympics.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=topNews
<http://olympics.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=topNews&storyID=2005
-08-20T152720Z_01_MOL045458_RTRIDST_0_NEWS-IRAQ-DC.XML>
&storyID=2005-08-20T152720Z_01_MOL045458_RTRIDST_0_NEWS-IRAQ-DC.XML

 

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From harry.sifton at sympatico.ca  Sat Aug 20 17:13:08 2005
From: harry.sifton at sympatico.ca (Harold Sifton)
Date: Sat Aug 20 17:16:57 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Montana and the Mad Cow issue
Message-ID: <000801c5a5e5$1e8a6f90$7c27e440@Harold>

The Governor of Montana has all but admitted it is all about free trade, he feels that Canadian cattle exports are driving down the prices of beef and that is a threat to his constituents. He is using the mad cow issue to his constituents gain.Well if Montana Ranchers were better at their work they would not feel threatened. 

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20050820/wl_canada_nm/canada_madcow_montana_c_col;_ylt=AmjnjhgS14LNlWTwDv.bJURp9L4F;_ylu=X3oDMTBiMW04NW9mBHNlYwMlJVRPUCUl

Instead they are taking a protectionist approach!

It is obvious that the Americans have a double standard when it comes to NAFTA and free trade.

Later H

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From michael at intrafi.com  Sat Aug 20 17:30:01 2005
From: michael at intrafi.com (michael@intrafi.com)
Date: Sat Aug 20 17:33:45 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] FT.com / Home UK - Week in Economics: Textiles crisis
	looms large
Message-ID: <21101388.1124584201574.JavaMail.tomcat@localhost>



*Please note, the sender's email address has not been verified.



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From lyve at netzero.net  Sat Aug 20 18:09:59 2005
From: lyve at netzero.net (Lyle K'ang)
Date: Sat Aug 20 18:22:02 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Cindy Sheehan Leaves Crawford etc.......
Message-ID: <20050820.181008.8737.78636@webmail30.nyc.untd.com>

her mother had a heart attack...simple as that-no conspiracy here, just a heart attack.

She will be back-she won't camp in the ditch anymore, then off to the White House to protest.

Why is there doubt here?


Lyle K'ang, MBA/IM 


-- "Cheeseburger" <maxfury@granderiver.net> wrote:
Re:  Cindy Sheehan Leaves Crawford etc.......



I just wanted to add the passing thought that if an Iraqi woman was standing
on a dirt road somewhere in Baghdad somewhere near the "president whatever"
protesting her dead son that had been murdered in this war and people were
beginning to gather to her and camp out, they would have most certainly
beyond any doubt in my mind already been killed by a mortar grenade or
somesuch, the attack attributed to "insurgency", and been listed as so much
more nameless "collateral damage".

And no one in America would have blinked an eye.

Knowing about Texas, about Bush's, about pickup trucks running down crosses
of dead soldiers, about Republicana, and, again, about Texas, I am literally
surprised no one shot her and that she escaped back to California in one
piece, for whatever reason she left.

Other than that, I was just trying to make a sub-point that if something,
anything, bad had happened to Cindy Sheehan out on that dirt road, it would
have been instant international hot news.

But that if it had happened to her equal in Iraq, again, nobody in America
would have blinked an eye.

Even for just a second.


Such glory America has wrought in the dead eyes of innocence.

And still America sits staring straight ahead pretending not to notice.

100,000 dead Iraqi civilian men women and children and counting.

Means absolutely nothing to anyone here.

That should give you an idea of where all this is going no matter how many
Cindy Sheehans show up.

I wish I was wrong more often, it would almost please me especially since
"the news" remains so horrific, but it appears the continued apathy, and
even total support, of America has doomed this play to a tragic ending no
matter what happens.

I'm just repeating, often, things you've perhaps already read somewhere
else, but the determination of this regime to take on more than it can
swallow at the expense of anyone else other than themselves, appears
limitless.

That is sad.  Beyond emotion.

I might have to get my wand out of the closet and dust it off if it keeps
going like this.


Oh well, rambling again, what was I talking about.....?


Oh, yes, that's right, dead Iraqi women and children.


Nevermind....................

It's a futile argument unless Jesus comes back walking on water, and knowing
America, they would have him killed the moment they found him begging door
to door for food and a place to sleep.


Did such people have to learn how to do such things in America, or were they
just born that way.......?

The dead are not talking, and the living have lost interest.

Seek the light for the darkness is everywhere and seeks your soul.

Time to awaken the gods.

Let loose the Kraken................

And there comes Jason riding to the rescue on Pegasus....

Hehe.... oh my, rambling again, where was I.....?

Oh yes, dead Iraqi men women and children almost nobody in all of America
gives a flying fuck about.


Nevermind........


Your childrens' weather for Tomorrow:

---      It's a hard rain's a gonna fall.


Trust no one.





Cheeseburger

.

_______________________________________________
Mb-civic mailing list
Mb-civic@islandlists.com
http://www.islandlists.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/mb-civic


From maxfury at granderiver.net  Sat Aug 20 20:32:53 2005
From: maxfury at granderiver.net (Cheeseburger)
Date: Sat Aug 20 20:52:49 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Cindy Sheehan Leaves Crawford etc.......
Message-ID: <000701c5a601$545ebc40$2c26b7d8@baby1>

Re:  Cindy Sheehan Leaves Crawford etc.......


======
her mother had a heart attack...simple as that-no conspiracy here, just a
heart attack.
She will be back-she won't camp in the ditch anymore, then off to the White
House to protest.  Why is there doubt here?
======


If you're asking why is there "possible doubt" about her mother's "heart
attack" (I heard it was a stroke on the news, one presumes there is a
difference), am I really supposed to sit here and crank out about 5 pages of
information, facts, etc that deal with people falling over dead both
domestically and abroad at the hands of various American and other factions
all throughout history..?  I hope not.

Even you yourself have once remarked that some people believe this might
even be something like a sub-level of Hell itself or something.

Stranger things have indeed happened than one entity or another giving a
family member a stroke to eliminate the presence of someone that is in their
way.

You'll have to at least admit that.

Geez, people like the CIA **ETC** have so many neat weapons, chemicals, etc,
they could ace anyone off the planet by just mildly brushing their skin with
one of several concoctions.

And, now, unless all that stuff about "Directed Energy Weapons" or somesuch
that appeared in the NYTimes, LATimes, Chicago Tribune, etc, describing
things "The Government, Military, Etc" have had for a while which they can
point at anyone and put thoughts into their skull, make the water boil under
their skin, just eavesdrop on them, or make their internal organs go
pitty-pat to whatever rhythm they wish until they explode, is just a bunch
of hooey, we are not dealing with "vast unprovable conspiracy theories" at
play on this planet, but abject reality that vast weapons of mass and
individual destruction remain in the hands of a bunch of Psychotics who
continue to lie that they are "looking out for our best interests" at this
exact moment in time.

Moscow themselves ordered a mere 100,000 of the devices when they finally
came on the market.

So, knowing what I know about this planet, and various people on this
planet, and various weapons on this planet (the ones that are not
permanently stamped Top Security Secret), just from Mainstream Media
newspaper accounts alone over say the last half century, is it really
farfetched to believe that the possibility exists that some of these
mass-murdering creeps would target a little old lady in Pasadena or
somewhere for some obscure reason like her daughter sitting down the road
from the President's ranch building a coalition of resistance to the tyranny
that has existed in America for almost forever...?

To me, personally, not at all.

Sure, it could have just been a "natural occurence" (whatever the fuck that
means in a multi-dimensional existence) as so many other things are presumed
to be the exact same thing, yet that still does not rule out the possibility
of foul play which is *surely* within the reach, capabilities, and will of
so many shitheads at the top of the authoritarian etc pecking order in this
and other countries.

"Why is there doubt here....?"

The reason we remain centered in a pile of shit as far as the affairs and
life conditions for so many people in this world remains that too many
people have never stopped to doubt a g*dd*mn thing to begin with, but just
accepted *everything* at Face Value as it was presented to them on a silver
platter, with compliments of The House of course.

People are so f*cking naive (or forgetful) sometimes it seems when it comes
to the actual
capabilities of destruction that governments, militaries, secret polices etc
possess, and their will to practice their capabilities

There are about 330 Million people in America.  Wouldn't it be nice to be
able to review all the government, military, secret police, etc files that
murderous deadbeats at The Top whose salaries we continue to pay, that have
been stamped Secret, National Security Secret, Top Secret, Etc, and sealed
away for the next 2 gazillion years just to see what they have been up to
all this time as they keep promising everyone that they are looking out for
our best interests honest.......?

Of course it would.

But there are about 329,990,000 who will never see any of it.

Ever.

It is ***FORBIDDEN***.

These people would kill half of us if they had the chance just for the fuck
of it if they could, and you fucking know it.

And they have all the technology etc to easily do it with if they chose to,
and you know that also.

Half of us would die in our sleep and the coroner would put down "Natural
Causes" as the reason, and nobody would ever be the wiser.

Or even doubt.  For a second.

Doubt...........?

In this Day and Age....?

Doubt about anything...?

Knowing who they are, what they can do, what they have done, and what their
actual capabilities are of doing just about anything they want to to anyone
they choose to do it to.....?

Surely you jest.


Ok, but sure, I'll play along, Cindy Sheehan's mom just had a plain old
ordinary stroke, nobody else was involved, there is no conspiracy, and
nobody would attack an old lady in Pasadena to begin with to get rid of her
daughter a mile away from the President's ranch sitting there forming a
coalition of protest against the mighty powers of one of the deadliest
Psychotic regimes ever to run America straight into the ground and hell.

And John Kennedy was shot by a lone gunman from a book depository.

Ok, sure, I'm now seeing how it all ties so neatly together.

Doubt is for suckers.





Cheeseburger

.

From jefbek at mindspring.com  Sat Aug 20 23:12:44 2005
From: jefbek at mindspring.com (Jef Bek)
Date: Sat Aug 20 23:17:33 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Olbermann: Limbaugh "worst person in the world" for his
	Cindy Sheehan quote 
Message-ID: <BF2D696C.E2E%jefbek@mindspring.com>

http://mediamatters.org/items/200508180001

Olbermann: Limbaugh "worst person in the world" for "Cindy Sheehan is just
Bill Burkett" quote


On August 17, MSNBC host Keith Olbermann named nationally syndicated radio
host Rush Limbaugh "today's worst person in the world" for saying on his
August 15 radio show that "Cindy Sheehan is just Bill Burkett. Her story is
nothing more than forged documents. There's nothing about it that's real."
Commenting on Limbaugh's remarks -- which Media Matters noted on August 16
-- Olbermann said, "I guess she made up that dead-son-in-Iraq business! He
[Limbaugh] also referred to her supporters as 'dope-smoking FM types.' I
guess the painkillers wipe out your memory along with your ethics. Rush
Limbaugh, today's worst person in the world!"

>From the August 17 edition of MSNBC's Countdown with Keith Olbermann:


OLBERMANN: First, time for Countdown's list of today's three nominees for
the coveted title of worst person in the world. Nominated at the bronze
level: the wee lads of Gardenstown in coastal Scotland. Police report that
some of them while away the late summer afternoons by going to the cliffs
and throwing rocks at the people who live and drive below. A policeman
warned them, "Playing near cliffs is dangerous, boys." Why did you tell
them, sir?

Also, the fine folks at Austin Community College in Texas. Carl Basham says
he was denied the state residence discount for tuition. He has to pay $2,600
a semester instead of $500 because they say he spent too much time living
out of state. Well, it's true, Carl has been away, serving, he says, two
tours in Iraq.

But the winner -- oh, it's the irrepressible Rush Limbaugh. On the radio, he
said, quote, "Cindy Sheehan is just Bill Burkett. Her story is nothing more
than forged documents. There's nothing about it that's real."

I guess she made up that dead-son-in-Iraq business! He also referred to her
supporters as "dope-smoking FM types." I guess the painkillers wipe out your
memory along with your ethics. Rush Limbaugh, today's worst person in the
world!


From swiggard at comcast.net  Sun Aug 21 07:11:55 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (William Swiggard)
Date: Sun Aug 21 07:17:11 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Sifting Old,
	New Writings For Roberts's Philosophy - Washington Post
Message-ID: <43088BAB.4050902@comcast.net>

Sifting Old, New Writings For Roberts's Philosophy

By R. Jeffrey Smith and Jo Becker
Washington Post Staff Writers
Sunday, August 21, 2005; Page A01

John G. Roberts Jr. was keen to correct a proposed letter for President 
Ronald Reagan's signature that said the federal courts have "earned and 
enjoyed the confidence of the American people . . . for [their] 
impartiality, independence, and fairness."

Then a young White House lawyer, Roberts wrote in 1983 that in reality 
"the federal judiciary has been viewed by the American people with 
active distrust from the very beginning." Other writings by Roberts from 
this period suggest he might just as well have added: "particularly by me."

Just 28 years old, Roberts was part of a cadre of young conservatives 
attracted to work in Washington with the ambition of righting what they 
considered to be a series of judicial errors under liberal governance 
that had helped set the country on a political course they didn't like.

Now President Bush's nominee to replace Sandra Day O'Connor on the 
Supreme Court, Roberts's past writings are being mined for signals about 
his philosophy and how he might rule on cases before the nation's 
highest court. Last week, the bulk of more than 50,000 pages of 
documents from Roberts's tenure in two government jobs was released. The 
documents, dating from 1981 to 1986, offer the most complete view of 
Roberts's thoughts from that period and are the deepest record available 
of his political and legal thinking.

A successful son of the American establishment, Roberts is a top 
graduate of a private midwestern boarding school and one of the nation's 
premier Ivy League universities and sits on the U.S. Court of Appeals 
for the District of Columbia Circuit. But his early political unease 
embraced a broad sweep of American social policy.

On topics such as civil rights, judicial procedure, criminal justice and 
the role of religion in public life, the papers show Roberts not only 
embraced the political ideals of the conservative administration for 
which he worked, but occasionally advocated even more conservative 
solutions than his colleagues.

Behind it all was a deep resentment, shared by many legal conservatives 
at the time, of what they regarded as the judiciary branch's intrusion 
into social affairs best left to politicians. On affirmative action, 
school busing, public school prayer and many other matters, Roberts and 
many others in the administration viewed the courts, particularly at the 
federal level, as out of step with public sentiment, at least as 
expressed by its majority will.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/20/AR2005082001325.html?referrer=email
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From swiggard at comcast.net  Sun Aug 21 07:14:33 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (William Swiggard)
Date: Sun Aug 21 07:19:41 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Refusal to See Sheehan Is Second-Guessed - Washington
	Post
Message-ID: <43088C49.9090109@comcast.net>

Refusal to See Sheehan Is Second-Guessed
A Decision Characteristic of Bush Has the Potential to Be a 
Consequential Act

By Mike Allen
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, August 21, 2005; Page A05

CRAWFORD, Tex., Aug. 20 -- It would have taken half an hour or less, and 
it might have lowered the temperature on a month's worth of searing 
publicity.

When Cindy Sheehan showed up outside President Bush's ranch on the 
fourth full day of his five-week working vacation to talk about a son 
who had been killed in Iraq, he declined to meet with her -- a decision 
that has been widely second-guessed, even by some Republicans. The way 
that choice was made, and the reasons for it, provide a vivid 
illustration of several hallmarks of Bush's style, including his 
insistence on protocol, his concern with precedent, his resistance to 
intrusions and his aversion to hand-wringing.

According to the accounts of several advisers, Bush and his aides 
concluded that it would be a mistake to yield to Sheehan's demand for a 
second meeting with Bush to discuss the death of her son, Casey, who was 
killed in Iraq at the age of 24 last year when his Army battalion was 
attacked with rocket-propelled grenades and small-arms fire. The 
president had made it clear, going back at least to a California 
railroad swing during his 2000 campaign, that he does not care to meet 
with protesters or to reward them.

White House officials maintain that Sheehan may have discredited herself 
with statements about impeachment, her insistence on a withdrawal from 
Iraq, her mixing of her cause with that of the Palestinians, and her 
accusation that Bush "killed" her son. If Sheehan has lost credibility 
with the public, the "peace mom" might turn out to be only a summer 
sensation.

But if Sheehan winds up providing the catalyst for a muscular antiwar 
movement, Bush's handling of the matter will turn out to be not only 
characteristic but also consequential.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/20/AR2005082001046.html?nav=hcmodule
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From swiggard at comcast.net  Sun Aug 21 07:23:52 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (William Swiggard)
Date: Sun Aug 21 07:29:10 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Bird Flu Suspected at Big Russian Farm - Washington Post
Message-ID: <43088E78.6050707@comcast.net>

Bird Flu Suspected at Big Russian Farm
Presence of Deadly Virus, if Verified, Would Be the Nation's Biggest 
Outbreak

By Peter Finn
Washington Post Foreign Service
Sunday, August 21, 2005; Page A15

MOSCOW, Aug. 20 -- Russian officials have quarantined a large poultry 
farm in Siberia because of a suspected outbreak of bird flu, news 
reports said Saturday. If confirmed, it would be the first major 
occurrence of the lethal virus among birds in Russia, and international 
health officials expressed concern that the disease had spread closer to 
Western Europe.

About 142,000 birds are being monitored at a commercial farm in the Omsk 
region of Siberia, 1,400 miles east of Moscow, the Russian news agency 
Interfax reported, quoting a federal agency that tracks the disease. The 
presence of the deadly H5N1 strain of avian influenza was reported last 
month in Siberia, but only among wild birds and free-range chickens on 
small family farms.

Avian influenza has killed at least 61 people in Vietnam, Thailand and 
Cambodia since early last year, mostly farmers and poultry workers in 
close contact with the animals. Millions of birds have been slaughtered 
in Asia in an attempt to control the disease.

The World Health Organization has warned that the viral strain affecting 
chickens, ducks and wild fowl could develop into a form that spreads 
easily among humans, exposing millions of people to the disease. The 
exact means of transmission is unclear, and it is not conclusively known 
whether the disease can be contracted from eating infected poultry.

WHO reported Thursday that the spread of the H5N1 strain in Russia "is 
of concern because it creates further opportunities for human exposure."

Russian officials said there have been no human infections since the 
virus was detected last month.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/20/AR2005082001152.html
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From swiggard at comcast.net  Sun Aug 21 07:26:06 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (William Swiggard)
Date: Sun Aug 21 07:31:14 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] 'I Will Go to Do Jihad Again and Again' - Washington Post
Message-ID: <43088EFE.6010300@comcast.net>

'I Will Go to Do Jihad Again and Again'
Prisoner's Story Highlights Pakistan-Based Training Network for Insurgents

By N.C. Aizenman
Washington Post Foreign Service
Sunday, August 21, 2005; Page A17

KABUL, Afghanistan -- The prisoner perched on a metal chair, hugging his 
knees to his chest and rocking slightly, like a nervous child.

But his expression relaxed into a blissful smile as he described what he 
would do if released from his cell in the headquarters of the national 
intelligence service.

"When I get the chance, I will stick to my promise," said Sher Ali, 28, 
a Pakistani man with cropped black hair and a long beard. "I will go to 
do jihad again and again."

Ali said he took his vow to wage holy war against U.S. forces in 
Afghanistan earlier this summer, just before embarking on what he 
described as a 20-day weapons training course at a secret mountain camp 
in northeastern Pakistan.

He was captured by Afghan police about three weeks ago, shortly after 
crossing into Afghanistan's rugged, northeastern Konar province. The 
area has been a haven for armed renegades from an assortment of groups, 
including al Qaeda, the Taliban and backers of former Afghan leader 
Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, who is now a fugitive.

Over the last several months, insurgents have killed hundreds of people 
in Afghanistan, including aid workers, religious and tribal leaders, 
government officials, and Afghan and U.S. troops, many in ambushes and 
bombings apparently aimed at derailing parliamentary elections scheduled 
for Sept. 18.

American and Afghan forces have countered with an aggressive effort to 
flush the fighters from their remote mountain hideouts, killing several 
hundred in operations in border provinces from Konar in the north to 
Kandahar in the south. They have also taken several hundred suspected 
insurgents prisoner and allowed a few to speak to journalists.

Ali's story, which could not be verified independently, offered a 
glimpse of what Afghan authorities charge is a shadowy Pakistani network 
that continues to fuel the insurgency with fresh recruits as fast as 
U.S. and Afghan forces kill or capture their predecessors.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/20/AR2005082001002.html?nav=hcmodule
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From swiggard at comcast.net  Sun Aug 21 07:28:05 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (William Swiggard)
Date: Sun Aug 21 07:33:15 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Call It a Day - Andrew J. Bacevich - Washington Post
Message-ID: <43088F75.5080800@comcast.net>

Call It a Day
We've Done All We Can Do in Iraq

By Andrew J. Bacevich
Sunday, August 21, 2005; Page B01

The banner decorating the USS Abraham Lincoln on May 1, 2003, when 
President Bush announced an end to "major combat operations" in Iraq, 
turns out to have been accurate after all. If only the president himself 
had taken to heart the banner's proclamation of "Mission Accomplished." 
For by that date, having deposed Saddam Hussein, the United States had 
achieved in Iraq just about all that it has the capacity to achieve. The 
time has come for Bush to dig the banner out of the closet, drape it 
across the front of the White House and make it the basis for policy 
instead of continuing under the inglorious banner of "Mission Impossible."

Ironically, ever since the presidential victory lap of two years ago, 
the Bush administration has been in the forefront of those insisting 
that the U.S. mission in Iraq is not accomplished -- that there is ever 
so much more that the United States can and must do on behalf of the 
Iraqi people. Hence the grandiose U.S. promises of reconstruction, 
economic and political reform, and nation-building.

The chief effect of efforts to fulfill these promises has been to 
convert a short, economical and purportedly glorious war into a long, 
costly and debilitating one.

Moreover, senior U.S. military leaders have increasingly concluded that 
the long war is an unwinnable one. "[T]his insurgency is not going to be 
settled, the terrorists and the terrorism in Iraq is not going to be 
settled, through military options or military operations," Brig. Gen. 
Donald Alston, the chief U.S. military spokesman in Baghdad, 
acknowledged earlier this summer. "It's going to be settled in the 
political process." However self-serving it may be -- the military's 
eagerness to offload responsibility for the course of events in Iraq has 
become palpable of late -- Alston's analysis is correct.

Alas, the Bush administration adamantly insists that any such political 
process can only proceed with constant American coaching and oversight. 
Underlying this insistence is the assumption, seldom voiced openly, that 
the Iraqi people are incapable of managing their own affairs. They need us.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/20/AR2005082000114.html?nav=hcmodule
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From swiggard at comcast.net  Sun Aug 21 07:30:11 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (William Swiggard)
Date: Sun Aug 21 07:35:28 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] The fallout from one mom's voice - Ellen Goodman - The
	Boston Globe
Message-ID: <43088FF3.7080200@comcast.net>

The fallout from one mom's voice

By Ellen Goodman  |  August 21, 2005

THE HEADLINE this morning labels her ''peace mom." It's a moniker that 
simultaneously personalizes and trivializes the lanky woman with the 
high-pitched voice who has been camping out in Crawford, Texas. It's a 
shorthand that both grants and diminishes her authority to speak out 
against the war, a moral authority won the hardest way possible, through 
the loss of her child.

We are now ending Week Two at Camp Casey. The August phenomenon of 2005 
is not shark bites or missing women, but a mother who showed up at the 
president's vacation doorstep. Cindy Sheehan came impulsively, 
intemperately to ask the president of the United States why he ''killed" 
the ''sweet boy" whose brief life span is tattooed on her left ankle: 
''Casey '79-'04."

If Week One was the Making of a Celebrity with dawn-to-dusk coverage, 
Week Two brought the backlash and the bloggers. Conservative cable kings 
like Bill O'Reilly proved that not even the death of a child grants you 
immunity from attack. Iconoclast Christopher Hitchens took her on with a 
glee he once reserved for Mother Teresa.

In Week One, antiwar groups found a face for their cause and promoted 
Cindy dot-orgs and meet-ups and vigils. In Week Two, prowar supporters 
have tried to make the war protest all about Cindy. She was dubbed the 
''Poster Child for Surrender" and ''America's Most Embarrassing Mother." 
But, in fact, this woman with a reckless courage born of grief and anger 
-- ''I'm not afraid of anything since my son was killed" -- directs her 
challenge to the ''swing voters" of this war. She presents a different 
image to those uneasy Americans who have so far held their tongues and 
their doubts out of respect to the war dead and their families.

The activism of ''peace mom" has not made peace in her family. She and 
her husband grieved in different ways until the announcement: ''Husband 
of 'Peace Mom' Sues for Divorce." Aunts and uncles on the prowar side of 
the family criticized her for ''promoting her own personal agenda and 
notoriety at the expense of her son's good name and reputation."

Indeed, there's no way to know what Casey Sheehan would say about peace 
or mom. An altar boy who wanted to be a military chaplain's assistant, 
he ended up a Humvee mechanic and died rescuing injured soldiers. But 
the split in his family now echoes a split in the American family over 
how you pay homage to the fallen. Like the mom of fallen Army Spc. 
Wilfredo Urbina who wants success ''so all this pain will be worth it"? 
Or like Cindy Sheehan, who tells the president not ''to use my son's 
name or my name to justify any more killings"?

This war was sold to the public as a matter of self-defense against 
weapons of mass destruction. But the WMDs never appeared.

Next we were told that Iraq was the front line in the war against 
terrorists: ''better there than here." But evidence shows that the vast 
majority of the foreign fighters are not relocated terrorists but new 
recruits radicalized by the war itself. More recently, we were told to 
''stay the course" to ensure democracy in Iraq. But as Iraqis wrangle 
over a constitution that may not look anything like ours, the list of 
rationales gets shorter and the support for the war gets weaker.

Taken altogether, the polls show a majority of Americans now believe 
that it was a mistake to send troops to war, that the results are not 
worth the loss of American life, and that the war has not made us safer.
http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2005/08/21/the_fallout_from_one_moms_voice/
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From swiggard at comcast.net  Sun Aug 21 07:32:15 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (William Swiggard)
Date: Sun Aug 21 07:37:24 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Disturbing news on the economy - Thomas Oliphant - The
	Boston Globe
Message-ID: <4308906F.5080106@comcast.net>

Disturbing news on the economy

By Thomas Oliphant, Globe Columnist  |  August 21, 2005

WASHINGTON
FOR MORE than a year, hard-pressed Americans have been trying to signal 
the political establishment that something is upside-down wrong in an 
economy that is producing soaring costs and flat incomes. Given the 
blinders associated with his fervent ideology, President Bush's deaf ear 
is expected and unremarkable.

It's progressive politicians who should be paying more attention. More 
than a hundred years ago, Charles Dickens's cockeyed optimist, Wilkins 
Micawber, explained to David Copperfield that the difference between 
happiness and misery involves the positive or negative difference 
between income and expenses.

The signal coming from working Americans (and retired ones, too) has 
been precisely that. As the government confirmed once again last week, 
rising costs have outpaced stagnant wages in ten of the last 12 months. 
The only positive news was recorded last September and in June. But that 
was overwhelmed by the trend that has eroded the value of the ordinary 
paycheck. As almost always happens in such spirals, the problem involves 
wages and prices. The former are as close to stagnant as it's possible 
to get; these days, a 2 percent raise is heralded as generous and the 
employee who gets one is considered lucky.

It's the prices people pay, especially for necessities, that have 
exploded. For more than a year, the cost of gasoline and heating oil has 
been soaring. And for five years, the cost of healthcare has been 
exploding, too, even as the value of what care people can buy has been 
eroded via sharp increases in deductibles and copayments.

The United States has a gigantic economy, as well as a famously mixed 
one. For those who simply follow the numbers, it can often seem as if 
good news about living costs in some sectors (clothing, food, mortgage 
rates) neatly balances the bad news from energy and healthcare.

Last month, however, the underlying trend of paycheck erosion became 
harder to ignore when the Labor Department reported that consumer prices 
shot up by 0.5 percent in July overall, after giving effect to areas of 
the economy where costs are more nearly under control.

What is worse, the Labor Department reported that the average weekly 
earnings of people in the private sector who are not bosses fell during 
July by 0.2 percent.

If that were one month's statistical anomaly, that would be one thing, 
but it is a continuation of a trend that Americans have been feeling for 
a long time. The weekly earning data that the government collects 
involves roughly four out of every five participants in the labor force. 
Last year, for the first time in a decade since the US was emerging from 
a much different set of problems, the weekly earnings news after 
adjustment for inflation was negative.
http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2005/08/21/disturbing_news_on_the_economy/
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From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Sun Aug 21 09:09:00 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (mblaxill@yahoo.com)
Date: Sun Aug 21 09:12:52 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] NYTimes.com: The Swift Boating of Cindy Sheehan
Message-ID: <20050821160900.55A08A1056@lax-gw09.mroute.net>

This page was sent to you by: mblaxill@yahoo.com.

OPINION | August 21, 2005
Op-Ed Columnist: The Swift Boating of Cindy Sheehan
By FRANK RICH
The failure of the smear campaign against Cindy Sheehan is yet another historical marker in the collapse of support for the Iraq war.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/21/opinion/21rich.html?ex=1125288000&en=03d9158a477a6fb6&ei=5070&emc=eta1




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From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Sun Aug 21 09:09:34 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (mblaxill@yahoo.com)
Date: Sun Aug 21 09:13:17 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] NYTimes.com: Sick and Scared, and Waiting, Waiting,
	Waiting
Message-ID: <20050821160934.A55D39FD78@lax-gw05.mroute.net>

This page was sent to you by: mblaxill@yahoo.com.

HEALTH | August 20, 2005
Being a Patient: Sick and Scared, and Waiting, Waiting, Waiting
By GINA KOLATA
Waiting has long been part of medicine, but health care researchers say the problem has only gotten worse.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/20/health/20waiting.html?ex=1125288000&en=7bee136cd17588a9&ei=5070&emc=eta1



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From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Sun Aug 21 09:11:05 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (mblaxill@yahoo.com)
Date: Sun Aug 21 09:14:52 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] NYTimes.com: The Breaking Point
Message-ID: <20050821161105.DDF45A106B@lax-gw09.mroute.net>

This page was sent to you by: mblaxill@yahoo.com.

MAGAZINE | August 21, 2005
The Breaking Point
By PETER MAASS
The Saudis say they can supply all our oil needs. Critics say that that is becoming impossible. They just might turn out to be right.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/21/magazine/21OIL.html?ex=1125288000&en=7edc308a0d7372bc&ei=5070&emc=eta1



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one Best Picture.  What did the original New York
Times movie reviews have to say about these Oscar
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From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Sun Aug 21 09:12:25 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (mblaxill@yahoo.com)
Date: Sun Aug 21 09:16:09 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] NYTimes.com: U.S. Trade Pact Divides the Central
	Americans, With Farmers and Others Fearful
Message-ID: <20050821161225.085C6249E88@lax-gw08.mroute.net>

This page was sent to you by: mblaxill@yahoo.com.

INTERNATIONAL / AMERICAS | August 21, 2005
U.S. Trade Pact Divides the Central Americans, With Farmers and Others Fearful
By JAMES C. McKINLEY Jr.
If the Central America Free Trade Agreement is approved, small farmers say they will be wiped out. If it is not, manufacturers say they may move to another country.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/21/international/americas/21cafta.html?ex=1125288000&en=773e95c3db2e6b4c&ei=5070&emc=eta1



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one Best Picture.  What did the original New York
Times movie reviews have to say about these Oscar
winning films?  
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From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Sun Aug 21 09:15:52 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (mblaxill@yahoo.com)
Date: Sun Aug 21 09:19:39 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] NYTimes.com: Bush Begins 5 - Day Push to Defend Iraq War
Message-ID: <20050821161552.B027211FA6C@lax-gw07.mroute.net>

This page was sent to you by: mblaxill@yahoo.com.

um, terraists..um our childrens free..um..um..smoke em outta their holes


NATIONAL | August 21, 2005
Bush Begins 5 - Day Push to Defend Iraq War
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
CRAWFORD, Texas (AP) -- With anti-war protesters continuing their vigil outside President Bush's ranch, the commander in chief began a five-day push Saturday to tell Americans why he thinks U.S. troops must continue the fight in Iraq.
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/national/AP-Bush.html?ex=1125288000&en=d71b5c27a161495a&ei=5070&emc=eta1



----------------- Advertisement --------------------------

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one Best Picture.  What did the original New York
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From hecate at diamonddragon.com  Sun Aug 21 11:30:03 2005
From: hecate at diamonddragon.com (Hecate)
Date: Sun Aug 21 11:33:49 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] BBC E-mail: Col Gaddafi invites Bush to Libya
Message-ID: <20050821_183002_099515.hecate@diamonddragon.com>

Hecate saw this story on BBC News Online and thought you
should see it.

** Message **
Col Gaddafi's son Seif al-Islam Gaddafi said any possible past human rights violations in his country should be investigated. 

Speaking on the al-Jazeera television network, he called on Libyans living abroad to return home, saying past injustices would be compensated. 


** Col Gaddafi invites Bush to Libya **
Libya's Colonel Muammar Gaddafi invites President Bush to visit his country, a visiting US senator says.
< http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/fr/-/2/hi/africa/4170168.stm >


** BBC Daily E-mail **
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The BBC is not responsible for the content of this e-mail, and anything written in this e-mail does not necessarily reflect the BBC's views or opinions. Please note that neither the e-mail address nor name of the sender have?been verified.

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From hecate at diamonddragon.com  Sun Aug 21 11:33:11 2005
From: hecate at diamonddragon.com (Hecate)
Date: Sun Aug 21 11:36:56 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] BBC E-mail: World Bank offers India $9bn loan
Message-ID: <20050821_183311_091687.hecate@diamonddragon.com>

Hecate saw this story on BBC News Online and thought you
should see it.

** Message **
Although India is one of the world's fastest growing economies, millions of people live on less than $1 a day. 

** World Bank offers India $9bn loan **
The World Bank sets aside $9bn for India over the next three years to help finance development in rural areas.
< http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/fr/-/2/hi/business/4170612.stm >


** BBC Daily E-mail **
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< http://www.bbc.co.uk/dailyemail/ >


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From hecate at diamonddragon.com  Sun Aug 21 11:34:53 2005
From: hecate at diamonddragon.com (Hecate)
Date: Sun Aug 21 11:38:38 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] BBC E-mail: Women 'take back seat' in science
Message-ID: <20050821_183453_061942.hecate@diamonddragon.com>

Hecate saw this story on BBC News Online and thought you
should see it.

** Message **
"There is still a lot of covert and overt hostility on American campuses," she said. "Some of it is outright illegal behaviour, but most of it is subtle. It makes women feel undervalued and not respected." 



** Women 'take back seat' in science **
The path for women in science remains a "difficult trek", according to group of female researchers.
< http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/fr/-/2/hi/science/nature/4163248.stm >


** BBC Daily E-mail **
Choose the news and sport headlines you want - when you want them, all
in one daily e-mail
< http://www.bbc.co.uk/dailyemail/ >


** Disclaimer **
The BBC is not responsible for the content of this e-mail, and anything written in this e-mail does not necessarily reflect the BBC's views or opinions. Please note that neither the e-mail address nor name of the sender have?been verified.

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From olhippie at tampabay.rr.com  Sun Aug 21 17:37:42 2005
From: olhippie at tampabay.rr.com (Robin McNamara)
Date: Sun Aug 21 17:41:22 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Iran
Message-ID: <000601c5a6b1$b52992b0$8a03ca44@CowBox>

I tend to believe that Iran is the problem, how are all of you folks doing this eveving :) I am 'curious' 

Peace 
Robin


http://lpintop.tripod.com/robinmcnamara
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From ialterman at nyc.rr.com  Sun Aug 21 18:31:09 2005
From: ialterman at nyc.rr.com (ialterman@nyc.rr.com)
Date: Sun Aug 21 18:34:55 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] CNN.com - Hagel: Iraq war has destabilized Mideast,
	resembles Vietnam - Aug 21, 2005
Message-ID: <7864823.1124674269760.JavaMail.tomcat@localhost>



*Please note, the sender's email address has not been verified.



Coming apart at the seams...




 
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From michael at intrafi.com  Sun Aug 21 20:26:08 2005
From: michael at intrafi.com (michael)
Date: Sun Aug 21 20:30:22 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Article from Tom Dispatch
Message-ID: <200508220326.j7M3Q8RW025392@thor.thenation.com>

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From barbarasiomos38 at msn.com  Mon Aug 22 03:15:34 2005
From: barbarasiomos38 at msn.com (barbarasiomos38@msn.com)
Date: Mon Aug 22 03:19:30 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Farewells and Homecomings
Message-ID: <3260527.1124705734611.JavaMail.tomcat@localhost>



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The pullout of the Gaza Strip.

peace,
barbara



 
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From barbarasiomos38 at msn.com  Mon Aug 22 03:18:38 2005
From: barbarasiomos38 at msn.com (barbarasiomos38@msn.com)
Date: Mon Aug 22 03:22:28 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Killers in the Neighborhood
Message-ID: <14793137.1124705918338.JavaMail.tomcat@localhost>



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How the death squads are turning the Sunnis and Shites against one another to continue the killing.

peace,
barbara



 
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From barbarasiomos38 at msn.com  Mon Aug 22 03:21:00 2005
From: barbarasiomos38 at msn.com (barbarasiomos38@msn.com)
Date: Mon Aug 22 03:24:48 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Duty, Honor and Allah
Message-ID: <30802961.1124706060333.JavaMail.tomcat@localhost>



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Yes we have Muslim Boy Scouts.

peace,
barbara



 
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From swiggard at comcast.net  Mon Aug 22 03:34:26 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (William Swiggard)
Date: Mon Aug 22 03:39:40 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] More young blacks ready to embrace GOP - The Boston Globe
Message-ID: <4309AA32.2060303@comcast.net>

More young blacks ready to embrace GOP
Some cast aside traditional loyalties

By Kaitlin Bell, Globe Correspondent  |  August 22, 2005

WASHINGTON -- Adam Hunter, an ambitious law student with bright eyes, an 
easy smile, and plenty of charisma, seems practically destined for politics.

A half century ago, his grandfather helped register blacks living in 
rural South Carolina to vote. Hunter's father, born on a tobacco farm 
and taught in segregated schools, was inspired by the civil rights 
movement to join the Democratic Party. His parents have both headed the 
local Democratic committee in their New Jersey town, and Hunter himself 
worked as a campaign volunteer before he was old enough to vote.

Hunter, 22, is a first-year law student at Howard University, a 
historically black campus with a long record of liberal activism. He has 
political ambitions of his own -- but not with the Democrats.

Instead, Hunter, who as an undergraduate headed Howard's chapter of 
College Republicans, sees himself as part of a younger generation of 
African-Americans. He is ready to cast aside traditional loyalties to 
the Democratic Party and forge his own political identity.

''My father and I are not that different, ideologically, but if you look 
at the time period we grew up in, that's where we're different," Hunter 
said. ''My foundation doesn't make me beholden to the Democratic Party. 
To me there's nothing more undemocratic than the idea that you have to 
vote for a Democrat or don't vote at all come Election Day."

Hunter is one of a growing number of young African-Americans leaving the 
party of their parents and grandparents in favor of the GOP -- or 
choosing not to have a political affiliation at all.

A July Gallup Poll of minorities' political opinions indicated that 
black voters overwhelmingly favor the Democratic Party, and the 
percentage of African-Americans who consider themselves Republicans 
lingers at about 9 percent. However, according to the poll, of those 
blacks who vote GOP, most are under age 50 -- a generational shift that 
could be an opportunity for Republicans and a headache for Democrats.

http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2005/08/22/more_young_blacks_ready_to_embrace_gop/
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From swiggard at comcast.net  Mon Aug 22 04:10:05 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (William Swiggard)
Date: Mon Aug 22 04:15:19 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Harvard scientists advance cell work - The Boston Globe
Message-ID: <4309B28D.5060105@comcast.net>

Harvard scientists advance cell work
Technique doesn't destroy embryos

By Gareth Cook and Carey Goldberg, Globe Staff  |  August 22, 2005

Harvard scientists have created cells similar to human embryonic stem 
cells without destroying embryos, a major step toward someday possibly 
defusing the central objection to stem cell research.

The team showed that when a human skin cell was fused with an embryonic 
stem cell, the resulting hybrid looked and acted like the stem cell. The 
implications: It may eventually be possible to fashion tailor-made, 
genetically matched stem cells for patients using such a cell fusion 
technique, rather than by creating and then destroying a cloned embryo. 
That use of early embryos is the main sticking point for opponents of 
stem cell research.

The Harvard researchers cautioned that the fusion technique, described 
in this week's issue of the journal Science, is inefficient and deeply 
flawed at this point, and emphasized that it should not deter embryonic 
stem-cell research that involves embryos, nor diminish support for such 
research.

''Our technology is not ready for prime-time yet," said Kevin Eggan, the 
paper's senior author and an assistant professor at Harvard. ''Our 
results do not offer an alternative now."

The paper comes amid debate in Congress over whether the federal 
government should expand its financing for research on embryonic stem 
cells, which are seen as potential treatments for a range of diseases 
such as Type 1 diabetes and Parkinson's. Eggan said he feared that his 
work could be cited by opponents who have argued for finding ways of 
doing stem cell research without using human embryos.

''The timing is complicated and I worry about it," Eggan said.

The work is part of a broader effort to find ways to conduct embryonic 
stem-cell research without destroying embryos, a quest spurred by 
politics but driven mostly by the needs of scientific inquiry.

There is a limited supply of human eggs, which are needed for creating 
embryos through cloning, and egg donors face a slight health risk. The 
new cell fusion technique would enable scientists to create vastly 
greater quantities of embryonic stem cells for research.

That would mean they could do far more experiments aimed at 
understanding what happens when a regular, adult cell is transformed 
into an embryonic stem cell, a process known as ''reprogramming." 
Researchers are struggling to determine how a cell that is ''adult," 
already committed to its role in the body as, for example, a nerve cell 
or skin cell, regresses back to the proto-state in which, as a stem 
cell, it could still potentially become any of the hundreds of types of 
cells in the body.

http://www.boston.com/news/science/articles/2005/08/22/harvard_scientists_advance_cell_work/
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From swiggard at comcast.net  Mon Aug 22 04:12:59 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (William Swiggard)
Date: Mon Aug 22 04:18:14 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Democrats Split Over Position on Iraq War - Washington
	Post
Message-ID: <4309B33B.50609@comcast.net>

Democrats Split Over Position on Iraq War
Activists More Vocal As Leaders Decline To Challenge Bush

By Peter Baker and Shailagh Murray
Washington Post Staff Writers
Monday, August 22, 2005; Page A01

Democrats say a long-standing rift in the party over the Iraq war has 
grown increasingly raw in recent days, as stay-the-course elected 
leaders who voted for the war three years ago confront rising impatience 
from activists and strategists who want to challenge President Bush 
aggressively to withdraw troops.

Amid rising casualties and falling public support for the war, Democrats 
of all stripes have grown more vocal this summer in criticizing Bush's 
handling of the war. A growing chorus of Democrats, however, has said 
this criticism should be harnessed to a consistent message and 
alternative policy -- something most Democratic lawmakers have refused 
to offer.

The wariness, congressional aides and outside strategists said in 
interviews last week, reflects a belief among some in the opposition 
that proposals to force troop drawdowns or otherwise limit Bush's 
options would be perceived by many voters as defeatist. Some operatives 
fear such moves would exacerbate the party's traditional vulnerability 
on national security issues.

The internal schism has become all the more evident in recent weeks even 
as Americans have soured on Bush and the war in poll after poll. Senate 
Democrats, according to aides, convened a private meeting in late June 
to develop a cohesive stance on the war and debated every option -- only 
to break up with no consensus.

The rejuvenation of the antiwar movement in recent days after the mother 
of a soldier killed in Iraq set up camp near Bush's Texas ranch has 
exposed the rift even further.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/21/AR2005082100831.html?referrer=email
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From swiggard at comcast.net  Mon Aug 22 04:15:30 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (William Swiggard)
Date: Mon Aug 22 04:20:43 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] They Are Stardust, And in Texas - Washington Post
Message-ID: <4309B3D2.90306@comcast.net>

They Are Stardust, And in Texas
At the Crawford Protest Camp, Growing Echoes of Woodstock

By Mike Allen
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, August 22, 2005; Page C01

CRAWFORD, Tex., Aug. 21 -- Camp Casey, which started with one mom and a 
grievance, mushroomed over the weekend into a massive settlement with a 
party tent for 2,000, a shuttle-bus service and an elaborate catering 
operation that deposited a 26-foot-long refrigerator truck, generators, 
and restaurant-quality ranges and warming ovens in a field next to 
President Bush's ranch.

The hippie crowd that originally was drawn to Cindy Sheehan's protest is 
still in town -- activists from Food Not Bombs are sleeping in an old 
school bus that has been painted sky blue and can be started only with 
jumper cables. But now they have been joined by liberals from throughout 
the West who are double-parking their hybrid-fueled cars to take part in 
a peace protest with a budget that is $120,000 and rising.

The grassy field is so close to the president's property that he and his 
entourage were photographed from there as he bicycled last week before 
the hordes arrived. Parking attendants wear reflectorized orange vests.

"It's kind of like if Woodstock was really organized," said Chris Voigt, 
51, an architect from Fort Worth who was volunteering in the spacious 
kitchen tent, scraping a frittata pan. "The war's over. Somebody needs 
to tell Bush."

Voigt was surrounded by pallets of Ozarka bottled water, cases of Sterno 
gel chafing warmers, 52-ounce tubs of Folgers coffee and six-pound cans 
of Bush's Best pinto beans. Green-pepper trimmings were composting 
nearby, and recycling boxes were overflowing with discarded plastic.

The camp includes nine Port-a-Potties but no shower. About 150 
protesters have been sleeping in tents or their cars. The rest come for 
the day, or stay at motels half an hour away in Waco.

"Sorry to Interrupt, Mr. President," says one of the many posters tacked 
up at the encampment. "But Our Soldiers Are Dying!"

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/21/AR2005082101113.html?nav=hcmodule
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From swiggard at comcast.net  Mon Aug 22 04:17:43 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (William Swiggard)
Date: Mon Aug 22 04:22:55 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Reviving Jim Crow? - David J. Becker - Washington Post
Message-ID: <4309B457.20703@comcast.net>

Reviving Jim Crow?

By David J. Becker
Monday, August 22, 2005; Page A17

Any day now the Justice Department will render judgment on one of the 
single most discriminatory pieces of voting legislation of recent years: 
a Georgia state law requiring voters to present one of only six forms of 
photo identification before they can exercise their right to vote. 
Before enforcing this statute, Georgia must get Justice Department 
approval by proving that the law will not put minority voters in a worse 
position than they were in before the requirement was instituted.

The facts surrounding Georgia's voter identification requirement cannot 
be disputed. Virtually every black legislator opposes the legislation, 
and most black lawmakers staged a walkout to protest its passage. Every 
major civil rights and minority advocacy group, including the NAACP, and 
many legal scholars, oppose the restriction; several have submitted 
comments to the Justice Department for consideration.

Additionally, it is surprisingly difficult to obtain a photo ID in 
Georgia. Though the state has 159 counties, there are only 56 places in 
which residents can obtain a driver's license, and not one is within the 
city limits of Atlanta or within the six counties that have the highest 
percentage of blacks.

There is also considerable evidence that photo ID requirements have a 
disproportionately negative impact on blacks and other minorities. The 
Justice Department found as recently as a decade ago that blacks in 
Louisiana were four to five times less likely than whites to have photo IDs.

Studies in other states indicate similar disparities. Consequently, the 
Michigan attorney general deemed a less restrictive voter identification 
bill unconstitutional, and the Federal Election Commission reported that 
photo identification requirements impose an undue and potentially 
discriminatory burden on citizens exercising their right to vote. 
Indeed, the Justice Department rejected a less restrictive Louisiana law 
in 1994 and 1995.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/21/AR2005082100972.html
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From swiggard at comcast.net  Mon Aug 22 04:19:39 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (William Swiggard)
Date: Mon Aug 22 04:24:51 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Why Profiling Won't Work - William Raspberry -
	Washington Post
Message-ID: <4309B4CB.7090407@comcast.net>

Why Profiling Won't Work

By William Raspberry
Monday, August 22, 2005; Page A17

The Transportation Security Administration, having rendered cockpit 
crews less vulnerable to hijackers by strengthening the cockpit doors, 
is now (1) reviewing its list of items passengers may not bring aboard, 
(2) proposing to minimize the number of passengers who have to be patted 
down at checkpoints and (3) taking another look at the rule that 
requires most passengers to remove their shoes.

These are encouraging moves toward common sense.

This isn't: A gaggle of voices is proposing -- almost as though 
responding to the same memo from some malign Mr. Big -- that the TSA 
replace its present policy of random searches with massive racial and 
ethnic profiling.

After all, they argue, weren't the Sept. 11 terrorists all young Muslim 
men? Isn't it likely that the next terrorist attack will be carried out 
by young Muslim men? So why waste time screening white-haired 
grandmothers and blue-suited white guys? Much more efficient to tap the 
shoulder of any young man who looks Muslim -- a category that covers not 
just Arabs but also Asians, Africans and, increasingly, African Americans.

It must have been just such sweet reason that led to the internment of 
thousands of Japanese Americans during World War II. Even Andrew C. 
McCarthy of the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies -- and one of 
the advocates of profiling -- acknowledges that the Japanese internments 
were excessive. But only, he says in the current issue of National 
Review, because "they included American citizens of Japanese descent; 
there was nothing objectionable in principle about holding Japanese, 
German, or Italian nationals."

That distinction doesn't hold up in the case of airport profiling, since 
there's no way visually to distinguish between a Saudi citizen and an 
Arab American. The profilers wouldn't even try.

Actually, anyone who's ever been inconvenienced by security checks -- 
whether as trivial as having to give up a fingernail clipper or as 
serious as having to take a later flight -- will see some merit in the 
case for profiling. Can't they see that I'm just a guy trying to get 
from here to there, while that fellow over there looks like he could be 
a hijacker?

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/21/AR2005082100974.html?nav=hcmodule
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From swiggard at comcast.net  Mon Aug 22 04:21:18 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (William Swiggard)
Date: Mon Aug 22 04:26:31 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Multiculturalism's Many Challenges - Frances Stead
 Sellers - Washington Post
Message-ID: <4309B52E.4050308@comcast.net>

Multiculturalism's Many Challenges
Britons Rethink Their Approach to Community

By Frances Stead Sellers
Monday, August 22, 2005; Page A17

Just weeks after homegrown Muslim terrorists attacked London, the 
British people affirmed their support for multiculturalism, according to 
a MORI poll for the BBC. It was heartening evidence that Britons have 
overcome the racism of their colonial past and learned to appreciate the 
carnival of color I joined when I took the Tube across central London 
shortly after the bombings.

But multiculturalism means more than better food and brighter festivals. 
It involves the trickier challenge of building community out of 
disparate populations with disparate traditions and disparate beliefs, 
all the while preserving and celebrating those disparities. That's what 
European countries are having a hard time coming to grips with -- and 
understandably so, because multiculturalism swept into Europe before its 
member countries had developed a philosophy to accommodate it. British 
author and psychologist Kenan Malik puts it more starkly. 
"Multiculturalism as lived experience enriches our lives," he has 
written. "But multiculturalism as a political ideology has helped create 
a tribal Britain with no political or moral centre."

Unlike America, where every new immigrant can make America more American 
(as President Bush once argued), and where the founding philosophy and 
civic rituals were designed to create a citizenry out of the masses, 
European countries were established less deliberately -- largely on 
shared traditions, shared languages, shared histories and even shared genes.

Recognizing the resulting deficit in civic ritual and the potential for 
a repeat of the kind of racial unrest that shook northern England four 
years ago, Britain's Labor government has been making a belated effort 
to engender "common values and a sense of belonging." Just 18 months 
ago, Britain held its first naturalization ceremony, in the London 
borough of Brent, publicly marking the moment the foreigner crossed the 
threshold to become a Briton. There, each citizen-in-the-making 
officially pledged "loyalty to the United Kingdom" and to "respect its 
rights and freedoms" as well as to "fulfil my duties and obligations as 
a British citizen."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/21/AR2005082100971.html?nav=hcmodule
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From activist at democrats.com  Sun Aug 21 21:09:46 2005
From: activist at democrats.com (Democrats.com)
Date: Mon Aug 22 05:36:05 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Camp Casey 2 Blasts "No More War" into Bush's Bedroom
Message-ID: <20050822000946.13363@democrats.com>

Report from Camp Casey II: Howdy, neighbor!

We had an incredible evening yesterday up at the new Camp Casey site. Now, as you read the rest of this post, keep in mind that the new site is literally within spitting distance of Bush's ranch - though we wouldn't actually spit, as we're trying to behave ourselves. And besides, why stoop to vulgar behavior when we have a sound system so loud the words "No more war!" can surely be heard in the man's bedroom?!?
http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/?q=node/1955 

Beatrice Saldovar has come to Camp Casey to represent the Torres family whose son (her nephew) Daniel was killed in Iraq in February 2005, and she has done so with the utmost grace.  Listen to audio of her extremely powerful story:
http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/?q=node/1956 

5 More Co-Sponsors for Barbara Lee's Resolution of Inquiry

There are now 49 co-sponsors of H Res 375, which requires the President to turn over information about war planning in 2002. The four latest are Congressmen Barney Frank, Elijah Cummins, Rush Holt, Gregory Meeks, and Brad Sherman.  The Resolution will likely be voted on in the House International Relations Committee between Sept. 6 and Sept. 16. The more congress members who co-sponsor, the more likely some committee members are to both vote Yes and engage in a serious debate in the committee.  The ranking Democrat on the committee is Tom Lantos.  Here's a report on efforts to lobby him and what you can do to help:
http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/?q=node/1941 

In the past month, many of you have asked your Representative to co-sponsor.  Please keep up the pressure.  Call your Representative's Washington Office (ask for him/her by name at 202-224-3121, or search by your address on the right side of http://usalone.com ) and ask for the Legislative Aide who handles international issues. Take good notes on your conversation and report back to us here: 
http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/?q=node/1887 
Here is information about the Resolution of Inquiry:
http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/?q=node/902 

Leave My Child Alone

Did you know...that the infernal No Child Left Behind Act has a sneaky Pete section requiring high schools to turn over student information to military recruiters? Yikes. What do we do? Any way you look at it, this is a family privacy nightmare, another strong-arming of our local schools, and a creepy warm-up to the Draft. But it's also a great excuse to get together in action.  So whether you're a parent, teacher, school administrator, veteran or just another adamant American concerned about privacy rights, look for an action to your liking on this site: 
http://www.leavemychildalone.org 

Congressional Education Day

On September 26, United for Peace and Justice (UFPJ) is organizing people from all around the country to meet with Congress Members, Senators, and their staffs to urge them to stand up against the war. If your group is planning to bring a delegation to DC to pressure your Representatives and Senators, phone those offices right away this Monday and set up appointments on Sept. 26 with your elected officials or their staff.  Then register your group on the UFPJ website: 
http://www.unitedforpeace.org/congressform 

If you are an individual interested in joining an existing delegation, send an email to
CongressDay@unitedforpeace.org and a coordinator will respond to you.

Read this Lobbying Kit
http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/?q=node/538
and watch for information on the UFPJ site about lobbying training planned for Sept. 25.

Host a Back-to-School Event

Because most high schools turn over their student lists to military recruiters in October, it's imperative that we get as many kids as possible "opted out" during the month of September. Parents, teachers, grandparents and concerned citizens are planning Leave My Child Alone back-to-school events from September 7-30. It's easy to host an event at your home or local coffee shop -- we provide you all the forms and information you need, plus a free DVD on opting out featuring Cindy Sheehan if you register with us online before Aug. 31. Click here to register an event now and help local parents opt out!
http://www.leavemychildalone.org

More headlines from AfterDowningStreet.org:
Hypocrites and Liars by Cindy Sheehan
The Swift Boating of Cindy Sheehan by Frank Rich
Sheehan Breakthroughs, Unbridgeable Divides, and Taboos Unbroken by David Swanson
The Crawford Coward is Terrified of Six Moms by Bob Fertik
Portrait of Cindy Sheehan
Utah TV Censors Cindy Sheehan Ad
Salt Lake Mayor Wants Huge Red-State Protest on Monday for Bush's Visit
The Coward of Crawford Won't Meet Cindy Because Five More Mothers Would Ask for Meetings 
Pittsburgh Police Use Tasers and Dogs on Women Opposing War
Army Plans 4 More Years in Iraq
Chuck Hagel Says 4 More Years in Iraq Is 'Folly'
Forget Freedom - U.S. Supports Islamist State in Iraq
Sen. Russ Feingold Wants U.S. Out of Iraq by December 2006

Contribute to AfterDowningStreet: 
http://elandslide.org/elandslide/edonate.cfm?campaign=ads 

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From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Mon Aug 22 07:35:03 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (mblaxill@yahoo.com)
Date: Mon Aug 22 07:38:56 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] NYTimes.com: Don't Prettify Our History
Message-ID: <20050822143503.2CE3613B748@lax-gw04.mroute.net>

This page was sent to you by: mblaxill@yahoo.com.

OPINION | August 22, 2005
Op-Ed Columnist: Don't Prettify Our History
By PAUL KRUGMAN
However disturbing, the American people need the truth about the story of the 2000 election and about the Iraq war.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/22/opinion/22krugman.html?ex=1125374400&en=bd6f41c5963f8c65&ei=5070&emc=eta1




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From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Mon Aug 22 07:37:02 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (mblaxill@yahoo.com)
Date: Mon Aug 22 07:40:50 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] NYTimes.com: Truth in Recruiting
Message-ID: <20050822143702.EEFCF83CF8@lax-gw03.mroute.net>

This page was sent to you by: mblaxill@yahoo.com.

OPINION | August 22, 2005
Op-Ed Columnist: Truth in Recruiting
By BOB HERBERT
Because the stakes are so high in Iraq, we should be straight with potential recruits. Instead we present them with a sugarcoated version of what life in the military is like.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/22/opinion/22herbert.html?ex=1125374400&en=fd7d63d90e6d96c8&ei=5070&emc=eta1




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From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Mon Aug 22 07:37:49 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (mblaxill@yahoo.com)
Date: Mon Aug 22 07:41:38 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] NYTimes.com: G.I. Death Toll in Afghanistan Worst Since
	'01
Message-ID: <20050822143749.D18ED83DBE@lax-gw03.mroute.net>

This page was sent to you by: mblaxill@yahoo.com.

INTERNATIONAL / ASIA PACIFIC | August 22, 2005
G.I. Death Toll in Afghanistan Worst Since '01
By CARLOTTA GALL
Sixty-five Americans have been killed this year, and the violence is likely to intensify before the legislative elections on Sept. 18.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/22/international/asia/22afghan.html?ex=1125374400&en=13983ba498f1886b&ei=5070&emc=eta1



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From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Mon Aug 22 07:41:07 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (mblaxill@yahoo.com)
Date: Mon Aug 22 07:44:54 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] NYTimes.com: Iranian Conservatives Criticize Cabinet
	Nominees
Message-ID: <20050822144107.BA93813B6D1@lax-gw04.mroute.net>

This page was sent to you by: mblaxill@yahoo.com.

INTERNATIONAL / MIDDLE EAST | August 22, 2005
Iranian Conservatives Criticize Cabinet Nominees
By NAZILA FATHI
Iranian lawmakers put the new conservative president on the defensive over his recommendations for 21 cabinet ministers.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/22/international/middleeast/22iran.html?ex=1125374400&en=09c5b945ef22b3ce&ei=5070&emc=eta1



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From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Mon Aug 22 07:45:14 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (mblaxill@yahoo.com)
Date: Mon Aug 22 07:49:01 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] NYTimes.com: Ashes-to-Fireworks Send-Off for an 'Outlaw'
	Writer
Message-ID: <20050822144514.775DE83C95@lax-gw03.mroute.net>

This page was sent to you by: mblaxill@yahoo.com.

NATIONAL | August 22, 2005
Ashes-to-Fireworks Send-Off for an 'Outlaw' Writer
By KATHARINE Q. SEELYE
Hunter S. Thompson's ashes were blasted into the sky over his farm in Colorado as part of an all-star tribute to the writer.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/22/national/22hunter.html?ex=1125374400&en=e93d7f1f29396647&ei=5070&emc=eta1



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From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Mon Aug 22 09:02:10 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (mblaxill@yahoo.com)
Date: Mon Aug 22 09:06:06 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Headlines for August 22, 2005
Message-ID: <20050822160210.9474.qmail@trinity.democracynow.org>

Mike Blaxill  ( mblaxill@yahoo.com )
sent you this story from democracynow.org



+--------------------------------------------------------------------+
|  Headlines for August 22, 2005
|  http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=05/08/22/1433231
+--------------------------------------------------------------------+


- U.S. Drafts Plans to Keep 100,000 Troops in Iraq Until 2009
- Anti-War Protests Grow In Crawford Texas
- Utah TV Commercial Refuses to Air Cindy Sheehan Ad
- U.S. Backs Role of Islamic Law in New Iraqi Constitution
- 2005: Deadliest Year For U.S. In Afghanistan
- Unions Launch International Wal-Mart Organizing Drive
- Police Taser Anti-War Protesters in Pittsburgh
- Peruvian Man Dies in Texas After Being Pepper Sprayed
This story continues at: 
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=05/08/22/1433231

From ean at sbcglobal.net  Sun Aug 21 21:26:56 2005
From: ean at sbcglobal.net (ean@sbcglobal.net)
Date: Mon Aug 22 10:22:44 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] The Iraq War and MoveOn 
Message-ID: <E1E7Fwk-00077u-6U@smtpauth05.mail.atl.earthlink.net>

Today's commentary:
http://www.zmag.org/sustainers/content/2005-08/19solomon.cfm

==================================

ZNet Commentary
The Iraq War and MoveOn August 19, 2005
By Norman Solomon 

The day after Wednesday night's nationwide vigils, the big headline at the
top of the MoveOn.org home page said: "Support Cindy Sheehan." But 
MoveOn
does not support Cindy Sheehan's call for swift withdrawal of U.S. troops
from Iraq.

 Many groups were important to the success of the Aug. 17 vigils, but the
 online powerhouse MoveOn was the largest and most prominent. After a long
 stretch of virtual absence from Iraq war issues, the organization
 deserves credit for getting re-involved in recent months. But the
 disconnects between MoveOn and much of the grassroots antiwar movement
 are disturbing.

 Part of the problem is MoveOn's routine fuzziness about the war -- and
 the way that the group is inclined to water down the messages of antiwar
 activism, much of which is not connected to the organization.

 Consider how the MoveOn website summarized the vigils: "Last night, tens
 of thousands of supporters gathered at 1,625 vigils to acknowledge the
 sacrifices made by Cindy Sheehan, her son Casey and the more than 1,800
 brave American men and women who have given their lives in Iraq -- and
 their moms and families." Such a gloss excludes a key reason why many
 people participated in the vigils: They wanted to express clear
 opposition to any further U.S. involvement in the war.

 Despite its high-profile role in the vigils this week, MoveOn is still
 not giving a high priority to addressing the Iraq war in its ongoing
 work. When I went to the MoveOn website today and looked at its roster of
 "Current Campaigns," just a single item on the list was focused on Iraq
 -- and that one, from June, involved "demanding that Bush address the
 evidence in the 'Downing Street Memo.'"

 The political action wing of MoveOn has committed itself to supporting
 congressional legislation, co-sponsored by Reps. Walter Jones and Neil
 Abercrombie, which would require the president to start withdrawing
 troops from Iraq ... by October 2006.

 In contrast, MoveOn never supported Rep. Lynn Woolsey's resolution,
 introduced early this year, stating that "the president should develop
 and implement a plan to begin the immediate withdrawal of United States
 Armed Forces from Iraq." (Despite the lack of MoveOn's support, the
 measure received 128 votes in the House.) Nor has MoveOn gotten behind
 Rep. Barbara Lee's more recent bill to prevent the establishment of
 permanent U.S. military bases in Iraq.

 What if MoveOn were to directly ask its 3 million members (people who've
 signed up for its e-mailings) whether they favor the idea of waiting till
 autumn 2006 before the start of U.S. troop withdrawal from Iraq -- or
 whether, on the other hand, those members would prefer that withdrawal
 get underway before the end of this year? I believe that most MoveOn
 members would opt for the latter scenario. But MoveOn policy is set by a
 few individuals who have not been willing to put such options in front of
 members for a vote.

 On Tuesday, the day before the vigils, Cindy Sheehan said in a conference
 call that the Jones-Abercrombie timeline is "not soon enough." She
 doesn't see any good reason to continue the U.S. military occupation;
 she's opposed to any delay in pulling out. And while it's all well and
 good for MoveOn to tell people to "Support Cindy Sheehan," the MoveOn
 leadership should publicly explain why the organization refuses to join
 her in supporting a swift withdrawal of all U.S. troops from Iraq.

 During the next few weeks, MoveOn will have an opportunity to devote some
 of its appreciable resources to strengthening the antiwar movement. With
 an umbrella theme of "End the War on Iraq -- Bring the Troops Home Now,"
 protests in Washington and elsewhere are on the calendar for Sept. 24-26.
 The national coalition United for Peace & Justice is playing a key role
 in creating momentum for those demonstrations, which will begin an autumn
 of historic antiwar activism. Hopefully, MoveOn will catch up with its
 grassroots base and get involved in a supportive way.

__________________________________

Norman Solomon is the author of the new book "War Made Easy: How
Presidents and Pundits Keep Spinning Us to Death." For information, go to:
www.WarMadeEasy.com


-- 
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From michael at intrafi.com  Mon Aug 22 10:39:35 2005
From: michael at intrafi.com (michael@intrafi.com)
Date: Mon Aug 22 10:43:26 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] FT.com / Middle East & Africa / Iraq - Iraq constitution
	talks continue as deadline nears
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From harperalexander at mail.com  Mon Aug 22 12:05:29 2005
From: harperalexander at mail.com (Alexander Harper)
Date: Mon Aug 22 12:09:25 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Bush should tell America the truth - Telegraph
Message-ID: <20050822190530.771FD1CE303@ws1-6.us4.outblaze.com>

Well, I know that all of us and millions of Americans (and others all over the globe) have been saying this for a very long time now. What makes it interesting this time is that it is The Daily Telegraph, the UK's leading quality right-wing broadsheet, which is making the point.

It gives me absolutely no satisfaction that we on this bulletin board can all say 'we told you so' but just about everything that has happened in Iraq was predictable - and was predicted - before the invasion. If only the likes of Colin Powell (I have still not forgiven him, let alone Tony Blair - they both knew the truth) would have made a stand when it mattered, Bush and his neocons and his 'Christian Talibans' might not have gone for it. Now we are well and truly buggered. If we cut and run from Iraq Vietnam-style then God alone knows what the consequences will be - actually we are getting a taste of them every day. Probably they (our governments) will end up cutting a deal with the 'bad guys' and we will with a great democratic fanfare foist a Sadaam mark II on the Iraqis.

Al Baraka

Mr Bush must start to tell America the truth 
By Patrick Bishop
(Filed: 22/08/2005)

Iraq's parliamentarians have been struggling to agree on a draft constitution. If they fail, the current assembly is supposed to dissolve, seriously undermining claims that, behind the obscuring smoke of the insurgency, real political progress is being made. If they succeed, we can expect more bright talk from Washington and London that the Iraq project is on track and that the attendant sacrifices are worth it.

 

Dodgy rhetoric and tactical silences have been an enduring feature of the enterprise. Doublespeak was employed to get us into the war. Subsequent progress reports have been bathed in high-beam optimism. When nothing good can be found to say, the policy has been to say nothing at all.

An honest assessment of what is happening in Iraq has to conclude that things are very bad indeed. Iraqis were promised a democratic wonderland. Many, especially in the capital, find themselves trapped in a waking nightmare of violence, fear and uncertainty. They have been saved from Saddam Hussein only to fall victim to a multitude of mini-monsters who are even more contemptuous of human life.

The reports in this newspaper of Thomas Harding and Oliver Poole from Baghdad tell of a world where security is virtually non-existent. Leaving one's home means risking death or injury from roadside blasts, suicide bombers or misdirected American fire. Staying indoors is not much safer.

Shia on Sunni and Sunni on Shia tit-for-tat killings are common. Kidnap gangs prey on anyone they reckon to be good for the ransom money. It is no wonder that so many are leaving. The Mansour district of Baghdad, once home to the wealthy, has emptied. Perhaps 150,000 have taken refuge next door in Jordan, sitting it out until they reckon it is safe to return. They are businessmen, doctors, lawyers - precisely the professionals needed to create the modern democracy that George W Bush and Tony Blair hoped for.

Daily life is an ordeal, especially now that the dead heat of summer lies heavy on the city. Electricity is on for one hour in six. Petrol is rationed to one tankful every five days. A tiny scrap of good news is that water supplies are back to normal. The suicide bombers seem to be less active than usual - but that may just be because they are keeping their powder dry for a post-constitution blitz.

On Saturday night a group of journalists was searching for some patch of sunlight among the stacked cumulo-nimbus of gloom. "Depressingly, sadly, disappointingly, we had to admit that nothing is getting better," said one.

Outside the capital, life may be more secure but this has little to do with the rule of law. In many areas local militias are in control, free to act more or less as they wish. In the British sector around Basra the army has gone for an Iraqi solution to an Iraqi problem and the streets are under the harsh authority of Shia fundamentalists.

The occupiers can hardly protect themselves, let alone those they came to liberate. Government takes place behind the blast walls of the Green Zone.

The insurgents have maintained a steady kill-rate against the American troops. The past 30 days have been among the most bloody months of the war. At least 42 of those killed were National Guard and reserve troops, thereby bringing the impact of the war still closer to US towns. The 2,000 mark of war dead will soon be passed.

The most depressing trend for journalists on the ground is the decline of hope. "People used to say 'things will get better when Saddam is captured', then 'things will get better when we have elections' or 'when we get a constitution'," said one. "Now the 'whens' are running out."

Given the awfulness of the situation, the least we are entitled to expect from the war's architects is some honesty. Instead the Bush team has peddled ludicrous optimism while surreptitiously rubbishing those who supported the war but are now worried about where it is going as wimps and turncoats.

For a man who likes to radiate bluff candour, President Bush is remarkably reluctant to talk straight with the American public about Iraq.

This weekend, at the start of a five-day campaign to persuade the public of the need to carry on, he made a few concessions to reality, mentioning those who had died. The administration has tended to regard the dead as something of an embarrassment.

But he went on to claim that fighting terrorists in Afghanistan and Iraq meant greater safety at home. The troops, he said in a radio talk, "know that if we do not confront these evil men abroad we will have to face them one day in our own cities and streets". The preposterous idea that it had been part of the plan all along to turn Iraq into a cockpit where America's enemies would flock to be exterminated was floated by American officials in Baghdad a few months after the insurgency began and was regarded then as a post facto fiction. It is now official policy.

The idea is to ram into American minds the notion that the Iraq war is an inescapable consequence of the events of 9/11. Mr Bush's assertion is echoed more succinctly in I Raq and Roll, by country musician Clint Black, which includes the line "our troops take out the garbage for the good old USA". Mr Black will be singing at the end of a Freedom Walk due to be held in Washington on September 11 to commemorate both the dead of that day and the casualties of the wars that followed, the most blatant attempt yet to establish a link.

The signs are that Americans are becoming less willing to accept government assurances that its policy in Iraq is sound. In a recent Gallup poll, 57 per cent of those questioned thought the war had made America less safe from terrorism.

The protest of Cindy Sheehan, who lost her son Casey in Iraq and who set up camp outside the President's ranch in Crawford, Texas, is striking a sympathetic chord with more and more Americans. By and large, the administration has been gently handled by the media over its conduct of the war, in deference to the post-9/11 mood of national solidarity. That restraint is breaking down.

Some in Mr Bush's own party are getting restless. "Any effort to explain Iraq as 'we are on track and making progress' is nonsense," said Newt Gingrich, the former Republican leader of the house, recently.

If Mr Bush is to retain national support for the war, he has to start telling the truth. The first thing he should admit is that the goals he set for Iraq are never going to be achieved. This weekend, American officials trying to bang Shia, Kurdish and Sunni heads together at the constitutional talks dropped their opposition to having Islam enshrined in the basic law as "the" main source of legislation and not just "a" main source. So much for a modern democracy.

The President should also say clearly that the Iraqi police and army are many months away from taking responsibility for national security and that more American blood will be spilled and many more tears shed before US troops can honourably leave. 

Events in Iraq are going badly wrong. It is only by admitting as much that Bush stands any chance of putting them right.

 
 
 

-- 
___________________________________________________________
Sign-up for Ads Free at Mail.com
http://promo.mail.com/adsfreejump.htm


From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Mon Aug 22 12:28:04 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (Mike Blaxill)
Date: Mon Aug 22 12:31:53 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Diebold hires top Dem for PR blitz
Message-ID: <20050822192804.81755.qmail@web53004.mail.yahoo.com>

Good old Dems - there when you need them!

http://www.insidebayarea.com/oaklandtribune/localnews/ci_2958901

Diebold hires top Dem for PR blitz 
Former party chairman make the case for voting to
California
By Ian Hoffman, STAFF WRITER

With a phone call and a retainer, Diebold CEO
Walden O'Dell has launched former Democratic
National Committee chairman Joe Andrew on a
50-state ambassadorship for electronic voting.

O'Dell said he ``wanted to reframe some of the
issues,'' Andrew said.

His first stop: California, the nation's largest
market for voting machines and the place where
Diebold's fortunes as the largest supplier of
electronic-voting machines in the nation could be
made or broken.

``Even if you have tremendous success every place
else,'' said Andrew, ``if you can't sell
technology in California, you're in trouble.''

The rest of the voting industry is selling
technology here. Millions in federal dollars sit
ready for counties to put at least one high-tech,
handicapped-accessible voting machine in every
polling place by January.

But in California, Diebold can't sell its
touchscreen voting machine, the AccuVote TSx, nor
can counties that bought thousands of the
machines in 2003 used them in elections.

More than $30 million worth of TSx machines sit
in three counties' warehouses, unapproved for
actual voting. More than $15 million worth of
earlier-generation Diebold touchscreens in
Alameda, Los Angeles and Plumas counties cannot
be used after January.

Andrew said computer scientists and e-voting
activists are standing in the way of a promising
technology, an ATM-like voting computer with such
a low error rate that more votes count. And that,
said Andrew, should work to the benefit of
Democrats.

The tour pairs Andrew with former Republican
congressional aide Melissa McKay, now working for
the public-relations firm, Ogilvy PR. But
California and its Democrats were clearly
Andrew's show.

Diebold's new charm offensive for Democrats
strikes some as a public-relations gambit, a
segue from mishaps and mistakes in its voting
business to the uncontroversial notion of making
more votes count for the elderly, minorities and
disabled voters.

``This is a new tactic, a new solution for a
company that, unlike other electronic-voting
companies, has a continuing public-relations
problem, certainly in California,'' said Dan
Seligson, editor of Electionline.org, a
nonpartisan clearinghouse for voting-reform
information.

``It's not based on nothing,'' Seligson said.
``It's based on the problems they've had.''

In three years in California, Diebold voting
devices have awarded thousands of votes to the
wrong candidates and broken down in two large
counties during a presidential primary. Two
successive state election chiefs, a Democrat and
a Republican, both have rejected the TSx.

Former Secretary of State Kevin Shelley suggested
criminal prosecution, citing misleading
statements by Diebold Election Systems executives
and ``reprehensible'' tactics. The state joined a
false-claims suit against the company and won a
$2.5 million settlement.

Last month, Secretary of State Bruce McPherson
cited poor performance in state testing, with
paper jams and software crashes in 28 percent of
machines used in a mock election.

But Andrew isn't traveling the nation to talk
about that or even to talk much about Diebold. So
why is a ranking Democratic operative who was
convinced Republicans ``stole'' the 2000 election
working for Diebold and O'Dell, a battlestate
fund-raiser for Bush-Cheney 2004?

It is Andrew's message







Advertisement






- that paperless electronic voting is good for
Democrats - and his connections in Democratic
circles.

``Joseph's a smart guy and has a lot of contacts
out there,'' said Kimball Brace, president of
Election Data Services, a Washington-based
consultant on elections.

Andrew is tapping reliable Democratic
constituents - civil-rights groups, minority
groups such as the NAACP and the National
Association of Latino Elected Officials and such
disability groups as the Council for the Blind.

They rallied in 2001 under the umbrella of the
Leadership Conference on Civil Rights to rid the
nation of reviled punchcard voting, and Andrew
worked pro-bono as their lawyer. He delivered
bipartisan support for the Help America Vote Act.
Behind the act was the presumption that
electronic voting was salvation from the dimpled
and hanging chad and from having to resort to the
Supreme Court to decide the presidency.

But Congress delayed 16 crucial months in setting
up a new federal agency to oversee and enforce
standards for the new voting equipment. By 2003,
the debate over voting equipment shifted from
civil-rights groups and their lawyers to computer
scientists who argued that electronic voting was
too vulnerable to breakdowns, errors and fraud,
at least without any backup paper record of the
vote.

So far, they've been winning. Despite resistance
from Diebold and some other e-voting suppliers,
lawmakers in 25 states have passed laws requiring
a paper backup, for review by voters and in most
cases recounts by elections officials. Fourteen
other states and the District of Columbia are
debating such a requirement.

While Ohio, Mississippi and Utah are considering
large purchases of touchscreens, sales of
paper-based optical scanning machines so far are
outpacing sales of electronic-voting machines
since the 2004 election.

In California at least, Andrew sees civil-rights
leaders abdicating from a worthy cause. ``The
great irony is, it's the progressives - my side
of the aisle - who are against electronic voting
but have the most to benefit from it.''

The odd couple of Diebold and Andrew have ``their
work cut out for them,'' said Kim Alexander,
president of nonprofit California Voter
Foundation.

She acknowledges that electronic voting has
plenty going for it, such larger type for elderly
voters, ballot displays in multiple languages and
an audio ballot for visually impaired voters.

``But the way it's been implemented has been
irresponsible and reckless,'' Alexander said.
``What we've seen all across the country are
numerous examples of glitches and problems. I
wish that Diebold would put it's effort into
making better equipment and making its paper
trail work, rather than a PR campaign.''
From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Mon Aug 22 15:33:51 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (Mike Blaxill)
Date: Mon Aug 22 15:37:40 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Pat Robertson called for the assassination of
	Venezuela's president
Message-ID: <20050822223351.68258.qmail@web53011.mail.yahoo.com>

Robertson called for the assassination of
Venezuela's president

Pat Robertson, host of Christian Broadcasting
Network's The 700 Club and founder of the
Christian Coalition of America, called for the
assassination of Venezuelan President Hugo
Chavez.

>From the August 22 broadcast of The 700 Club:
READ TRANSCRIPT AT LINK BELOW

http://mediamatters.org/items/200508220006

Just when you think you've heard it all....
From harry.sifton at sympatico.ca  Mon Aug 22 16:58:01 2005
From: harry.sifton at sympatico.ca (harry.sifton@sympatico.ca)
Date: Mon Aug 22 17:01:53 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] An article from ctv.ca
Message-ID: <19084473.1124755082315.JavaMail.www@chicodeb2>

Harry (harry.sifton@sympatico.ca) thought you would be interested in this article.

Message From Harry: 
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It is because of Bush's American policy that this level of terrorism exists. He just does not get it!

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Visit http://www.ctv.ca for the latest on news, entertainment, weather, and more!

Get news and programs delivered to your in-box. Sign up for our newsletters!
http://www.ctv.ca/newsletter


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From harry.sifton at sympatico.ca  Mon Aug 22 17:06:16 2005
From: harry.sifton at sympatico.ca (Harold Sifton)
Date: Mon Aug 22 17:10:09 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Robert Moog
Message-ID: <000801c5a776$7e427030$a63fe440@Harold>

Robert Moog, the creator of the Moog, Mini Moog, etc ....passed away at 71 !

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/1124729481656_120138681/?hub=Entertainment

H

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From ialterman at nyc.rr.com  Mon Aug 22 19:03:56 2005
From: ialterman at nyc.rr.com (Ian)
Date: Mon Aug 22 19:07:42 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Robert Moog
References: <000801c5a776$7e427030$a63fe440@Harold>
Message-ID: <005501c5a786$ec1da830$99ca6c42@iancn2ccrvzt0j>

Along with only a handful of others, Bob Moog truly changed the face of popular music.  Indeed, it is arguable that the entire genre of "progressive rock" would not have developed without him - and certainly not the way, and with the rapidity, that it did.  From The Beatles to Pink Floyd, the Moody Blues, Genesis, King Crimson, and, of course Yes (Rick Wakeman) and ELP (Keith Emerson), the Moog synthesizer changed the course of music history in a way that few inventions did.

Indeed,  I saw the very first prototype Moog synthesizer used - by Bob Moog himself - at a "Young People's Concert" with Leonard Bernstein conducting the New York Philharmonic Orchestra and the New York Rock & Roll Ensemble (remember them?).  This was the same year that Moog gave his other prototype to Keith Emerson, who was then playing with The Nice (pre-ELP).

Even outside of the "prog" world, the Moog synthesizer became the "gold standard" for "pop" groups seeking to add new "layers" and "textures" to their sound: from 70s supergroups like Fleetwood Mac and Journey to almost every major British pop group of the 80s, the Moog synthesizer became an integral part of their sound.

And, of course, Moog started the sythesizer "revolution," bringing about the thousands of synthesizers now (and earlier) in production by dozens of companies.

His contribution to popular music cannot be understated.  He is, and was, rightly revered.  A true genius is gone.

Peace.
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Harold Sifton 
  To: MB Civic 
  Sent: Monday, August 22, 2005 8:06 PM
  Subject: [Mb-civic] Robert Moog


  Robert Moog, the creator of the Moog, Mini Moog, etc ....passed away at 71 !

  http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/1124729481656_120138681/?hub=Entertainment

  H




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From hecate at diamonddragon.com  Mon Aug 22 23:26:47 2005
From: hecate at diamonddragon.com (Hecate)
Date: Mon Aug 22 23:30:42 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] BBC E-mail: Canada sends navy to Arctic north
Message-ID: <20050823_062647_064831.hecate@diamonddragon.com>

Hecate saw this story on BBC News Online and thought you
should see it.

** Message **
It is also believed that global warming is causing the rapid melting of the ice across the arctic and that could make the legendary North-West Passage linking the Atlantic and the Pacific passable for ships for the first time. 



** Canada sends navy to Arctic north **

< http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/fr/-/2/hi/europe/4175446.stm >


** BBC Daily E-mail **
Choose the news and sport headlines you want - when you want them, all
in one daily e-mail
< http://www.bbc.co.uk/dailyemail/ >


** Disclaimer **
The BBC is not responsible for the content of this e-mail, and anything written in this e-mail does not necessarily reflect the BBC's views or opinions. Please note that neither the e-mail address nor name of the sender have?been verified.

If you do not wish to receive such e-mails in the future or want to know more about the BBC's Email a Friend service, please read our frequently asked questions. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/help/4162471.stm

From hecate at diamonddragon.com  Mon Aug 22 23:28:05 2005
From: hecate at diamonddragon.com (Hecate)
Date: Mon Aug 22 23:32:02 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] BBC E-mail: First kittens for cloned wildcats
Message-ID: <20050823_062805_040584.hecate@diamonddragon.com>

Hecate saw this story on BBC News Online and thought you
should see it.

** Message **
The Audubon Center for Research of Endangered Species says this is the first time that clones of a wild species have bred. 



** First kittens for cloned wildcats **
US scientists produce wildcat kittens by cross-breeding clones, a move which could have implications for preserving endangered species.
< http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/fr/-/2/hi/science/nature/4172688.stm >


** BBC Daily E-mail **
Choose the news and sport headlines you want - when you want them, all
in one daily e-mail
< http://www.bbc.co.uk/dailyemail/ >


** Disclaimer **
The BBC is not responsible for the content of this e-mail, and anything written in this e-mail does not necessarily reflect the BBC's views or opinions. Please note that neither the e-mail address nor name of the sender have?been verified.

If you do not wish to receive such e-mails in the future or want to know more about the BBC's Email a Friend service, please read our frequently asked questions. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/help/4162471.stm

From hecate at diamonddragon.com  Mon Aug 22 23:29:23 2005
From: hecate at diamonddragon.com (Hecate)
Date: Mon Aug 22 23:33:17 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] BBC E-mail: US lesbian parents precedent set
Message-ID: <20050823_062923_058301.hecate@diamonddragon.com>

Hecate saw this story on BBC News Online and thought you
should see it.

** Message **
A panel of state Supreme Court justices ruled for the first time that those laws which hold estranged fathers to account should also apply to gay and lesbian couples who have children together.

** US lesbian parents precedent set **
California's supreme court says lesbian parents have rights and obligations akin to heterosexual couples.
< http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/fr/-/2/hi/americas/4175406.stm >


** BBC Daily E-mail **
Choose the news and sport headlines you want - when you want them, all
in one daily e-mail
< http://www.bbc.co.uk/dailyemail/ >


** Disclaimer **
The BBC is not responsible for the content of this e-mail, and anything written in this e-mail does not necessarily reflect the BBC's views or opinions. Please note that neither the e-mail address nor name of the sender have?been verified.

If you do not wish to receive such e-mails in the future or want to know more about the BBC's Email a Friend service, please read our frequently asked questions. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/help/4162471.stm

From hecate at diamonddragon.com  Mon Aug 22 23:31:53 2005
From: hecate at diamonddragon.com (Hecate)
Date: Mon Aug 22 23:35:44 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] BBC E-mail: China-Russia games in final stage
Message-ID: <20050823_063153_026555.hecate@diamonddragon.com>

Hecate saw this story on BBC News Online and thought you
should see it.

** Message **
The two countries say the aim of the exercise is to practise for a peacekeeping operation, but correspondents say it is also meant to highlight the new, closer ties between Beijing and Moscow - both of which have expressed concern over US dominance in world affairs. 

Chinese Maj-Gen Peng Guanglian told the Oriental Morning Post in Shanghai that the games "will frighten the three evil forces of 'ethnic separatism, religious extremism and international terrorism"'. 



** China-Russia games in final stage **
The first Chinese-Russian military exercise under way in East Asia enters its final stage with live-fire combat practice.
< http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/fr/-/2/hi/asia-pacific/4175530.stm >


** BBC Daily E-mail **
Choose the news and sport headlines you want - when you want them, all
in one daily e-mail
< http://www.bbc.co.uk/dailyemail/ >


** Disclaimer **
The BBC is not responsible for the content of this e-mail, and anything written in this e-mail does not necessarily reflect the BBC's views or opinions. Please note that neither the e-mail address nor name of the sender have?been verified.

If you do not wish to receive such e-mails in the future or want to know more about the BBC's Email a Friend service, please read our frequently asked questions. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/help/4162471.stm

From jefbek at mindspring.com  Tue Aug 23 00:37:31 2005
From: jefbek at mindspring.com (Jef Bek)
Date: Tue Aug 23 00:42:27 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] What would Jesus do Pat?
Message-ID: <BF30204B.E46%jefbek@mindspring.com>

http://mediamatters.org/items/printable/200508220006

THE NATION

Televangelist Urges Chavez Assassination
>From Associated Press

August 23, 2005

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. ? Religious broadcaster Pat Robertson on Monday called
for the assassination of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, calling him a
"terrific danger" to the United States.
Robertson, founder of the Christian Coalition and a former presidential
candidate, said on "The 700 Club" broadcast that it was the United States'
duty to stop Chavez from making Venezuela a "launching pad for communist
infiltration and Muslim extremism."
Chavez has emerged as one of the most outspoken critics of President Bush,
accusing the United States of conspiring to topple his government and
possibly backing plots to assassinate him.
U.S. officials have called the accusations ridiculous.
"You know, I don't know about this doctrine of assassination, but if he
thinks we're trying to assassinate him, I think that we really ought to go
ahead and do it," Robertson said.
"It's a whole lot cheaper than starting a war ? and I don't think any oil
shipments will stop."
Electronic pages and a message left for a Robertson spokeswoman were not
immediately returned Monday evening.
Venezuela is the fifth-largest oil exporter and a major supplier of oil to
the United States.
Venezuela's government has demanded in the past that the United States crack
down on Cuban and Venezuelan "terrorists" in Florida who it says are
conspiring against Chavez.


From swiggard at comcast.net  Tue Aug 23 04:45:04 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (William Swiggard)
Date: Tue Aug 23 04:50:28 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] London Police Modify Story - Washington Post
Message-ID: <430B0C40.9060009@comcast.net>

London Police Modify Story
Brazilian Was Not Provocative

By Mary Jordan, Washington Post Foreign Service
Tuesday, August 23, 2005; Page A08

LONDON, Aug. 22 -- Scotland Yard acknowledged Monday that Jean Charles 
de Menezes, a Brazilian electrician mistaken for a suicide bomber, had 
done nothing unusual before he was shot after entering the London subway 
last month. Police said Menezes used a ticket to enter and had not 
jumped a turnstile, and they said he was not wearing a padded jacket 
that could have concealed a bomb.

That version of events, recounted by police in a written statement, was 
significant because it was similar to a widely publicized report leaked 
last week about the killing of Menezes, 27. The report, which followed 
an independent investigation, had contradicted an official explanation 
of why police shot Menezes seven times in the head on July 22

Menezes was killed a day after bombs planted by four attackers on three 
subway trains and a bus failed to detonate. That attempt came two weeks 
after July 7 attacks on subway trains and a bus killed 56 people, 
including the four presumed bombers, and injured 700 others.

Despite public outrage, police had said little to modify their original 
assertion that Menezes was fleeing when he was shot and was wearing a 
jacket large enough to conceal an explosive device.

Scotland Yard's statement followed a closed-door meeting with two senior 
Brazilian officials, Wagner Goncalves, an assistant attorney general, 
and Marcio Pereira Pinto Garcia, a Justice Ministry official, who 
arrived Monday.

Ian Blair, the commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, apologized for 
the death of Menezes, according to the police statement. Scotland Yard 
said that police told Menezes's relatives in Britain two days after his 
death that he was not running from police when he was killed. Officials 
also offered his family in Brazil about $27,000, specifying in a letter 
that the amount was for expenses and did not preclude future claims 
against the police.

According to Scotland Yard, payment was originally offered in the days 
after Menezes's death as part of an assurance that British police would 
pay for travel and funeral expenses. The statement said the purpose of a 
top Scotland Yard official's trip to Brazil was to apologize and to give 
the family details of "initial funds" that would be made available to 
assist them.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/22/AR2005082201287.html?nav=hcmodule
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From swiggard at comcast.net  Tue Aug 23 04:46:40 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (William Swiggard)
Date: Tue Aug 23 04:52:01 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Scientists Race To Head Off Lethal Potential Of Avian
 Flu - Washington Post
Message-ID: <430B0CA0.4050703@comcast.net>

Scientists Race To Head Off Lethal Potential Of Avian Flu

By David Brown, Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, August 23, 2005; Page A01

Robert G. Webster is watching his 40-year-old hunch about the origin of 
pandemic influenza play out before his eyes. It would be thrilling if it 
were not so terrifying.

Four decades ago, Webster was a young microbiologist from New Zealand on 
a brief sojourn in London. While he was there, he did an experiment that 
pretty much set the course of his scientific career. In just a few 
hours, he showed that the microbe that swept the globe in 1957 as "Asian 
flu" bore an unmistakable resemblance to strains of virus carried by 
certain birds in the years before.

Webster's observation was a surprise -- and a troubling one. It 
suggested an origin of the unusually virulent strains of influenza virus 
that appear two or three times each century. His hunch, that at least 
some of these pandemic strains were hybrids of bird and human flu 
viruses, was correct.

Since then, Rob Webster has become arguably the world's most important 
eye on animal influenza viruses. These days, he is deeply worried about 
what he's seeing.

Strains of influenza virus known as A/H5N1 have been spreading in wild 
and domestic birds across Southeast Asia and China since 1996. In recent 
weeks, the virus has apparently struck poultry in Siberia and Kazakhstan.

Since late 2003, about 100 million domesticated birds -- mostly chickens 
and ducks -- either have died of the virus or have been intentionally 
killed to keep the viruses from spreading. But what has Webster and 
other experts so worried are the 112 people who have been infected with 
the H5N1 "bird flu," more than half of whom have died. The fatality rate 
of 55 percent outstrips any human flu epidemic on record, including the 
epochal Spanish flu of 1918 and 1919 that killed at least 50 million people.

Why this new virus is so deadly is not entirely understood, although 
scientists have hints.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/22/AR2005082201365.html?nav=hcmodule
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From swiggard at comcast.net  Tue Aug 23 04:49:33 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (William Swiggard)
Date: Tue Aug 23 04:55:23 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Military's Recruiting Troubles Extend to Affluent War
 Supporters - Washington Post
Message-ID: <430B0D4D.2060903@comcast.net>

Military's Recruiting Troubles Extend to Affluent War Supporters

By Terry M. Neal, washingtonpost.com Staff Writer
Monday, August 22, 2005; 8:00 AM

There was an eye-opening article in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette a few 
days ago that explored the increasing difficulty the military is having 
recruiting young people to enlist. As has been well reported in many 
newspapers, including The Washington Post, the Army and Marines are 
having a particularly tough time meeting recruitment objectives, in part 
because of Americans' concern about the war in Iraq.

When you dig deeper into the reason for this phenomenon, it turns out 
that parents of potential soldiers and sailors are becoming one of the 
biggest obstacles facing military recruiters. Even top military 
officials acknowledge this and unveiled a new series of ads this spring 
targeted at "influencers" such as parents, teachers and coaches.

But the Post-Gazette raises another issue. There has been much talk 
about the relationship between race and ethnicity and military 
recruitment. But what about social and economic class? Are wealthier 
Americans, who are more likely to be Republicans and therefore more 
likely to support the war, stepping up to the plate and urging their 
children and others from their communities to enlist?

Unfortunately, there has been no definitive study on this subject. But 
it appears that the affluent are not encouraging their children and 
peers to join the war effort on the battlefield.

The writer of the Post-Gazette article, Jack Kelly, explored this 
question in his story that ran on Aug. 11. Kelly wrote of a Marine 
recruiter, Staff Sgt. Jason Rivera, who went to an affluent suburb 
outside of Pittsburgh to follow up with a young man who had expressed 
interest in enlisting. He pulled up to a house with American flags 
displayed in the yard. The mother came to the door in an American flag 
T-shirt and openly declared her support for the troops.

But she made it clear that her support only went so far.

"Military service isn't for our son," she told Rivera. "It isn't for our 
kind of people."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/19/AR2005081900815.html
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From swiggard at comcast.net  Tue Aug 23 04:51:31 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (William Swiggard)
Date: Tue Aug 23 04:56:50 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Terrorism as Virus - Paul Stares and Mona Yacoubian -
 Washington Post
Message-ID: <430B0DC3.5030506@comcast.net>

Terrorism as Virus

By Paul Stares and Mona Yacoubian
Tuesday, August 23, 2005; Page A15

The recent flap over whether to reframe the "global war on terror" as a 
"global struggle against violent extremism" reflects a much deeper 
problem than a passing dispute over wording. Without clarity or 
consensus on whom or what we are up against, we are unlikely to develop 
a coherent long-term strategy to overcome it.

Our preference is "Islamist militancy" -- a politico-religious movement 
that incorporates not only those who commit acts of terrorism but also 
those who espouse violence and intolerance in the name of Islam.

The recent bombings in London remind us that this is not a conventional 
terrorist threat with a clear identity, organizational structure and 
limited geographical reach. Islamist militancy is a transnational 
phenomenon propelled by a diverse collection of groups and individuals 
with different grievances and agendas.

Standard counterterrorism responses, such as improving intelligence 
sharing and law enforcement cooperation, are indispensable but 
insufficient. Likewise, military force is sometimes required, but it 
cannot be the primary response. So what to do?

One promising new approach builds on the parallels often drawn between 
terrorism and a mutating virus or metastasizing cancer. Although 
Islamist militancy is clearly not a disease in the clinical sense, it 
does exhibit qualities of a social contagion; there is something 
undeniably appealing or "infectious" to many about the ideas and beliefs 
that motivate terrorists and their many supporters. Analyzing the 
terrorist threat with an epidemiological framework would give focus and 
direction to our effort in three areas:

First, it would encourage us to ask the right questions. What is the 
nature of the infectious agent, in this case the ideology? Which 
transmission vectors -- for example, mosques, madrassas, prisons, the 
Internet, satellite TV -- spread the ideology most effectively? Who 
seems to be most vulnerable to its appeal? Why are most Muslims immune? 
Nearly four years after Sept. 11, we still have only rudimentary answers.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/22/AR2005082201109.html
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From swiggard at comcast.net  Tue Aug 23 04:53:19 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (William Swiggard)
Date: Tue Aug 23 04:58:39 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] The Watts Riots,
 Burned Into Memory - Roger Wilkins - Washington Post
Message-ID: <430B0E2F.5090300@comcast.net>

The Watts Riots, Burned Into Memory

By Roger Wilkins
Tuesday, August 23, 2005; Page A15

John McWhorter is right to say that we ought to pause and remember the 
Watts riots of 40 years ago and ponder their implication for America's 
present and future ["Burned, Baby, Burned: Watts and the Tragedy of 
Black America," Outlook, Aug. 14]. I take strong issue, however, with 
the conclusions he draws from his review of the events in Watts and 
South Central Los Angeles in 1965.

I think the difference between McWhorter and me arises in large measure 
from our profoundly different perspectives on the event. He writes that 
he was born two months after the riots occurred and that his conclusions 
are based on his research on the subject. Mine are based largely on what 
I learned when President Lyndon B. Johnson sent me to Watts 40 years ago 
this month as a part of two federal teams -- one headed by former 
Florida governor LeRoy Collins and the next by then-deputy attorney 
general Ramsey Clark -- both charged with helping to end the violence 
and figuring out what had caused it.

McWhorter dismisses the conventional wisdom that the riots occurred 
because of the miserable conditions in the bleakest ghettos of what was 
then America's most glamorous city, and he notes that "the National 
Urban League had rated Los Angeles the best city in the nation for 
blacks to live in." That might have been true of Crenshaw or other 
upscale black neighborhoods, but not of South Central and Watts. In one 
community meeting I arranged for Collins and two others I set up for 
Clark, the bitterness and anguish laced through the testimony of poor 
neighborhood residents were heart-rending and, when they spoke of the 
city's neglect, just cause for indignation.

The police were brutal; there were no jobs anywhere near the 
neighborhoods; public transportation was unreliable and inadequate; the 
schools were atrocious; housing was deteriorating; health care 
facilities were far away, limited and hard to get to. And worst of all, 
nobody cared enough to come and listen to their complaints.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/22/AR2005082201111.html
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From swiggard at comcast.net  Tue Aug 23 04:55:46 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (William Swiggard)
Date: Tue Aug 23 05:01:06 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Vioxx verdict's dark side - Steven Shavell and A.
 Mitchell Polinsky - The Boston Globe
Message-ID: <430B0EC2.9040801@comcast.net>

Vioxx verdict's dark side

By Steven Shavell and A. Mitchell Polinsky  |  August 23, 2005

A TEXAS JURY's Texas-size message to the drug manufacturer Merck last 
week may mean more than meets the eye. The jury awarded a $24 million 
base amount for the death of Robert Ernst and $229 million in punitive 
damages, apparently for Merck's failure to adequately disclose the risk 
of heart problems from Vioxx. Merck's stock market value declined by $5 
billion on Friday. Lawyers say that Merck may face up to 100,000 other 
Vioxx-related suits.

Ernst's death was a tragedy. Nonetheless, there is cause for concern 
about the size of the Texas award and about many similar judgments 
imposed on corporations in this country. The concern is that when 
corporations have to pay large damage awards, three things happen that 
may be disadvantageous to us as consumers.

First, the prices that we pay for goods and services will tend to rise. 
Drug companies have to charge enough to cover their costs, and when 
these costs include large liability bills, the result is higher prices. 
For instance, one study found that the price of the DPT vaccine for 
infants rose 6,000 percent mainly because of potential liability.

The second problem is that products might not be developed, or might be 
withdrawn from the market, even though they are valuable to us.

Merck halted sales of Vioxx last fall, and Pfizer stopped selling a 
similar drug, Bextra, shortly thereafter, but the public still needs 
pain-relieving drugs that are easy on the stomach. Other examples of 
withdrawn products and services abound: for example, some physicians 
refuse to deliver babies due to the threat of malpractice liability.

The third difficulty caused by large damage awards is excessive producer 
caution, adding to costs and prices. A classic example is defensive 
medicine, such as the ordering of unneeded tests due to the fear of 
lawsuits.

http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2005/08/23/vioxx_verdicts_dark_side/
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From lyve at netzero.net  Mon Aug 22 19:45:32 2005
From: lyve at netzero.net (Lyle K'ang)
Date: Tue Aug 23 06:36:03 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Psychopathic Behavior
Message-ID: <20050822.194535.28133.105309@webmail18.nyc.untd.com>

We must not forget Richard that George Bush when Governor of the State of Texas, put more people to death than any previous gov.

He loves it! He doesn't feel compassion-look at his actions-yes, he is being easily used because he is a psychopath and could very well fit in very tight with the Nazis mentality.

Good point about the furnaces-case in point: Remember when he was talking about Iraq and how it just has to be a democracy over there. Well, now he wants to hurry it all up with the elections and he might just give-in to the requests making it an Islam kind-of-state.

He knows full well that they are repressive, as to women issues-so what's up with that?


Lyle K'ang, MBA/IM 


-- "richard haase" <hotprojects@nyc.rr.com> wrote:
including the anti semetism harper
this was the faction in the us broadly speaking
that backed hitler etc
they are only using isreal for their own purposes
i am a jew in america
these people hate jews like rat poison
would absolutely stick us back into the ovens if they could
oh no this segment is broadly speaking same as the third reich etc

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Alexander Harper" <harperalexander@mail.com>
To: <mb-civic@islandlists.com>
Sent: Thursday, August 18, 2005 1:38 PM
Subject: Re: [Mb-civic] Psychopathic Behavior


> We don't disagree, actually. Of course he is being used by smarter
psycopaths. There is no conceivable way that someone of his manifest
(in)ablity could have reached where he has without a massive leg-up and
massive, continuing back-up. These guys have much in common with those, who
ran the 3rd Reich - obviously not the anti-semitism!
> AB
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "richard haase" <hotprojects@nyc.rr.com>
> To: mb-civic@islandlists.com
> Subject: Re: [Mb-civic] Psychopathic Behavior
> Date: Thu, 18 Aug 2005 12:15:42 -0400
>
> >
> > i dont agree al
> > i think he is a front man
> > pure and simple
> > obviously from that neck of the woods etc
> > the right wing
> > but i think hes got habits etc
> > and they give him his shit and whatever else he wants
> > and hes happy
> > and could care less
> > now maybe that is sociopathic
> > but i think the active monsters are the ones pulling the strings behind
him
> > a la shaw and eliza dolittle on the album cover of my fair lady
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "Alexander Harper" <harperalexander@mail.com>
> > To: <mb-civic@islandlists.com>
> > Sent: Thursday, August 18, 2005 12:07 PM
> > Subject: Re: [Mb-civic] Psychopathic Behavior
> >
> >
> > > Thanks, Lyle - that is really interesting and seems spot on. He is not
the
> > only world leader, who is basically a frightened psycopath, who has
never
> > properly emerged from adolescence. Unfortunately though he leads the
world's
> > only hyper-power. Clearly many voters vote for what they recognise in
> > themselves.
> > > AlBaraka
> > >
> > > From: "Lyle K'ang" <lyve@netzero.com>
> > > To: mb-civic@islandlists.com
> > > Subject: [Mb-civic] Psychopathic Behavior
> > > Date: Thu, 18 Aug 2005 03:52:50 GMT
> > >
> > > >
> > > > Of Course He Is a Psychopath ...
> > > >
> > > > A BUZZFLASH READER CONTRIBUTION
> > > > by Elizabeth
> > > >
> > > > ... or a sociopath -- the distinction here is insignificant.
> > > >
> > > > I'm a mental health professional and psychopaths are a professional
> > > > interest of mine. There is little doubt that Bush's is a
> > > > psychopathic character structure.
> > > >
> > > > Another, and I think very appropriate term to describe psychopathy
> > > > is emotional retardation -- an inability to experience higher
> > > > emotions expressive of the highest human values (such as empathy
> > > > and guilt, sympathy, compassion, devotion to common human ideals
> > > > such as peace, for example, etc.).
> > > >
> > > > A psychopath is a person who uses his often considerable
> > > > intelligence in the service of his primitive drives (think sex,
> > > > aggression, power). Being fairly bright, he learns, imperfectly, to
> > > > mimic emotional expressions suggestive of some higher emotions
> > > > (compassion, for example), but his reactions hardly fool anyone
> > > > because they ring hollow as there is no truth and authenticity in
> > > > them. He can use lofty words when needed -- an easy thing for a
> > > > fairly intelligent psychopath -- but there is no emotional content
> > > > to them.
> > > >
> > > > Just look at Bush's responses whenever he is asked, unscripted,
> > > > about anything that would require him to express either empathy, or
> > > > caring and compassion for others, including his own family members.
> > > > He stammers and stumbles, tries some platitudes or inappropriate
> > > > jokes, and eventually makes a fool of himself. It is always painful
> > > > to watch and it clearly demonstrates his emotional retardation.
> > > >
> > > > Even most recently, when asked about Cindy Sheehan, he responded by
> > > > saying "And I think it's important for me to be thoughtful and
> > > > sensitive to those who have got something to say." He followed it
> > > > with "I think it's also important for me to go on with my life, to
> > > > keep a balanced life."
> > > >
> > > > This statement in itself is very revealing. First, it sounds like
> > > > something Bush has just learned to say on advice of his handlers
> > > > who reminded him to pretend to be human (he *thinks* it is
> > > > *important* for him to be thoughtful and sensitive ...). Not that
> > > > he knows what this means, or that any of it resonates emotionally
> > > > for him, as evidenced by how quickly he closed this statement with
> > > > a glib reference to, what else, his own need for a "balanced life,"
> > > > a reference that sounds so incredibly insensitive in this context
> > > > that it completely invalidates the message intended in his previous
> > > > sentence.
> > > >
> > > > I have no doubt that this emotionally flat and highly inappropriate
> > > > statement came from the desk of one of his advisors -- which only
> > > > shows that psychopathic leaders surround themselves with
> > > > psychopathic handlers who are equally clueless about what it means
> > > > to be a feeling human being. It's nothing new or surprising -- we
> > > > have seen it before in the history of the world. But it's
> > > > horrendously painful to witness.
> > > >
> > > > Bush's fumblings with statements that are supposed to express
> > > > higher human emotions are not a proof that he is unintelligent in
> > > > the conventional sense (i.e. intellectually impaired). His
> > > > intelligence appears normal (= average at least) -- but it is the
> > > > emotional sphere that is so dangerously underdeveloped in him.
> > > >
> > > > Notice that typically he does not encounter similar troubles when
> > > > he talks about what is really close to his proverbial heart (not
> > > > that he possesses a real one): power. All those swagger-filled
> > > > threats, gestures of intimidation, and displays of bravado -- often
> > > > in the most inappropriate contexts ("Shock and Awe," "Mission
> > > > Accomplished," etc.) -- are further proof that we are dealing with
> > > > intelligence in the service of primitive drives, combined with
> > > > emotional hollowness. A.k.a. psychopathy.
> > > >
> > > > And while you're right that playing an armchair diagnostician is a
> > > > task of dubious value sometimes, in case of G.W. Bush the evidence
> > > > to support the diagnosis of psychopathy (or sociopathy) is just
> > > > overwhelming and in plain sight for anyone to see. So if the shoe
> > > > fits ...
> > > >
> > > > E.L. Doctorow's essay sums up the core of Bush's psychopathic
> > > > character so well -- and so painfully for all of us who have
> > > > retained humanity in our souls.
> > > >
> > > > The intelligence in the service of primitive instincts that Bush's
> > > > actions and words represent; the raw aggressive power, unmitigated
> > > > by thought or higher feeling; and the surge of compensatory
> > > > confidence it engenders, are what appeals to a great segment of
> > > > this -- or any other -- society, especially to its powerless and
> > > > emotionally underdeveloped members. They rally around their leader,
> > > > seeing in him both a reflection of themselves and a promise of a
> > > > "victory" that would release their fears and frustrations, and
> > > > avenge their sorry, hopeless fate. Of course what they do not
> > > > realize is that their leader couldn't care less about their fate.
> > > > To him, his minions are an echo chamber for his words and cannon
> > > > fodder for his missions.
> > > >
> > > > Tragically, as a nation, we will remain in the dark ages as long as
> > > > we keep choosing psychopaths as our leaders and pretend this is a
> > > > good thing. And no matter how hard we will try to convince
> > > > ourselves that what we yearn for are freedom and democracy for all
> > > > (and whatever other ideals we choose to endorse by our words), our
> > > > actions -- the choices we make, including our choice of the leader
> > > > -- will keep telling the rest of the world otherwise. As shameful
> > > > as it is, the psychopathic Bush represents America to the world.
> > > >
> > > > A BUZZFLASH READER CONTRIBUTION
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > Lyle K'ang, MBA/IM
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > _______________________________________________
> > > > Mb-civic mailing list
> > > > Mb-civic@islandlists.com
> > > > http://www.islandlists.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/mb-civic
> > >
> > >
> > > -- ___________________________________________________________
> > > Sign-up for Ads Free at Mail.com
> > > http://promo.mail.com/adsfreejump.htm
> > >
> > >
> > > _______________________________________________
> > > Mb-civic mailing list
> > > Mb-civic@islandlists.com
> > > http://www.islandlists.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/mb-civic
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > Mb-civic mailing list
> > Mb-civic@islandlists.com
> > http://www.islandlists.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/mb-civic
>
>
> -- 
> ___________________________________________________________
> Sign-up for Ads Free at Mail.com
> http://promo.mail.com/adsfreejump.htm
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Mb-civic mailing list
> Mb-civic@islandlists.com
> http://www.islandlists.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/mb-civic

_______________________________________________
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Mb-civic@islandlists.com
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From mail at carinthia.uk.com  Sun Aug 21 10:11:59 2005
From: mail at carinthia.uk.com (Carinthia West)
Date: Tue Aug 23 06:36:14 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] FW: Thursday night
In-Reply-To: <OF04DA0902.BC6C7A18-ON80257062.00422883-80257062.004220F8@saga.co.uk>
Message-ID: <E1E7T5p-0002vx-Si@smtpauth06.mail.atl.earthlink.net>


Dear Michael,
Here is a copy of the 'Hair' article which appeared in The Times.
Hope you approve!
Are you going to visit the London production?
Hope to meet you if you do!
Love Carinthia 
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From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Tue Aug 23 07:25:50 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (mblaxill@yahoo.com)
Date: Tue Aug 23 07:30:19 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] NYTimes.com: China Ups the Ante in Its Bid for Oil
Message-ID: <20050823142550.BBD80A1096@lax-gw09.mroute.net>

This page was sent to you by: mblaxill@yahoo.com.

BUSINESS / WORLD BUSINESS | August 23, 2005
China Ups the Ante in Its Bid for Oil
By KEITH BRADSHER and CHRISTOPHER PALA
In China's largest foreign acquisition yet, a state-owned oil company will pay $4.18 billion for a Canadian oil company with reserves in Kazakhstan.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/23/business/worldbusiness/23oil.html?ex=1125460800&en=f9e160592636e7ba&ei=5070&emc=eta1



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one Best Picture.  What did the original New York
Times movie reviews have to say about these Oscar
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From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Tue Aug 23 07:27:11 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (mblaxill@yahoo.com)
Date: Tue Aug 23 07:31:02 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] NYTimes.com: Second Officer Says 9/11 Leader Was Named
	Before Attacks
Message-ID: <20050823142711.B421A83DBC@lax-gw03.mroute.net>

This page was sent to you by: mblaxill@yahoo.com.

WASHINGTON | August 23, 2005
Second Officer Says 9/11 Leader Was Named Before Attacks
By PHILIP SHENON
A second military officer said publicly that the ringleader of the Sept. 11 attacks was tagged as a possible terrorist more than a year before the attacks.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/23/politics/23intel.html?ex=1125460800&en=aca95c6bf3d7f17b&ei=5070&emc=eta1



----------------- Advertisement --------------------------

The Academy loved these movies enough to name each
one Best Picture.  What did the original New York
Times movie reviews have to say about these Oscar
winning films?  
Go to the Best Pictures review archive:

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ABOUT THIS E-MAIL
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NYTimes.com 500 Seventh Avenue New York, NY 10018

Copyright 2005 The New York Times Company
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From lindahassler at sbcglobal.net  Tue Aug 23 07:26:22 2005
From: lindahassler at sbcglobal.net (Linda Hassler)
Date: Tue Aug 23 07:31:11 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Swift-Boating (NYTimes)
Message-ID: <ffc394a52890bf46a947290c60714214@sbcglobal.net>

I may be a day late in sending this; perhaps someone else already has. 
It's relevant. Yea again for the New York Times columnists!

Linda Hassler

The Swift Boating of Cindy Sheehan
????By Frank Rich
????The New York Times

????Sunday 21 August 2005

????Cindy Sheehan couldn't have picked a more apt date to begin the 
vigil that ambushed a president: Aug. 6 was the fourth anniversary of 
that fateful 2001 Crawford vacation day when George W. Bush responded 
to an intelligence briefing titled "Bin Laden Determined to Attack 
Inside the United States" by going fishing. On this Aug. 6 the 
president was no less determined to shrug off bad news. Though 14 
marine reservists had been killed days earlier by a roadside bomb in 
Haditha, his national radio address that morning made no mention of 
Iraq. Once again Mr. Bush was in his bubble, ensuring that he wouldn't 
see Ms. Sheehan coming. So it goes with a president who hasn't foreseen 
any of the setbacks in the war he fabricated against an enemy who did 
not attack inside the United States in 2001.

????When these setbacks happen in Iraq itself, the administration 
punts. But when they happen at home, there's a game plan. Once Ms. 
Sheehan could no longer be ignored, the Swift Boating began. Character 
assassination is the Karl Rove tactic of choice, eagerly mimicked by 
his media surrogates, whenever the White House is confronted by a 
critic who challenges it on matters of war. The Swift Boating is 
especially vicious if the critic has more battle scars than a president 
who connived to serve stateside and a vice president who had "other 
priorities" during Vietnam.

????The most prominent smear victims have been Bush political opponents 
with heroic Vietnam r?sum?s: John McCain, Max Cleland, John Kerry. But 
the list of past targets stretches from the former counterterrorism 
czar Richard Clarke to Specialist Thomas Wilson, the grunt who publicly 
challenged Donald Rumsfeld about inadequately armored vehicles last 
December. The assault on the whistle-blower Joseph Wilson - the 
diplomat described by the first President Bush as "courageous" and "a 
true American hero" for confronting Saddam to save American hostages in 
1991 - was so toxic it may yet send its perpetrators to jail.

????True to form, the attack on Cindy Sheehan surfaced early on Fox 
News, where she was immediately labeled a "crackpot" by Fred Barnes. 
The right-wing blogosphere quickly spread tales of her divorce, her 
angry Republican in-laws, her supposed political flip-flops, her 
incendiary sloganeering and her association with known 
ticket-stub-carrying attendees of "Fahrenheit 9/11." Rush Limbaugh went 
so far as to declare that Ms. Sheehan's "story is nothing more than 
forged documents - there's nothing about it that's real."

????But this time the Swift Boating failed, utterly, and that failure 
is yet another revealing historical marker in this summer's collapse of 
political support for the Iraq war.

????When the Bush mob attacks critics like Ms. Sheehan, its highest 
priority is to change the subject. If we talk about Richard Clarke's 
character, then we stop talking about the administration's pre-9/11 
inattentiveness to terrorism. If Thomas Wilson is trashed as an 
insubordinate plant of the "liberal media," we forget the Pentagon's 
abysmal failure to give our troops adequate armor (a failure that 
persists today, eight months after he spoke up). If we focus on Joseph 
Wilson's wife, we lose the big picture of how the administration 
twisted intelligence to gin up the threat of Saddam's nonexistent 
W.M.D.'s.

????The hope this time was that we'd change the subject to Cindy 
Sheehan's "wacko" rhetoric and the opportunistic left-wing groups that 
have attached themselves to her like barnacles. That way we would 
forget about her dead son. But if much of the 24/7 media has taken the 
bait, much of the public has not.

????The backdrops against which Ms. Sheehan stands - both that of Mr. 
Bush's what-me-worry vacation and that of Iraq itself - are perfectly 
synergistic with her message of unequal sacrifice and fruitless 
carnage. Her point would endure even if the messenger were shot by a 
gun-waving Crawford hothead or she never returned to Texas from her 
ailing mother's bedside or the president folded the media circus by 
actually meeting with her.

????The public knows that what matters this time is Casey Sheehan's 
story, not the mother who symbolizes it. Cindy Sheehan's bashers, 
you'll notice, almost never tell her son's story. They are afraid to go 
there because this young man's life and death encapsulate not just the 
noble intentions of those who went to fight this war but also the 
hubris, incompetence and recklessness of those who gave the marching 
orders.

????Specialist Sheehan was both literally and figuratively an Eagle 
Scout: a church group leader and honor student whose desire to serve 
his country drove him to enlist before 9/11, in 2000. He died with six 
other soldiers on a rescue mission in Sadr City on April 4, 2004, at 
the age of 24, the week after four American security workers had been 
mutilated in Falluja and two weeks after he arrived in Iraq. This was 
almost a year after the president had declared the end of "major combat 
operations" from the aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln.

????According to the account of the battle by John F. Burns in The 
Times, the insurgents who slaughtered Specialist Sheehan and his cohort 
were militiamen loyal to Moktada al-Sadr, the anti-American Shiite 
cleric. The Americans probably didn't stand a chance. As Mr. Burns 
reported, members of "the new Iraqi-trained police and civil defense 
force" abandoned their posts at checkpoints and police stations "almost 
as soon as the militiamen appeared with their weapons, leaving the 
militiamen in unchallenged control."

????Yet in the month before Casey Sheehan's death, Mr. Rumsfeld 
typically went out of his way to inflate the size and prowess of these 
Iraqi security forces, claiming in successive interviews that there 
were "over 200,000 Iraqis that have been trained and equipped" and that 
they were "out on the front line taking the brunt of the violence." 
We'll have to wait for historians to tell us whether this and all the 
other Rumsfeld propaganda came about because he was lied to by 
subordinates or lying to himself or lying to us or some combination 
thereof.

????As The Times reported last month, even now, more than a year later, 
a declassified Pentagon assessment puts the total count of Iraqi troops 
and police officers at 171,500, with only "a small number" able to 
fight insurgents without American assistance. As for Moktada al-Sadr, 
he remains as much a player as ever in the new "democratic" Iraq. He 
controls one of the larger blocs in the National Assembly. His 
loyalists may have been responsible for last month's apparently 
vengeful murder of Steven Vincent, the American freelance journalist 
who wrote in The Times that Mr. Sadr's followers had infiltrated 
Basra's politics and police force.

????Casey Sheehan's death in Iraq could not be more representative of 
the war's mismanagement and failure, but it is hardly singular. Another 
mother who has journeyed to Crawford, Celeste Zappala, wrote last 
Sunday in New York's Daily News of how her son, Sgt. Sherwood Baker, 
was also killed in April 2004 - in Baghdad, where he was providing 
security for the Iraq Survey Group, which was charged with looking for 
W.M.D.'s "well beyond the admission by David Kay that they didn't 
exist."

????As Ms. Zappala noted with rage, her son's death came only a few 
weeks after Mr. Bush regaled the Radio and Television Correspondents' 
Association banquet in Washington with a scripted comedy routine 
featuring photos of him pretending to look for W.M.D.'s in the Oval 
Office. "We'd like to know if he still finds humor in the fabrications 
that justified the war that killed my son," Ms. Zappala wrote. (Perhaps 
so: surely it was a joke that one of the emissaries Mr. Bush sent to 
Cindy Sheehan in Crawford was Stephen Hadley, the national security 
adviser who took responsibility for allowing the 16 errant words about 
doomsday uranium into the president's prewar State of the Union 
speech.)

????Mr. Bush's stand-up shtick for the Beltway press corps wasn't some 
aberration; it was part of the White House's political plan for keeping 
the home front cool. America was to yuk it up, party on and spend its 
tax cuts heedlessly while the sacrifice of an inadequately manned 
all-volunteer army in Iraq was kept out of most Americans' sight and 
minds. This is why the Pentagon issued a directive at the start of 
Operation Iraqi Freedom forbidding news coverage of "deceased military 
personnel returning to or departing from" air bases. It's why Mr. Bush, 
unlike Ronald Reagan and Jimmy Carter, has not attended funeral 
services for the military dead. It's why January's presidential 
inauguration, though nominally dedicated to the troops, was a gilded 
$40 million jamboree at which the word Iraq was banished from the 
Inaugural Address.

????This summer in Crawford, the White House went to this playbook once 
too often. When Mr. Bush's motorcade left a grieving mother in the dust 
to speed on to a fund-raiser, that was one fat-cat party too far. The 
strategy of fighting a war without shared national sacrifice has at 
last backfired, just as the strategy of Swift Boating the war's critics 
has reached its Waterloo before Patrick Fitzgerald's grand jury in 
Washington. The 24/7 cable and Web attack dogs can keep on sliming 
Cindy Sheehan. The president can keep trying to ration the photos of 
flag-draped caskets. But this White House no longer has any more 
control over the insurgency at home than it does over the one in Iraq.
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From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Tue Aug 23 07:28:17 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (mblaxill@yahoo.com)
Date: Tue Aug 23 07:32:08 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] NYTimes.com: California Ruling Expands Same-Sex Parental
	Rights
Message-ID: <20050823142817.133899FCD5@lax-gw05.mroute.net>

This page was sent to you by: mblaxill@yahoo.com.

NATIONAL | August 23, 2005
California Ruling Expands Same-Sex Parental Rights
By ADAM LIPTAK
The California Supreme Court ruled that both members of a lesbian couple should be considered their child's mothers even after their relationship ends.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/23/national/23gay.html?ex=1125460800&en=51fa2721c58996c1&ei=5070&emc=eta1



----------------- Advertisement --------------------------

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Copyright 2005 The New York Times Company
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From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Tue Aug 23 07:30:53 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (mblaxill@yahoo.com)
Date: Tue Aug 23 07:34:46 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] NYTimes.com: 10 Planets? Why Not 11?
Message-ID: <20050823143053.C9C1883D1B@lax-gw03.mroute.net>

This page was sent to you by: mblaxill@yahoo.com.

SCIENCE / SPACE & COSMOS | August 23, 2005
Scientist at Work | Michael Brown: 10 Planets? Why Not 11?
By KENNETH CHANG
An astronomer's survey of the solar system has revealed at least five new planetary bodies, including one being hailed as the 10th planet.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/23/science/space/23profile.html?ex=1125460800&en=68868c79cc3acbeb&ei=5070&emc=eta1



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Times movie reviews have to say about these Oscar
winning films?  
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NYTimes.com 500 Seventh Avenue New York, NY 10018

Copyright 2005 The New York Times Company
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From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Tue Aug 23 07:35:11 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (mblaxill@yahoo.com)
Date: Tue Aug 23 07:39:05 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] NYTimes.com: Bubble? What Bubble?
Message-ID: <20050823143511.42C6724AF0A@lax-gw02.mroute.net>

This page was sent to you by: mblaxill@yahoo.com.

OPINION | August 23, 2005
Op-Ed Contributor: Bubble? What Bubble?
By CHRIS HARRIS
Aside from any moment in the past decade, there has never been a better time to enter the real estate market.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/23/opinion/23harris.html?ex=1125460800&en=a706cedd23e45b43&ei=5070&emc=eta1




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Copyright 2005 The New York Times Company
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From hecate at diamonddragon.com  Tue Aug 23 07:43:16 2005
From: hecate at diamonddragon.com (Hecate)
Date: Tue Aug 23 07:47:26 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] BBC E-mail: ID theft spyware scam uncovered
Message-ID: <20050823_144316_086909.hecate@diamonddragon.com>

Hecate saw this story on BBC News Online and thought you
should see it.

** Message **
Analysis of information in the files revealed login details for online services at 50 banks as well as user details for many Ebay and Paypal accounts. One bank account had more than $380,000 in it

** ID theft spyware scam uncovered **
A sophisticated ID theft operation has caught out thousands of computer users, a security firm has found.
< http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/fr/-/2/hi/technology/4173218.stm >


** BBC Daily E-mail **
Choose the news and sport headlines you want - when you want them, all
in one daily e-mail
< http://www.bbc.co.uk/dailyemail/ >


** Disclaimer **
The BBC is not responsible for the content of this e-mail, and anything written in this e-mail does not necessarily reflect the BBC's views or opinions. Please note that neither the e-mail address nor name of the sender have?been verified.

If you do not wish to receive such e-mails in the future or want to know more about the BBC's Email a Friend service, please read our frequently asked questions. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/help/4162471.stm

From hecate at diamonddragon.com  Tue Aug 23 07:46:31 2005
From: hecate at diamonddragon.com (Hecate)
Date: Tue Aug 23 07:50:24 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] BBC E-mail: Step towards making human lungs
Message-ID: <20050823_144631_003573.hecate@diamonddragon.com>

Hecate saw this story on BBC News Online and thought you
should see it.

** Message **
Dr Bishop said: "Although it will be some years before we are able to build actual human lungs for transplantation, this is a major step towards deriving cells that could be used to repair damaged lungs." 



** Step towards making human lungs **
Scientists say they have made a significant step towards making human lungs for transplantation.
< http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/fr/-/2/hi/health/4175822.stm >


** BBC Daily E-mail **
Choose the news and sport headlines you want - when you want them, all
in one daily e-mail
< http://www.bbc.co.uk/dailyemail/ >


** Disclaimer **
The BBC is not responsible for the content of this e-mail, and anything written in this e-mail does not necessarily reflect the BBC's views or opinions. Please note that neither the e-mail address nor name of the sender have?been verified.

If you do not wish to receive such e-mails in the future or want to know more about the BBC's Email a Friend service, please read our frequently asked questions. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/help/4162471.stm

From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Tue Aug 23 08:21:51 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (mblaxill@yahoo.com)
Date: Tue Aug 23 08:25:46 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Headlines for August 23, 2005
Message-ID: <20050823152151.1248.qmail@trinity.democracynow.org>

Mike Blaxill  ( mblaxill@yahoo.com )
sent you this story from democracynow.org



+--------------------------------------------------------------------+
|  Headlines for August 23, 2005
|  http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=05/08/23/1321209
+--------------------------------------------------------------------+


- 2,000 Protest Bush in Salt Lake City
- Rep. Lynn Woolsey to Hold Hearings on Iraq Exit Strategy
- In Haiti Jailed Priest to Run As Lavalas Presidential Candidate
- Connecticut Sues U.S. Over No Child Left Behind Act
- Pat Robertson Calls For Assassination of Hugo Chavez
- Police Chief Sues Taser Over Injuries Suffered During Training
- Electronic Music Pioneer Robert Moog, 71, Dies 
This story continues at: 
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=05/08/23/1321209

From olhippie at tampabay.rr.com  Tue Aug 23 08:38:05 2005
From: olhippie at tampabay.rr.com (Robin McNamara)
Date: Tue Aug 23 08:42:12 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Russia & China
Message-ID: <000601c5a7f8$a83fab00$8a03ca44@CowBox>


Russia & China play war games together 



http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20050823/ap_on_re_as/china_russia_1


Peace
Robin





http://lpintop.tripod.com/robinmcnamara
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From grgolsorkhi at earthlink.net  Tue Aug 23 06:29:57 2005
From: grgolsorkhi at earthlink.net (Golsorkhi)
Date: Tue Aug 23 10:50:40 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] FW: MSNBC.com Article: Don't Make Hollow Threats
In-Reply-To: <BF2A6320.A07E%jm@omnia-am.com>
Message-ID: <E1E7cr5-0007Xt-FT@smtpauth05.mail.atl.earthlink.net>


------ Forwarded Message
From: John Mojdehi <jm@omnia-am.com>
Date: Thu, 18 Aug 2005 16:09:04 +0100
To: <nazenin_ansari@yahoo.co.uk>, Golsorkhi <grgolsorkhi@earthlink.net>
Subject: MSNBC.com Article: Don't Make Hollow Threats

Don't Make Hollow Threats
With 150,000 U.S. troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, Tehran has many ways to
retaliate against an American military strike.
http://g.msn.com/0MN2ET7/2?http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8942221/site/newswee
k&&CM=EmailThis&CE=1
_____________________________



------ End of Forwarded Message

From michael at intrafi.com  Tue Aug 23 11:20:11 2005
From: michael at intrafi.com (michael@intrafi.com)
Date: Tue Aug 23 11:24:05 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] FT.com / World / US - Bush offers robust defence of Iraq
	policy
Message-ID: <25857938.1124821211326.JavaMail.tomcat@localhost>



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From michael at intrafi.com  Tue Aug 23 11:21:33 2005
From: michael at intrafi.com (michael@intrafi.com)
Date: Tue Aug 23 11:25:29 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] FT.com / Middle East & Africa / Iraq - Iraqi parliament
	delays constitution vote
Message-ID: <4439051.1124821293771.JavaMail.tomcat@localhost>



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From michael at intrafi.com  Tue Aug 23 11:23:24 2005
From: michael at intrafi.com (michael@intrafi.com)
Date: Tue Aug 23 11:27:36 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] FT.com / Comment & analysis / Columnists - Victor
	Mallet: US is starting to lose its grip on Asia 
Message-ID: <24938175.1124821404726.JavaMail.tomcat@localhost>



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From michael at intrafi.com  Tue Aug 23 11:25:42 2005
From: michael at intrafi.com (michael@intrafi.com)
Date: Tue Aug 23 11:29:35 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] FT.com / Markets / Investor's notebook - Short View: Big
	Pharma, big trouble
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From jefbek at mindspring.com  Tue Aug 23 12:00:54 2005
From: jefbek at mindspring.com (Jef Bek)
Date: Tue Aug 23 12:05:53 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] "We are destroying the finest military in the history of
	mankind" Sen. Chuck Hagel 
Message-ID: <BF30C076.E54%jefbek@mindspring.com>

Hagel sounds alarm over Iraq

 BY JAKE THOMPSON
 WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER

 GRAND ISLAND, Neb. - More than 200 Nebraska American Legion members, who
have seen war and conflict themselves, fell quiet here Saturday as Sen.
Chuck Hagel bluntly explained why he believes that the United States is
losing the war in Iraq.

Sen. Chuck Hagel addresses more than 200 Nebraska American Legion members in
Grand Island on Saturday.

 It took 20 minutes, but it boiled down to this:

 The Bush team sent in too few troops to fight the war leading to today's
chaos and rising deaths of Americans and Iraqis. Terrorists are "pouring in"
to Iraq.

 Basic living standards are worse than a year ago in Iraq. Civil war is
perilously close to erupting there. Allies aren't helping much. The American
public is losing its trust in President Bush's handling of the conflict.

 And Hagel's deep fear is that it will all plunge into another Vietnam
debacle, prompting Congress to force another abrupt pullout as it did in
1975.

 "What we don't want to happen is for this to end up another Vietnam," Hagel
told the legionnaires, "because the consequences would be catastrophic."

It would be far worse than Vietnam, says Hagel, a twice-wounded veteran of
that conflict, which killed 58,000 Americans.

This is an important story. I've included the rest of it in the extended
entry.
    ::
   

 Failure in Iraq could lead to many more American deaths, disrupt U.S. oil
supplies, damage the Middle East peace effort, spread terrorism and harm
America's stature worldwide, Hagel said.

 That's what keeps him on edge these days.

 That's why he is again the most outspoken Republican in Congress about
Iraq. His view that America is losing in Iraq, which first aired in a
newsmagazine last week, prompted rebukes from conservatives such as talk
show host Rush Limbaugh, concerns from others in his party and praise from
anti-war advocates on the Internet.

 But Saturday, he was unrepentant.

 "The point is, we're going to have to make some changes or we will lose, we
will lose in Iraq," he told the legionnaires.

 At the same time, he said, he wants President Bush to win, and he believes
that the United States cannot pull out anytime soon.

 The legionnaires gave him a standing ovation at the end of his speech. Carl
Marks of Omaha, a Korean War veteran, said: "It sounds like he's conflicted
. . . like a lot of us."

 Bennie Navratil of Hallam, Neb., whose son left last week for military duty
in Afghanistan, said, "I feel he said the right thing: that we can't pull
out and something's got to change."

 Aboard a plane back to Omaha, Hagel was asked whether he thought Bush was
aware that adjustments might be needed in his Iraq policy.

 "I don't know," Hagel said.

 The whole Iraqi situation makes him sick to his stomach, he said.

 "It has tormented me, torn me more than any one thing," he said with a grim
look on his face. "To see what these guys in Iraq are having to go through
and knowing what I know here: that we didn't prepare for it, we didn't
understand what we were getting into. And to put those guys in those
positions, it makes me so angry."

 He lays part of the blame on Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, who argued
before the war that he needed only 150,000 American troops in Iraq. That
caused more casualties than were needed, Hagel said.

 "We still don't have enough troops," he said. "We should have had double or
triple the number."

 It has led to a bleak situation, Hagel said:

 Insurgent attacks are more frequent than a year ago. Bombs used by
insurgents are growing more deadly, piercing America's best protective
clothing and equipment. Oil production is down. Electricity is less
available than a year ago. Economic development is lagging. Ninety percent
of the humanitarian and economic aid pledged by 60 nations hasn't reached
Iraq because of the continuing violence. Only one Middle Eastern country has
an ambassador in Iraq.

 Bush has said America is fighting in Iraq with a "coalition of the
willing," allies who have committed a relatively small number of troops and
aid.

 Hagel scoffed at that idea. "It's a joke to say there's a coalition of the
willing," he said, adding that many are pulling out and the United States is
fronting the bills for those who remain.

 Meanwhile, U.S. troops are under severe strain. Troops are stationed in
more than 100 countries, and their rapid tempo of deployments with little
time off leaves them fatigued and in danger of making mistakes.

 "We are destroying the finest military in the history of mankind, and the
(National) Guard, too," he said. "We're stretching our Army to the breaking
point."

 Public pronouncements from the Bush administration also have gotten under
Hagel's skin. Vice President Dick Cheney's recent comments that the
insurgents in Iraq are in "the last throes" echo a refrain of the Vietnam
era, he said.

 Back then, officials saw "the light at the end of the tunnel" in Vietnam,
Hagel said.

 Toting up all those points, he said, leads him to conclude that the United
States is losing in Iraq.

 "That doesn't mean we have to lose," he said.

 In his speech and in an interview, Hagel offered some ideas that he thinks
could help in Iraq:

 U.S. troops and others could work harder to train local militias in small
Iraqi towns to help identify and take on insurgents. Allies who don't want
to enter Iraq could help patrol its borders, blocking terrorists from
entering the war-torn country. The training of Iraq's military and military
police should be accelerated immediately.

 Middle Eastern nations should become more engaged, he said, but it doesn't
help when administration officials criticize Egypt and Saudi Arabia for not
moving quickly enough toward democratic practices.

 Hagel said he shaped his views after many talks recently with senior U.S.
military officials; foreign policy experts; Brent Scowcroft, who was the
first President Bush's national security adviser; and others. He plans to
share his views with the current president and his team and says he feels an
urgency he hopes they will share.

 The United States has only about six more months to begin to turn things
around in Iraq, he said.

 "I believe that there can be a good outcome in Iraq," he said. "I also
believe there could be a very bad outcome for Iraq. I believe we have a very
limited time for that good outcome."

From CLARKE445566 at msn.com  Tue Aug 23 09:39:33 2005
From: CLARKE445566 at msn.com (ROBERT CLARKE)
Date: Tue Aug 23 14:08:28 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Fw: Quotes
Message-ID: <E1E7daF-0001OX-E1@smtpauth05.mail.atl.earthlink.net>



----- Original Message -----
From: Bob Ferrante
Sent: Monday, August 22, 2005 2:49 PM
To: ROBERT CLARKE
Subject: FW: Quotes


Brevity is virtue!  



Sometimes, when I look at my children, I say to myself, "Lillian, you should have remained a virgin."
           - Lillian Carter (mother of 64th President, Jimmy Carter)

 I had a rose named after me and I was very flattered.  But I was not pleased to read the description in the catalog:  "No good in a bed, but fine against a wall."
           - Eleanor Roosevelt

Last week, I stated this woman was the ugliest woman I had ever seen.  I have since been visited by her sister, and now wish to withdraw that statement.
          - Mark Twain

The secret of a good sermon is to have a good beginning and a good ending; and to have the two as close together as possible.
           - George Burns

Santa Claus has the right idea. Visit people only once a year.
           - Victor Borge

Be careful about reading health books.  You may die of a misprint.
           - Mark Twain

What would men be without women?   Scarce, sir...mighty scarce.
           - Mark Twain

By all means, marry.  If you get a good wife, you'll become happy; if you get a bad one, you'll become a philosopher.
           - Socrates

I was married by a judge.  I should have asked for a jury.
      - Groucho Marx

My wife has a slight impediment in her speech.  Every now and then she stops to breathe.
    - Jimmy Durante

The male is a domestic animal which, if treated with firmness and kindness, can be trained to do most things.
    - Jilly Cooper

I have never hated a man enough to give his diamonds back. -
       Zsa Gabor

 Only Irish coffee provides in a single glass all four essential food groups:  alcohol, caffeine, sugar and fat.
           - Alex Levine
Don't go around saying the world owes you a living. The world owes you nothing.  It was here first.
           - Mark Twain

My luck is so bad that if I bought a cemetery, people would stop dying.
          - Ed Furgol

Money can't buy you happiness... but it does bring you a more pleasant form of misery.
          - Spike Milligan

What's the use of happiness?  It can't buy you money.
-  Henny Youngman

I am opposed to millionaires... but it would be dangerous to offer me the position.
           - Mark Twain

Until I was thirteen, I thought my name was shut up.
           - Joe Namath

Youth would be an ideal state if it came a little later in life.
          - Herbert Henry Asquith

I don't feel old.  I don't feel anything until noon.  Then it's time for my nap.
          - Bob Hope

I never drink water because of the disgusting things that fish do in it. -
           WC Fields

We could certainly slow the aging process down if it had to work its way through Congress.
           - Will Rogers

Don't worry about avoiding temptation... as you grow older, it will avoid you.
          - Winston Churchill

Maybe it's true that life begins at fifty. but everything else starts to wear out, fall out, or spread out.
           - Phyllis Diller

The cardiologist's diet:  If it tastes good, spit it out.
           - Unknown

By the time a man is wise enough to watch his step, he's too old to go anywhere.
           - Billy Crystal






http://www.bbc.co.uk/

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From ean at sbcglobal.net  Mon Aug 22 21:16:55 2005
From: ean at sbcglobal.net (ean@sbcglobal.net)
Date: Tue Aug 23 16:40:42 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Blood Runs Red,
	not Blue  +  Hypocrites and Liars (by Cindy Sheehan)
Message-ID: <E1E7iJu-0004St-Ev@smtpauth05.mail.atl.earthlink.net>

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/18/opinion/18herbert.html?incamp=article_
popular
Blood Runs Red, not Blue

New York Times,
August 18, 2005

By BOB HERBERT

You have to wonder whether reality ever comes knocking on George
W. Bush's door. If it did, would the president with the unsettling
demeanor of a boy king even bother to answer? Mr. Bush is the
commander in chief who launched a savage war in Iraq and now
spends his days happily riding his bicycle in Texas.

 This is eerie. Scary. Surreal.
The war is going badly and lives have been lost by the thousands,
but there is no real sense, either at the highest levels of government or
in the nation at large, that anything momentous is at stake. The
announcement on Sunday that five more American soldiers had been blown to
eternity by roadside bombs was treated by the press as a yawner. It got
very little attention.

You can turn on the television any evening and tune in to the bizarre
extended coverage of the search for Natalee Holloway, the Alabama teenager
who disappeared in Aruba in May. But we hear very little about the men and
women who have given up their lives in Iraq, or are living with horrific
injuries suffered in that conflict.

If only the war were more entertaining. Less of a downer. Perhaps
then we could meet the people who are suffering and dying in it.

For all the talk of supporting the troops, they are a low priority for
most Americans. If the nation really cared, the president would not be
frolicking at his ranch for the entire month of August. He'd be back in
Washington burning the midnight oil, trying to figure out how to get the
troops out of the terrible fix he put them in.

Instead, Mr. Bush is bicycling as soldiers and marines are dying.
Dozens have been killed since he went off on his vacation.

As for the rest of the nation, it's not doing much for the troops, either.
There was a time, long ago, when war required sacrifices that were shared
by most of the population. That's over.

I was in Jacksonville, Fla., a few days ago and watched in amusement
as a young woman emerged from a restaurant into 95-degree heat and
gleefully exclaimed, "All right, let's go shopping!" The war was the
furthest thing from her mind.

For the most part, the only people sacrificing for this war are the troops
and their families, and very few of them are coming from the privileged
economic classes. That's why it's so easy to keep the troops out of sight
and out of mind. And it's why, in the third year of a war started by the
richest nation on earth, we still get stories like the one in Sunday's
Times that began:

"For the second time since the Iraq war began, the Pentagon is
struggling to replace body armor that is failing to protect American
troops from the most lethal attacks by insurgents."

Scandalous incompetence? Appalling indifference? Try both.
Who cares? This is a war fought mostly by other people's children.
The loudest of the hawks are the least likely to send their sons or
daughters off to Iraq.

The president has never been clear about why we're in Iraq. There's
no plan, no strategy. In one of the many tragic echoes of Vietnam,
U.S. troops have been fighting hellacious battles to seize areas
controlled by insurgents, only to retreat and allow the insurgents to
return.

If Mr. Bush were willing to do something he has refused to do so far -
speak plainly and honestly to the American people about this war - he
might be able to explain why U.S. troops should continue with an effort
that is, in large part at least, benefiting Iraqi factions that are
murderous, corrupt and terminally hostile to women. If by some chance he
could make that case, the next appropriate step would be to ask all
Americans to do their part for the war effort.

College kids in the U.S. are playing video games and looking forward
to frat parties while their less fortunate peers are rattling around like
moving targets in Baghdad and Mosul, trying to dodge improvised explosive
devices and rocket-propelled grenades.

There is something very, very wrong with this picture.

If the war in Iraq is worth fighting - if it's a noble venture, as the
hawks insist it is - then it's worth fighting with the children of the
privileged classes. They should be added to the combat mix. If it's not
worth their blood, then we should bring the other troops home.

If Mr. Bush's war in Iraq is worth dying for, then the children of the
privileged should be doing some of the dying.

E-mail: bobherb@nytimes.com

-------

http://www.commondreams.org/views05/0820-30.htm

Published on Saturday, August 20, 2005 by CommonDreams.org
Hypocrites and Liars
by Cindy Sheehan
 

The media are wrong. The people who have come out to Camp Casey 
to help coordinate the press and events with me are not putting words 
in my mouth, they are taking words out of my mouth. I have been 
known for sometime as a person who speaks the truth and speaks it 
strongly. I have always called a liar a liar and a hypocrite a hypocrite. 
Now I am urged to use softer language to appeal to a wider audience. 
Why do my friends at Camp Casey think they are there? Why did such 
a big movement occur from such a small action on August 6, 2005?

I haven't had much time to analyze the Camp Casey phenomena. I just 
read that I gave 250 interviews in less than a weeks time. I believe it. I 
would go to bed with a raw throat every night. I got pretty tired of 
answering some questions, like: 'What do you want to say to the 
President?' and 'Do you really think he will meet with you?' However, 
since my mom has been sick I have had a chance to step back and 
ponder the flood gates that I opened in Crawford, TX.

I just read an article posted today on LewRockwell.com by artist Robert 
Shetterly who painted my portrait. The article reminded me of 
something I said at the Veteran's for Peace Convention the night 
before I set out to Bush's ranch in my probable futile quest for the 
truth. This is what I said:

"I got an e-mail the other day and it said, 'Cindy if you didn't use so 
much profanity '. There's people on the fence that get offended.'

And you know what I said? 'You know what? You know what, god 
damn it? How in the world is anybody still sitting on that fence?'

"If you fall on the side that is pro-George and pro-war, you get your ass 
over to Iraq, and take the place of somebody who wants to come 
home. And if you fall on the side that is against this war and against 
George Bush, stand up and speak out."

This is what the Camp Casey miracle is all about. American citizens 
who oppose the war but never had a conduit for their disgust and 
dismay are dropping everything and traveling to Crawford to stand in 
solidarity with us who have made a commitment to sit outside of 
George's ranch for the duration of the miserable Texan August. If they 
can't come to Texas, they are attending vigils, writing letters to their 
elected officials and to their local newspapers; they are setting up 
Camp Casey branches in their hometowns; they are sending flowers, 
cards, letters, gifts, and donations here to us at Camp Casey. We are 
so grateful for all of the support, but I think pro-peace Americans are 
grateful for something to do, finally.

One thing I haven't noticed or become aware of though is an increased 
number of pro-war, pro-Bush people on the other side of the fence 
enlisting to go and fight George Bush's war for imperialism and 
insatiable greed. The pro-peace side has gotten off their apathetic 
butts to be warriors for peace and justice. Where are the pro-war 
people? Everyday at Camp Casey we have a couple of anti-peace 
people on the other side of the road holding up signs that remind me 
that 'Freedom isn't Free' but I don't see them putting their money 
where their mouths are. I don't think they are willing to pay even a 
small down payment for freedom by sacrificing their own blood or the 
flesh of their children. I still challenge them to go to Iraq and let another 
soldier come home. Perhaps a soldier that is on his/her third tour of 
duty, or one that has been stop-lossed after serving his/her country 
nobly and selflessly, only to be held hostage in Iraq by power mad 
hypocrites who have a long history of avoiding putting their own skin in 
the game.

Contrary to what the mainstream media thinks, I did not just fall off a 
pumpkin truck in Crawford, TX. on that scorchingly hot day two weeks 
ago. I have been writing, speaking, testifying in front of Congressional 
committees, lobbying Congress, and doing interviews for over a year 
now. I have been pretty well known in the progressive, peace 
community and I had many, many supporters before I left even left 
California. The people who supported me did so because they know 
that I uncompromisingly tell the truth about this war. I have stood up 
and said: 'My son died for NOTHING, and George Bush and his evil 
cabal and their reckless policies killed him. My son was sent to fight in 
a war that had no basis in reality and was killed for it.' I have never said 
'pretty please' or 'thank you.' I have never said anything wishy-washy 
like he uses 'Patriotic Rhetoric.' I say my son died for LIES. George 
Bush LIED to us and he knew he was LYING. The Downing Street 
Memos dated 23 July, 2002 prove that he knew that Saddam didn't 
have WMD's or any ties to Al Qaeda. I believe that George lied and he 
knew he was lying. He didn't use patriotic rhetoric. He lied and made 
us afraid of ghosts that weren't there. Now he is using patriotic rhetoric 
to keep the U.S. military presence in Iraq: Patriotic rhetoric that is 
based on greed and nothing else.

Now I am being vilified and dragged through the mud by the righties 
and so-called 'fair and balanced' mainstream media who are afraid of 
the truth and can't face someone who tells it by telling any truth of their 
own. Now they have to twist, distort, lie, and scrutinize anything I have 
ever said when they never scrutinize anything that George Bush said 
or is saying. Instead of asking George or Scotty McClellan if he will 
meet with me, why aren't they asking the questions they should have 
been asking all along: 'Why are our young people fighting, dying, and 
killing in Iraq? What is this noble cause you are sending our young 
people to Iraq for? What do you hope to accomplish there? Why did 
you tell us there were WMD's and ties to Al Qaeda when you knew 
there weren't? Why did you lie to us? Why did you lie to the American 
people? Why did you lie to the world? Why are our nation's children 
still in harm's way and dying everyday when we all know you lied? Why 
do you continually say we have to 'complete the mission' when you 
know damn well you have no idea what that mission is and you can 
change it at will like you change your cowboy shirts?'

Camp Casey has grown and prospered and survived all attacks and 
challenges because America is sick and tired of liars and hypocrites 
and we want the answers to the tough questions that I was the first to 
dare ask. THIS is George Bush's accountability moment and he is 
failing miserably. George Bush and his advisers seriously 
'misunderestimated' me when they thought they could intimidate me 
into leaving before I had the answers, or before the end of August. I 
can take anything they throw at me, or Camp Casey. If it shortens the 
war by a minute or saves one life, it is worth it. I think they seriously 
'misunderestimated' all mothers. I wonder if any of them had authentic 
mother-child relationships and if they are surprised that there are so 
many mothers in this country who are bear-like when it comes to 
wanting the truth and who want to make meaning of their child's 
needless and seemingly meaningless deaths?

The Camp Casey movement will not die until we have a genuine 
accounting of the truth and until our troops are brought home. Get 
used to it George, we are not going away.

###



-- 
You are currently on Mha Atma's Earth Action Network email list, 
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From ean at sbcglobal.net  Tue Aug 23 17:44:33 2005
From: ean at sbcglobal.net (ean@sbcglobal.net)
Date: Tue Aug 23 18:19:07 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] There is Such a Thing as "Too Late" and "Democratic
	Police State"
Message-ID: <E1E7jrA-0002o9-5T@smtpauth05.mail.atl.earthlink.net>

Reading the following two articles may take you 10 minutes or so and 
will make you a more informed and alert "citizen of the empire"......


http://www.commondreams.org/views05/0819-33.htm

Published on Friday, August 19, 2005 by CommonDreams.org
There is Such a Thing as ?Too Late?
by Ray McGovern
 

President Bush still refuses to meet with Cindy Sheehan, the Rosa 
Parks of Crawford, Texas, but there is some good news. While 
Crawford?s Camp Casey (named after Cindy?s son killed in Iraq on 
April 4, 2004) continues to be short on amenities, a sympathetic 
neighbor has given the hundred or so friends I left there on 
Wednesday a field in which they can pitch their tents. No longer will 
they have to try to sleep in the seven-foot wide ditch alongside the 
road, with local pick-up trucks and Secret Service SUVs whizzing by 
honking reveille at 5:00 AM. In addition, newly donated tarps are 
providing some protection from fire ants by night and the 105-degree 
sun by day.

A rumor ran through the camp that Karl Rove set loose the fire ants 
into the ditches in the same way he has loosed the rabid talk-show-
dogs that have been barking at Cindy. But it turns out the ants are 
indigenous?like other local pests.

While at Camp Casey I had a daydream. I visualized turning Crawford 
into Selma. Think of it: 40 years later, thousands of us crossing a new 
Edmund Pettus Bridge?this time over Tonk Creek en route to the 
Texas White House. There is legal precedent. In 1965, Federal District 
Court Judge Frank M. Johnson, Jr. weighed the right of mobility 
against the right to march and ruled in favor of those marching from 
Selma to Montgomery. Judge Johnson ruled:

    ?The law is clear that the right to petition one?s government for the 
redress of grievances may be exercised in large groups...and these 
rights may be exercised by marching, even along public highways.?

Folks ask me what I think Cindy Sheehan and her devoted supporters 
need most at Camp Casey. In my view, the answer is simple: They 
have built it; will you come? Your bodies are needed on site to help 
petition our government for redress of the grievance of reckless 
endangerment of the bodies and the souls of the young men and 
women sent off to wage an unnecessary war.

Can We Do Something Else to Help?

Two years after the march from Selma to Montgomery Dr. Martin 
Luther King, Jr. took the pulpit at Riverside Church in New York City 
and gave a speech titled ?Beyond Vietnam: A Time to Break Silence.? 
Today we can substitute ?Iraq? for ?Vietnam.? Dr. King spoke clearly:

    ?Now, it should be incandescently clear that no one who has any 
concern for the integrity and life of America today can ignore the 
present war. If America?s soul becomes totally poisoned, part of the 
autopsy must read Vietnam.?

Ignore. That?s what the vast majority of Germans did in the 1930s as 
Hitler curtailed civil liberties and launched aggressive wars. I was born 
in August 1939, a week before Hitler sent German tanks into Poland to 
start World War II. I have studied that crucial time in some detail. And 
during the five years I served in Germany I had occasion to ask all 
manner of people how it could possibly be that, highly educated and 
cultured as they were, the Germans for the most part could simply 
ignore. Why was it that the institutional churches, Catholic and 
Evangelical Lutheran, could not find their voice? Why was it that so few 
spoke out?

A few did...and they provide good example for us today. Lutheran 
Pastor Dietrich Bonhoeffer spoke out, plotted against Hitler, and was 
executed. Also executed was a more obscure but equally courageous 
professor from the University of Berlin, Albrecht Haushofer.

Like Bonhoeffer, Haushofer was arrested for speaking out. The SS 
prison guards were required to extract a confession from prisoners 
before they were hanged or shot, but Haushofer refused. When they 
removed his body, though, a paper fell out of his pocket. It was his 
admission of guilt written in the form of a sonnet:

Schuld
...schuldig bin ich Anders als Ihr denkt.
Ich musste fr?her meine Pflicht erkennen;
Ich musste sch?rfer Unheil Unheil nennen;
Mein Urteil habe ich zu lang gelenkt...
Ich habe gewarnt,
Aber nicht genug, und klar;
Und heute wei? ich, was ich schuldig war.

Guilt
I am guilty,
But not in the way you think.
I should have earlier recognized my duty;
I should have more sharply called evil evil;
I reined in my judgment too long.
I did warn,
But not enough, and clear;
And today I know what I was guilty of.

At Riverside Church 22 years later, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. began 
by quoting a statement by Clergy and Laymen Concerned About 
Vietnam: ?A time comes when silence is betrayal.? Dr. King added, 
?That time has come for us in relation to Vietnam.?

And that time has come for us in relation to Iraq. But where are the 
Clergy and Laymen Concerned About Iraq? Where are the successors 
to Dr. King, to Bonhoeffer, to Professor Haushofer? ?There is only us,? 
says Annie Dillard, and she is right of course. We are the ones we?ve 
been waiting for.

Dr. King was typically direct: ?We must speak with all the humility that 
is appropriate to our limited vision, but we must speak....there is such a 
thing as being too late....Life often leaves us standing bare, naked, and 
dejected with lost opportunity....Over the bleached bones of numerous 
civilizations are written the pathetic words: ?Too late.?

An Example to Follow

I believe Cindy Sheehan provides prophetic example for us all. She let 
herself be guided by the spirit within. President George W. Bush had 
said that the sacrifice of our dead soldiers, including Casey, was ?worth 
it.? And earlier this month he added that it was all in a ?noble cause.? 
Cindy, while giving a talk at a conference in Dallas, spontaneously 
asked if someone would come with her to Crawford, because she 
needed to ask the president what it was that he was describing as a 
?noble cause.? You know the first chapter of the rest of the story. The 
point I would make here is simply that she was open to the spirit within, 
decided to follow its prompting, and did not hesitate to claim the help 
she needed. Cindy used her conference speech to speak out clearly, 
as she has been doing for these past several months, and then she 
acted.

Is it not time for us?each of us?to be open to such prompting. Is it 
not time for us, amid the carnage in Iraq, amid a presidentially 
promulgated policy permitting torture ?consistent with military 
necessity,? amid growing signs of an attack by Israel and/or the U.S. 
on Iran?is it not high time for us to speak...and to act. How, in God?s 
name, can we not act?

Creative Protest

Dr. King enjoined his listeners at Riverside Church to ?seek out every 
creative means of protest possible,? in matching actions with our 
words.

Not all of us can join the march to Selma...I mean Crawford. So let?s 
be creative.

I wear a t-shirt with a representation of Arlington West on the front. At 
7:30 AM every Sunday, Veterans for Peace in the area of Los Angeles 
bring white crosses, stars of David, and crescents, down to Santa 
Monica beach as a poignant reminder of those troops killed in Iraq. 
The crosses, stars, and crescents are arrayed respectfully in lines as 
hauntingly straight as those here in our own Arlington Cemetery.

When a few months ago I had the privilege of helping my veteran 
colleagues set up Arlington West, there were 1,600 crosses, stars, 
crescents, and it took three hours to set them in place. We are fast 
approaching 1,900; I don?t know how long it takes to emplace them 
now. When the veterans of Arlington West heard of Cindy Sheehan?s 
courageous witness in Crawford, they packed up 800 and drove all 
night to ensure that a large slice of Arlington West could be emplaced 
in newly created Arlington Crawford at Camp Casey.

That?s creative, no? Here we already have ?Arlington East? to honor 
the dead. But what about the thousands and thousands of wounded? 
Can we be imaginative enough to discern visually creative ways to 
witness to and honor our wounded? And what about all the Iraqi 
civilians??collateral damage,? in military parlance?who, absent the 
war, would be alive today? The number of civilian dead was put as 
high as 100,000 a year ago. Our government does not consider Iraqi 
casualties worth counting. Is this a way of saying that, in our country?s 
view, Iraqis don?t count? Have we become so callous as to ignore, and 
thus acquiesce in that?

These are some spontaneous thoughts...the only suggestions that 
occur to me this evening regarding things we might consider doing to 
walk the talk. No doubt, you will have more imaginative, more creative 
ideas. Don?t wait. Remember: there is such a thing as being too late.

The fire ants were not the only pests in Crawford. There were a few 
unfriendly folks who kept telling us to go to hell. That brought to mind 
the dictum of the 18th century English statesman and philosopher 
Edmund Burke: ?The hottest places in hell are reserved for those who, 
in times of crisis, remain neutral.?

Let?s not oblige the pests; I understand that hell is even hotter than 
Crawford.

Ray McGovern works for Tell the Word, the publishing arm of the 
ecumenical Church of the Saviour in Washington, DC, and is co-
founder of Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity. On 
Wednesday, he arrived home in Arlington, VA, after five days in 
Crawford, and shared these remarks with 300 neighbors at the close 
of a candlelight observance in honor of Cindy Sheehan.

###

http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/082305K.shtml

    The Rise of the Democratic Police State
    By John Pilger
    t r u t h o u t | Perspective

    Tuesday 23 August 2005

    Thomas Friedman is a famous columnist on the New York Times. 
He has been described as "a guard dog of US foreign policy". 
Whatever America's warlords have in mind for the rest of humanity, 
Friedman will bark it. He boasts that "the hidden hand of the market 
will never work without a hidden fist". He promotes bombing countries 
and says world war three has begun.

    Friedman's latest bark is about free speech, which his country's 
constitution is said to safeguard. He wants the State Department to 
draw up a blacklist of those who make "wrong" political statements. He 
is referring not only to those who advocate violence, but those who 
believe American actions are the root cause of the current terrorism. 
The latter group, which he describes as "just one notch less 
despicable than the terrorists", includes most Americans and Britons, 
according to the latest polls.

    Friedman wants a "War of Ideas report" that names those who try to 
understand and explain, for example, why London was bombed. These 
are "excuse makers" who "deserve to be exposed". He borrows the 
term "excuse makers" from James Rubin, who was Madeleine 
Albright's chief apologist at the State Department. Albright, who rose to 
secretary of state under President Clinton, said that the death of half a 
million Iraqi infants as a result of an American-driven blockade was a 
"price" that was "worth it". Of all the interviews I have filmed in official 
Washington, Rubin's defence of this mass killing is unforgettable.

    Farce is never far away in these matters. The "excuse makers" 
would also include the CIA, which has warned that "Iraq [since the 
invasion] has replaced Afghanistan as the training ground for the next 
generation of 'professionalised' terrorists'." Onto the Friedman/Rubin 
blacklist go the spooks!

    Like so much else during the Blair era, this McCarthyite rubbish has 
floated across the Atlantic and is now being recycled by the prime 
minister as proposed police-state legislation, little different from the 
fascist yearnings of Friedman and other extremists. For Friedman's 
blacklist, read Tony Blair's proposed database of proscribed opinions, 
bookshops, websites.

    The British human rights lawyer Linda Christian asks: "Are those 
who feel a huge sense of injustice about the same causes as the 
terrorists - Iraq, Afghanistan, the war on terrorism, Guantanamo Bay, 
Abu Ghraib - to be stopped from speaking forthrightly about their 
anger? Because terrorism is now defined in our law as actions abroad, 
will those who support liberation movements in, for example, Kashmir 
or Chechnya be denied freedom of expression?" Any definition of 
terrorism, she points out, should "encompass the actions of terrorist 
states engaged in unlawful wars."

    Of course, Blair is silent on western state terrorism in the Middle 
East and elsewhere; and for him to moralise about "our values" insults 
the fact of his blood-crime in Iraq. His budding police state will, he 
hopes, have the totalitarian powers he has longed for since 2001 when 
he suspended habeas corpus and introduced unlimited house arrest 
without trial. The Law Lords, Britain's highest judiciary, have tried to 
stop this. Last December, Lord Hoffmann said that Blair's attacks on 
human rights were a greater threat to freedom than terrorism. On 26 
July, Blair emoted that the entire British nation was under threat and 
abused the judiciary in terms, as Simon Jenkins noted, "that would do 
credit to his friend Vladimir Putin".

    Should you be tempted to dismiss all this as esoteric or merely mad, 
travel to any Muslim community in Britain, especially in the northwest, 
and sense the state of siege and fear. On 15 July, Blair's Britain of the 
future was glimpsed when the police raided the Iqra Learning Centre 
and book store near Leeds. The Iqra Trust is a well-known charity that 
promotes Islam worldwide as "a peaceful religion which covers every 
walk of life." The police smashed down the door, wrecked the shop 
and took away anti-war literature which they described as "anti-
western".

    Among this was, reportedly, a DVD of the Respect Party MP George 
Galloway addressing the US Senate and a New Statesman article of 
mine illustrated by a much-published photograph of a Palestinian man 
in Gaza attempting to shield his son from Israeli bullets before the boy 
was shot to death. The photograph was said to be "working people 
up", meaning Muslim people. Clearly, David Gibbons, this journal's 
esteemed art director, who chose this illustration, will be called before 
the Blair Incitement Tribunal. One of my books, The New Rulers of the 
World, was also apparently confiscated. It is not known whether the 
police have yet read the chapter that documents how the Americans, 
with help from MI6 and the SAS, created, armed and bankrolled the 
terrorists of the Islamic Mujahideen, not least Osama bin Laden.

    The raid was deliberately theatrical, with the media tipped off. Two 
of the alleged 7 July bombers had been volunteers in the shop almost 
four years ago. "When they became hardliners", said a community 
youth worker. "They left and have never been back and they've had 
nothing to do with the shop." The raid was watched by horrified local 
people, who are now scared, angry and bitter. I spoke to Muserat 
Sujawal, who has lived in the area for 31 years and is respected widely 
for her management of the nearby Hamara Community Centre. She 
told me, "There was no justification for the raid. The whole point of the 
shop is to teach how Islam is a community-based religion. My family 
has used the shop for years, buying, for example, the Arabic 
equivalent of Sesame Street. They did it to put fear in our hearts." 
James Dean, a Bradford secondary school teacher, said, "I am 
teaching myself Urdu because I have multi-ethnic classes, and the 
shop has been very helpful with tapes."

    The police have the right to pursue every lead in their hunt for 
bombers, but scaremongering is not their right. Sir Ian Blair, the 
Metropolitan Police Commissioner who understands how the media 
can be used and spends a lot of time in television studios, has yet to 
explain why he announced that the killing in the London Underground 
of the Brazilian Jean Charles de Menezes was "directly linked" to 
terrorism, when he must have known the truth. Muslim people all over 
Britain report the presence of police "video vans" cruising their streets, 
filming everyone. "We have become like ghettoes under siege," said 
one man too frightened to be named. "Do they know what this is doing 
to our young people?"

    The other day Blair said, "We are not having any of this nonsense 
about [the bombings having anything] to do with what the British are 
doing in Iraq or Afghanistan, or support for Israel, or support for 
America, or any of the rest of it. It is nonsense and we have to confront 
it as that." This "raving", as the American writer Mike Whitney 
observed, "is part of a broader strategy to dismiss the obvious facts 
about terror and blame the victims of American-British aggression. It's 
a tactic that was minted in Tel Aviv and perfected over 37 years of 
occupation. It is predicated on the assumption that terrorism emerges 
from an amorphous, religious-based ideology that transforms its 
adherents into ruthless butchers."

    Professor Robert Pape of the University of Chicago has examined 
every act of suicide terrorism over the past 25 years. He refutes the 
assumption that suicide bombers are mainly driven by "an evil ideology 
independent of other circumstances." He said, "The facts are that 
since 1980, half the attacks have been secular. Few of the terrorists fit 
the standard stereotype ... Half of them are not religious fanatics at all. 
In fact, over 95 per cent of suicide attacks around the world [are not 
about] religion, but a specific strategic purpose - to compel the United 
States and other western countries to abandon military commitments 
on the Arabian Peninsula and in countries they view as their homeland 
or prize greatly ... The link between anger over American, British and 
western military [action] and al-Qaeda's ability to recruit suicide 
terrorists to kill us could not be tighter."

    So we have been warned, yet again. Terrorism is the logical 
consquence of American and British "foreign policy" whose infinitely 
greater terrorism we need to recognise, and debate, as a matter of 
urgency.

    --------

    Originally published by The New Statesman UK.

 

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From ean at sbcglobal.net  Tue Aug 23 18:07:44 2005
From: ean at sbcglobal.net (ean@sbcglobal.net)
Date: Tue Aug 23 22:09:21 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] "Illegal" Meetings Between Bush Team,
	Roberts Raise Ethical Concerns
Message-ID: <E1E7nRb-0000dF-AE@smtpauth05.mail.atl.earthlink.net>

http://newstandardnews.net/content/index.cfm/items/2247
?Illegal? Meetings Between Bush Team, Roberts Raise 
Ethical Concerns
by Jessica Azulay 

In what critics call a clear violation of the US Judicial Code, Supreme 
Court nominee John Roberts met with administration officials about the 
high court job while hearing a historic case on the fate of ?unlawful 
combatants.?

Aug 19 - President Bush's Supreme Court nominee recently admitted 
that he was interviewing for a seat on the high court while hearing a 
case that called into question the president's authority to use a special 
military tribunal to try a so-called "enemy combatant." Some legal 
analysts not only say the apparent conflict of interest calls into question 
the impartiality of the Judge John Roberts's deliberations on that case, 
but argue that the nominee's failure to recuse himself from the 
proceedings was illegal.

"The news that
 Roberts was interviewed for the Court seat by 
Attorney General Gonzales, Vice President Cheney and others while 
he was deciding a case that went to the heart of the legality of the 
administration's so-called 'war on terror' should finish off his 
nomination," said Michael Ratner, president of the Center for 
Constitutional Rights (CCR), in a press statement. CCR has been at 
the forefront of litigating for the rights of the detainees held at the 
Guant?namo Bay prison camp in Cuba, though the group is not 
representing Hamdan personally.

As reported previously by The NewStandard, the US Court of Appeals 
for the District of Columbia Circuit handed down a decision authorizing 
the use of a controversial military tribunal system to try Guant?namo 
detainee Salim Ahmed Hamdan just days before Roberts, a judge on 
that court, was announced by Bush as his nominee to replace retiring 
Justice Sandra Day O'Connor.

"The central issue of Hamdan v. Rumsfeld was the application of the 
Geneva Convention to alleged terrorist detainees," said Ratner. "The 
policy was crafted by the very people who were interviewing Roberts 
for his new job. He would have every reason to make sure his decision 
did not disagree with the administration, and it did not."

But what was not known to the public at the time of Robert's 
nomination was that he had met with administration officials -- 
including the head of the Justice Department, which was arguing the 
Hamdan case on behalf of the White House -- several times both 
before and during the proceedings. These job interviews were taking 
place unbeknownst to Hamdan's lawyers and represent at least the 
appearance of impropriety on the part of the Bush administration and 
Judge Roberts.

The Judicial Code of Conduct explicitly requires judges to step down 
from cases in which they have real or perceived conflicting interests. 
"A judge is disqualified and shall recuse himself or herself in a 
proceeding in which the judge's impartiality might reasonably be 
questioned," reads the Code.

According to Robert's answers on a Judiciary Committee questionnaire 
in preparation for the upcoming Senate confirmation process, Attorney 
General Alberto Gonzales interviewed him about the Supreme Court 
position on April 1.

Roberts disclosed that he was subsequently interviewed on May 3 by 
Gonzales, Vice President Dick Cheney, Chief of Staff Andrew Card, 
Counsel to the President Harriet Miers and Deputy Chief of Staff Karl 
Rove, among others. Miers interviewed Roberts again on May 23, and 
again by telephone on July 8. Roberts also interviewed with President 
Bush on July 15.

The US Court of Appeals first began hearing the Hamdan case on 
April 7. The three-judge decision affirming the Bush administrations 
position was rendered on July 15.

"Did administration officials or Roberts ask whether it was proper to 
conduct interviews for a possible Supreme Court nomination while the 
judge was adjudicating the government's much-disputed claims of 
expansive presidential powers?" wrote three law professors in an 
opinion piece about the recent disclosure published in the online 
magazine Slate. "Did they ask whether it was appropriate to do so 
without informing opposing counsel?"

The commentary was authored by Stephen Gillers of the New York 
University School of Law, Steven Lubet, of the Northwestern University 
School of Law, and David J. Luban of the Georgetown University Law 
Center.

"If they had asked," the three continued, "they would have discovered 
that the interviews violated federal law on the disqualification of judges. 
Federal law deems public trust in the courts so critical that it requires 
judges to step aside if their 'impartiality might reasonably be 
questioned,' even if the judge is completely impartial as a matter of 
fact."

It is unclear how much of an effect the issue will have on Roberts's 
chances at confirmation.

The Bush administration is denying that any impropriety took place. 
"There was no conflict whatsoever," White House spokeswoman Dana 
Perino told Newsday.

Other law professors, interviewed by the Washington Post, 
downplayed the significance of Roberts not recusing himself from the 
case.

Monroe Freedman, a legal ethicist at Hofstra University School of Law, 
told the Post that requiring appellate court judges hoping for 
promotions from the White House to step down from cases like 
Hamdan would be too burdensome, even though such judges 
frequently hear cases to which the federal government is a party.

But Gillers, Lubet and Luban said the Hamdan case is unusual due to 
its central role in determining the limits of presidential authority in 
crafting detention and judicial policies for the people it arrests during its 
so-called "war on terror." They also noted the "spill-over effect" of that 
case "on the legality of controversial interrogation techniques used by 
the government at Guant?namo and elsewhere," as both issues are 
rooted in the same provisions of the Geneva Conventions.

Meanwhile, commentators are speculating about how the recent 
revelations might have an effect beyond Roberts himself. Gillers, Lubet 
and Luban wrote that the validity of the Hamdan ruling is now called 
into question.

"Although the procedural rules are murky," they wrote, "it may yet be 
possible for Judge Roberts to withdraw his vote retroactively. That 
would at least eliminate the [precedent-setting] effect of the opinion on 
whether the Geneva Conventions grant minimum human rights to 
Hamdan and others in his position."

Ratner, of CCR, said the situation implicates members of the Bush 
administration as well as Roberts. He said the job interview -- coming 
in the midst of a case with so much importance to the administration's 
detention policies -- could be construed as a "bribe."

? 2005 The NewStandard


-- 
You are currently on Mha Atma's Earth Action Network email list, 
option D (up to 3 emails/day).  To be removed, or to switch options 
(option A - 1x/week, option B - 3/wk, option C - up to 1x/day, option D - 
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From michael at intrafi.com  Tue Aug 23 22:07:24 2005
From: michael at intrafi.com (michael)
Date: Tue Aug 23 22:12:20 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Article from Tom Dispatch
Message-ID: <200508240507.j7O57OLv006760@thor.thenation.com>

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From jefbek at mindspring.com  Wed Aug 24 00:06:43 2005
From: jefbek at mindspring.com (Jef Bek)
Date: Wed Aug 24 00:11:57 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Bush says anti-war protests threaten to weaken the
	United States
Message-ID: <BF316A93.E5F%jefbek@mindspring.com>

There's a great photo with this article! Please click on the link!
It?s exciting to me the our voices are being heard and that people who were
with George are starting to wake up!

http://www.canada.com/national/nationalpost/news/story.html?id=581719e6-4f85
-48bb-a52c-615ef31355e7

Bush says anti-war protests threaten to weaken the United States

Canadian Press

August 23, 2005

Bill Moyer, 73, wears a "Bullshit Protector" flap over his ear while
President George W. Bush addresses the Veterans of Foreign Wars. (AP
Photo/Douglas C. Pizac)

DONNELLY, Idaho (AP) - President George W. Bush said Tuesday that anti-war
protesters such as Cindy Sheehan, who want U.S. troops brought home
immediately, are "advocating a policy that would weaken the United States."

In remarks to reporters outside an exclusive resort where he is vacationing,
Bush gave no indication that he would change his mind and meet with Sheehan
when he returns to his Texas ranch Wednesday evening.

 Sheehan, who lost a son in Iraq and has emerged as a harsh critic of the
war there, has been maintaining a vigil outside Bush's ranch that has
attracted other anti-war protesters.

 Bush said that two high-ranking member of his staff have already met with
her.







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From jefbek at mindspring.com  Wed Aug 24 00:11:35 2005
From: jefbek at mindspring.com (Jef Bek)
Date: Wed Aug 24 00:16:40 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Scientists Speak Up on Mix of God and Science
Message-ID: <BF316BB7.E61%jefbek@mindspring.com>

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/23/national/23believers.html?ei=5090&en=a7fec
44c68be1f25&ex=1282449600&partner=rssuserland&emc=rss&pagewanted=print

NEW YORK TIMES

August 23, 2005

Scientists Speak Up on Mix of God and Science
By CORNELIA DEAN

 At a recent scientific conference at City College of New York, a student in
the audience rose to ask the panelists an unexpected question: "Can you be a
good scientist and believe in God?"

 Reaction from one of the panelists, all Nobel laureates, was quick and
sharp. "No!" declared Herbert A. Hauptman, who shared the chemistry prize in
1985 for his work on the structure of crystals.

 Belief in the supernatural, especially belief in God, is not only
incompatible with good science, Dr. Hauptman declared, "this kind of belief
is damaging to the well-being of the human race."

 But disdain for religion is far from universal among scientists. And today,
as religious groups challenge scientists in arenas as various as evolution
in the classroom, AIDS prevention and stem cell research, scientists who
embrace religion are beginning to speak out about their faith.

 "It should not be a taboo subject, but frankly it often is in scientific
circles," said Francis S. Collins, who directs the National Human Genome
Research Institute and who speaks freely about his Christian faith.

Although they embrace religious faith, these scientists also embrace science
as it has been defined for centuries. That is, they look to the natural
world for explanations of what happens in the natural world and they
recognize that scientific ideas must be provisional - capable of being
overturned by evidence from experimentation and observation. This belief in
science sets them apart from those who endorse creationism or its doctrinal
cousin, intelligent design, both of which depend on the existence of a
supernatural force.

Their belief in God challenges scientists who regard religious belief as
little more than magical thinking, as some do. Their faith also challenges
believers who denounce science as a godless enterprise and scientists as
secular elitists contemptuous of God-fearing people.

 Some scientists say simply that science and religion are two separate
realms, "nonoverlapping magisteria," as the late evolutionary biologist
Stephen Jay Gould put it in his book "Rocks of Ages" (Ballantine, 1999). In
Dr. Gould's view, science speaks with authority in the realm of "what the
universe is made of (fact) and why does it work this way (theory)" and
religion holds sway over "questions of ultimate meaning and moral value."

 When the American Association for the Advancement of Science devoted a
session to this idea of separation at its annual meeting this year, scores
of scientists crowded into a room to hear it.

 Some of them said they were unsatisfied with the idea, because they believe
scientists' moral values must inevitably affect their work, others because
so much of science has so many ethical implications in the real world.

 One panelist, Dr. Noah Efron of Bar-Ilan University in Israel, said
scientists, like other people, were guided by their own human purposes,
meaning and values. The idea that fact can be separated from values and
meaning "jibes poorly with what we know of the history of science," Dr.
Efron said.

 Dr. Collins, who is working on a book about his religious faith, also
believes that people should not have to keep religious beliefs and
scientific theories strictly separate. "I don't find it very satisfactory
and I don't find it very necessary," he said in an interview. He noted that
until relatively recently, most scientists were believers. "Isaac Newton
wrote a lot more about the Bible than the laws of nature," he said.

But he acknowledged that as head of the American government's efforts to
decipher the human genetic code, he had a leading role in work that many say
definitively demonstrates the strength of evolutionary theory to explain the
complexity and abundance of life.

 As scientists compare human genes with those of other mammals, tiny worms,
even bacteria, the similarities "are absolutely compelling," Dr. Collins
said. "If Darwin had tried to imagine a way to prove his theory, he could
not have come up with something better, except maybe a time machine. Asking
somebody to reject all of that in order to prove that they really do love
God - what a horrible choice."

 Dr. Collins was a nonbeliever until he was 27 - "more and more into the
mode of being not only agnostic but being an atheist," as he put it. All
that changed after he completed his doctorate in physics and was at work on
his medical degree, when he was among those treating a woman dying of heart
disease. "She was very clear about her faith and she looked me square in the
eye and she said, 'what do you believe?' " he recalled. "I sort of stammered
out, 'I am not sure.' "

 He said he realized then that he had never considered the matter seriously,
the way a scientist should. He began reading about various religious
beliefs, which only confused him. Finally, a Methodist minister gave him a
book, "Mere Christianity," by C. S. Lewis. In the book Lewis, an atheist
until he was a grown man, argues that the idea of right and wrong is
universal among people, a moral law they "did not make, and cannot quite
forget even when they try." This universal feeling, he said, is evidence for
the plausibility of God.

 When he read the book, Dr. Collins said, "I thought, my gosh, this guy is
me."

 Today, Dr. Collins said, he does not embrace any particular denomination,
but he is a Christian. Colleagues sometimes express surprise at his faith,
he said. "They'll say, 'how can you believe that? Did you check your brain
at the door?" But he said he had discovered in talking to students and
colleagues that "there is a great deal of interest in this topic."

 Polling Scientists on Beliefs

 According to a much-discussed survey reported in the journal Nature in
1997, 40 percent of biologists, physicists and mathematicians said they
believed in God - and not just a nonspecific transcendental presence but, as
the survey put it, a God to whom one may pray "in expectation of receiving
an answer."

 The survey, by Edward J. Larson of the University of Georgia, was intended
to replicate one conducted in 1914, and the results were virtually
unchanged. In both cases, participants were drawn from a directory of
American scientists.

 Others play down those results. They note that when Dr. Larson put part of
the same survey to "leading scientists" - in this case, members of the
National Academy of Sciences, perhaps the nation's most eminent scientific
organization - fewer than 10 percent professed belief in a personal God or
human immortality.

 This response is not surprising to researchers like Steven Weinberg, a
physicist at the University of Texas, a member of the academy and a winner
of the Nobel Prize in 1979 for his work in particle physics. He said he
could understand why religious people would believe that anything that
eroded belief was destructive. But he added: "I think one of the great
historical contributions of science is to weaken the hold of religion.
That's a good thing."

No God, No Moral Compass?

 He rejects the idea that scientists who reject religion are arrogant. "We
know how many mistakes we've made," Dr. Weinberg said. And he is angered by
assertions that people without religious faith are without a moral compass.

 In any event, he added, "the experience of being a scientist makes religion
seem fairly irrelevant," he said. "Most scientists I know simply don't think
about it very much. They don't think about religion enough to qualify as
practicing atheists."

 Most scientists he knows who do believe in God, he added, believe in "a God
who is behind the laws of nature but who is not intervening."

 Kenneth R. Miller, a biology professor at Brown, said his students were
often surprised to find that he was religious, especially when they realized
that his faith was not some sort of vague theism but observant Roman
Catholicism.

 Dr. Miller, whose book, "Finding Darwin's God," explains his reconciliation
of the theory of evolution with his religious faith, said he was usually
challenged in his biology classes by one or two students whose religions did
not accept evolution, who asked how important the theory would be in the
course.

 "What they are really asking me is "do I have to believe in this stuff to
get an A?,' " he said. He says he tells them that "belief is never an issue
in science."

 "I don't care if you believe in the Krebs cycle," he said, referring to the
process by which energy is utilized in the cell. "I just want you to know
what it is and how it works. My feeling about evolution is the same thing."

For Dr. Miller and other scientists, research is not about belief. "Faith is
one thing, what you believe from the heart," said Joseph E. Murray, who won
the Nobel Prize in medicine in 1990 for his work in organ transplantation.
But in scientific research, he said, "it's the results that count."

 Dr. Murray, who describes himself as "a cradle Catholic" who has rarely
missed weekly Mass and who prays every morning, said that when he was
preparing for the first ever human organ transplant, a kidney that a young
man had donated to his identical twin, he and his colleagues consulted a
number of religious leaders about whether they were doing the right thing.
"It seemed natural," he said.

 Using Every Tool

 "When you are searching for truth you should use every possible avenue,
including revelation," said Dr. Murray, who is a member of the Pontifical
Academy, which advises the Vatican on scientific issues, and who described
the influence of his faith on his work in his memoir, "Surgery of the Soul"
(Science History Publications, 2002).

Since his appearance at the City College panel, when he was dismayed by the
tepid reception received by his remarks on the incompatibility of good
science and religious belief, Dr. Hauptman said he had been discussing the
issue with colleagues in Buffalo, where he is president of the
Hauptman-Woodward Medical Research Institute.

 "I think almost without exception the people I have spoken to are
scientists and they do believe in the existence of a supreme being," he
said. "If you ask me to explain it - I cannot explain it at all."

 But Richard Dawkins, an evolutionary theorist at Oxford, said that even
scientists who were believers did not claim evidence for that belief. "The
most they will claim is that there is no evidence against," Dr. Dawkins
said, "which is pathetically weak. There is no evidence against all sorts of
things, but we don't waste our time believing in them."

 Dr. Collins said he believed that some scientists were unwilling to profess
faith in public "because the assumption is if you are a scientist you don't
have any need of action of the supernatural sort," or because of pride in
the idea that science is the ultimate source of intellectual meaning.

 But he said he believed that some scientists were simply unwilling to
confront the big questions religion tried to answer. "You will never
understand what it means to be a human being through naturalistic
observation," he said. "You won't understand why you are here and what the
meaning is. Science has no power to address these questions - and are they
not the most important questions we ask ourselves?"


From swiggard at comcast.net  Wed Aug 24 04:23:07 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (William Swiggard)
Date: Wed Aug 24 04:28:44 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Who Will Say 'No More'? - Gary Hart - Washington Post
Message-ID: <430C589B.7080703@comcast.net>

Who Will Say 'No More'?

By Gary Hart
Wednesday, August 24, 2005; Page A15

"Waist deep in the Big Muddy and the big fool said to push on," warned 
an anti-Vietnam war song those many years ago. The McGovern presidential 
campaign, in those days, which I know something about, is widely viewed 
as a cause for the decline of the Democratic Party, a gateway through 
which a new conservative era entered.

Like the cat that jumped on a hot stove and thereafter wouldn't jump on 
any stove, hot or cold, today's Democratic leaders didn't want to make 
that mistake again. Many supported the Iraq war resolution and -- as the 
Big Muddy is rising yet again -- now find themselves tongue-tied or 
trying to trump a war president by calling for deployment of more 
troops. Thus does good money follow bad and bad politics get even worse.

History will deal with George W. Bush and the neoconservatives who 
misled a mighty nation into a flawed war that is draining the finest 
military in the world, diverting Guard and reserve forces that should be 
on the front line of homeland defense, shredding international alliances 
that prevailed in two world wars and the Cold War, accumulating 
staggering deficits, misdirecting revenue from education to rebuilding 
Iraqi buildings we've blown up, and weakening America's national security.

But what will history say about an opposition party that stands silent 
while all this goes on? My generation of Democrats jumped on the hot 
stove of Vietnam and now, with its members in positions of 
responsibility, it is afraid of jumping on any political stove. In their 
leaders, the American people look for strength, determination and 
self-confidence, but they also look for courage, wisdom, judgment and, 
in times of moral crisis, the willingness to say: "I was wrong."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/23/AR2005082301178.html?nav=hcmodule
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From swiggard at comcast.net  Wed Aug 24 04:25:05 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (William Swiggard)
Date: Wed Aug 24 04:30:35 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Regime Change By Assassin? Easier Said Than Done -
	Washington Post
Message-ID: <430C5911.7060105@comcast.net>

Regime Change By Assassin? Easier Said Than Done.

By Lynne Duke
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, August 24, 2005; Page C01

So Pat Robertson, founder of the Christian Coalition, thinks the United 
States should assassinate Hugo Chavez, the Venezuelan president.

Let's see. What are our options? The 30-year-old Senate reports of the 
Church committee give us some options.

How about a vial of poison, as ordered up for a proposed U.S. 
assassination in 1960 of Congolese Prime Minister Patrice Lumumba. Or 
perhaps supply some weaponry to a local hit squad, as Washington did for 
those who bumped off Dominican leader Rafael Trujillo.

And let us not overlook Fidel. Oh Fidel, that tough Castro case in Cuba. 
Through the 1960s, there were eight -- count 'em, eight -- separate U.S. 
plots to kill him. MOs included a mob hit, poisoned cigars, an exploding 
seashell and a skin diving suit contaminated with deadly fungi, not to 
mention various rifles and explosives in the hands of Castro-hating 
Cuban exiles.

Yet Castro remains with us -- which may prove the point that 
geopolitical hits are folly or, at least, never easy.

Chavez, wouldn't you know, was in Cuba yesterday, visiting Castro when 
the Robertson controversy broke. Robertson and some in the Bush 
administration believe Chavez is Castro's spawn. And Chavez has pumped 
himself into heroic status with frequent predictions that the United 
States wants him dead. Robertson, in a tirade against the oil-rich 
leader, said that Washington should give Chavez what he wants.

But seriously.

It is rare that a public figure would publicly advocate such a 
radioactive course of action as assassination, which is why the 
collective eyebrow has been raised over Robertson's statements.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/23/AR2005082301406.html
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From harry.sifton at sympatico.ca  Wed Aug 24 04:28:08 2005
From: harry.sifton at sympatico.ca (Harold Sifton)
Date: Wed Aug 24 04:32:12 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Milosevic era has returned
Message-ID: <000801c5a89e$ea3d1d20$2727e440@Harold>

There is still unfinished business still in Serbia. It is sliding back to the cronies of Milosevic and his family.

Nato should be deployed there not Iraq!

http://service.spiegel.de/cache/international/0,1518,370952,00.html

H
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From swiggard at comcast.net  Wed Aug 24 04:27:01 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (William Swiggard)
Date: Wed Aug 24 04:32:29 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Watch This Spy Story - David Ignatius - Washington Post
Message-ID: <430C5985.1080605@comcast.net>

Watch This Spy Story

By David Ignatius
Wednesday, August 24, 2005; Page A15

The news media have been worrying this summer about the Valerie Plame 
leak investigation, which has landed a New York Times reporter in jail. 
Meanwhile, a potentially far more dangerous threat to the press has 
emerged in a federal criminal indictment that lists contacts between 
reporters and sources as "overt acts" in an alleged conspiracy to commit 
espionage.

The case involves two former officials of a pro-Israel lobbying group, 
Steven Rosen and Keith Weissman, and their alleged dissemination of 
classified information that they received from a former Defense 
Department analyst named Lawrence Franklin. The Aug. 4 indictment 
charged that the three disclosed secret information about U.S. policy 
toward Iran and terrorism to an unnamed foreign power, identified by 
sources as Israel.

Like the Plame investigation, the indictment is politically sensitive. 
The American Israel Public Affairs Committee, where the two lobbyists 
worked, is one of the most potent advocacy groups in Washington. AIPAC, 
as the group is known, fired Rosen and Weissman in April, and the group 
has seemed eager to distance itself from the fallout of the case. Given 
the stakes, it has received surprisingly little attention so far in the 
media.

But a careful reading of the indictment shows that this is a very 
peculiar case, indeed, and one that could have damaging consequences -- 
both for the news media and for lobbying groups that depend on regular 
exchanges of information with government officials. If the prosecution 
succeeds, it could change the way business is done in Washington.

The heart of the indictment is a conspiracy count, which alleges that 
"in an effort to influence persons within and outside the United States 
government, Rosen and Weissman would cultivate relationships with 
Franklin and others" and then transmit the classified information they 
obtained "to persons not entitled to receive it." The indictment lists 
57 "overt acts" to further this alleged conspiracy.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/23/AR2005082301176.html
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From swiggard at comcast.net  Wed Aug 24 04:30:05 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (William Swiggard)
Date: Wed Aug 24 04:35:34 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Piling on the Defenders of U.S. Policy in Iraq - Dana
 Milbank - Washington Post
Message-ID: <430C5A3D.7080906@comcast.net>

Piling on the Defenders of U.S. Policy in Iraq

By Dana Milbank
Wednesday, August 24, 2005; Page A03

You knew it was a bad day for the White House when even Fox News was 
piling on President Bush's counselor, Dan Bartlett.

E.D. Hill, one of the "Fox & Friends" morning show anchors, said she 
thought the Iraq war "was a justified one" but now worries "that there's 
not a plan to actually win that ground war."

"Well, E.D., I can assure you that's not the case," Bartlett assured 
her. Allowing that it's been a "bumpy process" with "difficult days," he 
asserted: "We have the right strategy to prevail."

Hill was not reassured by this assurance. "I guess I'm not convinced," 
she replied.

Nor, it seems, is most of the country. A nationwide poll released Monday 
by American Research Group showed Bush's approval rating at 36 percent 
-- a new low that, if accurate, would put him in the unhappy company of 
his father just before his 1992 loss to Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter 
before his loss to Ronald Reagan. Antiwar demonstrators dog Bush at his 
ranch and at every stop on the road, and Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.) has 
said we "should start figuring out how we get out of" Iraq. 
Constitutional negotiators are bickering, and some talk of civil war.

Under that dark cloud, the White House yesterday morning rushed to 
distribute umbrellas. Bartlett signed up for six morning television 
interviews, on the three networks and the three cable news channels. The 
White House announced that Bush, vacationing in Idaho, would come out to 
face the cameras. The Pentagon said Donald Rumsfeld would hold a news 
conference. The State Department scheduled an "open press" event for 
Condoleezza Rice but, perhaps sensing overkill, later said there would 
be "no Q&A."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/23/AR2005082301243.html?nav=hcmodule
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From swiggard at comcast.net  Wed Aug 24 04:33:06 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (William Swiggard)
Date: Wed Aug 24 04:38:34 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] A Very Slight Change in the Script - Dan Froomkin -
	Washington Post
Message-ID: <430C5AF2.40101@comcast.net>

A Very Slight Change in the Script

By Dan Froomkin
Special to washingtonpost.com
Tuesday, August 23, 2005; 1:24 PM

President Bush's visit to Utah yesterday offered a great example of the 
White House's version of highly stylized Japanese Kabuki theater.

Although the speech Bush gave was largely an amalgam of previous 
addresses, White House reporters were urged to note the extraordinary 
significance of the president -- for the first time anyone can remember 
-- actually acknowledging the number of soldiers who have died in Iraq.

Yes, after months of painstakingly avoiding specific mention of the 
extent of American casualties in the war, Bush somewhat startlingly had 
this to say yesterday:

"We have lost 1,864 members of our Armed Forces in Operation Iraqi 
Freedom, and 223 in Operation Enduring Freedom. Each of these men and 
women left grieving families and loved ones back home. Each of these 
heroes left a legacy that will allow generations of their fellow 
Americans to enjoy the blessings of liberty. And each of these Americans 
have brought the hope of freedom to millions who have not known it."

Here's the text 
<http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2005/08/20050822-1.html> of the 
speech, given to a Veterans of Foreign Wars convention in Salt Lake City.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/blog/2005/08/23/BL2005082300618.html

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From swiggard at comcast.net  Wed Aug 24 04:35:05 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (William Swiggard)
Date: Wed Aug 24 04:40:32 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] In Fulbright's footsteps - Derrick Z. Jackson - The
	Boston Globe
Message-ID: <430C5B69.8070206@comcast.net>

In Fulbright's footsteps

By Derrick Z. Jackson, Globe Columnist  |  August 24, 2005

THE HAGEL hearings have not yet been scheduled. They are for now a 
mythical event. But as President Bush's war in Iraq becomes more 
maddening to Americans, the more Hagel talks as if he is the Republican 
who will become to Bush what J. William Fulbright once was to Lyndon 
Johnson.

Fulbright was the Democratic senator from Arkansas who publicly turned 
against Johnson's war in Vietnam. Fulbright used his power as the head 
of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to hold nationally televised 
hearings to debate the merits of the war. Hagel is the Republican 
senator from Nebraska, a member of the Foreign Relations Committee, and 
a Purple Heart Vietnam veteran. In recent months, Hagel has become the 
top Republican critic of Bush's war.

On Sunday, Hagel moved a step closer to Fulbright. On ABC's ''This 
Week," he said, ''We're locked into a bogged down problem, not 
unsimilar, dissimilar to where we were in Vietnam. The longer we stay, 
the more problems we're going to have."

''Stay the course is not a policy," Hagel said, adding: ''I think by any 
standard when you analyze two and a half years in Iraq where we have put 
in over a third of a trillion dollars, where we have lost almost 1,900 
Americans, over 14,000 wounded, electricity production down, oil 
production down -- any measurement, any standard you apply to this, 
we're not winning."

Hagel, the second-ranking Republican on the Foreign Relations Committee, 
has been building to this ever since it was clear that weapons of mass 
destruction would never be found in Iraq. In September 2003, Hagel said 
the Bush administration ''did a miserable job of planning for a 
post-Saddam Iraq. They treated many in Congress, most of the Congress, 
like a nuisance."

http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2005/08/24/in_fulbrights_footsteps/
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From swiggard at comcast.net  Wed Aug 24 04:37:54 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (William Swiggard)
Date: Wed Aug 24 04:43:23 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Judge Roberts's family secret - Scot Lehigh - The Boston
	Globe
Message-ID: <430C5C12.6070109@comcast.net>

Judge Roberts's family secret

By Scot Lehigh, Globe Columnist  |  August 24, 2005

IT COULD be the most revealing clue we've seen so far about Supreme 
Court nominee John Roberts -- one much more ominous than any possible 
past association with the Federalist Society.

In introducing Roberts last month, President Bush mentioned the judge's 
wife and children, yet when the cameras panned to the family, his spouse 
stood alone.

Several networks soon aired troubling footage revealing why. Young Jack, 
the couple's 4-year-old son, had proved such a pint-sized pinball, 
ricocheting about so persistently as the president spoke, that his 
mother finally felt compelled to remove the kids from public view.

Now, daughter Josie, 5, was perfectly behaved, and Mrs. Roberts 
eventually did corral Jack, so there are evidentiary crosscurrents at 
play here. Still, the incident constitutes at least prima facie evidence 
that the Robertses could be members of a philosophical sect whose fusion 
of liberal and laissez-faire tenets should strike fear into the hearts 
of all reasonable Americans.

They might just be Doting Indulgent Modern Parents (DIMPIES).

There, alas, they would hardly be out of the American mainstream. On 
behalf of a dwindling contingent of (barely) sane adults, this space has 
occasionally lamented that US children too often behave like legions of 
little Grendels intent on visiting chaos upon the meadhall that is America.

Of course, long research into the annals of atrociousness reveals that 
bratty children aren't just a contemporary American scourge. Let's turn 
to chapter three of Stendhal's autobiographical ''The Life of Henri 
Brulard," in which the author recalls his childhood in late 18th-century 
France.

''My earliest memory is that of biting in the cheek or on the forehead 
Mme. Pison-Dugalland, my cousin. . . . I see her still, a woman of 25, 
plump, and very much rouged. It was apparently this rouge at which I 
took offense. As she sat in the middle of the meadow . . . her cheek was 
exactly on a level with my face.

'' 'Kiss me, Henri,' she said to me. I did not want to; she was annoyed, 
and I bit her hard. I can see the whole scene, no doubt because I was at 
once reproached with it as if it had been a crime, and because my family 
never stopped talking to me about it."

So ''exuberant" children, as the ingenious DIMPIE euphemism has 
rebranded the little terrors, are not entirely new. Yet keen observers 
of modern parenting will recognize that had that unfortunate encounter 
occurred today, the family of petit Henri would handle it rather 
differently.

http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2005/08/24/judge_robertss_family_secret/
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From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Wed Aug 24 07:46:21 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (mblaxill@yahoo.com)
Date: Wed Aug 24 07:50:26 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] NYTimes.com: Robertson Suggests U.S. Kill Venezuela's
	Leader
Message-ID: <20050824144621.4741CA0FEE@lax-gw09.mroute.net>

This page was sent to you by: mblaxill@yahoo.com.

Typical NYT whimpy reporting - maybe try including "democratically elected" before Chavez' name


WASHINGTON | August 24, 2005
Robertson Suggests U.S. Kill Venezuela's Leader
By LAURIE GOODSTEIN
Pat Robertson set off an international firestorm by saying on his television show that Hugo Chávez should be assassinated.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/24/politics/24robertson.html?ex=1125547200&en=e7e5cac4f289f230&ei=5070&emc=eta1



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From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Wed Aug 24 07:47:25 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (mblaxill@yahoo.com)
Date: Wed Aug 24 07:51:28 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] NYTimes.com: Relax, Bill Gates;
	It's Google's Turn as the Villain
Message-ID: <20050824144725.153749FD64@lax-gw05.mroute.net>

This page was sent to you by: mblaxill@yahoo.com.

TECHNOLOGY | August 24, 2005
Relax, Bill Gates; It's Google's Turn as the Villain
By GARY RIVLIN
Many in Silicon Valley are skittish about Google's size and power, and fret that its strengths are transforming it into a threat.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/24/technology/24valley.html?ex=1125547200&en=82f17d77852bf757&ei=5070&emc=eta1



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From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Wed Aug 24 07:48:38 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (mblaxill@yahoo.com)
Date: Wed Aug 24 07:52:33 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] NYTimes.com: My Private Idaho
Message-ID: <20050824144838.B3E3C13B747@lax-gw04.mroute.net>

This page was sent to you by: mblaxill@yahoo.com.

OPINION | August 24, 2005
Op-Ed Columnist: My Private Idaho
By MAUREEN DOWD
Just because the final reason the president came up with for invading Iraq has been dashed, why stop relaxing?
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/24/opinion/24dowd.html?ex=1125547200&en=b9a5a1b1fd77c60e&ei=5070&emc=eta1




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From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Wed Aug 24 07:52:33 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (mblaxill@yahoo.com)
Date: Wed Aug 24 07:56:30 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] NYTimes.com: Europeans Call Off Talks as Iran Balks on
	Nuclear Issue
Message-ID: <20050824145233.67B6724AEB9@lax-gw02.mroute.net>

This page was sent to you by: mblaxill@yahoo.com.

INTERNATIONAL / MIDDLE EAST | August 23, 2005
Europeans Call Off Talks as Iran Balks on Nuclear Issue
By KATRIN BENNHOLDINTERNATIONAL HERALD TRIBUNE
France said Iran's decision to resume nuclear fuel activities made a continuation of the negotiations impossible.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/23/international/middleeast/23cnd-iran.html?ex=1125547200&en=74929b3b61e558f4&ei=5070&emc=eta1



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From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Wed Aug 24 07:56:10 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (mblaxill@yahoo.com)
Date: Wed Aug 24 08:00:10 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] NYTimes.com: Study Finds 29-Week Fetuses Probably Feel
	No Pain and Need No Abortion Anesthesia
Message-ID: <20050824145610.5C9D9249DA1@lax-gw08.mroute.net>

This page was sent to you by: mblaxill@yahoo.com.

HEALTH | August 24, 2005
Study Finds 29-Week Fetuses Probably Feel No Pain and Need No Abortion Anesthesia
By DENISE GRADY
A team of doctors said fetuses probably cannot feel pain in the first six months of gestation and therefore do not need anesthesia during abortions.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/24/health/24fetus.html?ex=1125547200&en=767c9af8b5bb62e7&ei=5070&emc=eta1



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From harperalexander at mail.com  Wed Aug 24 08:40:10 2005
From: harperalexander at mail.com (Alexander Harper)
Date: Wed Aug 24 08:44:12 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Rushed Iraqi Consitution is recipe for disaster -
	Independent
Message-ID: <20050824154011.E234816415C@ws1-4.us4.outblaze.com>

Patrick Cockburn: The American obsession with a quick constitution is a recipe for disaster in Iraq 

The friction between Shia, Sunni and Kurd is likely to be exacerbated rather than muted 
Published: 24 August 2005 

At the beginning of the First World War, an Austro-Hungarian general led his army to catastrophic defeat against Serbia because he made a premature advance based on the need to mark the birthday of Emperor Franz Josef with a striking victory. 

The determination of American diplomats in Baghdad over the past few days to force a draft constitution through the Iraqi national assembly at high speed is not aimed at producing a political success to coincide with the birthday of President George Bush. But it has everything to do with the desperate need of the White House, as popular support for the war in Iraq ebbs by the day across the US, to show that it is making progress. It is not Iraqi but American political priorities which are paramount.

This is turning out to be a recipe for disaster. The draft constitution submitted at the last minute on Monday night would turn Iraq into a loose federation while the basis for laws would be strongly Islamic. "There will be no central government like before," declared Humam Hamoudi, the Shia chairman of the parliamentary committee drawing up the constitution.

The constitution is the fruit of co-operation between the Kurds and Shias who dominate the national assembly. The views of the Sunni members of the constitutional committee, mostly co-opted because few Sunnis took part in the general election in January, were largely ignored.

But it is the five million-strong Sunni Arab community in Iraq which is the base of the insurgency in which almost 2,000 American soldiers have been killed over the past two years. "If this constitution passes, the streets will rise up," said Salih Mutlak, a Sunni delegate.

Ironically it was the US and Britain who had previously pressed the claims for Sunni representation on the drafting committee, much to the irritation of Kurdish and Shia leaders. But after the first deadline for a draft constitution was missed on 15 August the Sunni leaders were excluded and their views ignored. Such was the pressure from the US to produce a constitution that US embassy staff were reportedly working late into the night from a Kurdish party headquarters to translate changes in the draft from English to Arabic.

Many Iraqis will be offended by the role of the US in producing a constitution for a supposedly independent country. It mirrors too closely covert control of Iraq by Britain between 1920 and 1958. Aside from Kurdistan, where there are in any case almost no foreign troops, Sunni and Shia Iraqis alike tend to blame everything wrong in their lives on the foreign occupation.

The whoops of appreciation from Mr Bush and Condoleezza Rice, the Secretary of State, at what has been achieved will also be greeted with scepticism in Baghdad. Every few months since the overthrow of Saddam supposed turning points have been reached in the struggle for Iraq. First came the capture of the former leader himself in December 2003. Six months later sovereignty was transferred by the US and Britain in a furtive ceremony to an interim Iraqi government. Last January, Iraqis went to the polls and, after months of acrid negotiations, a government was finally formed.

At each of these "decisive" stages, much lauded at the time and then swiftly forgotten by the outside world, Iraqis have been told that their lives were going to get better. Instead they have become worse. For all the billions reputedly spent on reconstruction not a single crane can be seen on the Baghdad skyline. As the city bakes in summer heat electricity works for only a few hours each day to pump water or run the air-conditioning.

To hear Mr Bush and other American leaders speak, they might be supporting the creation of a constitution for a country as placid as Denmark - and not a land torn apart by war as is Iraq. This is hardly a moment for Iraqis to be interested in constitutional rules to govern their lives, when just staying alive presents such problems.

American officials had been saying that the two main blocs - the Kurds and the Shias - would force moderation on each other during negotiations on the new constitution. The Shias would compel the Kurds to limit their separatism and the secular Kurds would prevent the Shias enshrining Islam in the laws.

In practice, Shias and Kurds have each allowed the other to get what they want. The Supreme Council for Islamic Revolution in Iraq, the most successful Shia party in the January election, is also pushing for autonomy for the nine southern Shia provinces beneath which lie most of Iraq's oil reserves. Existing oilfields would be controlled by the central government; newly discovered fields would be exploited by the provincial authorities.

The friction between Shia, Sunni and Kurd is likely to be exacerbated rather than muted by these new arrangements. Shia leaders say that if the Sunnis object so much to the constitution then they can torpedo it if three Sunni-dominated provinces vote against it by a two-thirds majority in the referendum on 15 October. But, going by what has happened in Iraq over the past two years, the insurgents are more likely to express their dislike of the draft constitution with bomb and bullet, rather than decorously trooping to the polling stations to oppose it.

The problem about the draft constitution is that it does too little and too much. It does too little in terms of prolonged negotiations to conciliate the Sunni Arabs. It does too much in terms of institutionalising federalism and Islamic law and mores.

The successful creation of a constitution, an agreement on the rules which are to regulate the Iraqi state and society, suppose a stability which Iraq does not enjoy. The strength of the different communities will change over the next year. The Kurds and the Shias have an overwhelming majority in the national assembly because the Sunnis boycotted the last elections. This may not be true in future.

The US obsession with meeting deadlines for elections and a constitution also heralds another seismic change in who holds power. Washington is eager to declare a famous victory and reduce its troop numbers. The political cost at home is growing. It is not that the insurgents are going to storm Baghdad, but the administration is paying the price of having lied about the real situation on every occasion since it first decided to go to war in 2002. It is having difficulty sustaining the present level of casualties and would be in worse trouble if they suddenly escalated. That well might happen.

No country finds it easy to produce a constitution. To do so in such haste during a foreign occupation and a savage guerrilla war is surely impossible. To attempt to do so is likely to produce conflict rather than reduce it. The patched-together draft being considered with such unnecessary haste this week is less likely to create a framework through which Iraqis can live in peace than to provide the ingredients for a long and bloody war. 

At the beginning of the First World War, an Austro-Hungarian general led his army to catastrophic defeat against Serbia because he made a premature advance based on the need to mark the birthday of Emperor Franz Josef with a striking victory. 

The determination of American diplomats in Baghdad over the past few days to force a draft constitution through the Iraqi national assembly at high speed is not aimed at producing a political success to coincide with the birthday of President George Bush. But it has everything to do with the desperate need of the White House, as popular support for the war in Iraq ebbs by the day across the US, to show that it is making progress. It is not Iraqi but American political priorities which are paramount.

This is turning out to be a recipe for disaster. The draft constitution submitted at the last minute on Monday night would turn Iraq into a loose federation while the basis for laws would be strongly Islamic. "There will be no central government like before," declared Humam Hamoudi, the Shia chairman of the parliamentary committee drawing up the constitution.

The constitution is the fruit of co-operation between the Kurds and Shias who dominate the national assembly. The views of the Sunni members of the constitutional committee, mostly co-opted because few Sunnis took part in the general election in January, were largely ignored.

But it is the five million-strong Sunni Arab community in Iraq which is the base of the insurgency in which almost 2,000 American soldiers have been killed over the past two years. "If this constitution passes, the streets will rise up," said Salih Mutlak, a Sunni delegate.

Ironically it was the US and Britain who had previously pressed the claims for Sunni representation on the drafting committee, much to the irritation of Kurdish and Shia leaders. But after the first deadline for a draft constitution was missed on 15 August the Sunni leaders were excluded and their views ignored. Such was the pressure from the US to produce a constitution that US embassy staff were reportedly working late into the night from a Kurdish party headquarters to translate changes in the draft from English to Arabic.

Many Iraqis will be offended by the role of the US in producing a constitution for a supposedly independent country. It mirrors too closely covert control of Iraq by Britain between 1920 and 1958. Aside from Kurdistan, where there are in any case almost no foreign troops, Sunni and Shia Iraqis alike tend to blame everything wrong in their lives on the foreign occupation.

The whoops of appreciation from Mr Bush and Condoleezza Rice, the Secretary of State, at what has been achieved will also be greeted with scepticism in Baghdad. Every few months since the overthrow of Saddam supposed turning points have been reached in the struggle for Iraq. First came the capture of the former leader himself in December 2003. Six months later sovereignty was transferred by the US and Britain in a furtive ceremony to an interim Iraqi government. Last January, Iraqis went to the polls and, after months of acrid negotiations, a government was finally formed.

At each of these "decisive" stages, much lauded at the time and then swiftly forgotten by the outside world, Iraqis have been told that their lives were going to get better. Instead they have become worse. For all the billions reputedly spent on reconstruction not a single crane can be seen on the Baghdad skyline. As the city bakes in summer heat electricity works for only a few hours each day to pump water or run the air-conditioning.
To hear Mr Bush and other American leaders speak, they might be supporting the creation of a constitution for a country as placid as Denmark - and not a land torn apart by war as is Iraq. This is hardly a moment for Iraqis to be interested in constitutional rules to govern their lives, when just staying alive presents such problems.

American officials had been saying that the two main blocs - the Kurds and the Shias - would force moderation on each other during negotiations on the new constitution. The Shias would compel the Kurds to limit their separatism and the secular Kurds would prevent the Shias enshrining Islam in the laws.

In practice, Shias and Kurds have each allowed the other to get what they want. The Supreme Council for Islamic Revolution in Iraq, the most successful Shia party in the January election, is also pushing for autonomy for the nine southern Shia provinces beneath which lie most of Iraq's oil reserves. Existing oilfields would be controlled by the central government; newly discovered fields would be exploited by the provincial authorities.

The friction between Shia, Sunni and Kurd is likely to be exacerbated rather than muted by these new arrangements. Shia leaders say that if the Sunnis object so much to the constitution then they can torpedo it if three Sunni-dominated provinces vote against it by a two-thirds majority in the referendum on 15 October. But, going by what has happened in Iraq over the past two years, the insurgents are more likely to express their dislike of the draft constitution with bomb and bullet, rather than decorously trooping to the polling stations to oppose it.

The problem about the draft constitution is that it does too little and too much. It does too little in terms of prolonged negotiations to conciliate the Sunni Arabs. It does too much in terms of institutionalising federalism and Islamic law and mores.

The successful creation of a constitution, an agreement on the rules which are to regulate the Iraqi state and society, suppose a stability which Iraq does not enjoy. The strength of the different communities will change over the next year. The Kurds and the Shias have an overwhelming majority in the national assembly because the Sunnis boycotted the last elections. This may not be true in future.

The US obsession with meeting deadlines for elections and a constitution also heralds another seismic change in who holds power. Washington is eager to declare a famous victory and reduce its troop numbers. The political cost at home is growing. It is not that the insurgents are going to storm Baghdad, but the administration is paying the price of having lied about the real situation on every occasion since it first decided to go to war in 2002. It is having difficulty sustaining the present level of casualties and would be in worse trouble if they suddenly escalated. That well might happen.

No country finds it easy to produce a constitution. To do so in such haste during a foreign occupation and a savage guerrilla war is surely impossible. To attempt to do so is likely to produce conflict rather than reduce it. The patched-together draft being considered with such unnecessary haste this week is less likely to create a framework through which Iraqis can live in peace than to provide the ingredients for a long and bloody war. 


-- 
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From harperalexander at mail.com  Wed Aug 24 08:51:37 2005
From: harperalexander at mail.com (Alexander Harper)
Date: Wed Aug 24 08:55:31 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] The Rev. P. Robertson
Message-ID: <20050824155137.9CD3A1F50B1@ws1-2.us4.outblaze.com>

I seem to remember writing about a vision I had of him following his announcement that God had told him that Bush would win the U.S.Presidential Election. Obviously God was right, although I am not quite sure which God in particular the Rev. Pat has this close connection with. He doesn't seem to be anything like the one I try to believe in.

Well, following his fatwa on Chavez, the Rev. Pat has certainly put himself in breach of a whole swathe of U.S., U.K. and other countries' anti-terror laws. Should he now try to set foot in the U.K., France of Germany, I would think he would have to be refused entry and sent back to whence he came but only as long as that is not a country, which permits the use of capital punishment or torture - which would rule out the USA. To where then could one expell the Rev. Pat? I would be interested in hearing any suggestions if any of you have an idle moment to spare.
Al Baraka



-- 
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From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Wed Aug 24 08:57:01 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (mblaxill@yahoo.com)
Date: Wed Aug 24 09:00:55 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Headlines for August 24, 2005
Message-ID: <20050824155701.763.qmail@trinity.democracynow.org>

Mike Blaxill  ( mblaxill@yahoo.com )
sent you this story from democracynow.org



+--------------------------------------------------------------------+
|  Headlines for August 24, 2005
|  http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=05/08/24/1343218
+--------------------------------------------------------------------+


- Bush: Sheehan Is Advocating a Policy to "Weaken" The Country
- 200 Protest Bush in Tiny Idaho Town of 130
- Rumsfeld Compares Anti-War Activists to Backers of Stalin
- Bush's Approval Rating Plummets to New Low of 36%
- Kofi Annan Travels to Niger to Warn of Food Shortages
- NYC Signs Deal w/ Lockheed Martin to Run Subway Surveillance
- Studs Terkel Recovering From Open-Heart Surgery
This story continues at: 
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=05/08/24/1343218

From hecate at diamonddragon.com  Wed Aug 24 08:59:00 2005
From: hecate at diamonddragon.com (Hecate)
Date: Wed Aug 24 09:02:56 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] BBC E-mail: Lions to take on Indian bandits
Message-ID: <20050824_155900_017180.hecate@diamonddragon.com>

Hecate saw this story on BBC News Online and thought you
should see it.

** Message **
Environmentalists say the scheme may backfire badly with the lions themselves becoming targets of the bandits. 

"It is the most absurd, the most ridiculous plan we have ever come across because the lions will be used for target practice by Chambal's not-so-nice residents," Belinda Wright, founder of the privately-run Wildlife Protection Society of India told the AFP news agency. 

"It will be a waste of money... It will never take off," she said. 

"Forget chasing away dacoits. The dacoits will kill these cats," says Qamar Qureshi, a scientist with The Wildlife Institute of India. 



** Lions to take on Indian bandits **
Sutapa Mukerjee from Lucknow reports on a plan to unleash lions in the ravines of central India to take on the bandits.
< http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/fr/-/2/hi/south_asia/4180100.stm >


** BBC Daily E-mail **
Choose the news and sport headlines you want - when you want them, all
in one daily e-mail
< http://www.bbc.co.uk/dailyemail/ >


** Disclaimer **
The BBC is not responsible for the content of this e-mail, and anything written in this e-mail does not necessarily reflect the BBC's views or opinions. Please note that neither the e-mail address nor name of the sender have?been verified.

If you do not wish to receive such e-mails in the future or want to know more about the BBC's Email a Friend service, please read our frequently asked questions. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/help/4162471.stm

From ialterman at nyc.rr.com  Wed Aug 24 09:18:13 2005
From: ialterman at nyc.rr.com (Ian)
Date: Wed Aug 24 09:22:11 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] The Rev. P. Robertson
References: <20050824155137.9CD3A1F50B1@ws1-2.us4.outblaze.com>
Message-ID: <001f01c5a8c7$6db31ba0$99ca6c42@iancn2ccrvzt0j>

Al Baraka:

That's easy: Venezuela.  He should spend some time there and try to see 
things from a non-Americentric point of view.

Peace.

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Alexander Harper" <harperalexander@mail.com>
To: <MB-Civic@islandlists.com>
Sent: Wednesday, August 24, 2005 11:51 AM
Subject: [Mb-civic] The Rev. P. Robertson


>I seem to remember writing about a vision I had of him following his 
>announcement that God had told him that Bush would win the U.S.Presidential 
>Election. Obviously God was right, although I am not quite sure which God 
>in particular the Rev. Pat has this close connection with. He doesn't seem 
>to be anything like the one I try to believe in.
>
> Well, following his fatwa on Chavez, the Rev. Pat has certainly put 
> himself in breach of a whole swathe of U.S., U.K. and other countries' 
> anti-terror laws. Should he now try to set foot in the U.K., France of 
> Germany, I would think he would have to be refused entry and sent back to 
> whence he came but only as long as that is not a country, which permits 
> the use of capital punishment or torture - which would rule out the USA. 
> To where then could one expell the Rev. Pat? I would be interested in 
> hearing any suggestions if any of you have an idle moment to spare.
> Al Baraka
>
>
>
> -- 
> ___________________________________________________________
> Sign-up for Ads Free at Mail.com
> http://promo.mail.com/adsfreejump.htm
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Mb-civic mailing list
> Mb-civic@islandlists.com
> http://www.islandlists.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/mb-civic
> 


From ialterman at nyc.rr.com  Wed Aug 24 09:36:04 2005
From: ialterman at nyc.rr.com (Ian)
Date: Wed Aug 24 09:40:05 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] The Beatles
Message-ID: <002601c5a8c9$ec9afbc0$99ca6c42@iancn2ccrvzt0j>

A fabulous article in today's (8/24) New York Times.  I offer a couple of additional comments afterwards:

Why This Band Plays On

By MIKAL GILMORE
Los Angeles

FORTY years ago this month, the Beatles began their second major tour of America with a performance at Shea Stadium in Queens. It's an event worth noting: more than 55,000 people attended that night, Aug. 15, 1965. It set a world record at that time for a pop concert, and it was the biggest public moment of the Beatles' remarkable career. 

It's also worth noting that these days we seem to be reconstructing a shadow history of the band and its achievements. That is, almost every year now we observe some milestone of the Beatles. Last year it was the anniversary of the group's astonishing 1964 appearance on "The Ed Sullivan Show." Two years from now, June 2007, the occasion will be a commemoration of 1967's "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" - an epochal work that still stands as popular music's most famous and form-breaking album. Commentators from all over the world will weigh in on that one. 

Which raises a number of questions: Why do we continue to pore over the Beatles' high points? Why is it that those lifetime-ago moments still fascinate us? In part, of course, it's simply because there's such an undeniable epic arc in both the Beatles' story and in their music. Certainly, they possessed an extraordinarily intuitive skill for filling the needs of their times, and for realizing the potential of their own talents. 

But there's another reason, just as important, that accounts for the lasting appeal of their history: The Beatles demonstrated that musical and social change could emanate from the shared spirit of the same body politic.

Rock 'n' roll, of course, had already shown it could stir cultural tumult. In the 1950's, Elvis Presley and numerous rhythm-and-blues and rockabilly artists had brought new audiences and sensibilities into the mainstream. Rough, rude and provocatively rhythmic music - from both black and white upstarts - had broken through the barriers, meeting fierce opposition, until the new spirit was almost tamed.

Whether they meant to or not, the Beatles raised the stakes on all this, and they did it right from the start. 

Their American debut, on "The Ed Sullivan Show" on Feb. 9, 1964, coincided with my 13th birthday. I certainly didn't understand everything I was seeing - the girls in the audience sticking their tongues out leeringly at the group, the whole shock-of-the-new effect of these four men who looked so foreign and who commanded their melodies with such assurance and their instruments with such synchronous force - but I knew, as millions of others did, that I was witnessing something seismic. 

The next day, the Beatles' performance was the only thing we talked about at school. The girls loved the band members' long hair, the boys seemed unnerved by it, but everyone agreed that the Beatles and their music was an awakening. 

In the days following, the arguments and reactions around the country only grew. While Elvis Presley had already shown us something about using rebellious style as a means of change, the Beatles helped incite something stronger in American youth that night - something that started as a consensus, as a shared joy, but that in time would seem like the prospect of power - a new kind of youth mandate. 

I wasn't at Shea, but I saw the Beatles a week later at Memorial Coliseum in my hometown, Portland, Ore. I was 14 and had won tickets to the concert in a local drawing, which I count among my life's luckiest moments. 

I could see them on stage - small, suited figures moving and playing, looking holy in the blinding luminescence of flashbulbs and house lights. The collective yowling scream of the audience - to this day, the loudest thing I've heard - seemed to emerge from a mass fever dream. All these years later it still moves me to realize how jolting and transcendent it was to be in a room - no matter how large - when the Beatles played.

And from film clips of the Aug. 15 concert, Shea was the same. Everybody there that night - the thousands upon thousands of screaming teenagers ("supersonic seagulls" as Paul McCartney recently described them), the legion of exhausted policemen, even the Beatles themselves - seemed overwhelmed by the intensity of the event and its implications.

The poet Allen Ginsberg attended the same performance I did at Memorial and rendered the experience in his poem "Portland Coliseum": 

The million children
the thousand worlds
bounce in their seats, bash
each other's sides, press
legs together nervous
Scream again & claphand
become one Animal
in the New World Auditorium 
- hands waving myriad
snakes of thought
screetch beyond hearing
while a line of police with
folded arms stands
Sentry to contain the red
sweatered ecstasy
that rises upward to the
wired roof.

Ginsberg understood what he was witnessing: mass fervor that great - especially from the young - has always felt threatening. That's because it can seem unruly, powerful enough to upset traditions and values or to incite dangerous action. There had been small riots at rock 'n' roll concerts in the 1950's - chairs thrown, fisticuffs - but the threat implicit in 1960's music was something else: it was about setting things loose, about changing or upending the world. The barricade of policemen I saw that day at the Beatles' show - the same line Ginsberg had seen - certainly acted as if they were seeing something more than mania. The scream the Beatles brought forth in America was just too unforeseen and too big. It could help shake the order of things, and in time it would.

THAT August in 1965, we didn't fathom where the power in this sort of communion might lead. We didn't know where we were going with the Beatles, and they didn't know where they were headed. The music that followed their 1966 retirement from live performances turned often hopeful and generous (not to mention unbelievably creative), and more important, compassionate. "Sgt. Pepper" is often viewed as whimsical or na?ve, and yet songs like "She's Leaving Home," "Getting Better" and "A Day in the Life" gave voice to the combined senses of hope, strangeness and anxiety that marked the lives of many in that period. 

By the end of the 1960's, though, the Beatles' songs had grown more mournful, frightened and angry. John Lennon grew suspicious of his audience's politics in "Revolution" and of the whole world in "The Ballad of John and Yoko," whereas Paul McCartney's "Let It Be" and "The Long and Winding Road" played like doleful prayers of solitude. By 1969, the two men - who had once exemplified collaboration - could barely sing to each other across a gulf of mutual recrimination. 

All this, sadly, reflected the tenor of the time. The spirit of Western youth - especially American - descended from bliss to disillusionment, as political assassinations, the madness of Vietnam, the strife over civil rights and political protests, the effects of unmonitored drug use and the violence of the Manson family and Altamont all bore down, taking a steady toll.

The Beatles came to their bitter, nasty end in April 1970 - the one event we tend not to commemorate. It's more pleasurable remembering the big bang of the "Ed Sullivan" appearance and the Shea Stadium concert. But the sort of promises born in those moments may no longer be possible. It's true, of course, that subsequent mass popular music events like 1985's Live Aid and this year's Live 8 concerts have followed through on some of what the Beatles made possible, albeit in cautious, inoffensive ways. 

It's also true, though, that the sort of youth power that the Beatles helped awaken is simply no longer even considered. The cultural perspective that defines youth has changed drastically. 

We've infantilized adolescents. We view them as children whose judgments are immature, who have to be protected from influences that may steer them in wrong directions - directions that may threaten decency or disrupt social authority. True, the same things were said about teenagers in the 1950's and 1960's, but part of our ambition was to dispute mores and intimidate hegemony. Today, the pressures against such instincts for adolescents come from both within their peer group and the culture at large. Teenagers now are themselves often the harshest critics of young nonconformists.

Meanwhile, watchdogs across the spectrum - from Bill O'Reilly to the Rev. Al Sharpton to Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton - worry over the effects that rude rap or scandalous video games may be having on the young. And today's conservative mind-set stigmatizes the sort of insurrectionary voice that the Beatles, Bob Dylan, the Rolling Stones and others exercised in much of their 1960's music. 

Last year, when R.E.M., Bruce Springsteen, Pearl Jam, the Dixie Chicks and others played concerts to promote a defeat of President Bush, their efforts were seen as a risky anomaly. It was as if songs like the Beatles' "Revolution" or Buffalo Springfield's "For What It's Worth," James Brown's "Say It Loud (I'm Black and I'm Proud)" and Marvin Gaye's "What's Going On" had never filled the air in those years conveying a sense of political and generational transformation that, for a time, seemed imminent and irrefutable. 

Maybe this sort of reflection seems too far a stretch from the joys felt on those warm nights in the summer of 1965. There's no denying that above all else the Beatles were fun; had they not been, they would not have enjoyed so much effect or such staying power.

But fun on the level that the Beatles managed to achieve - at least in those days - implied more than a collective, thrilling scream. We remember the Beatles for their music and spectacle, but we celebrate them because, when they stood before their American audiences in 1964 and 1965, we witnessed the social and cultural power that a pop group and its audience could create and share. From there, I guess, you measure how much we've learned, or how much we've lost.

Mikal Gilmore, the author of "Shot in the Heart," is working on a book about the Beatles and the 1960's.

-----

Many pundits and others have noted that The Beatles' rise, and first appearance in the U.S., came hot on the heels of the assassination of JFK.  Some of these pundits and others believe (as I do) that, given this, at least one early reason for The Beatles' widespread acceptance - even by parents (though certainly many were skeptical if not downright "fearful") - was that we (Americans) were looking for something to "latch onto" in the wake of JFK's death.  Indeed, "She Loves You" was released in August, just a few months before JFK's death.  And "I Want to Hold Your Hand" was released exactly a week after his death.  It can be argued that The Beatles' sense of fun, and their "uplifting" approach and demeanor, were a welcome "release" from the pain and confusion caused by JFK's assassination.  The other factor here, of course, is that The Beatles were clearly "in the right place at the right time" in a nearly "cosmic" sense.

As I was reading the article, a truly ironic - almost spooky - thought crossed my mind; a degree of coincidence or synchronicity that is hard to ignore.

JFK was assassinated in November 1963.  The Beatles appeared in the U.S. less than two months later.  The Beatles broke up officially in April 1970.  Only one month later, four students were killed at Kent State.  Thus, The Beatles "era" was "bookmarked" by the assassination of a president on one end, and the "assassination" of four civilians on the other.

Peace.
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From ialterman at nyc.rr.com  Wed Aug 24 10:32:26 2005
From: ialterman at nyc.rr.com (Ian)
Date: Wed Aug 24 10:36:25 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] "We the people of the United States"
Message-ID: <004701c5a8d1$cc5c27f0$99ca6c42@iancn2ccrvzt0j>

I just received this from a friend.  Don't know how I feel about it, but it 
sure is hysterical!!

Peace.

------------

The following has been attributed to State Representative Mitchell Aye from 
Georgie. This guy should run for President one day...

"We the sensible people of the United States, in an attempt to help everyone 
get along, restore some semblance of justice, avoid more riots, keep our 
nation safe, promote positive behavior, and secure the blessings of 
debt-free liberty to ourselves and our great-great-great-grandchildren, 
hereby try one more time to ordain and establish some common sense 
guidelines for the terminally whiny, guilt-ridden, delusional, and other 
liberal bed-wetters. We hold these truths to be self-evident: that a whole 
lot of people are confused by the Bill of Rights and are so dim they require 
a Bill of NON-Rights.

ARTICLE I: You do not have the right to a new car, big screen TV, or any 
other form of wealth. More power to you if you can legally acquire them, but 
no one is guaranteeing anything.

ARTICLE II: You do not have the right to never be offended.  This country is 
based on freedom, and that means freedom for everyone - not just you! You 
may leave the room, turn the channel, express a different opinion, etc.; but 
the world is full of idiots, and probably always will be.

ARTICLE III: You do not have the right to be free from harm. If you stick a 
screwdriver in your eye, learn to be more careful, do not expect the tool 
manufacturer to make you and all your relatives independently wealthy.

ARTICLE IV: You do not have the right to free food and housing. Americans 
are the most charitable people to be found and will gladly help anyone in 
need, but we are quickly growing weary of subsidizing generation after 
generation of professional couch potatoes who achieve nothing more than the 
creation of another generation of professional couch potatoes.

ARTICLE V: You do not have the right to free health care. That would be 
nice, but from the looks of public housing, we're just not interested in 
public health care.

ARTICLE VI: You do not have the right to physically harm other people. If 
you kidnap, rape, intentionally maim, or kill someone, don't be surprised if 
the rest of us want to see you fry in the electric chair.

ARTICLE VII: You do not have the right to the possessions of others. If you 
rob, cheat, or coerce away the goods or services of other citizens, don't be 
surprised if the rest of us get together and lock you away in a place where 
you still won't have the right to a big screen color TV or a life of 
leisure.

ARTICLE VIII: You do not have the right to a job. All of us sure want you to 
have a job, and will gladly help you along in hard times, but we expect you 
to take advantage of the opportunities of education and vocational training 
laid before you to make yourself useful.

ARTICLE IX: You do not have the right to happiness. Being an American means 
that you have the right to PURSUE happiness which, by the way, is a lot 
easier if you are unencumbered by an over abundance of idiotic laws created 
by those of you who were confused by the Bill of Rights.

ARTICLE X: This is an English speaking country. We don't care where you are 
from, English is our language. Learn it or go back to wherever you came 
from!

ARTICLE XI: You do not have the right to change our country's history or 
heritage. This country was founded on the belief in one true God. And yet, 
you are given the freedom to believe in any religion, any faith, or no faith 
at all; with no fear of persecution. The phrase IN GOD WE TRUST is part of 
our heritage and history and if you are uncomfortable with it, TOUGH!!!!

If you agree, share this with a friend. No, you don't have to, and nothing 
tragic will befall you if you don't. I just think it's about time common 
sense is allowed to flourish.

Sensible people of the United States speak out because if you don't, 
insensible people will. 


From michael at intrafi.com  Wed Aug 24 11:03:55 2005
From: michael at intrafi.com (michael@intrafi.com)
Date: Wed Aug 24 11:08:50 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] An article for you from an Economist.com reader.
Message-ID: <200508241740.NAA21438@stage-web-app.economist.com>

  
- AN ARTICLE FOR YOU, FROM ECONOMIST.COM - 

Dear civic,

Michael Butler (michael@intrafi.com) wants you to see this article on Economist.com.



(Note: the sender's e-mail address above has not been verified.)

Subscribe to The Economist print edition, get great savings and FREE full access to Economist.com.  Click here to subscribe:  http://www.economist.com/subscriptions/email.cfm 

Alternatively subscribe to online only version by clicking on the link below and save 25%:

http://www.economist.com/subscriptions/offer.cfm?campaign=168-XLMT



BRAZIL'S ECONOMY
Aug 23rd 2005  

Foreigners are again pouring cash into emerging markets. What will
happen when they stop?

BUTTONWOOD was in the wilds of Guadalajara (Spain's, not Mexico's) last
week, trying to keep teenage bikinis within the bounds of decency, when
the latest twist in Brazil's long-running corruption tale hit the
press. The Spanish have more than a passing interest in Latin America,
even the Portuguese-speaking bits. So coverage of allegations that
Antonio Palocci, Brazil's finance minister, had been on the take in a
previous political incarnation was full and frank. 

The resulting sell-off of the Brazilian market hit assets all around
Latin America. Brazilian bonds have the heaviest weighting in J.P.
Morgan's Emerging Market Bond Index Plus (EMBI+)--the benchmark for
many money managers--and any problem Brazil has makes itself felt. The
spread on the index--ie, the premium that investors demand for holding
an allegedly riskier security than American Treasuries--had fallen from
3.6 percentage points at the beginning of the year to 2.9. On August
19th, it widened back out to 2.95 points. But Mr Palocci effectively
denied the charges over the weekend and appeared to have the confidence
of his president. Brazil bounced back, and by close of play on August
22nd the spread on the EMBI+ was down to 2.92 percentage points.

The speed of the rebound in Brazil is a sign of just how keen investors
are to see the upside in emerging markets. This is borne out by the
latest figures from Emerging Portfolio Fund Research, which tracks
funds with assets totalling more than $4 trillion. Between the
beginning of June and the week ending August 17th, emerging-market
equity funds took in a net $6.94 billion. That brings the year's total
to $8.74 billion, nearly three times 2004's level and more than the
previous high of $8.6 billion for all of 2003. Bond funds tell the same
story, with total net inflows this year of $4.74 billion, a record.

Emerging assets have been making more money for their owners than
developed countries' for a while. The return on emerging-market debt so
far this year has been 5.6%, higher than on Treasuries, for example.
Equities in weird and wonderful places have done better, too: the
Morgan Stanley Capital International index of share prices in emerging
markets is up by almost 13% so far this year, compared with less than
3% for markets in rich countries. Many emerging countries' currencies
are strengthening or expected to do so soon.

All well and good. But Buttonwood had a formative experience when she
moved to Jakarta in 1997 to live the Asian Miracle and caught instead
the Thai baht in freefall, soon followed by the rest of South-East
Asia. And one has to say that the global environment has been
exceptionally kind to emerging markets lately. Interest and inflation
rates are low; demand (in America, parts of Europe and the developing
world) has been strong; commodity prices have been booming; risk
aversion is in retreat. If any of the above stops, or if investors
decide that they have run up emerging-asset prices far enough, will we
see a repeat of the 1997-98 crisis?

In theory, no. Most of the important emerging countries have gone
straight, we are told, and are thus better able to withstand a sharp
reduction in foreign investment than before. Current-account deficits
have been reduced or converted to surpluses. Fiscal policy is more
prudent. Net new borrowing has been limited and the outstanding stock
of debt in most places is dwindling. Inflation has fallen. 

In a study released last week, Christian Stracke of CreditSights, a
research firm, compares emerging economies' dependence on portfolio
inflows now and eight years ago. (Portfolio investment--as opposed to
foreign direct investment--is generally fast and easy to liquidate, and
so includes the sort of "hot money" that travels fast and upsettingly.)
Looking at 25 countries, he finds that dependence is generally much
lower, but patchily so.

As the table shows, portfolio liabilities in the 18 months to June 2005
for the group as a whole were $118.5 billion, far less than the $170.7
billion that came in before June 1997. This averages out some very
different experiences: both Argentina and Brazil have seen liabilities
decrease sharply, while India, Poland and Hungary have had just the
reverse. What is more, the "hotter" sort of portfolio investment--debt
securities--has fallen most (from $116.6 billion to $66.7 billion)
while equity investment has stayed almost the same.

On another measure, the ratio of foreign-exchange reserves to recent
inflows, things look sturdier still. In June 2005, the median emerging
country had enough reserves to cover 529% of the past 18 months'
portfolio inflows, compared with just 222% in June 1997. This average
again masks some big differences: oil-rich Russia's reserves are a
staggering 2,093% of flows, while Turkey has either 161% or 249%,
depending on how one treats the bulky "errors and omissions" category
of its current-account figures.

One can quibble with these figures. Most of the 2005 numbers go up only
to the first quarter, for instance, and portfolio flows picked up
sharply from June. And while it makes sense to look at foreign
portfolio liabilities in isolation--as this is the footloose stuff that
leaves--the parallel existence of foreign portfolio assets is not
totally irrelevant, nor is the size and trend in foreign direct
investment. The broad picture is nonetheless revealing, and, within
limits, encouraging: a sell-off rather than a rout may be the worst
that happens if foreign investors turn tail.

But it would not take much to produce that--higher real interest rates
in America, for a start (and rate rises look likely to continue). The
impact of dearer oil is harder to judge. High oil prices should be a
plus for emerging producers such as Russia and Venezuela, while heavy
importers such as South Korea have enough other attractions to get away
with it. But money managers are beginning to look askance at
emerging-market guzzlers who have subsidised energy use and may no
longer be able to afford it. 

Paradoxically, globalisation may also dim the appeal of emerging
markets by increasing the correlation between developed and developing
assets. Mexico, some say, is beginning to pay the price for its
lockstep with the United States. A sharp increase in risk aversion
would make that matter more: at the moment, investors ask only to be
led to the next frontier, but a few more terrorist attacks in big
financial centres could change that. 

At the end of the day, a bare-knuckled corruption scandal bringing an
important government to its knees--Brazil?--might not be the PASE DE LA
MUERTE that we holidaying hackettes would have seen had we spent more
time at the bullring and less on the beach. But it could well do the
weakening work of the PICADORES.

- - - - - Send comments on this article to Buttonwood (Please state
whether you are happy for your comments to be published)


Read more Buttonwood columns at www.economist.com/buttonwood[1]

-----
[1]
http://www.economist.com/research/articlesBySubject/display.cfm?id=2512631
 

See this article with graphics and related items at http://www.economist.com/agenda/displaystory.cfm?story_id=4313401&fsrc=nwl

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From Reeeees at aol.com  Wed Aug 24 10:42:14 2005
From: Reeeees at aol.com (Reeeees@aol.com)
Date: Wed Aug 24 11:10:02 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] On Robertson on Chavez
Message-ID: <E1E7zdN-0001kN-CD@smtpauth04.mail.atl.earthlink.net>

FYI, Frank weighed in  --



Dear LA Times,  

As a Christian Pastor and citizen of the U.S. I was  appalled by the comments 
of Rev. Pat Robertson about assassinating the  President of Venezuela. Hugo 
Chavez has been democratically elected as  President of his country. That a 
person with the influence of Pat Robertson  would use his platform to propose 
that the strongest nation on earth  assassinate a political leader whose only 
offense is to criticize the United  States and govern in a way that our 
government disagrees, with represents a  complete lack of responsibility and ethical 
maturity. It is sad that a person  recognized by such a wide audience to 
represent Christianity would so  denigrate the reputation of the followers of the 
Prince of Peace.

Sincerely,

Rev. Dr. Frank M. Alton, Pastor Immanuel Presbyterian Church, Los  Angeles


Linda Rees
Community Ministries  Associate
Immanuel Presbyterian Church
3300 Wilshire Blvd.
Los Angeles  CA  90010-1702
(213) 389-3191, x106
(213) 487-9097  fax
_lrees@immanuelpres.org_ (mailto:lrees@immanuelpres.org) 
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From Reeeees at aol.com  Wed Aug 24 11:29:36 2005
From: Reeeees at aol.com (Reeeees@aol.com)
Date: Wed Aug 24 11:41:59 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Alton on Robertson on Chavez
Message-ID: <E1E808R-0008Ig-Hw@smtpauth05.mail.atl.earthlink.net>

 
"The church it is not to be the servant of the  state. It must be the guide 
and the critic of the state, never its tool." (MLK  Jr.)

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From michael at intrafi.com  Wed Aug 24 11:42:03 2005
From: michael at intrafi.com (michael@intrafi.com)
Date: Wed Aug 24 11:45:59 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] FT.com / Markets - Short View: House party finally over?
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From michael at intrafi.com  Wed Aug 24 11:42:58 2005
From: michael at intrafi.com (michael@intrafi.com)
Date: Wed Aug 24 11:46:54 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] FT.com / World / Americas - Venezuela angry over
	evangelist's assassination call
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From michael at intrafi.com  Wed Aug 24 11:44:35 2005
From: michael at intrafi.com (michael@intrafi.com)
Date: Wed Aug 24 11:48:31 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] FT.com / By industry / Media & internet - Google
	diversifies to challenge telecoms rivals
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From michael at intrafi.com  Wed Aug 24 11:45:43 2005
From: michael at intrafi.com (michael@intrafi.com)
Date: Wed Aug 24 11:49:40 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] FT.com / Equities / US - Home sales data depress Wall
	Street
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From michael at intrafi.com  Wed Aug 24 11:47:11 2005
From: michael at intrafi.com (michael@intrafi.com)
Date: Wed Aug 24 11:51:08 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] FT.com / Comment & analysis / Comment - Engage with
 Islam019s voices of reason
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From olhippie at tampabay.rr.com  Wed Aug 24 12:04:49 2005
From: olhippie at tampabay.rr.com (Robin McNamara)
Date: Wed Aug 24 12:08:47 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] The Rev. P. Robertson
References: <20050824155137.9CD3A1F50B1@ws1-2.us4.outblaze.com>
	<001f01c5a8c7$6db31ba0$99ca6c42@iancn2ccrvzt0j>
Message-ID: <002301c5a8de$b43c8b80$8a03ca44@CowBox>

It's too late for that Ian, it's actually funny & sad & frightning all at 
the same time as we witness this man's "delusional  unfolding" before our 
very eyes & all in the name of God.

Peace
Robin



----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Ian" <ialterman@nyc.rr.com>
To: <mb-civic@islandlists.com>
Sent: Wednesday, August 24, 2005 12:18 PM
Subject: Re: [Mb-civic] The Rev. P. Robertson


> Al Baraka:
>
> That's easy: Venezuela.  He should spend some time there and try to see 
> things from a non-Americentric point of view.
>
> Peace.
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Alexander Harper" <harperalexander@mail.com>
> To: <MB-Civic@islandlists.com>
> Sent: Wednesday, August 24, 2005 11:51 AM
> Subject: [Mb-civic] The Rev. P. Robertson
>
>
>>I seem to remember writing about a vision I had of him following his 
>>announcement that God had told him that Bush would win the 
>>U.S.Presidential Election. Obviously God was right, although I am not 
>>quite sure which God in particular the Rev. Pat has this close connection 
>>with. He doesn't seem to be anything like the one I try to believe in.
>>
>> Well, following his fatwa on Chavez, the Rev. Pat has certainly put 
>> himself in breach of a whole swathe of U.S., U.K. and other countries' 
>> anti-terror laws. Should he now try to set foot in the U.K., France of 
>> Germany, I would think he would have to be refused entry and sent back to 
>> whence he came but only as long as that is not a country, which permits 
>> the use of capital punishment or torture - which would rule out the USA. 
>> To where then could one expell the Rev. Pat? I would be interested in 
>> hearing any suggestions if any of you have an idle moment to spare.
>> Al Baraka
>>
>>
>>
>> -- 
>> ___________________________________________________________
>> Sign-up for Ads Free at Mail.com
>> http://promo.mail.com/adsfreejump.htm
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> Mb-civic mailing list
>> Mb-civic@islandlists.com
>> http://www.islandlists.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/mb-civic
>>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Mb-civic mailing list
> Mb-civic@islandlists.com
> http://www.islandlists.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/mb-civic 

From olhippie at tampabay.rr.com  Wed Aug 24 12:09:27 2005
From: olhippie at tampabay.rr.com (Robin McNamara)
Date: Wed Aug 24 12:13:24 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] The Rev. P. Robertson
References: <20050824155137.9CD3A1F50B1@ws1-2.us4.outblaze.com>
Message-ID: <002f01c5a8df$5a2b7ce0$8a03ca44@CowBox>

Al Barka

He loves the war so much send him to Bagdad but he must stay there.

Peace
Robin



----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Alexander Harper" <harperalexander@mail.com>
To: <MB-Civic@islandlists.com>
Sent: Wednesday, August 24, 2005 11:51 AM
Subject: [Mb-civic] The Rev. P. Robertson


>I seem to remember writing about a vision I had of him following his 
>announcement that God had told him that Bush would win the U.S.Presidential 
>Election. Obviously God was right, although I am not quite sure which God 
>in particular the Rev. Pat has this close connection with. He doesn't seem 
>to be anything like the one I try to believe in.
>
> Well, following his fatwa on Chavez, the Rev. Pat has certainly put 
> himself in breach of a whole swathe of U.S., U.K. and other countries' 
> anti-terror laws. Should he now try to set foot in the U.K., France of 
> Germany, I would think he would have to be refused entry and sent back to 
> whence he came but only as long as that is not a country, which permits 
> the use of capital punishment or torture - which would rule out the USA. 
> To where then could one expell the Rev. Pat? I would be interested in 
> hearing any suggestions if any of you have an idle moment to spare.
> Al Baraka
>
>
>
> -- 
> ___________________________________________________________
> Sign-up for Ads Free at Mail.com
> http://promo.mail.com/adsfreejump.htm
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Mb-civic mailing list
> Mb-civic@islandlists.com
> http://www.islandlists.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/mb-civic 

From jefbek at mindspring.com  Wed Aug 24 12:16:27 2005
From: jefbek at mindspring.com (Jef Bek)
Date: Wed Aug 24 12:21:30 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Cindy Sheehan: 'I am not the issue' 
Message-ID: <BF32159B.E69%jefbek@mindspring.com>

NATIONAL
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Cindy Sheehan: 'I am not the issue'

By LANCE GAY
Scripps Howard News Service
August 24, 2005

- Cindy Sheehan says she's tried to keep the focus of her protest on the
immorality of the war in Iraq, but she's found this month that it's
difficult to keep the spotlight off herself.

"I am not the issue," she said on her Web blog. "The issue is a disastrous
war that's killing our sons and daughters and making our country less
secure. They attack me because they can no longer defend this war."

The 48-year-old housewife and former youth minister at St. Mary's Catholic
Church in quiet and conservative Vacaville, Calif., isn't new to the fight.
Three months after son Casey, her first-born, was killed in an ambush in
Baghdad on April 4, 2004, Sheehan was transformed into a militant grieving
mother demanding answers.

Members of the anti-war movement say they're pleased that their questions
about the war in Iraq are getting an audience, although they admit they are
mystified why Sheehan's anguish blossomed into international headlines this
summer since she had been so active trying to get attention before.

"I think Sheehan personifies the pain a lot of families are feeling because
of the number of deaths and injuries in Iraq - and it's real pain," said Tom
Kiley, an aide to Rep. George Miller, D-Calif., who represents the Vacaville
area. "She's definitely tapping a nerve."

In the last year, Sheehan has appeared on ABC's "Nightline," taken a bus
tour to churches in New York, Chicago, Indianapolis, Lexington, Ky.,
Columbus, Ohio, and Pittsburgh. Sheehan, who has another son and two
daughters, testified before a special congressional hearing called by Rep.
John Conyers, D-Mich. And in January, she launched the nonprofit group Gold
Star Families for Peace, of which she is president.

But it wasn't until she set up "Camp Casey" at the front gate of President
Bush's ranch in Crawford, Texas, this month that Sheehan vaulted into
headlines around the world, bringing a torrent of criticism from
conservatives like Rush Limbaugh.

"Her story is nothing more than forged documents. There's nothing about it
that's real, including the mainstream media's glomming onto it. It's not
real. ... It's the latest effort made by the coordinated left," Limbaugh
said on his radio show.

There's ample proof that Sheehan's story is true: It's a story she's
repeated on Internet sites and in e-mails for the last year, and in letters
sent to the White House urging Bush to withdraw troops from Iraq. She said
Bush misled America by launching the war to destroy weapons of mass
destruction that didn't exist and is making America less secure by
continuing the war.

"We're watching you very carefully, and we're going to do everything in our
power to have you impeached for misleading the American people," she told
Bush in a letter. "Beating a political stake in your black heart will be the
fulfillment of my life."

Until Casey was killed, Sheehan lived a relatively anonymous life. With her
children and husband Pat, she lived in a modest home in Vacaville bought
last year for $280,000. She worked first as a volunteer at St. Mary's
Catholic Church near her home, then a youth minister.

Wolf Corrington, a Persian Gulf veteran who knew Casey Sheehan as a youth,
helped coordinate his funeral at St. Mary's last year. He said he doesn't
question Cindy Sheehan's right to protest. But Corrington, the commander of
Vacaville's Veterans of Foreign Wars post, openly wonders whether Casey
would have agreed with her.

"It's her American right, and she can knock herself out and speak her mind,"
said Corrington. But he noted that Casey Sheehan was not forced into the
Army or drafted, but volunteered.

"It was a natural progression in Casey's life. She raised her son to serve
others, and he was an altar boy, a youth volunteer and an Eagle Scout
serving others. Military service was a progression - that was his nature,"
he said.

Corrington said that no one can know what Sheehan's 24-year-old son would
feel about the war today, "but all I do know is that he volunteered to
serve, he re-enlisted, he volunteered for the mission, so he must have
believed in his job."

The international attention given Sheehan's protest has sparked a backlash
in Vacaville, home to many military retirees who worked at nearby Travis Air
Force Base and the location of two state prisons.

Diane Barney, editor of the Vacaville Reporter, said there's been a
passionate debate in the newspaper over her activities. One recent peace
vigil drew 160 people - 80 supporting Sheehan and 80 opposed. She said a
previous demonstration was just as equally divided.

"The story really took off when Mrs. Sheehan decided to camp out in
Crawford. Her story was always compelling, but it was her action that placed
her in the national spotlight," Barney said in an e-mail.

The Reporter tried to conduct an Internet poll to gauge reader opinion, but
stopped after national Internet sites sent their readers to flood the
newspaper's site. More than 93,000 votes were cast, just shy of Vacaville's
94,000 population, with 59 percent supporting Sheehan.

Her protest has also divided her family, with Cherie Quartarolo - Cindy
Sheehan's sister-in-law and godmother to Casey - insisting that not everyone
in the family supports her protest. Sheehan's husband filed divorce papers
in the midst of her Crawford protest, something Sheehan insisted had been in
the works for a while. The two had been high-school sweethearts in
Bellflower, Calif., where she was born.

Anti-war activists say Sheehan is only expressing the growing public
discontent against the war in Iraq, which is reflected in national polls
where 58 percent of those asked say they are in opposition.

"I think she's totally real," said Rabbi Arthur Waskow of the Shalom Center
in Philadelphia.

Waskow recalled Sheehan's appearance last April at the Riverside Baptist
Church in New York, commemorating the April 4, 1967, speech given there by
the Rev. Martin Luther King. Coincidentally, it was the first anniversary of
Casey's death, and Waskow said Sheehan's address was both courageous and
moving.

"I've seen her blossom," he said. "She's given a focus to a vague, but real
and very much growing movement of disgust for the war. It's been bubbling
for months."

Waskow, who has participated in the Crawford protests, said Bush's decision
to break off from his vacation to counter Sheehan's protests clearly
demonstrates her impact. Sheehan, who met with Bush last year, says she
wants to ask the president to explain why the war in Iraq is "a noble
cause," and whether he would send his daughters Jenna and Barbara to fight
there.

"One of the classic religious acts is to face the king face-to-face and say,
'You are wrong,' " he said.

David Cortright, founder of the Win Without War Coalition and a University
of Notre Dame professor, said Sheehan re-energized a peace movement that was
left in the doldrums after Bush's re-election.

"I have the impression she's under inhuman pressure. She's just a mom," he
said. "She's done an amazingly good job."

Cortright said he feels there's more to the Sheehan phenomena than just an
August story when not much else is going on, and he said the White House and
its defenders haven't come up with a good response to her anguish over why
her son died.

"You see the drip, drip, drip of casualties every day where I live in
Indiana, and there's a cumulative effect," he said.

From michael at michaelbutler.com  Wed Aug 24 10:29:33 2005
From: michael at michaelbutler.com (Michael Butler)
Date: Wed Aug 24 13:53:46 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] "But I Can't Make A Difference"
Message-ID: <BF3226BD.238EB%michael@michaelbutler.com>

Michael Butler's Blog

http://www.michaelbutler.com/mbblog.html

--Those who have experienced altered forms of consciousness, by whatever
means, never forget that space in which they have been. Now that they have
learned how to function within the system, it is time they act to run it. MB



From Reeeees at aol.com  Wed Aug 24 12:30:05 2005
From: Reeeees at aol.com (Reeeees@aol.com)
Date: Wed Aug 24 13:58:08 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] What did I say?  When?
Message-ID: <E1E82GB-0003VV-P0@smtpauth01.mail.atl.earthlink.net>

  
All of these quotes were made when  Clinton commited troops to Bosnia.  

"You can support the troops but not the  president." --Rep Tom Delay (R-TX)

"Well, I just think it's a bad idea.  What's going to happen is they're going 
to be over there for 10, 15, maybe 20  years."  --Joe Scarborough (R-FL)

"Explain to the mothers and fathers of American  servicemen that may come 
home in body bags why their son or daughter have to  give up their life?" --Sean 
Hannity, Fox News, 4/6/99

"[The] President  . . . is once again releasing American military might on a 
foreign country with  an ill-defined objective and no exit strategy. He has 
yet to tell the Congress  how much this operation will cost. And he has not 
informed our nation's armed  forces about how long they will be away from home. 
These strikes do not make for  a sound foreign policy."   --Sen. Rick Santorum 
(R-PA)

"American foreign  policy is now one huge big mystery. Simply put, the 
administration is trying to  lead the world with a feel-good foreign policy." --Rep 
Tom Delay  (R-TX)

"If we are going to commit American troops, we must be  certain they have a 
clear mission, an achievable goal and an exit  strategy." --Karen Hughes, 
speaking on behalf of George W Bush

"I had doubts  about the bombing campaign from the beginning . . I didn't 
think we had done  enough in the diplomatic area." --Senator Trent Lott (R-MS)

"I cannot support  a failed foreign policy. History teaches us that it is 
often easier to make war  than peace. This administration is just learning that 
lesson right now. The  President began this mission with very vague objectives 
and lots of unanswered  questions. A month later, these questions are still 
unanswered. There are no  clarified rules of engagement. There is no timetable. 
There is no legitimate  definition of victory. There is no contingency plan 
for mission creep. There is  no clear funding program. There is no agenda to 
bolster our over-extended  military. There is no explanation defining what vital 
national interests are at  stake. There was no strategic plan for war when the 
President started this  thing, and there still is no plan today" --Rep Tom 
Delay (R-TX)

"Victory  means exit strategy, and it's important for the President to 
explain to us what  the exit strategy is." --Governor George W. Bush (R-TX) 

Not  one U.S. soldier was killed during that conflict.

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From harry.sifton at sympatico.ca  Wed Aug 24 16:12:46 2005
From: harry.sifton at sympatico.ca (Harold Sifton)
Date: Wed Aug 24 16:16:45 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Lance Armstrong under the drug spotlight!
Message-ID: <001b01c5a901$595c4d90$043fe440@Harold>

Science says he used EPO

http://apnews.myway.com/article/20050824/D8C67VL80.html

If true, this is not a good thing for Lance.

It is widely known that all/most athletes use drugs, that it is a cat and mouse game and when/if caught shame.

Later H
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From maxfury at granderiver.net  Thu Aug 25 01:23:40 2005
From: maxfury at granderiver.net (Cheeseburger)
Date: Thu Aug 25 02:13:23 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] convincing earthlings to save existence while turds with
	power work them like whores
Message-ID: <000701c5a94e$4d0d7d00$1b26b7d8@baby1>

convincing earthlings to save existence while turds with power work them
like whores




I dunno, heh....  That kind of speaks for itself.

Quite a task to convince them, especially since the turds are working them
like whores the entire time you're trying to get a word in edgewise.

And in this day and age, the art of global pimpdom has been honed to a fine
edge and streamlined even more than it always was over the centuries due to
such fabulous technology that allows modern day global mass-murdering pimps
to work their craft with the ease of slicing warm butter with a chainsaw.

Seems like a really insurmountable task to be able to accomplish such a
thing as being able convince the poor beings of this world to save
themselves and their planet as those who are destroying it always wind up
being in positions of power to tell just about all these beings to shut the
fuck up and sit in the corner.... hey, wait, give us all the money in your
pockets before you do so we can more easily pimp you stupid whores out.

Well, that's a mouthful, but the task seems almost insurmountable
nevertheless.  (No, I'm not advocating "Hey, oh well, back to the movie..."
or somesuch, just saying "Whoa, no, stop your reality and step back and look
at a larger one regardless of your whatever.")

No explanation really needed, we're a bunch of whores in some kind of "Hell"
which we pay for them to spread our legs with our lives, minds, money, and
souls, like turncoat lemmings on truth serum.

No truth required though.

Built all on a pack of lies and deceptions.  Spurting forth from the bowels
of hell with a vicious cry of "Fuck you, you're my bitch......".

Deceptions are indeed a valued tool among various circles.

Ok, now that we've easily established that we live on a hell-like planet
with hell-like beings in charge of our welfare which we pay with our own
money to beat us to a fucking pulp in every hell-like manner they can think
of until we die early deaths, simply by figuring out how to manipulate
proposed-idealic? systems in their personal favors, we can move on to
theories.

What if's........  What if in every solar system that has a setup like ours
there is a similar planet as Earth is that can support life.  That's already
a given, many scientists purport the possibilities of that are much more
than a slam-dunk sure thing that got us into things like Iraq.  And on each
planet in those perspective solar systems, the quality of "Existence"
varies.  That possibility just about goes without questioning unless you are
a deranged zealoutous pimp-turd or just another delusionally-trapped
earth-whore.

What if on each of those planets in each of those solar systems that could
support life, there was someone looking over the shoulder of each of those
beings each moment of their lives from birth to death.

And, what if, again, Death itself is nothing more than a historically
renowned very successful hypnotic suggestion.

Sure, that's a lot of what if's, but Lennon once asked in a song to see the
plan, so I'm beginning to make one up that actually works rather than just
use it as a garter out on the streets of "No, dude, this could never be
hell".

Regardless, that then makes us either prisoners of some sort, guinea pigs of
some sort, taxis for really interesting invisible entities that mean us no
good, and/or so on and so on and so on....  So, this is Punishment, not
Glory.  Perhaps.... hee hee....   :)

I'm not sure what wonderful things or horrors are really going on with the
poor people on all those other millions etc of earth-like planets throughout
our known universe, but on this planet some odd crap about hope, freedom,
healing, equality, justice, kindness, etc etc etc, sprank out from a crack
in the floorboards of this sluthouse one dark night when the darkness itself
was passed out like the drunk pimp it has always been.

Whether such "light" sprang forth as a willful act or was a simple
aberration of existence of some sort, is surely interesting to think about
inbetween playing with your rubby ducky in the bathtub.  (There's probably
someone watching you there as well, by the way...)

So, "unseen dark invisible entities at play" or just "plain old humans
playing pimp-daddy endlessly".

No wonder so many earth-whores deny Reality as a constant, as, as you've
surely heard from someone by now in your life, all the Illusions are just so
much easier to handle, and do not scrape at one's sanity like the rabid wolf
they all fear in their souls late at night in their deepest dreams.

So, on with theories, there is a vast dark power at play in each solar
system that supports life, and they probably all know each other on a first
name basis for all I know, and there are more than enough humans that will
collaborate with them until the end of time itself.

And now they do not only have the vast powers of these invisible entities
who mean beings on Earth no good, but this amazing technology to go hand in
hand with it.

And all the earth-whores who would be Free etc seem to only have these
little sparks of "light" that somehow against all odds of logic sprang out
to challenge their eternal slavers and their dark powers.  (Yeah, I know
some of it *sounds* a little like the lord of the rings here and there, lol,
but, hey, if some theories prove right, who knows...maybe they'll make a
movie about it...  "They did, kid, it's called The Ten Commandments..."  Uh,
yeah, ok, well, umm, anyway, on with the story.....)  And their brains.

Sitting in denial waiting for a vast white knight on a giant white horse to
come to their rescue..........



Uhhhh.....   Uncle Cheeseburger....?
Yes, kids....?
Isn't this where you rode up on the white horse in your knight's costume
with the lance and saved the entire planet....?
Well, yes, yes it is......
But last time you said they told you to go fuck yourself when you pulled up
in front of a WalMart like that...
Well, yes, yes they did, kids, they said lots of things and called me Don
Quixote...
But you went ahead and saved them all anyway...
Well, yes, yes I did...   I felt so sorry for them, and they were so stupid,
I knew someone had to do it...
Uhhh....  But, Uncle Cheeseburger, weren't you also the one that washed your
new white underwear with your new wrangler cowboy cut blue jeans and your
underwear turned blue.....?
Well, yes, yes I am, kids....
But you also saved existence on earth and all the other planets in all those
other solar systems....
Yes, yes I did....  After they threw me and my horse off the parking lot, I
went wandering and wandering for such a long time, and then finally one day
I came upon the forces of darkness, and I lowered my lance as they gathered
and growl, and on my mighty steed diid charge, and I slew them like the
planetary slime they have always been, and strew them asunder with one
mighty blow and shout....
And so then everything was better on Earth ever since that day, Uncle
Cheeseburger...?
Yes, yes it was, children, and so it will ever be, and no more shall the
powers of ultimate darkness raise its hell-born head of death and
destruction...
Then why do we have these glow in the dark identification numbers imbedded
now in our forearms, Uncle Cheeseburger.....?
Well, that, kids, is another story for another night....  Well, I'm tired,
sweet dreams, kids, night....
Night, Uncle Cheeseburger....
Night, Uncle Cheeseburger......
Night, kids....

Click.




Is he gone....?
Yeah...
He's stoned as crap....
Yeah, I know, heh...
Hehe...
Hehe.......
It's that Richard guy that won't stop sending him that BC bud wacky woo...
Yeah, I know...  hehe...
Hehe....
Hehe......
Let's roll another one...
Ok....
Wait....  What if someone is looking over our shoulder and watching us doing
it....?
Yeah....   I forgot....
Yeah....
Turn off the light then....
Ok....
Click.
fwwwwwshhhhhhhfffffwshhhhh.....   here........
fwwwwshhhhssshhhfffwwwwshhhhhhhh...........here....
hehe....
hehe........



The cricket takes his headphones off, lights a candle, and stares at the
crowd in the room..............





Cheeseburger

.

From swiggard at comcast.net  Thu Aug 25 04:07:48 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (William Swiggard)
Date: Thu Aug 25 04:13:30 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] U.S. Wants Changes In U.N. Agreement - Washington Post
Message-ID: <430DA684.8070508@comcast.net>

U.S. Wants Changes In U.N. Agreement

By Colum Lynch
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, August 25, 2005; Page A01

UNITED NATIONS, Aug. 24 -- Less than a month before world leaders arrive 
in New York for a world summit on poverty and U.N. reform, the Bush 
administration has thrown the proceedings in turmoil with a call for 
drastic renegotiation of a draft agreement to be signed by presidents 
and prime ministers attending the event.

The United States has only recently introduced more than 750 amendments 
that would eliminate new pledges of foreign aid to impoverished nations, 
scrap provisions that call for action to halt climate change and urge 
nuclear powers to make greater progress in dismantling their nuclear 
arms. At the same time, the administration is urging members of the 
United Nations to strengthen language in the 29-page document that would 
underscore the importance of taking tougher action against terrorism, 
promoting human rights and democracy, and halting the spread of the 
world's deadliest weapons.

Next month's summit, an unusual meeting at the United Nations of heads 
of state, was called by U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan to 
reinvigorate efforts to fight poverty and to take stronger steps in the 
battles against terrorism and genocide. The leaders of 175 nations are 
expected to attend and sign the agreement, which has been under 
negotiation for six months.

But Annan's effort to press for changes has been hampered by 
investigations into fraud in the U.N. oil-for-food program and 
revelations of sexual misconduct by U.N. peacekeepers.


http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/24/AR2005082402321.html?nav=hcmodule
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From swiggard at comcast.net  Thu Aug 25 04:11:49 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (William Swiggard)
Date: Thu Aug 25 04:17:28 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Rice's Mission to Foggy Bottom - Jim Hoagland -
	Washington Post
Message-ID: <430DA775.8030104@comcast.net>

Rice's Mission to Foggy Bottom

By Jim Hoagland
Thursday, August 25, 2005; Page A19

Using a mixture of moxie and charm, Condoleezza Rice has improved 
relations with some of President Bush's harshest critics overseas. The 
secretary of state will now try to work the same wonders with the 
battle-hardened policy warriors in her own bureaucracy.

"Running a very big organization is something that I always enjoyed," 
the former provost of Stanford University said in her State Department 
office the other day. "People are surprised that I go through budget 
reviews, but paying attention to detail is part of the challenge that 
comes with running an organization of 50,000 employees."

To change the world, Bush believes that he must change Washington. To 
save the world, many diplomats at the State Department believe that they 
must change the foreign policy visions conjured up in the White House. 
Rice now occupies the crucial middle ground in a clash of ideas and 
political cultures.

Despite her success in defusing tensions with allies abroad in her first 
seven months, Rice still invites skepticism from mid-level Foreign 
Service officers who bridle at the thought of their beloved State 
Department becoming "White House Annex 2."

Some of the skepticism is nostalgia for Colin Powell, who spent his time 
fighting the White House and placating the Foreign Service bureaucracy 
in the name of morale-building. And some of the resistance stems from 
the condition known as clientitis, with foreign nations being favored 
clients or potential future employers.

But this is not just another entrenched bureaucracy fighting to defend 
perks and turf. To succeed in the foreign policy battle of Washington, 
Bush and Rice will need to recognize and accommodate the idealism and 
sense of history that fuel the State Department's strongly held value 
system.

The Foreign Service's Olympian view of current events discounts an 
administration's ideology and political needs of the day. That puts the 
State Department at odds with any president -- John F. Kennedy called it 
the Fudge Factory -- but particularly with the passionate, brash Bush, 
who does not hide his disdain for diplomatic niceties.

Bush and his immediate staff have flattened the Washington policy 
landscape by centralizing policymaking in the White House to a degree 
that most presidents have only dreamt about, leaving Cabinet departments 
to implement Bush's decisions.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/24/AR2005082401833.html?nav=hcmodule
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From swiggard at comcast.net  Thu Aug 25 04:16:53 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (William Swiggard)
Date: Thu Aug 25 04:22:31 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] British Detail Policy on Radicals - Washington Post
Message-ID: <430DA8A5.2060802@comcast.net>

British Detail Policy on Radicals

By Kevin Sullivan
Washington Post Foreign Service
Thursday, August 25, 2005; Page A15

LONDON, Aug. 24 -- The British government will deport and ban people who 
"foment, justify or glorify terrorist violence," the country's top law 
enforcement official announced Wednesday.

Home Secretary Charles Clarke outlined the new policy, the most detailed 
explanation to date of proposals announced this month by Prime Minister 
Tony Blair. Clarke said a list of "unacceptable behaviors" includes the 
use of Web sites, writing, preaching, publishing or distributing 
materials that "seek to provoke others to terrorist acts" or "foster 
hatred."

"Individuals who seek to create fear, distrust and division in order to 
stir up terrorist activity will not be tolerated by the government or by 
our communities," Clarke said. His statement detailed measures directly 
resulting from last month's transit system bombings in London, which 
killed 56 people, including four presumed bombers, and injured 700.

In a report Wednesday night on the July 7 bombings, BBC said one of the 
four suicide bombers attempted to call his fellow attackers before his 
device exploded on a city bus. Hasib Hussain, 18, was unable to contact 
the other three men because they had already died in three subway 
attacks, the network said, citing unnamed police sources. Officials 
theorized that all four bombs were intended to blow up on subway lines, 
but that Hussain was unable to enter a Northern Line station and 
exploded his bomb about one hour after the subway explosions, BBC reported.

Meanwhile, the Guardian newspaper, quoting unnamed sources, reported 
Wednesday that all four bombs were detonated by the individual 
attackers, contradicting versions that the men could have been tricked 
into carrying the explosives in backpacks, with the bombs then detonated 
by remote control.

Human rights activists and others have criticized the new British 
policy. But public opinion polls have shown overwhelming support for 
tightening laws against religious extremism, even if that leads to 
limits on free speech and other civil liberties in a nation with a long 
tradition of tolerance.

"We recognize the sensitivities around the use of these powers and 
intend to use them in a measured and targeted way," Clarke said. "These 
powers are not intended to stifle free speech or legitimate debate about 
religions or other issues. Britain is rightly proud of its openness and 
diversity and we must not allow those driven by extremism of any sort to 
destroy that tradition."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/24/AR2005082401284.html
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From swiggard at comcast.net  Thu Aug 25 04:19:40 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (William Swiggard)
Date: Thu Aug 25 04:25:17 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] No Respite in Africa - Jerry Fowler and John Heffernan -
 Washington Post
Message-ID: <430DA94C.4010204@comcast.net>

No Respite in Africa

By Jerry Fowler and John Heffernan
Thursday, August 25, 2005; Page A19

Last month, in the middle of a hot, dusty refugee camp in eastern Chad, 
we witnessed hundreds of men from Darfur, clad in immaculate white 
robes, crowding around a small generator-powered television. They were 
watching the news about a new member of Sudan's leadership: John Garang, 
longtime leader of the country's southern rebellion against its northern 
government. Now he was being sworn in as first vice president in a new 
"government of national unity" meant to end Sudan's long civil war.

To be sure, few of the refugees really knew much about "Dr. John," 
except that he was not a member of the Khartoum-based Arab elite that 
has orchestrated a campaign of murder and rape to drive them and more 
than 2 million other non-Arabs from their homes in Sudan's western 
region of Darfur. But given their desperation to return home and reclaim 
their former lives, his swearing-in was enough to create palpable 
excitement. For many of the estimated 200,000 Darfurian refugees in 
Chad, the new government represents hope of returning home.

We feared then that they were grasping at straws; with the death of John 
Garang in a helicopter crash a few weeks ago, our fear may have become 
reality.

It's been more than a year now since we witnessed some of the bleakest 
sights we'd ever seen in Chad. Thousands of refugees were scattered over 
the barren landscape, huddled under straggly trees that offered no 
protection from the furnace-like heat and unforgiving desert winds. The 
few animals they had brought with them were dying from lack of water and 
fodder, the carcasses being burnt in large heaps to avoid the spread of 
disease. Even the refugees in U.N.-sponsored camps suffered from 
inadequate water supplies and inconsistent food distribution as relief 
workers struggled to catch up with this man-made emergency.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/24/AR2005082401832.html
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From swiggard at comcast.net  Thu Aug 25 04:21:02 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (William Swiggard)
Date: Thu Aug 25 04:26:41 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Hackers Attack Via Chinese Web Sites - Washington Post
Message-ID: <430DA99E.5010000@comcast.net>

Hackers Attack Via Chinese Web Sites
U.S. Agencies' Networks Are Among Targets

By Bradley Graham
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, August 25, 2005; Page A01

Web sites in China are being used heavily to target computer networks in 
the Defense Department and other U.S. agencies, successfully breaching 
hundreds of unclassified networks, according to several U.S. officials.

Classified systems have not been compromised, the officials added. But 
U.S. authorities remain concerned because, as one official said, even 
seemingly innocuous information, when pulled together from various 
sources, can yield useful intelligence to an adversary.

"The scope of this thing is surprisingly big," said one of four 
government officials who spoke separately about the incidents, which 
stretch back as far as two or three years and have been code-named Titan 
Rain by U.S. investigators. All officials insisted on anonymity, given 
the sensitivity of the matter.

Whether the attacks constitute a coordinated Chinese government campaign 
to penetrate U.S. networks and spy on government databanks has divided 
U.S. analysts. Some in the Pentagon are said to be convinced of official 
Chinese involvement; others see the electronic probing as the work of 
other hackers simply using Chinese networks to disguise the origins of 
the attacks.

"It's not just the Defense Department but a wide variety of networks 
that have been hit," including the departments of State, Energy and 
Homeland Security as well as defense contractors, the official said. 
"This is an ongoing, organized attempt to siphon off information from 
our unclassified systems."

Another official, however, cautioned against exaggerating the severity 
of the intrusions. He said the attacks, while constituting "a large 
volume," were "not the biggest thing going on out there."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/24/AR2005082402318.html?referrer=email
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From swiggard at comcast.net  Thu Aug 25 04:23:16 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (William Swiggard)
Date: Thu Aug 25 04:28:54 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] The sexism awards - Ellen Goodman - The Boston Globe
Message-ID: <430DAA24.7010701@comcast.net>

The sexism awards

By Ellen Goodman  |  August 25, 2005

AND NOW let us pause to celebrate Aug. 26, tomorrow's anniversary of 
women's suffrage. It's been 85 years since Harry Burn, a young Tennessee 
legislator, followed the advice of his mom and cast the deciding vote 
ratifying the 19th Amendment.

We honor Harry, his mom, and generations of suffragists. We also 
remember the hostile foes who chased Harry onto the third floor ledge of 
the state capitol after his vote. Since 1920, we've not only had 
progress, we've had generations of adversaries trying to force women's 
rights out the window.

In this spirit, our one-woman committee met again this year to dispense 
prizes to those who labored mightily throughout the past year to set 
back the cause of women. Without further ado, we present the Equal Rites 
Awards:

We begin, as we must, by going overseas where so many compete so hard 
for the International Ayatollah Prize. This year it goes to the Islamic 
clerics in northwest India who ruled that a woman raped by her 
father-in-law not only had to leave her husband but had to marry his 
rapist father. To those profamily clerics we issue a fatwa: Don't just 
blame the victim, marry her.

While we are abroad, the Double Standard Bearer Prize goes to our 
allies, the Saudis, who still refuse to give women the keys to the 
kingdom. The latest petition opposing women drivers explained, ''Women 
are less decisive than men and less capable of dealing with difficult 
situations." To the oil-rich and common sense-deprived Saudis, we send 
Indy Racing League sensation Danica Patrick to chauffeur them to the 
21st century.

Speaking of Danica, it was Formula One boss Bernie Ecclestone who 
sneered at her, saying: ''Women should be dressed in white like all 
other domestic appliances." To Bernie we award our Superstar in Sexism 
Prize and a two-week vacation in our favorite appliance: a deep freezer.

http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2005/08/25/the_sexism_awards/
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From swiggard at comcast.net  Thu Aug 25 04:25:35 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (William Swiggard)
Date: Thu Aug 25 04:31:11 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] When doctors say they're sorry - Doug Wojcieszak - The
	Boston Globe
Message-ID: <430DAAAF.9040809@comcast.net>

When doctors say they're sorry

By Doug Wojcieszak  |  August 25, 2005

RECENT NEWS stories report that Harvard Medical School's major teaching 
hospitals are actually encouraging their doctors to apologize for 
medical errors. Given our litigious culture, this unusual move looks 
like a ready-made gift for greedy trial lawyers -- or is it?

Actually not. In fact, apologizing for medical errors has been shown to 
reduce lawsuits and liability costs in hospitals across America.

The first hospital to implement apologies for errors was the Lexington, 
Ky., Veterans Administration Hospital. After being stung by two 
multimillion-dollar lawsuits in the mid-'80s, hospital leaders 
instituted a policy of apologizing for all medical errors and offering 
fair, upfront compensation to patients, families, and their attorneys.

Conventional wisdom said they were crazy, but the Lexington staff 
happily reported in the December 1999 edition of Annals of Internal 
Medicine that their facility ranked in the lowest quartile of VA 
facilities for malpractice payouts; their average settlement per case 
was $16,000 compared with the national VA average of $98,000. The 
Lexington approach spread to VA hospitals in Los Angeles and Las Vegas 
and then to the University of Michigan's hospital system, which has cut 
its lawsuits in half. Michigan also reports saving $2 million in defense 
litigation expenses annually because cases are being settled in months 
instead of dragging out for years. Similar positive results have been 
reported at 28 Kaiser hospitals and 39 hospitals in the Catholic 
Healthcare West System.

Honesty programs vary from hospital to hospital, but they usually follow 
a similar protocol.

After a bad outcome (unanticipated death, unsuccessful surgery), 
hospital administrators and doctors determine whether the standard of 
care was met.

If the investigation shows that the standard of care was not met (i.e, 
error or negligence), the hospital schedules a meeting with the patient 
and family at which time the doctors apologize, provide explanations, 
and offer fair, upfront compensation for the injuries.

If, however, the investigation determines that the bad outcome was not 
caused by error (i.e, the patient was simply too sick), the hospital 
staff still meets with the patient/family and their legal counsel. They 
explain what happened, open medical charts, and answer all questions. 
Simply put, they prove their innocence, which reduces the nonmeritorious 
cases that account for 60 to 80 percent of all medical malpractice lawsuits.

http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2005/08/25/when_doctors_say_theyre_sorry/
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From activist at democrats.com  Wed Aug 24 19:19:03 2005
From: activist at democrats.com (Democrats.com)
Date: Thu Aug 25 05:22:41 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Cindy Returns to Crawford!
Message-ID: <20050824221903.500786@democrats.com>

"I'm coming back to Crawford for my son. As long as the president, who sent him to die in a senseless war, is in Crawford, that is where I belong. I came here two and a half weeks ago for one reason, to try and see the president and get an answer to a very simple question: What is the noble cause that he says my son died for?" - Cindy Crawford

1. Cindy Returns to Crawford!

Cindy Sheehan will return to Camp Casey in Crawford Texas this evening!  Get ready for big events there tomorrow, Friday, and over the weekend.  If you can go to Crawford, now is the time. If not, pitch a tent in a prominent location in your community, make some signs, and create your own Camp Casey!
http://www.meetwithcindy.org 


2. Cindy Denounces Bush's Smokescreen

George Bush in Idaho on Tuesday: 
"I think those who advocate immediate withdrawal from not only Iraq but the Middle East are advocating a policy that would weaken the United States."

Cindy's reply:
"This is the biggest smokescreen from him yet. I didn't ask him to withdraw the troops; I asked him, what 'noble cause' Casey died for. I am still waiting for one of the press corps to ask him that. I am still waiting for that answer.

First, we were told WMDs -- false. Then we were told Saddam=Osama -- false. Then we were told Saddam was a bad man to his own people and we had to get rid of him -- he's gone. Then we were told the Iraqi people had to have elections -- they did. Now we are spreading 'freedom and democracy' but we are building 14 permanent bases, some the size of Sacramento, California. To me that indicates that we are spreading the cancer of imperialism and usurping THEIR natural resources."

http://www.buzzflash.com/contributors/05/08/con05300.html

 
3. It's Time to Demand More Polls on Impeaching Bush

On June 30, a Zogby poll found 42% of Americans said "if it is found that President Bush  did not tell the truth about his reasons for going to war with Iraq, Congress should hold him accountable through impeachment."
At the time, Bush's approval rating was just 43%. Since then, Bush's approval has dropped even lower - down to 36%.
It's time for other pollsters to follow up on the Zogby Poll and to ask about impeaching George Bush. We've collected all the e-mail addresses you need to contact them.
http://www.democrats.com/bush-impeachment-polls

 

4. An Open Letter to Rep. Nancy Pelosi on Presidential Accountability and Impeachment from Bob Fertik

Dear Representative Pelosi, 

Thank you for your letter requesting a contribution to elect a Democratic Congress in 2006 to "hold the President accountable."  This is a cause that I, and millions of Americans, wholeheartedly support. But I write to differ strongly with you on exactly how to "hold the President accountable." 

It is true that Democrats in Congress cannot impeach George Bush (and Dick Cheney, who shares full responsibility with George Bush) by themselves. 

But Democrats can introduce Articles of Impeachment and thereby put the issue of accountability squarely before the Republican majority - and the American people.

Read more:
http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/?q=node/2083 

 

5. Rep. Woolsey Plans Iraq Exit Strategy Hearings and Rally in D.C. on September 15

Congresswoman Lynn Woolsey has for months requested official bipartisan hearings on an exit strategy for Iraq, but has been blocked by Republican committee chairs. This week she announced unofficial hearings to be held on Capitol Hill on September 15. 

The After Downing Street Coalition, Democrats.com, Progressive Democrats of America, Peace Action, and Code Pink will sponsor a rally in Lafayette Square Park, across from the White House, at 5 p.m. ET on September 15. Members of Gold Star Families for Peace, Military Families Speak Out, Veterans for Peace, and Iraq Veterans Against the War have been invited to speak.

Read this op-ed by Congresswoman Woolsey:
http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/?q=node/2008 


6. Sign and Promote the Petition for an Exit Strategy from Iraq

Last week, two organizations seeking an end to the Iraq War began collecting signatures on a petition to Congress calling for an exit strategy. Thus far over 13,000 signatures have been collected on the websites of Progressive Democrats of America (PDA) and Peace Action.  The petition, whose chief author is PDA Cofounder Tom Hayden, can be read at http://www.pdamerica.org or http://www.peace-action.org . It will be delivered to members of Congress on September 15.  A growing number of organizations are promoting the petition, including: After Downing Street, National Organization for Women (NOW), Democrats.com, Women's Action for New Directions, Peace Majority, and others.

Use this logo to link to the petition from your website:
http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/images/petition.jpg 

 
7. Call Your Representative to Support Barbara Lee's Resolution of Inquiry

There are now 52 co-sponsors on Barbara Lee's Resolution of Inquiry on Downing Street Memos http://www.house.gov/lee/roi/roi.htm. 
If your Representative isn't on this list yet, please call their D.C. office and ask to speak to the Legislative Director. Ask why they haven't cosponsored HRes375, and then report back to us:
http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/?q=node/1887

 

8. September 24-26 - Mark Your Calendar!
September 24-26: End the War on Iraq!
Three Days of Peace & Justice Actions in Washington, D.C.
http://www.unitedforpeace.org/septmobe  
 

Contribute to AfterDowningStreet: 
http://elandslide.org/elandslide/edonate.cfm?campaign=ads 


SUBSCRIBE TO GET THESE UPDATES: 
http://elandslide.org/elandslide/subscribe_module.cfm?campaign=ads 


FORWARD THIS EMAIL 


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From newsletter at villagevoice.com  Wed Aug 24 23:07:24 2005
From: newsletter at villagevoice.com (Village Voice Newsletter)
Date: Thu Aug 25 05:22:51 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Today's Voice: Short Supplies in Southern Iraq
Message-ID: <20050825060724.87233.qmail@www3.villagevoice.com>

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From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Thu Aug 25 07:40:11 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (mblaxill@yahoo.com)
Date: Thu Aug 25 07:44:16 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] NYTimes.com: Truth-Telling on Race? Not in Bush's
	Fantasyland
Message-ID: <20050825144011.B53B713B74A@lax-gw04.mroute.net>

This page was sent to you by: mblaxill@yahoo.com.

OPINION | August 25, 2005
Op-Ed Columnist: Truth-Telling on Race? Not in Bush's Fantasyland
By BOB HERBERT
The Bush administration has punished a Justice Department official who dared to tell a mild truth about racial profiling.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/25/opinion/25herbert.html?ex=1125633600&en=42821c0a3ea8ba01&ei=5070&emc=eta1




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From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Thu Aug 25 07:42:55 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (mblaxill@yahoo.com)
Date: Thu Aug 25 07:46:55 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] NYTimes.com: Broadcaster Offers Apology for Calling for
	Assassination
Message-ID: <20050825144255.908BC13B713@lax-gw04.mroute.net>

This page was sent to you by: mblaxill@yahoo.com.

Again, should read 'assassination of "democratically elected!!!" President Hugo Chvez of Venezuela' 


WASHINGTON | August 25, 2005
Broadcaster Offers Apology for Calling for Assassination
By LAURIE GOODSTEIN
The conservative broadcaster Pat Robertson apologized for calling for the assassination of President Hugo Chávez of Venezuela.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/25/politics/25robertson.html?ex=1125633600&en=acd7d6873f6858ec&ei=5070&emc=eta1



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From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Thu Aug 25 07:44:54 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (mblaxill@yahoo.com)
Date: Thu Aug 25 07:49:00 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] NYTimes.com: Justice Weighs Desire v. Duty (Duty
	Prevails)
Message-ID: <20050825144454.71544249D3E@lax-gw08.mroute.net>

This page was sent to you by: mblaxill@yahoo.com.

WASHINGTON | August 25, 2005
Supreme Court Memo: Justice Weighs Desire v. Duty (Duty Prevails)
By LINDA GREENHOUSE
In a rare assessment, Justice John Paul Stevens said in a speech that some recent Supreme Court decisions were "unwise."
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/25/politics/25memo.html?ex=1125633600&en=b6dcae724395ecb2&ei=5070&emc=eta1



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From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Thu Aug 25 07:45:43 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (mblaxill@yahoo.com)
Date: Thu Aug 25 07:49:43 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] NYTimes.com: Cellphones Catapult Rural Africa to 21st
	Century
Message-ID: <20050825144543.A055C11F7EA@lax-gw07.mroute.net>

This page was sent to you by: mblaxill@yahoo.com.

INTERNATIONAL / AFRICA | August 25, 2005
Cellphones Catapult Rural Africa to 21st Century
By SHARON LaFRANIERE
Africa is the world's fastest-growing cellphone market, a boom that has taken the industry by surprise.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/25/international/africa/25africa.html?ex=1125633600&en=43759305b5ce866e&ei=5070&emc=eta1



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From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Thu Aug 25 07:46:48 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (mblaxill@yahoo.com)
Date: Thu Aug 25 07:50:48 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] NYTimes.com: Iran Pledges to Offer New Proposals in
	Nuclear Talks With Europe
Message-ID: <20050825144648.146DF13B751@lax-gw04.mroute.net>

This page was sent to you by: mblaxill@yahoo.com.

INTERNATIONAL / MIDDLE EAST | August 25, 2005
Iran Pledges to Offer New Proposals in Nuclear Talks With Europe
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
The Bush administration responded that the European diplomatic process "still has legs."
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/25/international/middleeast/25iran.html?ex=1125633600&en=51813aa17c1c82de&ei=5070&emc=eta1



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From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Thu Aug 25 07:49:06 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (mblaxill@yahoo.com)
Date: Thu Aug 25 07:53:09 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] NYTimes.com: Rents Head Up as Home Prices Put Off Buyers
Message-ID: <20050825144906.A745013B751@lax-gw04.mroute.net>

This page was sent to you by: mblaxill@yahoo.com.

REAL ESTATE | August 25, 2005
Rents Head Up as Home Prices Put Off Buyers
By DAVID LEONHARDT
Rents are rising again across the country, squeezing tenants and improving returns to landlords after a deep five-year slump.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/25/realestate/25rent.html?ex=1125633600&en=518d1502fa5713fb&ei=5070&emc=eta1



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From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Thu Aug 25 08:31:05 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (mblaxill@yahoo.com)
Date: Thu Aug 25 08:35:05 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Headlines for August 25, 2005
Message-ID: <20050825153105.26597.qmail@trinity.democracynow.org>

Mike Blaxill  ( mblaxill@yahoo.com )
sent you this story from democracynow.org



+--------------------------------------------------------------------+
|  Headlines for August 25, 2005
|  http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=05/08/25/1342217
+--------------------------------------------------------------------+


- President Bush Launches Major Defensive
- Amb. Joe Wilson Defends Sheehan
- White House Denies Bush on Vacation
- Israel Plans to Seize More Land
- Pat Robertson Lies, Then Apologizes for Chavez Threat
- American Legion Declares War on Peace Movement
This story continues at: 
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=05/08/25/1342217

From michael at intrafi.com  Thu Aug 25 09:14:51 2005
From: michael at intrafi.com (michael@intrafi.com)
Date: Thu Aug 25 09:18:53 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] FT.com / Middle East & Africa / Iraq - US general sees
	significant withdrawal in Iraq
Message-ID: <17736378.1124986491938.JavaMail.tomcat@localhost>



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From michael at intrafi.com  Thu Aug 25 09:16:01 2005
From: michael at intrafi.com (michael@intrafi.com)
Date: Thu Aug 25 09:20:05 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] FT.com / Middle East & Africa / Iraq - Pentagon plans
	for 'long war' on terror
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From michael at intrafi.com  Thu Aug 25 09:18:10 2005
From: michael at intrafi.com (michael@intrafi.com)
Date: Thu Aug 25 09:22:13 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] FT.com / Markets / Investor's notebook - Short View:
	Short bear or short bull?
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http://www.emailthis.clickability.com/et/emailThis?clickMap=forward&etMailToID=2123215593&partnerID=1744&pt=Y

  
 
********************


Email pages from any Web site you visit - add the EMAIL THIS button to your browser, copy and paste the following into your Web browser:
http://www.emailthis.clickability.com/et/emailThis?clickMap=browserButtons&pt=Y"


*********************



Instructions:
-----------------------------------------
If your e-mail program doesn't recognize Web addresses:
1. With your mouse, highlight the Web Address above. Be sure to highlight the entire Web address, even if it spans more than one line in your email. 
2. Select Copy from the Edit menu at the top of your screen. 
3. Launch your Web browser.
4. Paste the address into your Web browser by selecting Paste from the Edit menu.
5. Click Go or press Enter or Return on your keyboard. 
 
********************
 
 
 
 
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From hecate at diamonddragon.com  Thu Aug 25 10:29:54 2005
From: hecate at diamonddragon.com (Hecate)
Date: Thu Aug 25 10:34:10 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] BBC E-mail: Peru's glaciers in retreat
Message-ID: <20050825_172954_062371.hecate@diamonddragon.com>

Hecate saw this story on BBC News Online and thought you
should see it.

** Message **
"And this problem of the process of glacial retreat is so fast, that in a very short time, it's possible the glaciers will disappear and there will be a problem of a lack of water for future generations." 



** Peru's glaciers in retreat **
Climate change is making Peru's glaciers retreat at a fierce pace - setting up problems for future generations, writes Hannah Hennessy.
< http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/fr/-/2/hi/americas/4720621.stm >


** BBC Daily E-mail **
Choose the news and sport headlines you want - when you want them, all
in one daily e-mail
< http://www.bbc.co.uk/dailyemail/ >


** Disclaimer **
The BBC is not responsible for the content of this e-mail, and anything written in this e-mail does not necessarily reflect the BBC's views or opinions. Please note that neither the e-mail address nor name of the sender have?been verified.

If you do not wish to receive such e-mails in the future or want to know more about the BBC's Email a Friend service, please read our frequently asked questions. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/help/4162471.stm

From ialterman at nyc.rr.com  Thu Aug 25 15:29:51 2005
From: ialterman at nyc.rr.com (Ian)
Date: Thu Aug 25 15:33:55 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Wallis on Robertson
Message-ID: <003101c5a9c4$837934d0$99ca6c42@iancn2ccrvzt0j>

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From ean at sbcglobal.net  Thu Aug 25 15:30:47 2005
From: ean at sbcglobal.net (ean@sbcglobal.net)
Date: Thu Aug 25 16:34:39 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Robert Fisk: Beyond the Coalition's concrete walls
Message-ID: <E1E8RB1-0000ly-Kp@smtpauth08.mail.atl.earthlink.net>

The Independent - Aug 21, 2005
http://news.independent.co.uk/world/fisk/article307318.ece

Beyond the Coalition's concrete walls

There are now two Baghdads. One is the Green Zone, where US and Iraqi
officials live in a protected realm; the other is the danger zone, where
everyone else lives.

by Robert Fisk

On Monday, George Bush was praising the greedy sectarian politicians here
- who had totally failed to meet the new Iraqi constitution deadline - for
their "heroic" efforts for "democracy". At about the same time, I came
across a friend at one of Baghdad's best-known hotels. He is the deputy
manager and I've known him for more than three years, but he now looked
twice his age. He grasped my arm and looked into my face. "Mr Robert," he
said, "do you realise I was kidnapped?" Every day now, I come across Iraqi
acquaintances - or friends who have cousins or fathers or sons - who have
been kidnapped. Often they are released. Sometimes they are murdered and I
go to their families to express those condolences which are especially
painful for me - because I am a Westerner, arriving to say how sorry I am
to relatives who blame the West for the anarchy that killed their loved
ones.

This time my friend survived, just.

Another good friend, a university professor, visits me for coffee the next
day. The absence of identities in this report tells you all you need to
know about the terror which embraces Baghdad. "I was invigilating the last
exams of term in the linguistics department and I saw a mature student
cheating. I walked up to him and said I believed he was cribbing. He said
he wasn't. I told him I would take his papers away and he leant towards me
and made it clear I would be murdered if I prevented him completing his
exams. I went to the head of department. I thought he would discipline
this man and take away his papers. But he talked to him and then said that
he could continue the exam. My own head of department failed me
completely." My professor friend loves English literature, but he has new
problems.

"Many of the students are now very Islamically oriented. They want their
classes taught through the prism of their religion. But what can I do? I
can't teach existentialism any more because it would be seen as
anti-Islamic - which means no more Sartre. These same people ask me for
the religious message in Eugene O'Neill's plays. What can I say? I can't
teach any more. Do you understand this? I can't teach." Since Baghdad's "
liberation" in April 2003, 180 professors and schoolteachers have been
assassinated in Iraq, and shortly after my professor's visit, I receive a
call from one of his colleagues.

"They kidnapped old Amin Yassin and his son two days ago. We don't know
where they are." Amin Yassin was not, like some of his colleagues, an
ex-Baathist. He was a retired linguist who taught grammar in the English
department of Baghdad University. His 30-year-old son is a secondary
school teacher. The two were seized in the Khavraha neighbourhood, seven
miles westof Baghdad.

On Thursday, in the an-Nahda bus station, two bombs tear 43 people to
pieces - almost all of them Shia Muslims - and at the al-Kindi hospital,
which also receives a bomb close by, relatives of the missing are
screaming as they try to identify the dead. The problem is that the
morticians can't fit the limbs to the right bodies and, in some cases, the
right heads to the right torsos.

I head off to the Palestine Hotel where one of the largest Western news
agencies has its headquarters. I take the lift to an upper floor only to
be met by a guard and a vast steel wall which blocks off the hotel
corridor. He searches me, sends in my card and after a few minutes an
Iraqi guard stares at me through a grille and opens an iron door.

I enter to find another vast steel wall in front of me. Once he has 
clanged the outer door shut, the inner door is opened and I am in the
grotty old hotel corridor.

The reporters are sitting in a fuggy room with a small window from which
they can see the Tigris river. One of the American staff admits he has not
been outside "for months". An Arab reporter does their street reporting;
an American travels around Iraq - but only as an "embed" with US troops.
No American journalists from this bureau travel the streets of Baghdad.
This is not hotel journalism, as I once described it. This is prison
journalism.

One of the Americans, an old and brave friend of mine from Beirut days,
walks over. "Have a look at this, Fisky," he says. "This is the kind of
crap we get from the Americans these days - this is what they want us to
write about." It is a news release from the Coalition press office, the
spin doctors of the occupation troops here. "Comics Bring Barrels of
Laughs to Task Force Baghdad," it says.

I drive back across Baghdad. There is a massive traffic jam because the
Iraqi National Guard - the American-trained Iraqis who are supposed to
save Donald Rumsfeld's career and let the US forces reduce their troop
strength here - have mounted a checkpoint. Most of them are so frightened
that they are wearing ski-masks over their mouths. Like every Iraqi I
meet, I do not trust the Iraqi National Guard. They have been infiltrated
by both Sunni and Shia insurgents and now have a nasty propensity to carry
out house raids on Sunni areas, to arrest the menfolk and then to steal as
much money as they can find in the house. "First they arrest my son and
then they take all my jewellery," a woman complained on an Arabic
satellite channel that was investigating this venal militia.

I go home and switch on my television to find the BBC reporting on an "
elite" force of Iraqi troops who are receiving anti-terrorism training in
Britain. And there they are, foliage attached to their helmets, leaping
over hedges and cooling streams. In the Welsh mountains.

Friday night. In the heart of this vast and oven-like city stands the
Green Zone, 10 square kilometres of barricaded, walled, sealed-off
palaces, villas and gardens - once the Raj-like centre of Saddam's regime
wherein now dwell the Iraqi government, the constitutional committee, the
US embassy, the British embassy and many hundreds of Western mercenaries.
Many of them never meet Iraqis. Women in shorts jog past the rose beds;
armed men and women " contractors" lie by the pool. There were at least
three restaurants - until one of them was blown up by suicide bombers. You
can buy phone accessories in a local shop, newspapers, pornographic DVDs.
For tactical reasons, the Americans were forced to include dozens of
middle-class Iraqi homes inside the Green Zone, a decision that has
outraged many of the householders. They often have to wait four hours to
pass through the security checkpoints.

Irony of ironies, the tomb of Michel Aflaq, founder of the Baath party
that once included both Iraq and Syria, lies inside the Green Zone.

On Friday night, this crusader castle was bathed in its usual 
floodlights. I was looking up at the stars over the city when there was a
dull sound and a flash of light from within the Green Zone. Somewhere not
far from me, someone had launched a mortar at the illuminated fishbowl
that has become the symbol of occupation for all Iraqis. Many ask what
will become of it when the whole Western edifice here collapses. Some say
it will become insurgent headquarters, others the next parliament. My
guess is that whoever runs Iraq once the occupation collapses will turn
the whole thing into a theme park. Or maybe just a museum.

 2005 Independent News & Media (UK) Ltd.



-- 
You are currently on Mha Atma's Earth Action Network email list, 
option D (up to 3 emails/day).  To be removed, or to switch options 
(option A - 1x/week, option B - 3/wk, option C - up to 1x/day, option D - 
up to 3x/day) please reply and let us know!  If someone forwarded you 
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"In times of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act."
   ---   George Orwell


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From ean at sbcglobal.net  Thu Aug 25 15:30:47 2005
From: ean at sbcglobal.net (ean@sbcglobal.net)
Date: Thu Aug 25 16:51:53 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Explaining the Bush Cocoon (why media protects him
	nomatterwhat)
Message-ID: <E1E8RRM-00065k-7o@smtpauth08.mail.atl.earthlink.net>

 Via NY Transfer News Collective  *  All the News that Doesn't Fit
http://olm.blythe-systems.com/mailman/listinfo/nytr

Consortium News - Aug 24, 2005
http://www.consortiumnews.com/2005/082405.html

Explaining the Bush Cocoon

By Robert Parry

Under traditional news judgment, the lead paragraph in American
newspapers on the morning of Nov. 12, 2001, should have read something
like: If all legally cast votes in Florida were counted in Election 2000,
Democrat Al Gore would have carried the state and thus won the White
House, according to an unofficial tally of disputed ballots.

Indeed, the tally found that Gore would have carried Floridas key
electoral votes regardless of the standard used for judging so-called
undervotes, ballots kicked out by vote-counting machines which could
detect no presidential choice. Gore won even ignoring Floridas other
irregularities such as the badly designed butterfly ballots and the
improper felon purges that cost him thousands of additional votes.

To put it more starkly, a recount conducted by a consortium of major
media organizations had determined that George W. Bush, the guy in the
White House, not only lost the national popular vote but should have lost
the Electoral College, too. To be even blunter, a pivotal U.S.
presidential election had been stolen.

But that wasnt how the major newspapers and TV networks presented
their findings. Instead, they bent over backwards to concoct
hypothetical situations in which George W. Bush might still have won
the presidency if the recount had been limited to only a few counties or
if legal overvotes, where a voter both checks and writes in the name of
the candidate, were cast aside.

Lost Purpose

Though the news medias recount had started with the goal of assessing
whether Florida voters favored Gore or Bush, that purpose was lost in a
rush to shore up Bushs fragile legitimacy in the weeks after the Sept. 11
terror attacks.

The key discovery of Gores victory was buried deep in the stories or
relegated to charts that accompanied the articles.

Any casual reader would have come away from reading the New York Times 
or
the Washington Post with the conclusion that Bush really had won Florida
and thus was the legitimate president after all.

The Posts headline read, Florida Recounts Would Have Favored Bush.
Referring to Bushs success in getting five U.S. Supreme Court justices to
stop the vote-counting, the Times ran the headline: Study of Disputed
Florida Ballots Finds Justices Did Not Cast the Deciding Vote.

Some columnists, such as the Posts media analyst Howard Kurtz, even
launched preemptive strikes against anyone who would read the fine
print and spot the hidden lede of Gores victory. Kurtz labeled such
people conspiracy theorists. [Washington Post, Nov. 12, 2001]

After reading these slanted Bush Won stories on the morning of Nov.
12, 2001, I wrote an article for Consortiumnews.com noting that the
obvious lede should have been that the recount revealed that Gore had won.
I suggested that the news judgments of senior editors might have been
influenced by a desire to appear patriotic only two months after the Sept.
11 terror attacks. [See Consortiumnews.coms Gores Victory.]

My article had been on the Internet for only an hour or two when I
received an irate phone call from New York Times media writer Felicity
Barringer, who accused me of impugning the journalistic integrity of
then-Times executive editor Howell Raines. I got the impression that
Barringer had been on the look-out for some deviant story that didnt
accept the pro-Bush conventional wisdom.

[For more on Election 2000, see Consortiumnews.coms So Bush Did Steal the
White House. For a broader historical perspective, see Robert Parrys
Secrecy & Privilege: Rise of the Bush Dynasty from Watergate to Iraq.]

Iraq War Prelude

This early example of the U.S. news media building a protective cocoon
around George W. Bushs presidency is relevant again today as many
Americans try to understand how Bush was able to lead the nation so deeply
into a disastrous war in Iraq and why the U.S. news media has performed
its watchdog duties so miserably.

The history of the mis-reported Election 2000 recount also attracted
the recent attention of New York Times columnist Paul Krugman. After
referencing Gores apparent Florida victory in one column, Krugman said he
was inundated by an outraged reaction from readers who thought they knew
the history but who really had learned only a false conventional wisdom
about how the recount supposedly favored Bush.

In a second column entitled Dont Prettify Our History, Krugman argues that
we arent doing the country a favor when we present recent history in a way
that makes our system look better than it is. Sometimes the public needs
to hear unpleasant truths, even if those truths make them feel worse about
their country.

Election 2000 may be receding into the past, but the Iraq war isnt. As the
truth about the origins of that war comes out, there may be a temptation,
once again, to prettify the story. The American people deserve better.
[NYT, Aug. 22, 2005]

Whether Americans can expect better is an open question, however.

A strong argument even could be made that Krugman is wrong suggesting that
the news media just wanted to prettify American history or that I was
wrong in speculating that the distorted reporting on the Election 2000
recount was just a case of putting patriotism over professionalism.

A harsher interpretation is that journalists put their careers not
their love of country ahead of their duty to tell the American people the
truth. In other words, big media personalities may have understood that
challenging Bush would put their big pay checks in harms way. [See
Consortiumnews.coms The Answer Is Fear.]

At Powells Feet

That also appears to have been the pattern during the run-up to war
with Iraq. It was safer for journalists to toe the line on Bushs case for
war with Iraq than to contest the dubious arguments presented by the likes
of then-Secretary of State Colin Powell.

One only needs to look back at the op-ed pages in the days after
Powells speech to the United Nations Security Council on Feb. 5, 2003, to
see the lock-step thinking of columnists across the mainstream political
spectrum.

Even though Powells speech was riddled with falsehoods and
questionable assertions, none of the many journalists who safely
positioned themselves at Powells feet suffered professionally for
their lack of professional skepticism. Many of the same columnists are
still holding down lucrative jobs on the Washington Post op-ed page or as
pundits on TV talks shows.

Theres also little indication that skepticism has been ramped up to
the levels that would seem justified by the long list of Bushs
discredited war rationales.

Last March, for instance, many commentators including New York Times
columnist Thomas Friedman and the Washington Posts David Ignatius and the
editorial boards of the Times and the Post were hailing Bushs new Iraq War
rationale, that is was the instrument to advance democratization in the
Middle East.

Just as the pundits had bought into the WMD claims in 2002-2003, they fell
for Bushs argument that the invasion of Iraq would spread democracy across
the Islamic world and thus destroy Islamic extremism. [See
Consortiumnews.coms Neocon Amorality or Bushs Neocons Unbridled.]

Since then, as the optimism about democratization has receded from
Egypt and Saudi Arabia to Iraq and Lebanon the Bush administration and the
pundit class have shifted rationales again, this time to a modern version
of the domino theory that a quick withdrawal from Iraq is unthinkable
because it would undermine U.S. credibility.

Just as it was nearly impossible to find a prominent U.S. pundit who
challenged Bushs original WMD claims, theres now a scarcity of
commentators who dare to make the argument that a U.S. military
withdrawal from Iraq might undercut Islamic terrorism (by driving a
wedge between Iraqi Sunni insurgents and outside jihadists who have
come to Iraq to kill Americans). That wedge, in turn, could help
stabilize Iraq, while Washington could focus on removing other root
causes of Islamic anger, such as the Israel-Palestinian conflict. [See
Consortiumnews.coms Iraq & the Logic of Withdrawal.]

Repositioned Pundits

Still, self-interest remains the driving force behind Washington
punditry. So, some columnists seem to be repositioning themselves in
the face of Bushs slipping popularity, by sniping at Bush about style
while continuing to support him on substance.

For instance, a Washington Post column by New Republic editor Peter
Beinart chides Bush for refusing to meet with Cindy Sheehan, a mother of a
soldier who died in Iraq. But Beinart, who supported the Iraq invasion,
adds that Bush is right to refuse Sheehans call for a U.S. withdrawal
because it would be a disaster for national security and a betrayal of our
responsibility to Iraq.  [Washington Post, Aug. 18, 2005]

David Ignatius, another Post columnist and war supporter, struck a
similar theme: Lets look at what the president is doing right: At a
time when anguished Americans are calling for a quick withdrawal from
Iraq, Bush is telling them a painful truth. Pulling the troops out [now]
would send a terrible signal to the enemy, [Bush] said. [Washington Post,
Aug. 17, 2005]

Perhaps one of the most remarkable facts about the Iraq War is that
despite all the errors and misjudgments, the Washington pundit class,
which cheered the nation off to war, remains remarkably unchanged.

Though the Iraq War may be the most glaring example in decades of the U.S.
government and the national news media letting down the American people
and especially the troops sent off to fight, virtually no one responsible
for this catastrophe has been punished.

While journalists have been fired for far-less serious errors, theres been
no known case of a media personality being publicly punished for buying
into the Bush administrations bogus arguments for invading Iraq. Instead,
many of these same media personalities continue to lecture the American
people about what needs to be done in Iraq.

But this Bush cocoon started years ago, when journalists forgot that
their first duty in a democracy was to give the people the truth as
fully and fairly as possible, even if some Americans didnt want to
hear it.


[Robert Parry broke many of the Iran-Contra stories in the 1980s for
the Associated Press and Newsweek. His new book, Secrecy & Privilege: 
Rise
of the Bush Dynasty from Watergate to Iraq, can be ordered at
secrecyandprivilege.com. It's also available at Amazon.com, as is his 1999
book, Lost History: Contras, Cocaine, the Press & 'Project Truth.']

-- 
You are currently on Mha Atma's Earth Action Network email list, 
option D (up to 3 emails/day).  To be removed, or to switch options 
(option A - 1x/week, option B - 3/wk, option C - up to 1x/day, option D - 
up to 3x/day) please reply and let us know!  If someone forwarded you 
this email and you want to be on our list, send an email to 
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"In times of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act."
   ---   George Orwell


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From Reeeees at aol.com  Thu Aug 25 09:59:37 2005
From: Reeeees at aol.com (Reeeees@aol.com)
Date: Thu Aug 25 18:39:08 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] THE FABRIC OF THE FUTURE 
Message-ID: <E1E8T7Z-0003JN-Ed@smtpauth08.mail.atl.earthlink.net>

THE FABRIC OF THE FUTURE

So: on the eve of the new millennium, does  quote this strike a nerve? "I 
think the biggest wound in our contemporary  psyche is fear. What cripples 
us from daring the New Day is unconscious  fear, the worst kind of fear, 
fear without content."

You can apply  that to the environment, the divorce rate, the stock market, 
the book  industry or your latest bout with an HMO. But as Jungian analyst 
Marion  Woodman puts it in THE FABRIC OF THE FUTURE (Conari; 460 pages; 
$25), the  fear people feel today is often "the loss of personal freedom" as  
corporations grow bigger and jobs fewer, as nations force people off the  
land, as "the reliance on reason and technology split head from body in our  
culture," as the old hierarchies dominate and go under.

Like a  billion other people, Conari Press publisher Mary Jane Ryan had been  
thinking for years that "the old forms were breaking down and the new had  
yet to emerge" when one day she sat down and wrote an impassioned letter to  
every woman "visionary" she knew, ranging from Caroline Myss and Joan  
Borysenko to Gloria Steinem, Starhawk, Jean Houston, Margaret Wheatley,  
Joanna Macy and Shakti Gawain.
To say that everyone wrote back with an  essay that will blow your head off 
is an understatement about the stunning  book that resulted. Here 40 writers 
from as many different fields tell us  that "most people know what is wrong 
in the world," as West African writer  Sobonfu Some writes, and most people 
know how to change it. But the way to  transformation must begin internally.

"The nuclear bomb everyone is so  impressed with begins in every cell in our 
bodies. We sense intuitively the  power we have to oppress whoever gets in 
the way . . . Whoever is our  'enemy' . . . the one to whom we have not 
surrendered. It follows us  everywhere, sleeping and waking, like a shadow." 
Thus reasons poet and  author M.C. Richards, who points to another emerging 
disaffection - "the  sensation of becoming a separate person, no longer 
identified with the  lover, the parent, the brother and sister, the group of 
friends, the place  the time, the society."

Ryan confesses that she wanted to bring 40 women  visionaries together in 
one book for the new millennium because "I became  tired with all the 
breaking down - I wanted to know what was breaking  THROUGH." Well, one 
inspiration after another certainly breaks through here;  one redeeming 
vision after another "birth of a new dawn." Browse in it,  think about it, 
read it to friends, give it as a gift: Ryan has published a  lot of women 
writers in her 10 years at Conari: This book is the culmination  of many 
careers and a thousand years of thinking.
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From geomilman at milman.com  Thu Aug 25 10:00:14 2005
From: geomilman at milman.com (George R. Milman)
Date: Thu Aug 25 18:40:48 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] FW: Manitoba storm that created Altona tornado
Message-ID: <E1E8T99-0004c9-QN@smtpauth08.mail.atl.earthlink.net>

Subject: Manitoba storm that created Altona tornado

 

http://www.draega.net/storm.html

 

 

 

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From michael at intrafi.com  Thu Aug 25 18:46:01 2005
From: michael at intrafi.com (michael)
Date: Thu Aug 25 18:50:14 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Article from Tom Dispatch
Message-ID: <200508260146.j7Q1k1t8014952@thor.thenation.com>

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From michael at michaelbutler.com  Thu Aug 25 15:50:34 2005
From: michael at michaelbutler.com (Michael Butler)
Date: Thu Aug 25 18:54:43 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Wallis on Robertson
Message-ID: <BF33C37A.23A3A%michael@michaelbutler.com>

Ian, all that came through was Wallis picture no text.
Michael

From ialterman at nyc.rr.com  Thu Aug 25 19:09:21 2005
From: ialterman at nyc.rr.com (Ian)
Date: Thu Aug 25 19:13:23 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Wallis on Robertson
Message-ID: <005701c5a9e3$2d1b6e90$99ca6c42@iancn2ccrvzt0j>

Pat Robertson: An embarrassment to the church
by Jim Wallis 

Pat Robertson is an embarrassment to the church and a danger to American politics. 
Robertson is known for his completely irresponsible statements - that the 9/11 terrorist attacks were due to American feminists and liberals, that true Christians could vote only for George W. Bush, that the federal judiciary is a greater threat to America than those who flew the planes into the World Trade Center Towers, and the list goes on. Robertson even took credit once for diverting a hurricane. But his latest outburst may take the cake. 

On Monday, Robertson called for the assassination of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez. Robertson is worried about Chavez's critiques of American power and behavior in the world, especially because Venezuela is sitting on all that oil. We simply can't have an anti-American political leader who could raise the price of gas. So let's just kill him, the famous television preacher seriously suggested. After all, having some of our "covert operatives" take out the troublesome Venezuelan leader would be cheaper than another $200 billion war, he said. 

It's clear Robertson must not have first asked himself "What would Jesus do?" But the teachings of Jesus have never been very popular with Robertson. He gets his religion elsewhere, from the twisted ideologies of an American brand of right-wing fundamentalism that has always been more nationalist than Christian. Apparently, Robertson didn't even remember what the Ten Commandments say, though he has championed their display on the walls of every American courthouse. That irritating one about "Thou shalt not kill" seems to rule out the killing of foreign leaders. But this week, simply putting biblical ethics aside, Robertson virtually issued an American religious fatwah for the murder of a foreign leader - on national television no less. That may be a first. 

Yesterday Robertson "apologized." First he denied saying what he had said, but it was on the videotape (it's tough when they record you breaking the Ten Commandments and the teachings of Jesus). Then he said that "taking out" Chavez might not require killing him, and perhaps kidnapping a duly elected leader would do. But Robertson does now say that using the word "assassination" was wrong and that he had been frustrated by Chavez - the old "my frustration made me say that somebody should be killed" argument. But the worst thing about Robertson's apology was that he compared himself to Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the German church leader and martyr who ultimately joined in a plot to assassinate Adolph Hitler. 

Robertson's political and theological reasoning is simply unbelievable. Chavez, a democratically elected leader in no less than three internationally certified votes, has been an irritant to the Bush administration, but has yet to commit any holocausts. Nor does his human rights record even approach that of the Latin American dictators who have been responsible for massive violations of human rights and the deaths of tens of thousands of people (think of the military regimes of Chile, Argentina, El Salvador, and Guatemala). Robertson never criticized them, perhaps because many of them were supported by U.S. military aid and training. 

This incident reveals that Robertson does not believe in democracy; he believes in theocracy. And he would like governments, including our own, to implement his theological agenda, perhaps legislate Leviticus, and "take out" those who disagree. 

Robertson's American fundamentalist ideology gives a lot of good people a bad name. World evangelical leaders have already responded with alarm and disbelief. Robertson's words will taint and smear other evangelical Christians and put some in actual jeopardy, such as Venezuelan evangelicals. Most conservative evangelical Christians are appalled by Robertson's hateful and literally murderous words, and it's time for them to say so. To their credit, the World Evangelical Alliance and the National Association of Evangelicals have already denounced Robertson's words. When will we hear from some of the groups from the "Religious Right," such as the Family Research Council, Southern Baptists, and other leaders like James Dobson, Tony Perkins, and Chuck Colson? 

Robertson's words fuel both anti-Christian and anti-American sentiments around the world. It's difficult for an American government that has historically plotted against leaders in Cuba, Chile, the Congo, South Vietnam, and elsewhere to be easily believed when it disavows Robertson's call to assassinate Chavez. But George Bush must do so anyway, in the strongest terms possible. 

It's time to name Robertson for what he is: an American fundamentalist whose theocratic views are not much different from the "Muslim extremists" he continually assails. It's time for conservative evangelical Christians in America, who are not like Islamic fundamentalists or Robertson, to distance themselves from his embarrassing and dangerous religion. 

And it's time for Christian leaders of all stripes to call on Robertson not just to apologize, but to retire. 
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From swiggard at comcast.net  Fri Aug 26 03:59:36 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (William Swiggard)
Date: Fri Aug 26 04:05:24 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Gay Rights Groups Urge Defeat of Nominee - Washington
	Post
Message-ID: <430EF618.5010600@comcast.net>

Gay Rights Groups Urge Defeat of Nominee
Appeals Court Judge's Ideology Is Called 'a Mortal Danger to Equal Rights'

By Jim VandeHei
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, August 26, 2005; Page A02

Leading gay rights groups yesterday dismissed as inconsequential Judge 
John G. Roberts Jr.'s pro bono work on a gay rights case in the 1990s 
and came out in strong opposition to his nomination to the Supreme Court.

"For his entire adult life, John Roberts has been a disciple of and 
promoted a political and legal ideology that is antithetical to an 
America that embraces all, including lesbian, gay, bisexual and 
transgender people," Matt Foreman, executive director of the National 
Gay and Lesbian Task Force, said in a statement. "I have no doubt he's 
an accomplished lawyer and an affable dinner companion, but that doesn't 
make him any less a mortal danger to equal rights for gay people, 
reproductive freedom and affirmative action."

Some Democratic senators thought gay rights groups would hold their fire 
because Roberts provided assistance to lawyers in the 1996 Romer v. 
Evans case, a Supreme Court decision that solidified legal protections 
for gays. But the Human Rights Campaign, the National Gay and Lesbian 
Task Force, the National Center for Lesbian Rights, and Parents, 
Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays issued a statement saying his 
involvement was minor.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/25/AR2005082501654.html
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From swiggard at comcast.net  Fri Aug 26 04:01:56 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (William Swiggard)
Date: Fri Aug 26 04:07:40 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Library Challenges FBI Request - Washington Post
Message-ID: <430EF6A4.1020408@comcast.net>

Library Challenges FBI Request
Patriot Act Prohibits Details of Lawsuit From Being Released

By Dan Eggen
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, August 26, 2005; Page A11

A member of the American Library Association has sued the Justice 
Department to challenge an FBI demand for records, but the USA Patriot 
Act prohibits the plaintiff from publicly disclosing its identity or 
other details of the dispute, according to court documents released 
yesterday.

The lawsuit comes as Congress prepares to enter final talks over renewal 
of the Patriot Act, a counterterrorism law that was overwhelmingly 
approved after Sept. 11, 2001. But parts of the law, including 
provisions that could have an impact on libraries, have since come under 
fire.

Justice Department and FBI officials have repeatedly declined to 
identify how many times Patriot Act-related powers have been used to 
seek or obtain information from libraries, but they have strongly urged 
Congress not to limit their ability to do so.

The suit, originally filed under seal in Connecticut on Aug. 9, focuses 
on the FBI's use of a document called a "national security letter" 
(NSL), which allows investigators to demand records without the approval 
of a judge and to prohibit companies or institutions from disclosing the 
request. Restrictions on the FBI's use of NSLs were loosened under the 
Patriot Act.

The identity of the institution, the records being sought and numerous 
other details are edited out of the public version of the complaint 
released by the American Civil Liberties Union, which is a party to the 
lawsuit.

But the edited lawsuit reveals that the plaintiff is a member of the 
libraries association, that it provides "circulation and cataloging of 
library materials," and that it allows "library patrons . . . to search 
library collections and check the status of their accounts." The 
complaint also says the institution "provides Internet access for use by 
staff and patrons" and that the FBI was seeking "subscriber information, 
billing information and access logs" related to an unidentified target.

Justice Department spokesman Brian Roehrkasse declined to comment on the 
dispute because of the pending litigation.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/25/AR2005082501696.html
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From swiggard at comcast.net  Fri Aug 26 04:03:51 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (William Swiggard)
Date: Fri Aug 26 04:09:35 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Life-Lengthening Hormone Found in Mouse Research -
	Washington Post
Message-ID: <430EF717.4030506@comcast.net>

Life-Lengthening Hormone Found in Mouse Research

By Rob Stein
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, August 26, 2005; Page A01

Scientists have identified a hormone that significantly extends the life 
span of mice, a discovery that could mark a crucial step toward 
developing drugs that boost longevity in people.

The hormone is the first substance identified that is produced naturally 
in mammals, including humans, and can extend life span -- a long-sought 
goal in the intense effort to help people live longer.

Much more work is needed to study the substance, and investigate whether 
the hormone or a similar compound would be effective and safe in people, 
experts cautioned. But the discovery opens highly promising avenues for 
research and provides tantalizing new clues toward deciphering the basic 
biology of aging.

"This is a significant discovery. It's an exciting paper," said Anna 
McCormick of the National Institute on Aging, which helped fund the new 
research, published online yesterday by the journal Science. "It's 
definitely the way you would go about designing molecules that would 
promote healthy aging and longevity in people."

Makoto Kuro-o of the University of Texas's Southwestern Medical Center 
at Dallas, who led the research, said, "This could provide a key to 
understanding the molecular mechanisms of aging and opens up new areas 
to the potential therapy for multiple age-related diseases in humans."

The discovery was triggered by a study Kuro-o and his colleagues 
published in 1997. That study identified a gene in mice that, when 
damaged, caused the animals to experience all the hallmarks of aging in 
humans -- hardening of the arteries, thinning bones, withered skin, weak 
lungs -- and to die prematurely. They dubbed the gene Klotho, for the 
Greek goddess who spins the thread of life.

Suspecting the gene may play a role in regulating life span, Kuro-o and 
his colleagues genetically engineered mice with overactive Klotho genes. 
In the latest experiments, they found that these animals lived an 
average of 20 to 30 percent longer than normal -- 2.4 to 2.6 years vs. a 
normal life span of about two years -- without any signs of ill effects, 
according to the new report.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/25/AR2005082501224.html?nav=hcmodule
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From swiggard at comcast.net  Fri Aug 26 04:05:57 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (William Swiggard)
Date: Fri Aug 26 04:11:40 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] First Step? Admit There's a Problem - E. J. Dionne -
	Washington Post
Message-ID: <430EF795.10703@comcast.net>

First Step? Admit There's a Problem

By E. J. Dionne Jr.
Friday, August 26, 2005; Page A21

SYDNEY -- History repeats itself in strange ways. Consider two statements.

"A slogan like 'stay the course' is unacceptable."

And: "Stay the course is not a policy."

The first quotation goes back to October 1982, when a Republican 
candidate for governor of New York named Lewis Lehrman complained about 
his party's national slogan during that year's midterm elections. Stay 
the course, insisted Lehrman, who eventually lost narrowly to Democrat 
Mario Cuomo, was a lousy theme in the face of a 10 percent national 
unemployment rate.

The second quotation is of more recent, though still Republican, 
coinage. Last Sunday, Sen. Chuck Hagel of Nebraska laid into the Bush 
administration's policy in Iraq. Hagel insisted that remaining in Iraq 
over an extended period -- staying the course -- "would bog us down, it 
would further destabilize the Middle East, it would give Iran more 
influence."

President Bush continues to insist, at least in public, on doing what 
he's doing. "We will stay, we will fight and we will win the war on 
terror," Bush said in Idaho on Wednesday. But staying and fighting in 
Iraq looks increasingly antithetical to winning the war on terrorism. 
What is a superpower whose power has been dissipated by a deeply flawed 
policy to do?

There was an electrifying moment here last week when a longtime friend 
of the United States spoke up during a meeting of the Australian 
American Leadership Dialogue, a group I've been part of for several 
years. Kim Beazley, the leader of the Australian Labor Party and a 
former defense minister, proposed an alternative that would admit the 
errors of the past by way of salvaging America's influence for the future.

Beazley, who elaborated on his off-the record address in an interview, 
argued that the war in Iraq, like the Vietnam War 35 years ago, was 
"sucking the oxygen out of American foreign policy." The United States, 
he said, needed to engage in "a phased extraction" from Iraq while 
bolstering the war on terrorism elsewhere. He used the unlikely role 
model of Richard Nixon, who gradually withdrew American forces from 
Vietnam while engaging China and forcing the Soviet Union into arms 
negotiations.

Beazley's metaphor was an arresting way of showing how mistakes in Iraq 
need not permanently dent the United States' influence -- provided 
America recognizes its mistakes.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/25/AR2005082501615.html
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From swiggard at comcast.net  Fri Aug 26 04:08:34 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (William Swiggard)
Date: Fri Aug 26 04:14:17 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Playing The Shiite Card - David Ignatius - Washington
	Post
Message-ID: <430EF832.2050108@comcast.net>

Playing The Shiite Card

By David Ignatius
Friday, August 26, 2005; Page A21

America is finally having its great debate over the Iraq war. In that 
debate, it's worth listening to a young Iraqi Shiite cleric named Ammar 
Hakim. He speaks for the people who arguably have gained the most from 
America's troubled mission in Iraq and, to a surprising extent, still 
believe in it.

Hakim, 34, is the oldest son of Abdul Aziz Hakim, the leader of the 
Iranian-backed Shiite party known as the Supreme Council for the Islamic 
Revolution in Iraq, which is probably the most potent political force in 
the country today. He now lives in Najaf, the Shiite equivalent of the 
Vatican, where he helps direct the party's social and charitable 
network. But he and his family lived 23 years in exile in Iran. To put 
it bluntly, Hakim represents what might be called the "Shiite card" in 
the Iraqi poker game.

I met Hakim a week ago during his first visit to the United States. He 
made quite a sight when he arrived for breakfast, dressed in his black 
turban and flowing clerical robes. Some of the other guests in the 
dining room of the Watergate Hotel seemed to back away a bit, as if they 
feared the visiting mullah might explode. I'm told he drew some stares 
when he toured the Pentagon dressed in the same garb.

Hakim is a remarkably articulate man, with the spark of curiosity in his 
eyes and a presence that we in the United States would call "star 
quality." Whoever had the good sense to invite him here -- where he met 
with officials at the State Department, Pentagon and National Security 
Council -- should get a pay raise.

Hakim had a clear message during his visit, and it's one worth mulling 
carefully as Americans ponder the new Iraqi constitution and the bitter 
Shiite-Sunni tensions that have surrounded its drafting. If I could sum 
up his theme in one sentence, it is that the United States should 
continue to bet on democracy in Iraq -- which of necessity means relying 
on Iraq's Shiite majority and the mullahs who speak for it. In essence, 
he was calling for a strategic alliance between Najaf and Washington.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/25/AR2005082501616.html?nav=hcmodule
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From swiggard at comcast.net  Fri Aug 26 04:11:20 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (William Swiggard)
Date: Fri Aug 26 04:17:04 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Credibility as casualty - H.D.S. Greenway - Boston Globe
Message-ID: <430EF8D8.8030801@comcast.net>

Credibility as casualty

By H.D.S. Greenway  |  August 26, 2005

ALMOST 20 years ago I was driving south from Baghdad when I saw a 
yellow-and-white taxi coming up the Basra road with a flag-draped coffin 
on the roof. Then I saw another, and another. At the time Iraq was 
engaged in a long and bitter war with Iran, and I learned that what I 
was seeing was the war dead coming home.

In those days taxis would be summoned to military morgues and given a 
coffin along with an address and some money to deliver it. When a 
coffin-laden taxi would turn into a residential street, people would 
hold a collective breath wondering at which house the taxi would stop. 
Often families would be given no other notice. They would be asked to 
sign a receipt, and the taxi would drive away.

It was the custom in Iraq to fly a black flag outside the house of a 
fallen soldier, but by the time I got there the government had 
discouraged the practice because Saddam Hussein wanted to underplay the 
casualties so as not to harm morale for his war.

In America the flagged-draped coffins of our honored dead are escorted 
home in military planes. Relatives are routinely notified promptly in 
person by Pentagon representatives, and the coffins themselves are 
treated with impeccable and ceremonial respect.

Yet I was interested to read that only recently, under pressure from a 
Freedom of Information Act suit, would the Pentagon finally agree to 
make fully available photographs of arriving American coffins from Iraq.

President Bush had said that the ban was to protect the privacy of the 
families, but I suspect that the administration felt that photographs of 
coffins coming home might sap support for the president's war.

So far the Bush administration has been remarkably successful in 
downplaying the cost of its Iraqi adventure. Earlier on, the then deputy 
secretary of defense, Paul Wolfowitz, was unable to tell Congress what 
the number of American dead was. The war played well when it came time 
to get reelected, and dissent could be branded as unpatriotic.

The administration had predicted an easy victory. Just lop off the head 
of Saddam's regime and, bingo, a pro-American, pro-Israeli democracy 
would emerge, ready to welcome US military bases, guarantee our oil, and 
be a light unto other nations, bringing liberty and democracy to the 
region, they said. Yet none of this has come to pass. The draft 
constitution highlights the bitter differences in Iraq, not unity, 
which, in the long run, no document can paper over.
http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2005/08/26/credibility_as_casualty/
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From swiggard at comcast.net  Fri Aug 26 04:14:39 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (William Swiggard)
Date: Fri Aug 26 04:20:22 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] What are women fighting for? - Derrick Z. Jackson -
	Boston Globe
Message-ID: <430EF99F.5000705@comcast.net>

What are women fighting for?

By Derrick Z. Jackson  |  August 26, 2005

AT THE BEGINNING of the invasion of Iraq in the spring of 2003, American 
soldier Maria Guajardo told the Columbus (Ga.) Ledger Enquirer that 
Iraqi women ''seem to pay more attention to us than the men. They seem 
so shy and scared. And they see us and give us the thumbs up and smile. 
The little girls especially. They wave and smile and will point us out 
to their mothers and grandmothers. I think their equality is going to 
come. It's just a matter of time."

In March of 2004, Fern Holland, a human rights attorney who helped draft 
the interim constitution for Iraq, was murdered along with two 
co-workers. Her work for women's rights in Iraq knew no bounds nor fear. 
In an e-mail to a friend, published in The New York Times, Holland 
talked about two weathered ''salt-of-the-earth" widows who sought her 
help to evict a thug of Saddam Hussein's who built a house and grew 
crops on their land. The widows had court orders for the eviction but 
people were too fearful of the man to help them.

Holland convinced the local judge to agree to a bulldozing of the house 
of the trespassing Saddam loyalist. She told the local judge, ''No one 
should jump over a woman's rights."

It is now the fall of 2005. A total of 45 American women have died in 
the service of President Bush's invasion and occupation, according to 
the Iraq Coalition Casualty Count. Many of the female soldiers and 
civilians went abroad with the idea that liberation from Saddam 
Hussein's tyranny was for both men and women. The architects and chief 
defenders of the invasion have frequently seconded such notions.

Paul Wolfowitz, the former deputy defense secretary, praised Holland for 
quitting her US law practice to ''help improve the lives of Iraqi 
women." Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said, ''We're going to stand 
for the principles that we're standing for around the world and most 
especially in Iraq, where America has sacrificed and -- sacrificed lives 
and treasure. And so, of course, we're going to stand and stand strongly 
for the rights of women."

http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2005/08/26/what_are_women_fighting_for/
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From hecate at diamonddragon.com  Fri Aug 26 04:55:19 2005
From: hecate at diamonddragon.com (Hecate)
Date: Fri Aug 26 04:59:23 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] BBC E-mail: Scientists probe anti-ageing gene
Message-ID: <20050826_115519_053643.hecate@diamonddragon.com>

Hecate saw this story on BBC News Online and thought you
should see it.



** Scientists probe anti-ageing gene **
A team of US scientists say they have found a gene in mice which plays a key role in the ageing process.
< http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/fr/-/2/hi/science/nature/4186324.stm >


** BBC Daily E-mail **
Choose the news and sport headlines you want - when you want them, all
in one daily e-mail
< http://www.bbc.co.uk/dailyemail/ >


** Disclaimer **
The BBC is not responsible for the content of this e-mail, and anything written in this e-mail does not necessarily reflect the BBC's views or opinions. Please note that neither the e-mail address nor name of the sender have?been verified.

If you do not wish to receive such e-mails in the future or want to know more about the BBC's Email a Friend service, please read our frequently asked questions. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/help/4162471.stm

From harry.sifton at sympatico.ca  Fri Aug 26 04:57:33 2005
From: harry.sifton at sympatico.ca (Harold Sifton)
Date: Fri Aug 26 05:01:47 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Iraq on brink of Meltdown
Message-ID: <000801c5aa35$5ad9d0e0$bf27e440@Harold>

Iraq's failure to pass a draft constitution threatens it's parliaments credibility.

Iraq could be on the brink of civil war.

Oliver Poole in Bagdad says .......

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2005/08/26/wirq26.xml&sSheet=/news/2005/08/26/ixnewstop.html


Later, H
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From hecate at diamonddragon.com  Fri Aug 26 04:58:05 2005
From: hecate at diamonddragon.com (Hecate)
Date: Fri Aug 26 05:02:08 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] BBC E-mail: Bird flu kills Vietnam civet cats
Message-ID: <20050826_115804_063316.hecate@diamonddragon.com>

Hecate saw this story on BBC News Online and thought you
should see it.



** Bird flu kills Vietnam civet cats **
Three rare civet cats in Vietnam die of bird flu, the first time the species has contracted the disease.
< http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/fr/-/2/hi/asia-pacific/4186620.stm >


** BBC Daily E-mail **
Choose the news and sport headlines you want - when you want them, all
in one daily e-mail
< http://www.bbc.co.uk/dailyemail/ >


** Disclaimer **
The BBC is not responsible for the content of this e-mail, and anything written in this e-mail does not necessarily reflect the BBC's views or opinions. Please note that neither the e-mail address nor name of the sender have?been verified.

If you do not wish to receive such e-mails in the future or want to know more about the BBC's Email a Friend service, please read our frequently asked questions. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/help/4162471.stm

From hecate at diamonddragon.com  Fri Aug 26 04:59:04 2005
From: hecate at diamonddragon.com (Hecate)
Date: Fri Aug 26 05:03:15 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] BBC E-mail: Colombia lawmakers 'use cocaine'
Message-ID: <20050826_115904_099118.hecate@diamonddragon.com>

Hecate saw this story on BBC News Online and thought you
should see it.

** Message **
Biscuit sellers, shoe sellers, astrologers and marijuana and cocaine dealers all enter Congress 

** Colombia lawmakers 'use cocaine' **
Cocaine is sold within Colombia's Congress and used by lawmakers on the premises, a top senator claims.
< http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/fr/-/2/hi/americas/4186912.stm >


** BBC Daily E-mail **
Choose the news and sport headlines you want - when you want them, all
in one daily e-mail
< http://www.bbc.co.uk/dailyemail/ >


** Disclaimer **
The BBC is not responsible for the content of this e-mail, and anything written in this e-mail does not necessarily reflect the BBC's views or opinions. Please note that neither the e-mail address nor name of the sender have?been verified.

If you do not wish to receive such e-mails in the future or want to know more about the BBC's Email a Friend service, please read our frequently asked questions. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/help/4162471.stm

From hecate at diamonddragon.com  Fri Aug 26 05:14:17 2005
From: hecate at diamonddragon.com (Hecate)
Date: Fri Aug 26 05:18:20 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] BBC E-mail: Uzbek lawmakers back US eviction
Message-ID: <20050826_121417_057688.hecate@diamonddragon.com>

Hecate saw this story on BBC News Online and thought you
should see it.

** Message **
Neighbouring Kyrgyzstan has also told the US it can no longer use one of its bases if the Afghan situation improves. 

Washington's rivals for regional dominance, Russia and China, have made it clear they do not want to see US forces in the region on a permanent basis. 



** Uzbek lawmakers back US eviction **
Uzbekistan's senate approves a government decision to evict US forces  from a key regional air base.
< http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/fr/-/2/hi/asia-pacific/4186770.stm >


** BBC Daily E-mail **
Choose the news and sport headlines you want - when you want them, all
in one daily e-mail
< http://www.bbc.co.uk/dailyemail/ >


** Disclaimer **
The BBC is not responsible for the content of this e-mail, and anything written in this e-mail does not necessarily reflect the BBC's views or opinions. Please note that neither the e-mail address nor name of the sender have?been verified.

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From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Fri Aug 26 07:58:15 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (mblaxill@yahoo.com)
Date: Fri Aug 26 08:02:24 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] NYTimes.com: Summer of Our Discontent
Message-ID: <20050826145815.2956B3AE684@lax-gw06.mroute.net>

This page was sent to you by: mblaxill@yahoo.com.

OPINION | August 26, 2005
Op-Ed Columnist: Summer of Our Discontent
By PAUL KRUGMAN
Most Americans have good reason to feel unhappy about the economy, whatever Washington's favorite statistics may say.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/26/opinion/26krugman.html?ex=1125720000&en=8422fcef3a173305&ei=5070&emc=eta1




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From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Fri Aug 26 08:00:52 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (mblaxill@yahoo.com)
Date: Fri Aug 26 08:04:54 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] NYTimes.com: Economic Imbalances in U.S. Worry Greenspan
Message-ID: <20050826150052.6821E11F7EA@lax-gw07.mroute.net>

This page was sent to you by: mblaxill@yahoo.com.

BUSINESS | August 26, 2005
Economic Imbalances in U.S. Worry Greenspan
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Creeping trade protectionism and bloated budget deficits pose a risk to the United States' long-term economic vitality, the Fed Chairman said today.
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/business/AP-Greenspan.html?ex=1125720000&en=7529676b0b931288&ei=5070&emc=eta1



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From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Fri Aug 26 08:02:16 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (mblaxill@yahoo.com)
Date: Fri Aug 26 08:06:22 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] NYTimes.com: '63 Tapes Reveal Kennedy and Aides
	Discussed Using Nuclear Arms in a China-India Clash
Message-ID: <20050826150216.D34B4249E2D@lax-gw08.mroute.net>

This page was sent to you by: mblaxill@yahoo.com.

INTERNATIONAL / ASIA PACIFIC | August 26, 2005
'63 Tapes Reveal Kennedy and Aides Discussed Using Nuclear Arms in a China-India Clash
By ANAND GIRIDHARADAS
The president discussed using the weapons in the event China attacked India a second time, according to declassified recordings.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/26/international/asia/26india.html?ex=1125720000&en=23b6a04266670323&ei=5070&emc=eta1



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From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Fri Aug 26 08:05:08 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (mblaxill@yahoo.com)
Date: Fri Aug 26 08:09:11 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] NYTimes.com: Democrats Want Official to Be Reinstated
	Over Report on Profiling
Message-ID: <20050826150508.47A973AE641@lax-gw06.mroute.net>

This page was sent to you by: mblaxill@yahoo.com.

WASHINGTON | August 26, 2005
Democrats Want Official to Be Reinstated Over Report on Profiling
By ERIC LICHTBLAU
The Justice Department official objected to his supervisors' effort to play down the findings of a federal report on racial profiling.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/26/politics/26profiling.html?ex=1125720000&en=fc4132291dcf8c88&ei=5070&emc=eta1



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From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Fri Aug 26 08:11:31 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (mblaxill@yahoo.com)
Date: Fri Aug 26 08:15:34 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] NYTimes.com: Lone Woman on Committee Feels Pull of
	Further Duty in Roberts Hearings
Message-ID: <20050826151131.7455413B7C5@lax-gw04.mroute.net>

This page was sent to you by: mblaxill@yahoo.com.

WASHINGTON / WASHINGTON SPECIAL | August 26, 2005
Lone Woman on Committee Feels Pull of Further Duty in Roberts Hearings
By DEAN E. MURPHY
Senator Dianne Feinstein is at the center of a political maelstrom, with Democrats split over how aggressively to challenge Judge John G. Roberts Jr.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/26/politics/politicsspecial1/26feinstein.html?ex=1125720000&en=c0c90a1966cf701e&ei=5070&emc=eta1



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From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Fri Aug 26 08:15:15 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (mblaxill@yahoo.com)
Date: Fri Aug 26 08:19:24 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Headlines for August 26, 2005
Message-ID: <20050826151515.19269.qmail@trinity.democracynow.org>

Mike Blaxill  ( mblaxill@yahoo.com )
sent you this story from democracynow.org



+--------------------------------------------------------------------+
|  Headlines for August 26, 2005
|  http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=05/08/26/1349233
+--------------------------------------------------------------------+


- Iraqi Constitution: Stalemate Continues
- Bloodshed in Iraq: Violence Among Religious Factions 
- Camp Casey Vigil Heads to Washington Next Month
- Israel: Five Palestinians Killed in Raid 
- Librarians Challenge Patriot Act
- Senators Demand Answers From Roberts on Guantanamo Bay Ruling
- People for the American Way Officially Oppose Roberts
- Red Cross Negotiates Secret Deal to Free Italian Hostages

This story continues at: 
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=05/08/26/1349233

From ialterman at nyc.rr.com  Fri Aug 26 08:30:07 2005
From: ialterman at nyc.rr.com (ialterman@nyc.rr.com)
Date: Fri Aug 26 08:34:12 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] NYTimes.com: F.B.I., Using Patriot Act,
	Demands Library's Records
Message-ID: <20050826153007.8042013B7E3@lax-gw04.mroute.net>

This page was sent to you by: ialterman@nyc.rr.com.

And so it begins... Peace.


WASHINGTON | August 26, 2005
F.B.I., Using Patriot Act, Demands Library's Records
By ERIC LICHTBLAU
The F.B.I. is demanding library records from a Connecticut institution as part of an intelligence investigation, the American Civil Liberties Union said.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/26/politics/26patriot.html?ex=1125720000&en=dd6ae3b4f615278d&ei=5070&emc=eta1



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From michael at intrafi.com  Fri Aug 26 08:43:18 2005
From: michael at intrafi.com (michael@intrafi.com)
Date: Fri Aug 26 08:47:23 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Alternet: Playing it Any Way But Straight
Message-ID: <20050826154318.BC5A3B81A3@alternet.org>


This story has been forwarded to you from
http://www.alternet.org by michael@intrafi.com



-------------------------------------
Playing it Any Way But Straight
http://www.alternet.org/story/24598

Syndicated gay columnist Dan Savage lays it down about hot conservatives, the urban archipelago, and 'Spreading Santorum.'
-------------------------------------

From michael at intrafi.com  Fri Aug 26 08:57:18 2005
From: michael at intrafi.com (michael@intrafi.com)
Date: Fri Aug 26 09:01:20 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Alternet: Achieving 'Total Victory' in an Unwinnable War
Message-ID: <20050826155718.A2082B81A6@alternet.org>


This story has been forwarded to you from
http://www.alternet.org by michael@intrafi.com



-------------------------------------
Achieving 'Total Victory' in an Unwinnable War
http://www.alternet.org/story/24599

Doing what's necessary for a lasting peace in Iraq won't be easy -- and it doesn't include bringing the troops home now.
-------------------------------------

From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Fri Aug 26 09:01:58 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (Mike Blaxill)
Date: Fri Aug 26 09:06:01 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] MUST READ: Abu Ghraib General [Karpinsky] Lambasts Bush
	Administration
Message-ID: <20050826160159.85768.qmail@web53015.mail.yahoo.com>

http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/082405Z.shtml

Abu Ghraib General Lambasts Bush Administration 
????By Marjorie Cohn 
????t r u t h o u t | Perspective

????Wednesday 24 August 2005
I had been hesitant to speak out before because
this Administration is so vindictive. But now I
will ... Anybody who confronts this
Administration or Rumsfeld or the Pentagon with a
true assessment, they find themselves either out
of a job, out of their positions, fired, relieved
or chastised. Their career comes to an end. 
-- Janis Karpinski, interview with Marjorie Cohn,
August 3, 2005

IT'S A LONG ARTICLE, WORTH THE TIME, CLICK ON
LINK FOR FULL TEXT

http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/082405Z.shtml
From michael at intrafi.com  Fri Aug 26 09:15:11 2005
From: michael at intrafi.com (michael@intrafi.com)
Date: Fri Aug 26 09:19:15 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] FT.com / World / Asia-Pacific - Al-Qaeda 018preparing
 to attack019 Asian city
Message-ID: <6811675.1125072911365.JavaMail.tomcat@localhost>



*Please note, the sender's email address has not been verified.



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From michael at intrafi.com  Fri Aug 26 09:18:59 2005
From: michael at intrafi.com (michael@intrafi.com)
Date: Fri Aug 26 09:23:03 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] FT.com / Comment & analysis / Comment - Perils of a
 trade round019s collapse 
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From harry.sifton at sympatico.ca  Fri Aug 26 17:51:11 2005
From: harry.sifton at sympatico.ca (Harold Sifton)
Date: Fri Aug 26 17:55:28 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Leonard Cohen abused by Managers
Message-ID: <000701c5aaa1$6e39b760$4e3fe440@Harold>

Leonard Cohen's  "American" music/artistic financial advisors and managers have abused their privilege of managing his affairs.

This is not a new issue in America. I made a point of mentioning America, because I do not see these management issues in Canada or the UK where artist rights are held in high esteem. All I see in America is the chasing of artists monies and revenues, i.e. suing downloader's. The recipients of those fees/fines are corporate lawyers not the artists. It is all about the Money in America, not the Art or the Artist!!

But what the heck, it is America, right, if you can get it, take it!! America the land of no values, just a pursuit of questionable lifestyles, how pathetic......

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/ArticleNews/TPStory/LAC/20050826/COHEN26/National/Idx

It is sad when any artists affairs are mis-managed. But the gall of this one financial manager to counter sue to protect his integrity really gets me.
In America it is all about the money, hopefully Leonard will survive this abuse of his artistic residuals and will be able too carry on with his life.

Later H
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From lyve at netzero.net  Fri Aug 26 22:55:24 2005
From: lyve at netzero.net (Lyle K'ang)
Date: Sat Aug 27 06:16:07 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] MBCIVIC stuff-HELP!!!
Message-ID: <20050826.225548.8737.173308@webmail30.nyc.untd.com>

Hi- I am not getting any MBCIVIC stuff-HELP!!!


Lyle K'ang, MBA/IM 


From swiggard at comcast.net  Sat Aug 27 06:19:24 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (William Swiggard)
Date: Sat Aug 27 06:25:32 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] In Indonesia,
	Rumors Imperil Anti-Polio Bid - Washington Post
Message-ID: <4310685C.5060209@comcast.net>

In Indonesia, Rumors Imperil Anti-Polio Bid
24 Million Children Set to Be Immunized Tuesday

By Alan Sipress
Washington Post Foreign Service
Saturday, August 27, 2005; Page A10

DEPOK, Indonesia -- As a longtime health volunteer in the narrow alleys 
of her hillside neighborhood, Ebon Sunarti has focused on corralling 
other women into the local clinic so their toddlers could be vaccinated 
against a range of childhood diseases.

But when polio broke out in her province this year and the government 
launched a regional campaign to immunize all children under 5, this 
tough-minded mother held her own 3-year-old daughter back after seeing 
spurious television reports that the vaccine had made many youngsters 
sick, even killing a few.

Researchers and regulators are reshaping the landscape of science, 
medicine and health, engendering hope -- and disquiet -- for the future 
of humanity.

"This is my mother's heart. I have to be so careful," explained Sunarti, 
35, her brown eyes warm but adamant.

With polio now spreading faster in Indonesia than anywhere else, U.N. 
health experts and local officials are struggling to counter rumors that 
the vaccine is harmful, and to contain the outbreak before the coming 
rainy season turns it into a full-blown epidemic.

The next test comes Tuesday when Indonesia plans to immunize 24 million 
children under 5. If the nationwide drive succeeds, it could turn back 
polio at its farthest frontier since the disease erupted in Nigeria two 
years ago. But if it fails, international health experts warn, the 
outbreak could spill over Indonesia's borders to other East Asian 
countries, dealing a setback to global efforts to eradicate the illness.

"What we have now is a looming crisis," said David Hipgrave, UNICEF's 
chief for health and nutrition in Indonesia.

The country had been polio-free for a decade until a traveler from the 
Middle East brought it to Indonesia's main island of Java early this 
year. The disease has now spread from the Java mountains to the nearby 
island of Sumatra and north to the capital, Jakarta, infecting at least 
226 people.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/26/AR2005082601545.html?referrer=email
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From swiggard at comcast.net  Sat Aug 27 06:21:55 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (William Swiggard)
Date: Sat Aug 27 06:27:52 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] An Outsider's Quick Rise To Bush Terror Adviser -
	Washington Post
Message-ID: <431068F3.1000605@comcast.net>

An Outsider's Quick Rise To Bush Terror Adviser

By Susan B. Glasser and Peter Baker
Washington Post Staff Writers
Saturday, August 27, 2005; Page A01

Frances Fragos Townsend wanted an answer.

The government's senior terrorism officials were poring through 
intelligence reports last summer suggesting that New York's financial 
district was being targeted by al Qaeda. The question at hand was 
whether to raise the nation's terrorism threat level to orange.

Asa Hutchinson, then an undersecretary at the Department of Homeland 
Security, recalled that he deferred to his absent boss. But Townsend, 
the top White House adviser on counterterrorism and homeland security, 
had a higher authority to invoke. "You don't understand," she said. "The 
president will be calling momentarily. We need your position."

 From the low-ceilinged, windowless confines of a basement office in the 
West Wing, Townsend runs President Bush's far-flung campaign against 
terrorism. Her two predecessors were four-star generals who brought 
decades of experience to the fight. Townsend, 43, a former mob 
prosecutor, has a different credential -- the president's ear.

Just a little over two years ago, she had never met Bush and was viewed 
with suspicion by the inner circle of a tribalistic White House that 
does not easily accept outsiders. But the hard-charging Townsend has 
parlayed a succession of powerful patrons into one of the government's 
most important jobs. Along the way, in a city where partisan lines are 
rarely bridged, she has transformed herself from confidante of 
then-Attorney General Janet Reno to a confidante of George W. Bush.

In many ways, Townsend is the perfect match for a leader who sees the 
battle with al Qaeda as a black-and-white struggle against radical 
outlaws. At a time when experts in and out of government complain that 
the White House is more focused on killing and capturing Osama bin 
Laden's inner circle than the broader task of countering a rapidly 
metastasizing global jihad movement, Townsend offers Bush a "tactical, 
one-at-a-time prosecutor, 'get the bad guys' approach," said a former 
senior official who worked closely with her.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/26/AR2005082601511.html
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From swiggard at comcast.net  Sat Aug 27 06:26:29 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (William Swiggard)
Date: Sat Aug 27 06:32:23 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] The Common Enemy in Gaza: Religious Zealotry - Mona
 Eltahawy - Washington Post
Message-ID: <43106A05.3030801@comcast.net>

The Common Enemy in Gaza: Religious Zealotry

By Mona Eltahawy
Saturday, August 27, 2005; Page A17

Watching Israeli soldiers dragging Jewish settlers from Gaza was a 
reminder of just how much Palestinians and Israelis need each other. 
Without the "enemy," Israelis and Palestinians would divide along the 
fault lines that are barely concealed beneath the face of unity they put 
up to confront each other. And there is no bigger fault line than the 
secular/religious crack that exists in both Israeli and Palestinian 
societies.

When I lived in Jerusalem in 1998, many of my Israeli friends were clear 
in their contempt for the settlers. They could not understand them, 
least of all their religious zeal. "Many in Israel hope now that we are 
beginning a process of being normal," one of them said to me last week. 
"I mean that until now, the settlers imposed on us their agenda, and 
there were two types of laws and rules: for the people and for them. We 
hope that the priorities will change."

The religious/secular confrontation in Israeli society does not always 
take such dramatic turns as the scenes we saw from Gaza, but it's there. 
Jerusalem's ultra-orthodox Mea Shearim neighborhood is often the scene 
of confrontations between Sabbath-observing residents and secular Jews 
whose cars they pelt with stones for driving on a Saturday. Mea Shearim 
residents will also often berate women whom they consider immodestly 
dressed.

Religious fundamentalists are much the same everywhere. In the 
Israeli-Palestinian conflict, fundamentalist Jews and fundamentalist 
Muslims are often each others' mirror images.

Which takes me to the question that everyone in Palestinian society 
should be asking now that Israel has completed its withdrawal from Gaza: 
When push comes to shove will the Palestinian Authority confront its 
fundamentalists in the same way that Israel confronted the religious 
zealots in the settlements? When the greater good of Palestinians is at 
stake, is the Palestinian Authority willing to curb the activities of 
Hamas, the militant Islamic organization?

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/26/AR2005082601478.html
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From swiggard at comcast.net  Sat Aug 27 06:30:41 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (William Swiggard)
Date: Sat Aug 27 06:36:34 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Rallying the Troops and Avoiding Reality - Colbert King
 - Washington Post
Message-ID: <43106B01.5080703@comcast.net>

Rallying the Troops and Avoiding Reality

By Colbert I. King
Saturday, August 27, 2005; Page A17

There is something almost surreal in the juxtaposition of President 
Bush's statements on Iraq and news reporting on the war. The two are 
simply irreconcilable.

Bush's upbeat take collides with recent news reports about events in 
Iraq as well as with the judgments of senior officials within his 
administration. If the media have got it wrong, then we deserve to get 
hammered. If, however, it turns out that Bush is not being straight with 
courageous U.S. service members and their families, then it will be the 
Bush presidency and his legacy that will pay dearly.

At the moment he's hitting it off in visits to military posts, where he 
dons his commander-in-chief hat. One Bush line always draws applause: 
"We will stay on the offensive. Whatever it takes, we will seek and find 
and destroy the terrorists, so that we do not have to face them in our 
own country." It went over well last year with a gathering of applauding 
Screaming Eagles of the 101st Airborne, Green Berets of the 5th Special 
Forces Group and the Night Stalkers, at Fort Campbell, Ky.

In June the president went to Fort Bragg, N.C., and in a televised 
address described Iraq as the latest battlefield in the war on 
terrorism, saying: "America's mission in Iraq is to defeat an enemy and 
give strength to a friend . . . . We will stay in the fight until the 
fight is won."

And to cheering military families at Nampa, Idaho, this week, Bush said: 
"Terrorists will emerge from Iraq one of two ways: emboldened or 
defeated . . . . for the sake of our children and our grandchildren, the 
terrorists will be defeated."

Bush's portrayal of America as a nation besieged by a cruel enemy that 
has made Iraq the battleground is one of the reasons America's military 
families willingly send sons and daughters off to war. Yes, it's hard 
duty, but what goal is worthier than defending America? Stated that way, 
there's no argument, at least where I'm concerned. That was one of the 
reasons that I, along with many in my generation, suited up during the 
Cold War.

The country should be grateful to all who wear the uniform of the United 
States and to the families that are sacrificing to achieve Bush's stated 
mission to fight the terrorists over there, and "stay until the fight is 
won."

But what if something else is in the works? Suppose staying on the 
offense "until the enemy is broken," an applause line, is just that -- 
an applause line?<>

<>http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/26/AR2005082601479.html?nav=hcmodule 

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From swiggard at comcast.net  Sat Aug 27 06:32:04 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (William Swiggard)
Date: Sat Aug 27 06:37:57 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Workers Of the World Uniting - Harold Meyerson -
	Washington Post
Message-ID: <43106B54.8070109@comcast.net>

Workers Of the World Uniting

By Harold Meyerson
Saturday, August 27, 2005; Page A17

CHICAGO -- Thebusiness at hand was furthering globalization, but the 
usual suspects were nowhere to be seen. No U.S. trade representatives 
set the agenda. No corporate executives stalked the hall.

But then, the meeting this week in Chicago of roughly 1,500 labor 
leaders from around the world had a rather novel agenda. They convened 
on Monday under a banner that read "Imagine a Global Union." When they 
adjourned on Thursday, they had begun to build one.
   

The world's first global proto-union, surprisingly enough, comprises 
workers in the property services industry -- that is, janitors and 
security guards. Over the past half-decade, companies all over the world 
that have long provided the employees who guard and clean offices and 
factories -- including such venerable U.S.-based security companies as 
Pinkerton, Burns and Wackenhut -- have been bought by a handful of 
largely European-based multinationals.

The consequences, for both the employees and their home nations, have 
varied considerably. The guards at Pinkerton and Burns, for instance, 
are now employees of Securitas, a Swedish-based multinational known for 
providing extensive training and having good labor relations. But the 
employees of Group 4 Securicor, a British-Danish conglomerate, haven't 
been so fortunate. In South Africa, guards at the airports have been 
reduced to working on month-to-month contracts with no benefits. In 
Indonesia and Kenya, Group 4 has refused to deal with its workers' 
long-established unions. And in the United States, guards at Group 4's 
subsidiary Wackenhut work with skimpy health insurance for a company 
that has been fined repeatedly for labor law violations.

Not surprisingly, it's the union that's been organizing security guards 
and janitors in the United States -- the Service Employees International 
Union (SEIU) -- that has taken the lead in getting this global effort 
off the ground.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/26/AR2005082601480.html?nav=hcmodule
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From swiggard at comcast.net  Sat Aug 27 06:34:17 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (William Swiggard)
Date: Sat Aug 27 06:40:10 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Are museums safe from terrorism? - Michael O'Hare - The
	Boston Globe
Message-ID: <43106BD9.5060507@comcast.net>

Are museums safe from terrorism?

By Michael O'Hare  |  August 27, 2005

THE MUSEUM of Fine Arts is planning a $100 million expansion. Exciting, 
but all in all, maybe not such a good idea to further concentrate 
cultural treasures in one place.

Disagreeable as it is, let's try to think like a terrorist, especially 
an Islamic terrorist, flying over Boston in a stolen corporate jet with 
a load of fuel, who wants to deliver it where it will create the most 
damage to the evil society below it.

Various skyscrapers are in view, in any of which you could kill a lot of 
people, probably hundreds, but you have to kill thousands to be in the 
big leagues now . . . say, what's that building in the Fenway? It's full 
of images, intrinsically forbidden, and a lot of those images are 
Christian, Jewish, Hindu, animist . . . a warehouse of infidel impiety. 
Not to mention unspeakable obscenity: nudity, sex, the lot.

Furthermore, these objects are unique. The library has the only copies 
of some books, but the information in most of them exists elsewhere; 
it's very hard to kill a book. The art in a museum, in contrast, is 
irreplaceable and embodies the whole cultural history and tradition of 
the society you want to do your worst to: incinerate an ''Ascension" and 
it's completely gone, forever. Oh yes; on a weekend day with a 
blockbuster exhibition underway, the museum will have a non-trivial 
number of visitors in it as well, which moves it up the target list from 
a church.

Unimaginable that anyone could be so savage as to blow up a museum? Ask 
the people at the Uffizi, and ask the Taliban who shelled the Buddhas, 
never mind the assaults on children, bystanders, and anyone else that 
have by now become banal. Islamic terrorists, organized and systematic 
or diffuse and unguided, have shown themselves to deserve our worst 
expectations. And don't for a minute believe that the Islamic 
collections in museums that have them, like the MFA, are effective 
hostages against attack: Terrorists will destroy anything and kill 
anyone, on the basis of a theology or ideology unlike anything we've 
ever seen. The utilitarianism of terror operates, on the evidence of 
public statements and behavior, are at a level that will accept any cost 
to pursue an enormous nihilistic goal.
http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2005/08/27/are_museums_safe_from_terrorism/
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From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Sat Aug 27 09:44:24 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (mblaxill@yahoo.com)
Date: Sat Aug 27 09:48:36 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] NYTimes.com: Apple, Digital Music's Angel,
	Earns Record Industry's Scorn
Message-ID: <20050827164424.0125FA1015@lax-gw09.mroute.net>

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TECHNOLOGY | August 27, 2005
Apple, Digital Music's Angel, Earns Record Industry's Scorn
By JEFF LEEDS
Steven P. Jobs is girding for a showdown with at least two of the four major record companies over the price of iTunes songs.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/27/technology/27apple.html?ex=1125806400&en=25bcb7879c9505d9&ei=5070&emc=eta1



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From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Sat Aug 27 09:46:53 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (mblaxill@yahoo.com)
Date: Sat Aug 27 09:50:58 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] NYTimes.com: Bike-Deep in the Big Muddy
Message-ID: <20050827164653.3EDD2A1035@lax-gw09.mroute.net>

This page was sent to you by: mblaxill@yahoo.com.

OPINION | August 27, 2005
Op-Ed Columnist: Bike-Deep in the Big Muddy
By MAUREEN DOWD
Wake President Bush up when September begins.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/27/opinion/27dowd.html?ex=1125806400&en=89cd3fcaddbf71d7&ei=5070&emc=eta1




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From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Sat Aug 27 09:49:58 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (mblaxill@yahoo.com)
Date: Sat Aug 27 09:54:12 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] NYTimes.com: Abortion Rights Group Revamps Anti-Roberts
	Ad
Message-ID: <20050827164958.B50D7249BF2@lax-gw08.mroute.net>

This page was sent to you by: mblaxill@yahoo.com.

WASHINGTON / WASHINGTON SPECIAL | August 27, 2005
Abortion Rights Group Revamps Anti-Roberts Ad
By DAVID D. KIRKPATRICK
Naral Pro-Choice America is taking a broader, more abstract approach to opposing the confirmation of Judge John G. Roberts Jr.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/27/politics/politicsspecial1/27naral.html?ex=1125806400&en=3b3818db3e47e56f&ei=5070&emc=eta1



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Times movie reviews have to say about these Oscar
winning films?  
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From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Sat Aug 27 09:51:45 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (mblaxill@yahoo.com)
Date: Sat Aug 27 09:55:51 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] NYTimes.com: Venezuela Will Tighten Rules on Admitting
	Foreign Preachers
Message-ID: <20050827165145.5FCAA249DA1@lax-gw08.mroute.net>

This page was sent to you by: mblaxill@yahoo.com.

INTERNATIONAL / AMERICAS | August 27, 2005
Venezuela Will Tighten Rules on Admitting Foreign Preachers
By REUTERS
The country temporarily suspended permits for foreign missionaries four days after evangelist Pat Robertson called for the assassination of President Hugo Chávez.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/27/international/americas/27venez.html?ex=1125806400&en=d0009d0cdb52c4a2&ei=5070&emc=eta1



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From Reeeees at aol.com  Fri Aug 26 15:19:52 2005
From: Reeeees at aol.com (Reeeees@aol.com)
Date: Sat Aug 27 09:57:39 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Hayden: Why the U.S. is Supporting Civil War
Message-ID: <E1E93vv-0002hg-FH@smtpauth03.mail.atl.earthlink.net>

 

Published on Friday, August 26,  2005 by CommonDreams.org 
Why the US Is Supporting Civil  War 
by Tom Hayden
The search for the "noble purpose" in  Iraq is more elusive than the search 
for weapons of mass destruction. But  the logic of U.S. policy is being 
clarified in the present constitutional  talks.  
Let's summarize the situation at the moment:  
    1.  The new U.S. ambassador to Iraq, Zalmay Khalilzad, has backed  
language "that would have given clerics sole authority in settling  marriage and 
family disputes." [NY Times, Aug. 21, 05]  
    2.  Language in the current draft reserving 25 percent of the Assembly's  
seats for women is being defined as "transitional", which means it lacks  
constitutional character.[NY Times, Aug. 24, 05]  
    3.  A former clandestine CIA officer and current neoconservative analyst  
says on "Meet the Press" that "women's social rights are not critical to  the 
evolution of democracy." [Reuel Marc Gerecht, in [Maureen Dowd, Aug.  24, 05] 
 
    4.  Fact: the vast majority of the "Iraqi security forces" are composed  
of Shiite and Kurdish militias, deployed against Sunnis.  
    5.  The current Baghdad regime has agreed on opening the oil-export  
business to private foreign investors, and plans to scale back fuel  subsidies 
after the next election. [NY Times, Aug. 11, 05]  
    6.  The Washington Post, announcing that the U.S. is "lowering its  
sights" on what can be achieved in Iraq, reports that "the document on  which 
Iraq's future is to be built [the constitution] will require laws  to be compliant 
with Islam. Kurds and Shiites are expecting de facto  long-term political 
privileges. And women's rights will not be as firmly  entrenched as Washington has 
tried to insist, U.S. officials and Iraqi  analysts say...we set out to 
establish a democracy, but we're slowly  realizing we will have some form of 
Islamic Republic."  [Aug. 14,  05] 
Now begins the spin, with simultaneous op-ed articles in the New York  Times 
and Los Angeles Times by leading neo-cons. [Aug. 25, 05] John Yoo,  who wrote 
the torture memos in the Justice Department, is described as a  university law 
professor and visiting scholar at the American Enterprise  Institute. David 
Brooks is the snappy neo-con "affirmative action" hire at  the New York Times 
op-ed page. Both argue that achieving a united Iraq was  never important 
anyway, despite several years of official Administration  rhetoric. Instead they 
promote a vision of a "federal" Iraq where power  devolves to the Shiite south 
and the Kurdish north, which happen to  coincide geographically with the 
country's major oil fields. As cover for  his argument, Brooks quotes Peter 
Galbraith, a former Clinton official  with liberal credentials, who long has favored 
dividing Iraq into three  parts.  
Yoo is very clear in his belief that "free trade" should and must break  down 
nation states like the former Iraq [and Yugoslavia before it]. Brooks  says 
it is "crazy" to envision an Iraq without the ayatollahs in a  significant role 
because they are the "natural" leaders of society. He  reprimands his readers 
against "screaming about a 13th century theocratic  state."  
With this shift, the US government has erased its last of its  rhetorical 
rationales for the war, the claim that "liberty" and  "democracy" and "women's 
rights" would be installed through armed  persuasion in Baghdad. Now they are 
arguing that Americans should accept  the emergence of a flawed Islamic state, 
just as similar Americans  accepted slavery and disenfranchisement as the price 
of the original  constitution.  
There's a small practical problem with this revised vision. It is  likely to 
intensify the war on two levels: Iraqis against the Americans  and Iraqis 
against each other. I don't have a particular philosophical  preference for 
centralized government, but the alternative in Iraq is a  devolution to warring 
ethnic and religious fiefdoms under the control of  the international market. Yoo, 
Brooks and Galbraith are silent on this  untidy aspect of their scenario, 
with Yoo even reminding Americans that we  had to go through the "fiery 
experience" of civil war before becoming a  nation. Leaving aside the fact that 
Americans threw the British out by  force, that's a macabre future for Iraqis who 
were promised "liberation."  Since the civil war will not be won militarily, the 
Administration will  argue that the occupation must be permanent.  
If this sounds mad, manipulative or both, what does it reveal about US  
intentions in Iraq?  
It suggests that the American purpose has been to destroy Iraqi  nationalism, 
as  in the previous Baathist state and the continued  de-Baathification 
policies.    
It suggests that our "best and brightest" want to weaken any future  
possibility of a strong Iraqi state with control of its own enterprises  and 
resources.  
It suggests that the US has chosen to ally itself with Islamic  
fundamentalism rather than a secular state with a centralized government.  
It suggests that civil war against the Sunnis and any other "diehards"  is 
the US preference rather than a political settlement that brings the  
nationalist resistance, including the Sunnis, into negotiations rather  than war.  
This is the same strategy the Israelis chose decades ago when they  directly 
and indirectly supported the Islamic religious groupings as  preferable to the 
secular and "Marxist" Palestinian Liberation  Organization [PLO] two decades 
ago. That strategy contributed directly to  the creation of Hezbollah and 
suicide bombers.  
It is the same strategy that led the US to support the mujahadeen, the  
embryonic Al Qaeda, against the secular, pro-Russian Afghan government. In  1998, 
two years before 9/11, Zbigiew Brzezinski flippantly dismissed  critics of the 
policy this way:  

Question: And neither do you regret having supported Islamic  fundamentalism, 
which has given arms and advice to future  terrorists?

Answer: What is more important in world history? The  Taliban or the collapse 
of the Soviet empire? Some agitated Muslims or  the liberation of Central 
Europe and the end of the Cold  War?

Question: "Some agitated Muslims"? But it has been said that  repeated: 
Islamic fundamentalism represents a world menace  today...

Answer: Nonsense... [Le Nouvel Observateur, Paris, Jan.  15-21, 1998]
The US opposes independent nationalism from Iraq to Venezuela. It  prefers to 
weaken independent states to diminish their military potential  in either the 
Middle East or Latin America, and to break down what are  described as 
"protectionist" barriers to the "free trade" model of  Halliburton or Wal-Mart.  
In seeking to impose both Pentagon dominance and a neo-liberal economic  
model on the world, the US is prepared to accept alliances with religious  forces 
that insist on strict censorship and punishment of freedom of  association and 
belief. For Bush and the neo-conservatives, it seems,  freedom for American 
investors can't wait, but women - their rights "are  not critical to the 
evolution of democracy."  
Far from achieving stability and security, these policies will foment  more 
violent hatred of the US. Far from planting democracy, US policy is  squelching 
what little democracy there is, threatening to dismember Iraq,  causing a 
civil war that will be the pretext for US troops to remain, and  re-arranging the 
Middle East to include a de facto Shiite alliance from  Teheran to Basra. 
That's why Bush can find no "noble purpose". It is about  a war for dominance, 
not democracy.  
Tom Hayden is a former California state senator and the author of  "_Street 
Wars_ 
(http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1565848764/commondreams-20/ref=nosim) " (Dimensions, 2004).  
###
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From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Sat Aug 27 09:55:23 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (mblaxill@yahoo.com)
Date: Sat Aug 27 09:59:33 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] NYTimes.com: Marijuana Pipe Dreams
Message-ID: <20050827165523.0211E24AFCC@lax-gw02.mroute.net>

This page was sent to you by: mblaxill@yahoo.com.

OPINION | August 27, 2005
Op-Ed Columnist: Marijuana Pipe Dreams
By JOHN TIERNEY
When it comes to marijuana research, the federal policy is "Just Say Know-Nothing."
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/27/opinion/27tierney.html?ex=1125806400&en=3566382d362a941e&ei=5070&emc=eta1




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From jack.bette.layton at verizon.net  Fri Aug 26 17:57:37 2005
From: jack.bette.layton at verizon.net (JACK LAYTON)
Date: Sat Aug 27 10:02:04 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Aloha
Message-ID: <E1E940E-0004r9-Cz@smtpauth03.mail.atl.earthlink.net>

Aloha Michael:

I hope you gave Patrick a delightful taste of paradise!!!  How old is he???

Meant to mention that Mary Baker Eddy, the founder of Christian Science, uses the term Father/Mother God.  I'm a student of CS which is not a religion, just God's laws applied to day to day living.

Unfortunately I feel that big business controls everything including politics.  The dumbing down of America through an inferior education system  (controlled business) is shocking.  Millions of dollars are misdirected into administration and boondoggle programs where consultants are the winners.  The lowering of standards is leading to young lives characterized by self-absorption and apathy making young people prime targets for exploitation.  If one is apathetic one doesn't rise up, only follows.  When weapons fail to be the economy of the planet there'll be change, I'm not holding my breath!

A lot of visitors left last weekend, nice.  My favorite beach is empty!!!

A hui hou,
Bette
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From ean at sbcglobal.net  Fri Aug 26 20:32:58 2005
From: ean at sbcglobal.net (ean@sbcglobal.net)
Date: Sat Aug 27 10:03:09 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] 
	High Gas Prices Result of Industry Profits, Watchdogs Say
Message-ID: <E1E941D-0005NU-17@smtpauth03.mail.atl.earthlink.net>

    	http://newstandardnews.net/content/index.cfm/items/2261 
	

High Gas Prices Result of Industry Profits, 
Watchdogs Say
by Michelle Chen
Consumer advocates point to skyrocketing oil profits as evidence that 
the current rise in gas prices is the result of greedy companies and a 
corporation-friendly government.

New York City, Aug 22 - When New York cab driver Mohammad 
Faruque pulls his taxi into a downtown gas station, he knows he is 
losing money by the minute.

"The more I drive, the more it costs," he said. Fuel eats up about $40 
of his earnings from each ten-hour taxi shift, so, "Whatever I make, 
almost all of the money goes in the gas."

With local prices hovering around $2.70 a gallon, Faruque is one of 
countless motorists nationwide who find themselves emptying their 
wallets to fill their tanks.

Department of Energy analysts have blamed the high prices on a rise 
in crude oil costs, caused by growing worldwide demand and economic 
instability in the conflict-ridden Middle East.

But groups watching the energy industry say this is only part of the 
problem. The real culprits, according to public interest organizations 
like the Sierra Club and Public Citizen, are oil and gas corporations, 
which exploit consumers with the backing of pro-industry government 
policies.

Public Citizen analyst Tyson Slocum said that the federal government 
has allowed corporations to manipulate prices and perpetuate an 
unsustainable oil-based economy. Politically influential oil 
conglomerates, he said, are "very upfront about what they want from 
Congress, and they're very happy about what they get."

So far, the fuel market has given the industry little to complain about. 
While drivers balk at gas prices that are about 35 percent higher than 
what they paid last summer, oil companies boast unprecedented 
profits. ExxonMobil and ConocoPhillips, for instance, recently 
announced that quarterly earnings had increased over the past year by 
approximately 35 and 50 percent, respectively.

Although current gas prices ? when adjusted for inflation ? are still 
below the historical high, the potential effects of this summer's price 
spike reveal the scope of the country's dependence on oil.

"When you're filling up your own tank, you're most aware of the high 
fuel prices, but that's only the beginning of where it impacts your life," 
said Sean Comey, a spokesperson for the California State Automobile 
Association, which advocates on behalf of the state's gasoline 
consumers.

Consumer groups warn that higher fuel costs could drive up retail 
prices by raising the cost of transporting goods. Meanwhile, more 
expensive gas could also impact consumer spending by cutting into 
the budgets of working households.

"High oil prices impact
 the most vulnerable in society," said Ana 
Unruh Cohen, an environmental policy fellow with the liberal think tank 
Center for American Progress.

Critics of current national energy policy say that gas market volatility 
could be avoided if the government took measures to curb the 
country's dependence on oil and other fossil fuels.

The growing cost of gasoline, said Sierra Club analyst Brendan Bell, 
symbolizes "the failure of Congress and various administrations not to 
really put us on an innovative energy path over the past 20 years."

The Sierra Club and other environmental groups say that one partial 
remedy, which the automobile industry has resisted, would be simply 
making cars go further on a gallon of gas. The current federal 
standards for vehicle fuel efficiency have not been updated for nearly a 
decade.

If the average automobile were designed to go 40 miles per gallon, the 
nation would decrease oil consumption by three million barrels per day, 
the Sierra Club estimates, in turn reducing US demand for oil. The 
amount conserved, according to the group, would be more than what 
the United States imports from the Persian Gulf.

But consumer advocates say initiatives to reduce demand may be 
ineffective as long as energy conglomerates have the power to 
capitalize on, and even deliberately orchestrate, higher fuel prices.

Public Citizen has charged that the increasingly consolidated oil 
industry makes gasoline artificially scarce by limiting production at oil 
refineries.

In California, for example, the California-based public interest group 
Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights (FTCR) traces the 
trend to a handful of corporations that run 90 percent of the state's 
refining facilities.

Jamie Court, FTCR's president, said that the state's requirement for a 
specially refined fuel formula, designed to meet environmental 
standards, places "power in the hands of the people who make that 
refined supply, that lets them rig the market." The oil industry, he said, 
is thus able to keep inventories artificially low and prices even higher 
than in other parts of the country. Gas prices in California exceeded 
the national average by as much as 17 cents this month.

Across the country, the gasoline industry is becoming more 
concentrated. Public Citizen reports that, as of 2003, over half of the 
country's refinery capacity was controlled by five oil companies, 
compared to about 35 percent in 1993.

In 2001, Federal Trade Commission investigators uncovered that gas 
companies had deliberately suppressed supply to keep prices high in 
the Midwest. Yet, because the commission found that the firms had 
acted independently -- not in cooperation -- to fix prices, they 
determined that the companies had not violated antitrust laws.

Responding to public anxiety about gas prices, the energy industry has 
tended to shift the focus from its own practices to what is sees as 
"short-sighted" government policies.

Earlier this year, Bob Slaughter, president of the National 
Petrochemical and Refiners Association, testified before Congress that 
federal energy policy should prioritize "maintaining the flow of adequate 
and affordable gasoline and diesel supplies" by keeping government 
regulation to a minimum. The association pressed Congress to permit 
more fuel exploration on protected federal lands, including the North 
Slope of Alaska, and to restrict environmental protections that it said 
could impact the country's supply.

Striving to counter the industry lobby, public interest groups have 
pushed the government to check corporate profiteering and to invest 
more in energy alternatives.

The Center for American Progress, for example, has recommended 
efficiency-based guidelines for vehicle prices to ensure that more 
efficient cars are cheaper, as well as programs to help low-income 
people purchase more efficient cars at discounted rates.

In Congress, Senator Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio) has introduced 
legislation that attempts to stabilize gas prices by both reining in oil 
companies and reducing the amount of gas US consumers use. The 
bill would impose a "windfall profit tax," which would skim money from 
gas and diesel sales that exceed a certain "reasonable" profit level, 
determined by an appointed board. The tax revenue would then 
subsidize purchases of more fuel-efficient vehicles.

But the environmental community's hopes of reshaping the energy 
system have sunk since Congress passed the 2005 energy bill, signed 
into law on August 8. The legislation includes ample subsidies and tax 
breaks for fossil-fuel-based industries, largely to the exclusion of 
greener alternatives.

"Despite $2-a-gallon gas and despite 140,000 troops in Iraq and 
despite rising global temperatures," Cohen said, "there isn't a lot of 
political will to take this on."

Cohen predicts that the country will eventually have no choice but to 
confront energy issues, as humans steadily drain the world's supply of 
petroleum. "We've really designed our cities and our lifestyle around 
the automobile and driving places," she said, "and I think we're going 
to see a painful readjustment."

Yet as the prospects for an energy overhaul remain distant, swelling 
gas prices are currently leaving millions of Americans with little room to 
adjust.

Aside from turning off the air conditioner when he is not carrying a 
passenger, cabbie Mohammad Faruque cannot do much to limit the 
amount of gas he uses, and has even less control over the price he 
pays. "If I drive less," he said, "then 
 it will be very hard to survive."

? 2005 The NewStandard.

-- 
You are currently on Mha Atma's Earth Action Network email list, 
option D (up to 3 emails/day).  To be removed, or to switch options 
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   ---   George Orwell


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From arianna at huffingtonpost.com  Sat Aug 27 09:40:02 2005
From: arianna at huffingtonpost.com (Arianna Huffington)
Date: Sat Aug 27 10:23:28 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] From the White House to the New York Times: Getting Iraq
	Wrong... Again
Message-ID: <E1E94Kt-0000Y7-63@smtpauth03.mail.atl.earthlink.net>

>From this week's Huffington Post, here is a post on the New York Times' flawed reporting on Iraq and a post on my meeting with Cindy Sheehan before her return to Crawford. Check out  huffingtonpost.com for more on these stories.

--

The New York Times Falls off the Wagon
Posted August 22, 2005 at 7:20 p.m. EDT

It's hard to believe, but the New York Times is back on Chalabi. Not unlike Courtney Love, the paper of record swears it's going to go straight, stop using, be responsible, really change this time, and then it happens again. For whatever reason, the paper falls off the wagon. It's an addiction. And addicts embarrass themselves again and again. And you feel stupid for ever having given them the benefit of the doubt.

And they try to hide it. Just look at the August 22 above-the-fold, front-page story on Iraq's constitution. It's headlined "Leaders in Iraq Report Progress on Constitution."

Who are those "leaders"? Once again, Ahmad Chalabi and an American official speaking "on condition of anonymity." And Chalabi is simply identified as "the deputy prime minister."

The deputy prime minister? That's it? That's like doing a piece on the energy bill and citing one of your main sources as "Ken Lay, a prominent Houston businessman."

They could at least have added a sentence from their own newspaper of May 26, 2004: "[Chalabi] became a favorite of hard-liners within the Bush administration and a paid broker of information from Iraqi exiles, until his payments were cut off."

Or, here are a few other descriptions they could have used:

Ahmad Chalabi, who used the United States to try to regain power in Iraq and then bragged "we are heroes in error."

Ahmad Chalabi, the man who bamboozled the Pentagon while pocketing $340,000 a month from the US government.

Ahmad Chalabi, who introduced Curveball, another phony source on WMD, to the intelligence community, and whose chief aide was Curveball's brother.

Ahmad Chalabi, who tried to sabotage the efforts by the United Nations to put in place an interim government in Iraq.

Ahmad Chalabi, who gave faulty intelligence to Times reporter Judith Miller in an attempt to mislead the American people and thus make it easier for the Bush Administration to invade Iraq.

Adding any one of these descriptions would have meant leveling with the Times readers in a way that simply describing Chalabi as the "deputy prime minister" did not.

It's not surprising that the LA Times story from the same day, which did not use Chalabi as a source, turned out to be a much more accurate prediction of what happened.

LA Times : "SUNNIS CALL FOR DELAY IN CHARTER"
NY Times : "LEADERS IN IRAQ REPORT PROGRESS ON CONSTITUTION"

At least we know it wasn't Judy Miller's fault. The one good thing about prison is that it gives you a great alibi.

The Times will have to bottom out before it decides to go straight. It's not as if we're not rooting for them. I mean, I really believed they were sincere when they said, in their war-reporting mea culpa:

"The problematic articles varied in authorship and subject matter, but many shared a common feature. They depended at least in part on information from a circle of Iraqi informants, defectors and exiles bent on "regime change" in Iraq, people whose credibility has come under increasing public debate in recent weeks. (The most prominent of the anti-Saddam campaigners, Ahmad Chalabi, has been named as anoccasional source in Times articles since at least 1991, and has introduced reporters to other exiles. He became a favorite of hard-liners within the Bush administration and a paid broker of information from Iraqi exiles, until his payments were cut off last week.)"

And the mea culpa ended with:

"We consider the story of Iraq's weapons, and of the pattern of misinformation, to be unfinished business. And we fully intend to continue aggressive reporting aimed at setting the record straight."

They probably meant it at the time. But the question is: how many chances do they get?

--

It All Goes Back to Casey
Posted August 24, 2005 at 4:09 a.m. EDT

I met Cindy Sheehan on Sunday afternoon while her mother was still in the intensive care unit. Listening to her, I just wanted my teenage daughters to meet her. Because it's never too early to teach young women fearlessness. And despite everything Cindy Sheehan has been through in the last year and a half, including weeks of sliming and smearing and swift-boating by Bush's attack machine, what she exudes, above all, is fearlessness. Fearlessness and authenticity.

With her was her sister Dede, eleven months younger and, as Cindy put it, "Casey's second mom."

"The fun mom," bantered Dede.

"Well I was fun too," Cindy shot back. "You were just the funnest one."

Somehow whatever we were talking about, the conversation would always steer back to Casey. Never more chillingly than when Cindy described that night in April 2004 when she and her husband were watching CNN and the news from Iraq came on about a Humvee burning... eight soldiers killed.

"I just knew at that moment," she told me, "that one of them was Casey. My husband got angry with me. 'You can't do that to yourself every time there is news of a dead soldier in Iraq,' he said. 'There are a hundred and thirty thousand American soldiers there, so what are the chances?' Still, I knew. After a while I just went out walking with my dogs, crying all the way. On the way back, as I turned the corner, I could see three Army officers in my living room. They were waiting for me. Casey had designated me 'first of kin,' so I was the one to whom they had to give the news of his death. I just collapsed on the floor."

It's that unfathomable pain that, through the months that followed, she turned into a take-no-prisoners stand. And it's that pain that continues to fuel her determination -- no matter what's thrown at her. The more unreal and disconnected Bush becomes, the more real and engaged Cindy is.

And instead of just summoning the small amount of courage it would take to meet with her and answer her questions, the president retreats to his fraudulent allusions to a link between Al Qaeda and Iraq as the justification for the war. (This will culminate next month in the "Freedom Walk," Bush's plan to commemorate those who died on Sept. 11th by using them in a political stunt to save his sagging presidency.)

And now there is Bush's newest fabrication about the Iraqi constitution, or at least the latest draft of a draft of a constitution:


Q If [the constitution] is rooted in Islam, as it seems it will be...is there still the possibility of honoring the rights of women?

THE PRESIDENT: I talked to Condi, and there is not -- as I understand it, the way the constitution is written is that women have got rights, inherent rights recognized in the constitution, and that the constitution talks about not "the religion," but "a religion."


In fact, that's not at all what Article 2 Para. 1 says: "Islam is the official religion of state, and is a fundamental source for legislation."

So is this version of Islamic theocracy what we are fighting for? Is this the "noble cause" Cindy's son died for?

Cindy Sheehan, in personifying the human cost of the war, has exposed the fault lines in the administration's policies. Her real concern for the troops highlights the president's lack of concern, and her sacrifice makes nonsense of Bush's questioning the patriotism of anybody who disagrees with him. Editor and Publisher reported on Tuesday:

Meeting briefly with reporters Monday aboard Air Force One, Trent Duffy, a White House spokesman subbing for Scott McClellan, said that President Bush believes that those who want the U.S. to begin to change course in Iraq do not want America to win the overall "war on terror."

Cindy Sheehan returned to Crawford as the smear machine moved into overdrive. Its talking points are now in the mouths of supposedly neutral anchors. Example: Norah O'Donnell subbing for Chris Matthews, on Hardball, referred to those at Camp Casey as "anti-war extremists."

Welcome back to Crawford, Cindy.


Copyright (c) 2005 TheHuffingtonPost.com, LLC

To prevent mailbox filters from deleting mailings from Arianna Huffington, add arianna@huffingtonpost.com to your address book.

To remove yourself from this mailing, please go to http://www.kintera.org/TR.asp?ID=M710647236701125918057565

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From harry.sifton at sympatico.ca  Sat Aug 27 11:15:10 2005
From: harry.sifton at sympatico.ca (Harold Sifton)
Date: Sat Aug 27 11:19:24 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] The Minister of Industry calls US Ambassador to Canada a
	hypocrite !
Message-ID: <000801c5ab33$45d42520$4c27e440@Harold>

Canada's Minister of Industry finds US Ambassador Wilkins actions hypocritical as to trade agreements, sanctions and actions.

http://www.canada.com/national/nationalpost/news/story.html?id=75db4950-cec3-4ac4-8050-da86e3ddf54c

This new US Ambassador is going to create more problems than solutions because of his ignorance.

Later H
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From dekuyper at sbcglobal.net  Fri Aug 26 15:57:11 2005
From: dekuyper at sbcglobal.net (Gerald Gerald)
Date: Sat Aug 27 16:06:50 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Too Close For Comfort
Message-ID: <E1E93wQ-00030S-7B@smtpauth03.mail.atl.earthlink.net>

Only in dancing do I want to get this close.
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From ean at sbcglobal.net  Sat Aug 27 14:58:56 2005
From: ean at sbcglobal.net (ean@sbcglobal.net)
Date: Sat Aug 27 18:28:07 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Workers Of the World Uniting
Message-ID: <E1E9Btu-0000jF-QG@smtpauth03.mail.atl.earthlink.net>

Workers Of the World Uniting

By Harold Meyerson

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-
dyn/content/article/2005/08/26/AR2005082601480.html

Saturday, August 27, 2005; Page A17

CHICAGO -- Thebusiness at hand was furthering globalization, but the 
usual suspects were nowhere to be seen. No U.S. trade 
representatives set the agenda. No corporate executives stalked the 
hall.

But then, the meeting this week in Chicago of roughly 1,500 labor 
leaders from around the world had a rather novel agenda. They 
convened on Monday under a banner that read "Imagine a Global 
Union." When they adjourned on Thursday, they had begun to build 
one.
	

The world's first global proto-union, surprisingly enough, comprises 
workers in the property services industry -- that is, janitors and security 
guards. Over the past half-decade, companies all over the world that 
have long provided the employees who guard and clean offices and 
factories -- including such venerable U.S.-based security companies 
as Pinkerton, Burns and Wackenhut -- have been bought by a handful 
of largely European-based multinationals.

The consequences, for both the employees and their home nations, 
have varied considerably. The guards at Pinkerton and Burns, for 
instance, are now employees of Securitas, a Swedish-based 
multinational known for providing extensive training and having good 
labor relations. But the employees of Group 4 Securicor, a British-
Danish conglomerate, haven't been so fortunate. In South Africa, 
guards at the airports have been reduced to working on month-to-
month contracts with no benefits. In Indonesia and Kenya, Group 4 
has refused to deal with its workers' long-established unions. And in 
the United States, guards at Group 4's subsidiary Wackenhut work 
with skimpy health insurance for a company that has been fined 
repeatedly for labor law violations.

Not surprisingly, it's the union that's been organizing security guards 
and janitors in the United States -- the Service Employees International 
Union (SEIU) -- that has taken the lead in getting this global effort off 
the ground.

Not only do property service workers increasingly share common 
employers but guards and janitors hold jobs that cannot be relocated. 
There are also so many immigrants in this workforce that the global 
nature of the industry is apparent at thousands of work sites. At 
London's Canary Wharf, where janitors are endeavoring to organize, 
says SEIU's Stephen Lerner, architect of that union's Justice for 
Janitors campaign, the contractor is ISS, which employs thousands of 
U.S.-based janitors. "The building owner is Morgan Stanley," he adds, 
"and the workers come from Africa and Latin America. The workers, 
the companies, the capital is global. Everything travels across the 
world -- except unions."

Now unions will be traveling, too. On Thursday the property services 
section of Union Network International, a Geneva-based amalgam of 
unions not involved in manufacturing, announced the creation of a new 
alliance, with a fund that will initially help organizing efforts in South 
Africa, India, Poland, the Netherlands, Germany and the United States. 
The SEIU will provide money and its expertise in organizing workers, 
shareholders and lenders to employers such as Group 4. The Swedish 
Transport Workers have already been working to convince their fellow 
European unions that without global organizing, the embattled 
paradise of Western European workers could quickly become a 
memory at best.

These far-flung unions envision a day when unions from every 
continent can sit across the table from a global employer and negotiate 
a common code of conduct and worker rights. Absent that kind of 
union pressure, a model employer in Europe that abuses its workers in 
the United States is more likely to bring its European standards down 
than its U.S. standards up. "It's much easier to change the behavior of 
a company that's unionized at an 80 percent level globally than it is 
when it's unionized at 10 percent," says SEIU President Andy Stern.

In a sense, I suppose, we've seen this once before. At the conclusion 
of the Civil War, the United States began to evolve from a nation of 
locally based economies to a country with a national economy. The 
first entities to go national were corporations, in railroads, 
meatpacking, oil and steel. At the beginning of the 20th century, 
professionals developed such national protective organizations as the 
American Medical Association and the American Bar Association. It 
took until the 1930s, though, for workers to build effective national 
organizations, with the coming of industrial unions that won national 
contracts with companies such as General Motors.

Now that process looks to be repeating itself on a global scale. 
Corporations have been going global for several decades, and global 
intellectual-property rights have been a chief focus of trade 
agreements for the past 15 years or so. But not until this week have 
we seen workers effectively lay claim to their place in the global 
economy. In a world where globalization has been designed and 
practiced almost solely for the benefit of corporations and their 
shareholders, the formation in Chicago has come not a moment too 
soon.

meyersonh@washpost.com


-- 
You are currently on Mha Atma's Earth Action Network email list, 
option D (up to 3 emails/day).  To be removed, or to switch options 
(option A - 1x/week, option B - 3/wk, option C - up to 1x/day, option D - 
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"In times of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act."
   ---   George Orwell


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From harry.sifton at sympatico.ca  Sat Aug 27 18:39:12 2005
From: harry.sifton at sympatico.ca (Harold Sifton)
Date: Sat Aug 27 18:43:28 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] US Ambassador to Canada "way out of line" 
Message-ID: <000801c5ab71$4ddd73a0$4c27e440@Harold>

US Ambassador Wilkins way out of line, says Harper, Leader of the Conservative Party in Canada.

http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Canada/2005/08/27/1190752-cp.html

The one thing Wilkins has done is unified the Liberals and Conservatives against US!! 

Bush really screwed up here by nominating this political $upporter (idiot) to be the US envoy to Canada.

Later H

PS, On another note, besides letting Oil companies, Lumber companies, snow mobilers etc, (non enviorment friendly people) into National Parks, whats next?
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From michael at michaelbutler.com  Sat Aug 27 15:40:17 2005
From: michael at michaelbutler.com (Michael Butler)
Date: Sat Aug 27 18:44:37 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Lyle K'ang Connection
Message-ID: <BF366411.23ADE%michael@michaelbutler.com>

Lyle,
Why  don?t you try resubscribing?
Michael


From jefbek at mindspring.com  Sat Aug 27 22:15:13 2005
From: jefbek at mindspring.com (Jef Bek)
Date: Sat Aug 27 22:20:37 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Religion: good and bad
Message-ID: <BF369671.E8B%jefbek@mindspring.com>

THE AGE
http://theage.com.au

Governments should not be promoting or favouring religion in schools, writes
Pamela Bone.

'Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities,"
said Voltaire. The books of the major religions contain passages that are
absurd and worse than absurd. What are today's kindly Christians to make of
this instruction to genocide in the Bible: "Now kill all the boys. And kill
every woman who has slept with a man, but save for yourselves every girl who
has never slept with a man." (Numbers 31:17-18)?

What are modern-thinking Muslim men to make of the list in the Koran of
women who are forbidden to them, which includes (quite rightly!) their
mothers, daughters, mothers-in-law, daughters-in-law, and also married
women, "except those whom you own as slaves"?

It's become obligatory when commenting on Islamic terrorism to say that this
is a distortion of Islam, that Islam is a religion of peace. In fact, as
some reformist Muslims acknowledge, the Koran also contains what Christian
reformers say the Bible contains: "sins of scripture". In the Koran can be
found passages that promote peace and passages that urge killing. Like the
Bible, it is contradictory and confusing. An impartial reader might wonder
why God couldn't have made his intentions more easily understandable.

So, what do most religious believers do about the "sins of scripture"?
Fortunately for the rest of us, they politely ignore them. Religious
extremists might believe in the absurdities, but most people do not.

Karl Marx described religion as "the sigh of the oppressed creature . . .
the opiate of the people". If he was right it would imply that when people
were not poor and oppressed they wouldn't need the "opiate" (the painkiller)
of religion. Yet while societies grow richer and freer, religion persists.
Atheism is dead and belief in God has won, it has been proclaimed.

But what sort of belief? In numerical terms, religious belief is growing
because it is strong in highly populated poor countries. But it is weak in
most modern democracies. In Britain the proportion of those stating "no
religion" has grown from 31 per cent to 44 per cent in the past 20 years and
only 5 per cent of young people go to church regularly. In most of northern
Europe about 40 per cent of the population belongs to a religion. In
Australia about 30 per cent have no religion.

What about America then? One doesn't quite know what to make of America.
Only 9 per cent of Americans don't believe in God, while a further 12 per
cent are not sure. Forty-five per cent of Americans say they believe in the
Book of Genesis. Yet even there, if the sincerity of belief can be judged by
church attendance, religion may not be very strong in people's lives. Only
38 per cent of Americans go to a religious service at least once a month and
only a quarter go every week, according to a Harris poll.

The same poll showed some other interesting results: religious believers are
more likely to be older, to be female, to vote Republican and to live in the
Midwest or South. African Americans are more likely to believe in God than
Hispanics and whites. Those with no college education are more likely to
believe in God than those with postgraduate education. People brought up as
Protestants are more likely to believe than Catholics and much more likely
than Jews. Only 48 per cent of American Jews believe in God and only 16 per
cent go to synagogues at least once a month.

Perhaps then, if we keep working to improve the lives of all the people of
the world, educate them and make them prosperous, might religion not
quietly, gradually disappear? (I don't mean to imply that religious people
are uneducated or unintelligent because this is clearly not true.) And, I
was going to say, what a good thing that would be, the end of this force
that has caused so much misery and violence throughout the ages.

But then - the other day I saw the new British film Millions, and in it
school children were performing a nativity play and singing The Little
Drummer Boy. And I thought, no, you can't say this is bad. It is, in fact,
lovely. It is part of my culture. And I understand that Muslims, Jews,
Hindus and others have religious traditions they find lovely, whether or not
they really believe in the religion.

So much art, architecture, music and poetry throughout the ages has been
inspired by religion. So much beauty in the name of religion. And it does
concern me a little that my grandchildren learn nothing about religion at
their state school, because without knowing those old stories they will not
be able to see the connections in literature and art.

Without religion there would still be art. Without religion there is still
beauty and goodness. And without religion, mankind will find reasons to go
to war. Yet it remains the case that the best societies in the world are
secular societies. And given that some people's religious certainties are
putting everyone in danger, governments have a responsibility to keep
religion low-key. Our government should not be promoting and favouring
religion in the way it does.

Let religion be taught in schools, but have it taught as "this is what some
people believe", not "this is fact". Let education be the way its founders
intended - free, compulsory and secular. It remains the best hope there is
for the future.

No, religion will probably never disappear; because some people simply
believe, and that is their right (some people simply don't believe and that
is our right, too; more religious people need to acknowledge that). Let
people believe what they want. But be grateful most people don't believe too
fiercely.

Pamela Bone is an associate editor.

From jefbek at mindspring.com  Sat Aug 27 22:35:06 2005
From: jefbek at mindspring.com (Jef Bek)
Date: Sat Aug 27 22:40:21 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] The Pat Robertson Challenge
Message-ID: <BF369B1A.E8E%jefbek@mindspring.com>

Here's a fun challenge:

See how many Pat Robertson quotes you can read with out getting sick!

http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Pat_Robertson


From swiggard at comcast.net  Sun Aug 28 05:59:32 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (William Swiggard)
Date: Sun Aug 28 06:05:50 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] A Tale of Two Wars - Lewis M. Simons - Washington Post
Message-ID: <4311B534.1020000@comcast.net>

A Tale of Two Wars
In Baghdad, I Hear Echoes of Saigon in '67

By Lewis M. Simons
Sunday, August 28, 2005; Page B01

I went to Vietnam a hawk. It was July 1967; I was an ex-Marine and a 
reporter for the Associated Press. It took only a few months before I 
realized I was being fed official lies on a daily basis. Now, having 
spent decades covering war and its aftermath around the world, I have 
just been through an eerily reminiscent experience in Iraq.

In the Baghdad of 2005, as in the Saigon of four decades ago, my 
government tells me that by staying the course, we'll cut out a vicious 
tumor metastasizing through the body of Western democracy.

Today's cancer is terrorism, not the red menace. But the singular 
constant remains this: Armies and governments at war all lie. They tell 
us that we're winning hearts and minds, that the troops will be home for 
Christmas, that the mission is accomplished. They did it then, and 
they're doing it now.

My hawkishness is long gone. I went to Iraq this May on an assignment 
for National Geographic magazine, already convinced that this war was a 
mistake. I found myself cloistered in a nightmare world, behind layers 
of 12-foot concrete barriers beyond which no thinking American strays 
without armed guards. I returned home a month later, certain that this 
war, like Vietnam, will never be won.

What would "winning" in Iraq mean, anyway? A democratic society that's 
free to elect an anti-American, pro-Iranian, fundamentalist Islamic 
government? A land of gushing oil wells feeding international oil 
company profits at U.S. taxpayers' expense? Shiites, Kurds and Sunnis 
joining hands to end terrorism around the world? Since, in my judgment, 
we were wrong to go in, I'm afraid there's no good way to get out.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/27/AR2005082700035.html?referrer=email
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From swiggard at comcast.net  Sun Aug 28 06:01:39 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (William Swiggard)
Date: Sun Aug 28 06:07:57 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] A Clean Patriot Act - Editorial - Washington Post
Message-ID: <4311B5B3.30908@comcast.net>

A Clean Patriot Act

Sunday, August 28, 2005; Page B06

WHEN CONGRESS returns, an early order of business will be a conference 
committee to reauthorize key provisions of the USA Patriot Act. Both 
houses of Congress have passed bills similar in broad strokes. Both 
bills would give the administration what it most wants, reauthorizing 
permanently key law-enforcement and intelligence provisions that were 
enacted temporarily in the original law and are set to expire at the end 
of the year. Both, however, would also impose certain restrictions on 
the two most controversial provisions, which they would renew once again 
with a "sunset" provision. Both would tinker with the FBI's authority to 
issue administrative subpoenas known as "national security letters," 
injecting important procedural clarifications into the process. And both 
houses refrained from giving the bureau sweeping powers to issue 
administrative demands for documents. The bills would also require 
reporting by the administration on its use of Patriot Act provisions.

In key respects, however, the Senate bill is much preferable to the 
version passed by the House of Representatives. It retains sunset 
provisions for two additional non-Patriot Act authorities made permanent 
in the House bill -- ones that warrant watching over time. It also 
contains stronger civil-liberties protections in a couple of areas. 
While both bills somewhat limit the authority of the government to seek 
business records in national security cases by order of a special court, 
for example, the Senate requires a stronger showing of those records' 
relevance to counterterrorism. And it also defines a considerably 
shorter period during which federal authorities can delay notice of the 
execution of search warrants to the targets of certain secret searches.

Most important, however, is what the Senate bill lacks: dozens of 
completely extraneous add-ons that have only the most marginal 
connections to the bill's purpose. The House bill would enact new law on 
cigarette smuggling, expand federal wiretapping authorities and the 
federal death penalty to a host of new terrorism crimes, authorize 
funding for first responders, make it easier to subject those convicted 
of terrorism crimes to being monitored for life following their release, 
and criminalize a host of activities related to seaports and 
transporting terrorists and hazardous materials. Some of these might be 
good ideas; some are likely to prove dreadful. None belong in this bill, 
which is the result of a serious legislative examination of the 
administration's needs in the domestic security arena relative to what 
the Patriot Act provided. Reconciling the House and Senate bills would 
be far easier were there no risk of the final product's being larded 
with irrelevant unknowns.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/27/AR2005082700943.html?nav=hcmodule
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From swiggard at comcast.net  Sun Aug 28 06:04:08 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (William Swiggard)
Date: Sun Aug 28 06:10:12 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Bush's Risky Intervention - Jim Hoagland - Washington
	Post
Message-ID: <4311B648.8080906@comcast.net>

Bush's Risky Intervention

By Jim Hoagland
Sunday, August 28, 2005; Page B07

PARIS -- While President Bush was telephoning an influential Shiite 
leader to lobby for changes in the new constitution being written in 
Baghdad last week, Iraq's terrorist forces were busy targeting electric 
power lines in the countryside. Their priorities of destruction reveal 
how the terrorists intend to win the war they wage -- and how they can 
be countered.

Bush called Abdul Aziz Hakim early Thursday, Iraq time, to express 
concern about three issues: women's rights, delaying bringing a new 
federal system into effect and softening rules under which ex-Baathists 
are excluded from government jobs.

These changes, Bush said, would increase the chances of the constitution 
being accepted by Iraq's Sunni minority. Shiite and Kurdish leaders 
agreed late Friday to accommodate Bush by amending the draft they had 
written earlier last week, according to Iraqi sources in Baghdad.

Most important, the Shiites and Kurds agreed that they would let the 
parliament that will be elected in December decide on the laws 
determining the scope of autonomy to be given to Shiite and Kurdish 
regions under a decentralized federal government, just as Bush asked.

However successful or well-intentioned, Bush's tardy intervention on 
behalf of the Sunnis risks emboldening the ex-Baathists and foreign 
jihadists who stoke the rebellion in the Sunni-inhabited areas of Iraq. 
Until now, they have shown relatively little interest in constitutions 
of any kind.

But the insurgents have made the sustained targeting of infrastructure a 
major part of an increasingly sophisticated campaign to destroy public 
confidence in the Iraqi government. The rebels want to reinstall 
terrorism as the governing principle of Iraq and prevent free votes on 
the constitution in mid-October and for a new government in December.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/26/AR2005082601487.html
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From swiggard at comcast.net  Sun Aug 28 06:10:03 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (William Swiggard)
Date: Sun Aug 28 06:16:08 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] But Seriously . . . - Michael Shifter on Hugo Chavez -
 Washington Post
Message-ID: <4311B7AB.2030006@comcast.net>

But Seriously . . .

By Michael Shifter
Sunday, August 28, 2005; Page B07

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez is a lucky man. Not only is the elected 
leader of the world's fifth-largest oil producer reveling in today's 
market bonanza, he's also profiting from the blunders of opponents, 
using them to advance his so-called Bolivarian Revolution, at home and 
throughout Latin America. The recent brouhaha created by evangelist Pat 
Robertson's outlandish and noxious suggestion (for which he later 
apologized) that the U.S. government assassinate Chavez highlights a 
tremendous challenge facing the Bush administration in the Western 
Hemisphere.

Nearly seven years after Chavez came to power, the U.S. government is 
still at a loss as to how to deal with him. To be sure, Chavez's 
Venezuela poses a real conundrum. But Washington's messages -- sometimes 
conciliatory, sometimes confrontational, sometimes contradictory -- are 
largely reactive and suggest little in the way of strategic thinking.

This confusion has been costly. It makes outbursts such as Robertson's 
-- which deflect our attention from the challenge posed by Chavez and 
distort our understanding of what is going on in the region -- more 
likely, and more likely to be believed by Latin Americans. The 
predictable (and justifiable) barrage of criticism against Robertson's 
outrageous suggestion of "regime change" unfortunately seems to 
encourage the opposite attitude: that the United States should not take 
Chavez too seriously.

But complacency is not the answer. Buoyed by a remarkable oil windfall 
and rising anti-Americanism in Latin America, Chavez is aggressively 
using rhetoric that bashes the Bush administration and claims the banner 
of social justice to consolidate his power at home and extend his 
influence in the region and beyond. He is at once a throwback in his 
disdain for liberal democracy and a sophisticate when it comes to 
playing the game of global politics. Dismissing him as just another 
Latin American strongman would be naive.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/26/AR2005082601490.html
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From swiggard at comcast.net  Sun Aug 28 06:12:18 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (William Swiggard)
Date: Sun Aug 28 06:18:22 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Taking Vioxx -- for Plenty - Michael Kinsley -
	Washington Post
Message-ID: <4311B832.8070200@comcast.net>

Taking Vioxx -- for Plenty

By Michael Kinsley
Sunday, August 28, 2005; Page B07

Litigators are circling like alligators around the quivering drug 
company Merck. Estimates of what Merck may have to pay people who used 
its pain pill, Vioxx, rise every day. Fifty billion dollars is the 
highest bid so far. Last week, in the first case to come to trial, a 
Texas jury awarded Carol Ernst $253 million over the death of her 
husband. They say she's likely to get a mere tenth of that. But there 
are nearly 5,000 Vioxx lawsuits. Just type "Vioxx" into your favorite 
search engine to see why that number may rise to 20,000.

Merck has set aside $675 million just to cover its legal expenses. But 
the lawyers collect from both sides. If Carol Ernst gets $25 million, 
about $8 million of that -- the traditional one-third -- will go to her 
lawyer, Mark Lanier. Lanier says that after he pays off the law firm 
that turned the case over to him, plus other expenses, he'll be "lucky 
to get 10 percent." Shucks.


You may be under the impression that Merck did something terribly wrong 
in putting Vioxx on the market. But the Vioxx cases don't generally 
claim that. Instead, they are based on the last refuge of the tort 
lawyer: the "duty to warn." Any product carries some risk. If you slice 
up a beach ball, saut? it, and eat it, the consequences could be dire. 
But even the world's greatest lawyer would hesitate to argue that this 
is the fault of the beach ball manufacturer. That doesn't mean the 
lawyer won't take your case. He or she will take it and argue that the 
manufacturer should have warned purchasers that beach balls are not 
edible, cooked or raw.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/26/AR2005082601489.html
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From swiggard at comcast.net  Sun Aug 28 06:15:27 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (William Swiggard)
Date: Sun Aug 28 06:21:35 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] MUST READ: Dead End - John W. Fountain on Emmett Till -
 Washington Post
Message-ID: <4311B8EF.6000504@comcast.net>

Dead End
On the Trail of a Civil Rights Icon, Starting Where He Did

By John W. Fountain
Special to The Washington Post
Sunday, August 28, 2005; Page D01

CHICAGO

A midsummer's rain falls upon Emmett Till Road.

There is the swish of cars with glowing headlights on this usually 
bustling thoroughfare that seems to move this morning in the somber slow 
motion of a funeral procession.

Signs stare out from the windows of storefronts, offering wigs and "100 
percent human hair." At night, neon-lighted signs illuminate the 
doorways above currency exchanges and corner stores that sell malt 
liquor. Down near where Emmett's road intersects with Martin Luther 
King's, a local undertaker has outfitted her funeral home with 
bulletproof glass.

They are signs of the times. And they appear across the South Side of 
this city that 14-year-old Emmett Till called home, until that night 50 
years ago in Mississippi when he was kidnapped and then murdered, 
supposedly for whistling at a white woman. His disfigured face -- 
swollen like a pumpkin -- was viewed by tens of thousands who filed past 
his coffin in Roberts Temple Church of God in Christ. His mother 
insisted that the world see what had been done to her boy. His death and 
her defiance galvanized the civil rights movement.

Today, there is an ongoing federal investigation into the 1955 lynching. 
Authorities recently unearthed his grave at a south suburban cemetery in 
search of evidence that might be used to finally bring someone to 
justice. The reopening of the case has kindled old memories and hurts 
and stirred conversation in his home town, though perhaps, for now, 
raising more questions than answers:

What is Emmett Till's legacy? Is it reflected in the pulse of daily life 
here? Or is it dead?

The answers might be found inside beauty salons and barbershops or 
restaurants and other haunts. Maybe they lie in other places -- blocks, 
or perhaps even miles away from the road named after him.

So on this anniversary summer of his death, we search for answers, on a 
quest for some sign, for evidence that his legacy, whatever it may be, 
still lives in the city where he was born.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/27/AR2005082701298.html
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From swiggard at comcast.net  Sun Aug 28 06:55:05 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (William Swiggard)
Date: Sun Aug 28 07:01:07 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Coming home -- to what? - Nathaniel Fick - Boston Globe
Message-ID: <4311C239.8070405@comcast.net>

Coming home -- to what?

By Nathaniel Fick  |  August 28, 2005

IRAQ VETERAN Daniel Cotnoir learned that Baghdad rules don't apply in 
Lawrence. The former Marine sergeant, who was named 2005's ''Marine of 
the Year" by the Marine Corps Times newspaper, was charged earlier this 
month with two counts of armed assault with intent to murder after 
firing a shotgun near a crowd of revelers outside his home. He had 
already reported their noise to police and, when a glass bottle 
shattered his bedroom window, Cotnoir allegedly feared for the safety of 
his wife and children. The story chilled me, not because I could have 
been part of the crowd, but because I imagined myself as the shooter.

As a Marine officer from 1999 to 2003, I led platoons in Afghanistan and 
Iraq. Following two combat tours, I left active duty to go to graduate 
school, thinking I could seamlessly return to normal life. But even with 
a loving family, supportive friends, and solid future prospects, 
homecoming derailed me for a year. I woke up to nightmares, shook 
uncontrollably during Fourth of July fireworks, and felt myself switch 
into ''combat mode" when challenged. After a driver cut me off on my 
morning commute and I envisioned gutting him with my car key, I 
recognized classic symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder.

According to the American Psychiatric Association, the disorder may 
result when people survive events ''that involved actual or threatened 
death or serious injury." Combat stress disorder, in its simplest form, 
is the persistence into civilian life of behavior that was necessary to 
survive in battle: hyper-vigilance, fear of crowds, aggression.

None of us can know what Cotnoir was thinking before he pulled the 
trigger, but he is certainly an eligible candidate for the stress 
syndrome, and I see in his actions the anguish I felt after my own 
homecoming. What makes this so tragically significant is that Cotnoir is 
not alone.

A study at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington found that 
at least 17 percent of Iraq veterans experience anxiety, depression, or 
post-traumatic stress disorder. 425,000 American troops have served in 
Iraq since March 2003, which means that more than 70,000 may be 
suffering from psychological trauma. Indeed, its visible manifestations 
are growing. The divorce rate for Army officers has tripled in the past 
three years, and the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans reports 
that its affiliates helped 67 veterans of Afghanistan or Iraq in 2004.

http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2005/08/28/coming_home____to_what/
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From swiggard at comcast.net  Sun Aug 28 06:57:35 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (William Swiggard)
Date: Sun Aug 28 07:03:35 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Japan is our partner in peace - Howard Baker (Yes,
 THAT Howard Baker) - Boston Globe
Message-ID: <4311C2CF.8000209@comcast.net>

Japan is our partner in peace

By Howard Baker  |  August 28, 2005

SIXTY YEARS ago this month, Japan laid down its arms, ending World War 
II and embarking on a remarkable journey that has led a great nation to 
peace, democracy, and prosperity.

The United States has found in its former adversary a steadfast friend 
and ally, and the world has come to know and respect Japan not only for 
the quality of its products but for the generosity and ingenuity of its 
people.

Some, of course, would argue for their own purposes that Japan has been 
a reluctant hero in this drama of the last six decades, that at heart 
the Japanese are unreconstructed, that beneath the benign exterior lies 
an unrepentant and still nationalistic nation.

After serving for almost four years as America's ambassador to Japan, I 
can say with the assurance of first-hand knowledge that Japan is fully 
prepared to play a constructive role in the diplomacy and commerce of 
the 21st century.

This does not mean the Japanese will jettison their past or that 
everyone will agree with their interpretation of their own history or 
their reverence for controversial national symbols. We do not have to 
agree. What the world seeks, and what Japan readily agrees to, is a 
forward-looking nation ready to use its economic power and its profound 
commitment to democracy for the good of the world.

The world has properly sought, and Japan has properly given, numerous 
apologies for the aggression of 60 and 70 years ago. But such acts of 
contrition for events in the last century must ultimately give way to 
more substantive acts of constructive engagement with the world of the 
new century, and here again Japan has not been found wanting.

Its example of a rapidly democratizing nation stands today as an 
inspiration to the people of Iraq and people in other countries yearning 
to breathe free. Its commitment of 500 of Japan's Self-Defense Forces in 
February 2004 to give humanitarian aid to the people of Iraq gives 
further substance to its new role as a model for emerging democracies.

Even the act of committing these forces was a test of the strength of 
Japan's democracy -- a special law had to be passed by the Japanese 
Diet, over vigorous minority opposition to Prime Minister Koizumi's plan 
-- and this spirited debate was itself a healthy affirmation of the free 
and open society that modern Japan has become.

http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2005/08/28/japan_is_our_partner_in_peace/
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From harry.sifton at sympatico.ca  Sun Aug 28 07:59:10 2005
From: harry.sifton at sympatico.ca (Harry)
Date: Sun Aug 28 08:03:31 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] BBC E-mail: Government 'wastes' African aid
Message-ID: <20050828_145910_012847.harry.sifton@sympatico.ca>

Harry saw this story on BBC News Online and thought you
should see it.

** Message **
looks like the American consultants are the biggest beifactors of the Aid programs.

** Government 'wastes' African aid **
The British government is accused of wasting aid on meals and hotel bills in Malawi.
< http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/fr/-/2/hi/uk_news/politics/4191950.stm >


** BBC Daily E-mail **
Choose the news and sport headlines you want - when you want them, all
in one daily e-mail
< http://www.bbc.co.uk/dailyemail/ >


** Disclaimer **
The BBC is not responsible for the content of this e-mail, and anything written in this e-mail does not necessarily reflect the BBC's views or opinions. Please note that neither the e-mail address nor name of the sender have?been verified.

If you do not wish to receive such e-mails in the future or want to know more about the BBC's Email a Friend service, please read our frequently asked questions. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/help/4162471.stm

From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Sun Aug 28 09:40:10 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (mblaxill@yahoo.com)
Date: Sun Aug 28 09:44:25 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] NYTimes.com: The Vietnamization of Bush's Vacation
Message-ID: <20050828164010.855E9A1064@lax-gw09.mroute.net>

This page was sent to you by: mblaxill@yahoo.com.

OPINION | August 28, 2005
Op-Ed Columnist: The Vietnamization of Bush's Vacation
By FRANK RICH
Even though their own poll numbers are in a race to the bottom with the president's, don't expect the Democrats to make a peep about the war in Iraq.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/28/opinion/28rich.html?ex=1125892800&en=01978ccff3342ec8&ei=5070&emc=eta1




----------------------------------------------------------

ABOUT THIS E-MAIL
This e-mail was sent to you by a friend through NYTimes.com's E-mail This Article service.  For general information about NYTimes.com, write to help@nytimes.com.

NYTimes.com 500 Seventh Avenue New York, NY 10018

Copyright 2005 The New York Times Company
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From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Sun Aug 28 09:44:50 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (mblaxill@yahoo.com)
Date: Sun Aug 28 09:49:03 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] NYTimes.com: Roberts v. the Future
Message-ID: <20050828164450.D6BAB237334@lax-gw01.mroute.net>

This page was sent to you by: mblaxill@yahoo.com.

MAGAZINE | August 28, 2005
Roberts v. the Future
By JEFFREY ROSEN
To learn about what kind of justice John G. Roberts Jr. might turn out to be, the Senate should ask the questions that will matter in 2015.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/28/magazine/28ROBERTS.html?ex=1125892800&en=eecbb37c708c4c1a&ei=5070&emc=eta1



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one Best Picture.  What did the original New York
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From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Sun Aug 28 09:48:51 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (mblaxill@yahoo.com)
Date: Sun Aug 28 09:53:05 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] NYTimes.com: Morning-After Pill: Politics and the F.D.A.
Message-ID: <20050828164851.09F3BA1082@lax-gw09.mroute.net>

This page was sent to you by: mblaxill@yahoo.com.

WASHINGTON | August 28, 2005
News Analysis: Morning-After Pill: Politics and the F.D.A.
By GARDINER HARRIS
Federal drug officials have insisted that repeated delays in deciding whether to approve over-the-counter sales of Plan B have nothing to do with abortion politics.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/28/politics/28pill.html?ex=1125892800&en=50d381ea3b1f1a09&ei=5070&emc=eta1



----------------- Advertisement --------------------------

The Academy loved these movies enough to name each
one Best Picture.  What did the original New York
Times movie reviews have to say about these Oscar
winning films?  
Go to the Best Pictures review archive:

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From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Sun Aug 28 09:54:34 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (mblaxill@yahoo.com)
Date: Sun Aug 28 09:58:47 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] NYTimes.com: In California Enclave,
	Cougars Keep the People at Bay
Message-ID: <20050828165434.BC1EF11FA7B@lax-gw07.mroute.net>

This page was sent to you by: mblaxill@yahoo.com.

NATIONAL | August 28, 2005
In California Enclave, Cougars Keep the People at Bay
By GARY RIVLIN
A few publicized mountain lion sightings have led some residents to say they feel like prisoners in their multimillion-dollar homes.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/28/national/28lions.html?ex=1125892800&en=19d91e1a17231222&ei=5070&emc=eta1



----------------- Advertisement --------------------------

The Academy loved these movies enough to name each
one Best Picture.  What did the original New York
Times movie reviews have to say about these Oscar
winning films?  
Go to the Best Pictures review archive:

http://ads.nyt.com/th.ad/nytnyt-textEmailThisdefault-Center1A/academyawards_text/?_RM_REDIR_=http://www.nytimes.com/ref/movies/oscars/bestpictures.html




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ABOUT THIS E-MAIL
This e-mail was sent to you by a friend through NYTimes.com's E-mail This Article service.  For general information about NYTimes.com, write to help@nytimes.com.

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From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Sun Aug 28 09:57:08 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (mblaxill@yahoo.com)
Date: Sun Aug 28 10:01:22 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] NYTimes.com: Constitution Sent to Parliament in Iraq
	Despite Sunni Objections
Message-ID: <20050828165708.0D9D523734B@lax-gw01.mroute.net>

This page was sent to you by: mblaxill@yahoo.com.

INTERNATIONAL / MIDDLE EAST | August 28, 2005
Constitution Sent to Parliament in Iraq Despite Sunni Objections
By DEXTER FILKINS
A draft constitution was formally presented to the National Assembly today and will be submitted to Iraqi voters on Oct. 15.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/28/international/middleeast/28cnd-iraq.html?ex=1125892800&en=9cc6897bc4e401cb&ei=5070&emc=eta1



----------------- Advertisement --------------------------

The Academy loved these movies enough to name each
one Best Picture.  What did the original New York
Times movie reviews have to say about these Oscar
winning films?  
Go to the Best Pictures review archive:

http://ads.nyt.com/th.ad/nytnyt-textEmailThisdefault-Center1A/academyawards_text/?_RM_REDIR_=http://www.nytimes.com/ref/movies/oscars/bestpictures.html




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----------------------------------------------------------

ABOUT THIS E-MAIL
This e-mail was sent to you by a friend through NYTimes.com's E-mail This Article service.  For general information about NYTimes.com, write to help@nytimes.com.

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From barbarasiomos38 at msn.com  Sun Aug 28 10:02:15 2005
From: barbarasiomos38 at msn.com (Barbara Siomos)
Date: Sun Aug 28 10:06:26 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] MUST READ: Dead End - John W. Fountain on Emmett Till
	- Washington Post
Message-ID: <BAY5-DAV1A195255C4371E9CE567EABAC0@phx.gbl>

This is a case I remember very well and have ALWAYS wondered WHY there was not more done regarding HIS murder.... But IF the others (who are still alive that is) who killed the 3 civil rights workers have just gotten their due maybe there is still hope... We remember you Emmett... Peace in Heaven.

peace,
barbara

-----Original Message-----
From: William Swiggard
Sent: Sun, 28 Aug 2005 06:15:27 -0700
To: mb-civic
Subject: [Mb-civic] MUST READ: Dead End - John W. Fountain on Emmett Till - Washington Post

Dead End
On the Trail of a Civil Rights Icon, Starting Where He Did

By John W. Fountain
Special to The Washington Post
Sunday, August 28, 2005; Page D01

CHICAGO

A midsummer's rain falls upon Emmett Till Road.

There is the swish of cars with glowing headlights on this usually 
bustling thoroughfare that seems to move this morning in the somber slow 
motion of a funeral procession.

Signs stare out from the windows of storefronts, offering wigs and "100 
percent human hair." At night, neon-lighted signs illuminate the 
doorways above currency exchanges and corner stores that sell malt 
liquor. Down near where Emmett's road intersects with Martin Luther 
King's, a local undertaker has outfitted her funeral home with 
bulletproof glass.

They are signs of the times. And they appear across the South Side of 
this city that 14-year-old Emmett Till called home, until that night 50 
years ago in Mississippi when he was kidnapped and then murdered, 
supposedly for whistling at a white woman. His disfigured face -- 
swollen like a pumpkin -- was viewed by tens of thousands who filed past 
his coffin in Roberts Temple Church of God in Christ. His mother 
insisted that the world see what had been done to her boy. His death and 
her defiance galvanized the civil rights movement.

Today, there is an ongoing federal investigation into the 1955 lynching. 
Authorities recently unearthed his grave at a south suburban cemetery in 
search of evidence that might be used to finally bring someone to 
justice. The reopening of the case has kindled old memories and hurts 
and stirred conversation in his home town, though perhaps, for now, 
raising more questions than answers:

What is Emmett Till's legacy? Is it reflected in the pulse of daily life 
here? Or is it dead?

The answers might be found inside beauty salons and barbershops or 
restaurants and other haunts. Maybe they lie in other places -- blocks, 
or perhaps even miles away from the road named after him.

So on this anniversary summer of his death, we search for answers, on a 
quest for some sign, for evidence that his legacy, whatever it may be, 
still lives in the city where he was born.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/27/AR2005082701298.html


From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Sun Aug 28 10:15:57 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (Mike Blaxill)
Date: Sun Aug 28 10:20:12 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] ENOUGH hippie bashing, goddamnit!!! 
Message-ID: <20050828171557.5282.qmail@web53010.mail.yahoo.com>

This is a Dairy from "Charleslives" at Daly Kos -
amen brother!


http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2005/8/27/204824/374

ENOUGH hippie bashing, goddamnit!!!
by Charleslives
Sat Aug 27th, 2005 at 17:48:24 PDT

Enough.

I was silent when Kos started this shit because
the whole "hippie" meme is well in the past and
the remnants of that movement are merely an empty
shell of what was happening then, plus he wasn't
even CONCEIVED at the time, let alone a witness.
What would he know?

I remained silent as the piling on started. Makes
no difference to me, really. I was there, I saw
it. I know damned well what happened.

But then I read lestatdelc's diary Saturday
evening. "The ugly reality of hippies..." Where
he essentially says that john kerry "had far more
impact in swaying people that the Vietnam War was
wrong and we needed to get out ASAP than
`hippies'...because of his background, because of
his demeanor, because of his approach, because of
they way he presents."

And that did it for me.

Read on.

    * Charleslives's diary :: ::
*

I got news for ya. EYEWITNESS news, I was there.
In Cambridge. In Chicago for the convention. On
the Lower East Side. For many years.  And I am
STILL there, although I don't run that "hippie"
game on people. (Old news dies young....)

john kerry barely EXISTED in the consciousness of
America at the time. Lestatdelc got his
impressions from what he read and was told by the
kerry campaign, I am willing to bet. He got them
from the same place that Kos got his. From
corporate, media-generated revisionist history.

And if he WAS there...he missed the whole thing.
(Lots of people did...all safe, all locked up in
their own heads. In their own position. In their
own privilege.)

"During the Vietnam War, John Kerry had far more
impact in swaying people that the Vietnam War was
wrong and we needed to get out ASAP than
"hippies" even within the same Veterans Against
the War group did."

What?

Oh.

I must have been living in a different country.

Because I don't even REMEMBER kerry from that
period. Hardly remember the Veterans Against the
War.

Impact?

Dylan. Tom Hayden. Malcolm X. Abbie Hoffman.
Muhammad Ali. Joan Baez. John Lennon. Paul
Krassner. Jimmy Breslin., Norman Mailer. William
Burroughs. Underground newspapers by the
hundreds.  A thousand THOUSAND freaks of all
varieties saying "HELL no. We won't go.!!!" All
OVER the media. All OVER the minds of the people.
All over the DEMOCRATS, eventually.

And many of us did NOT go. WOULD not go. We knew
what was happening out FRONT. kerry didn't. He
went, so he's a HERO!!!??? That's why he went
down in 2004. He was too dumb, too insulated by
his own privilege during the Vietnam War to
figure out what millions of us knew on the natch.
Millions!!!.That the Vietnam War was wrong wrong
wrong. Morally AND strategically. And his
privilege blinded him to that until he went under
fire. THEN he wised up. A little. A foxhole
conversion. And came home and assumed his
rightful place as a rich Yalie white boy child of
privilege. At the front of the line where he just
KNEW he belonged. Leading the proles to safety.
Looking all soulful and posing for the cameras in
his fatigues. Talking all Harvard and Yale to the
select committees that were the same then as they
are now. Full of shit. And then he went into
politics. The rich boy's game, ESPECIALLY in
Massachusetts. Cut his hair. Married well
(TWICE!!!) and financed his career. Right to the
top!!!. And then he was once again too dumb in
2004 to realize what millions of us ALSO knew
then. Too insulated. That the Rats have to be
faced down every time they try to run a Rat move.
And that, just as in the '60s, the war was wrong
wrong wrong wrong wrong. Morally, strategically
and tactically as well. Only he DIDN'T wise up
this time because no one was firing at him. Not
bullets, anyway. So he lost. All Harvard and Yale
even in defeat. "It's just a GAME, fellas.
Harvard wins one year, Yale the next. I'm off to
Gstaad for some skiing. Maybe a blue ribbon tour
of the safer areas of Iraq while I'm at it.
Better luck next year. Too bad about Ohio. Tally
Ho!!!"

While the foxes he was SUPPOSED to have been
hunting guarded the chicken coop yet again.

Fox News Flash: "Kerry Concedes!!! And now the
news."

And lesatatdelc has the GALL to write this
diary!!!

And all of these supposed "liberals" here GO FOR
IT???

Man...THAT'S fucked up.

Makes me madder than hell.

And I'm not going to take it anymore.

Without the youth movement of the `60s and
`70s...we would have had this right wing
media-fascist government 30 years EARLIER.

This very blogosphere upon which we all so sagely
write would have been nipped in the bud. Before
it got too dangerous.

ENOUGH of this hippie bashing.

Wise up.

Sure.,..it's over. Now.

Honor thy ancestors.

Y'might learn something.

Charles
From earth_email_list at venusproject.com  Sun Aug 28 10:08:05 2005
From: earth_email_list at venusproject.com (Bahram Maskanian)
Date: Sun Aug 28 10:22:40 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] The Persian-American Filmmaker Cyrus Kar Describes
 Ordeal of Iraq Detention
Message-ID: <E1E9Qnc-0001Ho-Nx@smtpauth06.mail.atl.earthlink.net>



- By Noshir Mullafiroze

On August 24 and 25, I watched ABC-TV's Nightline program, where Ted 
Koppel interviewed Iranian American Zoroastrian, Cyrus Kar about his 
55-day imprisonment by the U.S. military in Iraq, and I was impressed by 
some of his comments.

Cyrus Kar mentioned that he was born in Iran, came to the U.S. when 5 
years old, became a U.S. citizen, served in the U.S. Navy, and was 
filming a documentary on Cyrus the Great, founder of the first great 
Persian empire and the world's first human rights charter, in Babylon 
area, when he was arrested along with his Iranian cameraman and the 
Iraqi taxi driver who admitted owning the timer devices found in the taxi.

Cyrus expressed a sense of betrayal by his government when even after he 
was cleared of suspicion by FBI investigators who searched his home, 
car, computer in Los Angeles, and gave him a Lie Detector test, he was 
held for 55 days without being charged of any wrongdoing, and he was 
denied his rights as a U.S. citizen to have an attorney, to call his 
family, his U.S. Senator, or the U.S. Embassy in Iraq. It was only after 
the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) filed a lawsuit against U.S. 
government leaders on his behalf that he was released.

Cyrus commented that every such innocent prisoner (Iraqi or non-Iraqi) 
who is held for long durations without being charged by the U.S. 
military, would lead to creating several enemies of the United States 
from among that prisoner's family members and friends. And, Cyrus 
suggested that a more balanced policy to treat prisoners in a civil 
manner will improve the U.S. image in Iraq.

As an Iranian / Persian community especially in America we should offer 
needed help and support to Cyrus Kar and enable him to complete his 
documentary, as he suffered financial and material loss during his long 
imprisonment in Iraq. We, the Iranians / Persians must also be grateful 
to him for publicizing the name of Cyrus the Great and his Human Rights 
Charter on a national TV network watched by millions of Americans.

* * * * * * * *

Filmmaker Cyrus Kar Describes Ordeal of Iraq Detention

Allegations of 'Wanton Hostility' While in U.S. Custody

READ MORE... http://www.venusproject.com/ecs/Cyrus_Kar_Filmmaker.html

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From harry.sifton at sympatico.ca  Sun Aug 28 17:14:42 2005
From: harry.sifton at sympatico.ca (Harold Sifton)
Date: Sun Aug 28 17:19:02 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Oil hits $70
Message-ID: <000801c5ac2e$aa29b3e0$2227e440@Harold>

This is just profiteering of the greatest kind and only because of Bush. 

http://cnn.netscape.cnn.com/ns/news/story.jsp?id=2005082819160002930866&dt=20050828191600&w=RTR&coview=

There has been worse hurricanes before, wars etc and oil jumped just a bit, but under Bush, a hiccup sends oil up 2-3 % at a time. 

Oil has tripled in the past 2 years, and it is not just India, China, or lack of refineries, it is just greed/profiteering, like Enron.

The Consumer is the sucker. OPEC can double it's output in seconds, Saudi says they can project to do 15 million barrels a day in 2050 !

The refinery issue can be solved in months buy building more if that is the case.

America is being played by Wall Street carpetbaggers and Energy Companies, an American thing a Bush Thing!! Wake Up and do something!!

The world suffers America's Corporate greed !!
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From harry.sifton at sympatico.ca  Sun Aug 28 17:19:37 2005
From: harry.sifton at sympatico.ca (harry.sifton@sympatico.ca)
Date: Sun Aug 28 17:23:55 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] The Invasion of the Chinese Cyberspies (And the Man Who
	Tried to Stop Them)
Message-ID: <18022822.1125274777040.JavaMail.tomcat@localhost>



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You have received the following link from harry.sifton@sympatico.ca

 
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From michael at intrafi.com  Sun Aug 28 19:30:28 2005
From: michael at intrafi.com (michael)
Date: Sun Aug 28 19:34:41 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Article from Tom Dispatch
Message-ID: <200508290230.j7T2USLq003043@thor.thenation.com>

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From barbarasiomos38 at msn.com  Sun Aug 28 20:24:56 2005
From: barbarasiomos38 at msn.com (barbarasiomos38@msn.com)
Date: Sun Aug 28 20:29:26 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] How New Heart-Scanning Technology Could Save Your Life
Message-ID: <13335536.1125285896574.JavaMail.tomcat@localhost>



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Heart Disease article... very interesting.

peace,
barbara



 
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From barbarasiomos38 at msn.com  Sun Aug 28 20:28:03 2005
From: barbarasiomos38 at msn.com (barbarasiomos38@msn.com)
Date: Sun Aug 28 20:32:22 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Invasion of the Chinese Cyberspies (And the Man Who
	Tried to Stop Them)
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These Chinese Cyberspies are dangerous.

peace,
barbarta



 
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From barbarasiomos38 at msn.com  Sun Aug 28 20:36:53 2005
From: barbarasiomos38 at msn.com (barbarasiomos38@msn.com)
Date: Sun Aug 28 20:41:10 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Try this page IF other Heart page does NOT work.
Message-ID: <24078170.1125286613266.JavaMail.tomcat@localhost>



*Please note, the sender's email address has not been verified.



If the other page does NOT allow you to enter because you are not a subscriber this one is ok... It is the same article on Heart but I had to register as a subscriber.... All you have to do is put in my name and address  if you want to go that route...
Barbara J. Siomos
1290 ALmshouse Rd. Apt. 415
ZIP CODE: 18901

****That is what they ask for very simple... :-)****



 
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From jefbek at mindspring.com  Sun Aug 28 23:09:28 2005
From: jefbek at mindspring.com (Jef Bek)
Date: Sun Aug 28 23:14:48 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Church: God Punishing GIs Over Gays
Message-ID: <BF37F4A8.EA2%jefbek@mindspring.com>

Church: God Punishing GIs Over Gays
 
By BETH RUCKER, Associated Press WriterSun Aug 28,10:16 AM ET

Members of a church say God is punishing American soldiers for defending a
country that harbors gays, and they brought their anti-gay message to the
funerals Saturday of two Tennessee soldiers killed in Iraq.

The church members were met with scorn from local residents. They chased the
church members cars' down a highway, waving flags and screaming "God bless
America."

"My husband is over there, so I'm here to show my support," 41-year-old
Connie Ditmore said as she waved and American flag and as tears came to her
eyes. "To do this at a funeral is disrespectful of a family, no matter what
your beliefs are."

The Rev. Fred Phelps, founder of Westboro Baptist in Kansas, contends that
American soldiers are being killed in Iraq as vengeance from God for
protecting a country that harbors gays. The church, which is not affiliated
with a larger denomination, is made up mostly of Phelps' children,
grandchildren and in-laws.

The church members carried signs and shouted things such as "God hates fags"
and "God hates you."

About 10 church members protested near Smyrna United Methodist Church and
nearly 20 stood outside the National Guard Armory in Ashland City. Members
have demonstrated at other soldier funerals across the nation.

The funerals were for Staff Sgt. Asbury Fred Hawn II, 35, in Smyrna and Spc.
Gary Reese Jr., 22, in Ashland City. Both were members of the Tennessee
National Guard.

Hundreds of Smyrna and Ashland City residents and families of other soldiers
turned out at both sites to counter the message the Westboro Baptist members
brought.

So many counterdemonstrators were gathered in Ashland City that police,
sheriff's deputies and state troopers were brought in to control traffic and
protect the protesters.

The church members held protesting permits, and counterprotesters in Smyrna
turned their backs to Westboro Baptist members until time expired on the
protest permits.

"If they were protesting the government, I might even join them," Danny
Cotton, 56, said amid cries of "get out of our town" and "get out of our
country."

"But for them to come during the worst time for this family ? it's just
wrong."


From swiggard at comcast.net  Mon Aug 29 04:16:58 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (William Swiggard)
Date: Mon Aug 29 04:22:44 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Taking Back New York's East Village - Wigstock / Howl!
 Festival - Washington Post
Message-ID: <4312EEAA.4090606@comcast.net>

Taking Back New York's East Village

By Michael Powell
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, August 29, 2005; Page A03

NEW YORK, Aug. 28 -- Maybe it's that fat old drag queen in the blond wig 
and sequins swinging a blue-suede phallus. Or the orange-haired singer 
for Uncle Jimmy's Dirty Basement who describes himself as Ed Sullivan if 
Ed had been an agoraphobic, somewhat delusional 35-year-old confined to 
a basement in Indiana.

Or maybe it's the young temptress who sways to and fro in Tompkins 
Square Park before stripping butt naked. For a few 
bizarro-yet-sweetly-nostalgic days this past week, the East Village and 
Alphabet City raised their graying head and howled.

It was the third annual Howl! Festival, a cacophonous celebration of all 
that's alternative and odd. Puerto Rican graffiti artists laid down 
their tags on canvasses stretched around Tompkins Square Park; Zero Boy 
offered comic sound raps; drag queens trooped to Wigstock; and Willie 
Villegas Y Entre Amigos cooked the best salsa this side of San Juan.

Allen Ginsberg, whose epic poem gave its name to the festival, once 
described the East Village with a kind of poetic reportage:

"I saw the best minds of my generation destroyed by madness, starving 
hysterical naked, dragging themselves through the negro streets at dawn 
looking for a fix, angelheaded hipsters burning for the ancient heavenly 
connection to the starry dynamo in the machinery of night."

To which the latte generation might respond: Whatever.

Where's the Starbucks?

That's the big fat thought cloud that loomed over this particular 
exercise in brilliant excess: Was this just a psychedelic memory lane? 
Just last week, the Village Voice declared the bohemian West Village as 
dead as that T. Rex at the American Museum of Natural History. When 
there's a German beer garden on Avenue A and developers retail $1.15 
million Viking-stoved, Thai-bamboo-floored condos with really excellent 
views of the Jacob Riis projects, can the East Village avant-garde still 
be avant?

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/28/AR2005082801068.html?nav=hcmodule
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From swiggard at comcast.net  Mon Aug 29 04:20:38 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (William Swiggard)
Date: Mon Aug 29 04:26:17 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Xtreme Defense - Washington Post
Message-ID: <4312EF86.5040107@comcast.net>

Xtreme Defense
Lightning guns, heat rays, weapons that can make you hear the voice of 
God. This is what happens when the war on terror meets the 
entrepreneurial spirit

By Sharon Weinberger
Sunday, August 28, 2005; Page W18

"This is very clandestine," Pete Bitar whispered, as his red Dodge 
Caravan idled in the parking lot of a Burger King near Fort Belvoir. 
"They called last week, and they wanted delivery this week."

It did feel a little clandestine, if a bit unlikely. Yet there, in the 
Burger King parking lot, a small transaction in America's war on terror 
was about to take place. In the minivan were Bitar, the president and 
founder of Xtreme Alternative Defense Systems (XADS), Edward Fry, the 
company's research coordinator, and George Gibbs, of Marine Corps 
Systems Command, who two years ago plucked Bitar's obscure company out 
of its paper existence and provided it with more than half a million 
dollars in Pentagon funding.

They were waiting for Superman.

Bitar had battled start-up disappointments and even ridicule -- not to 
mention January cold and Beltway rush-hour traffic -- to seal his first 
Pentagon deal. The procurement order had gone through so quickly that 
the Indiana-based Bitar, who was in town for a conference, agreed to 
make his final delivery at the Burger King to avoid the hassle of 
getting onto the Virginia Army base.

Bitar flipped open a case containing his first sale: the "dazzler," one 
in a line of about a half-dozen "nonlethal" weapons that XADS is 
marketing to the military. It looked like an executive pen: slick, green 
and flecked with gold. But the pen was really a green laser designed to 
disorient and temporarily blind an enemy. Sale price: $1,100 apiece.

It looked, to use one of Bitar's favorite phrases, really cool.

Bitar glanced up. "There's Superman."

Sure enough, a broad-shouldered man materialized in front of the 
Caravan. He was wearing a leather jacket embroidered with the familiar 
"S" emblem and a matching tie.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/23/AR2005082301227.html?nav=hcmodule
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From swiggard at comcast.net  Mon Aug 29 04:22:52 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (William Swiggard)
Date: Mon Aug 29 04:28:30 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Sharpton Adds Voice to Antiwar Protest - Washington Post
Message-ID: <4312F00C.7090704@comcast.net>

Sharpton Adds Voice to Antiwar Protest

By Sam Coates
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, August 29, 2005; Page A04

CRAWFORD, Tex., Aug. 28 -- Al Sharpton, the civil rights activist and 
former presidential candidate, rallied antiwar protesters here Sunday, 
drawing comparisons with the civil rights movement on this anniversary 
of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech.

Speaking at a Sunday morning prayer meeting, he called Cindy Sheehan, 
who first arrived here 22 days ago to protest the war in Iraq, "the 
conscience" of the nation.

"I come today because I feel that it is our moral obligation to stand 
and to be courageous with these families and in particular Cindy," he 
told the crowd of 400. "I wanted to come on that anniversary to be with 
ordinary people, as I think Doctor King would have wanted."

Actor Martin Sheen also traveled to the antiwar encampment Sunday night. 
He presented a rosary to Sheehan in recognition of the Catholic faith of 
her son Casey, who was killed in Iraq last year.

Sharpton said opposition to the war in Iraq is not a partisan act. "This 
is not about politics. This is not about Republican or Democrat. . . . 
This is about right and wrong," he said.

Senior Democrats sought to distance themselves Sunday from Sheehan's 
protest. On "Fox News Sunday," Byron L. Dorgan (N.D.), a member of the 
Senate Democratic leadership, said: "If we withdrew tomorrow, there 
would be a bloodbath in Iraq. We can't do that."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/28/AR2005082800882.html
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From swiggard at comcast.net  Mon Aug 29 04:24:53 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (William Swiggard)
Date: Mon Aug 29 04:30:31 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] The Gambling Addict - William Raspberry - Washington Post
Message-ID: <4312F085.9050709@comcast.net>

The Gambling Addict

By William Raspberry
Monday, August 29, 2005; Page A15

"Come on, George. Let's leave this casino and go to bed. It's obviously 
not your night."

"Not now, honey. I think my strategy is starting to work. I haven't 
nailed the big one yet, but I've hit a few cherries, and that says to me 
the machine is starting to understand that I'm not going anywhere. You 
just wait -- my system is going to pay off."

"George, tell me you're not still listening to those friends of yours 
who sold you on this silly system. Most of them have never even been 
near a casino, let alone won any money in one. How can you fall for 
their crazy ideas?"

"Crazy? What's crazy about ending the tyranny of these evil slot 
machines? Do you have any idea what these machines have been doing to 
Americans and their families? Can you imagine what havoc and financial 
ruin they'll spread if we just let them go on spinning their seductive 
dreams? We've got to stop them, and I say now is the time and I'm the 
man to do it."

"But George, you've already lost 1,800 and more in this casino alone, 
not to mention the 223 you dropped down at the Taliban. We'll never 
recoup those losses. Why don't we just go to bed?"

"And dishonor the dollars we lost so far? I think we owe them something 
-- to finish the task that took their lives. Surely you're not asking me 
to cut and run now and abandon all those who put their faith in me. 
Don't you see I've got to stay the course? Not just for me but for the 
world."

"You're starting to sound like those neocon pals of yours. All we had to 
do, they said, was make a killing here at the Baghdad Bullion -- 'shock 
and awe,' they put it -- and the casino would cave. And not only that 
but the other casinos, seeing our power, would cave, too. They even 
claimed to have figured out a way that we wouldn't have to use our own 
money to do it. Well, George, it didn't work. The casino seems more 
dangerous than it ever was, and it is now attracting a bunch of really 
bad guys from all over the world."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/28/AR2005082801074.html
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From swiggard at comcast.net  Mon Aug 29 04:27:43 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (William Swiggard)
Date: Mon Aug 29 04:33:22 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] What To Ask Roberts - Cass R. Sunstein - Washington Post
Message-ID: <4312F12F.6020001@comcast.net>

What To Ask Roberts

By Cass R. Sunstein
Monday, August 29, 2005; Page A15

Judge John Roberts can hardly be counted as a stealth candidate for the 
Supreme Court. He served in significant positions in the White House and 
the Justice Department, and he has spent two years on the U.S. Court of 
Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. But in important ways, his public record 
is opaque. No one doubts that he is conservative, but it is not easy to 
say what kind of conservative he is. Does he have extremist tendencies, 
as some people fear, or is he conservative in the literal sense -- a 
skeptic about liberal activism who is devoted to stability in the law?

In recent weeks countless people have pored over his voluminous 
writings, but they have learned relatively little. As a young lawyer, 
Roberts was certainly to the right of center. And as an appeals court 
judge, he has raised questions about the constitutionality of some 
applications of the Endangered Species Act, voted to uphold the use of 
military tribunals to try suspected terrorists, and suggested that the 
president has broad authority to prevent federal courts from hearing a 
lawsuit brought by former U.S. prisoners of war against the Republic of 
Iraq. All of these positions are reasonable, and even taken as a whole 
his record does not clearly show what sort of Supreme Court justice he 
would be.

If the nation and the Senate want to learn more about Roberts's views, 
the confirmation hearings are the only opportunity. Many nominees have 
objected to specific questions that would require them to predict their 
votes about issues that might come before them. But a healthy 
confirmation process, firmly respecting that objection, could still shed 
a lot of helpful light on Roberts's views. It could also perform an 
indispensable educational service by enlightening the nation about 
current debates in constitutional law.

For example, Roberts is perfectly entitled to decline to say whether he 
would vote to overrule Roe v. Wade. But does he believe that the 
Constitution protects a general right of privacy? Judge Robert Bork, 
along with many others, has insisted that the Constitution protects no 
such right. This position would require the court to overrule cases 
recognizing the right to use contraceptives, to keep medical records 
private and to live with members of one's family. Does Roberts accept 
the privacy right?

Here's a broader question. Justices Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas 
believe in "originalism" -- the view that provisions of the Constitution 
should be interpreted to mean what they meant at the time they were 
ratified. When President Bush speaks of "strict construction," many 
people think that he means to endorse originalism. Is Roberts an 
originalist? Or does he think that the meaning of the Constitution 
evolves over time?

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/28/AR2005082801073.html?nav=hcmodule
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From swiggard at comcast.net  Mon Aug 29 04:31:07 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (William Swiggard)
Date: Mon Aug 29 04:36:47 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] And now, digital evolution - Lee Spector - Boston Globe
Message-ID: <4312F1FB.2030408@comcast.net>

And now, digital evolution

By Lee Spector  |  August 29, 2005

RECENT developments in computer science provide new perspective on 
''intelligent design," the view that life's complexity could only have 
arisen through the hand of an intelligent designer. These developments 
show that complex and useful designs can indeed emerge from random 
Darwinian processes.

Most scientists agree that the argument for intelligent design, which is 
over 200 years old, was put to rest by Darwin in 1859 and by the 
subsequent triumphs of 20th century biology. Nonetheless, President Bush 
recently advocated teaching intelligent design in schools along with 
evolutionary theory. School boards around the country, most notably in 
Kansas, are staking out similar positions. What can account for the 
persistence of this long-discredited idea?

Scientific illiteracy is certainly part of the explanation, but other 
factors are also at play. Prominent among them is the fact that 
discussions about evolution are usually discussions about the origins of 
the discussants themselves. We tend to hold our own species in high 
regard and to look down on random and mechanical processes. Our 
appreciation for the magnificence of humanity, and of all life, is well 
grounded but it may also blind us in ways that we are not blinded when 
studying rocks or electricity.

Thanks to technology, however, we can now explore evolution without 
discussing ourselves and without even discussing life. We can do this by 
building evolutionary processes into computer programs. When we do this 
we do not find that our appreciation for the magnificence of life is in 
any way diminished. Rather, we find that our appreciation for the power 
of evolution is amplified.

A growing sub-field of computer science is devoted to ''evolutionary 
computation." The user of such a system specifies the ingredients that 
can be used and how the ''goodness" of any particular design can be 
measured. The system then creates and tests thousands or millions of 
random combinations of the ingredients. The better combinations are 
allowed to produce ''children" by mutation (random changes) and 
recombination (random part-swapping). This often produces, after many 
generations, genuinely novel and useful designs and inventions.

http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2005/08/29/and_now_digital_evolution/
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From swiggard at comcast.net  Mon Aug 29 04:35:15 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (William Swiggard)
Date: Mon Aug 29 04:40:52 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Feminists have fixed the 'woman-hater' label to Roberts
 - Cathy Young - Boston Globe
Message-ID: <4312F2F3.2010502@comcast.net>

Feminists have fixed the 'woman-hater' label to Roberts

By Cathy Young  |  August 29, 2005

JOHN ROBERTS, the Bush Supreme Court nominee who has received the 
highest possible rating of ''well-qualified" from the American Bar 
Association, seems to have a unique talent for driving the feminist 
establishment to distraction.

First, there was the appalling ad by NARAL Pro-Choice America, charging 
that Roberts had filed court briefs supporting abortion-clinic bombers 
because he once argued that a federal law against conspiracies to deny 
equal rights to certain groups could not be used against nonviolent 
protesters at abortion clinics. (The Supreme Court eventually agreed, 
6-3). Even most abortion rights advocates were dismayed by this smear, 
and NARAL quickly withdrew the ad.

Then, after the National Archives released the memos Roberts wrote as a 
legal adviser in the Reagan White House in 1982-86, there were new 
discoveries of Roberts's crimes against womanhood. Horror of horrors, he 
opposed measures to promote equal pay! It turns out, though, that what 
Roberts actually opposed was ''comparable worth" -- a briefly popular 
doctrine which proposed equalizing pay in female-dominated jobs (e.g. 
laundry worker) and supposedly comparable male-dominated ones (e.g. 
truck driver).

In a letter to three Republican congresswomen who had backed this 
proposal, Roberts quite correctly characterized it as a ''radical 
redistributive concept" that ''mandates nothing less than central 
planning of the economy." The idea that bureaucrats, judges, and 
''experts" can determine fair pay is absurd -- particularly, as liberal 
commentator Michael Lind has pointed out on the TPMCafe website, in an 
ever-shifting job market and in an era of constant technological 
revolutions.

Roberts's other offenses? In 1983, reviewing a report on state-by-state 
initiatives to combat sex discrimination, he singled out several ideas 
as ''highly objectionable" -- among them, special tuition breaks for 
women at state colleges to compensate for their lower earnings (a scheme 
so harebrained and so blatantly discriminatory that it's amazing it was 
seriously considered) and preferential treatment for women and 
minorities during layoffs. Looks like Roberts believed that equality 
actually means -- well, equality. Oh, the beast.

http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2005/08/29/feminists_have_fixed_the_woman_hater_label_to_roberts/
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From harry.sifton at sympatico.ca  Mon Aug 29 06:42:50 2005
From: harry.sifton at sympatico.ca (Harry)
Date: Mon Aug 29 06:47:19 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] BBC E-mail: Iraq charter a 'recipe for chaos'
Message-ID: <20050829_134250_000939.harry.sifton@sympatico.ca>

Harry saw this story on BBC News Online and thought you
should see it.

** Message **
 It is just another typical SNAFU for Rumsfeld, Cheney and Bush!

** Iraq charter a 'recipe for chaos' **
Parts of Iraq's draft constitution could lead to chaos, warns the head of the Arab League, Amr Moussa.
< http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/fr/-/2/hi/middle_east/4194214.stm >


** BBC Daily E-mail **
Choose the news and sport headlines you want - when you want them, all
in one daily e-mail
< http://www.bbc.co.uk/dailyemail/ >


** Disclaimer **
The BBC is not responsible for the content of this e-mail, and anything written in this e-mail does not necessarily reflect the BBC's views or opinions. Please note that neither the e-mail address nor name of the sender have?been verified.

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From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Mon Aug 29 07:56:07 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (mblaxill@yahoo.com)
Date: Mon Aug 29 08:00:19 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] NYTimes.com: Greenspan and the Bubble
Message-ID: <20050829145607.96416249CC2@lax-gw08.mroute.net>

This page was sent to you by: mblaxill@yahoo.com.

OPINION | August 29, 2005
Op-Ed Columnist: Greenspan and the Bubble
By PAUL KRUGMAN
There's a rough ride ahead for the U.S. economy. And it's partly Alan Greenspan's fault.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/29/opinion/29krugman.html?ex=1125979200&en=382a6c2159c195bc&ei=5070&emc=eta1




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From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Mon Aug 29 07:58:09 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (mblaxill@yahoo.com)
Date: Mon Aug 29 08:02:29 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] =?iso-8859-1?q?NYTimes=2Ecom=3A_Ch=E1vez_May_Try_to_E?=
	=?iso-8859-1?q?xtradite_Robertson?=
Message-ID: <20050829145809.E799F24AE4F@lax-gw02.mroute.net>

This page was sent to you by: mblaxill@yahoo.com.

INTERNATIONAL / AMERICAS | August 29, 2005
Chávez May Try to Extradite Robertson
By REUTERS
President Hugo Chávez said that his government would take legal action against Pat Robertson after the American evangelist called for his assassination.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/29/international/americas/29venez.html?ex=1125979200&en=c8de2da74d402de5&ei=5070&emc=eta1



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From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Mon Aug 29 08:00:51 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (mblaxill@yahoo.com)
Date: Mon Aug 29 08:05:09 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] NYTimes.com: In the Struggle Over the Iraq War,
	Women Are on the Front Line
Message-ID: <20050829150051.C8BDD249C56@lax-gw08.mroute.net>

This page was sent to you by: mblaxill@yahoo.com.

WASHINGTON | August 29, 2005
White House Letter: In the Struggle Over the Iraq War, Women Are on the Front Line
By ELISABETH BUMILLER
Mothers and widows of men killed in Iraq were the most vocal leaders of antiwar protests in Texas, Idaho and Utah that dogged President Bush last week.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/29/politics/29letter.html?ex=1125979200&en=3682ea79ca34eeb7&ei=5070&emc=eta1



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From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Mon Aug 29 08:02:49 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (mblaxill@yahoo.com)
Date: Mon Aug 29 08:07:03 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] NYTimes.com: Book Says Alan Lomax Neglected Black
	Scholars
Message-ID: <20050829150249.3ADCC24AEAE@lax-gw02.mroute.net>

This page was sent to you by: mblaxill@yahoo.com.

BOOKS | August 29, 2005
Book Says Alan Lomax Neglected Black Scholars
By MARC WEINGARTEN
A new book asserts that the American folklorist gave short shrift to the work of scholars who accompanied him on travels through the South in the 1930's and 40's.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/29/books/29loma.html?ex=1125979200&en=4a5ec940f299d298&ei=5070&emc=eta1



----------------- Advertisement --------------------------

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one Best Picture.  What did the original New York
Times movie reviews have to say about these Oscar
winning films?  
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From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Mon Aug 29 08:05:29 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (mblaxill@yahoo.com)
Date: Mon Aug 29 08:09:42 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] NYTimes.com: Roof of Superdome Is Pierced in 2 Places
Message-ID: <20050829150529.E00CC9FC64@lax-gw05.mroute.net>

This page was sent to you by: mblaxill@yahoo.com.

NATIONAL | August 29, 2005
Roof of Superdome Is Pierced in 2 Places
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
NEW ORLEANS (AP) -- Hurricane Katrina ripped away part of the roof on the Louisiana Superdome as thousands of storm refugees huddled inside Monday.
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/national/AP-Katrina-Superdome.html?ex=1125979200&en=a681b07b5fb5b96c&ei=5070&emc=eta1



----------------- Advertisement --------------------------

The Academy loved these movies enough to name each
one Best Picture.  What did the original New York
Times movie reviews have to say about these Oscar
winning films?  
Go to the Best Pictures review archive:

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From hecate at diamonddragon.com  Mon Aug 29 08:08:18 2005
From: hecate at diamonddragon.com (Hecate)
Date: Mon Aug 29 08:12:33 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] BBC E-mail: Boost to CO2 mass extinction idea
Message-ID: <20050829_150818_025922.hecate@diamonddragon.com>

Hecate saw this story on BBC News Online and thought you
should see it.



** Boost to CO2 mass extinction idea **
A computer simulation of the Earth's climate 250 million years ago suggests that global warming triggered the so-called "great dying".
< http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/fr/-/2/hi/science/nature/4184110.stm >


** BBC Daily E-mail **
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< http://www.bbc.co.uk/dailyemail/ >


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From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Mon Aug 29 08:09:28 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (mblaxill@yahoo.com)
Date: Mon Aug 29 08:13:47 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Headlines for August 29, 2005
Message-ID: <20050829150928.28293.qmail@trinity.democracynow.org>

Mike Blaxill  ( mblaxill@yahoo.com )
sent you this story from democracynow.org



+--------------------------------------------------------------------+
|  Headlines for August 29, 2005
|  http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=05/08/29/145203
+--------------------------------------------------------------------+


- Hundreds of Thousands of New Orleans Residents Flee Hurricane
- Officials Fear New Orleans Will Turn Into Toxic Lake
- National Guard Equipment in Iraq, Not Louisiana 
- Shiites and Kurds Agree on Constitution; Sunnis Reject Text
- Reuters Sound Technician Killed by U.S. Troops in Iraq
- Pentagon Official Demoted After Criticizing Halliburton Deal
- NYPD Arrest 49 At Critical Mass Bike Ride
This story continues at: 
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=05/08/29/145203

From michael at intrafi.com  Mon Aug 29 09:44:43 2005
From: michael at intrafi.com (michael@intrafi.com)
Date: Mon Aug 29 09:48:58 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] FT.com / Comment & analysis / Comment - World fiddles as
	North Caucasus simmers 
Message-ID: <3367800.1125333883437.JavaMail.tomcat@localhost>



*Please note, the sender's email address has not been verified.



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From michael at intrafi.com  Mon Aug 29 09:45:51 2005
From: michael at intrafi.com (michael@intrafi.com)
Date: Mon Aug 29 09:50:07 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] FT.com / Middle East & Africa / Iraq - Sunnis at odds as
	parliament backs Iraq constitution
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From michael at intrafi.com  Mon Aug 29 09:46:38 2005
From: michael at intrafi.com (michael@intrafi.com)
Date: Mon Aug 29 09:50:53 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] FT.com / Home UK - Greenspan warns on US housing market 
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From michael at intrafi.com  Mon Aug 29 09:47:43 2005
From: michael at intrafi.com (michael@intrafi.com)
Date: Mon Aug 29 09:51:57 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] FT.com / Comment & analysis / Analysis - US split over
	rising illegal immigration
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From ean at sbcglobal.net  Sun Aug 28 21:59:11 2005
From: ean at sbcglobal.net (ean@sbcglobal.net)
Date: Mon Aug 29 09:52:52 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Get your environews headlines heah......!
Message-ID: <E1E9mo7-0005Xk-SE@smtpauth08.mail.atl.earthlink.net>

FOR THIS RELIEF MUCH TANKS
Big SUVs likely to keep guzzling gas under forthcoming fuel-economy plan

The Bush administration is said to be abandoning efforts to set
fuel-economy standards for huge SUVs like the Hummer H2 and Ford
Excursion, which fall outside the weight classes covered by current
standards. Those concerned about the warming globe, skyrocketing gas
prices, and foreign-oil dependence have long chafed at the loophole, but,
well, Big Auto has more lobbyists than they do. American automakers say
such standards would damage their shaky bottom lines. The administration
is poised to release its new plan for auto fuel-economy standards later
this month; it will be the first major rewrite of the rules since the
1970s. The plan had been expected to regulate well-hung gas guzzlers
weighing in excess of 8,500 pounds for the first time, but insiders now
say that's unlikely. Once it's officially released, the plan will be open
to public comment.

straight to the source: The New York Times, Danny Hakim, 16 Aug 2005
<http://grist.org/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=5590>


A NO LIFE ON LEASE
Court ruling blocks new oil drilling off California coast

New oil and gas drilling off the California coast has been effectively
thwarted, thanks to a federal court ruling last Friday. U.S. District
Judge Claudia Wilken ordered federal officials not to extend leases to
energy companies on 36 central-coast tracts until environmental risks have
been more fully assessed, a process that's likely to take years. The U.S.
Minerals Management Service has been extending the leases for more than 15
years over the objections of state officials. Ten green groups filed suit
after the MMS announced in February that extending them again would not
cause significant ecological harm -- after rather selectively analyzing
only pre-drilling activities, like surveys, while excluding predictable
next steps like exploratory drilling, building platforms, and pumping oil.
A similar situation in Florida led the feds to buy back offshore oil
leases for $235 million, at the special request of Gov. Jeb Bush (R). But
negotiations for a California buyback have stalled. Perhaps the Governator
is distracted by other matters?

straight to the source: Los Angeles Times, Kenneth R. Weiss, 13 Aug 2005
<http://grist.org/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=5591

SMOKEY AND MIRRORS
Feds cut estimated economic worth of recreation in national forests 

During the Clinton administration, the U.S. Forest Service estimated that
by the year 2000, recreation in national forests would contribute about
$111 billion a year to the American economy. Now the Bush administration
has slashed that estimate by a whopping $100 billion for 2002, down to $11
billion. According to agency officials, Clinton-era estimates of 800
million visits a year to national forests were inflated -- instead, they
say 2002 saw about 200 million visits. Conservationists were nonplussed,
noting that in 2001 the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service estimated birders
and wildlife watchers alone spend $38 billion yearly on equipment and
travel. Some fear the feds are gearing their analysis to justify more
mining and logging in national forests. "Would I expect anything different
from the Bush administration?" asked the Wilderness Society's Michael
Francis. "No. They will cook the books for whatever they want."

straight to the source: The Washington Post, Juliet Eilperin, 15 Aug 2005
<http://grist.org/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=5589>

GO TRUCK YOURSELF
Bush admin unveils weak new fuel-economy rules for light trucks

The Bush administration surveyed the landscape -- gas prices rising, fears
of oil dependence spreading -- and concluded that bold leadership was
required. So it invaded an oil-rich country. Heh, well ... on to Plan B!
Yesterday, the administration proposed a new set of auto fuel-economy
rules. Tightening the standard for passenger cars? Uh, no, that would stay
at an average of 27.5 miles per gallon. Finally imposing some requirements
on mega-SUVs like the Hummer H2? Wrong again. Instead, most SUVs, 
pickups,
and minivans would be divided into six categories based on size, each with
its own fuel-economy requirements. The administration says the plan would
increase the average mileage of these vehicles a whopping 2.8 mpg by 2011,
to 24 mpg. Amazing but true! Despite the obvious logic of the plan, it has
critics, some of whom point out that it would actually provide an
incentive for auto manufacturers to make their light trucks larger, so
they'd be bumped into categories with lower mileage standards. "The
proposal is almost embarrassing in terms of its effect on fuel
consumption," said Eric Haxthausen of Environmental Defense.

straight to the source: The New York Times, Danny Hakim and John M.
Broder, 24 Aug 2005 <http://grist.org/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=5643>

straight to the source: The Washington Post, Margaret Webb Pressler, 24
Aug 2005 <http://grist.org/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=5644>


BREED BETWEEN THE LINES
World population heading rapidly toward 7 billion

The global population will reach 7 billion by about 2012 and continue to
rise for many decades, according to a new report from the Population
Reference Bureau, a private research organization. "Almost 99 percent of
population growth today and for the foreseeable future will be in ...
developing countries," said Carl Haub, a demographer with the bureau. In
contrast, birthrates are declining in many developed countries, a trend
that could ultimately lead to wealthy nations having less money to spend
on foreign aid for poorer nations, according to Haub. In the U.S., though,
fertility rates are holding steady and population is expected to rise from
296 million today to 420 million by 2050, meaning the nation would hold
onto its status as the world's third most-populous country.  India is
expected to overtake China and assume the No. 1 slot by the middle of the
century. 

straight to the source: San Francisco Chronicle, Associated Press, Harry
Dunphy, 23 Aug 2005 <http://grist.org/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=5641>

straight to the source: Hindustan Times, 23 Aug 2005
<http://grist.org/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=5642>

straight to the report: 2005 World Population Data Sheet
<http://grist.org/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=5646>


RAIDER OF THE LAST PARKS
Proposal to change national-park rules stirring up controversy

National parks are cool and all, but you know what they really need? More
people on cell phones! That -- along with more snowmobiling and
off-roading -- could happen under revisions to National Park Service
policy proposed by Bush appointee Paul Hoffman, deputy assistant secretary
of the interior. His plan, leaked to the press this week, would cut back
on environmental protections on numerous fronts, from allowing cell-phone
towers to reducing air quality standards to permitting more mining and
grazing. While the Department of Interior is trying to cast the proposal
as a mere effort at dialogue, past and present National Park Service
employees aren't buying it. A group of 400 NPS retirees has announced a
campaign to block the changes, and current directors are openly voicing
dismay over them. Says J. T. Reynolds, superintendent of Death Valley
National Park, "They are changing the whole nature of who we are and what
we have been. I hope the public understands that this is a threat to their
heritage."

straight to the source: Los Angeles Times, Julie Cart, 26 Aug 2005
<http://grist.org/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=5654>

AND MILES TO GO BEFORE I NEPA
U.S. government sued over climate impacts of overseas energy projects

U.S. efforts to find fossil-fuel supplies overseas will create significant
climate disruption, harming not only people in those countries but folks
at home, according to a lawsuit filed against the federal government by a
coalition of green groups and U.S. cities. Ranging from Greenpeace to the
city of Oakland, Calif., coalition members want fossil-fuel development
projects in developing nations on five continents to be halted while their
impacts are assessed under the National Environmental Policy Act. The Bush
administration tried to have the suit dismissed, but U.S. District Judge
Jeffrey White recently ruled it could proceed. White found that coalition
members had shown sufficient evidence that their "concrete interests" are
threatened by the projects, and that the risks might be meliorated if the
environmental studies are performed. Oakland, for instance, is concerned
about future flooding, storm surges, and drought. The Bush administration
has not yet decided whether to appeal.

straight to the source: The Sacramento Bee, Claire Cooper, 25 Aug 2005
<http://grist.org/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=5648>

-- 
You are currently on Mha Atma's Earth Action Network email list, 
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From ean at sbcglobal.net  Sun Aug 28 21:59:11 2005
From: ean at sbcglobal.net (ean@sbcglobal.net)
Date: Mon Aug 29 09:53:03 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Oppose John Roberts' confirmation
Message-ID: <E1E9moQ-0005u9-Rw@smtpauth08.mail.atl.earthlink.net>

Oppose John Roberts' confirmation.  sign petition to your Senators at
http://petition.savethecourt.org/fwd/campaigns/savethecourt/register/5a
95b2b8f69f68d030fc2e797e4e56b2/
-- 
You are currently on Mha Atma's Earth Action Network email list, 
option D (up to 3 emails/day).  To be removed, or to switch options 
(option A - 1x/week, option B - 3/wk, option C - up to 1x/day, option D - 
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From jefbek at mindspring.com  Mon Aug 29 11:33:33 2005
From: jefbek at mindspring.com (Jef Bek)
Date: Mon Aug 29 11:38:55 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Japan Times: Pat Robertson gives religion a black eye
Message-ID: <BF38A30D.EAC%jefbek@mindspring.com>

THE JAPAN TIMES: Aug. 29, 2005

Pat Robertson gives religion a black eye

By CESAR CHELALA
Special to The Japan Times

NEW YORK -- Statements broadcast last week by television evangelist and
former U.S. presidential candidate Pat Robertson throw a disturbing light on
the influence of religion in American politics. Robertson told his audience
that American agents should assassinate Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez to
stop his country from becoming a "launching pad for communist infiltration
and Muslim extremism."

Talking on the Christian Broadcast Network, Robertson remarked that the
United States doesn't need another $200 billion war to get rid of a
strong-arm dictator; some covert operatives could easily do that job.
"This," he said, "is a lot cheaper than starting a war."

In the past few years Chavez has become one of the most outspoken critics of
U.S. President George W. Bush's policies, and has accused Bush on repeated
occasions of trying to assassinate him, a charge that U.S. officials call
ridiculous. By contrast, Robertson said the Lord has blessed Bush, and "it
doesn't make any difference what he does, good or bad. God picks him up
because he is a man of prayer and God is blessing him."

Robertson has made equally dangerous and irresponsible remarks in the past.
In 2003 he suggested that the State Department should be blown up with a
nuclear device, and stated that feminism makes women "kill their children,
practice witchcraft, destroy capitalism and become lesbians."

Who is Chavez and what has he done to incur Robertson's wrath? Although one
may dislike his vociferous and authoritarian style, it is obvious that
Chavez has more support from the poor and dispossessed in his country than
any other Venezuelan president in recent memory. After clearly winning his
re-election, he embarked on a pro Latin-American crusade that won him
popular support in several countries on the continent.

Although one may dislike his strident behavior, he has carried out important
economic cooperation agreements with Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay, among
others.

Venezuela is the world's fifth largest oil exporter, with the U.S. market
absorbing almost 60 percent of Venezuela's exports. Chavez has taken
advantage of his country's enormous oil reserves to improve the economic
status of the poor in his country. Chavez's government is the only one in
Latin America pursuing an ambitious land and agrarian reform program.

Chavez is as disliked by the elites in Venezuela as by members of the Bush
administration, many of whom have been favorite targets of Chavez' scorn. At
her Senate confirmation hearings in January, U.S. Secretary of State
Condoleezza Rice accused Chavez of meddling in the affairs of Venezuela's
neighboring countries, a charge recently repeated by U.S. Secretary of
Defense Donald Rumsfeld during his visit to Latin America.

Although Chavez is not exempt from charges of economically favoring his
allies, he has used oil revenues to finance infrastructure development,
conduct literacy programs and create scores of small-scale workers'
cooperatives in agriculture and other sectors.

Venezuela's state oil company, Petroleos de Venezuela, spent more than $3.7
billion in 2004 in housing for the poor, free medical clinics, schools and
literacy programs. More than 1.2 million adults have learned how to read
since Chavez came into office, and the country now has one of the highest
literacy rates (93.4 percent) in the hemisphere.

Dislike for Chavez among Venezuela's elites has to do with his curtailing
their benefits. It may also be due to his being of a darker color (he has
been called by them "monkey" or "Negro") than the ruling classes, who are
mainly white. Chavez's concern for the poor is obviously ignored by
Robertson, who claims to be a defender of Christian values. His statements
that Chavez should be assassinated are not only unworthy of a religious
person; they also give religion a bad name.

Cesar Chelala, a medical doctor, is an award-winning writer on human rights
issues. 


From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Mon Aug 29 14:31:28 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (Mike Blaxill)
Date: Mon Aug 29 14:35:44 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Hugo Chavez: A Walk in the Footsteps of Arbenz, Allende
Message-ID: <20050829213128.76125.qmail@web53012.mail.yahoo.com>

http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/082905G.shtml?

Hugo Chavez: A Walk in the Footsteps of Arbenz,
Allende
????By Dr. Rosa Maria Pegueros
????Common Dreams


????Monday 29 August 2005


????For more than forty years, Cuban leader Fidel
Castro has been the target of countless United
States- and CIA-sponsored assassination attempts.
I shudder to think what might have happened if
Cuba had been endowed with large reserves of oil.
Venezuela's president Hugo Chavez may learn the
consequences of such a blessing very soon.


????If television evangelist Pat Robertson's
controversial statements suggesting that the U.S.
send in a covert operative to take out Chavez
were not just the words of a madman but a trial
balloon floated for the administration, the
firestorm that met them should stay the
president's hand even though, in the bellicose
preacher's words, "It is cheaper than starting
another $200 billion war to get rid of one, you
know, strong-arm dictator. . .and I don't think
any oil shipments will stop.


????We may have "the ability to take him out, and
I think the time has come that we exercise that
ability," as Robertson says, but with the
administration's wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and
its saber-rattling towards Korea and Iran, one
would think Bush has his hands full.


????Hugo Chavez has set up medical clinics in the
poorest neighborhoods in his country, staffing
them with Cuban doctors, not that that United
States has offered any medical assistance. He has
created school music programs that have resulted
in lower street crime and a resurgence of
classical music: The would-be delinquents are
spending their time practicing the violin instead
of knocking over old ladies. The nerve of that
guy! Wasting our money-or at least the money we
pay for oil from Venezuela-on such effete
solutions to social problems!


????More to the point, his administration has
kept entrepreneurs from controlling the oil
industry and sucking out all the profits to make
themselves wealthy. Chavez has kept a tight rein
on it, reinvesting the money for the benefit of
the Venezuelan people. He has successfully
responded to the needs of its citizens in ways
that have made his socialist ideas very popular;
the people have elected him twice and overcome a
coup against him.


????The proper role of the government is to
protect and make the best use of a nation's
resources for its citizens. There is nothing in
our Constitution about making the most money for
a politician's supporters. In fact, the
Constitution specifically mandates that we
"promote the general Welfare." There's nothing
communist about it.


????The United States has a number of genuine
problems with Hugo Chavez. First of all,
government control of the oil industry shuts out
entrepreneurs and foreign investors-think of
Standard Oil, Gulf Oil, and Exxon. Secondly, it
has the second largest oil reserve in the
Americas. Canada, with 171 billion barrels of oil
is first, though second in the world to Saudi
Arabia. According to the U.S. Energy Information
Administration, Venezuela holds the ninth place
in oil reserves with 77 billion barrels of oil.
It is also extremely important to the U.S. in
part because of its proximity. Recently, we have
purchased more of Venezuela's oil than anyone
has.


????Chavez's trolling for other markets threatens
America's access to Venezuelan oil even more
though both he and his representatives have been
very clear that they are not planning to reduce
exports to the U.S. Considering the presumably
diminishing Saudi Arabian oil reserves, as well
as China's and our increasing demand for oil,
this is not an abstract threat except, he says,
if we attempt to assassinate or overthrow him.


????The Saudis, possessors of the largest oil
reserves in the world are extremely secretive
about the amount of oil still available in their
reserves. The U.S. government estimates that they
have 261 billion barrels of oil but we cannot
know for sure. They have good reason to play
their cards so close to the vest: If they were to
confirm that they are approaching their peak of
production, it might spur the west to serious
efforts to create alternative forms of fuel such
as solar, wind and nuclear power. If those forms
were to become widely available, it could cut
into the Saudi market. It makes one wonder if
Iran's claim that it is developing nuclear power
because it is an alternative form of power is
true. While Iran holds the world's fourth largest
reserve of oil, with 126 billion barrels of oil,
it would be exercising a rare form of prescience
in planning for a future when that oil will be
gone.


????Aside from America's concerns about oil,
Chavez has made a number of pronouncements that
have irritated the administration and its
friends. He has responded strongly to rumors that
the U.S. is planning to invade Venezuela saying
that he would stand up to any such invasion. Just
what would Bush expect him to say?


????Venezuela is right to publicize these rumors.
If Cuba's experience with the Bay of Pigs
invasion, the Cuban missile crisis and subsequent
assassination attempts on Castro; the
CIA-sponsored coups against Arbenz in Guatemala
in 1954 and against Allende in Chile in 1972 are
any measure of our government's willingness to
disregard international law for our own ends,
Chavez cannot take these rumors lightly
particularly with the trigger-happy Bush at the
helm.


????It is not just the history of American
state-sponsored terrorism about which Venezuela
is justified in worrying but the arrogant
expectation that any government or leader that
disagrees with us poses a risk to the American
way of life. Latin American leaders are
especially endangered.


????As Pat Robertson observed, "We have the
Monroe Doctrine, and we have other doctrines that
we have announced, and without question, this is
a dangerous enemy to our south, controlling a
huge pool of oil that could hurt us very badly.


????President Franklin Delano Roosevelt
officially repudiated the Monroe Doctrine in 1934
ending U.S. interventionism in Latin America and
replacing it with his "Good Neighbor" policy.
Those damnable Democrats! But remember that
President Gerald Ford issued an Executive Order
that banned U.S. government agents from
assassinating foreign leaders.


????In September 2001, in the wake of the attacks
on the World Trade Center, President Bush
rescinded that order and lowered the standard of
proof for assassinations to those merely
"suspected" of being terrorists. But long before
George W. Bush became president the U.S had
disregarded its Good Neighbor policy with
interventions in Guatemala, Nicaragua, Panama,
and the Dominican Republic, to name a few.


????Golda Meir famously said, "Even paranoids
have enemies." Whatever mainstream America may
think of Hugo Chavez, he is right to be wary.


????--------

????Dr. Rosa Maria Pegueros is an associate
professor of history at the University of Rhode
Island. She may be reached at pegueros@uri.edu.
From ialterman at nyc.rr.com  Mon Aug 29 14:53:48 2005
From: ialterman at nyc.rr.com (Ian)
Date: Mon Aug 29 14:57:56 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Tit for Tat?
Message-ID: <003a01c5ace4$234347e0$99ca6c42@iancn2ccrvzt0j>

Republicans (and their supporters, like Pat Robertson) are quick to claim "God's wrath" when disasters befall Democrats, or anything in "blue" states.

Would I then be within my right to say that Hurricane Katrina is the "wrath of God" against obnoxious, self-righteous Republicans like Governor Haley Barbour of Mississippi (former chair of the Republican National Committee, among other atrocities), Governor Kathleen Blanco of Louisiana, U.S. Senators David Vitter (R) and Mary Landrieu ((D), but fully supporting Roberts' nomination to the Supreme Court) of Louisiana, and U.S. Senators Thad Cochran (R) and the highly beloved Trent Lott (R) of Mississippi?

A pox (or maybe just some toxic sludge from the New Orleans area) on all their houses...LOL

Peace.
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From harry.sifton at sympatico.ca  Mon Aug 29 15:09:17 2005
From: harry.sifton at sympatico.ca (Harry)
Date: Mon Aug 29 15:13:31 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Yahoo! News Story - Priest John Smith fed up with no-fly
	list - Yahoo! News
Message-ID: <20050829220918.3AAD2A1008@lax-gw09.mroute.net>

Harry (harry.sifton@sympatico.ca) has sent you a news article. 
(Email address has not been verified.)
------------------------------------------------------------
Personal message:



Priest John Smith fed up with no-fly list - Yahoo! News

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20050829/wl_canada_afp/canadausairtravel

============================================================
Yahoo! News 
http://news.yahoo.com/

From barbarasiomos38 at msn.com  Mon Aug 29 15:41:28 2005
From: barbarasiomos38 at msn.com (Barbara Siomos)
Date: Mon Aug 29 15:45:43 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] US Forces Kill Reuters Journalist
Message-ID: <BAY5-DAV185657DE5E0B34CA89814FABAF0@phx.gbl>

Truthout ~ US Forces Kill Reuters Journalist
    Reuters

    Monday 29 August 2005

    Baghdad - A soundman working for Reuters Television was shot dead Sunday in Baghdad, and a cameraman with him was wounded and then detained by United States soldiers. An Iraqi police report, read to Reuters by an Interior Ministry official, said the two had been shot by American forces.

    A United States military spokesman, Lt. Col. Steven A. Boylan, said the incident was being investigated, and an official statement indicated that the Americans were responding to an attack on an Iraqi police convoy when the journalists were shot.

    The death brings to 66 the number of journalists and their aides killed in Iraq since the start of the invasion in 2003, said Reporters Without Borders, a Paris-based news media rights group. That surpasses the 63 journalists killed over 20 years of conflict in Vietnam, the group said.

    The soundman, Waleed Khaled, 35, was struck by a bullet to the face and at least four to the chest as he drove to investigate a report from police sources of an incident involving police officers and gunmen in the Hay al-Adil district in western Baghdad.

    Reuters colleagues who arrived shortly after the attack said that the wounded cameraman, Haider Kadhem, said, "I heard shooting, looked up and saw an American sniper on the roof of the shopping center."

    He was detained by United States troops and remained in custody 12 hours later, despite requests by Reuters that he be freed to receive medical attention for a wound in his back.

    Two Iraqi colleagues who arrived on the scene minutes after the shooting were detained, but soon released.

    The United States military statement said: "Task Force Baghdad units responded to a terrorist attack on an Iraqi Police convoy around 11:20 a.m. Aug. 28 in central Baghdad, which killed and wounded several Iraqi police. One civilian was killed and another was wounded by small-arms fire during the attack.

    "After discovering an abandoned car with explosives material, weapons and a cellphone, units began searching the area for the terror suspects who were believed to have fled on foot."

    Mr. Khaled had worked for Reuters for two years. He is survived by a wife and daughter. David Schlesinger, Reuters global managing editor, said: "This tragic incident must immediately be investigated thoroughly and impartially." 

 


From: Truthout

From harry.sifton at sympatico.ca  Mon Aug 29 16:24:06 2005
From: harry.sifton at sympatico.ca (Harold Sifton)
Date: Mon Aug 29 16:28:30 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] The Oil Game
Message-ID: <000801c5acf0$c33d2520$8e27e440@Harold>

The Oil Game , by Gwynne Dyer

http://www.gwynnedyer.net/articles/Gwynne%20Dyer%20article_%20%20The%20Oil%20Game.txt

Harry
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From harry.sifton at sympatico.ca  Tue Aug 30 00:13:08 2005
From: harry.sifton at sympatico.ca (Harry)
Date: Mon Aug 29 17:17:23 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] A WorldNetDaily.com article from
	harry.sifton@sympatico.ca
Message-ID: <20050829200603.15C4AA0051@new.worldnetdaily.com>

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From michael at intrafi.com  Mon Aug 29 17:37:33 2005
From: michael at intrafi.com (michael@intrafi.com)
Date: Mon Aug 29 17:41:49 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] michael wants you to see this. 
Message-ID: <200508300037.j7U0bX9O016727@server1.truthout.org>



michael thought you would like this site.

http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/082905O.shtml

ApplyRefer v2.3



From paulg at bltomato.com  Mon Aug 29 11:44:18 2005
From: paulg at bltomato.com (Paul Gremmler)
Date: Mon Aug 29 18:43:18 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Fwd: SOAPBOX: All is one
Message-ID: <E1E9uAi-0003pm-Th@smtpauth08.mail.atl.earthlink.net>


 HOW ARE YOU?

http://www.globalcommunity.org/flash/wombat.shtml








THE LESSER PANDA



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From reuteb at austin.rr.com  Mon Aug 29 09:02:54 2005
From: reuteb at austin.rr.com (reute)
Date: Mon Aug 29 19:47:08 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Fwd: Matthew message
References: <e076f55c612cd07bdf54997bd7bb72cf@earthlink.net>
Message-ID: <E1E9w5G-00088U-Rh@smtpauth09.mail.atl.earthlink.net>




> This is worth reading al the way through. We need to hang in there  
> with love and light. It is to stay with this within myself that I  
> do not read the paper or listen to the news, which is manufactured  
> to a large degree to create the atmosphere of fear which allows  
> darkness to gain strength. There is no such thing as "this is just  
> the way it is." We can and do change our circumstances, personal,  
> global and even universal, by holding love in our hearts, by  
> reflecting love even if we are afraid.

Love and Light, Reute
>
>>>> ----- Original Message -----
>>>> Sent: Monday, August 15, 2005 10:25 PM
>>>> Subject: Matthew message
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Suzanne Ward, Matthew's Mother:  Matthew, I?m here to take your  
>>>> message.

>>>> In these troubled hours on Earth, we can see from our vantage  
>>>> point what you cannot from yours: the bright dawn of peace and  
>>>> love at your doorstep.  Stay the course toward this world on  
>>>> your near horizon, our beloved family, knowing that light beings  
>>>> throughout the universe are helping to speed your journey.

>>>>
>>>> MATTHEW:  Mother, thank you on behalf of the host of souls in  
>>>> whose company I am.  Once again I have been requested by light  
>>>> beings at this universal viewing station to speak for us all.   
>>>> We are here to inform you of potential events and urge you to  
>>>> stay steadfast in the light?do not give in to fear!
>>>>
>>>> In my last message I spoke of the Illuminati?s desperation as  
>>>> they keep seeing their power ebbing and the madness that has  
>>>> permeated them to such extent that despite all logic, they are  
>>>> determined to wage war on still another front.  I also said that  
>>>> in the field of potential, energy momentum toward an invasion of  
>>>> Iran had moved from ?possibility? status to ?probability.?  As  
>>>> devoutly as we wish we could tell you that status has reversed  
>>>> course, or even remained steady, we now can see that neither is  
>>>> a likely outcome.
>>>>
>>>> We are NOT saying that invading Iran is cast in stone!  We are  
>>>> saying that it will take a monumental light effort to prevent  
>>>> it, and it is within your power to do this!  Due to the  
>>>> successful fright tactics of mainstream media particularly in  
>>>> the United States, the former intensity of light being generated  
>>>> by peace-loving peoples around the world has been dimmed by the  
>>>> ever encroaching fear.  At the same time some headlines blare  
>>>> Iran?s proceeding with nuclear development programs and the  
>>>> possibility that the US government will counter that with its  
>>>> nuclear power, other headlines are revisiting the terror of  
>>>> ?9/11? and reporting ?intelligence? information about imminent  
>>>> terrorist threats in mainland United States.
>>>> Cheney and others lied about the reasons for needing to invade  
>>>> Iraq.  Because their efforts to date have been futile in  
>>>> squashing the legal proceedings, regardless of the obvious.
>>>>
>>>> It is recognized there that fear paralyzes, and the Illuminati  
>>>> media controllers?willing puppets of the off-planet dark entities 
>>>> ?are promulgating fear-filled news. The off-planet dark ones  
>>>> know that the energy of fear establishes a barrier between souls  
>>>> and light, and even more than before, alienating you from the  
>>>> light is their thrust.  The light has dimmed even in you who are  
>>>> praying for and working toward peace but have become fearful  
>>>> about a new warfront and catastrophic terrorism, and accordingly  
>>>> you cannot absorb the light being beamed to you by your space  
>>>> family.
>>>>
>>>> It was the former brilliance of light on your planet that kept  
>>>> the field of potential war status at ?possibility??the status of  
>>>> thought forms about any and every kind of condition or situation? 
>>>> and it was the amount of light reduction that moved that status  
>>>> to ?probability.?  At this point, the energy momentum of the  
>>>> dark has progressed to where attacks upon Iran can be avoided  
>>>> only by prompt elimination of the powerful fear that has  
>>>> infiltrated peoples around the world.  The energy attachments of  
>>>> fear are fuel for the dark ones?at the same time that light loss  
>>>> from fear is debilitating you, it is empowering them.
>>>>
>>>> This intensive fear-producing effort was not necessary prior to  
>>>> the invasion of Iraq.  Opposition to that was present, yes, but  
>>>> once the fear of global terrorism initiated by ?9/11? subsided,  
>>>> there came a complacency that released the fear energy.  That  
>>>> long-intended invasion?planned years before ?9/11,? which itself  
>>>> was part of the plan?proceeded with the support of those who  
>>>> were beguiled into believing the fraudulent reasons relentlessly  
>>>> put forth by the leaders of the US and British governments.
>>>>
>>>> Growing awareness about the deceit underlying that war and the  
>>>> unanticipated strength of Iraqi opposition to occupation, which  
>>>> has produced many more troop deaths and injuries and much  
>>>> greater loss of fighting equipment and supplies than estimated,  
>>>> make war expansion raving lunacy.  Lunacy is the state of mind  
>>>> of those who are determined to press forward.  Growing awareness  
>>>> on another front is impelling their continuance of a world  
>>>> control plan gone terribly awry: the still unpublicized  
>>>> indictments with undeniable evidence that President Bush, Vice  
>>>> President Chaney risks in spreading so thinly the available  
>>>> fighting forces, the Bush camp is obsessed with moving into Iran  
>>>> before the indictment documents become public knowledge. They  
>>>> are convinced that soon they will control most of the world?s  
>>>> oil, which will assure victory in obtaining all else they  
>>>> desire, and neither their nation?s laws nor world opinion will  
>>>> matter.
>>>>
>>>> That conviction in itself shows how far lunacy has overtaken  
>>>> Bush and his endorsers because they know that a military move  
>>>> into Iran would be met by serious opposition.  Whereas once the  
>>>> powerful Illuminati was unified in intent to proceed steadily  
>>>> toward global domination, the egos that arose split the force  
>>>> into two factions that have been waging an internal struggle for  
>>>> that prize, as they see it.  Both have CIA ?black ops? agents  
>>>> within their camps, and terrorist acts have been committed by  
>>>> both.  These have aided both factions insofar as the resultant  
>>>> fear and other negativity, but at this point, it is all-out  
>>>> internal war, and that is why an invasion of Iran would bring  
>>>> into the fray an opposing force that the conquest of Iraq did  
>>>> not.  The non-Bush faction was quite content to let their  
>>>> opponent faction rush into Iraq and become continually weaker as  
>>>> that non-Bush faction supplied willing Iraqis with weapons and  
>>>> their CIA terrorists? acts contributed to keeping the battles  
>>>> going.  Thus, what only appears to be US aggression is actually  
>>>> Illuminati infighting for the same goal.
>>>>
>>>> It is logical to think: Does it matter which faction is dominant  
>>>> if both have the same intention?  It does only in the very short  
>>>> term as to what may ensue in the Mideast.  With all of their  
>>>> strongholds crumbling beyond repair, particularly in banking and  
>>>> economic areas and their influence in governments, the once-all  
>>>> powerful Illuminati is steadily disintegrating.  Many within its  
>>>> ranks have defected and become light warriors.  It is only those  
>>>> at the peak who are orchestrating the Mideast situation.
>>>>
>>>> Strategically publicizing this as leading to World War III, and  
>>>> possibly a nuclear war at that, is the most successful of the  
>>>> fear factors.  We tell you: There will be NO nuclear war!  There  
>>>> will be no Third World War!  At most there would be a very  
>>>> temporary clash of the military forces commanded by the two  
>>>> Illuminati factions?anything beyond that would fall within God?s  
>>>> honoring Earth?s free will choice that no more acts of death and  
>>>> destruction on the scale of ?9/11? shall occur.  If that clash  
>>>> does take place, you will see troops on both sides refusing to  
>>>> fight in such numbers that further combat is doomed.  They will  
>>>> see weapons failing to function, vehicles that won?t move,  
>>>> missiles that fizzle?do not doubt that the technology of our  
>>>> space family can achieve this!?and even the Illuminati  
>>>> commanders will see the futility of continuing.
>>>>
>>>> Now I shall digress a moment to reply to a question in some  
>>>> minds.  Readers familiar with my messages and the books know  
>>>> that often I have stated, there will be no nuclear detonations  
>>>> in space, and in my last message I explained why Creator made  
>>>> this exception to Its law of free will.  It is not an arbitrary  
>>>> decision that this does not apply equally to free will choices  
>>>> to use nuclear weaponry at ground level or the lower skies,  
>>>> where bodies but NOT souls can be destroyed by the explosions.   
>>>> Regardless of how bodies die, and as tragic as the deaths are to  
>>>> the people who love those whose physical lives are lost, the  
>>>> souls are not damaged.  This is due to the difference in energy  
>>>> densities.  The lower density of Earth ?muffles? the effects of  
>>>> nuclear matter and thus can protect the souls in near space or  
>>>> on the planet; it is in the frequencies of the higher, or  
>>>> lighter, densities where souls living as free spirits or those  
>>>> in astral travels have been damaged by nuclear explosions.  Any  
>>>> attempts at detonations beyond the ?cut-off? line will be  
>>>> neutralized by the technology of our space light warriors who,  
>>>> in all attempt instances, have successfully accomplished this.
>>>>
>>>> Now then, there also is much fear arising from speculation that  
>>>> the Bush administration will need a major terrorist act within  
>>>> US borders as the reason to invade Iran.  To the growing numbers  
>>>> who believe that ?9/11? was the excuse for declaring war on  
>>>> Iraq, this is a logical fear.  We are aware of both the  
>>>> ?intelligence? reports about those heavily populated cities as  
>>>> likely targets and the plans to take certain actions but not  
>>>> necessarily in line with the reports.  When Earth declared that  
>>>> she and her life forms never again would experience terrorist  
>>>> acts on that scale, God authorized members of our space family  
>>>> to intervene in any such attempts.  Intervention may not prevent  
>>>> all of the deaths and destruction, but it would dramatically  
>>>> reduce the intended scope.
>>>>
>>>> Again we emphasize that a prompt turnaround from fearing these  
>>>> potential happenings can prevent them!  The power of the light  
>>>> is incalculable!  We ask that you stop focusing on the  
>>>> mainstream news that keeps fear building. The same with the  
>>>> Internet reports being circulated?some are thoughtful  
>>>> assessments of viable information and others are deliberate  
>>>> scare tactics.  Yes, be truthfully informed, but do not be fearful!
>>>>
>>>> It is the light intensity to which you contributed that reached  
>>>> the Illuminati members who embraced it and became effective  
>>>> light warriors.  They had been captive of their own fear?fear of  
>>>> the light?and it was the constant beaming to them that  
>>>> penetrated that.  The same can happen with the remaining dark  
>>>> ones!  If need be to regain your steadfastness in sending forth  
>>>> love-light to those lacking it, send it to Earth herself!
>>>>
>>>> In these troubled hours on Earth, we can see from our vantage  
>>>> point what you cannot from yours: the bright dawn To you who  
>>>> never have wavered, we ask that you intensify your beaming!
>>>>
>>>> We understand that you may regard our plea as ?easy for us to  
>>>> say? because we don?t know what it is like to be ?in your  
>>>> shoes.?  Not only have many of us at this station experienced  
>>>> multiple physical lifetimes in fearful circumstances in the  
>>>> universe, but our love energy bonding with you lets us feel  
>>>> exactly what you are feeling.  It is true that in these higher  
>>>> vibrations those feelings cannot last as they do on Earth, but  
>>>> our love for you does not permit the absence of empathy.
>>>>
>>>> In these troubled hours on Earth, we can see from our vantage  
>>>> point what you cannot from yours: the bright dawn of peace and  
>>>> love at your doorstep.  Stay the course toward this world on  
>>>> your near horizon, our beloved family, knowing that light beings  
>>>> throughout the universe are helping to speed your journey.
>>>>
>>>>
>
>

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From reuteb at austin.rr.com  Mon Aug 29 09:08:37 2005
From: reuteb at austin.rr.com (reute)
Date: Mon Aug 29 19:47:34 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Fwd: Americans Surrendering Liberties: Shades Of German
	History
References: <f30450fc87217b75f0018df9a6c4c130@earthlink.net>
Message-ID: <E1E9w5k-0008P3-2i@smtpauth09.mail.atl.earthlink.net>

>>>> Info to spread and protest. This is not a good thing.
>>>>
>>>> Americans Surrendering Liberties: Shades Of German History
>>>>  By Chuck Baldwin
>>>> August 23, 2005
>>>>
>>>>  It appears that a strengthened U.S.A. Patriot Act will soon sail
>>>>  through Congress with little opposition or consternation on the  
>>>> part
>>>>  of the American people. The new Patriot Act is even more
>>>>  stringent than the original. In addition, many of the more  
>>>> egregious
>>>>  elements of the Patriot Act which were originally scheduled to
>>>>  sunset are made permanent in the latest version. And the vast
>>>>  majority of the American people do not seem to mind.
>>>>
>>>>  For one thing, Americans seem to have accepted the notion that
>>>>  they must rely on the federal government to take care of them.  
>>>> Lost
>>>>  to most is an independent, self-reliant spirit. After all,  
>>>> Americans
>>>>  already look to Uncle Sam for food stamps, welfare payments,
>>>>  commercial and farm subsidies, and faith-based handouts; why
>>>>  should they object to the federal government's promise to now
>>>>  provide their complete security even if it does mean the  
>>>> sacrifice of
>>>>  their liberties? To most Americans, security seems much more
>>>>  valuable than freedom!
>>>>
>>>>  It is incumbent upon each of us to remember that this is  
>>>> exactly the
>>>>  way Adolph Hitler and the Nazi Party took control in Germany.
>>>>  They did not seize power by force; the German people happily
>>>>  gave them power on the promise of national security.
>>>>
>>>>  Since 9/11, even those Americans who in the past have
>>>>  championed freedom and independence now demonstrate an
>>>>  obvious readiness to gladly yield their liberties. It does not  
>>>> seem to
>>>>  matter one iota that they are losing their right of privacy and  
>>>> their
>>>>  right to be secure in their own homes.
>>>>
>>>>  When told that the Patriot Act is practically a carbon copy of
>>>>  Hitler's Enabling Act, most Americans either yawn with
>>>>  indifference or retort with disbelief. They seem to be  
>>>> oblivious to
>>>>  reality.
>>>>
>>>>  For some, their personal support for President Bush will not allow
>>>>  them to look objectively at the details of his Patriot Act (or
>>>>  virtually anything else he does). They truly don't want to believe
>>>>  that Bush could ever promote something untoward. Yet, was this
>>>>  not the same reasoning used by the German people in the 1930's?
>>>>  They loved and trusted Hitler so much, they could not bring
>>>>  themselves to believe that anything he did could be wrong.
>>>>
>>>>  Americans need to reread the principles expressed by their
>>>>  Founding Fathers. Specific to the topic, Thomas Jefferson rightly
>>>>  said, "In questions of power, then, let no more be said of
>>>>  confidence in man, but bind him down from mischief by the chains
>>>>  of the Constitution." It would seem many Americans today no
>>>>  longer believe that.
>>>>
>>>>  For others, the fact that they do not believe themselves to  
>>>> have yet
>>>>  been personally affected by the new Gestapo-like powers given to
>>>>  the executive branch by the Patriot Act gives them a sense of
>>>>  (false) peace. Their attitude is usually expressed by statements
>>>>  such as, "Well, if you're not doing anything wrong, you don't have
>>>>  anything to fear." Of course, such thinking is extremely na?ve and
>>>>  short-sighted.
>>>>
>>>>  Our entire way of life is predicated upon the conviction that  
>>>> we are
>>>>  presumed innocent of any wrongdoing and only by a substantiated
>>>>  and cumbersome process of discovery and prosecution can that
>>>>  assumption be taken away from us. The Patriot Act totally reverses
>>>>  that historic principle.
>>>>
>>>>  Now Americans are presumed to be guilty of wrongdoing and
>>>>  mechanisms are in place to begin the process of proving it; and,
>>>>  furthermore, the discovery portion of this process may now be
>>>>  done under cover of darkness and secrecy. Gone is the
>>>>  presumption of innocence. Under the Patriot Act, gone is the right
>>>>  to an attorney. Gone is the right to habeas corpus. Gone is the  
>>>> right
>>>>  to a speedy trial. Gone is the right to be secure in your  
>>>> papers and
>>>>  effects. The Patriot Act is turning America into a Nazi-style  
>>>> police
>>>>  state. And that is not hyperbole!
>>>>
>>>>  Furthermore, Americans need to wake up to the reality that there
>>>>  already exists a gargantuan effort afoot to put a military-style
>>>>  federal apparatus in place. For example, according to syndicated
>>>>  columnist Charley Reese, "In recent years, federal law
>>>>  enforcement has expanded to the point where there is now an
>>>>  equivalent of five military divisions armed and invested with the
>>>>  power to make arrests." And this does not include the fact that
>>>>  certain of our military and C.I.A. personnel are also being  
>>>> trained
>>>>  and instructed in domestic law enforcement. Can people not see
>>>>  the writing on the wall?
>>>>
>>>>  Another thing people need to think about is the definition of
>>>>  "wrongdoing." The argument that, "If you haven't done anything
>>>>  wrong, you don't have anything to worry about" loses its
>>>>  legitimacy when "the powers that be" can alter what "wrong" is at
>>>>  will.
>>>>
>>>>  The Patriot Act so loosely defines "terrorism" that virtually  
>>>> anyone
>>>>  or anything could be considered "an act of terrorism" including
>>>>  speech! Plus, Bush lovers need to remember that Dubya will not be
>>>>  president forever. They need to think about the likes of Hillary
>>>>  Clinton or Janet Reno interpreting and enforcing the Patriot Act!
>>>>
>>>>  Then again, we have to consider that there is a sizeable  
>>>> percentage
>>>>  of the American people who have already surrendered their
>>>>  liberties as a state of mind. They have been successfully
>>>>  programmed to accept any and all government fetters. In their
>>>>  minds, they are already slaves to the state! After all, freedom is
>>>>  first a matter of the heart.
>>>>
>>>>  The bottom line is, in the name of safety and security, the
>>>>  American people, as did the people of Germany in the 1930's, are
>>>>  willingly surrendering their liberties. One more 9/11-style attack
>>>>  will probably mean the end of whatever freedom is left. And sadly,
>>>>  the vast majority of the American people will probably be ok with
>>>>  that, as well.
>>>>
>>>>  At the end of the day, however, the loss of freedom will not bring
>>>>  America peace and safety. Instead, destruction and tyranny will
>>>>  result. A simple look at German history proves that.
>>>>
>>>>  Of course, America's founders rejected tyrannical government.
>>>>  However, it appears that many of today's Americans share more in
>>>>  common with German history than with their own.
>>>>
>>>>  ? Chuck Baldwin
>>>>
>>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>
>>
>
>


From barbarasiomos38 at msn.com  Mon Aug 29 23:14:44 2005
From: barbarasiomos38 at msn.com (Barbara Siomos)
Date: Mon Aug 29 23:19:05 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Fwd: Matthew message
Message-ID: <BAY5-DAV3DA388AD94B96F3EF349AABAE0@phx.gbl>

Reute..... how very special  @--->--

Thank you for sharing..

peace,
barbara

-----Original Message-----
From: reute
Sent: Mon, 29 Aug 2005 09:02:54 -0700
To: Reute Butler
Subject: [Mb-civic] Fwd: Matthew message




> This is worth reading al the way through. We need to hang in there  
> with love and light. It is to stay with this within myself that I  
> do not read the paper or listen to the news, which is manufactured  
> to a large degree to create the atmosphere of fear which allows  
> darkness to gain strength. There is no such thing as "this is just  
> the way it is." We can and do change our circumstances, personal,  
> global and even universal, by holding love in our hearts, by  
> reflecting love even if we are afraid.

Love and Light, Reute
>
>>>> ----- Original Message -----
>>>> Sent: Monday, August 15, 2005 10:25 PM
>>>> Subject: Matthew message
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Suzanne Ward, Matthew's Mother:  Matthew, Im here to take your  
>>>> message.

>>>> In these troubled hours on Earth, we can see from our vantage  
>>>> point what you cannot from yours: the bright dawn of peace and  
>>>> love at your doorstep.  Stay the course toward this world on  
>>>> your near horizon, our beloved family, knowing that light beings  
>>>> throughout the universe are helping to speed your journey.

>>>>
>>>> MATTHEW:  Mother, thank you on behalf of the host of souls in  
>>>> whose company I am.  Once again I have been requested by light  
>>>> beings at this universal viewing station to speak for us all.   
>>>> We are here to inform you of potential events and urge you to  
>>>> stay steadfast in the lightdo not give in to fear!
>>>>
>>>> In my last message I spoke of the Illuminatis desperation as  
>>>> they keep seeing their power ebbing and the madness that has  
>>>> permeated them to such extent that despite all logic, they are  
>>>> determined to wage war on still another front.  I also said that  
>>>> in the field of potential, energy momentum toward an invasion of  
>>>> Iran had moved from possibility status to probability.  As  
>>>> devoutly as we wish we could tell you that status has reversed  
>>>> course, or even remained steady, we now can see that neither is  
>>>> a likely outcome.
>>>>
>>>> We are NOT saying that invading Iran is cast in stone!  We are  
>>>> saying that it will take a monumental light effort to prevent  
>>>> it, and it is within your power to do this!  Due to the  
>>>> successful fright tactics of mainstream media particularly in  
>>>> the United States, the former intensity of light being generated  
>>>> by peace-loving peoples around the world has been dimmed by the  
>>>> ever encroaching fear.  At the same time some headlines blare  
>>>> Irans proceeding with nuclear development programs and the  
>>>> possibility that the US government will counter that with its  
>>>> nuclear power, other headlines are revisiting the terror of  
>>>> 9/11 and reporting intelligence information about imminent  
>>>> terrorist threats in mainland United States.
>>>> Cheney and others lied about the reasons for needing to invade  
>>>> Iraq.  Because their efforts to date have been futile in  
>>>> squashing the legal proceedings, regardless of the obvious.
>>>>
>>>> It is recognized there that fear paralyzes, and the Illuminati  
>>>> media controllerswilling puppets of the off-planet dark entities 
>>>> are promulgating fear-filled news. The off-planet dark ones  
>>>> know that the energy of fear establishes a barrier between souls  
>>>> and light, and even more than before, alienating you from the  
>>>> light is their thrust.  The light has dimmed even in you who are  
>>>> praying for and working toward peace but have become fearful  
>>>> about a new warfront and catastrophic terrorism, and accordingly  
>>>> you cannot absorb the light being beamed to you by your space  
>>>> family.
>>>>
>>>> It was the former brilliance of light on your planet that kept  
>>>> the field of potential war status at possibilitythe status of  
>>>> thought forms about any and every kind of condition or situation 
>>>> and it was the amount of light reduction that moved that status  
>>>> to probability.  At this point, the energy momentum of the  
>>>> dark has progressed to where attacks upon Iran can be avoided  
>>>> only by prompt elimination of the powerful fear that has  
>>>> infiltrated peoples around the world.  The energy attachments of  
>>>> fear are fuel for the dark onesat the same time that light loss  
>>>> from fear is debilitating you, it is empowering them.
>>>>
>>>> This intensive fear-producing effort was not necessary prior to  
>>>> the invasion of Iraq.  Opposition to that was present, yes, but  
>>>> once the fear of global terrorism initiated by 9/11 subsided,  
>>>> there came a complacency that released the fear energy.  That  
>>>> long-intended invasionplanned years before 9/11, which itself  
>>>> was part of the planproceeded with the support of those who  
>>>> were beguiled into believing the fraudulent reasons relentlessly  
>>>> put forth by the leaders of the US and British governments.
>>>>
>>>> Growing awareness about the deceit underlying that war and the  
>>>> unanticipated strength of Iraqi opposition to occupation, which  
>>>> has produced many more troop deaths and injuries and much  
>>>> greater loss of fighting equipment and supplies than estimated,  
>>>> make war expansion raving lunacy.  Lunacy is the state of mind  
>>>> of those who are determined to press forward.  Growing awareness  
>>>> on another front is impelling their continuance of a world  
>>>> control plan gone terribly awry: the still unpublicized  
>>>> indictments with undeniable evidence that President Bush, Vice  
>>>> President Chaney risks in spreading so thinly the available  
>>>> fighting forces, the Bush camp is obsessed with moving into Iran  
>>>> before the indictment documents become public knowledge. They  
>>>> are convinced that soon they will control most of the worlds  
>>>> oil, which will assure victory in obtaining all else they  
>>>> desire, and neither their nations laws nor world opinion will  
>>>> matter.
>>>>
>>>> That conviction in itself shows how far lunacy has overtaken  
>>>> Bush and his endorsers because they know that a military move  
>>>> into Iran would be met by serious opposition.  Whereas once the  
>>>> powerful Illuminati was unified in intent to proceed steadily  
>>>> toward global domination, the egos that arose split the force  
>>>> into two factions that have been waging an internal struggle for  
>>>> that prize, as they see it.  Both have CIA black ops agents  
>>>> within their camps, and terrorist acts have been committed by  
>>>> both.  These have aided both factions insofar as the resultant  
>>>> fear and other negativity, but at this point, it is all-out  
>>>> internal war, and that is why an invasion of Iran would bring  
>>>> into the fray an opposing force that the conquest of Iraq did  
>>>> not.  The non-Bush faction was quite content to let their  
>>>> opponent faction rush into Iraq and become continually weaker as  
>>>> that non-Bush faction supplied willing Iraqis with weapons and  
>>>> their CIA terrorists acts contributed to keeping the battles  
>>>> going.  Thus, what only appears to be US aggression is actually  
>>>> Illuminati infighting for the same goal.
>>>>
>>>> It is logical to think: Does it matter which faction is dominant  
>>>> if both have the same intention?  It does only in the very short  
>>>> term as to what may ensue in the Mideast.  With all of their  
>>>> strongholds crumbling beyond repair, particularly in banking and  
>>>> economic areas and their influence in governments, the once-all  
>>>> powerful Illuminati is steadily disintegrating.  Many within its  
>>>> ranks have defected and become light warriors.  It is only those  
>>>> at the peak who are orchestrating the Mideast situation.
>>>>
>>>> Strategically publicizing this as leading to World War III, and  
>>>> possibly a nuclear war at that, is the most successful of the  
>>>> fear factors.  We tell you: There will be NO nuclear war!  There  
>>>> will be no Third World War!  At most there would be a very  
>>>> temporary clash of the military forces commanded by the two  
>>>> Illuminati factionsanything beyond that would fall within Gods  
>>>> honoring Earths free will choice that no more acts of death and  
>>>> destruction on the scale of 9/11 shall occur.  If that clash  
>>>> does take place, you will see troops on both sides refusing to  
>>>> fight in such numbers that further combat is doomed.  They will  
>>>> see weapons failing to function, vehicles that wont move,  
>>>> missiles that fizzledo not doubt that the technology of our  
>>>> space family can achieve this!and even the Illuminati  
>>>> commanders will see the futility of continuing.
>>>>
>>>> Now I shall digress a moment to reply to a question in some  
>>>> minds.  Readers familiar with my messages and the books know  
>>>> that often I have stated, there will be no nuclear detonations  
>>>> in space, and in my last message I explained why Creator made  
>>>> this exception to Its law of free will.  It is not an arbitrary  
>>>> decision that this does not apply equally to free will choices  
>>>> to use nuclear weaponry at ground level or the lower skies,  
>>>> where bodies but NOT souls can be destroyed by the explosions.   
>>>> Regardless of how bodies die, and as tragic as the deaths are to  
>>>> the people who love those whose physical lives are lost, the  
>>>> souls are not damaged.  This is due to the difference in energy  
>>>> densities.  The lower density of Earth muffles the effects of  
>>>> nuclear matter and thus can protect the souls in near space or  
>>>> on the planet; it is in the frequencies of the higher, or  
>>>> lighter, densities where souls living as free spirits or those  
>>>> in astral travels have been damaged by nuclear explosions.  Any  
>>>> attempts at detonations beyond the cut-off line will be  
>>>> neutralized by the technology of our space light warriors who,  
>>>> in all attempt instances, have successfully accomplished this.
>>>>
>>>> Now then, there also is much fear arising from speculation that  
>>>> the Bush administration will need a major terrorist act within  
>>>> US borders as the reason to invade Iran.  To the growing numbers  
>>>> who believe that 9/11 was the excuse for declaring war on  
>>>> Iraq, this is a logical fear.  We are aware of both the  
>>>> intelligence reports about those heavily populated cities as  
>>>> likely targets and the plans to take certain actions but not  
>>>> necessarily in line with the reports.  When Earth declared that  
>>>> she and her life forms never again would experience terrorist  
>>>> acts on that scale, God authorized members of our space family  
>>>> to intervene in any such attempts.  Intervention may not prevent  
>>>> all of the deaths and destruction, but it would dramatically  
>>>> reduce the intended scope.
>>>>
>>>> Again we emphasize that a prompt turnaround from fearing these  
>>>> potential happenings can prevent them!  The power of the light  
>>>> is incalculable!  We ask that you stop focusing on the  
>>>> mainstream news that keeps fear building. The same with the  
>>>> Internet reports being circulatedsome are thoughtful  
>>>> assessments of viable information and others are deliberate  
>>>> scare tactics.  Yes, be truthfully informed, but do not be fearful!
>>>>
>>>> It is the light intensity to which you contributed that reached  
>>>> the Illuminati members who embraced it and became effective  
>>>> light warriors.  They had been captive of their own fearfear of  
>>>> the lightand it was the constant beaming to them that  
>>>> penetrated that.  The same can happen with the remaining dark  
>>>> ones!  If need be to regain your steadfastness in sending forth  
>>>> love-light to those lacking it, send it to Earth herself!
>>>>
>>>> In these troubled hours on Earth, we can see from our vantage  
>>>> point what you cannot from yours: the bright dawn To you who  
>>>> never have wavered, we ask that you intensify your beaming!
>>>>
>>>> We understand that you may regard our plea as easy for us to  
>>>> say because we dont know what it is like to be in your  
>>>> shoes.  Not only have many of us at this station experienced  
>>>> multiple physical lifetimes in fearful circumstances in the  
>>>> universe, but our love energy bonding with you lets us feel  
>>>> exactly what you are feeling.  It is true that in these higher  
>>>> vibrations those feelings cannot last as they do on Earth, but  
>>>> our love for you does not permit the absence of empathy.
>>>>
>>>> In these troubled hours on Earth, we can see from our vantage  
>>>> point what you cannot from yours: the bright dawn of peace and  
>>>> love at your doorstep.  Stay the course toward this world on  
>>>> your near horizon, our beloved family, knowing that light beings  
>>>> throughout the universe are helping to speed your journey.
>>>>
>>>>
>
>


From jefbek at mindspring.com  Tue Aug 30 00:07:31 2005
From: jefbek at mindspring.com (Jef Bek)
Date: Tue Aug 30 00:12:54 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Iraqi Activist: "we have lost all the gains we made over
	the past 30 years"
Message-ID: <BF3953C3.EB7%jefbek@mindspring.com>

"When we came back from exile, we thought we were going to improve rights
and the position of women. But look what has happened: we have lost all the
gains we made over the past 30 years. It's a big disappointment."
- Safia Taleb al-Souhail (Iraqi Human Rights Activist)

29 August 2005 23:49

THE INDEPENDENT
    
Iraqi activist taken up by Bush recants her views
 
By Andrew Buncombe 
Published:?28 August 2005

She was the Iraqi activist who became a symbol of the possibility of a
brighter future for Iraq.

Back in February, with blue ink on her finger symbolising the recent Iraqi
election in which she had just voted, Safia Taleb al-Souhail was invited to
sit with the first lady, Laura Bush, and listen to the President claim in
his state of the union address that success was being achieved in Iraq. Her
picture went round the world after she turned to hug Janet Norwood, a Texas
woman whose son had been killed in Iraq.

But now it appears Ms Souhail, an anti-Saddam activist who became Iraq's
ambassador to Egypt, may be having second thoughts about the "success" she
celebrated with a two-fingered victory sign.
Having seen the negotiations for the country's constitution fall into
disarray and the prospect of a secular constitution severely undermined, she
expressed her concerns last week.

"When we came back from exile, we thought we were going to improve rights
and the position of women. But look what has happened: we have lost all the
gains we made over the past 30 years. It's a big disappointment. Human
rights should not be linked to Islamic sharia law at all. They should be
listed separately in the constitution."

Although, in practice, many Iraqis end up having recourse to religious
authorities or informal tribal law, the idea of a united civil code is
central to the modern state, she said.

Ms Souhail, whose actions during Mr Bush's February address were noted by
Billmon.Org, a political website, added: "This will lead to creating
religious courts. But we should be giving priority to the law."
Mr Bush claimed last week that women's rights were not being threatened by
the negotiations in Baghdad.

"There is not, as I understand it, the way the constitution is written, is
that women have got rights, inherent rights recognised in the constitution,
and that the constitution talks about, you know, not 'the religion' but 'a
religion'," he said.



From swiggard at comcast.net  Tue Aug 30 04:26:30 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (William Swiggard)
Date: Tue Aug 30 04:32:21 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Slight Majority Say Bush Should Meet With Sheehan -
	Washington Post
Message-ID: <43144266.7060002@comcast.net>

Slight Majority Say Bush Should Meet With Sheehan
Survey Suggests Mother's Actions Have Little Impact on War Views

By Richard Morin
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, August 30, 2005; 7:00 AM

Slightly more than half of the country says President Bush should meet 
with Cindy Sheehan, the mother of a soldier killed last year in Iraq, 
who is leading a protest against the war outside Bush's ranch in 
Crawford, Tex., according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll.

The survey found that 52 percent of the public says Bush should talk to 
Sheehan, who has repeatedly asked for a meeting with the president, 
while 46 percent said he should not. Fifty-three percent support what 
she is doing while 42 percent oppose her actions, according to the poll.

Sheehan began her protest three weeks ago, four days after Bush began a 
five-week vacation at his Crawford ranch. She has repeatedly demanded 
that Bush meet with her to discuss the war. The two met last year at an 
event for military families, and Bush has repeatedly declined another 
meeting. Recently Sheehan announced plans to embark on a bus tour after 
protesters break camp later this week. The bus tour will end in 
Washington, D.C., on Sept. 24 with a 24-hour vigil.

Like the war and Bush's overall handling of the situation in Iraq, 
attitudes toward Sheehan divide along sharply partisan lines. Seven in 
10 Democrats say they support Sheehan's position on Iraq while an equal 
proportion of Republicans oppose her.

In the three weeks since she began her protest, Sheehan has quickly 
become the most visible symbol of the anti-war movement. Fully three in 
four Americans say they have read or heard about Sheehan and her protest.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/30/AR2005083000302.html
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From swiggard at comcast.net  Tue Aug 30 04:28:07 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (William Swiggard)
Date: Tue Aug 30 04:33:57 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Military Wrestles With Disharmony Among Chaplains -
	Washington Post
Message-ID: <431442C7.3040506@comcast.net>

Military Wrestles With Disharmony Among Chaplains

By Alan Cooperman
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, August 30, 2005; Page A01

The growing influence of evangelical Protestants is roiling the military 
chaplain corps, where their desire to preach their faith more openly is 
colliding with long-held military traditions of pluralism and diversity.

After accusations this summer that evangelical chaplains, faculty and 
coaches were pressuring cadets at the Air Force Academy, the Air Force 
yesterday issued new guidelines on respect for religious minorities. In 
the Navy, evangelical Protestant chaplains are fighting what they say is 
a legacy of discrimination in hiring and promotions, and they are 
bridling at suggestions they not pray publicly "in the name of Jesus."

Much of the conflict is in two areas that, until now, have been nearly 
invisible to civilians: how the military hires its ministers and how 
they word their public prayers. Evangelical chaplains -- who are rising 
in numbers and clout amid a decline in Catholic priests and mainline 
Protestant ministers -- are challenging the status quo on both 
questions, causing even some evangelical commanders to worry about the 
impact on morale.

"There is a polarization that is beginning to set up that I don't think 
is helpful. Us versus them," said Air Force Col. Richard K. Hum, an 
Evangelical Free Church minister who is the executive director of the 
Armed Forces Chaplains Board. "I don't know whether it's an overflow of 
what's happening in society. But this sort of thing is so detrimental to 
what we are trying to do in the chaplaincy."

The Rev. MeLinda S. Morton, a Lutheran minister who resigned in June as 
an Air Force chaplain after criticizing the religious atmosphere at the 
Air Force Academy, said there has been a palpable rise in evangelical 
fervor not just among chaplains but also among the officer corps in 
general since she joined the military in 1982, originally as a launch 
officer in a nuclear missile silo.

"When we were coneheads -- missile officers -- I would never, ever have 
engaged in conversations with subordinates aligning my power and 
position as an officer with my views on faith matters," she said. Today, 
"I've heard of people being made incredibly uncomfortable by certain 
wing commanders who engage in sectarian devotions at staff meetings."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/29/AR2005082902036.html?nav=hcmodule
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From swiggard at comcast.net  Tue Aug 30 04:31:16 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (William Swiggard)
Date: Tue Aug 30 04:37:02 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] The Democrats' Supreme Conundrum - E. J. Dionne -
	Washington Post
Message-ID: <43144384.7080803@comcast.net>

The Democrats' Supreme Conundrum

By E. J. Dionne Jr.
Tuesday, August 30, 2005; Page A17

Reports that Senate Democrats are deeply divided over how to deal with 
the Supreme Court nomination of Judge John Roberts both oversimplify 
what's happening and underestimate the conundrums the party faces.

Democrats are less divided than they are uncertain. They worry about 
doing too little to challenge Roberts, but they also doubt their 
capacity to stop his nomination.

Most Democrats are certain that Roberts is significantly more 
conservative than Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, whom he would replace, 
and that he will push the court to the right. But they wonder whether 
that alone can justify a full-fledged fight against him, let alone a 
filibuster.

Democrats who have studied tapes of Roberts's past congressional 
testimony have concluded that the nominee is skilled at good-natured 
evasion. "If he performs as opaquely as he did the last time," said one 
Democratic staff member close to the process, "he'll probably have the 
support of the vast majority of Republicans, and Democrats won't have 
anything to hang on to."

Roberts is also helped by the goodwill he has courted over the years in 
the Washington legal establishment, which is wary of having his 
appointment blocked on ideological grounds. "It's as if he has been 
planning for this moment all his life," said one Washington lawyer. Said 
another: "There aren't enough hours in the day for anyone to have had as 
many lunches with Democratic lawyers as Roberts has."

Yet many Democrats are frustrated over the difficulty of establishing 
exactly what kind of conservative Roberts is -- or, in the case of 
liberal groups firmly opposed to his nomination, of proving that Roberts 
is still the conservative ideologue who emerges from his memos as a 
young Reagan administration official on matters such as civil rights, 
disability rights and the right to privacy. If trying to stop Roberts is 
a short-term political risk, letting him through without a fight might 
be a long-term risk to the judicial principles that liberals care about.

Roberts would not only immediately shift the balance on the court, he is 
also a potential nominee for chief justice, a post in which his 
political skills could allow him, in tandem with another Bush appointee, 
to create a powerful conservative court majority for a generation. If 
Democrats fail to amass enough votes against Roberts in this round, they 
will be in a weak position to challenge him as chief justice in the next.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/29/AR2005082901446.html
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From swiggard at comcast.net  Tue Aug 30 04:34:06 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (William Swiggard)
Date: Tue Aug 30 04:39:51 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] PowerPoint: Killer App? - Ruth Marcus - Washington Post
Message-ID: <4314442E.6020206@comcast.net>

PowerPoint: Killer App?

By Ruth Marcus
Tuesday, August 30, 2005; Page A17

Did PowerPoint make the space shuttle crash? Could it doom another 
mission? Preposterous as this may sound, the ubiquitous Microsoft 
"presentation software" has twice been singled out for special criticism 
by task forces reviewing the space shuttle disaster.

Perhaps I've sat through too many PowerPoint presentations lately, but I 
think the trouble with these critics is that they don't go far enough: 
The software may be as much of a mind-numbing menace to those of us who 
intend to remain earthbound as it is to astronauts.

PowerPoint's failings have been outlined most vividly by Yale political 
scientist Edward Tufte, a specialist in the visual display of 
information. In a 2003 Wired magazine article headlined "PowerPoint Is 
Evil" and a less dramatically titled pamphlet, "The Cognitive Style of 
PowerPoint," Tufte argued that the program encourages "faux-analytical" 
thinking that favors the slickly produced "sales pitch" over the sober 
exchange of information.

Exhibit A in Tufte's analysis is a PowerPoint slide presented to NASA 
senior managers in January 2003, while the space shuttle Columbia was in 
the air and the agency was weighing the risk posed by tile damage on the 
shuttle wings. Key information was so buried and condensed in the rigid 
PowerPoint format as to be useless.

"It is easy to understand how a senior manager might read this 
PowerPoint slide and not realize that it addresses a life-threatening 
situation," the Columbia Accident Investigation Board concluded, citing 
Tufte's work. The board devoted a full page of its 2003 report to the 
issue, criticizing a space agency culture in which, it said, "the 
endemic use of PowerPoint" substituted for rigorous technical analysis.

But NASA -- like the rest of corporate and bureaucratic America -- seems 
powerless to resist PowerPoint. Just this month a minority report by the 
latest shuttle safety task force echoed the earlier concerns: Often, the 
group said, when it asked for data it ended up with PowerPoints -- 
without supporting documentation.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/29/AR2005082901444.html?nav=hcmodule
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From swiggard at comcast.net  Tue Aug 30 04:36:10 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (William Swiggard)
Date: Tue Aug 30 04:41:55 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Natural Acts of Terror - Eugene Robinson - Washington
	Post
Message-ID: <431444AA.1080503@comcast.net>

Natural Acts of Terror

By Eugene Robinson
Tuesday, August 30, 2005; Page A17

Until this week, New Orleans had been unnaturally lucky with hurricanes 
since the monstrous Camille roared through in 1969. Maybe the immunity 
was a voodoo thing, or thang , to use the local term of art. But 
amulets, fetishes and dolls don't work forever. The city sits a bayou 
away from the Gulf of Mexico, which is basically a giant nursery for 
hurricanes. The law of averages guarantees that most will miss the Big 
Easy, but also that a few won't.

Katrina, one of the few, was at least polite enough to have its deadly 
eye just graze the lovely city on the east, meaning that maximum winds 
there were "only" 120 miles an hour. Gulfport and Biloxi, in 
Mississippi, seem to have had the worst of it -- not that I would try to 
tell that to the 10,000 people who huddled in the New Orleans Superdome 
while chunks of the roof blew away, or the others who didn't make it to 
safety and whose fate is not yet known.

None of this was a surprise -- New Orleans is below sea level, wedged 
between Lake Pontchartrain, the Mississippi River and the Gulf, and is 
kept dry by a system of levees, dikes, canals and massive pumps. 
Everyone knew these defenses could handle an average hurricane but not a 
really big one such as Katrina. Yet a million people living in the New 
Orleans area, not to mention the rest of us, managed to put that 
inconvenient fact out of their minds.

It's paradoxical, when you think about it, that we have such a sense of 
urgency about preventing acts of terrorism that we will spend any amount 
of money to reduce the risk. But we are so laid-back about natural 
disasters -- which are absolutely inevitable, take more lives and can 
have devastating economic impact -- that we buy protection only 
grudgingly. There are plenty of plans on the books for new floodgates, 
levees and pumps in New Orleans, but funding comes in at a trickle.

It's not just Americans who have this bias: Imagine how many people 
might have been saved last December if a few million dollars had been 
spent on an early warning system for Indian Ocean tsunamis. Then again, 
tsunamis are so rare that they almost never come up on anyone's list of 
things to worry about. Hurricanes, by contrast, are common, reliable and 
deadly -- and it's long been known that New Orleans, because of the 
minus sign in front of its elevation, was a soft and vulnerable target.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/29/AR2005082901447.html?nav=hcmodule
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From swiggard at comcast.net  Tue Aug 30 04:39:50 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (William Swiggard)
Date: Tue Aug 30 04:45:36 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Hooray for the student right - Randi Powell - The Boston
	Globe
Message-ID: <43144586.2020207@comcast.net>

Hooray for the student right

By Randi Powell  |  August 30, 2005

DURING THE 1980s, Ronald Reagan ushered in a new era of American 
conservatism that few can forget. But I don't remember one thing about 
it. Honestly, the first president who actually meant anything to me, 
besides being a fact in a book, was Bill Clinton. Like most of today's 
college students who were born during the Reagan administration, I grew 
up with the liberalism of the 1990s. So it only makes sense that those 
liberal values and ideas are considered ''normal" for most of my generation.

Indeed, there was a time when any twentysomething outside the realm of 
the left was considered an oddity and was ostracized for her political 
stance, particularly here in the Northeast. Consequently young 
conservatives tended to hide their opinions and go along, albeit 
silently, with the liberal stampede of their peers.

But with the rightward political tone of the country, many young 
conservatives finally feel safe to come out of the closet. And as 
students flock to campuses around Boston for a new year, they are coming 
out in droves.

Many collegians, both liberal and conservative, have sat through 
lectures where professors beat the drum of liberalism. As a college 
student who considers herself liberal, I've even noticed that some 
professors practice indoctrination instead of scholarship. With 
left-wing professors monopolizing many university campuses and with 
tenure making them a stationary face in the classroom, the changing 
student body has had little variety to choose from and ultimately 
nowhere to go.

http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2005/08/30/hooray_for_the_student_right/
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From swiggard at comcast.net  Tue Aug 30 04:41:25 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (William Swiggard)
Date: Tue Aug 30 04:47:09 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Katrina's real name - Ross Gelbspan - The Boston Globe
Message-ID: <431445E5.7050201@comcast.net>

Katrina's real name

By Ross Gelbspan  |  August 30, 2005

THE HURRICANE that struck Louisiana yesterday was nicknamed Katrina by 
the National Weather Service. Its real name is global warming.

When the year began with a two-foot snowfall in Los Angeles, the cause 
was global warming.

When 124-mile-an-hour winds shut down nuclear plants in Scandinavia and 
cut power to hundreds of thousands of people in Ireland and the United 
Kingdom, the driver was global warming.

When a severe drought in the Midwest dropped water levels in the 
Missouri River to their lowest on record earlier this summer, the reason 
was global warming.

In July, when the worst drought on record triggered wildfires in Spain 
and Portugal and left water levels in France at their lowest in 30 
years, the explanation was global warming.

When a lethal heat wave in Arizona kept temperatures above 110 degrees 
and killed more than 20 people in one week, the culprit was global warming.

And when the Indian city of Bombay (Mumbai) received 37 inches of rain 
in one day -- killing 1,000 people and disrupting the lives of 20 
million others -- the villain was global warming.

As the atmosphere warms, it generates longer droughts, more-intense 
downpours, more-frequent heat waves, and more-severe storms.

Although Katrina began as a relatively small hurricane that glanced off 
south Florida, it was supercharged with extraordinary intensity by the 
relatively blistering sea surface temperatures in the Gulf of Mexico.

The consequences are as heartbreaking as they are terrifying.

Unfortunately, very few people in America know the real name of 
Hurricane Katrina because the coal and oil industries have spent 
millions of dollars to keep the public in doubt about the issue.

The reason is simple: To allow the climate to stabilize requires 
humanity to cut its use of coal and oil by 70 percent. That, of course, 
threatens the survival of one of the largest commercial enterprises in 
history.

http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2005/08/30/katrinas_real_name/
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From IHHS at aol.com  Mon Aug 29 11:52:37 2005
From: IHHS at aol.com (IHHS@aol.com)
Date: Tue Aug 30 06:51:27 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] it has started in england in the lancet and on tv and
	radio
Message-ID: <E1E9wCO-0003zM-Fg@smtpauth09.mail.atl.earthlink.net>

So you can be informed when it hits this country.
Bill

The Revolutionary Revival of Homeopathy and its Demolishment by the World
Media

by Louise Mclean

27th August 2005.


Anyone who read the papers, watched the news or listened to their radios
yesterday might be forgiven for wondering what yesterday??s media
demolishment of homeopathy was all about.? It comes hard on the heels of a
report on 24th August that Prince Charles commissioned a study on the
economic benefits of complementary medicine and a report in The Times UK on
21st August which stated that ??demand for alternative therapies such as
acupuncture and homeopathy is soaring and people are increasingly using
their medical insurance to pay for it??. 



This news appears to have sent the pharmaceutical companies into a flat
spin and they went into coordinated overdrive to get all their favourite
medical and science correspondents to put out highly negative stories about
homeopathic medicine in newspapers all around the world.? These reports
were based on a very unfavourable study on homeopathy published in the
Lancet which stated that the benefits of homeopathy could be all in the
patient??s mind.? The study was unveiled with fanfare at the end of a week
full of complimentary articles about alternative medicine.



Commenting on the study Prince Charles commissioned, Professor Edzard
Ernst, the only professor of complementary medicine in Britain, made
unfavourable remarks about homeopathy and yet in an article of 22nd
November, 2003 entitled ??A Scientist in the Alternative Camp?? published
in the British Medical Journal Online, he says: ??Our family doctor in the
little village outside Munich where I grew up was a homoeopath. My mother
swore by it. As a kid I was treated homoeopathically. So this kind of
medicine just came naturally??. 



The ferocity of the media attack can only mean one thing ?? that there is a
huge rise in popularity of homeopathic medicine and that it is now becoming
a threat to the billion dollar drug industry!? This worldwide revolution
has taken place almost entirely by word of mouth and by personal
recommendation - a truly remarkable phenomenon because up until now the
media has studiously ignored and excluded any positive news on the subject.? 



A few years ago the programme Horizon on BBC 2 tried to demolish the work
of Dr. Jacques Benveniste whose studies proved that homeopathic medicines
work.? Benveniste claimed his studies had been replicated hundreds of
times.? Dr. David Reilly of the Glasgow Homeopathic Hospital has also
conducted many such successful studies and the Bristol Homeopathic Hospital
has conducted long term studies of the benefits of homeopathic treatment.
All these homeopathic hospitals, including the London Homeopathic Hospital
reportedly have at least 6 month waiting lists.



If anyone needed proof of the efficacy of homeopathic medicine, they need
only study the statistics of various epidemics during the 1900s.? In 1854 a
cholera epidemic struck London.? A report revealed that under allopathic
care the mortality was 59.2% whereas under homeopathic care the mortality
was only 9%.? In the yellow fever outbreak in the US in 1878, the mortality
in New Orleans was 50% under allopathic care and 5.6% for homeopathic care.
Records of three years of diphtheria in Broome County, New York from 1862
to 1864, show the mortality rate for allopaths as 83.6% and 16.4% for
homoepaths.



There are 220,000 homeopathic doctors in India and all over Europe,
especially France and Germany, homeopathy is hugely popular.? The Queen,
who is arguably the richest woman in the world, reportedly travels
everywhere with a homeopathic first aid kit and often dispenses to staff.
The kings and queens of Britain have always had their own personal
homeopathic doctor and for the last two centuries the aristocracy has
traditionally enjoyed the benefits of homeopathic medicine.? Many famous
people, including MPs choose homeopathic treatment. Tony Blair??s
sister-in-law, Lyndsey Booth, changed careers from being a lawyer to
becoming a qualified homeopath. Is it possible that all these people have
been deluded into taking dummy pills, the effects of which are ??all in the
mind??, in their imagination?!? Hardly.



What about animals and babies?? How does the placebo effect work on them?!
As any homeopathic vet will tell you, homeopathic medicine works almost
better on animals than on humans and likewise, babies respond particularly
well to treatment.? Is it even possible to explain to them that the
homeopathic remedy alleviated their symptoms, much less that the
psychological effect of taking it brought about the cure?!



Hippocrates said there were two laws of cure ?? the law of opposites
(orthodox medicine) and the law of similars (homeopathy).? In homeopathy, a
small, highly potentised dose of a substance (that in a large dose would
produce the patient??s symptoms), works as a catalyst to stimulate the
patient??s own dormant healing power, setting it into motion to bring about
cure.? During the process of creating a homeopathic medicine, the dilution
alone would do nothing. It is the effect of the succussion (vigorous
shaking) in combination with the dilution that causes the medicine to
become highly potent in its action. 



This Lancet study is probably just another skewed trial intent on bringing
down homeopathy, akin to the kinds of trials we have to come to expect from
a pharmaceutical industry that gave the green light to such medicines as
thalidomide and Vioxx.



The fact of the matter is that homeopathy has enjoyed a huge rise in
popularity for one simple reason and that is because it works.

____________________________________________________________



Possibly the largest worldwide press coverage of homeopathy in one day!
Please contact me at louise@zeusinfoservice.com if you can??t get any of
the articles up.



D-W World, Germany: http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,1564,1692210,00.html

Arrive.Net, USA: http://press.arrivenet.com/pol/article.php/685773.html

Medpage
Today:http://www.medpagetoday.com/PrimaryCare/AlternativeMedicine/tb/1609

The Scotsman: http://news.scotsman.com/uk.cfm?id=1836902005

Gulf Times:
http://www.gulf-times.com/site/topics/article.asp?cu_no=2&item_no=50040&vers
ion=1&template_id=38&parent_id=20

BBC News: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/low/health/4183916.stm

The Guardian, UK:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/monarchy/story/0,2763,1555248,00.html?gusrc=rss

The Daily Mail,
UK:http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/health/thehealthnews.html?
in_article_id=360205&in_page_id=1797

The Courier Mail,
Australia:http://www.thecouriermail.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5936,163
74714%5E401,00.html

Reuters:http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=topNews&storyI
D=2005-08-24T110146Z_01_KNE439306_RTRUKOC_0_UK-BRITAIN-ROYAL.xml

New Zealand
Herald:http://www.nzherald.co.nz/index.cfm?c_id=5&ObjectID=10342648

Fox News, USA: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,166947,00.html

Mail & Guardian Online, South Africa:
http://www.mg.co.za/articlepage.aspx?area=/breaking_news/breaking_news__inte
rnational_news/&articleid=249200

IOA, South Africa:
http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=31&art_id=vn200508271010458
68C276991

The Times of India: http://t
imesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1211449.cms

The Weekend Australian:
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,16397748%255E2
702,00.html

Herald & Times: http://www.theherald.co.uk/news/45761.html


Zeus Information Service
Alternative Views on Health
www.zeusinfoservice.com
All information, data and material contained, presented or provided herein
is for general information purposes only and is not to be construed as
reflecting the knowledge or opinion of Zeus Information Service.
Feel free to forward far and wide....
Subscribe Free/Unsubscribe: info@zeusinfoservice.com
All Donations gratefully received!

http://www.zeusinfoservice.com/Donations.html
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From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Tue Aug 30 07:55:20 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (mblaxill@yahoo.com)
Date: Tue Aug 30 07:59:37 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] NYTimes.com: After Centuries of 'Controlling' Land,
	Gulf Learns Who's the Boss
Message-ID: <20050830145520.BBD159FD23@lax-gw05.mroute.net>

This page was sent to you by: mblaxill@yahoo.com.

NATIONAL | August 30, 2005
After Centuries of 'Controlling' Land, Gulf Learns Who's the Boss
By CORNELIA DEAN br / and ANDREW C. REVKIN
Although early travelers realized the irrationality of building a port on the muddy coast, the opportunities to make money overrode all objections.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/30/national/30coast.html?ex=1126065600&en=cb61efc710bc84cf&ei=5070&emc=eta1



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From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Tue Aug 30 07:57:24 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (mblaxill@yahoo.com)
Date: Tue Aug 30 08:01:43 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] NYTimes.com: Chirac Warns Iran of Penalty if It
	Continues Nuclear Work
Message-ID: <20050830145724.ED9539FD27@lax-gw05.mroute.net>

This page was sent to you by: mblaxill@yahoo.com.

INTERNATIONAL / EUROPE | August 30, 2005
Chirac Warns Iran of Penalty if It Continues Nuclear Work
By ELAINE SCIOLINO
The president of France warned Iran that it would face censure by the U.N. Security Council if it did not reinstate a freeze on nuclear activities.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/30/international/europe/30france.html?ex=1126065600&en=55b99ea1ec259d61&ei=5070&emc=eta1



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From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Tue Aug 30 07:58:13 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (mblaxill@yahoo.com)
Date: Tue Aug 30 08:02:29 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] NYTimes.com: A Quest to Save a Tree,
	and Make the World Smell Sweet
Message-ID: <20050830145813.809C511FA32@lax-gw07.mroute.net>

This page was sent to you by: mblaxill@yahoo.com.

INTERNATIONAL / AMERICAS | August 30, 2005
Silves Journal: A Quest to Save a Tree, and Make the World Smell Sweet
By LARRY ROHTER
The demand for a rare Amazonian oil has outstripped the legal supply, and some fragrance manufacturers will pay just about anything to get their hands on it.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/30/international/americas/30rosewood.html?ex=1126065600&en=319f5b0128fa0474&ei=5070&emc=eta1



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From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Tue Aug 30 08:02:24 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (mblaxill@yahoo.com)
Date: Tue Aug 30 08:06:51 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] NYTimes.com: Bush Renews Drive to Overhaul Social
	Security
Message-ID: <20050830150224.E5528A1067@lax-gw09.mroute.net>

This page was sent to you by: mblaxill@yahoo.com.

he's baaack!


WASHINGTON | August 30, 2005
Bush Renews Drive to Overhaul Social Security
By ANNE E. KORNBLUT
President Bush's efforts to shift attention to domestic policy come after weeks of public focus on the war in Iraq.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/30/politics/30bush.html?ex=1126065600&en=9b5aad2cc5709edf&ei=5070&emc=eta1



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From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Tue Aug 30 08:07:37 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (mblaxill@yahoo.com)
Date: Tue Aug 30 08:11:53 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] NYTimes.com: Medical Marijuana
Message-ID: <20050830150737.F41A983CD9@lax-gw03.mroute.net>

This page was sent to you by: mblaxill@yahoo.com.

Is this OUR Ian Alterman?? If yes, awesome letter!..here's to you brother!


OPINION | August 30, 2005
Medical Marijuana

To the Editor:.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/30/opinion/l30marijuana.html?ex=1126065600&en=e56173cf50b3b1e6&ei=5070&emc=eta1




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From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Tue Aug 30 08:09:28 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (mblaxill@yahoo.com)
Date: Tue Aug 30 08:13:47 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Headlines for August 30, 2005
Message-ID: <20050830150928.20893.qmail@trinity.democracynow.org>

Mike Blaxill  ( mblaxill@yahoo.com )
sent you this story from democracynow.org



+--------------------------------------------------------------------+
|  Headlines for August 30, 2005
|  http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=05/08/30/1354235
+--------------------------------------------------------------------+


- Hurricane Katrina Kills At Least 55
- U.S. Air Force To Be In Iraq "Indefinitely" 
- Reuters Journalist Killed By U.S. Buried In Iraq
- UN Official Accuses Bush of Doing Damage in HIV Fight in Africa
- ACLU: FBI Has Designated Activist Groups as Terrorists
- Human Rights Commission Asked to Investigate Police Torture in Chicago
This story continues at: 
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=05/08/30/1354235

From michael at intrafi.com  Tue Aug 30 08:26:39 2005
From: michael at intrafi.com (michael@intrafi.com)
Date: Tue Aug 30 08:30:57 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] FT.com / Middle East & Africa / Iraq - Charter steers
	Iraqis down a dangerous path 
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Date: Tue Aug 30 08:32:09 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] FT.com / World / US - Greenspan warns on US housing
	market 
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From: michael at intrafi.com (michael@intrafi.com)
Date: Tue Aug 30 08:33:44 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] FT.com / Comment & analysis / Comment - Why Europe must
	reject centralisation
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From michael at intrafi.com  Tue Aug 30 08:31:08 2005
From: michael at intrafi.com (michael@intrafi.com)
Date: Tue Aug 30 08:35:26 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] FT.com / Comment & analysis / Analysis - House prices
	wobble and have a long way to fall 
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From: michael at intrafi.com (michael@intrafi.com)
Date: Tue Aug 30 08:37:09 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] FT.com / Comment & analysis - A new wrinkle in the Plame
	affair?
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3. Launch your Web browser.
4. Paste the address into your Web browser by selecting Paste from the Edit menu.
5. Click Go or press Enter or Return on your keyboard. 
 
********************
 
 
 
 
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From ean at sbcglobal.net  Mon Aug 29 21:01:14 2005
From: ean at sbcglobal.net (ean@sbcglobal.net)
Date: Tue Aug 30 08:38:04 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] A Mercenary Society (that's us, folks!)
Message-ID: <E1EA87I-00076b-Id@smtpauth08.mail.atl.earthlink.net>

Today's commentary:
http://www.zmag.org/sustainers/content/2005-08/23jensen.cfm

  A Mercenary Society

By Robert Jensen

The failed war in Iraq -- and its effect on the U.S. military -- has the 
potential to spark the U.S. public to fundamentally rethink the role of 
force in U.S. foreign policy, and one of the central questions for the 
future of the United States is whether this questioning can mature and 
deepen.

Can we in the so-called ?lone superpower? face that we are now a 
nation of mercenaries?

As the bad news from Iraq continues to worsen by the day, it looks as 
if the Army, Army Reserve and Army National Guard all will miss their 
annual recruitment goals. A 2004 study commissioned by the Army 
found that recruiting has been undermined by casualties, objections to 
the war, and media coverage of such events as the Abu Ghraib 
scandal.

These statistics signal an important shift, especially when combined 
with anecdotal evidence suggesting that it is not just an aversion to 
physical risk that is curtailing enlistment but an understanding that this 
war isn?t worth the risks. At the same time, however, public opinion 
polls reveal confusion and contradictory trends as well. Recent polls 
show that more than half the public believes the United States can?t 
win the war and can?t establish a stable democracy in Iraq, but surveys 
also indicate that many continue to believe that sending the troops was 
the right thing to do.

This suggests that a majority of the public can recognize that the 
United States has failed in the stated mission but cannot yet see that 
the stated mission was a lie. This was never a war about weapons of 
mass destruction or stopping terrorism (indeed, the war has created 
terrorism, on both sides), nor is it at heart about establishing 
democracy in Iraq. The U.S. invasion of Iraq is -- as all U.S. 
interventions in Middle East have been -- about extending and 
deepening U.S. dominance in the region with the world?s most crucial 
energy resources.

Part of the barrier to a clear understanding of this is the belief that the 
United States, by definition, always acts benevolently in the world. But 
also standing in the way of an honest analysis is the reality that the 
brutal imperialist U.S. policies, while devised by elites, are being 
carried out by ordinary Americans. Can we in the United States come 
to terms with the fact that we are the ?good Germans? of our era, 
routinely allowing pseudo-patriotic loyalties to override moral decision-
making? Can we look at ourselves honestly in the mirror when so 
many of us are implicated in the imperialist system?

>From the people who make the weapons to the military personnel who 
use them -- and all the other people whose livelihoods or networks of 
friends and family connect them to the armed forces -- most of the 
U.S. public has some relationship to the military. Any talk of closing a 
military base sparks almost automatic resistance from neighboring 
communities that have become dependent on the base economically. 
Large segments of the corporate sector rely on military or military-
related contracts, and executives and employees alike understand 
what that means for profits and wages.

As U.S. anthropologist Catherine Lutz put it in her book ?Homefront,? 
an insightful study of the effects of the militarization on American life: 
?We all inhabit an army camp, mobilized to lend support to the 
permanent state of war readiness
 Are we all military dependents, 
wearers of civilian camouflage??

The problem is not just that the United States now has a mercenary 
army but that we are a mercenary society.

The problem is not just that our army fights imperialist wars, but that 
virtually all of us are in some way implicated in that imperialist system.

It can be difficult to face the truth about an institution that has so 
deeply insinuated itself into our lives. Since the end of World War II, 
the U.S. power elite have done a masterful job of transforming the 
country into a militarized state with a permanent wartime economy. 
There has always been resistance to that project on the margins, but 
because the United States is an incredibly affluent nation -- and these 
policies promise continued affluence -- there is strong motivation for 
many to ignore the consequences of this militarization.

Ironically, it may turn out that the weak link in this system will be not 
the civilian mercenaries but the military ones. Historically, colonial 
powers have imported mercenary forces to do the dirty work of 
conquest and control. In the United States, our own citizens are being 
forced into that role. If the armed forces? inability to meet recruitment 
goals continues, the effect may not be simply new constraints on the 
ability of U.S. leaders to fight additional wars but a more widespread 
questioning of the imperial system itself.

Consider these stories, told in the book ?Generation Kill? about the Iraq 
war. One Marine told author Evan Wright that a ?bunch of psycho 
officers sent us into shit we never should have gone into.? Another 
Marine, upon his return home, was invited to speak to a wealthy 
community as a war hero. He told them: ?I am not a hero. Guys like me 
are just a necessary part of things. To maintain this way of life in a fine 
community like this, you need psychos like us to go and drop a bomb 
on somebody?s house.?

How long can an army continue when combat personnel view both 
officers and themselves as psychos? What will happen if that Marine?s 
recognition that imperial wars are fought to protect affluence and 
privilege at home spreads on the front lines of those wars?

U.S. political elites have few options. Barring a serious economic 
collapse that forces more people into the military to survive, 
recruitment will continue to be a problem. Reinstituting a draft is not an 
option; there would be a huge political cost if middle- and upper-class 
Americans were asked to surrender their children to direct participation 
in the military wing of the mercenary machine. The offer of citizenship 
to immigrants who are willing to fight can?t make up the gap.

Right now there is incredible tension in U.S. culture. Many continue to 
hold on tightly to the idea that the service personnel are being killed 
and maimed in Iraq for a noble cause, which is hardly surprising; 
acknowledging that a loved one was killed in the pursuit not of liberty 
and justice, but instead for elite domination, can intensify the already 
deep pain of the loss. Others are abandoning illusions and recognizing 
the motivations of the powerful. Obituaries of dead soldiers talk of their 
?great pride? in serving their country, while a collective sense that the 
Iraq War is nothing to be proud of deepens every day. No one wants to 
demonize the front-line troops -- those with the least power to change 
policy -- but the reality of why the U.S. military fights, along with the 
brutal way in which the wars are fought, become increasingly hard to 
ignore.

Tension can be creative, leading to deeper understanding and 
progressive social change. Or it can be exploited to suppress that 
understanding and block change. Elites almost always attempt the 
latter. The choice that the U.S. public makes is crucial to our future, 
and the world?s.

Robert Jensen is a journalism professor at the University of Texas at 
Austin and a member of the board of the Third Coast Activist Resource 
Center, http://thirdcoastactivist.org/. He is the author of The Heart of 
Whiteness: Race, Racism, and White Privilege and Citizens of the 
Empire: The Struggle to Claim Our Humanity (both from City Lights 
Books). He can be reached at rjensen@uts.cc.utexas.edu. 

--> If you pass this comment along to others -- periodically but not
repeatedly -- please explain that Commentaries are a premium sent to
Sustainer Donors of Z/ZNet and that to learn more folks can consult ZNet
at http://www.zmag.org 



-- 
You are currently on Mha Atma's Earth Action Network email list, 
option D (up to 3 emails/day).  To be removed, or to switch options 
(option A - 1x/week, option B - 3/wk, option C - up to 1x/day, option D - 
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"In times of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act."
   ---   George Orwell


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From swiggard at comcast.net  Tue Aug 30 08:36:57 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (swiggard@comcast.net)
Date: Tue Aug 30 08:41:25 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] BUSH REPORTED INCREASINGLY OUT OF CONTROL
Message-ID: <380-220058230153657570@M2W057.mail2web.com>

BUSH REPORTED INCREASINGLY OUT OF CONTROL

DOUG THOMPSON, CAPITOL HILL BLUE -  While President George W. Bush
travels around the country in a last-ditch effort to sell his Iraq
war, White House aides scramble frantically behind the scenes to hide
the dark mood of an increasingly angry leader who unleashes
obscenity-filled outbursts at anyone who dares disagree with him. "I'm
not meeting with that goddamned bitch," Bush screamed at aides who
suggested he meet with Cindy Sheehan, the war-protesting mother whose
son died in Iraq. "She can go to hell as far as I'm concerned!"

Bush, administration aides confide, frequently explodes into tirades
over those who protest the war, calling them "motherfucking traitors."
He reportedly was so upset over Veterans of Foreign Wars members who
wore "bullshit protectors" over their ears during his speech to their
annual convention that he told aides to "tell those VFW assholes that
I'll never speak to them again if they can't keep their members under 
control."

White House insiders say Bush is growing increasingly bitter over
mounting opposition to his war in Iraq. . . "Who gives a flying fuck
what the polls say," he screamed at a recent strategy meeting. "I'm
the President and I'll do whatever I goddamned please. They don't know
shit.". . .

http://www.capitolhillblue.com/artman/publish/printer_7267.shtml

--------------------------------------------------------------------
mail2web - Check your email from the web at
http://mail2web.com/ .



From hecate at diamonddragon.com  Tue Aug 30 11:25:44 2005
From: hecate at diamonddragon.com (Hecate)
Date: Tue Aug 30 11:30:11 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] BBC E-mail: Saturn moon delights and baffles
Message-ID: <20050830_182544_038129.hecate@diamonddragon.com>

Hecate saw this story on BBC News Online and thought you
should see it.



** Saturn moon delights and baffles **
Space scientists say their discoveries about Saturn's moon Enceladus are stunning, if just a little baffling.
< http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/fr/-/2/hi/science/nature/4197686.stm >


** BBC Daily E-mail **
Choose the news and sport headlines you want - when you want them, all
in one daily e-mail
< http://www.bbc.co.uk/dailyemail/ >


** Disclaimer **
The BBC is not responsible for the content of this e-mail, and anything written in this e-mail does not necessarily reflect the BBC's views or opinions. Please note that neither the e-mail address nor name of the sender have?been verified.

If you do not wish to receive such e-mails in the future or want to know more about the BBC's Email a Friend service, please read our frequently asked questions. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/help/4162471.stm

From ialterman at nyc.rr.com  Tue Aug 30 12:44:09 2005
From: ialterman at nyc.rr.com (Ian)
Date: Tue Aug 30 12:48:32 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] NYTimes.com: Medical Marijuana
References: <20050830150737.F41A983CD9@lax-gw03.mroute.net>
Message-ID: <000f01c5ad9b$312b8900$99ca6c42@iancn2ccrvzt0j>

E-Mail ThisYup.  That's me.  <<<<blush>>>>>
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: mblaxill@yahoo.com 
  To: mb-civic@islandlists.com 
  Sent: Tuesday, August 30, 2005 11:07 AM
  Subject: [Mb-civic] NYTimes.com: Medical Marijuana


            
                 
                
             
              This page was sent to you by:  mblaxill@yahoo.com 
              Message from sender:
              Is this OUR Ian Alterman?? If yes, awesome letter!..here's to you brother! 

              OPINION   | August 30, 2005 
              Medical Marijuana 
              To the Editor:. 

             
             
                 
                     
                    1. Destroying the National Parks 
                    2. Op-Ed Contributor: Show Me the Science 
                    3. Op-Ed Columnist: Greenspan and the Bubble 
                    4. Missed Church? Download It to Your IPod. 
                    5. Op-Ed Columnist: Left Behind, Way Behind 

                    ?  Go to Complete List 
                     
                   
             
             
                
              Copyright 2005  The New York Times Company | Privacy Policy    
                 
       



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From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Tue Aug 30 12:52:04 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (Mike Blaxill)
Date: Tue Aug 30 12:56:21 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] New Orleans
Message-ID: <20050830195204.2766.qmail@web53013.mail.yahoo.com>

Dairy at Daily Kos - doesn't look good folks

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2005/8/30/103742/493

IT'S OVER FOR NEW ORLEANS. Please donate.

Martial law has been declared, and all
journalists have been ordered out of the city (no
other confirmation on expulsion of journalists,
but authorities are likely too busy to arrest
them yet anyway). The situation is getting
exponentially worse, there are no resources, it
is only going to become more and more "impossible
to sustain life" in New Orleans. There are people
dying there right now, trapped by the rising
floodwaters -- up to a total of approximately
97,000 people, according to the mayor's own
(obviously rough) estimate. The worst-case
scenario is unfolding, and New Orleans will be
uninhabitable for the foreseeable future.

UPDATE: As posted in comments, WWLTV is reporting
that Jefferson Parish and Plaquemines Parish are
under martial law and the floodwaters are
expected to rise to lake level.

UPDATE 2: The mayor has now ordered an emergency
evacuation of the entire city. Important to note:
Mayor Nagin estimated that about 80% of the
city's 485,000 people evacuated before the storm.
That has to be a very rough estimate and
HOPEFULLY VERY LOW. If about 20% of the residents
are still in the city, that's approximately
97,000 people. Up to 20,000 (see Update 6) or so
are at the Superdome. That could leave about
77,000 trapped in homes rapidly flooding with
toxic water, with no food or water or way to get
out.

UPDATE 3: Bush is finally canceling his vacation
and speeches in front of hand-picked audiences
and returning to Washington as the enormity of
this disaster becomes clear. Somebody apparently
told him it's time to look like he's in charge
again.

UPDATE 4: Conditions at the Superdome are
drastically deteriorating. Local reporter on
scene tells CNN a man intentionally jumped to his
death from the second level balcony in the dome.
Water is rising around the dome, as victims with
serious injuries are brought to the dome where
they could soon be trapped.

UPDATE 5: There are numerous reports of rampant
"looting" in the city, but given the extreme
life-or-death nature of these conditions, the
vast majority of the thousands still in New
Orleans are certainly just desperately grabbing
any food, water and supplies they can get to stay
alive.

UPDATE 6: Jeanne Meserve on CNN reports it is now
estimated 15,000-20,000 people are at the
Superdome. Rescuers are bringing victims to the
dome, which is still above but surrounded by
rising water. Hopefully the mayor was way off on
his guess that nearly 100,000 people were in New
Orleans when the storm hit yesterday.




From barbarasiomos38 at msn.com  Tue Aug 30 13:49:17 2005
From: barbarasiomos38 at msn.com (Barbara Siomos)
Date: Tue Aug 30 13:53:35 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Katrina's real name - Ross Gelbspan - The Boston Globe
Message-ID: <BAY5-DAV24C23B8FA68E852E55C68BABAE0@phx.gbl>

Civic.... these are two excellent articles from the Boston Globe.....

I was getting ready to email how good the conservative vs.. liberal one was then started reading the Global Warning.... Wow!!!  

Check them out..

peace,
barbara

-----Original Message-----
From: William Swiggard
Sent: Tue, 30 Aug 2005 04:41:25 -0700
To: mb-civic
Subject: [Mb-civic] Katrina's real name - Ross Gelbspan - The Boston Globe

Katrina's real name

By Ross Gelbspan  |  August 30, 2005

THE HURRICANE that struck Louisiana yesterday was nicknamed Katrina by 
the National Weather Service. Its real name is global warming.

When the year began with a two-foot snowfall in Los Angeles, the cause 
was global warming.

When 124-mile-an-hour winds shut down nuclear plants in Scandinavia and 
cut power to hundreds of thousands of people in Ireland and the United 
Kingdom, the driver was global warming.

When a severe drought in the Midwest dropped water levels in the 
Missouri River to their lowest on record earlier this summer, the reason 
was global warming.

In July, when the worst drought on record triggered wildfires in Spain 
and Portugal and left water levels in France at their lowest in 30 
years, the explanation was global warming.

When a lethal heat wave in Arizona kept temperatures above 110 degrees 
and killed more than 20 people in one week, the culprit was global warming.

And when the Indian city of Bombay (Mumbai) received 37 inches of rain 
in one day -- killing 1,000 people and disrupting the lives of 20 
million others -- the villain was global warming.

As the atmosphere warms, it generates longer droughts, more-intense 
downpours, more-frequent heat waves, and more-severe storms.

Although Katrina began as a relatively small hurricane that glanced off 
south Florida, it was supercharged with extraordinary intensity by the 
relatively blistering sea surface temperatures in the Gulf of Mexico.

The consequences are as heartbreaking as they are terrifying.

Unfortunately, very few people in America know the real name of 
Hurricane Katrina because the coal and oil industries have spent 
millions of dollars to keep the public in doubt about the issue.

The reason is simple: To allow the climate to stabilize requires 
humanity to cut its use of coal and oil by 70 percent. That, of course, 
threatens the survival of one of the largest commercial enterprises in 
history.

http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2005/08/30/katrinas_real_name/


From barbarasiomos38 at msn.com  Tue Aug 30 13:58:30 2005
From: barbarasiomos38 at msn.com (Barbara Siomos)
Date: Tue Aug 30 14:02:57 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] it has started in england in the lancet and on tv and
	radio
Message-ID: <BAY5-DAV32FF973F1D90FED9A55EFABAE0@phx.gbl>

Damn..... ANOTHER good article... Thank heavens for the Civic List......  :-)   I will shut up now.

peace,
barbara

-----Original Message-----
From: IHHS@aol.com
Sent: Mon, 29 Aug 2005 11:52:37 -0700
To: CAltmiller@aol.com, raltmiller@appliedmed.com, w_altmiller@uop.edu, bergger@cox.net, Michael@michaelbutler.com, deva@khalsa.com, zenbears@mho.com, dfuentes@pacific.edu, DrEllegee@comcast.net, RhobbinAlexis@aol.com, NuneiFILM@aol.com, RAYAFromCA@webtv.net, ROBSHRS05@aol.com, RStarzman@co.kern.ca.us, susgrant@mac.com, Heleneyna@aol.com
Subject: [Mb-civic] it has started in england in the lancet and on tv and radio

So you can be informed when it hits this country.
Bill

The Revolutionary Revival of Homeopathy and its Demolishment by the World
Media

by Louise Mclean

27th August 2005.


Anyone who read the papers, watched the news or listened to their radios
yesterday might be forgiven for wondering what yesterdayÃ‚â€™s media
demolishment of homeopathy was all about.Â  It comes hard on the heels of a
report on 24th August that Prince Charles commissioned a study on the
economic benefits of complementary medicine and a report in The Times UK on
21st August which stated that Ã‚â€˜demand for alternative therapies such as
acupuncture and homeopathy is soaring and people are increasingly using
their medical insurance to pay for itÃ‚â€™. 



This news appears to have sent the pharmaceutical companies into a flat
spin and they went into coordinated overdrive to get all their favourite
medical and science correspondents to put out highly negative stories about
homeopathic medicine in newspapers all around the world.Â  These reports
were based on a very unfavourable study on homeopathy published in the
Lancet which stated that the benefits of homeopathy could be all in the
patientÃ‚â€™s mind.Â  The study was unveiled with fanfare at the end of a week
full of complimentary articles about alternative medicine.



Commenting on the study Prince Charles commissioned, Professor Edzard
Ernst, the only professor of complementary medicine in Britain, made
unfavourable remarks about homeopathy and yet in an article of 22nd
November, 2003 entitled Ã‚â€˜A Scientist in the Alternative CampÃ‚â€™ published
in the British Medical Journal Online, he says: Ã‚â€˜Our family doctor in the
little village outside Munich where I grew up was a homoeopath. My mother
swore by it. As a kid I was treated homoeopathically. So this kind of
medicine just came naturallyÃ‚â€™. 



The ferocity of the media attack can only mean one thing Ã‚â€“ that there is a
huge rise in popularity of homeopathic medicine and that it is now becoming
a threat to the billion dollar drug industry!Â  This worldwide revolution
has taken place almost entirely by word of mouth and by personal
recommendation - a truly remarkable phenomenon because up until now the
media has studiously ignored and excluded any positive news on the subject.Â  



A few years ago the programme Horizon on BBC 2 tried to demolish the work
of Dr. Jacques Benveniste whose studies proved that homeopathic medicines
work.Â  Benveniste claimed his studies had been replicated hundreds of
times.Â  Dr. David Reilly of the Glasgow Homeopathic Hospital has also
conducted many such successful studies and the Bristol Homeopathic Hospital
has conducted long term studies of the benefits of homeopathic treatment.
All these homeopathic hospitals, including the London Homeopathic Hospital
reportedly have at least 6 month waiting lists.



If anyone needed proof of the efficacy of homeopathic medicine, they need
only study the statistics of various epidemics during the 1900s.Â  In 1854 a
cholera epidemic struck London.Â  A report revealed that under allopathic
care the mortality was 59.2% whereas under homeopathic care the mortality
was only 9%.Â  In the yellow fever outbreak in the US in 1878, the mortality
in New Orleans was 50% under allopathic care and 5.6% for homeopathic care.
Records of three years of diphtheria in Broome County, New York from 1862
to 1864, show the mortality rate for allopaths as 83.6% and 16.4% for
homoepaths.



There are 220,000 homeopathic doctors in India and all over Europe,
especially France and Germany, homeopathy is hugely popular.Â  The Queen,
who is arguably the richest woman in the world, reportedly travels
everywhere with a homeopathic first aid kit and often dispenses to staff.
The kings and queens of Britain have always had their own personal
homeopathic doctor and for the last two centuries the aristocracy has
traditionally enjoyed the benefits of homeopathic medicine.Â  Many famous
people, including MPs choose homeopathic treatment. Tony BlairÃ‚â€™s
sister-in-law, Lyndsey Booth, changed careers from being a lawyer to
becoming a qualified homeopath. Is it possible that all these people have
been deluded into taking dummy pills, the effects of which are Ã‚â€˜all in the
mindÃ‚â€™, in their imagination?!Â  Hardly.



What about animals and babies?Â  How does the placebo effect work on them?!
As any homeopathic vet will tell you, homeopathic medicine works almost
better on animals than on humans and likewise, babies respond particularly
well to treatment.Â  Is it even possible to explain to them that the
homeopathic remedy alleviated their symptoms, much less that the
psychological effect of taking it brought about the cure?!



Hippocrates said there were two laws of cure Ã‚â€“ the law of opposites
(orthodox medicine) and the law of similars (homeopathy).Â  In homeopathy, a
small, highly potentised dose of a substance (that in a large dose would
produce the patientÃ‚â€™s symptoms), works as a catalyst to stimulate the
patientÃ‚â€™s own dormant healing power, setting it into motion to bring about
cure.Â  During the process of creating a homeopathic medicine, the dilution
alone would do nothing. It is the effect of the succussion (vigorous
shaking) in combination with the dilution that causes the medicine to
become highly potent in its action. 



This Lancet study is probably just another skewed trial intent on bringing
down homeopathy, akin to the kinds of trials we have to come to expect from
a pharmaceutical industry that gave the green light to such medicines as
thalidomide and Vioxx.



The fact of the matter is that homeopathy has enjoyed a huge rise in
popularity for one simple reason and that is because it works.

____________________________________________________________



Possibly the largest worldwide press coverage of homeopathy in one day!
Please contact me at louise@zeusinfoservice.com if you canÃ‚â€™t get any of
the articles up.



D-W World, Germany: http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,1564,1692210,00.html

Arrive.Net, USA: http://press.arrivenet.com/pol/article.php/685773.html

Medpage
Today:http://www.medpagetoday.com/PrimaryCare/AlternativeMedicine/tb/1609

The Scotsman: http://news.scotsman.com/uk.cfm?id=1836902005

Gulf Times:
http://www.gulf-times.com/site/topics/article.asp?cu_no=2&item_no=50040&vers
ion=1&template_id=38&parent_id=20

BBC News: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/low/health/4183916.stm

The Guardian, UK:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/monarchy/story/0,2763,1555248,00.html?gusrc=rss

The Daily Mail,
UK:http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/health/thehealthnews.html?
in_article_id=360205&in_page_id=1797

The Courier Mail,
Australia:http://www.thecouriermail.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5936,163
74714%5E401,00.html

Reuters:http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=topNews&storyI
D=2005-08-24T110146Z_01_KNE439306_RTRUKOC_0_UK-BRITAIN-ROYAL.xml

New Zealand
Herald:http://www.nzherald.co.nz/index.cfm?c_id=5&ObjectID=10342648

Fox News, USA: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,166947,00.html

Mail & Guardian Online, South Africa:
http://www.mg.co.za/articlepage.aspx?area=/breaking_news/breaking_news__inte
rnational_news/&articleid=249200

IOA, South Africa:
http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=31&art_id=vn200508271010458
68C276991

The Times of India: http://t
imesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1211449.cms

The Weekend Australian:
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,16397748%255E2
702,00.html

Herald & Times: http://www.theherald.co.uk/news/45761.html


Zeus Information Service
Alternative Views on Health
www.zeusinfoservice.com
All information, data and material contained, presented or provided herein
is for general information purposes only and is not to be construed as
reflecting the knowledge or opinion of Zeus Information Service.
Feel free to forward far and wide....
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From harperalexander at mail.com  Tue Aug 30 14:05:27 2005
From: harperalexander at mail.com (Alexander Harper)
Date: Tue Aug 30 14:09:47 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] When multiculturalism is a nonsense - Martin Wolff
Message-ID: <20050830210527.A1F73101D9@ws1-3.us4.outblaze.com>

 Good, thoughtful article, as ever, from Martin Wolff (FT)
AlB

Martin Wolf: When multiculturalism is a nonsense
>By Martin Wolf
>Published: August 30 2005 20:11 | Last updated: August 30 2005 20:11
>>
What are the limits of multiculturalism? How far is cultural diversity compatible with a working society, by which I mean people&#8217;s ability to live side-by-side peacefully and co-operatively? This question arises for the world as a whole. But it arises far more sharply when people live in the same country.

We are cultural animals: someone without a culture is not human. But the cultures we possess vary enormously. Indeed, that variability, over time and space, is the great evolutionary advantage of humanity. Instead of changing biologically over millennia, human beings can change culturally over decades.

Cultural diversity is, therefore, both desirable and inevitable. So, too, is cultural change. Equally, cultures can differ sharply even within a well-established and successful national community. The culture of the English working class is different from that of the middle and upper classes. A society within which there was only one culture would be at best dull and at worst stagnant.

Yet, however welcome cultural diversity may be, one has also to appreciate its limits. Human beings, said Aristotle, are political animals. For a political community to flourish there must at least be agreement on the rules of the game. The notion of politics here is a broad one. It includes the methods for choosing the holders of executive, judicial and legislative power. It covers what they are entitled to do. It also concerns the rights of individuals against the state and fellow citizens. It concerns, in short, both the legitimacy and limits of power.

A society without agreement on these questions will be either repressive or on the verge of civil war. Alas, neither is an abnormal condition: much of Latin America oscillates between one state and the other. The UK, however, is quite different. It has a claim to be the most successful of today&#8217;s relatively large polities to have evolved from pre-modern times. Its political culture has sparked imitations across the globe, for it is the birthplace of parliamentary democracy.

What then is the contemporary political culture of this polity? First, political authority derives from the people, to whom the government is accountable and by whom it is elected. Second, the law is human, not divine. Third, people accept the outcome of elections as legitimate. Fourth, citizens have an obligation of obedience to legitimately exercised authority. Fifth, individuals not groups, have political rights. Sixth, individuals are free in their political and religious opinions. Seventh, adult citizens, both male and female, have equal political and legal rights.

Yet the requirements of a shared political culture go beyond these formal preconditions. A democratic polity will only work if citizens&#8217; identification with the community as a whole, or at least with the shared process, overrides their loyalty to a segment. Only then are they likely to accept as legitimate the outcome of elections decided against their wishes.

A multicultural society will be politically workable, therefore, only if it shares a broad political culture. It is for this reason that successful nations of immigrants, such as the US, possess a strong culture, built around a common language and allegiance to shared political institutions. What has emerged in the US is an imagined nation.

In the UK, however, or at least England, the nation grew. Because the overwhelming majority of the population was descended from those who had created the country over centuries, its values, identities and culture were theirs. No one had to define the political culture. They knew what it was, since it was the one they grew up with. Now, with large-scale immigration, this is no longer true.

The American and French response to the challenge of creating the needed identities (and so identification with the polity) has been to create a civic creed. Indeed, some might call it a civic religion. In both cases, the creed emphasises shared citizenship in an ideal republic that incarnates and promotes universal values.

This is not the British tradition. The British would, hitherto, have thought it unnecessary to promote the virtues of their institutions, since their superiority was self-evident. It was so self-evident that the only response of a civilised Briton was to denigrate them. Often, as a result, the only outspoken patriots, at least among the more literate classes, have been recent immigrants.

The British may hope that the influence of the country&#8217;s history and traditions will implant a shared culture effortlessly. But this time it is going to take effort. It is surely worth stating, and teaching, that one cannot be more than formally British without subscribing to the core political values of this remarkable community.

To suggest anything else is dangerous and demeaning. It is dangerous because it destroys political community. It is demeaning because it devalues citizenship. In this sense, at least, multiculturalism must be discarded as nonsense.

martin.wolf@ft.com
 
> 
>
 


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From harperalexander at mail.com  Tue Aug 30 14:19:25 2005
From: harperalexander at mail.com (Alexander Harper)
Date: Tue Aug 30 14:24:13 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] it has started in england in the lancet and on tv and
	radio
Message-ID: <20050830211925.EA4211CE303@ws1-6.us4.outblaze.com>

Well it has worked on me for years.That is a fact. Bollocks to the Lancet and the drug companies. Incidentally is 'demolishment' a real word or is it a recently invented replacement for 'demolishing', a perfectly respectable gerund, or even 'demolition' or am I just giving you all yet another public display of ignorance clothed in pedantry?
AlB
----- Original Message -----
From: "Barbara Siomos" <barbarasiomos38@msn.com>
To: mb-civic@islandlists.com
Subject: Re: [Mb-civic] it has started in england in the lancet and on tv and	radio
Date: Tue, 30 Aug 2005 20:58:30 GMT

> 
> Damn..... ANOTHER good article... Thank heavens for the Civic 
> List......  :-)   I will shut up now.
> 
> peace,
> barbara
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: IHHS@aol.com
> Sent: Mon, 29 Aug 2005 11:52:37 -0700
> To: CAltmiller@aol.com, raltmiller@appliedmed.com, 
> w_altmiller@uop.edu, bergger@cox.net, Michael@michaelbutler.com, 
> deva@khalsa.com, zenbears@mho.com, dfuentes@pacific.edu, 
> DrEllegee@comcast.net, RhobbinAlexis@aol.com, NuneiFILM@aol.com, 
> RAYAFromCA@webtv.net, ROBSHRS05@aol.com, RStarzman@co.kern.ca.us, 
> susgrant@mac.com, Heleneyna@aol.com
> Subject: [Mb-civic] it has started in england in the lancet and on 
> tv and radio
> 
> So you can be informed when it hits this country.
> Bill
> 
> The Revolutionary Revival of Homeopathy and its Demolishment by the World
> Media
> 
> by Louise Mclean
> 
> 27th August 2005.
> 
> 
> Anyone who read the papers, watched the news or listened to their radios
> yesterday might be forgiven for wondering what yesterdayÃ‚â€™s media
> demolishment of homeopathy was all about.Â  It comes hard on the heels of a
> report on 24th August that Prince Charles commissioned a study on the
> economic benefits of complementary medicine and a report in The Times UK on
> 21st August which stated that Ã‚â€˜demand for alternative therapies such as
> acupuncture and homeopathy is soaring and people are increasingly using
> their medical insurance to pay for itÃ‚â€™.
> 
> 
> 
> This news appears to have sent the pharmaceutical companies into a flat
> spin and they went into coordinated overdrive to get all their favourite
> medical and science correspondents to put out highly negative stories about
> homeopathic medicine in newspapers all around the world.Â  These reports
> were based on a very unfavourable study on homeopathy published in the
> Lancet which stated that the benefits of homeopathy could be all in the
> patientÃ‚â€™s mind.Â  The study was unveiled with fanfare at the end of a week
> full of complimentary articles about alternative medicine.
> 
> 
> 
> Commenting on the study Prince Charles commissioned, Professor Edzard
> Ernst, the only professor of complementary medicine in Britain, made
> unfavourable remarks about homeopathy and yet in an article of 22nd
> November, 2003 entitled Ã‚â€˜A Scientist in the Alternative 
> CampÃ‚â€™ published
> in the British Medical Journal Online, he says: Ã‚â€˜Our family doctor in the
> little village outside Munich where I grew up was a homoeopath. My mother
> swore by it. As a kid I was treated homoeopathically. So this kind of
> medicine just came naturallyÃ‚â€™.
> 
> 
> 
> The ferocity of the media attack can only mean one thing Ã‚â€“ that there is a
> huge rise in popularity of homeopathic medicine and that it is now becoming
> a threat to the billion dollar drug industry!Â  This worldwide revolution
> has taken place almost entirely by word of mouth and by personal
> recommendation - a truly remarkable phenomenon because up until now the
> media has studiously ignored and excluded any positive news on the subject.Â 
> 
> 
> 
> A few years ago the programme Horizon on BBC 2 tried to demolish the work
> of Dr. Jacques Benveniste whose studies proved that homeopathic medicines
> work.Â  Benveniste claimed his studies had been replicated hundreds of
> times.Â  Dr. David Reilly of the Glasgow Homeopathic Hospital has also
> conducted many such successful studies and the Bristol Homeopathic Hospital
> has conducted long term studies of the benefits of homeopathic treatment.
> All these homeopathic hospitals, including the London Homeopathic Hospital
> reportedly have at least 6 month waiting lists.
> 
> 
> 
> If anyone needed proof of the efficacy of homeopathic medicine, they need
> only study the statistics of various epidemics during the 1900s.Â  In 1854 a
> cholera epidemic struck London.Â  A report revealed that under allopathic
> care the mortality was 59.2% whereas under homeopathic care the mortality
> was only 9%.Â  In the yellow fever outbreak in the US in 1878, the mortality
> in New Orleans was 50% under allopathic care and 5.6% for homeopathic care.
> Records of three years of diphtheria in Broome County, New York from 1862
> to 1864, show the mortality rate for allopaths as 83.6% and 16.4% for
> homoepaths.
> 
> 
> 
> There are 220,000 homeopathic doctors in India and all over Europe,
> especially France and Germany, homeopathy is hugely popular.Â  The Queen,
> who is arguably the richest woman in the world, reportedly travels
> everywhere with a homeopathic first aid kit and often dispenses to staff.
> The kings and queens of Britain have always had their own personal
> homeopathic doctor and for the last two centuries the aristocracy has
> traditionally enjoyed the benefits of homeopathic medicine.Â  Many famous
> people, including MPs choose homeopathic treatment. Tony BlairÃ‚â€™s
> sister-in-law, Lyndsey Booth, changed careers from being a lawyer to
> becoming a qualified homeopath. Is it possible that all these people have
> been deluded into taking dummy pills, the effects of which are Ã‚â€˜all in the
> mindÃ‚â€™, in their imagination?!Â  Hardly.
> 
> 
> 
> What about animals and babies?Â  How does the placebo effect work on them?!
> As any homeopathic vet will tell you, homeopathic medicine works almost
> better on animals than on humans and likewise, babies respond particularly
> well to treatment.Â  Is it even possible to explain to them that the
> homeopathic remedy alleviated their symptoms, much less that the
> psychological effect of taking it brought about the cure?!
> 
> 
> 
> Hippocrates said there were two laws of cure Ã‚â€“ the law of opposites
> (orthodox medicine) and the law of similars (homeopathy).Â  In homeopathy, a
> small, highly potentised dose of a substance (that in a large dose would
> produce the patientÃ‚â€™s symptoms), works as a catalyst to stimulate the
> patientÃ‚â€™s own dormant healing power, setting it into motion to bring about
> cure.Â  During the process of creating a homeopathic medicine, the dilution
> alone would do nothing. It is the effect of the succussion (vigorous
> shaking) in combination with the dilution that causes the medicine to
> become highly potent in its action.
> 
> 
> 
> This Lancet study is probably just another skewed trial intent on bringing
> down homeopathy, akin to the kinds of trials we have to come to expect from
> a pharmaceutical industry that gave the green light to such medicines as
> thalidomide and Vioxx.
> 
> 
> 
> The fact of the matter is that homeopathy has enjoyed a huge rise in
> popularity for one simple reason and that is because it works.
> 
> ____________________________________________________________
> 
> 
> 
> Possibly the largest worldwide press coverage of homeopathy in one day!
> Please contact me at louise@zeusinfoservice.com if you canÃ‚â€™t get any of
> the articles up.
> 
> 
> 
> D-W World, Germany: http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,1564,1692210,00.html
> 
> Arrive.Net, USA: http://press.arrivenet.com/pol/article.php/685773.html
> 
> Medpage
> Today:http://www.medpagetoday.com/PrimaryCare/AlternativeMedicine/tb/1609
> 
> The Scotsman: http://news.scotsman.com/uk.cfm?id=1836902005
> 
> Gulf Times:
> http://www.gulf-times.com/site/topics/article.asp?cu_no=2&item_no=50040&vers
> ion=1&template_id=38&parent_id=20
> 
> BBC News: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/low/health/4183916.stm
> 
> The Guardian, UK:
> http://www.guardian.co.uk/monarchy/story/0,2763,1555248,00.html?gusrc=rss
> 
> The Daily Mail,
> UK:http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/health/thehealthnews.html?
> in_article_id=360205&in_page_id=1797
> 
> The Courier Mail,
> Australia:http://www.thecouriermail.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5936,163
> 74714%5E401,00.html
> 
> Reuters:http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=topNews&storyI
> D=2005-08-24T110146Z_01_KNE439306_RTRUKOC_0_UK-BRITAIN-ROYAL.xml
> 
> New Zealand
> Herald:http://www.nzherald.co.nz/index.cfm?c_id=5&ObjectID=10342648
> 
> Fox News, USA: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,166947,00.html
> 
> Mail & Guardian Online, South Africa:
> http://www.mg.co.za/articlepage.aspx?area=/breaking_news/breaking_news__inte
> rnational_news/&articleid=249200
> 
> IOA, South Africa:
> http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=31&art_id=vn200508271010458
> 68C276991
> 
> The Times of India: http://t
> imesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1211449.cms
> 
> The Weekend Australian:
> http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,16397748%255E2
> 702,00.html
> 
> Herald & Times: http://www.theherald.co.uk/news/45761.html
> 
> 
> Zeus Information Service
> Alternative Views on Health
> www.zeusinfoservice.com
> All information, data and material contained, presented or provided herein
> is for general information purposes only and is not to be construed as
> reflecting the knowledge or opinion of Zeus Information Service.
> Feel free to forward far and wide....
> Subscribe Free/Unsubscribe: info@zeusinfoservice.com
> All Donations gratefully received!
> 
> http://www.zeusinfoservice.com/Donations.html
> 
> 
> _______________________________________________
> Mb-civic mailing list
> Mb-civic@islandlists.com
> http://www.islandlists.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/mb-civic


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From activist at democrats.com  Tue Aug 30 00:59:15 2005
From: activist at democrats.com (Democrats.com)
Date: Tue Aug 30 14:43:03 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Casey Died for an Islamic State Controlled by Iran
Message-ID: <20050830035915.513869@democrats.com>

What Noble Cause Did Casey Sheehan Die For?

"Islam is the official religion of the state and is a basic source of legislation. No law can be passed that contradicts the undisputed rules of Islam."
- Iraqi Constitution supported by Iran-backed Shiites and the Bush Administration (but opposed by Sunni leaders)

"Fortunately, after years of effort and expectations in Iraq, an Islamic state has come to power and the constitution has been established on the basis of Islamic precepts. We must congratulate the Iraqi people and authorities for this victory."
- Ayatollah Ahmad Jannati, head of Iran's powerful ultra-conservative Guardian Council

"This is the future of the new Iraqi government - it will be in the hands of the clerics. I wanted Iraqi women to be free, to be able to talk freely and to able to move around. I am not going to stay here."
- Dr. Raja Kuzai, an obstetrician and secular Shiite member of the Assembly who met President Bush in the White House in November 2003.


Resolution of Inquiry into Bush Lies Gains Momentum

There are now 53 co-sponsors on Barbara Lee's Resolution of Inquiry into the Downing Street Memos, including one Republican member of the International Relations Committee, Jim Leach.  If your Representative isn't on this list yet, please call their D.C. office (202-224-3121) and ask to speak to the Legislative Director. Ask why they haven't cosponsored HRes375, and then report back to us.  A vote in committee will come between Sept. 6 and Sept. 16.
http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/?q=node/902

"Bring the Troops Home Now" Bus Tour Begins August 31

On August 31st, the last day of the encampment, the Bring Them Home Now Tour will launch three buses from Crawford, Texas, each carrying military and Gold Star families, veterans of the Iraq War and veterans of previous wars. These buses will travel different routes across the country, converging in Washington, DC on September 21, for the United for Peace and Justice Mobilization September 24th-26th. From George Bush's doorstep to communities along the way, we demand that:
* Elected Representatives Decide Now to Bring the Troops Home
* We Take Care of Them When They Get Here
* We Never Again Send Our Loved Ones to War Based on Lies!
http://www.bringthemhomenowtour.org/ 


Why Aren't Congress's Kids Fighting in Iraq? 

Dear Senator/Representative,
If you support the War in Iraq, why aren't you or your children or your grandchildren fighting there?
The Army is short of soldiers because of the Iraq War disaster. This
shortage has put our national security in danger throughout the world. 
Your family can help fix the problem that you created by supporting the Iraq War disaster.
As your constituent, I will continue to ask this question until you call for the withdrawal of America's children from Iraq.
http://www.democrats.com/peoplesemailnetwork/57


Pass Local Resolutions

The Backbone Campaign is helping grassroots activists organize  their Town Councils and Democratic Committees to pass resolutions on:
* Barbara Lee's Resolution of Inquiry (H. Res. 375)
* Rep. Rush Holt's Resolution of Inquiry (H.Res 363) into the Valerie Plame outing
* Letter to Senate Intelligence Committee chair Pat Roberts (R-KS) for Phase II of the Investigation Into Pre-War Intelligence
Show your Representatives that you have backbones - and they should too!
http://backbonecampaign.org/storydetail.cfm?id=96

 

Out of Iraq Rally in D.C. on September 15

The peace movement will rally against the war in front of the White House following Democrat-led hearings on an exit strategy hosted by Rep. Lynn Woolsey (D-CA).  Learn more:
http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/?q=node/2369 
 

September 24-26 - Mark Your Calendar!

September 24-26: End the War on Iraq!
Three Days of Peace & Justice Actions in Washington, D.C.
http://www.unitedforpeace.org/septmobe  

PDA Events Sept. 24-26 to Include Focus on Downing Street
Workshops and trainings in DC on Sept 25th organized by Progressive Democrats of America will include a focus on Downing Street, including remarks by AfterDowningStreet.org Co-Founder John Bonifaz.
http://www.pdamerica.org/articles/events/sept2005/index.php


Demand More Polls on Impeaching Bush 

On June 30, a Zogby poll found 42% of Americans said "if it is found that President Bush did not tell the truth about his reasons for going to war with Iraq, Congress should hold him accountable through impeachment."
At the time, Bush's approval rating was just 43%. Since then, Bush's approval has dropped even lower - down to 36%.
It's time for other pollsters to follow up on the Zogby Poll and to ask about impeaching George Bush. We've collected all the e-mail addresses you need to contact them.
http://www.democrats.com/bush-impeachment-polls



C-SPAN to Broadcast McKinney Congressional Briefing on 9/11

On July 22, Rep. Cynthia McKinney (D-GA) organized a day-long briefing on the 9/11 Commission's Final Report one year later. The event included leading victims' family members, former government and intelligence workers, academics and authors speaking on the flaws and weaknesses of the 9/11 Commission's investigation, assumptions, omissions, conclusions and recommendations. It was filmed in entirety by C-SPAN and will be broadcast:
* Wednesday August 31 from 8:00 pm to 11:30 pm
* Friday, September 2 from 8:00 pm to 1:00 am
http://www.911truth.org


BS Protector - Don't Leave Home Without It!

Veteran Bill Moyer didn't take any risks when he watched Bush speak. You shouldn't either!M ake your own BS Protector - it's easy and fun for the whole family!
http://tinyurl.com/8bh8u  


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From michael at michaelbutler.com  Tue Aug 30 09:48:14 2005
From: michael at michaelbutler.com (Michael Butler)
Date: Tue Aug 30 14:43:13 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Answers for Simon
Message-ID: <BF39DBDE.23703%michael@michaelbutler.com>


Michael Butler's Blog

http://www.michaelbutler.com/mbblog.html


From harperalexander at mail.com  Tue Aug 30 14:42:08 2005
From: harperalexander at mail.com (Alexander Harper)
Date: Tue Aug 30 14:46:35 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Hugo Chavez: A Walk in the Footsteps of Arbenz, Allende
Message-ID: <20050830214208.E665F4BEAE@ws1-1.us4.outblaze.com>

If it hadn't been for the mess they have got themselves into in Iraq I am sure they would have already taken him out.
I understand from someone, who has met him ( a senior western diplomat, not some 'fellow traveller') that he is absolutely charming and has great charisma. He does not cut off his visitors after a few minutes but will talk and argue, very good humouredly and at great length with his interlocutor. Scheduling for him  must be a nightmare for his aides. He may well be just a rascal and a plausible demagogue, who is lucky enough to be able to defy conventional economics because of $70 oil but one cannot argue that he is doing great things for the poor. The venezuelan military will support him because thay can see that if he survives they will end up as the ruling elite, as is the case in Cuba.
AlB
----- Original Message -----
From: "Mike Blaxill" <mblaxill@yahoo.com>
To: mb-civic@islandlists.com
Subject: [Mb-civic] Hugo Chavez: A Walk in the Footsteps of Arbenz, Allende
Date: Mon, 29 Aug 2005 14:31:28 -0700 (PDT)

> 
> http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/082905G.shtml?
> 
> Hugo Chavez: A Walk in the Footsteps of Arbenz,
> Allende
> ????By Dr. Rosa Maria Pegueros
> ????Common Dreams
> 
> 
> ????Monday 29 August 2005
> 
> 
> ????For more than forty years, Cuban leader Fidel
> Castro has been the target of countless United
> States- and CIA-sponsored assassination attempts.
> I shudder to think what might have happened if
> Cuba had been endowed with large reserves of oil.
> Venezuela's president Hugo Chavez may learn the
> consequences of such a blessing very soon.
> 
> 
> ????If television evangelist Pat Robertson's
> controversial statements suggesting that the U.S.
> send in a covert operative to take out Chavez
> were not just the words of a madman but a trial
> balloon floated for the administration, the
> firestorm that met them should stay the
> president's hand even though, in the bellicose
> preacher's words, "It is cheaper than starting
> another $200 billion war to get rid of one, you
> know, strong-arm dictator. . .and I don't think
> any oil shipments will stop.
> 
> 
> ????We may have "the ability to take him out, and
> I think the time has come that we exercise that
> ability," as Robertson says, but with the
> administration's wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and
> its saber-rattling towards Korea and Iran, one
> would think Bush has his hands full.
> 
> 
> ????Hugo Chavez has set up medical clinics in the
> poorest neighborhoods in his country, staffing
> them with Cuban doctors, not that that United
> States has offered any medical assistance. He has
> created school music programs that have resulted
> in lower street crime and a resurgence of
> classical music: The would-be delinquents are
> spending their time practicing the violin instead
> of knocking over old ladies. The nerve of that
> guy! Wasting our money-or at least the money we
> pay for oil from Venezuela-on such effete
> solutions to social problems!
> 
> 
> ????More to the point, his administration has
> kept entrepreneurs from controlling the oil
> industry and sucking out all the profits to make
> themselves wealthy. Chavez has kept a tight rein
> on it, reinvesting the money for the benefit of
> the Venezuelan people. He has successfully
> responded to the needs of its citizens in ways
> that have made his socialist ideas very popular;
> the people have elected him twice and overcome a
> coup against him.
> 
> 
> ????The proper role of the government is to
> protect and make the best use of a nation's
> resources for its citizens. There is nothing in
> our Constitution about making the most money for
> a politician's supporters. In fact, the
> Constitution specifically mandates that we
> "promote the general Welfare." There's nothing
> communist about it.
> 
> 
> ????The United States has a number of genuine
> problems with Hugo Chavez. First of all,
> government control of the oil industry shuts out
> entrepreneurs and foreign investors-think of
> Standard Oil, Gulf Oil, and Exxon. Secondly, it
> has the second largest oil reserve in the
> Americas. Canada, with 171 billion barrels of oil
> is first, though second in the world to Saudi
> Arabia. According to the U.S. Energy Information
> Administration, Venezuela holds the ninth place
> in oil reserves with 77 billion barrels of oil.
> It is also extremely important to the U.S. in
> part because of its proximity. Recently, we have
> purchased more of Venezuela's oil than anyone
> has.
> 
> 
> ????Chavez's trolling for other markets threatens
> America's access to Venezuelan oil even more
> though both he and his representatives have been
> very clear that they are not planning to reduce
> exports to the U.S. Considering the presumably
> diminishing Saudi Arabian oil reserves, as well
> as China's and our increasing demand for oil,
> this is not an abstract threat except, he says,
> if we attempt to assassinate or overthrow him.
> 
> 
> ????The Saudis, possessors of the largest oil
> reserves in the world are extremely secretive
> about the amount of oil still available in their
> reserves. The U.S. government estimates that they
> have 261 billion barrels of oil but we cannot
> know for sure. They have good reason to play
> their cards so close to the vest: If they were to
> confirm that they are approaching their peak of
> production, it might spur the west to serious
> efforts to create alternative forms of fuel such
> as solar, wind and nuclear power. If those forms
> were to become widely available, it could cut
> into the Saudi market. It makes one wonder if
> Iran's claim that it is developing nuclear power
> because it is an alternative form of power is
> true. While Iran holds the world's fourth largest
> reserve of oil, with 126 billion barrels of oil,
> it would be exercising a rare form of prescience
> in planning for a future when that oil will be
> gone.
> 
> 
> ????Aside from America's concerns about oil,
> Chavez has made a number of pronouncements that
> have irritated the administration and its
> friends. He has responded strongly to rumors that
> the U.S. is planning to invade Venezuela saying
> that he would stand up to any such invasion. Just
> what would Bush expect him to say?
> 
> 
> ????Venezuela is right to publicize these rumors.
> If Cuba's experience with the Bay of Pigs
> invasion, the Cuban missile crisis and subsequent
> assassination attempts on Castro; the
> CIA-sponsored coups against Arbenz in Guatemala
> in 1954 and against Allende in Chile in 1972 are
> any measure of our government's willingness to
> disregard international law for our own ends,
> Chavez cannot take these rumors lightly
> particularly with the trigger-happy Bush at the
> helm.
> 
> 
> ????It is not just the history of American
> state-sponsored terrorism about which Venezuela
> is justified in worrying but the arrogant
> expectation that any government or leader that
> disagrees with us poses a risk to the American
> way of life. Latin American leaders are
> especially endangered.
> 
> 
> ????As Pat Robertson observed, "We have the
> Monroe Doctrine, and we have other doctrines that
> we have announced, and without question, this is
> a dangerous enemy to our south, controlling a
> huge pool of oil that could hurt us very badly.
> 
> 
> ????President Franklin Delano Roosevelt
> officially repudiated the Monroe Doctrine in 1934
> ending U.S. interventionism in Latin America and
> replacing it with his "Good Neighbor" policy.
> Those damnable Democrats! But remember that
> President Gerald Ford issued an Executive Order
> that banned U.S. government agents from
> assassinating foreign leaders.
> 
> 
> ????In September 2001, in the wake of the attacks
> on the World Trade Center, President Bush
> rescinded that order and lowered the standard of
> proof for assassinations to those merely
> "suspected" of being terrorists. But long before
> George W. Bush became president the U.S had
> disregarded its Good Neighbor policy with
> interventions in Guatemala, Nicaragua, Panama,
> and the Dominican Republic, to name a few.
> 
> 
> ????Golda Meir famously said, "Even paranoids
> have enemies." Whatever mainstream America may
> think of Hugo Chavez, he is right to be wary.
> 
> 
> ????--------
> 
> ????Dr. Rosa Maria Pegueros is an associate
> professor of history at the University of Rhode
> Island. She may be reached at pegueros@uri.edu.
> _______________________________________________
> Mb-civic mailing list
> Mb-civic@islandlists.com
> http://www.islandlists.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/mb-civic


-- 
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From harperalexander at mail.com  Tue Aug 30 14:45:17 2005
From: harperalexander at mail.com (Alexander Harper)
Date: Tue Aug 30 14:49:37 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Hugo Chavez: A Walk in the Footsteps of Arbenz, Allende
Message-ID: <20050830214517.B25B44BEAE@ws1-1.us4.outblaze.com>

I meant to write quote 'one cannot argue that he is NOT doing great things for the poor etc" unquote. Sorry - typo.
AlB
----- Original Message -----
From: "Alexander Harper" <harperalexander@mail.com>
To: mb-civic@islandlists.com
Subject: Re: [Mb-civic] Hugo Chavez: A Walk in the Footsteps of Arbenz, Allende
Date: Tue, 30 Aug 2005 18:42:08 -0300

> 
> If it hadn't been for the mess they have got themselves into in 
> Iraq I am sure they would have already taken him out.
> I understand from someone, who has met him ( a senior western 
> diplomat, not some 'fellow traveller') that he is absolutely 
> charming and has great charisma. He does not cut off his visitors 
> after a few minutes but will talk and argue, very good humouredly 
> and at great length with his interlocutor. Scheduling for him  must 
> be a nightmare for his aides. He may well be just a rascal and a 
> plausible demagogue, who is lucky enough to be able to defy 
> conventional economics because of $70 oil but one cannot argue that 
> he is doing great things for the poor. The venezuelan military will 
> support him because thay can see that if he survives they will end 
> up as the ruling elite, as is the case in Cuba.
> AlB
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Mike Blaxill" <mblaxill@yahoo.com>
> To: mb-civic@islandlists.com
> Subject: [Mb-civic] Hugo Chavez: A Walk in the Footsteps of Arbenz, Allende
> Date: Mon, 29 Aug 2005 14:31:28 -0700 (PDT)
> 
> >
> > http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/082905G.shtml?
> >
> > Hugo Chavez: A Walk in the Footsteps of Arbenz,
> > Allende
> > ????By Dr. Rosa Maria Pegueros
> > ????Common Dreams
> >
> >
> > ????Monday 29 August 2005
> >
> >
> > ????For more than forty years, Cuban leader Fidel
> > Castro has been the target of countless United
> > States- and CIA-sponsored assassination attempts.
> > I shudder to think what might have happened if
> > Cuba had been endowed with large reserves of oil.
> > Venezuela's president Hugo Chavez may learn the
> > consequences of such a blessing very soon.
> >
> >
> > ????If television evangelist Pat Robertson's
> > controversial statements suggesting that the U.S.
> > send in a covert operative to take out Chavez
> > were not just the words of a madman but a trial
> > balloon floated for the administration, the
> > firestorm that met them should stay the
> > president's hand even though, in the bellicose
> > preacher's words, "It is cheaper than starting
> > another $200 billion war to get rid of one, you
> > know, strong-arm dictator. . .and I don't think
> > any oil shipments will stop.
> >
> >
> > ????We may have "the ability to take him out, and
> > I think the time has come that we exercise that
> > ability," as Robertson says, but with the
> > administration's wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and
> > its saber-rattling towards Korea and Iran, one
> > would think Bush has his hands full.
> >
> >
> > ????Hugo Chavez has set up medical clinics in the
> > poorest neighborhoods in his country, staffing
> > them with Cuban doctors, not that that United
> > States has offered any medical assistance. He has
> > created school music programs that have resulted
> > in lower street crime and a resurgence of
> > classical music: The would-be delinquents are
> > spending their time practicing the violin instead
> > of knocking over old ladies. The nerve of that
> > guy! Wasting our money-or at least the money we
> > pay for oil from Venezuela-on such effete
> > solutions to social problems!
> >
> >
> > ????More to the point, his administration has
> > kept entrepreneurs from controlling the oil
> > industry and sucking out all the profits to make
> > themselves wealthy. Chavez has kept a tight rein
> > on it, reinvesting the money for the benefit of
> > the Venezuelan people. He has successfully
> > responded to the needs of its citizens in ways
> > that have made his socialist ideas very popular;
> > the people have elected him twice and overcome a
> > coup against him.
> >
> >
> > ????The proper role of the government is to
> > protect and make the best use of a nation's
> > resources for its citizens. There is nothing in
> > our Constitution about making the most money for
> > a politician's supporters. In fact, the
> > Constitution specifically mandates that we
> > "promote the general Welfare." There's nothing
> > communist about it.
> >
> >
> > ????The United States has a number of genuine
> > problems with Hugo Chavez. First of all,
> > government control of the oil industry shuts out
> > entrepreneurs and foreign investors-think of
> > Standard Oil, Gulf Oil, and Exxon. Secondly, it
> > has the second largest oil reserve in the
> > Americas. Canada, with 171 billion barrels of oil
> > is first, though second in the world to Saudi
> > Arabia. According to the U.S. Energy Information
> > Administration, Venezuela holds the ninth place
> > in oil reserves with 77 billion barrels of oil.
> > It is also extremely important to the U.S. in
> > part because of its proximity. Recently, we have
> > purchased more of Venezuela's oil than anyone
> > has.
> >
> >
> > ????Chavez's trolling for other markets threatens
> > America's access to Venezuelan oil even more
> > though both he and his representatives have been
> > very clear that they are not planning to reduce
> > exports to the U.S. Considering the presumably
> > diminishing Saudi Arabian oil reserves, as well
> > as China's and our increasing demand for oil,
> > this is not an abstract threat except, he says,
> > if we attempt to assassinate or overthrow him.
> >
> >
> > ????The Saudis, possessors of the largest oil
> > reserves in the world are extremely secretive
> > about the amount of oil still available in their
> > reserves. The U.S. government estimates that they
> > have 261 billion barrels of oil but we cannot
> > know for sure. They have good reason to play
> > their cards so close to the vest: If they were to
> > confirm that they are approaching their peak of
> > production, it might spur the west to serious
> > efforts to create alternative forms of fuel such
> > as solar, wind and nuclear power. If those forms
> > were to become widely available, it could cut
> > into the Saudi market. It makes one wonder if
> > Iran's claim that it is developing nuclear power
> > because it is an alternative form of power is
> > true. While Iran holds the world's fourth largest
> > reserve of oil, with 126 billion barrels of oil,
> > it would be exercising a rare form of prescience
> > in planning for a future when that oil will be
> > gone.
> >
> >
> > ????Aside from America's concerns about oil,
> > Chavez has made a number of pronouncements that
> > have irritated the administration and its
> > friends. He has responded strongly to rumors that
> > the U.S. is planning to invade Venezuela saying
> > that he would stand up to any such invasion. Just
> > what would Bush expect him to say?
> >
> >
> > ????Venezuela is right to publicize these rumors.
> > If Cuba's experience with the Bay of Pigs
> > invasion, the Cuban missile crisis and subsequent
> > assassination attempts on Castro; the
> > CIA-sponsored coups against Arbenz in Guatemala
> > in 1954 and against Allende in Chile in 1972 are
> > any measure of our government's willingness to
> > disregard international law for our own ends,
> > Chavez cannot take these rumors lightly
> > particularly with the trigger-happy Bush at the
> > helm.
> >
> >
> > ????It is not just the history of American
> > state-sponsored terrorism about which Venezuela
> > is justified in worrying but the arrogant
> > expectation that any government or leader that
> > disagrees with us poses a risk to the American
> > way of life. Latin American leaders are
> > especially endangered.
> >
> >
> > ????As Pat Robertson observed, "We have the
> > Monroe Doctrine, and we have other doctrines that
> > we have announced, and without question, this is
> > a dangerous enemy to our south, controlling a
> > huge pool of oil that could hurt us very badly.
> >
> >
> > ????President Franklin Delano Roosevelt
> > officially repudiated the Monroe Doctrine in 1934
> > ending U.S. interventionism in Latin America and
> > replacing it with his "Good Neighbor" policy.
> > Those damnable Democrats! But remember that
> > President Gerald Ford issued an Executive Order
> > that banned U.S. government agents from
> > assassinating foreign leaders.
> >
> >
> > ????In September 2001, in the wake of the attacks
> > on the World Trade Center, President Bush
> > rescinded that order and lowered the standard of
> > proof for assassinations to those merely
> > "suspected" of being terrorists. But long before
> > George W. Bush became president the U.S had
> > disregarded its Good Neighbor policy with
> > interventions in Guatemala, Nicaragua, Panama,
> > and the Dominican Republic, to name a few.
> >
> >
> > ????Golda Meir famously said, "Even paranoids
> > have enemies." Whatever mainstream America may
> > think of Hugo Chavez, he is right to be wary.
> >
> >
> > ????--------
> >
> > ????Dr. Rosa Maria Pegueros is an associate
> > professor of history at the University of Rhode
> > Island. She may be reached at pegueros@uri.edu.
> > _______________________________________________
> > Mb-civic mailing list
> > Mb-civic@islandlists.com
> > http://www.islandlists.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/mb-civic
> 
> 
> --
> ___________________________________________________________
> Sign-up for Ads Free at Mail.com
> http://promo.mail.com/adsfreejump.htm
> 
> 
> _______________________________________________
> Mb-civic mailing list
> Mb-civic@islandlists.com
> http://www.islandlists.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/mb-civic


-- 
___________________________________________________________
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From olhippie at tampabay.rr.com  Tue Aug 30 15:30:07 2005
From: olhippie at tampabay.rr.com (Robin McNamara)
Date: Tue Aug 30 15:34:26 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] NYTimes.com: Medical Marijuana
References: <20050830150737.F41A983CD9@lax-gw03.mroute.net>
	<000f01c5ad9b$312b8900$99ca6c42@iancn2ccrvzt0j>
Message-ID: <001001c5adb2$60381800$8a03ca44@CowBox>

E-Mail ThisHey Ian 

Right on my brother :)

Peace
Robin
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Ian 
  To: mblaxill@yahoo.com ; mb-civic@islandlists.com 
  Sent: Tuesday, August 30, 2005 3:44 PM
  Subject: Re: [Mb-civic] NYTimes.com: Medical Marijuana


  Yup.  That's me.  <<<<blush>>>>>
    ----- Original Message ----- 
    From: mblaxill@yahoo.com 
    To: mb-civic@islandlists.com 
    Sent: Tuesday, August 30, 2005 11:07 AM
    Subject: [Mb-civic] NYTimes.com: Medical Marijuana


              
                   
                  
               
                This page was sent to you by:  mblaxill@yahoo.com 
                Message from sender:
                Is this OUR Ian Alterman?? If yes, awesome letter!..here's to you brother! 

                OPINION   | August 30, 2005 
                Medical Marijuana 
                To the Editor:. 

               
               
                   
                       
                      1. Destroying the National Parks 
                      2. Op-Ed Contributor: Show Me the Science 
                      3. Op-Ed Columnist: Greenspan and the Bubble 
                      4. Missed Church? Download It to Your IPod. 
                      5. Op-Ed Columnist: Left Behind, Way Behind 

                      ?  Go to Complete List 
                       
                     
               
               
                  
                Copyright 2005  The New York Times Company | Privacy Policy    
                   
         



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From ialterman at nyc.rr.com  Tue Aug 30 16:25:30 2005
From: ialterman at nyc.rr.com (Ian)
Date: Tue Aug 30 16:29:58 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] NYTimes.com: Medical Marijuana
References: <20050830150737.F41A983CD9@lax-gw03.mroute.net>
	<000f01c5ad9b$312b8900$99ca6c42@iancn2ccrvzt0j>
	<001001c5adb2$60381800$8a03ca44@CowBox>
Message-ID: <006a01c5adba$1da9d980$99ca6c42@iancn2ccrvzt0j>

E-Mail ThisRobin:

Thanks...<<<more blushing>>>

Peace.
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Robin McNamara 
  To: mb-civic@islandlists.com 
  Sent: Tuesday, August 30, 2005 6:30 PM
  Subject: Re: [Mb-civic] NYTimes.com: Medical Marijuana


  Hey Ian 

  Right on my brother :)

  Peace
  Robin
    ----- Original Message ----- 
    From: Ian 
    To: mblaxill@yahoo.com ; mb-civic@islandlists.com 
    Sent: Tuesday, August 30, 2005 3:44 PM
    Subject: Re: [Mb-civic] NYTimes.com: Medical Marijuana


    Yup.  That's me.  <<<<blush>>>>>
      ----- Original Message ----- 
      From: mblaxill@yahoo.com 
      To: mb-civic@islandlists.com 
      Sent: Tuesday, August 30, 2005 11:07 AM
      Subject: [Mb-civic] NYTimes.com: Medical Marijuana


                
                     
                    
                 
                  This page was sent to you by:  mblaxill@yahoo.com 
                  Message from sender:
                  Is this OUR Ian Alterman?? If yes, awesome letter!..here's to you brother! 

                  OPINION   | August 30, 2005 
                  Medical Marijuana 
                  To the Editor:. 

                 
                 
                     
                         
                        1. Destroying the National Parks 
                        2. Op-Ed Contributor: Show Me the Science 
                        3. Op-Ed Columnist: Greenspan and the Bubble 
                        4. Missed Church? Download It to Your IPod. 
                        5. Op-Ed Columnist: Left Behind, Way Behind 

                        ?  Go to Complete List 
                         
                       
                 
                 
                    
                  Copyright 2005  The New York Times Company | Privacy Policy    
                     
           



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      Mb-civic@islandlists.com
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From barbarasiomos38 at msn.com  Tue Aug 30 16:59:31 2005
From: barbarasiomos38 at msn.com (Barbara Siomos)
Date: Tue Aug 30 17:03:51 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Hugo Chavez: A Walk in the Footsteps of Arbenz, Allende
Message-ID: <BAY5-DAV14887F6DF01043E65A5328ABAE0@phx.gbl>

That is why he and Castro get along so well chatting and laughing... they are very much the same.

peace....

-----Original Message-----
From: Alexander Harper
Sent: Tue, 30 Aug 2005 14:42:08 -0700
To: mb-civic@islandlists.com
Subject: Re: [Mb-civic] Hugo Chavez: A Walk in the Footsteps of Arbenz, Allende

If it hadn't been for the mess they have got themselves into in Iraq I am sure they would have already taken him out.
I understand from someone, who has met him ( a senior western diplomat, not some 'fellow traveller') that he is absolutely charming and has great charisma. He does not cut off his visitors after a few minutes but will talk and argue, very good humouredly and at great length with his interlocutor. Scheduling for him  must be a nightmare for his aides. He may well be just a rascal and a plausible demagogue, who is lucky enough to be able to defy conventional economics because of $70 oil but one cannot argue that he is doing great things for the poor. The venezuelan military will support him because thay can see that if he survives they will end up as the ruling elite, as is the case in Cuba.
AlB
----- Original Message -----
From: "Mike Blaxill" <mblaxill@yahoo.com>
To: mb-civic@islandlists.com
Subject: [Mb-civic] Hugo Chavez: A Walk in the Footsteps of Arbenz, Allende
Date: Mon, 29 Aug 2005 14:31:28 -0700 (PDT)

> 
> http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/082905G.shtml
> 
> Hugo Chavez: A Walk in the Footsteps of Arbenz,
> Allende
> By Dr. Rosa Maria Pegueros
> Common Dreams
> 
> 
> Monday 29 August 2005
> 
> 
> For more than forty years, Cuban leader Fidel
> Castro has been the target of countless United
> States- and CIA-sponsored assassination attempts.
> I shudder to think what might have happened if
> Cuba had been endowed with large reserves of oil.
> Venezuela's president Hugo Chavez may learn the
> consequences of such a blessing very soon.
> 
> 
> If television evangelist Pat Robertson's
> controversial statements suggesting that the U.S.
> send in a covert operative to take out Chavez
> were not just the words of a madman but a trial
> balloon floated for the administration, the
> firestorm that met them should stay the
> president's hand even though, in the bellicose
> preacher's words, "It is cheaper than starting
> another $200 billion war to get rid of one, you
> know, strong-arm dictator. . .and I don't think
> any oil shipments will stop.
> 
> 
> We may have "the ability to take him out, and
> I think the time has come that we exercise that
> ability," as Robertson says, but with the
> administration's wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and
> its saber-rattling towards Korea and Iran, one
> would think Bush has his hands full.
> 
> 
> Hugo Chavez has set up medical clinics in the
> poorest neighborhoods in his country, staffing
> them with Cuban doctors, not that that United
> States has offered any medical assistance. He has
> created school music programs that have resulted
> in lower street crime and a resurgence of
> classical music: The would-be delinquents are
> spending their time practicing the violin instead
> of knocking over old ladies. The nerve of that
> guy! Wasting our money-or at least the money we
> pay for oil from Venezuela-on such effete
> solutions to social problems!
> 
> 
> More to the point, his administration has
> kept entrepreneurs from controlling the oil
> industry and sucking out all the profits to make
> themselves wealthy. Chavez has kept a tight rein
> on it, reinvesting the money for the benefit of
> the Venezuelan people. He has successfully
> responded to the needs of its citizens in ways
> that have made his socialist ideas very popular;
> the people have elected him twice and overcome a
> coup against him.
> 
> 
> The proper role of the government is to
> protect and make the best use of a nation's
> resources for its citizens. There is nothing in
> our Constitution about making the most money for
> a politician's supporters. In fact, the
> Constitution specifically mandates that we
> "promote the general Welfare." There's nothing
> communist about it.
> 
> 
> The United States has a number of genuine
> problems with Hugo Chavez. First of all,
> government control of the oil industry shuts out
> entrepreneurs and foreign investors-think of
> Standard Oil, Gulf Oil, and Exxon. Secondly, it
> has the second largest oil reserve in the
> Americas. Canada, with 171 billion barrels of oil
> is first, though second in the world to Saudi
> Arabia. According to the U.S. Energy Information
> Administration, Venezuela holds the ninth place
> in oil reserves with 77 billion barrels of oil.
> It is also extremely important to the U.S. in
> part because of its proximity. Recently, we have
> purchased more of Venezuela's oil than anyone
> has.
> 
> 
> Chavez's trolling for other markets threatens
> America's access to Venezuelan oil even more
> though both he and his representatives have been
> very clear that they are not planning to reduce
> exports to the U.S. Considering the presumably
> diminishing Saudi Arabian oil reserves, as well
> as China's and our increasing demand for oil,
> this is not an abstract threat except, he says,
> if we attempt to assassinate or overthrow him.
> 
> 
> The Saudis, possessors of the largest oil
> reserves in the world are extremely secretive
> about the amount of oil still available in their
> reserves. The U.S. government estimates that they
> have 261 billion barrels of oil but we cannot
> know for sure. They have good reason to play
> their cards so close to the vest: If they were to
> confirm that they are approaching their peak of
> production, it might spur the west to serious
> efforts to create alternative forms of fuel such
> as solar, wind and nuclear power. If those forms
> were to become widely available, it could cut
> into the Saudi market. It makes one wonder if
> Iran's claim that it is developing nuclear power
> because it is an alternative form of power is
> true. While Iran holds the world's fourth largest
> reserve of oil, with 126 billion barrels of oil,
> it would be exercising a rare form of prescience
> in planning for a future when that oil will be
> gone.
> 
> 
> Aside from America's concerns about oil,
> Chavez has made a number of pronouncements that
> have irritated the administration and its
> friends. He has responded strongly to rumors that
> the U.S. is planning to invade Venezuela saying
> that he would stand up to any such invasion. Just
> what would Bush expect him to say?
> 
> 
> Venezuela is right to publicize these rumors.
> If Cuba's experience with the Bay of Pigs
> invasion, the Cuban missile crisis and subsequent
> assassination attempts on Castro; the
> CIA-sponsored coups against Arbenz in Guatemala
> in 1954 and against Allende in Chile in 1972 are
> any measure of our government's willingness to
> disregard international law for our own ends,
> Chavez cannot take these rumors lightly
> particularly with the trigger-happy Bush at the
> helm.
> 
> 
> It is not just the history of American
> state-sponsored terrorism about which Venezuela
> is justified in worrying but the arrogant
> expectation that any government or leader that
> disagrees with us poses a risk to the American
> way of life. Latin American leaders are
> especially endangered.
> 
> 
> As Pat Robertson observed, "We have the
> Monroe Doctrine, and we have other doctrines that
> we have announced, and without question, this is
> a dangerous enemy to our south, controlling a
> huge pool of oil that could hurt us very badly.
> 
> 
> President Franklin Delano Roosevelt
> officially repudiated the Monroe Doctrine in 1934
> ending U.S. interventionism in Latin America and
> replacing it with his "Good Neighbor" policy.
> Those damnable Democrats! But remember that
> President Gerald Ford issued an Executive Order
> that banned U.S. government agents from
> assassinating foreign leaders.
> 
> 
> In September 2001, in the wake of the attacks
> on the World Trade Center, President Bush
> rescinded that order and lowered the standard of
> proof for assassinations to those merely
> "suspected" of being terrorists. But long before
> George W. Bush became president the U.S had
> disregarded its Good Neighbor policy with
> interventions in Guatemala, Nicaragua, Panama,
> and the Dominican Republic, to name a few.
> 
> 
> Golda Meir famously said, "Even paranoids
> have enemies." Whatever mainstream America may
> think of Hugo Chavez, he is right to be wary.
> 
> 
> --------
> 
> Dr. Rosa Maria Pegueros is an associate
> professor of history at the University of Rhode
> Island. She may be reached at pegueros@uri.edu.
> _______________________________________________
> Mb-civic mailing list
> Mb-civic@islandlists.com
> http://www.islandlists.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/mb-civic


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From harry.sifton at sympatico.ca  Tue Aug 30 17:44:01 2005
From: harry.sifton at sympatico.ca (Harold Sifton)
Date: Tue Aug 30 17:48:26 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Looting out of control in New Orleans
Message-ID: <000801c5adc5$17760420$b427e440@Harold>

The looting in New Orleans is out of control, where is the National Guard, Homeland Security, the Police ??

http://apnews.myway.com/article/20050830/D8CAELA01.html

Opps, sorry, why is there looting in the first place? That is the kind of thing that only happens in a 3rd world countries, not America!

Sad that some fellow Americans prey upon each other! What is wrong with this culture that in times of need that this looting thing happens?

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From harry.sifton at sympatico.ca  Tue Aug 30 17:54:50 2005
From: harry.sifton at sympatico.ca (Harold Sifton)
Date: Tue Aug 30 17:59:30 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Looters help themselves in front of Police
Message-ID: <000f01c5adc6$9f019ca0$b427e440@Harold>

I can not belive this !

http://www.recorder.ca/cp/World/050830/w0830101A.html

What is wrong here?

Later H
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From harry.sifton at sympatico.ca  Tue Aug 30 18:00:31 2005
From: harry.sifton at sympatico.ca (Harold Sifton)
Date: Tue Aug 30 18:04:56 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Executed person pardoned after 60 years
Message-ID: <001601c5adc7$661dbfd0$b427e440@Harold>

A woman executed 6 decades ago pardoned!

http://www.recorder.ca/cp/World/050830/w083079A.html

A little late I would think.

H
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From hotprojects at nyc.rr.com  Tue Aug 30 18:06:12 2005
From: hotprojects at nyc.rr.com (richard haase)
Date: Tue Aug 30 18:10:36 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] NYTimes.com: Medical Marijuana
References: <20050830150737.F41A983CD9@lax-gw03.mroute.net>
	<000f01c5ad9b$312b8900$99ca6c42@iancn2ccrvzt0j>
	<001001c5adb2$60381800$8a03ca44@CowBox>
	<006a01c5adba$1da9d980$99ca6c42@iancn2ccrvzt0j>
Message-ID: <025801c5adc8$2e5c9110$6e436c42@hotprojects>

E-Mail Thisi even like the non medical kind
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Ian 
  To: mb-civic@islandlists.com 
  Sent: Tuesday, August 30, 2005 7:25 PM
  Subject: Re: [Mb-civic] NYTimes.com: Medical Marijuana


  Robin:

  Thanks...<<<more blushing>>>

  Peace.
    ----- Original Message ----- 
    From: Robin McNamara 
    To: mb-civic@islandlists.com 
    Sent: Tuesday, August 30, 2005 6:30 PM
    Subject: Re: [Mb-civic] NYTimes.com: Medical Marijuana


    Hey Ian 

    Right on my brother :)

    Peace
    Robin
      ----- Original Message ----- 
      From: Ian 
      To: mblaxill@yahoo.com ; mb-civic@islandlists.com 
      Sent: Tuesday, August 30, 2005 3:44 PM
      Subject: Re: [Mb-civic] NYTimes.com: Medical Marijuana


      Yup.  That's me.  <<<<blush>>>>>
        ----- Original Message ----- 
        From: mblaxill@yahoo.com 
        To: mb-civic@islandlists.com 
        Sent: Tuesday, August 30, 2005 11:07 AM
        Subject: [Mb-civic] NYTimes.com: Medical Marijuana


                  
                       
                      
                   
                    This page was sent to you by:  mblaxill@yahoo.com 
                    Message from sender:
                    Is this OUR Ian Alterman?? If yes, awesome letter!..here's to you brother! 

                    OPINION   | August 30, 2005 
                    Medical Marijuana 
                    To the Editor:. 

                   
                   
                       
                           
                          1. Destroying the National Parks 
                          2. Op-Ed Contributor: Show Me the Science 
                          3. Op-Ed Columnist: Greenspan and the Bubble 
                          4. Missed Church? Download It to Your IPod. 
                          5. Op-Ed Columnist: Left Behind, Way Behind 

                          ?  Go to Complete List 
                           
                         
                   
                   
                      
                    Copyright 2005  The New York Times Company | Privacy Policy    
                       
             



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From harry.sifton at sympatico.ca  Tue Aug 30 18:06:36 2005
From: harry.sifton at sympatico.ca (harry.sifton@sympatico.ca)
Date: Tue Aug 30 18:10:54 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] ABCNEWS.com: Official: Prisoners Riot,
	Take Hostages in New Orleans
Message-ID: <25153881.1125450396793.JavaMail._WDIGSvc0406@abctvbar03>

You have received this ABCNEWS.com mail from:

harry.sifton@sympatico.ca

I thought you might find this story interesting.

Official: Prisoners Riot, Take Hostages in New Orleans
http://abcnews.go.com/US/HurricaneKatrina/story?id=1081633&page=1
From hotprojects at nyc.rr.com  Tue Aug 30 18:06:38 2005
From: hotprojects at nyc.rr.com (richard haase)
Date: Tue Aug 30 18:11:04 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] actually its all medical once you inhale it love you guys
Message-ID: <026601c5adc8$3d53e560$6e436c42@hotprojects>


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From harry.sifton at sympatico.ca  Tue Aug 30 18:10:24 2005
From: harry.sifton at sympatico.ca (harry.sifton@sympatico.ca)
Date: Tue Aug 30 18:14:42 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] ABCNEWS.com: Poll: Bush Approval at a Career Low
Message-ID: <21655257.1125450624855.JavaMail._WDIGSvc0406@abctvbar03>

You have received this ABCNEWS.com mail from:

harry.sifton@sympatico.ca

I thought you might find this story interesting.

Poll: Bush Approval at a Career Low
http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/PollVault/story?id=1080163&page=1
From ean at sbcglobal.net  Tue Aug 30 17:43:48 2005
From: ean at sbcglobal.net (ean@sbcglobal.net)
Date: Tue Aug 30 20:33:38 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Iraq's fig leaf constitution
Message-ID: <E1EAJHY-0005ms-MP@smtpauth09.mail.atl.earthlink.net>

http://www.latimes.com/news/columnists/la-oe-
scheer30aug30,1,7493157.column

LA Times Op-Ed
Iraq's fig leaf constitution
by Robert Scheer
August 30, 2005

WHO LOST IRAQ? Someday, as a fragmented Iraq spirals further into
religious madness, terrorism and civil war, there will be a bipartisan
inquiry into this blundering intrusion into another people's history. The
crucial question will be why a "preemptive" American invasion - which has
led to the deaths of nearly 2,000 Americans, roughly 10 times as many
Iraqis, the expenditure of about $200 billion and incalculable damage to
the United States' global reputation - has had exactly the opposite effect
predicted by its neoconservative sponsors. No amount of crowing over a fig
leaf Iraqi constitution by President Bush can hide the fact that the hand
of the region's autocrats, theocrats and terrorists is stronger than ever.

"The U.S. now has to recognize that [it] overthrew Saddam Hussein to
replace him with a pro-Iranian state," said regional expert Peter W.
Galbraith, the former U.S. ambassador to Croatia and an advisor to the
Iraqi Kurds. And, he could have added, a pro-Iranian state that will be
repressive and unstable.

Think this is an exaggeration? Consider that arguably the most powerful
Shiite political party and militia in today's Iraq, the Supreme Council
for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq and its affiliated paramilitary force,
the Badr Brigade, was not only based in Iran but was set up by
Washington's old arch-foe, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. It also fought on
the side of Iran in the Iran-Iraq war and was recognized by Tehran as the
government in exile of Iraq.

Or that former exile Ahmad Chalabi is now one of Iraq's deputy prime
ministers. The consummate political operator managed to maintain ties to
Iran while gaining the devoted support of Donald Rumsfeld's Pentagon,
charming and manipulating Beltway policymakers and leading U.S.
journalists into believing that Iraq was armed with weapons of mass
destruction.

Chalabi is thrilled with the draft constitution, which, if passed, will
probably exponentially increase tension and violence between Sunnis and
Shiites. "It is an excellent document," said Chalabi, who has been accused
by U.S. intelligence of being a spy for Iran, where he keeps a vacation
home.

What an absurd outcome for a war designed to create a compliant, unified
and stable client state that would be pro-American, laissez-faire
capitalist and unallied with the hated Iran. Of course, Bush tells us
again, this is "progress" and "an inspiration." Yet his relentless
spinning of manure into silk has worn thin on the American public and sent
his approval ratings tumbling.

Even supporters of the war are starting to realize that rather than
strengthening the United States' position in the world, the invasion and
occupation have led to abject humiliation: from the Abu Ghraib scandal, to
the guerrilla insurgency exposing the limits of military power, to an
election in which "our guy" - Iyad Allawi - was defeated by radicals and
religious extremists.

In a new low, the U.S. president felt obliged to call and plead with the
head of the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution, Abdelaziz Hakim,
to make concessions to gain Sunni support. Even worse, he was summarily
rebuffed. Nevertheless, Bush had no choice but to eat crow and like it.

"This is a document of which the Iraqis, and the rest of the world, can be
proud," he said Sunday, through what must have been gritted teeth. After
all, this document includes such democratic gems as "Islam is the official
religion of the state and is a basic source of legislation," and "No law
can be passed that contradicts the undisputed rules of Islam," as well as
socialist-style pronouncements that work and a decent standard of living
are a right guaranteed by the state. But the fact is, it could establish
Khomeini's ghost as the patron saint of Iraq and Bush would have little
choice but to endorse it.

Even many in his own party are rebelling. "I think our involvement there
has destabilized the Middle East. And the longer we stay there, I think
the further destabilization will occur," said Nebraska Sen. Chuck Hagel
last week, one of a growing number of Republicans who get that "we should
start figuring out how we get out of there."

Not that our "what-me-worry?" president is the least bit troubled by all
this adverse blowback from the huge, unnecessary gamble he took in
invading the heart of the Arab and Muslim worlds. "What is important is
that the Iraqis are now addressing these issues through debate and
discussion, not at the barrel of a gun," Bush said.

Wrong again, George. It was the barrel of your gun that midwifed the new
Iraq, which threatens to combine the instability of Lebanon with the
religious fanaticism of Iran.


-- 
You are currently on Mha Atma's Earth Action Network email list, 
option D (up to 3 emails/day).  To be removed, or to switch options 
(option A - 1x/week, option B - 3/wk, option C - up to 1x/day, option D - 
up to 3x/day) please reply and let us know!  If someone forwarded you 
this email and you want to be on our list, send an email to 
ean@sbcglobal.net and tell us which option you'd like.


"In times of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act."
   ---   George Orwell


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From ean at sbcglobal.net  Tue Aug 30 20:31:34 2005
From: ean at sbcglobal.net (ean@sbcglobal.net)
Date: Tue Aug 30 20:38:53 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Katrina's Real Name
Message-ID: <E1EAJMf-0004ZO-MX@smtpauth03.mail.atl.earthlink.net>

http://www.commondreams.org/views05/0830-22.htm

Published on Tuesday, August 30, 2005 by the Boston Globe
Katrina's Real Name
by Ross Gelbspan
 
The hurricane that struck Louisiana yesterday was nicknamed Katrina 
by the National Weather Service. Its real name is global warming.

When the year began with a two-foot snowfall in Los Angeles, the 
cause was global warming.

When 124-mile-an-hour winds shut down nuclear plants in 
Scandinavia and cut power to hundreds of thousands of people in 
Ireland and the United Kingdom, the driver was global warming.

When a severe drought in the Midwest dropped water levels in the 
Missouri River to their lowest on record earlier this summer, the reason 
was global warming.

In July, when the worst drought on record triggered wildfires in Spain 
and Portugal and left water levels in France at their lowest in 30 years, 
the explanation was global warming.

When a lethal heat wave in Arizona kept temperatures above 110 
degrees and killed more than 20 people in one week, the culprit was 
global warming.

And when the Indian city of Bombay (Mumbai) received 37 inches of 
rain in one day -- killing 1,000 people and disrupting the lives of 20 
million others -- the villain was global warming.

As the atmosphere warms, it generates longer droughts, more-intense 
downpours, more-frequent heat waves, and more-severe storms.

Although Katrina began as a relatively small hurricane that glanced off 
south Florida, it was supercharged with extraordinary intensity by the 
relatively blistering sea surface temperatures in the Gulf of Mexico.

The consequences are as heartbreaking as they are terrifying.

Unfortunately, very few people in America know the real name of 
Hurricane Katrina because the coal and oil industries have spent 
millions of dollars to keep the public in doubt about the issue.

The reason is simple: To allow the climate to stabilize requires 
humanity to cut its use of coal and oil by 70 percent. That, of course, 
threatens the survival of one of the largest commercial enterprises in 
history.

In 1995, public utility hearings in Minnesota found that the coal industry 
had paid more than $1 million to four scientists who were public 
dissenters on global warming. And ExxonMobil has spent more than 
$13 million since 1998 on an anti-global warming public relations and 
lobbying campaign.

In 2000, big oil and big coal scored their biggest electoral victory yet 
when President George W. Bush was elected president -- and 
subsequently took suggestions from the industry for his climate and 
energy policies.

As the pace of climate change accelerates, many researchers fear we 
have already entered a period of irreversible runaway climate change.

Against this background, the ignorance of the American public about 
global warming stands out as an indictment of the US media.

When the US press has bothered to cover the subject of global 
warming, it has focused almost exclusively on its political and 
diplomatic aspects and not on what the warming is doing to our 
agriculture, water supplies, plant and animal life, public health, and 
weather.

For years, the fossil fuel industry has lobbied the media to accord the 
same weight to a handful of global warming skeptics that it accords the 
findings of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change -- more 
than 2,000 scientists from 100 countries reporting to the United 
Nations.

Today, with the science having become even more robust -- and the 
impacts as visible as the megastorm that covered much of the Gulf of 
Mexico -- the press bears a share of the guilt for our self-induced 
destruction with the oil and coal industries.

As a Bostonian, I am afraid that the coming winter will -- like last winter 
-- be unusually short and devastatingly severe. At the beginning of 
2005, a deadly ice storm knocked out power to thousands of people in 
New England and dropped a record-setting 42.2 inches of snow on 
Boston.

The conventional name of the month was January. Its real name is 
global warming.

Ross Gelbspan is author of ''The Heat Is On" and ''Boiling Point."

? 2005 Boston Globe

###


-- 
You are currently on Mha Atma's Earth Action Network email list, 
option D (up to 3 emails/day).  To be removed, or to switch options 
(option A - 1x/week, option B - 3/wk, option C - up to 1x/day, option D - 
up to 3x/day) please reply and let us know!  If someone forwarded you 
this email and you want to be on our list, send an email to 
ean@sbcglobal.net and tell us which option you'd like.


"In times of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act."
   ---   George Orwell


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From Alittlehawk at aol.com  Tue Aug 30 16:52:09 2005
From: Alittlehawk at aol.com (Alittlehawk@aol.com)
Date: Tue Aug 30 20:45:39 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] God Bless the UK
Message-ID: <E1EAJT4-00084c-1w@smtpauth03.mail.atl.earthlink.net>

 Subject: Fw: God Bless the UK - Send it on

?
?
?
United Kingdom - The Right to Leave Our Country - YOU Have the right -
the right to leave!
After many cities not wanting to offend other cultures by?putting up
Xmas lights.
After hearing that the Birmingham council changed?its opinion and let a 
Muslim woman
have her picture on? her driver's license with her face covered.
This prompted this editorial written by a UK citizen. Published in a
British tabloid newspaper.
Quote: IMMIGRANTS, NOT BRITAIN'S, MUST ADAPT.?? Take It Or Leave It
I am tired of this nation worrying about whether we are offending
some individual or their culture. Since the terrorist attacks on?
London, we have experienced a surge?in patriotism by the majority of
Brits.
However, the dust from the attacks has barely settled and the
"politically correct" crowd begin complaining about the possibility
that our patriotism is offending others. I am not against immigration,
nor do I hold a grudge against anyone who is seeking a better life by
coming to?Britain.
However, there are a few things that those who have recently?come to
our country, and apparently some born here,?need to understand.
This idea of London being a multicultural community has?served only
to dilute our sovereignty and our national identity.?
As Britons, we have our own culture, our own society, our own language and 
our own
lifestyle.
This culture has been developed over centuries of struggles, trials
and victories by millions of men and women who have?sought freedom.
We?speak ENGLISH, not Spanish, Lebanese, Arabic, Chinese, Japanese,
Russian, or any other language.?
Therefore, if you wish to become part of our society,?Learn the language!
"In God We Trust" is our National Motto.
This is not some Christian, right wing, Political slogan.
We adopted this motto because Christian men and women, on Christian
principles,?founded this nation,?and this is clearly documented.? It is 
certainly appropriate
to display it on the walls of our schools.
If God offends you, then I suggest you consider another part of the world as 
your new
home,
Because God is part of our culture.
If ST Georges cross offends you, or you don't like " A Fair?Go",
then you should seriously consider a move to another part of? this
planet.
We are happy with our culture and have no desire to change,?
and we really don't care how you did things where you came from.
This is OUR COUNTRY, OUR LAND, and OUR LIFESTYLE,
and we will allow you every opportunity to enjoy all this.
But once you are done complaining, whining, and griping about Our
Flag, Our Pledge, Our National Motto, or Our Way of Life, I highly
encourage you take advantage of one other Great?British freedom,
"THE RIGHT TO LEAVE".
If you aren't happy here then f#@* off!? We didn't force you to come
here. You asked to be here.?So accept the country YOU accepted.
It?s Pretty easy really, when you think about it.
I figure if we all keep passing this to our friends (and enemies) it
will also, sooner or later get back to the complainers, lets all try,
please. No matter how many times you receive it...?
please forward it to all you know.


?


Remember ?God Bless the UK
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From maxfury at granderiver.net  Tue Aug 30 23:16:18 2005
From: maxfury at granderiver.net (Cheeseburger)
Date: Tue Aug 30 23:10:26 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Don't take the brown acid
Message-ID: <000a01c5adf3$80f00940$2d26b7d8@customer>

Don't take the brown acid



Oh, sorry, in the midst of all the beings of light sitting around watching this newt-filled toilet we are drifting in, I was just hoping one of them would wake up and go straight for a day and actually do something instead of just flap their lip and make suggestions from clouds.

Nevermind........

The old "we are not allowed to interfere" just gets a little old after a few million years.

The amount of channelers sitting around getting their egos stroked, maybe even a little $ or nooky on the side, all their words typed up and put in fireproof boxes for history's sake, that are sitting around doing gunk instead of next door helping the old lady fix her plumbing etc, just never ceases to amaze me between the laughter of the dead and the gasps of the old lady trying not to have a heart attack and just survive.

Have them send you a letter by the United States Post Office next time, it will take longer to reach you, and you can paint half the old lady's house by the time the spirit guides fill your ears with useless crap that has very little to do with whatever reality we continue to face daily in a physical form on this planet.

While they're at it, please ask them to channel Jesus, Buddha, and Krishna, they owe me bigtime.

That there is some kind of "spiritual/dimensional?" war going on on Earth (among other places) is nothing new.

Neither is the amount of people paying a fortune to find out about it oohing and aahing as they let their neighbors rot.



This message was brought to you by I Didn't Read The Whole Email, But It Pushed A Button In Me Somewhere, So What The F*ck Do You Want For A Nickel.


And one strange dude once uttered "Faith, Hope, and Charity, and of these 3, the greatest is Charity".

Pehaps some might truly find Faith and Hope in some messages from the clouds, the only drawback is that by the time they have spent such time after time after time to perchance find Charity in the monologue, they could have finished painting the other half of the lady's house.

But, then again, there actually *are* some people who really *can* foresee the future, channel spirits, etc.

One observes, however, that such people have been around forever.

And this toilet that we are living in doesn't seem to get better because of it.

Not worse either, but not better.

If I could explain that, or even interpret if there is even anything that that might even be indicative of, I could probably pick the next correct 6 numbers for the lottery as well.

Maybe it's just God's form of a Karioke machine.  Who knows......

:|

Oh well, any harm in sitting in a circle listening to people channel "spirits" etc, maybe making $, sex, or "glory" from it...?

Well, sometimes, yes, dumbass.

And perhaps, sometimes not.

Do you think you are *really* wise enough to tell the difference.....?

Think again.

Either way, consider helping your neighbors who need it before you get your ooh's and aah's all shined up and polished.

The spirits will be there forever (apparently), your needy neighbors just will not.

If it takes getting your ooh's and aah's all polished up to help your needy neighbors, hey, whatever gets you through the night.

Try to sidestep the fakes, though, as if, again, you will ever know the difference.




Cheeseburger


- Don't take the brown acid, in either world............


.
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From jefbek at mindspring.com  Tue Aug 30 23:47:59 2005
From: jefbek at mindspring.com (Jef Bek)
Date: Tue Aug 30 23:53:52 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] This could have been avoided! Bush sold this country out
	for Iraqi oil!
Message-ID: <BF3AA0AF.ED0%jefbek@mindspring.com>

These levees have been in serious need of government funding for years!
Money that was earmarked for the levees went to Iraq. Millions of American
people are in terror tonight now while the National Guard is in Iraq
protecting oil rigs! Did anyone see George read his prepared speech today,
after he went golfing? Pathetic! He spent a minute on The Floods and then
segued into selling his war for 40 minutes. At least he admitted today why
we are in Iraq; ?the country's vast oil fields that he said would otherwise
fall under the control of terrorist extremists? (profit competitors).

PHILADELPHIA DAILY NEWS

August 30, 2005

When the levee breaks

It appears that the money has been moved in the president?s budget to handle
homeland security and the war in Iraq, and I suppose that?s the price we
pay. Nobody locally is happy that the levees can?t be finished, and we are
doing everything we can to make the case that this is a security issue for
us.

-- Walter Maestri, emergency management chief for Jefferson Parish,
Louisiana; New Orleans Times-Picayune, June 8, 2004.

This picture is an aerial view of New Orleans today, more than 14 months
later. Even though Hurricane Katrina has moved well north of the city and
the sun is out, the waters continue to rise in New Orleans as we write this.
That's because Lake Pontchartrain continues to pour through a two-block-long
break in the main levee, near the city's 17th Street Canal. With much of the
Crescent City some 10 feet below sea level, the rising tide may not stop
until until it's level with the massive lake.

There have been numerous reports of bodies floating in the poorest
neighborhoods of this poverty-plagued city, but the truth is that the death
toll may not be known for days, because the conditions continue to frustrate
rescue efforts.

New Orleans had long known it was highly vulnerable to flooding and a direct
hit from a hurricane. In fact, the federal government has been working with
state and local officials in the region since the late 1960s on major
hurricane and flood relief efforts. When flooding from a massive rainstorm
in May 1995 killed six people, Congress authorized the Southeast Louisiana
Urban Flood Control Project, or SELA.

Over the next 10 years, the Army Corps of Engineers, tasked with carrying
out SELA, spent $430 million on shoring up levees and building pumping
stations, with $50 million in local aid. But at least $250 million in
crucial projects remained, even as hurricane activity in the Atlantic Basin
increased dramatically and the levees surrounding New Orleans continued to
subside.

Yet after 2003, the flow of federal dollars toward SELA dropped to a
trickle. The Corps never tried to hide the fact that the spending pressures
of the war in Iraq, as well as homeland security -- coming at the same time
as federal tax cuts -- was the reason for the strain. At least nine articles
in the Times-Picayune from 2004 and 2005 specifically cite the cost of Iraq
as a reason for the lack of hurricane- and flood-control dollars. (Much of
the research here is from Nexis, which is why some articles aren't linked.)

In early 2004, as the cost of the conflict in Iraq soared, President Bush
proposed spending less than 20 percent of what the Corps said was needed for
Lake Pontchartrain, according to this Feb. 16, 2004, article, in New Orleans
CityBusiness:

The $750 million Lake Pontchartrain and Vicinity Hurricane Protection
project is another major Corps project, which remains about 20% incomplete
due to lack of funds, said Al Naomi, project manager. That project consists
of building up levees and protection for pumping stations on the east bank
of the Mississippi River in Orleans, St. Bernard, St. Charles and Jefferson
parishes.

The Lake Pontchartrain project is slated to receive $3.9 million in the
president's 2005 budget. Naomi said about $20 million is needed.

"The longer we wait without funding, the more we sink," he said. "I've got
at least six levee construction contracts that need to be done to raise the
levee protection back to where it should be (because of settling). Right now
I owe my contractors about $5 million. And we're going to have to pay them
interest."

That June, with the 2004 hurricane seasion starting, the Corps' Naomi went
before a local agency, the East Jefferson Levee Authority, and essentially
begged for $2 million for urgent work that Washington was now unable to pay
for. From the June 18, 2004 Times-Picayune:

"The system is in great shape, but the levees are sinking. Everything is
sinking, and if we don?t get the money fast enough to raise them, then we
can?t stay ahead of the settlement," he said. "The problem that we have
isn?t that the levee is low, but that the federal funds have dried up so
that we can?t raise them."

The panel authorized that money, and on July 1, 2004, it had to pony up
another $250,000 when it learned that stretches of the levee in Metairie had
sunk by four feet. The agency had to pay for the work with higher property
taxes. The levee board noted in October 2004 that the feds were also now not
paying for a hoped-for $15 million project to better shore up the banks of
Lake Pontchartrain.

The 2004 hurricane season, as you probably recall, was the worst in decades.
In spite of that, the federal government came back this spring with the
steepest reduction in hurricane- and flood-control funding for New Orleans
in history. Because of the proposed cuts, the Corps office there imposed a
hiring freeze. Officials said that money targeted for the SELA project --
$10.4 million, down from $36.5 million -- was not enough to start any new
jobs. According to New Orleans CityBusiness this June 5:

The district has identified $35 million in projects to build and improve
levees, floodwalls and pumping stations in St. Bernard, Orleans, Jefferson
and St. Charles parishes. Those projects are included in a Corps line item
called Lake Pontchartrain, where funding is scheduled to be cut from $5.7
million this year to $2.9 million in 2006. Naomi said it's enough to pay
salaries but little else.

"We'll do some design work. We'll design the contracts and get them ready to
go if we get the money. But we don't have the money to put the work in the
field, and that's the problem," Naomi said.

There was, at the same time, a growing recognition that more research was
needed to see what New Orleans must do to protect itself from a Category 4
or 5 hurricane. But once again, the money was not there. As the
Times-Picayune reported last Sept. 22:

That second study would take about four years to complete and would cost
about $4 million, said Army Corps of Engineers project manager Al Naomi.
About $300,000 in federal money was proposed for the 2005 fiscal-year
budget, and the state had agreed to match that amount.

But the cost of the Iraq war forced the Bush administration to order the New
Orleans district office not to begin any new studies, and the 2005 budget no
longer includes the needed money, he said.

The Senate was seeking to restore some of the SELA funding cuts for 2006.
But now it's too late. One project that a contractor had been racing to
finish this summer was a bridge and levee job right at the 17th Street
Canal, site of the main breach. The levee failure appears to be causing a
human tragedy of epic proportions:

"We probably have 80 percent of our city under water; with some sections of
our city the water is as deep as 20 feet. Both airports are underwater,"
Mayor Ray Nagin told a radio interviewer.

Washington knew that this day could come at any time, and it knew the things
that needed to be done to protect the citizens of New Orleans. But in the
tradition of the riverboat gambler, the Bush administration decided to roll
the dice on its fool's errand in Iraq, and on a tax cut that mainly
benefitted the rich.

And now Bush has lost that gamble, big time. We hope that Congress will
investigate what went wrong here.

The president told us that we needed to fight in Iraq to save lives here at
home, and yet -- after moving billions of domestic dollars to the Persian
Gulf -- there are bodies floating through the streets of Louisiana. What
does George W. Bush have to say for himself now?
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From jefbek at mindspring.com  Wed Aug 31 00:05:43 2005
From: jefbek at mindspring.com (Jef Bek)
Date: Wed Aug 31 00:11:26 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] "We've turned the corner!"
Message-ID: <BF3AA4D7.ED2%jefbek@mindspring.com>

Poverty Rate Rises to 12.7 Percent
 

By JENNIFER C. KERR, Associated Press Writer

8/30/2005

Even with a robust economy that was adding jobs last year, the number of
Americans who fell into poverty rose to 37 million ? up 1.1 million from
2003 ? according to Census Bureau figures released Tuesday.

It marks the fourth straight increase in the government's annual poverty
measure.

The Census Bureau also said household income remained flat, and that the
number of people without health insurance edged up by about 800,000 to 45.8
million people.

"I was surprised," said Sheldon Danziger, co-director of the National
Poverty Center at the University of Michigan. "I thought things would have
turned around by now."

While disappointed, the Bush administration ? which has not seen a decline
in poverty numbers since the president took office ? said it was not
surprised by the new statistics.

Commerce Department spokeswoman E.R. Anderson said they mirror a trend in
the '80s and '90s in which unemployment peaks were followed by peaks in
poverty and then by a decline in the poverty numbers the next year.

"We hope this is it, that this is the last gasp of indicators for the
recession," she said.

Democrats seized on the numbers as proof the nation is headed in the wrong
direction.

"America should be showing true leadership on the great moral issues of our
time ? like poverty ? instead of allowing these situations to get worse,"
said John Edwards, the former North Carolina senator and Democratic vice
presidential candidate. He has started a poverty center at the University of
North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Overall, the nation's poverty rate rose to 12.7 percent of the population
last year. Of the 37 million living below the poverty level, close to a
third were children.

The last decline in overall poverty was in 2000, during the Clinton
administration, when 31.1 million people lived under the threshold. Since
then, the number of people in poverty has increased steadily from 32.9
million in 2001, when the economy slipped into recession, to 35.9 million in
2003.

The poverty threshold differs by the size and makeup of a household. For
instance, a family of four was considered living in poverty last year if
annual income was $19,307 or less. For a family of two, it was $12,334.

The increase in poverty came despite strong economic growth, which helped
create 2.2 million jobs last year ? the best showing for the labor market
since 1999. By contrast, there was only a tiny increase of 94,000 jobs in
2003 and job losses in both 2002 and 2001.

Asians were the only ethnic group to show a decline in poverty ? from 11.8
percent in 2003 to 9.8 percent last year. The poverty rate for whites rose
from 8.2 percent in 2003 to 8.6 percent last year. There was no noticeable
change for blacks and Hispanics.

The median household income, meanwhile, stood at $44,389, unchanged from
2003. Among racial and ethnic groups, blacks had the lowest median income
and Asians the highest. Median income refers to the point at which half of
households earn more and half earn less.

Regionally, income declined only in the Midwest, down 2.8 percent to
$44,657. The South was the poorest region and the Northeast and the West had
the highest median incomes.

The number of people without health insurance coverage grew from 45 million
to 45.8 million last year, but the number of people with health insurance
grew by 2 million.

Charles Nelson, an assistant division chief at the Census Bureau, said the
percentage of uninsured remained steady because of an "increase in
government coverage, notably Medicaid and the state children's health
insurance program that offset a decline in employment-based coverage."

 The estimates on poverty, uninsured and income are based on supplements to
the bureau's Current Population Survey, and are conducted over three months,
beginning in February, at about 100,000 households nationwide.


From swiggard at comcast.net  Wed Aug 31 04:24:48 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (William Swiggard)
Date: Wed Aug 31 04:30:44 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Looting, Fires And a Second Evacuation - Washington Post
Message-ID: <43159380.3050201@comcast.net>

Looting, Fires And a Second Evacuation

By Peter Whoriskey and Sam Coates
Washington Post Staff Writers
Wednesday, August 31, 2005; Page A01

NEW ORLEANS, Aug. 30 -- This exodus was even more desperate than the first.

As murky water surged around their homes from levee breaks undetected in 
the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, families that had hunkered 
down for Monday's storm were forced Tuesday to climb first to their 
attics and then to their roofs in the hope of rescue by boat or helicopter.

In the streets, cars filled with fleeing residents -- pet cages and 
luggage in tow -- stalled in chest-deep water. Scores of people could be 
seen trudging west on foot along deserted Interstate 10, lugging small 
packages of belongings, headed for refuge from the water that now covers 
80 percent of this city.

"I have nothing but me, the children and what we have on our backs," 
said Molly Moses, a mother of five who was rescued from the roof of her 
two-story house four miles from the center of New Orleans. About 
daybreak, as the waters reached the attic, her fiance punched a hole in 
the roof, where she was found about 10 a.m. Tuesday clutching her 
9-month-old daughter.

"We were just too busy trying to save our lives."

Rising floodwaters led to a second mass evacuation Tuesday from this 
low-lying metropolis of terrified residents who had avoided the storm's 
most direct destruction when it veered slightly to the east.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/30/AR2005083000689.html?referrer=email
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From swiggard at comcast.net  Wed Aug 31 04:27:03 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (William Swiggard)
Date: Wed Aug 31 04:32:51 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] President's Poll Rating Falls to a New Low - Washington
	Post
Message-ID: <43159407.809@comcast.net>

President's Poll Rating Falls to a New Low
In Post-ABC Survey, 53 Percent of Respondents Say They Disapprove of Bush

By Richard Morin and Dan Balz
Washington Post Staff Writers
Wednesday, August 31, 2005; Page A06

Rising gas prices and ongoing bloodshed in Iraq continue to take their 
toll on President Bush, whose standing with the public has sunk to an 
all-time low, according to the latest Washington Post-ABC News poll.

The survey found Bush's job approval rating at 45 percent, down seven 
points since January and the lowest ever recorded for the president in 
Post-ABC surveys. Fifty-three percent disapproved of the job Bush is doing.

The war has been a drag on Bush's presidency for many months, but his 
Iraq approval ratings in the new poll were little changed from two 
months ago, despite widespread violence, a rash of U.S. casualties, 
antiwar protests outside the president's Texas ranch and a growing 
debate about reducing U.S. troop levels.

What may have pushed Bush's overall ratings down in the latest poll is 
pervasive dissatisfaction over soaring gasoline prices. Two-thirds of 
those surveyed said gas prices are causing financial hardship to them or 
their families. Gas prices stand to go even higher after Hurricane 
Katrina's rampage through the oil-rich Gulf of Mexico.

More ominously for the president, six in 10 Americans said there are 
steps the administration could take to reduce gas prices. Slightly more 
than a third say the recent run-up has been due to factors beyond the 
administration's control.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/30/AR2005083000302.html
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From swiggard at comcast.net  Wed Aug 31 04:30:57 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (William Swiggard)
Date: Wed Aug 31 04:36:45 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Solidarity Remembered - Anne Applebaum - Washington Post
Message-ID: <431594F1.1030205@comcast.net>

Solidarity Remembered

By Anne Applebaum
Wednesday, August 31, 2005; Page A23

Walk down Long Market Street, past the shops selling amber beads and 
cavalry swords, through the medieval gates of the city of Gdansk, 
Poland. Cross the highway, head toward the shipyard and look up. When I 
did so a few days ago, I saw an enormous billboard featuring a list of 
cities: "Gdansk. Budapest. Prague. Berlin. Bucharest. Sofia. Kiev." The 
list makes it clear that the 1980 Gdansk shipyard strikes, which broke 
the state's monopoly of power in the Soviet bloc and created the 
independent Solidarity trade union, set the pattern for the democratic 
revolutions that rolled across Eastern Europe in 1989 and that continue 
to roll across the nations of the former Soviet Union today.

Walk a little farther and you'll come to the shipyard itself. To mark 
the 25th anniversary of the founding of Solidarity, a small exhibit has 
been installed. Somewhat oddly, the entrance leads through the hull of a 
ship, festooned with a not entirely comprehensible "multimedia" exhibit. 
More evocative are the black-and-white photographs. Some feature the 
strike leader Lech Walesa, signing the Solidarity agreement with 
Poland's communist leaders. Most show crowd scenes: thousands of 
shipyard workers praying, talking or sprawled out on the ground, passing 
the time during the two-week strike.

But what is most interesting about the billboard and the exhibit, along 
with the multiple conferences, concerts and celebrity speeches taking 
place in Gdansk this week, is the fact that they are happening at all. 
Until recently, it wasn't easy to find public displays of pride in 
Poland's democratic revolution. Five years ago, on the 20th anniversary 
of the founding of Solidarity, giant screens set up to relay celebratory 
speeches to the citizens of Gdansk attracted no more than 50 or 60. Far 
from seeing themselves as part of a peaceful revolution that stretched 
from Gdansk in 1980 to Kiev in 2004, most Poles associated the collapse 
of communism with corrupt politics and personal hardship.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/30/AR2005083001550.html
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From swiggard at comcast.net  Wed Aug 31 04:33:06 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (William Swiggard)
Date: Wed Aug 31 04:38:55 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Dark Ages Primary - Harold Meyerson - Washington Post
Message-ID: <43159572.2040805@comcast.net>

Dark Ages Primary

By Harold Meyerson
Wednesday, August 31, 2005; Page A23

What I want to know is, who walked the Earth first: the dinosaurs or 
Strom Thurmond?

It seems that the advocates of fast-forward "intelligent design" -- the 
folks who, by totaling up the biblical begats, believe that the universe 
was created in 4004 B.C. -- are erecting mini-theme-parks that feature 
secondhand dinosaur sculptures they've acquired in their scavengings. By 
putting such Tyrannosaurus Wrecks on display, they mean to prove to the 
public that people and dinosaurs once roamed the world together, just as 
their biblical time-clock and that old Raquel Welch movie clearly 
demonstrated.

Silly stuff, certainly, but at the rate we're going, it may make it into 
the 2008 or 2012 Republican platform. Now that the president has 
endorsed intelligent design, the social conservatives and religious 
zealots who constitute an ever larger and louder wing of the Republican 
base have been emboldened in their crusades for fundamentalist values 
and against any science whose findings and methods run counter to their 
beliefs.

School districts throughout the Bible Belt (and yes, it's time to start 
resurrecting the coinages of H.L. Mencken, scourge extraordinaire of 
early 20th-century Bible-Belt boobs) are busy demoting Darwinism to 
history's dustbin. In late September, a Harrisburg, Pa., court will hear 
yet another in a seemingly endless string of cases in which a local 
school board has sought to compel high school science teachers to point 
out the religious errors in the theory of evolution. The court will 
doubtless rule against the school board. But now that the president 
himself has said that intelligent design should be part of the 
curriculum, too (which gives a whole new, afterlife-specific meaning to 
the notion of No Child Left Behind), such school board creationism 
probably will expand exponentially.

After all, recent polling shows that just 35 percent of Americans 
believe that evolution is supported by evidence, while another 35 
percent believe it is not.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/30/AR2005083001553.html?nav=hcmodule
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From swiggard at comcast.net  Wed Aug 31 04:51:47 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (William Swiggard)
Date: Wed Aug 31 04:57:37 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Ex-Counterterrorism Chief Cites Rise in Attacks -
	Washington Post
Message-ID: <431599D3.3050408@comcast.net>

Ex-Counterterrorism Chief Cites Rise in Attacks

By Walter Pincus
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, August 31, 2005; Page A19

Richard A. Clarke, the former head of counterterrorism in the White 
House under presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, said yesterday 
that there were twice as many attacks outside Iraq in the three years 
after the 2001 attacks as in the three preceding years.

Osama bin Laden and his al Qaeda group "are no longer the traditional 
leaders as they were in the 1990s," Clarke said, adding that the 
terrorist leader had been building ideological groups from Afghanistan 
before Sept. 11, 2001, and that they had grown in the past few years 
into 14 to 16 separate networks.

Clarke said that bin Laden and his top deputy, Ayman Zawahiri, exercise 
"symbolic control and provide broad-brush themes" and that most of the 
networks operate independently, but "there are some signs of cooperation 
among some."

Clarke, now a corporate security and counterterrorism consultant, 
delivered his assessment of al Qaeda and the jihadist threat at a news 
conference at the New America Foundation designed to focus attention on 
a bipartisan, two-day policy forum set for next week in Washington, 
titled "Terrorism, Security and America's Purpose."

Clarke left the Bush administration in 2003 and has since alleged the 
Bush White House reacted slowly to warnings of terrorist attacks in 
early 2001.

Yesterday, Clarke said that Iraq is drawing a relatively small number of 
foreign fighters who train there and return home, but "it is unclear to 
what extent they are drawn by the U.S. presence or how much the U.S. is 
a magnet." Overall, he said that "there are more people participating 
[in jihadist networks] outside Iraq because of the U.S. presence" in 
that country.

"Al Qaeda has morphed from a hierarchical structure to a [worldwide] 
movement," he said. The goal of some is to create regional theocracies, 
he said, while others just want to overthrow their own governments. 
"They share the view that the U.S. is the great Satan and propping up 
governments that suppress Muslims," he said.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/30/AR2005083001669.html?nav=hcmodule
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From swiggard at comcast.net  Wed Aug 31 04:53:48 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (William Swiggard)
Date: Wed Aug 31 04:59:36 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] War, jobs,
	and the Democrats - Derrick Z. Jackson - The Boston Globe
Message-ID: <43159A4C.9030105@comcast.net>

War, jobs, and the Democrats

By Derrick Z. Jackson  |  August 31, 2005

EVERYONE SAYS they want peace. Then they fight for war jobs.

The Base Closure and Realignment Commission made its recommendations on 
which military installations should stay and go in the proposed 
consolidation by the Defense Department. The process became a satire of 
Democrats skewering themselves into patriotic pork.

You would think the most liberal of Democrats would fall all over 
themselves saying some base closures are a good thing since our children 
desperately need that proposed $48 billion in savings over 20 years for 
things like education. I know that education spending is not necessarily 
where the politicians and the Pentagon want the savings to go, but the 
average proposed savings of $2.4 billion a year is more than three times 
the current budget for the Boston Public Schools.

Instead we get bombast bursting in air, giving proof thro' the night 
that your base is still there.

The best place to start is Massachusetts. This is the state so allegedly 
liberal that a Republican governor lowered the American flag during the 
Vietnam War to appease students protesting the killing of fellow 
students at Kent State. Since then, the state gave us two of the last 
three failed Democratic candidates for president, derailed in part by 
their weak image on defense.

Such a state ought to be the first to volunteer to turn guns into 
butter. Not on your liberal life. When the commission announced the 
closure of Otis Air National Guard Base, up roared Senator Ted Kennedy, 
normally the favorite whipping boy of the right, crying, ''It defies 
logic. It defies intuition. It defies understanding. It makes no sense 
at all."

http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2005/08/31/war_jobs_and_the_democrats/
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From swiggard at comcast.net  Wed Aug 31 04:55:21 2005
From: swiggard at comcast.net (William Swiggard)
Date: Wed Aug 31 05:01:12 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] The new proletariat - Robert Kuttner - The Boston Globe
Message-ID: <43159AA9.1070306@comcast.net>

The new proletariat

By Robert Kuttner  |  August 31, 2005

THIS LABOR DAY, wage-workers have little to celebrate. Though 
unemployment is down, job insecurity is up. Health and pension benefits 
are dwindling. Weakened worker bargaining power is reflected in flat 
earnings.

According to a new report from the Census Bureau, real wages of fulltime 
workers fell 2.3 percent for men and 1 percent for women between 
2003-04, and median family income declined by $1,669 since 2000. 
Productivity is up 15 percent, but gains have gone to profits, not wages.

The Economic Policy Institute calculates that the median hourly wage, 
$16.13 in July 2005, is right where it was in November 2001, when the 
current recovery began. Adjusted for inflation, the median wage back 
then was $16.15.

One group of workers is particularly hard-hit by multiple trends -- the 
young.

The young are less likely to have jobs with decent health insurance. If 
they have pensions at all, they are typically plans at risk for 
stock-market fluctuations; they are far less likely to have defined 
benefit pensions whose payouts are guaranteed.

The young have not just lower wages but lower career horizons. Union 
workers, who enjoy higher average wages, tend to be in their 40s and 
50s. When these workers retire or are laid off, either the jobs vanish 
or their successors typically get lower wages. Even some union contracts 
have settled for two-tier wage systems, with much lower pay scales for 
newcomers performing the same work.

Job prospects of the young are only the beginning of their pocketbook 
challenges. Today's average four-year college graduate has over $20,000 
in loans, whose payments cut into disposable income. That figure has 
nearly doubled in a decade.

The real estate boom has been great for homeowners, but terrible for 
young families trying to buy in. Homeownership rates among 25- to 
34-year-olds declined from 51.6 percent in 1980 to 45.6 percent in 2000. 
Hard pressed young people purchasing homes are more likely to reduce 
payments with adjustable-rate mortgages or interest-only loans. These 
financing mechanisms, however, put them at grave risk of getting slammed 
when the housing bubble pops.
http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2005/08/31/the_new_proletariat/
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From hecate at diamonddragon.com  Wed Aug 31 07:08:34 2005
From: hecate at diamonddragon.com (Hecate)
Date: Wed Aug 31 07:13:09 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] BBC E-mail: Hundreds dead in Baghdad stampede
Message-ID: <20050831_140834_081074.hecate@diamonddragon.com>

Hecate saw this story on BBC News Online and thought you
should see it.



** Hundreds dead in Baghdad stampede **
More than 600 Shia pilgrims die in Baghdad in a stampede triggered by rumours of a suicide bomb attack.
< http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/fr/-/2/hi/middle_east/4199618.stm >


** BBC Daily E-mail **
Choose the news and sport headlines you want - when you want them, all
in one daily e-mail
< http://www.bbc.co.uk/dailyemail/ >


** Disclaimer **
The BBC is not responsible for the content of this e-mail, and anything written in this e-mail does not necessarily reflect the BBC's views or opinions. Please note that neither the e-mail address nor name of the sender have?been verified.

If you do not wish to receive such e-mails in the future or want to know more about the BBC's Email a Friend service, please read our frequently asked questions. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/help/4162471.stm

From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Wed Aug 31 07:41:10 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (mblaxill@yahoo.com)
Date: Wed Aug 31 07:45:34 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Headlines for August 31, 2005
Message-ID: <20050831144110.9506.qmail@trinity.democracynow.org>

Mike Blaxill  ( mblaxill@yahoo.com )
sent you this story from democracynow.org



+--------------------------------------------------------------------+
|  Headlines for August 31, 2005
|  http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=05/08/31/143245
+--------------------------------------------------------------------+


- New Orleans & Gulf Region Remain In State of Catastrophe
- Hundreds Feared Dead Across Region
- FEMA: This Is the "Most Significant Natural Disaster to Hit the U.S."
- 6,000 Local National Guard Members In Iraq
- Bush Administration Cut Back Flood Control Spending 
- Tragedy in Baghdad: 650 Die in Mass Stampede
This story continues at: 
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=05/08/31/143245

From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Wed Aug 31 07:46:47 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (mblaxill@yahoo.com)
Date: Wed Aug 31 07:51:12 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] NYTimes.com: No Quick Fix for Gulf Oil Operations
Message-ID: <20050831144647.68CCC237297@lax-gw01.mroute.net>

This page was sent to you by: mblaxill@yahoo.com.

BUSINESS | August 31, 2005
The Oil Supply: No Quick Fix for Gulf Oil Operations
By JAD MOUAWAD
After Hurricane Katrina's passage, gasoline futures jumped on concerns it would take months to restore production levels.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/31/business/31oil.html?ex=1126152000&en=e43f6b23b3bd0470&ei=5070&emc=eta1



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From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Wed Aug 31 07:48:08 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (mblaxill@yahoo.com)
Date: Wed Aug 31 07:52:28 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] NYTimes.com: Reagan Library Finds Thousands of
	Additional Roberts Documents
Message-ID: <20050831144808.954E5249C0F@lax-gw08.mroute.net>

This page was sent to you by: mblaxill@yahoo.com.

WASHINGTON | August 31, 2005
Reagan Library Finds Thousands of Additional Roberts Documents
By DAVID D. KIRKPATRICK
Specialized researchers were rushing to the library to help sort and declassify the new material in time for the confirmation hearings.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/31/politics/31documents.html?ex=1126152000&en=6d8ed30ea2483e3c&ei=5070&emc=eta1



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From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Wed Aug 31 07:55:15 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (mblaxill@yahoo.com)
Date: Wed Aug 31 07:59:39 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] NYTimes.com: New Orleans Is Now Off Limits;
	Pentagon Joins in Relief Effort
Message-ID: <20050831145515.74D5B249D1C@lax-gw08.mroute.net>

This page was sent to you by: mblaxill@yahoo.com.

So what else can our dear leader turn to shit? - he's got another 3 years


NATIONAL / NATIONAL SPECIAL | August 31, 2005
New Orleans Is Now Off Limits; Pentagon Joins in Relief Effort
By JOSEPH B. TREASTER br / and N. R. KLEINFIELD
Officials prepared for the evacuation of the Superdome, where about 10,000 refugees huddled in increasingly grim conditions.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/31/national/nationalspecial/31cnd-storm.html?ex=1126152000&en=be540c7ca28ec536&ei=5070&emc=eta1




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From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Wed Aug 31 07:56:54 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (mblaxill@yahoo.com)
Date: Wed Aug 31 08:01:14 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] NYTimes.com: At Least 600 Shiite Pilgrims Killed in
	Panic on Tigris Bridge
Message-ID: <20050831145654.6A56411F96A@lax-gw07.mroute.net>

This page was sent to you by: mblaxill@yahoo.com.

INTERNATIONAL / MIDDLE EAST | August 31, 2005
At Least 600 Shiite Pilgrims Killed in Panic on Tigris Bridge
By ROBERT F. WORTH
The pilgrims were killed as panic spread through a religious procession after people started shouting that a suicide bomber was about to blow himself up, officials said.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/31/international/middleeast/31cnd-iraq.html?ex=1126152000&en=9cb704b38d3b429c&ei=5070&emc=eta1



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Times movie reviews have to say about these Oscar
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From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Wed Aug 31 08:01:11 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (mblaxill@yahoo.com)
Date: Wed Aug 31 08:05:36 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] NYTimes.com: What's the Matter With Kansas?
Message-ID: <20050831150111.0AAB6237263@lax-gw01.mroute.net>

This page was sent to you by: mblaxill@yahoo.com.

OPINION | August 31, 2005
Editorial: What's the Matter With Kansas?

Prosecuting the case of a 22-year-old who married a pregnant 14-year-old should send a warning to other adults who imagine they can turn sex crimes into romance by marrying their victims.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/31/opinion/31wed4.html?ex=1126152000&en=f07c365f1fd8c3ab&ei=5070&emc=eta1




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From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Wed Aug 31 08:11:09 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (Mike Blaxill)
Date: Wed Aug 31 08:15:31 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] The Big Easy
Message-ID: <20050831151110.55362.qmail@web53002.mail.yahoo.com>

Daily Kos diary from blksista - just read it...

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2005/8/31/95157/3076

If New Orleans goes, so does history... 
by blksista  
Wed Aug 31st, 2005 at 06:51:57 PDT

I was born in New Orleans.

I was born at Camp Leroy Johnson Hospital, where
the University of New Orleans now sits.

One parent had attended Xavier University for a
year, but Dillard was supposedly where you found
a real man.

My grandmother was a minister--a Mother--in the
Spiritual Church of New Orleans, a female-headed
sect that Zora Neale Hurston studied in her
travels. ?Voodoo was still taken seriously.

My grandfather was buried in one of the few
potter's fields left in a U.S. city which sits
next door to a small junior college. Both are in
the area of the Cities of the Dead for which you
can board a bus on Canal Street called
"Cemetaries." The potter's field is the same one
where Robert Charles, the infamous shooter was
buried, and later burned and scattered. ?The same
one where Buddy Bolden, ?the trumpeter who
directly influenced Louis Armstrong, is buried.

Every Mardi Gras time, we would watch the Black
Indians practice their chants and then parade
proudly down South Claiborne Avenue. ?They had
cleaned up their act considerably, but the police
still harassed them. ?Tootie Montana practically
died defending the Black Indians and their
history recently.

I heard jazz and its grandbaby: rock and roll.
?Louis Armstrong left New Orleans after playing
on the riverboats when Bix Beiderbecke heard him
from afar one night. ?Fats Domino, the Neville
Brothers and Ernie K-Doe were played on the
radio. ?My stepdad used to sit drums at the Dew
Drop Inn.

Everyone read the Louisiana Weekly.

When you were old enough to stay up late at
night, you watched Morgus the Magnificent present
an old horror flick.

Congo Square was a dusty little piece of land
that masqueraded as a park.

The French Quarter was mostly for white folks.
The French Market wasn't. ?The Desire Projects
took over from where the streetcar went. I didn't
know about the Cabildo or the Presbytere until
later. ?The Pontalba Apartments for me were like
the row of San Francisco Victorian houses made
famous in postcards. ?The real Cafe du Monde
moved to Metairie, but when I knew it, it was on
a street that jutted out like a V, and it was
small and French looking and it wasn't just for
tourists. ?We knew about Tennessee Williams and
William Faulkner staying there. ?

The poet Marcus Christian, ousted from the
Dillard faculty for not having a degree, was
quietly keeping together his voluminous archives
of black folkways and history from his days as
head of the Colored Federal Writers Project for
that day when he could publish a black history of
Louisiana. ?Upon his death, the unfinished volume
and his archives went to the University of New
Orleans.

Rampart Street was where a sharp-dressed man got
set up with a good tailor and with good shoes.
?It was the gateway street where the descendants
of the Creoles of color, the gens de couleur
lived in the shadow of their ancestors. ?The late
Anatole Broyard of the New Yorker had already
passed into the white world by then.

Storyville was long gone but whorehouses were
still open secrets. ?My grandmother once rented
one of her apartments to a whore and her
children. ?And she did it, she said, supposedly
for the children.

I attended Blessed Sacrament School, located near
Magazine Street, which was run by the same
Catholic religious as Xavier, for a short time.
?Magazine Street was the same area where Lee
Harvey Oswald lived. ?The Magazine Street bus
ended at Audubon Park where every New Orleans
schoolkid discovers Monkey Hill, reputedly the
highest point in New Orleans, and built by the
WPA to show the children what a hill looks like.

We went to Lincoln Beach, not Pontchartrain
Beach.

Our name for dragonflies was mosquito hawk.
?Probably because they killed mosquitoes that
carried yellow fever, the epidemic that flared up
several times, causing catastrophic losses of
life before being conquered in the 20th century.

My mother would regularly see Al Hirt buying
groceries at the Canal Villerie supermarket on
Freret Street. ?But Schwegmann's was better than
Winn-Dixie. ?

Dooky Chase was our showcase restaurant.

The streets where I lived were bounded by
Louisiana Avenue, Napoleon Avenue, South
Claiborne, Freret Street. ?I also knew where
uptown, downtown, back-a-town, riverside or
lakeside was. ?

All these memories and more are crowding on me as
I think about New Orleans. ?Many of the links I
planned to write in are down. New Orleans is
dying, and this time, it may not rise again.
From hecate at diamonddragon.com  Wed Aug 31 09:55:56 2005
From: hecate at diamonddragon.com (Hecate)
Date: Wed Aug 31 10:00:19 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] BBC E-mail: US to open emergency oil stocks
Message-ID: <20050831_165555_039746.hecate@diamonddragon.com>

Hecate saw this story on BBC News Online and thought you
should see it.



** US to open emergency oil stocks **
The US is to release oil from its emergency stocks to help offset production cuts caused by Hurricane Katrina.
< http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/fr/-/2/hi/business/4199584.stm >


** BBC Daily E-mail **
Choose the news and sport headlines you want - when you want them, all
in one daily e-mail
< http://www.bbc.co.uk/dailyemail/ >


** Disclaimer **
The BBC is not responsible for the content of this e-mail, and anything written in this e-mail does not necessarily reflect the BBC's views or opinions. Please note that neither the e-mail address nor name of the sender have?been verified.

If you do not wish to receive such e-mails in the future or want to know more about the BBC's Email a Friend service, please read our frequently asked questions. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/help/4162471.stm

From hecate at diamonddragon.com  Wed Aug 31 09:59:36 2005
From: hecate at diamonddragon.com (Hecate)
Date: Wed Aug 31 10:03:57 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] BBC E-mail: Asiatic cheetahs caught on camera
Message-ID: <20050831_165936_045369.hecate@diamonddragon.com>

Hecate saw this story on BBC News Online and thought you
should see it.



** Asiatic cheetahs caught on camera **
A remote camera captures an entire family of rare Asiatic cheetahs in Iran's Dar-e Anjir Wildlife Refuge.
< http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/fr/-/2/hi/science/nature/4201180.stm >


** BBC Daily E-mail **
Choose the news and sport headlines you want - when you want them, all
in one daily e-mail
< http://www.bbc.co.uk/dailyemail/ >


** Disclaimer **
The BBC is not responsible for the content of this e-mail, and anything written in this e-mail does not necessarily reflect the BBC's views or opinions. Please note that neither the e-mail address nor name of the sender have?been verified.

If you do not wish to receive such e-mails in the future or want to know more about the BBC's Email a Friend service, please read our frequently asked questions. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/help/4162471.stm

From mblaxill at yahoo.com  Wed Aug 31 10:12:05 2005
From: mblaxill at yahoo.com (Mike Blaxill)
Date: Wed Aug 31 10:16:33 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] 2 elections officials indicted in Ohio recount
Message-ID: <20050831171206.44565.qmail@web53004.mail.yahoo.com>

http://www.cleveland.com/news/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/cuyahoga/1125480834285430.xml&coll=2

2 elections officials indicted in recount

Wednesday, August 31, 2005
Mark Naymik
Plain Dealer Politics Writer

Two Cuyahoga County elections officials were
indicted Tuesday on charges of not handling
ballots correctly during the recount of the 2004
presidential election.

Kathleen Dreamer, manager of the board's ballot
department, and the assistant manager, Rosie
Grier, were each charged with six counts of
failing to follow Ohio laws that spell out how
ballots are selected and reviewed during a
recount.

The most serious charges carry a maximum of 18
months in prison.

Erie County Prosecutor Kevin J. Baxter conducted
the investigation at the behest of Cuyahoga
County Prosecutor Bill Mason, who recused himself
from the case because his office represents the
elections board.

The charges stem from a complaint first raised
last December by Toledo lawyer Richard Kerger,
who watched over the recount on behalf of two
third-party candidates.

Kerger charged that elections officials failed to
randomly select precincts that were supposed to
be counted by hand and compared against ballots
tabulated by a machine; conduct test-runs before
witnesses; and investigate discrepancies between
vote totals.

Baxter would not offer details of his
investigation but said he examined allegations
that officials took "measures in order to all but
assure that there would not be a countywide hand
count."

Cuyahoga County's four elections board members
issued a statement defending their employees and
the voting process.

"These allegations are based on interpretation of
procedures, not on any suggestion of fraud," they
said.

Dreamer and Grier could not be reached for
comment.

Roger Synenberg, who represents Dreamer, said the
charges are unfounded. He accused Baxter of
failing to fully examine the board's procedures
and interview all potential witnesses.

"It's impossible to investigate this in a
three-day grand jury investigation," said
Synenberg, a former longtime elections board
member. "He took the word of a few people at the
board who don't understand the process."

Synenberg asked Baxter last week to turn over all
evidence to U.S. Attorney Greg White.

"Calling into question the integrity of a
national election requires that a thorough
investigation be completed by the federal
authorities," Synenberg said in a letter to
Baxter.

Baxter said Tuesday that he "thoroughly and
exhaustively investigated this" during almost
three days of testimony. He said he even allowed
a witness suggested by Synenberg to testify
Tuesday morning.

Baxter said the indictments will probably end his
investigation.

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter:

mnaymik@plaind.com, 216-999-4849

From grgolsorkhi at earthlink.net  Wed Aug 31 08:52:37 2005
From: grgolsorkhi at earthlink.net (Golsorkhi)
Date: Wed Aug 31 10:42:53 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] FW: Heaviest Element Yet Known
In-Reply-To: <BF3AB845.7C2F%kzii@swbell.net>
Message-ID: <E1EAWXg-0000q7-9V@smtpauth07.mail.atl.earthlink.net>

    
------ Forwarded Message
From: Kay Zafar <kzii@swbell.net>
Date: Wed, 31 Aug 2005 01:28:37 -0500
To: G-1 <kzii@swbell.net>
Subject: FW: Heaviest Element Yet Known

> 
> 
> A major research institution has announced the discovery of the heaviest
> element yet known to science - "governmentium." It has 1 neutron, 12
> assistant neutrons, 75 deputy neutrons and 111 assistant deputy neutrons
> for an atomic mass of 312. These 312 particles are held together by
> forces called morons that are further surrounded by vast quantities of
> lepton-like sub particles called peons.
>  
> Governmentium has no electrons and is therefore inert. It can be
> detected, however, since it impedes every reaction it comes into contact
> with. A tiny amount of governmentium can take a reaction that normally
> occurs in seconds and slow it to the point where it takes days.
> Governmentium has a normal half life of three years. It doesn't decay
> but "re- organizes" a process where assistant deputy neutrons and deputy
> neutrons change places. This process actually causes it to grow as in
> the confusion some morons become neutrons, thereby forming isodopes.
>  
> This phenomenon of "moron promotion" has led to some speculation that
> governmentium forms whenever sufficient morons meet in concentration
> forming critical morass. Researchers believe that in Governmentium, the
> more you reorganize, the morass you cover
> 


------ End of Forwarded Message


------ End of Forwarded Message

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From hecate at diamonddragon.com  Wed Aug 31 10:53:57 2005
From: hecate at diamonddragon.com (Hecate)
Date: Wed Aug 31 10:58:20 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] BBC E-mail: Khodorkovsky seeks to become MP
Message-ID: <20050831_175357_029750.hecate@diamonddragon.com>

Hecate saw this story on BBC News Online and thought you
should see it.



** Khodorkovsky seeks to become MP **
Jailed Russian business tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky says he plans to stand for parliament.
< http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/fr/-/2/hi/europe/4200630.stm >


** BBC Daily E-mail **
Choose the news and sport headlines you want - when you want them, all
in one daily e-mail
< http://www.bbc.co.uk/dailyemail/ >


** Disclaimer **
The BBC is not responsible for the content of this e-mail, and anything written in this e-mail does not necessarily reflect the BBC's views or opinions. Please note that neither the e-mail address nor name of the sender have?been verified.

If you do not wish to receive such e-mails in the future or want to know more about the BBC's Email a Friend service, please read our frequently asked questions. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/help/4162471.stm

From ialterman at nyc.rr.com  Wed Aug 31 11:24:03 2005
From: ialterman at nyc.rr.com (Ian)
Date: Wed Aug 31 11:28:30 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] FW: Heaviest Element Yet Known
References: <E1EAWXg-0000q7-9V@smtpauth07.mail.atl.earthlink.net>
Message-ID: <005601c5ae59$2b3c4660$99ca6c42@iancn2ccrvzt0j>

FW: Heaviest Element Yet KnownThanks for this.  I can't stop laughing.  It should be required reading in every political science class!

Hysterical!
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Golsorkhi 
  To: Michael Butler 
  Sent: Wednesday, August 31, 2005 11:52 AM
  Subject: [Mb-civic] FW: Heaviest Element Yet Known


     
  ------ Forwarded Message
  From: Kay Zafar <kzii@swbell.net>
  Date: Wed, 31 Aug 2005 01:28:37 -0500
  To: G-1 <kzii@swbell.net>
  Subject: FW: Heaviest Element Yet Known




----------------------------------------------------------------------------
    A major research institution has announced the discovery of the heaviest
    element yet known to science - "governmentium." It has 1 neutron, 12
    assistant neutrons, 75 deputy neutrons and 111 assistant deputy neutrons
    for an atomic mass of 312. These 312 particles are held together by
    forces called morons that are further surrounded by vast quantities of
    lepton-like sub particles called peons.
     
    Governmentium has no electrons and is therefore inert. It can be
    detected, however, since it impedes every reaction it comes into contact
    with. A tiny amount of governmentium can take a reaction that normally
    occurs in seconds and slow it to the point where it takes days.
    Governmentium has a normal half life of three years. It doesn't decay
    but "re- organizes" a process where assistant deputy neutrons and deputy
    neutrons change places. This process actually causes it to grow as in
    the confusion some morons become neutrons, thereby forming isodopes. 
     
    This phenomenon of "moron promotion" has led to some speculation that
    governmentium forms whenever sufficient morons meet in concentration
    forming critical morass. Researchers believe that in Governmentium, the
    more you reorganize, the morass you cover




  ------ End of Forwarded Message


  ------ End of Forwarded Message



------------------------------------------------------------------------------


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  Mb-civic mailing list
  Mb-civic@islandlists.com
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From michael at intrafi.com  Wed Aug 31 11:23:28 2005
From: michael at intrafi.com (michael@intrafi.com)
Date: Wed Aug 31 11:28:41 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] An article for you from an Economist.com reader.
Message-ID: <200508311759.NAA20938@stage-web-app.economist.com>

  
- AN ARTICLE FOR YOU, FROM ECONOMIST.COM - 

Dear civic,

Michael Butler (michael@intrafi.com) wants you to see this article on Economist.com.



(Note: the sender's e-mail address above has not been verified.)

Subscribe to The Economist print edition, get great savings and FREE full access to Economist.com.  Click here to subscribe:  http://www.economist.com/subscriptions/email.cfm 

Alternatively subscribe to online only version by clicking on the link below and save 25%:

http://www.economist.com/subscriptions/offer.cfm?campaign=168-XLMT



MEASURE FOR MEASURE
Aug 30th 2005  

Investors are mad for risk-appetite indices. What do they actually tell
us?

IT CAN now be revealed that Buttonwood has not always been a fan of
cricket. Brought up in the robust and marginally faster-moving world of
baseball, she has long found the appeal of five-day contests involving
leg-spinners and silly mid-offs inexplicable. Until this brilliant
holiday weekend, that is, when THE ECONOMIST trounced the SPECTATOR
and, in a slightly more publicised match, England edged past Australia.

In much the same way, America's stockmarket edged past news on Monday
August 29th that Hurricane Katrina was set to become the world's
costliest storm ever for insurers, helping to push oil above $70 a
barrel: share prices moved up within half an hour of the market's
opening, though they fell again the next day. It was certainly not the
first time that investors had bought stocks when the news was bad, like
a pitcher shaking off his catcher's signals. Were investors cleverly
re-assessing economic fundamentals (basically solid growth and
still-good prospects for corporate earnings) and upping their rational
valuation of shares? Or were they just irrepressible exuberants on a
tear?

This question, it turns out, is at the centre of one of the big divides
in financial theory. Those who believe in efficient markets think that
prices reflect all known information about future returns. If an
investor happens to feel irrationally feisty when he rolls out of bed
in the morning, no matter: smart money will move in and arbitrage away
the difference between the price he paid for the share and the price
that correctly reflects the discounted value of expected cash flows.

Advocates of behavioural finance, on the other hand, reckon markets are
imperfect. Sophisticated investors are often unable or unwilling to
offset sentiment traders entirely, especially when there are
constraints to arbitrage (it is not always possible to short a stock,
for example). For many, "investor sentiment" does matter. 

Which is just as well, as there are an awful lot of people measuring
it. Take last week. On August 22nd, the UBS/Gallup Index of Investor
Optimism said the slow but steady rebound of investor confidence since
April had continued in August. On August 23rd, State Street Global
Markets' Investor Confidence Index also showed improvement since the
recent low point in May. CSFB's Risk-Appetite Index, which only in
March was reflecting "euphoria" before the big plunge in April and May,
shows another sharp fall in risk appetite over the past two weeks or
so. 

The divergences among these measures are perhaps less surprising than
their congruencies, for they are constructed along different lines with
different variables. UBS polls qualifying American investors about
their expectations for financial markets. CSFB looks not at what people
say but at what prices suggest they are actually doing, evaluating
returns on 65 asset classes around the world to see whether riskier
ones are outperforming safer ones. State Street concentrates on
quantity rather than price. Drawing information from the $9.5 trillion
in global assets that it holds in custody, the bank analyses periodic
changes in this pool to determine whether institutional investors are
assuming more or less risk. 

How well do the different indices capture investor sentiment? The
authors of an article in the Bank of Canada's June FINANCIAL SYSTEM
REVIEW put ten of them under the microscope. They chose five recent
episodes in which markets reacted extremely and indices might have been
expected to reflect unambiguous investor sentiment: the Russian debt
default in 1998, the peak of the dotcom-fuelled bull market, the
beginning of the 2000-2002 bear market, the terrorist attacks of
September 11th 2001 and the beginning of the 2003 bull market. The
chart below shows the results, with CSFB's index best capturing the
moment.

There are literally dozens--maybe hundreds--of other measures of
investor sentiment, ranging from official versions, such as those the
International Monetary Fund and the Bank of England have for
surveillance purposes, to private-sector models, many but not all of
which purport to give a trading advantage. They are branching out fast.
Yale's School of Management, which already has a much-watched index
based on a poll of institutional and retail investors, and tracks
investor sentiment in Japan, is launching similar indices in a number
of new countries, beginning with India next week. And State Street is
planning to break down its global index to show risk appetite
specifically in North America, Europe and Asia. 

Assuming that these indices do actually reflect what they are supposed
to, what do they tell us that is of practical use? Do they predict
future returns? If not, why are investors prepared to pay an arm and a
leg for some of them? After all, the Chicago Board Options Exchange's
VIX contract, which tracks implied volatility in the S&P 500 share
index, is known as the "investor fear gauge"--though it has come
unglued of late.

Academic journals are stuffed with articles about how to measure
investor confidence and what to do with it once you have measured it.
Most suggest that sentiment is not a reliable predictor of long-term
future returns in general. But it may help to predict returns on
certain kinds of shares, says Malcolm Baker of the Harvard Business
School, whose research with Jeffrey Wurgler, of New York University's
Stern School of Business, will be published soon in the JOURNAL OF
FINANCE. Shares in new, small, non-dividend-paying firms--basically,
those without much of a track record and whose shares are hard to
arbitrage--are more likely to outperform when investor sentiment is
pessimistic at the start of the period being studied. 

"I love to see those academic studies saying that sentiment doesn't
matter," says Jason Goepfert, chief executive of Sundial Capital
Research in Minnesota. "That means it'll work all the better. We've
looked at all sorts of indicators--fundamental, technical. It's not
that investor sentiment doesn't fail, but it fails less often."

Sundial's sentimenTrader.com offers a variety of confidence indices to
subscribers, both institutional (including hedge funds) and individual.
Mr Goepfert points to one real-money gauge in particular: the Rydex
fund family, one of the few to make its asset data readily available
and in the past a good indicator of sentiment. Allocations are close to
their all-time most bearish now, with loads parked in the money markets
and a leveraged short position that is greater even than last April,
when most sentiment indicators dived. This suggests that returns are
set to rise over the coming weeks. 

Investor sentiment seems to be most predictive when it is near
historical extremes, and then only in the short term. In the longer run
it has less to say, for returns should reflect the business cycle and
corporate earnings. The big question now is what the impact of sharply
higher oil prices will be. If they act as a brake on global economic
growth, as seems likely, it will knock investor sentiment and returns,
both short-term and long-term, for six.

- - - - - Send comments on this article to Buttonwood (Please state
whether you are happy for your comments to be published)


Read more Buttonwood columns at www.economist.com/buttonwood[1]

-----
[1]
http://www.economist.com/research/articlesBySubject/display.cfm?id=2512631
 

See this article with graphics and related items at http://www.economist.com/agenda/displaystory.cfm?story_id=4339079&fsrc=nwl

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From michael at intrafi.com  Wed Aug 31 11:27:04 2005
From: michael at intrafi.com (michael@intrafi.com)
Date: Wed Aug 31 11:31:43 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] An article for you from an Economist.com reader.
Message-ID: <200508311802.OAA21575@stage-web-app.economist.com>

  
- AN ARTICLE FOR YOU, FROM ECONOMIST.COM - 

Dear civic,

Michael Butler (michael@intrafi.com) wants you to see this article on Economist.com.



(Note: the sender's e-mail address above has not been verified.)

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CRUNCH TIME FOR UN REFORM
Aug 31st 2005  

America has requested extensive last-minute changes to a draft
agreement on reforming and modernising the United Nations. Painful
negotiations lie ahead of next month's summit of world leaders

IF THERE was still any question that America is taking a new line with
the United Nations, the answer now seems clear. Next month, 175 world
leaders will gather in New York to consider a raft of reforms for the
world body. But just weeks before the summit is to begin, America has
asked for extensive changes to the draft "outcome document" that many
other negotiators felt was almost finished. Many detect the hand of
John Bolton, America's controversial new ambassador to the UN, who
offered the proposed changes on Wednesday August 24th. But Mr Bolton is
probably more symptom than cause--George Bush sent him to the UN as a
signal that business-as-usual would no longer be acceptable.

There is talk of crisis in many of the media reports about America's
proposed changes. The WASHINGTON POST reported that 750 such edits had
been made to the draft outcome document. In truth, the majority of
these are nitpicking wording changes that have little effect on the
content. But some of them would change the declaration considerably,
particularly regarding development efforts and intervention to stop
human-rights catastrophes.

September's summit, billed by the UN as the biggest gathering of world
leaders in history, was originally to be a five-year review of the 2000
Millennium Summit, the most notable product of which was the Millennium
Development Goals (MDGs). These include worthy aims such as halving
abject poverty and achieving universal primary education by 2015. As
desirable as these goals are, there seems little hope of achieving the
panoply of policy objectives embedded in the MDGs; the UN itself is
already complaining about the lack of progress.

The proposed American edits to the document remove nearly all
references to the MDGs, referring instead to more vaguely worded
"internationally agreed development goals". In place of the MDGs,
America wants to put more emphasis on the "Monterrey Consensus", the
result of a 2002 summit in Mexico which concluded that developing
countries need to take more responsibility for their own growth by
fighting corruption, improving their investment climates and making
their countries generally more hospitable to economic activity. 

Such market-friendly ideas have become the vogue not only in America
but among the non-governmental organisations fighting poverty around
the world. They have belatedly recognised that tens of billions of
dollars in aid over recent decades have failed to curb extreme poverty
in much of the world, especially Africa. Those countries that have made
the greatest strides against poverty, most notably India and China, but
also countries like South Korea and Taiwan, have done so largely by
making their own economies suitable for investment and growth.

But developing countries, as well as many UN officials and rich-world
governments, believe that substantial aid is required too. For reasons
of geography and history, they argue, Africa is in a "poverty trap"
that no amount of internal reforms will solve without aid. Thus the
draft summit document included a call for rich countries to aim to give
0.7% of their GDP in assistance. 

It is this kind of language that America wants removed. In a slightly
defensive letter to other ambassadors sent on Friday, Mr Bolton said
that despite its deletion of every reference to the MDGs, America did
in fact support them, so long as they were taken to mean outcomes (eg,
halving poverty) and not inputs (such as the aid target, which America
never agreed to). The blizzard of negative publicity last week may have
put some pressure even on America's fierce ambassador.

The diplomatic problem is that the countries of the developing world,
represented by the "G77" group, see a strong focus on aid and the MDGs
as their price for agreeing to the rich world's--especially
America's--agenda. That agenda includes an overhaul of management and
oversight within the UN's own house, to prevent, for example, fraud
like the recent and humiliating oil-for-food scandal. The developing
countries may only agree to proposed American reforms like this if
tempted by a promise of sizeable and predictable aid flows. If the
Americans are going to propose 750 amendments, the G77 might respond in
kind. 

AM I MY BROTHER'S PEACEKEEPER?
Besides the shift in language on development, the edited American draft
significantly weakens a section on the so-called "responsibility to
protect". Following the genocide in Rwanda and the NATO-led
intervention in Kosovo, international lawyers have sought to secure
language promoting humanitarian intervention to stop atrocities. The
original draft called on states to acknowledge their responsibility to
prevent such crimes against humanity, and to aid the UN in establishing
an "early-warning" system to halt disasters-in-the-making. When states
fail in this duty to protect their citizens, the drafters declared that
the rest of the world "has the obligation" to act, and invited
permanent members of the Security Council not to veto any such
intervention. 

In the first set of changes to the draft document, all this langauge
was cut by American editors--State Department lawyers trying to avoid
legal commitments and Pentagon strategists fearing some kind of
automatic requirement of American arms to stop catastrophes. Instead,
the American version simply said that outside countries should be
"prepared to act". The superpower's critics quickly noted that it had
once again lined up alongside a rogue's gallery of badly behaved states
to oppose a human-rights agreement: in this case Pakistan, Egypt, Cuba,
Iran and Syria.

But as with the development clauses, the American position has since
softened somewhat. A letter from Mr Bolton this week suggests inserting
language that the world has a "moral responsibility" to act to stop
large-scale crimes against humanity. But the American ambassador
remains opposed to creating a legal responsibility, which could, he
argues, inappropriately predetermine the means to be used. In any case,
his letter points out, the Security Council already has the power to
authorise intervention. In a further concession, America has
re-inserted support for a new UN-based "early-warning system" into its
proposed text.

So even though many still worry that this section of the draft has been
fatally weakened, the vaguer American version of "responsibility to
protect" would be the first-ever clear international agreement that
outside countries should be willing to act to stop atrocities in a
country whose government cannot or will not stop them itself. This
could form the political basis for a future intervention, possibly even
military intervention, should the Security Council be presented with a
case like the slaughter in Sudan's Darfur region.

The atmosphere is therefore not as bad as some of the more breathless
talk of crisis indicates. Nonetheless, America has annoyed many with
some seemingly needless niggling points--cutting "respect for nature"
from a legally meaningless laundry-list of the world's basic values,
for example. Critics say that the deletion is emblematic: America is
taking an overly lawyerly approach to a non-binding political document
on which all have made compromises. An American spokesman responds that
"mumbo-jumbo" does no one any good, and that America may support a
shorter statement instead of the current 36-page draft.

Time is now limited. A document must be substantially complete before
national leaders show up on September 14th, and there remains
procedural wrangling about which countries (approximately 30) should be
in a core group negotiating these last-minute changes. Diplomats are
firing up their coffee pots, preparing to work through nights and
weekends. It will be a long and harrowing two weeks. But everyone
agrees that the UN needs reform. Failure to achieve consensus in
September would be a sadly wasted opportunity for all concerned.
 

See this article with graphics and related items at http://www.economist.com/agenda/displaystory.cfm?story_id=4335571&fsrc=nwl

Go to http://www.economist.com for more global news, views and analysis from the Economist Group.

- ABOUT ECONOMIST.COM -

Economist.com is the online version of The Economist newspaper, an independent weekly international news and business publication offering clear reporting, commentary and analysis on world politics, business, finance, science & technology, culture, society and the arts. 
Economist.com also offers exclusive content online, including additional articles throughout the week in the Global Agenda section.

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Subscribe now with 25% off and receive full access to: 

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future messages as a result of your being the recipient of this e-mail.


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From grgolsorkhi at earthlink.net  Wed Aug 31 11:03:23 2005
From: grgolsorkhi at earthlink.net (Golsorkhi)
Date: Wed Aug 31 11:33:26 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] FW: Iran's oil gambit - and potential affront to the US 
	csmonitor.com
In-Reply-To: <002701c5ae49$e2c16d20$6401a8c0@2r6cx01>
Message-ID: <E1EAXKa-0002IH-3a@smtpauth06.mail.atl.earthlink.net>

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From grgolsorkhi at earthlink.net  Wed Aug 31 11:11:25 2005
From: grgolsorkhi at earthlink.net (Golsorkhi)
Date: Wed Aug 31 11:34:41 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] FW: Guardian Unlimited Special reports Bush is the real
	threat
In-Reply-To: <001d01c5ae48$d9484e40$6401a8c0@2r6cx01>
Message-ID: <E1EAXLm-00038w-Ca@smtpauth06.mail.atl.earthlink.net>

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From grgolsorkhi at earthlink.net  Wed Aug 31 11:16:29 2005
From: grgolsorkhi at earthlink.net (Golsorkhi)
Date: Wed Aug 31 11:49:20 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] FW: Iran Focus-News - Special Wire - Iran's hard-line
	President out to woe Iranians
In-Reply-To: <001301c5ae47$de7a5f80$6401a8c0@2r6cx01>
Message-ID: <E1EAXZx-0006Gb-T9@smtpauth06.mail.atl.earthlink.net>

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From grgolsorkhi at earthlink.net  Wed Aug 31 11:24:58 2005
From: grgolsorkhi at earthlink.net (Golsorkhi)
Date: Wed Aug 31 11:50:11 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] FW: Kenneth R. Timmerman on Gerhard Schroeder & Iran on
	National Review Online
In-Reply-To: <000901c5ae47$9eb37800$6401a8c0@2r6cx01>
Message-ID: <E1EAXan-0006ya-6D@smtpauth06.mail.atl.earthlink.net>

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From reuteb at austin.rr.com  Wed Aug 31 12:08:38 2005
From: reuteb at austin.rr.com (reute)
Date: Wed Aug 31 12:18:32 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] We can't afford our gasoline!
Message-ID: <E1EAY2G-0003y0-Ap@smtpauth06.mail.atl.earthlink.net>

Good One!

http://toccionline.kizash.com/films/1001/178/index.php
From michael at intrafi.com  Wed Aug 31 12:20:54 2005
From: michael at intrafi.com (michael)
Date: Wed Aug 31 12:25:26 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Article from Tom Dispatch
Message-ID: <200508311920.j7VJKsEe019638@thor.thenation.com>

An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://www.islandlists.com/pipermail/mb-civic/attachments/20050831/6510c413/attachment.htm
From michael at intrafi.com  Wed Aug 31 12:30:29 2005
From: michael at intrafi.com (michael@intrafi.com)
Date: Wed Aug 31 12:34:51 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Alternet: Another Embarrassment for Bush
Message-ID: <20050831193029.35FD4B809D@alternet.org>


This story has been forwarded to you from
http://www.alternet.org by michael@intrafi.com



-------------------------------------
Another Embarrassment for Bush
http://www.alternet.org/story/24797

No amount of crowing over a fig leaf Iraqi constitution by President Bush can hide the fact that the region's autocrats, theocrats and terrorists are stronger than ever.
-------------------------------------

From harry.sifton at sympatico.ca  Wed Aug 31 15:44:44 2005
From: harry.sifton at sympatico.ca (Harold Sifton)
Date: Wed Aug 31 15:49:32 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Re: We can't afford our gasoline!
References: <81FCD52A-43AF-4C4C-BB5F-2D9B1407A165@austin.rr.com>
	<1D557761-056C-4A4B-864C-1A282DF0B04E@austin.rr.com>
Message-ID: <001901c5ae7d$9d156fe0$053fe440@Harold>


Reg Gas is $1.19 ++ CDN per litre today in Canada, a 20-25 cent jump. It is 
price gauging on a tragic/event, thing. Canada is an "exporter" of oil, 
refined gas and natural gas......., but most Oil Companies and Gas Stations 
in Canada are controlled by American interests. Katrina does not effect any 
Canadian production, Wall Street effects Canadian production and prices.



Later H




----- Original Message ----- 
From: "reute" <reute@austin.rr.com>
To: "Harold Sifton" <harry.sifton@sympatico.ca>
Sent: Wednesday, August 31, 2005 3:11 PM
Subject: Fwd: We can't afford our gasoline!


> >
>> Good One!
>>
>> http://toccionline.kizash.com/films/1001/178/index.php
>>
> 


From harry.sifton at sympatico.ca  Wed Aug 31 17:42:08 2005
From: harry.sifton at sympatico.ca (Harold Sifton)
Date: Wed Aug 31 17:46:37 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Pakistan Times reports 1000 dead from stampede
Message-ID: <000801c5ae8d$febbcef0$053fe440@Harold>

Pakistan Times reports a 1000 + people dead from a stampede, from fear of a possible suicide bomber, there wasn't one so far as they know.

http://www.pakistantimes.net/2005/08/31/top.htm

Sadly fear creates chaos. I wonder how Mr Bush feels about this, he is at the end of the day responsible for this tragic event. This has never happened before in Iraq, even under the fearsome regime of Sadam!

Later H





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From harry.sifton at sympatico.ca  Wed Aug 31 17:55:19 2005
From: harry.sifton at sympatico.ca (Harold Sifton)
Date: Wed Aug 31 17:59:46 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Canada offers help to America's tragedy
Message-ID: <000f01c5ae8f$d5f2c260$053fe440@Harold>

A message from The Canadian Prime Minister in offering any help/support to the tragedy caused by Katrina

http://pm.gc.ca/eng/news.asp?id=570

God bless,

HS

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From michael at intrafi.com  Wed Aug 31 11:27:04 2005
From: michael at intrafi.com (michael@intrafi.com)
Date: Wed Aug 31 18:08:36 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] An article for you from an Economist.com reader.
Message-ID: <E1EAdUy-0002pQ-2h@smtpauth04.mail.atl.earthlink.net>

  
- AN ARTICLE FOR YOU, FROM ECONOMIST.COM - 

Dear michael,

Michael Butler (michael@intrafi.com) wants you to see this article on Economist.com.



(Note: the sender's e-mail address above has not been verified.)

Subscribe to The Economist print edition, get great savings and FREE full access to Economist.com.  Click here to subscribe:  http://www.economist.com/subscriptions/email.cfm 

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CRUNCH TIME FOR UN REFORM
Aug 31st 2005  

America has requested extensive last-minute changes to a draft
agreement on reforming and modernising the United Nations. Painful
negotiations lie ahead of next month's summit of world leaders

IF THERE was still any question that America is taking a new line with
the United Nations, the answer now seems clear. Next month, 175 world
leaders will gather in New York to consider a raft of reforms for the
world body. But just weeks before the summit is to begin, America has
asked for extensive changes to the draft "outcome document" that many
other negotiators felt was almost finished. Many detect the hand of
John Bolton, America's controversial new ambassador to the UN, who
offered the proposed changes on Wednesday August 24th. But Mr Bolton is
probably more symptom than cause--George Bush sent him to the UN as a
signal that business-as-usual would no longer be acceptable.

There is talk of crisis in many of the media reports about America's
proposed changes. The WASHINGTON POST reported that 750 such edits had
been made to the draft outcome document. In truth, the majority of
these are nitpicking wording changes that have little effect on the
content. But some of them would change the declaration considerably,
particularly regarding development efforts and intervention to stop
human-rights catastrophes.

September's summit, billed by the UN as the biggest gathering of world
leaders in history, was originally to be a five-year review of the 2000
Millennium Summit, the most notable product of which was the Millennium
Development Goals (MDGs). These include worthy aims such as halving
abject poverty and achieving universal primary education by 2015. As
desirable as these goals are, there seems little hope of achieving the
panoply of policy objectives embedded in the MDGs; the UN itself is
already complaining about the lack of progress.

The proposed American edits to the document remove nearly all
references to the MDGs, referring instead to more vaguely worded
"internationally agreed development goals". In place of the MDGs,
America wants to put more emphasis on the "Monterrey Consensus", the
result of a 2002 summit in Mexico which concluded that developing
countries need to take more responsibility for their own growth by
fighting corruption, improving their investment climates and making
their countries generally more hospitable to economic activity. 

Such market-friendly ideas have become the vogue not only in America
but among the non-governmental organisations fighting poverty around
the world. They have belatedly recognised that tens of billions of
dollars in aid over recent decades have failed to curb extreme poverty
in much of the world, especially Africa. Those countries that have made
the greatest strides against poverty, most notably India and China, but
also countries like South Korea and Taiwan, have done so largely by
making their own economies suitable for investment and growth.

But developing countries, as well as many UN officials and rich-world
governments, believe that substantial aid is required too. For reasons
of geography and history, they argue, Africa is in a "poverty trap"
that no amount of internal reforms will solve without aid. Thus the
draft summit document included a call for rich countries to aim to give
0.7% of their GDP in assistance. 

It is this kind of language that America wants removed. In a slightly
defensive letter to other ambassadors sent on Friday, Mr Bolton said
that despite its deletion of every reference to the MDGs, America did
in fact support them, so long as they were taken to mean outcomes (eg,
halving poverty) and not inputs (such as the aid target, which America
never agreed to). The blizzard of negative publicity last week may have
put some pressure even on America's fierce ambassador.

The diplomatic problem is that the countries of the developing world,
represented by the "G77" group, see a strong focus on aid and the MDGs
as their price for agreeing to the rich world's--especially
America's--agenda. That agenda includes an overhaul of management and
oversight within the UN's own house, to prevent, for example, fraud
like the recent and humiliating oil-for-food scandal. The developing
countries may only agree to proposed American reforms like this if
tempted by a promise of sizeable and predictable aid flows. If the
Americans are going to propose 750 amendments, the G77 might respond in
kind. 

AM I MY BROTHER'S PEACEKEEPER?
Besides the shift in language on development, the edited American draft
significantly weakens a section on the so-called "responsibility to
protect". Following the genocide in Rwanda and the NATO-led
intervention in Kosovo, international lawyers have sought to secure
language promoting humanitarian intervention to stop atrocities. The
original draft called on states to acknowledge their responsibility to
prevent such crimes against humanity, and to aid the UN in establishing
an "early-warning" system to halt disasters-in-the-making. When states
fail in this duty to protect their citizens, the drafters declared that
the rest of the world "has the obligation" to act, and invited
permanent members of the Security Council not to veto any such
intervention. 

In the first set of changes to the draft document, all this langauge
was cut by American editors--State Department lawyers trying to avoid
legal commitments and Pentagon strategists fearing some kind of
automatic requirement of American arms to stop catastrophes. Instead,
the American version simply said that outside countries should be
"prepared to act". The superpower's critics quickly noted that it had
once again lined up alongside a rogue's gallery of badly behaved states
to oppose a human-rights agreement: in this case Pakistan, Egypt, Cuba,
Iran and Syria.

But as with the development clauses, the American position has since
softened somewhat. A letter from Mr Bolton this week suggests inserting
language that the world has a "moral responsibility" to act to stop
large-scale crimes against humanity. But the American ambassador
remains opposed to creating a legal responsibility, which could, he
argues, inappropriately predetermine the means to be used. In any case,
his letter points out, the Security Council already has the power to
authorise intervention. In a further concession, America has
re-inserted support for a new UN-based "early-warning system" into its
proposed text.

So even though many still worry that this section of the draft has been
fatally weakened, the vaguer American version of "responsibility to
protect" would be the first-ever clear international agreement that
outside countries should be willing to act to stop atrocities in a
country whose government cannot or will not stop them itself. This
could form the political basis for a future intervention, possibly even
military intervention, should the Security Council be presented with a
case like the slaughter in Sudan's Darfur region.

The atmosphere is therefore not as bad as some of the more breathless
talk of crisis indicates. Nonetheless, America has annoyed many with
some seemingly needless niggling points--cutting "respect for nature"
from a legally meaningless laundry-list of the world's basic values,
for example. Critics say that the deletion is emblematic: America is
taking an overly lawyerly approach to a non-binding political document
on which all have made compromises. An American spokesman responds that
"mumbo-jumbo" does no one any good, and that America may support a
shorter statement instead of the current 36-page draft.

Time is now limited. A document must be substantially complete before
national leaders show up on September 14th, and there remains
procedural wrangling about which countries (approximately 30) should be
in a core group negotiating these last-minute changes. Diplomats are
firing up their coffee pots, preparing to work through nights and
weekends. It will be a long and harrowing two weeks. But everyone
agrees that the UN needs reform. Failure to achieve consensus in
September would be a sadly wasted opportunity for all concerned.
 

See this article with graphics and related items at http://www.economist.com/agenda/displaystory.cfm?story_id=4335571&fsrc=nwl

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From harry.sifton at sympatico.ca  Wed Aug 31 18:19:12 2005
From: harry.sifton at sympatico.ca (Harold Sifton)
Date: Wed Aug 31 18:23:45 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Helpless against looters ....
Message-ID: <000a01c5ae93$2c9bca00$053fe440@Harold>

Officials helpless against looters .......

http://www.breitbart.com/news/2005/08/31/D8CB0FN8G.html

In the face of tragedy, this disgusting/shameful behaviour is unacceptable. 

I'm sorry to say and as a peace loving person it is with a very sad heart, but these criminals should be shot on sight!!

Peace and love 

Harold
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From barbarasiomos38 at msn.com  Wed Aug 31 18:47:32 2005
From: barbarasiomos38 at msn.com (Barbara Siomos)
Date: Wed Aug 31 18:51:55 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Looting out of control in New Orleans
Message-ID: <BAY5-DAV68C68DDD90377A0318DF8ABA00@phx.gbl>

Harry.... The police, national guard etc. are trying to save lives by rescuing people and as you say WHY are these a__holes looting in the first place.

barbara

-----Original Message-----
From: Harold Sifton
Sent: Tue, 30 Aug 2005 17:44:01 -0700
To: MB Civic
Subject: [Mb-civic] Looting out of control in New Orleans

The looting in New Orleans is out of control, where is the National Guard, Homeland Security, the Police ??

http://apnews.myway.com/article/20050830/D8CAELA01.html

Opps, sorry, why is there looting in the first place? That is the kind of thing that only happens in a 3rd world countries, not America!

Sad that some fellow Americans prey upon each other! What is wrong with this culture that in times of need that this looting thing happens?


From lyve at netzero.net  Wed Aug 31 19:41:48 2005
From: lyve at netzero.net (Lyle K'ang)
Date: Thu Sep  1 05:01:58 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] not receiving any MBCIVIC mail
Message-ID: <20050831.194217.27977.242813@webmail05.nyc.untd.com>

help?!


Lyle K'ang


From activist at democrats.com  Wed Aug 31 20:03:01 2005
From: activist at democrats.com (Democrats.com)
Date: Thu Sep  1 05:02:12 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Cindy Leaves Crawford to Demand Answers in Washington DC
Message-ID: <20050831230301.803442@democrats.com>

It Was the Oil, Stupid: Cindy Day 25

So it is official, Casey had his blood shed in Iraq for OIL. He died so we could pay over $3.00/gallon for gas. Like I suspected all along, my dear, sweet son, almost 1900 others, and tens of thousands of innocent Iraqis died so the oil fields wouldn't "fall into the hands of terrorists" and so George and his immoral band of greedy robber barons could become wealthier. Like I have said all along: how can these people sleep at night and how can they choke down their food knowing it is purchased off of the flesh and blood of others? We have found our "Noble Cause." And it is OIL. This man and his handlers need to be stopped.
http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/?q=node/2438


Resolution of Inquiry into Bush Lies Gains Momentum

There are now 59 co-sponsors on Barbara Lee's Resolution of Inquiry into the Downing Street Memos, including one Republican member of the International Relations Committee, Jim Leach.  Cindy Sheehan is meeting with another Republican committee member, Ron Paul, tomorrow.  A vote in committee will come between Sept. 6 and Sept. 16.  Now is the time to contact YOUR Congressmember - and be sure to use our Feedback Form:
http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/?q=node/902

 
Sign the People's Petition

Have you signed the petition for an exit strategy?  Has everyone you know done so?  Please make sure you can say Yes before September 16:
http://www.peoplespetition.org/

 
"Bring the Troops Home Now" Bus Tour Began Today

Three buses left Crawford, Texas, this morning carrying military and Gold Star families, veterans of the Iraq War and veterans of previous wars. These buses will travel different routes across the country, converging in Washington, DC on September 21, for the United for Peace and Justice Mobilization September 24th-26th. Cindy Sheehan is on the Southern bus route for the first two days and planned to meet with Rep. Lloyd Doggett today and Reps. Ron Paul and Tom Delay tomorrow.  The bus will not go to New Orleans, as had been planned, but is carrying supplies as close as possible to those who need them. Please give them a warm welcome at the stop nearest you.
http://www.bringthemhomenowtour.org/  


Bring Camp Casey to YOUR Congressperson

Cindy sent a letter to all the members of Congress holding them responsible for taking us into war and therefore ending this war.  We need you to create a Camp Casey outside the offices of those who are not agreeing to a meeting.  Sign up here to join in, check in daily to see who is answered and who hasn?t, and support this effort to hold our leaders responsible and accountable.  We have a short window, we want to have contacted all the members by the time Cindy and the buses arrive in Washington, DC for the mass mobilization on September 24th.  We will be at the offices of those who aren't responding on September 26th to lobby them and let them experience the pressure from citizens' voices emboldened at Camp Casey.
http://meetwiththemothers.org/

 
Out of Iraq Rally in D.C. on September 15

The peace movement will rally against the war in front of the White House following Democrat-led hearings on an exit strategy hosted by Rep. Lynn Woolsey (D-CA).  Learn more:
http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/?q=node/2369 


Be Part of the Largest Anti-War Effort

Join a massive mobilization against the war in Washington, D.C., on September 24, and stick around for workshops and trainings on the 25th, followed by a day of lobbying and civil disobedience on the 26th.
http://www.unitedforpeace.org/septmobe
 

Sign Up for Exciting Workshops in DC on Sept. 25

These events, organized by Progressive Democrats of America, will include a discussion with Cindy Sheehan, as well as a focus on the Downing Street Memos and remarks by John Bonifaz, Co-Founder of After Downing Street.
http://www.pdamerica.org/articles/events/sept2005/index.php 


>From the Democrats.com Blog:

MSM Refuses to Poll on Impeachment
Can Bush Survive $4 Gasoline?
My Pet Goat Part Deux - Let Them Eat Cake!
Bush Strummed While New Orleans Drowned
Rally to End War at White House 9-15
Make Bush Kids Put Their Lives on the Line
Bush Cut Hurricane, Flood Protection Funding to New Orleans - June 2005
Iraqi Constitution is a Miserable Failure - Impeach Bush Now
Bush Brings In "Ringer" To Defend Roberts' Ethics
Bike-Deep in the Big Muddy
http://democrats.com 


Contribute to AfterDowningStreet: 
http://elandslide.org/elandslide/edonate.cfm?campaign=ads 

SUBSCRIBE TO GET THESE UPDATES: 
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FORWARD THIS EMAIL 



#####

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From newsletter at villagevoice.com  Wed Aug 31 21:26:52 2005
From: newsletter at villagevoice.com (Village Voice Newsletter)
Date: Thu Sep  1 05:02:21 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Today's 'Voice': Kanye and Farrakhan,
	Allies for Gay People?
Message-ID: <20050901042652.47454.qmail@www3.villagevoice.com>

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From ean at sbcglobal.net  Wed Aug 31 22:34:51 2005
From: ean at sbcglobal.net (ean@sbcglobal.net)
Date: Thu Sep  1 07:57:21 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] Republicans Accused of Witch-Hunt Against Climate Change
	Scientists
Message-ID: <E1EAqQx-0004UK-OV@smtpauth06.mail.atl.earthlink.net>

http://www.commondreams.org/headlines05/0830-03.htm

Published on Tuesday, August 30, 2005 by the Guardian
Republicans Accused of Witch-Hunt Against Climate 
Change Scientists
By Paul Brown
 
Some of America's leading scientists have accused Republican 
politicians of intimidating climate-change experts by placing them 
under unprecedented scrutiny.

A far-reaching inquiry into the careers of three of the US's most senior 
climate specialists has been launched by Joe Barton, the chairman of 
the House of Representatives committee on energy and commerce. 
He has demanded details of all their sources of funding, methods and 
everything they have ever published.

Mr Barton, a Texan closely associated with the fossil-fuel lobby, has 
spent his 11 years as chairman opposing every piece of legislation 
designed to combat climate change.

He is using the wide powers of his committee to force the scientists to 
produce great quantities of material after alleging flaws and lack of 
transparency in their research. He is working with Ed Whitfield, the 
chairman of the sub-committee on oversight and investigations.

The scientific work they are investigating was important in establishing 
that man-made carbon emissions were at least partly responsible for 
global warming, and formed part of the 2001 report of the 
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which convinced most 
world leaders - George Bush was a notable exception - that urgent 
action was needed to curb greenhouse gases.

The demands in letters sent to the scientists have been compared by 
some US media commentators to the anti-communist "witch-hunts" 
pursued by Joe McCarthy in the 1950s.

The three US climate scientists - Michael Mann, the director of the 
Earth System Science Centre at Pennsylvania State University; 
Raymond Bradley, the director of the Climate System Research Centre 
at the University of Massachusetts; and Malcolm Hughes, the former 
director of the Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research at the University of 
Arizona - have been told to send large volumes of material.

A letter demanding information on the three and their work has also 
gone to Arden Bement, the director of the US National Science 
Foundation.

Mr Barton's inquiry was launched after an article in the Wall Street 
Journal quoted an economist and a statistician, neither of them from a 
climate science background, saying there were methodological flaws 
and data errors in the three scientists' calculations. It accused the trio 
of refusing to make their original material available to be cross-
checked.

Mr Barton then asked for everything the scientists had ever published 
and all baseline data. He said the information was necessary because 
Congress was going to make policy decisions drawing on their work, 
and his committee needed to check its validity.

There followed a demand for details of everything they had done since 
their careers began, funding received and procedures for data 
disclosure.

The inquiry has sent shockwaves through the US scientific 
establishment, already under pressure from the Bush administration, 
which links funding to policy objectives.

Eighteen of the country's most influential scientists from Princeton and 
Harvard have written to Mr Barton and Mr Whitfield expressing "deep 
concern". Their letter says much of the information requested is 
unrelated to climate science.

It says: "Requests to provide all working materials related to hundreds 
of publications stretching back decades can be seen as intimidation - 
intentional or not - and thereby risks compromising the independence 
of scientific opinion that is vital to the pre-eminence of American 
science as well as to the flow of objective science to the government."

Alan Leshner protested on behalf of the American Association for the 
Advancement of Science, expressing "deep concern" about the inquiry, 
which appeared to be "a search for a basis to discredit the particular 
scientists rather than a search for understanding".

Political reaction has been stronger. Henry Waxman, a senior 
Californian Democrat, wrote complaining that this was a "dubious" 
inquiry which many viewed as a "transparent effort to bully and harass 
climate-change experts who have reached conclusions with which you 
disagree".

But the strongest language came from another Republican, Sherwood 
Boehlert, the chairman of the house science committee. He wrote to 
"express my strenuous objections to what I see as the misguided and 
illegitimate investigation".

He said it was pernicious to substitute political review for scientific peer 
review and the precedent was "truly chilling". He said the inquiry 
"seeks to erase the line between science and politics" and should be 
reconsidered.

A spokeswoman for Mr Barton said yesterday that all the required 
written evidence had been collected.

"The committee will review everything we have and decided how best 
to proceed. No decision has yet been made whether to have public 
hearings to investigate the validity of the scientists' findings, but that 
could be the next step for this autumn," she said.

? 2005 Guardian Newspapers Ltd. (UK)

###
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You are currently on Mha Atma's Earth Action Network email list, 
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From ean at sbcglobal.net  Wed Aug 31 22:48:02 2005
From: ean at sbcglobal.net (ean@sbcglobal.net)
Date: Thu Sep  1 07:57:42 2005
Subject: [Mb-civic] How to Help with the Hurricane Relief Effort
Message-ID: <E1EAqRK-0004i0-49@smtpauth06.mail.atl.earthlink.net>

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