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John Dean, former legal counsel to Richard Nixon, is 95% recovered from a long bout of conservatism, and he doubts that many others can make the same recovery, but I don't.
Dean's published two excellent books on the Bush-Cheney administration's abuses of power. The first was "Worse Than Watergate." The new one is "Conservatives Without Conscience." The title is a play on former Senator Goldwater's "The Conscience of a Conservative," and Dean originally intended to co-write it with Goldwater.
In the new book, on pages 70 and 71, Dean lists in two columns the beliefs and characteristics of "Conservatives Without Conscience" and "Conservatives With Conscience". From my earliest memories, I have been disgusted by the very idea of conservatism, but – with the exception of one of the characteristics – I turn out to be a Conservative With Conscience. That is to say, a "Conservative With Conscience", as defined by Dean, turns out to be a progressive, a leftist, or even a – dare I say it? – liberal, or at least not in disagreement with those people.
Dean's published two excellent books on the Bush-Cheney administration's abuses of power. The first was "Worse Than Watergate." The new one is "Conservatives Without Conscience." The title is a play on former Senator Goldwater's "The Conscience of a Conservative," and Dean originally intended to co-write it with Goldwater.
In the new book, on pages 70 and 71, Dean lists in two columns the beliefs and characteristics of "Conservatives Without Conscience" and "Conservatives With Conscience". From my earliest memories, I have been disgusted by the very idea of conservatism, but – with the exception of one of the characteristics – I turn out to be a Conservative With Conscience. That is to say, a "Conservative With Conscience", as defined by Dean, turns out to be a progressive, a leftist, or even a – dare I say it? – liberal, or at least not in disagreement with those people.
Or ... One average citizen's account of her unsettling experience video-taping on Election Day 2004, attending the public hearings afterward and then serving as an Official Witness for the Ohio Vote Recount.
In 2004, like most of my friends, I was asleep at the wheel, even with questions still lingering following the 2000 election. As an active mother, advocate and writer, I felt entitled to this lethargy. It's all too much was my hidden mantra. If I hadn't been asked to take my outdated family video camera to the polls on Election Day, I might still be able relieve myself of the burden of being awake and aware. But from that day forward, things changed. In late 2004, I added Voter's Rights activism to my list of duties. Nobody in my life saw it coming, least of all me.
In 2004, like most of my friends, I was asleep at the wheel, even with questions still lingering following the 2000 election. As an active mother, advocate and writer, I felt entitled to this lethargy. It's all too much was my hidden mantra. If I hadn't been asked to take my outdated family video camera to the polls on Election Day, I might still be able relieve myself of the burden of being awake and aware. But from that day forward, things changed. In late 2004, I added Voter's Rights activism to my list of duties. Nobody in my life saw it coming, least of all me.
BANGKOK, Thailand -- The CIA's saturation bombing of Laos killed thousands of people and reduced the tiny country to ruin three decades ago, but 4,500 men, women and children now hope America's failed "secret war" will result in free air tickets to the United States.
The communist regime in Laos, the pro-American government in Thailand, and US officials are investigating the group's problem, but cannot agree who is responsible for their crisis.
Thailand's Internal Security Operations Command (ISOC) spent Thursday (July 20) preparing to send the 4,500 people to Laos, after Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra ordered the ISOC to quickly solve the problem.
The communist government in Laos, however, said it suspects some in the group did not originate in Laos, or might be faking their CIA-linked role to get to America.
The 4,500 people claim they, or their relatives, supported a CIA-backed Lao general, Vang Pao, during America's so-called "secret war" in Laos from 1961 to 1975.
The communist regime in Laos, the pro-American government in Thailand, and US officials are investigating the group's problem, but cannot agree who is responsible for their crisis.
Thailand's Internal Security Operations Command (ISOC) spent Thursday (July 20) preparing to send the 4,500 people to Laos, after Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra ordered the ISOC to quickly solve the problem.
The communist government in Laos, however, said it suspects some in the group did not originate in Laos, or might be faking their CIA-linked role to get to America.
The 4,500 people claim they, or their relatives, supported a CIA-backed Lao general, Vang Pao, during America's so-called "secret war" in Laos from 1961 to 1975.
Dear Bob Fitrakis and Harvey Wasserman,
Thank you for your excellent letter to the people of Mexico. I hope that you got it translated into Spanish and made every effort to get it published throughout Mexico. To have it distributed on e-mail lists in the U. S. is a good thing, but it is urgent that Mexican voters (on both sides of the situation — Obrador’s and Calderon’s supporters) be made aware of the intrusion of the U. S.right-wing into their politics. It disturbs me terribly to think that this Bush/Rove/Cheney gang are carrying their crimes beyond our borders into the elections of other countries. We know that they are trying to determine the outcomes of elections in other places (as in the phony elections in Iraq), but it is extremely serious and criminal.
Thanks again for writing such a profoundly important message. Now I hope that you can find ways to get it disseminated throughout Mexico.
Rebecca Wolfe
Edmonds, WA
Thank you for your excellent letter to the people of Mexico. I hope that you got it translated into Spanish and made every effort to get it published throughout Mexico. To have it distributed on e-mail lists in the U. S. is a good thing, but it is urgent that Mexican voters (on both sides of the situation — Obrador’s and Calderon’s supporters) be made aware of the intrusion of the U. S.right-wing into their politics. It disturbs me terribly to think that this Bush/Rove/Cheney gang are carrying their crimes beyond our borders into the elections of other countries. We know that they are trying to determine the outcomes of elections in other places (as in the phony elections in Iraq), but it is extremely serious and criminal.
Thanks again for writing such a profoundly important message. Now I hope that you can find ways to get it disseminated throughout Mexico.
Rebecca Wolfe
Edmonds, WA
Auora owns two feedlot dairies (factory farms), and are developing two others, and is widely viewed in the organic community, by both farmers and consumers, as a "bad actor", attempting to profiteer at the expense of the livelihood of truly ethical family farmers. Now they are attempting to "calm consumer concerns" by purchasing the blessing of a corporate-friendly alternative to the organic label. If you can't meet the organic standards why not go out and find or invent some other standards that you can meet? Money talks but the flatulence of the thousands of cows, on unhealthy, high-production diets, managed by Aurora is drowning out their propaganda.
Dear family and friends,
Yesterday the Prime Minister of Lebanon pleaded with the conscience of the world
to bring about an immediate internationally-sanctioned cease-fire, saying that Israel
was acting to destroy "everything that allows Lebanon to stay alive".
This morning's New York Times reports that "the death toll has reached
at least 230 Lebanese dead [up to 310 by noon today], most of them civilians, and
25 Israeli dead, 13 of them civilians. In Gaza, one Israeli soldier has died from
his own army's fire, and 103 Palestinians have been killed."
Yet spokespeople for the Israeli military say their offensive may continue "for
weeks" and the Bush administration openly approves.
After getting out of Lebanon, writer June Rugh told Reuters: "As an
American, I'm embarrassed and ashamed. My administration is letting it
happen [by giving] tacit permission for Israel to destroy a country." The
news service quoted another American evacuee, Andrew Muha, who had been
in southern Lebanon. He said: "It's a travesty. There's a million
homeless in Lebanon and the intense amount of bombing has brought an
entire country to its knees."
Embarrassing. Shameful. A travesty. Those kinds of words begin to describe the alliance between the United States and Israel. Here are a few more: Government criminality. High-tech terror. Mass murder from the skies. The kind of premeditated action that the U.S. representative in Nuremberg at the International Conference on Military Trials -- Supreme Court Justice Robert L. Jackson -- was talking about on August 12, 1945, when he declared that "no grievances or policies will justify resort to aggressive war. It is utterly renounced and condemned as an instrument of policy."
The United States and Israel. Right now, it's the most dangerous alliance in the world.
Embarrassing. Shameful. A travesty. Those kinds of words begin to describe the alliance between the United States and Israel. Here are a few more: Government criminality. High-tech terror. Mass murder from the skies. The kind of premeditated action that the U.S. representative in Nuremberg at the International Conference on Military Trials -- Supreme Court Justice Robert L. Jackson -- was talking about on August 12, 1945, when he declared that "no grievances or policies will justify resort to aggressive war. It is utterly renounced and condemned as an instrument of policy."
The United States and Israel. Right now, it's the most dangerous alliance in the world.
AUSTIN, Texas -- Never let it never be said our president does not provide laughs, even as we wobble on the rim of war in the Middle East.
Look what a good time Vladimir Putin had with him. Bush, responding to questions from the international press corps on his conversation with Putin the previous evening, said, "I talked about my desire to promote institutional change in parts of the world like Iraq, where there is a free press and free religion, and I told him that a lot of people in our country, you know, would hope that Russia would do the same thing."
Putin, with a fairly straight face, replied, "We certainly would not like to have the same of kind of democracy they have in Iraq, I'll tell you that quite honestly." Don't you hate it when the international press corps laughs at what a stoop Bush is? Bush, who fancies himself something of a fast-reply artist, said, "Just wait." Heh, heh.
I think the problem is the rest of the world doesn't understand Dekes (Delta Kappa Epsilon). We need a Deke short-course in embassies around the globe.
Look what a good time Vladimir Putin had with him. Bush, responding to questions from the international press corps on his conversation with Putin the previous evening, said, "I talked about my desire to promote institutional change in parts of the world like Iraq, where there is a free press and free religion, and I told him that a lot of people in our country, you know, would hope that Russia would do the same thing."
Putin, with a fairly straight face, replied, "We certainly would not like to have the same of kind of democracy they have in Iraq, I'll tell you that quite honestly." Don't you hate it when the international press corps laughs at what a stoop Bush is? Bush, who fancies himself something of a fast-reply artist, said, "Just wait." Heh, heh.
I think the problem is the rest of the world doesn't understand Dekes (Delta Kappa Epsilon). We need a Deke short-course in embassies around the globe.
AUSTIN, Texas -- In case you haven't got anything else to worry about -- like war in the Middle East, nuclear showdowns, global warming or Apocalypse Now -- how about the suicide of capitalism?
Late last month, the U.S. Court of Appeals struck down a new rule by the Securities and Exchange Commission requiring mandatory registration with the SEC for most hedge funds. This may not strike you as the end of the world, but that's because you've either forgotten what a hedge fund is or how much trouble they can get us into.
These investment pools for rich folks are now a $1.2 trillion industry (known to insiders, I am pleased to report, as "the hedge fund community"). Hedge funds are now beginning to be used by average investors and pension investors. Back in 1998, there was this little-bitty old hedge fund called Long Term Capital Management. Because hedge funds make high-risk bets, Long Term Capital got itself in so much trouble its collapse actually threatened to wreck world markets, and regulators had to step in to negotiate a $3.6 billion bailout. A similar fiasco at this point probably would break world markets.
Late last month, the U.S. Court of Appeals struck down a new rule by the Securities and Exchange Commission requiring mandatory registration with the SEC for most hedge funds. This may not strike you as the end of the world, but that's because you've either forgotten what a hedge fund is or how much trouble they can get us into.
These investment pools for rich folks are now a $1.2 trillion industry (known to insiders, I am pleased to report, as "the hedge fund community"). Hedge funds are now beginning to be used by average investors and pension investors. Back in 1998, there was this little-bitty old hedge fund called Long Term Capital Management. Because hedge funds make high-risk bets, Long Term Capital got itself in so much trouble its collapse actually threatened to wreck world markets, and regulators had to step in to negotiate a $3.6 billion bailout. A similar fiasco at this point probably would break world markets.
US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation
BACKGROUND: Israel is using weapons supplied by the United States to target Palestinian & Lebanese civilians and civilian infrastructure in the Gaza Strip and Lebanon in violation of the US Arms Export Control Act and the Geneva Conventions.
* On July 12th, Israel killed 23 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip with missiles fired from aircraft and shells fired from tanks. Israel killed 9 members of one family in a missile strike on a house near Gaza City.
* On July 12th, Israel launched a massive invasion of Lebanon. Israeli aircraft fired missiles targeting civilian infrastructure, including bridges, roads, a mosque, a community center, and the Beirut International Airport, and the Israeli navy is blockading Lebanon's ports. Israel has killed at least 50 Lebanese civilians and injured more than 100, including entire Lebanese families of 10 and 7 people killed in the villages of Dweir and Baflay.
BACKGROUND: Israel is using weapons supplied by the United States to target Palestinian & Lebanese civilians and civilian infrastructure in the Gaza Strip and Lebanon in violation of the US Arms Export Control Act and the Geneva Conventions.
* On July 12th, Israel killed 23 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip with missiles fired from aircraft and shells fired from tanks. Israel killed 9 members of one family in a missile strike on a house near Gaza City.
* On July 12th, Israel launched a massive invasion of Lebanon. Israeli aircraft fired missiles targeting civilian infrastructure, including bridges, roads, a mosque, a community center, and the Beirut International Airport, and the Israeli navy is blockading Lebanon's ports. Israel has killed at least 50 Lebanese civilians and injured more than 100, including entire Lebanese families of 10 and 7 people killed in the villages of Dweir and Baflay.