Global

"To address the global economic crisis and to foster broad development, the WTO should be overhauled and reoriented. That was the message coming out of the Seattle WTO meetings in 1999, and it remains the message four years later." - Tom Barry, IRC program director.

While multilateral trade rules are necessary to assure predictability, resolve disputes and eliminate technical barriers, free trade is an ideology whose merits have not been proven in practice. The NAFTA experience and that of developing countries in Asia and throughout the Americas have demonstrated that for much of the poor population, trade and investment liberalization do not lead to fulfillment of development goals. These policies have led to serious environmental, economic and social problems in developing countries, and among workers and small farmers in developed countries, while the big winners have been the transnational corporations. Many of the WTOs rules and functions should be reviewed and revised, to reflect the overall goal of development and poverty alleviation rather than trade liberalization as a goal in itself.

The most important political task of our time is the defeat of George W. Bush. There has rarely, if ever, been a President of such exceedingly limited ability and poor moral judgement, and all the money in the world (which he appears to have) may not be enough to save his bacon a second time.

The most important political task, TOMORROW, is the Annabel Palma election in the Bronx. Annabel is a WFP candidate for City Council, and is taking on a very powerful Bronx political family. If Annabel wins the Democratic primary tomorrow, she will be poised to run a strong WFP-Democrat race in November against Republican and Independence Party candidates.

Starting as a health care aide to senior citizens, Annabel then became a health and safety specialist for her union, SEIU 1199. [George W. Bush didn't get a job until he was 40, and his main idea for senior citizens is to gut their/our Social Security benefits]. A product of the public school system, Annabel put herself through Bronx Community College while raising her son, now 13. [In Ann Richard's immortal phrase, George W. Bush "was born on third base but thought he had hit a triple"].

AUSTIN, Texas -- Well, fellow Texans, they can stick a fork in us, 'cause we're done. Not only has Governor Goodhair called yet another special session (cost now at over $5 million) to implement Tom DeLay's dirty redistricting deal, but we're about to vote an end to public access to the courts, as well.

            Unless a miracle occurs -- like a whole lot of Texans giving up time on a football Saturday to go vote on a bunch of boring propositions -- Sept. 13 will see the end of the open courts provision of the Texas Constitution. Cleverly disguised a cap on medical malpractice awards, Proposition 12 is a direct assault on an independent judiciary.

COLUMBUS, OHIO---The volcano that is Neil Young doing "Down By the River" was erupting to the roar of a sold-out Farm Aid crowd.  Accompanied by Crazy Horse and Willie Nelson, the patron saint of American farming, the stage sagged with a psychedelic constellation of rock stars and native American dancers fully decked in ceremonial garb.  Neil was totally in another world.  Rock and roll does not get better than this. 

Before "Homegrown" and a seismic rendition of "Rockin' in the Free World," Young had a few words.  "We need a Bill of Rights for the farmer," he said.  "Corporate agriculture is killing the family farm.  Don't go to those big stores.  Stay away.  Buy organic, direct from the farmer."

Now in its eighteenth year, Farm Aid has become a national institution, working to save the family farm.  Originating with the ageless Willie Nelson, and with Young and John Mellencamp---"our little band of outlaws," says Nelson---the annual day-long show has become a treasured icon of vibrant culture and progressive politics for an age in desperate need. 

Beating up on neocons used to be a specialized sport without wide appeal. With all due false modesty, I offer myself as an earlier practitioner. Back in the mid-to-late '70s, when I had a weekly column in the Village Voice, I used to have rich sport with that apex neo-con, Norman Podhoretz, editor of Commentary, I nicknamed him Norman the Frother and freighted him with so many gibes that he made the mistake of publicly denouncing me in Commentary, exclaiming that "Cockburn's weekly pieces have set a new standard of gutter journalism in this country," a testimonial I still proudly feature on the back of my books.

AUSTIN, Texas -- Sigh. You write an article advocating what you think would be useful, constructive suggestions about Iraq, and you get an avalanche of right-wing reaction about "failuremongers" and "nattering nabobs of negativism."

Bill Safire is back at the same old stand after all these years, denouncing "merchants of dismay" trying to justify their "decade of appeasement."

Great, anybody who opposed this war in the first place was accused of lack of patriotism, and now anybody who points out that it's not going well is guilty of defeatism. If you raise your hand and ask where the weapons of mass destruction we were told were the reason for this war are, you're instructed to just Get Over It.

Well, I ain't gonna take it anymore. I am not shutting up for Bill O'Reilly or anyone else. I opposed our unprovoked, unnecessary invasion of Iraq on the grounds that it would be a short, easy war followed by the peace from hell. I predicted every terrorist in the Middle East would be drawn to Iraq like a magnet. I was right, and I'm not going to apologize for it.

The Bush administration never hesitated to exploit the general public’s anxieties that arose after the traumatic events of September 11, 2001.

Testifying on Capitol Hill exactly 53 weeks later, Donald Rumsfeld did not miss a beat when a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee questioned the need for the United States to attack Iraq.

Senator Mark Dayton: “What is it compelling us now to make a precipitous decision and take precipitous actions?”

Defense Secretary Rumsfeld: “What’s different? What’s different is 3,000 people were killed.”

As a practical matter, it was almost beside the point that allegations linking Baghdad with the September 11 attacks lacked credible evidence. The key factor was political manipulation, not real documentation.

Just a week ago, Americans enjoyed a long weekend, in honor of Labor Day.  Now, as the busy season ramps up for most of us, President Bush is threatening the very concept of the weekend.  

That's right -- he's gutting the rules requiring overtime pay for people who work more than 40 hours per week.

Your Senators can stop him, but they need to hear from from you right away.  They're both swing votes, and the Senate is expected to vote tomorrow, Tuesday, September 9th.

Please call them now.  [If you're in Ohio,] we've arranged for a special toll-free number:

   Senator Mike DeWine    Toll Free: 877-331-1224    Direct:    202-224-2315

   Senator George V. Voinovich    Toll Free: 877-331-1224    Direct:    202-224-3353

Make sure their staffers know you're a constituent, then urge them to:

  "Please SUPPORT the Harkin amendment to protect our overtime pay."   

Please let us know you're calling, at:

http://www.moveon.org/   

I am a registered Democrat, & having read your attack monologue on the present politics of our country, & on our Pres. Bush, I do believe that you are providing our 9/11/01 enemies with untold sanctuary & favor.

Further, our troops currently fighting for your rights to spew your venum on this country, & its COMINCH, Pres. Bush ought to be real proud of you. You are a true credit to the U.S.A.  You compare our Pres. to a "Nazi" Shame on you sir!

Would that you should show some support for our country, rather than publish all that self agrandizing propaganda!  I feel sorry for you & your kind!

Let us hope that there aren't too many of your type, that want to turn the American people into milk-toast-socialists.

Let me assure you I'm not a pessimist, & that I'm still looking for a wothwhile Democrat with a "PLAN" to lead our country into health & prosperity!

Thus far, the Democrat would be leaders, have emerged with too many false promises & pledges.  They would tax us to smithereens to take care of their special interest causes, & programs.

"Dear Colleague" letters-- when one member of Congress asks other members of Congress to sign a letter on a specific issue-- help keep the profile of an issue high even if there's no legislation on that topic being debated in Congress.  On September 4, Rep. Tom Lantos of California, ranking Democrat on the House International Relations Committee, sent the message below to other members of Congress.  It asks them to sign a letter to Colombian President Alvaro Uribe, urging Mr. Uribe to address the links between sectors of the Colombian military and paramilitary groups.  It also highlights the need for accountability for human rights abuses as an element of the current peace talks with paramilitary forces.  A copy of Rep. Lantos' message to Congress and the letter to President Uribe are below.

Members of Congress will have until September 12 to sign on to the letter, at which time it will be sent to President Uribe.  In order to send a strong message that this issue is of concern to Congress, we need a good number of representatives listed as signers-- that's where you can help!