Global
CHICAGO -- Good news, bad news; bad news, good news. Plane
crash: bad news. "Just" a plane crash: good news. Our side takes Kabul.
Ooops, our side could be a problem.
My favorite guy on our side is Gen. Abdul Rashid Dostum, the Uzbek warlord who took Mazar-i-sharif.
According to The New York Times, at age 23, Dostum led a militia of Uzbeks who sided with the Soviets when they invaded in '79. He rose to command an armored division and helped the Soviets kill about a million Afghans and drive more into exile. He sided with the Soviet puppet regime after the Soviets left in '89, but switched sides in '92 and helped overthrow them, instead.
In 1996, he joined the Taliban, and since then he has switched sides again -- first fighting then joining the late leader of the Northern Alliance, Ahmed Shah Massoud. Dostum ruled Mazar-i-sharif and six northern provinces, according to Pakistan intelligence. He seems to have favored corruption, nepotism and an un-Islamic lifestyle. In other words, this one is a doozy.
My favorite guy on our side is Gen. Abdul Rashid Dostum, the Uzbek warlord who took Mazar-i-sharif.
According to The New York Times, at age 23, Dostum led a militia of Uzbeks who sided with the Soviets when they invaded in '79. He rose to command an armored division and helped the Soviets kill about a million Afghans and drive more into exile. He sided with the Soviet puppet regime after the Soviets left in '89, but switched sides in '92 and helped overthrow them, instead.
In 1996, he joined the Taliban, and since then he has switched sides again -- first fighting then joining the late leader of the Northern Alliance, Ahmed Shah Massoud. Dostum ruled Mazar-i-sharif and six northern provinces, according to Pakistan intelligence. He seems to have favored corruption, nepotism and an un-Islamic lifestyle. In other words, this one is a doozy.
Remember the "third degree"? It used to be the standard way many
police departments in this country extracted confessions from criminal
suspects. The practice was sharply diminished after the 1931 Wickersham
Report prepared by the National Commission on Law Observance and
Enforcement, which found that the "'third degree' -- the infliction of
physical or mental pain to extract confessions or statements -- was
'widespread throughout the country' and was 'thoroughly at home in
Chicago.'"
The methods identified in the Report "range from beating to harsher forms of torture. The commoner forms are beating with the fists or some implement, especially the rubber hose, that inflicts pain, but is not likely to leave permanent visible scars ... authorities often threaten bodily injury ... and have gone to the extreme of procuring a confession at the point of a pistol.'" It further found that the practice of police torture in the United States was "shocking in its character and extent, violative of American traditions and institutions, and not to be tolerated."
The methods identified in the Report "range from beating to harsher forms of torture. The commoner forms are beating with the fists or some implement, especially the rubber hose, that inflicts pain, but is not likely to leave permanent visible scars ... authorities often threaten bodily injury ... and have gone to the extreme of procuring a confession at the point of a pistol.'" It further found that the practice of police torture in the United States was "shocking in its character and extent, violative of American traditions and institutions, and not to be tolerated."
AUSTIN --- This being the season of thanksgiving, I am come to
toast Bob Eckhardt, the great Texas congressman, who died last week at 88.
We owe him thanks and are so lucky to have had him with us. What a rare one.
And a lot of fun, too.
If ever a politician of the 20th century deserved the title "legislator," it was Eckhardt -- legal scholar, craftsman, steeped to his bones in the constitution, law and history. They called him, "The House's lawyer." The only politician I ever knew who could write a bill so that it did precisely what it was intended to do, and did nothing it was not intended to do, with a vision lasting past generations.
If ever a politician of the 20th century deserved the title "legislator," it was Eckhardt -- legal scholar, craftsman, steeped to his bones in the constitution, law and history. They called him, "The House's lawyer." The only politician I ever knew who could write a bill so that it did precisely what it was intended to do, and did nothing it was not intended to do, with a vision lasting past generations.
Agbiotech and corporate special interests in reaction to stubborn
global resistance have stepped-up their propaganda and bullying. This
aggression is evident in the media, the marketplace, the trade and
diplomatic fronts, the legislatures, courts, patent offices, and the
streets of the cities where anti-globalization protests have taken
place. Recognizing that a critical mass of youth, consumers, farmers,
environmentalists, and public interest nongovernmental organizations
(NGOs) all over the world are rejecting, not only the biotech and
industrial agriculture model, but also the entire "Free Trade"
globalization agenda itself, the Gene Giants and their allies know
they are losing ground. Reacting to massive demonstrations in
Seattle, Washington, Quebec, Sweden, and Genoa--with anti-Frankenfoods
concerns often in the forefront-governing elites have clamped down and
repressed youthful protestors, and have begun shifting their meetings
to inaccessible locations such as the oil sheikdom of Qatar, where the
142 nation members of the World Trade Organization (WTO) are scheduled
to hold a ministerial meeting November 9-13.
The bombing campaign against the people of Afghanistan will be
described in history as the "U.S. Against the Third World." The launching
of military strikes against peasants does nothing to suppress terrorism, and
only erodes American credibility in Muslim nations around the world. The
question, "Why Do They Hate Us?," can only be answered from the vantagepoint
of the Third World's widespread poverty, hunger and economic exploitation.
HARARE -- A showdown is looming between Zimbabwe
and the European Union (EU) over the African nation's refusal to
allow the European Union to monitor next year's presidential
elections.
Zimbabwe's foreign affairs minister, Stan Mudenge, has described as "thoughtless and futile" a demand by the European Union to be allowed to send its election monitors for the elections.
"That is how exactly we feel when people... come to us, even before we ourselves know the date of our elections to urge, insist and demand that they should be allowed to come by such and such a date and start assessing and observing," he said.
"It breeds suspicions and tempts others to ascribe sinister motives," said Mudenge, warning that Zimbabwe is a sovereign and independent state that can never take orders from any country.
Zimbabwe's foreign affairs minister, Stan Mudenge, has described as "thoughtless and futile" a demand by the European Union to be allowed to send its election monitors for the elections.
"That is how exactly we feel when people... come to us, even before we ourselves know the date of our elections to urge, insist and demand that they should be allowed to come by such and such a date and start assessing and observing," he said.
"It breeds suspicions and tempts others to ascribe sinister motives," said Mudenge, warning that Zimbabwe is a sovereign and independent state that can never take orders from any country.
Dear Editor,
In looking through the election results for the state I can't find a single race in which the top fundraiser lost. This local pattern reflects a national trend that was apparent in the New York City mayoral race (Michael Bloomberg outspent Mark Green by about $40 million), the governor's races in Virginia and New Jersey.
If the top fundraiser always wins then the campaign contributors decide who governs. This is no way to run a democracy. I suggest two changes in how we conduct elections so that the impact of contributors will be reduced.
First, the Board of Elections in each county should prepare an official voter's guide for each election. The guide should be mailed to every registered voter in the county, and in it each candidate should get some space - one or two paragraphs - to make his/her case directly to the voters. Similarly the proponents and opponents for each ballot measure should have a chance to explain their positions to voters. In California the state auditor produces a financial analysis of each ballot measure which is included in the voter's guide.
In looking through the election results for the state I can't find a single race in which the top fundraiser lost. This local pattern reflects a national trend that was apparent in the New York City mayoral race (Michael Bloomberg outspent Mark Green by about $40 million), the governor's races in Virginia and New Jersey.
If the top fundraiser always wins then the campaign contributors decide who governs. This is no way to run a democracy. I suggest two changes in how we conduct elections so that the impact of contributors will be reduced.
First, the Board of Elections in each county should prepare an official voter's guide for each election. The guide should be mailed to every registered voter in the county, and in it each candidate should get some space - one or two paragraphs - to make his/her case directly to the voters. Similarly the proponents and opponents for each ballot measure should have a chance to explain their positions to voters. In California the state auditor produces a financial analysis of each ballot measure which is included in the voter's guide.
WASHINGTON, Nov. 6 (IPS) -- Major U.S. corporations are
profiting far too much from the wave of patriotism that has swept
the country since the Sep. 11 terrorist attacks, say civic,
environmental and labour groups.
They are pressing Congress to delay action on a mounting pile of legislation which, if approved, would add to the windfall big business and the wealthy have collected over the last six weeks.
Since Sep. 11, "members of Congress have served up a non-stop buffet of corporate pork legislation," says Ralph Nader, the Green Party's presidential candidate last year and the founder of a network of U.S. public-interest and consumer groups.
"Under the guise of national security our federal treasury is being raided and our democratic rights are being taken away while Congress feeds sympathetic campaign contributors at taxpayer expense, sends working people to fight, and leaves the unemployed, the disenfranchised, and American families to suffer," Nader adds.
They are pressing Congress to delay action on a mounting pile of legislation which, if approved, would add to the windfall big business and the wealthy have collected over the last six weeks.
Since Sep. 11, "members of Congress have served up a non-stop buffet of corporate pork legislation," says Ralph Nader, the Green Party's presidential candidate last year and the founder of a network of U.S. public-interest and consumer groups.
"Under the guise of national security our federal treasury is being raided and our democratic rights are being taken away while Congress feeds sympathetic campaign contributors at taxpayer expense, sends working people to fight, and leaves the unemployed, the disenfranchised, and American families to suffer," Nader adds.
A senior U.N. official expressed
serious concern Tuesday over the erosion of human rights in the
wake of the Sep. 11 terrorist attacks on the United States.
Mary Robinson, U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, told delegates that some countries -- which she refused to identify by name -- are introducing measures in apparent violation of core human rights safeguards.
Non-violent activities are being considered as terrorism in some countries while "excessive measures" are being taken to suppress or restrict individual rights, Robinson said. These restrictive measures cover rights to privacy, fair trial, asylum, political participation, freedom of expression, and peaceful assembly.
"We should be mindful of such fundamental principles as the presumption of innocence, non-discrimination and due process of law," she said.
Since Sept. 11, the United States has detained more than 1,000 people, largely Muslims or those of Middle Eastern origin, in its ongoing investigation of the terrorist attacks.
Mary Robinson, U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, told delegates that some countries -- which she refused to identify by name -- are introducing measures in apparent violation of core human rights safeguards.
Non-violent activities are being considered as terrorism in some countries while "excessive measures" are being taken to suppress or restrict individual rights, Robinson said. These restrictive measures cover rights to privacy, fair trial, asylum, political participation, freedom of expression, and peaceful assembly.
"We should be mindful of such fundamental principles as the presumption of innocence, non-discrimination and due process of law," she said.
Since Sept. 11, the United States has detained more than 1,000 people, largely Muslims or those of Middle Eastern origin, in its ongoing investigation of the terrorist attacks.
AUSTIN, Texas -- Say, here's an item: A group of right-wing journalists
famed for their impartiality has set themselves up as the Patriotism Police.
No less distinguished a crowd than Rush Limbaugh, Matt Drudge, The New York
Post editorial page and the Fox News Channel --- quite a bunch of Pulitzer
winners there -- are now passing judgment on whether media outlets that do
actual reporting are sufficiently one-sided for their taste.
With the insouciance toward fact for which he is so noted, Limbaugh erroneously reported that Peter Jennings had been highly critical of President Bush for disappearing on Sept. 11. The Dittoheads flooded ABC with complaints. The bone of contention since has been over the reporting of civilian casualties in Afghanistan.
With the insouciance toward fact for which he is so noted, Limbaugh erroneously reported that Peter Jennings had been highly critical of President Bush for disappearing on Sept. 11. The Dittoheads flooded ABC with complaints. The bone of contention since has been over the reporting of civilian casualties in Afghanistan.