Advertisement

What Became of the Vikings?

When the United States is identified as an empire, albeit of a different sort than some others, it's common to point to the fate of ancient Rome or the empires of Britain, Spain, Holland, etc., as a warning to the Pentagon or even to CNN debate moderators.

But a closer analogy to the current United States than ancient Rome, in a certain regard, might be the Vikings. The United States doesn't create colonies in the places it wages war or wields influence. It raids. It pillages. It plunders resources. It manufactures smart phones. It fracks. It sets up isolated settlements, heavily fortified, also known as military bases, embassies, green zones, safe zones, and moderate rebel training camps. It sails for home.

What ever happened to the Vikings anyway?

I'd like to see a survey done on that question. I'm afraid many people would answer that the Vikings died out or got themselves slaughtered or slaughtered each other. That would certainly be an anti-imperial moral for the Viking story. It would also fit with the idea that violence controls people rather than the other way around.

Duty to Warn: Greening Your City and State, Starting This Election

 

“Those who take oaths to politically powerful secret societies cannot be depended on for loyalty to a democratic republic.” -- John Quincy Adams

 

Most of us Americans have our own simplistic methods of evaluating candidates for political office during our uniquely perpetual, very costly, time-consuming, energy-wasting and exhausting campaign seasons. Increasingly, state and national politicians are out of reach for most voters. Local candidates for mayor, city council and school board are increasingly the only politicians that can be personally approached by average voters.

 

Ohio NORML says Issue 3 could pinch your Fourth Amendment

Buddy mascot with DEA agents

As the day of days nears for Ohio medicinal and recreational users of marijuana, questions and rumors about how exactly Issue 3 could affect their lifestyle are circling like clouds after a bong session.

Of course Issue 3 has to pass first, yet the fact Ohio marijuana users finally have a chance to vote for legalization is historical (at least for them).

And victory is possible as a Quinnipiac poll released October 8th shows 90 percent of Ohio voters support legalization for medicinal use and 53 percent support recreational use. But if it does pass, its fate is still in doubt as Issue 2, a constitutional amendment put forth by the Ohio legislature, could invalidate economic monopolies and was initiated in direct response to Issue 3.

A Kent State University poll released October 15th shows Issue 2 supported by 54 percent with 26 percent undecided, however.

Nevertheless, tried-and-true Ohio marijuana activists who for three decades have fought for legalization are concerned what the future will truly be if the Issue 3 passes and Issue 2 does not.

Live: Mac Miller, Red Fang & the Worn Flints

   Mac Miller performed at the Promowest Pavillon Sunday.  Miller just dropped a new album called “G.O.O.D. A.M” and is touring in support of it. He recently switched from Rostrum to his own REMember imprint through Warner Brothers.

   They gave him 10,000,000. I actually sat here trying to figure out the mathematical equation on how to recoup 10,000,000. The first conclusion, I landed on was this is this is why I don’t have 10,000,000 dollars.

   On the Big Sean record “Control,” Kendrick Lamar listed off who he considers his peers and competition. Mac Miller was listed next to J. Cole, Drake, K.R.I.T, Meek Mill. Pusha T, Tyler and more as contenders in barber shop arguments of “Where I’m From” or “Til My Lungs Collapse” listings of the current era of emcees.

   Like Tyler, K.R.I.T, and J.Cole, Mac Miller also produces which I think shows a desire for sequencing as opposed to just rapping over some drums.  I’m sure this not only aids in creativity, it also makes 10,000,000 dollars easier to recouped because Mac doesn’t have to pay for producers.

Joe Motil for Columbus City Council: Who can really take Ashley Wnek seriously?

Joe Motil, Independent write-in candidate for the unexpired term race for Columbus City Council, commented on a recent Columbus Dispatch article entitled, “Columbus council candidate decides to campaign after all.”  Ms. Ashley Wnek, who is technically also a candidate for the Columbus City Council unexpired term race claimed that, “I am working to let people know they have an alternative to my opponent, who is currently the subject of an ethics investigation.” 

Of Course, It is an Intifada: This is What You Must Know

When my book ‘Searching Jenin’ was published soon after the Israeli massacre in the Jenin refugee camp in 2002, I was quizzed repeatedly by the media and many readers for conferring the word ‘massacre’ on what Israel has depicted as a legitimate battle against camp-based ‘terrorists’. 

 

The interrogative questions were aimed at relocating the narrative from a discussion regarding possible war crimes into a technical dispute over the application of language. For them, the evidence of Israel’s violations of human rights mattered little.  

 

This kind of reductionism has often served as the prelude to any discussion concerning the so-called Arab-Israeli conflict: events are depicted and defined using polarizing terminology that pay little heed to facts and contexts, and focus primarily on perceptions and interpretations.  

 

An International Conscience

“The Pentagon said on Saturday that it would make ‘condolence payments’ to the survivors of the American airstrike earlier this month on a hospital run by Doctors Without Borders in Kunduz, Afghanistan, as well as to the next of kin of those who died in the attack.”

Such a small piece of news, reported a few days ago by the NewYork Times. I’m not sure if anything could make me feel more ashamed of being an American.

Turns out the basic payout for a dead civilian in one of our war zones is . . . brace yourself . . . $2,500. That’s the sum we’ve been quietly doling out for quite a few years now. Conscience money. It’s remarkably cheap, considering that the bombs that took them out may have cost, oh, half a million dollars each.

If we valued human life, we would never go to war. Everybody knows this. It’s the biggest open secret out there, buried under endless public relations blather and — since the bombing of the hospital in Kunduz on Oct. 3, and the killing of 22 staff members and patients — a sort of international legalese.

Fundraiser to change Columbus City Council representation

Flier for event
Bob Fitrakis, Suzanne Patzer & the host committee  Invite you join us for an evening in support of Represent Columbus’s effort to bring Council Districts to Columbus.    Wednesday October 21 @ 5:30 PM General Admission: $20-online  $25-at the door   Home of Bob Fitrakis & Suzanne Patzer  1021 E. Broad Street Columbus, OH 43205   Sponsorships available: $500 Host | $250 Supporter | $100 Activist   **Your support is vital to our movement. Every dollar raised goes towards gathering 10,000 signatures before Nov. 10th** In order to make this campaign a success we need to raise $1,000/day which will pay for 20 canvassers collecting 600 signatures a day.    RSVP: Please RSVP here: https://www.representcolumb.us/events/bob-fitrakis-event-for-represent-columbus/   About Represent Columbus: We are a citizen  based group of concerned residents who want to reform city council to represent all of our needs. ---

Free Press 45th Anniversary Celebration and Awards Dinner

Awards dinner logo

Buy tickets: http://bit.ly/1g5qVWX
Monday, October 19, 2015
5:30-9pm
Florentine Restaurant
907 W Broad St, Columbus, OH 43222
Free parking
Come in west side back door to party room area (ground floor)
Handicap accessible
$15 per person, $25 couple, $10 or negotiable, low income
Buffet dinner and awards ceremony
Vegetarian options

Honoring with the Free Press "Libby" Award for Lifetime Achievement in Community Activism:
Chuck Lynd
Julie Weatherington-Rice
Pranav Jani
Kenny Schweickart

DSCO Debs-Thomas-Harrington Award winner:
Fadhel Kaboub

Bill Moss Award for Outstanding African American Activist winner:
Torin Jacobs

Contact: 614-253-2571 or colsfreepress@gmail.com

FirstEnergy Wants a Bailout for Nuclear and Coal – SAY NO!

People holding signs

On August 31, the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) began conducting evidentiary hearings on FirstEnergy’s request for a bailout for their Davis-Besse nuclear power reactor and three Ohio coal plants.

Over 20 protesters were outside, on Broad Street in downtown Columbus, to greet them.  This is the third rally that protesters have held at the PUCO, telling them to SAY NO! to nuclear and coal bailouts.

The Ohio Consumers Counsel has estimated that ratepayers will pay an extra $3 billion in electric charges if PUCO grants this request. That’s one big bailout!  FirstEnergy claims that this request will save ratepayers $2 billion.  Are we supposed to believe that they are requesting a change that would cause them to lose $2 billion in customer payments?   

Pages

Subscribe to Freepress.org RSS