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The US war in Vietnam

Dear sir,

Re.: On the anniversary of defeat in Vietnam, it's once again about an empire getting its butt kicked by Harvey Wasserman

I visited Vietnam a couple of months after the reunification, as a member of a Norwegian Delegation offering financial aid to Vietnam in the off-shore sector. We got hold of the seismic done by the American Oil Companies at the cost of the US tax payer and hundreds of thousands of dead and wounded. We could see the clear signs of enormous oil and gas deposits off the coast of South Vietnam. We even got the maps showing the off shore drilling and operations rights assigned to Exxon, Bp, Shell and the rest of the "sisters". (Hence no wonder why the Norwegian oil company Statoil struck as huge a well as Exxon out there). You do of course also know this to be a fact. You know darn well that the US of A did not perform some kind of heroic act out  in Vietnam, like trying to save someone from communism !. America never lost any war, but America lost the total control over the oil out there. There never was, nor ever will there be, a war fought for any other reason than profit and power.

White America's redacted memory

Not long ago, I received a letter from a prestigious university, requesting that I serve as an extramural or outsider reader to review the promotion file of another scholar seeking advancement to the level of distinguished professor. In academe, the work of all faculty is subjected regularly to evaluation and review. To move forward professionally one must submit a file, which documents the full scope of one’s publications, teaching evaluations, and entire service record to one’s professional association and to the university. That file, once complete, is sent around to others for their review and written assessment.

U.S. Army General Joins the ACLU in Opposing Provisions of the Patriot Act; Calls Current Law a Subversion of Americans' Basic Rights

NEW YORK - U.S. Army Brig. Gen. (ret.) Evelyn "Pat" Foote today joined with the American Civil Liberties Union and civil libertarians across the political spectrum in opposing current draconian measures contained within the Patriot Act.

Brig. Gen. Foote also called on members of Congress to support the SAFE Act, a measure that will bolster civil liberties protections while enhancing law enforcement's effectiveness.

"Even in our darkest hours we can deal with enemies and safeguard our shores without subverting the basic rights of Americans," said Foote, a Vietnam War veteran.

Brig. Gen. Foote served on the American Battle Monuments Commission from 1994-2001 and will be participating with President Bush in the commemoration of the World War II Memorial in Washington this Memorial Day weekend.

"Military veterans, reservists and active duty service members understand the importance of protecting America while fighting for our freedom," said ACLU Executive Director Anthony D. Romero.  "The ACLU honors our country's sacrifices and commitment this Memorial Day by fighting for the SAFE Act,

Depressing as divorce

AUSTIN, Texas -- Too bad for anyone who tuned in to President Bush's speech Monday night hoping to hear something that would cheer us up -- like a plan. That was as depressing as divorce. There he was, still peddling the phony idea that Saddam Hussein was connected to 9-11 -- I guess that one will never get too old or too disproved.

            In case you think no one in public life is capable of intelligent thought about Iraq, I recommend a speech made by Gen. Anthony Zinni (well, OK, so he's slightly retired) May 12 to the Center for Defense Information. In it, Zinni lists the 10 mistakes he believes were responsible for getting us into this fine mess.

            My own modest contribution to this task began the day we announced we would be using Saddam's main palace as our headquarters in Iraq. "No, no, no," I moaned. "We're Americans. We don't do palaces." We should have announced that all Saddam's palaces would be converted into universities.

Major 'Liberal' Outlets Clog Media Diets

For many years, health-conscious Americans avidly consumed margarine as a wholesome substitute for artery-clogging butter. Only later did research shed light on grim effects of the partially hydrogenated oil in margarine, with results such as higher incidences of heart disease.

     Putting our trust in bogus alternatives can be dangerous for our bodies. And for the body politic.

     For many years, staples of the highbrow American media diet have included NPR News and the New York Times. Both outlets are copious and seem erudite, in contrast to abbreviated forms of news. And with conservative spin widespread in news media, NPR and the Times appeal to listeners and readers who prefer journalism without a rightward slant.

     Recent developments, however, add weight to evidence that it would be unwise to have faith in news coverage from NPR or the New York Times.

     The myth of “liberal” National Public Radio has suffered a big blow. Days ago, the media watch group FAIR (where I’m an associate) released a detailed study of NPR indicating that the network’s overall news coverage

Will Bush the Beheader use terrorism to become America's Pinochet?

Will George W. Bush use terrorism to become America's Pinochet?

Attorney-General John Ashcroft is priming the public for a terrorist attack, which can only mean Bush is sharpening his blades to behead the Constitution.

Augusto Pinochet seized absolute power in Chile on September 11, 1973. The US national security apparatus, including George H.W. Bush, used terrorism as an excuse to help Pinochet destroy what had been a constitutional democracy.

So is Shrub a president? Or is he a Pinochet?

By a 4:1 margin American historians have already rated W. "a failure." More than one in ten surveyed in the recent George Mason University History News Network Poll also rate Bush as "the worst president ever."

But ultimately, this Bush has no peer among US presidents. Let's look at three likely matches.

Richard Nixon trained Dick Cheney and Karl Rove as Dirty Tricksters. Nixon is Bush's role model for corruption, cynicism and personal psychosis. But Nixon was also a skilled, literate global diplomat who opened doors to China and

Partial sovereignty

State of affairs

The federal government is warning of increased terrorism threats this summer, saying it is highly likely that terrorists will try to strike at one of the season's major events, perhaps even at one of the political conventions. They have identified seven more Muslim extremists who may be plotting a strike on America. But some are calling this a political ploy to boost support from the president. Am I right that if the country is truly at danger, this is not time for playing politics?

President Bush spelled out a new plan for Iraq last week, asking the UN for a resolution of support for turning the country over to Iraqi control. The debate now is over how much control to give the Iraqis. France, Germany, China and many in Iraq are insisting that the new government have final say over how coalition forces are used in the country, and even the right to ask them to leave immediately.  Am I right that placing U.S. forces at the mercy of a tentative Iraqi government would invite even greater chaos?

Comedian Bill Cosby is under fire for saying what a lot of people, black and

Turn on the lights!

When will the lights be turned on? For the past several months I have noted a large number of areas where the streetlights are not lit along stretches of West Broad Street and areas along North High Street. Of course, the City bureaucrats offer as an excuse the recent storms that came through central Ohio, but the lights in these areas have been dark for much longer than just recently.

Then again, I should ask when will the arches in the Short North be lit? Expensive, ornamental iron arches, installed with much fanfare nearly three years ago, still remain unlit. Perhaps I should suggest the City of Columbus run extension-cords from the White Castle and Papa John’s to light the arches in front of their areas.

No one should be surprised that the City of Columbus has so much difficulty mastering the technicalities of electricity. After all, Columbus is the city whose Mayor’s house burned down twice because of electrical malfunctions; not to mention a city who would rather pay a million dollars to the parents of a little boy electrocuted on the Town Street Bridge than fix the bridge.

Apparently the Electromaniac is still at large.

How Our Children Learn Racism

Why is racism accepted and unchallenged by the majority of white Americans?  Perhaps because whites, beginning at a very early age, are thoroughly socialized to uncritically accept racial inequality.  The "diversity" we say we want has little to do with the racial exclusivity we have constructed in our own lives.  This process starts even before reaching elementary school.

American educators generally believe that children are mostly unaware of racial categories or racism, until they are taught to think and act consciously in ways that reproduce race.  Part of the reason for this is the continuing influence of cognitive developmental theory beginning with Piaget.  Most researches still think that children who use racist language do so out of naiveté or ignorance.  From this perspective, the young child is essentially or primarily egocentric, lacking the intellectual unity or social awareness to construct, much less act on, complex social constructs such as racism.  

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