A Day in the Life: 11/24/9
Prez
Amerika's Huddled Masses Yearning to Breathe Free Via
<pr...@usa-exile.org<mailto:pr...@usa-exile.org>> No vember 24, 2009
From: in...@climategroundzero.org<mailto:in...@climategroundzero.org>
Subject: [Ground Zero Dispatch] #5 Date: November 23, 2009 9:18:39
PM GMT-05:00 Reply-To:
in...@climategroundzero.org<mailto:in...@climategroundzero.org>
Greetings from the Coal River Valley!
It is a good day here in the valley. Last Saturday, four hellraisers
shut down a drilling
rig<http://climategroundzero.net/2009/11/responding-to-harmful-government-ina
ction-protestors-stop-blasting-on-coal-river-mountain/> on the Bee
Tree Surface Mine on Coal River Mountain, preventing blasting from
occurring that day. Dea Goblirsch locked herself inside the cab of
the rig, and Nick Martin locked himself to the drill itself. Both
of them and their two fantastic support people were arrested after
many hours and charged with trespassing, obstruction, conspiracy
and littering. They were held on $2,000 cash-only bails and we
sprung the last of them this morning. They are safe, happy and
proud<http://climategroundzero.net/2009/11/all-four-safe-and-sound/> here
in Rock Creek.
Their act of defiance came just days after the EPA officially
announced that it has deep
concerns<http://blogs.wvgazette.com/coaltattoo/2009/11/20/epa-taking-closer-l
ook-at-coal-river-mountain-mining/> that Massey is moving forward
with this operation despite not yet having its valley fill permits
(which, unlike blasting permits, are subject to EPA scrutiny). This
proves that the community's concerns about this permit is shared
at the highest levels of government and the massive pressure campaign
surrounding Coal River Mountain is working. Tens if not hundreds
of thousands of folks from all over the country have called or
written the EPA<http://ilovemountains.org/coalriver/> demanding an
intervention to halt the blasting. If you haven't been one of them
yet, what are you waiting for? Our call-in action days have jammed
the fax machines and clogged the phone lines. On October 30th, we
took the fight right to their door with demonstrations at every
single EPA branch office in the
country<http://unders%20tory.ran.org/2009/10/30/dc-mountaintop-removal-protes
t-heats-up/>. The day of action called by Rainforest Action
Network<http://www.ran.org>, Mountain
Justice<http://www.mountainjustice.org>, and Energy Justice
Network<http://http://www.energyjustice.net/> was headlined by 14
folks sitting in all day at the EPA headquarters in Washington,
D.C., shutting down one of the entrances to the building. They got
a meeting with the EPA's Deputy Press Secretary to air their concerns
about Coal River Mountain and a whole lot of encouragement from EPA
employees who oppose mountaintop removal and told us to KEEP UP THE
PRESSURE.
And we need to. We just discovered yesterday that Massey is not
only working on the Bee Tree permit, but they have begun road
building on the much much larger Eagle 2 permit, also on Coal River
Mountain. Every day that goes by, more and more of Coal River
Mountain and the hope of a different future for the Coal River
Valley is destroyed. Residents of the valley are calling for a
massive demonstration outside the WV Department of "Environmental
Protection"<http://www.savecoalrivermountain.org>, the agency
responsible for issuing the permits to destroy the mountain, on
December 7th. This will be the largest demonstration opposing
mountaintop removal ever. Please if it is at all possible, come to
Charleston, WV and show your solidarity. There is no time to lose.
For the mountains, Climate Ground Zero
------------------------------------------------
Legal Update:
Joe Hamsher, the first person sentenced to
jail<http://climategroundzero.net/2009/10/joseph-hamsher-22-sentenced-to-20-d
ays-in-south-west-regional-jail-for-lockdown-at-massey-regional-headquarters/>
for taking action to stop mountaintop removal, was released a week
early on Friday the 13th! Lucky day! And while we may face hostility
from some coalfield folks, others are clearly big
fans.<http://climategroundzero.net/2009/11/1952/comment-page-1/#comment-1051>
We face continued harassment from the courts however. Zoe Beavers,
who was arrested supporting the treesit in
August<http://climategroundzero.net/2009/08/tree-sit-update-support-team-arre
sted-jailed/>, recently had her charges dismissed because the police
failed to appear at her pre-trial. The next day, the state re-filed
the charges, issued an arrest warrant, demanded an additional $1,000
bail, and jailed her again until we brought the money. We remain
undeterred and greatly appreciate the support we receive from y'all.
c/o Mike Roselle PO Box 163 Rock Creek, WV 25174
=============================================================================
=========
The Hard Evidence Down Under Tour 2009 - An Amazing Success!!
by Janice Matthews November 23, 2009 911Truth.org
The Hard Evidence Down Under 2009 Tour has nearly wrapped up,
following events in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, Australia and
in Wellington, New Zealand.
Every one of these events met with overwhelming success.
John Bursill, Principle Organizer of the tour, and his 'backup crew'
made up of scores of dedicated, generous, passionate volunteers
planned and executed a very significant series of events that
resulted in the presentation of 9/11 truth information, in person,
to approximately 1,200 people and along the way, radio interviews
and news stories reached at least tens of thousands more.
Kudos and much gratitude are in order to John, his wonderful, patient
wife and family, to Helen in New Zealand who coordinated the
Wellington event, and the many volunteers who gave so much to make
this important tour happen. Of course, huge, sincere thanks are in
order to the event sponsors whose very generous financial contributions
made possible travel from the United States by presenters Richard
Gage, AIA, founder of Architects and Engineers for 9/11 Truth;
Professor Steven Jones, emeritus professor of physics, founder of
Scholars for 9/11 Truth and Justice and co-editor of the Journal
of 9/11 Studies; Cosmos, founder of TruthAction.org and the massive
"11th of Every Month Till Justice" campaign; Luke Rudkowski, founder
of WeAreChange; and Janice Matthews, Director of 911Truth.org and
small business owner--so that we could present in Sydney. In addition,
Ken Jenkins and hummux, of 911TV.org, were brought from the U.S.
to record the proceedings and manage our sound production, with the
help of an incredible lighting crew and volunteer camera operators
who brought it all together. (Video of the Sydney proceedings will
be available via TheHardEvidence.com and 911TV.com soon - we will
announce that as soon as details are available.) Sunday's event,
which focused on the activism needed to propagate the hard evidence,
presented to an audience of about 220, including many professional
mostly architects and engineers on Saturday, also featured presentations
by Ken Jenkins of 911TV.org and the Northern California 9/11 Truth
Alliance, Hereward Fenton of 911oz.com and Truth News Radio Australia,
and Dr. Frank Legge, Chemist, co-editor of Journal of 9/11 Studies
who also manages Scienceof911.com.au. A panel assembled Saturday
afternoon also included the participation of James O'Neill, practicing
barrister in Queensland, who offered commentary on potential legal
proceedings and Dr. Frank Leifer, Doctor of Architecture and
Associated Engineer, Senior Lecturer at Sydney University.
The tour kicked off on Wednesday, the Eleventh of November, with a
rousing street action in front of the corporate offices of ABC,
Australia's national television conglomerate, which happens to be
across the street from University of Technology, Sydney. We were
able to disseminate information to a significant number of ABC
employees, some of whom rather clandestinely asked for our information
(although they'd apparently been told to not take our materials,
according to one such employee), a few intrepid journalists who
showed the courage to stop and talk, and hundreds of passersby.
Sydney is a very 'international' city, especially there near the
university, and we had very engaging conversations with people from
around the world, most of whom were well aware of and distressed
by the continuing questions surrounding 9/11. In addition, a
substantial conversation was held with a very pleasant, intelligent
and supportive engineering professor, which we hope will lead to
inroads into the faculty and administration there. From ABC's offices
we moved downtown, to a median in the very center of the city, where
we again called out to people and shared information with the
delightfully happy and often humorous, diverse populace of Sydney.
Standing together with people whose ages, professions and personalities
run the gamut, with our different interpersonal styles and approaches
to conversation and street action, was another encouraging example
of how we, the People, continue to be able to discard the false
"divides" of ideology and politics that have previously kept us
separated, and stand firmly, united with a common message of peace
and justice.
The hundreds of 9/11 truth group organizers affiliated with
911truth.org, truthaction.org and wearechange.org continue to hold
these actions monthly (and much more often, in many cases) around
the world and there is no question that our efforts remain extremely
valuable and effective. While all our investigative compiling of
information and our internet activism that makes it widely accessible
is of course integral to our efforts, there is simply no substitute
for dialogue, one human being with another. In fact, John Bursill
reminded me the Sydney group was the first international group to
become active with the 11th of Every Month Until Justice campaign.
They continue to carry out these actions each month, which have
also spread to Perth, Brisbane, Melbourne, Wellington and Christchurch.
John was quite inspired by the quote from Dan Wallace, whose father
was killed on 9/11 and was one of the first activists in New York
: "They took it from the top to the bottom. We're going to take it
from the bottom to the top." This Down Under Tour is further
fulfilling Dan's hope, carrying the movement back up from the
"bottom" of the globe back up to reinvigorate energy within the
U.S.
After Sydney's weekend event, Richard Gage, AIA, continued on his
Australasian tour, to Melbourne and Brisbane, then Wellington, New
Zealand, and will be on to Japan in early December. The Melbourne
event brought out about 220 people, with 170 in Brisbane. Wellington
was a stunning success, with approximately 650 people attending the
event in the main theater and an overflow room where live A/V was
made accessible, and another 150 or so turned away for lack of
seating. Thanks to the generosity of activists, again, everyone
turned away was sent home with a copy of AE911Truth.org's DVD,
"9/11: Blueprint for Truth". This gathering constituted the largest
ever audience to date for a 9/11: Blueprint for Truth presentation,
and succeeded, again, because of the perseverance of a few good
activists like Helen Waddington. Thank you!! Truly, we are being
the change we wish to see, and our efforts
Although media coverage was essentially nonexistent in Sydney, in
spite of a very professional press release having been disseminated
to all press in a timely manner prior to the event, WSFM radio in
Sydney did host Richard after the event for a brief but lively
conversation, followed by the station posting a poll at their site
asking whether "Gage makes sense." WSFM replayed this interview on
Saturday morning as part of their weekly highlight show, and reported
receiving overwhelmingly positive response from listeners, thanking
them for the broadcast. In addition, Kim Hill, mainstream corporate
journalist with Radio New Zealand, conducted a rather less than
flattering interview with Gage, and the tour was featured in a
full-page article in Wellington's The Capital Times. On November
24th, John Bursill joined Hereward Fenton on Truth Radio Australia
for a wrap-up report on the tour and discussion of the costs
associated with such an undertaking and the generosity of our
movement's members, as well as a bit about the media: Listen here
or download here.
Hereward also conducted an interview with Gage, as well as a
conversation with Luke Rudkowski and Cosmos before the event.
Photos of the event have been posted at truthaction.org, more at
the 911oz forum and a bit of video at WeAreChange.org. A good review
of the Wellington event, by Claire Swinney, has been posted here.
And more about Gage's continuing AustralAsian tour is being posted
at his tour blog.
Obviously, 9/11 truth activism is indeed alive and thriving Down
Under!
Pressure on these governments to withdraw their support, and their
troops, from the 9/11 wars and to reject U.S. imperial policy in
general must continue and grow in intensity as this information
becomes more and more widely disseminated and understood. Bravo and
thanks to everyone there who continues steadfast in this work, and
to the family members of those lost on 9/11 and in the ensuing wars
who are finding the courage and now looking for ways to stand with
their convictions in demanding investigation and redress for their
loved ones' deaths, perhaps through coronerial inquiries. John
Bursill is prepared to hear from you, and to help you as you persevere
in the path of grief to closure. (Please contact him at johnbursill
[at] gmail (dot) com.)
John Bursill is known to often remind us, "Truth is not an idea for
people of worth; it's a standard." This tour has truly reflected
John's own high truth standard, and that of the many other 'persons
of worth' who worked alongside him to help bring this about. It
reflects well upon us all, and I once again find myself thoroughly
impressed with and extremely proud of the passion, dedication,
compassion and commitment exhibited by my fellow 9/11 truth advocates
around the world. Toward the day when we see that light, indeed,
prevails over might!
=============================================================================
============================
From: viacam...@viacampesina.org<mailto:viacam...@viacampesina.org>
Subject: [via-info-en] (EN) WTO : cooking up crises ! Peasant
mobilizations against the WTO Date: November 23, 2009 11:15:51 PM
GMT-05:00
Press release - La Via Campesina/Uniterre
WTO: Cooking Up Crises!
Peasant Mobilizations Against the WTO
(Geneva, 24 November 2009) From November 27 to December 3, the
international peasant movement La Via Campesina and Uniterre will
gather for the 7th Conference of the World Trade Organization (WTO)
in Geneva. Thirty delegates from Africa, Asia and Europe will be
present to remind ministers of their responsibilities in the current
food, financial, economic and climate crises.
WTO policies and free trade agreements are causing fundamental
systemic problems for small farmers and peasants world wide. The
Doha round, often referred to as the development round, is producing
more crises than it is progress in development. Pascal Lamy, Director
General of WTO, consistently presents the policies of his organization
as a panacea for the economies of the world. However, after 15 years
of opposition to WTO policies, farmers and peasants reaffirm that
the WTO is fundamentally oriented towards interests that benefit
large corporations and businesses at the expense of small farmers
and peasants.
In Europe, the WTO requirements are responsible for the ultra-liberal
policy of the European Commission that puts the European small
farmer community at risk of bankruptcy. The recent milk strike by
dairy farmers from 21 European countries is directly linked to the
dismantling of milk quotas imposed by the WTO. Since mid-September,
many farmers in Switzerland have begun a "peasant's revolt" to
denounce the lower farm-gate prices and the stranglehold on
distribution by intermediaries in the sales chain. In India, many
peasants are also on the verge of bankruptcy. In early September
50,000 farmers flooded on to the streets of Delhi to protest their
governments contradictions. The Indian trade minister has promised
to protect Indian agriculture, but endorsed WTO negotiations that
endanger the livelihood of more than two thirds of the Indian
population. In Korea, farmers and peasants face difficulties similar
to European and Indian farmers because the price they are paid for
rice does not cover their production's costs.
Leaders of these different struggles will be in Geneva to deliver
their message of despair, desperation, and rebellion to the WTO
ministers. They will also present alternative solutions for the
current food crisis and climate:
Food sovereignty, the right of small farmers and peasants to produce
food locally and sustainably to feed themselves and their communities.
Invitation for journalists:
November 27 at 3:30 pm: 25 rue des Gares. Press Conference to
introduce the delegation of La Via Campesina in Geneva and its
objectives.
November 28 : participation of the La Via Campesina delegation and
UNITERRE members with tractors in the great social movements rally.
Departure 2pm Place Neuve.
November 30 to December 2, every day daily from 12 am to 2 pm, La
Via Campesina delegates will be available for interviews in the
tent located at the crossroads of Varembe Street and France Avenue.
Symbolic actions will also take place.
November 30: 9 am to 1 pm, La Via Campesina delegates will accompany
the Fisherfolks rally.
December 1: Agriculture Day. Press conference at 10 am, 25 rue des
Gares to announce the actions of December 1.
December 2: 2 pm, 25 rue des Gares, common press conference of
peasant women of La Via Campesina and of delegates to the World
March of Women.
Press Contacts:
Valentina Hemmeler (Uniterre / Via Campesina): +41 79 672 14 07
v.hem...@uniterre.ch<mailto:v.hem...@uniterre.ch> Solenne Piriou
(La Via Campesina) : + 41 76 752 73 62
solenne...@gmail.com<mailto:solenne...@gmail.com>
Lists of delegates available for interviews:
Ms. Yoon Geum Sum, South Korea. Organization: KWPA (Korean Women
Peasant Association). Member of the International Coordinating
Committee of Via Campesina. She will be in Geneva beginning on
27/11/09 and will be accompanied by a delegation of five other
Korean farmers from KPL (Korean Peasant League) and KWPA.
Mr Yudhvir Singh, Mr Satnam Singh Cheema and Mr Kannaiyan Subramaniam.
India.
Organization: BKU (Bharatiya Kisan Union) and SICCFM (South Indian
Coordination Committee of Farmers Movements) Yudhvir Singh is a
member of the International Coordinating Committee of La Via Campesina
and will be available from 28/11/09. Mr Subramaniam will arrive in
Geneva on 26/11/09 Ms. Alphonsine Nguba, Democratic Republic of
Congo. Organization : COPACO (Confederation Paysanne du Congo).
Member of the International Coordinating Committee of La Via
Campesina. She will arrive in Geneva on 26/11/09.
Mr Cecep Risnandar. Indonesia. Organization : SPI (Indonesian Peasant
Union).
He will be available beginning 27/11/09. He will be joined by Mrs
Zubaidah and Mr Muhammad Karim La Moha.
Mr. Junichi Shiraishi, Japan, Chairperson of NOUMINREN (Japan Family
Farmers Movement). He will be accompanied by seven others Japanese
farmers from the Hokkaido region, including 4 young people. They
will arrive in the afternoon on 27/11/09.
Mrs. Claude Girod, France, Confederation Paysanne, member of La Via
Campesina international Committee on trade and food sovereignty.
She will be in Geneva on 28/11/09.
Mr Pierre Andri Tombez, Switzerland. Chairperson of Uniterre and
member of the coordinating committee of the European Coordination
La Via Campesina.
Web Pages :
http://viacampesina.org/ http://www.uniterre.ch<http://www.uniterre.ch/>
La Via Campesina is an international movement which brings together
millions of peasants, small producers, landless people, rural women
and agricultural workers around the world. Our movement is made up
of 148 member organisations active in 69 countries in Asia, Africa,
Europe and the Americas. Uniterre is a Swiss farmers' union which
has 2,000 members. He defends all farmers, whatever the size of the
farm and whatever the production they have. Uniterre is the Swiss
member of La Via Campesina.
-- International Operational Secretariat
----------------------------------------------------------------------- La
Via Campesina - International Secretariat:
Jln. Mampang Prapatan XIV No. 5 Jakarta Selatan, Jakarta 12790
Indonesia Phone : +62-21-7991890, Fax : +62-21-7993426 E-mail:
viacam...@viacampesina.org<mailto:viacam...@viacampesina.org>,
Website: http://www.viacampesina.org<http://www.viacampesina.org/>
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Subscribe to Via Campesina News Updates! (Go to
www.viacampesina.org<http://www.viacampesina.org/> and subscribe
on line) !Suscribe a la lista de informacisn de La Vma Campesina!
(Suscribe en lmnea en http://viacampesina.org/main_sp/) Inscrivez-vous
` la liste dinformation de Via Campesina! (Inscrivez-vous en ligne
sur http://viacampesina.org/main_fr/)
=============================================================================
============================
http://www.upi.com/Business_News/2009/11/22/Spanish-farmers-march-on-capital/
UPI-32751258898522/
Spanish Farmers March on Capital Published: Nov. 22, 2009 at 9:02
AM
MADRID, Nov. 22 (UPI) -- An estimated 100,000 Spanish farmers marched
on the capital in Madrid to protest high costs and a low-profit
margin, officials said.
The farmers Saturday warned Spain could end up importing olive oil,
grain, meat and other staples because so many Spanish farms were
being driven out of business, Euronews.net reported.
Friday, in a strike action, farmers laid down tools throughout the
country to block roads.
The farmers experienced a 26 percent drop in real income between
2003 and 2008, while costs rose by 34 percent, Spain's three leading
agricultural unions said.
The farmers' financial picture could be improved if the government
banned intermediaries, or middle-men, an unidentified farmer Saturday
told Euronews.net.
"The government is doing the wrong thing, allowing the intervention
of many intermediaries so finally the farmer gets a miniscule part
of the amount the consumer pays," the farmer said.
=============================================================================
=========
NOTE: This snippet from CLG News is an appropriate lead-in for
Mark Ames' piece beneath it. The snippet implies that the murder
of JFK in '63 was a US military coup d'etat which gradually has
become more explicit, culminating in this, which contains no pretense
at all of significant civilian influence.
-- kl, pp
Army refuses to identify Hasan prosecutors, chases away
journalists<http://www.legitgov.org/attack_on_fort_hood_051109.html>
--Judicial order further restricts Hasan 21 Nov 2009 In a court
hearing from a San Antonio military hospital room Saturday, the
Army obtained a judicial order that placed more restrictions on
accused Fort Hood shooter Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, and makes it
easier for the military to move him from Brooke Army Medical Center
pending trial, according to his lead lawyer. But where Hasan might
be moved -- or when -- remained a mystery after the hearing, which
lasted an hour and a half and was held in BAMC's Intensive Care
Unit, where Hasan is recuperating, the lawyer, retired Army Col.
John P. Galligan said.
Galligan addressed reporters outside the gates of Fort Sam Houston,
where BAMC is located, because the Army did not allow the media to
attend the hearing and sidestepped a legal challenge from the San
Antonio Express-News that sought access for journalists. Post guards
chased away journalists who approached Galligan's vehicle after the
hearing because half of the car was still within the outer perimeter
gate. Additionally, the Army only supplied vague details of the
hearing late Friday after getting inquiries from the media. It even
refused to identify the prosecutors.
-----------------------------------------------
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article24046.htm
The Memory Scrub About Why Ft. Hood Happened Is Almost Complete ...
If It Weren't for Archives
That Maj. Hasan tried to get a military discharge before the massacre
is largely being erased -- we're supposed to keep focusing on the
Muslim part.
By Mark Ames
November 24, 2009 "
AlterNet<http://www.alternet.org/rights/143964/the_memory_scrub_about_why_ft.
_hood_happened_is_almost_complete_..._if_it_weren't_for_archives?page=entire>"
-- November 23, 2009 -- What happened to all the initial reports
that accused Fort Hood killer Maj. Nidal Hasan snapped because he
was distraught over the Army's refusal to grant him either a
discharge<http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/11/06/AR2
009110600907.html> or an exemption from being
deployed<http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/06/us/06suspect.html> to
Iraq or Afghanistan, wars which the Muslim psychiatrist abhorred
-- and how it was this callous Army refusal to accommodate Maj.
Hasan that led to his downward spiral into despondency, rage and
mass murder?
We heard quite a bit about this in the first couple of days, and
then -- poof!
That part of the Fort Hood story disappeared so neatly that I almost
started to wonder if I'd imagined it -- such is the power of media
bombardment versus a mere soap bubble like the human memory. I might
have forgotten too and gone along with the reality-scrub, the way
all of Official America has gone, but thanks to all the news archives,
it was possible to check the record as it was first reported on
November 5, and trace how a key part of the Nidal Hasan story was
airbrushed away from reality.
The Army's pig-headed failure to accommodate Maj. Hasan was, for a
time, the most important -- and most damaging -- detail forunderstanding
his shooting rampage. Because if Maj. Hasan tried to get out of his
deployment, and if he telegraphed every warning signal possible
(emailing terrorists, cruising 7-11s in his Al Qaeda costume) to
bolster his case to reverse his deployment orders, and all the while
the Army bureaucracy ignored him despite his 20 years' service --
then that means the massacre can't be blamed just on one crazy
Islamofascist's inner evil.
Instead, much of the blame for driving Maj. Hasan to crack would
fall on his superiors in the Army, who held his fate in their hands.
They could have shown some flexibility, but instead treated with
the kind of callous bureaucratic insolence and nasty ethnic harassment
you'd expect to find in a 19th century army, not 21st century
America. If the Army really did fail to respond to a million-billion
signals from Maj. Hasan, then it means we'd have to investigate
more than just his evil little Muslim soul. We'd also have to look
at the environment that changed him from a good loyal soldier into
a cracked lunatic. That would mean examining just how screwed up
the Army culture really is, how poorly it manages its resources and
personnel, and why we went so long without knowing how bad things
were
We'd also have to examine the link between Hasan's rampage and the
Army's record number of suicides this year -- which so far nearly
equals the total number of US combat deaths in Iraq. A lot of this
year's suicides involve Army personnel which hadn't yet shipped out
to the war zones, like Maj. Hasan -- a grim statistic that belies
the chickenhawks' screeching attacks denying the existence of
pre-combat stress syndrome.
But the problem with investigating questions like these is that the
answers could be one giant bummer -- nothing makes an American's
brain switch into "hibernate" mode more quickly.
The point being that as the horror of the Fort Hood massacre started
to emerge, a lot of people were interested in superimposing a more
comforting, simplistic version of events over the ambiguous,
demoralizing reality.
According to the new version of what led to the Fort Hood Massacre,
all along Maj. Hasan was a sleeper-jihadist moled up inside the
Army structure, patiently waiting for his Al Qaeda handlers in AfPak
to give him the Jihadi signal -- and in the meantime, the Islamofascist
sleeper cell ran around Walter Reed scaring the shit out of his
Army colleagues for two years straight with his frothing lectures
threatening to behead Infidels and pour hot oil down their necks.
This counter-intuitive version has so far managed to stick, but
only because everyone's officially forgotten how Hasan had desperately
tried to convince his superiors not to deploy him. There was no way
that this detail could be allowed to survive if the new official
version was going to take hold; it wouldn't make sense that Hasan
would simultaneously be plotting for two straight years to commit
mass-murder, while at the same time trying to find a way out of
deployment. A Jihadist would not try to get discharged from his
terror target. Doesn't make sense. He'd keep quiet as he successfully
wormed his way closer and closer to his Fort Hood target, if that's
their story (why didn't he shoot up Walter Reed if he's a jihadist?),
and not do anything that might alert his superiors to potential
danger. So you can see why a lot of people would have liked to make
disappear the part about how they ignored Hasan's repeated requests
--not just the Army personnel whose asses are on the line, but the
entire country which has invested so much faith and trust into the
military.
As Americans lost faith in every other institution, the military
stands as the last thing we believe in. According to a recent Gallup
poll, the military is by far the most trusted institution -- 78
percent of Americans have a favorable view of the military, as
opposed to a 20 percent favorable rating for the federal
government<http://www.govexec.com/story_page.cfm?articleid=44050&dcn=todaysne
ws>.
Can we survive another attack of cognitive dissonance by popping
that bubble too? Now that we've dispatched with the embarrassing
detail about how the Army failed to respond to Maj. Hasan's pleas,
honest patriots were finally freed up to tell the harsh truth: that
Major Hasan actually wanted to remain in the Army and in Fort Hood,
because he was a Muslim sleeper-cell terrorist on a mission to kill
Americans and though the always-alert, ever-sensitive Army personnel
spotted the terrorist early, they were oppressed by the terror of
political-correctness, a terror which trumped Islamic terrorism.
And just like that, everyone high and low echoed the new line.
Whether it was John McCain saying in a speech this
month<http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1109/29411.html>, "We
ought to make sure 'political correctness' never impedes national
security." Or way down the power-chain to bland middle-of-the-road
columnists like Margaret Colson at
Bloomberg<http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601039&sid=aLrAQrsmyIrU>:
"Who'd think the U.S. Army could be seized with a sudden case of
political correctness? And with regard to Muslims, no less."
Yeah, who'd think?
But here's the problem: there's far too much evidence out there in
the public record that contradicts our new Army-friendly version
of events, which implicates the exact opposite of political-correctness.
What this evidence shows is that if the Army been even marginally
politically-correct, or at the very least, intelligent and reasonable,
the massacre could have been avoided, lives saved, and Maj. Hasan
might have been discharged to freely marry his online Burqa Queen.
Instead, he faced a cold, unresponsive and abusive Army bureaucracy
which over time drove Maj. Hasan to despair.
I've gone back through the record and collected the early accounts
that were more sympathetic to Maj. Hasan, and the point at which
those sympathetic details got scrubbed out of the narrative, allowing
the rightwing's Monty Python version to replace it. There are some
other surprising details I found, details which show even more
parallels to a classic going postal rampage shooting. First, here
are some of the most credible early sources which prove that Maj.
Hasan tried and failed to get the Army to relieve him. On November
5th, I found these statements by Texas Republican congressman Michael
McCaul<http://www.usatoday.com/news/military/2009-11-05-Fort-Hood_N.htm>:
U.S. Rep. Michael McCaul, a Republican from Austin, was briefed by
military officials and said Hasan had taken some unusual classes
for someone studying about mental health.
"He took a lot of extra classes in weapons training, which seems a
little odd for a psychiatrist," McCaul said.
McCaul said Hasan had received poor grades for his work at Walter
Reed and was not happy about his situation in Fort Hood, where Hasan
apparently felt like "he didn't fit in."
"He's disgruntled because he had a poor performance evaluation, he
doesn't believe in the mission, he's looking at getting transferred
to Afghanistan or Iraq," McCaul said. "He's not happy about all
that."
McCaul added that officials planned to interview Hasan to try to
determine for sure that he was not working with foreign agents.
Note the Republican congressman's use of the word "disgruntled"--the
adjective synonymous with "going postal" workplace shooters. Already
one of the best-informed locals likens the shooting to a workplace
massacre--"he didn't fit in," "he's not happy about all that"--and
makes no suggestion of terrorism. Another thing that stands out:
early reports of Maj. Hasan taking several weapons training classes
have also vanished--and I'd doubt there are too many people at Fort
Hood eager to offer details about who trained him, how many classes
he took, and how he behaved during training. And then there's Texas
Republican Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison, who was the most quoted
and best informed of all public figures on the day of the massacre.
As early reports of the shooting were making news, Sen. Hutchison
repeatedly said the shooter was a disgruntled military
man<http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/2009/11/05/2009-11-05_army_base_
massacre_at_least_seven_people_dead_in_mass_shooting_at_fort_hood_in_t.html#i
xzz0WmOGqTJP>:
Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Tex.) said Hasan - who had worked with
the wounded for years at Walter Reed Army Medical Center - was angry
about being sent to war and tried to get his orders changed.
Later that day, on CNN's Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer, Sen.
Hutchison repeated again that he was disgruntled, and that he'd
tried to get out of his deployment but was rebuffed. She added
another key detail that again proves this was a workplace rage
massacre rather than terrorism: Hasan didn't fire at random but
rather singled out his perceived tormentors, many of whom he knew.
He went to the center for a reason: to avenge those he believed had
destroyed his life. This again shows that Maj. Hasan's motive wasn't
a random hatred of all Americans, but rather a going-postal attack
on his
tormentors<http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0911/05/sitroom.03.html>:
BLITZER: Joining us on the phone is Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison
of Texas, Fort Hood obviously in her state. She's been very helpful
to us in our coverage Do you have any more information about this
individual and what his motive may or may not have been?
SEN. KAY BAILEY HUTCHISON (R), TEXAS: Well, all I can say is that
I know he was scheduled to be deployed and appeared to be upset
about that.
And so I think that there is a lot of investigation going on now
into his background and just, you know, what he was doing that was
not known before.
BLITZER: When you say he was being deployed, was he off to Iraq,
to Afghanistan? Do you know?
HUTCHISON: I have heard Iraq. I was told earlier that he was scheduled
to go to Iraq, as most of the people there were. It was a number
of guard units that were there who were being processed to go to
Iraq and possibly some to Afghanistan. It was not clear if there
were some going to Afghanistan, but I think so. And it was some
guard members and others who were in the processing facility. And
I heard that he probably knew some of the people that he was shooting,
but that's not confirmed. [Bold by author for emphasis]
This incredible detail, that he targeted his victims and spared
others, was confirmed by a Dallas TV reporter from KXXV who was at
Fort
Hood<http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/2009/11/05/2009-11-05_army_base
_massacre_at_least_seven_people_dead_in_mass_shooting_at_fort_hood_in_t.html#
ixzz0WnF4jkRA>:
Texas TV station KXXV reported that the gunman told a civilian as
he passed that he was shooting only military men.
She said he targeted specific people as he stalked through a
deployment center, two handguns blazing.
As late as November 9, four days after the shooting, there is this
account which again shows that Maj. Hasan targeted specific people
whom he knew. An Islamofascist terrorist by definition doesn't
selectively murder Infidels he knows while sparing others in his
gun's sights. But this is how the shooting was described by Texas
Republican Congressman Michael Conaway and investigators at Fort
Hood, according to the New York
Times:<http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/09/us/09reconstruct.html?_r=1>
Mr. Hasan began shooting around 1:20 p.m., investigators say.
As he methodically moved around the room, he spared some people
while firing on others several times. He seemed to discriminate
among his targets, though it is unclear why. All but one of the
dead were soldiers.
"Our witnesses said he made eye contact with a guy and then moved
to somebody in uniform," said Representative K. Michael Conaway,
Republican of Texas.
[snip]
=============================================================================
=========
http://www.comcast.net/articles/news-general/20091122/SCI.Climate._09.Post.Ky
oto/ Warming's Impacts Sped Up, Worsened since Kyoto By SETH
BORENSTEIN, AP
Since the 1997 international accord to fight global warming, climate
change has worsened and accelerated beyond some of the grimmest
of warnings made back then.
As the world has talked for a dozen years about what to do next,
new ship passages opened through the once frozen summer sea ice of
the Arctic. In Greenland and Antarctica, ice sheets have lost
trillions of tons of ice.
Mountain glaciers in Europe, South America, Asia and Africa are
shrinking faster than before.
And it's not just the frozen parts of the world that have felt the
heat in the dozen years leading up to next month's climate summit
in Copenhagen:
_The world's oceans have risen by about an inch and a half.
_Droughts and wildfires have turned more severe worldwide, from the
U.S. West to Australia to the Sahel desert of North Africa.
_Species now in trouble because of changing climate include, not
just the lumbering polar bear which has become a symbol of global
warming, but also fragile butterflies, colorful frogs and entire
stands of North American pine forests.
_Temperatures over the past 12 years are 0.4 of a degree warmer
than the dozen years leading up to 1997.
Even the gloomiest climate models back in the 1990s didn't forecast
results quite this bad so fast.
"The latest science is telling us we are in more trouble than we
thought,"
said Janos Pasztor, climate adviser to UN Secretary General Ban
Ki-moon.
And here's why: Since an agreement to reduce greenhouse gas pollution
was signed in Kyoto, Japan, in December 1997, the level of carbon
dioxide in the air has increased 6.5 percent. Officials from across
the world will convene in Copenhagen next month to seek a follow-up
pact, one that President Barack Obama says "has immediate operational
effect ... an important step forward in the effort to rally the
world around a solution."
The last effort didn't quite get the anticipated results.
From 1997 to 2008, world carbon dioxide emissions from the burning
of fossil fuels have increased 31 percent; U.S. emissions of this
greenhouse gas rose 3.7 percent. Emissions from China, now the
biggest producer of this pollution, have more than doubled in that
time period. When the U.S. Senate balked at the accord and President
George W. Bush withdrew from it, that meant that the top three
carbon polluters the U.S., China and India were not part of the
pact's emission reductions. Developing countries were not covered
by the Kyoto Protocol and that is a major issue in Copenhagen.
And the effects of greenhouse gases are more powerful and happening
sooner than predicted, scientists said.
"Back in 1997, the impacts (of climate change) were underestimated;
the rate of change has been faster," said Virginia Burkett, chief
scientist for global change research at the U.S. Geological Survey.
That last part alarms former Vice President Al Gore, who helped
broker a last-minute deal in Kyoto.
"By far the most serious differences that we've had is an acceleration
of the crisis itself," Gore said in an interview this month with
The Associated Press.
In 1997, global warming was an issue for climate scientists,
environmentalists and policy wonks. Now biologists, lawyers,
economists, engineers, insurance analysts, risk managers, disaster
professionals, commodity traders, nutritionists, ethicists and even
psychologists are working on global warming.
"We've come from a time in 1997 where this was some abstract problem
working its way around scientific circles to now when the problem
is in everyone's face," said Andrew Weaver, a University of Victoria
climate scientist.
The changes in the last 12 years that have the scientists most
alarmed are happening in the Arctic with melting summer sea ice and
around the world with the loss of key land-based ice masses. It's
all happening far faster than predicted.
Back in 1997 "nobody in their wildest expectations," would have
forecast the dramatic sudden loss of summer sea ice in the Arctic
that started about five years ago, Weaver said. From 1993 to 1997,
sea ice would shrink on average in the summer to about 2.7 million
square miles. The average for the last five years is less than 2
million square miles. What's been lost is the size of Alaska.
Antarctica had a slight increase in sea ice, mostly because of the
cooling effect of the ozone hole, according to the British Antarctic
Survey. At the same time, large chunks of ice shelves adding up
to the size of Delaware came off the Antarctic peninsula.
While melting Arctic ocean ice doesn't raise sea levels, the melting
of giant land-based ice sheets and glaciers that drain into the
seas do. Those are shrinking dramatically at both poles.
Measurements show that since 2000, Greenland has lost more than 1.5
trillion tons of ice, while Antarctica has lost about 1 trillion
tons since 2002, according to two scientific studies published this
fall. In multiple reports from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate
Change reports, scientists didn't anticipate ice sheet loss in
Antarctica, Weaver said. And the rate of those losses is accelerating,
so that Greenland's ice sheets are melting twice as fast now as
they were just seven years ago, increasing sea level rise.
Worldwide glaciers are shrinking three times faster than in the
1970s and the average glacier has lost 25 feet of ice since 1997,
said Michael Zemp, a researcher at World Glacier Monitoring Service
at the University of Zurich.
"Glaciers are a good climate indicator," Zemp said. "What we see
is an accelerated loss of ice."
Also, permafrost the frozen northern ground that oil pipelines are
built upon and which traps the potent greenhouse gas methane is
thawing at an alarming rate, Burkett said.
Another new post-1997 impact of global warming has scientists very
concerned.
The oceans are getting more acidic because more of the carbon dioxide
in the air is being absorbed into the water. That causes acidification,
an issue that didn't even merit a name until the past few years.
More acidic water harms coral, oysters and plankton and ultimately
threatens the ocean food chain, biologists say.
In 1997, "there was no interest in plants and animals" and how they
are hampered by climate change, said Stanford University biologist
Terry Root. Now scientists are talking about which species can be
saved from extinction and which are goners. The polar bear became
the first species put on the federal list of threatened species and
the small rabbit-like American pika may be joining it.
More than 37 million acres of Canadian and U.S. pine forests have
been damaged by beetles that don't die in warmer winters. And in
the U.S. West, the average number of acres burned per fire has more
than doubled.
The Colorado River reservoirs, major water suppliers for the U.S.
West, were nearly full in 1999, but by 2007 half the water was gone
after the region endured the worst multiyear drought in 100 years
of record-keeping.
Insurance losses and blackouts have soared and experts say global
warming is partly to blame. The number of major U.S. weather-related
blackouts from 2004-2008 were more than seven times higher than
from 1993-1997, said Evan Mills, a staff scientist at the Lawrence
Berkeley National Lab.
"The message on the science is that we know a lot more than we did
in 1997 and it's all negative," said Eileen Claussen, president of
the Pew Center on Global Climate Change. "Things are much worse
than the models predicted."
___
On the Net:
U.S. government's 2009 report on climate change impacts:
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change 2007 report on changes
already observed:
http://tinyurl.com/worldimpacts
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate change:
http://unfccc.int<http://unfccc.int/>
=============================================================================
=============================
The Higher Education Fiscal Crisis Protects the Wealthy
by Peter Phillips
Global Research<http://www.globalresearch.ca/>, November 23, 2009
Police are arresting and attacking student protesters on University
of California (UC) campuses again. Why did he beat me I wasnt doing
anything, screamed a young Cal Berkeley women student over KPFA
radio on Friday evening November 20. Students are protesting the
32% increase in tuition imposed by the UC regents in a time of
severe state deficits. The Board of Regents claims that they have
no choice. Students will now have to pay over $10,000 in tuition
annually for a public university education that was free only a few
decades ago.
The corporate media spins the tuition protests as if we are all
suffering during the recession. For example, the San Diego Union
Tribune November 20 writes, These students need a course in Reality
101. And the reality is that there is virtually no segment of
American society that is not straining with the economic recession.
With UC facing a $535 million budget gap due to state cuts, the
regents have to confront reality and make tough choices. So should
students.
Yet, the reality is something quite different. Our current budget
crisis in California and the rest of the country has been artificially
created by cutting taxes on the wealthiest people and corporations.
The corporate elites in the US, the top 1% who own close to half
the wealth, are the beneficiaries of massive tax cuts over the past
few decades. While at the same time working people are paying more
through increased sales and use taxes and higher public college
tuition.
The wealthy hide their money abroad. Rachel Keeler with Dollars &
Sense reports that over the years, trillions of dollars in both
corporate profits and personal wealth have migrated offshore in
search of rock-bottom tax rates and the comfort of no questions
asked. Offshore banks now harbor an estimated $11.5 trillion in
individual wealth alone, and were a significant contributing factor
to the international economic downturn in 2008.
According to the California Budget Project, tax cuts enacted in
California, since 1993, cost the state $11.3 billion dollars annually.
Had the state continued taxing corporations and the wealthy at rates
equal to those fifteen years ago there would not be a budget crisis
in California. Even though a budget deficit was evident last year,
California income tax laws were changed in February of 2009 to
provide corporations with even greater tax savingsequal to over $2
billion per year. California is similar to the rest of the country
where the wealthy and corporate elites enjoy economic protection
through increased costs to working people.
Higher education has been cut in twenty-eight states in the 2009-10
school year and further, even more drastic cuts, are likely in the
years ahead.
California State University (CSU) system is planning to reduce
enrollments by 40,000 students in the fall of 2010. The CSU Trustees
have imposed steep tuition hikes and forced faculty and staff to
take non-paid furlough days equal to 10% of salaries.
The students who are protesting tuition increases know they are
being ripped off. They know that we are bailing out the rich with
hundreds of billions dollars for Wall Street and massive budget
cuts for the rest of us. The corporate media doesnt explain to
over-taxed working families how they are paying more while the rich
sock it away.
The current economic crisis is a shock and awe process designed to
undermine low-cost higher education, force labor concessions from
working people and protect the wealthy. We need higher taxes on the
corporations and the top 1%, combined with free public college
education and tax breaks for working families. And, we must have a
media that tells us the truth about inequality and wealth. A true
economic stimulus increases spending from the bottom up not the top
down.
Peter Phillips is a professor of sociology at Sonoma State University,
President of Media Freedom Foundation, and recent past director of
Project Censored.
Daily News at: http://mediafreedom.pnn.com/5174-independent-news-sources
Validated News & Research at: http://www.mediafreedominternational.org/
Daily Censored Blog at: http://dailycensored.com/ Project Censored:
http://www.projectcensored.org/
=============================================================================
============================
From: Gary S. <bigb...@got.net<mailto:bigb...@got.net>> Date:
Sun, Nov 22, 2009 at 5:35 PM Subject: "This is it" The spirit of
MJ "captured" in this very recent documentary
Greetings:
I've just come back from a mid-morning viewing of "This is it":
Incredible footage of Michael Jackson and cast in preparation for
his sold-out tour of 2009. I will tell you that if the shows were
to be half as good as the rehearsals, he would have changed the
world!
He was calling out-- as a last ditch effort-- for us to end the
wars and concentrate what energies we have on saving the environment
and spreading the shamanic message of love. He was not just one
man/child--he was a national treasure--a creative genius--controlling
every aspect of the production in a wise, humble and loving way.
My local theater says "limited engagement" (?)--while this film has
to be seen! See/get it while it is still available. His body
is gone, but the light shines on--we must multiply it! Spread
the light!
Namaste
GaryS
=============================================================================
==========
From: Rick Davis <rda...@yin.or.jp<mailto:rda...@yin.or.jp>> Date:
November 23, 2009 8:07:38 PM GMT-05:00 Subject: News links, November
23-24, 2009
U.S. Power Slipping, Analysts
Warn<http://www.dodbuzz.com/2009/11/20/analysts-warn-of-eroding-u-s-power/>
Ahmadinejad Seeks to Strengthen Ties on South America
Tour<http://online.wsj.com/article/SB125899425891860773.html>
Coal prices pose problems for China's power
producers<http://www.marketwatch.com/story/coal-price-rise-dogging-chinese-po
wer-companies-2009-11-23?siteid=rss&rss=1>
Greece tests the limit of sovereign debt as it grinds towards
slump<http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/comment/ambroseevans_pritchard/66301
17/Greece-tests-the-limit-of-sovereign-debt-as-it-grinds-towards-slump.html>
Separatist blasts kill five in northeast
India<http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5j3aAueYqs73O_Q7a13Z0
_v-DTm5Q>
Japan: No. of immigrant workers applying for repatriation aid hit
16,000 by
mid-Nov<http://www.japantoday.com/category/national/view/no-of-immigrants-app
lying-for-repatriation-aid-hit-16000-by-mid-nov> Japan gearing up
to acquire F-35
fighters<http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20091123a1.html> National
Police Agency to introduce freezers at all police stations to store
DNA
evidence<http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/news/20091123p2a00m0na003000c.html>
China Three Gorges Dam faces new $25 billion
bill-report<http://www.reuters.com/article/latestCrisis/idUSPEK259449> Wind
Power Dilemma: Money Blows
Away<http://english.caijing.com.cn/2009-11-12/110310419.html>
Israeli defense minister: We must crush IDF refusal with an iron
fist<http://haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1129651.html>
Venezuelan government takes over farms<http://www.cnbc.com/id/34115174>
Australian Senate: Peak Oil motion defeated
31:6<http://anz.theoildrum.com/node/5977>
Record pension hole for world's biggest
firms-LCP<http://www.reuters.com/article/marketsNews/idUSGEE5AM24D20091123>
US: Treasury Sells Two-Year Notes at Record Low
Yield<http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=ae_qam_SR.8o&pos=4>
Wave of Debt Payments Facing U.S.
Government<http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/23/business/23rates.html?_r=4&th&em
c=th> US builds up its bases in oil-rich South
America<http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-builds-up-its-bas
es-in-oilrich-south-america-1825398.html> New gold bugs making gold
investments
mainstream<http://www.marketwatch.com/story/new-gold-bugs-taking-gold-mainstr
eam-2009-11-23> Pistols, Tasers, assault rifles sell fast at US
show<http://rawstory.com/news/afp/Pistols_Tasers_assault_rifles_sell__1122200
9.html> Goldman Sachss Tax Rate Drops to 1%, or $14
Million<http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601110&sid=a6bQVsZS2_18>
Fed rage boils over on Capitol
Hill<http://money.cnn.com/2009/11/23/news/economy/Bernanke_confirmation/index
.htm?cnn=yes>
Ex-FBI agent who watched JFK autopsy reflects on
death<http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2009-11-22-jfk-assassination-annive
rsary_N.htm?csp=34&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%25
3A+usatoday-NewsTopStories+%2528News+-+Top+Stories%2529&utm_content=Google+Re
ader> Debt stress could be the Grinch this
Christmas<http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/34112581/ns/business-retail/> Why
U.S. GDP Will Decline in
Q4<http://seekingalpha.com/article/174809-why-u-s-gdp-will-decline-in-q4>
The Dow at 4000? Don't Laugh, It Could Easily
Happen<http://seekingalpha.com/article/174763-the-dow-at-4000-don-t-laugh-it-
could-easily-happen> Golf courses suffer as recession deals a
bogey<http://www.latimes.com/news/nation-and-world/la-fi-golf22-2009nov22,0,1
546546.story> Ron Paul: Fed will self destruct when it destroys the
dollar<http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/282591>
=============================================================================
=========