Nano Weapons of Mass Destruction?

Disarmament Diplomacy advocates an Inner Space Treaty.

The incentive for an adversary to pursue the military application of atomic engineering - either on a battlefield or on a massively destructive scale - may, ironically, be increased by the evident enthusiasm of the US military for the new possibilities. As with other advanced technologies, the defensive and offensive utility of nanotechnology is hard to distinguish; from an adversary's point of view, it may even be dangerous to try. Here, for instance, is a recent news story on 'nanoarmour' for US troops:

"The Massachusetts Institute of Technology plans to create military uniforms that can block out biological weapons and even heal their wearers as part of a five-year contract to develop nanotechnology applications for soldiers, the US Army announced... MIT won the $50 million contract to create an Institute for Soldier Nanotechnologies, or ISN. The ISN will be staffed by around 150 people, including 35 MIT professors... The unique lightweight materials that can be composed using nanotechnology will possess revolutionary qualities that MIT says will help it make a molecular 'exoskeleton' for soldiers. The ISN plans to research ideas for a soft - and almost invisible - clothing that can solidify into a medical cast when a soldier is injured or a 'forearm karate glove' for combat, MIT said. Researchers also hope to develop a kind of molecular chain mail that can deflect bullets. In addition to protecting soldiers, these radically different materials will have uses in offensive tactics, at least psychologically. 'Imagine the psychological impact upon a foe when encountering squads of seemingly invincible warriors protected by armour and endowed with superhuman capabilities, such as the ability to leap over 20-foot walls,' ISN director Ned Thomas said in a release."

Amazing. I'm not prepared to comment on this yet. Stay tuned.

Technology - Who's In Control?

The introduction of most new technologies goes something like this. First the technology is developed behind closed doors. Then the public is excited and won over with breathless pronouncements of wondrous advances and life-improving panaceas. After this, and only afterwards, regulatory regimes are set up and adapted to fit an already packaged product. Given the investments made in developing the technology, it is impossible to re-design it...even when potentially deleterious social or ecological effects have been identified. Already, nanotechnology has reached stage two: L’oréal adverts promise consumers more youthful skin thanks to new ‘nanosomes’; they neglect to mention the possibility that nanoparticles could enter our bloodstream or vital organs.

Also visit the Center For Genetics and Society for more on human genetics in the public interest, and The WorldWatch Institute on our Toxic Legacy and efforts to stop the reckless and largely unregulated introduction of new industrial chemicals into the environment.

U.S. Constitution -- Article I, Section 4, Clause 1

Clause 1: The Times, Places and Manner of holding Elections for Senators and Representatives, shall be prescribed in each State by the Legislature thereof; but the Congress may at any time by Law make or alter such Regulations, except as to the Places of chusing Senators.

USA Today Calls For Instant Runoff Voting!

There is a better way: instant runoffs. Instead of voting for just one candidate, voters rank their preferences for candidates from first to last. If no one receives a majority of first-choice votes, the last-place candidate is eliminated and the second choices from those ballots are added to the totals for the remaining candidates. The process continues until one candidate emerges with a majority. Ireland and Australia have used the system in national elections, and it has been adopted in parts of Great Britain.

Now, I realize that the USA Today isn't a paragon of political wisdom, but it is mainstream. So don't even start with the "pie-in-the-sky" arguments. IRV is a great system, less expensive, and supports third parties who are trying to serve the political market. Let's free the market of politics in this country, end the tired defense of the suffocating and dissatisfying two-party system, and try to make democracy more responsive to citizens who want a stake in governing.

We routinely have the lowest voter turnout for elections among modernized democratic nations. We should work to change this, and quit denying that our restrictive two-party system is a factor in explaining this embarassing reality. Americans care...give them real choices.

International Criminal Court To Investigate Dictators' Secret Bank Accounts

TI [Transparency International], together with Global Witness and the Publish What You Pay coalition, is arguing for international regulators such as the Securities and Exchange Commission in the US to require oil, gas and mining companies to publish taxes, fees, royalties and other payments made to each host government as a condition for being listed on international stock exchanges and financial markets. Relying on voluntary corporate disclosure has failed because companies fear discrimination by host countries if they breach confidentiality clauses. For instance, BP's ambitions to "publish what you pay" in Angola drew threats of concession termination from the Angolan state oil company Sonangol.

SARS: China's Political About-Face On Openness?

Are China's new leaders really committed to taking responsibility and being accountable to the people, as promised?

But in spite of a generally positive response by Beijing citizens toward the dismissals, there were several questions over whether the government's response to the Sars crisis will prove a mere aberration.

Some commentators noted that the government's new-found transparency - after five months of downplaying the threat and restricting news reporting of it - was more likely precipitated by the loss of international kudos than by any desire to do right by the man in the street.

I'll believe it when I see it. More of it. Remember, China has the Olympics. They better show they deserve it, and that they are prepared to be a good citizen in the world community.

Shhh...SARS Threat To Front-Line Health Workers...Possibly World...Keep It Quiet Though...It'll Kill Tourism

Here is an interesting piece by Peter Cameron, professor of emergency medicine at Prince of Wales Hospital, Hong Kong, in today's Sydney Morning Herald.

I tried to remember the last time influenza had put 250 health care workers into hospital, with 20 per cent of them in an ICU. I tried to remember the last time all the ICU beds in a city had been filled by influenza cases. As far as I was concerned, these "experts" had clearly missed the point...

...in Hong Kong, I believe the authorities were initially very keen to keep the public in the dark. This was followed by an attempt to blame the hospital (and staff) for allowing the disease to spread. Initially, for fear of creating pandemonium, no moves were made to educate the public about preventive measures. We tried, through official channels, to get these messages out; unfortunately, most officials seemed to me to be more concerned with protecting the economy and preventing panic than containing disease. Unfortunately, this response seems to have been the typical one in other jurisdictions as well...

...although the Hong Kong Government has since adopted widespread public health measures, at the time of writing it still maintains that there is no crisis. I do not agree; there is no obvious end in sight. More and more of the public are becoming infected. There is a high likelihood that more health care workers will be struck down. It is distinctly possible that if the numbers of affected patients continue to rise the whole public health system may collapse. The most likely pressure point will be the intensive care setting: with more than 100 cases already requiring intensive care, it is inevitable that untrained staff will have to manage critically ill patients. Also, hospitals will have to triage patients, allocating intensive care beds and technology to those most likely to benefit before those with a lesser or low chance of survival.

This "keenness" to keep the public in the dark does seem disturbing. Though you certainly don't want to spread panic unnecessarily, to restrict vital information regarding health and wellness, if not life and death, for economic reasons borders on the criminal. Every one of these cases should be aggressively investigated by relevant law enforcement authorities. Toronto is angry that they've put on a watch list, and that they'll lose tourist and convention dollars. I hope they're weighing the possible effects and ramnifications of their denials and the spread of this disease too. If they're right, more power to them. But if they're wrong, and ignoring the reality of the situation, and people still come to Toronto and end up spreading this disease far and wide, then Toronto will be share responsibility either civilly or criminally.

Calls For Electoral Reform Increase

All over the country, concerned citizens are calling for electoral reform in America. Even the mainstream media and major outlets are starting to pick up this theme. Every day I will link to a different article or case for reform, and toss in some analysis and rah rah stuff. Today I'm going to skip the analysis, and just give you the link - this one pretty much speaks for itself.

Let's start with the appalling lack of debate in Congress over the Bush administration's dramatic shift to the concept of pre-emptive warfare. That was preceded by the inadequate response to the Enron energy scandals, just the tip of an iceberg of ongoing deregulation and subsidies to corporate interests. Combined with the complete absence of African Americans and Latinos in the U.S. Senate, the stalling of women's representation in Congress, the muted response to the presidential election debacle in Florida, and the history of duplicitous, poll-driven campaigns where winning candidates change their spots right after the election, it's no surprise that government is dangerously adrift from the needs and desires of average Americans. The resulting cynicism and resignation contribute to the United States having the lowest voter participation among well-established democracies...

...when progressives link this reality to elections, it usually is through the lens of campaign finance reform, just as 15 years ago it was focused on voter registration. But at this point the failures of American democracy are so much greater and more fundamental. Reducing the impact of money on politics and increasing voters on the rolls are both critically important, but they are just two pieces of a much larger and desperately needed enterprise...

...an energized democracy demands, at minimum, diverse representation, meaningful choices across the political spectrum, full participation before and after elections, robust public debate, efficient election administration, and accurate voting machines. Voters must hear from a range of candidates, have a reasonable chance of electing their preferred representatives instead of the "lesser of two evils," and feel that they are electing a responsive government that makes a positive difference in their lives.

Rebuilding Iraq -- The Contractors

Courtesy of The Center For Responsive Democracy. Informative. Also see this spreadsheet for these contractors' political contributions since 1999.

Exxon Mobil Being Investigated For Bribery In Kazakhstan

The U.S. is investigating whether Exxon Mobil Corp. participated in a scheme to route $78 million in payments from U.S. and European oil companies to the Swiss bank accounts of Kazakhstan's president and others.

A retired senior executive of the former Mobil Oil Corp. and a New York businessman have been indicted in federal court in Manhattan in the three-year investigation. Experts say it is far from inevitable that Exxon Mobil itself will be indicted under the 1977 U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, which bars U.S. companies from bribing foreign officials to obtain a deal. But, they say, the company will have to persuade prosecutors that its indicted former executive was a renegade, and that it did everything it could within reason to comply with the antibribery law.

I bet that's pennies on the dollar compared to what our government was throwing around to gain allies and bases in the War on Iraq (not to mention the War on Terror). I guess it would be asking too much for President Bush to declare a War on Corruption? Am I the only one who's getting sick of the rampant and seemingly standard level of corruption in "civilized" society at large?

Young People: Low Tolerance Of Corruption

...cites the case of a young whistle blower in which a supervisor, who had embezzled company funds, attempted to offer monetary rewards to a young subordinate to hush the matter up. The subordinate had not only refused the offer but reported the case to the ICAC.

This does not surprise Les Higgins - Director of Analysis at Risk Values: "Young people adopt stronger ethical and moral philosophical positions that their elders. I'm talking about the big issues, like corruption, war, the environment, etc. That's not to say that youngsters don't get involved in crime - but it tends to be much more opportunistic or adrenalin (or other chemical) based stuff - or they get brought up in a criminal/violent culture and simply mirror the behaviour of their elders."

U.S. Sugar Industry Threatens World Health Organization

The sugar industry in the United States is threatening to bring the World Health Organisation to its knees by asking Congress to stop funding the body unless it scraps guidelines on healthy eating due to be published tomorrow.

The threat is described by WHO insiders as tantamount to blackmail and worse than any pressure by the tobacco lobby.

This is outrageous. Do not skip this article. The Bush Administration must take a stand on this, whether it likes it or not. This kind of black eye is a blow to American integrity we can hardly afford.

What Regime Change is Donald Rumseld Not In Favor Of?

Other than here in America of course. Now it's North Korea. He's not alone. Our commander of forces over there, General Leon LaPorte, also weighs in. Can't say I disagree with these guys, but how do we do it? Compared to Saddam, this is the major leagues in terms of ground combat.

Free Mike Hawash?

The Microsoft programmer who is jailed without charges or bail because of the Patriot Act writes a letter. I don't know all the facts, but I sure hope there is good cause for this. This may sound naive, but the man sounds legit. Read the letter. Then get the facts.

On Thursday, March 20, 2003, our friend and colleague Maher (Mike) Hawash was arrested ("detained") as a "material witness" by the FBI and the Joint Terrorism Task Force in the parking lot of Intel Corp's Hawthorne Farms offices. Simultaneously, FBI agents in bulletproof vests and carrying assault rifles awoke Mike's wife Lisa and their three children in the home, which they proceeded to search. Since then, Mike has been held without charge in the Federal Prison at Sheridan, OR. All proceedings in his case are secret.

Sigh...the Patriot Act.

Memefest 2003

As a “festival or radical communication”, Memefest sets out to explore the power that our disseminated ideas memes have to spin the social fabric. By encouraging the creation and dispersion of beneficial memes, we hope that we may bring some balance back into a brand-crazy world.

Go Beyond!

Go See The United Nations Take On Post-War Iraq

Lots of information and links!

The Iraq War And Global Public Health

Go check out this article by Howard Markel.

"But as a physician, I am almost frantic about how the war and its aftermath will affect the health of the people of Iraq. And, by extension, I am gravely concerned about the spread of those problems to other countries in the region — and those seemingly far away."

It's On

2004 will go down as the biggest election in decades. The excitement and passion will be palpable. With that in mind, as Lisa English suggests, go big. Address all the little cuts of corruption that damage and divide us, and weave them into a vision of reform and change that will make peoples' hearts drop.

"I can't believe it's actually happening..." will be the initial reaction of most, and then once that love and hope builds, and hatred and fear diminish, it will be unstoppable. Hearts and minds will race to the glorious finish.

It's time to take back our country, and our power. Change is in the air, the real kind, and not the empty kind of election promises. By building a true American coalition and championing freedom, democracy and American ideals, our momentum will build, and almost any suggestion become possible if it synchronizes with the theme of taking back democracy and integrity and slaying corruption, secrecy and deceit.

I'll be there the whole time to help rile things up. I hope all of you will be too.

*****

From Lisa English:

Change happens when we're not so petrified of losing, that we actually get into the ring and beat the crap out of the opponent. Let me tell you something: you be loud and brash and Right On, and EVEN the corporate media will cover your ass. You be milquetoast and centrist and a facsimile of the Right, and you'll be ignored.

Let's be Rocky Balboa and take the fight to Republiclubber Lang!

*****

Also, Cowboy Kahlil has some excellent analysis and impressive graphics on the geographic battle for 2004.

the boy with no arms

in my
dream I'm
reaching out
to assure him
it'll be alright
we'll fix it
but I can't
and my
heart
falls and
the tears
come and
this brave
little guy
tries
to hug me
and falls
to tears
of his own
because
he can't

Responsive Democracy Is Not A Pipe Dream

For your perusal...1) Electoral College, 2) Former Bush Advisor On Proportional Representation (Prop Rep), 3) Women and Full Representation, 4) Cynthia Mckinney On Prop Rep, 5) FAQ On Prop Rep, 6) The Case For Prop Rep, 7) Election Post-Mortem, 8) Is Nader Right?, 9) Why Nader Not To Blame (Alternet), 10) Only Gore Costs Gore Election (Analysis Before Election), and finally some fascinating analysis by Paul H. Ray called The New Political Compass.

I am not a Green. Strictly independent. However, I advocate more responsive government, more responsible government, electoral reform, lifetime political registration, same-day registration, making Election Day a national holiday...whatever it takes! Politics in America sucks right now people, and you know it. The cult of personality and corporate platform and media takeover have gone far enough. America is about freedom and democracy first, before any other consideration. Unfortunately, issues get shunted aside to woo the key swing vote and otherwise all you hear is two parties campaigning on their hatred of each other. On how evil each are and a threat and danger to America. Enough already...it's tawdry. You hear the same trash from both sides. We look worse and worse every year, and it's got to stop. Am I the only one who's fed up? Anybody else ready to bust out a raincheck from 2004 and cash in some long overdue "promise of change" IOU's?

Mission Statement Of Freedom Century - To America

Follow the link to the Project Freedom archive, and read why I started this whole blogging business in the first place...scroll down to "To America". It's almost been a month now, and it's been very engaging and a lot of fun.

Also, don't miss my take on the Patriot Act(s). Reason, compassion, responsibility, and integrity in American affairs...we can do this!

Post-War Oil Management Should Bolster Rights, Benefit Iraqis

Human Rights Watch calls for transparency and accountability in the post-war management of the Iraqi oil industry, in order to meet "humanitarian needs and ensure respect for human rights".

Also from Human Rights Watch, U.S. sidesteps charges Of mistreating Afghan detainees, possibly risking "legitimizing practices that are legally prohibited".

Howard Dean Confronts President Bush

In this editorial on Common Dreams, where he takes on the Bush docrine.

The people of this country must understand that this Administration has a far different concept of the role of America in the world. This concept involves imposing our will on sovereign nations. This concept involves dismantling the multilateral institutions that we have spent decades building. And this concept involves distorting the rule of law to suit their narrow purposes. When did we become a nation of fear and anxiety when we were once known the world around as a land of hope and liberty?

And confronts the man himself and his domestic doctrine...

This President shamelessly divides us from one another. He divides us by race – as he did when he claimed that the University of Michigan uses quotas in its law school admissions. He divides us by class by rewarding his campaign donors with enormous tax cuts while the rest of us are deprived of affordable health care, prescription drugs for our seniors, and good schools for our kids. He divides us by gender by seeking to restrict reproductive choice for women. He divides us by sexual orientation by appointing reactionary judges to the bench, and as he did in Texas by refusing to sign the Hate Crimes bill if it included gay or lesbian Americans as potential victims.

Will Howard Dean get the chance to champion his stance as being "a social liberal and a fiscal conservative" in 2004? It remains to be seen.

Despairing Globally, Hoping Locally

Marjorie Kelly muses on corporate purpose legislation...

Beneath the radar of mainstream awareness, something remarkable is arising. It’s a promising new path for systemic corporate reform, not at the federal or international level, but at the state level. This may be the last place we think to look for corporate reform. But it should be the first, since it is states that charter corporations and have the power to redefine the terms of their existence.

This is a highly interesting theory...to implement corporate reform at the state level in direct opposition to the trend towards the WTO, which is definitely a move away from democracy and civil participation.

Fundamental change may be coming within reach. In California – where the state legislature is controlled by Democrats – corporate purpose legislation was introduced Feb. 21 by Senate Majority Whip Richard Alarcon (ACCENT OVER O) (D-San Fernando Valley). While current law says directors must maximize profits for shareholders, Alarcon’s Good Corporate Citizen bill (SB 917) says companies may not do so at the expense of the environment, human rights, the public health, the community, or the dignity of employees. The attorney general could bring civil action against violators. Under certain conditions, directors would be personally liable.

It’s hard to overstate how profoundly this could change corporate behavior. Instead of rubber-stamping whatever actions fatten the bottom line – keeping a dirty power plant open, or laying off 10,000 – directors would be asking about impact on employees and the public good. They’d be trying to avoid social harm, because their own pocketbooks would be at risk.

Alarcon says his bill may not pass in a single session. “Most significant changes in American law take some time,” he said. “But the discussion is as important as the end product.”

The question remains whether this would be the best long-term solution to the problem, and how it would be viewed through the lens of classical free market economic theory. Not that approval would have to be forthcoming, just how would such a change of economic policy be explained in terms of economics and politics.

I just discovered this movement towards corporate purpose legislation, and will be reporting back on it frequently, as well as exploring its philosophical, political, and economic implications.

American-Style Democracy

Don't miss this Flash cartoon by Mark Fiore over at Mother Jones.

Cluster Bomb Use In Populated Areas Condemned

Disturbing accusations by Human Rights Watch:

“U.S. commanders should never use cluster munitions in populated areas,” said Kenneth Roth, executive director of Human Rights Watch. “These are wholly inappropriate weapons when civilians are around. The reported use of cluster munitions in Baghdad is a serious charge and the Pentagon must respond publicly to it.”

Newsday’s reporter provided Human Rights Watch with a photograph he had taken inside a building in what he described as a clearly residential neighborhood well inside Baghdad. Human Rights Watch identified an unexploded cluster submunition in the photograph from either a ground-based Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS) or an artillery projectile. The damage to the surrounding walls and floor were also consistent with a cluster munition strike. Human Rights Watch has previously reported that, according to The Pentagon’s own data, these particular submunitions have an especially high failure rate.

This is damning stuff. What were we thinking using this stuff? Was it really necessary? It's almost shocking when considering the seeming ease of victory. Did the cluster bombs have such a signifigant bearing on this that they had to be used? Shock and awe warfare indeed.

This is the first confirmed instance of U.S. use of cluster munitions in Baghdad or other highly populated areas. There have been many unconfirmed allegations of use of both air-dropped and surface-delivered cluster munitions in urban areas by the United States and the United Kingdom. Most notably, some press accounts attributed the deaths of scores of civilians near the village of Hilla in central Iraq on April 1 to U.S. cluster bombs, but the facts have not been established.

Dangerous Liaisons In The Oil Industry

In a new Forbes article, Daniel Fisher takes a look at some of the truly indefensible alliances the oil industry strikes up with corrupt elites around the world.

...is unapologetic about making deals with regimes that lean toward the diabolical. It's the price of securing oil supplies for U.S. consumers, he says. All he can do is ensure that ExxonMobil doesn't violate the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act by directly bribing officials of other governments. (Congress passed that law in 1977 after spectacular revelations--including the fact that Exxon's Italian unit had paid out $50 million to labor unions and political parties in the 1960s and early 1970s.) "Resisting corruption at all levels and in every country is the standard of this outfit, and once people understand that, it's amazing how you don't have to deal with it very much," Raymond says. Noting the reporter's raised eyebrows, he adds, "You do get some projects stolen away, but my reaction is: If that's the way it is, that's the way it is."

There is a ton of information in this expose. Be sure to check it out.

Thoughts Of An American Stooge Have Shiites Seething

Check out this embedded report from the New Zealand Herald.

They are not interested in General Jay Garner, the rumbustious former missile contractor, who - 240km further down the Euphrates - was chairing the first meeting of selected Iraqi opposition groups. Objecting to his role, the largest Shiite party, the Iran-based Supreme Council for the Revolution in Iraq, refused to go to the event.

And they have nothing good to say about Ahmed Chalabi, the Iraqi businessman, convicted fraudster and favourite of the Pentagon hawks. After decades in exile, he was last week spirited into Nasiriyah by United States forces, where he has since formed his own militia.

This doesn't bode well for democracy so far...

"Iraq has to be run by people from Iraq - people who lived in Iraq and not from the outside," said one of the crowd, Favel Mohammed Roda, a fiery-eyed man in a long white robe. "And then Americans must get out." The others all shouted agreement.

It is a message that has to be taken seriously. Iraq's Shiite community is seething ominously.

It is consumed by fears about its place in the new Iraq. Being the majority, the Shiites talk hopefully of democracy, but are haunted by suspicions that conspiracies are afoot to split their ranks.

This article is a must read. Follow the link, check it out. We are going to have many problems in helping to establish a democracy if we can't get the Shiites involved. Ignoring them is not a realistic option. I sure hope a plan has been drawn up for this contingency. I can't see how it can be considered unexpected.

Iraqi Academic Prefers "Saddam Hussein to the people who proclaim themselves leaders without a real election"

Two close associates of the head of the Iraqi National Congress, Ahmad Chalabi, proclaimed themselves leaders of the interim local government in Baghdad today.

I'm going to be very cynical about this. Why? The headline quote above is from an academic who attended the "election". The information is in the story.

Zubeidi said he had been chosen "by the citizens" for the post of interim government leader of Baghdad and told reporters he had been "advised" by the US 101st Airborne Division after returning to Iraq in the wake of the military action after 30 years' exile.

But he was quickly interrupted by an academic, Kamal Saab, who said he objected to the INC officials' summary appointment, adding he "preferred Saddam Hussein to the people who proclaim themselves leaders without a real election".

Let's hope that this is a temporary condition. In Afghanistan, we installed Karzai, who previously worked as an oil contractor. Now we have Chalabi and his men, and, as I detailed in a post yesterday, Chalabi has been meeting and promising oil deals since before the war started. So we're not doing a great job of dispelling the rumors that this is only about oil. I'm upset we didn't come clean about the true reasons for this war, which increasingly seem to be those embodied in the Project For A New American Century.

Deceiving And Distorting The News For War

Do not miss Spinsanity's latest on our tawdry media reporting of the war. Also, we should all campaign to get more copies of Sam Keen's Faces of the Enemy in print and ready to ship!

Beware, first reviewer of Faces of the Enemy has the same problem (selective quoting, overly simplistic rendering) of which Spinsanity regularly speaks against, and a clear chip on his shoulder.

Be sure to add Disinfo's Daily Webscan to your web crawl.

The New Great Game

This article, from The Ecologist, has been tossed around for awhile now, but I figured it still has timely value. Chalabi was already assuring oil deals at press time?

It is not difficult to imagine that a regime installed in Baghdad by US forces would favour US firms in the allotment of drilling concessions. Ahmed Chalabi, the leader of the dubious CIA-backed opposition movement the Iraqi National Congress, has already met with managers of ExxonMobil and ChevronTexaco. Talking to The Washington Post, Chalabi said: ‘US companies will get a big shot at Iraqi oil.’ This blatant favouritism worries BP, which pioneered the discovery of petrol in Iraq in the early 20th century. BP head Lord Browne speculated that if the Blair government did not actively support regime change in Iraq, British oil companies would lose out to their US competitors.

And in an accompanying passage at the conclusion of the article...

1. James Woolsey, CIA Director from 1993 to 1995, and US Senator Richard G Lugar:

‘ Oil is a magnet for conflict. The problem is simple: everyone needs energy, but the sources of the world’s transportation fuel are concentrated in relatively few countries. Well over two thirds of the world’s remaining oil reserves lie in the Middle East (including the Caspian basin), leaving the rest of the world dependent on the region’s collection of predators and vulnerable autocrats. This unwelcome dependence keeps US military forces tied to the Persian Gulf, forces foreign policy compromises, and sinks many developing nations into staggering debt as they struggle to pay for expensive dollar-denominated oil with lower-priced commodities and agricultural products. In addition, oil causes environmental conflict. The possibility that greenhouse gases will lead to catastrophic climate change is substantially increased by the 40 million barrels of oil burned every day by vehicles. ’
Source: Foreign Affairs Jan/Feb 1999

When are we ever going to start taking these admonitions and warnings to start thinking sustainably seriously? We probably could have engineered an energy R&D revolution with the dollars we'll end up spending in Iraq. Knocking out Saddam by irrelevance would have been so much sweeter.

*****

The bill is now up to $20 billion and counting...

With Random Acts Of Guerrilla Nakedness

The Seattle Post-Intelligencer profiles the Body Freedom Cooperative and their tactics of "guerilla pranksterism".

Recently, co-founder Mark Storey and two unidentified members of this revolutionary group—whose goal is “to bring clothing-free opportunities on public lands closer to the people of the cities”— went skinny-dipping at the King County park system’s H.Q. Since then, the organization has plotted other scenarios in which they will literally be “caught with their pants down” in order to promote greater public access to nudity. Possible future events include: “a ‘mass nude photo shoot’ at Washington Arboretum,” naked citizens “cleaning up graffiti” on the street, and a “trilogy of [Fringe Festival] plays” highlighting not only the nudist experience, but also “nude ushers and ticket takers, too.”

From Utne Online.

Support Robert Scheer, A Patriot

By checking out his latest on the untidiness of American foreign policy. Rush and his fedayeen have been barnstorming the LA Times with editorials villifying Mr. Scheer, so let's all help him out. Email a letter to the editor.

Get To Know Jacques Chirac

Read his lips over at the The Globalist.

Protest Malicious Hacking Of Arab And Foreign News Web Sites

Computer Professional For Social Responsibility issued a statement, which to my knowledge got no play anywhere, to protest the targeting of Arab media by hackers.

"Whether you are a supporter or critic of the Bush Administration's foreign policy," said Hans Klein, CPSR's Chairman, "all Americans should decry any attempt to restrict the ability of our citizens to have free access to news and information from around the globe." Calling such actions reminiscent of "cyber-terrorism," Klein noted that that Americans are visiting foreign sites in huge numbers for news on the war, according to a study by the Pew Internet & American Life Project released Tuesday. "Technologists should be especially concerned when some entities try to impose their own political views on the Internet by interfering with the right of both private and public press agencies around the world to speak on the vital issues affecting the world peace."

I agree. War and revolutions should be televised, reported and blogged.

MTV The Latest To Refuse AdBusters' TV Turnoff Week Ad

Scheduled for April 21-27. One can only wonder why, but Ad Busters isn't happy...

MTV is now the latest station to reject our anti-TV message - and dump free speech in the name of keeping those corporate ad dollars coming.

They saw our simple, quarter-minute clip asking viewers to give their TV a rest and said no. Now it's your turn to call MTV and let them know you want to keep the airwaves free for all: call 1-212-258-8000.

Meanwhile, CNN has agreed to take our cash. Yes, we still need at least $5,000 to get two 15-second spots onto the air. Whatever you give will bring TV Turnoff that much closer to a nationwide buzz.

Here's one guy who's guessing that MTV figures their audience might actually be impressionable enough to do it.

American Occupational Hazards

Karin von Hippel of Open Democracy explains the hazards of post-war military occupation of Iraq.

The US administration led by President Bush came to office in January 2001 with an attitude of scorn towards the ‘nation-building’ efforts of its immediate predecessor. It is therefore a supreme irony that President George W. Bush is now embracing plans for a US military governor to run Iraq, in a way that is reminiscent of General Douglas MacArthur in post-1945 Japan.

In defining Bush’s security strategy at the start of his administration, Condoleezza Rice wrote (in Foreign Affairs, January/February 2000):

“The president must remember that the military is a special instrument.
It is lethal, and it is meant to be. It is not a civilian police force. It is not a political referee.
And it is most certainly not designed to build a civilian society.”

Ouch. That doesn't play well anymore. And there's more...

The avoidance of any manifest US occupation of Iraq is crucial to thwart what could otherwise become a successful recruitment campaign by al-Qaida. Such an occupation would serve to enrage Islamic extremists, while humiliating moderate Muslims, and increase anti-Americanism in many parts of the world. A UN-led, Nato-controlled, administration in Iraq – backed by a serious US-commitment, would remove that perception.

The Washington Post of 26 February 2003 retrieved a criticism of Al Gore by his rival candidate on the very eve of the presidential elections of November 2000. George W. Bush then declared: “Let me tell you what else I’m worried about: I’m worried about an opponent who uses nation building and the military in the same sentence”.

Double ouchie!

Be sure to read the whole article.

Looting, Lawlessness and Humanitarian Consequences

I know it's "old news" now, but this is worth reading. From Amnesty International, a damning assessment of our performance, or lack of, in maintaining order in Iraq.

Widespread looting and arson. Lawlessness and reprisal attacks. Water shortages and power cuts. Overwhelmed and ransacked hospitals. Disorder hampering humanitarian relief agencies. This is the grim reality facing millions of Iraqi civilians in areas newly under the control of US/UK forces. As one Iraqi told a BBC reporter on 10 April, "No authority now. No law now. No anything. Thieves anywhere."

US and UK authorities were repeatedly warned before the conflict by Amnesty International and others that there was a grave risk of widespread disorder, humanitarian crisis and human rights abuses, including revenge attacks, once the Iraqi government's authority was removed. Now that US/UK forces are occupying substantial parts of Iraq, they must live up to their specific responsibilities under international human rights and humanitarian law to protect the rights of Iraqi people.

Also from Amnesty, a call to ensure justice and accountability for human rights abuses in Iraq.

Amnesty International stresses that the UN has recognized expertise and authoritativeness in this field. As such, the UN should play the leading role in developing proposals for reforming the Iraqi criminal justice system and could recommend transitional and complementary approaches in the meantime, regardless of the arrangements made for governing Iraq.

"Proposals for using US or UK tribunals are undesirable, since they risk being perceived as victors' - justice. Certain proposals such as the use of US military commissions, which are not even courts, would be grossly unfair under international law," Amnesty International emphasized.

Possible transitional approaches under consideration include an international ad hoc tribunal and a mixed tribunal. Existing approaches including universal jurisdiction, could make an important contribution, and a regional tribunal should be examined. Amnesty International's report discusses the strengths and weaknesses of the various approaches under consideration.

Stay tuned.

The US Media and Global Respect

Stephan Richter over at The Globalist wonders how long, in the age of "embedded" reporters, the American media will retain its global respect?

"U.S. media organizations are simply larger and better financed than those from nearly all other countries. But that material superiority does not translate into more meaningful — or better — journalism.

Too many U.S. media endeavor to achieve little more than to ratify the consensus.

All it really adds up to is more channels and other media outlets that need to be filled with more material.

Witness the near-identical coverage of the war on numerous U.S. cable news channels, as well as on the major networks. The pressures of filling more hours can become oppressive — and result in journalism losing its teeth."

Media reform. Now.

*****

Also in Welcome To A Fractured World, Gary Hufbauer ponders, "Without a security alliance as its rudder, can the world economic order be kept on course?"

Let's hope so. I know our president does.

Homer's Odyssey

I'd like to take this class in Berkeley, where they use 'The Simpsons' to discuss philosophy.

"Lest anyone think this is a course that academically challenged jocks seek for easy credits to stay eligible for football, Shores quizzed the students on (a) their knowledge of philosophic principles; and (b) "The Simpsons." The majority of those accepted were upperclassmen with majors ranging from philosophy to economics to English literature."

Smart Heuristics...Or How Humans Learn To Live With Uncertainty

Gerg Gigerenzer waxes eloquent in this essay...

"There is a nice story that illustrates the whole conflict: A famous decision theorist who once taught at Columbia got an offer from a rival university and was struggling with the question of whether to stay where he was or accept the new post. His friend, a philosopher, took him aside and said, "What's the problem? Just do what you write about and what you teach your students. Maximize your expected utility." The decision theorist, exasperated, responded, "Come on, get serious!"

Decisions can often be modeled by what I call fast and frugal heuristics. Sometimes they're faster, and sometimes they're more frugal. Deciding which of two jobs to take, for instance, may involve consequences that are incommensurate from the point of view of the person making the decision. The new job may give you more money and prestige, but it might leave your children in tears, since they don't want to move for fear that they would lose their friends. Some economists may believe that you can bring everything in the same common denominator, but others can't do this. A person could end up making a decision for one dominant reason.

We make decisions based on a bounded rationality, not the unbounded rationality of the decision maker modeled after an omniscient god. But bounded rationality is also not of one kind. There is a group of economists, for example, who look at the bounds or constraints in the environment that affect how a decision is made. This study is called "optimization under constraints," and many Nobel prizes have been awarded in this area. Using the concept of bounded rationality from this perspective you realize that an organism has neither unlimited resources nor unlimited time. So one asks, given these constraints what's the optimal solution?

There's a second group, which doesn't look at bounds in the environment but at bounds in the mind. These include many psychologists and behavioral economists who find that people often take in only limited information, and sometimes make decisions based on just one or two criteria. But these colleagues don't analyze the environmental influences on the task. They think that for a priori reasons people make bad choices because of a bias, an error, or a fallacy. They look at constraints in the mind."

We must reveal the mind in order to free it.

The Existentialist War

In a book review, Carlin Romano discusses, through the lens of George Cotkin's book Existential America, how we out existential the French in our liberation of Iraq.

"American existentialists, Cotkin wrote, shared some of the traditional anxiety and dread of European existentialism, but they did not "contentedly wallow in such despair." Instead, they often emphasized "the upside of existential freedom: the freeing from the shackles of tradition, the possibility of a more authentic existence, and the headiness that comes with the freedom to create and be creative."

In short, they bypassed what Cotkin describes very nicely in his conclusion as "the dead-end turn of existentialism" - nihilism. Summing up, Cotkin offers a kind of salute to what we might call 21st-century existentialism, American style: "To write, to act, to create, and to rebel after a century of totalitarianism and mass destruction, and in the face of new challenges, is to engage in existential transcendence, to erect a sculpture of human possibility, albeit out of the ashes of despair."

Let's do it.

The Cosmopolitan Illusion

Policy Review writer Lee Harris discusses Martha Nussbaum's essay "Patriotism and Cosmopolitanism"...

Is it wrong to teach our children to be patriotic? Or may we teach them to be a little patriotic, provided that we also teach them to value and respect the cultures of others? Should they be encouraged to be loyal to their own nation, or should they be taught that they are citizens of the world before all else?

Should education be preaching either of these?

Umberto Eco On Eternal Fascism

Meme Cauldron links to a thoughtful essay by Umberto Eco on Ur-Fascism and the many ways of looking at a blackshirt.

Added "Comments" Capability This Weekend...Feel Free!

General, is the war going well, or is the war going extremely well?

In the Guardian, Michael Wolff explains his controversial question to General Vincent Brooks: "I mean no disrespect, but what is the value proposition of these briefings. Why are we here? Why should we stay? What's the value of what we're learning at this million dollar press centre?"

The trouble begins. And, even though it was the question everyone wanted to ask, Wolff points out the hazards of actually asking a question like this live on international television...

"We had reached the point where reporters were interviewing other reporters in the most media scrutinised war ever fought. But even among the over-exposed, I was - because of the irritable question I'd asked at a daily briefing and over international television - on the verge of a special status: becoming the wise-ass of the war..."

Apparently, Rush Limbaugh and his crowd don't like a "wise-ass"...

"To his audience of 20 million - pro-war, military minded, Bush-centered, media-hating - lily white-Rush laid me out. I was not only a reporter, but one from New York magazine. "New York" resonated. It combined with "media" and suddenly, in the hands of Rush, I was as elitist and as pampered (fortunately nobody mentioned the Ritz) and as dismissive of the concerns of real Americans as, well, Rush's 20 million assume the media to be. Whereas Rush, that noted foot soldier, represented the military heartland."

We need more people like Michael Wolff in the media. If only to get Rush all riled up. Make sure to read the whole column, it's quite good.

9/11 & Government Secrecy Are Inhibiting The War Against Corruption

Over at Transparency International's online Global Corruption Report, I found this archived Financial Times article very telling...

"It has long been accepted that corruption undermines the legitimacy and stability of
governments in poor countries. But corruption is also a private sector phenomenon:
public servants and politicians are not alone in mis-using entrusted power for private
gain. With the corporate scandals at Enron and other US companies still playing out, it
is clearer than ever that corruption also puts at risk financial markets and institutions.

The good news, says the report, is that new technology has so improved flows of
information that the media and public are increasingly calling businesses and
politicians to account. Yet, particularly since September 11 2001, governments have
become less, not more, willing to share information.

Yes, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development agreed an
initiative to combat bribery of foreign public officials in 1997. But few cases are being
investigated. In most OECD member countries, the political will to prosecute major
bribery cases is lacking," the report concludes."

Is it just me, or is this kind of stuff never reported in our media? It's time to end the national obsession with the war in Iraq, and start noticing what's really going on.

Snap! You are now awaking...be aware and pay attention to the troubling world around you.

Buying The Judiciary?

Read this editorial from the Multinational Monitor.

"In 2000, the Chamber of Commerce and a host of business interests decided that they could buy state supreme court elections. That year, state supreme court candidates raised more than $45 million, according to the Brennan Center for Justice at New York University Law School, a 68 percent increase from 1998 and more than double the amount of 1994..."

There is much more damning information in the editorial. Obviously, this doesn't bode well for democracy and justice. MNM concludes by suggesting...

"The most sensible option -- for judicial elections perhaps even more than others -- is the clean money approach. This involves full public financing of candidates meeting minimal criteria to show that they have a breadth of support. While candidates are free to refuse public financing, those accepting public monies receive matching money to offset expenditures above a certain level by candidates opting out of the system. The calculations would take into account independent expenditures for the candidates. For the system to work most effectively, as the Brennan Center, which endorses it, points out, there should as well be vigorous disclosure laws, especially for independent expenditures, and dollar limits on individual, corporate and union contributions."

Eternal vigilance is required. We need to defend our institutions from those who seek to buy them.

Homeland Security Act...An Agenda For Secrecy?

Common Cause takes issue with abuse of the Homeland Security Act to shield corporate wrongdoers.

"Three major business coalitions championed a secrecy provision that essentially denies the public information about a wide range of health, safety and environmental problems that may occur at facilities such as chemical plants, nuclear power plants, utilities and other “critical infrastructure.” Between 1998 and June 30, 2002, those coalitions donated nearly $112 million to federal candidates and political parties, according to a Common Cause report on the subject.

“This is a textbook example of what happens when companies that invest millions of dollars in political donations and lobbying work together to achieve a legislative goal,” said Chellie Pingree, president of Common Cause. “Unfortunately, it’s the public that loses out.”"

I repeat. It's time for to fight hard for real campaign finance reform.

World Disarmament In Tatters?

"In fact, arms control advocates note, there is a particular irony to the war in Iraq: While U.S. forces pound Saddam Hussein in one of the most radical -- and expensive -- unilateral acts of disarming another country, the leading international forum for negotiating multilateral arms control agreements, the United Nations-affiliated Conference on Disarmament, is so frozen by disputes that it is unable even to agree on an agenda. Negotiations of crucial issues relating to nuclear materials, weapons in space and biological weapons are completely deadlocked.

'There is a lot of despair,' said Jayantha Dhanapala, undersecretary- general for disarmament affairs at the United Nations, who worked to extend the Non-Proliferation Treaty in 1995. 'There is a general feeling that the disarmament machinery is just not working.'"

The New Zealand Herald Wonders...

Will Bush invade Cuba next? The editors discount a larger war on tyranny...

"So in picking where the US might strike next there is no point in looking at other countries that would welcome freedom from tyranny. Zimbabwe and Kazakhstan, for example, are probably not on any White House liberation list. Nor are Pakistan, Burma or Algeria. The Bush Administration does not see any threat to US security from those countries as it says it did from Saddam Hussein's Iraq."

They further dismiss considerations only on WMD, since North Korea is sliding, and we seemed much more concerned with regime change anyway. So they eventually determine that maybe it's just about settling scores...

"It is possible that the President's now proven penchant for settling old scores will put Cuba next in his sights. Electoral considerations in Florida could support that target. And North Korea demands early scrutiny even if the Administration believes it is merely attention-seeking. But the most nervous country now must be Syria, accused last week of aiding Iraq's resistance. Syria provides a refuge for a number of terrorist groups operating in Israel and Lebanon. It does not appear to directly threaten the US but as Iraq has proved, the White House will be the sole judge of that."

Wow. That's quite a line up of possibilities. A war in Cuba to ensure Florida in 2004? I have to admit that thought never crossed my mind.

What it does tell me is the suspicion and conspiracy have gone too far. Too establishment. End the secrecy. It's clear we need to clean up politics in this country, implement true campaign finance reform, and get back to discussion and debate of issues, and not personalities and scandal. Otherwise, we might just get wagged right into Armageddon.

A Great Comic Example Of Cognitive Dissonance

Thanks to Cowboy Kahlil for the heads up.

Oh What A Relief It Is!

Congratulations to our men and women POW's and the individuals who rescued them! Let's wish them, and Jessica Lynch, a speedy and full recovery.

Another Peace Activist Is Shot By Israeli Sniper

I'm getting sickened by the continuous misdeeds of Israel. They have killed two Americans in the past month, and now have shot another British citizen in the face. His family is screaming pissed, and so am I. To my knowledge, Israel has shown no real remorse for these actions. This is unacceptable. Our tax dollars have gone to arming Israel. Where are you President Bush? At least speak up for Americans being killed by Israel.

The Looking Glass War?

An oversimplification? Yes. Instructive of the absurdity of our means to ends? Yes. To be missed? No.

Spying On The Spies

"I have no objection to these systems monitoring serious criminals and terrorists," said Glyn Ford, a British Labour Party member of parliament and a committee member of STOA. "But what is missing here is accountability, clear guidelines as to who they can listen to, and in what circumstances these laws apply."

Alliance For A New Humanity?

Seems like the urgency for humanitarian approaches to age-old problems is spreading...

Also, don't miss this guide on how to contribute towards the humanitarian effort in Iraq.

Don't Forget About Project Freedom

For more on the Patriot Acts and a mission statement to America on the struggle for freedom and against terror.

Chaos In Iraq...Are We Losing Victory?

Saddam Hussein was a weakling. His military had no chance against our vastly superior training, firepower, intelligence and technology. We knew this before the action started, and we've confirmed it. His removal is a welcome blow to tyranny and fascism. The other leaders of the Arab world will now have to stand up and take notice. Allow men and women to live free, or face the fury of the most powerful military force in the history of the world.

Only how strong is our moral case? Do our means reflect our ends? Take the state of affairs in Iraq. How could it not have been in the war plan to keep order and a sense of decency in Iraq after Saddam fell? I don't understand this short-sightedness. The chaos on the streets of Iraq is inexcusable. People are being robbed and killed, women are being raped, and the cultural artifacts and legal documents of Iraq being destroyed.

This is beyond untidiness. The name, word and integrity of America need to be upheld.

We Need To Stop The Takeover Of Iraqi Media Immediately

The action of putting American news on the TV in Iraq is just plain stupid. Imagine how this act will be played by the Muslim world. The keystone schlops are definitely in charge our our country and strategy. Instead of sabotaging our longer term strategy of winning the hearts and minds of the Islamic world, we should have been concerned with maintaining order and protecting the interests of the Iraqi man and woman in the suburbs and street. For now, I have nothing more to say on the matter.

Denial And Cognitive Dissonance (A Reappraisal)

Storytelling From The Margins

Imagine the vision of this short piece implemented through the global blog community. The liberation of the human mind and true democracy will happen in this century. Count on it.

A Coming Surveillance Nation?

At least one man is already fighting back against the spectre of Big Brother.

A Pleasant Find...Transparency.org

Excellent articles and other material, including a timely speech on The Dawning of a New Era of Accountability and Transparency.

Check it out.

Keeping The Focus On America...And Due To A Very Busy Day

I'll just leave some links to interesting insights on what we should be doing, and not doing, in the Homeland.

End Pork Barrel Politics In Military Spending...Our Security (And Economy) Depends On It!

Seymour Melman On The Grip Of The Permanent War Economy

Renewing America's Infrastructure

What Patriot II Proposes To Do

Quit Politicizing the CIA!

So You Wanna "Patriot" Act...

Congratulations To Our Troops! To The Iraqi People!

Well done, and good luck.

Next Up...Operation Stabilize Iraq, Operation Avoid Humanitarian Catastrophe, Operation Stand Up For American Freedom, and Operation Media Deconsolidate.

Wonder twins of reason and compassion, go!

So much history in the making...whew! Stay tuned for Fox News coverage...what's that...they're already warning of staying in Iraq too long?

Will they at least defend our freedom?

(crestfallen)

I guess not.

(tear)

We Want The Airwaves...Ruminate On This

Lisa English is ruminating again, this time about a turn to the left for the Democrats. What do you think? Lisa always tells it how it is, has hands down some of the best analysis in the blogosphere, and she's got me thinking about it. I don't know if it'll win though...

I'm not a Democrat, so who cares what I think anyway. I do support John Kerry right now though, scroll down to find out why. Does defending freedom ring a bell?

No matter what happens with the election, I think we need to make sure the Far Right gets a beatdown come 2004. I'll apologize to all conservatives upfront, but I just can't do the Far Right agenda. George, you didn't tell us it would be like this baby. No thanks.

Meanwhile, Avedon and Lisa are bringing the fire in the struggle to reclaim our media. We Want The Airwaves is hot out the gate and a great compendium of links, information and analysis in regards to freedom of information, thought and media. To that I've only one thing to say...

Yes!

*****

By the way kids, before you get any crazy ideas, I didn't vote for our cowboy-in-chief. I'll leave you guessing on that...

*****

And don't miss this on We Want The Airwaves. Seems like people from all parts of the spectrum are concerned about media consolidation...

Line In The Sand...Patriot Act Must Not Pass

I or II. Join in the discussion over at the Agonist.

Also, for my eve of war take on patriotism, freedom and the war on terror, check out Project Freedom. Only if you're ready for a few pages though. Such a case a blog post cannot make.

Forget About Superman For Awhile, And Send Some Prayers To The Underdogs

Will this boy ever have any kind of arms again? If Christopher Reeve might walk again some day...

*****

Conscience Check: here, here, here, and here in Afghanistan.

For the first time in years, tears fell from my eyes today. This is awful. We must follow through in Iraq. We cannot walk away...

All The More Reason Not To Trust The Corporate Media Business Interest

They are a business right? So we're supposed to trust them to not play up the war fever for fun and profit? I may sound jaded, but does anyone remember the tobacco companies? The concept of self-interest? Profits?

Can anyone give me any reason to trust a media corporation not to operate in its own self-interest and to maximize profits?

Is toxic sludge good for me?

Media diversity and distributed ownership are essential for the freedom of information and thought.

Let's not look back years from now and rue the day we allowed the creation of Big Media.

*****

In some cases, we need checks against self-interest, especially of the extremely large, more influential monopoly-style variety, as it effects others ability to pursue self-interests. Especially with the media, you're talking about a business that as part of the pursuit of its self-interest has an unprecedented platform to shape and influence the self-interest of others.

They spend googles on research, I know, and I've studied the relevant influence theory. The danger of 1984 is unchecked freedom of a core group's self-interest parlayed into the transformation of all other self-interest to its own.

*****

Not to mention the nature of the business itself, and the restricted medium with which to play. Whether it's bandwidth or transmission, the free market is already distorted in this industry.

Separation of Media and State! Separation of Media (Targeting) and War!

I will be commenting on this shortly. In a nutshell, we need to support media diversity, and remove any ties between media and government. The lies have to stop, and honest dialogue resume. The appearance of impropriety is bad enough.

National sunshine laws, and a constitutional amendment for the Freedom of Information is needed. The Act needs to be strengthened. Informed consent must be encouraged. Self-interest is our economic lifeblood, so along with it we need ethics and accountability mechanisms that work. Along with those, we need transparency, a window for the sun to shine through, so we can put the nagging conspiracies and distrust to bed. It does America no good, and keeps us from getting together on the most important challenges that face us today.

And last, the media should never be a target of war. Especially this one. Iraq is a weak power, and if we can't take them out without bombing media and doing other questionable targeting, then we should start taking names and asking questions about who's running things.

At the very least, we have targeted Iraqi TV and media, so don't give me the "it's an accident or in the crossfire mumbo jumbo". And regardless of your stance on this last point, focus on the Freedom of Information, sunshine nationwide, and poisonous effect of our media and conspiracy thought.

An Interesting Article On Democracy, Participation, and Decision Theory

War Strategy -- General Reverses "Armchair Generals" Complaint To Aim At Rumsfeld

Prime Minister Berlusconi Owns 92% Of Italian Media!

Things are so bad, members of Berlusconi's own party felt compelled to vote in secret, after previously voting publicly on a bill in Berlusconi's favor, to put voice to their opposition to his quest to control Italian media and politics. I'm not sure the NY Times could have hid the story in a better spot, but I at least credit them for printing the story. Berlusconi, who "owns the country's largest private television network and indirectly controls...public broadcasting channels", was angered by the action.

This seems very odd, even by today's standards. 17 members of Berlusconi's party come back in a secret vote to gut the legislation they publicly supported? Kafkaesque, and signalling troubling times in Italy.

Back here in America, we need to take a stand now against concentrated media ownership. The Senate debating it right now. What's next? Rupert Murdoch for president?

Check out the Center For Digital Democracy, We Want The Airwaves, Journalism.org, The Media Access Project, Reclaim The Media!, The ACME Coalition, and Media Channel for the latest media information, arguments and ownership figures.

Don't Hesitate...Go Check Out A True Patriot In Action!

Visit Tom over at Thinking It Through. You won't regret it. I don't, and read him regularly.

We Must Prevent This! Our Name Is On The Line!

A humanitarian and health crisis resulting in catastrophic death and suffering for Iraqis will lose the war for us in the world of public opinion. Plain and simple. We have to help, and to soberly assess the situation and what's possible, now! Before it's too late. Or all credibility will be lost...

The Intimidation Of The Free In The War For Iraqi Freedom Continues

Do not miss this article in the Rolling Stone. This behavior is unacceptable if taken anywhere beyond interviewing. The band Spearhead is clearly anti-war, and non-violent. Listen to the albums, and check the words and interviews of the artists, before riding wild tangents on nefarious visits to Japan. That's silly.

Are we trying to put as much shame on ourselves as possible, to make ourselves look as hypocritical and stupid as could possibly be? I hope not. That will definitely play negatively in 2004 and beyond, not to mention right now. This is the i (Information/Internet) generation...people won't forget. Tread carefully on freedom, or it'll be head down as you leave office.

Thanks Atrios.

Writing Textbooks For Iraq

Check out this article on the reeducation of Iraq. I'm still trying to gather information and take a position on this. In the meantime, we've got a discussion board going for it over at the Agonist.

A Slow Day...So Check These Out

I know Digby seems to be bogged down with traffic, but go check this out regardless. It's a great post. Also, check out Hesiod boiling in mojo over at his site. Hopefully, he doesn't go too far over the edge. Check out the comments at Hesoid's post, and contribute to the debate. Let's not let the polemics get out of control...

Also, check out this Slate article way back when on who's for and against the war, and why.

God Bless John Kerry...

...for standing up for American freedom. John Kerry is a man of the utmost integrity, a patriot and veteran, and has worked tirelessly on discovering the status of fellow American soldiers left behind in Vietnam.

In unison with Mr. Kerry, I say shame on those who seek to impugn an obvious and true patriot's integrity, stifle dissent, and scandalize freedom. The intimidation and hypocrisy need to stop.

Back off.

*****

Even back as far as 1971, John Kerry was standing up for his fellow Americans in battle.

*****

I will have much more to say on this matter this weekend. The current ugly mood and accusations in regard to lack of patriotism, and in voicing opposition to war, are beginning to divide this country. Shall we divide not only the world but ourselves? 100 years ago William James took a similar stand against U.S. military aggression, fear-mongering, and loyalty-questioning. Unfortunately, James was only a philosopher with a limited media platform, and one of a minority of voices speaking out against the war. After hearing John Kerry today, I believe he can defeat the dividers of America, and invite all Americans to enjoy freedom as well as security, independence and allegiance. I am a member of no party, but today John Kerry has my support.

In Case You Forgot...

...war demonstrations have almost always been about supporting the troops, our fellow Americans, friends and family members, in the sense of bringing them home sans a body bag, while the war is ongoing. The truly novel development in the past decade are the massive protests before the war starts. Remember Vietnam?

How long would it have continued, and how many more body bags manufactured, if not for domestic resistance?

Without taking a position on the merits, or on how you choose to support our troops, here I'm merely pointing out that it takes a truly interesting read of history to come up with the idea that anti-war protests are meant to stop once a war begins.

Reflect on this.

There's No Business Like War Business

We've dropped over 8,000 bombs in the liberation of Iraq, exhausting a sizable portion of our overall supply. Guess who stands to benefit?

On Arnett (Revisited)

Sometimes it takes nuance to flesh out the bones of a contentious issue, and the senator calling for treason charges against Arnett apparently doesn't have it. From both sides come ringing denunciations and praise, and much reflexing of muscles and knee jerk sloganeering. I will try to pick through these here and explain why Arnett was wrong...

We seemingly have two fundamental principles in opposition: proper conduct during wartime, and proper conduct and rights of reporters in regard to freedom of speech. We'll start with the latter.

Peter Arnett has every right to speak his mind on the progress of the war, regardless of whether these are widely shared by others or in other media, as an individual and as a reporter.

With that said, the controversy is not exclusively "what" Arnett said, in the sense of evaluating it in a vacuum. It's more than that. He certainly was not in a vacuum, but rather in the middle of a war, on Iraqi TV, and leaving the perception to an Iraqi audience of the effectiveness of armed resistance (ironically implying that this resistance strengthens the arguments of overwhelmingly non-violent anti-war protesters in America).

This brings us to the issue of conduct during war. The first rule is that you do not aid and abet the enemy during wartime, or you will face the charge of treason, and be in deep, deep trouble. This isn't the issue we're dealing with today, despite what the unfortunate Senator Bunning believes. Clearly, there is no "aiding" or "abetting" in Arnett's behavior, just a subjective analysis of the state of affairs. Malicious intent is clearly not evident.

There's a rule of common sense though that, during wartime, you don't do anything controversial, or that may get construed in a controversial fashion, or that may indirectly and unintentionally support the enemy, if you don't plan to face the fire, if you're not prepared for the predictable knee-jerk reaction, if you don't intend to weather the accusations that you are a big jerk, and either a nuisance or sympathizer. This is par for the course, and Arnett clearly did not think this through before acting.

He's in a gray area, and leaning to the wrong side of it. This is why he was fired. The knee-jerk network, Fox News, took his actions practically as treason, and were aggressively and cynically using that information to win their "war" against the other networks for ratings. Thus, they played the story and trumpeted the fact that Arnett worked for NBC and MSNBC nearly non-stop. NBC had no other available business choice in the matter.

For sound business reasons, and due to the severe misjudgement on his part of proper wartime conduct for reporters and Americans, along with disrespect and blatant disregard for his employers, Arnett was fired. For the latter alone his firing was justified. Arnett's excuse that he was working independently is spurious at best. The impact to those connected to him remains the same. The appearance of impropriety alone in directly speaking to the Iraqi people on their controlled media about the effectiveness of resistance and the reconsideration of our war plan is also enough reason for NBC to cut ties, and for Americans to seriously question his judgement.

I'll add though that many misapply this common-sense principle of "supporting the war effort" to meaning knee-jerk acceptance to whatever our leaders say and do, as if every citizen was in the line of command and actively engaged in combat under military rules. Thus, the ludicrous assertions from many that Americans protesting the war are unpatriotic and/or helping the enemy.

Quite to the contrary, these patriotic Americans who are protesting the war are not in uniform, are not speaking to Iraqis, or to get their attention, but to wake up their own fellow citizens, Americans, and to send a message to President Bush. They in many cases may also mistakenly believe they're helping the Iraqi people, and their own soldiers, to escape disaster and death. If you're going to criticize them, at least understand the people who you are targeting, and their positions and motivations. Instead, it always seems like demonization, and the assumption of the darkest or dumbest motives. A disservice is done to everyone by spewing hate speech at fellow Americans. And hate speech is clearly what demonization is.

Arnett is a good reporter and a courageous individual. He also showed good character by apologizing for his misstep. Regardless, he did a disservice both to his country and to Iraqis, because their continued resistance will mean their slaughter, not their liberation, or victory, and possibly greater loss of life of our own soldiers. No matter what you think of American motives or justification, Saddam Hussein is untenable and never to be thought of as a better option for a self-respecting people, and with this in mind our leadership will not back down.

The bottom line is mass surrender is the only hope for the minimizing of Iraqi casualties, both military and civilian, not to mention ours. This is the message they need to hear. This is not a "fair" fight, and regardless of the increasingly desperate tactics of the Iraqi fighters, they have no chance, and the Iraqi people deserve to know this truth, and not the specious and short-sighted talk of how their resistance is "working" and will eventually be victorious and for the Iraqi people's greater good.

Such talk is BS, irreflective of reality, and not in the Iraqi peoples' best interests - now, or in the future; on the battleground, or in the coming peace.

***

I reiterate that Arnett's mistake is only one of appearance, not intent, and not even of effect, for the impact of his statement must not be overstated. In all likelihood, he could not have delivered a different message in this interview, and his overall influence on the Iraqi people is surely negligible.

Also, for more on this, and contrasting opinion, go check out Polizen.

"We had hope," he said. "But then you Americans came to bring us democracy and our hope ended."

In a disturbing article following up on the tragic shooting incident in the Sydney Morning Herald, Bakhat Hassan, "who lost his daughters, aged two and five, his three-year-old son, his parents, two older brothers, their wives and two nieces aged 12 and 15, in the incident, said US soldiers at an earlier checkpoint had waved them through."

Incidents like these lose wars ladies and gentleman. And allies. Don't downplay them. Much more is at stake than may be decided by force. Regardless of what happens in Baghdad, and the ultimate outcome of the war, these kinds of incidents cannot continue. This one is past us, but we can allow no more.

How can we just say it's just an innocent mistake, a result of miscommunication in the warzone, ultimately Saddam Hussein's fault, when it is we who have forced the issue of violence, in the mission to free them? And instead we're killing them. Dead.

If people hate us even more after this war, the Jihad picks up and all hell breaks loose, and our allies back away and seek safer harbors, the fault does not lie with Saddam Hussein.

If you start a war to liberate people who obviously are not ready for you, then you are ultimately responsible for each and every life that is lost, and for the flack and unpopularity you take on when it's over. Not going to war, and not forcing the issue of violence, is the only condition under which Saddam Hussein would have continued to be responsible for Iraqi deaths, except for those taken during conflict by the hands of his men.

With that said, we can still make things right over there. We have to. By winning this war, being rid of Saddam Hussein, and telling the truth to the American people so that we come together to help these helpless Iraqis as we did for the victims of 9-11, we can help the Iraqis build the kind of free society that is right for them.

Until then, the promise of freedom only brings catastrophe, decimation and terrors the young and old alike will not forget easily. For the children, the nightmares will continue for countless years ahead. Freedom will not salve these at the beginning, and perhaps not at all, even though our intentions are ultimately good. Such is the hell of war.

As for the Iraqi people, first victims to Saddam Hussein, and now to us, we must lay bare our souls, and raise up their hopes. We're killing them to save them. Acknowledging this, and bending over backwards double-time after the hostilities cease, in the creation of a united front to help them, is the only way to make good, to do America proud, and to reestablish our name and word as it rightfully should be known.

The legacy of this war will be more than the end of the Saddam Hussein regime. It should also be the end of the lies, deceit and dishonor we take on in the exercise of our power and for the furtherance of our interests. If not, we risk the frustration of our interests and the loss of our power.

Freedom is not just an end, it is a means. As is compassion. To realize this, America needs to conduct herself with forthrightness, honor and truth, respectfully listen to the counsel of our friends and allies, and never again forget or downplay the costs and horrors of war.

Thank you.

***

As an afternote, if it seems I'm being too harsh, I don't mean to decry the cause for which the sacrifice of Iraqis is being made necessary. Of course in war there are going to be casualties, military and civilian. I'm trying to emphasize the larger picture, and our absolute need to make good on this in the post-war period. Obviously, reading my other stuff, I'm somewhat critical of some of the means too, but as to the cause of freedom I give no resistance. Such a life as under Saddam Hussein would be absurd for any free-loving American to conceive.

All Americans are in this together, and share responsibility for this war, by the nature of our founding, and the legitimacy and accountability of American power, which rests in the people.

April 2003