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Will the US Labor Movement Rise Again in Chicago? Or is this just a power play at the top? JoAnn Wypijewski details what's really at stake in the great showdown as some of labor's most powerful bosses threaten to quit the AFL-CIO. No-holds-barred profiles of the SIEU's Andy Stern, Hoffa of the Teamsters and the other "insurgents". Jeffrey St Clair tells the incredible saga of the $30 billion bailout of Boeing. How the scandal reached the White House and Don Rumsfeld screamed, Let the woman take the fall. Plus Alexander Cockburn on the Judy Miller story. Get the answers you're looking for in the latest subscriber-only edition of CounterPunch ... CounterPunch Online is read by millions of viewers each month! But remember, we are funded solely by the subscribers to the print edition of CounterPunch. Please support this website by buying a subscription to our newsletter, which contains fresh material you won't find anywhere else, or by making a donation for the online edition. Remember contributions are tax-deductible. Click here to make a donation. If you find our site useful please: Subscribe Now! or write CounterPunch, PO BOX 228, Petrolia, CA 95558 |
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Other Lands Have Dreams: From Baghdad to Pekin Prison by Kathy Kelly ![]() Today's Stories July 15 / 18, 2005 Alexander
Cockburn Jeffrey
St. Clair Harry
Browne Fred
Gardner Col.
Dan Smith Jason
Leopold Jack
Random Norman
Solomon George
Ochenski
July 14, 2005 Subcomandante
Marcos Dave
Lindorff Joshua
Frank Jude
Wanniski Dave
Zirin Kevin
Zeese Robert
Jensen Reza
Fiyouzat Carol
Norris Website
of the Day
July 13, 2005 Brian
Cloughley George
Galloway Carlos
Fierro Sarah
Knopp Norman
Solomon Mickey
Z. Jim
Minick Pat
Williams Andrew
N. Rubin Website
of the Day
July 12, 2005 Laith
al-Saud Kara
N. Tina William
A. Cook Jack
Bratich Amina
Mire Dick
J. Reavis Kevin
Zeese Paul
Craig Roberts Website
of the Day
July 9 / 11, 2005 Alexander
Cockburn Uri
Avnery Sheldon
Rampton Bill
Christison Robert
Fisk Stephen
Winspear Saul
Landau Behrooz
Ghamari Karl
Beitel Brian
Concannon, Jr. Fred
Gardner John
Whitlow Niranjan
Ramakrishnan Lila
Rajiva Laura
Carlsen Jackie
Corr Dave
Lindorff N.
D. Jayaprakash Seth
Sandronsky Norman
Madarasz Ben
Tripp Poets'
Basement Website
of the Weekend
July 8, 2005 Paul
Craig Roberts Tariq
Ali Monica
Benderman Rick
Jahnkow Christopher
Brauchli Kim
Peterson Joshua
Frank Norman
Solomon Website
of the Day July 7, 2005 Cockburn
/ St. Clair John
Walsh Mike
Marqusee Gilad
Atzmon Nicole
Colson Jack
Random Norman
Solomon Len
Colodny Cockburn
/ St. Clair
July 6, 2005 Elaine
Cassel Sean
Donahue Jeremy
R. Hammond Joshua
Frank Ali
Khan Michael
Dickinson Norman
Solomon Dave
Zirin Gary
Leupp Website
of the Day
July 5, 2005 Behrooz
Ghamari Elaine
Cassel Ron
Jacobs Bob
Libal Dr.
Peter Rost Mark
Engler Gideon
Levy Dave
Zirin Sameer
Dossani
July 2 / 4, 2005 Alexander
Cockburn Lenni
Brenner Laura
Carlsen James
Petras William
A. Cook Brian
Cloughley Saul
Landau Tom
Crumpacker Greg
Moses Dr.
Susan Block Fran
Shor Fred
Gardner Moshe
Adler David
Model Seth
Sandronsky Ramzy
Baroud Suzan
Mazur Ben
Tripp Justin
Taylor Brendan
Bailey Poets'
Basement Website
of the Weekend
July 1, 2005 Christopher
Brauchli Pat
Williams Gary
Leupp John
Stauber John
Chuckman Justicia
y Paz Cockburn
/ St. Clair
June 30, 2005 Kathy
Kelly John
Stauber Virginia
Rodino Jason
Leopold Dave
Lindorff Greg
Moses Norman
Solomon Joshua
Frank Alexander
Cockburn
June 29, 2005 Mike
Schaefer Roger
Burbach / Paul Cantor Sharon
Smith Sam
Husseini John
Stauber Ahmad
Faruqui Linda
S. Heard Stew
Albert Ray
McGovern
June 28, 2005 Paul
Craig Roberts Landau
/ Hassen John
A. Murphy Mike
Whitney CounterPunch
News Service Dave
Zirin Dave
Lindorff Patrick
Cockburn
June 27, 2005 Paul
Craig Roberts Mike
Marqusee Mark
Scaramella Leigh
Saavedra Kathy
Kelly June 25 / 26, 2005 Alexander
Cockburn Jennifer
Van Bergen George
Corsetti Mark
Chmiel / Andrew Wimmer Kevin
Zeese P.
Sainath John
Stauber Scott
Handleman Tom
Barry John
Walsh Justin
E.H. Smith Alan
Wallis Ben
Tripp Frederick
B. Hudson Poets'
Basement
June 24, 2005 Ray
McGovern Jorge
Mariscal Desiree
Hellegers Zeynep
Toufe Joshua
Frank David
Lindorff Michael
Neumann Website
of the Day June 23, 2005 Christopher
Brauchli Clay
Conrad Standard
Schaefer P.
Sainath Mark
Engler Norman
Solomon Cockburn
/ St. Clair Kathy
Kelly
June 22, 2005 Kevin
Zeese William
S. Lind Arsalan
Iftikhar Dan
Nagengast David
Krieger Kathleen
& Bill Christison
June 21, 2005 Brian Cloughley Mike Whitney Dave Lindorff Mark Weisbrot Matthew R.
Simmons Dave Zirin Virginia Rodino Paul Craig
Roberts
June 20, 2005 Alan Maass Tariq Ali Mickey Z. William Blum Gary Leupp Jason Leopold Dave Lindorff Alan Maass Uri Avnery Website of
the Day
Hot Stories Alexander Cockburn Subcomandante
Marcos Norman Finkelstein Steve Niva Dardagan,
Slobodo and Williams Steve
J.B. Sheldon
Rampton and John Stauber Wendell
Berry CounterPunch
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Corrie Gore Vidal Francis Boyle
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July 16, 2005 Changes in SelmaStanding Up to Racism in the SouthBy J.L. CHESTNUT, Jr. For more than 40 years, my dear wife has kept enough news clippings about me and columns written by me that would fill a book. We may do the book one day. Saturday, she was working with columns written in 1985, 20 years ago, that were published each Sunday morning in the Selma Times-Journal. One column caught my eye. I reprint it below because last Friday a caller on my radio show seemed to have forgotten how far we have come and the difficult obstacles we faced. That attitude can dampen our future. The caller was so dispirited he even claimed that Mayor Perkins (the first black Mayor of Selma, Alabama) has not achieved anything. That is 100% wrong, and spits in the face of solid achievements and ignores huge sacrifices. Now, this old column of mine below is not so much about politics but about what we faced in 1985, and what I had faced in particular and how we managed. It also addresses some of the costs. Mayor Perkins and a predominantly black city council did not drop magically out of nowhere. They were born slowly and through of sacrifice, and even today they often face more than their white predecessors, plus they are black in Alabama. It is important that we be fair to ourselves and to them and judge it all in proper context. Here's the column, I have assumed some editorial license to shorten and make the piece more succinct. Remember I didn't write these words 40 years ago in 1960 but 1985 just 20 short years ago.almost yesterday! Yesterday, a black female friend and high school teacher, said, "Ah yes, J.L., you can afford to antagonize influential white people because you are not vulnerable like the rest of us and you don't have to face our burdens. " I thought how wrong those claims. Perceptions about someone else's "green grass" are almost always exaggerated, but people, blacks included, wallow in these fairytales. No person in Alabama is watched closer than I. No lawyer is called before the bar association as often "to show cause" or explain his actions. Most of the complaints wouldn't have been filed if I were a white person or even a different type black person. I catch hell for what whites and even some blacks do with both immunity and impunity. I probably receive more hate mail than other people receive ordinary mail. The hate mail is wrapped in plain brown paper; no return address, studded with threats; racial slurs and some envelopes contain bullets. I have accumulated enough ammunition to donate to the armory. The FBI, the Alabama Bureau of Investigation and other agencies maintain active files on me and for years have been concerned in what I, supposedly a free American citizen, say and do. Naturally, I am just as interested in them. The distrust is completely mutual. The glass in my office window has been shattered with pistol shots more than twice. The putrid entrails of dead animals were spread in front of my home in the dark of night and my automobile splattered with eggs in front of courthouse. On two occasions white policemen, I wouldn't trust with my wife's cat, came to my home in the middle of the night with reports alleged bomb threats that didn't materialized. We change our unlisted telephone number every several months. Why is all this going on in 1985, 20 years after the voting rights law? It goes on because a dangerous conspiracy of powerful people is in place against the few black men in the South who speak out. The conspiracy is racial and unlike the Mafia, these conspirators seek much more than money. They seek to restrict an already flawed democracy exclusively unto themselves and their kind, and in that effort, conspire daily against the institutions and the nation they profess to love. There ought to be things men will not do for money and power, but I can't think of any. I once naively believed the human instinct for love, justice and right would be sufficient, but malice, avarice, greed and racism seem to have a greater hold. Almost daily, I watch from inside courthouses and statehouses as powerful men take the law into their own polluted hands, buy legislatures (even the congress) and enact private evils into public law. These men, these conspirators have murdered and even had wars declared to maintain their power. And, they deal with black people generally and black men like me in particular in a variety of ways. Their methods include fear, economic sanctions, embarrassment, lies, propaganda, isolation and even ridicule. If these fail, then violence can and sometimes will be invoked. In Selma, the conspirators use an uneducated, fairly ignorant and racist police department to control black Selma primarily through fear. That, black folks, is where blacks generally stand in this town in 1985, and where I, an outspoken black lawyer stands. Most Selma blacks, however, are only vulnerable in terms of a job and money, and white people in Selma do not really see black teachers as a threat. My teacher friend's remark only concerned her job, a white school superintendent and white dominated school board. No one has shot into her home or office, and she has not needed a deputy sheriff to guard her as she performed her job. I am thankful, that she doesn't have to anticipate such. And, my hope is that as she reads this column Sunday morning before church and over a cup of hot coffee, she will understand the vulnerabilities and sacrifices of people like me, and realize we understand her own and people like her and that is one reason we sacrifice. Otherwise, we blacks in Selma would be stuck forever in 1985, and with a predominantly white city hall, a white controlled courthouse and injustice. Help is on the way! I see it. Look about you. We are not nearly as bad off as in 1960, and the future is even more than bright if we will just hold out, stand up and be counted. Peace. J.L. Chestnut, Jr. is a civil rights attorney in Selma,
Alabama. He is the founder of Chestnut, Sanders and Sanders which
is the largest black law firm in Alabama. Born in Selma and,
after graduating from Howard University Law School, he began
practicing law in Selma in 1958. He started as the only black
lawyer in the town and has been challenging the establishment
since then. His law firm now owns two radio stations in Selma
and Mr. Chestnut hosts a radio talk show three days a week touted
as the most popular radio show in south and central Alabama.
He is the author of "Black in Selma" with Jjulia Cass
(1989 Farrar, Straus and Giroux), and he writes a weekly
column called the "Hard Cold Truth". He can be reached
at tmarshall@csspca.com.
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