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Today's
Stories
December 17,
2007
Tom Barry
Planning
the War on Immigrants
Uri Avnery
A
Gaza Massada?
Greg Moses
Crossing the Line in Texas
December 15
/ 16, 2007
Peter Linebaugh
A
People's Penny for the Magna Carta
Howard Zinn
Bomb After Bomb
Standard Schaefer
The Greening of Big Tobacco
Raymond J.
Lawrence
Let's Take Christ Out of Christmas
Alan Farago
Down on Desolation Row: the Vultures and the Growth Machine
Saul Landau
Lord Byron and the Bad Tourists
Jenna Orkin
Lying to "Reassure" the Public: Bush's EPA and the
Post-9/11 Toxic Air Cover-Up
Ahmad Samih
Khalidi
Why a Palestinian "State" is a Punitive Construct
Robert Fantina
Politics By Photo-Op
Missy Comley
Beattie
Resistance Amid the Ruins
Ramzy Baroud
Of Mormons and Muslims
James L. Secor
A Vision for China's Future
Elijah Wald
Ike Turner's Music Won't be Forgotten
Website of
the Weekend
The Alliance for the Wild Rockies Needs (and Deserves) Your Support
December 14,
2007
JoAnn Wypijewski
The
Dirty Cad: What Giuliani's Sex Life Tells Us About Him
John Ross
Iraqi
Refugees Return: One Cruel Hoax
Jacob Hornberger
Terror Suspects Belong in Federal Court
Andy Worthington
Guantánamo and the Supreme Court: What Happened?
Allan Nairn
"Shoot Them on the Spot": Rewarding War Crimes
Dave Zirin
The Mitchell Report: Absolving the Owners
Dave Lindorff
The First Cut is the Deepest
Misty MacDuffee
Toxic Grizzlies
Ben Terrall
What Happened to Lovinsky Pierre-Antoine?
Dr. Mustafa
Barghouthi
Prerequisites for Peace
Website of the Day
Sen. Kit Bond: "Waterboarding is Like Swimming"
December 13,
2007
Paul Craig
Roberts
Shrinking
the Dollar from the Inside-Out
Mike Whitney
Dershowitz for the Defense--of Waterboarding
Ron Jacobs
Blank Check DemocratsL the Great War Funding Conspiracy
Norman Solomon
The USA's Human Rights Daze
Peter Morici
The Dragon and the Toothless Dog: China Doesn't Flinch
Sandy Mayes
Blocking the Strykers: 13 Days of War Resistance at Port Olympia
Franklin Lamb
The UN in Lebanon: Whose Mission Is It Fulfilling?
Jacob Hornberger
Don't Reform the CIA, Abolish It
Nadim Rouhana
An Interloper in My Own Land
Dave Zirin
On Pigskin and Petrol
Website of the Day
Rachel's Needs (and Deserves) Your Support!
December 12, 2007
Allan
Nairn
US Intelligence is Tapping Indonesian
Phones
Alan
Farago
How Sprawl Eats Its Young
Ray
McGovern
Torture, Lies and Videotape
Winslow
T. Wheeler
The Phony Pentagon Budget Cuts
Evan
Jones
The Raid on Great Western: Why an Australian Bank Might Spell
Doom for the US Farm Belt
James
Petras
An Open Letter to Sarkozy on the Exchange of Political Prisonsers
Joel
Hirschorn
The Horserace Fiction: Clinton, Obama and the Democratic Machine
Joshua
Frank
Why Ron Paul Deserves Our Attention
Sherry
Wolf
Why the Left Should Reject Ron Paul
Dan
Bacher
Survey of a Fish Graveyard
Website
of the Day
Men Eating Bugs
December
11, 2007
Patrick
Cockburn
What's Really Happened During
the Surge?
Diana
Johnstone
The Next Kosovo War
Paul
Craig Roberts
It's Waco All Over Again: Preventive Detention and the Constitution
David
Macaray
Impasse in Hollywood
Ralph
Nader
Gail Collins Versus the Underdogs
Andy
Worthington
Guantánamo Britons to be Released: a Mixed Result
Martha
Rosenberg
No Holiday for High Risk Sex Workers
Steve
Champion /
Anthony Ross
Words for Our Brother, Tookie Williams
Kim
Nicolini
Tangled Up in Dylan
Michael
Dickinson
Say Goodbye to Purgatory: Pope Rat Gets Indulgent
Website
of the Day
A Charming (and Worthy)
Pitch
December 10, 2007
Uri
Avnery
How They Stole the Bomb From Us
Debbie
Nathan
The Perils of Journalism and Child
Porn
JoAnn
Wypijewski
Is There a Left Here Left?
If So, What Can It Do?
Steve
Kelly
Cheap Chips, Counterfeit Wilderness
Donna
J. Volatile
Welcome to the Revolution
December
8 / 9, 2007
Alexander
Cockburn
The Coup Against Bush and Cheney
Brenda
Norrell
Seize the Land, Chain the Peace Activists
Saul
Landau
The Ruins of Empire
R.
F. Blader
A Rape in Every Drink?
Ray
McGovern
Spinning Iran's Centrifuges
Allan
Nairn
Imposed Hunger in Gaza, the Army in
Indonesia
Linn
Washington, Jr
Spotlight on Death Row
Paul
Craig Roberts
When Will Bush Come Clean?
December
7, 2007
Sean
Penn
Piano Wire Puppeteers
Arthur
Versluis
Mining Water in the Desert
M.
G. Piety
Racism and the American Psyche: Some
Thoughts on Race and Intelligence
Pam
Martens
Banksters Gone Wild
Alan
Farago
Will the Free Market Kill Suburbia?
Sprawl and the Credit Crisis
Allan
Nairn
It Takes (Out) a Village
Col.
Dan Smith
Bush, Iran and the Politics of Doomsday
Alice
Slater
The Iran Opening
Robert
Weissman
The Story of Stuff
Website
of the Day
Something
About Mitt
December
5, 2007
Mike
Whitney
Why the CFR Hates Putin
Sharon
Smith
The Anti-War Enablers: Tom Hayden
and the Dead End Democrats
James
Petras
Venezuela in the Aftermath
Ron
Jacobs
The Iran Charade
Dave
Zirin
Kicking a Dead Man: the Sliming of Sean Taylor
John
V. Whitbeck
Two States or One? Time to Choose
Peter
Zinn
Covered in New Orleans
Niranjan
Ramakrishnan
Impeach Pelosi Instead
Alan
Farago
The Credit Bomb Detonates in Florida
Heather
Gray
US Meddling in Australian Politics
Website
of the Day
A Donner Summit Night Before Xmas
December
4, 2007
Alexander
Cockburn
Jackboot State Stubs Its Toe in
Ann Arbor
Andy
Worthington
Guantánamo and the Supreme
Court
Paul
Craig Roberts
The Lies at the End of the American
Dream
Ray
McGovern
No-Nuke Iran
Winslow
T. Wheeler
Admiral Mullen and the Defense Budget: When White Elephants are
Too Small
Allan
Nairn
The Regime Still Stands in Burma, Where "the People Just
Want Food"
Russell
Mokhiber
The USA v. Al Arian
Nikolas
Kozloff
As Chávez Falters: Raising the Stakes for the South American
Left
John
V. Walsh
Peace Movement Paralyzed
Ghada
Ageel
Will Peace Cost Me My Home?
Stephen
Soldz
The Facts be Damned!: Psychologists' President Defends Psychologist
Involvement in Interrogations
Website
of the Day
Hands Off the People of Iran
December
3, 2007
Tariq
Ali
Venezuela After the Referendum
Bill
Quigley
New Orleans: Bulldozers for the Poor,
Tax Credits for Developers
Eric
Walberg
The Bible and Middle East History
Uri
Avnery
After Annapolis
Marjorie
Cohn
Operation Iraqi Freedom Exposed
Dave
Lindorff
Vengeance Isn't Sweet
Stephen
Fleischman
Homeless in Paradise
Martha
Rosenberg
Perp Walks for the Mink Clad on Chicago's Mag Mile
Website
of the Day
So Just Lead!
December
1 / 2, 2007
Alexander
Cockburn
Emblems of the Bush Age: Adrift
in a Sea of Booze
Jeffrey
St. Clair
The Bear Minimum: the Grizzly and
the Future of the Rocky Mountain West
Mike
Whitney
"Iraq Doesn't Exist Anymore": an Interview with Nir
Rosen
Shemon
Salam
A Visit From the FBI
Roger
Burbach
The Battle in Bolivia
Benjamin
Dangl
New Politics in Old Bolivia
Brian
M. Downing
The Quiet on the Middle Eastern Front: How Much Credit Goes to
the Surge?
Greg
Moses
Night of the Living Redneck: a Texas Horror Story
Sonja
Karkar
The "Never-Never" Peace Conference
Saul
Landau
Ethics and Evil in South Boston
Margaret
Kimberley
Black America Left Behind
John
Ross
What are the Prospects for a New Mexican Revolution?
Reza
Fiyouzat
Exit on the Left: When Che's Children Visited Iran
Judith
Scherr
Berkeley Turns Right for the Holidays
Lance
Olsen
Of Forests and Finance: Logging for the Wealthy
Christopher
Brauchli
Mr. Bush and the Despots
Robert
Fantina
Iraq as U.S. Colony
Dan
Bacher
Fish Triage on Prospect Island
Michael
Donnelly
Remembering How to be Human: John Trudell and the Music of Urgency
Website
of the Weekend
Appalachian Voices
November
30, 2007
Peter
Stone Brown
The Re-Packaging of Bob Dylan
Wajahat
Ali
The Volatile Mistress: an Interview with Javed Jabbar, Pakistan's
Former Minister of Information
Allan
Nairn
Cold-Blooded Celebrity: Thomas L. Friedman and the Bali Bombers
Alan
Farago
The Sorrows of Suburbia: Politics, Sprawl and the Housing Crash
John
Ross
The Death of Latin America's First Revolution
Corporate
Crime Reporter
America's Corporate Crime Capitals
Lucia
Alvarez
Diego Gonzalez
Argentina's Political Future
James
Rothenberg
The Iraqi Miracle
Website
of the Day
Bio-Bling?
November
29, 2007
R.
F. Blader
The Most Dangerous Kind of Bribe
Ismael
Hossein-Zadeh
Distorting Fascism to Demonize Iran
Stephen
Soldz
War on the Couch: Fear, Aggression and Empire
Sheldon
Richman
Iraq 3.0
George
Wuerthner
Forest Fires, Lies and Chainsaws
Felice
Pace
Did All Things Considered Self-Censor on Annapolis?
Col.
Dan Smith
The Meaning of Annapolis
Harvey
Wasserman
Terror Target Nukes
Nikolas
Kozloff
Primetime Hate Debate: Lou Dobbs, Immigration and Campaign '08
Paul
Krassner
Huffington Post Bloggers Go On Strike!
Dave
Lindorff
News Not Fit to Print: US Coup Planned for Venezuela?
CP
News Service
The One State Declaration
Website
of the Day
A Native View of Yellowstone Bison Slaughter
November
28, 2007
James
Petras
CIA Destabilization Memo Surfaces
on Venezuela
Jeff
Halper
Annapolis: When the Roadmap is a One
Way Street
Pam
Martens
Crashing Citigroup
Peter
Morici
Economy in Crisis: Avoiding a Recession
Mohammed
Khatib
Separate and Unequal in Palestine
Helen
Redmond
The Horror and the Hope: Health Care in America
William
S. Lind
In the Fox's Lair: Quiet Before a New Iraq Storm?
Ben
Tripp
We, the People: a Trope for All Seasons
Liaquat
Ali Khan
Pakistan: First, Restore the Constitution and Reinstate the Judges
Jeff
Berg
Holbrooke Says Bush Won't Attack Iran
Website
of the Day
The Lies of Joe Klein
November
27, 2007
Joe
DeRaymond
On the Road to the Torture School
Paul
Craig Roberts
Meet the Only Two Candidates Worse Than Bush and Cheney: Hillary
and Rudy
Marjorie
Cohn
Remembering Victor Rabinowitz
Mike
Whitney
A Dollar the Size of a Postage Stamp
Ron
Jacobs
The Myths of Military Progress
Col.
Dan Smith
The Pentagon's "People System" Still Doesn't Work
Ralph
Nader
Family Learning
Karim
Makdisi
Annapolis and the Unholy Alliance: the View from Beirut
Christopher
Ketcham
Memo to Hollywood Writers: Strike Until You Drop
Ronan
Bennett
Martin Amis Does a Coulter
Website
of the Day
Celebrating the Uncensored Media
November
26, 2007
Kathleen
and Bill Christison
Heading for Annapolis
Paul
Craig Roberts
The End of All That
David
Macaray
Enter Mediator
Sameer
Dossani
Pakistan's Wounded Dictator
Roger
Burbach
The Final Battle in Bolivia
Mark
Scaramella
Guns and Greed in the Emerald Empire
Brian
McKinlay
Howard's End
Rick
Kuhn
The Fall of a Racist Union Buster
Binoy
Kampmark
Ruddslide and Dull Alec
Monica
Benderman
What Do You Know of War?
Brenda
Norrell
Return to Alcatraz
Website
of the Day
Ghostworld by DJ Spooky
November
24 / 25, 2007
Alexander
Cockburn
The Ordeal of Catherine Wilkerson,
MD
Robert
Fisk
Darkness Falls on the Middle East
Saul
Landau
Norman Mailer will Not R.I.P.
Jeffrey
St. Clair
Justice Stephen Breyer, Cancer Bonds and the Origins of Neoliberal
Environmentalism
Rannie
Amiri
Beirut's Black Friday
Christopher
Brauchli
Iraq Embassy as Gilded Palace
Daniel
Gross
The Gap and Black Friday
Mike
Whitney
"A Generalized Meltdown of Financial Institutions"
Marjorie
Cohn
Iran and the 2008 Elections
David
Rosen
Senior Sex: the Real Sexual Life of Aging Americans
David
Michael Green
If Conservatism is the Ideology of Freedom ....
Kenneth
Rexroth
When Euripides Played the Hindu Kush: Greeks and Buddhists in
Afghanistan
Muhammad
Iqbal
Trans. Shahid Alam
Ghazal
Website
of the Day
Aerial Footage of Delta Fish Kill
November 23, 2007
Gary
Leupp
Killing the Buddha in Pakistan's Swat
Valley
Laura
Carlsen
Coming to Terms with Diversity in
Bolivia: an Interview with Alvaro Garcia, Bolivia's VP
David
Macaray
Keeping Labor Unions Out
Andy
Worthington
Former Guantánamo Detainee Seeks Asylum in Sweden
Clifton
Ross
Trashing Chavez: Keith Olberman's Toxic Rant
Seth
Sandronsky
Battling Sodexho
Dan
Bacher
Death in the Delta: Thousands of Fish Stranded by Bureau of Reclamation
William
A. Cook
The Myth of Middle East Peace
Website
of the Day
Waiting for the Guards: Stress Techniques as Torture, a Short
Film
November
22, 2007
Alan
Farago
Who Lost America's Everglades?
Greg
Moses
A Thanksgiving Basting
Dave
Lindorff
Impeachment is Back on the Table
Mike
Ely
Native Blood: the Myth pf Thanksgiving
Omar
Azfar
Gore for President of Pakistan?
November
21, 2007
Vijay
Prashad
Our Dictator, Their Democracy
Martha
Rosenberg
Undercover at a Turkey Slaughtering Plant
Manuel
Garcia, Jr.
Epiphany on the Glacier
John
Ross
The Last Days of Mexican Corn
Brian
McKenna
Cancer Terrorists Unmasked
Stephen
Soldz
Isolation Torture Routine at Guatánamo
Monica
Benderman
Needing Peace
Ben
Terrall
Slavery in the Fields: The Real Price of Sugar
Website
of the Day
Mercy for Animals
November
20, 2007
Oren
Ben-Dor
Why Israel Has No "Right to Exist"
as a Jewish State
Wajahat
Ali
An Interview with Norman Finkelstein
Alan
Farago
The Dark Arts and the Bush Dynasty
Marjorie
Cohn
Musharraf Plays Bush for a Fool
Ralph
Nader
Green is Gold?
Andy
Worthington
Guantánamo Whistleblower Launches a New Attack on Rigged
Tribunals
Sara
Olson
When Going AWOL is the Only Escape
Dave
Lindorff
Likelihood of Iran Attack Gains Credence
Paul
Krassner
The First Amendment, a Dialogue
Website
of the Day
Joanne Mariner on Torture
November
19, 2007
Winslow
T. Wheeler
Why Congress Won't Reform
China
Hand
The U.S. Game Plan in Pakistan
Allan
Nairn
Sitting Around Talking, in Indonesia
Uri
Avnery
How to Get Out?
David
Macaray
The Chalice that Poisoned the Labor Movements
Dave
Lindorff
Democrats in Future Shock: They Could Lose It All in 2008!
Bill
Quigley
Twenty Thousand Protest at Ft. Benning; Eleven Face Federal Criminal
Trials
Ron
Jacobs
Sitting on the Group W Bench: War, Thanksgiving and Arlo Guthrie
Sunsara
Taylor
Legalized Rights for Fertilized Eggs?
Binoy
Kampmark
Why Steve Irwin--You're Dead!
Heather
Gray
Another Look at W.E.B. DuBois
Website
of the Day
The Meat Market
November
17 / 18, 2007
P.
Sainath
Neoliberalism's Price Tag: 150,000
Farm Suicides in India
David
Rosen
The Scarlet Hypocrites: Republicans,
Christians and the Politics of Adultery
Mike
Whitney
Pentagon Cover Up: 15,000 or More US Deaths in Iraq War?
George
Wuerthner
Saving the Big Wild
Brenda
Norrell
The Case of Jim Main, Jr: In Montana, Indians are Guilty Until
Proven Innocent
George
Ciccariello-Maher
Of Submarines and Loose Screws
Karim
Makdisi
Lebanon is Hanging by a Thread
Marie
Trigona
Wal-Mart in Argentina
Valerio
Volpi
The Catholic Church, Incorporated
Fred
Gardner
The Straight-Ahead Runner
Robert
Fantina
The White House Press Office
Mike
Ferner
Thank God for the Senate Republicans!
Missy
Comley Beattie
The Radical Majority
Kenneth
Couesbouc
Circles of Power
Patrick
O'Hayer
A Portrait of Mailer and a Young Poet
Poets'
Basement
Davies, Buknatski and Ford
November
16, 2007
Cockburn
/ St. Clair
The Vices of Hillary Clinton: Secrecy,
Intransigence and War
Dave
Zirin
The Indictment of Barry Bonds: Busted by a Broken System
Gary
D. Barnett
A Day in the Life of an Unwilling Federal Agent
Alan
Farago
Sprawl, Mortgage Fraud and Political Corruption
Dave
Lindorff
Two Brothers and Two Scandals
Russell
Mokhiber
Pelosi and Me: "What Should be Done with Those Protesters?"
Robert
Ovetz
Cargo Ships in Paradise: Shipping Lanes Threaten the Yosemite
of the Sea
Brenda
Norrell
"Today We Experienced America:" Arresting Indigenous
People on the Border
David
Swanson
Wolf Blitzer Loses Democratic Debate
Peter
Letheby
Outside the Box on the Great Plains
Website
of the Day
Why Activism Fails
November
15, 2007
Cockburn
/ St. Clair
Hillary Clinton in Arkansas
Adolfo
Gilly
The Spirit of Revolt
Peter
Bohmer
10 Days That Shook Olympia
Andy
Worthington
The Trials of Omar Khadr: Gitmo's Child Soldier
Gray
/ Derks
Obama's Pitch to South Carolina's Black Churches Affronts Gay
Groups
Liaquat
Ali Khan
Liberating Pakistan
Dave
Lindorff
Where's the Party?
Christopher
Brauchli
Tipping Point: the Politics of Gossip
Anthony
Papa
Racism as Law: Crack Cocaine Sentences
Martha
Rosenberg
Merck's Big Write Off
Ben
Terrall
Thank You, Ehren Watada
Website
of the Day
On the Colorado: Drought, Climate Change and Water Supplies
November 14, 2007
Cockburn
/ St. Clair
The Making of Hillary Clinton
James
Petras
Venezuela Between Ballots and Bullets
Al
Giordano
Campaign 08: Don't Trust Anyone Over 50
Paul
Craig Roberts
The Lobby
Andy
Worthington
Innocents and Foot Soldiers
Stephen
Lendman
Torturing Palestinian Detainees
Fatima
Bhutto
Aunt Benazir's False Promises: the Dismantling of Pakistani Democracy
Martin
Smith
Norman Mailer and the "Good War"
Jeff
Leys
Slip Sliding Away: House Votes on War Funding
Website
of the Day
Why the Writers are Striking
November
13, 2007
Alexander
Cockburn
Hillary's Big Problem and How Bill
Can Fix It
Jeffrey
St. Clair
Mailer and Us: the Writer as Fighter
Robert
Bryce
The Pakistan Fuel Connection
David
Macaray
The Teamsters and the Hollywood Strike
Mike
Whitney
Bulletins from the Titanic
Ralph
Nader
Pakistani Lawyers vs. American Lawyers
Nikolas
Kozloff
Chavez Blasts the Spanish King
Jordan
Flaherty
Education Versus Incarceration in Tallulah, Louisiana
B.
R. Gowani
Dear Mrs. Bhutto
Website
of the Day
Monty Python: "Fuck You, Very Much FCC"
November
12, 2007
Vicente
Navarro
Why Hillary's Health Care Plan Really
Failed
Ben
Brown
Letter from Ho Chi Minh City: a Tribute to My Vietnam Vet Father
Omar
K.
A Pakistani Lawyer's Testimony: Life Under the Brutal Emergency
Sadia
Abbas
The Roots of Pakistan's Political Crisis: Corrupt Elites and
a Kleptocratic Military
Farzana
Versey
Mailer's Miasma
Richard
W. Behan
The Political Crimes of Complicity
Paul
Krassner
Asshole of the Year: Congratulations Tim Russert!
Cindy
Sheehan
Faith and War
Peter
Stone Brown
The Return of Levon Helm
Dave
Lindorff
Dennis, You are Not Alone
Website
of the Day
Police Attack in Olympia
November
10 / 11, 2007
Alain
Gresh
Uncle Sam's New Backyard: How to Turn
a Region into a Graveyard
Mike
Whitney
For Whom the Closing Bell Tolls: the Last Dead Bull on Wall Street
Ron
Jacobs
A View from the Pakistani Left: an Interview with Farooq Tariq
Jeffrey
St. Clair
The First Dambuster: a Coyote Story
Alan
Farago
Tangled Up in Blue: a Brief History of Florida Environmentalism
Binoy
Kampmark
When Language Drowns: Torture in America
Robert
Fantina
Legitimizing Torture
Fred
Gardner
Psychological Torture in the Name of Family Values
Ayesha
Ijaz Khan
The General in His Labyrinth
Nicola
Nasser
NATO's Southward Drift
Philip
Rizk
The Blame Game in Gaza
Michael
Dickinson
Condom Nation: the Pope vs. Terry Higgins
Joel
S. Hirschhorn
The Grand Delusion: a Conspiracy of Two Parties
Paul
Krassner
Flunking Out of the Electoral College
Wadner
Pierre /
Joe Emersberger
The Ongoing War on Journalists in Haiti
|
December
17, 2007
A Look Back and
Ahead
Police
State America
By STEPHEN LENDMAN
Year end is a good time to look back
and reflect on what's ahead. If past is prologue, however, the
outlook isn't good, and nothing on the horizon suggests otherwise.
Voters last November wanted change but got betrayal from the
bipartisan criminal class in Washington. Their attitude shows
in an October Reuters/Zogby (RZ) opinion poll with George Bush
at 24% that tops Richard Nixon's worst showing of 25% at his
lowest 1974 Watergate point. And if that looks bad, consider
Congress with "The Hill" reporting from the same RZ
Index that our legislators scored a "staggering 11%, the
lowest (congressional) rating in history," but there's room
yet to hit bottom and a year left to do it. Why not with lawmakers'
consistent voter sellout and failure record that keeps getting
worse.
It's been that way ever since
9/11 with both sides of the aisle complicit with the administration.
This article looks back at the record, and year end is a good
time to review it. It's hard imagining another as bad with a
President defiling the law and once telling Republican colleagues
the Constitution is "just a goddamned piece of paper."
He didn't just say it. He governs
by it, gets away with it, and former Defense Department analyst
Daniel Ellsberg, of Pentagon Papers fame, says "a coup has
occurred (with another to come from) the next 9/11....that completes
the first (that's) seen a steady assault on every fundamental
(aspect) of our Constitution (to create) an executive government
(to) rule by decree" no different from a police state.
Author Naomi Wolf spells it
out in her April, 2007 Guardian article--"Fascist America,
In 10 Easy Steps." In it, she argues the Bush administration
is following the same script any "would-be dictator must
take to destroy constitutional freedoms," and she lists
them. They range from "invoking a terrifying internal and
external enemy" to "creat(ing) a gulag" to spying
on everyone to harassing opposition to controlling the media
to calling dissent treason to "suspend(ing) the rule of
law." She also notes how much "simpler" it is
to shut down democracy than "to create and sustain"
it, and that's today's threat.
It's not with jackboots in
the streets but by a steady "process of erosion" with
the public largely unaware and distracted by media mind manipulators.
It's happening today, and Wolf sounds the alarm with the words
of James Madison saying "The accumulation of all powers,
legislative, executive, and judiciary, in the same hands....is
the definition of tyranny," and that's the condition now
in America. This article reviews the record for the past seven
years. It's not pretty.
Even the Archbishop of Canterbury,
Rowan Williams, (unlike every Pope in memory) condemned it in
a wide-ranging UK Muslim magazine interview. It was quoted in
a November 25 Sunday Times column headlined "US is 'worst'
imperialist" and wields its power more reprehensibly than
Britain ever did in its heyday. He explained that American overseas
adventurism led to "the worst of all worlds" and expressed
pessimism about the current state of western civilization and
Washington's own misguided sense of mission.
He critiqued the "war
on terror" and stated America lost the moral high ground
post-9/11 and needs to launch a "generous and intelligent
programme of aid to the (nations it) ravaged;....check (its)
economic exploitation of defeated territories" and demilitarize
them. He called the West fundamentally adrift and our "definition
of humanity (isn't) working." He denounced America's violence
and belief it can solve problems left for "other people
(to clean up and) put....back together--Iraq, for example."
Another is the condition at home.
Since taking office in January,
2001, George Bush signed a blizzard of Executive Orders and attached
dozens of "signing statements" to hundreds of law provisions
even though nothing in the Constitution allows this practice,
and the Supreme Court banned line-item vetos. He continues to
do it while Congress and the courts condone his claiming unconstitutional
"unitary executive" authority to ignore the law and
do as he pleases in the name of "national security"
on his say alone.
It began on 9/11 when George
Bush addressed the nation and declared a "war on terrorism,"
asked for world support to win it, and began what became "our
government's emergency (preventive war strategy) response plans."
The scheme was to ignore the law, go to war, and destroy our
civil liberties to keep us safe from "rogue states, 'bad
guys,' and evil-doers" throughout an "arc of instability"
from the South American Andean region (mainly Colombia) to North
Africa through the Middle East to the Philippines, Indonesia
and elsewhere in Asia. Congress as well acted right out of the
box with two audacious resolutions that surrendered its authority
to the executive, allowed him to proceed, and signaled what would
come.
The first one came September
18, 2001 in a joint "House-Senate Authorization for Use
of Military Force (AUMF)" that authorized "the use
of United States Armed Forces against those responsible for the
recent attacks launched against the United States." A second
followed in the October, 2002 "Joint Resolution to Authorize
the Use of the United States Armed Forces Against Iraq,"
and the rest is history. This article reviews other key congressional
legislation to the present along with George Bush's blatant abuse
of presidential power.
His first action came November
13, 2001 when he issued Military Order Number 1 that one analyst
called a "coup d'etat," and "watershed moment
in (the) country," that was a hint of what would follow.
This order violated the spirit and letter of a civil society
under constitutional law with a firewall separating it from the
military. No longer, and it got worse later on when its provisions
resurfaced by act of Congress. That's discussed below. First,
Military Order Number 1 and what's in it:
* it let the President usurp
authority to capture, kidnap or otherwise arrest any non-citizens
(and later citizens as well) anywhere in the world if he claims
they're involved in international terrorism and to hold them
indefinitely without charge, evidence or allowing them due process
in a court of law.
* however, IF trials are allowed,
they would be by special ad hoc "military commissions,"
not civil courts and in secret, with evidence obtained by torture
allowed, those found guilty given no right of appeal, and they
can be secretly executed.
* no civil court has authority
in these cases even if victims are identified and legal counsel
wishes to represent them.
Few knew then that on November
13, 2001 US citizens lost their civil liberties, but that would
come out later on. It's still ongoing with Congress and the courts
complicit in the willful destruction of our democracy that was
already on life support. Today, it's gone.
Use of National Security ((NSPDs)
and Homeland Security Presidential Directives (HSPDs)
In the Bush administration,
NSPDs replaced the Presidential Decision and Review Directives
under Bill Clinton and others under different names since the
Kennedy administration began the practice. Earlier ones remain
in force unless superseded. They're much like Executive Orders
(EOs) with the "full force and effect of law," relate
to national security, and for that reason remain classified unless
or until made public. In seven years, George Bush issued dozens
of NSPD's that are too many to review as well as over 20 Homeland
Security Presidential Directives (HSPDs). A few key ones are
discussed below.
The October 25, 2001 NSPD-9
deserves special note and was titled "Defeating the Terrorist
Threat to the United States." On March 23, 2004, Donald
Rumsfeld gave this explanation of its classified contents to
the 9/11 Commission:
* "To eliminate the Al
Queda network;
* To use all elements of national
power to do so -- diplomatic, military, economic, intelligence,
information and law enforcement;
* To eliminate sanctuaries
for Al Queda and related terrorist networks
* and if diplomatic efforts
to do so failed, to consider additional measures."
On April 1, 2004, the White
House released this statement on the directive:
The NSPD called on the Secretary
of Defense to plan for military options "against Taliban
targets in Afghanistan, including leadership, command-control,
air and air defense, ground forces, and logistics (along with
similar efforts) against Al Queda and associated terrorist facilities
in Afghanistan."
Here's the problem. The administration
adopted these measures on September 4, 2001, seven days before
9/11. George Bush then signed them into binding law in NSPD-9
on October 25, 2001 to conceal when they originated.
Other important NSPDs relate
to:
* combatting WMDs;
* developing and deploying
an anti-ballistic missile defense that's for offense, not defense;
* biodefense;
* deploying nuclear weapons
and domestic nuclear detection;
* the Iraq war;
* a national space policy as
part of the goal for "full spectrum dominance" over
all land, surface and sub-surface sea, air, space, electromagnetic
spectrum and information systems to deter any domestic or foreign
threat or challenge to our global hegemony; and,
There's one other crucially
important combined NSPD-HSPD:
NSPD-51/HSPD-20 on April 4,
2007--National Security and Homeland Security Presidential Directive
This is a combined directive
from the White House and Department of Homeland Security (DHS)
to establish "Continuity of Government (COG)" procedures
under a "Castastrophic Emergency" defined as follows:
"any incident (such as
a terrorist attack), regardless of location, that results in
extraordinary levels of mass casualties, damage, or disruption
severely affecting the US population, infrastructure, environment,
economy, or government functions."
COG is then defined as:
''a coordinated effort within
the Federal Government's executive branch to ensure that National
Essential Functions continue to be performed during a Catastrophic
Emergency."
Crucial to understand is that
this combined directive gives the President and DHS unprecendented
powers free from constitutional constraints. Under NSPD-51, the
President can declare a "national emergency" and declare
martial law without congressional approval. It allows him to
create a de facto militarized police state with him as dictator
and DHS as a national Gestapo to an even greater degree than
it is already. It also empowers the Vice-President to implement
the directives' provisions as part of the "Continuity of
Government" plan that in the case of Dick Cheney gives him
even more power than George Bush the way this administration
operates. This combined directive alone is the face of "police
state America" in real time if it's implemented, and it
wasn't likely enacted as window dressing. But there's lots more
besides.
Other HSPDs relate to:
* combatting "immigrant
terrorism;"
* a national response plan
to domestic incidents;
* critical infrastructure identification,
prioritization, and protection;
* national preparedness;
* comprehensive terrorist-related
screening procedures;
* domestic nuclear detection;
and others.
Congressional Legislation After
9/11
Post-9/11, Congress acted in
lockstep with the President and continues to pass laws any despot
would love. Written, on the shelf, and ready to go long before
9/11, the USA Patriot Act was passed and signed by the president
45 days later on October 26, 2001. The legislative process capitalized
on a window of hysteria to grant unchecked powers to the executive
but created three grave civil liberties threats in the process:
* the erosion of Fifth and
Fourteen Amendment due process rights by permitting indefinite
detentions of undocumented immigrants that can now apply to anyone
anywhere in the world; more on that below;
* the First Amendment loss
of freedom of association that the Supreme Court considers an
essential part of free expression; now anyone may be charged
and prosecuted because of his or her claimed association with
an "undesirable group;" and
* loss of the Fourth Amendment
right to be free from unreasonable searches and seizures, and
as a consequence, the loss of privacy; the Act grants the administration
unchecked surveillance powers to access personal records; monitor
financial transactions; student records; conduct "sneak
and peak" searches through "delayed notice" warrants;
authorize roving wiretaps; track emails, internet and cell phone
use; use secret evidence in prosecutions; deny immigrants the
right to counsel if they're unable to get their own; and ends
built-in safeguards to let domestic criminal and foreign intelligence
operations share information so CIA can now spy domestically.
The Act also creates the federal
crime of "domestic terrorism" that broadens the definition
and applies to US citizens as well as aliens. It states criminal
law violations are considered domestic terrorist acts if they
aim to "influence (government policy) by intimidation or
coercion (or) intimidate or coerce a civilian population."
By this definition, anti-war or global justice demonstrations,
environmental activism, civil disobedience and dissent of any
kind may be called "domestic terrorism." The Patriot
Act was just for starters. Much more was ahead with a bipartisan
Congress acting like a gift that keeps on giving and the President
loving it.
The Homeland Security Act (HSA)
of November 25, 2002 followed as a sweeping new anti-terrorism
bill, and like the Patriot Act, was planned long before 9/11.
It created the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) by combining
previously separate government agencies under this new authority
to prepare for, prevent and respond to domestic emergencies and
give the federal government broad new powers to protect the nation
within and outside our borders. In March, 2003, its largest investigative
and enforcement arm was then established--the US Immigration
and Customs Enforcement agency (ICE). It was charged with protecting
public safety by identifying and targeting "criminal"
and "terrorist" threats to the country who in most
cases are NAFTA and globalized trade victims here out of need,
not choice, and who aren't terrorists.
DHS is part of the administration's
plan to centralize unprecedented military and law enforcement
power in the executive branch that aims for greater global dominance--to
rule the world unchallenged including repressively at home by
suppressing civil liberties in the name of "national security."
DHS and USA Patriot Act are two frightening measures to do it.
DHS is insidious. It encroaches
on local authority by "mandat(ing) federal supervision,
funding, and coordination of 'local first responders.' "
This refers to police and "emergency personnel" comprising
local law enforcement. The Homeland Security Act (HSA) doesn't
mandate local control. Instead, it provides coordination and
guidance as a first step measure with more to come. That's why
US Northern Command (USNORTHCOM) was established in October,
2002 as an unprecedented move to militarize the mainland plus
Alaska, Canada, Mexico, Gulf of Mexico and Straits of Florida
and, for the first time ever, allow troops to be deployed on
US streets to counter drugs, an "insurrection" loosely
defined, and combat crimes with nuclear, chemical or biological
weapons. In other words, the President may now deploy military
forces on US streets in the interest of "national security."
This power is unprecedented and dangerous.
So is another affecting everyone.
It's largely below the radar since it was was scheduled to be
fully operational in late September, 2006. It's the Pentagon's
New Offensive Strike Plan called the Joint Functional Component
Command for Global Strike and Integration--or simply Global Strike
Command. It grew out of the 2002 Nuclear Posture Review (NPR)
that was updated more belligerently in early 2006. NPR is a declaration
of preventive war on any nation, group or force anywhere on earth
the administration calls a "national security" threat
and could be used by NORTHCOM against US-based targets along
with a HSA crackdown if martial law is declared.
HSA goes further still by creating
a sweeping domestic intelligence agency called the Directorate
of Information Analysis and Infrastructure Protection. It's to
create and maintain an all-inclusive intrusive public and private
information data base on everyone. It can include virtually everything--financial
transactions and records, medical ones, emails, phone calls,
purchases, books and publications read, organization memberships,
and any other personal habit or pattern.
USA Patriot Act and HSA end
the distinction between foreign and domestic intelligence gathering
and, up to now, the sacrosanct firewall between them. They also
no longer allow "critical infrastructure information"
from a federal agency to be disclosed through a FOIA request
as part of an official policy of secrecy characteristic of police
states. There's much more in both Acts as well that's frightening,
dangerous and unknown to the public. In sum, they end constitutional
protections whenever the executive suspends the law in the name
of "national security." That's how "police state
America" works that's hidden from public view.
The Detainee
Treatment Act of 2005
Torture is official state policy
for the Bush administration as its preferred means of intimidation,
retribution and social control. The McCain Detainee (anti-torture)
Amendment in October, 2005 was a futile effort to deter it. It
was passed and weakened by the Graham-Levin Amendment, became
the Detainee Treatment Act of 2005, and was attached to the 2006
Defense Department's Appropriations Act. George Bush signed the
legislation after which he gutted its provisions relating to
detainees in one of his notorious "signing statements."
Its language gave himself the right (irrespective of the law)
to "protect the American people from further terrorist attacks"
using all his self-given powers as a "unitary executive"
that places him above the law, Congress, the courts, the people,
and world public opinion.
The legislation's final form
went further as well. It denied detainees habeas rights, let
US forces use any cruel, abusive, inhumane or degrading treatment
in the interests of "national security," prohibited
detainees from bringing suits as a result, and allowed statements
gotten coercively to be used as evidence against them. It also
followed previous policies as far back as September 17, 2001
when George Bush signed a secret "finding" authorizing
CIA to kill, capture and detain "Al Qaeda" members
anywhere in the world, rendition them to black site torture-prisons
for interrogation, and obtain it by any means. From then to now,
torture and abuse of anyone have been standard operating procedures
for the Bush administration with complicity from Congress and
the courts.
Other Repressive
Legislation and More
The 107th, 108th, 109th and
110th Congresses will be remembered for likely having done more
than all others before them to defile the rule of law and our
constitutional protections. They conspired with a rogue administration,
wrecked the republic, and for the 109th Congress, October 17,
2006 stands out shamelessly as a day that will live in infamy.
The Military
Commissions Act
In a White House ceremony,
George Bush signed the Military Commissions Act (MCA) now known
as "the torture authorization act," but it's more far-reaching
than that. It grants the administration extraordinary unconstitutional
powers to detain, interrogate and prosecute alleged terror suspects
and anyone claimed to be their supporters. It also lets the President
call anyone anywhere in the world an "unlawful enemy combatant"
and empowers him to arrest and incarcerate those accused indefinitely
in military prisons without needing corroborating evidence proving
guilt. The law states for persons detained that "no court,
justice, or judge shall have jurisdiction to hear or consider
any claim or cause for action whatsoever.... relating to the
prosecution, trial, or judgment of a military commission....including
challenges to the lawfulness of procedures of military commissions."
MCA further scraps habeas protection
(dating back to 1215 in the Magna Carta) for domestic and foreign
enemies of the state, citizens and non-citizens alike, and says
"Any person is punishable... who....aids, abets, counsels,
commands, or procures" and in so doing helps a foreign enemy,
provides "material support" to alleged terrorist groups,
engages in spying, or commits other offenses previously handled
in civil courts.
Other key elements of the act
include:
* legalizing torture against
anyone and lets the President decide what procedures can be used
on his own authority;
* denying detainees international
law protection and lets the executive interpret it;
* empowering the President
to convene "military commissions" to try anyone he
designates an "unlawful enemy combatant," and hold
them in secret detention indefinitely;
* denying speedy trials or
any at all;
* allowing evidence obtained
by torture or coerced testimony to be used against detainees
in trial proceedings;
* permitting hearsay and secret
evidence to be used; and
* denying due process, destroying
human dignity, mocking the rule of law, and establishing the
principle of kangaroo court justice for anyone the executive
targets.
Revising
the 1807 Insurrection Act and Ending 1878 Posse Comitatus Protection
Also on October 17, 2006, the
president privately signed into law a hidden provision in Sections
1076 and 333 of the John Warner National Defense Authorization
Act for Fiscal Year 2007. It amended the Insurrection Act of
1807 and Posse Comitatus Act of 1878 that prohibit using federal
and National Guard troops for law enforcement inside the country
except as constitutionally allowed or expressly authorized by
Congress in times of a national emergency like an insurrection.
The executive can now claim a public emergency, effectively declare
martial law, suspend the Constitution for "national security,"
and deploy federal and National Guard troops on the nation's
streets to suppress whatever he calls disorder. That means First
Amendment-guaranteed peaceful public demonstrations and all organized
acts of dissent are no longer constitutionally protected. Neither
is the republic in "police state America."
The new law also authorizes
the Pentagon to transfer state-of-the-art crowd control weapons
and technology to state and local responders. It's to militarize
them and blur the distinction between federal and local law enforcement
agencies as an operational police state tactic.
The Real
ID Act of 2005
Congress passed the Act that
threatens personal privacy, it's scheduled to become effective
in May, 2008, and it will require states to meet federal ID
standards if in takes effect next spring. That's now in question
as two dozen or more states passed laws prohibiting its use and
refused to fund it.
The federal law mandates that
every US citizen and legal resident have a national identity
card that in most cases will be a driver's license. It requires
that it contain an individual's personal information and means
this ID will be needed to open a bank account, board an airplane,
be able to vote, or conduct virtually any other essential type
business.
In the future, the law may
also require that the card contain a radio frequency identification
(RFID) technology computer chip that will be able to track all
movements, activities and transactions of everyone, everywhere,
at all times. In other words, with this technology embedded,
the card will become an empowered police state dream (and an
Orwellian nightmare) to be able to monitor everyone having one
all the time wherever they are.
However, growing state opposition
to the law puts its status in doubt. It's because it's costly
to establish and administer and will create a bureaucratic nightmare
besides. It thus looks likely it won't be adopted in its current
form, but it may be revised and reintroduced, so don't yet count
this one out as some are ready to do. As of now, measures have
been introduced in the House and Senate to repeal it by adopting
national ID standards in other legislation and increase federal
funding for it. So going forward, the issue of mandating national
ID measures is very much alive. It looks like something on it
will emerge as federal law going forward, but the cure may be
worse than the disease if states adopt it to give "police
state America" another repressive tool.
Pervasive
Spying on Americans
Under George Bush, spying is
a national pastime, but it's no joke. The New York Times reported
on December 16, 2005 that his administration had been secretly
spying on Americans without warrants since late 2001. He authorized
the National Security Agency (NSA) to intercept international
communications of US citizens with known links to Al Queda, related
"terrorist" organizations, or for any other reasons
at its discretion. The operation was called the "Terrorism
Surveillance Program."
It made no difference to the
administration that wiretapping without probable cause or judicial
oversight violates Fourth Amendment protections and the 1978
Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA). In the current
atmosphere, the rule of law is out the window, Congress and the
courts condone it, and that's the problem.
It surfaced again when Congress
passed the Protect America Act of 2007 that amends FISA with
doublespeak language Orwell would love. It supposedly aims to
close "communication gaps" but will allow virtual unrestricted
mass data-mining monitoring and intercept of domestic and foreign
internet, cell phones and other new technology as well as transit
international phone call traffic and emails. The Act claims to
restrict surveillance to foreign nationals "reasonably believed
to be outside the United States" and must be renewed. In
fact, the law targets everyone including US citizens inside the
country if the Attorney General or Director of National Intelligence
claim they pose a potential terrorist or "national security"
threat, but no evidence is needed to prove it.
This law allows virtual unrestricted
warrantless spying of anyone for any claimed "national security"
reason. It thus renders the notion of illegal searches and privacy
rights null and void. But that already went on earlier post-9/11
through other unconstitutional speech-related monitoring activities.
One was the short-lived Operation TIPS that was dropped when
civilian informers refused to be spies. Then, there was the Pentagon's
Total Information Awareness (TIA), later renamed Terrorism Information
Awareness, that was also ended under pressure but resurfaced
in new form so illegal military spying continues. The Threat
and Local Observation Notice (TALON) program was part of it to
collect domestic intelligence through a huge database focused
on "terrorism" that means everyone legally opposing
Bush administration practices is targeted.
MATRIX is another new data
mining tool that stands for the Multistate Anti-Terrorism Exchange
Program. It violates our privacy by mass monitoring the lives
and activities of ordinary people on the pretext of learning
whether they may be engaging in any type terrorist or criminal
activity.
Privacy isn't mentioned in
the Constitution, but Supreme Court decisions affirmed it as
a fundamental human right. In addition, it's protected under
the Ninth Amendment, the Third prohibiting quartering troops
in homes, the Fourth prohibiting unreasonable searches and seizures,
and the Fifth safeguarding against self-incrimination. MATRIX
and other intrusive laws violate the letter and spirit of the
law and permits Patriot and HSA justice in "police state
America."
Executive
Orders Issued by George Bush
George Bush loves big numbers.
They show up in budgets and spending, in his number of signing
statements to congressional legislation, and in over 250 Executive
Orders (EOs) in almost seven years. A key one is reviewed below.
July 17, 2007 Executive Order
(EO): Blocking Property of Certain Persons Who Threaten Stabilization
Efforts in Iraq
The US Constitution has no
provision that gives a President power to make new law through
one-man executive order decrees. That never deterred others in
the past from issuing them, but none ever abused this practice
more than George Bush who's issued over 250 of them thus far
with more sure to come.
This one on July 17 is especially
egregious but right in character for a President who disdains
the law and shows it. It starts off: The President's power stems
from "the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution
and the laws of the United States of America" as well as
the International Economic Powers Act he also invokes.
The order continues: "....due
to the unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security
and foreign policy of the United States posed by acts of violence
threatening the peace and stability of Iraq and undermining efforts
to promote economic reconstruction and political reform in Iraq
and to provide humanitarian assistance to the Iraqi people,"
George Bush, in fact, unconstitutionally usurped authority to
criminalize the anti-war movement, make the First Amendment right
to protest it illegal, and empower himself to seize the assets
of persons violating this decree.
By this action, the President
again, on his own authority, violated the Constitution, criminalized
dissent, and moved the nation another step closer to tyranny
in "police state America."
Secrecy
As Policy under George Bush
In November 1, 2001, George
Bush signed Executive Order 13233: Further Implementation of
the Presidential Records Act. In so doing, he established an
official administration policy of secrecy in violation of the
1978 Presidential Records Act, the 1974 Freedom of Information
Act, and James Madison's 1822 warning that "A popular Government,
without popular information, or the means of acquiring it, is
but a Prologue to a Farce or a Tragedy; or perhaps both."
He also violated the Supreme Court's 1977 decision in Nixon v.
Administrator of General Services that ruled "executive
privilege" is subject to "erosion over time" after
a president leaves office, and Congress decided that little or
none of an executive's communications with his advisors should
remain secret after 12 years.
Secrecy threatens democracy
because it avoids accountability and empowers an imperial president
way beyond issues of national security that are justifiable.
On his own authority, George Bush placed limits on presidential
records, the Freedom of Information Act, and a free and open
society by giving himself the power to classify information for
national security and create a whole new array of categories
called "sensitive" information that includes anything
he so designates. The result is that classified information doubled
since 2001 and efforts to declassify material was stopped by
invoking the "State Secrets" privilege to avoid court
challenge. These actions characterize police states and represent
another threat to a free and open society under an administration
that disdains the law and operates freely without constraint.
The Animal
Enterprise Terrorism Act (AETA)
On November 27, 2006, George
Bush signed AETA into law to amend the Animal Enterprise Protection
Act of 1992. The new Act has broad and vague language to criminalize
First Amendment activities advocating for animal rights like
peaceful protests, leafleting, undercover investigations, whisleblowing
and boycotts. It shows how out of hand things have gotten with
animal protection advocacy now a crime.
Under the old law, anyone convicted
of a physical disruption causing $10,000 in damages to an animal
enterprise was subject to a $10,000 fine or 10 years to life
imprisonment. The new AETA is even harsher with penalties far
exceeding comparable offenses under other laws. It expands the
original Act by changing activity "for the purpose of causing
physical disruption" to actions "for the purpose of
damaging or disrupting" an animal enterprise. In this case,
"disruptive" means any activity that results in "losses
and increased losses" over $10,000 by peaceful protests
for consumers boycotts, advocating harmful practice reforms,
or a whisleblower doing the same things.
The Act also goes further.
It allows for expanded surveillance of animal rights organizations
to include criminal wiretapping and makes it easier for a court
to find probable cause for the vague crime of economic damage
or disruption than for one requiring hard evidence a person or
group plans to commit these acts.
The bill exempts "lawful
public, governmental or business reaction to the disclosure of
information about an animal enterprise," but that provision
only applies to economic disruption claims, not damage and makes
it hard to distinguish between the two. In addition, AETA:
* expands the kinds of facilities
covered by adding ones that use or sell animals or animal products;
* it covers any person, entity
or organization with a connection to an animal enterprise;
* it applies to any form of
advocacy;
* it criminalizes threatening
conduct and protected speech as well as communication with individuals
who engage in these practices; and
* it potentially includes any
form of communication such as emailing across state lines to
boycott abusive animal activities;
* it protects corporate animal
abusers with a vested interest in silencing dissent; and
* it effectively singles out
any form of civil disobedience or protest activity and brands
animal advocates as terrorists even when nothing they do causes
physical harm; even worse, the bill's language is so broad and
vague it's hard to know the difference between legal and illegal
behavior; this Act is another nail in the coffin of free expression,
the rule of law in a free society, and the right of everyone
to be protected by law, not targeted by it.
The Violent
Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism Prevention Act of 2007
(HR 1955)
The House overwhelmingly passed
this measure on October 23 that some observers call "the
thought crime prevention bill." It's now in the Senate (S
1959) where if passed and signed by George Bush will establish
a commission and Center for Excellence to study and take action
against "thought criminals." The commission will be
empowered to subpoena and investigate anyone that will automatically
create a perception of guilt that may be highlighted in the media
for added emphasis.
This Act is a direct assault
on democratic freedoms in the current atmosphere with both parties
and a President determined to end them. The bill's language hides
its possible intent as "violent radicalization" and
"homegrown terrorism" may be whatever the administration
says they are. "Violent radicalization" is defined
as "adopting or promoting an extremist belief system (to
facilitate) ideologically based violence to advance political,
religious or social change." "Homegrown terrorism"
is used to mean "the use, planned use, or threatened use,
of force or violence by a group or individual born, raised, or
based and operating primarily within the United States or any
(US) possession to intimidate or coerce the (US) government,
the civilian population....or any segment thereof (to further)
political or social objectives."
This and other repressive laws
may be used against any individual or group with unpopular views--those
that differ from established state policy, even illegal ones,
and historian Howard Zinn is concerned. He says: "This is
the most recent of a long series of laws passed in times of foreign
policy tensions, starting with the Alien and Sedition Acts of
1798, which sent people to jail for criticizing the Adams administration."
Under Woodrow Wilson in WW I, "the Espionage (and) Sedition
Act(s) (jailed) close to a thousand people (who spoke) out against
the war." From HR 1955 and other post-9/11 laws, authorities
now have the same power to target anti-war protesters or anyone
expressing views this Act alone calls "terrorist-related
propaganda." Persons charged and convicted face stiff penalties
in an effort to deter others. This measure is still another step
toward full-blown tyranny in "police state America."
Sections
1615 and 1622 of the 2008 Defense Authorization Act
These provisions authorize
DOD to militarize the country under martial law by merging the
military with state and local law enforcement during a national
emergency described as "an incident of national significance
or a catastrophic incident." It also gives the Defense Secretary
extraordinary power to determine what military capabilities are
needed, to provide them to "active (and) reserve components
of the armed forces for homeland defense missions, domestic emergency
responses, and (to provide) military support to civil authorities
(for) at least five years."
The Act designates the Joint
Chiefs of Staff Chairman to review NORTHCOM civilian, reservist
and military positions and increase their number in preparation
for a potential catastrophic event requiring "homeland defense
missions, domestic emergency response, (and the need for) military
support to civil authorities."
Section 1622 then establishes
a Council of Governors to advise the Secretaries of Defense and
Homeland Security and the White House "on matters related
to the National Guard and civil support missions."
The Act is more proof of "police
state America." It establishes a martial law apparatus to
be used in case of a "catastrophic event" of any kind
and empowers the President or Vice-President under NSPD-51 to
implement it in a "national emergency" without congressional
approval.
Operation
FALCON--Police State America in Real Time
Mike Whitney won a 2008 Project
Censored Award for his February, 2007 article titled "Operation
FALCON and the Looming Police State." In it, he reported
that the Bush administration "carried out three massive
sweeps in the last two years, rolling up more than 30,000 minor
crooks and criminals" that he calls a "blueprint for
removing dissidents and political rivals" reminiscent of
Nazi Germany or any other repressive police state. Those chickens
now reside at home, but the public is largely unaware and unconcerned.
We all should be as Whitney raises a "red flag for anyone
who cares at all about human rights, civil liberties, or simply
saving his own skin."
Operation FALCON stands for
"Federal and Local Cops Organized Nationally" and came
out of the Bush Justice Department and right-wing think tanks
"where fantasies of autocratic government have a long history"
and are now playing out in real time. The scheme centralizes
power in Washington and uses resources of local authorities for
its own purposes.
Whitney traces its short history
starting in the week of April 4--10, 2005 when over 10,000 criminal
suspects were arrested in "the largest criminal sweep in
the nation's history" in a "single initiative."
Its aim was "quantity," not "quality," but
Whitney asked why did the Feds get involved in local police work
and suggested something more sinister was involved "than
just ensuring public safety." His answer--"to enhance
the powers of the 'unitary' executive" by giving Washington
power over local law enforcement, and that makes perfect sense
under an administration obsessed with wanting unchallengeable
control.
Operation FALCON II followed
a week later from April 17--23 and swept up another 9037 "alleged
fugitives." The final FALCON III came from October 22--28,
2006 with 10,773 more arrests. Each sweep was the same and concentrated
on alleged criminal types out of character for a federal operation,
so clearly another motive was involved. Further, no one arrested
was charged with a terrorist-related crime, and that alone looks
fishy. Whitney thought so and called FALCON "new drills
for a new world order" that's waging permanent war, defiles
the law, ignores checks and balances, condones torture, repealed
habeas, and illegally spies on everyone.
Muslim and
US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency (ICE) Sweeps
As FALCON targeted petty crooks
and criminals, Muslims are the administration's main "war
on terrorism" victims. Post-9/11, thousands were mercilessly
harassed and persecuted through mass witch-hunt roundups, detentions,
prosecutions and deportations. Their assets were frozen, and
legal immigrants among them were subjected to secret federal
immigration court status hearings where those found guilty of
minor past infractions were illegally held or returned to their
countries of origin where they faced possible arrest and torture.
Others fared even worse and
became political prisoners. Professor Sami Al-Arian was one of
them because of his faith, beliefs and activism. Palestinian
refugee, scholar, academic, community leader, civic activist,
and freedom and justice advocate for his people made him a Bush
administration target. His ordeal began when he was arrested
in February, 2003 and unjustly charged with supporting terrorism,
conspiracy to commit murder, racketeering, giving material support
to an outlawed group, extortion, perjury and other offenses proved
spurious in his subsequent trial in which he was exonerated.
Yet he remains imprisoned under harsh conditions as the Bush
Justice Department finds ways to hold him.
Another victim was Dr. Rafil
Dhafir, a Muslim American of Iraqi descent and practicing oncologist
until his license was suspended. He was convicted in a shameless
kangaroo court trial of 59 of 60 trumped up charges of violating
the Iraqi Sanctions Regulations (IEEPA) for using his own funds
and what he could raise through his Help the Needy charity to
bring desperately needed essential to life humanitarian aid to
Iraqis under sanctions. He's now serving a 22 year sentence in
a special Terre Haute, IN "Communications Management Unit"
(CMU) for Muslims and Arabs for his "crime of compassion"
(see dhafirtrial.net, Katherine Hughes) where he, like Sami Al-Arian,
is a Bush administration "trophy" prisoner in the "war
on terrorism."
Undocumented Latino immigrants
have also been targeted with ICE shock troops mandated to do
it. The agency was established in March, 2003 as the largest
DHS investigative and enforcement arm and charged with protecting
the public safety by identifying and targeting "criminal"
and "terrorist" threats to the country. In most cases,
they're innocent victims of NAFTA and globalized trade coming
north to survive. ICE heads them off at the border, hunts them
down ruthlessly once they're here, and boasts how well their
multi-billion dollar budget lets them conduct a reign of terror
against vulnerable people.
Workplace assaults continue,
and on October 3, ICE said it swept up and deported (or will
deport) more than 1300 "criminal aliens, immigrations fugitives,
and immigration violators" in the "largest-ever"
operation of its kind in the Los Angeles area. Most were Mexican
nationals, but some were from 30 other countries, and ICE called
them "immigration violators." They're Bush administration
targets in its "war on terrorism" that soon may come
for us.
Police State
America Preparations
Today, dissent is an endangered
species, and preparations are underway for mass detentions in
the "war on terrorism" targeting anyone seen as a threat.
Halliburton is the beneficiary with a DHS contingency contract
worth nearly $400 million to build US-based camps for "detention
and processing" in case of an "emergency influx of
immigrants....or to support the rapid development of new programs
(for planned) expansion facilities (for anyone with capacity
for 5000 or more persons)."
This language is cover for
planned US-based concentration camps for anyone labeled an enemy
of the state or threat to "national security." The
plan is clear--to have facilities in place if martial law is
declared with plenty of reasons to fear it's coming. Why else
these camps and why all the repressive laws, EOs, NSPDs, and
HSPDs put in place if they weren't for a purpose.
The Pentagon is also ready
with a DOD action plan called "Strategy for Homeland Defense
and Civil Support." It envisions an "active, layered
defense" both within and outside the country that pledges
to "transform US military forces to execute homeland defense
missions in the....US homeland." It lays out a strategy
for increased reconnaissance and surveillance to "defeat
potential challengers before they threaten the United States."
It also "maximizes threat awareness and seizes the initiative
from those who would harm us."
These are ominous developments
that suggest a likely real or contrived homeland terror attack
severe enough to warrant suspending the Constitution and declaring
martial law with the public acquiescing out of fear. If it comes,
anyone may be targeted as a "national security" threat,
indefinitely detained in a camp, and no evidence is needed for
proof. The state and military will be empowered by law to act
preventively through mass roundups and detentions that appears
the reason for three test-run FALCON operations.
Full-scale militarization of
the country is already lawful under the 1988 Reagan administration's
"national security emergency" EO 12656. It was meant
for "Any occurrence, including natural disaster, military
attack, technological or other emergency, that seriously degrades
or seriously threatens the national security of the United States."
"Police state America" has been in the works a long
time, and it now may be near the boiling point.
The Role
of Blackwater USA in Police State America
Most people know about Blackwater
but not how it operates. We better learn because it's coming
to a neighborhood near you, and that means trouble. Author Jeremy
Scahill wrote the book on the company he calls "the world's
most powerful mercenary army" and describes it as a "shadowy
mercenary company (employing) some of the most feared professional
killers in the world accustomed to operating without worry of
legal consequences (and) largely off the congressional radar."
It has friends in high places who give it "remarkable power
and protection within the US war apparatus" with unaccountable
license to practice street violence with impunity to include
cold-blooded murder wherever their paramilitaries are deployed.
For now, that's mostly abroad,
and controversy surfaced about the company after its mercenaries
killed two dozen or more Iraqis and wounded dozens more in al-Nisour
on September 16. It was the latest incident involving a company
with a disturbing history of unprovoked violence and then claiming
self-defense. Blackwater is contracted to provide security services
for US diplomats, officials and others that once was assigned
to the military at one-sixth or less what the company charges
under an administration that believes anything government can
do private business does better, so let it whatever the cost.
Using Blackwater and other
paramilitaries is part of the scheme to militarize America, and
New Orleans is its first test case. Scahill wrote that "about
150 heavily armed Blackwater troops dressed in full battle gear"
arrived in the Crescent City right after Katrina hit and spread
out into the city's chaos. Others came later. Their cover was
to provide hurricane relief, but that was a ruse as local residents
still around in the wrong places soon discovered. They patrolled
like Gestapo in SUVs with tinted windows and their logo on the
back. Others used unmarked cars with no license plates, and relief
wasn't their mandate. They came to secure neighborhoods from
their legal residents and treat those wanting to return like
criminals. They wore flak jackets, carried automatic weapons
and had extra guns strapped to their legs. They weren't for show.
Instead of helping hurricane
victims, they came as vigilantes to terrorize them and be empowered
by federal, state and local authorities to do it. Blackwater
USA is the face of paramilitarism on US streets as the "war
on terrorism" comes to a neighborhood near you with New
Orleans the first test case to see if the company can operate
here the way it does in Iraq and get away with it. It's doing
it.
More than two years after Katrina,
New Orleans is still a disaster zone, and many thousands of its
residents are still without homes. Instead of helping them rebuild
and restore their lives, federal funds instead go to private
mercenaries to protect the privileged from desperate people needing
help. Blackwater is another element in place in "police
state America" where the streets of Boston, Boise or Buffalo
may one day resemble Baghdad and bring the "war on terror"
to the homeland with chilling implications of what that means.
A Look Ahead
in Police State America
This article began and will
end with the same chilling thought. It past is prologue, the
outlook isn't good in "police state America" under
neocon rule that won't appreciably change when the White House
has a new occupant in 2009. The nation is at war and laws are
in place that end constitutional protections, militarize the
country, repress dissent, and our government is empowered to
crush freedom and defend privilege from beneficial social change
it won't tolerate. It's the price of imperial arrogance we the
people are paying, and that won't end until the spirit of resistance
gets aroused enough to stop it in our own self-defense. We better
hope that happens in time with potentially little of it left.
Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago and can be reached
at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net.
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