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The Great Bailout Swindle
The brilliant economist Michael Hudson lays out the stupidity of Paulson’s bailout plan and the lead role in Congress of Democrats in the bankers’ plot. What happened? What should be done? Read Hudson. PLUS the complete text of Alexander Cockburn and Fred Gardner’s probe of the McCain health dossier. Find the answers in CounterPunch newsletter. Get your copy today by subscribing online or calling 1-800-840-3683 Contributions to CounterPunch are tax-deductible. Click here to make a donation. If you find our site useful please: Subscribe Now! CounterPunch books and gear make great presents.
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Today's Stories October 13, 2008 Michael Hudson October 10 / 12, 2008 Alexander Cockburn Jeffrey St. Clair / Douglas Valentine Noam Chomsky Ralph Nader Syed Saleem Shahzad Patrick Cockburn Paul Craig Roberts Mike Whitney Peter Morici Christopher Ketcham Stephen Martin Chellis Glendinning Saul Landau Ahmad Faruqui Adam Turl Serge Halimi Anthony DiMaggio John Ross José M. Tirado Paul Krassner David Macaray Robert Fantina David Yearsley Julian Clec'h Adam Engel Phyllis Pollack Missy Beattie Poets' Basement Website of the Day October 9, 2008 Robert Bryce David Vest Winslow T. Wheeler Andy Worthington Anthony DiMaggio Helga Serrano / Dave Lindorff Mats Svensson Rannie Amiri Website of the Day October 8, 2008 Alexander Cockburn Linn Washington, Jr. Mike Whitney Deepak Tripathi George C. Wilson Andy Worthington Charles R. Larson Patrick Irelan Matthew Koehler Stanley Heller Daniel Gross Kimberly Hartke Website of the Day October 7, 2008 Patrick Cockburn Gary Leupp Uri Avnery P. Sainath Peter Morici Conn Hallinan Martha Rosenberg Binoy Kampmark October 6, 2008 Paul Craig Roberts Mike Whitney Tariq Ali Emily Horowitz Michael Hudson Ron Jacobs October 3 - 5, 2008 Alexander Cockburn Paul Craig Roberts Saul Landau Jonathan Cook Andy Worthington Dave Marsh Sasan Fayazmanesh John Ross Brian Cloughley Wajahat Ali Robert Schwartz Alan Nasser David Ker Thomson Peter Morici William Blum William S. Lind Michael Donnelly Thom Rutledge Manuel Garcia, Jr. Dave Lindorff Cindy Ellen Hill Paul Krassner Daniel White Poets' Basement Website of the Weekend October 2, 2008 Paul Craig Roberts Joe Bageant Ralph Nader Mike Whitney Madis Senner Winslow T. Wheeler William Blum P. Sainath Website of the Day October 1 , 2008 Glen Ford Steven Conn Alan Maass / Lee Sustar Kenneth Couesbouc Stan Goff Adolfo Gilly Rannie Amiri Ismael Hossein-Zadeh Adam W. Parsons Dave Lindorff Douglas Valentine Adrien Rain Burke Website of the Day
September 30, 2008 Pam Martens Chris Floyd Stephen Martin Deepak Tripathi Mark Engler Jonathan Cook Dave Lindorff Manuel Garcia, Jr. Ahmad Faruqui John Chuckman David Macaray Fatemeh Keshavarz Website of the Day September 29, 2008 Mike Whitney Jeff Gibbs Paul Craig Roberts Peter Morici Tim Wise John Walsh Uri Avnery Alan Farago Andy Worthington David Michael Green Carl Finamore Iris Keltz Bill Hatch Website of the Day September 27 / 28, 2008 Alexander Cockburn Linn Washington, Jr. Christopher Ketcham Mike Whitney Kevin Alexander Gray Race in the Race: Is Obama Shining Us On? Anthony DiMaggio Mary Lynn Cramer Marc Levy / Stan Cox Saul Landau Ali Khan David Rosen Todd Alan Price Matts Svensson Ron Jacobs Robert Fantina Richard Rhames David Krieger Seth Sandronsky Charles R. Larson Kim Nicolini Poets' Basement Website of the Day September 26, 2008 Moshe Adler Bill Quigley Jonathan Cook Manuel Garcia, Jr. Madis Senner Brian Cloughley Niranjan Ramakrishnan Joanne Mariner Dan La Botz David Macaray Website of the Day September 25, 2008 Michael Hudson Sharon Smith Ralph Nader Christopher Ketcham Eric Toussaint Robert Weissman David Estabrook Nikolas Kozloff Steve Early Judith Scherr Laray Polk Website of the Day September 24, 2008 Paul Craig Roberts Nikolas Kozloff Robert Weissman Andy Worthington Steve Conn Karyn Strickler Diane Farsetta Dennis Loo John Halle Khalil Nakhleh Website of the Day September 23, 2008 Rev. Jesse Jackson, Sr. Michael Hudson Tariq Ali Patrick Dyer Franklin Lamb Joshua Frank Alan Farago Dave Lindorff Tanya M. Kerssen / Harvey Wasserman Website of the Day September 22, 2008 Michael Hudson Mike Whitney Christopher Ketcham Ron Jacobs Anne-Marie McManus Robert Weitzel Wajahat Ali John Ross Steve Breyman Patrick Bond Uri Avnery Carl J. Mayer Website of the Day September 20 / 21, 2008 Alexander Cockburn Michael Hudson Pam Martens Lila Rajiva Mike Whitney Richard Rhames Bill Moyers / Bill and Kathleen Christison Susan Block Robert Fantina Heidi Walters David Yearsley Raymond J. Lawrence David Rosen David Michael Green Anthony Papa Niranjan Ramakrishnan Howard Lisnoff John Goekler Missy Beattie Dave Zirin Charles R. Larson Tim Matson Susie Day Poets' Basement Website of the Weekend September 19, 2008 Steven T. Banko Mike Whitney Michael Hudson William Kaufman Brenda Norrell Keeanga-Yamatta Taylor Clifton Ross Dave Lindorff Cynthia McKinney Susan Hurlich Michael Donnelly Website of the Day September 18, 2008 Benjamin Dangl Harvey Wasserman Susan Abulhawa Robert Weissman Anne-Marie McManus Corey D. B. Walker William S. Lind Ron Jacobs Dave Lindorff Binoy Kampmark Website of the Day September 17, 2008 Stephen Conn Forrest Hylton Patrick Cockburn Gregory Elich Ralph Nader Franklin Lamb Pam Martens Dave Lindorff Peter Morici Stanley Heller Douglas Valentine Website of the Day September 16, 2008 Paul Craig Roberts Tiphaine Dickson Stan Goff Uri Avnery Michael Winship Jeff Halper Patrick Irelan Oscar Gonzalez Binoy Kampmark Fatemeh Keshavarz Sen. Russ Feingold Website of the Day September 15, 2008 Mike Whitney Peter Morici Patrick Cockburn Charles R. Larson Jonathan Cook Nikolas Kozloff Roger Burbach Helen Redmond David Michael Green David Macaray Ralph Nader Website of the Day
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October 13, 2008 Operatic LiftingThe Shoplifting Association of the AmericasBy LISA MASSACIUCCOLI
Warning: Some interview excerpts below include ugly adult language! On August 25, 1830 there was a performance in Brussels of La Muette de Portici, the one serious work among the usually comic operas of Daniel Auber. Based on the events of a popular uprising in Naples (1647) led by a fisherman, La Muette has not remained a staple of operatic repertory. But in 1830 its themes were so incendiary that, as the audience left the opera house, it began to riot, demanding freedom from Dutch rule. The unrest gathered strength during the days that followed and eventually grew into a full-scale uprising that won the Belgians, within a few months, an independent state and their own constitution. This new-found revolutionary role of opera was the most dramatic instance of the reorganization of cultural expression and the crossing of traditional cultural lines that marked the 19th century, but it was not alone. The invention of the public concert, professionalization of the orchestra, the regularization of art sales, and the proliferation of publishers all meant that the classic reliance of artists, composers, musicians and writers on wealthy patrons was coming to an end. Such "democratization" created immense pressures, and this force mounted as demands rose for an end to aristocratic privilege. And a beginning and an end to much else. For wider political participation, for one. And for the emancipation of women and religious minorities. During this Ibsen (A Doll's House) era, Nietzche assaulted traditional morality and Christianity, Impressionists questioned the fundamentals of artistic endeavor... and there was unprecedented intensity, causing unbelievable upheavals, earth shattering onslaughts on traditional structures and assumptions that would be like (today)... the general working public embracing shoplifting as legitimate. That shocking, really that new midst what was becoming an increasingly ugly global civilization. The Shoplifters Association of the Americas (SAA) was formed in West Oakland on Black Friday when the Economic Crisis was announced. Immediately, albeit in modest form... since the fact of having only one supermarket for 30,000 people in their community dictated a lower profile than the founders would have liked to have locally. However, the thrust of the Shoplifting Association of the Americas was quickly picked up on across the nation. So much so that by Blue Monday they saw the blossoming of branches from Portland, Maine to San Diego. What is the SAA? Well, it's a ragtag group of down-and-outs (financially) who have come together to help one another survive midst the 'cross the board greed... which has now become quite blatant. Their mission is to help one another (with advice, bail $, whatever) to get through the incessant, proverbial hard times.. Primarily, they address -- in terms of very practical application -- the fact that stealing is not only condoned but encouraged among the powers-that-be, whilst a double-standard is enforced with regard to theft below. In short, they engage in the easiest and least dangerous form of thievery to keep going. For example, they shoplift food and other survival items from corporate outlets <em>without looking back</em>, watching one another's backs in some cases. Without pangs of conscience; they help each other to overcome the potentially debilitating injunctions which parents, religious leaders and society in general have plagued them with... for as far back as anyone can remember. "Good Riddance to Guilt-Ridden Rot Injunctions" is their motto. For them, it's no longer a viable proposition (for a number of reasons) to adhere to, honor all parts of the Ten Commandments. In an interview with Marcel X, co-founder of the West Oakland group, we were told, "Hey, the food is only affordable for the Players. And what they don't get gets thrown away. We're tired of foraging through diseased bins for the perfectly good food that's gotten tainted prematurely, unnecessarily." We asked one of his SAA colleagues what motivated her to join the group, and her reply was instantaneous: "What is this scam? What is this shit whereby Yahoo posts lead articles like this which have to do with compounding ignorance with ignorance... encouraging readers to embrace that very very old nonsense about the glory of becoming a millionaire? That's absolutely ancient both in terms of personal satisfaction and planetary consciousness. That kind of goal is counter-productive for everyone." We understood the thrust of her fiery response, but we delved deeper by asking, "Why do you think such attitudes persist in the face of the obvious one-sided playing field? Why do you think people put up with being deprived while watching others rake it in, running roughshod over what they call the rabble?" She simply shot back, "Greedy, fucking elitist, socially unsconcious bastards! They've manipulated the sheep for so long with their mandatory schooling reinforcing what they want... they've managed to mesmerize one and all. A la Huxley. They're dead in the water." "But not you?, we asked." "Fucking A right, not us." That's a bit of a strong note on which to end a piece like this, but then... what the elites have going is quite a piece of work, isn't it? As opposed to the dead bodies which are so often festooned along the boards at the end of operas, I give you a more lyrical conclusion: "In poverta mia lieta scialo da gran signore rime ed inni d'amore Per sogni e per chimere e per castelli in aria l'anima ho millionaria.". "In my poverty, I feast as gaily as a grand lord on rhymes and hymns of love. For dreams and fancies and castles in the air, I have a millionaire's soul." Give yourself a lift. And don't forget to give someone else a lift too. Lisa Massaciuccoli would love to hear your aria at massaciu@yahoo.com. The above lyrics are from Rodolfo... from Puccini's La Bohème.
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