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Calling All CounterPunchers!
Heading Into the Home StretchWe are now entering our third week of fundraising. As you can see from the donation gauge there on
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Today's Stories November 10, 2008 Paul Craig Roberts Kim Nicolini Cpt. Paul Watson November 7 / 9, 2008 Alexander Cockburn Jeffrey St. Clair Vijay Prashad Tariq Ali Jean Bricmont John V. Whitbeck Saul Landau Peter Morici Lawrence Velvel Karyn Strickler Nativo V. Lopez Christopher Fons Alan Farago David Yearsley Christopher Brauchli Samah Sabawi Dave Lindorff Deepak Tripathi Beth Sherouse Patrick Irelan Stephen Martin Richard Rhames J. Murray Lorenzo Wolff Kim Nicolini Poets' Basement Website of the Day
November 6, 2008 Frank J. Menetrez John Chuckman P. Sainath Joshua Frank Edna Canetti John Ross Norman Solomon Fawzia Afzal-Khan Robert Weissman Harvey Wasserman Website of the Day
November 5, 2008 Cockburn / St. Clair Chuck Spinney Ishmael Reed Chris Floyd Binoy Kampmark Michael Donnelly David Macaray Peter Morici Manuel Garcia, Jr. William Willers Website of the Day November 4, 2008 Kathleen Christison James Ridgeway Winslow T. Wheeler Mike Whitney Conn Hallinan Holly M. Barker Ashley Smith Andy Worthington Martha Rosenberg Stephen Martin Doug Lummis Carlos Fierro Website of the Day November 3, 2008 Patrick Cockburn John Kennedy O'Hara Peter Montague Steve Conn Andrew Gebhardt Ron Jacobs Ralph Nader Niranjan Ramakrishnan Uri Avnery Dave Lindorff Fred Gardner DC Larson David Michael Green Val Strange Tuli Kupferberg / Website of the Day
October 31 , 2008 Alexander Cockburn Jeffrey St. Clair Douglas Valentine Ismael Hossein-Zadeh Dr. Ignacy Nowopolski Alan Maass William P. O’Connor Patrick Irelan Brian Cloughley Mats Svensson Binoy Kampmark Steve Conn Alan Farago Morton Skorodin Robert Bryce Wajahat Ali David Yearsley Dennis Loo Pam Martens Stephen Martin Richard Rhames Ramzy Baroud Missy Beattie Howard Lisnoff Richard Neville Saul Landau / Kim Nicolini Lorenzo Wolff Poets' Basement Website of the Weekend October 30, 2008 Cockburn / St. Clair Vijay Prashad Paul Craig Roberts Glen Ford Stanley Heller William Loren Katz Joshua Frank James McEnteer Felice Pace Jonathan Cook Reza Fiyouzat Website of the Day
October 29, 2008 Arno J. Mayer Eric Toussaint Matt Gonzalez Steven Conn Jonathan Cook Patrick Bond Ramzi Kysia Douglas Valentine Stephen Martin Margaret Dooley-Sammuli Amee Chew Website of the Day
October 28, 2008 James G. Abourezk Andy Worthington Gary Leupp Paul Craig Roberts Mike Whitney Gregory V. Button Ralph Nader P. Sainath Martha Rosenberg Charles R. Larson Website of the Day October 27, 2008 Michael Hudson Barbara Rose Johnston John Dinges Mike Whitney Mary Lynn Cramer Greenspan's Higher Power Alan Farago David Michael Green Andy Worthington George Wuerthner Niranjan Ramakrishnan Website of the Day October 24 / 26, 2008 Alexander Cockburn Ishmael Reed Mike Whitney Don Santina Scott Boehm Saul Landau Ron Jacobs Binoy Kampmark Linn Washington Jr. Nicole Colson Bernard Chazelle Brian Jones Christopher Brauchli Benjamin Dangl Val Strange Steve Early David Macaray Allison Kilkenny Richard Rhames Jim Bell Kris De Welde Barry Clemson Adam Engel Mark Scaramella Tuli Kupferberg Lorenzo Wolff Poets' Basement Website of the Weekend October 23, 2008 Allan J. Lichtman Todd Chretien John Ross Peter Morici Mats Svensson Marlene Martin Robert Jensen / Margaret Kimberley Deepak Tripathi David Morris Website of the Day October 22, 2008 Brian Cloughley Heather Gray Jeff Birkenstein Ralph Nader DC Larson David Swanson Keeanga-Yamatta Taylor Race and the Election: When the "Real" America Enters the Voting Booth Larry Everest Robert Fantina Martha Rosenberg Stephen Martin Website of the Day October 21, 2008 Vijay Prashad Paul Craig Roberts Corey D. B. Walker Steve Breyman Eric Toussaint Wajahat Ali Robert Weitzel Brendan Cooney Dave Lindorff Marqueece Harris-Dawson / Bob Wing Patrick B. Barr Omar Barghouti Website of the Day October 20, 2008 Michael Hudson Anthony DiMaggio Tariq Ali Uri Avnery Bill Quigley Ben Rosenfeld David Michael Green William S. Lind Chris Genovali Stephen Martin Howard Lisnoff David Yearsley Website of the Day October 17 / 19, 2008 Alexander Cockburn Jeffrey St. Clair Pam Martens Paul Craig Roberts Mike Whtney Michael D. Yates Suzanne Smith Carl Boggs Ralph Nader Fidel Castro Dave Marsh Saul Landau Jo Guldi Kevin Zeese Larry Everest Steve Early David Macaray Ben Terrall Missy Beattie Don Monkerud Helen Redmond Dan Bacher Wajahat Ali Farzana Versey Vladimir Frolov Kim Nicolini Poets Basement Website of the Day
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November 10, 2008 Waiting in the Wings?The Advent of a New Black PoliticianBy ANTHONY OLSZEWSKI From around 1830 through the 1950s, a sad, shameful, and central feature of American popular culture was the minstrel show. White performers darkened their faces by applying burnt cork. Minstrel spectacles of the worst sort were crude attempts at humor through disgraceful parodies of African-Americans. What’s often not recalled is that some minstrel shows attempted to reproduce accurately the acts of Black entertainers. This “delivery” by Whites of African-American creative ideas was necessary for the mores of the time did not allow Whites to attend performances by African-Americans artists. In many cases, it wasn’t even possible due to enforced segregation. Minstrel acts didn’t just disappear in the 1950’s. Rather, the minstrel act transformed itself with a wink by leaving the burnt cork packed away in a trunk in the dressing room. Elvis Presley was the first white musician to achieve great fame by simulating (appropriating?) what had been African-American popular music. Using the same routine, the Rolling Stones and the Beatles took off in the early 60’s. (In a radio interview, Bill Wyman remembered how in Chicago (the capital of the Blues) a white fan wanted to know “where did this music come from?”) Bob Dylan’s “Mr. Tambourine Man” was the notorious stereotypical Certainly before John F. Kennedy there were Irish politicians, Indeed the Irish city-machine pol’ was a fixture in U.S. politics generations before Joseph Kennedy decided to back a son in a run for the Senate. But, pre-JFK, the Irish were character actors on the American political stage. By masterful organization of urban Irish voters – and that for the larger power structure less mess was involved by keeping the cities inside the tent instead of outside – Irish leaders rose to power. Even though the Irish kept the show going, the leading roles went to Anglo-Saxon Protestants. Until Jack Kennedy changed all of that. Today’s African-American leaders are inheriting the urban political institutions that once were operated by the Irish. In 1976, Jeanne Kirkpatrick, in an analysis of the delegates at the 1972 Democratic and Republican conventions, made a number of prescient statements. She predicted the end of candidates of the George Wallace ilk playing any significant role in mainstream politics, the dilution of identification with Party (and the consequent increase in the importance of independent voters), and the rise in visibility (and to some degree acceptance) of extreme ideological elements at either end of the spectrum. Ms. Kirkpatrick also discussed at length the growing importance of symbol specialists and their ability – by defining all issues in terms of right and wrong – to seize the moral high ground:
With this in mind, one can discern White politicians trying to claim the moral authority of Dr. Martin Luther King by simulating and/or incorporating elements of his oratory. African-Americans now appear very frequently in commercials aimed at a wide audience. This is a dramatic shift. Formerly, ads featuring a black spokesperson were strictly targeted at African-American consumers (with well-known sports figures as the rule proving exception). Some years ago, black actors began to be used where a “Brooklyn” (e.g. N’Yawker, working-class guy or Jewish mother) character might have appeared. By scripting these distinct types, advertisers intend to fix the audience’s attention and memory on a product. By definition different from much of the population, these figures all stand out. Also, as large numbers of people believe that these stock characters possess valuable insights, there is a prejudice in favor of them. For at least the last several years, the part played by African-Americans in commercials has become much more pronounced. Vast sums of money are not being spent foolishly. Advertisers The career of James Earl Jones dramatically illustrates this evolution of popular perception. On Broadway in 1970 (“The Great White Hope”), he played a threat to the existing order. By 1977, James Earl Jones’s voice enabled Darth Vader to personify the threat OF the existing order (super-ego?). Now, in the Verizon commercials, James Earl Jones is your friendly neighbor, family member, and business partner. Contemporary TV shows and movies regularly portray African-Americans as authority figures (particularly military officers and police – the character of a Marine drill sergeant will almost certainly be played by a Black actor). Could it be that, with a just-like-in-the-movies mind-set, African-Americans now are thought of – by preconception – as authority figures? Those seeking to harness commercial forces learned that audiences are receptive to a message communicated by African-Americans. Those seeking to harness political forces know very well that ability to transmit a commercial message translates directly into relaying a political message. At some point, opinion-crafters will give up on the search for some political Elvis with a talent for impersonation. There’s a white patrician appearance – the Senatorial “look” – that’s been of great advantage to aspiring politicians. Those fitting this description have found it easier to get taken seriously, both by voters and backers. In a similar manner, African-American politicians will increasingly find the odds in their favor. Anthony Olszewski can be reached at
New in the Print Edition of CounterPunch For his 20-year stretch as Fed chairman, they all fawned on him – presidents, Congress, the press. Only a handful of left economists said he was pushing the economy over the cliff. Now Greenspan admits it in a humiliating confession. As the world’s financial structure tumbles in ruins, guess what? “I found a flaw in the model… To the extent that I figure out where it happened and why, I will change my views.” Read Frederic Claremont’s savage assessment of the fool who has plunged millions into misery. Also in our new issue: Bill Hatch on the story of one foreclosure; Kristian Williams on police torture in Chicago. Only 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. Order CounterPunch By Email For Only $35 a Year !
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New in the CP Print Edition! For his 20-year stretch as Fed chairman, they all fawned on him – presidents, Congress, the press. Only a handful of left economists said he was pushing the economy over the cliff. Now Greenspan admits it in a humiliating confession. As the world’s financial structure tumbles in ruins, guess what? “I found a flaw in the model… To the extent that I figure out where it happened and why, I will change my views.” Read Frederic Claremont’s savage assessment of the fool who has plunged millions into misery. Also in our new issue: Bill Hatch on the story of one foreclosure; and Kristian Williams on police torture in Chicago. Only in CounterPunch newsletter! Get your copy today by subscribing online or calling 1-800-840-3683 Now Available from CounterPunch Books! Waiting for Lightning
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