Progressive Calendar 05.18.07 | <– Date –> <– Thread –> |
From: David Shove (shove001tc.umn.edu) | |
Date: Fri, 18 May 2007 21:29:25 -0700 (PDT) |
P R O G R E S S I V E C A L E N D A R 05.18.07 1. Art-A-Whirl 5.18-20 2. Iraq occupation 5.19 9:30am 3. Solar boat float 5.19 10am 4. SOA torture 5.19 10am 5. NWN4P Minnetonka 5.19 11am 6. Northtown vigil 5.19 2pm 7. GenStrike/peace 5.19 2pm 8. Seeger/Whirpool 5.19 2pm 9. Iraqi resists 5.19 3pm 10. Iraq war flyers 5.19 3pm 11. Lock arms/peace 5.19 6pm 12. Colombia/CTV 5.19 9pm 13. Bombies/film 5.20 1pm 14. Stillwater vigil 5.20 1pm 15. Anti-racism 5.20 2pm 16. Sust. organizing 5.20 3pm 17. Amnesty Intl 5.20 3pm 18. KFAI Indian 5.20 4pm 19. Gips/eat plants 5.20 5:30pm 20. TC media/KFAI 5.20 9pm 21. Lebanon bombs 5.20 10:30pm 22. David Swanson - Of snoops and dupes and crimes in common 23. Chris Carlson - Washington's new imperial strategy in Venezuela --------1 of x-------- From: Lydia Howell <lhowell [at] visi.com> Subject: Art-A-Whirl 5.18-20 FRI-SAT-SUN MAY 18TH-19TH-20TH Art A Whirl 2007* all over NE Mpls --------2 of x-------- From: Florence Steichen <steichenfm [at] usfamily.net> Subject: Iraq occupation 5.19 9:30am MIDDLE EAST PEACE NOW presents "GROWING UP UNDER OCCUPATION" Walid Muhammad Issa is a 19-year old Palestinian presently attending Normandale Community College. He will talk about living in Bethlehem where he attended Dar al-Kalima Academy and Bethlehem University. Walid participated in ARK, the Minneapolis-based peace organization which has brought together young people from the US, Palestine and Guatemala. He is majoring in architecture and hopes to help rebuild Bethlehem. Come and learn what the facts on the ground in Palestine really are from a young man who has lived with them. SATURDAY, May 19, 2007 9:30 a.m. Refreshments 10:00 a.m. Presentation and Discussion SOUTHDALE HENNEPIN COUNTY LIBRARY - 2nd Floor 7001 York Ave. S., Edina, MN 55435 For information call Florence Steichen, 651-696-1642 --------3 of x-------- From: "chinookenergy [at] juno.com" <chinookenergy [at] juno.com> Subject: Solar boat float 5.19 10am Kevin Brauer chinookenergy [at] juno.com 15th Annual Solar Boat Regatta Sat. May 19, 2007 10:a.m. - 4 p.m. Beach House Beach, Lake Phalen, St.Paul MN. www.mnrenewables.org for map and Regatta rules The Minnesota Renewable Energy Society and Great River Energy are pleased to announce the 15Th Annual Solar Boat Regatta! MR ES' Solar Boat Regatta provides an opportunity for middle and high school students (as well as individual boat builders) to build a boat that runs on solar power. They compete in a number of races, culminating with a one hour endurance race. This event has given hundreds of junior and senior high students valuable and unique experience with solar electricity, wiring, motors, fluid dynamics, boat design, construction, and teamwork. By racing the solar powered boat that they have put together, students experience the thrill of competition and the pride of accomplishment that comes with creating something useful and fun. MR ES partners with teachers and teacher organizations to enhance the competitive nature of the event, expanding the number of schools participating, and extending solar education throughout the school year. The big change for 2007 is that the race will take place at Lake Phalen in St. Paul, MN. There is another event (Water Fest 2007) happening on the same day on this lake and we hope to increase attendance and interest in our event by sharing the lake. Water Fest is happening down the shoreline, so it will not affect the Regatta. Family, friends, and the general public are welcome to attend the Solar Boat Regatta to cheer on their favorite boat. In 2007 there will be three classes: Student Class: Grades 7-12 Adult Class: Individuals or groups not associated with a school Experimental / Exhibition Class: Boats that exceed the criteria listed in the rules. Trophies will be awarded in the following categories: Slalom, Speed, Endurance, and weather permitting, Solar Only Race --------4 of x-------- From charleyunderwood [at] hotmail.com Thu May 17 22:09:57 2007 Subject: SOA torture 5.19 10am Saturday, 5/19, 10 to 11:30 am, report on the School of the Americas, a US-run institution teaching counter-insurgency that has been implicated in torture and death squads, with Rosita Balch and other activists, Resource Center of the Americas, 3019 Minnehaha Ave, Mpls. www.americas.org --------5 of x-------- From: Carole Rydberg <carydberg [at] comcast.net> Subject: NWN4P Minnetonka 5.19 11am NWN4P-Minnetonka demonstration- Every Saturday, 11 AM to noon, at Hwy. 7 and 101. Park in the Target Greatland lot; meet near the fountain. We will walk along the public sidewalk. Bring your own signs. --------6 of x-------- From: Lennie <major18 [at] comcast.net> Subject: Northtown vigil 5.19 2pm Mounds View peace vigil EVERY SATURDAY from 2-3pm at the at the southeast corner of the intersection of Co. Hwy 10 and University Ave NE in Blaine, which is the northwest most corner of the Northtown Mall area. This is a MUCH better location. We'll have extra signs. Communities situated near the Northtown Mall include: Blaine, Mounds View, New Brighton, Roseville, Shoreview, Arden Hills, Spring Lake Park, Fridley, and Coon Rapids. For further information, email major18 [at] comcast.net or call Lennie at 763-717-9168 --------7 of x-------- From: wamm <wamm [at] mtn.org> Subject: GenStrike/peace 5.19 2pm "General Strike for Peace:" House Party Saturday, May 19, 2:00 to 8:00 p.m. 90 Windy Hill Road, Sunfish Lake. Join the General Strike committee for music, food and an end to war. Presentation on the General Strike by Marv Davidov, co-founder of the Rita Steinhagen Chapter of the War Resistors League. Music byTuesdays Robot, ShugE, Alex the Kid, and others. FFI: Marv Davidov, 612-874-7715 --------8 of x-------- From: M McGinn <maureen [at] rchs.com> Subject: Seeger/Whirpool 5.19 2pm You and your friends are invited to a Book Publication Event Seeger Refrigerator Company History Saturday May 19, 2007, 2:00-4:00 pm Landmark Center, 75 West 5th Street, Room 317 From Arcade Street to Main Street, a History of the Seeger Refrigerator Company, by James B. Bell Panel discussion moderated by George Latimer, former Mayor of St. Paul and currently professor of Urban Studies, Macalester College; James B. Bell , author; John M. Lindley, editor Book sales and signing by the author, James Bell Complimentary refreshments Few in St. Paul remember that the East Side of our city was the center of a cultural revolution concerning America's eating habits. Seeger Refrigerator Company (later Whirlpool) was on the cutting edge of the revolution that moved individual households from wooden iceboxes to electric refrigerators and freezers. The company was a major economic and cultural force in the city. In 1941, Seeger Refrigerator Company employed more than 2,500 people and manufactured more than 300,000 household cabinets. Seeger family members were leaders in founding or supporting some of the major institutions of the city - United Improvement Council to revitalize downtown, St. Paul Public Library, the St. Paul Baseball Club and the Civic Auditorium, to mention a few. In 1942, the company dedicated its facilities completely to the production of military products for World War II. This is an important part of the heritage of St. Paul that has defined us culturally, and put St. Paul on the map. Come hear more about it. If you can't make the publication event, the book, published by the Ramsey County Historical Society, is available for sale call 651-222-0701 or visit www.rchs.com The books price is $29.95. M McGinn Merriam Park, St Paul More info: Info about M McGinn: http://forums.e-democracy.org/contacts/mmcginn --------9 of x--------- From: awcmere <meredith [at] antiwarcommittee.org> Subject: Iraqi resists 5.19 3pm Saturday 5/19 @ 3pm @ May Day Books, 301 Cedar Ave, Mpls. Kosta Harlan, an anti-war activist from North Carolina, recently traveled to Italy to attend the international conference, "With the Resistance, for a Just Peace in the Middle East" (iraqiresistance.info). The conference marks the first time that leaders of the Iraqi national resistance have been able to speak in the West. Kosta will report back on who the resistance is and why they fight; the current conditions of the U.S. occupation of Iraq; the birth and development of the Iraqi resistance; and the tasks of the U.S. antiwar movement. Q&A to follow. Sponsored by the Anti-War Committee, May Day Books, & Freedom Road Socialist Organization. Endorsed by IPAC (the Iraq Peace Action Coalition). Note: The endorsers & sponsors do not necessarily endorse all the views of the presenter. --------10 of x-------- From: Charles Underwood <charleyunderwood [at] hotmail.com> Subject: Iraq war flyers 5.19 3pm Saturday, 5/19, 3 pm, flyer handouts against the war in Iraq in Norm Coleman's neighborhood, 1055 Grand Ave, St Paul. Sign up at http://political.moveon.org/event/flyering/37627 --------11 of x-------- From: Charles Underwood <charleyunderwood [at] hotmail.com> Subject: Lock arms/peace 5.19 6pm Saturday, 5/19, 6 to 8 pm, kick-off for summer of PEACE in North Mpls, where over 1000 lock arms along Penn Ave from W Broadway to Lowry Ave. citypeace [at] mx3.mailzeen.com --------12 of x-------- From: Eric Angell <eric-angell [at] riseup.net> Subject: Colombia/CTV 5.19 9pm Dear Minneapolis Television Network (MTN 17) viewers: "Our World In Depth" cablecasts weekly on MTN Channel 17. Households with basic cable can watch. "Our World In Depth" is on Saturday at 9 pm and the following Tuesday at 8 am (as well as other random times). Sat, 5/19, 9 pm "Plan Colombia: A War on the People" Interviews with Anti-War Committee and Colombia Action Network members Katrina Plotz and Erika Zurawski. Hosted by Eric Angell. --------13 of x-------- From: Carole Rydberg <carydberg [at] comcast.net> Subject: Bombies/film 5.20 1pm The aftermath of the carpet bombing of Laos with made-in-Minnesota weapons is portrayed in the award winning film, "Bombies", which will be shown at Ridgedale Library, Minnetonka, on Sunday May 20, 1 pm. This free film includes local footage of demonstrations at Honeywell and Alliant Techsystems (ATK), where many of these weapons were manufactured. An update by members of AlliantACTION, who have weekly vigils at ATK, and comments by Tip Sivilay, Laotian member of NWN4P, will follow the film. Sponsored by NW Neighbors for Peace; all are welcome to attend this free program. For information - Gary, 612-298-0468 or nwn4p.pbwiki.com. --------14 of x-------- From: scot b <earthmannow [at] comcast.net> Subject: Stillwater vigil 5.20 1pm A weekly Vigil for Peace Every Sunday, at the Stillwater bridge from 1- 2 p.m. Come after Church or after brunch ! All are invited to join in song and witness to the human desire for peace in our world. Signs need to be positive. Sponsored by the St. Croix Valley Peacemakers. If you have a United Nations flag or a United States flag please bring it. Be sure to dress for the weather . For more information go to <http://www.stcroixvalleypeacemakers.com/>http://www.stcroixvalleypeacemakers.com/ For more information you could call 651 275 0247 or 651 999 - 9560 --------15 of x-------- From: Eric Gilbertson <aleric [at] tcq.net> Subject: Anti-racism 5.20 2pm The Fifth Congressional District Green Party invites you to attend. ANTI-RACISM TRAINING May 20, 2007, 2-6 pm, with break and discussion to follow Christensen Center (Augsburg College), 720 22nd Ave S, Minneapolis Second Floor, Minneapolis Room LRT and bus lines 2 and 7 run nearby. Street and lot parking are free. This workshop is based on affirming the humanity of all participants; it is not shame or blame-based. In it, we will find out why it is in white people's enlightened self-interest to fight racism. In just four hours, total transformation is not expected-and metamorphosis is not required-but we will learn about frameworks and tools that can help dismantle racism. Members of the Green Party of Minnesota are welcome to attend, free of charge. We recognize that it's unlikely that most residents of Greater Minnesota will be able to travel for a half-day session, but we look forward to expanding the discussion in the future as we tackle issues of race and culture in the metro area. There are many avenues to address racism. This workshop will focus on the frameworks, skills, and tools that white people can use to be more effective in cross-racial coalitions. Trainer Erika Thorne has been a progressive activist, writer, facilitator, and cultural worker since 1974. She does anti-racism work with other whites in order to take responsibility for white racism; and co-facilitates coalition building and diversity work. She's been at this for 20 years. She brings joyful physicality and a finely-tuned popular education approach to her workshops. Erika has worked with housing projects, fair trade businesses, cooperatives, media and environmental justice groups, undocumented immigrants, Hmong organizations, domestic violence activists, and a full range of non-profits. >From Erika: "I am glad for the 5th District Greens' interest in fighting racism...and I believe that successfully fighting racism is a crucial step to fulfilling your mission. I welcome this opportunity to contribute to that ongoing process." If you are considering attending, but have questions about the content of the workshop, please e-mail Erika at erikat [at] future-now.org. If you have general questions about the event, contact tomcleland [at] comcast.net or 612-239-5130. --------16 of x-------- From: eric-angell [at] riseup.net Subject: Sustainable organizing 5.20 3pm A community discussion hosted by IMPACT: "Building Sustainable Alternatives: Sustainable Organizing" Sunday, May 20th, 3pm Mayday Bookstore (Below Midwest Mountaineering) On Cedar Ave, a block north of Riverside Ave 301 Cedar Ave, Mpls The first of a series: Building Sustainable Alternatives. We will focus on how to organize for the long-haul and avoid burnout. Laila Davis, a recent graduate of the Humphrey Institute and community organizer, will lead discussion along with Karen Redleaf, also a local activist and organizer. The Building Sustainable Alternatives series marks a new approach to IMPACT forums. We hope to act more sustainably while empowering the IMPACT community. Each meeting will have facilitators who have researched the topic in advance of a given meeting and will be prepared with ideas to share. Facilitators are connected with the IMPACT community and have a strong interest in the topic presented. Facilitators are not necessarily experts in the field. We believe in participatory education. We recognize that everyone has valuable experiences and knowledge to contribute. Come and learn with us! IMPACT (Ideas to Mobilize People Against Corporate Tyranny) is a grassroots group of concerned citizens whose purpose is to raise awareness about the impact of corporations on our society, promote sustainable lifestyles, and mobilize ourselves and our communities to take cooperative action. We believe another world is possible: a world where people and the earth are more valued than profits! --------17 of x-------- From: Gabe Ormsby <gabeo [at] bitstream.net> Subject: Amnesty Intl 5.20 3pm GROUP 37 MAY MEETING REMINDER: SUNDAY, MAY 20TH - 3 TO 5 P.M. Join Group 37 for our regular meeting on Sunday, May 20th, from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. Our presenter this month will be Brian Payne. Brian is the co-founder of the Student/Farmworker Alliance, a national network of students and youth who organize in solidarity with farmworkers to end sweatshops and slavery in the fields. Brian lived and worked for four years in Immokalee, Florida, organizing student and youth support for the Coalition of Immokalee Workers through the Taco Bell Boycott. Currently Brian is on the Steering Committee of the Student/Farmworker Alliance and the Board of Directors of Witness for Peace Upper Midwest. His presentation will start promptly at 3:00. In our second hour, we will catch up with the work of our various sub-groups and other Amnesty International news and campaigns. Everyone is welcome, and refreshments will be provided. Location: Center for Victims of Torture, 717 E. River Rd. SE, Minneapolis (corner of E. River Rd. and Oak St.). Park on street or in the small lot behind the center (the Center is a house set back on a large lawn). A map and directions are available on-line: http://www.twincitiesamnesty.org/meetings.html. --------18 of x-------- From: Chris Spotted Eagle <chris [at] spottedeagle.org> Subject: KFAI Indian 5.20 4pm KFAI's Indian Uprising for May 20, 2007 #214 U.S. AUTHORITIES FAIL TO PROTECT NATIVE AMERICAN AND ALASKA NATIVE WOMEN FROM SHOCKING RATES OF RAPE, REPORTS AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL ³Native American and Alaska Native women in the United States suffer disproportionately high levels of rape and sexual violence, yet the federal government has created substantial barriers to accessing justice, Amnesty International (AI) asserted in a 113-page report, Maze of Injustice: The failure to protect Indigenous women from sexual violence in the USA. Justice Department figures indicate that American Indian and Alaska Native women are 2.5 times more likely to be raped or sexually assaulted than women in the United States in general; more than one in three Native women will be raped in their lifetimes.² AI USA Press Release, Apr. 24, 2007. www.amnestyusa.org > Our Issues > Womenıs Human Rights. Guest: Sarah Deer, J.D. (Muscogee Creek) is the Victim Advocacy Legal Specialist for the Tribal Law & Policy Institute in Saint Paul, Minnesota, and is an online Instructor of Tribal Legal Studies at UCLA Extension and former Lecturer in Law at UCLA Law School. Sarah is a co-author of two textbooks published by Alta Mira Press: Introduction to Tribal Legal Studies and Tribal Criminal Law and Procedure and co-editor of the forthcoming book, Sharing our Stories of Survival: Native Women Surviving Violence. http://www.tribal-institute.org/lists/tlpi.htm. Guest: Lonna Stevens (Tlingit/Dakota) is Director of the Sheila Wellstone Institute & Senior Trainer. Lonna directs Wellstone Action Fundıs Sheila Wellstone Institute, which continues Sheila Wellstoneıs commitment to building power and visibility for the domestic violence movement. She has been a strong advocate for criminal and civil policies that create greater safety for Native women and immigrant and refugee populations, and in 2005 developed and helped to pass legislation making domestic assault strangulation a felony in Minnesota. www.wellstone.org. ~ ~ ~ ~ ³The war against Indians began shortly after the Puritans invaded our country. Outright murder of Indian people was commonplace and sanctified by the Catholic church via its specious papal-sanctioned "Right of Discovery" and "Manifest Destiny" doctrines, all of which are categorized in what we now know as "The Great White Lie." Our warriors were murdered with impunity, our women violently raped and tortured, our children kidnapped and molested sexually, psychologically, emotionally, and spiritually.² Amerikkaıs Ongoing War Against Indians by Dusty Gray (Ojibwe), Portland Independent Media Center, Sept. 2006, http://portland.indymedia.org. ³For centuries, the rape of women has been used as a tactic of war to advance one groupıs political, economic, social, or religious position over another. Systematic mass rape devastates individual women ad destroys the fabric of families and communities' Rape as a Tactic of War: Social and Psychological Perspectives by Diana Milillo, University of Connecticut, Sage Publications, Summer 2006. http://aff.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/21/2/196 * * * * Indian Uprising a one-half hour Public & Cultural Affairs program is for and by Indigenous People broadcast each Sunday at 4:00 p.m. over KFAI 90.3 FM Minneapolis and 106.7 FM St. Paul. Producer and host is volunteer Chris Spotted Eagle. KFAI Fresh Air Radio is located at 1808 Riverside Avenue, Minneapolis MN 55454, 612-341-3144. www.kfai.org. KFAI's website's "Program Archives² of current programs are available for two weeks. Programs can also be heard via KFAI's "live streaming" using RealAudio or MP3. Go to www.kfai.org and click "KFAI Live Streams." --------19 of x-------- From: David Strand <mncivil [at] yahoo.com> Subject: Gips/eat plants 5.20 5:30pm Join EarthSave Twin Cities and Alliance for Sustainability for our next program (Feel free to bring others with you.) Sunday, May 20, 2007 5:30: Welcome 6:00: Plant-based dinner 6:45: Program St. John's Lutheran Church 4842 Nicollet Ave. S., Minneapolis (EarthSave is not affiliated with the church) In addition to sharing delicious food and enjoying great company, Terry Gips, long-time EarthSave member, President of Sustainability Associates www.sustainabilityassociates.com and President of Alliance for Sustainability www.Afors.org will speak: "Tastes Great! Feels Great! How a Plant-Based Diet Can Bring About Sustainability". YOU DON'T NEED TO BE VEGAN OR VEGETARIAN TO ATTEND; EVERYONE IS WELCOME! Please bring a plant-based food, dish or dessert to share with others (no meat, eggs, dairy, honey or refined sugar), enough to serve 4 to 6 people (GREAT RECIPES AT: http://www.veganchef.com), along with a serving utensil, a copy of your recipe/ingredients to set by your dish, your place-setting and your SMILE! For more EarthSave info, http://twincities.earthsave.org, twincities [at] earthsave.org and/or EarthSave's 24-hour info-line: 952-930-1205 (leave a message, and we'll call you back). Join EarthSave Twin Cities as we "dine-out" at a vegan/vegetarian restaurant: Saturday, May 26, 2007, 6:00 P.M. "Mysore Cafe" (Indian, vegan, vegetarian), 2819 Hennepin Ave., Mpls. Please try to RSVP to the EarthSave info line by 2:00 PM on Saturday (May 26th): 952-930-1205. For directions, please call the restaurant: 612 871-1110. Please see attachments re. Natural Step Framework Seminars: May 24, 2007, and May 29 & 31, 2007. 'EarthSave promotes a plant-based diet for personal & planetary health, and out of respect for, and compassion towards, ALL beings with whom we share the earth. --------20 of x-------- From: Andy Driscoll <andy [at] driscollgroup.com> Subject: TC media/KFAI 5.20 9pm Friends/Colleagues/Readers/Listeners/Citizens TUNE IN THIS COMING SUNDAY, MAY 20, at 9:00 PM on KFAI (FM 90.3-Mpls/106.7 St. Paul and streaming at KFAI.org): 2-HOUR DISCUSSION OF THE STATE OF TWIN CITIES AND MINNESOTA MEDIA. Our guests for this critical Truth to Tell discussion of the state of Twin Cities and Minnesota media will be: Part I The Status of Daily Newspapering in the Cities Guests: 1. Kathleen Hansen, Professor, UofM School of Journalism, and Director, MN Journalism Center 2. Aron Kahn Retired Pioneer press Reporter/Columnist on the Politics and Business of Sports (Stadiums) 3. David Brauer Free-lance Writer/Editor/Commentator, Twin Cities Media 4. Doug Rzeszutek Veteran Star Tribune Press Operator Part II The Future and Alternatives Guests: 1. Mike Mischke, Executive Editor/Publisher, Highland Villager/Avenues/Villager Communications 2. Alberto Monserrate, Owner/Publisher, Latino Communications Group (Gente de Minnesota/LaPrensa) 3. Ed Felien, Editor/Publisher, PULSE of the Twin Cities and Southside Pride Neighborhood News 4. Mary Turck, Managing Editor/Writer, Twin Cities Daily Planet In the first segment we examine just whatıs been going on in local media in recent years/months, especially the upheaval in daily and weekly newspapering from the boardroom and classroom to the newsrooms and the pressrooms. Fortunately, we will be the first to ask questions of some whose opinions are rarely, if ever, sought on such changes including those of a long-time union pressman for the Star Tribune. Weıll discuss the rapid turnover in ownership of the Pioneer Press, and The Strib (by private equity corporation, Avista), the PiPress lawsuit against former publisher Par Ridder and Avista (among others), the reasons and ethics behind all these shake-outs and the impact theyıre like to have on employees in all departments, on readers, advertisers and the culture of news gathering in general. In Segment 2, weıll talk with key Twin Cities media entrepreneurs outside the daily/weekly arenas about how these changes affect them, how they donıt and whether or not regional and targeted enterprises might possibly suffer from them, and/or supplant them for specific neighborhoods and constituencies. A commentary will close the program. Keep an eye out for a future program on the role local broadcast/telecast news has played in shaping our culture through fear and distraction and the occasional outright lie. Stay tuned. Andy Driscoll, Producer/Host Truth to Tell co-host: Craig Cox KFAI Radio, Minneapolis/St. Paul 651-293-9039 / Fax: (same, call ahead) / Cell: 651-492-2221 email: andy [at] driscollgroup.com --------21 of x-------- From: Ahmed Tharwat <tharwat77 [at] msn.com> Subject: Lebanon bombs 5.20 10:30pm Arab American TV show Airs on MN Public TV Ch17 Sundays at 10:30pm Director of Clinical Education Associate Professor of Law/ UST Co-Director - Interprofessional Center for Counseling and Legal Services. He headed a mission to clearing up the cluster bombs mess in Lebanon. Israeli drooped more than 2 millions of them in the last 72 hours of the war! <http://courseweb.stthomas.edu/vowiebe/Professor%20Virgil%20Wiebe's%20Course web/Site%20Home.html> More Ahmed Tharwat/Host BelAhdan with Ahmed Arab American TV show Airs on MN Public TV Ch17 Sundays at 10:30pm www.Belahdan.com <http://www.belahdan.com/> ahmedtharwat [at] belahdan.com --------22 of x-------- Of Snoops and Dupes What Do These Crimes Have in Common? By DAVID SWANSON CounterPunch May 18, 2007 Another day, another impeachable offense. If this one were on a television show we'd all flip it off in disgust as too unlikely. The President phones up a hospital to demand that the ailing Attorney General (who has turned over his duties and is disoriented) admit the President's legal counsel and chief of staff so that they can ask him to sign off on an illegal spying program. The AG refuses to sign off. The acting AG, who is fully conscious but considers the program illegal, also refuses to sign off. The White House goes ahead and launches the program anyway, a program that involves the FBI, a program so dramatically illegal or offensive that the serial criminals running the Justice Department refuse to go along with it. There is a theme that may unite this particular crime with a significant subset of the crimes of President Bush and Vice President Cheney. The entire voter fraud fraud [sic] is part of an effort to harass, block, discourage, and disenfranchise Democratic voters. The U.S. attorney firings and hirings, and the demands made of them, have been aimed at hurting Democratic electoral candidates and protecting Republicans. The mathematically impossible results produced by paperless election machines have hurt Democrats and benefited Republicans. It is quite likely that the illegal spying programs authorized by Bush have been used to spy on political opponents. Now, an illegal spying program (or two, or three) is illegal whether or not it is used to spy on political opponents. A war of aggression is a crime whether or not the nation you attack possesses weapons. Misleading and defrauding Congress is a crime whether or not you have a high IQ. Torture is illegal regardless of what any "signing statement" says. It's important not to lose the forest for the trees in all of these things, because the debate is so frequently diverted from the central question. I don't want to distract from the need for immediate accountability for known crimes by focusing on the mystery of who exactly has been spied on. But there appears to be a pattern in several Bush-Cheney crimes of aiming to cheat at elections. This is what Watergate was about. This is what Karl Rove's career has been about. This is what has made every national election since 2000 so different from those before. We ought to expect this by looking at history, by looking at discrepancies between exit polls and official results, and by comparing the policy positions of the Republican Party to those of the American public. Elections that cannot be won must be stolen. And yet, we generally avoid the topic. If we did talk more about certain Bush-Cheney crimes as constituting electoral politics by other means, we would come around sooner or later to the question of which of these crimes have succeeded. Just as Bush and Cheney's wars have dramatically enriched oil corporations and other war profiteers, many of their other crimes have succeeded on their own terms. Their voter harassment efforts have prevented votes from being cast. Their hirings and firings at the Department of Justice have impacted elections to their benefit. Their vote counting alone has stolen a presidential election and numerous Congressional races. But what about the spying? Have they obtained information they are holding over the heads of political opponents? Would that explain any of the Democrats' incredible timidity? Or have they obtained information on opponents' plans that has allowed them to react preemptively? It would be worth looking for instances where that appears to be the case. A leap would be required to assume that the illegal spying programs have been the one area in which Bush and Cheney have not met with any success. But even if the spying is aimed at political opponents, and even if it has been successful, the White House cannot possibly have dirt on every Democrat in Congress. If Bush had that kind of information, would he allow so many scandals and indictments of Republicans in Congress to go unmatched by Democratic downfalls? I think we can be confident of these three things: * Bush and Cheney do not have any secret pull on most Democrats in Congress. * Most Democrats in Congress know that Bush and Cheney are using a wide array of illegal methods to cheat and steal elections, with a great degree of success, without which the Democratic win in 2006 would have been significantly larger than it was. * Most Democrats in Congress are acquiescing in attacks on their power and hoping that future elections (or at least their own individual election) can be won by a wide enough margin to defeat any chicanery. The main reason we need impeachment is, of course, to restore limits to the offices of the presidency and vice presidency for the future. But Democrats who put electoral concerns ahead of such long-term and selfless thinking may well be mistaken on their own terms if they fail to press for impeachment. If we do not impeach, remove from office, and try these criminals in court, we will have to abandon the idea of free and fair elections from here on out. And we know where this road leads. David Swanson can be reached at: david [at] davidswanson.org --------23 of x-------- Setting the Stage for Turmoil in Caracas Washington's New Imperial Strategy In Venezuela by Chris Carlson May 15, 2007 First used in Serbia in 2000, Washington has now perfected a new imperial strategy to maintain their supremacy around the globe. Whereas military invasions and installing dictatorships have traditionally been the way to control foreign populations and keep them out of the way of business, the U.S. government has now developed a new strategy that is not so messy or brutal, and much more sleek; so sleek, in fact, that it's almost invisible. It was so invisible in Serbia that no one seemed to notice in 2000 when a regime was toppled, the country was opened to massive privatization, and huge public-sector industries, businesses, and natural resources fell into the hands of U.S. and multinational corporations. Likewise, few have noticed as countries in the former Soviet-bloc have recently been victims of the same strategy, with the exact same results. Nations that do not give in to the demands of the empire and the expansion of global capitalism are targeted by an undercover, well-designed plan to change the political situation in the country, and open it up to corporate investors. U.S.-supported groups inside the country overthrow the president, making it seem like there is no outside intervention. And now, Washington has turned toward its new biggest threat: Latin America, and more specifically, Venezuela. The Rise of the New World Order During the second half of the twentieth century, capitalists in the first world began to saturate domestic opportunities for investment and growth. Big business reached a point where possibilities for expansion within national borders were mostly exhausted, and the only option for growth was to look for new opportunities abroad. Growing corporate conglomerates looked to expand their operations throughout the world, investing, privatizing, and buying up everything they could get their hands on. National capital was looking to go international, and by the end of the century, capitalism had become truly global. "Get big, or get eaten," was their new philosophy, and they decided to get big by eating whole nations. With the help of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, economies everywhere were opened up to privatization. The phone systems, electrical grids, water systems, and natural resources were bought up by wealthy capitalists in countries around the world. Free-market capitalism now ruled the day; a paradise for international capital as the world's wealth became more and more concentrated in their hands. [1] Some nations, however, were determined to not be eaten. Privatization was an unpopular idea among populations who had developed the crazy idea that their natural resources belonged to them, and not foreign corporations. Resistance developed in several areas of the world, and some nations would not consent to the logic of global capitalism. Washington, however, was determined to open the world up to corporate expansion. They would oblige those countries that didn't comply, either by force or by cunning. The Case of Yugoslavia: A Model for Regime Change It was in Yugoslavia, and more specifically, in Serbia, where Washington's new strategy would really take shape for the first time. From here they would carry it on to other countries in an attempt to repeat the tremendous success of the Serbian experience. And it's not hard to see why. After the toppling of the Milosevic regime allowed for mass privatization, all that remained of the formerly socialist country, including some of Europe's largest reserves of natural resources, soon fell into the hands of U.S. and international investors. The strategy is a sophisticated one. With the intention of ousting an undesirable regime, the U.S. government dedicates itself to strengthening and uniting opposition to the government. This includes funding opposition political parties, and creating non-governmental organizations dedicated to toppling the regime in power. On top of this, the U.S. might contract political consultants and polling agencies to help their favored candidate win at the ballot box. But in the event they cannot win the election, fake polls cast doubt on the official electoral results, and the opposition claims fraud. Massive protests and media attention put pressure on the regime to step down, or to give in to opposition demands. [2] As implausible as it might sound, it was exactly this strategy that toppled Slobodan Milosevic in Serbia in 2000. After the war in Kosovo and NATO bombing had failed to produce regime change, the United States worked to strengthen Milosevic's internal opponents by uniting them behind one candidate, Vojislav Kostunica, and pumping about $40 million into his election campaign. [3] U.S.-funded NGO's and electoral consultants helped create a propaganda campaign surrounding the elections, and worked behind the scenes to help organize mass resistance to the Milosevic regime. [4] U.S.-trained "election helpers" were deployed around the country on election day to monitor results. The U.S. even provided young activists with thousands of cans of spray paint and campaign stickers to cover the country with anti-Milosevic slogans. [5] According to official results of the first round elections neither candidate had won a majority of the vote, and so it would require a second round run-off. But U.S. consultants published their own "exit polls" giving Kostunica a huge victory and Milosevic refused to recognize them. [6] The opposition claimed fraud and U.S.-backed groups staged acts of non-violent resistance to put pressure on the government. Armed groups stormed the Federal Assembly and the state television headquarters. [7] Massive protests and rebellion forced Milosevic to step down. There would be no second round election, and Washington's candidate Vojislav Kostunica took power. The strategy had worked. But why had the U.S. targeted Serbia, and, even more specifically, the small province of Kosovo? The answer goes back to the Reagan administration and a 1984 secret document on "US Policy towards Yugoslavia". A censored version was revealed in 1990 advocating "expanded efforts to promote a 'quiet revolution' to overthrow Communist government and parties." [8] The US government had worked on dismantling and dividing the socialist Yugoslavia for years, supporting any and all independence movements within the individual provinces, including the 1999 military intervention to help the province of Kosovo break away. What was once a relative economic success under the famous Josip Tito, the socialist economy, based on socially-owned, worker-controlled companies, did not allow for foreign investment or US capital. This was a mortal sin in modern global capitalism. As Michael Parenti put it: "Yugoslavia was the only country in Eastern Europe that would not dismantle its welfare state and public sector economy. It was the only one that did not beg for entry into NATO. It was - and what's left of it, still is - charting an independent course not in keeping with the New World Order." [9] Breaking up the country into smaller, dependent states and destroying their public-sector economy was the ultimate goal, and Milosevic, an admirer of socialist Tito, was the only thing standing in their way. The rewards for their work were substantial. Once Milosevic was gone, one of the first actions taken by the new government was the to repeal the 1997 privatization law and allow 70% of a company to be sold to foreign investors. [10] In 2004 the UN Mission in Kosovo announced the privatization of 500 enterprises, and U.S. corporations came out the big winners. Phillip Morris bought up a $580 million tobacco factory, U.S. Steel got a $250 million deal on a steel producer, Coca-Cola grabbed a bottled water producer for $21 million, and the list goes on. [11] In addition, western investors now had access to what the New York Times called the "war's glittering prize," the second largest coal reserves in Europe and large reserves of lead, zinc, gold, silver, and, even petroleum. [12] And the real gem was located in the province of Kosovo; the huge Trepca mine complex, valued at over $5 billion, now open to the highest bidder. [13] The success of the strategy in Serbia was an important lesson for the Washington policy makers. They would repeat it several more times throughout Eastern Europe in places like Georgia (2003), the Ukraine (2004) Kyrgyzstan (2005), and Belarus (unsuccessfully in 2001). In what became known as the "Color Revolutions," each U.S.-aided movement would remove a regime in exchange for one more favorable to the "free-market" policies promoted by Washington. [14] The preferred strategy for regime change became this new sort of non-violent resistance, and now the empire turned its gaze on South America, where a new threat to global capitalism had suddenly emerged. The Problem of Venezuela If the Trepca mine in Kosovo was the jackpot of the Serbian intervention, in Venezuela it is the state-owned oil company, PDVSA. Venezuela has some of the largest oil reserves in the world, possibly passing Saudi Arabia in total reserves if all heavy crude deposits are included. And it is PDVSA that dominates in Venezuela with a total monopoly over the nation's oil resources. With a production capacity of 4 billion barrels per day, and a $65 billion yearly revenue, the company also possesses a network of more than 15 thousand gas stations in the United States including several refineries in both the U.S. and Europe making it the second largest company in all of Latin America. [15] You can be sure that corporate investors would love to get their hands on the PDVSA company, along with other public sector companies in Venezuela. In fact, they were doing just that throughout the 1990's. By 1998, multinational corporations had already bought up the national phone company, the largest electricity company, and PDVSA was going through what they called an "opening" to international capital; a prettier way of saying privatization. [16] But that same year, Hugo Chavez was elected president on an anti-imperialist platform, and the auctioning-off of Venezuela came to an abrupt halt. In fact, Hugo Chavez has become a real problem for the corporate imperialists and their servants in Washington. Not only has he stopped privatization, but he is reversing it by re-nationalizing all that was once privatized. The privatization of the state oil company is now prohibited by law, and his government has taken complete control of it, using it to finance the country's development. But what is even more worrying for Washington and their corporate sponsors is how this trend is spreading through Latin America. The Chavez government has built close ties to many of his neighbors, and many are following in his footsteps. Countries like Bolivia and Ecuador are taking greater control of their huge gas and oil reserves, leaving less room for the huge corporations that hoped to one day own them. And so, just as they did in Serbia, Georgia, Ukraine and others, Washington has deployed its forces in Venezuela with the intention of getting rid of the Chavez menace. After trying many things over the years including a short-lived coup, electoral manipulation, and mass protests, Washington has not been able to topple the popular leader. But they haven't given up. To the contrary, they've actually just continued to increase their level of involvement. Repeating the East European experience in Venezuela The new imperial strategy includes something called "American Corners." These "corners" are small offices set up by Washington throughout the target country that basically serve as mini-embassies. It is not completely clear what exactly these "corners" do, but inside you will find an array of information about the United States, including study abroad opportunities, English classes, and pro-U.S. propaganda. On top of this, the mini-embassies also organize events, trainings, and lectures for young students. Interestingly, they seem to be very abundant in countries that Washington seeks to destabilize. The former Yugoslavian countries have a total of 22 American Corners, including 7 in Serbia. The Ukraine has 24, Belarus 11, Russia 30, even Iraq, with 11. By far the highest concentration of the "corners" is in Eastern Europe, where Washington has focused its destabilization efforts in recent years. [17] There are at least 4 "American Corners" in Venezuela, the most for any Latin American country, and the U.S. also finances literally hundreds of organizations throughout the country to the tune of more than $5 million a year. [18] Together, these U.S.-funded organizations are working to implant the Eastern European experience in Venezuela. As reported by Reuters, the Venezuelan opposition is already learning the Serbian tactics to overthrow a regime from a retired U.S. army colonel named Robert Helvey. "Helvey, who has taught young activists in Myanmar and Serbian students who helped topple the former Yugoslav leader Slobodan Milosevic in 2000, is giving courses on non-violent opposition tactics this week at an east Caracas university," said the article. "Neither Helvey nor the organizers of the Caracas seminar would give details of exactly what opposition tactics were being taught. But in his work in Serbia before Milosevic's fall, Helvey briefed students on ways to organize a strike and on how to undermine the authority of a dictatorial regime," reported Reuters. [19] And more recently, in the university city of Mrida, history professor from Texas, Neil Foley, hosted an event sponsored by the U.S. embassy and the Venezuelan-American Center (Cevam), not an official "American Corner" but serving the same purpose. Foley, who has also spoken in various "American Corners" in Serbia, gave speeches in both Bolivia and Venezuela on "American values". [20] I attended one of Foley's speeches and, as expected, it was a complete pro-U.S. propaganda campaign imposed upon the university students. The professor gave exactly the message that the U.S. Embassy had paid him to give, speaking wonders about American society and "American democracy". According to Foley, the United States solves all of its problems by tolerance for others and an all-inclusive "dialogue," between opposing parties. And sending a clear hint to the Venezuelan students, Foley implied that any government that does not live up to these standards "must be overthrown". [21] All of these efforts come together into a nationwide campaign to unite, strengthen, and mobilize opposition to the democratically elected Chavez government. The ultimate goal, of course, is to destabilize the government by organizing and directing opposition groups to commit acts of peaceful resistance and mass protests. Just like they did in 2002, when the Venezuelan opposition groups staged massive protests that turned violent, and eventually led to the temporary overthrow of the Chavez government, the U.S.-financed campaign seeks to destabilize the government in any way they can, perhaps provoking violence for which they will later blame the government. [22] Now nearly every element of the strategy used in Serbia and other Eastern European countries has been implemented in Venezuela as Washington directs and controls the campaign of the Venezuelan opposition. The same "electoral consultants" that were used in Serbia, the Washington-based Penn, Schoen and Berland, have also been used in Venezuela to publish fake exit polls in an effort to cast doubt on Venezuelan elections. This strategy of electoral manipulation was used during the 2004 recall referendum when the U.S.-funded NGO Sumate and the Penn, Schoen and Berland firm released false exit polls claiming that Chavez had lost the referendum. They did the same thing before the 2006 elections, claiming that Chavez' opponent "clearly has the momentum". [23] Both in 2004 and 2006 the fake polls would give credence to the opposition's claims of fraud with the hope of producing massive protests against the government. The strategy mostly failed, but it did cast doubt on the legitimacy of the Chavez government and weakened its image internationally. The destabilization attempts are taking form in a concrete way in the coming weeks in the form of huge anti-government protests in Caracas to reject the government's actions against the private TV channel RCTV. Opposition groups have organized around the government decision, claiming that it steps on their "freedom of expression," and have organized a series of large protests in the capital leading up to a massive march on May 27th, the day RCTV's broadcast license expires. All the private media have played a role in advertising and calling on viewers to attend the march to protest against the government. All expectations are that there will be a huge turnout by both pro-government and anti-government groups, and the government has already warned of the possibility that violence could be used during the march in an attempt to blame the government and destabilize the regime. In the last few days, government intelligence found 5 sniper rifles in the hands of opposition groups as well as 144 Molotov cocktails in what appears to be evidence that there are plans for some sort of violence. [24] [25] It was exactly this kind of protest in 2002 that led to dozens of deaths, hundreds wounded, and the temporary overthrow of the Chavez government. Private media channels like RCTV manipulated video footage to blame deaths on Chavez supporters, and condemned the government for human rights abuses. So this time government officials have called on pro-government activists to monitor the opposition protests with photos and video on May 27th and May 28th in order to avoid a situation similar to the 2002 coup. If it had not been for huge pro-government protests after Chavez had been overthrown in 2002, Washington's strategy might have already gotten rid of the popular president. But the strategy failed, and so the empire keeps trying. Just as they did in the Ukraine, Serbia, Georgia and others, the strategy requires getting a large number of people into the streets to protest against the government. Regardless of whether the government is popularly-supported or not, or democratically-elected or not, the opposition groups attempt to impose their will on the government by putting on the pressure. What most protesters probably do not know is that they are simply pawns in a larger strategy to open up the world to "free-market" global capitalism and corporate-dominated privatizations. While huge multinational corporations carve up the world among themselves, small nations like Serbia and Venezuela are simply unfortunate obstacles to their objectives. In the worldwide scramble to see who will get bigger, and who will get eaten, the fact that some countries would prefer not to be eaten simply doesn't matter to the bureaucrats in Washington. 1. To read more about how the World Bank and IMF force privatization on poor countries, Third World Traveler has a large section devoted to the topic. http://www.thirdworldtraveler.com/IMF_WB/IMF_WB.html 2. Michael Barker has a 4 part series of articles on Znet that explain this strategy in further detail. http://www.zmag.org/content/showarticle.cfm?ItemID=10987 3. Michael A. Cohen and Maria Figueroa Kp, Privatizing Foreign Policy, World Policy Journal, Volume xXII, No 3, Fall 2005 http://worldpolicy.org/journal/articles/wpj05-3/cohen.html 4. Chulia, Sreeram. Democratisation, Colour Revolutions and the Role of the NGO.s: Catalysts or Saboteurs?, Global Research, December 25, 2005, http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=viewArticle&code=20051225&articleId=1638 5. Michael Dobbs, "US advice guided Milosevic opposition: political consultants helped Yugoslav opposition topple authoritarian leader", The Washington Post, 11 December 2000, http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn?pagename=article&contentId=A18395-2000Dec3Found=true 6. Ian Traynor explains how opposition 'exit polls' have been strategically used to weaken or overthrow regimes in Eastern Europe in his November 2004 article in The Guardian. "US campaign behind the turmoil in Kiev," http://www.guardian.co.uk/ukraine/story/0,15569,1360236,00.html 7. Chris Marsden, "How the West organised Milosevic's downfall," World Socialist Web Site, 13 October 2000, http://www.wsws.org/articles/2000/oct2000/yugo-o13_prn.shtml 8. Finley, Brooke. "Remembering Yugoslavia: Managed News and Weapons of Mass Destruction," from the book Censored 2005, Project Censored, Seven Stories Press, 2004. 9. Michael Parenti, The Media and Their Atrocities, You Are Being Lied To, pg. 53 , The Disinformation Company Ltd., 2001 10. Neil Clark, "The Spoils of Another War - NATO's Kosovo Privatizations," Znet, September 21, 2004, http://www.zmag.org/content/showarticle.cfm?ItemID=6275 11. Elise Hugus, "Eight Years After NATO's 'Humanitarian War' - Serbia's new 'third way'", Z Magazine, April 2007, Volume 20 Number 4, http://zmagsite.zmag.org/Apr2007/hugus0407.html 12. Hedges, C., "Kosovo War's Glittering Prize Rests Underground," New York Times, 08/08/98 13. Michel Chossudovsky, "Dismantling Former Yugoslavia, Recolonizing Bosnia-Herzegovina," Global Research February 19, 2002, Covert Action Quarterly, Spring 1996-06-18, http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=viewArticle&code=MIC20020219&articleId=370 14. Jonathan Mowat, "Coup d'tat in Disguise: Washingtons's New World Order 'Democratization' Template," Global Research, February 9, 2005, http://www.globalresearch.ca/articles/MOW502A.html 15. http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petrleos_de_Venezuela 16. Steve Ellner, The Politics of Privatization, NACLA Report on the Americas, 30 April 1998, http://www.hartford-hwp.com/archives/42/170.html 17. http://veszprem.americancorner.hu/htmls/american_corners_worldwide1.html 18. Jim McIlroy & Coral Wynter, "Eva Golinger: Washington's 'three fronts of attack' on Venezuela," Green Left Weekly, 17 November 2006, http://www.greenleft.org.au/2006/691/35882 19. Pascal Fletcher, "US democracy expert teaches Venezuelan opposition," Reuters, April 30, 2003, http://www.burmalibrary.org/TinKyi/archives/2003-05/msg00000.html 20. On the web page of the U.S. Embassy in Bolivia it shows that Neil Foley gave a speech in La Paz, Bolivia for .U.S. Culture Week. the week before he was in Venezuela. http://www.megalink.com/USEMBLAPAZ/english/Pressrel2007En/0404-USweek-eng.pdf 21. From my personal notes of Mr. Foley's speech at the University of the Andes in Merida, Venezuela on April 16, 2007 22. For the best, most detailed, account in English of the 2002 coup, read Gregory Wilpert's recent article, "The 47-Hour Coup That Changed Everything," www.venezuelanalysis.com/articles.php?artno=2018 23. See my previous article "Coup d'tat in Venezuela: Made in the U.S.A. - The U.S.-designed Plan to Overthrow Hugo Chavez in the Days Following the Election," Venezuelanalysis.com, November 22, 2006 www.venezuelanalysis.com/articles.php?artno=1884 24. President Chavez announced that his intelligence had infiltrated opposition groups and found a man belonging to an opposition group with 5 sniper rifles with silencers and scopes. "Chavez anuncia incautacin armas vinculadas a complot en su contra," Milenio.com, May 6th, 2007, http://www.milenio.com/index.php/2007/05/05/65937/ 25. Police in Los Teques, near Caracas, found 144 Molotov cocktails all ready to be used to "take them out to the street next week with the intention of disturbing the public order and for direct confrontation with authorities," Prensa Latina, May 9, 2007, http://www.prensalatina.com.mx/article.asp?ID=%7BEEAA37C7-DE27-48EB-A23B-CDC19EAD2ADA%7D) Chris Carlson is a freelance journalist and activist living in Venezuela. See his personal blog at: www.gringoinvenezuela.com ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- - David Shove shove001 [at] tc.umn.edu rhymes with clove Progressive Calendar over 2225 subscribers as of 12.19.02 please send all messages in plain text no attachments
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