The Guerrilla Campaign

- by Stephen Lendman 8/31/07 Labor Day is commemorated on the first Monday in September each year since the first one was celebrated in New York in 1882. Around the world outside the US, socialist and labor movements are observed on May 1 to recognize organized labor's social and economic achievements and the workers in them. This day gets scant attention in the US, but where it's prominent it's commonly to remember the Haymarket Riot of May 4, 1886 in Chicago. It followed the city's May 1 general strike for an eight hour day that led to violence breaking out on the 4th. Labor Day became a national federal holiday when Congress passed legislation for it in June, 1894 at a time working people had few rights, management had the upper hand, only wanted to exploit them for profit, and got away with it. It took many painful years of organizing, taking to the streets, going on strike, holding boycotts, battling police and National Guard forces, and paying with their blood an...

The White House decided, they said, that even with the appearance of disarray it was still more advantageous to wait until after Labor Day to kick off their plan. ''From a marketing point of view,'' said Andrew H. Card Jr., the White House chief of staff who is coordinating the effort, ''you don't introduce new products in August.'' - The New York Times, September 7, 2002, Elizabeth Bushmiller We’ve decided to have another war. Happy Labor Day. Don’t worry, keep shopping. Wednesday, August 29, 2007 Post Labor Day Product Rollout: War with Iran by Barnett R. Rubin http://icga.blogspot.com/2007/08/post-labor-day-product-rollout-war-with.html […] But this apparently is just test marketing, like Cheney's 2002 speech. After all "from a marketing point of view, you don't introduce new products in August." Today I received a message from a friend who has excellent connections in Washington and whose information has often been prescient. A...

The President’s Escalating War Rhetoric On Iran by Glenn Greenwald Wednesday August 29, 2007 07:11 EST George Bush, speaking before yet another military audience, yesterday delivered what might actually be the most disturbing speech of his presidency , in which he issued more overt war threats than ever before towards Iran: The other strain of radicalism in the Middle East is Shia extremism, supported and embodied by the regime that sits in Tehran. Iran has long been a source of trouble in the region. It is the world’s leading state sponsor of terrorism. Iran backs Hezbollah who are trying to undermine the democratic government of Lebanon. Iran funds terrorist groups like Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, which murder the innocent, and target Israel, and destabilize the Palestinian territories. Iran is sending arms to the Taliban in Afghanistan, which could be used to attack American and NATO troops. Iran has arrested visiting American scholars who have committed no crimes and p...

- by Stephen Lendman 8/29/07 read Part I here This article was written to assess the state of working America in the run-up to Labor Day, 2007. Organized labor today is severely weakened following decades of government and business duplicity to crush it. Part I reviewed the labor movement's rise in the 19th century and subsequent decline post-WW II and especially in the last three decades. Hope arose for some change in the Democrat-led 100th Congress. A weak effort emerged, but Senate Republicans killed it. Organized labor is struggling to remain relevant and claw its way back. The enormous obstacles it faces are reviewed below as well as the condition of working Americans today in a globalized world affecting their lives and welfare heading "south" in the "land of opportunity" offering pathetically little. full article

Roberto J. González http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/08/28/EDDGRQ9IA.DTL Tuesday, August 28, 2007 In the aftermath of Alberto Gonzales' resignation and the U.S. attorney firings scandal, many have forgotten about the role he played in creating policies profoundly more troubling from a global perspective - policies that violate international law. They warrant not only Gonzales' resignation, but an independent investigation into his involvement in war crimes. These policies are best exemplified by the "torture memos" Gonzales prepared from 2001 to 2003 while serving as President Bush's legal counsel. The documents, written by him and other administration lawyers, led to grave breaches of the Geneva Conventions and the U.N. Convention against Torture at Guantanamo Bay, Abu Ghraib and overseas secret prisons. The most infamous memo was a Jan. 25, 2002, letter from Gonzales to Bush, which argued that "the war against terrorism is a new kind of war...

- Stephen Lendman 8/27/08 As Labor Day approaches, what better time to assess the state of working America. It's under assault and weakened by decades of eroding rights in the richest country in the world once regarded as a model democratic state. It's pure nonsense in a nation always dedicated to wealth and power, but don't try finding that discussed in the mainstream. Today, it's truer than ever making the struggle for equity and justice all the harder. That's what ordinary working people now face making beating those odds formidable at the least. full article

by Mary Pitt 8/27/07 The politicians, though they profess to ignore them, are greatly influenced by the national concensus polls. There have long been comments that the polls can say anything you want them to depending on the wording of the questions. It seems that may be all too true, because those questions do not include a real choice in the answer. Of course, everybody resents the amounts of Social Security contributions which are taken out of their paychecks before they get them and, of course, nobody really enjoys paying taxes. However, if given a choice, these same people may find an entirely different answer to be appropriate. This was brought home to me recently while I was chatting with the young vice-president of our local bank. I believe I am safe in saying that he is a Republican because a Democrat is a rare find in these environs. In discussing the liabilities with which I am struggling as the result of my husband's death eight months ago, I stated that people are not...

Our Unknown Air War Over Iraq by Ed Kinane / August 25th, 2007 http://www.dissidentvoice.org/2007/08/beyond-the-rhetoric-of-withdrawal-our-unknown-air-war-over-iraq/ A key element of the drawdown plans, not mentioned in the President’s public statements, is that the departing American troops will be replaced by American airpower. . . . The American air war inside Iraq is perhaps the most significant – and underreported – aspect of the fight against the insurgency. – Seymour M. Hersh, “Up in the Air,” New Yorker, Nov. 29, 2005 There’s an air war over Iraq. It’s invisible (here). It’s deadly (there). The Iraq air war may be the longest such war in history. In one way or another it has been undermining Iraq’s sovereignty, destroying its infrastructure, and killing and maiming Iraqis for some 16 years. Despite global pressure to withdraw, Bush Inc. – and indeed the broader US power structure – has no intention of giving up Iraq. The potential oil bonanza is too huge. And Iran – with its oi...

- by Stephen Lendman 8/24/07 You know the story triumphantly heard in the West. Markets work best when governments let them operate freely - unconstrained by rules, regulations and taxes about which noted economist Milton Friedman once said in an interview he was "in favor of cutting....under any circumstances and for any excuse, for any reason, whenever it's possible (because) the big problem is not taxes (but government) spending. Friedman is no longer with us, but by his reasoning, the solution to curbing it is "to hold down the amount of income (government) has (and presto) the way to do it is to cut taxes." He seemed to forget about borrowing and the Federal Reserve's ability to print limitless amounts of ready cash the way it's been doing for years and during the current credit squeeze… full article Debt as Money

FOX attacks Iran CIA said to step up operations in Iran as hawks seek to tie Iraq bombs to Tehran 08/24/2007 @ 11:15 am Filed by Larisa Alexandrovna http://rawstory.com/news/2007/Eyeing_strike_Bush_Administration_shifts_Iran_0824.html ‘They still need a trigger,’ former official says In an effort to build congressional and Pentagon support for military options against Iran, the Bush administration has shifted from its earlier strategy of building a case based on an alleged Iranian nuclear weapons program to one invoking improvised explosive devices (IEDs) purportedly manufactured in Iran that are killing US soldiers in Iraq. According to officials – including two former Central Intelligence Agency case officers with experience in the Middle East – the administration believes that by focusing on the alleged ties between IEDs and Iran, they can link the Iranian government directly to attacks on US forces in Iraq. The US military has provided credible evidence that the specialized IEDs kn...

"Unlike in Vietnam, if we were to withdraw [from Iraq] before the job was done, this enemy would follow us home." - george w bush Aug 22, 2007 Well, let me see if I have this right. The Iraq Resistance & Terrorist Army would load up onto the ships of their formidable Navy, and the planes of their Air Force, and invade the US. Is that right, georgie? Or is it that your department of homeland security is so incompetent that they'd be able to just buy airline tickets and fly commercial? Then, what does DHS actually do anyway? Maybe you should have gone for quality instead of cronyism, hmmm? Now, I'm just asking, georgie, do you even realize what a ridiculous clown you have made of yourself with these (no other way to put it) incredibly stupid slogans your speechwriters come up with? Do you know that your grandkids, now that jenna's engaged, are going to have to go to school with other kids who are going to humiliate and taunt them mercilessly with the fact that ...

By Sheila Samples 8/22/07 "For in a democracy, every citizen, regardless of his interest in politics, 'hold office'; everyone of us is in a position of responsibility; and, in the final analysis, the kind of government we get depends upon how we fulfill those responsibilities. We, the people, are the boss, and we will get the kind of political leadership, be it good or bad, that we demand and deserve." - John F. Kennedy, Profiles in Courage [p. 265] My friend Bernie says he's not only tired of making excuses for Democrats, he's sick and tired of it. "We've worked our backsides off since 9-11 getting people in office with the courage to derail Bush and Cheney's Constitutional death train," Bernie wailed. "We had our feet on the ground, our eyes on the prize, our noses to the grindstone, our backs to the wall, our shoulders to the wheel --" he paused, mentally clicking off body parts. "Your head in the clouds?" I suggested ...

Constitutional Worlds Apart - by Stephen Lendman 8/22/07 Although imperfect, no country anywhere is closer to a model democracy than Venezuela under President Hugo Rafael Chavez Frias. In contrast, none is a more shameless failure than America, but it was true long before the age of George W. Bush. The difference under his regime is that the mask is off revealing a repressive state masquerading as a democratic republic. This article compares the constitutional laws of each country and how they're implemented. The result shows world's apart differences between these two nominally democratic states - one that's real, impressive and improving and the other that's mostly pretense and under George Bush lawless, corrupted, in tatters, and morally depraved. full article

A Time to Assess and Reflect by Stephen Lendman 8/20/07 The Bush administration is required to submit three progress reports on Iraq to Congress in September after it returns from its August recess. The US Comptroller General will issue one around September 1 on how well so-called congressional benchmarks have been met. Near the end of the month, the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) conservative think tank will report on "The readiness of the Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) to assume responsibility for maintaining the territorial integrity of Iraq, denying international terrorists a safe haven, bringing greater security to Iraq's 18 provinces in the next 12 to 18 months, and bringing an end to sectarian violence to achieve national reconciliation." Then, on or about September 15, General David Petraeus, US "Multi-National Force" - Iraq (MNF-I) commander will submit his assessment of progress before multi-billions more funding are released for a ...

By Noah Shachtman August 16, 2007 http://blog.wired.com/defense/2007/08/armed-robots-so.html Armed robots -- similar to the ones now on patrol in Iraq -- are being marketed to domestic police forces, according to the machines' manufacturer and law enforcement officers. None of the gun-toting 'bots appear to have been deployed domestically, yet. Both cops and company officials say it's only a matter of time, however. "Other than some R&D with the shotgun mount, we haven't used it operationally," Massachusetts State Police Trooper Mike Rogowski tells DANGER ROOM . "But they're on the way. They're coming," Foster-Miller, maker of the armed SWORDS robot for military use, is also actively promoting a similar model to domestic, civilian police forces. The Talon SWAT/MP is a "robot specifically equipped for scenarios frequently encountered by police SWAT [special weapon and tactics] units and MPs [military police]," a company fact sh...

by Mary Pitt 8/16/07 The amusing aspect of this primary campaign for the 2008 president is watching the candidates groping their way in search for the "middle of the road". Poor Hillary Clinton, while being reviled by the Republican protagonists as a "leftie Liberal", keeps turning her wheels to the right as she navigates the fog in which American politicians are groping in order to find "the will of the people". On the other hand, the Republicans have long ago left the road and are off four-wheeling in the brush that keeps threatening to take over the famous "ranch" in Crawford. The fact is that while all the politicians are blissfully dwelling in Foggy Bottom, they have lost touch with "the people". They think that all they have to do is to fall into a Southern accent and talk religion and they can walk into their next chosen office. But it is no longer quite that simple. Thanks to the current Resident of the White House, we are no lo...

- by Stephen Lendman 8/15/07 These days, financial/market punditry seems to follow two opposite lines of thinking. It ranges from the predominant view that world economies are growing and sound, problems in them minor and fixable, and current volatility (aka turmoil) is corrective, normal and a healthy reassessing and repricing of risk. Contrarians, on the other hand, believe the sky is falling. Most often, extreme views like these turn out wrong and are best avoided. Things are never that simple and hindsight usually proves only Cassandra was good at forecasting although calling market tops and bottoms wasn't her specialty. Amidst all the commentary and sorting out of market Strang und Durm these days, some financial world figures stand head and shoulders above the rest for their wisdom, level-headednessness and believability. One in particular is Jeremy Grantham, called by some the philosopher king of Wall Street even though he's based to the northeast in Boston. In 1977, he...

The American Normalization of Mass Murder by Phil Rockstroh 8/13/07 Given the nation's tottering infrastructure, imperial overreach abroad and vandalized constitutional process by a lawless executive branch, what will it take to scare the general public, mainstream press and political classes into immediate action to bring about meaningful change? At this twilight hour of the American republic, there must come a paradigm shift of seismic proportions or else the republic will perish. I'm less than optimistic. Insomuch as, I suspect, that if, during a rare press conference, George W. Bush's face were to suddenly shed its skin, right on camera, live on national television, on all channels, broadcast and cable, to reveal the countenance of a Gila Monster -- the elitist beltway punditry would begin to catalog the merits of his reptilian single-mindedness. Then proceed to an interview with an "expert" from a right-wing funded, zoological think tank, "The American I...

Bruce Fein Tuesday, August 14, 2007 http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/08/14/ED69RHPFT.DTL President Woodrow Wilson recanted his no-war pledge, President Franklin D. Roosevelt disowned his balanced budget promise and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., should learn from those examples. She should reconsider her “impeachment [of President Bush] is off the table” pledge. As Ralph Waldo Emerson advised, “A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds, adored by little statesmen and philosophers and divines.” The speaker’s reluctance is understandable. The president’s tenure expires on Jan. 20, 2009. An impeachment inquiry could embolden al Qaeda, the Taliban, Iraq’s insurgents and Iran’s nuclear-minded mullahs. President Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney and a majority of Republicans in Congress would attempt to portray the exercise as naked partisanship. Their enthusiasm for impeaching President Bill Clinton over lying under oath about Monica Lewinsky would be...

By Sheila Samples 8/13/07 Sometimes I'm amazed at how much I know about the financial markets and the economy. I don't understand any of it, but I know a lot of stuff, thanks to my friend and mentor, Richard Walrath, who's been to the market more than once. He says when George Bush brags that the economy is booming, he's probably right. The economy is exploding with a big boom, and Walrath says now we are engaged in a great battle to see how long this country can endure. The Fed just poured a bunch of money into the market, which was news to me, but Walrath said the Fed has been manipulating the market for years, especially during the Bush years. "There was great fear the United States was going to follow Japan into a period of deflation and recession -- maybe even a depression," Walrath said. "Interest rates were cut close to zero while hundreds of billions of dollars were added to the National Debt through tax-cuts for the rich and 'Big Bidness....

August 12, 2007 Sunday: 5 GIs, 57 Iraqis Killed; 37 Iraqis Wounded Updated at 6:00 p.m. EDT, Aug. 12, 2007 http://www.antiwar.com/updates/?articleid=11435 Although violence remains relatively light, U.S. forces took a heavy hit on Saturday; five American servicemembers were killed and four wounded in separate incidents. At least 57 Iraqis were killed and 37 more wounded during the latest incidents. Four Task Force Marne soldiers were killed and four more wounded by an explosion during combat operations south of the capital yesterday. In a separate incident, another Task Force Marne soldier was killed during a dismounted patrol southeast of Baghdad. In Baghdad, 17 bodies were found scattered in several neighborhoods. The Iraqi army reported killing seven suspects and arresting 70 others. Two civilians were wounded during a bombing near the Saj al-Reef restaurant. A roadside bomb on the al-Rasheed camp road injured five civilians . Mortars landing in Qahira killed three people and w...

Nagasaki August 9, 1945 Pictures Of War Pictures of suffering Pictures of death Some say this is holy Some say this is good Women burned alive Children without heads and heaps of corpses on the ground