Question Everything

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(DV) Zeese: Don't Just Blame the Democrats:

Recently, progressives who supported the Democratic Party in 2004 are expressing dissatisfaction with how Democratic elected officials are voting on the funding of the Iraq war, minimizing bankruptcy protections for working families, weakening the right to file class action lawsuits against abusive corporations, and shying away from environmental protection as well as how the party leadership is moving away from fully protecting a women's right to choose.

Progressives need to recognize they just can't blame the Democrats for this -- it is the liberal intelligentsia that led them down the path of supporting a candidate for president who opposed progressives on many important issues who deserve a large share of the blame. By giving their support to a candidate who openly disagreed with progressives, they sent a message that Democrats will get their vote for nothing -- in other words, progressives could be taken for granted.

When we support conservatives, we get conservative policy - even if those conservatives are democrats. Backing dems is a self-destructive strategy for the left and a major reason for the power the right has today.

(DV) Raphael: The Real Meaning of Red Lake

Prisons & the criminal justice system actually increase crime. Gathering all the criminals together in a prison means they all get to share information, skills and ideas with each other. More experienced criminals pass their skills and attitudes down to less experienced criminals, teaching them how to be better criminals. Prisons are universities of crime. Once a prisoner is out s/he often has a tough time supporting him/herself because few employers will hire an ex-con. That difficulty encourages him/her to use their criminal skills, gained in prison, to support themselves, since supporting themselves legally is difficult or impossible. Thus, the system trains them in criminal skills and puts them in a position where they have little choice but to use them in order to survive. In addition, the mistreatement they recieve in prison creates a feeling of powerlessness and resentment which they sometimes take out on innocent people once out of prison. If you want to turn someone into a career criminal send him/her to prison.

The reason there are fewer conservatives in universities than in the country at large is because they have a history of attacking education institutions. It was only ten years ago that many Republicans were seriously talking about getting rid of the department of education. They cut spending on education all the time and don't like the teachers' unions.

Now, democrats often do exactly the same thing but the difference is in the rhetoric and justification. Democrats usually present those kinds of actions as a "necessary evil" brought on by conservative circumstances while Republicans make it out to be a matter of principle, of cutting "big government." This was more true a decade ago then it is today (the republicans have mellowed due to holding power for long enough) but the effects of it on acadamia are still there. It's about self-interest, not intelligence or discrimination or a liberal conspiracy. While most institutions in society have become much more conservative and come under republican domination over the last couple of decades, universities are less conservative because it is not in their interests to do so. You can't go around trying to terminate people's jobs & cut their pay and expect them to like you.

Conservative whining about liberal dominance of universities is entirely hypocritical. Capitalists (including liberals) overwhelmingly dominate univerisites and the rest of society. Conservatives dominate every other major institution in America, they don't need to dominate this one too. People outside the liberal-conservative spectrum are routinely marginalized and excluded from major institutions, including universities & the media. There are no anarchist, socialist or communist columnists in major newspapers, nor do any communists have any talk shows, etc. The spectrum of views major institutions allow is limited, ideas outside of it are generally ignored or disparaged. It's not unusual for k-12 schools to teach children that capitalism is the best possible system, that anarchy is choas, etc. That's pretty blatant political teaching, yet "Students for Academic Freedom" and the like have no problem with it. They only whine when liberals give them a taste of their own medicine. If Horowitz & co. really wanted "ideological diversity" then they'd want more Churchills, Chomskys, etc. hired because that would increase ideological diversity. What they're really trying to do is turn universities into Fox news clones.

We're all paranoid
A good article on 9-11 skepticism with a nice summary of the main reasons to doubt the official story.

WTC 911 attack planned in 1976?

M. Junaid Alam: How the Democratic Party Fosters Conservatism
This is a very good analysis of how the democratic party aids and abeds the US's slide to the right and how the left's attachment to it ultimately harms our movement(s).

Pentagon: Unilateral, Preemptive Strikes Now US Policy

Russian Intelligence Chief Says Al-Qaeda a Myth

Freedom Of Speech Only Valid In Cases Of Non-Heathens

Dirty Tricks Revisited:

"Now we have another phony set of documents, this time masquerading as a 'raw' intelligence report, designed to accomplish pretty much what the Gannon 'memo' was created for: to discredit a political opponent and knock an obstacle out of the War Party's path."

Iraq's Jaafari aims for Sharia rule:

"Iraq's frontrunning Shiite candidate for prime minister, Ibrahim Jaafari, said in an interview he aimed to introduce sharia Islamic law and federalism and confirmed Saddam Hussein would be judged by the end of the year."

LOL: ANARCHISTS ENDORSE WOLFOWITZ FOR WORLD BANK PRESIDENT:

"At a time when the World Bank is enjoying an improved image as a so-called poverty reduction organization, Wolfowitz will help restore the Bank's image as an international purveyor of unrestricted capitalism and predatory imperialism. ... Paul Wolfowitz brings an incredible international development resume to the Bank. In his current stint as Assistant Secretary of Defense, Wolfowitz led American development efforts in Iraq. Under Wolfowitz's watch, Iraq moved from a country which had been bombed back to the Stone Age to a country that has been bombed back to the Bronze Age. Wolfowitz also led efforts to wean Iraqis from their dependency on an oil-based economy. Thanks to oil shortages and power blackouts, ordinary Iraqis are moving towards sustainable lifestyles similar to programs promoted by the World Bank. Wolfowitz also helped Iraq develop population control measures via an innovative exchange program with the American military-industrial complex."

The article is certainly right that having Wolfowitz in charge of the World Bank will galvanize opposition to it and ruin its reputation. The bank is already an extension of the American treasury department, so it probably won't hurt much - just cause lots of infighting between imperialist nations. Bush's nomination of Wolfowitz may well backfire.

The Prime Minister of Yemen correctly points out US hypocrisy on human rights & democracy:

"Why do they (US), who violate human rights, not engage in self-criticism instead of hurling accusations at the Third World, particularly the Arab world?" President Ali Abdullah Saleh asked at a public ceremony.

Saleh's outburst was sparked by the release of the US State Department's latest annual report on human rights that charged that Yemeni security forces "arbitrarily continued to arrest, detain and torture people".

"We are astonished by these human rights reports. Are rights being violated in Guantanamo (where the US holds suspected Islamist militants) and in Abu Ghraib (prison in Iraq), or in Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the Palestinian territories?" he asked.

Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice's statement that, "Pakistan is a model country for the Muslim world" supports his claims. Pakistan is a military dictatorship, ruled by General Pervez Musharraf, who came to power in a coup about 5 years ago. This whole "wer'e supporting democracy & human rights" line is a lame excuse to justify US imperialism, they don't really mean it. If you want to promote democracy & human rights you don't support dictatorships and you don't go around violating human rights.

The parliament of the US's puppet government in Iraq has finally met. Of course, they've said all the standard BS about "freedom" and "democracy" but Saddam Hussein's regime said the same thing. We shouldn't take it seriously, it's just rhetoric. The US is really in charge because it occupies the country with hundres of thousands of troops and because the elections were effectively restricted to parties/candidates who wouldn't go too far against the US. The fact that the parliament met inside the US "green zone" is a symbol of who its real masters are. The occupation also happens to be rife with corruption, including Halliburton's war profiteering.

Those "Anti-Business" Liberals at Work

The US is continuing its militarization of space, including plans for a subordital robotic space bomber to be ready in 2010. This is a form of class warfare (since we pay for it but military capitalists benefit from it), will strengthen US imperialism, possibly trigger an arms race (with other countries trying to do the same thing or at least build effective defenses against it) and raises the possibility of a skynet-like takeover by machines since it's robotic.

The occupation of Iraq is making Iraq (and the US) worse off. Any justification of the occupation that relies on the US being benevolent to Iraqis (such as the "pottery barn" theory) is fundamentally flawed because the US is making Iraq worse, not better. Empires are not benevolent entitites, they're death and exploitation machines.

Autopsy: No Arabs on Flight 77:

"Astute observers noticed right away that there were no Arabic sounding names on any of the flight manifests of the planes that “crashed” on that day. A list of names on a piece of paper is not evidence, but an autopsy by a pathologist, is. I undertook by FOIA request, to obtain that autopsy list and you are invited to view it below. Guess what? Still no Arabs on the list. It is my opinion that the monsters who planned this crime made a mistake by not including Arabic names on the original list to make the ruse seem more believable."

Massive Anti-U.S. Protests Outside Embassy In Beirut

Black Unionists Warn - "Don't 'Restructure' Us Out"

Who seized Simona Torretta?

President Hugo Chavez waiting for USA to announce that Venezuela has WMD

Most liberals think they're smarter than the average American, certainly smarter than conservatives, and aren't afraid to say so. They're wrong. If liberals were really smarter than conservatives then liberals would keep that fact to themself. Your'e not going to get most people to vote for you by going around claiming most people are dumb and your'e smarter then them. If liberals were really smarter than the rest of us then they wouldn't go around making these arrogant statements because it makes them look bad. The fact that they do disproves their alleged superior intelligence.

Democrats at it Again

Zanon Under Attack:

"The workers of the self-managed Zanon ceramics factory are once again under attack by the government and business interests trying to evict them in the southern province of Neuquen, Argentina. Since 2001, the employees have successfully managed the factory, setting an example for the working-class worldwide that workers can produce and manage even better without a boss or owner. Over the past four years, workers have battled against eviction threats and intimidation, but in the past few weeks the government and security forces representing the factory’s old ownership have used tactics of torture and kidnapping – reminiscent of Argentina’s military dictatorship (1976-1983) in which 30,000 people, mostly activists, were disappeared in the dirty war.

On Friday, March 4 a group of four individuals (three men and a woman) kidnapped the wife of an employee at Zanon. They forced her into a green Ford Falcon, a model of car security operatives used to kidnap activists during the dictatorship, sending a chilling reminder of the dirty war. They tortured her and cut her face, hands, arms and breasts. They gave details of how they carefully followed her and have detailed information about her movements. In response, this woman, who had never participated in a protest, led the march on International Women's Day in Neuqen."

A-Infos: Work Place Organizing: The Decline of Labor Unions and the Current Debate within Organized Labor: What does this mean for Radical Politics?
Interesting analysis of the labor movement.

Media repeat unsubstantiated Horowitz tale of anti-conservative bias on campus

Raimondo: The Wonderful Wizard of Washington

Wiliam Martin debunks the common pro-Israeli myth that a well known Arab leader said "we must push all the Jews into the sea, dead or alive" in Who is Pushing Whom into the Sea?:

"The phrase has been variously attributed by Zionist supporters to Yasser Arafat, Gamel Abdul Nasser, or any other of Israel's enemies, but none whom I have challenged, including U S Congressman Henry Waxman who made the claim in a letter to me, attributing the phrase to Nasser, have been able to provide any documentation of support for their claim. This 1961 speech [by Ben Gurion] certainly predates Arafat's 1968 ascension to the head of the PLO. The phrase is very much entrenched in the thinking of Israel supporters and is taken as a factual basis for an Arab intent of Genocide and of their own potential for peril.

The speech by Mr. Ben Gurion appears to be the origin of the phrase. A search of the speeches of Gamel Abdul Nasser fails to reveal it, nor does it reveal any other than a pragmatics approach to his dealing with Israel. This phrase is sufficiently dramatic and threatening so that if it was in fact uttered by a significant Arab leader, it would be prominent and easily found in any competent historical treatment, which it is not. The phrase, thus, has a Jewish origin and not an Arab origin. Mr Ben Gurion is the originator of the phrase, in all likelihood."

Newman: US Gave Lebanon to Syria

Taken to the extreme we have today, economies of scale are actually quite wastefull. Building one componet of a machine on one continent, another in a different continent and then assembling them in a third country is wasteful thanks to transportation costs and the increased difficulty of coordinating production. The reason it's done today is so corporations can make greater profits by producing things in sweatshops, etc. and evade labor & enviromental laws. It would make much more sense to make production more local so that things are produced near where they are used.

In addition, extreme division of labor can often decrease the enjoyment of tasks so that what was relatively pleasurable becomes a dreary chore. This can often outweight whatever advantages may be gained by such extreme divisions of labor. The contemporary world produces far more then we need, the problem is with distribution.

During the Spanish revolution most of the anarchist collectives were just as effective at production as under capitalist management and often better - despite worse economic conditions. Self-management is not only a more just economic system, it's a better use of resources.

If you haven't already sent a letter/made a phone call protesting the persecution of Ward Churchill please do so. A decision on this is scheduled to be made next week. If enough people bombard them with messages protesting his persecution it may help, since the main reason there is any kind of investigation at all is because of the percieved public outrage directed against the university over this.

Send letters/phone calls to:

30 Day Review Board:

Phil DiStefano
Interim Chancellor
17 UCB, Regent 301
Boulder, CO, 80309
(303) 492-8908
chanchat@spot.colorado.edu

David Getches
Law Dean
University of Colorado School of Law
208 Fleming Law Building, 401 UCB
Boulder, CO 80309
(303) 492-4475
lawdean@colorado.edu
getches@colorado.edu

Todd. T. Gleeson
Arts & Sciences Dean
275 UCB, College of Arts & Sciences
Boulder, CO 80309
(303) 492-3106
(303) 492-7294
fax (303) 492-4009
todd.gleeson@colorado.edu

Board of Regents

Jerry G. Rutledge, Chair
2745 Springmede Court
Colorado Springs, CO 80906-3716
(719) 527-8868
fax (719) 632-7694
jerryrutledge@adelphia.net

Gail Schwartz, Vice Chair
P.O. Box 6578
Snowmass Village, CO 81615
(970) 925-3013
fax (970) 544-4632
gail.schwartz@colorado.edu

Steve Bosley
P.O. Box 270509
Louisville, CO 80027
(303) 604-2313
fax (303) 604-2313
regent.bosley@colorado.edu

Cindy Carlisle
411 Spruce Street
Boulder, CO 80302
(303) 444-2606
fax 303-444-0057
regent.carlisle@colorado.edu

Michael Carrigan
555 Seventeenth Street, Suite 3200
Denver, CO 80202
(303)-295-8314
fax (303) 975-5489
carrigan@colorado.edu

Patricia Hayes
12575 East Bates Circle
Aurora, CO 80014
(303) 369-0054
fax (303) 740-8409
regent.hayes@colorado.edu

Tom Lucero
P.O. Box 921
Johnstown, CO 80534
(970) 978-1142
fax (970) 587-0920)
tommyjclay@aol.com

Paul Schauer
7255 South Jackson Court
Centennial, CO 80122
(303) 770-3872
regent.schauer@colorado.edu

Peter Steinhauer
7492 Spring Drive
Boulder, CO 80303
(303) 499-1278
fax (303) 543-2351
peter.steinhauer@colorado.edu

Dissident Voice: U.S. Supports EU Constitution: What's the Surprise?

Giving further proof of the dictatorial tendencies of the US puppet government in Iraq, death squads are being built up for use against the Iraqis. Even the State Department admits its puppet government is committing human rights abuses. Of course, the State Department isn't saying much about abuses commited by US troops, such as beating detainees and murdering prisoners. US hypocrisy about human rights undermines its claim to be promoting democracy in Venezuala, Lebanon and elsewhere.

Three good entries on antwar.com's blog:

William Rivers Pitt Falls Into War Party's Trap
Mother of GI Killed in Iraq Responds to Wm. Rivers Pitt
Putting William Rivers Pitt in Charge of the Occupation

A good post on Anarchogeek correctly pointing out why we need to go after military recruiters:

we protest against recruiters, which drives the military numbers down. They are forced in to a weaker position. Either give up the ground occupation of Iraq and possibly other countries, or give up social stability at home. As a leftist who thinks that american society needs serious upheaval i say you can't loose. If we can shutdown the recruiters, at least we stop the unilateral invasions of other countries, and potentially we open up new space for deeper change.

MoveOn SellsOut (not that I'm surprised, they are liberal idiots)

The AFL-CIO is still working with US imperialism, helping it attack foreign workers. This is another reason for the more left-wing elements of it to leave the organization and forge a real labor movement.

Press Action: Progressivism and Free Speech for All

David Peterson: When America Kills...
Good entry on media bias with regard to people killed by the US & by official enemies.

Kevin Carson: Two Cheers For Thomas Frank

500,000 mass for Hizbullah in Beirut (from the Guardian):

Half an hour before the rally was due to begin Riad al-Solh Square, one of the largest open spaces in Beirut, was already full but more kept coming, often several hundred at a time, and overflowed into side roads and on to flyovers.

In the city centre many shops closed and streets were almost deserted. Large numbers of troops stood by on the fringes of the demonstration.

Trying to estimate the number was futile, but half a million would be plausible and a million not unbelievable.

From a distance it resembled a larger version of Monday's opposition rally.

The so-called "people's revolution" in Lebanon is a farce. First of all, Lebanon is already a democracy and has had several elections so the version told in western media of "democracy" triumphing in Lebanon is BS. Second, the "democratic revolutionaries" are vastly outnumbered by their opponets, as shown by this demonstration, so it's hardly a popular revolution. Third, the "democrats" (whose leaders are probably on the US payroll) are mostly a bunch of rich people while their opponets have the support of the poor (or at least a much larger percentage of the poor):

The anti-Syrian protesters who have attracted worldwide attention are mostly Christians, plus Sunni Muslims and Druze, and they are generally from the better-off sections of Lebanese society. Yesterday's masses were overwhelmingly the poorer - and historically downtrodden - Shia, who form 40% of the population. Armani sweaters and flashy sunglasses were not to be seen.

The events in Syria have more to do with sectarian infighting and inter-imperialist Syrian-US/Israeli competition than with any kind of "democratic revolution." Of course, the US & its agents will make up all sorts of BS and slander to deny that, but they always do that in order to justify US imperialism.

There's an interesting interview with John Martinkus in Green Left Weekly about his experiences in Iraq. He says:

It's very difficult [to see a solution] unless one of two things happen; the US withdraws or it gets more troops in to regain control of the situation. Washington’s proposed solution, to train the Iraqi army and police and hand security back to them, just isn't happening and it's not effective enough.

On the makeup of the insurgency, he claims:

But there is no unified central clan. It's almost like a localised thing, different groups, different areas ... Their major motivation, from what I could tell, seemed to be a hatred of the occupying forces bred from the treatment the community had received from those forces. On top of that, they also saw the exploitation of the natural resources [in Iraq] such as the oil as the prime motivation for the occupation and that was a great affront to them. They said that Iraq is a wealthy country and has lots of oil, they were very nationalistic and saw the whole pretext for the occupation as part of a grab for resources.

He also touches on the Al-Zaqarwi myth while discussing his kidnapping:

when they made a video the banner they put me in front of was a Tawhid Wa'al Jihad [which the US claims is linked to Abu Musab al Zarqawi] banner ... They were Iraqis, not foreigners. They said there were foreigners fighting with them in places such as Fallujah but that they were subordinate to Iraqis in their organisation. They vehemently denied that Zarqawi even existed, they said he was a fabrication to create a pretext for continued American operations in Fallujah.