Discussion Tonight
 In the aftermath of the storm, and
going into stormy times, what is our responsibility in stopping the crimes of
our government?
We will be checking in with people affected by Hurricane
Sandy, and talking about Tuesday's election.
On the phone
TONIGHT
November 1
10pm Eastern / 7pm Pacific
Register for the conference
call.
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Dear All
Thanks to all who have messaged those of us in the
northeast to check how we're doing. We know many of you have been affected, and
are not even able to read this, or follow the news. The scale of the disaster in
the US is unprecedented, and still remains to be grasped, as tens of millions
are affected. A reminder, given how seriously people in NYC/NJ are affected...
proportionately, the poor countries who got the storms brunt first, especially
Haiti, suffered more loss. People in Haiti's slums who have nothing — a
situation fostered by centuries of U.S. actions — were washed away, and
survivors face cholera. This is an international problem, and we can't get all
"Ah-MUR-i-can" as the politicians do.
Some of our activists have been
affected by the storm surge directly cutting off power and access to where they
live. Everyone is affected by the shut off of transport. Yesterday we learned
how widespread the loss of power is, affecting most of the people in public
housing (but Wall Street got opened!). Today, we are seeing horrific reports of
Katrina-like conditions in Staten Island, Brooklyn, and Queens, with bodies
being found today as houses are searched. Beyond the politicians and press
conferences on CNN, see these 2 reports from on the ground:
revcom.us: Reports from those affected by Hurricane
Sandy
alternet.org: Residents of New York Face a Huge Range of Crises
We'll
be talking with people who went through the storm, and are involved in helping
and researching conditions, tonight on our regular conference call. Please
join in.
Two
words as we go forward: "climate change." Do you think either candidate will mention climate
change? Even if they do, they offer no solutions.
The debate on
whether one should vote for Obama scheduled for Monday between Daniel Ellsberg
and David Swanson on KPFK should be worth listening to. David wrote a remarkable
account of a visit this week to Obama headquarters in Charlottesville, where he
asked former UN ambassador Madeleine Albright whether she "still believed that
killing a half a million young Iraqi children was 'worth it.'" He described a scene where Obama supporters jumped on
him:
Not a single
person present expressed the slightest concern over Albright's having taken part
in the murder of so many young lives and many more older ones. Not a single
person expressed an interest in learning about a history they were perhaps
ignorant of. Not a single person offered an argument for what the positive "it"
was that could have made such slaughter "worth it." Not a single person offered
a claim that George Bush Sr. or Bob Dole would have killed even more
children.
I don't mean to give the impression that Albright's audience
was comatose. On the contrary, numerous individuals began grabbing me, shouting
at me, pushing me, grabbing my camera, twisting my arm, and spitting out the
most vicious hatred. In theory they would all, no doubt, agree that in a system
of self-governance people should be able to question their elected officials,
former elected officials, and at-large mass-murdering former elected officials.
But in this case, this official was playing for the Good Team. The proper role,
they believed, therefore, was that of cheerleaders, the highest value
deferential respect.
Do they believe the wholesale slaughter of human
beings, whether by sanctions or bombs, is sometimes justified by some mysterious
"national interest"? Do they believe I was a raving lunatic and that Albright
would never have hurt a fly? Do they just believe it's most appropriate not to
ask, because that would involve disrespect toward someone on the Good Team? No
matter which way you slice it, you come back to a room full of well-dressed
polite supporters of mass-murder.
I'm glad to have gotten reports of ongoing
protest at Hancock AFB in New York, and Beale AFB in California, both drone
bases:
 9 Arrested for Blocking Gate of
Beale AFB to Protest Drone Strikes
Nine
military veterans and peace activists from throughout California were arrested
around at the main gate to Beale AFB (North Beale Road), protesting the inhumane
and cruel U.S. Drone Program, now killing thousands of innocent men, women and
children around the world.
Meanwhile, the U.S. detained a candidate for the
presidency of Pakistan who opposes US drone bombings there, for questioning:
US Detention of Imran Khan Part of
Trend to Harass Anti-Drone Advocates.
Our friends Andy Worthington and Kevin
Gosztola bring out the important of military trials going forward in Guantanamo
now:
Who Are the 55 Cleared Guantánamo
Prisoners on the List Released by the Obama Administration?
Guantanamo Military Commissions:
‘Piece of a Larger Disturbing Trend Toward Centralized Presidential
Power’
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by Samantha Goldman, World Can't Wait
Steering Committee
We may have forgotten what a Dark Ages mentality
looks like in office with George Bush’s departure, so Republican office holders
are reminding us.
Now that both Democrats and Republicans are introducing
state legislation restricting abortion rights, a key part of the GOP’s strategy
is to compete based on who can be more anti-woman.
The theme, it seems,
of this year's Republican campaign is Rape: You Asked and God
Delivered. For them, giving birth in any circumstance isn’t redemptive
enough for Eve’s sins. We have to get raped and say “thanks” to God.
All of this is part of an ideology where women exist subordinate to and
in the service of men’s’ existence and will. Publicized apologies for outrageous
statements are not policy changes. These statements are projections of the
world that these powerful men would like to see.
Here is some of
the rape-lovin’ rhetoric of the GOP:
(Continue reading...) |
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