Video: The War Prayer

Markos Production Part 1 Part 2 By Mark Twain It was a time of great and exalting excitement. The country was up in arms, the war was on, in every breast burned the holy fire of patriotism; the drums were beating, the bands playing, the toy pistols popping, the bunched firecrackers hissing and spluttering; on every hand and far down the receding and fading spread of roofs and balconies a fluttering wilderness of flags flashed in the sun; daily the young volunteers marched down the wide avenue gay and fine in their new... Read article

Bush, the Bible and the War on Terror

RB, an old friend of mine, caused quite a stir recently when he wrote the following in a letter to the editor: “In the most recent Republican presidential debate, the loudest applause of the evening came when Rudy Giuliani rebuked Ron Paul’s suggestion that America’s long-term foreign policy of Middle East intervention might have helped to motivate the 9/11 attacks. “Why is that such a far-fetched idea? Yes, I know it’s nicer to think that in playing our self-appointed role of “global cop,” we are on the side... Read article

Like a drunk blowing his paycheck on booze, will Bush blow his $100B on Iran?

A well-heeled uncle gives a small boy a ten-dollar bill. “Go buy something nice for your dad for Fathers Day,” he tells the boy. But what does the little boy do instead? He runs down to the candy store and spends that ten dollars on licorice whips. And eats every one of them. And gets sick. A father of five receives his weekly paycheck. He thinks momentarily about his wife and children at home without food — but just for a moment. Then he goes down to the neighborhood bar and gets drunk instead.... Read article

Mom, is George Bush a terrorist?

“Mom, is George Bush a terrorist?” Sometimes an unexpected question really clarifies one’s thinking. This afternoon I experienced one of those moments. My son, Arthur, asked me the question while I was busy tapping away on the computer. I paused; this also happens occasionally. Arthur, continuing in the absence of my tapping clarified that he was not saying that George Bush lurked in airports with bombs strapped to his torso or any other part of himself. He meant that George Bush, by enabling the rape of America... Read article

Remember

Ask ten people what Memorial Day is about and you’ll probably receive ten different responses. Mentioned are claims of “recognizing those who have served and fallen in defense or service to their country,” “identifying patriots who unselfishly answered the call,” and “acknowledging the heroes of battle.” A common theme encountered in the discussion is remembrance. But, what else should be remembered? Are there not other aspects of war that need remembering? Remember the architects of perpetual conflict,... Read article

Video: Mystery Flights

This World pieces together the jigsaw of “extraordinary rendition”, the alleged illegal CIA transfer of terror suspects to secret prisons in Europe. It is alleged that the CIA flew their planes to 29 different countries, and that there were 300 CIA landings in Europe alone. Frenkiel reports on the plane spotters, civilians, judges, lawyers and journalists piecing together the jigsaw of extraordinary rendition and torture. Features an interview with the former head of the CIA in Europe, Tyler Drumheller. Olenka... Read article

GWB’s new Iraq strategy

“Keep Jane Stillwater out of the Red Zone — and the Green Zone too!” Good grief! I just found out why I’m having so much trouble embedding in Iraq! GEORGE W. BUSH doesn’t like me. Wow! I guess he finally noticed that I’ve been calling him an anti-American corrupt crook all these years. How impressive is that. I’m being noticed right at the top. Me and Jimmy Carter and the Dixie Chicks! Who’d have thought it. Should I be flattered or not? Bush’s military... Read article

Why Is Democracy Such a Bad Thing?

I got an e-mail the other day from someone forming a grassroots lobbying organization. I told him that, while I agreed with the aims of his organization, he was wrong in asserting that “the right of the people peaceably to assemble” was a characteristic of a democracy. The differences between a democracy – a very bad thing – and a constitutional republic – a very good thing – are not just something to be discussed in college political philosophy classes. Political philosophy is about real things and the differences... Read article

Unmasking of the Authoritarians

Phoenix Rising Can you smell the putrid fumes of authoritarianism rising like smoke from burning trash, filling our senses with the toxins of despotism? Do you see these clouds of tyranny surpassing the morning horizon, their darkened haze making blind our eyes, deaf our ears and ignorant our minds? Can you hear the America of yesterday screaming in agonizing pain as the cancer of the authoritarian personality slowly devours her from within? If so, you are not alone, for evolving within our shores since 9/11 lies a most... Read article

Hugo Chavez: Socialist? George Bush: Socialist!

Charges against Venezuelan president, Hugo Chavez have been leveled for years. These include, “Chavez has won a loyal following among the poor through multibillion-dollar social programs including subsidized food, free university education and cash benefits for single mothers. ” Shocking crimes against humanity, right? Almost up to the Abu Ghraib level. And now that nasty Chavez is talking about, gasp, nationalizing the oil leases of Exxon-Mobil. Where will this madman stop? You can almost see Bush getting out his... Read article

Video: SPIN

Using the 1992 presidential election as his springboard, documentary filmmaker Brian Springer captures the behind-the-scenes maneuverings … all of politicians and newscasters in the early 1990s. Pat Robertson banters about “homos,” Al Gore learns how to avoid abortion questions, George Bush talks to Larry King about halcyon — all presuming they’re off camera. Composed of 100% unauthorized satellite footage, Spin is a surreal expose of media-constructed reality. Loading...  Read More →

Video: Doomsday Called Off

In this eye-opening documentary viewers will discover how the most respected researchers from all over the world explode the doom and gloom of global warming. Humans stand accused of having set off a global climate catastrophe by increasing the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. The prophecy of doom is clear and media pass on the message uncritically. Now serious criticism has arisen from a number of heavyweight independent scientists. They argue that most of the climatic change we have seen is due to natural variations. They... Read article

Operation Iraq Forever

Catastrophic Success The occupation of Iraq, still illegal and immoral by any sense of human understanding, has now run into its fourth bloody and horrific year, becoming a quagmire for America and a vast killing field for Iraqis. Indeed, for Iraqis, America’s invasion and subsequent occupation has been and will continue to be one massive war crime, an onslaught of criminality against humanity not seen since World War Two. It is they, the Iraqi people, who have undergone tremendous hardship, and it is they who will continue... Read article

The New World Order, the Transatlantic Economic Integration

Part Twenty Two Long before George W. Bush met with Paul Martin, then Canada’s Prime Minister and Vicente Fox, then Mexico’s president at Baylor University in the miserably memorialized city of Waco, Texas on March 23, 2005, he had a similar meeting in Göteborg, Sweden on June 14, 2001 with Romano Prodi, then European Commission President and Swedish Prime Minister Göran Persson, then President of the European Council. There were several reasons for this media-blacked-out meeting but the essential purpose was the discussion... Read article

They killed Kenny!: Did my friend Kenny really need to die?

I shouldn’t be writing this — but you gotta admit that it’s just too tempting to pass up. Tonight I went to a wonderful memorial for my friend Kenny Kessler and when someone told me the story of how he got melanoma cancer and it spread because he couldn’t get medical insurance, I just couldn’t resist. “They killed Kenny!” Back in the 1970s I worked at a folk music coffee house in Berkeley, CA for almost an entire decade. The Freight and Salvage was its name. I’d take... Read article

Getting Reality in Pundits and Presidential Candidates

As the Bush – Rove Meltdown continues the pundits and other well paid operatives who have been providing services to the NeoCons on a long term basis are left looking wildly around for opportunities that offer them lucrative exits from the perception they have been, well, operatives. Forget loyalty, the only allegiance they swear to has dollar signs. One of these, John Fund, has recently been busy distancing himself from the NeoCon Cabal, edging away like an overweight crab. His attempts are boorishly obvious and so deserve... Read article

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