tagged w/ Truth Emergency Movement
-
Pressing Issues by Greg Mitchell
Greg Mitchell's new book is "So Wrong for So Long: How the Press, the Pundits -- and the President -- Failed on Iraq." It features a foreword by Joe Galloway and preface by Bruce Springteen.
(March 25, 2008) -- Given the current tragedy in Iraq--hell, given the past five years--you would think the many pundits who agitated for an attack on that country, largely on false pretenses, would have take the opportunity of the arrival of the fifth anniversary of the war (or the 4000 dead milestone) to drop to their knees, at least in print, and beg the American public for forgiveness.
With more than 60 percent of their fellow Americans now calling the war a "mistake" and agitating for troop withdrawals--and the president's approval rating still heading south, thanks to their war--it would seem to be the right thing to do. We won't even mention the maiming of more than 20,000 young Americans and tens of thousands of Iraqis.
You can probably name your favorite candidate. Let's take David Brooks of The New York Times, for example, and what he wrote exactly five years ago. He hasn't bothered to revisit his errors in judgement lately. At least Richard Cohen, another favorite whipping boy of antiwar critics, has accepted responsibility for some of his lapses.
Pressing Issues by Greg Mitchell
Greg Mitchell's new book is "So Wrong... more
-
-
Submitted by Bob Fertik on March 15, 2008 - 2:13pm.
Iraqi Victims
Casey Sheehan
Fallen Heroes
March 19 marks the 5th Anniversary of Bush's disastrous invasion and occupation of Iraq - yet there is no end in sight.
The costs so far are staggering: 4,000 young Americans killed, tens of thousands maimed... 1 million Iraqis killed, millions maimed... $562 billion in tax dollars stolen from our children... $3 trillion cost to our economy through veterans care, weapons replacement, higher oil prices, and the collapsing dollar. All that in just 5 years!
We elected a Democratic Congress in 2006 to bring our troops home, but they keep giving Bush blank checks. Incredibly, Congress will soon vote on another $102 billion blank check.
On this 5th Anniversary, it is time for everyone who hates this occupation to do something about it. And we're making it as simple and effective as we can.
We're calling it a Fax-In. It's like a sit-in, only you can do it from home.
http://iraqfaxin.com
Submitted by Bob Fertik on March 15, 2008 - 2:13pm.
Iraqi Victims
Casey... more
-
-
by David Krieger
We have been engaged in an illegal war in Iraq for five years - and there is no accountability.
It is beyond doubt that our leaders lied us into this war - and there is no accountability.
More than four thousand American and coalition soldiers are dead - and there is no accountability.
Tens of thousands of American and coalition soldiers are seriously wounded - and there is no accountability.
Our surviving soldiers are coming home traumatized from the war without proper medical and psychiatric care - and there is no accountability.
More than a million Iraqis, mostly civilians, have been killed in this war and countless others wounded - and there is no accountability.
More than four million Iraqis are displaced as internal or external refugees of this war - and there is no accountability.
By using so-called “depleted uranium” weapons, we are poisoning the earth, air and water of Iraq, causing serious health problems to Iraqis and coalition soldiers - and there is no accountability.
America has become a nation that tortures - and there is no accountability.
America has become a nation that spies on its citizens - and there is no accountability.
America has become a nation that hides the body bags of its soldiers killed in action - and there is no accountability.
We are spending $12 billion a month on this war - and there is no accountability.
Reputable economists calculate that this war will cost American citizens more than $3 trillion - and there is no accountability.
This war is burdening unborn generations of Americans and Iraqis - and there is no accountability.
This war has brought respect for America to its lowest ebb throughout the world - and there is no accountability.
The war in Iraq has stretched our military forces to the breaking point, making us far less able to cope with real threats to our security - and there is no accountability.
The war in Iraq has been a training ground for terrorists, making us far less safe - and there is no accountability.
Accountability means holding to account those who are responsible for a war that is illegal under international law - in this case, it means holding to account those who have been irresponsible and criminal in their behavior. It means holding to account George Bush, Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld, Condoleezza Rice, Colin Powell and others. It means not just their disgrace, but trials to bring them to justice.
This is not a partisan issue - it is an issue of responsibility and accountability and, at a deeper level, an issue of restoring our decency, our dignity and our democracy.
Americans must hold those responsible for this war to account.
David Krieger is president of the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation.
by David Krieger
We have been engaged in an illegal war in Iraq for five years - and... more
-
-
Glad to hear Al Gore's joining the conversation; "Accuracy, Privacy and the World Wide Web: The First Amendment and the Internet" is an important topic that needs to be discussed today.
Nobel Peace Prize winner Al Gore will be joined March 27 by speakers including journalist John Seigenthaler, Wikipedia's Jimmy Wales, author Cass Sunstein and The New York Times' Jonathan Landman at a local event on free speech and the Internet.
"Accuracy, Privacy and the World Wide Web: The First Amendment and the Internet" will be held at Middle Tennessee State University.
The free daylong event, sponsored by MTSU's John Seigenthaler Chair of Excellence in First Amendment Studies, will be held in the Keathley University Center Theater beginning at 9:45 a.m. Seigenthaler is chairman emeritus of The Tennessean.
For more information, call 898-5150 or e-mail bkeel@mtsu.edu.
Glad to hear Al Gore's joining the conversation; "Accuracy, Privacy and the... more
-
-
Iraq Veteran’s Against the war (IVAW)
Today at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., 6 veterans spoke to a room packed with cameras and reporters from every outlet, politically left to right. The announcement was to kick-off the next 3 days of testimonials from over 200 veterans and GI’s from around the country who will be recounting a particularly personal misery that they witnessed in Iraq and Afghanistan.
What Winter Soldier could mean to the current political situation in this Country is a complete unknown. All the testimonials will be broadcast live, and also streaming on the internet (see schedule at www.IVAW.org/wintersoldier). The members of IVAW are prepared for having their stories attacked, belittled and turned against them, as happened in 1971. However, these next few days could represent a turning point that we have all been waiting for.
It is up to those of us in the anti-war movement, and there are millions of us who are against this occupation of Iraq, and escalating rhetoric of war with Iran, to promote the events of the next few days in a way that we have never done before. Word must get out to the impenetrable wall of the corporate media, to those on the street who don’t even know what IVAW is, and to the young men and women in this country who are on the verge of walking up to that recruiter and signing on the dotted line.
http://ivaw.org/wintersoldier
Many thanks to current.com! We no longer have to count on mainstream media to report things important to Americans, current.com gives us a voice, enabling us to spread the word about important facts mainstream media chooses to ignore.
http://ivaw.org/wintersoldier/video
Iraq Veteran’s Against the war (IVAW)
Today at the National Press Club in... more
-
-
A Winning Argument: Loretta Alper and Jeremy Earp's "War Made Easy"
by Michael Joshua Rowin (March 9, 2008)
[An indieWIRE review from Reverse Shot.]
Though the early to mid-aughts documentary boom has recently died down, it's still difficult to believe there hasn't been a serious nonfiction indictment of the collusion between the government and the media in selling the invasion of Iraq to the American public. This accounts for a somewhat shameful omission in the ever-growing Iraq War doc catalogue--the sheer amount of lies, distortions, and fear-mongering titillations on display in a typical CNN or Fox News broadcast circa 2002 (and today) would offer enough evidence on the sorry state of our national media for a book-length study, let alone a feature film. Columnist, critic, and antiwar notable Norman Solomon has now, remarkably, provided both: his 2005 volume "War Made Easy: How Presidents & Pundits Keep Spinning Us to Death" has been adapted into an explosive, compact 73-minute documentary by filmmakers Loretta Alper and Jeremy Earp. If a few years ago Solomon was a lonely voice in the wilderness, with this film he has a major stage from which to educate a potentially greater audience.
Because educate is what this film has been unabashedly designed to do--there's a reason it was produced by the Institute for Public Accuracy (of which Solomon is founder and executive director) and Media Education Foundation. It would be a mistake, however, to dismiss "War Made Easy" as the cinematic equivalent of a lecture, no matter how tempting it might be to do so in an age where talking head-guided social studies lessons have emerged as the most popular form of documentary expression. Since Solomon is the only interviewee on screen (though it helps in such a case for a marquee name like Sean Penn to provide voice over services) "War Made Easy" should by all reasoning be even more dry and didactic, but it actually works as an effective and often startling montage of found footage (thank you, Fair Use) that plays like a highlight reel of the mainstream media's incessant but subtle ideological agenda.
A Winning Argument: Loretta Alper and Jeremy Earp's "War Made Easy"... more
-
-
When will The American Press start covering this? Will it be too late to change course? Is it already too late to change course? Will the American Press stay the course and keep regurgitating the election rhetoric instead of covering the financial crisis we are facing. How many times do we need to hear, who called who a monster? NANANA politics is shortchanging us all and our electoral process.
Harry Koza in the Globe and Mail quotes Bernard Connelly, the global strategist at Banque AIG in London, who claims that the likelihood of a Great Depression is growing by the day.
Martin Wolf, celebrated columnist of the U.K.-based Financial Times, cites Dr. Nouriel Roubini of the New York University's Stern School of Business, who, in 12 steps, outlines how the losses of the American financial system will grow to more than $1 trillion - that's one million times $1 million. That amount is equal to all the assets of all American banks.
Every day now, thousands of people all over the U.S. and Great Britain are walking away from their homes - simply mailing their house keys to the banks - as housing bailout plans fail.
With unemployment growing, the next phase will hit commercial real estate making the financial institutions the unwilling owners not only of quickly depreciating houses, but also of empty strip malls and even larger shopping centres.
The next domino to fall will be credit card defaults, and after that... who knows? There are so many exotic funds out there, with trillions of dollars in paper - or rather computer-screen money - all carrying assorted acronyms, and all about to disintegrate into nothingness. Over the next couple of years, scores of banks that have thrived on these devices, based on quickly disappearing equities, will fail.
When will The American Press start covering this? Will it be too late to change... more
-
-
From Nancy Pelosi's web site: Washington, D.C. – Speaker Nancy Pelosi released the following statement today in response to a letter she received late this afternoon from U.S. Attorney General Michael Mukasey stating that the Administration is refusing to enforce contempt of Congress citations against former White House Counsel Harriet Miers and White House Chief of Staff Joshua Bolten:
“By ordering the U.S. Attorney to take no action in response to congressional subpoenas, the Bush Administration is continuing to politicize law enforcement, which undermines public confidence in our criminal justice system.
“Anticipating this response from the Administration, the House has already provided authority for the Judiciary Committee to file a civil enforcement action in federal district court and the House shall do so promptly. The American people demand that we uphold the law. As public officials, we take an oath to uphold the Constitution and protect our system of checks and balances and our civil lawsuit seeks to do just that.”
This is why Americans voted for Democrats to lead in 2006. Democratic candidates need to stand behind Nancy Pelosi's efforts. Americans want accountability! In the last paragraph she is 'Speaking for me'! From Nancy Pelosi's web site: Washington, D.C. – Speaker Nancy Pelosi... more
-
-
It's about time. === WASHINGTON - House Speaker Nancy Pelosi asked the Justice Department on Thursday to open a grand jury investigation into whether President Bush's chief of staff and former counsel should be prosecuted for contempt of Congress.
Pelosi, D-Calif., demanded that the department pursue misdemeanor charges against former White House counsel Harriet Miers for refusing to testify to Congress about the firings of federal prosecutors in 2006 and against chief of staff Josh Bolten for failing to turn over White House documents related to the dismissals.
She gave Attorney General Michael Mukasey one week to respond and said refusal to take the matter to a grand jury will result in the House's filing a civil lawsuit against the Bush administration.
It's about time. === WASHINGTON - House Speaker Nancy Pelosi asked the Justice... more
-
-
Did Congress approve this? Our National Guard is in Iraq and George W. sets up policy for another army to come in and enforce George W.'s war against Americans. Would the Canadian military be used against Americans? It's against the American Constitution for the U.S. Army to be used against us, but is it illigal to use another army against us? What are our rights regarding a foreign military in America?
If Congress is capable of investigating steroids, they are capable of investigating foreign military on American soil.Did Congress approve this? Our National Guard is in Iraq and George W. sets up policy... more
-
-
MEMPHIS, Tenn. – A 7-year-old, $165 million defamation case against WND springing from a series of stories about then-presidential candidate Al Gore has been settled.
The terms of the out-of-court agreement with auto dealer Clark Jones are confidential. The settlement averts the need for a trial in Tennessee that was scheduled for next month.
I wish it hadn't taken 7 years, I can't remember which series of stories they are referring to. Does anyone remember? So many things have happened during those 7 years, There’s a question -- Why did WorldNetDaily.com report false information? Was it to benefit George W. Bush? If WorldNetDaily.com influenced the outcome of the 2000 election, they owe us all money! We need our Constitution back! We have the shame of being a country that questions what 'is' torture. Bill Clinton's question about 'is' was about sex. This administrations 'is' question is about torture. Our economy is in shambles. People are loosing their homes. Credit card companies are charging record interest rates, more than the bookies in the early 70's; they only charged 25%. Oil companies are making record profits every quarter. Every quarter is better than the last. Halliburton can not account for billions of dollars, with no accountability. $6.3 billion buyout by Carlyle complete -- chicagotribune.com -- December 22, 2007 http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/chi-sat_3brief_1222dec22,0,6850256.storyRecently seniors received notice stating: 'Important New Medicare Changes...' One paragraph stood out to me. **'Also, the DRG program payment system is still in effect and sets per ailment ceilings on Medicare payments to a hospital. Because of these ceilings, many hospitals are now transferring patients to lower cost nursing homes or extended care facilities **
Would the rich have gotten richer and the poor gotten poorer if news organizations like WorldNetDaily been held accountable at the time? Would other news organizations been more afraid of litigation and accountability than George W. and the neocons?
America needs accountability again. If people and corporations would be held accountable, they would fear the cost and shame for lying. The spin that has gone on for the past 7 years, is lies that distort fact, yet are given equal coverage. Mainstream media has reported spin and fact as equal; it's an 'Assault on Reason'.
Congress spent today investigating steroids of baseball players? If the libel settlement is because WND used lies against Clark Jones to hurt the campaign of Al Gore, WND admitted to tampering with an election. Knowingly printing lies during a campaign 'IS' TAMPERING WITH OUR PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION! That is what I want Congress to investigate, NOT STEROIDS!
MEMPHIS, Tenn. – A 7-year-old, $165 million defamation case against WND... more
-
-
It's about time! Too many questions with too few answers. America needs hearings, with testimony under oath. If there are not grounds for further action after hearings, so be it. At least we will show the world we are an open government with three equal branches of government. George W. may be a decider, but he is not a dictator, yet. Our elected representatives have an obligation to pursue the truth. The rule of law applies to all of us, even the President. It's about time! Too many questions with too few answers. America needs... more
-
-
I had thought John Conyers would be my hero, unfortunately after the Democrats got the lead in Congress and the Senate and he was allowed out of the basement, he didn't use it. He didn't have the hearing in the light of day like many of us had hoped he would.
Does John Conyers want to go down in history of the sole man who COULD HAVE impeached the worst administration in the history of the USA but DIDN"T?
The sole man who COULD HAVE helped restore the USA's global credibility by upholding the US Constitution but didn't?
The sole man who
COULD HAVE prevented the "Great Depression Pt. 2" by helping to get the global economy back on track by restoring the USA's global credibility with the impeachment of Bush/Cheney but didn't?
The sole man who COULD HAVE prevented the escalation of WWIII with the US/Israeli bombing of the Bushehr nuclear plant in Iran in March of 2008 which led to a wider war with Iran/Russia/China/etc. but didn't???
The sole man who chose the easy and cowardly path to keep 'impeachment off the table" because of selfish partisan politics related to the 2008 election????
Does John Conyers want to be remembered as a ZERO?
or
Does Conyers want to be remember as a HERO?
-A great American who grew up in Detroit and later fought in the Korean war.
-A great American who had a long illustrious career in the US House of Representative who was one of the founders of the Congressional Black Caucus.
-A great American who supported the impeachment of Dick Nixon.
-A real LEADER who had the courage to uphold the U.S. Constitution when virtually all his co-horts in Congress were more worried about partisan politics and the 2008 election.
-A REAL AMERICAN HERO who finally chose to do the right thing for America potentially risking his own career by instigating impeachment hearing against Dick/Bush putting an end to their flagrant violations of US and international law!
It is my belief (as Rob has suggested for some time now) that Conyers is the key. He is the single person who can get the impeachment ball rolling. So perhaps getting him to think about his own LEGACY is the way to pursue this idea. These are the questions Conyers needs to be asked. These are the questions we need to pound into Conyers mind over and over because perhaps unlike most politicians he still has a conscience? Maybe just maybe if we bombarded his office/phone/emails/fax machines/etc with these questions...maybe in time his conscience would get him to 'do the right thing'? Perhaps I am too naive and he has been given too much bribery $ to even act on it and he plans on sailing off into the sunset with his load of cash in tow...? Boy that sure would be a sad miserable existence fading into oblivion with that stigma and guilty conscience for a once great man....
I had thought John Conyers would be my hero, unfortunately after the Democrats got the... more
-
-
Peter Phillips and David Kubiak are on the right track. The lies and spin have gotten America on the wrong track! We are heading for the end of the tunnel! Will we see the light, or an oncoming train?
Tens of thousands of Americans engaged in various social justice issues constantly witness how corporate media marginalize, denigrate, or simply ignore their concerns. Activist groups working on issues such as 9/11 truth, election fraud, impeachment, war propaganda, civil liberties/torture, and many corporate-caused environmental crises have been systematically excluded from mainstream news and the national conversation leading to a genuine truth emergency in the country as a whole.
Now, however, a growing number of activists are finally saying "enough!" and joining forces to address this truth emergency by developing new journalistic systems and practices of their own. They are working to reveal the common corporate denominators behind the diverse crises we face and to develop networks of trustworthy news sources that tell the people what is really going on. These activists know we need a journalism that moves beyond forensic inquiries into particular crimes and atrocities, and exposes wider patterns of corruption, propaganda, and illicit political control to rouse the nation to reject a malignant corporate status quo.
This Truth Emergency Movement is holding its first national strategy summit in Santa Cruz, California on January 25-27. Organizers are gathering key media constituencies to devise coherent decentralized models for distribution of suppressed news, synergistic truth-telling, and collaborative strategies to disclose, legitimize, and popularize deeper historical narratives on power and inequality in the U.S. This truth movement is seeking to discover in this moment of Constitutional crisis, ecological peril, and widening war, ways in which top investigative journalists, whistleblowers, and independent media activists can transform the way Americans perceive and defend their world.
Peter Phillips and David Kubiak are on the right track. The lies and spin have gotten... more
-
