|
Check the new
WhoseFlorida
for updates
(continued from tidbits)
(see also tidbits 2002
tidbits 2001
tidbits 2000)
 | Bush I's Carlyle Group Expects 'Billion Dollar
Contract' to Rebuild Iraq (see also
Carlyle protests = arrests)
Portugal News reports, "Directors of one of the world's largest armament
companies are planning on meeting in Lisbon in three weeks time. Carlyle
Group is heavily involved in supplying arms to the Coalition forces
fighting in the Iraqi war. It also holds a majority of shares in the
Seven Up company and Federal Data Corporation, supplier of air traffic
control surveillance systems to the US Federal Aviation Authority. The
12 billion dollar company has recently signed contracts with United
Defence Industries to equip the Turkish and Saudi Arabian armies with
aviation defence systems. Top of the meeting's agenda is expected to be
the company's involvement in the rebuilding of Baghdad's infrastructure
after the cessation of current hostilities. Along with several other US
companies, the Carlyle Group is expected to be awarded a billion dollar
contract by the US Government to help in the redevelopment of airfields
and urban areas destroyed by Coalition aerial bombardments. "
http://the-news.net/cgi-bin/story.pl?title=US%20arms%20group%20heads%20for%20Lisbon&edition=697
....BernieW, 4/8/03
|
| If you missed tonight's
Bill Moyer's show,
"Now", please check out the following links:
BILL MOYERS: The war
you see may depend upon which channel you're watching. We're devoting
this entire broadcast to media issues. And we begin with thoughts of
journalism and the war. With me is Greg Mitchell, the editor of the
weekly national magazine, EDITOR AND PUBLISHER, which many of us
consider the Bible of the newspaper business.
With
"Big Media" NOW updates the story of the proposed relaxation of
media ownership rules as the time for a final decision comes closer.
According to Senator John McCain, the changes being contemplated by the
FCC right now are monumental and "will shape the future of
communications forever."
BILL MOYERS:
Susan
Sontag has seen war close up in her long career as a writer and
activist. And her new book could not have been more timely, even though
she started it long before the invasion of Iraq. REGARDING THE PAIN OF
OTHERS is about war and how the images of war affect our perception of
reality
... quixote, 4/5/03
|
|
The link is a flash
file iraq war game--what might happen as the war progresses...
|
|
Here's a different tactical and strategic view of the war, from
Russia: "The IRAQWAR.RU
analytical center was created recently by a group of journalists and
military experts from Russia to provide accurate and up-to-date news
and analysis of the war against Iraq. The following is the English
translation of the IRAQWAR.RU report based on the Russian military
intelligence reports."
http://www.aeronautics.ru/news/news002/news082.htm
- posted 3/29/03
|
 |
On
May 3rd, 2003, The Works on Shirts Project invites you to
take part in "WEARNICA", an international exhibition of
artistic reactions to war. On the day of the event, participants
in cities around the world will form walking art galleries,
wearing original works they've created on the backs of white dress
shirts into museums and monuments, parks and shopping malls to
help raise public awareness of the realities of war in our time.
On
February 5th, Colin Powell stood before the U. N. to make his case
for a new resolution authorizing the U.S. to take military action
against Iraq. Notably absent was Picasso's "Guernica",
perhaps one of the the twentieth century's greatest, most
unsettling artistic images depicting the brutal, self-destructive
nature of war. Under pressure from the U.S. Government, The
tapestry was covered prior to the Secretary of State's speech out
of concern that the painting's message might speak to historical
parallels that the Bush administration and UN officials were
clearly determined that the media or the public should not make.http://www.worksonshirts.org
|
| House plan privatizes hospital in Macclenny
Nearly 1,180 jobs at the Northeast Florida State Hospital in Macclenny could be affected by a state House budget proposal that would turn over the state-run facility to a private contractor.
|
| NEW GOOGLE FEATURE:
There is a new feature that makes it possible to type a telephone number into Google's search bar, click the search button, and have a MapQuest page returned as a result! Any person wishing to discover the physical location of a phone number, be it a home or business address, could use this feature to locate a physical street address, and receive explicit directions on how to get there from anywhere in the country. One positive use of this feature could be to determine the location of, say, an party for whom you may only have a telephone number.
On a negative note, this feature could also be used by an angry party to find out where you live. Google has made available an option that will allow anyone to remove their telephone number from the database that is linked to the mapping feature. You will first need to check if your number is listed in this manner by attempting a search - entering your full telephone number separated by dashes (e.g., 404-524-5811). If the number appears in the mapping database, an icon resembling a telephone will appear next to the first or second entry on the results page. Clicking on this icon will take you to a page containing a description of the service, and a link to request your number be removed from the database. Many people are unaware of this danger. I personally, don't want any "Tom, Joe, or Harry" having a direct map (and the map IS perfect) to my house just by having my phone number. Go to
www.google.com
then type in your phone number. See how accurate the map is.... linked to your phone number.
....DaveG, 3/26/03
|
| A source of news directly from the Middle East from
The Fellowship for Reconciliation: http://www.forusa.info/news/
An outstanding compilation of actions to take including where to
donate for humanitarian aid, letter writing, boycotts, actions etc.
The authors of this site are doing an amazing job of frequent updates,
so check often: http://louisvillepeace.org/thingstodo.html
One of the human shields in Iraq is from Louisville. This is
where to find his first person accounts of what is happening there as
well as a link to a blog for another first person account: http://louisvillepeace.org/doug'spageb.html
Companies that profit from the war: http://www.dior.whs.mil/peidhome/procstat/p01/fy2002/top100.htm
. Also, in addition to boycotting CNN, Clear Channel is
organizing pro-war rallies so not that anyone was making a big effort
to patronize them anyhow, but ya just can't make news and cover it at
the same time.
Exactly what it sounds like, an independent effort: http://www.iraqbodycount.net/bodycount.htm
WARNING: Graphic (and very
disturbing) pictures of victims of U.S. airstrikes on Baghdad; Follow this link to the Al-Jazeera web sight then send them to pro-war people
http://www.aljazeera.net/news/arabic/2003/3/3-22-26.htm
... TomW, from the net 3/23/03
|
|
Where is Raed -
this is a remarkable Remarkable continuous Baghdad journal on line,
until today, Where is Raed?
.... LIndaM, 3/22/03
|
|
"The killed will be covered with
earth and lime, and once more all the crowd of deluded men will be
led on and on till those who have devised the project weary of it,
or till those who thought to find it profitable receive their spoil.
And so once more men will be made savage, fierce and brutal, and
love will wane in the world... And so once more the men who reaped
profit from it all will assert with assurance that since there has
been a war there must needs have been one, and that other wars must
follow, and they will again prepare future generations for a
continuance of slaughter, depraving them from their childhood."
(Tolstoy, 1896)
... CactusPat, 3/20/03
|
| What's wrong with this picture?
 | Guest editorial: Peace activists, do your stuff
Memo to global peace activists who have been marching in the hundreds of thousands protesting a possible U.S.-led war on Iraq:
If you're genuinely serious about stopping the war, here's your chance. Take to the streets right now and demand that Saddam Hussein and his sons, Quesay and
Uday, comply with President Bush's ultimatum and leave Iraq immediately. The result: No war, just as you have been demanding.
It's a quick and violence-free solution. No bombing raids, no invasion. No one gets hurt. Just a quick ride out to Baghdad's airport and onto a plane for Saddam and his entourage. It works for everybody.
Saddam has had a good, long run in office — he's been president for 24 years — and it's time. Since he's stashed a good bit of the Iraqi treasury in overseas banks, he won't be hurting for coin in his retirement. And surely the French, forgiving to a fault, will allow Saddam, his murderous sons and the other assorted war criminals in his inner circle to settle on the Riviera.
Some critics have accused you activists of using "peace" simply as a pretext to vent
anti-U.S. hostility. Show those cynical critics they are wrong and that you truly do want peace. You do want peace, don't you? Now hit those streets!
Forced reunions
Foreigners jam the roads out of Baghdad, and few have anything nice to say about the United States
Just this:
Last I heard, Iraq was a sovereign country. Last I
heard, the Iraqi people had not asked the US to
"liberate" them from Saddam Hussein. Last I heard,
the United Nations and the people of the world (especially Iraq's
neighbors) did not want us to invade. Last I heard,
according to international law, an unprovoked attack on one
sovereign nation by another is a criminal act. Just what
kind of "nation of law" have we become?
... RandyM; 3/19/02
|
|
| Dateline: Dark Ages, 2003
Today, following the lauded example of Gov. Jeb Bush’s reformation of the Department of Children and Family Services, the Bush Administration announced its proposal to “minimize government” via “privatization” of the United States Postal Service.
During the initial “Phase 1" period, USPS employees will be encouraged to ‘broaden their horizons’ by seeking re-employment in the private sector; while postage rates will be determined by a rate of .37 cents per mile, with a corresponding .02 per-cent commission rate. If the horse should break it’s leg, mail carriers will be reimbursed an equivalent weight in glue (after filling out appropriate paperwork).
During “Phase 2,” all mail will be handled by a Central Clearing House, soon to be located in Calcutta, India, and run by prior Management staff of Hardy’s, Burger King, et al. All franchises will be available for purchase to United States citizens, provided the applicant is hard of hearing, visually impaired, with special skill in the operation of sausage-stuffing equipment, and parents who were brother and sister.
In “Phase 3” (set to invalidate random portions of all earlier “Phases”), privatization will be combined with additional efforts to balance the American economy. USPS employees whose annual income is 20k or less will be fitted with saddles, stirrups and mail bags, and encouraged to “whinny” whenever possible. A free Healthcare Benefits package will also include mandatory sterilization, with “The Buck Stops Here” branded on an employee’s flanks. Should any employee break it’s leg, mail recipients will be reimbursed an equivalent weight in glue (after filling out appropriate paperwork).
“Phase 4" will entail a comprehensive “recycling” program, feeding former federal USPS employees and their families into sausage stuffing grinders, and pumping out Mana for starving 3rd World Sweat Shop pimps, and unemployed air traffic control attendants. Juices to be utilized by future plantation irrigation specialists.
...posted by John, 3/16/03
|
| Let's go to the polls with all the info on Bush
It has become clear that the voters of Florida must go back to the polls and decide whether we want to allow Bush to continue his second term. We ought to make this decision with all the information - that his second term would mean a continuance of poor policy decisions, drastic cuts in much needed services and leadership that is completely unresponsive to the citizens of our state.
It seems that the Florida Legislature needs to make it more difficult for a person to become governor if he or she lacks the ability to listen to the people of Florida. Perhaps the citizens of Florida can elect a governor in much the same we might eventually adopt statutes by public initiative, making it much easier to remove him or her from office.
PETERH, Tallahassee
Democrat, 3/9/03
|
There
is a movement to impeach |
This reckless,
messianic boy-king who stole the presidency is wrecking the
country, endangering the world, and Hutcheson calls Bush's goals
"breathtaking". He worries about the effect of
Bush's "gamble" not on the well being of the world but
on Bush's "presidency".
Is this guy a fool or is this the way the press corps has to frame
analyses that are critical of the administration?
... quixote, 3/8/03
Much at stake with Bush's big gamble
By Ron Hutcheson
KNIGHT RIDDER TRIBUNE
"WASHINGTON - Standing at the brink of war with Iraq, President Bush is preparing to roll the dice on a high-risk gamble that could remake the Middle East in America's image or trigger an explosion of violence, chaos and terrorism that shakes the world, shocks the economy and destroys his presidency.
His goals are breathtaking - a friendly Iraq, the spread of democracy throughout the Middle East and creation of a Palestinian state that lives in harmony with Israel. To win them he risks stoking the anti-American anger of 1.2 billion Muslims, discarding the United Nations as an instrument of global order, and igniting a series of conflicts in the Middle East that could imperil the world's oil-driven economy.
It is a typically bold stroke for a president whose willingness to think big and act aggressively is often unrecognized. Bush often seeks far-reaching changes - huge tax cuts in a time of soaring deficits; a homeland-security state that tests the limits of basic American liberties; a defense buildup that spends more on America's military than the next 12 biggest national militaries combined.
But no other initiative is as risky as the looming war with Iraq..." |
| George W. Bush Must Answer to the People
The U.S. Constitution provides the means for preventing George W. Bush from engaging in a war of aggression against Iraq, and from advancing a first strike potentially nuclear preemptive war. It's called
impeachment.
High Crimes and Misdemeanors
Impeachment is the direct constitutional means for removing a President, Vice President or other civil officers of the United States who has acted or threatened acts that are serious offenses against the Constitution, its system of government, or the rule of law, or that are conventional crimes of such a serious nature that they would injure the Presidency if there was no removal.
A Constitutional Imperative
Impeachment appears six times in the U.S. Constitution. The Founders weren't concerned with anything more than with impeachment because they had lived under King George III and had in 1776 accused the king of all the things that George W. Bush wants to do: Usurpation of the power of the people; Being above the law; Criminal abuse of authority.
Power Remains in the Hands of the People
Impeachment is the means by which We The People of the United States and our elected representatives in Congress can prevent further crimes by the President and the human catastrophe they threaten and force accountability for crimes committed.
Save the Constitution, the U.N., and Countless Human Lives
Congressional proceedings for impeachment can bring about open, fearless consideration of the most dangerous acts and threats ever committed by an American President. If courageously pursued, they can save our Constitution, the United Nations, the rule of law, the lives of countless people and leave open the possibility of peace on earth.
The Time for Action is Now
Each of us must take a stand on impeachment now, or bear the burden of having failed to speak in this hour of maximum peril.
|
Notes for the Consideration of the Impeachment of President George W. Bush, Vice President Richard B. Cheney, Secretary of Defense Donald H.
Rumsfeld, and Attorney General John David Ashcroft
- adapted from Ramsey Clark's address to the half a million demonstrators at the January 18th National March on Washington to Stop the War on Iraq
-- see more at http://www.votetoimpeach.org/
|
..... AnnetteO, 3/8/03
|
| Re: the state library:
Hi, Found the slideshow thru FLABLOG...great job...very proud of all the brave people who participated!
I am so proud of the work of my Kenton County Public Library here in northern Kentucky. I was surprised, really when I returned home, to find the library held many art treasures and artifacts of local historical interest "in trust for all the people of northern Kentucky". And isn't that, really, how it should be?
We visit your beautiful state every year. We hope with all our hearts that you are able to preserve this vital institution for all the people of Florida.
Sean Malloy, Covington, KY 3/5/03
(Note: We do too, Sean... and thanks for writing)
|
| Glenda moving into Gray Building.
Well, it looks like the real reason for getting rid of the state
library is finally coming out. Glenda the "good?"
witch has had her decorators running around the RA Gray building this
week with measuring tapes and cameras figuring out how to remodel the
first floor space into her office complex. The "about to be
terminated" employees have been told to find space elsewhere to
work out their remaining days.
...Ghost of the Suwanee; 3/3/03
|
| FBI
arrests Palestinian professor, Sami Al-Arian, in Tampa earlier today and several others, according to AP.
The FBI arrested professor Sami Al-Arian, an outspoken advocate of Palestinians against the Israeli occupation, in Tampa, Florida earilier today. Two others were arrested in Tampa, one other in Chicago, and an "undisclosed" number of others overseas.
Sami Al-Arian, a tenured professor, was banned from teaching at the University of Southern Florida by the administration after he made comments critical of Israel's occupation of Palestine. The university claimed it hurt their ability to fund-raise. The FBI accuses Sami Al-Arian of "having links to terrorism," based on his previous statements and a short membership in a university Islamic think tank.
The arrests come as an INS registration deadline for males from certain Islamic countries draws closer. Set for February 21, the deadline has been postponed until March 21. During previous registration drives, thousands of men were detained indefinitely while voluntarily complying. The government deported many, but thousands more remain in indefinite detention at facilities throughout the United States.
The pattern of arrests, deportations and indefinite detentions points back to the Bush regime's use of extra-Constitutional power to circumvent the rule of law in the United States and abroad. The government targeted those arrested based on political beliefs, ethnic background and religious affiliation, and it continues to do so.
And it will continue to do so, unless it is stopped. The arrest of Sami Al-Arian is a test case; if the government meets no opposition, it sets a precedent that is chilling to academic freedom and freedom of speech, and the government will base future actions on this precedent.
"It's all about politics," Al-Arian said to reporters as he was escorted into detention. In these times, politics mean life or death for our liberties.
See also:
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20030220/ap_on_re_us/attacks_professor_12
.... PeteS, from http://tallahassee.indymedia.org/newswire/display/722/index.php
, 2/20/03
|
| For more items posted
re: peace rallies and war on Iraq
|
| Space for Peace - Global networks against weapons
and nuclear power in space
We have got to bring the staging for war from space home, just as we
are bringing the war home by showing how it puts human services in
poverty.
http://www.space4peace.org/
... Barry and Judy, 2/17/03
|
| Montréal 2-15-03 protest numbers grossly
under-reported in US
Comparative figures, reality vs. fantasy island newspapers
Saturday, the streets of Montréal saw near 150,000 protesters gathered to protest against the war. This figure has been reported by the two main newspapers of this metropolis, Le Journal de Montréal and La Presse [see excerpt from La Presse reproduced hereafter & webpage link to the full article].
Here the St. Petersburg Times continues its politics of underestimating the real figures. Be it for foreign demonstrations in Europe as well as in the United States herself.
Montréal city was picked just as an example of how the Florida newspaper is plainly incapable to report facts, real facts. We can bet with a certain assurance that this exercise of comparing figures would have produced the same results had we chosen another city in the world to compare the reported data.
Loyal to itself, the St. Pete Times reported 20,000 people in the streets of Montréal. Hey, this is more than 7 times less than the reality. What is it? The St. Petersburg Times is the reporter of fantasy island? Bush, Rumsfeld & Co. fantasy island?
Again, the Times produced a "Compiled from wires" article. Press wires issued by the New York Times, infamous for its lack of journalistic integrity when time arises to produce 'factual' data, the Associated Press and the Washington Post. This St. Petersburg Times custom of relying its anti-war coverage articles on incredible sources is now a well-known fact: No place for reality.
The 'official' version of reality, what we can call a fantasy production will now be handled by Disney Productions. This corporation has been retained to produce the "Homeland Security" commercials soon to come on your ABC/NBC/CBS/FOX/CNN screens.
While all this complicity between the government and the mainstream media continue to be entertained, more and more people are leaving the corporate media to access foreign media. Thanks to the internet and the access to real and factual information that can be found there. People just thirsty for truth and reality. Survival islands they leave it to what it is: A show.
They leave what once was perceived as organs of information, the newspapers and TVs news for another market: The truth market. So to enable them to truly know what's going on in the world and even what's going on here in the good US of A.
What a shame, what a REAL shame.
Diane Cardin-Kamleiter, Women in Black-Gulfcoast,
http://www.cyberpresse.ca/actualites/article/1,63,0,022003,202495.shtml
<<Près de 150 000 personnes bravent le froid
Laura-Julie Perreault La Presse
Des millions de personnes dans le monde ont dit non à la guerre en Irak hier.
n'a pas été en reste. Près de 150 000 personnes ont bravé un froid sibérien pour demander au président des États-Unis de retenir ses missiles.>>
|
|
Anti-war
protesters take to streets of Naples, world
America's true motives for a war on Iraq are greed, power and
retribution.
Anti-war protesters took those sentiments to one busy Collier County
intersection Saturday to condemn the war on terror and denounce
President Bush's tough stance to launch an attack against the
oil-rich, Arab nation. ...
Protesters
rally around the state
MIAMI — Thousands of Floridians joined a worldwide chorus of
anti-war protesters on Saturday, hoping they could dissuade President
Bush from moving forward with plans for an attack against Iraq. At
least 20 rallies took place statewide, including a heavily attended
event in Miami's Bayfront Park that drew at least 750 protesters, many
of whom carried signs saying "Don't bomb in our name" and
"Contain Iraq without war." "War can be a solution to
defend a nation," said Rafael Velasquez...
Millions
protest war
Rallies span globe, decry U.S. stance. Protests were held in more than
600 towns, cities. Up
to 500,000 in New York City. War
protest.(Orlando)
Orlando
peace movement swells
Carrying signs denouncing war with Iraq, many of the protesters
marched from Orange Avenue at Colonial Drive to Gaston Edwards Park on
Lake Ivanhoe. The rally, organized by PeaceOrlando, coincided with a
day of global protests.
One of the group's organizers, Kathy DiBernardo, said she thought
Saturday's rally would be the group's largest since beginning a weekly
demonstration in downtown Orlando several months ago...
300
rally locally against war
By Campbell Roth, Palm Beach Post Staff Writer
The Rev. Thomas Masters leads the Currie Park crowd by criticizing
President Bush... South
Floridians join worldwide call for peace
More than 700 South Floridians joined a worldwide call for peace
Saturday, protesting in Miami-Dade and Broward counties against a
potential war with Iraq...
South
Floridians join worldwide peace protests
SUNRISE -- Rocky Solomon is no pacifist.
Standing shoulder to shoulder with anti-war demonstrators on the
corner of Flamingo Road and Sunrise Boulevard on Saturday, Solomon
wanted to make clear that he was not the kind of person who thinks
military action can never be justified. It's just that he knows what
it's like to be in combat, he said, and he doesn't want to see anyone
else go through it unless the mission is truly justifiable...
Hundreds
rally against war in Tallahassee
Downtown demonstration draws massive crowd
Antiwar demonstrators packed the downtown chain of parks Saturday in
the biggest peace rally in more than a year. The crowd swelled to an
estimated 500 people at one point, organizers said, with protesters
lining Monroe Street and carrying signs with messages such as "No
Bombing Civilians" and "No More Innocent Lives Lost."
Protesters chanted and cheered as some passing drivers honked their
horns in support. (more
from Tallahassee Indymedia with links to photos)
Peace
vigils continue across Volusia (2/15)
DAYTONA BEACH -- They talked and sang and rallied for peace Saturday
afternoon on the steps of the Courthouse Annex on City Island.
Linda Ryan, who coordinated the rally with the help of Halifax
Citizens Against the War, estimated the turnout at 220. Though the
rally coincided with protests elsewhere in the nation and the world,
the Halifax group and an unnamed group in the DeLand area have been
staging weekly protests or vigils since early this year.
Saturday's local event featured 19 speakers, including ministers,
professors and representatives of other organizations that oppose war.
Local musicians also performed songs of peace...
Peace rally in sync with global protests
As war drums beat louder in Washington, D.C., demonstrators in St. Augustine joined millions of people around the world Saturday to protest military action against Iraq.
A crowd of about 400 gathered in the Plaza de la Constitucion. A month ago, the crowd was 250. The voices of dissent grow in numbers as tension between the U.S. and Iraq escalates...
Possible war draws protests
More than 150 people participated in two Jacksonville rallies yesterday to protest U.S. military action against Iraq.
Protesters march downtown
- Hodgepodge of Pensacolians opposed to U.S. stance on Iraq
Punks and anarchists joined veterans, professors and soccer moms on Saturday to oppose what they increasingly fear will be an inevitable U.S. occupation of Iraq.
Pumping signs with slogans such as "Whoa Cowboy" and "We're just a tantrum away from WWIII," about 250 protesters lined Palafox and Garden streets at the height of the demonstration, and few had any kind words for President Bush...
Local activists take part in protests
More than 100 Gainesville-area protester voices joined an international
anti-war chorus on Saturday.
Demonstrators took over the four corners at NW 13th Street and NW 23rd Avenue for about two hours beginning at noon carrying signs in an effort to garner support for an ever-growing movement against a U.S.-led invasion of Iraq.
The protest - by all accounts the largest of late - drew a cadre of war opponents ranging in age from 15 to 75, said Joe Courter, a community activist and a founding member of the Community Coalition Against War and Terrorism, a loose-knit group representing about a dozen organizations that mobilized the demonstration.
.... 2/16/2003
|
Click for larger
photo
| Bush Wants to Scrub the Possibility of Body Bags
Returning from Iraq - Through Cremation
Tom Flocco writes, "In a few weeks, American military parents,
husbands, wives, and children may face the prospect of receiving ashes
of a dead family member instead of the time-honored tradition of a
body in a flag-draped casket if a Pentagon-sponsored plan takes effect
shortly. According to CNN (http://www.cnn.com/2003/US/02/06/sprj.irq.cremating.soldiers/index.html),
the US military has floated a trial balloon to determine how military
families and the public in general would react if soldiers falling
victim to either biological or chemical attacks in Iraq by Saddam
Hussein were cremated in a Middle East crematorium near Iraqi
battlefields. The disturbing report, which has received little
attention save on CNN, also fails to address religious and cultural
implications which are sure to be raised by American families."
Returning body bags fueled the anti-Vietnam War movement - no doubt
BushRove decided to eliminate the risk - by eliminating the body bags!
http://www.tomflocco.com/pentagon_considers_cremating_ame.htm
...BernieW, 2/11/03
|
| Material Protest
Madonna, according to the Drudge Report, is planning a protest video in connection with her new CD, "American Life," that "insiders say may be the most shocking anti-war, anti-Bush statement yet to come from the show business industry." Viewers will reportedly be treated to Madonna in fatigues, throwing grenades with accompanying scenes of carnage, flying limbs and bodies, and what is described as a "disturbing clip" featuring Iraqi children.
|
| Pictures of
antiwar actions from around the world:
|
| "You know, Barb, his belligerence toward Iraq
and North Korea doesn't surprise me. Remember how he loved
playing with matches as a kid?" .... see Beattie
cartoon 2/9/03
|
| The Real but Unspoken Reasons for the Upcoming
Iraq War
summary
Although completely suppressed in the U.S. media, the answer to the
Iraq enigma is simple yet shocking - it an an oil CURRENCY war. The
Real Reason for this upcoming war is this administration's goal of
preventing further OPEC momentum towards the euro as an oil
transaction currency standard. However, in order to pre-empt OPEC,
they need to gain geo-strategic control of Iraq along with its 2nd
largest proven oil reserves. This lengthy essay will discuss the
macroeconomics of the "petro-dollar" and the unpublicized
but real threat to U.S. economic hegemony from the euro as an
alternative oil transaction currency.
http://www.indymedia.org/print.php3?article_id=231238
... JohnK, 2/7/03
|
a
Feb. 15 Protests Will Be the Largest in World
History
UnitedForPeace.org writes, "On Feb. 15, hundreds of thousands
of people will converge on New York City to stand with millions
around the globe against Bush's plan for war on Iraq. While we are
still unable to announce a location for this march and rally, one
thing is certain: It is happening. We urge everyone to continue
mobilizing full speed ahead for Feb. 15. Continue with your plans
to come to New York City -- we are confident a permit will come
through. Confirmed speakers and performers include: Nobel Laureate
Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Patti Smith, Angela Y. Davis, Martin
Luther King, III, Rosie Perez, Julian Bond, Pete Seeger, Def
Poetry Jam poets, Holly Near, Tony Kushner, Danny Glover...
Anti-war protests are already being organized on every continent,
and the list of host cities is growing rapidly. Worldwide,
February 15 will likely be the single largest day of protest in
world history." [Note: UFP has been forced to sue NYC for
refusing to issue a permit.]
http://www.unitedforpeace.org/index.php
|
| Is there anybody doing grassroots organizing against
the citrus industry police? What groups are available in
Miami-Dade County in particular or so FL as a whole? This is an
issue that cuts across ideological lines.
Lets start advocating a boycott of Florida Citrus nationwide.
Where is the grass roots organizing against the state's canker
policies???
... steve buis, 2/5/03 (Note: Steve check out citrus
canker)
|
 |
Rice
For Peace
No War On Iraq
In the 1950's, tens of thousands of people sent small bags of rice to President Eisenhower to encourage him to send food to then-enemy China during a famine. The campaign helped dissuade Eisenhower from attacking China during two distinct international confrontations. Now a nationwide effort has been launched to send a similar message to President Bush about Iraq. If we are going to send something to Iraq it should be food, not bombs.
(Lots of bags being sent... click
here)
Rice to W cartoon
|
| Why is it necessary for high school students today to
be required to pass the FCAT,ACT, and still maintain at least a 2.0 to
get a high school diploma?
The FCAT is a Waste of TIME.
.... Ms.Miami Central, 2/4/03
|
| Blix Calls Bush a
LIAR - Why Did the NY Times Bury the Story?
On Tuesday, Bush cited the findings of Hans Blix as justification for
W-ar. But according to Blix, Bush is lying about Blix's findings.
Inspectors have NOT "found that iraqi officials were hiding and
moving illicit materials... to prevent their discovery." There is
NO evidence "Iraq was sending weapons scientists [abroad] to
prevent them from being interviewed." There is NO evidence
"Iraqi agents were posing as scientists." UNMOVIC has NOT
"been penetrated by Iraqi agents." NO "sensitive
information might have been leaked to Baghdad, compromising the
inspections." Blix is calling Bush a LIAR - so why is this
front-page news BURIED on page A10? E-mail letters@nytimes.com
www.nytimes.com/2003/01/31/international/middleeast/31BLIX.html
...BernieW, 2/1/03
|
| Tony Blair Is A Coward -- And A Fascist Boot Licker
John Pilger writes, "Unelected in 2000, the... regime of George W Bush is now totalitarian, captured by a clique whose fanaticism and ambitions of 'endless war' and 'full spectrum dominance' are a matter of record... Bush's State of the Union speech last night was reminiscent of that other great moment in 1938 when Hitler called his generals together and told them: 'I must have war.' He then had it. [Tony Blair] is the embodiment of the most dangerous appeasement humanity has known since the 1930s. The current American elite is the Third Reich of our times... When you next hear Blair or Straw or Bush talk about 'bringing democracy to the people of Iraq', remember that it was the CIA that installed the Ba'ath Party in Baghdad from which emerged Saddam Hussein."...
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/allnews/page.cfm?objectid=12581179&method=full&siteid=50143
Bush Perfects Presidential Performance Art
Bob Borosage writes, "For George Bush, State of the Union addresses are presidential performance art. Bush's pollsters pre-test key words and phrases. His handlers preview each practiced gesture, dramatic whisper, narrowed eye. The public is presented with pleasing tableaux of presidential postures, not of his actual policies. But this posturing exacts a price in credibility that can become particularly costly in times of 'large consequence.' In last night's performance by Mr. Bush, that price was particularly high because the gap between word and reality was immense -- and because Bush relies on faith rather than evidence to convince Americans of the need to launch a pre-emptive war abroad and audacious tax breaks at home. Seldom has a nation been more shabbily treated by a president. At the very moment when Bush had to level with the American people, he appeared ever more the clever poseur than the prudent leader."
http://www.ourfuture.org/onmessage/borosage/1_29_03.cfm
Laura Bush (R-Stepford) Scrubs Poetry Symposium over Iraq W-ar
Protests
Laura Bush scrubbed "a poetry symposium out of concerns it
would be politicized after some poets said they wanted to protest
military action against Iraq. The symposium on the poetry of Emily
Dickinson, Langston Hughes and Walt Whitman had been scheduled for
Feb. 12... 'While Mrs. Bush respects the right of all Americans to
express their opinions, she, too, has opinions and believes it would
be inappropriate to turn a literary event into a political forum,'
Noelia Rodriguez said Wednesday. Mrs. Bush, a former librarian... has
held a series of White House symposiums to salute America's authors...
But the poetry symposium quickly inspired a nationwide protest. Sam
Hamill, a poet and editor of the highly regarded Copper Canyon Press,
declined the invitation and e-mailed friends asking for antiwar poems
or statements... He had expected about 50 responses; he's gotten more
than 1,500, including contributions from W.S. Merwin, Adrienne Rich
and Lawrence Ferlinghetti."
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&u=/ap/20030130/ap_on_go_pr_wh/poets_white_house&e=2&ncid=
Those Who Know History Condemn Bush
"At the 117th Annual Meeting of the American Historical
Association in January, historians from more than forty colleges and
universities agreed to form a new national network, 'Historians
Against the War.' A committee was appointed to draft the following
statement, which has been circulated for other historians to sign: 'We
historians call for a halt to the march towards war against Iraq. We
are deeply concerned about the needless destruction of human life, the
undermining of constitutional government in the U.S., the egregious
curtailment of civil liberties and human rights at home and abroad,
and the obstruction of world peace for the indefinite future. Since
that meeting, more than one THOUSAND historians, from 250 colleges and
universities in 47 states, have endorsed the HAW statement."
http://chnm.gmu.edu/rhr/haw.htm
.... from democrats.com www.democrats.com
2/1/03
|
| This is very funny, but...
Be careful who you open this up in front of!
This
is a French commercial for condoms. It is hysterical! It really
shows on TV!!!
Oh those Europeans... can you imagine seeing THIS here after the
nightly news?
Click
here: page papabite
....Jeevan, 2/1/03
|
| We have forgotten:
"The President is merely the most important among a large number of public servants. He should be supported or opposed exactly to the degree which is warranted by his good conduct or bad conduct, his efficiency or inefficiency in rendering loyal, able, and disinterested service to the Nation as a whole.
|
Therefore it is absolutely necessary that there should be full liberty to tell the truth about his acts, and this means that it is exactly necessary to blame him when he does wrong as to praise him when he does right. Any other attitude in an American citizen is both base and servile.
To announce that there must be no criticism of the President, or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public. Nothing but the truth should be spoken about him or any one else. But it is even more important to tell the truth, pleasant or unpleasant, about him than about any one else."
- President Roosevelt in the Kansas City Star - May 7th, 1918
.... vilma, 1/30/03
| Check out this on-line flash movie about our
"Brave Leaders" who are screaming WAR!!
http://www.takebackthemedia.com/chickenhawks.html
How come it's always the pussies that scream WAR the loudest? If
they want to see a fight so bad, they can come around to my house and
squawk and cackle in a real cock fight. Tell 'em we feed the
losers and the lying politicians to the dogs.
...JRH, 1/29/03
|
| Hi All! For those of you
interested in noise pollution, like those folks on Hwy 20 (in the
BigBend area) facing the resumption of drag racing near their
neighborhood, check out the website below. You'll find plenty of
ammunition to fight the good fight. Good luck!
http://www.nonoise.org/library.htm
...JVD, 1/28/03
|
| Here is a link to a website targeting the Hispanic
population. Much of the content is apologist in nature toward
Bush and the administration. Particularly apologist is Gary Mendoza.
http://www.hispanicvista.com/
...VB, 1/27/03
|
| What a whitewash! The PTO "clears" Jeb Bush
by finding that his letter to PTO Director Jim Rogan demanding that
the PTO IMMEDIATELY cancel a trademark belonging to a Bacardi
competitor was merely an innocent request for a status inquiry! That
doesn't even pass the straight face test!
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A46997-2003Jan26.html
"A federal board reviewing a controversial
trademark case has rejected a complaint alleging that intervention by
Florida Gov. Jeb Bush (R) on behalf of Bacardi USA Inc. amounted to an
improper one-sided, or ex parte, communication in a semi-judicial
proceeding. The Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB) at the U.S.
Patent and Trademark Office dismissed charges brought by a joint
Cuban-French venture. The complaint alleged that Bush's letter last
June to James E. Rogan, director of the patent office, was an ex parte
communication "relevant to the merits" of the dispute over
control of the trademark for Havana Club, a brand of rum. Bush,
the president's brother, asked in the letter that the Patent and
Trademark Office "take quick, decisive action on a pending
application to expunge the registration of the trademark Havana
Club." The governor said the "out-dated registration . . .
should be canceled immediately." ...
.... AJG, 1/27/03
Here's some history on this from archives of
whoseflorida:
| http://www.whoseflorida.com/jeb_bush_friends_and_family_plan.htm
FOR $60,000: BUSH WILL LOBBY FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO WIN FAVORABLE TREATMENT FOR A DONOR IN TRADEMARK DISPUTE
STIMULUS: Bacardi Ltd. Contributed $60,000 To State GOP In First Half Of 2002. From January to June 2002, Miami-based Bacardi-Martini, the U.S. arm of Bacardi Ltd., gave $60,000 to the state GOP. [Daily Business Review, 10/17/02]
RESPONSE: During The Same Period, Bush Responded To Bacardi Emails Asking For Help In Winning Favorable Treatment From Federal Agencies In Trademark Dispute. During the same period, Gov. Bush and his staff worked behind the scenes to lobby President Bush appointees at the departments of the Treasury, Commerce, and State on behalf of Bacardi in a dispute with a Cuban-French joint venture over rights to the Havana Club rum label. Dozens of e-mails from the governor's office "mark a trail of Bacardi's efforts to obtain Bush's help in its longstanding trademark battle," the Daily Business Review reported. [Daily Business Review, 10/17/02]
|
| http://www.whoseflorida.com/plundering_florida.htm#JEB's%20outstretched%20hand
..."When Jeb isn't campaigning these days, he seems to be walking around with his hand outstretched to every special interest with a bank account. A month ago, the Washington Post caught him lobbying his brother's administration on behalf of the Bacardi liquor company. By then a $50,000 check to the Florida GOP from Bacardi (whose former professional lobbyist Otto Reich is now an assistant secretary of state) presumably had cleared. Then yesterday, the St. Petersburg Times reported that Jeb had signed a bill hindering the removal of highway billboards by local communities in Florida, just one week after the Florida GOP took a couple of checks totaling $25,000 from an outdoor advertising mogul. Those checks had no influence on the governor's behavior, as his spokespersons assured the press in each instance. Of course not. By the way, here's a cool picture of Karl Eller, the gentleman who wrote those two checks that had nothing to do with the billboard legislation. He's smiling because he was picking up a Steuben glass eagle from the Outdoor Advertising Association of America, for winning its "lifetime achievement award."
... from Joe Conason's Journal 10/17/02 at:
http://www.salon.com/politics/conason/2002/10/17/bush/index.html
... posted by galloway, 10/21/02
|
| http://www.whoseflorida.com/money_politics.htm
Bacardi's political mix
Palm Beach Post Editorial
Pour donations to GOP, shake the governor.-- The sequence of
events is suggestive: A liquor company gives $25,000 to the
Republican Party of Florida; Gov. Bush intervenes with a federal
agency on the company's behalf; the company gives $50,000 to the
GOP. -- The company is Bacardi-Martini USA. The agency is the
Patent and Trademark Office.... 9/23/02
Bush denies lobbying for company after donation
The governor wrote a federal official to help the Florida liquor
manufacturer and GOP donor in a trademark dispute....ORLANDO --
Gov. Jeb Bush denied reports Saturday that claimed he helped a
Miami-based liquor manufacturer in a trademark dispute only
after the company gave $50,000 to the state Republican Party.
9/15/02
|
| http://www.whoseflorida.com/jeb_record.htm#DERAIL%20STRAIGHT%20TALK%20EXPRESS
Jeb Bush's Devious Deeds: Jeb Bush and
his staff worked behind the scenes for months to lobby federal
agencies on behalf of Bacardi in a trademark dispute while the
rum giant funneled thousands of dollars to the state
Republican Party and the governor's re-election campaign.
Dozens of e-mails from the governor's office mark a trail of
Bacardi's efforts to obtain Bush's help in winning favorable
treatment from a federal agency, culminating in a letter from
Jeb Bush to a political appointee of his brother, President
Bush. (Miami Daily Business Review, 10/17/02)
|
|
| Here is a link that deserves special status:
http://www.ctj.org/html/whopays.htm
Florida is the second most regressively taxed state in the country. If
Jeb!'s intangibles tax cut passes, we'll probably be #1.
The state press has done a terrible job of reporting this. Only the
St. Pete
Times has, to my knowledge, reported the release of this study,
although
Mike Thomas of the Orlando Sentinel alluded to it.
... MarkW, 1/26/03
The statistics rain on the governor's tax parade
TALLAHASSEE -- As he brought out his bad-news budget Tuesday, Gov. Jeb Bush meant to put a happy face on it. As tough as things might seem, he said of the spending cuts, "I want to remind you it could be a lot worse." As for taxes, he still wants less of them too. He made a big point of noting how the average state tax burden on Floridians has dropped from 6.44 percent of personal income in his first year to 6.06 percent now.
|
| Congress Meets Wall Street: Check Out this Amazing
Poster from Public Campaign
"Thanks to our current system of privately-financed elections,
Congress has become a huge bazaar, where everyone knows the price of
everything and the value of nothing. Big corporations and the
super-wealthy invest millions in political contributions and get all
kinds of special deals in return... Should public policy be bought and
sold like commodities in the stock market? Should a tiny elite,
insulated from the everyday needs of average Americans, be able to buy
politicians and obtain special treatment? Or should we offer
candidates who refuse special-interest donations a source of 'clean'
public money? Hope is on the horizon. Clean Money, Clean Elections
public financing saves taxpayers money, saves public officials from
the money chase, saves our democracy. And it's already passed in AZ,
ME, MA, NC, and VT with more states on the way, raising the pressure
on Washington for real reform. Which means we can change the state of
the union." Check out the amazing poster!
http://www.publicampaign.org/stateoftheunion/
....BernieW, 1/26/03
|
| Quote by Paul Begala, Seaking the Truth, Crossfire,
01/23/03
| Unemployment, up by 2.2 million -- 2.2 million
people lost their jobs under Bush.
|
| Stock market down 38 percent under Bush.
|
| Poverty up 1.3 million under Bush.
|
| Homelessness up 19 percent. Budget deficit way up
from a $300 billion surplus, a $300 billion deficit.
|
| The uninsured people without health care, up 1.4
million.
|
This is the Bush economic record. Now, are we better
off than we were two years ago?"
.... buzzflash, 1/25/03
|
| The 3rd Annual Green Reel Film Festival is Now Seeking Submissions of Films and Videos with a Progressive Stance
The Place: Raleigh Studios, Hollywood, CA The Time: Saturday and Sunday, September 27 - 28, 2003
The 2003 Green Reel Film Festival is the antidote to the constant beating of war-drums we are faced with every day in America these days, from our leaders and especially in our media. The Green Reel is Democracy in action: a true forum for ideas, and an opportunity for the otherwise stifled voices of progressive filmmakers from across the country and around the world to get their message across, whether regarding the environment, politics, LGBT issues, racism, corporate power, and so on....We seek feature films, documentaries, shorts, cartoons, music videos --the only thing we ask is that your project have a strong progressive point of view. Last year's program can still be seen at
www.greenreel.org
For submission address or any other information, email us at dean@greenreel.org
The Submission form will soon be available at the website.
All submissions must on VHS or DVD (unreturnable, sorry). Deadline: July 1, 2003
PLEASE PASS THIS EMAIL ALONG! THANKS!!!
|
| The Bush White House has an "opinion" line
for you to call. So call in and give your opinion on the proposed
"WAR" with
Iraq. The line only accepts calls from 9-5 EST, Monday thru Friday.
Just call the White House at 202-456-1111
A machine will detain you for only a moment and then a pleasant live
operator will thank you for saying "I oppose" or "I
approve"
It will only take minutes. Note that the weekends are closed for
calls.
The President has said that he wanted to know what the American people
are thinking. Let him know. Time is running out!
Then please forward this e-mail to at least five people right away.
One Phone Call equals 10-20 people who didn't call.
|
| Some notes from Indymedia in December:
US and Canadian Activists Report from Iraq, December 20
http://www.indymedia.org/archive/features/2002/12/2002-12.html#6539
As the corporate media continues to conflate Saddam Hussein with the
entire population of Iraq, activists from the US and Canada are
reporting on the daily experiences and opinions of Iraqis on the
ground. These reports come from the
multimedia Iraq Journal, as well as from emails sent from Iraq. See
reports at link.
Iraq Report Documents Foreign Support For Weapons Programs, December
19
http://www.indymedia.org/archive/features/2002/12/2002-12.html#6529
Hewlett Packard, Dupont, Honeywell and other major U.S. corporations,
as well as governmental agencies including the Department of Defense
and the nation's nuclear labs, and numerous companies from other
countries, all helped Iraq to
build its biological, chemical and nuclear weapons programs, according
to Iraq's 12,000-page weapons declaration to the UN. This information
was contained in the nearly 9000 pages removed by the United States
before the report was circulated to the non-permanent members of the
UN Security Council.
The nuclear support under Presidents Reagan and Bush, Sr., violated
non-proliferation treaties.
Coast to Coast, the Antiwar Marches On, December 19
http://www.indymedia.org/archive/features/2002/12/2002-12.html#6516
>From Harlem to Chicago to Denver to Hollywood, people in the US
continue to march against the war. Residents of Los Angeles are also
mobilizing in the face of a mental environment mixing messages between
celebrity, the Federal Communications Commission, Palestine,
big-budget propaganda, and peace activism. In Washington DC, the
ladies of Code Pink visited the house of US Secretary of Defense
Donald Rumsfeld to sing "War to the World" and other parody
carols.
|
| Two brief items from Jacob today:
Dividend proposal to enrich affluent
http://www.detnews.com/2003/politics/0301/09/a05-55988.htm
Text of Gov. George Ryan's speech announcing his commutation of all of
Illinois' death sentences
http://sfgate.com/ryan/
...Jacob Lerner, 1/13/03
|
| HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Best wishes for an environmentally conscious, socially responsible,
low stress, non-addictive, gender-neutral, winter holiday; practiced
within the most joyous traditions of the religious persuasion of your
choice, but with respect for the religious persuasion of others who
choose to practice their own religion as well as those who choose not
to practice a religion at all; plus...
A fiscally successful, personally fulfilling, and medically
uncomplicated recognition of the generally accepted calendar year
2003, but not without due respect for the calendars of choice of other
cultures whose contributions have helped make our society great,
without regard to the race, creed color, religious, or sexual
preferences of the wishers.
*Disclaimer: This greeting is subject to clarification or withdrawal.
It implies no promise by the wisher to actually implement any of the
wishes for her/himself or others and no responsibility for any
unintended emotional stress to those not caught up in the holiday
spirit.
.... "Beverly Ross", posted by DH, 1/12/03
|
| No
war, Americans say
With U.S. troops heading for the Persian Gulf, Americans say in
overwhelming numbers that they oppose unilateral U.S. military action
against Saddam Hussein's Iraq, according to a national Knight Ridder
poll.
|
| Paranoia for the People
http://www.motherjones.com/humor/fiore/2002/49/we_200_01.html
.... JH, 1/8/03
|
| How
the Spiny Lobster Finds Home: Magnetism
A handful of animals, like migratory birds and sea turtles, are famed
for their extraordinary ability to navigate by reading small
variations in the earth's magnetic field. Now it appears that a lowly
invertebrate, the Caribbean spiny lobster, shares this same built-in
navigational sense.
A study in the current issue of the journal Nature reports that spiny
lobsters and possibly other invertebrates, once thought to be too
primitive to possess such an advanced navigational mechanism, can
travel over long distances at night and find their way home using only
the earth's magnetic field to guide them. 1/7/03
|
| http://users.chartertn.net/tonytemplin/fbi_eyes/
for "FBI Eyes"
... BruceM, 1/1/03
|
info: email info@whoseflorida.com
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