Pope calls for global fast
Some may feel that he has not always been the most progressive of popes. Some may regards this as ridiculous, as something that even rich catholic landowners might do. Others may feel it is a distraction from the possibilities of civil disobedience. I suggest however, the wider the international front against war, the deeper it can be. Chris Burford London
Outlawry
Guardian Wed In a clear sign that the criticism of France and Germany has the blessing of Downing Street, Peter Mandelson warned last night that the US would behave like a sheriff and his posse sorting out the world's problems if Europe refuses to engage with Washington. Would it not be more honest if the US-UK withdrew their resolution and replaced it with one declaring Iraq to be in a state of outlawry? I continue to believe that we are seeing case law hammered out about the legal basis of the emerging global empire. Outlawry was a legal concept early in the formation of the nation state that placed an individual outside the protection of the law. A British minister declined at the weekend to accept the proposition that regime change is illegal under international law, that at present respects the sovereign rights of states, even if you dislike them. He said he thought international law changes. I agree. The stage we have reached is that the Security Council is not willing to endorse a conquest of Iraq at this stage merely because it does not like or trust the Iraqi regime, as all last alternatives have not been exhausted to oblige Iraq to implement previous resolutions. The threat that Mandelson and the British government is pointing to is that the US will go it alone, without even having the title of Sheriff, except by default. The more honest resolution would be one asking the Security Council to accept that Iraq under Saddam is in a state of outlawry. It would probably have no greater chance of being passed by the Security Council, but I suggest it would better reflect where imperialist power politics have got to. Certainly if the US and UK go it alone, they might be wise to ensure they appear to the sceptical population of the world to act as sheriffs and not as gangsters. It might be more difficult than they imagine. Chris Burford London
Fellowship at EPI
THE SEIU / MARCIA McGILL RESEARCH FELLOWSHIP In memory of staff economist Marcia McGill, the Service Employees International Union sponsors a one-year fellowship at the Economic Policy Institute. Purpose To provide advanced graduate students with experience in policy-relevant empirical research and to assist them in developing their own research/dissertation topic. Activities The research fellow will assist EPI economists in empirical research, providing an opportunity to develop as well as use statistical and methodological capabilities. The Fellow will develop research/dissertation ideas and explore databases at EPI, and will be encouraged to attend seminars, hearings and conferences in the D.C. area. SEIU will provide the research fellow with the opportunity to learn about the role of labor unions in the policy-making process. Research will be empirical and relevant to public policy. Examples are the outcomes of welfare reform, the distribution of the tax burden, trends in labor markets and the income distribution, work reorganization and worker participation, macroeconomic policy, and the evolution of privatization efforts in state and local governments. Historically specific factors and the role of institutions will be included in the analysis. Eligibility and Terms of Award The fellowship is available to advanced graduate students in economics, public policy, industrial relations, and related fields who have completed all requirements toward a doctorate except for the dissertation. It is primarily intended for those who have not yet selected a dissertation topic, but those who have begun their dissertations are also invited to apply. Minorities and women are strongly urged to apply. Application Requirements Applicants must submit: 1. Statement from their department describing their current academic standing. 2. A three page statement on the applicant's research interests and their relevance to public policy. If applicable, the statement would briefly describe the dissertation, including the research problem or area, research questions, methodologies, sources of data or evidence (e.g., surveys, case studies), and policy implications. 3. Two letters of reference from faculty, one of whom must be the applicant's chief academic advisor. 4. Curriculum vitae and transcript from the graduate institution. 5. A writing sample, preferably a research paper, or equivalent. Incomplete applications cannot be considered. Submitting a complete application is the applicant's responsibility. Application Dates Applications must be postmarked by April 1, 2003. Awards will be announced by May 1, 2003. The award will cover a 12 month period between September 2003 and August 2004. Start and end dates are flexible. Arrangements The Fellow will receive a pro-rated $25,000 annual stipend and reside in the Washington, D.C. area. Health benefits are available if the Fellow is not covered by his or her university. Non-U.S. citizens are welcome to apply. It is the applicant's responsibility to ensure that he or she has a visa/immigration status that permits participation in the program. EPI will not support H1-B visa applications. Affirmative Action People of color are strongly encouraged to apply. Contact Please direct all e-mail correspondence to [EMAIL PROTECTED] or fax inquiries and applications to (202) 775-0819.
Forbes includes Arafat Castro among wealthiest heads of state
(Apologies for cross posting.) It appears, apart from anything else, that Forbes is not interested in distinguishing between funds actually controlled by an individual and those theroetically/symbolically held (e.g. QE2). The allegation re Castro is not new, but is it complete disinformation? Does anyone know? How? (BTW, Berlusconi made the separate Powerbrokers list) The list: King Fahd Bin Abdul Aziz Alsaud Crown Prince King /Saudi Arabia 80 $20 billion* Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Sultan /Brunei 56 11 billion* Hans Adam II Prince /Liechtenstein 58 2 billion* Saddam Hussein President /Iraq 65 2 billion* Queen Elizabeth II Queen /United Kingdom 76 525 million Yasir Arafat President /Palestinian Authority 73 300 million* Queen Beatrix Wilhelmina Armgard Queen /Netherlands 65 250 million Fidel Castro President /Cuba 76 110 million (* = At least.) http://www.forbes.com/forbes/2003/0317/134.html
Re: Forbes includes Arafat Castro among wealthiestheads of state
Grant Lee wrote: (Apologies for cross posting.) It appears, apart from anything else, that Forbes is not interested in distinguishing between funds actually controlled by an individual and those theroetically/symbolically held (e.g. QE2). The allegation re Castro is not new, but is it complete disinformation? Does anyone know? How? (BTW, Berlusconi made the separate Powerbrokers list) Fidel Castro President /Cuba 76 110 million In order to answer the question about whether this represents disinformation, we have to ask ourselves what Forbes is talking about. Forbes refers to fortunes, which in ordinary English means personal wealth. Now there have been charges leveled against Fidel Castro, but owning a fortune is not one of them. I think that Forbes grouped Saddam Hussein, Yasir Arafat and Fidel Castro with the dregs of European and petrodollar aristocracy for an obvious reason, not so much to sow disinformation since nobody can really figure out what they are driving at--but just to score facile propaganda points. Just what you'd expect from the Capitalist tool. -- The Marxism list: www.marxmail.org
Re: Re: Forbes includes Arafat Castro among wealthiest heads ofstate
From: Louis Proyect [EMAIL PROTECTED] ...Forbes refers to fortunes, which in ordinary English means personal wealth. Now there have been charges leveled against Fidel Castro, but owning a fortune is not one of them. I think that Forbes grouped Saddam Hussein, Yasir Arafat and Fidel Castro with the dregs of European and petrodollar aristocracy for an obvious reason, not so much to sow disinformation since nobody can really figure out what they are driving at--but just to score facile propaganda points. Just what you'd expect from the Capitalist tool. I believe Castro is somewhat deficient in the appurtenances of personal wealth. For instance, Castro appears to have far fewer global estates, yachts, hot-air balloons, motorcycle fleets, Faberge Easter eggs and collections of historical toy soldiers than Malcolm Forbes did. Also, unlike Malcolm Forbes, to my knowledge Castro has never dated Elizabeth Taylor. Carl _ MSN 8 with e-mail virus protection service: 2 months FREE* http://join.msn.com/?page=features/virus
Guardian Unlimited | Special reports | The Saddam and George show
http://www.guardian.co.uk/usa/story/0,12271,902793,00.html The Saddam and George show Ignoring the fact that George Bush declined Saddam Hussein's challenge to a televised debate, Tim Dowling exclusively reveals what could have happened had they met Tuesday February 25, 2003 Tony Blair, moderator: Welcome to the first televised debate between George W Bush and Saddam Hussein, live from United Nations headquarters in New York. We will begin with a brief opening statement from each of you. Bush: First of all I would just like to welcome my evil friend to the UN, one of the great American institutions for the propulsion of freedom throughout the world. Saddam: Thank you, Great Satan. I hope that in today's debate we may find some common ground between the Iraqi people's commitment to peace and human progress and America's desire to destroy the Middle East. Bush: Do I answer that? Blair: No. The first question is quite simply this: do you have any links with al-Qaida? Bush: I do not. Blair: The question is for President Saddam. Saddam: As I told Mr Tony Benn clearly and simply, if I had links with al-Qaida and I enjoyed those links then I would not be ashamed to tell the world, but since I am ashamed to tell the world of this, it follows that I have no such links. Bush: Neither do I. Blair: The second question is for Mr Bush. Mr Bush, if America and Iraq were to go to war tomorrow, who would win? Bush: That's easy. America, right? Saddam: Even I knew that one. Bush: That's because the great United American States of America are on the side of rightliness and Americanity, against an evil Axis of Evil made up of Iraq, North Korea and... how many are in an axis? Three? Blair: I think you're allowed as many as you like. Bush: OK, Iraq, North Korea and France. Saddam: I will tell you frankly and directly that Iraq is not part of any Axis of Evil. Bush: Who am I thinking of then? Irania? Blair: Let's move on. Saddam, are you willing to destroy your stockpile of Samoud 2 missiles in accordance with UN weapons inspectors' orders? Saddam: I explain to you now that if Iraq possessed these so-called weapons, we would never destroy them, but since we do not have any such weapons, we are happy to comply, even though these non-existent weapons certainly do not exceed the proscribed range of 150 kms. I've tested them myself, and we don't have any. Blair: The final question is for George Bush. Mr President, is there any way that Saddam Hussein can avoid war, and what steps must he now take in order to reach a negotiated solution? Bush: Listen to me. It's very simple. First Saddam must compile 200% with the UN inspectorers, and I mean activated compilation, not passivist compilation. Second, he must disarm fully, in keeping with UN revelation 1441 and the next one coming, 1441B, which will require him to disarm even more fully that. Then he must destroy all Samoud missiles and any other weapons of mass destruction he is found, or not found, to be possessive of, without being asked. Finally, there is one more task he must perform, which I am not at liberty to revulge. And even that will not be enough. Blair: The translator would like to take your answer home with him and work on it over the weekend. Bush: Fine, but we require nothing less than total disarmature. Saddam: OK. Blair: Sorry, but I'm not sure that disarmature is a word. I defer to the UN Keeper of the Dictionary, Mr Richard Stilgoe. Stilgoe: Yes, you can have disarmature. It means, the action of disarming according to the OED. Bush: Exactly. He must cut his own arms off. Saddam: If it means peace, I will do it. Bush: Too late. Stilgoe: Did you know that Saddam Hussein is an anagram of 'Demands a Sushi'? Saddam: Yes, I've heard them all. Bush: I don't eat sushi. Is there a fish option? Blair: I'd like to remind everyone at home that the Monica Lewinsky-Tonya Harding fight follows after the break.
ECAAR Economists for Allied Arms Reduction
There are several articles and a press release against unilateral war at: http://www.ecaar.org/ Maybe this has been discussed some time ago but the press release seems recent with a lot of signatures, Arrow Shaikh etc signing on among others. Cheers, Ken Hanly
Man Arrested for Wearing Peace T-Shirt
do folks find these news clippings worthwhile, or is it so off-topic that i should stop sending them to pen-l? --ravi http://my.aol.com/news/news_story.psp?type=1cat=0100id=0303050618089478 Man Arrested for Wearing Peace T-Shirt The Associated Press Mar 5 2003 6:18AM ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) - A man was charged with trespassing in a mall after he refused to take off a T-shirt that said ``Peace on Earth'' and ``Give peace a chance.'' Mall security approached Stephen Downs, 61, and his 31-year-old son, Roger, on Monday night after they were spotted wearing the T-shirts at Crossgates Mall in a suburb of Albany, the men said. The two said they were asked to remove the shirts made at a store there, or leave the mall. They refused. The guards returned with a police officer who repeated the ultimatum. The son took his T-shirt off, but the father refused. ``'I said, `All right then, arrest me if you have to,''' Downs said. ``So that's what they did. They put the handcuffs on and took me away.'' Downs pleaded innocent to the charges Monday night. The New York Civil Liberties Union said it would help with his case if asked. Police Chief James Murley said his officers were just responding to a complaint by mall security. ``We don't care what they have on their shirts, but they were asked to leave the property, and it's private property,'' Murley said. A mall spokeswoman did not return calls Tuesday seeking comment. Monday's arrest came less than three months after about 20 peace activists wearing similar T-shirts were told to leave by mall security and police. There were no arrests.
James Galbraith on Pre-Emptive War
Note: The test that is failed is the test of mutuality or a rule that gives both sides an equal right to use the rule as justification. From: http://www.ecaar.org/Newsletter/Oct02/Galbraith.htm cheers, Ken Hanly The doctrine of pre-emptive self-defense, which is the right of one country to attack an adversary based on a subjective evaluation of capability and intent, fails this test. We, in the United States, cannot admit that it imparts an equal right to Iraq. Iraq clearly faces an imminent threat from a determined and capable adversary, the United States. We make no secret of this fact. Does President Bush concede to Saddam Hussein the right to detonate an atomic bomb - if he had one - in the Metro station at the Pentagon? And if Mr. Cheney were to observe this outcome tomorrow, from his secure and undisclosed location, on what grounds, given the views he has stated, could he legitimately object?
Re: Man Arrested for Wearing Peace T-Shirt / Therewill be a protest tomorrow!
ravi wrote: do folks find these news clippings worthwhile, or is it so off-topic that i should stop sending them to pen-l? --ravi http://my.aol.com/news/news_story.psp?type=1cat=0100id=0303050618089478 Man Arrested for Wearing Peace T-Shirt The Associated Press Mar 5 2003 6:18AM ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) - A man was charged with trespassing in a mall after he refused to take off a T-shirt that said ``Peace on Earth'' and ``Give peace a chance.'' Mall security approached Stephen Downs, 61, and his 31-year-old son, Roger, on Monday night after they were spotted wearing the T-shirts at Crossgates Mall in a suburb of Albany, the men said. The two said they were asked to remove the shirts made at a store there, or leave the mall. They refused. They will be challenged tomorrow. From: Women Against War [EMAIL PROTECTED] This message contains information regarding a call to action for tomorrow, 3.5.03, at Crossgates Mall including legal advice for those considering civil disobedience. It also includes the overview of our Emergency Mobilization Plan, also known as Day After Action, which is our response to an action that is considered to be the declaration of war against Iraq. Announcements for other upcoming events will be sent no later than Thursday. - As announced earlier today, Women Against War, Capital District for Justice and Peace, and Peace Action organizers are calling for an action at Crossgates Mall tomorrow, 3.5.03, at Noon. Why: Yesterday a man and his father were shopping in the mall. Neither are affiliated with the antiwar movement. They purchased t-shirts at the mall that read PEACE ON EARTH. They put the shirts on and continued shopping. Within minutes they were confronted by mall security and told to either take off the shirts or leave the mall. The father refused, was arrested and today was arraigned on the charge of trespass. What: We are going back to Crossgates for lunch in the food court. We will be wearing NO WAR IN IRAQ t-shirts. We believe that people should be able to wear whatever t-shirts they want when shopping. So let's do lunch at the mall! Legal Advice: The mall is private property. We may be asked to leave for the offense of wearing these t-shirts. If you leave when asked, then you are not subject to arrest. If you do not leave and do not remove your shirt, then you may be subject to arrest. Many of us are willing to be subject to arrest. If you are arrested, you are most likely going to be charged with trespass, which is a violation. If you are charged with criminal trespass, it is a misdemeanor. Violation Versus Misdemeanor: A violation means that you will receive an appearance ticket and pay a small fine. You will not have a criminal record as a result of this arrest. Criminal trespass is a Class D misdemeanor. The maximum fine is $500 and 90 days in jail. Most likely, you will be released after being processed. You may have to post bail if charged with a misdemeanor. You will have to appear in court (probably Thursday evening) for an arraignment. We have lawyers who will represent us, and will work to get the charge reduced to a violation. However, if you are convicted of a misdemeanor then you will have a permanent criminal record. Those with prior convictions may wish to consult with an attorney prior to participating in this action. People here on visas are discouraged from participating in this action. Do not go limp or attempt to resist arrest in any other way unless you are prepared to be charged with resisting arrest, which is also a misdemeanor. It is best if you carry identification so that being processed goes as smoothly as possible. Organizers have the phone numbers for an attorney who will represent us as a group for this action. You may consult your own attorney if you wish. Where to meet and how to get a t-shirt: The Women's Building (located at 79 Central Avenue, between Henry Johnson Blvd and Lexington Avenue) will be selling antiwar t-shirts from 10 to 11am tomorrow. $15 regular price, $12 I'm Willing to be Arrested For Wearing This Shirt special price! Gather at Noon at Crossgates Mall... lower level, near the moose outside the Bugaboo Creek restaurant. We will enter the mall together, proceed to the food court and sit for lunch. Again, if you do not want to be subject to arrest we will make sure that you are clearly aware of when mall security states, essentially, leave or be arrested. This entire action is being video taped for our protection. If you don't have the time to get to the building to buy a shirt, make a no war slogan and tape it to your coat or jacket... or take an old t-shirt and write NO WAR IN IRAQ across the front and back. Please do not bring signs. E. Ahmet Tonak Professor of Economics Simon's Rock College of Bard 84 Alford Road Great Barrington, MA 01230 Tel: 413 528 7488 Fax: 413 528 7365 www.simons-rock.edu/~eatonak
RE: Maureen Dowd on the brazen Bush imperialists
What Would Genghis Do? It's easy to picture Rummy in a big metal breastplate, a skirt and lace-up gladiator sandals. Rummius Maximus Pompeius. -- My bride... My bride! My bride! I've come to claim my bride, Come tenderly to crush her against my side. Let haste be made! I cannot be delayed: There are lands to conquer, cities to loot and peoples to degrade. [SOLDIERS] Look at those arms! Look at that chest! Look at them! [MILES] Not to mention the rest. Even I am impressed! My bride! My bride! Come, bring to me my bride. My lust for her no longer can be denied. Convey the news! I have no time to lose: There are towns to plunder, temples to burn and women to abuse. [SOLDIERS] Look at that foot! Look at that heel! Mark the magnificent muscles of steel! [MILES] I am my ideal! I, Miles Gloriosus, I, slaughterer of thousands, I, oppressor of the meek, Subduer of the weak, Degrader of the Greek, Destroyer of the Turk, Must hurry back to work. [MILES ROMANS:] I/he, Miles Gloriosus, [SOLDIERS] A man among men! [MILES ROMANS:] I/he, paragon of virtue, [SOLDIERS] With sword and with pen! [MILES] I, in war the most admired, In wit the most inspired, In love the most desired, In dress the best displayed-- I am a parade! [SOLDIERS] Look at those eyes, cunning and keen, Look at the size of those thighs, like a mighty machine! [PSEUDOLUS] Those are the mightiest thighs that I ever have theen! I mean... [MILES] My bride! My bride! Inform my lucky bride: The fabled arms of Miles are open wide. Make haste! Make haste! I have no time to waste: There are shrines I should be sacking, Ribs I should be cracking, Eyes to gouge and booty to divide. Bring me my bride!
Petition to Remove Congressman Howard Coble
Please continue to help us in our efforts by forwarding this email widely. The form below allows for remote signing of the petition and can be reused -- send it to your friends and have them sign right from this email! - Petition to Remove Congressman Howard Coble and Support Civil Liberties for All Americans -- http://removecoble.yellowworld.org To the U.S. Congress: Therefore, we have formed this petition: 1.. To demand that Rep. Howard Coble and the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism and Homeland Security each issue an immediate, official and published apology, and; 2.. To demand the immediate resignation of Rep. Howard Coble as Chairman of the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism and Homeland, and; 3.. To demand that necessary remedial actions be taken by the U.S. Congress and its members to inform the American public -- through education, commercial and political advertising -- that the basis of the Japanese American internment was racial prejudice and war hysteria, and that similar actions taken towards any Americans would be an injustice to all Americans. Petition Affiliates Asian-American Association of The College of New Jersey * Arab American Students of NYU * Asian Community Online Network * Asian-Nation.org * Asian Pacific Islander Club at Foothill College * Asian Pacific American Law Students Association (USC) * Asian Pacific Americans for Action, Cornell University * Asian Pacific Students Association, UCI * Asian Political Association at UC Berkeley * Citizens for a Legitimate Government * Islamic Center of the Triad * Korean American Adoptee Adoptive Network (KAAN) * KoreanFocus.org * Muslims for a Better North Carolina * National Asian American Student Conference (NAASCON) * National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) * Network of Arab-American Professionals-NY (NAAP-NY) * PoliticalCircus.com * Rice Times * South Asian Network (SAN) To sign the petition, go to http://removecoble.yellowworld.org/signup.p
Federal Times
POLL Do you think your agency has adequate oversight of its contractors? Yes 8 % (101) No 92 % (1,102) Total votes: 1203 http://federaltimes.com/index.php?showresults=true Tom Walker 604 255 4812
Turkish Military finally spoke..
. *Turkish army backs US troops* http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/fr/-/2/hi/europe/2822061.stm Turkey's top general supports the deployment of US troops, saying a northern front against Iraq will make the war shorter. mail2web - Check your email from the web at http://mail2web.com/ .
Budget crunch hits Oregon medical care
A Prescription Plan Hailed as a Model Is a Budget Casualty March 5, 2003 By TIMOTHY EGAN - - NY Times PORTLAND, Ore., March 3 - In a state that says it is already so short of public money it does not have enough to keep all the schools open and prosecute many criminals, Oregon took another drastic step this week to cover budget shortfalls: it cut off medications to thousands of schizophrenics, manic-depressives, drug addicts and others who are poor and have no health care. A decade ago, Oregon was widely hailed as a pioneer in providing health insurance, including prescription drug coverage, not only to the poor but also to people who make just enough money that they do not qualify for most federal Medicaid programs. Now, in a reversal that has stripped a once ambitious program to its core, Oregon has pared back the insurance, and removed prescription drug coverage for things like mental illness and drug addiction. Most of the cuts went into effect March 1, but others started Feb. 1, just days after Oregonians voted in a referendum against a tax increase to balance their budget. And while state officials are looking for some way to restore some of the health program, they admit that they will not be able to offer anything like the expansive benefits of the past. So throughout Oregon this week, about 100,000 poor people are suddenly scrambling for the basic medications that allow them to function. For Dave Cesario, 45, who is H.I.V. positive, diabetic and on methadone to stave off addiction to heroin, it meant going cold turkey Saturday. I'm just numb; I don't know what to do, said Mr. Cesario, who lives with his disabled wife and 12-year-old son. My only hope is that the drug companies will have mercy and I'll be able to get some free samples. For Karen Hansen, 50, who has prescriptions for everything from anxiety disorder to high blood pressure, the cutoff means taking only the few drugs that will keep her alive. She lives on $689 a month in Social Security disability payments, and her monthly prescription bill, without assistance, is $615. I don't buy the newspaper, I eat hot dogs that they give out free and get other meals from the food bank, Ms. Hansen said. But that only saves about $200. The step is the latest response to a budget crisis that led state officials to make nearly $600 million in cuts in the last two years, and will require another $2 billion in reductions, according to projections, in the new budget cycle that begins this June. Hit by a harsh recession after a series of tax-cutting measures pared the budget to the bone, Oregon, which has no statewide sales tax, now lacks enough money for health care, schools, prisons and criminal prosecution. Portland schools had planned to cut nearly five weeks off the school calendar this year. But teachers agreed on Monday to work two weeks without pay, and that offer - together with a plan for a temporary business tax - looks as if it will now save the school year. But the state has announced plans to close a number of schools. Prisons have let out some criminals early. And starting today, prosecutions of people arrested for theft and drug crimes are being delayed because there is not enough money for prosecution or legal defense. Officials say those arrested are being released and may be tried later, in the summer, if the legislature can come up with new funds. The latest round of cuts came after Oregonians considered a referendum in January on whether to raise taxes temporarily. The measure was narrowly defeated, after opponents of the tax increase said the state could find ways to cut without major consequences. Unable to raise taxes, and having cut financing for police, prosecutors and schools, state officials turned to the Oregon Health Plan. They ordered the board that governs the plan to decide how and where to cut. It chose to revert to more basic coverage, stop paying for many prescription drugs and charge higher premiums and co-payments. Dr. Patricia Kullberg, medical director of the health department of Multnomah County, which covers Portland, said she just did something she had never done in 21 years as a family physician: she advised a patient which medications he could stop taking and suffer the least. The patient lost his prescription drug benefit for arthritis, depression, high cholesterol and hypertension. I feel like I'm living in some foreign country where suffering is routine, she said. It's scary. What we're doing is condemning people to the long-term consequences of their diseases. The hardest hit, say state officials, are the mentally ill. Jim Underwood, a mental health specialist with Cascadia Behavioral Healthcare in Portland, said his patient Robert Seaman, 47, a paranoid schizophrenic, was likely to become delusional again without his medications. Mr. Seaman had trouble responding to questions in an interview. Without his meds, he has trouble with getting food, shopping, all the basic survival things,
DiaMat redux.
Analysts say both the poor and the rich share a longing for an iron-fisted leader. 'The poor want a Stalin to make short shrift of their enemies, the rich, while the latter want a Stalin to keep the poor at bay,' said Prof. Dzarasov. http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/stories/2003030600831500.htm Tom Walker 604 255 4812
independent Iraqis
Title: independent Iraqis Independent Iraqis oppose Bush's war 1 of 2 Comment Independent Iraqis oppose Bush's war Not every group takes US cash. Some worry about their people Jonathan Steele Wednesday March 5, 2003 The Guardian [U.K.] A new myth has emerged in the pro-war camp's propaganda arsenal. Iraqi exiles support the war, they claim, and none took part in last month's march through central London. So if the peaceniks and leftwingers who joined the protest had the honesty to listen to the true voice of the Iraqi people they would never denounce Bush's plans for war again. Wrong, and wrong. A large number of Iraqis were among the million-member throng, including two key independent political groups. They carried banners denouncing Saddam Hussein (thereby echoing the sentiments of many non-Iraqis since this was not a protest by pro-Saddam patsies, as the pro-war people also falsely claim). They represented important currents in the Iraqi opposition, and ones whom the Americans have repeatedly tried to persuade to join the exiles' liaison committee. No way, says Dr Haider Abas, London spokesman of Da'wa, Iraq's moderate Islamic party. When we met Zalmay Khalilzad (the US special envoy for Iraq) we told him we didn't want to give a cover to US military operations. It's not our role. We won't be respected by our people. His party has other reservations. It fears the US will retain control of Iraq long after Saddam is toppled and will not hand power to Iraqis for months to come - and then only to its placemen. Da'wa also doubts US plans for ethnically based federalism, arguing that this will create the risk of Balkan-style discrimination and pogroms, when the reality of Iraq is that every major city is culturally mixed. Sunnis, Shiites, Kurds and Arabs are found everywhere. Saddam's repression cost Da'wa thousands of its members over the past two decades. It argued for human rights in Iraq long before Washington and London stopped backing Saddam and took up the cause - another reason why it distrusts US motives. Dr Abas says there is a paradox in that while his party opposes the war he believes many Iraqis inside the country have become so desperate that they may support it. His argument reflects the psychological dilemma which keeps Iraqis awake at night. People in hell think nothing can be worse. They just want to end it. But we see the bigger picture as well as fearing it will lead to death and destruction for our families at home. We have two problems with the United States. First, its track record. In 1991, when the aim was simply to get Saddam out of Kuwait, they destroyed the infrastructure of the country. People couldn't understand why they bombed power stations and bridges all over Iraq. His other doubt is over US intentions. One camp in Washington, he feels, wants to rebuild Iraq. The other wants to keep it undemocratic by only removing Saddam and his closest colleagues. We don't know which camp will win, he says. In the meantime, any Iraqi group which ties its flag to a foreign invader's mast without any guarantee of its postwar intentions loses its patriotic and democratic credentials. Salam Ali, another marcher and spokesman for the Iraqi Communist party, has similar criticisms. The ICP, the biggest party in Iraq before Saddam Hussein's regime came to power, also lost tens of thousands of its cadres when the Iraqi president turned against it. Its strength cannot be reliably assessed, but its Da'wa rivals concede it has widespread support among Iraqis of all classes. Ali has just returned from northern Iraq where his party's central committee was meeting. They turned down yet another US invitation to come out in support of the looming war and join the coordinating committee to work with Iraq's postwar US governor. We reject the war on principled and moral grounds as well as being the worst and most destructive alternative, the party said. The ICP supports the approach taken by France and Germany but says it should be integrated into a broader framework for restoring democratic rights in Iraq in line with earlier UN security council resolutions. These are no less important than the recent resolution, 1441, which concentrates on disarmament and ignores human rights. The party calls for a genuinely independent conference of the opposition groups. Like Da'wa, the ICP opposes the economic sanctions on Iraq which the United States and Britain continue to back in spite of the hardship they have caused to ordinary Iraqis but not the regime. We want sanctions lifted and replaced by an effective UN mechanism for controlling Iraq's oil revenue for the benefit of people. We said the Oil for Food programme would strengthen Saddam's hand, says Salam Ali. Sanctions have crushed people and weakened their will to resist. If they are lifted, people can start living and thinking politics again. Most parties on the opposition committee set up under Khalilzad's pressure last week are paid by the
Brenner on current crisis
Title: Brenner on current crisis http://www.lrb.co.uk/v25/n03/bren01_.html Jim Devine [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://bellarmine.lmu.edu/~jdevine
UK Pupils walk out over war
It is beginning to contaminate the ideological state apparatuses... http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/2821871.stm By Angela Harrison BBC News Online education staff Thousands of children have walked out of their schools across Britain to stage anti-war demonstrations. There were protests in London, Birmingham, Leeds, Sheffield, Liverpool, Cambridge and Milton Keynes. About 60 children left Fortismere school in North London at break time on Wednesday and marched to Westminster. More than 200 children - some as young as 13 - are protesting outside the Houses of Parliament. The demonstration was organised by young members of the Stop the War Coalition. In Birmingham, about 350 pupils from Queensbridge School walked out to take part in a march in the city centre with students. Locked gates The organiser of the Fortismere School walk out is sixth-former Sam Beste. He told BBC News Online: We just walked out of the school at break-time. There are now about 60 of us from our school. More would have come, but the teachers locked the gates after we left. We are against the war and this is the next step in our campaign to raise our voices against the war. Fortismere's deputy head teacher Martin Henson said he was horrified by the pupils' actions. It is irresponsible and dangerous to do this. The organisers are sixth-formers but many of the children who have gone with them are younger. They should be in school, he said They have whipped up a frenzy over this and will be in a lot of trouble when they get back. Whoever organised this across the schools was fantastically irresponsible. Books not bombs The demonstrations were timed to coincide with student anti-war demonstrations called Books not bombs expected to take place in the United States on Wednesday. The Stop the War Coalition say children from many other schools across London also staged walk-outs. They put the number of children in Whitehall at about 500, with other big demonstrations in Birmingham, Sheffield, Liverpool and Milton Keynes. A spokesman said: What they have done is brilliant. They are worried about what is happening, that the government is going to war against the wishes of the people. Among the crowd in Westminster was Chris Smith, 17, who goes to school in New Malden. He said there was no justification for a war and accused America of hypocrisy after its previous support of Iraq against Iran. Asked what he hoped to achieve by protesting, he added: There is no good sitting in front of your television if something like this is going on - you have to get up and do something. One 15 year old from William Ellis School in Highgate, who would not give his name, said: From everything I heard war is unnecessary to do what they want to do - there are other ways of achieving their aims. Minister's son In Birmingham, the head teacher of Queensbridge School Christine Pitt wrote to parents warning them that the protest was not being sanctioned by the school. She wrote: Students who stay off to be part of the protest will be marked with an unauthorised absence and have been instructed that they must have your permission in order to participate. Among those taking part in the Birmingham protest was Jacob Hunt Stewart, 14, whose father is health minister Lord Hunt. Jacob said the government was ignoring the views of young people. My dad, as health minister, follows the government line, but he believes that I am mature enough to make my own decision as to whether I want to take part in a protest. We are concerned about what will happen to people in Iraq if there is a war, especially the children. Many people will be killed in Iraq if there is a war. In Leeds, two boys were suspended form Prince Henry's Grammar School because the head teacher said they were inciting others to walk out.
Maureen Dowd on the brazen Bush imperialists
(An interesting piece by an essentially comic contributor to the editorial page, who does more or less the same sort of thing as Russell Baker did years ago. Over the past year or so, with the buildup of war against Iraq, she has become more sober and more merciless toward the warmongerers.) NY Times Op-Ed, Mar. 5, 2003 What Would Genghis Do? By MAUREEN DOWD It's easy to picture Rummy in a big metal breastplate, a skirt and lace-up gladiator sandals. Rummius Maximus Pompeius. During the innocent summer before 9/11, the defense secretary's office sponsored a study of ancient empires Macedonia, Rome, the Mongols to figure out how they maintained dominance. What tips could Rummy glean from Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar and Genghis Khan? (clip) Niall Ferguson, a professor at Oxford and New York University who wrote the coming book Empire, said that while it was rather sweet that the Pentagon was studying ancient empires, he thought the lessons were no longer relevant. The technological and economic differences between modernity and premodernity are colossal, he said. Besides, he says Americans aren't temperamentally suited to empire-building. The British didn't mind living for years in Iraq or India for 100-plus years, he said. Americans aren't attracted to the idea of taking up residence in hot, poor places. He's right. America doesn't like to occupy. We like to buy our territory, like the bargain Louisiana Purchase and the overpriced amount we were going to pay Turkey (the old Ottoman Empire) to use its bases, before its Parliament balked. At the outside, we prefer to time-share. As the brazen Bush imperialists try to install a new democracy in Iraq, they are finding the old democracy of our reluctant allies inconvenient. full: http://www.nytimes.com/2003/03/05/opinion/05DOWD.html -- The Marxism list: www.marxmail.org
Britain's dirty secret
[Did Britain build it or did a British corporation in cahoots with the British State build it? So hard to tell these days] Britain's dirty secret This is Falluja 2, identified by Colin Powell as an Iraqi chemical weapons plant. Confidential documents show we were warned but we helped build it. And we covered it up David Leigh and John Hooper Thursday March 6, 2003 The Guardian A chemical plant which the US says is a key component in Iraq's chemical warfare arsenal was secretly built by Britain in 1985 behind the backs of the Americans, the Guardian can disclose. Documents show British ministers knew at the time that the £14m plant, called Falluja 2, was likely to be used for mustard and nerve gas production. Senior officials recorded in writing that Saddam Hussein was actively gassing his opponents and that there was a strong possibility that the chlorine plant was intended by the Iraqis to make mustard gas. At the time Saddam was known to be gassing Iranian troops in their thousands in the Iran-Iraq war. But ministers in the then Thatcher government none the less secretly gave financial backing to the British company involved, Uhde Ltd, through insurance guarantees. Paul Channon, then trade minister, concealed the existence of the chlorine plant contract from the US administration, which was pressing for controls on such exports. He also instructed the export credit guarantee department (ECGD) to keep details of the deal secret from the public. The papers show that Mr Channon rejected a strong plea from a Foreign Office minister, Richard Luce, that the deal would ruin Britain's image in the world if news got out: I consider it essential everything possible be done to oppose the proposed sale and to deny the company concerned ECGD cover. The Ministry of Defence also weighed in, warning that it could be used to make chemical weapons. But Mr Channon, in line with Mrs Thatcher's policy of propping up the dictator, said: A ban would do our other trade prospects in Iraq no good. The British taxpayer was even forced to write a compensation cheque for £300,000 to the German-owned company after final checks on the plant, completed in May 1990, were interrupted by the outbreak of the Gulf war. The Falluja 2 chlorine plant, 50 miles outside Baghdad, near the Habbaniya airbase, has been pinpointed by the US as an example of a factory rebuilt by Saddam to regain his chemical warfare capability. Last month it featured in Colin Powell's dossier of reasons why the world should go to war against Iraq, which was presented to the UN security council. Spy satellite pictures of Falluja 2 identifying it as a chemical weapons site were earlier published by the CIA, and a report by Britain's Joint Intelligence Committee, published with Tony Blair's imprimatur last September, also focused on Falluja 2 as a rebuilt plant formerly associated with the chemical warfare programme. UN weapons inspectors toured the Falluja 2 plant last December and Hans Blix, the chief inspector, reported to the security council that the chemical equipment there might have to be destroyed. But until now, the secret of Britain's knowing role in Falluja's construction has remained hidden. Last night, Uhde Ltd's parent company in Dortmund, Germany, issued a statement confirming that their then UK subsidiary had built Falluja 2 for Iraq's chemical weapons procurement agency, the State Enterprise for Pesticide Production. A company spokesman said: This was a normal plant for the production of chlorine and caustic soda. It could not produce other products. The British government's intelligence at the time, as shown in the documents, was that Iraq, which was having increasing difficulty in obtaining precursor chemicals on the legitimate market, intended to use the chlorine as a feedstock to manufacture such chemicals as epichlorohydrin and phosphorous trichloride. These in turn were used to make mustard gas and nerve agents. Paul Channon, since ennobled as Lord Kelvedon, was last night holidaying on the Caribbean island of Mustique. He issued a statement through his secretary, who said: He can't object to the story. So he's got no comment.
Germany
Germany: a powerhouse in crisis Larry Elliott and John Hooper Thursday March 6, 2003 The Guardian Germany continues to pay a high economic price for reunification and it will take an entire generation to solve the problems of the former communist eastern states, the country's finance minister, Hans Eichel, says today. In an interview with the Guardian, Mr Eichel says that Germany is a very competitive economy which is at no risk of following Japan into long-term decline. But he claims that 13 years after joining the ramshackle economy of the German Democratic Republic with West Germany the legacy of de-industrialisation and high unemployment remains. Figures out today are likely to show unemployment in Germany rising towards 5 million. Mr Eichel says reunification was in effect a programme for the de-industrialisation of eastern Germany and it led to very high unemployment, which it will take an entire generation to remedy. Unemployment has added 1.5% of GDP to Germany's social security bill and led to increased borrowing, he says. With the European Central Bank likely to cut interest rates for the eurozone today, Mr Eichel rejects the idea that Germany's problems would be eased if it was able to set its own rates. He also defends the EU's stability and growth pact, despite the pressure on the German government to keep its budget deficit below the 3% of GDP set by Brussels. He adds that if growth is lower than 1% this year, as many forecasters expect, he will allow borrowing to rise above the ceiling.
Bush/USG, isolated
[rather amazing commentary from the establishment's local paper] U.S. in a Tough Position As Isolation Increases Setbacks Raise Stakes for Administration By Glenn Kessler Washington Post Staff Writer Thursday, March 6, 2003; Page A01 The Bush administration this week has become increasingly isolated in the world over its determination to topple the Iraqi government, leaving it in a diplomatically difficult position in advance of a critical U.N. Security Council meeting Friday. By contrast, Iraq has made great headway in splintering the Security Council, making it less likely it will approve a U.S.-backed resolution authorizing military action. Iraq over the weekend began complying with a demand to destroy missiles that exceeded U.N. restrictions, provided unrestricted access to seven scientists and promised to answer inspectors' questions on its weapons programs. The sense of U.S. isolation, which has been building for some time, culminated with a series of setbacks this week for the U.S. position. Turkey's parliament Saturday rejected a request to accept U.S. troops, which experts said emboldened smaller countries on the Security Council to consider defying the United States. Iraq's efforts to demonstrate cooperation strengthened the resolve of France and Russia -- two veto-wielding powers on the Security Council -- to say the inspections are working and a war is not necessary. Antiwar protests on college campuses yesterday and around the world in major cities last month have left the image of a policy out of sync with public opinion. Between Turkey and the German-French-Russian statements that hint at a veto, it doesn't look good, said Zbigniew Brzezinski, national security adviser to President Jimmy Carter. There are two dangers that could result from the events of the past week, he said. There is a mindless war conducted by us. And Saddam [Hussein] is encouraged not to give in. The policy setbacks, Brzezinski said, have raised the ante for the administration's gamble. At stake is not Iraq, he said. At stake is our global role. The administration's isolation appears to be a product of a number of factors. These include its hard-edged rhetoric, and what many say is a growing distrust of the administration's motives and its failure to make a case that Iraq poses an imminent danger. The blunt talk often used by President Bush and other senior U.S. officials when referring to Iraq -- often effective among supporters at home -- has not translated well among foreign audiences. Bush has said more than once that he was tired of diplomatic delays, creating the impression he was eager for war and that he viewed the United Nations as a useless distraction. Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld angered traditional allies in Europe, some said needlessly, by appearing to dismiss their concerns. Although Bush initially won praise for bringing Iraq to the United Nations in September, eventually many countries began to feel that his efforts to solicit the backing of other countries was disingenuous. The administration won a number of votes for a U.N. resolution in November authorizing resumed weapons inspections in Iraq -- which passed unanimously -- by arguing that a tough resolution was the best way to avoid a war. But the Pentagon intensified its military buildup around Iraq even as the inspections got underway, signaling that the United States was prepared to go into battle regardless of what the United Nations decided. A number of foreign diplomats said they were taken aback -- even betrayed -- by what they perceived as the administration's rush to war. They seized on any evidence of Iraqi cooperation to argue that the inspections were working and that imminent military action was not necessary. Positions were so hardened by early last month that Secretary of State Colin L. Powell's extensive presentation of Iraqi misdeeds to the Security Council failed to sway many minds. Most fundamentally, the administration has not been able to convince enough people around the world that Iraq posed enough of a threat to justify war. The message was confused as the administration first stressed regime change as a goal, and then switched to disarmament of the regime when it began negotiations at the United Nations. Last week, Bush offered a new reason -- a war would so shake up the Middle East that it would spawn democracy and even help bring about peace between the Israelis and the Palestinians. A failure to make the case for immediate action helped spur massive, coordinated protests around the globe, which further damaged the administration's position at home and abroad. Opinion polls of Americans frequently show that support for a war shrinks unless it is undertaken with international backing. None of these developments help the administration make its case, said Lee Hamilton, a former congressman who is president of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. I have been surprised. I thought there
The politics of the actual war
There has been a lot of attention to the remarkable split on the Security
Council. The latest is that the British government amazingly believes it
has been quietly talking to the undecided 6 on the SC, can get them to
agree to a resolution with a few amendments, and that will call the bluff
of the anti-hegemonistic bloc, who will hesitate to cast a veto against a
war that is going to happen anyway.
But what of the politics of the the actual war that will take place?
Saddam's strategy has been described as essentially a political defence. It
is to use the Republican guards to protect Baghdad and probably Tikrit, and
to continue to appeal for support against an anti-humanitarian blitzkrieg.
The hegemonistic war plans are to seize ('liberate') the sunni south -
Basra is expected ot fall within 24 hours - and presumably now to negotiate
with Iraqi Kurdistan rather than to occupy it. Interestingly it intends not
to bomb the regular Iraqi army in its barracks, because it will want to use
it for peace keeping after victory. So it is mounting psychological warfare
already.
It can try a creeping escalation of an aggressive war, but with certain
targets it will want the maximum effect of surprise and instill
overwhelming terror of its power in the population as a whole. Hence we
have to expect that if the US abandons the SC second vote war may have
started by the time we get up one morning in the near future.
But analysts think there could be a standoff around Baghdad, with key
installations being taken out, while the US is calculating how soon there
will be a rising against Saddam and how to support it. They will try to
marginalise any initiatives by Saddam to promote dialogue and get support
from the anti-hegemonistic bloc in the Security Council. They will bring
together some sort of oppositional forum to make declarations and appear in
front of the television cameras. Whether the Kurds can introduce any
genuinely democratic demands into this may be important for the peace
movement to regroup. If the Iraqi army is to be used there will be other
aspects of the Iraqi state which will continue. Saddam's regime cannot be
undialectically totally negative and some of the political fight may be
about what continues and what is overthrow. After all denazification did
not go very deep after the defeat of Germany. So Saddam may play to certain
demands that have a basis in reality, and which are inherently
anti-imperialist. If the debate on the surface is about the terms of
Saddam's exile (which Chirac supports) the struggle under the surface is to
stop the violent destruction of the more democratic and progressive aspects
of Iraq and prevent their conquest by the new imperialism.
Mass protests for a cease fire around Baghdad could do some good.
There will also be demands for a Middle East peace settlement, which the US
in particular will brush to one side, but Blair would like to get involved
in.
I thought I would check Clausewitz, because the point I want to make is
about the political content of war, even during a blitzkrieg.
from what appears to be an informed website:
http://www.clausewitz.com/CWZHOME/CWZSUMM/CWORKHOL.htm#dialectic -
One of the main sources of confusion about Clausewitz's approach lies in
his dialectical method of presentation. For example, Clausewitz's famous
line that War is merely a continuation of politics, while accurate as
far as it goes, was not intended as a statement of fact. It is the
antithesis in a dialectical argument whose thesis is the pointmade
earlier in the analysisthat war is nothing but a duel [or wrestling
match, a better translation of the German Zweikampf] on a larger scale.
His synthesis, which resolves the deficiencies of these two bald
statements, says that war is neither nothing but an act of brute force
nor merely a rational act of politics or policy. This synthesis lies in
his fascinating trinity [wunderliche dreifaltigkeit]: a dynamic,
inherently unstable interaction of the forces of violent emotion, chance,
and rational calculation.
Chris Burford
London
