Tuesday, November 13, 2007

THIS JUST IN! THEY'RE AT IT AGAIN!

 
THE SAME MAINSTREAM PRESS THAT TOLD YOU SENATOR INSANE JOHN MCCAIN WAS A "STRAIGHT TALKER" CAN'T GET OVER THEIR HEAVY CRUSH ON BARACK OBAMA: SENATOR BAM-BAM WHO WANTS TO BE PRESIDENT REALLY, LIKE, REALLY BAD AND STUFF..
 
EXHIBITING A NASTY CASE OF LOVE-STARVED DEVOTION AND AS ITCHY AS ANYONE WAITING TO BE ASKED TO THE PROM, SCOTT HELLMAN (BOSTON GLOBE) SQUEALS WITH PASSION, "IS OBAMA MAKING HIS MOVE?" 
 
CALM DOWN, SCOTTY, YOU'LL PROBABLY BE GOING STAG AGAIN.
 
PETER SLEVIN HISSES, "PAWS OFF, SCOTTY, I SAW HIM FIRST!" AND THEN BRAGS AS IF BUILDING UP THE DREAM DATE TO THE FOLKS, OBAMA'S DONE IT ALL AND "WITHOUT BEING BLOODIED -- INDEED, WITH HARDLY A SCRATCH, EVEN IN ROUGH-AND-TUMBLE CHICAGO".  SAVE THE HEAVY PANTING FOR YOUR DIARY WITH THE HEARTS AND PUPPIES COVER, PETEY, AND KEEP BOTH HANDS ABOVE THE WAIST.
 
MICHELLE OBAMA, WIFE OF BAM-BAM, EXPLAINS THAT HER HUSBAND WAS TRAILING BEFORE, "THE SAME THING IN THE U.S. SENATE RACE.  THE EXACT SAME SCENARIO."
 
OH REALLY, MICHELLE?
 
SO WE CAN EXPECT THAT "THE SAME THING" WILL BE DONE AGAIN? 
 
BAM-BAM'S CAMPAIGN IN THAT DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY ELIMINATED HIS OPPONENT WITH WHISPERS THAT THE MAN BEAT HIS WIFE.  BAM-BAM'S CAMPAIGN ELIMINATED HIS OPPONENT IN THE GENERAL RACE BY PROVIDING THE PRESS WITH SEALED COURT DOCUMENTS ON HIS OPPONENT'S DIVORCE.
 
THE LOVE-BOYS OF THE PRESS NEVER NOTICE THAT.  THEY'RE TOO BUSY PLANNING FOR THE DAY WHEN THEY CAN BECOME MRS. BARACK OBAMA.
 
 
 
Starting with war resistance. Today on KPFK's Sojourner Truth, Margaret Prescod spoke with Kenneth Kagan about where things stood for Ehren Watada currently.  Watada is the first officer to refuse to deploy to Iraq.  Kagan, along with Jim Lobsenz, is Watada's civilian attorney and he explained Judge Benjamin Settle's ruling and what it means.  Last Thursday, following the issuance of two stays in the US military's attempt to court-martial Watada a second time, Judge Settle ruled that no court-martial could take place until the double-jeopardy issue was resolved and that his opinion was Watada had strong standing on that issue and the courts would find in his favor. Kagan declared that it was highly unlikely that there would be futher court action this year.  He also thinks it's doubtful the US military will be able to proceed with a court-martial period.  (Following the rest of the year, Kagan ticked off 2008 and the next.)  As Laura Flanders (Nation via Common Dreams) notes of Settle's ruling today, "In issuing a preliminary injunction, the Judge concluded that 'it is likely' that Watada will succeed in his claims that a second court-martial would violate constitutional protections against being tried twice for the same crimes. But army officials aren't giving up.  In a statement, they said they will file briefs in U.S. District Court to try to prevent the injunction from becoming permanent.  Now is the time for all moral men and women in uniform to stand up -- not just behind Lt. Watada, but at his side.  So far, not one other officer has followed in the lieutenant's footstep."   As Ruth noted, yesterday on Free Speech Radio News, Iraq Veterans Against the War's chair Camilo Mejia declared this was a victory, "Here we have the first commissioned officer who at great risks to a public, personal stance on the war calling it illegal and refusing to deploy."
 
There is a growing movement of resistance within the US military which includes James Stepp, Michael Espinal, Matthew Lowell, Derek Hess, Diedra Cobb, Brad McCall, Justin Cliburn, Timothy Richard, Robert Weiss, Phil McDowell, Steve Yoczik, Ross Spears, Peter Brown, Bethany "Skylar" James, Zamesha Dominique, Chrisopther Scott Magaoay, Jared Hood, James Burmeister, Eli Israel, Joshua Key, Ehren Watada, Terri Johnson, Carla Gomez, Luke Kamunen, Leif Kamunen, Leo Kamunen, Camilo Mejia, Kimberly Rivera, Dean Walcott, Linjamin Mull, Agustin Aguayo, Justin Colby, Marc Train, Abdullah Webster, Robert Zabala, Darrell Anderson, Kyle Snyder, Corey Glass, Jeremy Hinzman, Kevin Lee, Mark Wilkerson, Patrick Hart, Ricky Clousing, Ivan Brobeck, Aidan Delgado, Pablo Paredes, Carl Webb, Stephen Funk, Blake LeMoine, Clifton Hicks, David Sanders, Dan Felushko, Brandon Hughey, Clifford Cornell, Joshua Despain, Joshua Casteel, Katherine Jashinski, Dale Bartell, Chris Teske, Matt Lowell, Jimmy Massey, Chris Capps, Tim Richard, Hart Viges, Michael Blake, Christopher Mogwai, Christian Kjar, Kyle Huwer, Wilfredo Torres, Michael Sudbury, Ghanim Khalil, Vincent La Volpa, DeShawn Reed and Kevin Benderman. In total, at least fifty US war resisters in Canada have applied for asylum.

Information on war resistance within the military can be found at The Objector, The G.I. Rights Hotline [(877) 447-4487], Iraq Veterans Against the War and the War Resisters Support Campaign. Courage to Resist offers information on all public war resisters. Tom Joad maintains a list of known war resisters.
 
 
The voice of war resister Camilo Mejia is featured in Rebel Voices -- playing now through December 16th at Culture Project and based on Howard Zinn and Anthony Arnove's best-selling book Voices of a People's History of the United States. It features dramatic readings of historical voices such as war resister Mejia, Sojourner Truth, Frederick Douglass, Malcom X and others will be featured. Zinn will take part in the November 18th presentation (the official opening night -- but performances are already taking place) and musician Allison Mooerer will head the permanent cast while those confirmed to be performing on selected nights are Ally Sheedy (actress and poet, best known for films such as High Art, The Breakfast Club, Maid to Order, the two Short Circuit films, St. Elmo's Fire, War Games, and, along with Nicky Katt, has good buzz on the forthcoming Harold), Eve Ensler who wrote the theater classic The Vagina Monologues (no, it's not too soon to call that a classic), actor David Strathaim (L.A. Confidential, The Firm, Bob Roberts, Dolores Claiborne and The Bourne Ultimatum), actor and playwright Wallace Shawn (The Princess Bride, Clueless -- film and TV series, Gregory and Chicken Little), actress Lili Taylor (Dogfight, Shortcuts, Say Anything, Household Saints, I Shot Andy Warhol, Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle, State of Mind) and actor, director and activist Danny Glover (The Color Purple, Beloved, The Royal Tenenbaums, The Rainmaker, Places In The Heart, Dreamgirls, Shooter and who appeared on Democracy Now! Friday addressing the US militarization of Africa) The directors are Will Pomerantz and Rob Urbinati with Urbinati collaborating with Zinn and Arnove on the play. Tickets are $21 for previews and $41 for regular performances (beginning with the Nov. 18th opening night). The theater is located at 55 Mercer Street and tickets can be purchased there, over the phone (212-352-3101) or online here and here. More information can be found at Culture Project. 
 
 
In 1971, over one hundred members of Vietnam Veterans Against the War gathered in Detroit to share their stories with America. Atrocities like the My Lai massacre had ignited popular opposition to the war, but political and military leaders insisted that such crimes were isolated exceptions. The members of VVAW knew differently.
Over three days in January, these soldiers testified on the systematic brutality they had seen visited upon the people of Vietnam. They called it the Winter Soldier investigation, after Thomas Paine's famous admonishing of the "summer soldier" who shirks his duty during difficult times. In a time of war and lies, the veterans who gathered in Detroit knew it was their duty to tell the truth.
Over thirty years later, we find ourselves faced with a new war. But the lies are the same. Once again, American troops are sinking into increasingly bloody occupations. Once again, war crimes in places like Haditha, Fallujah, and Abu Ghraib have turned the public against the war. Once again, politicians and generals are blaming "a few bad apples" instead of examining the military policies that have destroyed Iraq and Afghanistan.
Once again, our country needs Winter Soldiers. 
In March of 2008, Iraq Veterans Against the War will gather in our nation's capital to break the silence and hold our leaders accountable for these wars. We hope you'll join us, because yours is a story that every American needs to hear.  
 
The Winter Soldier Investigation during Vietnam took place from January 31st to February 2nd (1971) and was held in Detroit.  By holding theirs in DC, IVAW already has improved.  That's not a slap at Detroit, that's noting the concentration of media. 
 
RECOMMENDED: "Iraq snapshot"

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