DC police are out of control

Adam Kokesh has shocking video of what happens when you try to sell lemonade in DC. And of abusive police officers who attack cameras and people. DC Police needs special training, they are out of control. And they also need to hit the track, have you ever seen such fat guts hanging over police uniforms? They should be ashamed to be seen in public. Where is their commander to order them to get on a track field. The only one who may be in physical condition is little Ms. Nazi, fond of barking orders. "Get the camera out of my face," the ugly, horse faced female police officer keeps insisting. The camera may go but she'll still have that ugly face, she'll still be butt ugly for her entire damn life.

Cynthia McKinney's Truth Tour (Sara Flounders)

Repost from Workers World:

McKinney anti-war tour mobilizes movement in 20+ cities

Published Aug 19, 2011 7:22 AM

Sara Flounders, co-director of the International Action Center, discusses a series of meetings where former U.S. Rep. Cynthia McKinney has spoken against the U.S./NATO war on Libya. The meetings follow McKinney’s visit to the North African country. As of Aug. 13 the tour had grown to 19 U.S. cities and Vancouver, B.C., in Canada. Following are excerpts from an interview with Flounders by Workers World Managing Editor John Catalinotto.

The tour, now about half over, has continued to grow in both number of cities and importance. It has already illustrated some important lessons and experiences in how to mobilize against U.S. wars of aggression while overcoming extremely unfavorable conditions.

These conditions include the level of demonization in the corporate media of the government of Moammar Gadhafi, the apparent diplomatic isolation of Libya and even the time of year, when the universities are not in session and even many movement groups and activists are on a vacation schedule.

Outside of the continued slanders directed at Gadhafi, there is little media coverage of the war and of how the bombing is killing Libyan civilians, when the war’s official justification was that the intervention was supposed to protect civilians. What hypocrisy.

There has been an almost total silence in the media as the relentless attack continues. It’s gone far beyond a so-called “no-fly zone” to bombing urban centers, killing civilians and destroying the infrastructure. No other country in history except the U.S. has had the capacity to wreak such havoc, using cruise missiles, bunker busters, drones, depleted uranium and dense inert metal explosive bombs, anti-personnel razor shredding bomblets and anti-personnel mines.

The corporate media can demonize the leader of a country targeted by the Pentagon to the point that the consequences of using the most deadly weapons against a totally defenseless population are hidden and dismissed.

On top of this, the working class here in the U.S. is absorbed with the overwhelming problems of the capitalist system in crisis. They don’t know what this means for their future. They are filled with apprehension, along with disappointment that the hopes raised by the Barack Obama administration were false ones.

Almost no one is supporting the war. And they are angry that the government is spending money on the war and not on social services. But without lots of news on it, for many people this is not the first thing on their mind.

McKinney confronted the war makers

Despite these difficulties, the movement here has to challenge such a criminal imperialist act of brigandage and piracy. Otherwise, it pulls the whole progressive movement backwards. If it is going to fight on immediate, bread-and-butter issues such as the economy, the movement also has to show that it’s willing to stand up against heavy-handed propaganda from the government and the corporate media. This is a measure of its independence from those who rule U.S. society.

Cynthia McKinney put herself at risk by going to Libya. She gave the movement an opportunity to focus on this issue.

And groups in each city took up the challenge. In each city the most resolute anti-war groups, including the International Action Center, often joined with or supported Pan-African organizations that reached out to all sorts of local committees. In the end, meetings of 250 to 500 people have heard McKinney and others condemn the attack.

In every city, those initiating this community “teach-in” reached out consciously and discussed the issues with a wider circle of the Black movement — especially the Pan-African movement, those who have long focused on Africa.

The most important role for anti-imperialist forces to play is first to provide clarity among their own ranks and then to reach out and win over others who might have at first been confused about Libya. The movement here is incredibly diverse. Each of the meetings here was quite different from the others. But they all reflected the movement in the cities where they took place.

In Atlanta, there was an outpouring of Black forces. In Minneapolis, it was the people facing grand jury investigations and the Women Against Military Madness. In Albany, N.Y., the United National Antiwar Coalition; in Los Angeles, a section of the mostly immigrant workers’ movement from south of the border; in Boston, the school bus drivers and the Haitian community played a role.

At Riverside Church in New York, the Rev. Robert B. Coleman of the Riverside Church Prison Ministries welcomed the broad spectrum of organizations present. At three of the meetings, a Libyan studying in the U.S. told of how the war harmed his family. The meeting in Vancouver strengthened the anti-imperialist forces in Western Canada. Nearly all the meetings linked the endless funds earmarked for war to the disaster that poor and working people are facing.

The mass reaction to McKinney at the meetings has been strongest and most favorable when she focuses on Libya, tells the story and combats the demonization and war propaganda. To combat this propaganda — which always seeps down, even into the progressive and anti-war movement — we have to rally forces and explain the consequences of the war.

In many of the cities where McKinney spoke, there was extensive local media coverage; the only national coverage, however, was from the right-wing O’Reilly Factor, which blasted McKinney for making the trip and speaking out. That’s what the tour had to answer.

---

Articles copyright 1995-2011 Workers World. Verbatim copying and distribution of this entire article is permitted in any medium without royalty provided this notice is preserved.

Workers World, 55 W. 17 St., NY, NY 10011
Email: ww@workers.org
Subscribe wwnews-subscribe@workersworld.net
Support independent news DONATE

CIA backed forces close in on Libya's capital (GBSW)

Repost from Great Britain's Socialist Worker:

Rebels close in on Libya's capital

comment on article | email | print
Share on: Delicious | Digg | reddit | Facebook | StumbleUpon

by Ken Olende

Opposition forces in Libya believe they have broken the recent stalemate and are once more close to overthrowing Colonel Muammar Gaddafi’s regime.

Their slow advance on the capital Tripoli has been boosted by the capture of two strategic towns—Zawiya and Garyan.

The dictator’s beleaguered regime slipped further as another leading loyalist appears to have defected to Egypt—interior minister Nasser al-Mabruk Abdullah who was responsible for security.

But the regime has teetered before and survived.

One reason for this is the changing nature of the war following the entry of Nato, including British forces.

In the early stages of the uprising rebels used megaphones to reach out to fellow citizens and Gaddafi’s troops to win them over to the rebellion.

The tactic was very effective. But from the first Nato air strikes at the end of March it ended.

Ordinary

The war was conducted through firepower and force, not winning ordinary people.

Gaddafi was able to view the opposition as agents of imperialism.

As the war descended into a bloody stalemate attitudes changed. Troops in Gaddafi’s army are now scared that if they surrender they will be killed or badly treated rather than welcomed.

And as hopes have reduced, rebel soldiers are more likely to view opposing troops as members of an ethnic or regional group rather than potential comrades.

The New York Times reports that rebel fighters have recently “lashed out at civilians because their tribes supported” Gaddafi.

The crucial stage of the war is the battle for Tripoli—by far the biggest city in the country.

Both sides fear a gruelling street-by-street fight. It could end up as a protracted guerrilla war with no clear victor.

Rebels and Gaddafi loyalists met for secret talks in the Tunisian town of Djerba on Monday.

The distance between the two “governments” is much less than it was even a couple of months ago.

The revolution’s original hope for a radical shift towards a more equal society looks very distant now.

If Gaddafi’s exit is negotiated, a much more likely outcome is a weak and divided country beholden to the West.

This would be an ideal solution for Western governments and multinationals alike.

It would allow them to re-establish oil production without worrying about local demands for redistribution of wealth.

United

But the rebel forces have not united since the killing of their military commander General Abdel Fattah Younes by Islamists in the rebel army.

The subsequent sacking of the cabinet in the rebel capital of Benghazi did not resolve the situation—the administration in Misrata will not accept instructions from Benghazi.

A small elite are busy trying to make deals with Western leaders.

Since they have nothing new to offer their followers, the army is increasingly divided along ethnic and regional lines.

The New York Times comments, “The rebels’ Western backers have become alarmed at the growing rift between supporters of a group of rebels who have coalesced into a relatively unified army and the others who effectively remain a civilian band of militia fighters.”

If the war does descend into street fighting in a major city, the Nato intervention may well have created the situation it claimed it was there to prevent.

---

© Socialist Worker (unless otherwise stated). You may republish if you include an active link to the original.

Highlights

This piece is written by Rebecca of Sex and Politics and Screeds and Attitude, Cedric of Cedric's Big Mix, Kat of Kat's Korner, Betty of Thomas Friedman is a Great Man, Mike of Mikey Likes It!, Elaine of Like Maria Said Paz, Ruth of Ruth's Report, Marcia of SICKOFITRADLZ, Stan of Oh Boy It Never Ends, Ann of Ann's Mega Dub, Isaiah of The World Today Just Nuts and Wally of The Daily Jot. Unless otherwise noted, we picked all highlights.


"The Cult of St. Barack (A Primer)" and "I Hate The War" -- the two most requested highlights by readers of this site.

Isaiah's The World Today Just Nuts "Operator Error," Isaiah's The World Today Just Nuts "What? Us Diet?" and "Isaiah's The World Today Just Nuts "Debt Man and Blunder Boy" -- last week you got three comics by Isaiah at The Common Ills.


"Zucchini and Tomato Bake in the Kitchen" -- Trina offers a recipe and continues to write about the Verizon strike such as here:

• Verizon strike continues
• Verizon's latest attack on employees
• The strike
• Verizon strike

"Isaiah, Libyan War, etc" -- Elaine continues to cover the Libyan War.

"The idiot and his bus tour" -- Mike covers Barack and his bus tour.

"He refuses staycation" and "THIS JUST IN! NO TO STAYCATION!" -- Cedric and Wally on Princess Barry.

"why barack doesn't have time to work on the economy" -- these vacations and the fundraisers don't leave a lot of time for, you know, actual work.

"Cesspool: John Edwards Edition" -- Ruth updates you on the latest news about the pond scum.

"The Iraq War never ends because of them" -- Kat on Leon Panetta's remarks.

"It's all in a name" -- Marcia notes that some names do not spell stardom.

"Gothika," "Carole Lombard," "the broken," "The Resident," "The Help" and "The Help II" -- Stan, Rebecca, Kat and Betty go to the movies while Ann covers radio:

• 3 men, 3 women
• 4 men, no women
• 3 men, 3 women
• 3 women, 2 men
• 4 men, 1 woman

"The Mystique Candidate" -- Isaiah dips into the archives.

"Steven D. Green: War Criminal" -- Marcia covers the war criminal.


"Fat ass Danny Schechter" -- Mike serves up the week's pick for idiot of the week.


"the state of the economy" and "71% disapprove of Barack Obama's economic skills" -- Rebecca and Ruth cover the economy.


"Trying to fit in" and "THIS JUST IN! PRINCESS TAKES A VACATION!" -- Cedric and Wally on Barry's neurosis.

Truest statement of the week

What I observe in the U.S. is the financial chickens coming home to roost after decades’ long foreign expansion and wars. I firmly believe that Barack Obama was (s)elected to put a minority face on this expansion to help quell rising protests against the aggressive wars abroad and the war against the poor here at home. Everything he has done during his disastrous first term in office has been done to shore up the economic defenses of the economic elite: expand wars, TARP, health care "reform" bill, bankster bailouts, and the recent debt ceiling debacle.

-- Cindy Sheehan, "The People vs The Machine" (Cindy Sheehan's Soap Box).

Truest statement of the week II

More and more people are fed up. Press releases and email alerts are reaching absurd extremes. With Congress reduced to a 12-member committee that will set our budgetary priorities for years to come, organizations are politely asking that the committee include one or two humane individuals, or that the committee's meetings be live-streamed or its decisions be posted publicly for 72 hours prior to being rammed down our throats. These absurd proposals come out of a divided left, one side of which is not ready to admit that nonviolent resistance is required or that Democrats ought to be held to the same standards as Republicans.


-- David Swanson, "The Divided Left" (War Is A Crime).

A note to our readers

Hey --

Another Sunday. And we're late again.


First up, we thank all who participated this edition which includes Dallas and the following:

The Third Estate Sunday Review's Jim, Dona, Ty, Jess and Ava,
Rebecca of Sex and Politics and Screeds and Attitude,
Betty of Thomas Friedman Is a Great Man,
C.I. of The Common Ills and The Third Estate Sunday Review,
Kat of Kat's Korner (of The Common Ills),
Cedric of Cedric's Big Mix,
Mike of Mikey Likes It!,
Elaine of Like Maria Said Paz),
Ruth of Ruth's Report,
Wally of The Daily Jot,
Trina of Trina's Kitchen,
Marcia of SICKOFITRDLZ,
Stan of Oh Boy It Never Ends,
Isaiah of The World Today Just Nuts,
and Ann of Ann's Mega Dub.

And what did we come up with?

First of all, a theme issue. This is an issue about the media. Including you because you are the media in your life. You highlight things to your friends, impart information and much, much more.

• • Truest statement of the week
• 
  
• Cindy Sheehan explains neoliberalsim.
• 
  
  • Truest statement of the week II
• 
  
• David Swanson weighing in on the topic of left factions.
• 
  
• 
  
  
  • Editorial: It started out illegal, it remains ill...
• 
  
• Our Iraq War piece.
• 
  
  • TV: The PBS FluffHour
• 
  
• Ava and C.I. tackle The NewsHour.
• 
  
  • The state of comics
• Yes, comics can be examined from a media perspective.
• 
  
  • Roundtable
  We offer a roundtable on the media.
• 
  
  • Situational Outrage at The Progressive
• And we examine The Progressive . . .
• 
  
  • Flash In The Pan Points Radio
  And Flashpoints Radio.
• 
  
  • Smile, you are the medium
  A reminder. This is an piece Ann and C.I. brought to the table, by the way.
• 
  
• 
  
  • Take a front seat in your own life
• 
  
• An event you won't want to miss.
• 
  
  • Libya: 'Rebels' fissures (GBSW)
  Repost of article for Great Britian's Socialist Worker.
• 
  
  • No war on Libya! (Workers World)
• Repost of Workers World article.
• 
  
  • Highlights
  Mike and the gang did these and we thank them for it.
  

And that's what we came up with.
Peace.

-- Jim, Dona, Ty, Jess, Ava and C.I.

Editorial: It started out illegal, it remains illegal

Last Monday, the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights released [PDF format warning] "2010 Report on Human Rights in Iraq." It follows on the heels of SIGIR Stuart Bowen's report which found Iraq is more dangerous today than it was a year ago with violence on the rise.

This in spite of the fact that every time he opens his mouth, Barack Obama's signing the "Progress In Iraq" song -- the same one Bully Boy Bush used to sing. It was meaningless then and it's meaningless now.



And yet the US government is in negotiations with the Iraqi government to keep US forces on the ground in Iraq beyond 2011.

For what?

For how long?

Nothing has been accomplished with this illegal war, nothing good.


March 2012? If the US military is still in Iraq, it will have been in Iraq for nine years.

And there's no democracy. And there's no improved lives for Iraqis.

There's no stability. In fact, the whole reason for the US military staying would be to prop up the thug Nouri al-Maliki. The thug the US installed embraces torture and secret prisons and corruption and theft and you name it. And that's who the US wants to keep in power.

He orders attacks on peaceful protesters, he orders attacks on journalists. He looks the other ways as Iraqi Christians are attacked, he looks the other way as Iraq's LGBT community is attacked.

This is who the US government installed, this is the puppet they continue to protect. So stop pretending it's about democracy or liberation or anything noble. It's an illegal war. Changing the guard at the White House didn't change the illegal war.

This is especially clear in the United Nations report and especially in the section on Iraqi prisons:

Through various visits to detention centres and prisons, UNAMI found evidence that detainees and prisoners had been threatened with beatings if they raised concerns with UN staff. Overcrowding was seen to be a major problem in many facilities. UNAMI obtained information that some prisoners would be removed from their cells before the arrival of UNAMI in order to prevent them from being seen, in particular detainees who had visible marks of torture or abuse. Furthermore, UNAMI obtained evidence that torture and ill treatment routinely takes place at the time of arrest and while in detention. UNAMI staff seeing marks on some prisoners and detainees were threated with the death or rape of their female family members if they refused to sign confessions. Evidence gathered by UNAMI indicated that some detainees had been held for long periods of time -- some up to two years -- without being told of the charges against them and without access to family members, lawyers, or the courts. Conditions within facilities were often observed to be cramped, with no natural light, and no ventilation. Often there are no toilets in the cells, prisoners being let out intermittently to relieve themselves -- adding to the unhygienic condition of the facilities.
UNAMI had information that on some visits prisoners would be removed from cells and concealed by the authorities to give the impression that over-crowding had been resolved but also to remove from view prisoners who had signs of physical injury. It was observed that prisoners and detainees were often not provided with adequate food, sometimes only being fed a handful of dates on some days, and many showed skin disorders caused from unhygienic conditions. More significantly, there was substantial evidence that prisoners and detainees had been physically mistreated and beaten following previous visits by UNAMI in order to comple them to disclose the nature and substance of their discussions with UNAMI. Further visits to detention centres in Baghdad, were suspended from mid December 2010 until unfettered, private access is permited by the authorities to the inmates, and satisfactory guarantees have been given by the Government of Iraq that prisoners will not be harmed as a result of such visits which UNAMI is able to verify. Visits had not resumed by the end of the year.


The response from US outlets to the report was to ignore it (most outlets) or to pretty it up by ignoring the report and going with spin from a spokesperson instead (IPS -- click here for a critique of that bad coverage).

The reality of press coverage of Iraq is that they can never say Nouri is a thug -- not even when a US senator states that in an open hearing -- and they can never talk about the way Iraqis are treated in their own country now ruled by exiles.

The reality is that if the US press ever told the truth about the Iraq War, it would be highly embarrassing for many, many members of the press -- the ones who've lied or 'shaved the truth' repeatedly. But if they ever did get the guts to tell the truth, the complete truth, Barack Obama would never be able to blather on about 'progress' in Iraq without being loudly boo-ed. Press coverage of the Iraq War has never been about the Iraqi people. It really hasn't been about the American soldier. Instead, it's repeatedly been about protecting the politicians who lied us into this war.