Page 869 – Toward Freedom

Protesters get FBI terrorism treatment

Super User December 14, 2005 Super User

COLORADO SPRINGS – Documents obtained under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) confirm what many activists and civil libertarians have been claiming for several years – that the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Forces (JTTF) collect information on nonviolent protest activities and consider them part of domestic terrorism investigations.

The documents, discovered due to a request by the American Civil Liberties Union Foundation of Colorado, show that the names and license plate numbers of about 30 people who protested in Colorado Springs during 2003 and 2003 were put into FBI domestic terrorism files. read more

Battle Hymns for the Blue States

Melody Zagami December 14, 2005 Melody Zagami

The Putrid Minds Anthology: Battle Hymns for the Blue States byThe Sons of Emperor Norton, is the only album ever produced that features Elvis, Mark Twain, Stephen Hawking and the little known historical figure, Joshua "Emperor" Norton. This 23 song anthology is not for the faint of heart. When listening, you laugh and think, "that's clever." Then reality comes into focus and you feel powerless in the face of the monstrous Bush administration. The band's humor has more than a bit of truth between the lines.

Toward a Realistic Anti-War Strategy

Tom Crumpacker December 13, 2005 Tom Crumpacker

The use of the word "victory" fifteen times in President Bush's brief address in Annapolis, Maryland on November 30th was due to the influence of his NSC special advisor "Dr. Weaver," a scientist whose research on public opinion about the Iraq War has established that Americans will support such a war with mounting casualties on condition they believe it will ultimately succeed.

Showdown in the Andes: Bolivian Election Likely to Shift Latin America Further to Left

Benjamin Dangl December 12, 2005 Benjamin Dangl

Morales and supporters, ©jeremybigwood.net

In Washington he's been referred to as a "narco-terrorist" and a "threat to stability". In Bolivia he's simply called "Evo." For many in the Andean country, Presidential candidate Evo Morales represents a way out of poverty and marginalization. He has pledged to nationalize the country's natural gas reserves, reject any US-backed free trade agreement and join the growing ranks of Latin America's left-of-center governments. He makes the Bush administration nervous and corporate investors cringe. Yet when Bolivians head to the polls Morales is expected to win a majority. However, the range of scenarios that could result from the election suggests that the show may be far from over by the end of Election Day on December 18th.

Boy walks past anti-repression graffiti, Buenos Aires

Five Lessons Bush Learned from Argentina’s Dirty War and Five Lessons for the Rest of Us

Renate Lunn December 8, 2005 Renate Lunn

Boy walks past anti-repression graffiti, Buenos Aires

It began as a far-reaching war against a vague enemy. Any questions about the war were considered unpatriotic and dissenters risked being violently repressed by the government. The government helped the economic elite profit at the expense of the poor. When the regime was losing its grip on power, it turned to a conventional military war that became a disaster. This synopsis describes the Dirty War of 1976-1983 in Argentinaand the current US "War on Terror."

The Dirty War in Argentina is a complex story that can be viewed through a variety of lenses. During the six months I recently spent in Argentina, I found that the more I learned about the Dirty War, the more I was learning about the "War on Terror." To say that the current state of repression in the US is exactly like the Dirty War would be an insult to the 30,000 people who were disappeared and tortured in Argentina. The similarities between the two "wars," however, can indicate in what direction the US may be headed and how progressives can steer the country in another direction.

Torture denial conflicts with mounting evidence

Super User December 7, 2005 Super User

WASHINGTON – Does the United States operate secret prisons where detainees suspected of involvement in terrorism are taken and tortured? U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice attempted to deflect this nagging question during a Dec. 5 press conference by defending “rendition” – the practice of transporting suspects to third countries for interrogation – while stating that, "the United States does not transport, and has not transported, detainees from one country to another for the purpose of interrogation using torture.” read more