Page 920 – Toward Freedom

Drugs and the Environment (2/00)

RON CHEPESIUK June 2, 2005 RON CHEPESIUK

The economic and social costs of the US’s failed War on Drugs are well known. Violence is endemic in Mexico, Colombia, and other countries at the war’s epicenter, while drug-related corruption is now a global phenomenon involving the highest official levels in every nation touched by the drug trade. Meanwhile, hundreds of thousands of people are dependent on the drug trade for their livelihood, and are helping to supply the many unfortunate individuals hooked on a wide variety of drugs being marketed to meet the huge demand. read more

Prairie Dogs Under Attack (6/99)

ANDREA C. POE June 2, 2005 ANDREA C. POE

The sun rises over a vast expanse of prairie. The wind blows and the wild grass sways, as if to music. With its seeming endless repetition and aching beauty, the great prairie has captured the American imagination for generations. The image is peaceful, a scene of tranquillity and rhythm, a place to dream.

But the western plains aren’t as tranquil as they appear. A war is being waged against the short and mixed grass prairie, and the most brutal battle centers on the prairie dog, arguably the ecosystem’s cornerstone. read more

Nicaragua: Land Grab on the Atlantic Coast: Part 1 (6/98)

Bill Weinberg June 2, 2005 Bill Weinberg

On the road to Puerto Cabezas, the cowboy country of Nicaragua’s central mountains slopes into the lush lowlands of the Miskito Rainforest – what’s left of it. For centuries, this region was an impenetrable jungle which protected the Miskito and Mayangna Indians from conquest. Just a few years ago, there was no road to the Caribbean coastal town. Now, Central America’s largest rainforest is shrinking faster than ever, and the Indians find themselves the guardians of what once was their protector. read more

Democratic Investment: National Trust proposal (06/04)

ROY MORRISON June 2, 2005 ROY MORRISON

Failure is usually an orphan. From my son Sam’s schoolyard to boardrooms and politicians explaining disappearing weapons of mass destruction, fingers nervously point in other directions. But on questions of jobs and the economy, George W. Bush and his administration are determined to press ahead with monetary, fiscal, and employment policies that have failed spectacularly and show no signs of recovery. The wisdom of this persistence in failure I leave to the president’s handlers. But the problem requires much more than clever spin. read more

Nonviolent Peaceforce Tries Unarmed Intervention (12/03

TOM BOSWELL June 2, 2005 TOM BOSWELL

Peace activist Donna Howard had plenty of time to reflect during the 14 months she spent behind bars after a 1996 Ploughshares action at a nuclear weapons site. Confined in five different jail and prison cells, what she thought about was space – political space.

"We have to build a system," she concluded, "a new tool that will help us keep from reverting to that tired old system of war." After her release, she returned home to Duluth, Minnesota, where she had founded a Catholic Worker community. Looking for others who shared her vision of a third party intervention force, she found a group of activists in the Twin Cities who had recently presented a proposal at The Hague Appeal for Peace in the Netherlands. read more

Accent on Diversity: 2003 Report (12/03)

Super User June 2, 2005 Super User

Evolution generates books, projects, and a radio play

Our 51st year of continuous publication has certainly been active. More than 60 features were published and distributed, and two previous articles won Project Censored recognition. Last year, TF moved to a quarterly schedule for its flagship periodical, while continuing to branch out into books and other media.

The year began with the release of Uneasy Empire, a manifesto on globalization and freedom by TF editor Greg Guma. It is currently being distributed by AK Press and Catholic Worker Books. As we go to press, our next book, Reign of Error, is at the printer. It’s a powerful collection of 110 illustrations by TF staff artist Dan Florentino, with accompanying text by 47 writers. Covering topics from media, globalization, crime, and big brother to oil, fundamentalism, the environment, and war, it’s a graphic guide for anyone who cares about the state and fate of the Earth. TF members will receive their advance copies before the end of the year; retail sales will begin in January 2004. read more